About me

  • I am a Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) student at Duke Divinity School. My areas of concentration are "The Practice of Leading Christian Communities and Institutions" and "New Testament."

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Leadership

November 06, 2007

Jack Welch: Most pastors could never make it in the business world

I have a new post today on Leadership Journal's Out of Ur blog entitled

Are Pastors Competitive Enough?

A CEO says pastors would never make it in the business world, but is that bad?

by Andy Rowell

I comment on a BusinessWeek article by Jack Welch regarding people trying to move from the non-profit world (i.e. church) to the business world. 

Make your comments there!

August 11, 2006

Read Granger Pastor Blog Summaries of the Willow Leadership Summit

I'm thoroughly enjoying vicariously the Willow Creek Leadership Summit by reading the blogs of the Granger Community Church pastors. Leadership_summit

Here is the schedule of the summit so you can follow along.

Here are the blogs:

Mark Waltz | . . . because People Matter - first post here

Tim Stevens - LeadingSmart - first post here

Tony Morgan | one of the simply strategic guys - first post here

Mark has written the book: First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences In Your Church

Tim and Tony have written the books: Simply Strategic Growth: Attracting a Crowd to Your Church, Simply Strategic Stuff: Help for Leaders Drowning in the Details of Running a Church, and Simply Strategic Volunteers: Empowering People For Ministry

June 13, 2006

The President & The Pastor at Out of Ur

They have posted part one and part two of my article The President & The Pastor: lessons from George W. Bush’s brave/reckless leadership style at Leadership Journal's Out of Ur blog.

April 27, 2006

Image Isn’t Everything: the uneasy conscience of a GenX pastor

See my article (Part 1: "Image Isn’t Everything: the uneasy conscience of a GenX Pastor" here and Part 2" "Image Isn’t Everything 2: depth and transparency offer hope for GenX" here) that is being published in two parts at Leadership Journal's blog Out of Ur. I wrote it in 2004 as the founder and leader of a GenX ministry at Granville Chapel in Vancouver, British Columbia.

It bears similarities to my post about Andy Stanley and Leadership here.

I hope you can overlook my use of the term "Gen-X pastor." This term is rarely used anymore and very few people believe in the Generation X distinction. Willow Creek has a "Next Gen" Leadership Conference. I like that better. You can see my post about the Emerging Churches book by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger for more discussion about the confusing terms “emerging” and “emergent.”

I also affirm that this image issue is not limited to pastors in their 20’s and 30’s. My post simply tries to identify some of the issues I noticed in myself and my friends and how we have tried to address them.

April 06, 2006

Andy Stanley Says There is No Such Thing as Distinctively Spiritual Leadership

Here are my comments on the article: Is Ministry Leadership Different? Andy Stanley and Jim Collins in an unexpected point-counterpoint by Eric Reed at Leadership Journal's Out of Ur blog:

Andy Stanley, pastor of the third most influential church in the nation with more than 18,000 in attendance, is right in urging pastors to practice competent leadership regardless of its source. He says: “I grew up in a culture where everything was overly spiritualized . . . A principle is a principle, and God created all the principles.” He is right in saying that too often churches have permitted abuse, waste, and ineptitude in the name of forgiveness, family, and niceness. He is also right in declaring it makes sense to learn from others. We should be reexamining Scripture for wisdom as well as sifting through leadership and business management books for wise insight. (See my list of recommended business management books that are helpful for pastors here).

But Christian leaders are different from other leaders because of their Christian character (as Andy tacitly indicates in his words about the importance of prayer, counsel, and integrity when he speaks to church leaders). If leaders are not formed by Scripture, prayer and counsel [Eugene Peterson calls these the three angles in his book Working the Angles)], their vision and leadership will ultimately be shallow and self-serving. So I think Andy overstates the case when he says “There’s nothing distinctly spiritual [about the kind of leadership I do].” There is such a thing as spiritual (pleasing-to-the-Holy-Spirit) leadership that is often different from secular business leadership. Spiritual formation will actually change the way we do leadership. Some practices which would violate Scripture cannot be used even to meet seemingly good goals. In other words, Scripture restrains the use of some means. The ends do not always justify the means.

Eric Reed is right in pointing out that many young people are attracted to Andy Stanley but that he does not fit with the “emerging” leader profile which is also popular among young people. Reed writes:

“Stanley is becoming the model for the next generation of large church pastors [note Reed’s adjective large] . . . Because Andy connects well with younger leaders, who in general are bent more toward spiritual formation than church growth . . . I thought I’d hear something that backed up the pendulum swing we have heard prominent emerging leaders identify--that younger leaders don’t buy all the church growth stuff, that the models that built megachurches worked for boomers, but for Gen-X and younger? Fuggidaboudit.”

Many young suburban white young adults are attracted to Andy Stanley. He is what they want to be: attractive, making-a-difference, young, confident, and articulate with a gorgeous facility and a talented staff. But Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger describe in Emerging Churches a different set of young people who don’t want to copy management principles or accept megachurch assumptions. They want to emulate Jesus’ practices – wandering around talking to people, without a building, praying, telling stories, and helping people. Seeker churches like Stanley’s, on the other hand, want people to “meet Jesus” through getting them through whatever means to sit in the seats of their church.

My comments on the Gibbs and Bolger book Emerging Churches are here.

Most of the college students in my classes at Taylor University are attracted to both Andy Stanley and the Emerging church conversation. They are attracted to young charismatic leaders regardless of their ministry approach. Rob Bell and Erwin McManus are probably the two most popular among them since they have all the things Andy Stanley has (attractive, making-a-difference, young, confident, and articulate with a large facility and a talented staff) but also embrace some of aspects of the emerging churches: art, attitude, informality, stories, urban culture, and justice.

See my list of sermon audio links to listen to Stanley, Bell and McManus here.

For a scholarly presentation of how the apostle Paul dealt with secular ideas of leadership when they began to appear in Corinth, listen to New Testament scholar Bruce Winter's lecture "Secularization of First Century Christian Leadership - Inroads of Secular Models." Here is the synopsis.

Bruce Winter questions the word "leader" as the name we use when talking about church ministers. He says Paul intentionally does not use the Greek word for leader to describe the ministers in the early church. Winter also says Paul intentionally rejected the braggart, money-making, attractive orator image that was readily apparent in the culture at the time.

This must cause all of us to pause as we think of the kind of Christian leaders that are so often held up as "making a difference" in our culture. Most often they get famous as successful pastors because they are great speakers and attractive. Perhaps this is always the way to fame and there is no preventing it. But that does not mean we need to try to emulate the famous (as is so natural).

Jeffrey Fox lays out "the rules to rise to the top of any organization" in How to Become CEO. Here are a few out of the 75.

  • Keep Physically Fit
  • Dress for a Dance
  • Be Visible
  • Learn to Speak and Write in Plain English
  • Say Things to Make People Feel Good
  • Look Sharp and Be Sharp
  • The Concept Doesn't Have to Be Perfect But the Execution of It Does

I am quite sure that Fox is right that if we applied these we could rise to the top of any organization including the church. The Corinthians would have sent Paul the book. "Work on your appearance, Paul. Don't do manual labor. Charge higher fees. Try to be a bit more polished."

We could work on those things or instead we could learn to pray the Psalms.

1 Sam 16:7. But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (TNIV).

May God give us wisdom to do our tasks well - gathering wisdom wherever we may find it - from secular and Christian mentors and books. But may God also form us as people after his own heart so that we do the right tasks in the right way.

January 28, 2006

Bibliography of Key Biblical Commentaries for Women in Ministry Issues

1 Timothy, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians and Genesis are the location for the main "problem passages" for women in ministry. Here are some of the most important commentaries on those books. 1 Timothy 2 Complementarian The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary) (Hardcover)by George W. Knight Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (August 1, 1992)

Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 46, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus (mounce) (Hardcover)by William D. Mounce
Nelson Reference (May 1, 2000)

The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus: God's Good News for the World (The Bible Speaks Today) (Paperback)by John R. W. Stott
InterVarsity Press (June 1, 2001)

The First and Second Letters to Timothy : A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Anchor Bible) (Hardcover)by Luke Timothy Johnson
Anchor Bible; 1st ed edition (March 20, 2001)

Egalitarian

The Pastoral Epistles: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary (International Critical Commentary Series) (Paperback)by I. Howard Marshall
T. & T. Clark Publishers, Ltd. (July 22, 2004)

1 & 2 Timothy, Titus (Hardcover)by Walter L. Liefeld
Zondervan (August 1, 1999)

First and Second Timothy and Titus: Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Thomas C. Oden
J. Knox Press (November 1, 1989)

1-2 Timothy & Titus (IVP New Testament Commentary Series) (Hardcover)by Philip H. Towner
InterVarsity Press (May 1, 1994)

1 and 2 Timothy, Titus (Paperback)by Gordon D. Fee
Hendrickson Publishers (April 1, 1989)

1 Corinthians 11; 14:34-35

Complementarian

The First Epistle to the Corinthians (New International Greek Testament Commentary) (Hardcover)by Anthony C. Thiselton
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (December 1, 2000)

1 Corinthians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by David E. Garland
Baker Academic (November 1, 2003)

1 Corinthians (Hardcover)by Craig L. Blomberg
Zondervan (April 10, 1995)

Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 (Paperback)by D. A. Carson
Baker Academic (October 1, 1987)
Egalitarian

The First Epistle to the Corinthians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by Gordon Fee
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (July 1, 1987)

1-2 Corinthians (New Cambridge Bible Commentary) (Hardcover)by Craig S. Keener
Cambridge University Press (June 13, 2005)

First Corinthians (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Richard B. Hays
Westminster John Knox Press (September 1, 1997)

Ephesians 5:21-33

Complementarian

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by Harold W. Hoehner
Baker Academic (January 1, 2003)

Egalitarian

The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (New International Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by F. F. Bruce
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 1, 1984)

Ephesians (IVP New Testament Commentary Series) (Hardcover)by Walter L. Liefeld
InterVarsity Press (March 1, 1997)

Ephesians (Hardcover)by Mr. Klyne Snodgrass
Zondervan (July 7, 1996)

Not Sure whether egalitarian or complementarian

The Letter to the Ephesians (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Hardcover)by Peter T. O'Brien Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 1, 1999)

Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 42, Ephesians (Hardcover)by Andrew T. Lincoln
Nelson Reference (November 6, 1990)

Ephesians: Translation and Commentary on Chapters 4-6 : Anchor Bible 34A (Anchor Bible) (Paperback)by Markus Barth
Anchor Bible (September 3, 1998)

Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Ralph P. Martin
Westminster John Knox Press (February 1, 1992)

Genesis 1-3

Genesis (Hardcover)by Bruce K. Waltke, Cathi J. Fredricks
Zondervan (August 1, 2001)

Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 1 Genesis 1-15 (wenham) 406pp (Hardcover)by Gordon J. Wenham
Nelson Reference (October 9, 1987)

Genesis: Interpretation : A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Walter Brueggemann
Westminster John Knox Press (March 1, 1982)

Genesis 1-11: A Continental Commentary (Hardcover)by Claus Westermann
Augsburg Fortress Publishers; 1st Fortress Press ed edition (May 1, 1994)

The Book of Genesis (New International Commentary on the Old Testament Series) 1-17 (Hardcover)by Victor P. Hamilton
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (November 1, 1990)

The New American Commentary: Genesis 1-11:26 (New American Commentary) (Hardcover)by Kenneth A. Mathews
Broadman & Holman Publishers (January 1, 1996)

Genesis (Hardcover)by Dr. John H. Walton
Zondervan (October 1, 2001)

Women in Ministry Bibliography

Egalitarian and Complementarian

Egalitarian: http://www.cbeinternational.org/

Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy (Paperback)by Ronald W. Pierce (Editor), Rebecca Merrill Groothuis (Editor), Gordon D. Fee (Editor)
InterVarsity Press; 2nd edition (August 1, 2005)
The most comprehensive, scholarly, and recent (2005) presentation of the biblical egalitarian view. Contra: The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood’s response at http://www.cbmw.org/journal/editions/10-1.pdf

Two Views on Women in Ministry (Paperback)by Craig Blomberg, Thomas R. Schreiner, James R. Beck, Ann L. Bowman, Linda L. Belleville, Craig Keener
Zondervan (June 1, 2001)
Excellent and updated essays by excellent scholars Linda Belleville and Craig Keener

Paul, Women, and Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul (Paperback)by Craig S. Keener
Hendrickson Publishers (November 1, 1992)
Craig Keener is an excellent commentator whose speciality is backgrounds. Make sure you get the version with the new 2004 preface.

A Mind for What Matters: Collected Essays (Paperback)by F. F. Bruce
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (November 1, 1990)
See chapter 17 "Women in the Church: A Biblical Survey." This essay is also available at the Christians for Biblical Equality website http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/free_articles/ffbruce.shtml

Listening to the Spirit in the Text (Paperback)by Gordon D. Fee
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (September 1, 2000)
See chapter 6: "Gender Issues: Reflections on the Perspective of the Apostle Paul."

Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry (Paperback)by Stanley J. Grenz, Denise Muir Kjesbo
InterVarsity Press (November 1, 1995)
A prolific evangelical theologian weighs in and summarizes the issues

Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis (Paperback)by William J. Webb
InterVarsity Press (May 1, 2001)
An excellent work exploring the important hermeneutical issues.

Gender & Grace: Love Work & Parenting in a Changing World (Paperback)by Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen
InterVarsity Press (May 1, 1990)
The classic work by the brilliant scholar asking how far psychological data supports the idea of natually different roles for men and women.

Women Leaders and the Church: 3 Crucial Questions (3 Crucial Questions) (Paperback)by Linda L. Belleville
Baker Books (March 15, 2000)
This is a fairly popular work. Her more technical work is in Discovering Biblical Equality and the Two Views book.

Dictionary of New Testament Background (Hardcover)by Craig A. Evans (Editor), Stanley E. Porter (Editor)
InterVarsity Press (November 1, 2000)
See Keener's articles on "Marriage," "Family and Household," and "Headcoverings."

Finally Feminist: A Pragmatic Christian Understanding of Gender (Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology) (Paperback)by John G., Jr. Stackhouse
Baker Academic (December 1, 2005)

Good News for Women: A Biblical Picture of Gender Equality (Paperback)by Rebecca Merrill Groothuis
Baker Books (January 1, 1997)

Women Caught in the Conflict: The Culture War Between Traditionalism and Feminism (Paperback)by Rebecca M. Groothuis
Wipf & Stock Publishers (July 1, 1997)

Junia: The First Woman Apostle (Paperback)by Eldon Jay Epp
Augsburg Fortress Publishers (October 1, 2005)

A Woman's Place: House Churches In Earliest Christianity (Paperback)by Carolyn Osiek, Margaret Y. MacDonald, Janet H. Tulloch
Fortress Press (November 1, 2005)

The Journey Back to Eden : Restoring the Creator's Design for Women and Men (Paperback)by Glen G. Scorgie
Zondervan (October 1, 2005)

The Fall of Patriarchy: Its Broken Legacy Judged by Jesus & the Apostolic House Church Communities (Paperback)by Del Birkey
Fenestra Books (February 1, 2005)

Familiar "Leadership" Heresies Uncovered (Paperback)by Bruce C. E. Fleming
Wipf & Stock Publishers (January 1, 2005)

Putting Women in Their Place: Moving Beyond Gender Stereotypes in Church and Home (Paperback)by Joe E. Trull (Editor), Audra E. Trull (Editor)
Smyth & Helwys Publishing (June 1, 2003)

Woman Be Free (Paperback)by Patricia Gundry
Suitcase Books (June 1, 1977)

Courage And Hope: The Stories of Ten Baptist Women Ministers (Baptists) (Paperback)by Pamela R. Durso (Editor), Keith E. Durso (Editor)
Mercer University Press (September 30, 2005)

Instruments for His Glory: Releasing Women to Minister in Harmony with God and Manby Joyce Strong
Charisma House (July 1, 1999)

Is It I, Lord?: Discerning God's Call to Be a Pastor (Paperback)by James O. Chatham
Westminster John Knox Press (December 1, 2002)

A Time for Risking: Priorities for Women (Paperback)by Miriam Adeney
Multnomah Pub (July 1, 1987)

Middle:

Men and Women in the Church: Building Consensus on Christian Leadership (Paperback)by Sarah Sumner
InterVarsity Press (March 1, 2003)

Complementarian: http://www.cbmw.org/

Two Views on Women in Ministry (Paperback)by Craig Blomberg, Thomas R. Schreiner, James R. Beck, Ann L. Bowman, Linda L. Belleville, Craig Keener
Zondervan (June 1, 2001)

The Feminist Gospel: The Movement to Unite Feminism With the Church (Paperback)by Mary A. Kassian
Crossway Books (April 1, 1992)

Man and Woman in Christian Perspective (Paperback)by Werner Neuer
Crossway Books; 1st U.S. ed edition (February 1, 1991)

Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood (Foundations for the Family Series) (Paperback)by Wayne A. Grudem (editor)
Crossway Books (November 1, 2002)

The Role of Women in Ministry Today (Paperback)by H. Wayne House
Thomas Nelson Inc (March 1, 1990)

Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth : An Analysis of More Than 100 Disputed Questions (Paperback)by Wayne Grudem
Multnomah (November 4, 2004)

Man and Woman in Christ: An Examination of the Roles of Men and Women in Light of Scripture and the Social Sciences (Hardcover)by Stephen B. Clark
Servant Pubns (June 1, 1980)

Leadership for Women in the Church (Paperback)by Susan Hunt, Peggy Hutcheson
Zondervan (October 20, 1991)

Equality in Christ?: Galatians 3:28 and the Gender Dispute (Paperback)by Richard Hove
Crossway Books (September 1, 1999)

Biblical Womanhood in the Home (Foundations for the Family Series) (Paperback)by Nancy Leigh Demoss (Editor)
Crossway Books (January 1, 2002)

Building Strong Families (Foundations for the Family Series) (Paperback)by Dennis Rainey (Editor)

The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective (Paperback)by Martha Peace
Focus Publishing (September 1, 1996)

Called to Womanhood: The Biblical View for Today's World (Focal Point) (Paperback)by Beth Impson
Crossway Books (June 1, 2001)

Where's Mom?: The High Calling of Wives and Mothers (Paperback)by Dorothy Kelley Patterson
Crossway Books (June 1, 2003)

The Feminist Mistake: The Radical Impact Of Feminism On Church And Culture (Paperback)by Mary Kassian
Crossway Books (May 30, 2005)

Different by Design (Macarthur Study Series) (Paperback)by John, Jr. MacArthur
Chariot Victor Publishing (June 1, 1994)

Different by Design: God's Master Plan for Harmony Between Men and Women in Marriage (Paperback)by H. Dale Burke
Moody Publishers (March 1, 2003)

Does Christianity Squash Women?: A Christian Looks at Womanhood (Paperback)by Rebecca Jones
Broadman & Holman Publishers (August 1, 2005)

Embracing Authority: Learning to Live Joyfully in God's World (Paperback)by John Kitchen
Christian Focus (September 1, 2002)

Gender Roles and the Bible: Creation, the Fall, and Redemption a Critique of Feminist Biblical Interpretation (Paperback)by Jack W. Cottrell
College Press Publishing Company (December 1, 1994)

God, Marriage, And Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation (Paperback)by Andreas Kostenberger, David W. Jones
Crossway Books (November 11, 2004)

Male Spiritual Leadership (Paperback)by F. Lagard Smith
21st Century Christian (October 1, 1998)

Men and Women, Equal Yet Different: A Brief Study of the Biblical Passages on Gender (Paperback)by Alexander Strauch
Lewis & Roth Publishers (September 1, 1999)

Pastoral Leadership for Manhood and Womanhood (Foundations of the Family) (Paperback)by Wayne A. Grudem (Editor), Dennis Rainey (Editor)
Crossway Books (February 1, 2003)

Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism (Paperback)by John Piper, Wayne A. Grudem (Editor)
Crossway Books (April 1, 1991)

Rocking the Roles: Building a Win-Win Marriage (Paperback)by Robert Lewis, William Hendricks
Navpress Publishing Group; Rev Update edition (January 1, 1999)

Role Relationships of Men and Women: New Testament Teaching (Paperback)by George W. Knight III
P & R Publishing (June 1, 1989)

What's the difference?: Manhood and womanhood defined according to the Bible (CBMW practical living series) (Unknown Binding)by John Piper
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (January 1, 1989)

Women and Men in Ministry: A Complementary Perspective (Hardcover)by Robert L. Saucy (Editor), Judith Tenelshof (Editor)
Moody Publishers (May 1, 2001)

Women, Creation, and the Fall (Paperback)by Mary A. Kassian
Crossway Books (March 1, 1990)

Women and Ministry: What the Bible Teaches (Paperback)by Daniel M. Doriani
Crossway Books (April 1, 2003)

Women In The Church: An Analysis And Application Of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 (Paperback)by Andreas J. Kostenberger (Editor), Thomas R. Schreiner (Editor)
Baker Academic; 2nd edition (August 1, 2005)

Recommended Secular Business Management Books for Organizational Programming

Bossidy, Larry, Ram Charan, and Charles Burck. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. Crown Business, 2002.

Buckingham, Marcus and Curt Coffman. First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.

Buckingham, Marcus and Donald O. Clifton. Now, Discover Your Strengths. New York: The Free Press, 2001.

Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t. New York: HarperBusiness, 2001.

Drucker, Peter. The Effective Executive. Collins, 2002.

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence. 10th Anniversary Edition. Bantam, 2005.

Goleman, Daniel, Richard E. Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence. Harvard Business School Press, 2004.

Kotter, John P. Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press, 1996.

Kotter, John P. and Dan S. Cohen. The Heart of Change: Real-life stories of how people change their organizations. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

Lencioni, Patrick M. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. Jossey-Bass, 2002.

Welch, Jack and Suzy Welch. Winning. Collins, 2005.

Recommended Works on Ecclesiology by Academics

Guder, Darrell L., ed. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.

Sweet, Leonard, ed. and Andy Crouch, Michael Horton, Frederica Mathews-Green, Brian D. McLaren, and Erwin Raphael McManus. The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives. El Cajon: emergentYS, 2003.

Volf, Miroslav. After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.

Recommended Old Books by Pastors Describing How They Do Ministry

Baxter, Richard. The Reformed Pastor: A Pattern for Personal Growth and Ministry. Abridged and edited by James M. Houston. 1656. Multnomah, 1982.