William T. McConnell, Renew Your Congregation: Healing the Sick, Raising the Dead. Chalice Press, 2007.
Referenced in: Congregational Renewal – Integrated Spiritual/Strategic
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is an honest, no-holds barred, dead serious look at congregational renewal. From the standpoint of method, it combines the basic philosophy of Rick Warrens’s Purpose Driven Church, the findings of a study among Lutherans (ELCA) on the characteristics of growing congregations, and McConnell’s own experiences, into a recipe for “Revitalization Stew.” Yet, it is not so much prescriptive as descriptive of his journey with church transformation. It is his journal of lessons learned.
One may not find anything completely new here, but this does not minimize its value. Like most current materials on church renewal, it includes chapters on changing the congregational ethos, emphasizing mission over maintenance, planning simply, hiring and supporting strong leadership, training good lay leadership, forming life-giving small groups, etc. It also addresses the emotional and spiritual toll transformative work takes on the minister. The special value of the book, however, is that McConnell reflects on his experience better than most, and offers insights that are hard to find elsewhere.
Look at this book for tested ideas, heart-felt inspiration, and bold encouragement to engage the often arduous work of church renewal. At times, McConnell reads like a pastoral coach kicking you in the rear and telling you to get on with the hard tasks of leadership. Other times you will want to say, “I’ve always wanted to hear someone say that!” Take what he says seriously, such as dealing firmly with the church’s tolerance for highly dysfunctional and toxic environments of strained relationships, and confronting cranky complainers and selfish guardians of the status quo. On the other hand, take to heart his insistence that one’s own “recipe will surely be just a bit different than what has worked in the church where I serve…you must take all these elements and cook your stew from scratch.” (12) His advice needs to be supplemented in some cases, like his brief description of a reconciliation service (pp. 20-21), which is a beautiful thing if done well, but a destructive nightmare if done poorly. Also, before you execute, read chapter 13, “If I Had to Do Over,” where McConnell admits his areas of improvement and includes interviews from others who have led through church transformations. Every church leader who reads this book will realize McConnell hits the right nerves about the practical necessities of moving a church to the next level.
From the Publisher
Renew Your Congregation provides motivation to church leaders and gives direction for those in need of recovery from status as a dying or plateaued church toward becoming a transformed and transforming church. Based on his own experience as pastor of dying and of transformed churches, the author gives practical advice to church leaders concerning what they must do and what they must become for the church to become vibrant, energetic, and fun again.
Using examples and testimonies from pastors of various denominations across the country, McConnell shows both the dangers and the delights of leading a church transformation. He explains the necessity of spiritual and organizational changes and the pain endured in making them.
This book 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
William T. McConnell is the Lead Minister of the First Christian Church of Harrison, Ohio. He has served as a minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for over thirty-five years. He is the author of several books and articles and writes a popular political and humor column.
***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 Church Leadership and Renewal:
- Church Leadership and Renewal, Index
- Church Leadership, Theological Foundations, Ecclesiology
- Church Leadership, Philosophical Foundations – e.g. Church Growth, Missional, Emergent, and Other Missionally Responsive Trajectories
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Church Dynamics and Research
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Congregational Culture, Church Identity
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Size Dynamics, Size Transitions
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Research and Case Studies on Effective Churches
- Church Leadership, Special Situations – Small Church Development
- Church Leadership, Strategies for Renewal
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: