The Leadership Blog Book Review

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders by Earl Creps

The word "missional" is a new buzz word being used by many churches today. Earl Crep explains that "Missional leaders see the world through the eyes of Jesus and see Jesus in the world." This book takes a look at "Off Road Disciplines" used by many "Missional Leaders". What I liked about this book is that it goes against alot of what you read in church leadership and growth books. For example, Crep writes, "The real source of assessment for Christian leaders therefore becomes not the world's bottom line but the Kingdom's top line, the fact that a moment of ultimate accountability with Jesus awaits all of us: "For we will all stand nefore God's judgement seat." The only problem with this book is that the disciplines aren't that rememberable. But if you're an emerging church kind of leader, you will love this book.

Off Road Disciplines: 3 out of 5 stars

FREE Resources!

North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA) is offering free downloads of many of their administrative documents. Great stuff. Check it out here!

The Leadership Blog Interview: Dave Browning

Dave Browning

Bio: Dave Browning is the founding pastor of Christ the King Community Church, International. Christ the King Community Church is the 22nd Most Innovative Church in America according to Outreach Magazine.

Church: Christ the King Community Church

The Leadership Blog Interview Questions
1. What gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Dave: Seeing people come out of darkness into God's marvelous light.

2. What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Dave: People thinking that the church is about "us" (what I call "arrows in" behavior)

3. Who made the biggest influence in your life as a leader?
Dave: Steve Mason, because he reached out to me when I was out of the ministry and got me back in the game.

4. What books have changed your life?
Dave: The Fifth Discipline by Senge and Seven Habits by Covey.

5. What's your biggest challenge as a leader?
Dave: Trying to get 50 minutes of productivity out of every hour.

6. What goals do you have as a leader?
Dave: One of my key goals is to get my "span of care" down to between 5-7 people.

7. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Dave: Hopefully doing what I'm doing now....managing chaos.

The Leadership Blog Review: Logos Leader’s Library

I’ve recently received the Logo’s Bible Software Leader’s Library. I had read and researched the different platforms of bible software and decided the Logo’s was the one for me. It has really revolutionized my devotional time and sermon preparation. I know that sounds like a bold statement, so I want to explain what I mean.

Imagine going into Starbucks or your favorite place to study carrying 400 bibles, commentaries, and books to study. I say 400 books because that’s all I have so far, a lot of people have thousands in their Logos collection! Of course, you wouldn’t do that but now you can. With Logos your library is now mobile. Wherever you take your laptop, your library goes with you.

Here are a few of my favorite features of the Logo’s Leader Library:

Exegetical Guide
All I have to do is type my scripture into the Logo's Exegetical Guide and it begins to break down my scripture word for word. At the click of a button, I can see what my Lexicon, Dictionary, Greek or Hebrew books have to say about each word. I no longer have to have a large stack of reference books with me to do exegesis of a scripture. This in itself will save you a lot time.

Passage Guide
After I have done my initial personal exegesis, I enter my scripture into the Logo's Passage Guide. The Passage Guide then searches the close to 400 books in my library and lists every instance the passage is mentioned. I have every commentary and book at my fingertips. For example, I type in Luke 9 and fifteen commentaries pop up and are ready to read. You can see how this will make your study time that much more effective!

Bible Reading
When I open the Logo’s Home Page, there is a start page and it keeps track of my bible reading plan and a devotional book of my choice. So every morning before I start work, I can turn on the program and there it tells me the four chapters I need to read today to stay on my plan and below it is today’s devotional posted. Plus, all the devotionals and bible ready plans can be imported and customized.

Expanding Your Library
What I love about Logos is the ability to expand your library with books of your choice! The Logos site has thousands of individual electronic books and sets ready to download for a fee. If you’re doing a series on “The Cross”, go to the Logo’s site and search it for more resources.

Plus one of the best parts is that you can get hundreds of books for FREE! If you buy one of the seven base Logos packages, you get a Personal Book Reader Key. The PBB reader can read any of the hundreds of free books available from sites like Truth is Still Truth. And these aren’t books no one wants but classics and commentaries that are public domain.

The only question I’ve been asked is about the price of Logos. I read a great comparison somewhere that buying Bible Software is about like a mechanic making an investment in his tools that will last him a life time. Invest in yourself and ministry, you won’t regret it. There is a package and price point for everyone and they will set up monthly payments. All the libraries are upgradeable to larger ones in the future.

Logo’s Leader Library – Five out of Five Stars

Integrity in Action

NYC cabbie returns bag of diamond rings
Have you heard about this story? A cabbie is given a 30 cent tip from a rider and then finds that the rider accidently left a bag of 30 diamond rings. What to do? What would you do? Take the diamonds for the cheap tip? What did the cabbie do? He hunted the woman down to return the diamonds!

"All my life, I tried to be honest," said Osman Chowdhury, a native of Bangladesh. "Today is no different." See he had integrity day in and day out and when it came time to make a major decision, it was no problem.

The Leadership Blog Interview: Joseph Girdler

Joseph Girdler

Bio: Pastor Joe is the District Superintendent of Kentucky Assemblies of God

Site: Kentucky Assemblies of God

The Leadership Blog Interview Questions
1. What gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Girdler: "As oddly as it may sound, the simple reflection of God’s incredible grace upon my life that He has counted me worthy to be about His business. That actually gives me joy in knowing that He has smiled upon me and granted me such responsibility to share His word, and truth with others.:

2. What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Girdler: "Christian leaders who show themselves 1) unfaithful, 2) lacking in integrity, and …. Oh yea, one more… 3) outright boring in the pulpit. None of us should be unfaithful. None of us should lack in integrity. And, none of us, while we may never be Billy Graham’s, should ever be plain old boring. Surely, a little enthusiasm and passion could ring in whatever we feel led to preach… "

3. Who made the biggest influence in your life as a leader?
Girdler: 1) My family; mom/dad, siblings.
2) a teacher I had in jr high and in high school.
3) The pastor/staff at the church I attended while in college.
4) My mother and father in law, wife, and…even children.

4. What books have changed your life?
Girdler: 1) A Dake Reference Bible given me as a gift from Renee when we were still dating.
2) Charles Swindoll’s -Improving Your Serve: The Art of Unselfish Living, 1981.
3)Evangelism Explosion – D.James Kennedy, 1983. &
4) A little children’s book I used to read as a bedtime story to my kids when they were little – “If I Could Only Choose One…” -

5. What's your biggest challenge as a leader?
Girdler: 1) Staying healthy in the schedule of ministry, 2) handling crises, 3) balancing the passions and dreams of both ministry & family endeavors.

6. What goals do you have as a leader?
Girdler: 1) to be found faithful to the Lord and His work, 2) to be visionary with the time He gives me to lead, & 3) to be dedicated to my wife, and children.

7. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Girdler: 1) It may sound too simplistic, but honestly… prayerfully continuing to be sensitive and aware of God’s voice and will, regardless of His lot for me in life. I have found contentedness in wherever He leads me.
2) I would be honored and very happy to still be serving the Kentucky Assemblies of God, working and ministering along side great men and women committed to the Lord’s work in a this state- the state that my wife and I have always called home: The Bluegrass of Kentucky.
3) Beyond that, only the Lord knows. Our family has always had a heart for missions and cross-cultural efforts, international church environments, medical missions… I’ve given it some thought to considering working on a Doctorate someday, writing some books, and doing all I can to laugh and enjoy my children who are quickly growing up… I’m sure, whatever the Lord holds for my life ten years from now, provided he tarries His imminent return, I will love every minute of it and do my best to find myself anointed to serve… It’s a great journey serving the Lord!

Pastor, Thanks for taking time for the interview. It is a joy to follow you as you lead with vision. Thanks.

The Leadership Blog Book Review: Integrity

Integrity by Dr. Henry Cloud
I had read about this book on Tony's Blog and decided to pick it up. This book really challenged me in a few areas that we normally don't see as "integrity" issues. I think alot of people see integrity as just not touching the "gold, girls, or glory". Dr. Cloud states that there are Six Dimension of Character: Establishing Trust, Oriented Toward Truth, Getting Results, Embracing the Negative, Oriented Toward Increase, and Oriented Toward Transcendence. I really believe every pastor and leader should read this book! I'm taking the highlights and I'm going to review them periodically as a personal integrity check-up.

Integrity by Dr. Henry Cloud - 4 out of 5 stars

Tony Dungy: Beyond the Ultimate

Check out this video of Colt's CoachTony Dungy speaking last year after his son's death before the Super Bowl. Also check out Beyond the Ultimate.

Free Mind Mapping Resource

I discovered bubbl.us from Kent and really enjoy using it. Check it out here! It's an excellent resource for pastors who like to mind map their sermons.