Gary L. McIntosh, There’s Hope for Your Church: First Steps to Restoring Health and Growth. Baker Books, 2012. Referenced in: Traditional Church Renewal Church Leadership Foundations – Research on Effective Churches Small Church Leadership LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a distillation of McIntosh’s four decades of consultations with over 1,000 churches and his experience as a
Susan Beaumont, Inside the Large Congregation, Alban Institute, 2011. Referenced in: Church Size Dynamics LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is an insightful text based on the author’s research and consultations on the major systems at work in large congregations, and how each functions and changes for a church to be effective in its size, and to successfully
Lyle E. Schaller and Warren Bird, Wisdom from Lyle E. Schaller: The Elder Statesman of Church Leadership. Abingdon Press, 2012. Referenced in: Church Leadership Foundations, Church Dynamics, Church Research Church Leadership Strategies, Overview of Approaches LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a distillation of best insights from a man known as the “Dean of Church Consultants,” who
Dale Galloway and Warren Bird, Innovative Transitions: How Change Can Take Your Church to the Next Level. Beacon Hill Press, 2007. Referenced in: Leading Change and Transition Church Leadership Foundations, Research on Effective Churches Leadership in Conflict LifeandLeadership.com Summary This volume tells the stories of several churches that have experienced challenging transitions under a variety
C. Jeff Woods, On the Move: Adding Strength, Speed, and Balance to Your Congregation. Chalice Press, 2009. Referenced in: Church Leadership Foundations, Church Dynamics, Research LifeandLeadership.com Summary When conducting intentional congregational renewal, one encounters terms such as identity, mission, vision, etc. Most resources define them well enough, but Jeff Woods provides a thorough guide to
Nancy Ammerman, Jackson W. Carroll, Carl S. Dudley, and William McKinney, Studying Congregations: A New Handbook. Abingdon Press, 1998. Referenced in: Church Leadership Foundations, Church Dynamics, Research LifeandLeadership.com Summary Any responsible planning process includes congregational assessment and evaluation. Most planning workbooks will include their own mechanisms for this, but if one wants to go deeper
Jeffrey D. Jones, Heart, Mind, and Strength: Theory and Practice for Congregational Leadership. Alban Institute, 2008. Referenced in: Church Leadership Foundations, Church Dynamics, Research LifeandLeadership.com Summary Jones does a good job describing the “what” and the “who” of congregational leadership in the new era. In terms of the “what,” he discusses the complex tasks that
Richard Bass, Editor, Leadership in Congregations. Alban Institute, 2006. Referenced in: Church Leadership Foundations, Church Dynamics, Research LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is an insightful collection of articles from seasoned scholar-practitioners among mainline Protestants on the changing leadership situation facing American congregations. It is a result of a ten-year research project on congregational leadership. Several of the
Diana Butler Bass and Joseph Stewart-Sicking, Editors, From Nomads to Pilgrims: Stories from Practicing Congregations. Alban Institute, 2005. Prequel: Bass, The Practicing Congregation (2004) Sequel: Bass, Christianity for the Rest of Us (2007) Referenced in: Research and Case Studies on Effective Churches LifeandLeadership.com Summary This volume is the second book by Bass that reflects the
Diana Butler Bass, Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. HarperOne, 2007. Prequels: Bass, The Practicing Congregation (2004) Bass, From Nomads to Pilgrims (2005) Referenced in: Research and Case Studies on Effective Churches LifeandLeadership.com Summary This volume is the third book by Bass that reflects the findings of
