Bandy, Thomas G. Moving Off the Map: A Field Guide to Changing the
Congregation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999.
Bandy offers a step-by-step process of leading congregational change. The opening
illustration is worth the price of the book.
Beaudoin, Tom. Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of
Generation X. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.
Gen-Xer Beaudoin explores the link between popular culture and the spiritual quest
of Generation X. He contends that fashion, music, television and cyberspace are
interwoven with spiritual meaning and ministry to Gen-Xers; he concludes that
ministry cannot be done apart from an understanding of the cultural influences on
that generation.
Bosch, David J., Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology.
Maryknoll: Orbis, 1991.
Bosch provides a seminal work on the history and future of mission. He provides
detailed biblical and historical foundations for mission, but his key value is the final
third of the book that outlines a process for moving toward a “relevant missiology.”
Callahan, Kennon, 12 Keys to an Effective Church. San Francisco:
Harper, 1983.
An influential book from the ’80s, Callahan provides thoughtful ideas for
becoming an effective church. He offers both theoretical perspective and practical
guidance for becoming more intentional and missional as a church.
Callahan, Kennon, Effective Church Leadership. San Francisco: Harper
Collins, 1990.
In this follow-up from his 12 Keys to an Effective Church, Callahan
explores the differences between pastoring in a “churched culture” and a
“mission culture” and suggests some new understandings and practices for
“missionary pastors.”
Cladis, George. Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and
Church Staffs Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of
Leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.
Using the Trinity as a leadership model of collaboration, Cladis describes seven types
of leadership teams, the practical steps for forming them, and the potential they have
for developing team-based ministries throughout a church or Christian organization.
Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture In a
Post-Christian Society. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996.
With a wake-up call to the church, Clapp challenges the church to move beyond
infusion with culture to a post-modern expression of peculiarity for Jesus’ sake.
Collins, James C., and Jerry I. Porras. Built to Last: Successful Habits of
Visionary Companies. New York: Harper Business, 1994.
One of the most widely-read business books of the ’90s, Built to Last
presents key findings from a six-year research of companies that out-performed
other companies in their field over long periods of time; the applications for
congregational ministry are many.
Dietterich, Inagrace. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending
Church in North America, A Study Guide. Chicago: Center for
Parish Development, 1999.
This guide allows church leaders to interact with the “Missional Church” vision as it
identifies key concepts, provides questions and suggests ways to integrate the ideas; it
should be used with groups to facilitate thinking, dreaming and planning.
Easum, William M., and Bandy, Thomas G. Growing Spiritual
Redwoods. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.
Noting the cultural changes and the effects on church ministry, Easum and Bandy
offer a theology for and examples of transformational church ministry in the 21st
century. They use “spiritual redwood” as a metaphor for “the new species of
dynamic Christian organism, led by visionary spiritual leaders, that is learning to
flourish in the changed environment of the 21st century.”
Edge, Findley. The Greening of the Church. Waco, TX: Word, 1971.
Edge creates a classic text offering theological foundations and practical proposals
for the local congregation, which holds forth a vision of church renewal by calling
Christian communities to embrace and express God’s call to mission.
Gibbs, Eddie, Church Next: Quantum Changes in How We Do
Ministry. Downers Grove: IVP, 2000.
Gibbs, one of the respected voices in the fields of church growth and missiology,
provides a candid analysis of some of the new church models, and proposes nine
areas where the church will need to transform to be biblically true to its message
and its mission to the world.
Guder, Darrell L., ed. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of
the Church in North America. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998
Guder’s work is a must-read volume for understanding the concept of the “missional
church.” Foundational materials provide understanding of the missional perspective
in cultural, theological, vocational, community and leadership areas.
Hadaway, C. Kirk and David A. Roozen. Rerouting the Protestant
Mainstream: Sources of Growth and Opportunities for Change.
Nashville: Abingdon, 1995.
Hadaway and Roozen propose that congregations become healthy when they affirm
and experience the presence of God in worship. They explain why some churches grow
and some do not, citing ways that denominational and cultural barriers have impact.
Hall, Douglas John. The End of Christendom and the Future of
Christianity. Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1995.
Hall examines the decline and fall of Christendom, looks at the ecclesiastical
responses to the end of Christendom and proposes how the Christian movement
could serve dominant societies, classes and institutions in a post-Christian era.
Hammett, Eddie. Making the Church Work: Converting the Church for
the 21st Century. Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 1997.
Hammett assesses sociological changes that have negatively impacted the effectiveness
of churches and examines trends that will impact churches in the 21st century.
Also, he offers practical suggestions for transitioning churches and explores the shifts
from program development to faith formation, from church focus to world focus,
from success to effectiveness, and from the gathered church to the scattered church.
Hammett, Eddie. The Gathered and Scattered Church: Equipping
Believers for the 21st Century. Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 1999.
Hammett contends that the message of Christ can penetrate a secular culture when
Christians learn to be and do church both inside and outside the walls of the church
building. He offers suggestions for understanding, activating and evaluating the
church and equipping believers for effective ministry in the 21st century.
Herrington, Jim, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr. Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide For The Transformational Journey. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
These authors offer wise, practical direction for congregational transformation.
An accompanying workbook is also available. See Section C of this guide for a
more in-depth overview.
Hunter, George G. III. Church for the Unchurched. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996.
Hunter profiles “apostolic” or new paradigm congregations that are successfully
reaching unchurched people in the United States. Also, he examines these churches’
strategies and methods and offers principles for other churches seeking to be effective
in 21st century ministry.
Hunter, George G., III. The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity
Can Reach the West . . . Again. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000.
Hunter sees important parallels between the cultural challenges that Celtic
Christianity faced in its fruitful effort to reach its culture for Christ and the
challenges we face today. He offers insight and advice for impacting our
increasingly secular world for Christ.
Hybels, Lynne and Bill Hybels. Rediscovering Church: The Story and
Vision of Willow Creek Community Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
A detailed account of the development of the Willow Creek Community Church in
Chicago, Illinois, and its influence in sparking the “seeker-sensitive” approach to
reaching unchurched people in North America. The first eight chapters provide a
narrative of the church’s development; the last five chapters detail the church’s vision,
values and strategies for “turning irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Christ.”
Johnson, Ben. 95 Theses for the Church: Finding Direction Today. Decatur: Columbia Theological Seminary Press, 1995.
Johnson provides a concise, yet thorough, overview of the church’s position today
and proposes practical initiatives to move beyond confusion and fog.
Johnson, Spencer. Who Moved My Cheese? New York: Putnam, 1998.
Johnson creates a parable about change featuring four characters who reside in a
“maze” and look for “cheese” to make them happy. Eventually, someone moves the
“cheese,” and the characters each deal with this unwanted change in amusing and
enlightening ways.
Also available on video.
Mead, Loren B. The Once and Future Church: Reinventing the Congregation For A New Mission Frontier. New York: Alban Institute, 1991.
Mead was one of the early voices pointing to the tidal wave of change washing over
congregations ; this work developed into the “Once and Future Church Series.”
Nash, Robert N., Jr. An 8-Track Church in a CD World: The Modern Church in a Postmodern World. Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 1997
Is your church in danger of becoming obsolete? Nash paints a picture of the
challenges facing churches today, and offers suggestions for effective ministry in
postmodernity.
Nelson, Alan and Gene Appel, How to Change Your Church (Without Killing It). Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000.
Written by pastoral leaders who have led effective change, this book
provides guidance for deciding when and how to change
Newbigin, Lesslie. Mission In Christ’s Way: A Gift, A Command, An Assurance. New York: Friendship Press, 1987.
Newbign creates a 40-page exploration of the nature and shape of the mission of
the church; he focuses on gospel as founded on the reign of God in the world, not on
our programs and institutions.
O’Connor, Elizabeth, Journey Inward, Journey Outward. New York: Harper & Row, 1968.
This modern classic describes the vision and values that undergird the life and work
of the Church of the Savior in Washington, D.C. O’Connor describes the vital
balance between the “journey inward” (engagement with self, God and others)
and the “journey outward” (involvement in the life of the world).
Southerland, Dan. Transitioning: Leading Your Church through Change. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999.
Southerland presents the steps he and other congregational leaders took to lead
Flamingo Road Baptist Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, from a traditional model
of ministry to a purpose-driven model of ministry.
Sjogren, Steve. Conspiracy of Kindness: A Refreshing New Approach to Sharing the Love of Jesus with Others. Ann Arbor: Servant Publications, 1993.
Sjogren, the pastor of Vineyard Fellowship in Cincinnati, Ohio, describes the
disarming power of simple service in the name of Jesus and tells stories about how
the people of his church have acted on the principle to great effect.
Sweet, Leonard. Faithquakes. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994.
Sweet examines key social shifts and the implications for church ministry in the new
millennium. A futurist, he explores eight societal “quakes” ranging from family to
work to ethnicity and cites the ministry potential for churches that read and respond
to the signs of the times.
Sweet, Leonard. SoulTsunami: Sink or Swim in New Millennium Culture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.
With his typical free-flowing style, Sweet describes the floodtide of changes brought
on by postmodernism and encourages Christians to see the opportunities these new
realities present; this book is both descriptive and prescriptive.
Trueblood, Elton. Your Other Vocation. New York: Harper & Row, 1952.
Trueblood’s classic volume conceptualizes the Christian vocation as applied in
everyday work and life. He crystallizes an understanding that each and every
Christian is a minister in the mission of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.
Van Gelder, Craig. The Essence of the Church: A Community Created By the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2000.
Van Gelder brings several disciplines to focus in discovering the core of what it
means to be the people of God. Building on biblical, theological and theoretical
perspectives, Van Gelder offers a model for organizing today’s church.
Vestal, Daniel. It's Time: An Urgent Call to Christian Mission. Atlanta: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, 2002.
Daniel Vestal calls us to a renewed vision for missions that is grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nurtured in the family of faith, and empowered by the Spirit in a life of service and devotion.
Wacker, Watts and Jim Taylor. The 500 Year Delta: What Happens After What Comes Next. New York: Harper Collins, 1997.
Futurists Watts and Taylor argue that Western society is encountering multiple
crossroads as the 500-year-old “Age of Reason” gives way to the “Age of
Possibility” — with its chaos and unpredictability. This book looks at near-term
and long-term issues affecting the future of business and offers suggestions for
weathering the turbulence of change. Though written with business leaders in mind,
the analysis relates to church leaders and “anyone who wants to know where society
has been and where it is going.”
Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Founding pastor Warren details the development of the Saddleback Valley
Community Church and provides a framework for transitioning churches into
“purpose driven” congregations (churches that focus on worship, ministry,
evangelism, fellowship and discipleship). This book offers practical steps for
identifying a church vision in reaching unchurched persons and develops a process
for maturing them into servant leaders.
Webber, Robert E. Ancient – Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1999.
Webber provides connections between the classical Christian tradition and
postmodern thought. He outlines implications for making such connections in the
areas of church, worship, spirituality, evangelism, nurture and mission.