2017 Leadership Resources for Pastors and Church Leaders
A chief value of Mission Northwest is resourcing and developing church leaders. This is why we encourage pastors to involve themselves in a Leadership Learning Community. Each year a uniform selection of books and resources are selected for study by the various groups around the region. These are recommended for church leaders and staff as well. Some church boards take 3 to 6 months to cover a particular book to hone their skills and gain fresh insights for ministering in today’s world. A follow-up action plan is helpful for implementing what has been learned. The following list represent the recommended resources for 2017. Prior year selections may be found at the region’s website under the LLC tab (www.abcnw.org or www.missionnorthwest.org)
January and February
Canoeing the Mountains by Tod BolsingerTopic: Adaptive church leadership for a post-modern, post-Christian world in which there is no roadmap for leading through uncharted territory.
March and April
Growing Young by Kara Powell Topic: Understanding millennials with a view towards changing the church’s approach in reaching out to this unchurched generational cohort. Based on exhaustive research conducted by the Fuller Youth Institute.
May and September
Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times by Peter Senske Topic: Wisdom and practical advice for remaining calm while leading changes that result in improved church health and effectiveness.
October and November (choose one of two selections, or study both)
The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches and the Small Thinking that Divides Us by Karl Vaters Topic: Churches of all sizes matter and therefore maximizing the effectiveness of the small church should be more important to us than nursing an inferiority complex.
Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism by Drew Hart Topic: Responding to the challenge of racism by considering the insights of an evangelical African-American theologian.
December (choose one of two selections)
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri Nouwen
Organic Outreach for Everyday People: Sharing Good News Naturally by Kevin Harney (chapters 6 – 9)