If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, John Ortberg John Ortberg invites you to consider the incredible potential that awaits you outside your comfort zone. Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God.

 

	The Church on the Other Side, Brian D. McLaren Thirteen strategies for navigating the modern/postmodern transition.   Today's breakthroughs in communication, education, travel, cultural diversity, science, economics, politics, and philosophy are creating a new matrix in which Christians will live, worship, work, and pursue their mission. This book will help you think differently; see church, life, and these revolutionary times in a new way; and act with courage, hope, and an adventurous spirit.
	Moving Off the Map, Tom Bandy and Bill Easum In his book Kicking Habits: Welcome Relief for Addicted Churches, Thomas Bandy provided the "big picture" of the five stages of congregational renewal and transformation. Similarly, in Growing Spiritual Redwoods, Bandy and Bill Easum provided new metaphors for change to help congregations break out of outmoded attitudes and assumptions, and they described the nature of spiritual leadership necessary to grow spiritual giants that would change the face of the cultural forest. Yet there is another set of questions remaining to be answered, questions that pastors and church leaders frequently ask: "Where do we begin?" and "Exactly how do we go about change?" The characteristics of change, and the stresses that lie behind them, seem complex and monumental. What are the first steps a congregation can take? Are there practical tools that have helped churches change? The purpose of Moving Off the Map: A Field Guide to Changing the Congregation is to answer these questions. Here are powerful processes and tools to help congregations identify their strengths, weaknesses, and addictions. These processes can help a congregation shift attitudes, deepen spiritual awareness, receive Biblical visions, and shape ministries for the future.
	Rediscovering Church, Bill Hybels Rediscovering Church is the candid story of Willow Creek Community Church's phenomenal growth, from 100 members meeting in a Palatine, Illinois, movie theater to its present Sunday morning attendance of 15,000. Bill Hybels and his wife, Lynne, tell about Willow Creek's beginnings, its struggles, the philosophy behind its success, and the strategies that have made it a model for church growth. The first half of the book, written by Lynne Hybels, explores the early years of Willow Creek and the personal accounts behind one of this century's most remarkable church stories. It offers an honest look at the ways God has used both the strengths and weaknesses of His people, creating a church of believers who have had tremendous impact for Christ in their community. In the second half of Rediscovering Church, Bill Hybels helps you apply the strengths of Willow Creek's ministry philosophy to your own congregation's mission. From mission statements to developing leadership, making sound financial decisions, and handling growth, Bill stresses that God wants to build His church to be an effective and committed community of faith that reaches out to a hurting world, to be the body of Christ in real and tangible ways. Rediscovering Church draws on the experiences of Willow Creek to show how one fellowship crystallized its mission and methodology, its vision and values. The Willow Creek story provides an example that churches and individuals alike can turn to for inspiration, encouragement, and a means of uncovering the pattern for their own unique mission and ministry.
	Christian Chaos, Tom Bandy In his previous books—Kicking Habits, Growing Spiritual Redwoods, and Moving Off the Map—Thomas Bandy has drawn a compelling contrast between two kinds of congregational systems: the thriving church system, whose focus on hands-on ministry and shared core values propels it toward the future into which God’s Spirit is leading; and the declining church system, whose focus on control and hierarchical structures leaves it bound to the past. In this book, Bandy argues that the organization of a congregation—its boards and committees—will be directed toward one of these two kinds of systems. In other words, the means by which a church makes decisions and conducts its corporate life will determine the kind of church it will become. Drawing on a helpful contrast between prescriptive and proscriptive thinking, Bandy argues that congregational organization should focus on setting the larger boundaries within which its programs and ministries should operate. This frees leaders and members to express their God-given creativity in ministry, rather than forcing them to follow a prescribed set of functions and tasks laid out for them in advance. The book concludes with a compelling call for “turning the laity loose” through cell-group ministry, unleashing the Spirit-driven Christian chaos by which a congregation can thrive in the challenging days ahead.
	The Disciple-Making Church, Glenn McDonald How to change from a program-dependent church to a church that makes disciples. Newly updated and revised edition of a major resource use successfully by thousands of churches, church leaders, denominations and church growth organizations. The story of the transformation of a large suburban congregation from relying on the latest and greatest in programming to a ministry wholly dedicated to  making disciples for Jesus Christ.
	Twelve Dynamic Shifts for Transforming Your Church, E. Stanley Ott That today's mainline churches are in crisis is apparent; a solution is less obvious. In this constructive new book E. Stanley Ott points a way ahead, describing twelve shifts in philosophy and practice that can help congregations build need-responsive, disciple-growing churches full of life and vigor. Arguing that the weakness of the church today is a loss of personal spirituality and congregational vitality, Ott challenges local churches to discover how to adjust the style of their ministries to attract new people while encouraging current members. Ott examines the characteristics of "traditional" churches, extols the features of new, "transformational" churches, and lays out proposals to help established congregations make the transition. Well balanced by an honest assessment of the church's present and a positive vision for its future, this book is must reading for pastors, church leaders, and members of every congregation.
	Transitioning, Dan Southerland A biblical look at how to steer a congregation in a new and exciting direction aligned with God's unique purpose for them.  Transitioning is written to help church leaders and their congregations successfully navigate change and discover that the rewards far exceed the risk. Drawing principles from the book of Nehemiah, Southerland maps out an eight-step strategy for moving from being a traditional, ministry-driven church to a purpose-driven church.  Transitioning illustrates practical, field-tested concepts with examples from the Bible and Southerland's own experience. A detailed workbook section with fill-in-the-blanks, scripture passages, and action steps helps pastors and their leadership teams convert knowledge into reality.
	Purpose Driven Church, Rick Warren What Drives Your Church?"  The Purpose-Driven Church has brought focus and direction to more pastors and church leaders than you can count. What a gift! I can't imagine anyone who's serious about the church not reading it." John Ortberg Author of Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them".  After reading The Purpose-Driven Church in 1995, I ordered twenty copies for my staff and elders. Eight years later, the message and strategy contained in this work are as significant and relevant as ever." Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor, North Point Community Church" In 1985, I heard Rick present the contents of this book in a seminar format. As he spoke, for the first time I imagined leaving my teaching career in higher education to enter pastoral ministry. My heart was won by Rick's vision of the Church driven by her God-given purpose--rather than by doctrinal arguments, denominational competition, or institutional survival. That vision has been alive in me ever since, and you can catch it too, through these pages." Brian McLaren Pastor, Author, Fellow in Emergent (Emergentvillage.com) "One hundred years from now church leaders will be studying the movement known as 'purpose driven' churches. They will find Rick Warren as its architect and The Purpose-Driven Church as his blueprint." Erwin Raphael McManus Founder of Awaken and Lead Pastor of Mosaic "Although the actual form of ministry may look different from different types of people, there are extremely critical principles within this book that we all need to know, no matter what generation or philosophical mindset we are involved with." Dan Kimball Author of The Emerging Church and Pastor of Vintage Faith Church Discover What Business Leaders Can Learn from the Church "The best book on entrepreneurship, business, and investment..."Rick Karlgaard  Forbes Magazine
	Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren A Groundbreaking Manifesto on the Meaning of Life. This book will help you understand God's amazing plan for you--both here and now, and for eternity. This personal 40-day spiritual journey will transform your answer to life's most important question: What on earth am I here for? Knowing God's purpose will reduce your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and, most important, prepare you for eternity. The Purpose-Driven Life is a blueprint for a lifestyle based on God's eternal purposes, not cultural values. It is a book of hope and challenge that you will read and re-read.
	Leading Beyond the Walls, Adam Hamilton Good pastoral leadership is not a "by the numbers" proposition. It is a matter of heart and soul, of devoting the whole self to the vision God gives for the congregation in which one serves. Yet neither is it purely intuitive; it requires hard, careful thinking about the directions and details of the path down which God calls. When Adam Hamilton became pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, its membership consisted of himself and his family. Ten years later the church averages between five and six thousand worshipers per weekend. Throughout this remarkable period, Hamilton learned many serious lessons about both the broad visions and the specific details of pastoral leadership. Bringing a depth of analytical skills often lacking in visionary leaders, in this book he goes beyond simply telling the story of Church of the Resurrection. He shares the questions that he learned to ask about the largely unchurched population to which Church of the Resurrection has reached out. Further, he demonstrates what he learned by listening to the answers to these questions, and how doing so has made possible a number of strategically crucial decisions the church has made. One of those crucial decisions was to make more traditional forms of worship and praise the center of the congregation's life. The result is that the example of Church of the Resurrection offers pastors and church leaders (especially those in mainline denominations) the realization that they need not completely change their liturgical and theological identity in order to reach out to the unchurched. Drawing on his own experience, as well as the detailed research on the characteristics of highly successful congregations he undertook during a sabbatical leave, Hamilton offers pastors and other church leaders solid, substantive thinking on steps that congregations can take to become centers of vibrant outreach and mission.

For Personal & Organizational Effectiveness:

 

	The 8th Habit, Stephen Covey In the more than fifteen years since its publication, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" has become an international phenomenon with over fifteen million copies sold. Tens of millions of people have dramatically improved their lives and organizations by applying the principles of Stephen R. Covey's classic. Being effective as individuals and organizations is no longer merely an option -- survival in today's world requires it. Accessing the higher levels of human genius and motivation in today's new reality requires a sea change in thinking, a whole new habit. The crucial challenge of our world today is this: to find our voice and inspire others to find theirs. It is what Covey calls the 8th Habit. So many people feel frustrated, discouraged, unappreciated, and undervalued -- with little or no sense of voice or unique contribution. "The 8th Habit" is the answer to the soul's yearning for greatness, the organization's imperative for significance and superior results, and humanity's search for its "voice." Profound, compelling, and stunningly timely, this groundbreaking new book will transform the way we think about ourselves and our purpose in life, about our organizations, and about humankind.
	Leadership by the Book, Ken Blanchard Leadership Strategies That Work from the Greatest Leader of All Time. Best-selling authors Kenneth Blanchard, Bill Hybels, and Phil Hodges offer a unique, compelling, and paradigm-shifting model that effectively interweaves successful leadership methods with character development principles based on the teachings of history's most influential leader, Jesus Christ. Told in the parable format of The One Minute Manager and Raving Fans, Leadership by the Book offers unexpected and exceptional answers to crucial leadership issues today - helping leaders in all walks of life to fulfill their calling and help others do the same. Is there any common ground between leadership success strategies on one hand, and the Biblical principles regarding character on the other? Yes! And this new book - from three of America's most successful and compassionate leaders - clearly and creatively explains the answer. With unique value for leaders of all kinds, Leadership by the Book interweaves character development principles with successful leadership methods - using the example and words of Jesus as the catalyst and framework for it all. The framework for the sound and practical teachings of this unique and powerful book is a story about three acquaintances who each have something vital to learn. One is a businessman who, after years of fabulous success, finally comes face to face with the emptiness in his soul. His struggle becomes critical when a heart attack leaves him hovering near death. This crisis brings together two figures from his past - a teacher of leadership strategies, and a successful pastor. Their renewed interaction leads them all to deeper discoveries of the value of biblical leadership principles. In Leadership by the Book readers - particularly company presidents, corporate leaders, middle managers, department heads, parents, coaches, community leaders, pastors, lay leaders, and others - will learn the very practical side of Christ's teachings on leadership. And they'll learn that truly effective leadership cannot be divorced from the character issues that Jesus taught.
	Good to Great, Jim Collins The Challenge "Built to Last," the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? The Study For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great? The Standards Using tough benchmarks, Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least fifteen years. How great? After the leap, the good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general stock market by an average of seven times in fifteen years, better than twice the results delivered by a composite index of the world's greatest companies, including Coca-Cola, Intel, General Electric, and Merck. The Comparisons The research team contrasted the good-to-great companies with a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed to make the leap from good to great. What was different? Why did one set of companies become truly great performers while the other set remained only good? Over five years, the team analyzed the histories of all twenty-eight companies in the study. After sifting through mountains of data and thousands of pages of interviews, Collins and his crew discovered the key determinants of greatness -- why some companies make the leap and others don't. The Findings The findings of the Good to Great study will surprise many readers and shed light on virtually every area of management strategy and practice. The findings include: Level 5 Leaders: The research team was shocked to discover the type of leadership required to achieve greatness. The Hedgehog Concept (Simplicity within the Three Circles): To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence. A Culture of Discipline: When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great results. Technology Accelerators: Good-to-great companies think differently about the role of technology. The Flywheel and the Doom Loop: Those who launch radical change programs and wrenching restructurings will almost certainly fail to make the leap. “ Some of the key concepts discerned in the study, ” comments Jim Collins, "fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people.” Perhaps, but who can afford to ignore these findings?
	The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey In "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.
	Principle-Centered Leadership, Stephen Covey How do we as individuals and organizations survive and thrive amid tremendous change? Why are efforts to improve falling so short in real results despite the millions of dollars in time, capital, and human effort being spent on them? How do we unleash the creativity, talent, and energy within ourselves and others in the midst of pressure? Is it realistic to believe that balance among personal, family, and professional life is possible? Stephen R. Covey demonstrates that the answer to these and other dilemmas is Principle-Centered Leadership, a long-term, inside-out approach to developing people and organizations. The key to dealing with the challenges that face us today is the recognition of a principle-centered core within both ourselves and our organizations. Dr. Covey offers insights and guidelines that can help you apply these principles both at work and at home - leading not just to a new understanding of how to increase quality and productivity, but also to a new appreciation of the importance of building personal and professional relationships in order to enjoy a more balanced, more rewarding, more effective life.
	Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels The book you hold resonates with this conviction: that leaders such as you have the potential to be the most influential forces on planet Earth. Yours is the staggering responsibility and the matchless privilege of rallying believers and mobilizing their spiritual gifts in order to help people who are far from God become fully devoted followers of Christ. Life transformation and the eternal destinies of real people depend on the redemptive message entrusted to the local church. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to lead your church effectively so God's message of hope can change the world? Then this book is for you.  Courageous Leadership is Bill Hybels' magnum opus, a book far too important to be written before its time. Only now, after nearly thirty years leading his own church from a handful of people with a burning vision into a globe-spanning kingdom force--only after almost three decades of victories and setbacks, of praying hard and risking big--is Hybels ready at last to share the lessons he has learned, and continues to learn, about Christian leadership.  Too much is at stake for you not to maximize your spiritual gift of leadership, insists Hybels. In this passionate, powerful book, he unpacks the tools, tasks, and challenges of your calling. You'll discover the power of vision and how to turn it into action. You'll gain frontline insights for developing a kingdom dream team, discovering your leadership style, developing other leaders, making decisions, walking with God, embracing change, staying your God-given course, and much, much more. Drawing on his own richly varied life experiences, Hybels fleshes out vital principles with riveting firsthand stories.  This is far more than another book on leadership strategies and techniques. You'll find those topics in here, to be sure. But beyond them, you'll find the very essence of one of today's foremost Christian leaders--his fervent commitment to evangelism and discipleship and his zeal to inspire fellow church leaders even as he seeks to keep growing as a leader himself. If unchurched people matter to you . . . if you love seeing believers serve passionately with their spiritual gifts . . . if God's heartbeat for the church is your heartbeat as well . . . then this book is a must. Courageous Leadership will convince you to lead with all your might, all your skill, and all your faith. And it will give you the tools to do just that.
	Developing the Leader Within You, John C. Maxwell In this repackaged bestseller John Maxwell examines the differences between leadership styles, outlines principles for inspiring, motivating, and influencing others. These principles can be used in any organization to foster integrity and self-discipline and bring a positive change. "Developing the Leader Within You" also allows readers to examine how to be effective in the highest calling of leadership by understanding the five characteristics that set "leader managers" apart from "run-of-the-mill managers." In this John Maxwell classic, he shows readers how to develop the vision, value, influence, and motivation required of successful leaders.
	The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge "The Fifth Discipline" has turned the principles of the learning organization into a movement of snowballing size and strength. The ability to respond to change was the crucial issue of the '90s, but management tools such as "reengineering" and "total quality" simply treat the symptoms. Adopted by Ford, AT&T, and others, here is a cure for the disease Senge calls "learning disabilities."
	Leadership on the Line, Ronald Heifetz To lead is to live dangerously. It's romantic and exciting to think of leadership as all inspiration, decisive action, and rich rewards, but leading requires taking risks that can jeopardize your career and your personal life. It requires putting yourself on the line, disturbing the status quo, and surfacing hidden conflict. And when people resist and push back, there's a strong temptation to play it safe. Those who choose to lead plunge in, take the risks, and sometimes get burned. But it doesn't have to be that way say renowned leadership authorities Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. In Leadership on the Line, they show how it's possible to make a difference without getting "taken out" or pushed aside. They present everyday tools that give equal weight to the dangerous work of leading change and the critical importance of personal survival. Through vivid stories from all walks of life, the authors present straightforward strategies for navigating the perilous straits of leadership. Whether parent or politician, CEO or community activist, this practical book shows how you can exercise leadership and survive and thrive to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

For Evangelism:

 

Just Walk Across the Room, Bill Hybels Believers universally affirm that evangelism is a vital part of what God calls them to do, but very few make a practice of doing it. They feel awkward and ill-equipped, either because they've never been trained, or because their lack of interaction with non- Christians prevents them from using and developing the skills they do have. Bill Hybels addresses these concerns and signals the next era in personal evangelism with Just Walk Across the Room. Drawing on fresh perspectives from the author's own experiences, as well as time-tested and practical illustrations, Just Walk Across the Room encourages and equips readers to routinely initiate spiritual conversations with those who don't know Christ.

Becoming a Contagious Christian, Bill Hybels Releasing the hidden evangelist in every Christian -- Picture all of your church members as evangelists who: Demonstrate a contagious Christian character . . . Build spiritually strategic relationships . . . Direct conversations toward matters of faith . . . Communicate their faith in a style that's personal and natural . . . Explain biblical truths in a style that's personal and natural . . . Explain biblical truths in everyday language . . . Respond to the most common objections to Christianity. Becoming a Contagious Christian is a proven course designed to equip believers for effective evangelism in today's world. It avoids stereotyped approaches that feel intimidating to many Christians. Instead, it shows ordinary believers how they can share the Gospel in a natural and powerful way while being the person God made them to be. Each session's exercises, discussions, self-assessments, and video vignettes give step-by-step guidance to help participants become effective communicators for Christ to those around them. There's even a section on everyday answers that will help believers respond to difficult questions regarding Christianity. Field-tested with over 5,000 people at Willow Creek Community Church -- a church known worldwide for its dynamic evangelistic outreach -- Becoming a Contagious Christian is an innovative and unparalleled program for training Christians in relational evangelism. Becoming a Contagious Christian works with any size group, from small groups of 4-9 to Sunday school classes and other large groups of 10 to 150 or more. It can be presented successfully in any of the following formats: - Four sessions of two hours each - Eight sessions of 50 minutes each - One, two, or three-day retreats - Or adapt it to fit the needs of your church! Becoming a Contagious Christian materials include: -Video - Leader's Guide - Overhead masters - Participant's Guide8 sessions (flexible format); 1 60-minute video.  Over 800,000 people have participated in Becoming a Contagious Christian training in the last eight years.