Leading Congregational Change Workbook

by Herrington, Jim; Bonem, Mike; Furr, James H.

• ISBN13: 9780787948856
• ISBN10: 0787948853
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-02-10
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

A Leadership Network Publication With this much-needed handbook, the authors brilliantly combine their experience guiding dozens of churches through the change process with both the study of Christian disciplines and the sophisticated understanding of such important business thinkers as John Kotter on leading change and Peter Senge on learning organizations. In this eminently readable book the authors have distilled their insights and practices into simple but powerful concepts for leading congregations, whether long established or recently formed, through profound change. Leaders using this guide will also be interested in the companion Leading Congregational Change Workbook, which offers assessment questions, planning worksheets, activities, and case examples for each stage of the process.

Author Biography

JIM HERRINGTON is executive director of Mission Houston, an interdenominational, multicultural pastoral effort to transform the city of Houston. MIKE BONEM is president and cofounder of Kingdom Transformation Partners, a church consulting and training firm based in Houston. JAMES H. FURR is senior church consultant with Union Baptist Association and adjunct professor of sociology at Houston Baptist University.

Table of Contents

About This Workbook	xi
PART ONE: VITALITY AND LEADERSHIP DISCIPLINES	1	(26)
Spiritual and Relational Vitality: The Driving Force of Transformational Change	3	(5)
Bible Study and Reflection	5	(1)
Assessment of Spiritual and Relational Vitality	6	(1)
Additional Suggestions to Build Spiritual and Relational Vitality	6	(2)
Discipline One: Generating and Sustaining Creative Tension	8	(4)
Assessing Personal Tendencies in Dealing with Tension	9	(1)
Setting Meaningful Goals	9	(1)
Leader's Capacity to Sustain Creative Tension	10	(1)
Congregational Response to Creative Tension	11	(1)
Discipline Two: Harnessing the Power of Mental Models	12	(4)
Images of the Church	13	(1)
Recognizing Mental Models That Affect Our Congregation	14	(1)
Ladder of Inference	15	(1)
Discipline Three: Enabling Team Learning	16	(5)
Assessing Your Attitude Toward Teams	18	(1)
Empathic Listening	18	(1)
Distinguishing Between Dialogue and Discussion	19	(1)
Determining Where Teams Are Needed	19	(2)
Discipline Four: Practicing Systems Thinking	21	(6)
Congregational Self-Assessment	22	(1)
Congregational Systems Analysis	23	(1)
High-Leverage Intervention	23	(4)
PART TWO: THE EIGHT-STAGE CHANGE PROCESS	27	(76)
Stage 1: Making Personal Preparation	29	(5)
Bible Study Suggestions	29	(1)
Self-Assessment---Personal Issues	30	(1)
Self-Assessment---Leadership Style	31	(1)
Accountability Partnership	32	(1)
Personal Mission Statement	32	(2)
Stage 2: Creating Urgency	34	(4)
Bible Study Suggestions	35	(1)
Raising Congregational Awareness and Sense of Urgency	35	(1)
Understanding God's Ideal	36	(1)
Assessment of Current Reality	36	(2)
Stage 3: Establishing the Vision Community	38	(6)
Bible Study Suggestions	39	(1)
Enlisting the Vision Community	39	(1)
Community-Building Exercise	40	(2)
Training for New Vision Community Members	42	(1)
Style Preferences of Vision Community Members	42	(2)
Stage 4: Discerning the Vision and Determining the Visionpath	44	(6)
Bible Study Suggestions	45	(1)
Group Exercise for Discerning God's Vision for the Congregation	46	(1)
Drafting a Vision Statement	47	(1)
Vision Statement Feedback and Revisions	48	(1)
Congregational Approval	48	(2)
Stage 5: Communicating the Vision	50	(5)
Bible Study Suggestion	51	(1)
Communication Planning	51	(2)
Small Group Meetings	53	(1)
Communication Evaluation	54	(1)
Stage 6: Empowering Change Leaders	55	(6)
Bible Study Suggestions	56	(1)
Leadership Assessment	56	(1)
Leadership Development	57	(1)
Organizational Assessment	58	(1)
Measurement Systems	58	(3)
Stage 7: Implementing the Vision	61	(6)
Bible Study Suggestion	62	(1)
Implementation Priorities	63	(1)
Implementation Planning	63	(2)
Implementation Review	65	(1)
Implementation Coordination	65	(2)
Stage 8: Reinforcing Momentum Through Alignment	67	(36)
Bible Study Suggestion	68	(1)
Role of the Vision Community	68	(1)
Assessing Progress Toward the Vision	69	(1)
Communicating and Celebrating Progress	69	(1)
Alignment of Members with the Vision	70	(1)
Alignment of Ministries with the Vision	70	(1)
Ongoing Vision and Visionpath Modification	71	(3)
Resource A: Resource Organizations	74	(4)
Resource B: An Annotated Bibliography of Useful Publications	78	(3)
Resource C: Questionnaires, Inventories, and Other Data-Gathering Resources	81	(14)
Resource D: Congregational Bodylife Model	95	(3)
Resource E: Congregational Self-Assessment	98	(5)
References	103	(1)
The Authors	104	(3)
About Leadership Network	107