Effectively leading a church or ministry organization requires many things—a motivating vision, a clear mission statement, an intentional strategy, high capacity staff members. No one questions these things. However, there is another fundamental requirement without which no ministry can thrive or sustain itself for the long haul—and too often it is either ignored or disregarded, especially by those in Christian ministry. According to Andy Stanley, that fundamental requirement is systems—communication systems, decision-making systems, budgeting systems, programming systems, structural systems and more. And it is systems, perhaps more than anything else, that determine what happens—or fails to happen—in an organization. Stanley writes, “You can pray your heart out, fast your heart out, commit your heart out and surrender your heart out to initiate change or launch a new ministry, but if you fail to address your systems, there will be no change and your ministry will not thrive. It’s not because God is not interested or you’re not spiritual, it’s because God works through systems. Every time God creates something, there is something systematic and predictable about it. That doesn’t make God predictable or small; it’s just how God operates.”
What would you do for twenty-four hours if the only criteria were to pursue your deepest joy? Dan Allender’s lyrical book about the Sabbath expels the myriad myths about this “day of rest,” starting with the one that paints the Sabbath as a day of forced quiet, spiritual exercises, and religious devotion and attendance. This, he says, is at odds with the ancient tradition of Sabbath as a day of delight for both body and soul. Instead, the only way we can make use of the Sabbath is to see God’s original intent for the day with new eyes. In Sabbath, Allender builds a case for delight by looking at this day as a festival that celebrates God’s re-creative, redemptive love using four components: Sensual glory and beauty Ritual Communal feasting Playfulness Now you can experience the delight of the Sabbath as you never have before—a day in which you receive and extend reconciliation, peace, abundance, and joy. The Ancient Practices There is a hunger in every human heart for connection, primitive and raw, to God. To satisfy it, many are beginning to explore traditional spiritual disciplines used for centuries . . . everything from fixed-hour prayer to fasting to sincere observance of the Sabbath. Compelling and readable, the Ancient Practices series is for every spiritual sojourner, for every Christian seeker who wants more.
No matter where our leadership roles find us---on the football team or in the corner office; organizing family activities, creating public policy, or teaching from the pulpit---all leaders are marked with character, the result of their being made in the image of God. All also are marred by sin and shortcomings. The most effective leaders, though, are the ones who embrace those realities as they are re-made by God, into the image of Christ. Author and speaker Dan Allender draws on humor, real-life stories and biblical truth to argue that every leader must both have a character and be a character. How can we proclaim resurrection without naming death and darkness? Likewise, how can we be renewed and restored without acknowledging the reality that we are marred? 'It is in our brokenness, ' he concludes, 'that we have our greatest opportunity to reveal the heart of God's goodness.' And the greatest opportunity to enhance and strengthen our leadership.
Modern business practice and scholarship have honed the laws of the leadership. To achieve success, you're supposed to - among other things - leverage your time, choose a strong team, and avoid unnecessary controversy. But what do you do when the laws of leadership collide with the teachings of Christ? What would it mean to reveal your true character to those you lead? What would it take for you to take an honest look at yourself and ask, "Am I leading from my mission … or my shadow mission?" Using stories from their own lives and ministries, Bill Hybels, John Ortberg, and Dan Allender illustrate how the laws of leadership sometimes crash head-on into the demands of discipleship, and how the decisions you make at these crossroads could affect not only you, but the destiny of those you lead. The Call to Lead includesthe previous releases from the Leadership Library series: When Leadership and Discipleship Collide, by Bill Hybels, Overcoming Your Shadow Mission, by John Ortberg, and Leading Character from Dan Allender.
Find freedom and healing from painful memories and relational struggles and learn how your past has uniquely prepared you to experience more joy. Tragedy and pain inevitably touch our lives in some way. We long to feel whole, but more often than not, the way we've learned to deal with our wounds pushes us away from the very restoration we need most. Renowned psychologist Dr. Dan Allender and counselor and teacher Cathy Loerzel present a life-changing process of true connection and healing with ourselves, God, and others. With a clear, biblically trustworthy method, Allender and Loerzel walk you through a journey of profound inner transformation--from the shame and hurt of old emotional wounds to true freedom and healing. Drawn from modern research and their pioneering work at The Allender Center, they will help you identify your core trauma in one of the three outcast archetypes--the widow, orphan, or stranger--and chart your path of growth into the God-given roles of priest, prophet, or leader. This book will help you learn: What to do about feeling out-of-place and directionless How your coping mechanisms create a false sense of health How to embrace your divine calling and find lasting reconciliation How your heart wounds are your unique invitation to true strength and purpose. Your past pain does not dictate your life. Answer the call to healing and discover your life's beautiful story and a future of hope and freedom.
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