Resist the urge to put in books on general, secular or business leadership. I know those are very helpful, but we will have a separate list for those at some point. If they are books written by church leaders that could be used beyond church leadership, that's fine. And please don't list character books unless they are specific to leaders. This list might include books on elders, training future church leaders, leadership passages in Scripture, etc. I'll give you all a head start. Go!
06/03/2008
The Big 5: Books on Church Leadership
Resist the urge to put in books on general, secular or business leadership. I know those are very helpful, but we will have a separate list for those at some point. If they are books written by church leaders that could be used beyond church leadership, that's fine. And please don't list character books unless they are specific to leaders. This list might include books on elders, training future church leaders, leadership passages in Scripture, etc. I'll give you all a head start. Go!
Steve McCoy
Jesus-follower, husband, father, pastor, photographer, writer
1. Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch
2. Elders and Leaders by Gene Getz
3. Leading from the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson
4. The Unity Factor by Larry Osborne
5. Being Leaders by Aubrey Malphurs
Posted by: jeremy | 06/03/2008 at 10:49 AM
1. Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders
2. Leading with a Limp by Dan Allender
3. Mentoring Leaders by Carson Pue
4. In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
5. The Making of a Leader by Robert Clinton
Posted by: Darryl | 06/03/2008 at 10:58 AM
Nice start. I still haven't gotten The Unity Factor.
Posted by: Steve McCoy | 06/03/2008 at 10:59 AM
1 and 2 Timothy and Titus
1. Spiritual Leadership (Oswald Sanders)
2. The Marks of a Spiritual Leader (essay by Piper at desiringgod.org)
3. The Cross and Christian Ministry (D.A. Carson)
4. The Christian Ministry (Charles Bridges)
5. Brothers, We are NOT Professionals! (Piper)
Posted by: PJ Tibayan | 06/03/2008 at 11:07 AM
1. Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders
2. The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson
3. The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges
...I'm still thinking about 4 and 5
Posted by: Steve Dumas | 06/03/2008 at 11:18 AM
Aside from 1,2 Timothy and Titus as mentioned by PJ... (I'd also add Nehemiah)...
For Elders / Deacons [in order]
1) The Reformed Pastor (Richard Baxter)
2) Biblical Eldership (Strauch)
3) Elders and Leaders (Getz)
4) Spiritual Leadership (Sanders)
5) Brothers, We Are Not Professionals(Piper)
6) Heart of A Great Pastor (HB London, Jr)
7) The Ministry of Shepherding (Eugene Stowe)
8) Ordering Your Private World (Gordon Macdonald)
Hope this helps. We're in the process of thinking about our elder development process, and I've been pouring over books...
For Church Leadership in General [in no order]
1) Chapter 6 from The Forgotten Ways (Hirsch)
2) Visioneering (Stanley)
3) Shaping of Things to Come (Hirsch and Frost)
4) Anything by John Maxwell, of course.
5)
Posted by: Derek | 06/03/2008 at 11:21 AM
...
4. Everything by Mark Dever, including the Deliberate Church with Paul Alexander. I know this isn't technically Leadership, but...
5. Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry, Tom Ascol and others
Posted by: Steve Dumas | 06/03/2008 at 11:23 AM
a couple more...
The Christian Pastor: His Office and Duty by Stephen Tyng to be a very helpful book. And, On Being a Pastor by Alistair Begg and Derek Prime
Posted by: Steve Dumas | 06/03/2008 at 11:26 AM
How to Change Your Church (without killing it) - Nelson and Appel
Culture Shift - Lewis and Cordeiro
The Next Generation Leader - Andy Stanley
Transforming Leadership - Leighton Ford
Brothers, We are Not Professionals - John Piper
5a. Good to Great - addition for the Social Sectors - Jim Collins
Chris Meirose
http://wasecachurch.org
Posted by: Chris Meirose | 06/03/2008 at 11:50 AM
1.The Cross and Christian Ministry, Carson
2.Display of God's Glory, Dever
3.The Reformed Pastor, Baxter
4.The minister as Shepherd, Jefferson
5.Confessions of a Reformission Rev, Driscoll
Posted by: Scott | 06/03/2008 at 12:09 PM
1)Calling and Character Willimon
2)Contemplative Pastor Peterson
3)All-Around Ministry Spurgeon
Posted by: John Mark | 06/03/2008 at 02:39 PM
Lot's of variety in your lists. Nice stuff. A few cheats, but we'll live with them. :)
Quick note: Charles Jefferson's The Pastor as Shepherd is an inspired pick. Years ago my undergrad prof pushed me to read it, to my benefit. I had to find a rare copy on a distant shelf. You can buy it new because it's back in print.
Here's my list, no order...
- Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley
- Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders
- The Leadership Baton by Forman, et al (really liked this one!)
- Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by Piper
- The Cross and Christian Ministry by Don Carson
Posted by: Steve McCoy | 06/03/2008 at 02:54 PM
I have such a tendency to list stuff that's affecting me recently. So here are some that I would put up there right now.
-Elders and Leaders
-Building Leaders
-Next Generation Leadership
thanks for the post this gives me some more books to check out.
Posted by: Jason Allen | 06/03/2008 at 04:51 PM
1. Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders
2. Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
3. Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
4. Leading with Questions by Michael Marquhardt
5. Good to Great by James C. Collins
Posted by: Ladybug | 06/03/2008 at 08:16 PM
I would add Leading With Love (Strauch) it is a newer book by him, but one that every pastor should read on biblical leadership.
Posted by: ryan | 06/03/2008 at 09:16 PM
In general, I don't like leadership books. However, some I like include:
Michael Quicke, 360 Degree Leadership
Roxburgh, The Missional Leader
Bob Logan, Coaching 101
Eugene Peterson's Pastoral Leadership triology (Plant, Stones, Angles).
Posted by: Jonathan Dodson | 06/04/2008 at 07:42 AM
Jonathan, for someone who doesn't like leadership books, you picked some good ones. :)
Posted by: Steve McCoy | 06/04/2008 at 10:42 AM
There's not many more! :)
Posted by: Jonathan Dodson | 06/04/2008 at 11:03 AM
Jonathan, really? How about books on elders? And how can you not like leadership books? How about 1 Timothy, or 2 Timothy, or Titus? :)
Posted by: Steve McCoy | 06/04/2008 at 11:08 AM
Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry - MacArthur and Crew
The Reformed Pastor - Richard Baxter
Sprirual Leadership - Sanders
Biblical Eldership - Strauch
and... on a lighter note...
Simple Church - Eric Geiger
Posted by: Mike | 06/04/2008 at 01:49 PM
Leading w/a Limp by Allender
The Cross & Christian Ministry by Carson
Peterson's books (The Subversive Pastor, The Contemplative Pastor, Working the Angles, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work)
Shepherding the Small Church by Glenn Daman
The Heart of a Servant Leader by C. John Miller
Posted by: cavman | 06/04/2008 at 04:27 PM
Im going to echo cavman
Heart of a Servant Leader - Jack Miller
Posted by: sdesocio | 06/04/2008 at 11:11 PM
1. Growing Leaders by James Lawrence (amazed this is not on someone's list-a splendid little book)
2. R T Kendall 'In pursuit of his glory'
3. Good to Great by Jim Collins
4. Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels
5. The E. Peterson trio.
Posted by: David Cooke | 06/06/2008 at 09:58 AM
Biblical Eldership, Alexander Strauch
Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
Working the Angles, Eugene Peterson
The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges
Practical Wisdom for Pastors, Curtis C. Thomas
Posted by: Brian Hedges | 06/07/2008 at 06:13 PM
Compassionate Leadership - Ted Engstrom/Paul Cedar
Summoned to Lead - Leonard Sweet
The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers - David Hansen
Leadership from the Inside Out - Kevin Harney
LeadershipNext - Eddie Gibbs
Posted by: brad andrews | 06/08/2008 at 10:15 PM