Pastors are called to be not only leaders with vision, but also managers of congregational systems, says John Wimberly in The Business of the Church. Drawing on his thirty-six years in ordained ministry, Wimberly weaves the realities of congregational dynamics and faith-centered purpose together with practical, proven approaches to business management. A student and friend of Rabbi Edwin Friedman, Wimberly builds on Friedman's systems theory as he helps readers avoid common pitfalls and put into practice effective techniques of congregational management. The book begins with a foundational discussion of how a systems approach helps congregational managers identify areas of dysfunction and effective solutions. Managing the critical 'inputs' of people, facilities, and finances has a direct bearing on the desired 'outputs' of proclamation, pastoral care, and mission. A strategic plan, through which a congregation sets its goals and identifies and prioritizes resources, is an essential management tool for both pastors and lay leaders. The author's conversational writing style and many real-life examples make a seemingly complicated, mysterious topic for some an engaging and easily applicable read.

"Studies have shown that most pastors enter the ministry to "help people" and "preach the Word of God", yet 80-90% of their time spent in the ministry has nothing to do with either of these noble desires! Most of your time as a pastor is spent managing the business of church! The vast majority of my pastor friends are failing miserably in this area. Why? Seminary does not teach business principles! In this book, you will identify crucial business areas that can have an incredible impact on your local church! Successfully addressing the crucial concepts in this book can ensure the sustainability, reach, and ultimate success of your church!"--Back cover

A new history explores the commercial heart of evangelical Christianity. American evangelicalism is big business. For decades, the world’s largest media conglomerates have sought out evangelical consumers, and evangelical books have regularly become international best sellers. In the early 2000s, Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life spent ninety weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list and sold more than thirty million copies. But why have evangelicals achieved such remarkable commercial success? According to Daniel Vaca, evangelicalism depends upon commercialism. Tracing the once-humble evangelical book industry’s emergence as a lucrative center of the US book trade, Vaca argues that evangelical Christianity became religiously and politically prominent through business activity. Through areas of commerce such as branding, retailing, marketing, and finance, for-profit media companies have capitalized on the expansive potential of evangelicalism for more than a century. Rather than treat evangelicalism as a type of conservative Protestantism that market forces have commodified and corrupted, Vaca argues that evangelicalism is an expressly commercial religion. Although religious traditions seem to incorporate people who embrace distinct theological ideas and beliefs, Vaca shows, members of contemporary consumer society often participate in religious cultures by engaging commercial products and corporations. By examining the history of companies and corporate conglomerates that have produced and distributed best-selling religious books, bibles, and more, Vaca not only illustrates how evangelical ideas, identities, and alliances have developed through commercial activity but also reveals how the production of evangelical identity became a component of modern capitalism.

Even though the local church isn't in "business" per se, it is still a business, the Lord's business. This valuable church reference is divided into four sections: law, finance, facilities, and personnel.

These days "getting religion" is generally considered a rather quaint thing of the past. "Getting spirituality," on the other hand, is the hottest thing on the market. In fact, corporate-sponsored spiritual salve is becoming the most popular prescription for the overworked and soul-weary employees. But for many Christians, this antidote has become its own epidemic. How is this epidemic infecting the church? How should the church respond as a community of believers? According to authors Michael Budde and Robert Brimlow, the church must resist becoming the "chaplain to capitalism." Christianity Incorporated reminds us that Christ-centered discipleship is fundamentally at odds with consumer capitalist priorities. The church must have a mission and a voice in society that is distinct from, rather than in chorus with, watered-down corporate spirituality. Christianity Incorporated is a wake-up call for all Christians. Courageous, current, and accessible, this book will provide guidance and insight to anyone concerned with pursuing Christian discipleship in our consumer culture.

Guidebook contains ideas for reflection, discussion, and action based on the chapters in the main text.

Approximately 85% of working Christians spend the majority of their waking hours working in a for-profit company. We are marketplace Christians called to transform the marketplace for the glory of God.In The Marketplace Christian, Darren Shearer provides practical and personalized strategies to help you fulfill your specific transformational ministry to the world of business. In this book, you will learn...- The specific spiritual gifts God has entrusted to you for ministry in the marketplace- Strategies for using your spiritual gifts in a business setting- Examples of 23 marketplace Christians who have (and are) using their spiritual gifts in businessYou will also learn...- How the author, Darren Shearer, went from Bible school to running his own business for the glory of God- How to identify your God-given marketplace ministry assignment- 9 reasons why the marketplace is a great place for Christians to serve God- How business can be your "full-time ministry"How to transform your industry for the glory of GodThe Marketplace Christian includes the "Spiritual Gifts in the Marketplace Assessment" that will help you to discover the unique abilities God has entrusted to you for fulfilling His purposes in your sphere of influence in business. You will also learn about other marketplace Christians who have used each of the 23 spiritual gifts discussed in this book as well as specific suggestions for how you can use your own gifts for marketplace ministry.

Church sucks. For Millennials between the stages of post-high school to pre-married with children, the church has become an irrelevant, prehistoric and religious institution invisible in the modern era. How can this organization transform its dying ways to become relevant again? The Startup Church reveals the system failure and addresses how it should be fixed. Using business principles and examples, each chapter asks questions for the reader to resolve the "10 Things I Hate About Church." This book lays out the blueprint of how to revolutionize the present day church into the hope for the next generation: faith communities.

This book is about leadership, management, and organizational structure as it applies to the church. This book is based on the author's observation and surveys from some of the members of four churches. It is an evaluation of how leadership and management, or the lack of the same, affect the operation of the church. It is this author's belief that church is not a business and should never be mistaken for a business. However, the paraphernalia of business such as leadership, management, and organizational principles, should be a part of every pastor's tool bag. Chapter one looks at the Bible example of leadership, management, and organizational principles. The Bible has several examples of God's leader engaging the principles used in business to accomplish the work of God. This author would never suggest that church and business should be operated the same. However, the church as marketed by Bible examples, should employ the principles of leadership. Chapter two is the results of an evaluation of four churches. The churches are named First Church, Second Church, Third Church, and Fourth Church. The results are based on surveys and the observations of this author. The information was collected and charted to give a picture of the leadership, management, and organizational principles found in each church. Chapter three looks at leadership and some of the factors that affect it. This chapter combines the information gather with the principles of leadership in order to determine the effectiveness of each organization studied. Chapter four looks at management. This chapter covers management issues such as budgeting and resources. It also looks at forecasting and directing. Chapter five looksat organizational structure and how it affects the operation of the church. It looks at the leadership structure and the authority of the pastor. It is a discussion on the proper use of delegation and communication.

The church is not a business—but it often has to conduct aspects of business. When a church needs a lawyer, it hires a lawyer. When it needs a plumber, it hires a plumber. But when it comes to making business decisions, it typically doesn’t consult someone with business expertise. Instead, it convenes well-meaning but often inexperienced volunteers to form a committee that takes a month to make a decision about which color to paint the nursery. Conducting business this way is a vision killer that drains the passion out of creative, relational pastors and ministry leaders. Bottom line: The modern church is being poorly managed but does not know it. The level of inefficiency and waste in today’s churches is staggering. Minding His Business was written specifically for churches to convey basic business wisdom, management principles, and the best business practices. Unlike intimidating business textbooks, it includes forty short vignettes designed to be read like a daily devotional. Each chapter deals with everyday challenges and offers real-life examples—derived from the author’s more than thirty years of experience—that show how to (and sometimes how not to) handle each situation of conducting business for the church. Are you minding His business?