Books @ Leadership Network

Sticky Teams

Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne is one of the most practical and insightful books I’ve read in over two decades. It’s one of those books when you put it down you say “I wish I had written that.’ So I want to spend some time telling you why I think this is such a powerful book.

First, let me tell you who ought to read this book.

· New pastors just starting out- you might as well get things right at the beginning.

· Pastors already in the field who realize that the way their church functions isn’t cutting it.

· Pastors who are fed up with fighting with their Board.

· Pastors who are having trouble leading their staff.

 Now, that list covers a multitude of sin, doesn’t it?

When I first read this book, I could not believe how simple, yet profound, it was. In less than 200 pages he shares the secrets of making staff and Boards function in harmony. Now that is close to a miracle.

Take a look at what makes this book so special.

Osborne shares his wisdom, gained over twenty years, about how to achieve unity with the Board, Staff, and congregation.

How to Achieve a Healthy, Unified, and Aligned Board

His insight on how the function of a Board changes as the church grows is worth the price of the book. In a small church the Board functions as doers- he call it “All hands on deck.” Board members are involved intimately in the day to day affairs of the church.  As the church grows, the Board approves all ministry before it happens. As the church get larger, the Board reviews ministry after it happens.  When the church becomes large the Board sets direction and boundaries.  Understanding how the function of the Board changes as a result of growth can save a lot of heartache and bring about a healthy unified Board.

He offers a suggestion that mirrors closely the one Dave Travis and I offered in our book, Beyond the Box. He suggests having two Board meetings a month. One meeting is for business and one is for team building, training, and prayer.  His argument is that you must spend time with Board in order for them to be a unified part of the team and for them to be prepared to act when called upon. He suggests it is never good to meet with a Board only when you need them to approve something.

How to Achieve a Healthy, Unified, and Aligned Staff

Growth also changes the way staff function.  In a small church staff function more as generalist since there isn’t much staff.  As the church grows, staff function more as specialists since there are more staff. When more growth the staff ceases being “doers” and begins to hand off ministry and empowers others to do ministry. The larger the church grows and the more staff a church has the more important it is that staff functions on behalf of the entire church rather than their ministry silo.

When it comes to staff alignment Osborne suggests using ministry “plumb lines.” Some might call these “core values.” The point is there needs to be a short list of values embedded in every staff person so they are all on the same page.  He then shares a few of his.  Values are different from expectations.  Everyone on the staff should know both.

How to Achieve a Healthy, Unified Congregation

Osborne shares five things that lead to congregational unity.

· A clear and simple mission statement

· A Pastors Class before joining

· Through consistent preaching

· Sermon-based small groups

· short and sweet congregational meetings

There is so much more crammed into this book.  You just have to read it for yourself.

  

Churches Responding to the Age Wave

By Amy Hanson

When Earl Ferguson was completing a long-time ministry and heading toward retirement, he certainly didn't plan to pastor a church in a 55+ living community in the suburbs of Chicago.

"I had just finished a 38-year ministry and was searching for what God had next for me," Earl recalls. "My first response when asked to be the Carillon (living community) pastor, was no! I was not interested and did not want to live in a community where everyone was 55+!"

God apparently had other plans for Earl and wife Pat, who is the creative arts director for the Carillon campus. Since moving into the community in 2004 and taking on the leadership role of the church campus, attendance at Sunday morning services has grown from 50 to 150.

While these communities are marketed as resort-style living with golf courses, recreational activities and fitness centers, some churches--such as Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL--are taking a serious look at the spiritual lives of the thousands of adults who live in the unique living environments.

A Church Inside the Community
The Carillon campus--a multi-site venue of Community Christian Church--began with the vision of a woman who lived in the closed community and wanted to have church services in the clubhouse. Getting approval for this was difficult, but the group eventually began having monthly worship services.

Not long after, Community Christian learned of the need, embraced this ministry and started weekly services.
One of the challenges the church faces is it cannot invite people who live outside of Carillon to join them. The Carillon Adult Master Association insists that use of the clubhouse be restricted to those who live inside Carillon. Not a problem for Earl and Co. "We have a mission field of 3600 people, all who live in Carillon," Earl says.

Small groups are a foundational part of the ministry and often are the entry point for a person's involvement with the church. "We have as many people in small groups as attend church services on Sunday morning," Earl says, noting there are currently 13 small groups meeting in the community.

Many people in Carillon have come to know Christ or found their way back to church through the small group ministry. One man named Bob was a business owner and traveled all over the country before retiring and moving into Carillon. "We invited him initially to a small group and we could practically see his eyes begin to open to the message of the gospel," Earl says. "Bob was baptized when he was 80 years old, and he told his friends and family, 'All my life I've known something was missing and now I know what it is.' "

The Carillon church campus benefits greatly by being a part of the larger Community Christian Church. All leaders in any capacity from all the campuses attend a monthly gathering where they are trained and encouraged in their task as leaders. Each of the campus pastors, including Earl, meet weekly to plan and prepare upcoming sermons. Pat as the creative arts director also has a weekly meeting where she gathers ideas.

But the benefits go both ways. Carillon provides numerous volunteers to Community Christian for projects, such as a partnership the church has with a local elementary school and a Christmas event where gifts are collected, sorted and made available at the school for parents to purchase for a small amount of money. Last year alone, the church collected 5,000 gifts and now the ministry has expanded to include another school.

Church Members as "Insiders" in the Community
Not all churches have the opportunity or the ability to plant a church inside a 55+ living community. However, there are other ways to reach those living inside these neighborhoods.

First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, CA is very intentional about training church members who live inside these communities to be involved and visible. 

"We encourage our church members to be a part of the Home Owners Association or to be active in the crisis response teams in the communities," says Rosalyn Encarnacion, First Evangelical Free's Director of Senior Adult Programs. "When they are in leadership, they notice the homes and the individuals who need help. At this point, the church's 'Family Fix-it Ministry' can step in and serve the people."

Older adults are then invited to a social activity at the church and begin to develop relationships with others who can tell them about Christ.

"We also will help someone who is moving out of the community and into an assisted living facility or nursing home," Rosalyn says. "This can be a very difficult time for people, especially for those who don't have family. We will often help them pack and even host a garage sale for them while one of our church members takes them out to lunch or to a movie."

Older adults and church leaders are discovering the great importance of integrating into 55+ communities across the country. Much like missionaries who move and settle in a different country, churches that are willing to invest time and resources into these communities are seeing people come to Christ and grow in their relationship with Him.

This is just a taste of what's happening nationwide in innovative ministry with the "Encore Generation." To read more about ministering to senior adults, download Amy Hanson's full paper, Churches Responding to the Age Wave: Top Innovations in Older Adult Ministry.

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Amy Hanson is a speaker, teacher, writer and consultant who is passionate about helping older adults discover a life of Christ-centered meaning and purpose. She formerly led the active adult (50+) ministries at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. Today, she unites her doctorate in gerontology with her ministry experience to educate and equip leaders, students, health care professionals and older adults on the unique opportunities of an aging America. Find out more about Amy’s ministry at amyhanson.org.

Amy’s new book Baby Boomers & Beyond will be available later this month at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble. You can pre-order your copy and download a free sample chapter now.

Church Unique Video Blog

I just watched this short video on Will Mancini’s blog, thought it was well done, and wanted to share it with our readers:

For more videos, head on over to www.willmancini.com.

If you haven’t read Church Unique yet, you can order your copy here.

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Stephanie Plagens is the Publications Manager for Leadership Network.

What Church Leaders Need to Know about Ministry to Aging Baby Boomers

by Amy Hanson

Chances are you’ve heard some of these statistics, but try to take a fresh look and really let them soak in:

• Americans 65 and older are the fastest-growing segment of the population.
• In the past century, the number of people in the United States under the age of 65 has tripled; however, the number of people over 65 has increased by more than a factor of 12.
• Today, there are approximately 78 million baby boomers in the U.S.
• By the year 2030 there will be 72.1 million people in America over the age of 65.

Nearly every industry, from travel and leisure to health care, is working overtime to respond to these unprecedented numbers. But the church is lagging behind, and as a whole, little focus is being directed toward responding to this age wave crashing on our shores.

As I travel across the country, I speak with church leaders who are aware of the demographics but simply don’t know how to prepare. I hope the following suggestions will spur your thinking and encourage you to expand your view of older adult ministry.

Let go of the “one-size-fits-all” mentality. One of the most common challenges facing today’s traditional senior adult ministry is the inability to get the “young-olds” to participate. So often I have senior adult pastors or senior members in a congregation come up to me and say, “We have a great program on the third Thursday afternoon of each month, but we can’t get those who are in their 50s or 60s to attend. What should we do?”

In order to reach the large number of people who fall in the 50-plus range, we must recognize their uniqueness. 

One of the most researched principles in the field of aging is that we become more diverse as we age. If you gather a room full of preschoolers you will find that developmentally, they are basically doing the same things. But as we get older, our differences increase.

By the age of 80, some people have never left the state in which they were born, while others have traveled all over the world. Some have doctorate degrees, and others didn’t finish high school. And probably one of the greatest differences among people is their health. Some are running in marathons while others are frail and living with disabilities.

This kind of diversity among people requires diverse ministries. Churches with fruitful 50-plus ministries have a variety of different ways to reach people, including motorcycle clubs, caring-for-aging-parent seminars, grandparenting events, and even special boomer events.

One church in Bothell, Washington, hosted a Baby Boomer Bash a few years ago to celebrate the first boomer turning 60. Beatles music, yellow and orange decor, pizza, and dancing were all part of the evening. The emphasis was on recognizing and affirming people at this particular stage of life. . . . Continue reading this article on Christian Standard - What Church Leaders Need to Know About Ministry to Aging Baby Boomers.

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Amy Hanson is a speaker, teacher, writer and consultant who is passionate about helping older adults discover a life of Christ-centered meaning and purpose. She formerly led the active adult (50+) ministries at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. Today, she unites her doctorate in gerontology with her ministry experience to educate and equip leaders, students, health care professionals and older adults on the unique opportunities of an aging America. Find out more about Amy’s ministry at amyhanson.org.

Amy’s new book Baby Boomers & Beyond will be available later this month at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble. You can pre-order your copy and download a free sample chapter now.

Reading Roll Call

I’m working on an article for Leadership Network Advance on the topic of what leaders are reading. For this article, I sent out a call to our team members to find out what books have been helpful in their ministry, and asked them to do the same with their contacts. There were a number of responses, more than I have space for in our newsletter, but I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to point people to these resources, so here are some of the ones that seemed particularly useful.

Guiding Your Church Through a Worship Transition: A Practical Handbook for Worship Renewal, by Tom Kraeuter

Your church is considering a change in worship style - or you're in the midst of one. What can you do to guide your congregation through a successful worship transition? Based on solid scriptural principles and the experiences of scores of churches, this practical resource equips you with answers that will make a difference.

“Great for a staff committed to bringing genuine worship to its people. Also, I would recommend this for seasoned worship leaders wanting to refresh their ministry where they've been called.” ~ David Jordan, Worship Director at Fairhaven Baptist Church

Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex and Power – and the Only Hope That Matters, by Tim Keller

The Bible tells us that the human heart is an "idol- factory," taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts.

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples, by: Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger

Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.

Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion by Wayne Cordeiro

Are your leadership responsibilities so overwhelming that you're running on fumes? Don't let burnout get the best of you! Drawing on his own experience, Cordeiro shows you how to keep your tank from running dry. Discover how to achieve proper balance, get back in touch with your life, allow God to re-energize you, and more.

The above links are affiliate links.

Thanks to everyone who recommended a book. You can look forward to more reviews in next week’s issue of Advance. If you would like to suggest a book that has been helpful in your ministry, please post a comment below.

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Stephanie Plagens is the Publications Manager for Leadership Network.