John P. Chandler, Courageous Church Leadership: Conversations With Effective Practitioners (TCP Leadership Series). Chalice Press, 2007.
Referenced in: Courageous Leadership
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Any part of the TCP Leadership Series is usually worth reading. The special value of this text is the author’s interviews with twelve of today’s most outstanding leaders on the courage it takes to lead in some of the most challenging areas of ministry.
The philosophy of the book is that leaders today are moving beyond the emphases of church growth from the 1980s and church health from the 1990s to church dispersion.
The goal is not to get people into the church. This goal is not to get the church “correct.” The goal is for the Kingdom of God to advance “on earth as it is in heaven.” Growth and health are necessary but not sufficient for the final work of the congregation. Gathering people into the church is but a prerequisite to forming them as disciples, which is but a prerequisite to scattering them as influencers in their families, relationships, communities, and the world. The final Kingdom work of the church is transformation of the cultures it is called to reach. The church, like salt and light, impacts the culture of which it is a part, changing it decisively. …I think the way to describe [such] congregations…is to say that they are courageous churches. (x)
From there, Chandler records the conversations with twelve men who have lead courageously. These include Bob Russell, Fred Craddock, David Chadwick, Brian McLaren, Michael Slaughter, Leith Anderson, Lance Watson, Erwin McManus, Robert Cupp, Gary Harrell, Mickey Rapier, and Steve Change. He gathers the learnings from these leaders in the areas of vision, leadership, and structure. Specifically, he shows how these leaders:
- Maintain clarity among the clutter of competing visions
- Exhibit courageous, rigorous honesty in congregations
- Persist in opportune reinforcement of vision and values
- Filter criticism appropriately
- Attain sufficient tenure for long-term effectiveness
- Find life-giving learning communities and opportunities
- Learn when, what, and how to release ministry
- Shed favorite habits and practices when evolving situations so dictate
- Thrive in ever-growing complexity (13)
From the Publisher
Courageous Church Leadership offers a window into the minds and hearts of some of North America’s top church leaders through a series of interviews with twelve extraordinary pastors. The aim of the book is to help the reader learn about innovative and even daring leadership and ministerial practices in a nondirective way.
Includes interviews with: Leith Anderson, Fred Craddock, David Chadwick, Steve Chang, Robert Cupp, Gary Harrell, Brian McLaren, Erwin McManus, Mickey Rapier, Bob Russell, Michael Slaughter, Lance Watson.
This title is part of The Columbia Partnership Leadership Series. The TCP Leadership Series is an inspiration- and wisdom-sharing vehicle of The Columbia Partnership, a community of Christian leaders seeking to transform the capacity of the North American Protestant church to pursue and sustain vital Christ-centered ministry.
About the Author
John P. Chandler serves as leader of the Ray and Ann Spence Network for Congregational Leadership. He has extensive experience with the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, and has served widely as a pastor and church consultant.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
Related Areas
See Other Resources on Leadership:
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: