NEXT: Pastoral Succession That Works PB
Availability: In Stock
- ISBN 9781540900173
- Author VANDERBLOEMEN WILLIAM
- Pub Date 01/01/2020
Packed with new research, new interviews, and practical solutions, this updated and expanded edition of Next will equip pastors, ministry teams, and Christian organizations to navigate leadership changes with wisdom and grace..
£17.10
£17.99
Packed with new research, new interviews, and practical solutions, this updated and expanded edition of Next will equip pastors, ministry teams, and Christian organizations to navigate leadership changes with wisdom and grace.
While there is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution to the puzzle of planning for a seamless pastoral succession, Next offers church leaders and pastors a guide to asking the right questions in order to plan for the future. Vanderbloemen, founder of a leading pastoral search firm, and Bird, an award-winning writer and researcher, share insider stories of succession failures and successes in dozens of churches, including some of the nation's most influential. The authors demystify successful pastoral succession and help you prepare for an even brighter future for your ministry. Includes a foreword by John Ortberg and an introduction by Eric Geiger and Kenton Beshore.
William Vanderbloemen is president and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, the leading search firm specifically focused on connecting churches and ministries with the right leadership for their teams. He lives in Houston, Texas. Warren Bird is an ordained minister and teaches at Alliance Theological Seminary. He is also author or coauthor of nearly 30 books. He lives in a suburb of New York City.
Stephen's review:
'A very useful read is Next: Pastoral Succession that Works by William Vanderbloemen and Warren Bird. One of the biggest challenges for both churches and Christian organisations is that of leadership succession and this book offers to guide the reader as to how to plan for the future. It does so honestly by giving both research and real-life stories that describe both successes and failures in succession planning. It also does this with clarity and humour. While this book emerges from an American church context which is very different from the UK, and also centres around ‘pastor led’ churches, many of the principles suggested are universally relevant. It is also practical and realistic as it helps the reader not only to plan for unexpected problems and challenges, but also plan for a graduated and smooth transition. One of the most helpful chapters (ch.4) deals with the issue of when it is time to leave a role, which in my experience is one of the most difficult issues. This chapter is written sympathetically and is also very realistic. I was particularly struck by the authors note that one indicator of the best time to retire is when a leader discovers he is ‘not the best fit’ for that church at that time. I also found chapter 7 Founders Syndrome equally enlightening. This book offers encouragements even for senior leaders coming to the end on their leadership roles because the authors emphasize that one good reason for retiring is to pursue another ministry that you can impact. The material in this book can apply equally to Christian organisations and should be read by church leaders and trustees to help them prepare for the future. My abiding memory of the book is actually the subtitle of chapter 17, it simply sates, ‘There is no success without succession!’'
Publisher: Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group; Expanded and Updated edition (5 Jun. 2020)
Language: English
Hardcover: 320 pages
