Learn Ministry from One of the Best

When Bob Russell became the pastor of Southeast Christian Church, it was just 120 people meeting in a basement. When he retired forty years later, it was nearing 20,000.

Though Bob's ministry was a clear success, he'd be the first to say it wasn't perfect. In After 50 Years of Ministry he shares why. He reflects on the best of what he's learned--sometimes the hard way--about ministry and leadership, like how to:

Respond to criticism

Protect your marriage

Stop comparing yourself to other pastors

Handle a staff moral failure

Prioritize preaching in your schedule

Build trust with your elders

Make the best use of downtime

Hilarious, warm, and full of great stories and illustrations, After 50 Years of Ministry is sage advice from a faithful servant of God. If you are in leadership of any kind, don't miss this chance to learn from one of the best.

Change is vital to the life of a church. Pastors and church leaders continually seek new ways to improve their church's health, community, and outward compassion. They study the trends, attend seminars, and research new programs. But when it comes to actually implementing or moving toward a transition, many leaders hesitate—uncertain how to initiate or shepherd the change. It's one thing to want to transition—it's another to know how.In Innovative Transitions, well-known pastor Dale Galloway and church researcher Warren Bird team up to give church leaders practical methods to move their churches from comfortable maintenance to genuine, vibrant mission. They share 15 inspiring stories of successful turnaround churches, each of which models a unique style of transition. From leadership development to a renewed vision for outreach, they offer insight and transferable principles for church leaders to use--regardless of church size or denomination. Their innovative ideas will help leaders successfully implement change as their church transitions from one generation to another.Filled with poignant scriptures, questions for discussion, and relevant examples, Innovative Transitions will sharpen your understanding of church growth and show you new opportunities to take Christ into the world.

The international bestseller--now with a new preface by author John Kotter.

Millions worldwide have read and embraced John Kotter's ideas on change management and leadership.
From the ill-fated dot-com bubble to unprecedented M&A activity to scandal, greed, and ultimately, recession--we've learned that widespread and difficult change is no longer the exception. It's the rule. Now with a new preface, this refreshed edition of the global bestseller Leading Change is more relevant than ever.

John Kotter's now-legendary eight-step process for managing change with positive results has become the foundation for leaders and organizations across the globe. By outlining the process every organization must go through to achieve its goals, and by identifying where and how even top performers derail during the change process, Kotter provides a practical resource for leaders and managers charged with making change initiatives work. Leading Change is widely recognized as his seminal work and is an important precursor to his newer ideas on acceleration published in Harvard Business Review.

Needed more today than at any time in the past, this bestselling business book serves as both visionary guide and practical toolkit on how to approach the difficult yet crucial work of leading change in any type of organization. Reading this highly personal book is like spending a day with the world's foremost expert on business leadership. You're sure to walk away inspired--and armed with the tools you need to inspire others.

Published by Harvard Business Review Press.

My name is Warren and I'm a recovering evangelical. With these words, Warren Cole Smith begins his book A Lover's Quarrel with the Evangelical Church. Since World War II, there has been a flowering of evangelical activity and parachurch organizations. But something troubling has happened in spite of this growth and the political and financial power it has created. Overall church attendance is not growing. Americas high divorce rate is just one of many melancholy cultural indicators. Is it possible that the evangelical movement has not been an antidote for this decline but has actually caused this decline in the health and vigor of the true body of Christ? Using solid research and original interviews with some of Americas leading Christian thinkers, journalist and editor Warren Smith examines the condition of the evangelical movement, offering an assessment of what's gone wrong as it has grown in power and size and what must be done if it is to be salt and light in a culture in need of redemption. Smith isn't afraid to name the names of many evangelical leaders but it is because he loves the church that he calls her to repentance. He develops the argument that instead of evangelizing and making obedient disciples of Christ, the church has become part of the cultural decline of the West. A Lover's Quarrel is a penetrating look at the current state of theology and practice in the American evangelical movement and offers a helpful, if difficult, way forward.