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Author: Brandon J. O'Brien
Publisher: Baker Books
Published: 2011-08-01
Total Pages: 56
ISBN-13: 144127071X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →By gathering stories about effective churches from small-church pastors, Brandon O'Brien demonstrates that a church's success is not contingent on its size. This is a selection from Brandon O'Brien's book, The Strategically Small Church.
Author: Karl Vaters
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2018-03-06
Total Pages: 256
ISBN-13: 0802496369
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Do you lead a small church? Big churches get all the love. Articles, books, conferences—they mostly feature leaders of large congregations. Yet big churches are a small part of the ecclesial landscape. In fact, more than 90 percent of churches have fewer than 200 people. That means small churches play a big part in what God is doing. Small Church Essentials is for leaders of these smaller congregations. It encourages them to steward their role well, debunking myths about small churches while offering principles for leading a dynamic, healthy small church. Based on the popular six-hour lecture that Karl Vaters delivers to church leaders across the country, Small Church Essentials will affirm small church leaders and show them how to identify what they do well, and how to do it even better. Readers will: Be assured that leading a small congregation does not make them ministry failures Come away inspired to lead with passion, regardless the size of their church Have field-tested principles for leading a church in their context Possess new metrics for biblically measuring vitality in small churches Have a toolkit of resources to use in their everyday ministry Karl Vaters has been a small church pastor for 30 years, is the author of The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches, and the Small Thinking that Divides Us (2013), and travels extensively to churches and conferences to speak about leading a small church well. If you are pastoring a small church, this book will be a breath of fresh air. It will affirm your calling while giving you fresh tools to help you lead. It will help you: Stop believing lies about small churches Lead your church to fulfill the role only small churches can Understand your congregation’s strengths and weaknesses Turn around a dying or unhealthy church Identify good trends and bad in church and culture
Author: Ryan T. Hartwig
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2020-08-11
Total Pages: 272
ISBN-13: 0310106710
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Nearly every church is trying to help their congregants build relationships with others, grow as disciples, and/or engage in meaningful service through small groups. Many have argued that these small groups are the preferred vehicle for relationship building, disciple making, and membership assimilation in the local church, especially in large, multisite churches. Leading Small Groups That Thrive shows small group leaders, step by step, how to plan for, launch, build, sustain, and multiply highly effective, transformational, healthy small group experiences where people grow spiritually together. Based on a large-scale research study of small group pastors, leaders, and members, Leading Small Groups That Thrive gives church leaders both what they want--practical, straightforward, actual small group member voices and experiences, and compelling guidance on how to build transformational groups complemented with real-life examples and data of successful small groups--and what they need--substantial, challenging insights and a data-driven model grounded in the latest research on church small groups.
Author: Lewis Parks
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2004
Total Pages: 188
ISBN-13: 068709285X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →A penetrating look at church leadership through the stories of Saul, David, and other central Old Testament figures. The Bible portrays leaders not as heroes placed on a pedestal, but rather as flawed and fallen human beings who nonetheless work with the people around them and with the situation at hand to move toward accomplishing the will of God. Lewis Parks and Bruce Birch maintain that a clear, open-eyed understanding of biblical stories on the exercise of leadership is the only way to prepare for leadership in the church. In order to provide that understanding, they engage in a dialogue with the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, texts that portray the people of Israel in frequent social and political transition, and hence in need of effective leadership.
Author: Andy Stanley
Publisher: Multnomah
Published: 2009-03-25
Total Pages: 257
ISBN-13: 0307563634
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Five keys to building a small group culture that fosters meaningful, lasting connections within your church community. Small groups are the key to impacting lives in your church. But a healthy small-group environment doesn’t just happen. So pull up a chair. Let’s talk about how to make it happen. Bill Willits and bestselling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly eight thousand adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta. Simply put, the five principles have passed the test. This is not just another book about community; this is a book about strategy—strategy that builds a small group culture. Creating Community shares clear and simple principles to help people connect into meaningful relationships. The kind that God desires for each of us and that He uses to change our lives. Put this proven method to work in your ministry and enjoy the tangible results—God’s people doing life TOGETHER. “The small-group program at North Point Community Church is not an appendage; it is not a program we tacked on to an existing structure. It is part of our lifestyle. We think groups. We organize groups. We are driven by groups. Creating Community contains our blueprint for success. And I believe it has the potential power to revolutionize your own small-group ministry!” — Andy Stanley
Author: Leo Endel
Publisher:
Published: 2020-08-07
Total Pages: 76
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →For decades, my friend Leo Endel has been helping churches to plan well. Now, through Where Do We Go from Here? you can benefit from his years of wisdom and experience! Walk through this book with your team, and you and your church will be better for it! -Ed Stetzer, Wheaton CollegeDoes your church know where it needs to be a few years down the road? Does it have a plan to get there? Is it headed in the right direction? Most would have to answer "no" to at least one of those questions, if not all three. In his brief (66-page) book, "Where Do We Go from Here?" Leo Endel draws from his decades of experience as a pastor and denominational leader to offer a simple yet comprehensive guide for strategic planning in the smaller church. These are not theories waiting to be tested, but a proven plan that can be used by any church willing to seek God's best for their congregation and community. -David Williams, Associational Missions Strategist, Trinity River Baptist Association, Liberty, TexasI found "Where Do We Go from Here?" to be both timely and timeless. Once I read it, I immediately recommended it to one of our pastors. It is timeless because it is principle and process based. Its value is enhanced because it has been tried and tested in multiple contexts. Too much is published today that is theoretical, unproven, or reflective of a single church's experience. And because it lays out a simple template for strategic planning it can be easily transferred into almost any church setting. -Mark Elliott, Director of Missions, Heartland Baptist Network, Omaha, NebraskaFor 37 years of pastoral experience I have tried many strategies to do the work of the church. Only to find myself overworked and understaffed. In his book, Where Do We Go from Here? Brother Leo gives us a simple yet comprehensive strategic plan for both small or large church. Where do we go from here! It is a question that every pastor or leader has had to ponder over in their heart. Leo writes out of the heart and experiences of a seasoned pastor and godly leader. He writes, "The real power of the church is God releasing his presence, his power and his plan in US for that to happen we must pray." I prayerfully recommend this comprehensive guide for strategic planning for any church. Roy Hopgood Jr. Mount Horeb Baptist Church Milwaukee, Wisconsin Senior pastor.I just finished reading, Where Do We Go from Here? It is terrific, inspirational, personal, and practical. I hope hundreds of pastors and churches read it and use it! Dr. Bill Tinsley, retired denominational leader, church planter, author of nine books and of Reflections, a weekly faith column with over 145,000 views worldwide.
Author: Carl S. Dudley
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2010-09-01
Total Pages: 272
ISBN-13: 1426722443
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Dudley's work in Making the Small Church Effective (1978) broke new ground in understanding the dynamics of life in the small congregation. In this revised edition, Dudley revisits the small church, posing new questions reflective of the considerable changes that have swept over small churches in the last two decades. Among the most significant recent developments are shifts in institutional loyalty and individual's sense of identity in relation to larger groups and organizations. Dudley explores the key components that contribute to a small congregation's sense of unity and that motivate its members to more faithfully live out their faith.
Author: Lovett Hayes Weems
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2010
Total Pages: 200
ISBN-13: 1426703023
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The definitive guide to leading the congregation, updated to meet the needs of today's church leaders.
Author: Anthony G. Pappas
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 2000-11-01
Total Pages: 159
ISBN-13: 1566995183
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This demonstrates amazingly, with unflinching honesty and a wonderfully redeeming sense of humor, a resource especially helpful in motivating change and growth by mobilizing the natural strengths of small churches. For you who have been looking for a reliable guide to interpret the world of the small church, look no further since this provides all the insights you need. Includes images and models and strategies that reflect the profound uniqueness of the small church. It clearly shows leaders how to lead within the dynamics and culture of the small congregation. This is theologically sound and eminently practical. A must reading for anyone who is or plans to be a leader in a small church. Excellent for small roup study.
Author: Jorge Acevedo
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2013-01-01
Total Pages: 142
ISBN-13: 1426769857
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →What behaviors do highly vital congregations have in common? How can all congregations move toward greater vitality? In Vital: Churches Changing Communities and the World, Jorge Acevedo passionately and effectively reveals how Grace Church in Cape Coral, Florida, has developed behaviors that result in vital and fruitful ministry. Focusing on spiritual pastoral leadership, lay leadership development, worship, small groups, and service and mission, Acevedo both inspires and coaches. He helps leaders of congregations act in their own contexts to develop behaviors essential to vitality, as identified by the recent study of 32,000 United Methodist congregations. The book includes brief summaries of learnings from the research and stories from other congregations illustrating vital behaviors in different settings. Approximately 15% of the 32,228 churches (4,961 churches) scored high in vitality based on the vitality index. What this means is that 15% of our churches have figured out some way to remain highly vital in spite of the fact that 85% have not. What this means is that we cannot assign all the blame for our congregational demise at the feet of the “institution” of the church. 4961 congregations have figured out ways to prevail in spite of our denominational condition. To me this is hopeful and promising! This book is my best attempt for us to learn from the 15% of United Methodist Churches that are vital, growing and prevailing. Jorge Acevedo
