Resources : books

Written by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, authors of The Tangible Kingdom.

AND brings you—whether you’re a mega-church, traditional, contemporary, or organic church leader—fresh encouragement to your ministry. By teaching you how to move beyond the attractional-missional divide and utilize insights from both perspectives, you’ll learn how to bring together the very best of the attractional and missional models for church ministry. AND is part of the Exponential Series.

Dave and Jon Ferguson, authors of The Big Idea, wrote Exponential to present a Biblical strategy that explains how every Christ follower can successfully reproduce himself and maximize his impact for the kingdom of God.

Jesus gives us a mission to change the world, and it can seem overwhelming at times. But the potential to complete the Jesus mission lies within each of us, as we learn to reproduce our faith as individuals and as reproducing churches.

The beginning of such a movement is simple: you living a life as a Christ follower that is worth reproducing.
You will reproduce what you say.
You will reproduce what you do.
You will reproduce what you don’t do.
You will reproduce who you are.

A groundbreaking guide for multiplying the impact of church plants.

Based on a study that was commissioned by the Leadership Network, Viral Churches reveals the best practices in church planting and uncovers the common threads among them. A much-needed resource, this book will inform, guide, and even catalyze today's many church planting leaders. Authors Stetzer and Bird clearly show leaders how to plant churches that create a multiplication movement and offer inspiration for them to do so. The book addresses their questions about what to do next in their church planting strategies, in light of research on what's actually working best.

In Ethnic Blends, Mark DeYmaz will help you navigate seven common challenges in building a healthy multi-ethnic church. The rise of multi-ethnic churches could become the new Reformation in this century. Yet the movement is in a pioneer stage, and there have been few road maps … until now.

Mark DeYmaz is the author of Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church

A practical approach for leaders to guide their congregations to become more externally focused, The Externally Focused Quest is designed for church leaders who want to transform their churches to become less internally focused and more oriented to the world around them. The book includes the clear guidelines on the ten changes congregations must adopt to become truly outwardly focused. This book is not about getting all churches to have an annual day of community service as a tactic but changing the core of who they are and how they see themselves as a part of their community.

Also from the authors: The Externally Focused Church and Living a Life on Loan

Neil Cole's best-selling book Organic Church described the fastest growing segment of contemporary Christianity-the so-called organic church. Now in this next-step book, he answers questions about how to deal with theological and organizational issues that come up. He talks about issues such as what to do with finances, children, heresy, leader training, and rituals and ordinances. Without the top-down structure of a denomination, even people who are proponents of this small, house-church model worry that they are not doing it right.

• An important resource for anyone involved with or thinking of starting an organic or house church
• Addresses practical issues of theology, rituals, doctrinal heresy, how to handle children, finances, and other important questions
• Written by an acknowledged expert who is now and has been for over twenty years an organic church planter and practitioner

In the burgeoning missional church movement, churches are seeking to become less focused on programs for members and more oriented toward outreach to people who are not already in church. This fundamental shift in what a congregation is and does and thinks is challenging for leaders and congregants. Using the metaphor of map-making, the book explains the perspective and skills needed to lead congregations and denominations in a time of radical change over unfamiliar terrain as churches change their focus from internal to external.

• Offers a clear guide for leaders wanting to transition to a missional church model.
• Written by Alan Roxburgh, a prominent expert and practitioner in the missional movement and author of The Missional Leader
• Guides leaders seeking to create new maps for leadership and church organization and focus.

Written by Linda Bergquist and Allan Karr, two experienced church planters and mentors/teachers, Church Turned Inside Out offers church leaders a new way to think about how their churches are run. Taking cues from the world of business and offering a multi-disciplined and leading-edge approach, the authors stress the importance of incorporating the design process when establishing a new church or planning the ongoing future of an established church. This groundbreaking book also includes ideas for becoming a more effective church leader.

- Offers a practical perspective and a multi-disciplinary approach to establishing a new church or running an existing one
- Includes important lessons for nurturing church leadership skills
- Shows how to honor a church's purpose while embracing its unique culture
- Contains a wealth of illustrative models, examples, charts, and other visual aids

Watch the video!

From multiple locations to internet campuses, the multi-site church movement is changing the shape of the church. What is this rapidly expanding phenomenon all about? Experience the revolution for yourself and see why it has become the “new normal” for growing churches. A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip takes you on a tour of multi-site churches across America to see how they’re handling the opportunities and challenges raised by this dynamic organizational model.

Travel with tour guides Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird, authors of The Multi-Site Church Revolution, on their engaging and humorous journey that shows creative ways churches of all kinds are expanding their impact through multiple locations. Hear the inside stories and learn about the latest developments. Find out firsthand how the churches in this book are broadening their options for evangelism, service, and outreach—while making better use of their ministry funds.

Relational Intelligence offers church leaders a guide for learning to increase their ability to form and sustain stronger and healthier relationships with everyone in their organizations-staff, lay leaders, members, prospective members, and others. Based on the premises that we often aware of relational awkwardness in others but blind to it in ourselves, the book shows how leaders can learn to be smarter in the way they conduct their relationships.

- Offers practical tips and engaging anecdotes to show church leaders how to develop their relational intelligence.
- Delineates the key ingredients that make leaders relationally intelligent.

Author Steve Saccone reveals how to pay attention to nuances of relational dynamics and offers suggestions for way to handle relationships more intelligently and productively.

Visit relationalintelligence.info for more information, free resources, and a Relational Intelligence assessment.

A movement is rumbling through the body of Christ—a revolutionary army of people giving hope to a hurting world through practical, personal acts of service.

In Servolution, Dino Rizzo shares the story of his relentless pursuit of ways to bless the lost, poor, and hurting people of his community in Jesus’ name. You’ll be amazed and inspired by the incredible ways God has used Healing Place Church to meet the needs of thousands of people. Each chapter includes practical suggestions and resources for use in any church.

Be encouraged by the testimony of how God’s Spirit can use a simple passion to serve to revolutionize your approach to ministry. Wherever you are and whatever your gifts, you can play a vital role in this revolution through serving.

Start your Servolution at www.servolution.org

Watch a video from Dino

1. Engage with God (the life of worship and personal devotion)
2. Engage with God's people (through small groups and other means)
3. Engage with your community (through involvement in social needs)
4. Engage with the world (developing an awareness and involvement in global mission)

This “engagement” model is not merely a list of functions or stages of growth it integrates the church, connecting worship and mission, local witness and global involvement, small groups and personal devotion.

Mel Lawrenz (Brookfield, WI) is senior pastor at the large Elmbrook Church, recently named one of the most influential and innovative churches in the U.S.

"WOW! This book is for every christian leaders who wants to move their church from a narrow self focus to active engagement in the world with all the resources and possibilties of heaven."
Mike Slaughter, Ginghamsburg Church

"Mel Lawrenz’s vision of a local church that actually reflects the wholeness and beauty of God as it engages with the Lord, one another, and the community is a much needed call back to God’s original plan A – a plan that has too often been cast aside in the name of specialization, church growth, and expediency."
Larry Osborne, author Sticky Church

Visit www.wholechurch.org for more ideas and to download the discussion guide.

Hear a message from the author.

Praise for The Monkey and the Fish

"In this book Dave quotes somebody saying Jesus is the trickiest part of the Christian faith to understand and the most difficult part for churches to keep alive. That gauntlet-dropping reality is what The Monkey & the Fish is all about. It’s about the essence of Jesus. It’s about renewing a proper perspective for this most extravagant, humble lover of humanity. It’s especially game-altering for those whose intention is to be doing works in his name in the 21st century. And it’s a manifesto for far-reaching change that couldn’t be more timely." Jeff Brazil, Pulitzer Prize Winner

"Can we really make a difference in today’s culture? Dave Gibbons inspires Christ-followers to get outside their self-absorbed bubble and break the box of conformity. His challenging writing will move you to passionately seek opportunities to love God’s people in an innovative way." — Craig Groeschel, Pastor, LifeChurch.tv, and author, It

"Like it or not, the world is changing faster than the latest Intel Pentium chip can process. Some, like a child trying to stop the waves from reaching the beach, plant their feet in futile resistance. Some hope only to adapt and survive. But others want to become adept and thrive—ahead of the curve. Dave Gibbons is uniquely designed by God and given to the church for a time such as this. Any who are willing not just to ride the momentum but perhaps even to contribute to and shape the future need to read this book. It is for you!" — Neil Cole, Author, Organic Church, Search and Rescue, and Organic Leadership

"Dave Gibbons thinks differently than the rest of us. With eyes wide open to the new global village in which we now live, he calls us to a new way of being the church, a third-culture way that stands in sharp contrast to big, brash, rich, and comfortable American-way churches. This is an important book which comes to us in the midst of tumultuous times, filled with stories, wisdom, and a challenge to be the people of God in this new world." — Richard Peace, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Dave Gibbons is an revolutionary thinker, a big dreamer, and a thought leader that we should all pay close attention to. I'm positive The Monkey and The Fish will disrupt your current understanding of culture as it did mine. This is not simply a book but a brilliant field guide to the future." — Mike Foster, President of Ethur, Author of Deadly Viper Character Assassins

"Don’t read this book. Tear it open! Chew on it. Get it down no matter what it takes. Some of the flavors will be unfamiliar and some of the textures a little too gritty, but this is nourishing stuff. Dave Gibbons goes way beyond providing new ideas for ministry and instead challenges us to new ways of encountering, imagining, and living in the world. My life is likely to be a lot messier and hopefully way more faithful to Jesus after my collision with The Monkey and the Fish." — Stephen Hayner, Professor of Church Growth, Columbia Theological Seminary

Watch the video

Read an interview with the author.

Rejecting the “bigger is better” model of the complex, corporate megachurch, church innovator Dave Browning embraced deliberate simplicity. The result was Christ the King Community Church, International (CTK), an expanding multisite community church that Outreach magazine named among America’s Fastest Growing Churches and America’s Most Innovative Churches. Members of the CTK network in a number of cities, countries, and continents are empowered for maximum impact by Browning’s “less is more” approach.

In Deliberate Simplicity, Browning discusses the six elements of this streamlined model:
• Minimality: Keep it simple
• Intentionality: Keep it missional
• Reality: Keep it real
• Multility: Keep it cellular
• Velocity: Keep it moving
• Scalability: Keep it expanding

Watch the video

Read an interview with the author

In Missional Renaissance, Reggie shows them the three significant shifts in their thinking and behavior that they need to make that will allow leaders to chart a course toward being missional:
(1) from an internal to an external focus, ending the church as exclusive social club model;
(2) from running programs and ministries to developing people as its core activity; and
(3) from professional leadership to leadership that is shared by everyone in the community.

Watch a short e-promo and hear Reggie talk about his book.

With in-depth discussions of the "what" and the "how" of transitioning to being a missional church, readers will be equipped to move into what McNeal sees as the most viable future for Christianity. For all those thousands of churches who are asking about what to do next after reading The Present Future, Missional Renaissance will provide the answer.

Since the publication fifteen years ago of Bob Buford’s award-winning and newly updated and expanded bestseller, Halftime, more than half a million men and women have made the halftime journey from success to significance. If you are contemplating that journey yourself or have already started, Beyond Halftime is for you.

“This book is the result of fifteen years of answering questions about halftime,” writes Buford. “I’ve focused on the areas that seem to come up most from those who contact me, and I’ve answered them in much the same way I would answer you if we sat down together over coffee. So in a very real sense, this book allows me to be your companion as you negotiate the ups and downs of the whole halftime experience.”

Beyond Halftime invites you to slow down and take time to listen—really listen—to the voice of your heart and the rhythms of your life. The discoveries you’re about to make during this vital phase of your life can’t be rushed.

Enjoy this wise guidance on the things that matter most in moving from gaining success to leaving a legacy. Your most rewarding years lie ahead of you. Welcome to the journey.

This elegant, hard-covered coffee table book is packed with stories and pictures of people who are making a difference in their second half. These people stand out in our culture not because of their talent, success or fame, but because they looked inside their hearts and discovered what it is that God created them to do, listened carefully to their unique calling and then summoned the courage to live it out.

This book not only inspires, it provides simple ideas to make the second half the most exciting and fulfilling season of life.

Download Sample Chapters: Patrick McConathy; Linda Hood

Learn More at www.halftime.org/thesecondhalf

Sticky Church tells the inspiring story of North Coast Church’s phenomenal growth and offers practical tips for launching your own sermon-based small group ministry.
Topics include:
- Why stickiness is so important
- Why most of our discipleship models don’t work very well
- Why small groups always make a church more honest and transparent
- What makes groups grow deeper and stickier over time

Listen to Larry now!

Sticky Church is an ideal book for church leaders who want to start or retool their small group ministry—and velcro their congregation to the Bible and each other.

Learn more at StickyChurch.com or Join the Facebook Group

Creps' new book is a topic of interest both inside and outside the church as older leaders realize that they're not "getting it" when it comes to technologies (iPod, IM, blogging) or cultural issues such as the fact that younger people see the world in an entirely different way. Creps has been personally involved in reverse mentoring for several years and has spoken and written on the subject extensively. He has pastored three churches (one Boomer, one Builder, on X'er) and is currently a church planter in Berkeley, California. He has also served as a consultant and and a seminary professor and administrator, holding a PhD in Communication Studies and a D.Min. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

Listen to Earl now!

Visit Earl's Website and download the FREE study guide.

"This is a book that heightens the depths and deepens the peaks. Like all the best things in life, it is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently and in the fear of a God who is waiting for the church to stop asking 'What would Jesus do?' and start asking 'What is Jesus doing?'" (Dr. Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Chair in Evangelism, Drew University, and bestselling author of Post-Modern Pilgrims, SoulSalsa, SoulTsunami, and AquaChurch; coauthor of A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe)

"Get ready to wake up your spirit and breath deep. McLaren's A New Kind of Christian is a street-level, lived excursion into this present millennium-a world where ministry by control, condescension, and smug certainty gives way to incarnational faith." (Sally Morgenthaler, president, SJM Management Co. and author of Worship Evangelism)

"McLaren's courageous and honest reassessment of our cherished customs and cliches stimulates creative thinking on these vital issues. A New Kind of Christian is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in preparing the church to be vital force in the next generation." (Chuck Smith, Jr., senior pastor, Capo Beach Valvary Chapel and author, The End of the World As We Know It)

"...an engaging tale..." (Christianity & Renewal, July 2002)

In The Story We Find Ourselves In - the much anticipated sequel to his award-winning book A New Kind of Christian - McLaren captures a new spirit of a relevant Christianity, where traditional divisions and doctrinal differences give way to a focus on God and the story of God's love for this world.0

If you are searching for a deeper life with God- one that moves beyond the rhetoric of denominational and theological categories- this delightful and inspiring fictional tale will provide a picture of what it could mean to recapture a joyful spiritual life.

Download the Tangible Kingdom Remix

Tangible Kingdom Primer now available at www.tangiblekingdom.com

"Hugh and Matt are real live heroes. Not only because they provide some original insights into the nature of the mission of incarnational ways of church, but because they courageously pave the way for the rest of us to follow. Laced with the inspirational authority that only practitioners can provide, this book deserves to be taken seriously by all concerned with mission and church in the 21st century."
~ Alan Hirsch, Author of The Forgotten Ways and The Shaping of Things To Come (with Mike Frost)

"Plunging deeper and deeper with Jesus into a grassroots incarnational life is what this book is about. Many aspire to it, some write about it, but very few live out the rhythms of such a holistic lifestyle in the way that Hugh and Matt and their families are currently doing. I am thrilled to see their journey in book form and I hope that The Tangible Kingdom finds a wide and receptive audience."
~Andrew Jones, tallskinnykiwi.com

Church Unique offers church leaders a way to transform their vision with missional effectiveness.

Written by church consultant Will Mancini—a pioneer of a new kind of visioning process to help churches develop a stunningly unique model of ministry that leads to redemptive movement. He guides churches away from an internal focus to emphasize participation in their community and surrounding culture. In this important book, Mancini offers an approach for rethinking what it means to lead with clarity as a visionary. Mancini explains that each church has a culture that reflects its particular values, thoughts, attitudes and actions and shows how leaders can unlock their church’s individual DNA and unleash their congregation’s one-of-a-kind potential.

Whether leading a mega-church or church plant, a multi-site or mainline, a ministry or parachurch, Church Unique will provide inspiration as a practical guide for leading into the future. There is a better way.

Will Mancini, a former pastor is the founder of Auxano, a national consulting group that works with traditional and emerging churches and ministries of all types around the country. Their mission is to navigate leaders through growth challenges with vision clarity (auxano.com).

Remissionalizing established churches can be a rough going. If leaders are to successfully steer the church through the challenges of the 21st Century, they will need help to negotiate the complexities of spirituality, culture, history, and institutional structures that go to make up organizations. Will Mancini is a savvy navigator and Church Unique is an impressive blueprint for organizational renewal.
~ Alan Hirsch - author of The Forgotten Ways and The Shaping of Things To Come and founding director of the innovative Forge Mission Training Network

Unique could have saved me from significant leadership blunders in the last 25 years as a local church pastor. Will’s love for the local church and his skill for facilitating the vision pathway, make this a must read. Will Mancini is a Sherpa, not a travel agent. He has the experience, he knows the trail. I have seen the process in action-it works!
~ Lance Witt - Founder of Replenish Ministries and former executive pastor, Saddleback Community Church

Visit ChurchUnique.com

Watch the promo and hear Kevin talk about his book.

Read the Leadership Network Advance interview with Kevin here.

Read Kevin's Sermon Central article here.

You can serve God and his people for a lifetime and do it with passion and joy. You do not have to become another casualty in the growing number of leaders who have compromised their integrity, character, and ministry because they failed to lead an examined and accountable life. The road forward is clearly marked. Leaders must make a decision to humbly and consistently examine their inner lives and identify areas of needed change and growth.

Also, wise leaders commit to listen to the voices of those who will love them enough to speak the truth and point out problems and potential pitfalls.

Kevin Harney writes, “The vision of this book is to assist leaders as they discover the health, wisdom, and joy of living an examined life. It is also to give practical tools for self-examination.” Sharing stories and wisdom from his years in ministry, Harney shows you how to maintain the most powerful tool in your leadership toolbox: YOU. Your heart, so you can love well. Your mind, so you can continue to learn and grow. Your ears, your eyes, your mouth … consider this your essential guide to conducting your own complete interior health exam, so you can spot and fix any problems, preserve the things that matter most, and grow as a source of vision, strength, and hope to others.

“The Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas is influencing a systemic rethinking of things and setting an example that few churches to date have been willing to address.” --From the preface by U.S. Senator Mark L. Pryor

“We cannot ignore the topic of multi-ethnic churches as we live in a multi-ethnic world. Mark DeYmaz writes [with] practical insight, not from theory but from leading an extremely strategic multi-ethnic church that is paving the way for so many others.” --Dan Kimball, senior pastor, Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz, California, and author, They Like Jesus But Not the Church

Through personal stories, proven experience and a thorough analysis of the biblical text, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church illustrates both the biblical mandate for the multi-ethnic church as well as the seven core commitments required to bring it about. Mark DeYmaz, pastor of one of the most proven multi-ethnic churches in the country, writes both from his experience and his extensive study of how to plant, grow, and encourage more ethnically diverse churches. He argues that the "homogenous unit principle" will soon become irrelevant and that the most effective way to spread the Gospel in an increasingly diverse world is through strong and vital multi-ethnic churches.

“One of the major transformations in American Christianity is the emergence of hundreds of megachurches in the latter part of the twentieth century. This is the first book to be published that is based on close empirical research and yet is written in a manner that is easily understood by individuals attempting to assess this trend.”

—Donald E. Miller, professor of religion and executive director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture University of Southern California

Drawing on extensive, broad-based, and well-designed research, as well as telling stories and anecdotes, Beyond Megachurch Myths focuses on the diversity of churches within and dispels popular myths about the megachurch phenomenon. Defining a megachurch as a Protestant church that averages at least 2000 total attendees in their weekend services, Scott Thumma and Dave Travis reveal what these churches are and are not, why they are thriving, what their members say about their experiences, and why they have many valuable lessons to teach smaller churches.

Beyond Megachurch Myths draws a clear picture of megachurches’ unique characteristics and how they are changing the landscape of American religion. The book debunks seven common myths, including that they:
• Are just too big to be good
• Are driven by personality cults and will fade away
• Are selfish and only concerned with their own needs
• Water down faith
• Are bad for the overall religious economy
• Serve people of the same race, class, and political views
• Grow because of the “worship show”

Beyond Megachurch Myths is filled with practical insights and suggestions for pastors and leaders of other church organizations that can be applied to their own organizations and ministries no matter what their size.

Read the Leadership Network press release debunking 11 megachurch myths

To read the introduction, click Sample Chapter Download.

Well intentioned churches offer too many competing little ideas that develop Christians who know (or at least hear) far more than they can ever apply. The solution offered in this book involves this: We must creatively communicate one Big Idea that will be discussed in families and small groups. The Big Idea provides a unified curriculum and single conversation that will connect the generations and empower parents to be the spiritual leaders in their homes.

The Big Idea is a process for creative collaboration that brings people together and maximizes missional impact! This is not just true about preaching, it is also true about the teaching of children, students, adults, families and the overall experience in church life.

Go to The Big Idea Online

Order a DVD of the Church Communication Network presentation of The Big Idea

This 64-page glossy book with 104 diagrams and charts, 10 in-depth profiles of compelling trends and literally hundreds of facts and examples, is the single biggest compilation of ideas and insights about North American churches ever undertaken by Leadership Network. The project presents a unique catalog and analysis of today’s most promising church innovations.

Innovation 2007 is divided into four primary sections:

Snapshots ("Why churches need innovation") reports on the huge societal needs and challenges to which the church must respond. Quick, at-a-glance statistics and summaries reveal, for example, startling facts on poverty, AIDS and literacy—as well as telling trends in church attendance, giving and pastors’ use of their time.

Discoveries ("How churches use innovation") covers 10 crucial approaches to ministry that are extending the reach and changing the face of today’s church. Topics range from churches that are creatively addressing community healthcare to significant church-based recovery ministries. In each case, Innovation 2007 explores the hows, the whys and newly emerging models of ministry.

Commentary ("In-depth perspectives on innovative trends") analyzes two particularly significant trends in even greater detail. "Inside the American Megachurch," by Warren Bird and Scott Thumma (of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research), shows how megachurches differ from the picture assumed by many stereotypes. "What to Do with Talented People," by Robert Lewis (pastor-at-large of Little Rock’s Fellowship Bible Church and founder of Men’s Fraternity) discusses how an innovative "catch-and-release" approach to ministry can boost a church’s impact in a local community.

Resources ("Strategic readings about leading innovations") presents a host of materials readers can use to further their understanding of high priority topics. Coverage ranges from Leadership Network’s recent "Salary and Economic Outlook," to overviews of some 20 books and 39 helpful online resources.

DOWNLOAD HERE

The Blogging Church is a handbook that will inspire and equip you to join the conversation.

The book includes contributions from five of the most popular bloggers in the world—Robert Scoble, Dave Winer, Kathy Sierra, Guy Kawasaki, and Merlin Mann, as well as interviews with blogging pastors such as Mark Driscoll, Craig Groeschel, Tony Morgan, Perry Noble, Greg Surratt, Mark Batterson, and many more.

“I had a lot of questions about blogs and their value for my church. I’m thankful that Brian and Terry are sharing their experiences to answer those questions. Their insights are for everyone in ministry. Whether you are reading blogs, writing blogs, or just trying to figure out how to use the word in a sentence, this book is for you.”--Mark Beeson, senior pastor, Granger Community Church

From author Brian Bailey: How did this book become a reality? It's an amazing story that I still find hard to believe. It started with a post on my blog, Leave It Behind, in 2004.

Download a sample chapter by clicking the button below -- excerpted from The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey with Terry Storch (January 2007, $19.95, paper) by permission of Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint

WATCH THE VIDEO from the authors.

At the same time, pastors and church leaders long for their churches to make an even greater impact for Christ in their communities and beyond, but lack the seasoned leaders and ministry model needed to make it happen.

What’s desperately needed is a clear game plan to unite these two groups of people to unleash the kingdom power that such a partnership contains. Unlimited Partnership, a unique two-books-in-one read for marketplace leaders and pastors, is that game plan.

Experienced businessman Lloyd Reeb tells marketplace leaders how to find active service roles within their church. Veteran pastor Bill Wellons helps colleagues reach church members anxious to be involved with ministry.

“Earl Creps has written a deeply personal and challenging book--one that caused me to think about my own spiritual journey. Too many of us have made spiritual formation a series of activities and programs; Earl takes us off the map of common practice and into the places where the Spirit is at work. It reminds us that true spiritual formation pervades our lives and the ministries we serve, providing a helpful balance of being and doing. It will be a great encouragement to all who read it.” --Ed Stetzer, author, Breaking the Missional Code

To learn more about Earl Creps, and to download a free study guide, visit www.earlcreps.com

Watch a short video from the author.

Order a DVD of the Church Communication Network presentation of Off-Road Disciplines

Listen to an interview with the authors.

"Practicing Greatness is a hard-hitting leadership book, not just a collection of inspirational thoughts." from the Foreword by Ken Blanchard, author of The One-Minute Manager and Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time

"I have always been challenged by Reggie McNeal's 'right on' insights. And this book is packed with 'right on' insights for any leader wanting to move from good to great.--Robert Lewis, pastor and men's fraternity founder, Fellowship Bible Church, Little Rock, Arkansas

"The depth and breadth of wisdom in this book is just short of unbelievable. Good leaders aspiring to be great leaders will do well to read this book and allow it to probe and shape their lives." --Bill Easum, Easum, Bandy & Associates

Click here to listen to Reggie McNeal talk about this book.

Order a DVD of the Church Communication Network presentation of Disciplines of Greatness

“Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk are two of the few people in the world today who understand how we can create an environment for the missional transformation of the church for the postmodern world. Every church leader should read this book!”--Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden, evangelist presbyter, Presbytery of San Joaquin, Presbyterian Church

Click here to hear a message from the authors.

A how-to guide to the burgeoning "coffeehouse ministry"

For many young people, traditional models of church hold very little appeal. They see themselves as more spiritual than religious and are looking for deeper, more authentic relationships with other people and with God. Church leaders and planners are realizing that they must go to where these people already are–in coffeehouses, bars, pubs, and other "third places"–if they want to connect with them and eventually interest these young people in Christianity. Organic Church offers a guide for demystifying this new model of church and shows how to undertake the practical aspects of implementing it. Instead of bringing people into a traditional church, this model helps bring faith to where life happens.

Neil Cole (Long Beach, CA) is a church starter and pastor, and founder and Executive Director of Church Multiplication Associates, which has helped start over 500 churches in 16 states and 12 nations in six years. He is an international speaker and the author of Cultivating a Life for God.

“Organic Church is less about what we are to do than a book about what God has already done and is now doing. I challenge you to put it down without the picture of what God intended the church to be, becoming a hologram in your heart. Read it and reap a harvest of tears at what could be if, as Neil Cole puts it so memorably, we were to ‘lower the bar of how church is done and raise the bar of what it means to be a disciple.’ “ –Len Sweet

To learn more about the author's work in church planting, visit Church Multiplication Associates. Or, click here to listen to the author talk about the ideas behind this book.

Leading from the Second Chair offers an invaluable resource to leaders who serve in second (and third and fourth) chair roles, enabling them to become more productive, proactive, and fulfilled. The book reveals the paradoxes of second chair leadership. These leaders must be subordinate to the top leader yet lead in their own right. They should be deep in their expertise but wide in perspective. And they must be content in their jobs yet remain enthusiastic about their dreams for the future.

“The mission of the organization either hangs together or falls apart at the critical interface between first and second chairs. This helpful volume from seasoned practitioners identifies and addresses the character, competencies, and chemistry that make for effective second-chair leadership. It's a book for you, no matter which seat you're in.”
--Reggie McNeal
Director of Leadership Development, South Carolina Baptist Convention and author of The Present Future.

If you wish to know more about how others are leading effectively from the second chair, we encourage you to visit www.secondchairleaders.com

To view a Flash trailer and to hear the authors talk more about the ideas in this book, click here.

Order a DVD of the Church Communication Network presentation of Leading from the Second Chair

The Way of Jesus is written for those on a journey—from spiritual sojourners to religious refugees. With a focus on our yearning for the Spirit and spirituality, this book opens pathways for experiencing the powerful simplicity in the life and Way of Jesus. All journeys are spiritual by nature, even if we can’t always see the full picture of where God is leading us or why He is leading us there. In their own twenty-year journey, Jonathan and Jennifer Campbell have joined with others to rediscover and embody the life of Jesus. They share a way of living out our spirituality from the core of our being to the very connections that define our humanity. The Way of Jesus weaves their poignant story with a thoughtful exploration of the intersection of culture, community, and spiritual identity. Their adventure is a journey with Jesus toward freedom and a life filled with his love, truth, and power.

“The Campbells lovingly guide us toward an authentic and living encounter with Jesus without all the religious paraphernalia often associated with the institutional church. This book is a gift to those seeking to follow Jesus faithfully in a way that makes real sense to twenty-first century seekers.”
—Alan Hirsch

To learn more about The Way of Jesus, and to begin your journey, visit www.wayofjesus.com.  Or, click here to listen to the author discuss the ideas behind this book.

In Culture Shift, Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro take an intense look at how to transform a church from the inside out. Flowing from their personal experiences in building two equally compelling but radically different churches, Culture Shift shows pastors and other church leaders how to:

• Build an irresistible church culture
• Change a culture that is at odds with your vision
• Recognize the signs of genuine forward progress
• Keep your new culture aligned with your mission

Want to know more about Culture Shift?  Listen to the authors discuss how this book can be a positive impact on you and your church.  Click here to find out more!

Order a DVD of the Church Communication Network presentation of Culture Shift

Order a DVD of the Church Communication Network presentation of Shaped by God's Heart

Click here to go to books.leadnet.org and download Rex Miller's presentation from the Feb 2007 National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention.

Order The Present Future DVD Collection -- the companion curriculum to The Present Future

Order a DVD of the Church Communication Network presentation of The Present Future

In The Story We Find Ourselves In - the much anticipated sequel to his award-winning book A New Kind of Christian- McLaren captures a new spirit of a relevant Christianity, where traditional divisions and doctrinal differences give way to a focus on God and the story of God's love for this world.0

If you are searching for a deeper life with God- one that moves beyond the rhetoric of denominational and theological categories- this delightful and inspiring fictional tale will provide a picture of what it could mean to recapture a joyful spiritual life.

“…This book is, quite simply, brilliant…” (Faith for Life, 21/12/04)

"This is a book that heightens the depths and deepens the peaks. Like all the best things in life, it is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently and in the fear of a God who is waiting for the church to stop asking 'What would Jesus do?' and start asking 'What is Jesus doing?'" (Dr. Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Chair in Evangelism, Drew University, and bestselling author of Post-Modern Pilgrims, SoulSalsa, SoulTsunami, and AquaChurch; coauthor of A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe)

"Get ready to wake up your spirit and breath deep. McLaren's A New Kind of Christian is a street-level, lived excursion into this present millennium-a world where ministry by control, condescension, and smug certainty gives way to incarnational faith." (Sally Morgenthaler, president, SJM Management Co. and author of Worship Evangelism)

"McLaren's courageous and honest reassessment of our cherished customs and cliches stimulates creative thinking on these vital issues. A New Kind of Christian is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in preparing the church to be vital force in the next generation." (Chuck Smith, Jr., senior pastor, Capo Beach Valvary Chapel and author, The End of the World As We Know It)

"...an engaging tale..." (Christianity & Renewal, July 2002)

A Work of Heart shows how God prepares leaders today just as he did in biblical times - and how God creates these leaders in order to share his heart with his people.

Bob Buford believes the second half of your life can be better than the first. Much better. But first, you need time to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life.

In Halftime, Buford focuses on this important time of transition—the time when, as he says, a person moves beyond the first half of the game of life. It’s halftime, a time of revitalization and for catching a new vision for living the second half, the half where life can be lived at its most rewarding. As Buford explains, “My passion is to multiply all that God has given me, and in the process, give it back.” Features of this newly updated and expanded edition include a foreword by Jim Collins, the bestselling author of Good to Great; new questions for reflection or discussion at the end of each chapter; brand new “halftime” stories of men and women enjoying a second half of significance; specific halftime assignments to guide readers into their second-half mission; an essay by Bob on “The Wisdom of Peter Drucker”; a special update from the author on how the halftime movement is growing nationally, and links to outstanding resources. Midlife. Halftime. It doesn’t have to be a time of crisis. It can be a catalyst for purpose, impact, and growth. Bob Buford provides the encouragement and insight to propel your life on a new course away from mere success to true significance—and the best years of your life.