Ruth Haley Barton, Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups (Transforming Center Set). IVP Books, 2012. Referenced in: Church Staff, Ministry Staff, Leadership Teams Ministry Transitions (Pastoral Search) Plural Elder Church Leadership (Elder Selection) LifeandLeadership.com Summary In the introduction, Barton provides some important definitions. First, she says of discernment, Discernment literally means
Danny E. Morris and Charles M. Olsen, Discerning God’s Will Together: A Spiritual Practice for the Church. Revised and Updated. Alban Institute, 2012. Related volumes: Olsen and Morseth, Selecting Church Leaders: A Practice in Spiritual Discernment Olsen and Morris, Transforming Church Boards Into Communities of Spiritual Leaders Referenced in: Church Staff, Ministry Staff, Leadership Teams
John and Miriam Carver, Policy Governance Model Referenced in: Policy Governance Model on Church Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary John and Miriam Carver are the originators of the Policy Governance Model, which is one of the most widely used board governance models in the world. Though not addressed specifically to churches, it is adopted by many congregations
Aubrey Malphurs, Leading Leaders: Empowering Church Boards for Ministry Excellence, A New Paradigm for Board Leadership. Baker, 2005. Prequels: Malphurs, Being Leaders Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders Referenced in: Policy Governance Models for Church Leaders LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is the third in a series on leadership development by Aubrey Malphurs. The first was Being Leaders
Timothy Laniak, Shepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Tradition and Leadership in the Bible. New Studies in Biblical Theology, Volume 20. IVP Academic, 2006. Companion volume (less academic version): While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks: Rediscovering Biblical Leadership Referenced in: Plural-Elder Congregational Leadership Pastoral Theology Shepherd Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary These are two separate texts, one that
Les Stahlke with Jennifer Loughlin, Governance Matters: Balancing Client and Staff Fulfillment in Faith-based Not-for-Profit Organizations. GovernanceMatters.com, 2003. Companion volume: Stahlke, Church Governance Matters Referenced in: Policy Governance Models for Church Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is similar to the Policy Governance Model as originated by John and Miriam Carver and applied to churches by Dan
Dan Hotchkiss, Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership. Alban Institute, 2009. Referenced in: Policy Governance Models for Church Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary Hotchkiss’ Governance and Ministry is for mainline denominations what Aubrey Malphurs’ Leading Leaders is for evangelicals, a church-related application of the growing literature on the Policy Governance Model of John and Miriam Carver. From
Alexander Strauch, Meetings that Work: A Guide to Effective Elders’ Meetings. Lewis and Roth Publishers, 2001. Referenced in: Plural-Elder Congregational Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary One of the most frustrating aspects of serving as an elder is attending meetings. This is serious enough that the degree of ineffectiveness leads many well-qualified candidates to choose not to serve
Richard H. Swartley, Eldership in Action: Through Biblical Governance of the Church. ECS Ministries, 2005. Referenced in: Plural-Elder Congregational Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a companion volume to Alexander Strauch’s Biblical Eldership. It consists of seven chapters covering biblical teachings on the role, how to appoint elders, how elders oversee the congregation and ministry staff,
Kennon Callahan, Effective Church Leadership: Building on the Twelve Keys. Harper and Row, 1990. Referenced in: Empowering Leadership Empowering Ministry Belief Systems and Structures Plural-Elder Congregational Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a companion volume to Callahan’s widely used Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. Although now over 20 years old, it is still a very
