Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code : Book Review
Culture eats vision for lunch! You can change the look of the platform but nothing has changed until you address the culture.
Samuel Chand presents a great look at what prevents successful change and transition in "Cracking Your Church's Culture Code."
Chand presents the idea that it is a church's culture that needs to be addressed even more so than an eloquently articulated vision or strategy. Culture is about the people, and deep lasting change will never happen unless the culture is addressed. Presenting vision, implementing strategy and not addressing the deep issues of culture will result in resistance to the vision and strategy.
He identifies five categories of church culture - Inspiring, Accepting, Stagnant, Discouraging and Toxic - and goes on to give some of the defining characteristics of each category. Once the category has been determined, Chand provides seven leverage points that can specifically be addressed to change the culture. He uses an acronym of the word CULTURE; Control, Understanding, Leadership, Trust, Unafraid, Responsive, Execution. Chand also anticipates many of the key issues that will arise during times of organizational culture shift.
Having served on two churches that attempted significant transitions, this book could have been used a few years before it was actually written! This is a book that every church leader who is looking to impact deep long-lasting change should have.
Cracking Your Church's Culture Code from Leadership Network on Vimeo.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the this book for the purposes of blogging about it from Leadership Network.
SoulPrint by @MarkBatterson : Book Review
In a world of hero worship and mimicry, Mark Batterson writes a book that challenges the reader to be the person that God intended them to be, not a replica of someone else. This is the first book of Mark's that I've read cover to cover. I've used and recommended some of the Small Group materials based on some of his previous writings. It will not be the last I read.
Mark takes the reader through a journey of self-reflection by holding up the biblical account of five defining moments in the life of David. By looking not just at the wins in David's life but also some of the failures, Mark gives the reader a perspective that God uses all our experiences to shape us into who he has created us to be... as long as we submit ourselves to the process.
This book is an easy read and won't take an average reader very long to get through. At times, it may be harder to put down than to get through. The book includes a Discussion Guide so you can easily use the book as a study guide for your small group. I would recommend the book for those who desire to fulfill their God-desired destiny.
You can order your copy of the book directly from Multnomah; Amazon in paperback or for your Kindle; Barnes & Noble in paperback or for your Nook; Christian Book Distributors in paperback.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of providing this review.
The Land Between : Book Review
I recently finished reading The Land Between by Jeff Manion. A more timely read I could not find as I go through my own personal time in The Land Between.
Through looking at the Israelites time in the wilderness, Jeff challenges his reader to apply the principles to their own life. He warns of the tendency for the reader to assume that they would not fall into the same patterns of behavior that the Israelites found themselves in. It is a good warning, for we tend to view ourselves as the hero in the story.
The Land Between is not the only one of transition, it is any time of hardship and trial. Through many examples, both personal and anecdotal, Jeff makes real the points he drives home.
The Land Between is a place that is ripe for complaint. The Israelites were grumblers... it was a habit, not the exception. In contrast, Moses went to God with his frustration and vented. The Land Between is a place where we can learn to cry out to God in unabashed honesty and without fear of becoming the recipients of God's wrath as long as we do not allow the habit of grumbling. We must continue to see God's provision and ensure that we do not take it for granted.
There were many passages that spoke to my heart and challenged my thinking. One such quote:
Trouble and trust coexist in the hearts of the people we meet in the Bible—David, Jeremiah, and others—even as they coexist in our own hearts.
Some have taught that faith and fear cannot co-exist. That may be true, but often it is presented that faith and a troubled heart cannot co-exist. That is not true.
This is a great book. If you are going through a season of trial, a time where God's path is leading uphill and you are experiencing frustration with the circumstances of life. This book will be a great tool that God can use to help you look at yourself honestly and identify what God may be work doing in your life.
The Land Between is first and foremost, a time of spiritual transformation, not a time of judgment.
Love and Respect for a Lifetime : Book Review
I received a copy of Love and Respect for a Lifetime by Dr. Emerson Eggrichs from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze program.
After more than fifteen years of working with marriages in the local church, this is one of the best books I've come across that addresses the passage that has caused debate in our culture. Dr. Eggerich expounds on Ephesians 5:22ff to show that men need to feel respected and women need to feel loved.
The concepts presented in the book are found in the title. A woman's deepest need is to feel loved. A man's deepest need is to feel respected. The key is found in the word feel. Intent isn't the issue. Through clear and pointed illustrations, Dr. Eggerichs shows how you can meet the deepest need of your spouse.
This book could be used as much as reference book, with simple step-by-step examples of actions you can do to communicate your love effectively to your spouse.
If you've read the original Love and Respect book, this little distilled version will serve as a great reminder. It's the type of book that could find a home on your coffee table and be used as a gentle reminder to yourself.
If you've not yet read the original book, this edition will give you a ten thousand foot view of the authors teaching about the deepest needs of each gender.
If you're not an avid reader, this would be a great book to pick up.
Triple-Threat Leadership : Book Review
I just finished a real quick read, Alan Danielson's ebook, "Triple-Threat Leadership" It truly is a one sitting read.
Alan takes the three critical skills needed in leaders and talks about how each leader has a predisposed leadership style based on the way they are wired. In a refreshing change from the 'play to your strengths, don't worry about your weaknesses' teaching that is common these days, Alan addresses the fact that leaders must have at least moderate competence in these three leadership skills to be a great leader.
The three realms he addresses are: Vision, Relationships and Strategy. While it is close to impossible to to have equal strength in all three areas, ignoring one or two of the realms to simply play to your strength is not going to cut it in today's leadership intensive culture. Alan calls challenges the reader to find the "appropriate imbalance" in these three skill sets. Leaders need to avoid neglecting their weak areas, but at the same time avoid overcompensating and spending too much time developing their weak areas.
This read is beneficial for every leader to read, I also believe that this would be a great tool for teams to digest and discuss. There will be a common language that can be used, and getting feedback from others on the team will help with each leader's self-awareness of their own strengths.
All in all, this is a great reminder that every leader has natural strengths and inherent weaknesses. When it comes to these three skill sets, we can play to our strengths, but to be a great leader we must spend some time developing our weaknesses.
What I'm Thinking...
- RT @bubbawatson You ever go to the driving range & think you will never play good golf again?? #golfishard / No. "Will I ever?" Yes. 1 day ago
- Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. http://t.co/c2d84vbS 4 days ago
- Put up or shut up. "What good is it... if u say u have faith but don't show it by ur actions?" http://t.co/Bvqv1qos 5 days ago
- Because 135+ baptisms in 4 services wasn't enough, @PastorRobFM throws in a wedding ceremony in the services! #obeyingGod 1 week ago
- "For some, change is life. For some, change is death. For all, change is difficult. And for all, change is mandatory." @lensweet 1 week ago
- More updates...
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