Archive for the 'Leadership' Category
Matt Williams & Ken Collier. Biblical Leadership: Becoming a Different Kind of Leader. Ambassador-Emerald, 2004. 184 pp.
A Leader Like No Other
Leadership is influence, so the accepted definition goes. Influence is the ability to move another person in a direction you believe is important. By any definition, Jesus Christ was a leader like no other! . . .
Jesus Christ was the greatest leader the world has ever known because He was the greatest follower the world has ever known. He had a sharply focused view of exactly what His Father desired of Him. No trial, no deprivation, no conflict, no misunderstanding, and no death threat made Him swerve from following the will of His Father. What a leader! What a Follower!
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Michael P. V. Barrett. The Beauty of Holiness: A Guide to Biblical Worship. Ambassador-Emerald, 2006. 285 pp.
Contemporary! Traditional! Divisive words—particularly when referring to methods of worship. Some churches commit themselves to one particular style while others divide themselves into distinct congregations with separate services to accommodate a mismatched membership with dissimilar preferences regarding music or dress. For some reason music always seems to be at the heart of the issue. Should the congregation find the words to hymns in hardback hymnals or the words to choruses projected on a screen? Should soloists sing to recorded music with microphone in hand or to organ accompaniment with arms passively at the side? Should the congregation applaud or whisper “amen” when blessed? Should drums and guitars be allowed in church? Should music styles reflect changing cultural models, or are some melodies and rhythms inherently inappropriate for worship? These are tough questions with answers that almost always fail to convince or change the other side.
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Charles H. Dunahoo. Making Kingdom Disciples: A New Framework. P&R, 2005. 249 pp.
An Overview of the Kingdom Model
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave his final command to his church about their assignment during the interim between his ascension and his return at the end of the age. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20).
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Wayne Grudem. Countering the Claims of Evangelical Feminism: Biblical Responses to the Key Questions. Multnomah, 2006. 284 pp.
Egalitarian Claim:
The New Testament writers urged the mutual submission of husbands and wives to one another (Ephesians 5:21). Therefore, there is no unique leadership role for the husband.
Ephesians 5:21 says, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Egalitarians say this verse teaches “mutual submission,” and that means that just as wives have to submit to their husbands, so husbands have to submit to their wives. Doesn’t the text say that we have to submit “to one another”? And this means that there is no unique submission that a wife owes to her husband, and no unique authority that a husband has over his wife. . . .
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Michael Fletcher. Overcoming Barriers to Growth: Proven Strategies for Taking Your Church to the Next Level. Bethany House, 2006. 144 pp.
God Has a Plan for You and Your Church!
If the pastor and elders will adjust the way they relate together in leadership and realign some of the internal structures they built into the church, they can keep right on growing. Most churches don’t make those adjustments for two reasons: (1) They don’t see the barrier, so they don’t see the need; and (2) they don’t want to change what they perceive made them successful in the first place.
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Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk. The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World. Jossey-Bass, 2006. 240 pp.
Introduction
The question is familiar: “What do you mean by missional church?” Even though the term is now used everywhere, there is still confusion about it. As we begin this book, here is a brief description of what we mean by the phrase.
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Derek Prime & Alistair Begg. On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work. Moody, 2006. 320 pp.
Our Secret and Personal Life
Behind our public life there needs to be a hidden life where our roots are firmly fixed in God Himself (Psalm 1:3). As we turn our attention to our devotional life, we have in view that most private part of our daily life when we go into our room, close the door, and spend time with our Father in secret (Matthew 6:6). We will rightly teach others the importance of this daily practice. It is all the more vital for us, because we may lack those who care for our souls as we do for others. We firmly believe that the latter ought not to be the case, and we will return to that subject later when we consider pastoral care. But where it is so, then we need to be all the more watchful for the growth and development of our own spiritual life. . . .
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James W. Thompson. Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision. Baker, 2006. 176 pp.
In the present era, the minister is ultimately measured by the ability to organize, build, and manage a complex organization. Congregations continue to assume that the minister will maintain the traditional roles of marrying and burying, but they believe that the ultimate goal of the minister is to take the congregation to a new level of growth. The minister must be both an effective communicator and an administrator. In a competitive religious marketplace, the task of the minister is to ensure that the congregation maintains its place among religious consumers. Often search committees no longer look for someone who conforms to one of these models. Instead they seek someone who is a combination of, for instance, Jay Leno, Lee Iacocca, and Dr. Phil.
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Wayne Grudem. Evangelical Feminism: A New Path to Liberalism? Crossway, 2006. 272 pp.
Introduction
I am concerned that evangelical feminism (also called “egalitarianism”) has become a new path by which evangelicals are being drawn into theological liberalism.
When I use the phrase “theological liberalism” I mean a system of thinking that denies the complete truthfulness of the Bible as the Word of God and denies the unique and absolute authority of the Bible in our lives.
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Craig Groeschel. Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God. Multnomah, 2006. 224 pp.
I Had Been Living a Lie
One Sunday, I stood before my church, filled with fear. Fear that they would think I had failed them as their pastor, that I had let them down. But I was finally ready to tell the truth; I was sure it was what God wanted me to do.
I hadn’t had an affair or stolen from the church funds. In fact, my sins were small, everyday things; they were all just hidden from view. From the pews, it looked as if I had become everything and done everything a pastor should, and I worked very hard to keep it that way. I had played the part to perfection.
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