I read Andy Stanely’s 7 Practices for Effective Ministry in the airport last weekend and I just have to pass this resource on. I really wish they had titled the book better in order to get across what this book is really doing as I think it would get more people’s attention. This book lays out step-by-step the ministry process at Northpoint. The gist of it is that many congregations spend lots of time being busy with no real direction. The way to do better is to take time to define the “win” and then work through the other six steps of how to focus in on creating environments that take people toward the win. They make the point that if the leadership doesn’t define the win, someone will. Usually what ends up happening is that individual ministries define their own win and there is no continuity between ministries. We get busier but no more effective. This book is the cure for that and I really appreciate the concrete examples they experienced in starting and growing Northpoint. I am going to get copies of this book for all the leadership of our 20s & 30s group and then get together and talk through how we could do that as a microcosm of the larger church. Then we can look at how it goes and how we might pass this on to the whole congregation.
If you are a minister, I highly encourage you to purchase this book.
7 Responses
Outstanding book! If you or anyone would like my net out of the book and the essential questions of each chapter let me know I can email a PDF. email me at lantzhoward at gmail dot com
Lantz,
If you want I can upload that to my Bible Class Archive on the blog so people can access it. I will provide a link to your blog along with it. Just email it to me if you like – matthewdabbs@hotmail.com
I’ll have to pick up this book. Sounds like they’re applying a business approach which can be a very good thing.
This is a fantastic book. I do agree that it could have a better title. I always seem to conflate this title and the title of “7 Habits.”
I’ve shared these basic ideas with every church or minister that will listen.
Lantz, I’d like to have that. I read this book a while back, need to get it out and go over it again.
JD,
Also, just did a post on a Stanley DVD that goes along well with that book. Worth a look.