"Designed as a practical and deeply spiritual guide for congregations facing pastoral transition, this new book from experienced transitional pastor and consultant on interim ministry, Rev. Dr. Marcia Bailey, uses the framework of the Christian worship service to help church leaders usher their faith community through a process of honoring the past, healing the present, and discerning the future. Includes worship resources for each stage in the transitional season, from bidding farewell and processing grief related to the outgoing minister, to celebrating the gifts of community and anticipating the next stage in the congregation's life together"--

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.

In 2014, Time magazine announced that America had reached the transgender tipping point, suggesting that transgender issues would become the next civil rights frontier. Years later, many peopleeven many LGBTQ alliesstill lack understanding of gender identity and the transgender experience. Into this void, Austen Hartke offers a biblically based, educational, and affirming resource to shed light and wisdom on this modern gender landscape. Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians provides access into an underrepresented and misunderstood community and will change the way readers think about transgender people, faith, and the future of Christianity. By introducing transgender issues and language and providing stories of both biblical characters and real-life narratives from transgender Christians living today, Hartke helps readers visualize a more inclusive Christianity, equipping them with the confidence and tools to change both the church and the world.

Picking up on the monastic tradition of creating a "rule of life" that allows for regular space for the practice of spiritual disciplines, Ruth Haley Barton takes you more deeply into understanding seven key spiritual disciplines along with practical ideas for weaving them into everyday life.

One way or another, every church will eventually lose its pastor or minister, yet few congregations prepare for this dramatic event. The pastor's departure evokes a range of reactions and problems--sorrow and grief, uncertainty, loss of mission and momentum, power struggles--yet no one wants to talk about this elephant in the church boardroom. Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree--experts in the field of church leadership--have written a nuts-and-bolts guide to developing a succession plan for smooth pastoral transitions. Filled with strategies and solid advice, this handy resource is based in solid research and the authors' many years of experience working with churches in a wide variety of denominations. Weese and Crabtree clearly show that leadership succession should be part of every church's planning process. Using assessment tools and quizzes, the book walks church leaders through the process of identifying their particular church's culture type and creating a succession plan that will meet their congregation's needs. Firmly rooted in biblical principles and the best management thinking, The Elephant in the Boardroom puts the focus on health, asset building, and resiliency. Its many examples from real-life situations and solid explanations offer elders, deacons, board members, and other lay leaders a how-to manual for planning, preparing, and executing a leadership transition.

"Leadership change can be one of the most painful or fulfilling experiences a leader can encounter. In Passing the Baton, Dr. Terry Roberts helps us through this process. It is by far the best document I have read on this subject. A must read." Pastor Tommy Barnett, Founder of Los Angeles and Phoenix Dream Centers "Passing the Baton, by Dr. Terry Roberts, is long overdue. This concise, user-friendly manual will provide a pastor or church board a strategy to give guidance in one of the major changes that every church will face in its lifetime, a pastoral transition." -- Rev. Victor Smith, Superintendent, South Carolina District Assemblies of God "This book is a must-read for all ministry leaders who wish to steward their calling, ministry and organization with excellence. Terry Roberts tackles the tough issues of pastoral transition and offers a clear guide to navigating this - potentially turbulent - season of leadership with a high degree of excellence and confidence. Passing the Baton of leadership to the emerging generation of ministry leaders can be navigated with assurance and conviction when we apply the wisdom of this book to a season of transition. I know this book will have a great impact among ministry leaders." -- Dr. Kent Ingle, President, Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida "Pastors planning to retire or transition are wise to put Terry Roberts' concise book on pastoral transition into every leader's hand. Pastoral succession shouldn't be disruptive to the congregation. Here's how to avoid a heart-wrenching crisis." -- Rev. Ed Nelson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, South Carolina District Assemblies of God "Upon receiving Dr. Terry Roberts' book, Passing the Baton, I recommended it to the president and four other regional directors of Open Bible Churches. Its concise and relevant writing makes it a 'must read' for every leader interested in finding the right successor in leadership transition." -- Dr. Jim Beaird, Executive Director, Southeast Region, Open Bible Churches "Thousands of churches have suffered greatly from well-meaning, but mismanaged, pastoral transition. What often seems the best way to select a new pastor can lead to deep conflict, resentment, and a loss of effective ministry. Dr. Terry Roberts has used extensive research in conjunction with a lifetime of ministry leadership experience to lay out a clear and healthy model for church transition that is an essential tool for those on both sides of the interview table. I highly encourage church boards, denominational leaders, and pastors to carefully read and follow Roberts' approach detailed in this excellent book." -- Dr. Alan Ehler, Dean, College of Christian Ministries and Religion, Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida "Passing the Baton: Planning for Pastoral Transition is such a fine work for local church boards, pulpit committees, and congregational insights. It represents a perfect resource for churches whose methods for seeking spiritual leadership for their pulpits, as well as top tier posts, need clarifying and finding a wise focus for searching out these often times elusive leaders. Any congregation and its internal leadership who embrace [its message] will have, at its root, the makings of a Holy Spirit led direction. Terry Roberts has brought that message into sharp focus in this book. He has thought it through, and for those who read it and take it to heart, their lives will be forever changed as a result." -- Rev. T. Ray Rachels, Executive Presbyter, General Council of the Assemblies of God "In Passing the Baton, Dr. Terry Roberts provides an invaluable and practical guide for pastors and congregations as they face the inevitable need to plan for transition in their pastoral leadership. I strongly and highly recommend it as a resource." Alonzo Johnson, Ph.D., Superintendent, Church of God in Christ, South Carolina Jurisdiction

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Relationship Goals . . . Will you be remembered as a person who claimed to follow God but liked to play it safe? Or as a person who lived your life out on the limb and trusted God enough to live in crazy faith? Noah looked crazy when he started building the ark . . . until it started raining. It was crazy for Moses to lead a nation of people into the desert away from Egypt . . . until the Red Sea parted. It was crazy to believe that a fourteen-year-old virgin would give birth to the Son of God . . . until Mary held Jesus in her arms. There are many things that seem normal or average today that at one point in time seemed absolutely crazy. Smartphones, Wi-Fi, and even the electric light bulb were all groundbreaking, history-making inventions that started out as crazy ideas. Our see-it-to-believe-it generation tends to have a hard time exercising true faith—one that steps out, takes action, and sees mountain-moving results. Many of us would rather play it safe and stand on the sidelines, but it’s crazy faith that helps us see God move and reveals His promises. In Crazy Faith, Pastor Michael Todd shows us how to step out in faith and dive into the purposeful life of trusting God for the impossible. Even if you have to start with baby faith or maybe faith, you can become empowered to let go of your lazy faith, trust God through your hazy faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of crazy faith. With powerful stories of modern-day faith warriors who take their cues from biblical heroes, Michael Todd equips you to • believe for the impossible • choose hope over fear • be alert to the voice of God • cope with loss and doubt • develop a deeper level of trust in God • speak faith-filled declarations • inspire crazy faith in others God’s not looking for somebody to give Him all the reasons why His plans can’t happen. He’s looking for somebody to believe they will happen. In fact, He has so much He wants to do through you. The question is, Are you crazy enough to believe it?

Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more fitting model—the spiritual community that practices discernment together.

Transition is the word we use to describe the time following significant change. In congregations, that change might be the departure of the pastor, a catastrophe such as Hurricane Katrina or 9/11, or simply the changes caused by growth. Transition calls for clergy with special training to respond to the needs generated by the special time. “Task, training, and time limit” are the hallmarks of transitional ministry. Trained intentional interim clergy must have the skill and experience to lead congregations during transition. However, transitional or interim ministry has a bad reputation in some places. As one diocesan leader said, “We have never had a church in this diocese that was so bad off that an interim was needed.” Indeed, there are some “sick” churches, but most congregations have some good things happening and some things that need attention. Intentional interim ministry can be medicine for the sick, but in most cases it is better compared to vitamins that are taken to promote health. This book seeks to clear up misconceptions about transitional ministry and present an accurate and up-to-date picture of transitional ministry and to describe the various settings in which this specialized ministry can be helpful. Chapter authors, all expert in transitional ministry in mainline Protestant denominations, include: Robert Friedrich, John Keydel, George Martin, Loren Mead, Barry Miller, Nancy Miller, Ineke Mitchell, Ken Ornell, Molly Dale Smith, and Rob Voyle.