Download or read book Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times written by Peter L. Steinke and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anxious times call for steady leadership. When tensions emerge in a congregation, its leaders cannot be as anxious as the people they serve. To remain effective, congregational leaders must control their own uneasiness. This takes self-awareness and confidence to manage relationships and influence behaviors. Knowing how to deal with anxiety and how to work throug complex challenges can lead a congregation to new insights, growth, and vitality. Anxious times hold not only the potential for loss but also for creation, important lernings, and changes that will strengthen the congregation. With this new book, internationally respected consultant Peter Steinke goes deeper into the requirements of effective congregational leadership. Born from the wisdom of Steinke's distinguished career, this new volume will both enlighten and embolden leaders. Steinke inspires courage in leaders to maintain the course, unearth secrets, resist sabotage, withstand fury, and overcome timidity or doubts. His insights, illustrations, and provocations will carry leaders through rough times, provide clarity during confusing times, and uplift them in joyous times.

Download or read book Uproar written by Peter L. Steinke and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-02-13 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If “these are the times that test men’s souls,” never more than for the leader’s ability to think clearly, to be present calmly, and to challenge effectively. It’s a time when leaders cannot be as anxious as those they serve; otherwise, the system is leaderless. Anxiety flows down like water from a leaky pipe. To lead effectively we must understand the impact of powerful emotional forces on people’s behavior, especially in anxious times. Uproar: Calm Leadership in Anxious Times helps leaders understand the powerful impact that emotional processes have on the people they lead. Peter Steinke, bestselling author of CongregationalLeadership in Anxious Times draws on decades of work on system conflict and personal experiences to share real stories of challenges leaders have faced and how understanding the power of emotions has dramatically influenced their success. In this book, readers will observe important leadership characteristics such as separating oneself from the surrounding anxiety, making decisions based on principle and not instinct, taking responsibility for one’s own emotional being, staying connected to others including those who disagree with you, being a non-anxious presence, focusing on emotional processes rather than the symptoms they produce, knowing people naturally influence one another, and recognizing leader and follower as complements. At the end of each chapter, there is a Leader’s Notebook, a short section to illustrate, enrich or engage your thinking about leadership. As Steinke suggests, being anxious causes you to lose perspective, and leaders do their best thinking when they are not overly stressed and can think about options, doing their best work when they work on themselves. So where are you in your leadership journey? No matter where you are—beginning, middle or end— this book will be one the most significant leadership books you’ll read.

Download or read book A Door Set Open written by Peter L. Steinke and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-08-23 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We resist change less when we associate it with mission and fortify it with hope. So argues longtime congregational consultant Peter Steinke in his fourth book, A Door Set Open, as he explores the relationship between the challenges of change and our own responses to new ideas and experiences. Steinke builds on a seldom-explored principle posited by the late Rabbi Edwin Friedman: the 'hostility of the environment' is proportionate to the 'response of the organism.' The key, Steinke says, is not the number or strength of the stressors in the system--anxiety, poor conditions, deteriorating values--but the response of the individual or organization to 'what is there.' Drawing on Bowen system theory and a theology of hope, as well as his experience working with more than two hundred congregations, Steinke makes the case that the church has entered an era of great opportunity. Theologian and sociologist Ernst Troeltsch said the church had closed down the office of eschatology. Steinke reopens it and draws our attention to God's future, to a vision of hope for the people of God. The door is set open for exploration and new creation.

Download or read book How Your Church Family Works written by Peter L. Steinke and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2006-11-20 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on the work of Bowen and Friedman, and on his own many years of counseling experience, Peter Steinke shows how to recognize and deal with the emotional roots of such issues as church conflict, leadership roles, congregational change, irresponsible behavior, and the effects of family of origin on current relationships.

Download or read book Leadership on the Line With a New Preface written by Ronald Heifetz and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2017-06-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The dangerous work of leading change--somebody has to do it. Will you put yourself on the line? To lead is to live dangerously. It's romantic and exciting to think of leadership as all inspiration, decisive action, and rich rewards, but leading requires taking risks that can jeopardize your career and your personal life. It requires putting yourself on the line, disrupting the status quo, and surfacing hidden conflict. And when people resist and push back, there's a strong temptation to play it safe. Those who choose to lead plunge in, take the risks, and sometimes get burned. But it doesn't have to be that way say renowned leadership experts Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. In Leadership on the Line, they show how it's possible to make a difference without getting "taken out" or pushed aside. They present everyday tools that give equal weight to the dangerous work of leading change and the critical importance of personal survival. Through vivid stories from all walks of life, the authors present straightforward strategies for navigating the perilous straits of leadership. Whether you're a parent or a politician, a CEO or a community activist, this practical book shows how you can exercise leadership and survive and thrive to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Download or read book The Leader s Journey written by Jim Herrington and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2020-01-21 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book helps pastors and church leaders understand the role their personal transformation as Jesus's disciples plays in effective congregational leadership. It shifts the focus of leadership from techniques and charisma to spiritual transformation and developing emotional maturity so leaders can effectively lead congregations to embrace change. End-of-chapter discussion questions are included. The first edition sold more than 20,000 copies and has been regularly used as a textbook over the past fifteen years. The second edition has been revised throughout and includes a greater emphasis on Bowen Family Systems Theory.

Download or read book Behavioral Covenants in Congregations written by Gil Rendle and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 1998-07-01 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This down-to-earth workbook gets to the heart of modern congregational life: how to live creatively together despite differences of age, race, culture, opinion, gender, theological or political position. Alban Senior Consultant Gil Rendle explains how to grow by valuing our differences rather than trying to ignore or blend them. He describes a method of establishing behavioral covenants that includes leadership instruction, training tools, resources (visual models, examples of specific covenants), small-group exercises, plans for meetings and retreats.

Download or read book Unreasonable Leadership written by Gary Chartrand and published by Dog Ear Publishing. This book was released on 2010-09 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Unreasonable Leadership provides a blueprint of how to lead and forge change in all types of economic environments. Gary Chartrand's powerful message of redefining the game, creating new pathways where there are none, leading without fear and mobilizing teams to coalesce around a goal is a timeless tool and is a must read for all who would call themselves leaders." Carla Harris, author of Expect To Win "Unreasonable Leadership should be required reading in every business school. What Gary Chartrand did to build Acosta into a industry leading sales and Marketing Juggernaut is simply remarkable and so is this book." Jon Gordon, Best-selling author of The Energy Bus and Soup "This is a smart, thought-provoking approach to leadership and how to create the ideal environment for bringing about positive change and achieving meaningful results." Mitt Romney, Former Governor of Massachusetts Gary Chartrand's Unreasonable Leadership provides a blueprint for leaders who are driving change not only in the corporate sector but in the social sector as well. Gary describes what it takes to be a true pioneer, to achieve unprecedented, ground breaking results despite the complexity of the work and the enormity of the challenges. We've learned through Teach for America that Unreasonable Leadership is exactly what is required to transform our entrenched public education systems. Wendy Kopp, CEO and Founder of Teach For America Achieving a vision that seemed nearly impossible, having the courage to make difficult decisions, and leading with conviction transformed a company and its entire industry. Unreasonable Leadership charts the growth of Acosta Sales and Marketing, a food brokerage firm that grew from a one-state operation employing 11 people to an international sales and marketing agency employing a staff of more than 16,000 in the US and Canada. During a 12-year span, company sales grew from $3 billion to $60 billion. How did this happen? Acosta Chairman Gary Chartrand followed the advice of George Bernard Shaw: "All progress comes from unreasonable people." Chartrand's success as an unreasonable leader testifies to the value of setting a bold agenda, never being afraid to ask, and the critical importance of molding a corporate culture. His personal saga shows what can be accomplished no matter the odds of what "conventional wisdom" labels as impossible.

Download or read book 12 Steps for Courageous Leadership written by Michael W. Kublin and published by Author House. This book was released on 2011-04-28 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Its not easy being a leader. It takes courage and commitment, the willingness to step out of our comfort zone, the need to readily adapt to change, and the obligation to develop our skill set and the skills within our organization. To some this is fearful. Dealing with the unknown or facing a known weakness creates discomfort. Another way to look at it is that courage and commitment are required to become a stronger leader. Embracing both the fear and courage emotions we feel can actually be inspirational! After observing many leaders who have come through PeopleTek programs, we noticed that the ones who are successful both in life and work have a specific set of characteristics and behaviors. Living your life with courage is how it all begins! Courage is the single most important attribute any leader must have in order to be effective and successful. We call this CourageAbility. CourageAbility is the ability to live both your dreams and professional life the way you want, while achieving your goals and exceeding in your lifes ambitions and objectives. It is taking and empowering yourself and others to go where you or they have never gone before. The 12 CourageAbility factors include: 1. Passion - Having and living your dream. 2. Documenting your goals. 3. Committing to your goals. 4. Understanding your strengths and the strengths of others. 5. Communicating with confidence and clarity. 6. Understanding and managing conflict with a purpose. 7. Developing others. 8. Delegating. 9. Developing a skill. 10. Remaining controlled. 11. Rewarding and recognizing. 12. Succeeding and learning from failure. A CourageAbility self assessment is provided; identify your high and low scores and determine how closely your behaviors align with your beliefs!

Download or read book Canoeing the Mountains written by Tod Bolsinger and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you ever feel that you are leading in uncharted territory? Pastor and consultant Tod Bolsinger draws on decades of expertise guiding churches and organizations in this expanded practical leadership resource, offering illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective church leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.

Download or read book Family Systems and Congregational Life written by R. Robert Creech and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experienced pastor and seminary teacher R. Robert Creech helps pastoral leaders increase their effectiveness by applying family systems theory to congregational life and ministry. Creech introduces readers to the basic concepts of Bowen Family Systems Theory, applies family theory to the work of ministry in church settings, and connects systems thinking to the everyday aspects of congregational ministry, such as preaching, pastoral care, leadership, spiritual formation, and interpreting biblical texts. Each chapter contains discussion questions, and there are five helpful appendixes with supplemental information about Bowen theory.

Download or read book Interim Ministry in Action written by Norman B. Bendroth and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-05-14 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many churches today find themselves in frequent transition, whether due to the changing culture, the struggles of mainline churches, or the changing nature of mission. Interim Ministry in Action helps guide churches and their leadership through these times of change. The book will guide readers step-by-step through the process of how and why to decide to call an interim minister, the process for deciding what’s next, and more. Each chapter concludes with exercises for readers, search committees, or boards to illustrate key themes and help them determine the best path forward.

Download or read book Conflict Management in Congregations written by David B. Lott and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2001-05-01 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since its inception, the Alban Institute has earned a reputation as a leader in addressing congregational conflict management issues through its research, consulting services, educational events, and particularly its publications. Drawing on this rich heritage, the first title in our new "Harvesting the Learnings" anthology series gathers 20 classic Alban works on congregational conflict into a single, indispensable volume. Conflict Management in Congregations harvests the collected wisdom of many of the key thinkers on this topic, including such past and present Alban consultants as Speed Leas, George Parsons, Margaret Bruehl, Gil Rendle, Alice Mann, and Roy Pneumann. Much of the material found here has long been unavailable but is still much in demand. Divided into three sections that explore the dynamics of conflict, conflict management techniques, and dealing with conflict in specific contexts, this book serves as a comprehensive primer that no pastor or congregational leader will want to be without.

Download or read book Creating a Healthier Church written by Ronald W. Richardson and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 1995-12-01 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to the Bowen Family Systems Theory and its applications both to church life and to the role of leadership in creating a healthier church, this book explains the complexities of congregational emotional life in understandable language.

Download or read book A Failure of Nerve written by Edwin H. Friedman and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2017-05-01 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An invitation and guide for leaders “to cast a courageous and imaginative vision, to lead resiliently, and to be present and steady in times of deep anxiety.” Ed Friedman’s genius was to see the individual in the family in the larger group, bringing the wisdom of his experience as a therapist and rabbi to the field of organizational leadership. A timeless bestseller, A Failure of Nerve still astonishes in this new edition with its relevance and continues to transform the lives of leaders everywhere—business, church, family, schools—as it has for more than 20 years: Offers prescient guide to leadership in the age of “quick fix.” Provides ways to recognize and address organizational dysfunction. Emphasizes “strength over pathology” in these anxious times. “The age that is upon us requires differentiated leadership that is willing to rise above the anxiety of the masses. We need leaders who will have the ‘capacity to understand and deal effectively’ with the hive mind that is us. This is, in Friedman's words, ‘the key to the kingdom.’ I am grateful for this accessible new edition.” ―C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Texas

Download or read book Searching for God Knows What written by Don Miller and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2010-05-24 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With equal parts wit and wisdom, New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller invites you to reconnect with your faith. Miller shares what he's learned firsthand--that our relationship with God is designed to teach us about redemption, grace, healing, and so much more. Searching for God Knows What weaves together timeless stories and fresh perspectives on the Bible to capture one man's journey to discover an authentic faith that's worth believing. Along the way, Miller poses his own questions about faith, religion, and community, asking: What if the motive behind our theology was relational? What if our value exists because God takes pleasure in us? What if the gospel of Jesus is an invitation to know God? Maybe you're a Christian wondering what faith you signed up for. Or maybe you don't believe anything and are daring someone to show you a genuine example of genuine faith. Somewhere beyond the self-help formulas, fancy marketing, and easy promises, there is a life-changing experience with God waiting for you--it just takes a little bit of searching. Praise for Searching for God Knows What: "Like a shaken snow globe, Donald Miller's newest collection of essays creates a swirl of ideas about the Christian life that eventually crystallize into a lovely landscape...[He] is one of the evangelical book market's most creative writers." --Christianity Today "If you have felt that Jesus is someone you respect and admire--but Christianity is something that repels you--Searching for God Knows What will give you hope that you still can follow Jesus and be part of a church without the trappings of organized religion." --Dan Kimball, author of The Emerging Church and Pastor of Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz, CA "For fans of Blue Like Jazz, I doubt you will be disappointed. Donald Miller writes with the wit and vulnerability that you expect. He perfectly illustrates important themes in a genuine and humorous manner...For those who would be reading Miller for the first time, this would be a great start." --Relevant

Download or read book Fear Not written by Eric H. F. Law and published by Chalice Press. This book was released on 2020-02-04 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn how to face your fears and and live into courageous and faithful action with Fear Not. Americans live in a culture of fear, whether we know it or care to admit it. Who will attack us next? Who will steal our jobs? Whose relationship undermines the sanctity of mine? In an era when manipulative messaging is unavoidable, politicians, media, marketers, and even faith leaders play on our fears and use them to win elections, gain attention, sell products, and influence the way you view those around you — all in the name of claiming power. Fear Not subverts insidious fear-based messaging with the creation of courageous communities committed to truth-telling, grace, hope, and love. Drawing on decades as a community-building and church growth leader for churches and nonprofit organizations, Eric H.F. Law shares practical resources and processes for bringing diverse people together to build authentic relationships and share their truth. Each chapter includes suggested activities and questions for discussion and tips for creating small discussion groups.