Church Leadership

Is it possible our world is just one big high school lunchroom? In a world fraught with polarization and division—where we form separate tables based on political beliefs, skin color, economic status, theological ideas, and personal preferences—can we find a way to live differently, more aligned with the ways of Jesus? In Lunchroom Theology, Heather Gorman and Mark Nelson confront our societal and theological rifts, and by weaving together scriptural and sociological insights, they expose the many ways our contemporary divisions are mirrored by the church today.

The Jesus People movement was a unique combination of the hippie counterculture and evangelical Christianity. It first appeared in the famed "Summer of Love" of 1967, in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, and spread like wildfire in Southern California and beyond, to cities like Seattle, Atlanta, and Milwaukee. In 1971 the growing movement found its way into the national media spotlight and gained momentum, attracting a huge new following among evangelical church youth.

Guided by current research from Barna Group, Mettes illustrates the profound physical, emotional, and social toll of loneliness in the United States. Surprisingly, her research shows that it is not the oldest Americans but the youngest adults who are loneliest and that social media can actually play a positive role in alleviating loneliness.

The Bible tells us that the congregation gathered around God's heavenly throne will be "a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language," all singing the praises of the Lamb. God's intention has always been to delight for all eternity in a redeemed community of ethnic diversity. But this diverse community shouldn't have to wait until eternity to begin! It can be a reality in our own local churches here and now. Patterned after a worship service, In Church as It Is in Heaven gives biblical warrant for such a community.

Following Sherwood Lingenfelter's successful books on ministering, teaching, and leading cross-culturally (with combined sales of over 200,000 copies), Teamwork Cross-Culturally casts a vision for how teams made up of diverse peoples can serve in unity as the body of Christ despite the complicated problems that arise.

A right understanding of honor is vital to healthy churches. It’s a word that’s mentioned hundreds of times throughout the Bible. But what does honor really look like for us in everyday church life? Who should we honor, and how? Adam Ramsey brings a fresh understanding of true honor in our churches. He paints a vision of an honoring church that captivates your mind and heart—a church that shines brightly in the community because of the way its members value and respect each other and their leaders and, above all else, bring honor to God.

For every person who has felt lonely or isolated, The Sacred Us explores a new way of living through the practice of biblical community. In a world that celebrates individuality and autonomy, too many of us struggle to form deep, meaningful relationships. Loneliness is the norm, rich friendships are rare, and the church is no exception. We long for real community but often don’t know how to get there. What will it take to develop healthy friendships?

Researchers have uncovered the following three trends: First, distrust of institutions, including the church, is at an all-time high. Second, young people raised in the church are leaving at alarming rates and not returning. Third, loneliness and social isolation are at pandemic levels. What’s the connection? It appears that an entire generation is starving for the very thing the church is called to provide but has chosen to look for it elsewhere. Why is this happening?

Administration is an essential component of every church. Pastors, ministers, and church leaders will benefit from this practical guide to understanding and managing administrative details such as church finances, policies, and staff.

By adopting the 12-week year, strategic Christian leaders can transform their productivity and make a lasting impact on their teams and communities. Firstly, this approach enables us to set clear and actionable goals for each 12-week period. Instead of vague, long-term objectives, we can break them down into smaller, manageable tasks that can be accomplished within the given time frame. This clarity allows us to prioritize effectively and focus our efforts on what truly matters. Secondly, the 12-week year emphasizes regular accountability and measurement.

In Radical, David Platt’s plea for Christians to take back their faith from the American Dream resonated with readers everywhere, and the book quickly became a New York Times best seller. Now in Radical Together, the author broadens his call, challenging us to unite around a gospel-centered vision.

If we desire to honor God in all we do, we need to be in his Book every day. Through the Bible, God offers us so much more wisdom for living and leading-and for every domain of life—than anything this world can ever give us. That's why Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green wrote The Leader's Devotional. By sharing the biblical principles that are the foundation of his life and leadership, he challenges and encourages each of us to seek God's guidance for our lives, for our families, and for our organizations.

Our responsibility is the "ask or think," and God takes care of the "far more abundantly." God has called you to be a small-town pastor and grow your church right in your own backyard-but your vision is obscure and your resources are scarce. Take heart, because if God can prosper one church, He can prosper all.

Mark DeYmaz presents seven common obstacles to building a healthy multi-ethnic church, taking the reader beyond merely understanding the need for diversity, to the practical challenges and ramifications of day-to-day leadership within a diverse congregation of faith.

In a world where leadership doesn't always know where we are headed, knowing how to get there can be even more challenging. In Loved Based Leadership, Dr. Maria Church builds and expands on her successful Loved Based Leadership model developed a decade ago. In this 10th Anniversary Edition, she explores the need for leadership based not on fear or intimidation, but on respect for self, respect for others, honor, and integrity

This book captures the story of a widespread movement of churches that are expanding their ministries to include multiple formats, venues, and locations, using dozens of in-the-trenches examples, identifying the primary reasons churches succeed as well as how they overcome common snags on the route to "one church, many congregations".

This classic of Mormon literature is based on a series of theological lectures by Talmage, which were created for use in religious education. James E. Talmage was an English chemist and geologist, who moved to the United States and became a prominent figure in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This book provides commentary and doctrinal references for each of Joseph Smith's Thirteen Articles of Faith that form the core beliefs of the LDS Church.

Filled with real-life stories from the authors’ own experiences, Teach a Man to Fish provides churches and missions organizations with a blueprint for helping people help themselves in order to create lasting change and long-term sustainability and independence.

Every church, every organization, has experienced them: betrayal, deception, grumbling, envy, exclusion. They make life together difficult and prevent congregations from developing the skills, virtues, and practices they need to nurture sturdy, life-giving communities.

While many churches talk about discerning calling and engaging in mission, very few are structured to make this their ministry focus. Underground Church is a new vision for the church rooted in its biblical mission to share the love of God and serve the poor. Sanders explores how to make structural changes, how to think about leadership, how to fund ministries, and how to truly engage people in God's mission. Filled with creative insights, he explains what it means to center the mission of the church around the callings of individuals to outward ministry.