Does your leadership style fit new ways of doing church--leadership that is organic and elastic and that finds ways to seize God-given opportunities? Looking back and drawing on the ancient Christian tradition, Bob Whitesel describes seven traitsfor successful leadership, which he characterizes by seven symbols: O (the Greek symbol theta) - the first letter of the Greek word theos stresses that God is the source of the burden for others and provides the power to help them. Rx (the medical prescription symbol) - an emphasis on addressing the spiritual and physical health of leaders. G (a stylized "G" for "graffiti")- the edgy, colorful, and artful collages that help define contemporary organizations. A (inspired by the recycle symbol) - the idea of recycling places, experiences and people rather than discarding them. N - emerging networks that connect people more quickly, efficiently, precisely and continuously. I - an emphasis on "incarnation", a going "in the flesh" to serve others rather than sending surrogates. X (the Jerusalem cross with a number in each quadrant) - four types of measurement observed in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47), which at their core point to Christ's work on the cross. Taken together, thesesymbols spell out the word "organix" and represent a fundamentally new way tothink about your church and how you can best lead.
re:MIX: Transitioning Your Church to Living Color is a practical guide for pastors, denominational leaders, and lay leaders who are seeking to transition their monoethnic congregations into healthy multiethnic churches of Christ-centered faith. The book is theologically sound, cross-culturally relevant, and based on field research. It provides transferrable lessons and practices that are applicable in a variety of local church and denominational contexts. Authors Mark DeYmaz and Bob Whitesel demonstrate that such transitions are not just timely or optional. Indeed, these biblically grounded transitions are necessary for churches pursuing growth and health in an increasingly diverse society. By becoming a church of living color, existing or declining churches present a more credible witness of God’s love for all people and can achieve renewed significance and sustainability. re:MIX is full of instructive, immediately useful information in a clear and easy-to-use format and includes sidebar stories from church leaders in a variety of denominations who have transitioned their congregations to living color. “Wow! This is the practical tool for the church that I have been waiting for. Pentecost didn’t occur until the diversity of ‘every nation under heaven’ was present. This book will become recommended reading for all of my seminary students.” —Mike Slaughter, pastor, author, speaker, and activist
It is a familiar experience. A congregation that had been growing in numbers and spiritual vitality reaches a plateau and then begins to decline. Most of the time, the plateau occurs long before the church arrives at the optimum number of members it hoped to attract. What has happened here? Why does growth slow down, stop, and then decline? The real question to ask, says Bob Whitesel, is why the church grew in the first place. Most of the time young, growing churches make a series of decisions based not upon careful planning and analysis, but rather upon necessity and intuition. Thus these decisions are not planned strategies, but strategies that often occur by accident, owing their genesis to circumstance. These unplanned strategic decisions are driven not by knowledge, but often simply by the church's environment. When that growth slows, these same churches begin to engage in more careful planning. The problem is that this planning so often ignores the considerations and decisions that led to the church's growth to begin with. The result is stagnation and eventual decline. In the plain, direct style that is his hallmark, Whitesel lays out where churches go wrong in their planning for growth and how they can correct themselves. He does so by looking at three related phenomena: first, the factors that cause initial growth; second, the erroneous decisions that lead to getting stuck on the plateau; and finally, corrective steps that churches can take to regain growth and vitality.
A new generation of churches is emerging, calling new disciples to the way of Jesus by proclaiming the Good News and seeking the transformation of culture. Bob Whitesel takes us inside congregations that draw upon ancient traditions and modern technologies to create a spiritual community and shows how the practices of the "organic church" can be instructive for all those wishing to reach today's world with the gospel of Christ. Bob Whitesel is Associate Professor in the Department of Graduate Studies in Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. A sought-after speaker and conference leader, he is the author of several books, including Growth by Accident, Death by Planning, also published by Abingdon Press.
A guide to working for change in the congregation without losing members . Change is essential to every Christian congregation's ongoing health and vitality. Yet change is also inherently threatening, and often produces conflict between those who advocate radical and bold change in the church and those who prefer a more careful, incremental approach. Change--or rather conflict about change--is one of the reasons most frequently cited when people leave the church. Sadly, it is often the advocates of change, those who have become excited about a new vision for where the church is going and have worked hard to implement that vision, who choose to leave when conflict erupts. This pattern of change, conflict, and exodus need not be inevitable. Building on the work of those who have studied organizational change and transition, Bob Whitesel points to 6 distinct moments in the congregation's life when conflict over change (and the departure of members as a result) can either occur or be avoided. In this book he offers specific, helpful ideas for how church leaders can nurture the agents of change in their congregations while also fostering the good will of those who see it as their job to maintain stability and continuity with the church's past. Filled with numerous examples of actual congregations that have either succumbed to conflict over change or worked through it, Staying Power will be helpful to all congregational leaders who wish to introduce substantive new directions into the life of the church without alienating a significant portion of its membership.
Generational differences are nothing new in church. There have always been groups and subgroups within a congregation, divided according to age. Yet with the possible exception of their educational programs, congregations have generally practiced a "one-size-fits-all" approach to ministry and worship. Whichever group is dominant--generally the older members, although it can be the younger--sets the tone for musical styles, preaching emphases, and outreach focus. Frequently the non-dominant groups grow restless and dissatisfied, leaving the church to find better opportunities of service and worship elsewhere. The result is often stagnation and decline. Bob Whitesel and Kent R. Hunter wrote this book to provide congregations with a clear understanding of the problems caused by generation gaps as well as to offer ideas for transforming the church into a healthy, growing, tri-generational structure. Key Features: Author recognition; Addresses a very timely issue in a creative way; Offers a specific strategy for implementation in local churches Key Benefits: Readers will gain an understanding of the major differences between the three major age/generational groups in most congregations; Readers will be offered a specific and practical seven step strategy for developing a healthy tri-generational church; Readers will find ways to not only live in peace within the household of faith, but to minister more effectively to community and world
Church leadership is a demanding and challenging role. There are many responsibilities involved in leading a church, which can be difficult to maneuver without the proper tools and resources.Written with Bible-based truths and helpful insights, Foundations of Church Administration is both an exploration of those responsibilities and a practical guide to navigating through them. Each chapter is authored by a notable expert in the field who, with sound experience and effective steps, helps church leaders efficiently succeed in the many facets of their responsibilities.In this honest exploration, church leaders will find a new perspective on church administration that will help them dig deeper and develop a long-lasting and effective practice of leading and administrating a church.
re:MIX: Transitioning Your Church to Living Color is a practical guide for pastors, denominational leaders, and lay leaders who are seeking to transition their monoethnic congregations into healthy multiethnic churches of Christ-centered faith. The book is theologically sound, cross-culturally relevant, and based on field research. It provides transferrable lessons and practices that are applicable in a variety of local church and denominational contexts. Authors Mark DeYmaz and Bob Whitesel demonstrate that such transitions are not just timely or optional. Indeed, these biblically grounded transitions are necessary for churches pursuing growth and health in an increasingly diverse society. By becoming a church of living color, existing or declining churches present a more credible witness of God’s love for all people and can achieve renewed significance and sustainability. re:MIX is full of instructive, immediately useful information in a clear and easy-to-use format and includes sidebar stories from church leaders in a variety of denominations who have transitioned their congregations to living color. “Wow! This is the practical tool for the church that I have been waiting for. Pentecost didn’t occur until the diversity of ‘every nation under heaven’ was present. This book will become recommended reading for all of my seminary students.” —Mike Slaughter, pastor, author, speaker, and activist
Does your leadership style fit new ways of doing church--leadership that is organic and elastic and that finds ways to seize God-given opportunities? Looking back and drawing on the ancient Christian tradition, Bob Whitesel describes seven traitsfor successful leadership, which he characterizes by seven symbols: O (the Greek symbol theta) - the first letter of the Greek word theos stresses that God is the source of the burden for others and provides the power to help them. Rx (the medical prescription symbol) - an emphasis on addressing the spiritual and physical health of leaders. G (a stylized "G" for "graffiti")- the edgy, colorful, and artful collages that help define contemporary organizations. A (inspired by the recycle symbol) - the idea of recycling places, experiences and people rather than discarding them. N - emerging networks that connect people more quickly, efficiently, precisely and continuously. I - an emphasis on "incarnation", a going "in the flesh" to serve others rather than sending surrogates. X (the Jerusalem cross with a number in each quadrant) - four types of measurement observed in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47), which at their core point to Christ's work on the cross. Taken together, thesesymbols spell out the word "organix" and represent a fundamentally new way tothink about your church and how you can best lead.
It is a familiar experience. A congregation that had been growing in numbers and spiritual vitality reaches a plateau and then begins to decline. Most of the time, the plateau occurs long before the church arrives at the optimum number of members it hoped to attract. What has happened here? Why does growth slow down, stop, and then decline? The real question to ask, says Bob Whitesel, is why the church grew in the first place. Most of the time young, growing churches make a series of decisions based not upon careful planning and analysis, but rather upon necessity and intuition. Thus these decisions are not planned strategies, but strategies that often occur by accident, owing their genesis to circumstance. These unplanned strategic decisions are driven not by knowledge, but often simply by the church's environment. When that growth slows, these same churches begin to engage in more careful planning. The problem is that this planning so often ignores the considerations and decisions that led to the church's growth to begin with. The result is stagnation and eventual decline. In the plain, direct style that is his hallmark, Whitesel lays out where churches go wrong in their planning for growth and how they can correct themselves. He does so by looking at three related phenomena: first, the factors that cause initial growth; second, the erroneous decisions that lead to getting stuck on the plateau; and finally, corrective steps that churches can take to regain growth and vitality.
Discover lost history in the dark waters of Lake George. Lake George is bustling with boaters, swimmers, fishermen and many others, enjoying its scenic, quintessentially Adirondack shores. But the depths below hide a whole other world--one of shipwrecks and lost history. Entombed are remnants of Lake George's important naval heritage, such as the legendary Land Tortoise radeau, which sank in 1758. Other wrecks include the steam yacht Ellide and the first famed Minne-Ha-Ha. These waters hold secrets, too, like the explanation behind the 1926 disappearance of two hunters. After years of exploration across the lake's bottomlands, underwater archaeologist Joseph W. Zarzynski and archeological diver Bob Benway present the most intriguing discoveries among more than two hundred known shipwreck sites.
Ten Prescriptions for a Healthy Church offers prescriptions for the top ten issues seen during church consultations. Bob Farr and Kay Kotan share their expertise from working with churches across the country, detailing the most common concerns and obstacles, and then go straight to the point: What to change, and how, for positive results. They offer a helpful approach to fixing common problems, and strategies to help congregations achieve success in specific areas of ministry. Proven success stories offer practical application, inspiration, and hope. I love the way this book addresses issues of mission, vision, worship, hospitality, outreach, and other important matters and offers concrete, pragmatic practices to fulfill these without compromising the gospel. This is a refreshing new guide for pastors and laity. --Tex Sample, Robert B. and Kathleen Rogers Professor Emeritus of Church and Society, Saint Paul School of Theology Bob and Kay have so much experience. They get it: the types of changes most churches need are not new. The pathway to health is not flashy. Basic, steady, strong: That is what you find in this very useful material. -- Cathy Townley, Worship and Church Planting Consultant and Coach, Minnesota Annual Conference, UMC Bob Farr is a powerhouse of a leader who has a great grasp on what it takes for a congregation to discover the path toward vitality and health. As you read the prescriptions in this amazing book, you will see a catalyst for Jesus Christ. --Bob Crossman, New Church Strategist; author, Committed to Christ: Six Steps to a Generous Life Nobody is better than Bob and Kay at explaining the concept -- and the specifics -- of ‘Prescriptions’ than can improve local church health. Very few people have spent more hours in church basements, parlors and sanctuaries across the country helping churches diagnose – and overcome—the real life problems they face. Leveraging years of experience and insights, this book is an easy-to-use, instrumental tool for clergy and laity in churches that are willing to take definitive steps toward a new future. --Jim Ozier, Church Consultant, Coach, Speaker; author, Clip In: Risking Hospitality in Your Church
The Seattle Seahawks are perennial contenders, with ten division titles, three conference championships, and, of course, a Super Bowl title to show for it. Dave Wyman, as a former player and current analyst, has gotten to witness more than his fair share of that history up close and personal. Through singular anecdotes only they can tell, as well as conversations with current and past players, this book provides fans with a one-of-a-kind, insider's look into the great moments, the lowlights, and everything in between. Seahawks fans will not want to miss this.
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