Are Church Leaders Missing the Generational Handoff? There's Still Hope.Are we building institutions that will meaningfully serve the next generation of believers and their leaders?How does a church thrive in a culture where we have to earn credibility?How do we create a sense of belonging to the body of Christ and a strong sense of identity for the next generation?Becoming a Future-Ready Church is a blueprint to gu...

Modern society is awash in words. An auditory tidal wave cascades from our televisions, radios, media players, and the Internet. Today’s distracted worshippers often feel spiritually shortchanged when the Scriptures are spoken without passion and power. This lively and encouraging resource is the collaboration of a gifted Bible narrator and a mentor to church leaders. In it they show how churches can train their own teams of Scripture readers. These laypeople can—with enthusiasm, convictio...

In today's fluid culture, many churches are adrift--longing to reach spiritually thirsty people, but failing to make an impact. Have you noticed?Congregations are stuck or declining.Millennials and Gen Z are walking away.Volunteers and their generosity are drying up.Is your city, town, or neighborhood spiritually dry? Do you long to see more of the living water of Jesus flowing freely through your community, generating a fresh wave...

In Hero Maker, you will learn how to bring real change to your church and community by developing the practical skills to help others reach their leadership potential.Drawing on five powerful practices found in the ministry of Jesus, Hero Maker presents the key steps of apprenticeship that will build up other leaders and provide strategies for how you can:activate the gifts of those around youhelp others take ownership of t...

Some churches grow rapidly, only to hit a ceiling. Other churches have experienced declining or static attendance--many of them for decades. Frustrated pastors and church leaders want growth methods that work, but without adding to pastoral fatigue.How to Break Growth Barriers argues that growth comes when effective leadership and lay-empowerment skills work hand in hand. This requires a shift of focus from the shepherd as the primary caregiver to shepherd as developer and...

"Drawing on solid business principles, the authors take a practical stance toward team unity and dispense plenty of brass tacks advice, much of which applies regardless of faith . . . Christian leaders looking to refresh their organization's approach will want to check this out." – Publishers Weekly, March 2023What gives teams the resilience to thrive with clear purpose, high trust, and joy? What inspires them to get up again (and again) when the going gets tough, or when t...

Readers' Choice Award WinnerOutreach Magazine's Resources of the YearIt's increasingly clear that leadership should be shared—for the good of any organization and for the good of the leader. Many churches have begun to share key leadership duties, but don't know how to take their leadership team to the point where it thrives. Others seriously need a new approach to leadership: pastors are tired, congregations are ...

Thousands of Protestant churches are perplexed by plateaued or declining attendance, while other congregations nearby thrive. Is there a way for them to combine forces, drawing on both their strengths, in ways that also increase their missional impact? Church merger consultant Jim Tomberlin, with co-writer Warren Bird, makes the case that mergers today work best not with two struggling churches but with a vital, momentum-filled lead church partnering with a joining church. In this new book...

Thousands of Protestant churches are perplexed by plateaued or declining attendance, while other congregations nearby thrive. Is there a way for them to combine forces, drawing on both their strengths, in ways that also increase their missional impact?In Better Together, Expanded and Updated: Making Church Mergers Work, church merger consultant Jim Tomberlin and award-winning writer Warren Bird make the case that mergers today work best not with two struggling churches but...

A research-based approach to developing more active and involved congregationsIn this practical resource, well-known and respected researcher Scott Thumma and professional co-writer Warren Bird draw upon new and heretofore unpublished research across a broad range of Protestant churches of all sizes and show how to create more active members. Offers solid information of what church leaders need to know about the factors and practices that create church members who ...

In today's fluid culture, many churches are adrift--longing to reach spiritually thirsty people, but failing to make an impact. Have you noticed?Congregations are stuck or declining.Millennials and Gen Z are walking away.Volunteers and their generosity are drying up.Is your city, town, or neighborhood spiritually dry? Do you long to see more of the living water of Jesus flowing freely through your community, generating a fresh wave...

Modern society is awash in words. An auditory tidal wave cascades from our televisions, radios, media players, and the Internet. Today’s distracted worshippers often feel spiritually shortchanged when the Scriptures are spoken without passion and power. This lively and encouraging resource is the collaboration of a gifted Bible narrator and a mentor to church leaders. In it they show how churches can train their own teams of Scripture readers. These laypeople can—with enthusiasm, convictio...