ARE WE A PEOPLE AT HALF TIME? - Leadership Network

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INSIDE NEXT
COVER STORY
Are We A People At Half Time
■
BOOMERS & BUSTERS
The Gospel for Generation X (page 3)
■
CHURCH IN THE 21st CENTURY
(page 6)
■
THE BOOKSHELF (page 7)
■
EXTRAS (page 8)
■
FAX FORUM (page 9)
■
LEADERSHIP NETW0RK FORUMS
(page 10)
■
LEADERSHIP NETW0RK RECOMMENDS
(page 11)
■
LAY MOBILIZATION
(page 12)
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
ARE WE A PEOPLE AT HALF TIME
The headline of a recent Newsweek
essay called our times “The
Nervous 90’s.” “Life by any
rational standard is good. The economy
is good. We are not at war. But
we are not quite at peace, either.”
Are we in a period of re-assessing
where we have been and more
importantly, where we want to go
Are we collectively acknowledging
what many are individually discovering...
that success and achievement
are not substitutes for significance
and meaning Is it
possible that the
nation in the 90’s is
having a mid-life
crisis Are we a
people at half time
Defining mid-life
“Defining midlife
is not an easy
task. People no
longer fit neat
packages. Identifying
the issues mid-life
people need to
address provides an effective place to
start. These issues begin to emerge
around age thirty-five and continue
until about age fifty-five.” 1
There are two major theories related
to mid-life. One is developmental and
concerned with chronological ages
that identify specific tasks and
includes a patterning of events,
relationships, achievements, failures
Beginning
January 1, 1996,
every eight seconds,
and continuing
for the next
eighteen years,
someone in the U.S.
will turn 50.
and aspirations in a person’s life.
The work of Daniel Levinson and
the life cycle of an individual are perhaps
the best known examples of
developmental theory. Change
occurs and people become more
aware of who they are. There is a
renegotiation of the relationship
between one’s self and the world.
A second approach to mid-life is
by understanding life-events. “Life
events can be described as identifiable
changes in usual patterns of
behavior which can
create stress.” 2
Usually included are
events related to
work, family, health,
finances and relationships.
Both positive
and negative changes
can produce stress.
Self-assessment
is one of the most
important tasks of
mid-life. A person
examines their life in
terms of where they
have been and more importantly
where are they going Mid-life is
a time of evaluation, of taking inventory
of one’s accomplishments and of
planning for the remainder of one’s
life. It can be, to use Bob Buford’s
metaphor in his recent book of the
same title, Half Time... a time when one
moves from success to significance.
(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

Having a mid-life crisis on purpose
Richard Leider and David
Shapiro use the metaphor of unpacking
and repacking one’s bag in their
new book, Repacking Your Bags, in
which they encourage people to have
a mid-life crisis on purpose. “To
have a purposeful mid-life crisis, we
must turn our gaze inward and examine
where we are, where we want to
go, and how we want to get there.
We need to consider all that we are
carrying on our journey to determine
if it is really what we need for the
road ahead. To put it simply, we
must unpack and repack our bags.” 3
“Unpacking simply
means taking a long hard
look at what we are carrying
and why. It is seeing if our
4.5
possessions, responsibilities
and relationships are still 4.0
helping us move forward
3.5
or if they are dragging us
down. Repacking then, is the
3.0
ongoing activity of reevaluation
and reinvention.” 4
2.5
POPULATION IN MILLIONS
The forces driving half time 2.0
There are many forces 1.5
driving half time in the U.S.
1.0
Three of the most important
ones are the demography of
0.5
the population, the shift
from the industrial worker to 0
the knowledge worker, and
the impact of technology.
The most obvious is demography
as 74.7 million people,
or almost one of every three
adults in the population, are within
the ideal mid-life age zone of 35-55.
The majority of those in “the zone”
right now are part of the Boomer
generation and the remainder are the
younger members of the Silent generation.
We are at the front end of a
tidal wave of normal mid-life transition
in which millions of people are
evaluating not only their lives to this
point but the “second half” or the
rest of their life.
A second force is the historical
shift from the industrial age to the
information age. The result has been
a new type of worker, the knowledge
worker, who is valued not for what
can be manufactured but for the
creation, transfer, and application of
information and services. The peak
“burn out” years for the knowledge
worker are 35-45 and unlike their
predecessors in the work force whose
physical bodies were exhausted from
manufacturing and production, it is
the mind, emotion, and spirit of the
knowledge worker that withers.
Despite their apparent success, they
are becoming weary, dispirited and
THE COMING TRANSITIONAL TIDAL WAVE
55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35
© 1995 Leadership Network, all rights reserved.
Total: 74.7 million in “the zone”
1995 AGES
bored with their lives and their work.
“On the whole, we are a society
of notoriously numb people – lonely,
bored, dependent people who are
happy only when we have killed the
time we are trying hard to save. We
worry constantly about making a living
but rarely about making a life.” 5
To quote one participant in a recent
workshop on creating the second half
of one’s life, “I finally got it – there is
a difference between success and
fulfillment. I had success, but I
wasn’t fulfilled. Maybe success is
getting what you want. Fulfillment,
though, is wanting what you get.” 6
The third driver of half time is
technology and the resulting pressures
that it produces in terms of discontinuity
and change. Despite new tools that
are designed to save time, people feel
more harried than ever as the pace of
change continues to accelerate. “Is it
possible that we are in a period of
history when change has come so
fast that is has dangerously outpaced
the human psyche (or soul)” was
the question posed recently to a
group of senior level corporate
managers. “Perhaps you are on the
back of a beautiful horse called
technology which is
racing headlong toward
something that looks like
the edge of a cliff. And
rather than contemplate the
possibility of going over it
in your private lives, you
take the edge off your anxiety
by talking about how
wonderfully fast the horse
(technology) is.”
The need for “soul care”
We live in a day and
age where a great many
people are spending their
time examining the mind
and the human capacity to
innovate and organize yet
we have forgotten our
souls. As a society, we are
only beginning to understand
the price we have paid in our
quest for individualism and the
accumulation of goods and capital,
both personally and corporately. The
internal has been sacrificed to the
external.
The word used by many to
describe their core, that place deep
inside where they really live, despite
all the external trappings, is “empty.”
Gordon MacDonald has called this
area “the soul below the waterline,”
and notes “how important it is to
consult the soul while we live in a
2

world that wishes to assert that the
soul doesn’t exist or is simply not
important.” 7
An opportunity for churches
One of the outcomes of evaluating
oneself at mid-life is a clarification of
values and an identification of the
relationships and activities that bring
meaning and purpose to our life. This
period of transition in our society and
the lives of millions of individuals
offers a significant opportunity for
churches to respond to the need for
“soul care.” 21st century leaders and
21st century churches are those who
recognize and seize the opportunity
of this day.
How are you and how is your
church responding to the need for
“soul care” Are you in half time
Are the people in your church at
half time
Additional Reading
The Age of Discontinuity by Peter Drucker.
Harper & Row.
“The Age of Social Transformation” by Peter
Drucker. The Atlantic Monthly, Nov. 1994.
Half Time , Changing Your Game Plan from
Success to Significance by Bob Buford.
Zondervan.
The Life God Blesses, Weathering the Storms of
Life that Threaten the Soul by Gordon
MacDonald. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Margin by Richard Swenson, M.D. NavPress.
Mid-Life Issues and the Workplace of the
Nineties: A Guide for Human Resource
Specialists by Shirley Waskel. Quorum
Books.
Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load For
the Rest of Your Life by Richard Leider and
David Shapiro. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
The Seasons of a Man’s Life by Daniel J.
Levinson. Ballantine Books.
Transitions by William Bridges. Addison-
Wesley Publishing Co.
1. Shirley Wascom, Mid-Life Issues and the Workplace
of the Nineties, Quorum Books.
2. Ibid.
3. Richard Leider and David Shapiro, Repacking Your
Bags, Berrett-Koehler Books.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Gordon MacDonald, The Life God Blesses, Thomas
Nelson Books.
THE GOSPEL FOR
GENERATION X
Making room in the church
for “busters.”
by Dieter Zander
Perhaps no other generation has
needed the church so much, yet
sought it so little.
The surge in births following
World War II gave us the “baby
boom” and the huge, well-known
generation dubbed baby boomers.
From about 1965 through 1980, the
number of births went “bust,” giving
a name to a new generation with a
substantially different mindset.
Sometimes called Generation X, this
group has been much maligned and
badly stereotyped in the media.
Here is what I’ve discovered in
trying to connect with busters.
Buster characteristics
Technically, everyone born
between 1965 and 1980 is a baby
buster. Being a buster, however, is
more attitude than age. One important
demarcation is whether you
want to, or believe you can, achieve
the traditional American dream.
This dream includes a house in the
‘burbs,’ corporate success, and
financial rewards. As a whole,
baby boomers pursued this dream,
and many achieved it.
Most busters, though, believe
that the traditional American dream
is beyond their grasp. Plus, they
have watched boomers destroy their
families and relationships while
climbing the corporate ladder. To
busters, owning expensive cars and
homes doesn’t matter as much as the
feeling of being loved and accepted.
Busters are fashioning a new
American dream: to be whole, and to
live in harmony with others and their
surroundings. They would rather
work to live than live to work.
3
A career is a means to an end—a
way to pursue the deeper things in
life; it’s not the end in itself.
It is all too easy to generalize
about busters, but here are several
additional parts of their story:
Pain. On the surface, busters
can seem positive, even bubbly. But
below the surface often lies pain.
Close to 50 percent come from
divorced and blended families.
Many were latchkey kids, who came
home from school each day to an
empty house and fended for themselves.
One effect is that many
lacked role models necessary for
success in life.
This pain in family life created an
alone-ness, which is different from just
being lonely. Alone-ness is an experience
of the soul: you are surrounded
by people but unable to connect with
them. The search for intimacy is a
driving force in their lives. As a result,
many busters are searching for the
family they never had.
For busters, family is more
frequently defined as those who will
love them, not those who produced
them. Often, friends are more
“family” than are parents or siblings.
Thus, community—open, safe, inclusive
relationships in which people
help each other rather than compete—
is the highest value of this generation.
(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

Postmodern mindset. Busters
don’t believe in absolute truth. To
them, everything is relative, and
everything could be true.
Busters can live with two
contradictory ideas. They can be
pro-choice in regard to abortion, for
example, and pro-life in regard to
whales and trees. They will also say
they want a meaningful and lasting
relationship with a lover, but if
someone better comes along, they’d
rather have him or her.
Fear. Many busters fear the
future. Everything out there seems
broken. The economy seems beyond
repair. The environment
is ruined. Sex
isn’t fun anymore be
cause of AIDS, and
marriage is a risky
venture likely to fail.
Busters know they’ll
have to pay for the
national debt and
the social security
of the generation
that handed it to
them, and they feel
angry about that.
The world holds
little hope. Even
the label “buster”
reinforces this
feeling.“Boomer”
sounds positive, as
if something is about
to break out and
happen. But “buster” sounds like
something broken, something that
needs to be thrown away.
Paradoxically, in the midst of
this nearly hopeless outlook, busters
are trying to create hope on a local
scale. They want to put their lives
into something that will make a
difference.
Grassroots orientation. Busters
have never really had a chance to
win big.
Busters graduated from college,
only to find the tightest job market in
two decades, because boomers were
holding all the jobs.
Since they feel they can’t win on
a large scale, some busters look to
win on a small scale—in relationships,
or local causes, or personal
contributions to global needs.
Spiritual hunger. Finally, busters
are looking for transcendent meaning,
and in this sense, they are a spiritual
generation. Again, with their postmodern
mindset, they don’t believe
that science alone— the empirical
method—can solve our problems.
They believe that something is wrong
with the world, and that there must be
something beyond what they can see,
feel, touch, taste, and smell.
BOOMERS VS. BUSTERS
THE TOP-10 LIST OF GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES.
■ BOOMERS
"Me" generation
Enlightenment world view
Jay Leno
Live to work
Institutions
Propositional truth
Excellence
Growth
Lonely
Success
■ BUSTERS
"We" generation
Postmodern worldview
David Letterman
Work to live
Relationships
Relational truth
Authenticity
Community
Alone
Wholeness
This makes them as open to
Christian revival as is any generation,
but it also opens them to cult
activity. Many toy with various
forms of New Age and Eastern
religion, including the pantheistic
idea of connecting with God through
nature.
Buster evangelism
In years past, becoming a
Christian preceded becoming a
church attender. That sequence is
no longer valid with busters.
Incredibly, they may be part of a
fellowship for months or years
before taking that first step of faith.
Churches effective at reaching
busters for Christ encourage
non-believing busters to participate
in small groups or other ministries.
Busters are attracted to Christ by
being attracted to what’s happening
in the lives of Christians. We need to
find ways to make non-believing
busters feel welcome and participate
even before they provide evidence of
commitment to Christ.
Large-group meetings can build
credibility with busters, but if relationships
aren’t built outside those
settings, busters will not respond.
Nor will busters
respond to a book
that is handed to
them. Many will
read a book and say,
“That’s fine. That’s
true in that book, but
I don’t believe it’s
true for me.”Busters
process truth better
relationally than
propositionally.
To reach busters
means someone will
need to spend time
with them, someone
who feels comfortable
sharing why he
or she became a
Christian, someone
willing to expose the
work of Christ in his
or her life.
Of course, to win busters, we
must overcome the negative caricature
of Christianity that many of
them hold. To the unbelieving
buster, Christians are whacked-out
extremists.
To present a picture of Christ
that busters can relate to, we need to
rely on the power of story. Busters
have never read the Bible, and unlike
boomers, they don’t care what Time
magazine or other experts have to
say. But they will listen to your
story, especially if it honestly
describes the difficult as well as the
4

good aspects of following Christ.
They will listen to the story of someone
who hasn’t necessarily been
successful but has been faithful.
Story telling is the most effective
way to reach this generation, because
busters won’t argue with a person’s
story. In fact, it may be their only
absolute: everyone’s story is worth
listening to and learning from.
Here’s what needs to be communicated:
“God’s story intersected with
my story; now I can share it with you
so that you can consider making it a
part of your story.”
X
Buster communication
Jay Leno’s show is (or used to
be) boomer style—predictable,
news-based, a sequence you can set
your watch by. David Letterman’s
show, on the other hand, is a stream
of consciousness—radical, unpredictable,
messy. It’s buster style.
Here are several principles
I keep in mind when I’m “communicating”
(a term I prefer to
“preaching”).
Be real. While busters want to
be accepted as they are, they’re also
willing to accept you as you are,
provided you’re real. That’s freeing.
Real means being vulnerable and
honest. Busters don’t believe that in
the course of an hour a problem can
be solved with an acronym.
Be rousing. The term rousing is
a hunting term for flushing an
animal out of hiding. To reach
busters, fresh methods are needed—
videos, music, drama, personal
stories. But an axiom every babyboomer
pastor ought to note is that
busters do not want just to be
entertained. A slick presentation
that avoids the tough, honest, and
sometimes unanswerable questions
will not impress.
Be relevant. Busters are crying
out for practical sermons. For
busters what is most relevant is the
core of the gospel—redemption and
reconciliation. To be reclaimed and
made beautiful again, and to be
brought back into relationship with
God and others, are two truths that
penetrate busters’ broken hearts.
Busters have been trashed, so they
feel like trash.
When we explain that God is
saying, “You’re not trash,” they’ll listen.
Be relational. With busters,
avoiding “us-versus-them” dichotomies
is essential. We tried to
emphasize “talking with” rather than
“talking to” in an environment akin
to sitting around tables, as opposed
to sitting in rows. I attempted to
downplay my lead-person-up-front
role and even provided a questionand-answer
time.
Busters don’t want
to talk; they
want to respond.
This is their great
strength.
For many busters, the Christian
message itself is divisive. Since
community and relationships are
their ultimate values, divisiveness is
the ultimate evil. They think the
Christian message divides people
into the haves and the have-nots
(which in an ultimate sense, it does).
One of the most powerful
pictures for a buster is the global
community within the body of Christ.
Buster discipleship
Busters will have a style of
ministry different from that of
boomers. To release them into
ministry requires different strategies.
Emphasize compassion ministries.
Busters don’t want to talk;
they want to respond. This is their
great strength. They will avoid
discussing the evils of abortion, for
example; they’d rather contribute to
the alternatives—crisis-pregnancy
counseling or adoption work.
Downplay the institution.
Busters react negatively to the notion
their church is an institution or
organization. They need to feel
ownership for the ministry and that
they have a voice in where the
ministry is going.
Busters tend to have a lot of
disposable income (especially since
many are living at home). They’re
willing to part with it, but they need
to believe in what they give to and
they need to see results from it.
They won’t just give to the institution.
But they will give to particular
projects (through the institution),
especially if they feel emotionally
drawn to those projects.
Adapt what it means to be a
leader. The term leader can be
frightening to busters. They have a
natural suspicion of anyone trying to
lead them somewhere. Busters tend
to be the “we” generation: working
together is important.
Let them fail. Busters tend to be
paranoid about failing, but they need
to have freedom to fail (and succeed)
in ministry. And they will fail you.
While busters want relationships, it
may take six months or a year for
them to trust you. They may test you
by stopping coming to church or to
activities just to see if you’ll follow
up on them.
Busters need you to tell stories
of your failures; they need to know
that God uses imperfect people.
Dieter Zander is teaching pastor at
Willow Creek Community Church in
South Barrington, Illinois, where he
is creating a ministry for busters.
Used with permission from Leadership
Journal, Spring, 1995.
5

IN THE 21st CENTURY
CHURCH
CONFERENCE
1995 Church in the 21st Century Conference
June 25–28, 1995
The Pointe Resort at Squaw Peak; Phoenix, Arizona
“NEW VENTURES, PARTNERSHIPS AND ALLIANCES”
TIMES
Sunday
June 25
Monday
June 26
Tuesday
June 27
Wednesday
June 28
8:30 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
PLENARY SESSION
John Ed Mathison
Senior Minister
Frazer Memorial Church
Montgomery, Alabama
Break
PLENARY SESSION
Joe Stowell
President
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois
Break
PLENARY SESSION
Leith Anderson
Senior Minister
Wooddale Church
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Break
10:30 a.m.
PLENARY SESSION
Millard Fuller
President
Habitat for Humanity
Americus, Georgia
CLASSES
Phill Butler • Reid Carpenter
Reggie McNeal • Benny Proffitt
Joe Stowell
PLENARY SESSION
Ray Bakke
President
International Urban Associates
Chicago, Illinois
12:00 Noon
Lunch
Lunch
Adjournment
1:30 p.m.
CLASSES
Ray Bakke • Bill Crotts
Randy Phillips • Lyle Schaller
Tom Smith • Tim Dearborn
CLASSES
Leith Anderson • Carol Childress
Kathy Dudley • Leonard Sweet
3:00 p.m.
Registration
Free Time
or
Affinity Groups
Free Time
or
Affinity Groups
6:00 p.m.
Reception
Dinner
Dinner
8:00 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION
Bruce Wilkinson
President
Walk Thru The Bible
Atlanta, Georgia
PLENARY SESSION
Roberta Hestenes
President
Eastern College
St. David’s, Pennsylvania
PLENARY SESSION
Leonard Sweet
Chancellor
United Theological Seminary
Dayton, Ohio
C L A S S L E A D E R S
THE REGISTRATION FEE IS $425 PER
LEITH ANDERSON
Senior Minister
Wooddale Church
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
RAY BAKKE
President
International Urban Associates
Chicago, Illinois
PHILL BUTLER
President
Pittsburg Leadership Foundation
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
CAROL CHILDRESS
Research Director
Leadership Network
Tyler, Texas
TIM DEARBORN
Executive Director
Seattle Association for Theological Education
Seattle, Washington
KATHY DUDLEY
President
Voice of Hope
Dallas, Texas
BENNY PROFFITT
Executive Director
First Priority of America
Birmingham, Alabama
REGGIE McNEAL
Director, Leadership Development
South Carolina Baptist Convention
Columbia, South Carolina
LYLE SCHALLER
Parish Consultant
Naperville, Illinois
TOM SMITH
Managing Partner
Septa Associates
Tyler, Texas
LEONARD SWEET
Chancellor
United Theological Seminary
Dayton, Ohio
INDIVIDUAL, $225 PER SPOUSE.
THE HOTEL ROOM RATE OF $90 PER NIGHT
FOR SINGLE OR DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
IS NOT INCLUDED
IN THE $425 REGISTRATION FEE.
TO REGISTER, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE CALL MELEA EDWARDS, GERRY
BILL CROTTS
President
Baptist Foundation of America
Phoenix, Arizona
RANDY PHILLIPS
President
Promise Keepers
Boulder, Colorado
6
DEESE OR KRIS NEILL AT
1-800-765-5323.

Repacking Your Bags, Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life
By Richard Leider and David Shapiro
Berrett-Koehler Publishers (1-800-929-2929). $21.95
If you are in the “zone of transition,” then this book will help you navigate the next stage
of your life. If you feel like you have most everything a person could want, but are still lacking
fulfillment and significance, then you will find direction in this book. Taking the “whole
person” approach, it focuses on four elements critical to a successfully integrated life—
work, love, place, and purpose.
Job Shift: How To Prosper in a Workplace Without Jobs
by William Bridges
Addison-Wesley Publishers (1-800-822-6339). $21.95
Bridges explores the economic, social, and technological forces that are putting jobs on
the endangered-species list, and describes the numerous work arrangements that are
replacing the familiar job model developed during the Industrial Revolution. He also
explains what workers, organizations, and society must do to ensure that we all are “players”
in this new “post-job” environment.
Targeting Transitions, Marketing to Consumers During Life Changes
By Paula Mergenhagen
American Demographics (1-800-828-1133). $39.95
This book provides excellent background for identifying key times of transition in a
person’s life. It includes not only demographic insights but information from which you
can draw implications for ministry and programming related to helping people through
transition. The book’s graphics are also useful in understanding and teaching about
transition points.
Winning the Values War in a Changing Culture
By Leith Anderson
Bethany House Publishers (1-800-328-6109). $14.99
In a culture changing as rapidly and as dramatically as the American culture, the schism in
our common values is staggering. Anderson examines many widely accepted cultural
assumptions and challenges the underlying values which shape our cultural bias. Particularly
helpful are the questions for thought and discussion at the end of each chapter which make
this a good resource for leadership training, Bible study or small group discussion.
Exit Interviews, Revealing Stories of Why People Are Leaving the Church
By William D. Hendricks
Moody Press (1-800-678-6928). $17.99
Special
arrangements
have been made
for readers of NEXT
who are interested in
purchasing multiple
copies of Bob Buford’s
new book, Half Time,
to purchase them at
a cost of $10.00 each.
There is a minimum
order of ten copies.
Please call
(719) 473-1698
to place your order.
Single copies may be
purchased at your
local bookstore
or by calling
Zondervan direct
at 1-800-727-3480.
The issue is not really church attendance but something more fundamental: the nature of
spirituality in a deeply secular age. Hendrick’s interviews with disillusioned Christians
reveal truths about why they exit out the back door and offer suggestions to churches and
church leaders not only to prevent drop-outs, but also encourage growth.
7

Religious
Architecture in
the Future
What will church architecture look
like in the future Participants at
the most recent national Religious
Art and Architecture Conference
said the key ingredients of future
religious buildings would include:
■ Places of art and memory
■ Flexibility in design and usage
that includes several different
worship styles within one
congregation
■ Possible shared ownership with
the community
■ Versatility to deal with
emerging technology and
communication styles
■ Places of “in-gathering” around
focal points
■ Thresholds which allow
people to move through and
celebrate the experience of
worship (courtyards, arches,
entries)
12 Emerging Issues
Arnold Brown, chairman of Weiner, Edrich,
Brown, Inc., a leading issues management
firm, recently identified 12 emerging societal
trends for a group of denominational
leaders including:
1. The New Consumer
2. Revolutionary Impact of Technology
3. Accountability (Stewardship)
4. Growing Emphasis on Religion and
Spirituality
5. Decline of Optimism
6. Globalism/Tribalism/ Dichotomy
7. Changing Roles of Financial Institutions
8. Megamorphosis
9. Thrust Toward Democratization
10. Complexity
11. Coming U.S. Economic Well-Being
12. Growing Importance of Biology
Concerning the growing emphasis on
religion and spirituality, Brown emphasized
it will “not necessarily translate into greater
church attendance.” It includes a “revolt
against modernity, a desire for faith in
something, increased focus on morality
and ethics in everyday life, and increased
activism on the part of religious institutions
in our society.”
Source: RPRC Counselor, Winter, 1995
Louisville Institute Announces
Competition Research Grants for
Religious Leaders
The Louisville Institute will award up to fifteen Research Grants for Religious
Leaders in 1996 to support religious leaders for periods of study and reflection
which will assist these leaders in their exercise of religious leadership. Awards
will be made for one, two, and three months, with a stipend of $3,000, $6,000 and
$9,000 respectively. Applications must be postmarked no later than September
15, 1995; recipients are notified by November 1, 1995. For more information,
please contact: Dr. James W. Lewis, Executive Director, Louisville Institute for
the Study of Protestantism and American Culture, 1044 Alta Vista Road,
Louisville, Kentucky 40205. (502) 895-3411 ext. 487. E-mail:
jwlewi01@ulkyvm.louisville.edu.
The
Worship Center
Online Forum
Began May 1!
Now on CompuServe
(“GoWorship”)
For a Free CompuServe
Membership Kit,
call 1-800-524-3388, Rep. 714
This newest online Forum
allows you stay on the
cutting edge of contemporary
worship and the latest
technology for today’s
worship leader. Membership
includes all the regular
benefits of CompuServe
plus Worship Leader
magazine, databases, and
software libraries.
Also featured are live
conferences with leading
worship leaders and pastors
from across the nation.
8

F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
FAX Poll Questions
(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY)
1. The One Significant Issue
As you start your day and begin to consider the critical issues
facing your congregation, what is the one most significant issue
you feel the need to address
FAXFORUM is another way of
learning more about the issues of
interest to you as a reader of
.
Please help us by completing the
brief survey to the right and fax
it back to us at (903) 561-9361.
If you prefer to return it by mail,
please send it to:
Leadership Network
P. O. Box 9100
Tyler, Texas 75711
Please tell us
something about you:
Name:
Church or organization:
Address:
Telephone:
FAX:
E-mail:
Ministry Position:
❑ Senior Pastor Other:
Age: ❑ 25-34 ❑ 35-44 ❑ 45-54 ❑ 55+
I have attended a Leadership Network:
❑ Forum ❑ Summit
❑ Church in the 21st Century
Other:
2. Soul Care Options
In what ways do you provide for your own “soul care”
(please circle all that apply)
❑ Read books or ❑ Talk to a counselor
articles
❑ Talk to a friend
❑ Belong to a
support group ❑ Spiritual retreat
❑ Attend a workshop
or seminar
Other
3. In what ways does your church provide “soul care” for its
members
4. Finally, how can Leadership Network be useful to you
PLEASE COMPLETE THE INFORMATION TO THE LEFT SO
THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP IN TOUCH AND KNOW
HOW TO SERVE YOU BETTER. FAX YOUR RESPONSES TO
LEADERSHIP NETWORK:
9

LEADERSHIP NETWORK FORUMS
NETFAX is Leadership
Network’s information service
to readers of NEXT. NETFAX
is designed to:
■ provide timely and accurate
information, team building,
leadership, organizational
change, and cultural shifts
■ profile best practices in
churches, ministries, and
organizations
■ review current research,
books and other resources
The format of NETFAX is a
one-page fax sent to you every
other Monday. There is no
charge for the service. Back
issues of NETFAX are available
for $1.00 each.
If you are interested in being
placed on the distribution
list to receive NETFAX,
please fax us the following
information:
Your name
Your church or organization
Your mailing address
Telephone number
FAX number
Your e-mail address
Attendance at all forums is by
invitation only and limited to 25 people
per forum and one participant
per church. Participants are Senior
Ministers and other ministerial staff
of large churches (1,000 or more
worship attendance) and have at
least one year of ministry experience.
If you would like to receive an invitation
or recommend someone to be
invited to a forum, please call or
write Nancy Kiser at the Leadership
Network office. The cost of a forum
is $175 which includes lodging
(double occupancy) and all meals.
For your convenience, forum fees
may be charged to American
Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All
forums will be held at the Glen Eyrie
Conference Center,
Springs, Colorado.
Colorado
Transportation from the
Colorado Springs Airport to Glen
Eyrie is available through the
Airporter, Inc. shuttle service.
The fare is $18 per person or $9 per
person (2–11 people). A reservation
is necessary and can be made by
calling (719)578-5232.
SCHEDULE
Time Thursday Friday Saturday
7:30
8:30
NOON
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
FULL
Small Groups
June 1-3, 1995
Worship Leaders
August 24-26, 1995
Senior Ministers
October 12-14, 1995
FULL
FULL
FULL
Children’s Ministry
November 16-18, 1995
Senior Adults
November 30-December 2, 1995
Announcing the 1996
Forum Schedule
Mission Pastors Forum
January 25-27, 1996
Executive Pastors Forum
February 15-17, 1996
CE Director’s Forum
March 14-16, 1996
Women’s Ministry Forum
April 25-27, 1996
Senior Ministers Forum
May 14-16, 1996
Small Groups Forum
June 6-8, 1996
Worship Leaders Forum
August 27-29, 1996
1995 1996
Or mail the above
information to:
Leadership Network
P.O. Box 9100
Tyler, TX 75711
1:00
3:00
4:00
Forum Begins
Set Agenda
Free Time
Discussion
Conclusion
and
Adjournment
Open Forum
September 26-28, 1996
Business Administrators Forum
October 22-24, 1996
For more information,
contact Carol Childress
or Elaine Cox at
1-800-765-5323.
6:00
7:00
9:00
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Children’s Ministry Forum
November 14-16, 1996
Pastoral Care Forum
December 5-7, 1996
■

Leadership Network
Recommends
Executive Excellence
The Magazine of Leadership Development,
Managerial Effectiveness, and Organizational
Productivity
$129 annual subscription (12 issues)
1-800-331-7716
An outstanding resource, this publication
features the work, in condensed articles, of the
most respected leaders in management and
organizational development. Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Peter Drucker, Gary Hamel,
Margaret Wheatley, Warren Bennis, Peter
Senge, and Edgar Schein and others are
frequent contributors. Each issue carries a
particular theme and the August, 1995, theme
will be “Ethics, Character, Honesty, Trust, Truth,
Values, and Principles.”
“The Inviting and Engaging Church”
Video Series
Seraphim Communications
1-800-733-3413
$49.95 plus $7.00 shipping
Hosted by Pat Keifert, this series examines four
biblical texts that suggest new understandings
about the identity of the church in a post
Christian era and develops four concepts of
church that include a tent in the wilderness, the
public temple, a public well of eternal life, and
a table on the way. It is available in two
versions, one aimed primarily for Lutheran
congregations and a second one that is more
ecumenical. This is a good series to use with
church leaders or a congregational strategic
planning group.
CONFERENCES
“A New World Calls for a New Church: 1995
Summer Seminars for the Missional Church”
The Center for Parish Development, Chicago, IL
The Center will offer six workshops from June
to August, all held in Chicago. Of specific
interest to local churches will be “Transformational
Leadership,” “The Purpose-Driven
Church,” “Building Stewarding Communities,”
and “Survey-Guided Leadership Team Development.”
For more information on registration and
specific dates, call the Center at (312) 752-1596.
For Pastors...“What Effective Churches Have
Discovered” with George Barna
Columbus, OH on June 26; San Antonio, TX on
August 28; Chicago, IL on June 28; Dallas, TX on
August 29; and Colorado Springs, CO on July 10
For Pastors and Leaders...“Maximizing Your
Ministry Impact” with George Barna
Holland, MI on June 24; Houston, TX on
August 26; Austin, TX on November 11
For more information and registration, please
call 1-800-55-BARNA (9-5, PST)
Willow Creek Church Leadership Conference
November 8 – 11
Advanced Leadership Conference
August 9 – 12
For more information and registration on either
conference, please call (708) 765-5046
11

LAY MOBILIZATION
The Starter Kit For
Mobilizing Ministry
Is Now Available
1995 Leadership
Training Institute
September 25 – 30
Nashville, Tennessee
An in-depth, week-long training program for
Here is a complete manual Directors of Lay Ministry and key lay ministry team
leaders. Includes skill-training in:
of practical suggestions,
• creating a strategic plan that fits your church
• team building and working with other staff lay
department heads
checklists, forms, discussion
guides and more – in
through the cracks”
• developing administrative and information systems
so people are well assimilated and don’t “fall
• training and developing interviewers and mentors
three sections – one for
• interviewing skills and discerning people’s gifts
and calling
senior pastors and church Tuition for the Institute is $495 per person and
includes all teaching materials, meals, and doubleoccupancy
room for five nights. To register, or for
leadership, a section
more information, please call Katrina Gault at
1-800-765-5323.
for the director of lay
ministry and the lay
1995
One Day Forums On
ministry team, and a Lay Mobilization
section of resources, books Designed for church teams to learn what is
involved in developing or expanding a lay
and assessment tools – all
ministry program and features
for $45, and that includes
■ vision-casting insights for increased lay
involvement ■ various models of successful programs
shipping. To order, or for to help leaders customize a program to fit their
church ■ hands-on implementation steps taught
more information, call
by an experienced Lay Ministry Director ■
Linda Stanley at
September 8 ■ Chicago, IL
1-800-765-5323. October 23 ■ Washington, D.C.
Registration is $35 per person and the fifth person
from the same church may attend FREE.
The Forums are subsidized by Leadership Network
to encourage church leadership team participation
To register, or for more information,
call Katrina Gault at 1-800-765-5323.
12
In this inaugural issue of
NEXT, we wanted
to introduce you to
the Tyler staff of
Leadership Network.
Front row (l to r):
Gerry Deese, Nancy Kiser,
Linda Stanley, Kris Neill
and Katrina Gault.
Back row: Carol Childress,
Elaine Cox, Melea
Edwards, Fred Smith,
Gayle Carpenter, Brad
Smith, and the
latest addition, Bruce
Freeman, our new
Communications Director.
ISSN: 1082-037X
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network. Permission
to reproduce material in NEXT
may be obtained by calling,
faxing, or writing to
Leadership Network.
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
FAX: (903) 561-9361
Mailing Address:
Leadership Network
P. O. Box 9100
Tyler, TX 75711

THE FIRST THING TO UNDERSTAND
about the generation that followed the
Baby Boomers is that they do not like to
be labeled. While names like “Busters,”
“Gen X,” and “the 13th Gen” appear in the
popular literature, they are the creation of
older generations seeking to define and
describe the roughly 41 million people born
in the late 1960’s and early 70’s.
This is a generation born in an age of
multiple paradoxes and huge societal shifts.
The preceding generation started a
dialogue of idealism about love and
relationships in the 1960’s, yet lived lives
of unprecedented divorce rates and
materialism in the 70’s and 80’s.
Generation X is a generation shaped
from early childhood by television and
music, and they are the first post-Christian
generation in America. It is the first
generation that grew up without absolute
truths, believing that the highest virtue is
tolerance of the views of others.
This issue of NEXT focuses on the
recent Gen X forum sponsored by
Leadership Network and some of what
we learned about ministering to this
significant generation.
THE STAFF OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
INSIDE NEXT
COVER STORY
ALT.MINISTRY@GENX.FORUM
■
BOOMERS & BUSTERS (page 6)
■
WEB.WATCH (page 7)
■
THE BOOKSHELF (page 8)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK RECOMMENDS
(page 9)
■
NETFAX (page 10 -11)
■
FAX FORUM RESULTS (page 12)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK FORUMS
(page 13)
■
LAY MOBILIZATION (page 14)
■
A VERY IMPORTANT
READERSHIP SURVEY (page 15)
■
EXTRAS (page 16)
V O L U M E 2 , N U M B E R 2 A P R I L , 1 9 9 6
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
It began as a small gathering of 25 to 50
people discussing the current state of
ministry to Gen X. The idea was to
have a few peers come together to share
what they were learning on the front edge
of ministry to a new generation.
Resources like researcher/author
George Barna, Buster pastors Tim Celek
and Dieter Zander, author and Gen Xer
Kevin Ford, and Gen X pastor Chris Seay
and the University Baptist Church worship
team were enlisted. Leadership Network
mailed invitations to Gen X leaders and
others involved in ministry to Generation
X. The forum was promoted in NEXT, and
then we waited for the response. It was a
long wait. As late as thirty days before the
scheduled date, we considered canceling
the Gen X forum for lack of response.
Then it happened. Through e-mail,
faxes, and word of mouth, suddenly what
began as a trickle was
transformed
into a
flood of
inquiries
and registrations.
After conferring
with the
staff at
Glen Eyrie
as to the
maximum number of people the
conference center could accommodate,
registration had to be capped at 200.
A waiting list was created and even on the
day the forum began, people were still
calling, wanting to attend.
Thursday afternoon, March 7, slightly
over 200 people gathered in the Great Hall
at Glen Eyrie for worship and focused their
attention on the needs, concerns, and
opportunities found in Generation X.
Emerging themes from the Gen X forum
1. The foundation for ministry to and
with Generation X is authenticity. Xers
have little use for hype. What they look for
in a person and a leader is authenticity.
Kevin Ford named authenticity as one of
the cornerstones in building community
among Gen Xers. “Be authentic. If I have a
real relationship with Jesus Christ, it means
I can admit that I am struggling. It means
I can be transparent. It means I can be
vulnerable with people.” The most authentic
leaders will come from within Generation
X, not be imposed from the outside.
2. Ministry to Gen Xers looks different
than ministry to Boomers. You cannot
take a Boomer model and “tweak it” to
work with Xers. While the themes of
rejecting institutions and “the establishment”
and the use of more contemporary
music are common to both Boomers and
Xers, Xer ministry is different. It looks
different and it sounds different.While
Boomers focus on a high quality performance,
Xers focus more on providing an
authentic experi- continued on next page

ence. Boomers focus more
on the structure of the small group while
Xers focus more on the relationships within
the group.
3. The
importance
of
music to
Gen X
and its
integration
into
a new
style of
worship cannot be underestimated.
According to Chris Seay, pastor and
leader of the worship team at University
Baptist Church, a fifteen month old Xer
church with over 1,000 members, Xer
music is simple and uses more guitars and
less keyboard. The words to the songs
often have an edge to them and are
more honest. “A lot of the
stuff we can use is right
out of the 1960’s, not the
80’s. We take the words
and rearrange the music.
Music is life to this generation.
Xer worship is more
interactive and experiential. It
involves sharing your own stories, asking
questions, drawing people in. It is a shift
from simply presentation of the Gospel, to
one of experiencing God rather than
observing worship at a distance.”
4. The stereotypes of Gen X should
be dispelled and, instead, recognize the
Chris Seay
diversity of the generation and its alignment
with Biblical values.
Not all Xers are slackers
and associated with grunge
(see Generation X Sub-cultures
on page 5). Many
Xers exhibit values that are
more aligned with the
teachings of Scripture than
other generations. Some
of these include the
importance of relationships,
the emphasis on family and community,
authenticity, servanthood, helping the
poor, the homeless and disenfranchised.
5. Use narrative stories to communicate
with Generation X. Tell
your story. Tell God’s story.
Listen to the other
person’s story. Kevin Ford
observed that “narrative helps us
Pam Rowen
connect to something bigger and
greater than ourselves. Help
people to connect. Tell the stories
of the Gospels but also see
that the Epistles have stories...stories
about church problems, people’s stories...exegete
the relational stories of
people.” Finally, “let the narrative
speak for itself. Don’t tell the story
and then tell the point of the story...don’t
explain it and be condescending.”
6. Go beyond the intellectual to a
hands-on demonstration of the Gospel.
This is a generation that wants to connect
to society and see that the Gospel is practical
and makes a difference in people’s
every day lives. Says Ford, “Quit the
evangelistic beach trips and build houses.”
Building houses through Habitat for
Humanity is exactly what the
Gen Xers of Peachtree
Presbyterian Church in Atlanta
do according to Lisa Goodwin,
the church’s Minister of Single
Adults. They are also involved in
providing after school programs
for children in an inner city neighborhood.
And don’t limit the participation
to Christian Xers. Often,
“it is community service that results in
evangelism” says Goodwin.
7. The most effective Gen X evangelism
will be process evangelism.
According to Ford, we can no longer use a
Pauline model of evangelism that
is based on the individual but must
recognize that in the postmodern
world, “the focus is on moving into
community.” “Process evangelism
is something that happens over a
long period of time ...over years
perhaps of frustration, pain, and
praying
for
someone.” “It is not an ‘evangelistic project’
to see them come to know Christ.”
8. The leadership paradigm for
Generation X is a team, not a hierarchy
or superstar. This is a collaborative
generation and there are no superstars.
According to Xer pastor Tim Celek, “if
we are really a team, no one person is
more important...and the relational glue
that holds a team together is total trust.
Spending time together and being transparent
with one another, that is what
2

uilds trust.”
9. Leadership development is
defined as the development
of lay leaders,
not staff, and
the pastor’s role is
primarily one of an
Dave Crowder
equipper and coach.
A key concern among
Boomer pastors has
been how to develop professional
staff who can
lead high quality programs.
Xer pastors
emphasize the role of
staff as equippers
of laypeople to do the
ministry. Quality programming
is important,
but the first emphasis is
on healthy teams of lay
leaders who understand their gifts and are
serving in a healthy community.
10. There are no easy answers ...few
models ...little resources ...and no
single place that equips people for
ministry to and with
Generation X.
Ministering to Xers is a
learn as you go process.
There isn’t a workshop or a
seminar or catalogue of
resources to learn how to do
Xer ministry. It is a trial and
error, learn by doing, look
for resources anywhere and share what
you learn kind of deal. According to
Dieter Zander, “We are all trying to do
Dieter Zander
this with very little staff,
money, experience or training.
We are all pioneers on
how to reach them.”
It was a pioneering kind
of forum. Thirty-six hours
after the forum began, the
participants would re-assemble for a closing
time of prayer, communion and commitment
to Gen X outreach and ministry.
Connally Gillam
Over the course of the two and one-half
days in workshops, affinity groups, plenary
sessions, and over meals, ideas and
resources were shared, assumptions were
challenged, approaches and methodologies
scrutinized and yes, even debated.
It was not a perfect group of participants.
In contrast to Gen X itself, there
were few people of color. For some
Xers, there were too many Boomers
and Xer wannabees. But when it was
all over, there was a consensus that
God had done something during the
time together, that He is doing something
amidst this generation and its leaders and
just maybe, these days would be seen as a
watershed meeting in terms of Gen X
ministry. As one participant would write
in an e-mail the following week, “It was
great to see a bigger vision emerge from
the ministries of so many of us who are
plugging away in our own local areas.
The movement is real.”
Audio tapes of the plenary sessions at the
Gen X forum are available by calling
Convention Cassettes at 1-800-776-5454.
ADDITIONAL GEN X
RESOURCES
Generation X...Implications for
Mission Organizations of the
Sociological Distinctives of
Christians Born Between 1961 and
1975, by Jeff Bantz.
This is an
outstanding
r e s o u r c e
for anyone looking
for a comprehensive
but concise
overview of Generation
X. It includes
a review of
Gen X literature
and common
themes, a
description of the social and historical
environment that nurtured the generation,
interviews with Xers, and recommendations
for Christian organizations seeking
to relate to and continued on next page
3

enlist Gen Xers. It has
the most extensive Gen
X bibliography we have
seen to date. 113 pages.
Copies are available
for $18.00 (postage
included) through Jeff
Bantz, P.O. Box 52-7900, Miami, FL,
33152-7900. Jeff can be reached by telephone
at (305) 884-8400 or e-mailed at
George Barna
A Guide To Understanding Generation
X Sub-Cultures by Ken Baugh.
This brief (five
pages) but useful
guide to Gen X contains
information on
the shaping forces,
general characteristics,
and core values
of Gen X. Its most
important contribution
is a description
of six Gen X subcultures
which helps
to explain the diversity
of the generation.
Copies are available for $3.00
through FRONTLINE Ministry
Resources, c/o McLean Bible Church,
850 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA
22101. Ken can be reached by telephone
at (703) 790-5590 or e-mailed at
Mark DaYmaz
Inside the Soul of A New Generation,
Insights and Strategies for Reaching
Busters by Tim Celek and Dieter Zander.
To be released by Zondervan in May,
1996.
Written by pastors of two of the
earliest Gen X churches, this book shows
how pastors, parents and others can minister
to the spiritual needs of Xers and
gives practical
models for outreach
and creating
community.
“Future Risk: The Unknown
Generation X.” Video, produced by
Notre Dame University for the Faith &
Values Network. 28 minutes, color.
This video does a good job of
explaining the social, historical and
cultural context of Gen X. It includes
interviews with Gen Xers and provides
insight into Xer concerns and hopes for
the future. Originally broadcast on the
Faith & Values cable network, it could be
a useful tool in helping older generations
understand the uniqueness of
Generation X. It can be rented
for $50.00 or purchased for
$89.95. Call Films for the
Humanities & Sciences at
(800) 257-5126 for more information.
Jesus For A New Generation — Putting
The Gospel In The Language Of Xers
by Kevin Ford.
If you are searching for a single book
to help you understand Xers and how
to communicate the Gospel to this
significant generation,
buy this one.
Copies are
available from
Inter-Varsity Press,
1-800-843-9487.
$12.99.
Kevin Ford
4

GENERATION X SUB-CULTURES
NOT ALL XERS ARE ALIKE, and within the generation, there is
extreme diversity. Understanding Gen X sub-cultures is important
to those seeking to reach and minister to the generation. The following
topology identifies six distinct sub-cultures and summarizes the
characteristics of each.
EXTREME Xers — Leisure, fun, recreation, thrills, experiences, fast
paced lifestyle, and adrenaline rushes.
UNDERGROUND Xers — Wear black, freedom, disillusioned, and
searching for answers, very intelligent.
DIGITAL Xers — Techno-music, dance, new age, technologically
literate, short attention spans, lack social skills, fear of
relationships, and isolated.
SLACKER Xers — Disillusioned, despairing, entitled, angry, cynical,
and pragmatic.
SUPER Xers — Activists, conservative, multi-cultural, idealistic, and
optimistic.
URBAN Xers — Angry, gangs, violent, drugs, wanting out, but not
knowing how.
Source: A Guide to Understanding Generation X Sub-Cultures, by Ken Baugh.
SOME COMMON
XER CHARACTERISTICS AND THEMES
Some have called Gen X the “paradox generation” because they
display characteristics that appear to cancel each other out. The
themes and thoughts found throughout Generation X material form a
complex mix of positive and negative characteristics. According to
GenXer Jeff Bantz, Xers are...
■ very individualistic, and yet, highly value relationships.
■ don’t respect authority, yet long to receive instruction.
■ skeptical yet pragmatic.
■ have an extended adolescence, and yet, they grew up too soon.
■ slow to commit and passionately dedicated.
■ a challenge to manage but are excellent workers.
■ apathetic, and yet, care deeply.
■ relativistic and searching for meaning.
■ disillusioned, yet they are not giving up.
Source: Generation X, Implications for Mission Organizations of the
Sociological Distinctives of Christians Born Between 1961 and 1975,
by Jeff Bantz.
5

“BABY BOOMERS
AND RELIGIOUS
CONSUMERISM —
Who Is
Shortchanging
Whom” by James Bell
The Age Of Rationalism Is Ending
The belief that science and reason
provide ultimate answers to the big questions
of life is being overturned. Spiritual
matters remain important for many in our
culture. The age of the church that began
with Constantine has ended. Christians in
the Western Hemisphere now find themselves
constituting a cognitive minority.
If it is true that we now live in a post-
Christian world, then the adult catechumenate
process must be aimed at helping
individuals develop a Christian world
view.
Small Groups
Many congregations are discovering
that small groups create unique opportunities
for dismantling the various walls that
separate people from people, and consequently
people from God. Through such
simple acts as eating and playing, studying
and praying in groups less than twelve,
permission is subtly given that enables
people to give and receive, to love, to risk,
to trust, and ultimately, to grow.
Baby boomers are now asking, “How
can I build lasting friendships, and where
are such trustworthy friends to be found”
For some, this search takes them to malls,
restaurants, bars, fitness clubs, and selfhelp
groups while others are turning to the
church in search of community and
friendship.
Instruction Ideas
Naturally, Bible study is essential,
given that most boomers possess an
elementary knowledge of the Bible and
are doctrinally illiterate, but a concerted
effort must be made to bridge the historical/cultural
gap between the ancient Near
East and the complexity of contemporary
life.
Matters of specific interest to boomers
may include such topics as: What are
distinctively Christian values What does
it mean to follow Jesus Christ in a pluralistic
society How does technology affect
our faith How much should Christians
contribute to the common good At a
more pragmatic level, matters of specific
interest to boomers include topics addressing
issues of lifestyle, interpersonal
relationships, sexuality, family, parenting,
finances, career, stress and so on. The
following lists provide some suggested
outlines for small group instruction:
World Views
The importance of cultural awareness;
secularism; existentialism; humanism;
pragmatism; pluralism and relativism; and
hedonism.
Global Issues
Basic human needs; economic justice;
environmental stewardship; multi-ethnicity;
people and technology.
The Christian in Society
World economics; Christianity and
science; Church and state; Christianity
and social justice; just wars and pacifism;
racism; ethics and human rights.
Personal Issues
Stress; success; transitions; career; family;
and money.
Since boomers clearly expect life-related
preaching and teaching, every effort must
be made to bridge the gap between the
lofty expressions of our pedagogy and the
earthly realities that people struggle with
in their daily lives. Finally, we must make
every effort to engage them in a well
rounded and fully comprehensive catechumenate
process.
James Bell is a pastor, teacher, author (Bridge
Over Troubled Water, 1993) and student of
baby boomers. The full text of this article
appeared in the February, 1996 issue of The
Clergy Journal and these excerpts are used
with permission of the author.
BOOMER ISSUES ON
AMERICA ONLINE (AOL)
The top ten Boomer Issues
on AOL (as of March 15):
✔ Abortion
✔ What Do Men Want
✔ Childless by Choice
✔ Attention Deficit Disorder
✔ Prozac/Zoloft
✔ Infidelity and Marriage
✔ Buchanan’s View
✔ New Parents/Parenting
✔ Infertility
✔ Death of a Parent
6

With this issue of NEXT, we are introducing a new feature called “WEB.watch” that will
highlight outstanding web sites that are useful and informative to 21st-century church leaders.
Exploring the Internet requires a good search engine, and our first recommended site is
Opened March 18 by the computer magazine, c|net, the
site gives you access to over 200 search engines. Using 20 categories of topical
interests, you can access specialized search engines in addition to the major popular
engines such as Lycos, Yahoo, excite, and Alta Vista. In addition, you can create your
own personalized search engine list that will search subject areas in which you have a particular interest.
A second site on the Web that is a must stop for book lovers is
Bookwire located at This site includes access to Publishers Weekly,
several very good book reviews, links to booksellers and book publishers, as well as on-line reading
of books and book excerpts.
Watch for the announcement of Leadership Network’s own
Web Site in the Summer issue of NEXT. The site will
include:
Schedules, information and notes about the forums
and all other Leadership Network learning events
NEXT, Into Action, NetFax and other Leadership
Network publications
“INFORMATION CENTRAL” which includes the
latest on issues and trends affecting the 21st-century
church, resources for leaders, and links to the most useful
sites on the Web
7

The Great Transition, Using the Seven Disciplines of
Enterprise Engineering to Align People, Technology
and Strategy
by James Martin
AMACOM, The American Management
Association (1-800-262-9699) $34.95
Do not be intimidated by this book’s size
(495 pages) nor scope. It is a valuable
reference on the sweeping changes of the
past 25 years and efforts of business and
industry leaders to adapt, adjust, and re-invent the way we will
do work in the 21st century.
The Organizational Learning Cycle,
How We Can Learn Collectively
by Nancy Dixon
McGraw-Hill Book Company
(1-800-262-4729) $24.95
This is a book about the practice of learning,
defined as “making meaning out of the
experience we and others have in the
world,” and development in organizations.
It has much to offer those who make the
translation of its themes and insight to the
world of the church and can see the implications for creating
congregational environments that enhance lifelong learning.
Rekindling Commitment, How to Revitalize Yourself,
Your Work, and Your Organization
by Dennis Jaffe, Cynthia Scott,
and Glenn Tobe
Jossey-Bass Publishers, Inc.
(415) 433-1767) $27.50
In writing a three-part book about the
role of the individual in re-designing the
organization, the authors identify the
importance of being a leader of change
rather than a victim. They also provide maps
and tools for understanding and leading
change and look at how new skills can be used by the leader to
address the future in terms of partnerships and learning.
Women’s Spiritual Passages,
Celebrating Faith After 40
Edited by Lucinda Secrest McDowell
Harold Shaw Publishers (1-800-742-9782)
$9.99
A delightful collection of writings from fifty
Christian women leaders, all of whom are
forty- plus. Professional and career women,
homemakers, married and single, their candid stories revolve
around five areas of spiritual passage common to most women:
becoming “real” and more honest with ourselves, weathering
the storms of life, making choices and learning to live with
them, grieving losses, and investing in the future of their
children and others.
The New Reformation, Tomorrow
Arrived Yesterday
by Lyle Schaller
Abingdon Press (1-800-672-1789) $12.95
“What year do you believe it is” is a
question Schaller uses to focus on the new
reformation already underway in American
Christianity. Holding true to his practice of
keeping lists, this book identifies twenty-one
of the most highly visible signs of the new reformation. His
second question poses a choice for the reader: “Do you want to
devote your time and energy to patching the old wineskins or do
you want to help shape this new reformation”
8

L EADERSHIP N ETWORK
R ECOMMENDS
Executive Book Summaries
1-800-521-1227 or
1-800-453-5062 Fax
$89.50 for 30 Summaries and
9 reviews annually
This is the best book summary
service we have discovered. The
books reviewed are consistently on
the leading edge of business ideas
and the Summaries are concise and
well written. If you are trying to stay
current with business reading, this is an excellent tool.
For a sample of what you receive, visit their web site at
Understanding Your
Congregation As A System
George Parsons and Speed B. Leas
The Alban Institute
1-800-486-1318, Ext. 244
$48.90 for the manual and ten CSI
workbooks
The Congregational Systems
Inventory (CSI) is a useful tool in helping
a church’s leadership address change and
examine their church through the lens of
systems theory and organizational
architecture. It is particularly useful when congregations
are coping with numerical growth or decline, anticipating a
building or capital campaign, moving through a pastoral
transition, anticipating staff changes or facing a significant
change in their community. The package includes a manual
and ten participant workbooks.
The Pastor’s Coach
INJOY 1-800-333-6506
12 issues, $24/year
One of four new fax services launched
in 1996 by INJOY and John Maxwell,
this publication focuses on providing
information and counsel on key
leadership issues facing pastors. The
other three fax services include Growing Today, a monthly
guide to personal growth, Maximum Leadership, dedicated
to developing leadership potential, and Books in Brief, a
monthly book review. All are available through INJOY.
WIRED Magazine
1-800-769-4733
12 issues, $39.95/year
The chronicle of the on-line/digital/
information revolution, WIRED has
a well-deserved reputation as the
hottest magazine start-up in U.S.
history. Be prepared to expend a lot
of energy reading it due to its layout and extensive use of
graphics and colors, but it is worth the effort if you want to
understand the 21st-century world and culture being shaped
by electronic communications. Newsstand copies usually
sell out quickly so you might want your own subscription.
For more details, e-mail
The Clergy Journal
1-800-328-0200
10 issues, $29.95/year
A consistently useful publication,
The Clergy Journal focuses on critical
issues related to the practice of ministry
facing church leaders. While aimed
primarily at mainline clergy, much of
its content is applicable to evangelical and other clergy.
It includes regular articles on administration, ministry,
personal issues faced by clergy, preaching and worship,
as well as helpful book reviews.
9

Q. “NetFax is great! Why is something this valuable free”
A. “Because we believe information has no value unless it is shared.”
IN THE INFORMATION AGE, you don’t need more information ...but you do need the right
information at the right time and in the right form.
NetFax is Leadership Network’s latest information service, and provides you with the right information...
on leadership, organizational change, transition, team building, innovation, cultural shifts and trends, and
the best practices in churches, ministries, and organizations at the right time – sent to your fax machine every
other Monday morning and in the right form – one page that is concise and easily duplicated for sharing with
staff, lay leaders, and others in your network.
If you are interested in receiving NetFax (and yes, it really is free), please complete the form below and
fax it to Leadership Network at (903) 561-9361. You may also mail the form to P.O. Box 9100, Tyler, Texas
75711-9100. For more information, contact Elaine Cox or Carol Childress at 1-800-765-5323 or (903) 561-0437.
❑ Yes, I would like to receive NetFax!
Name: (Rev., Dr., Pastor, Mr., Ms.)
NetFax Registration
Position/Title:
Church/Organization:
How long in present position
Weekend Worship Attendance:
Church/Organization Mailing Address:
City: State: Zip Code:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail address:
Specific Denominational Affiliation:
10

■
Back Issues
of NETFAX
are available
ONLY AS FULL SETS
for $39 (which
includes shipping
and handling)
by calling the Leadership
Network office at
1-800-765-5323
[903-561-0437 OUTSIDE THE U.S.]
■
N E T F A X B A C K I S S U E S
D A T E
Sept. 5, 1994
Sept. 19, 1994
Oct. 3, 1994
Oct. 17, 1994
Oct. 31, 1994
Nov. 14, 1994
Nov. 28,1994
Dec. 12, 1994
Dec. 26, 1994
Jan. 9, 1995
Jan. 23, 1995
Feb. 6, 1995
Feb. 20, 1995
Mar. 6, 1995
Mar. 20, 1995
Apr. 3, 1995
Apr. 17. 1995
May 1, 1995
May 15, 1995
May 29, 1995
Jun. 12, 1995
Jun. 26, 1995
Jul. 10, 1995
Jul. 24, 1995
Aug. 7, 1995
Aug. 21, 1995
Sept. 4, 1995
Sept. 18, 1995
Oct. 2, 1995
Oct. 16, 1995
Oct. 30, 1995
Nov. 13, 1995
Nov. 27, 1995
Dec. 11, 1995
Dec. 25, 1995
Jan. 8, 1996
Jan. 22,1996
Feb. 5, 1996
Feb. 19, 1996
Mar. 4, 1996
Mar. 18, 1996
N O .
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
T O P I C S
Peter Drucker on the Church and Denominations
Lyle Schaller’s Signs of Hope
Have Americans Lost Touch with the Sacred in Their Workaday Lives
Leading by Vision and Values
It’s a New Day for Volunteers in the Church
Christian Philanthropy, American and the World
Children’s Ministry ...It’s Not Church “Baby Sitting”
Jumping the Sigmoid Curve
Letterman Has His Top Ten List ...So Do We!
Targeting People in Transition
When the Horse is Dead, Dismount
America at Mid-Decade
What Exactly is Lay Mobilization
Church Champions ... Regulators or Resources
Living in an Age of Whitewater (Ten Issues for the Future)
A Blueprint for Lay Mobilization
Eight Distinctives of Full Service Churches
Women’s Ministries in the 90’s ...The Other Half of the Church
Escaping the Past and Inventing the Future
Re-Tooling the Church ...Summit ‘95
Teenagers Today ...What a Difference a Decade Makes
Mentoring on Both Sides of the Equation
Ten Principles for Effective Partnerships
Beyond the Learning Organization: Designing Your Learning Network
Listening to the Unchurched
Changing Organizational Characteristics
The New Apostolic Paradigm
The Essence of Strategic Leadership
Ten Keys to Starting a Saturday Night Service
Church Traditions: Building Blocks or Roadblocks
Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Church
Does Evangelism Have a Future in America
Children’s Ministry in the 90’s...Changes and Challenges
“L > C...The Law of Ecological Learning”
The Fifth Resolution
Beyond Boomers to Generation X
From Generation to Generation
Social Entrepreneurs...Moving From Success to Significance
Leadership for Turbulent Times
The Teaching Church Network...Churches Mentoring Churches
Authenticity and Connections Frame Gen X Forum
11

FAX Forum Questions
(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY)
1. The Use of Church Consultants
Have you used the services of a consultant within the past two years
❑ Yes ❑ No
2. If yes, for what purpose
FAXFORUM is another way of learning
more about the issues of interest
to you as a reader of .
Please help us by completing the
brief survey to the right and fax it
back to us at (903) 561-9361.
If you prefer to return it by mail,
please send it to:
Leadership Network
P. O. Box 9100
Tyler, TX 75711
Please tell us something
about you:
Name:
Church or Organization:
Address:
Telephone:
FAX:
E-mail:
Ministry Position:
❑ Senior Pastor ❑ Other:
Age: ❑25-34 ❑35-44 ❑45-54 ❑55+
I have attended a Leadership Network:
❑ Forum ❑ Summit
❑ Church in the 21st Century
❑ Other:
❑ Long range planning
❑ Ministry assessment/evaluation
❑ Staffing/personnel matters
❑ Stewardship development
❑ Capital campaign for building program
❑ Community analysis
❑ Organizational change
❑ Architect/Engineer/Land Planning
❑ Other (please specify)
3. In addition to the qualifications of the consultant, what were the
most influential reasons in the selection of the consultant
(1= most influential 2= second most influential)
Church had previously used this consultant
Recommendation by another church
Recommendation by another pastor
Recommendation by another consultant
4. Based on your experience, what is one important
“learning” of using a consultant that might be useful to
other churches
FAX YOUR RESPONSES TO LEADERSHIP NETWORK:
FAX: (903) 561-9361
WE’LL SHARE YOUR RESULTS IN A FUTURE ISSUE OF NEXT.
12

NEW!
FAMILYMINISTRIES
FORUM
In response to the growing number of family
ministry positions being added to the staff of
large churches, a new addition to the 1996
Leadership Network Forum Schedule is the
Family Ministries Forum. It will be held
September 25-27, 1996 at the Glen Eyrie
Conference Center in Colorado Springs, CO.
WHAT IS “FAMILY MINISTRIES”
Family Ministry is defined as ministry to families
as a whole, rather than just age-group
ministry that addresses the needs of members
of the same family in separate events. Pioneers
in the field are developing integrative
approaches to the oversight of children, youth,
and parents/marriage ministries.
WHO IS INVITED
Anyone involved in family ministry, or intergenerational
ministry for at least one year.
Among the issues to be addressed at the
forum are:
▲ transitioning from a traditional to a familyfriendly
ministry
▲ beginning a family ministry from scratch
▲ what is working and what’s not in current
ministries
▲ the future of family ministries
▲ resources for family ministry...people,
books, organizations, ideas
MODERATOR:
Tim Smith
Pastor to Family Life, Calvary Community Church,
Westlake Village, CA
FACILITATORS:
John Erwin
Family Ministries Pastor, Grace Church, Edina, MN
Doug Haag
Associate Pastor for Family Ministries, First
Evangelical Free Church, Fullerton, CA
If you would like to receive an invitation or recommend
someone to be invited to the Family Ministries
forum, please call Linda Stanley at the Leadership
Network office at:
1-800-765-5323 or (903) 561-0437.
DAILY SCHEDULE – ALL FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
7:30
Breakfast
Breakfast
8:30
NOON
1:00
3:00
4:00
6:00
7:00
9:00
1996
Womens Ministry Forum
April 25-27, 1996
FULL
FULL
Senior Ministers Forum
May 14-16, 1996
Small Groups Forum
June 6-8, 1996
Worship Leaders Forum
August 28-30, 1996
Family Ministries Forum
September 25-27, 1996
Business Administrators Forum
October 22-24, 1996
Young Leaders Forum
Oct. 30– Nov. 1, 1996
Childrens Ministry Forum
November 14-16, 1996
Pastoral Care Forum
December 5-7, 1996
P L E A S E N O T E
▼
Attendance at all forums is by invitation only, limited to 25 people per forum and one participant per
church. Participants are Senior Ministers and other ministerial staff of large churches (1,000 or more
worship attendance) and have at least one year of ministry experience. If you would like to receive
an invitation or recommend someone to be invited to a forum, please call or write Nancy Kiser at the
Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323 or (903) 561-0437. The cost of a forum is $175 which
includes lodging (double occupancy) and all meals. For your convenience, forum fees may be
charged to American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All forums will be held at the Glen Eyrie
Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Transportation from the Colorado Springs Airport to
Forum Begins
Set Agenda
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
ANNOUNCING THE NEW1997
FORUM SCHEDULE
1997
Mission Pastors Forum
January 29-31, 1997
Executive Pastors Forum
February 18-20, 1997
Christian Education Forum
March 27-29, 1997
Womens Ministry Forum
April 24-26, 1997
Senior Ministers Forum
May 20-22, 1997
Small Groups Forum
June 5-7, 1997
Worship Leaders Forum
August 26-28, 1997
Singles Pastors Forum
September 25-27, 1997
Business Administrators Forum
October 21-23, 1997
Childrens Ministry Forum
November 11-13, 1997
Senior Adults Ministry Forum
December 4-6, 1997
Glen Eyrie is available through the Airporter, Inc. shuttle service. The fare is $18 per person or $9 per
person (2–11 people). A reservation is necessary and can be made by calling (719) 578-5232.
Discussion
Lunch
Free Time
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Discussion
Lunch
Conclusion and
Adjournment
13

L A Y M O B I L I Z A T I O N
New Lay
Mobilization
Resource:
Into Action , a quarterly
newsletter for Directors of
Lay Ministry and churches
who are implementing lay
involvement programs, was
released in August, 1995.
The Spring issue features
trends, a church profile,
and more.
NOTE: If you have
attended a one-day forum,
LTN Institute, purchased a
Starter Kit, or completed
a Lay Mobilization survey,
you are already on the
mailing list to receive
Into Action .
To be placed on this list,
call Katrina Gault at
1-800-765-5323
or (903)561-0437.
LeadershipTraining Network
Five-DayTraining Events:
Level 1 – covers the basic strategies of
establishing a Lay Mobilization program including
training in the Seven Steps in Section 2 of the
Starter Kit. Designed for Directors of Lay Ministry
and leadership teams responsible for developing an
equipping-centered church:
September 29 - Oct. 4, 1996................Atlanta,
G
A
Level 2 – includes in-depth training on leadership
development, gift discovery, vision-casting,
staff-team relationships, and more. Designed
for churches with established lay mobilization
programs, Directors of Lay Ministry with over 3
years experience, and Level 1 graduates with one
year of experience after graduation.
November 17 - 22, 1996..........San Bernardino, CA
Consultants Training – for consultants,
trainers and experienced Directors of Lay Ministry
with the gifts and calling to assist churches who are
implementing new and intermediate programs.
Participation is limited. Applications must be
approved by the LTN board.
July 21 - 26, 1996..................Colorado Springs, CO
Tuition for the 1996 LTN Training Events is $595 per
person and includes all teaching materials, meals, and
double-occupancy room for five nights. To register,
or for more information, please call Katrina Gault at
The Starter Kit
For Mobilizing Ministry
Here is a complete manual of practical suggestions, checklists, forms,
discussion guides and more – in three sections – one for senior pastors and
church leadership, a section for the Director of Lay Ministry and the lay
ministry team, and a section of resources, books and assessment tools –
all for $45, and that includes shipping. To order, or for more information,
call Linda Stanley at 1-800-765-5323 or (903) 561-0437.
One-Da
Day Forums On
Lay Mobilization
Designed for church teams to learn
what is involved in developing or
expanding a lay ministry program
and features
■ vision-casting insights for increased
lay involvement ■ various models of
successful programs to help leaders
customize a program to fit their church
■ hands-on implementation steps taught
by an experienced Lay Ministry Director
❖
September 11, 1996 ■ Austin, Texas
One-day forums are designed to help
teams of church leaders assess their
current program and learn about
national trends in lay mobilization.
The price of $40 includes a morning
beverage, snack break and lunch.
Leadership Network will provide a
complimentary Starter Kit for Mobilizing
Ministry to each person attending.
To register, or for
more information,
call Katrina Gault at
1-800-765-5323 or (903)561-0437.
14

Leadership Network Survey
P.O. Box 9100 - Tyler, TX 75711; FAX (903) 561-9361
This form is used to keep our database current. If you would like your church staff to be included on our
mailing lists, please complete this form and return it to us.
PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY
Date:
Church Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Church Phone: ( ) Fax: ( ) E-mail:
Weekend Worship Attendance:
Specific Denomination Affiliation:
Please write in the full name of pastors/staff and indicate their titles.
(Rev., Dr., Pastor, Mr., Mrs. Ms.)
Direct Dial
or Ext. #
E-Mail
Address
Senior Ministers (SM):
Executive Pastors (XP):
Business Administrators (BA):
Christian Education Directors (CE):
Childrens Ministries Directors (CM):
Director of Counseling (CO):
Directors of Lay Ministry (VR):
Elder Lay Leaders (LL):
Family Ministries (FM):
Missions Pastors (MP):
Outreach Ministries/Evangelism (OM):
Pastoral Care (PC):
Mens Ministries (MM):
Small Groups Pastor (SG):
Singles Pastors (SP):
Senior Adults Ministry (SR):
Media Directors (TV):
Womens Ministry (WM):
Worship Leaders/Music Ministers (WL):
Youth Ministers (YM):
15

ISSN: 1082-037X
Religious Publishing Trends
According to a recent Publishers Weekly, “the most popular religious subject
for readers in 1995 was the variety of new books on prayer. Readers from
mainline, evangelical and Catholic backgrounds have shown a strong interest
in books of collections of prayers for general and specific purposes, prayer
journals and prayers of historical and modern leaders.”
Also, in the last two years, religious books written for children have shown the
fastest growth of any book category. “Just 10 years ago, children’s books with
overt religious, biblical or spiritual themes would never have been published,
let alone acknowledged as best sellers” writes Paul Wisenthal of the New York
Times. The increase in sales is being generated by the interest in spirituality
and religion among baby boomer parents and grandparents.
❦
Population Changes
Released by Census Bureau
1995 county population estimates were released by the Census Bureau March
8 and they reflect a continuation of population trends that were begun in this
decade. Some key trends emerging from the estimates include:
■ rural areas will enjoy a modest renaissance as retirees and service industries
seek cheaper locations.
■ suburban sprawl will continue to spill over into “exurban” areas.
■ the growth in service and light manufacturing industries will attract people
to regions decimated by the loss of heavy industries.
■ two-income baby boomer families, juggling children and
careers, will be less likely to move.
■ the information highway will allow people to live in
more remote areas.
❦
“In times of change, Learners inherit the earth,
while the Learned find themselves beautifully
equipped to deal with a world that no longer
exists.”
— Eric Hoffer
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network.
Permission to reproduce material
in NEXT may be obtained
by calling,
faxing, or writing to
Leadership Network.
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
inside the U.S.,
or (903) 561-0437
outside the U.S.
FAX: (903) 561-9361
Mailing Address:
L E A D E R S H I P
N E T W O R K
P. O. Box 9100
Tyler, Texas 75711-9100
NEXT is printed on 50-percent recycled paper with 30-percent
post-consumer waste using 100-percent soy-based inks.
16

THE 21 st CENTURY
is going to be more like the
first century than any
of the intervening 2,000
years and the 21st century
church is going to more
resemble the first century
church than in any previous
period in church history.
George Hunter has written
a significant book for leaders
of the 21st century church
in which he describes the
characteristics and
approaches to mission and
ministry that are reflected in
an increasing number of
churches he calls “new
apostolic congregations.” We
thank the publisher,
Abingdon Press, for the use
of excerpts from church for
the unchurched.
THE STAFF OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
INSIDE NEXT
COVER STORY
church for the unchurched
■
A SPECIAL FAREWELL (page 4)
■
BOOMERS & BUSTERS (page 5)
■
FAX FORUM RESULTS (page 5)
■
FAX FORUM (page 6)
■
NETFAX (page 7)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
RECOMMENDS (page 8 and 9)
■
THE BOOKSHELF (page 10)
■
WEB.WATCH (page 11)
■
FORUMS (page 12)
■
LAY MOBILIZATION (page 12)
■
EXTRAS (page 12)
V O L U M E 2 , N U M B E R 2 A U G U S T , 1 9 9 6
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
CHURCH FOR THE UNCHURCHED
by George G. Hunter, III
The Christian movement now faces its
greatest opportunity in the Western
world in the last three centuries. Today, we
find the real future of Christianity modeled
in pioneering local churches.
Our New “Apostolic Age”
The shape of the Church’s emerging
opportunity looks like this:
■ Christendom is largely dissolved, and the
peoples of Europe and North America
are increasingly secular.
■ The Enlightenment, which
provided the worldview
for the secular West, is a
spent force. Consequently,
people are increasingly
receptive to, and searching
for, a satisfying worldview.
■ We are, once again, in an
Apostolic Age—much like the
age that early Christianity
engaged.
We can dramatize some of what
this new apostolic age means and what the
policy of most churches means, in terms of
the John 4:35 and Luke 10:2 texts. Three
things, today, are similar to the ancient
world reflected in those texts. First, due
largely to the secularization of the West and
the breakdown of the Enlightenment, the
harvest is great once again. More and more
people need and seek a satisfying worldview
and spiritual fulfillment.
Second, one reason that most churches
fail to gather the harvest around them is that
the Church still has trouble perceiving the
harvest. From the Christendom legacy, most
churches continue “doing church” as usual,
as though most people in our communities
are Christians, as though ministry is merely
the nurture and care of existing Christians.
Many church leaders are in denial regarding
the growing number of secular pre-
Christians in their community.
Third, the Christian movement still has
too few laborers to gather the harvest. In
most traditional churches, we ask our people
to share the good news and invite people
to church involvement and they don’t do it.
I have become obsessed with
two questions: What kind of
church can reach and disciple the
growing number of secular people
across our land What can
churches do to produce a witnessing,
inviting people
I have discovered that the
God who acts and reveals
His possibilities in history
began, in the 1970’s, to
raise up “Apostolic
Congregations” appropriate to
this new apostolic age that target and reach
unchurched pre-Christians.
“Apostolic” is a revered term of the
Christian tradition, but it is not a trendy term
for referring to churches today. I have resisted
the temptation to feature any of the terms
in referring to the churches who target secular
unchurched pre-Christian people, for
two reasons ...these terms do not suggest the
deep roots from which these churches draw
and what makes these churches different is
not a single feature like prayer, small
groups, or seven-days-a-week scheduling,
but a combination of multiple features that
function synergistically.
continued on next page

One more qualifier. I have discovered
that no church, no matter how “apostolic”
its orientation or its obsession, reaches
unchurched pre-Christian people exclusively.
Furthermore, many unchurched
Christians have been looking for this kind
of church, and some churched Christians
from other churches (who are weary
of committee meetings and “playing
church”) feel constrained to switch to
a church with a vision for reaching lost
people.
Ten Features of Apostolic
Congregations
I identified ten distinctive features of
Apostolic congregations. The first four
will surprise no one.
1. Apostolic congregations take a redundant
approach to rooting believers and
seekers in Scripture. Besides Biblical
preaching and regular Bible study in many
strong Sunday school classes, such a
church may feature many ongoing Bible
study groups all taught by many people, in
many locations, at many different times of
a typical week.
2. Apostolic congregations are disciplined
and earnest in prayer, and they expect and
experience God’s action in response.
3. Apostolic congregations understand,
like and have compassion for lost,
unchurched, pre-Christian people. Many
traditional churches, by contrast, ...seem to
be motivated by the need to recruit more
members to stop the decline, or pay the
bills or maintain the institutional church.
4. Apostolic congregations obey the Great
Commission. Indeed, their main business
is to make faith possible for unreached
people; evangelization is not merely one of
many more or less equally important ministries
of the church.
Besides these four features—Scripture,
Prayer, Love, Obedience—that are most
obvious, this project has identified six
more features of apostolic congregations
that are not as obvious.
5. Apostolic congregations have a motivationally
sufficient vision for what people,
as disciples, can become.
6. Apostolic congregations adapt to the
language, music, and style of the target
population’s culture.
7. Apostolic congregations labor to involve
everyone, believers and seekers, in small
groups.
8. Apostolic congregations prioritize the
involvement of all Christians in lay ministries
for which they are gifted.
9. The members of apostolic congregations
receive regular pastoral care. They are in
regular spiritual conversation with someone
who is gifted for shepherding ministry.
10. Apostolic congregations engage in
many ministries to unchurched non-
Christian people.
Members of apostolic churches typically
experience a profound paradox;
church members who have caught the
apostolic vision for people, who experience
celebrative indigenous worship, who
are involved in pastoral conversation, and
in a small group, and in a gift-based ministry,
and are involved in ministry with
pre-Christian people are themselves far
more blessed and “ministered unto” than if
they had their own hired chaplain in a
small traditional church.
This, however, is the supreme point of
this project. The church with apostolic features
typically produces much more of an
apostolic laity.
Ten Pioneering Principles of
Outreach in Apostolic
Churches
1. They prepare their people in multiple
ways ...by rooting them in scripture, deepening
them in prayer, teaching them compassion
for sinners and obedience to the
Great Commission, and by scripting them
with an apostolic vision of what people
can become.
2. They clarify the goal of outreach
...which is not merely to persuade people to
believe, accept Christ’s benefits, and join
the ranks of nominal Christians. In the
words of WillowCreek’s mission statement,
the goal is “to turn irreligious people into
fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.”
3. They understand evangelism as a
process ...and are aware that making
Christians necessarily involves a process,
which takes place in stages, over time.
4. They regard outreach as a lay ministry
...“shepherds do not make new sheep;
sheep make new sheep.” All laity are called
and gifted to be in ministry, so all
Christians are called to the ministry of witness
and evangelism, and laity with the
spiritual gift for evangelism are called to
make it their main ministry.
5. They train their people for outreach
...with specific emphasis on evangelism.
6. They practice social network evangelism
...they encourage and teach network
or oikos evangelism as the way in which
the faith spreads naturally.
7. They offer “faith once delivered to the
saints” ...their primary source is the Bible
and their message is to meaningfully communicate
the biblical message to the pre-
Christian people of their generation.
Consequently, they pay the price to understand
the target population that wants the
“real thing” and take them seriously.
8. They address the “life concerns” of
pre-Christians (and Christians) ...or
those issues dealing with health, parenting,
family and social relations and other
immediate concerns of daily life that focus
on “the uncertainties of the future, the
crises of the present, and the unexplainable
events of the past.”
9. They use the language of the target
population ...and know that secular people
who are open to Christianity do not, generally,
respond to the faith when it is
expressed in Elizabethan, academic, theological,
evangelical, ecclesiastical or
“politically correct” language.
10. They represent the gospel with generational
relevance ...they have discovered
that the same approaches that engage
unchurched and pre-Christians of the culture
engage (and retain) many of their own
youth and young adults; likewise, the
church’s young people can often identify
the ways to reach the unchurched.
continued on next page
2

What Churches Discover
When They “Go Apostolic”
When churches move “from tradition
to mission,” they commonly have five
experiences:
1. Churches that decide to major in reaching
unchurched pre-Christian people discover
the reality of “prevenient grace” —
that in every season God’s spirit is preparing
the hearts of some people to receive the
gospel and experience saving grace.
Therefore, the church discovers that it is
always “harvest time;” they can always
find receptive people and groups in their
ministry area.
2. Churches who begin to receive
secular people into their ranks typically
discover that these people bring their problems
with them — often a different set of
problems than the church is used to. The
church also discovers that the grace of God
is great enough for those problems, too.
3. Such churches discover the faith for
themselves in a new depth. When you
spend part of your life explaining and
interpreting the Christian faith to outsiders,
you are driven into a deeper understanding
of the faith’s meaning than you ever could
attain spending all of your time with
Christians.
4. Churches who “go apostolic” no longer
miss the “home field advantage” of the
Christendom period.
5. The new apostolic churches often experience
a life, meaning, excitement, power
and contagion that more traditional
churches seldom experience.
From Church for the Unchurched by George Hunter, published
by Abingdon Press, copyright 1996. Used with permission
of Abingdon Press. To order a copy of church for the
unchurched ($12.95), call Abingdon at 1-800-672-1789.
George Hunter can be reached at (606) 858-2261 or by e-mail
at
An Interview With
George Hunter
NEXT: George, what did you
want to accomplish with this
book
Hunter: I wanted church leaders
at the grass roots to understand
what kind of church
reaches people today without a
faith background. Many don’t
know what we are talking about when we
say “without a faith background.” There
are a growing number of these secular
people in every community and most traditional
congregations are incapable of
reaching them. Many traditional churches
don’t plan to reach them and would not
know what to do with them if they did.
NEXT: Is this “new apostolic church” just
another trend or fad
Hunter: No, this is not a fad. It is not like
hula hoops. These churches are not just a
phenomenon of Boomers or some other
niche.
NEXT: What did you learn in the process
of writing the book
Hunter: I had some assumptions that were
confirmed: I learned that small groups are
here to stay and they are found in more of
a variety of forms than I had previously
perceived.
I learned that ministry is probably indispensable
if you want to have a Christian
movement and that these churches basically
recruit staff from within their congregation.
I also learned that cultural relevance is a
towering feature of these churches. What
that looks like varies from region to region
and target population to target population.
I focused on indigenous language and
music earlier but found churches who were
modeling those plus the whole liturgy
being shaped to reach the target population.
The approach to learning, clothing,
leadership styles, and when possible,
architecture, were all a part of cultural relevance.
I saw churches, without knowing
what to call it, taking a more comprehensive
approach to being culturally relevant.
NEXT: What was an “unexpected
learning” from writing
this book
Hunter: The biggest surprise
is that all have adequate
ongoing pastoral care delivered
by a lay person. Most of
these churches identify, train,
and deploy godly people
serving as the shepherd or
pastor of their own flock.
People who get regular pastoral
care are more healthy and more likely
to share their faith. It is the people who
are the pastors. The ordained clergy does
not attempt to serve everybody.
Another surprise amplified a hunch of
mine in that they do not do evangelism the
way the books on evangelism prescribe.
They generally don’t use prescribed formulas
such as the Roman Road and others.
Their style of evangelism is usually much
more situationally tailored to the person,
more of a two-way conversation than a
one-way presentation. Almost always, the
Christian faith is shared in response to the
questions or doubts of the individual rather
than the Christian controlling the agenda.
The second birth almost never happens
instantly but is the result of a series of contacts
over a period of months or years.
NEXT: Knowing that hindsight is 20/20, is
there anything you would add to the book
Hunter: Yes, I would have included something
about leadership and preaching to the
unchurched. Leadership in these churches
is team leadership and most pastors are
unskilled in this approach and yet it is
much more fun. This is the way these
churches have solved the problem of
succession. There is a team of leaders and
the church is much less likely to crater if
the pastor leaves because the pastor is one
member of a team. Many of these new
leaders learned these skills playing soccer,
not baseball.
Effective preaching comes out of conversation
with the unchurched. Even when
you are in the pulpit, it simulates a conversation.
You are engaging the questions they
asked and speaking to their struggle
George G. Hunter, III
continued on next page
3

...using people like them as the heroes and
role models as examples and illustrations
rather than missionaries who died in Africa.
The vision of what people can become
...that is what forms such preaching.
One other observation is that through this
research, I grew in the confidence that the
generations can be reached and all of the
hand wringing we find in the mainline
church is unwarranted. The test is whether
we care enough and dare enough to reinvent
church enough to begin where people
are, rather than where we would like
them to be.
FYI:
The cover story of the August
issue of The Atlantic Monthly,
entitled “Welcome to the Next
Church,” will be of interest to 21st
century leaders.
Set amidst the changing landscape
of the American religious life, it
focuses on the emergence of the large
pastoral church and represents more
than a year of research, interviews
with pastors and church leaders, and
others on the part of the author
Charles Trueheart.
The Atlantic Monthly also can
be accessed via the Internet at
http://www.theAtlantic.com/ or at
The Atlantic Monthly site in the
Newsstand area of America OnLine.
The writer of Ecclesiasties said it well,
“there is a time and a season for everything.”
n 1984, Bob Buford and Fred Smith started off on an adventure that some people then
Idescribed as “two guys and a typewriter.” There was no such thing as Leadership
Network. There was only a dream to be useful to the Kingdom. In the words of the
Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood, they were “on a mission for God.”
What began as a response to a small group of senior ministers of large churches has
gone far beyond what they initially imagined and today Leadership Network has grown
to include a staff of 14 and is involved with major initiatives with large churches,
denominational church champions, lay mobilization, and others who are leading the
21st century church.
A large measure of that growth is due to the leadership and
energy of Fred Smith. For twelve years, he has connected people,
ideas, and resources and done it with a sense of servanthood,
integrity and wit. Now, he has decided that the season of
his life known as Leadership Network is drawing to a close
and he will be leaving September 1.
According to Fred, “It is the right time to end this season
and begin the next. Every healthy enterprise reaches that stage
where it changes from the entrepreneurial venture into a
mature organization that requires strategic planning, management
and a different style of leadership for the next phase of growth. My gifts have been
Fred Smith
to help lead Leadership Network to where it is today but the next stretch of the journey
requires a different kind of leadership.”
A natural question is “What is Fred going to do beyond Leadership Network”
Again, in his words, “I have a genuine sense of calling to be “salt and light” in the community
of Tyler, and I am going to spend more time and energy on that. As well, I want
to continue my work with philanthropy and foundations around the country. Moreover,
I want to continue to be with my family. I do not have to tell you how important time
and attention are to two young daughters and I’ve spent a good portion of the last twelve
years with wonderful and stimulating people ...a thousand miles from home.”
We at Leadership Network talk a lot about transition and change and people being
in “half time.” We just never thought it would hit so close to home. Thank you, Fred,
for being you and for being faithful to the mission.
4

“Make Room
for the Boomers”
by Kevin Martin
or some time now, I have been pre-
that there is a time bomb tick-
Fdicting
ing away for the Episcopal Church. This
time bomb is the emerging influence of
Boomers on congregational structure.
Normally, the “bell-curve” for the age
of congregational leaders is between 45
and 55 years of age. This is also the bellcurve
for most decision makers in our
society. This means that Boomers are
now taking over the decision-making
processes of many of our churches. As
they do, they will change the way we currently
do business. Here are some of the
trends we can expect when Boomers are
the decision makers:
✔ They will evaluate clergy based on
their visionary leadership, ability to
be vulnerable, and willingness to
trust lay leaders as co-equal peers.
✔ They will place less emphasis on theological
degrees, tenure, titles, or loyalty
to the denomination when they
evaluate clergy.
✔ They will measure the value of
denominational structures by their
ability to service the needs of local
leaders, asking “what does the
Diocese do for us”
✔ They will initiate procedures and policies
that are based on participatory
democracy rather than representative
democracy.
✔ They will require that decision-making
be moved to the lowest level in
congregational life.
✔ They will demand high levels of competency
in leaders and staff.
✔ They will not defer to tenure in a congregation
as a key to electing leaders.
✔ They will implement new ways of
funding churches including fee-based
services, direct checking access for
payment of pledges, and bonds for
funding buildings.
✔ They will demand high quality preaching
that is biblically based, educational,
and practical. They will expect all
these ingredients to be present in all
sermons.
✔ They will expect high quality music
with multiple instruments and an
excellent sound system.
✔ They will value innovation and add on
value even when things are going
well.
✔ They will not accept the past as the
most important dynamic for determining
policy.
✔ They will not see membership in a
church as a worthwhile destination.
✔ They will value experiential and intergenerational
activities and worship.
✔ They will DEMAND that the church
be a safe place for children and that
professional child care be provided
for all church activities.
✔ They will expect that nurseries and
classrooms be clean and attractive.
✔ They will expect that adequate and
large rest room facilities be present.
✔ They will demand that children have
a place in worship.
✔ They will be offended if women do not
have access to all levels of leadership
roles.
To measure the increasing influence of
Boomers in your congregation, make a
list of leaders and count the number
between 35 and 50 years of age.
Churches with 50% of leaders in this age
range are now facing, or will shortly face,
pressure for change.
Kevin Martin is Canon of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
(512-478-0580).This article was used with permission
from the Diocese and originally appeared in its publication,
Mission, Vol.1, No.3.
5

FAX Forum Questions
(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY)
21st Century y Skill Set
1. What do you believe are the essential and strategic skills
that will enable church leaders to be effective in the 21st
century
FAXFORUM is another way of learning
more about the issues of interest to you
as a reader of .
Please help us by completing the brief
survey to the right and fax it back to us
at (903) 561-9361.
If you prefer to return it by mail,
please send it to:
Leadership Network
P. O. Box 9100
Tyler, TX 75711
Please tell us something
about you:
Name:
Church or Organization:
Address:
Telephone:
FAX:
E-mail:
Ministry Position:
❑ Senior Pastor ❑ Other:
Age: ❑25-34 ❑35-44 ❑45-54 ❑55+
I have attended a Leadership Network:
❑ Forum ❑ Summit
❑ Church in the 21st Century
❑ Other:
2. Who are the most qualified resource people to help church
leaders acquire and develop these skills
NETWORKS ARE BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS. IF YOU
KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE RECEIVING
NEXT, PLEASE COMPLETE THE INFORMATION BELOW:
NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY: STATE: ZIP:
PHONE:
E-MAIL:
FAX:
FAX YOUR RESPONSES TO LEADERSHIP NETWORK:
FAX: (903) 561-9361
WE’LL SHARE YOUR RESULTS IN A FUTURE ISSUE OF NEXT.
6

I
n the previous issue of NEXT, we
asked about a
the use of consultants in
local congregations. Here e is whaw
hat t youy
said:
The top ten purposes for using a consultant were
(in descending order):
1. Architect/Engineer/Land Planning and Capital-campaign-forbuilding-program
tie;
2. Ministry assessment/evaluation;
3. Long range planning;
4. Organizational change;
5. Staffing/personnel matters;
6. Stewardship development;
7. Community analysis;
8. Worship and Music options;
9. Marketing;
10. Communications
In addition to the qualifications of the consultant,
the following were the most influential reasons in
selecting a consultant (in descending order):
1. Recommendation by another church;
2. Recommendation by another pastor;
3. Church had previously used this consultant;
4. Recommendation by another consultant;
5. Recommendation by a church member.
Important “learnings” from the use of consultants
that might be useful to other churches included:
☛ Clearly define in writing the appropriate boundaries of the
church’s culture, the scope of services to be rendered, and
expectations before engaging the consultant.
☛ Personally visit and interview other clients of the consultant
before making a final decision on the selection.
☛ Do the proper advance work ...prepare core leaders, obtain
relevant information, and develop a realistic assessment of your
needs. Identify any organizational contradictions. Get the facts
and expose false assumptions.
☛ Discover whether the consultant is interested in the church’s
ministry growing or fitting you into their “plan.” Do not accept
generalizations or revisions of a previous plan.
☛ Look for the “big picture” perspective and one that leads to
ownership by the congregation.
7

L EADERSHIP N ETWORK
R ECOMMENDS
Conferences
National Youth
Workers
Convention
Anaheim, CA
October 30-
November 3, 1996
and St. Louis, MO
November 20-24
Call Youth
Specialties at (619) 440-2333 for registration
details or check out the conference
on their web site at:
General sessions with outstanding speakers,
80 elective seminars, performing
artists, and 11 intensive pre-convention
workshops combine to make this conference
an important one for anyone
involved in youth ministry. Seminar
sessions are grouped around five themes:
personal and spiritual growth, ministry
development, professional skills, technology,
and program development.
“Church Architecture for the
21st Century”
October 10-11, 1996
Dallas, TX
Call (214) 828-5125 for registration and
program details
This conference is targeted at architects
whose practice involves design and
renovation of new and existing church
buildings. Both plenary and workshop
sessions will focus on the influences of
emerging technology, the changing
culture and expectations of church populations
on church building design and
construction in the future.
The Ivy Jungle College Pastors
Conference
November 20-22, 1996
Naperville, IL
Call (360) 733-6212 for registration
details, or e-mail
Networking, presentations by Steve
Hayner, Dieter Zander, Bill Henry, Steve
Moore, Brenda Salter-McNell, and Mark
Lebberton plus eight workshops highlight
this meeting for leaders in college ministry.
Tapes
The Changing Church in a
Changing World Spring
Conference Tapes
Changing Church, Inc.
1-800-874-2044 or e-mail:
Held in May, 1996, we recommend the
conference tapes that feature the leadership
and team ministry re-structuring
insights from the experience of the staff of
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,
Burnsville, MN, and
plenary remarks of
Kennon Callahan,
Loren Mead, and
Carol Childress.
8
Resources
Fast Company
1-800-688-1545
$14.95 per year/ 6 issues
This new magazine
claims to be the
“handbook of the
business revolution”
and the first
three issues have
lived up to its
billing. Written in a
fresh style and format, it is full of useful
information and connections, leading
edge articles, and examples of best practice
for business in the 90’s and beyond.
Check out their web site to access the
current and back issues.
Leader to
Leader
A Publication of
the Drucker
Foundation and
Jossey-Bass
Publishers
1-800-956-7739
$99 per year non-profit rate/four issues
($149 regular price)
This new publication focuses on leadership,
management and strategy needed for
the future. It includes feature articles from
leading edge thinkers, consultants, and
practitioners in the worlds of business,
nonprofits, and government like Peter

Drucker, James Collins, John Gardner,
Rosabeth Moss Kanter and others.
Another section features new developments
in scanning the future, new paradigms,
and learning organizations.
Judging by the premier issue this will be
a useful resource for 21st century leaders.
Drama Ministry,
How To Produce &
Direct Effective
Drama in Your
Worship Services
Communication
Resources
1-800-98-DRAMA
$79.95 per year/six
issues
This is a very good resource for
churches using drama in
worship or other services. Each
issue contains two feature stories or
articles related to the use of drama plus
two complete scripts. Especially useful is
the “Resource Help” for each
script that includes the main
point, characterization, director’s
notes, related scriptures,
themes, and musical links of
appropriate performance songs,
hymns and chorus ideas.
Homiletics
Communication Resources
1-800-992-2144
$37.95 per year/four issues; $57.90 per
year for diskette version
Few understand the 21st century world
and church better than Leonard Sweet
and
Homiletics is classic Sweet in its scope
and content. This is a major resource to
not only those who preach but any
Christian seeking to grow in spiritual
maturity. Each issue is themed and
includes weekly sermons, commentary,
illustrations and a children’s sermon generally
based on the lectionary.
Suggestions for worship include
resources for call to worship, prayer,
benediction, hymns, and praise.
Jesus on Leadership, Becoming
A Servant Leader by Gene Wilkes
Lifeway Press
1-800-458-2772
Workbook: $9.95 Complete kit: $99.95
Leadership in the Kingdom of God is
different from leadership in the
world and Kingdom leaders are
people who lead like Jesus. This
workbook begins with how Jesus
modeled and taught leadership
and brings those principles
into church life.
Designed as a five-week
study guide with daily
lessons,
it is an
excellent
resource
for small
group
study, a sermon series
on leadership, individual
spiritual
formation,
and developing
local church leaders.
The complete kit includes a
video, facilitator’s guide,
audio tape, and diskette.
Videos
The Leading Edge Church
Leadership Series
with George Barna. Gospel Light 1-800-
235-3415. $19.99 per video
This is a new video series featuring
George Barna. Tapes thus far include “10
Myths About Evangelism,” “What
Evangelistic Churches Do,” “Trends That
Are Changing Your Ministry World,” and
“How To Turn Around Your Church.”
Each tape is approximately an hour in
length. They would be useful for leadership
training,
retreats, staff
development,
and
s m a l l
groups.
9

Fast Forward
edited by James Champey and Nitin
Nohria, Harvard Business School Press. 1-
800-988-0886 $24.95.
This collection of 14
outstanding essays and
interviews from the
Harvard Business Review
is organized around three
sections: the future or
where are we headed, the
process of change, and the
new role of management.
Particularly useful are the
essays on networks and the
new organization, why change programs
do not work, the differences between managers
and leaders, and the CEO as coach.
In Search of the Unchurched
by Alan Klaas
The Alban Institute 1-800-486-1318
$14.95
The result of a two year
research study, this book is
an important contribution
to understanding the transitions
that have changed the
U.S. from a churched to an
unchurched society and the
response of local congregations.
While focused on
Lutheran churches, the study
and its implications have applications for
other mainline as well as evangelical congregations.
Helpful are the “action suggestions”
throughout the book and specific
findings in the appendix.
Seeing Systems, Unlocking the
Mysteries of Organizational Life
by Barry Oshry. Berrett-Koehler
Publishers. 1-800-929-2929 $24.95
This is not your typical systems
theory book. It is,
however, a helpful
book in understanding
the dynamics
of relationships
and process when
viewed through the
framework of social
systems. Using narrative,
drama, poetry, and simple
diagrams and charts, the book is both fun
and informative.
The 21st Century Pastor
by David Fisher. Zondervan. 1-800-727-3480
$12.99
This will be a valuable book for
pastors and other
ministerial staff, lay
persons, theological
educators and others
concerned about
leadership in ministry
for the 21st
century. With insights
from the ministry of
the apostle Paul, the
book is divided into
two parts. Part 1 asks four critical questions
that lie at the heart of pastoral life and
Part 2 paints a portrait of the pastor from a
biblical or apostolic source.
Death of the Church
by Mike Regele. Zondervan.
1-800-727-3480. $22.99
According to the
author, Death of
the Church is
“intended to provoke”
and indeed it
does. It is an
instructional book
for church leaders
who are seeking to
move from the institutional
church to the
church of the future. It
addresses the forces of change that result
in new realities, structures, players and
faith and concludes with a series of
choices that lead to life or death for congregations.
Especially helpful are the
discussions of generational distinctives
and descriptions of a new typology of
Insiders and Outsiders.
The Fifth Discipline Field Book
by Peter Senge, Art Kleiner, Charlotte
Roberts, Richard Ross, and Bryan Smith.
Doubleday. 1-800-323-9872. $29.95
This is the field guide, the instruction
manual, the “how-to,” the Encarta of
The Fifth Discipline, and worth every
penny. An exceptional work, it is organized
around the five disciplines and
contains helpful exercises, both personal
and team guiding ideas, theories and
methods; systems
stories; tools;
and additional
resources
for anyone
building a
learning
organization.
10

http://www.pitt.edu/~malhotra/interest.html is the site of Business
Researcher’s Interests, a treasure chest of information related to management, systems
thinking, leadership development, and business research. It has hundreds of links to journals, organizations, Internet resources,
and places of additional learning.
http://www.gbn.org/ is the home of the Global Business Network, a leading organization
of scenario thinking and collaborative learning about the future. The best feature of this
site is getting access to their Book Club which features reviews by Stewart Brand and can be
searched by author, title and year.
http://www.marketingtools.com/ is the site of American Demographics and
contains recent issues of the magazine and special reports and other AD resources. The site
includes a search feature and good links to other information sites. The online registration
required to obtain access is free and definitely worth the effort of completing the form.
http://www.gospelcom.net/ys/ is the location of Youth Specialties, an outstanding
resource for anyone involved in youth ministry. The site provides information on trends in
youth ministry, seminars and their annual Youth Ministers Conference. The Mall is full of resources and includes free samples.
Their links to other sites of interest are excellent. It’s a cool site.
http://www.christianity.net/ is the entry into Cyberspace operated by Christianity
Today, Inc. The database is extensive and easily searchable. You can locate the web sites of over 2,000 churches by name,
location, or denomination and there is a wide range of other topics and links that are useful to those seeking Christian resources
on the Net.
11

IN THE INFORMATION AGE, you
don’t need more information ...but you
do need the right information at the
right time and in the right form.
NetFax Registration
❑ Yes, I would like to receive NetFax!
Name: (Rev., Dr., Pastor, Mr., Ms.)
NetFax is Leadership Network’s
latest information service, and
provides you with the right information...
on leadership, organizational
change, transition, team building, innovation,
cultural shifts and trends, and
the best practices in churches, ministries,
and organizations at the right
time – sent to your fax machine every
other Monday morning and in the right
form – one page that is concise and easily
duplicated for sharing with staff, lay
leaders, and others in your network.
Position/Title:
Church/Organization:
Weekend Worship Attendance:
Church/Organization Mailing Address:
City:
Zip Code:
Phone:
State:
If you are interested in receiving
NetFax, please complete the form
below and fax it to Leadership Network
at (903) 561-9361. You may also mail
Fax:
E-mail address:
the form to P.O. Box 9100, Tyler, Texas
75711-9100. For more information,
contact Elaine Cox or Carol Childress at
Church’s Denominational Affiliation (please be specific):
Church’s Website Address (full URL):
1-800-765-5323 or (903) 561-0437.
12

■
BACK ISSUES OF NETFAX ARE AVAILABLE
ONLY AS FULL SETS
for $39 (which includes shipping
and handling)
by calling the Leadership Network office at
1-800-765-5323
[ (903) 561-0437 OUTSIDE THE U.S. ]
■
N E T F A X B A C K I S S U E S
D A T E
Sept. 5, 1994
Sept. 19, 1994
Oct. 3, 1994
Oct. 17, 1994
Oct. 31, 1994
Nov. 14, 1994
Nov. 28,1994
Dec. 12, 1994
Dec. 26, 1994
Jan. 9, 1995
Jan. 23, 1995
Feb. 6, 1995
Feb. 20, 1995
Mar. 6, 1995
Mar. 20, 1995
Apr. 3, 1995
Apr. 17. 1995
May 1, 1995
May 15, 1995
May 29, 1995
Jun. 12, 1995
Jun. 26, 1995
Jul. 10, 1995
Jul. 24, 1995
Aug. 7, 1995
Aug. 21, 1995
Sept. 4, 1995
Sept. 18, 1995
Oct. 2, 1995
Oct. 16, 1995
Oct. 30, 1995
Nov. 13, 1995
Nov. 27, 1995
Dec. 11, 1995
Dec. 25, 1995
Jan. 8, 1996
Jan. 22,1996
Feb. 5, 1996
Feb. 19, 1996
Mar. 4, 1996
Mar. 18, 1996
April 1, 1996
April 15, 1996
April 29, 1996
May 13, 1996
May 27, 1996
June 10, 1996
June 24, 1996
July 8, 1996
July 22, 1996
August 5, 1996
August 18,1996
N O .
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
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25
26
27
28
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32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
T O P I C S
Peter Drucker on the Church and Denominations
Lyle Schaller’s Signs of Hope
Have Americans Lost Touch with the Sacred in Their Workaday Lives
Leading by Vision and Values
It’s a New Day for Volunteers in the Church
Christian Philanthropy, American and the World
Children’s Ministry ...It’s Not Church “Baby Sitting”
Jumping the Sigmoid Curve
Letterman Has His Top Ten List ...So Do We!
Targeting People in Transition
When the Horse is Dead, Dismount
America at Mid-Decade
What Exactly is Lay Mobilization
Church Champions ... Regulators or Resources
Living in an Age of Whitewater (Ten Issues for the Future)
A Blueprint for Lay Mobilization
Eight Distinctives of Full Service Churches
Women’s Ministries in the 90’s ...The Other Half of the Church
Escaping the Past and Inventing the Future
Re-Tooling the Church ...Summit ‘95
Teenagers Today ...What a Difference a Decade Makes
Mentoring on Both Sides of the Equation
Ten Principles for Effective Partnerships
Beyond the Learning Organization: Designing Your Learning Network
Listening to the Unchurched
Changing Organizational Characteristics
The New Apostolic Paradigm
The Essence of Strategic Leadership
Ten Keys to Starting a Saturday Night Service
Church Traditions: Building Blocks or Roadblocks
Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Church
Does Evangelism Have a Future in America
Children’s Ministry in the 90’s...Changes and Challenges
“L > C...The Law of Ecological Learning”
The Fifth Resolution
Beyond Boomers to Generation X
From Generation to Generation
Social Entrepreneurs...Moving From Success to Significance
Leadership for Turbulent Times
The Teaching Church Network...Churches Mentoring Churches
Authenticity and Connections Frame Gen X Forum
New Wineskins, Not Patches
Spirituality and Rediscovering Mission
Success and Derailment in the 90’s
Developing Leaders & Finding Balance;Women’s Ministries For The 21st Century
Mission and Boundaries
Leading to Learn, Learning to Lead
Preparing For The Future: The Issues of Gen X Pastors
Four Critial Questions For 21st Century Pastors
The Critical Issue of Leadership
Welcome to the Next Church
13

Leadership Network’s newest resource
for leaders of the 21st century church is
our World Wide Web site located at
The site, a Leadership Network in
cyberspace, was created to provide 21st
century church leaders CONTENT,
CONNECTIONS,AND COMMUNITY.
After you visit the Leadership Network
website at http://www.leadnet.org/,
you might check out these additional
sites that are exceptional for their
information and links to other internet
sites.
14

The NEW 1997
Leadership Network
Forum Schedule
Mission Pastors Forum
January 29-31, 1997
Executive Pastors Forum
February 18-20, 1997
Christian Education Forum
March 6-8, 1997
Womens Ministry Forum
April 24-26, 1997
Senior Ministers Forum
May 20-22, 1997
Small Groups Forum
June 5-7, 1997
Worship Leaders Forum
August 26-28, 1997
Singles Pastors Forum
September 25-27, 1997
Business Administrators Forum
October 21-23, 1997
Childrens Ministry Forum
November 11-13, 1997
Senior Adults Ministry Forum
December 4-6, 1997
P L E A S E N O T E
▼
Attendance at all forums is by invitation only, limited to 25 people per forum
and one participant per church. Participants are Senior Ministers and other
ministerial staff of large churches (1,000 or more worship attendance) and
have at least one year of ministry experience. If you would like to receive an
invitation or recommend someone to be invited to a forum, please call or
write Nancy Kiser at the Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323 or
(903) 561-0437. The cost of a forum is $195 which includes lodging
(double occupancy) and all meals. For your convenience, forum fees may be
charged to American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All forums will be held at
the Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Transportation
from the Colorado Springs Airport to Glen Eyrie is available through the
Airporter, Inc. shuttle service. The fare is $18 per person or $9 per person
(2–11 people). A reservation is necessary and can be made by calling
(719) 578-5232.
DAILY SCHEDULE – ALL FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
7:30
8:30
NOON
1:00
3:00
4:00
6:00
7:00
9:00
Forum Begins
Set Agenda
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
Free Time
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
Conclusion and
Adjournment
L A Y M O B I L I Z A T I O N
One-Da
Day Forums
On
Lay Mobilization
Designed for church teams
to learn what is involved in
developing or expanding a lay
ministry program and features
■ vision-casting insights for
increased lay involvement ■
various models of successful
programs to help leaders
customize a program to fit
their church ■ hands-on
implementation steps taught by
an experienced Lay Ministry
Director
September 11,
1996
Austin, Texas
One-day forums are designed
to help teams of church leaders
assess their current program
and learn about national trends
in lay mobilization. The price
of $40 includes a morning
beverage, snack break and
lunch. Leadership Network
will provide a complimentary
Starter Kit for Mobilizing
Ministry to each person
attending.
To register, call Katrina Gault
at
LeadershipTraining Network
Five-Day
Training
Events:
Level 1 – covers the basic strategies of
establishing a Lay Mobilization program
including training in the Seven Steps in
Section 2 of the Starter Kit. Designed for
Directors of Lay Ministry and leadership
teams responsible for developing an
equipping-centered church:
April 13-18 1997
San Bernardino, CA
Oct. 5-10, 1997
Montreat, NC
Level 2 – includes in-depth training on
leadership development, gift discovery,
vision-casting, staff-team relationships, and
more. Designed for churches with established
lay mobilization programs, Directors
of Lay Ministry with over 3 years experience,
and Level 1 graduates with one year
of experience after graduation.
Nov. 17-22, 1996
San Bernardino, CA
Consultants Training – for consultants,
trainers and experienced Directors of Lay
Ministry with the gifts and calling to assist
churches who are implementing new and
intermediate programs. Participation is limited.
Applications must be approved by the
LTN board.
Feb. 9-13, 1997
Glen Eyrie, Colorado Spgs, CO
Tuition for the 1996 LTN Training
Events is $595 per person and
includes all teaching materials,
meals, and double-occupancy room
for five nights. To register, or for
more information, please call
Katrina Gault at
1-800-765-5323
or (903)561-0437.
15

Four Crucial Challenges Facing Managers Today
1. Change.
“How do we learn to manage change more quickly and more
effectively”
2. Learning.
“How do you create an environment where people like to work, where
they really come to work excited about the fact that they are going to
learn something”
3. Diversity.
“How do you get to the point where you understand that the fact that
you and I are different is an asset, not a liability”
4. Ownership.
“The organizations that are going to be the most successful are the
organizations in which the sense of ownership is widely distributed.”
Source: Charles Neilson, Director of Human Resources, Texas Instruments, Inc.
ADVERTISING, PROMOTION AND MARKETING...
Sometimes, understanding the difference between these three is difficult.
Imagine you are the owner of a lemonade stand.
Advertising is the sign you place in your front yard and the handbills
you tack on telephone poles.
Promotion is selling two glasses of lemonade for the price of one.
Marketing is moving your stand to a busy park on a hot summer day.
Source: David Clanton in SPEEDBUMPS, May, 1996.
ISSN: 1082-037X
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network.
Permission to reproduce
material in NEXT may be
obtained by calling,
faxing, or writing to
Leadership Network.
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
inside the U.S.,
or (903) 561-0437
outside the U.S.
FAX: (903) 561-9361
Mailing Address:
L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
“Leadership development is a process, not an event.”
P. O. Box 9100
Tyler, Texas 75711-9100
NEXT is printed on 50-percent recycled paper with 30-percent
post-consumer waste using 100-percent soy-based inks.
16

“THE NEXT CHURCH”
was the cover story of the August
issue of The Atlantic Monthly.
V O L U M E 2 , N U M B E R 4 D E C E M B E R , 1 9 9 6
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
Set amidst the changing landscape
of American religious and social life,
it focused on the emergence of
the large pastoral church and
represented more than a year of
research, interviews with pastors,
church leaders and others on
the part of the author,
Charles Trueheart.
We thank The Atlantic Monthly
for permission to excerpt the article
for the readers of NEXT.
THE STAFF OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
INSIDE NEXT
■ VITAL ■
READER RETURN RESPONSE REQUIRED
(back of dust cover)
Seamless multimedia worship, round-the-clock niches of work and
service, spiritual guidance, and a place to belong: in communities
around the country, the old order gives way to the new...
COVER STORY
WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHURCH
■
1997 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES
(page 8-9)
■
THE BOOKSHELF (page 10)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK FORUMS
(page 11)
■
FAX FORUM QUESTIONS (page 12)
■
NETFAX (page 13)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEB SITE
(page 14)
■
WEB.WATCH (page 15)
■
1997 GEN-X FORUM (page 16)
No spires. No crosses. No robes. No
clerical collars. No hard pews. No kneelers.
No biblical gobbledygook. No prayerly
rote. No fire, no brimstone. No pipe organs.
No dreary eighteenth-century hymns. No
forced solemnity. No Sunday finery. No
collection plates.
The list has asterisks and exceptions,
but its meaning is clear. Centuries of
European tradition and Christian habit are
deliberately being abandoned, clearing the
way for new, contemporary forms of worship
and belonging.
The Next Church, as the independent
and entrepreneurial congregations that are
adopting these new forms might collectively
be called, is drawing lots of people,
including many Americans with patchy or
blank histories of churchgoing. It constitutes,
its champions believe, a distinctly
American reformation of church life, one
that transcends denominations and the
bounds of traditional churchly behavior. As
such, it represents something more: a
reconfiguration of secular communities,
not just sacred ones.
Social institutions that once held civic
life together—schools, families, governments,
companies, neighborhoods, and
even old-style churches—are not what they

used to be (if ever they were what we
imagined). The new congregations are
reorganizing religious life
to fill that void. The Next
Church in its fully realized
state can be the clearest
approximation of community,
and perhaps the most
important civic structure,
that a whole generation is
likely to have known or
likely to find anywhere in
an impersonal, transient
nation.
The churches are
remarkable chiefly for
their size. Many of these
(mostly Protestant) congregations
count thousands
of people in attendance
on a weekend—in
some cases more than
10,000. For their hugeness
they are often known, and
often chagrined to be
known, as megachurches.
Among the other labels
one hears are full-service
churches, seven-day-aweek
churches, pastoral
churches, apostolic churches, “new tribe”
churches, new paradigm churches, seekersensitive
churches, shopping-mall churches.
No two of these terms mean quite the
same thing, but together, like the blind men
with the elephant, they describe the beast
rather well. These very large and dynamic
congregations may at the moment number
no more than 400, but they are the fastestgrowing
ones in the country. Half of all
churchgoing Americans, to cite a figure
treasured in the Next Church community,
are attending only 12 percent of the
nation’s 400,000 churches.
Big congregations endow a church
with critical mass, which makes possible
sizable budgets and economic efficiencies
(such as very low staffing ratios) and formidable
volunteer pools, and thus the
capacity to diversify almost infinitely in
order to develop new “product lines” that
meet the congregation’s needs and involve
members in unpaid service.
Still, to understand what the Next
Church means, one cannot ignore hundreds
more churches that are
small to middling but willing
and determined (or desperate) to
think big—to be “intentional”
about growing, to use an adjective
commonly heard in their
midst. For these churches this is
not an abstract decision. The
mainline denominations are
bleeding. Their churches have
more pew than flock, and unless
they change, they have more history
than future.
The Next Church movement
makes many traditional church
leaders, and many active
Christians, nervous, because it
implies a rejection of the tried
and the once-true and the somehow
holy; it also suggests to
many people an unseemly market-driven
approach to building
the Kingdom of Heaven. But its
obvious success in building congregations
and communities
alike is making many believers
out of skeptics.
AN ISLAND IN THE STREAM
I approached Mariners Church, on a
gentle hill above Newport Beach,
California, through its parking lot. At the
entrances to the asphalt expanse men and
women in reflective orange jackets waved
on a procession of hundreds of cars entering
by twos the acres of parking places
being vacated by the outflow from the earlier
service.
I made my way with hundreds of others
to the sanctuary and found a seat along
a carpeted aisle. After some energetic
songs of celebration, led by a sextet of
male and female singers and a twelvepiece
orchestra of saxophones, synthesizers,
guitars, and drums (none of the songs
composed before 1990, and all of them of
club quality), the people of Mariners heard
from a few of their number.
A couple talked about the new-members’
class they had just completed. The
wife explained that she had gone from saying
“I go to Mariners Church” to “I belong
to Mariners Church.” The husband was
asked how he and his wife had made “a
small place out of this big place”—a fair
and worrisome question that many newcomers
wonder about. He spoke of finding
“a sense of connectedness” in the smallgroup
activities he had joined and a “new
purpose in serving God in several ministries.”
Then we heard from the forty-oneyear-old
senior pastor of Mariners, Kenton
Beshore, who spoke discursively and often
wittily on “Enclaves and Community.”
One riff caught my attention. It drew on
the Scriptures: “I will build my church, and
the gates of Hell will not stand against it.”
Beshore explained to his flock, “Hell
wants to build walls all around this church,
and every church in our community, so the
world doesn’t see. It doesn’t see our love
and fellowship . . . it doesn’t see our unity.”
“Hell,” he went on, “is about building
gates. Hell,” he said again, pausing a beat,
“is a gated community. Not only does Hell
want to build walls around a church, but it
wants to build walls around you . . .
because if you become a little private gated
community...you’re not going to be generous;
you’re going to live in fear.” Jesus, he
told them, “tears down walls between you
and between you and the community.”
The jest about gated communities must
have hit home with hundreds of people
there who do, at various levels of middleclass
attainment, live in secure communities
widely decried as an emblem of modern
isolation and of class and racial mistrust.
A church like Mariners—indeed, any
church—is inevitably a gathering of likeminded
people who may also be demographically
alike. That makes for insiders
and outsiders.
Beshore’s discussion of walls suggested
both the appeal of the Next Church and
its constant challenge. These busy and
tight-knit congregations of thousands,
inside and outside traditional Protestant
denominations, have become sanctuaries
from the world (“islands in the stream,” to
use a phrase often heard in these parts),
and as such they are proving themselves to
2

e breeding grounds for personal renewal
and human connectedness. Yet they stay
alive and purposeful—and true to God’s
will, as they see it—only by growing: by
remaining vigilantly open and aggressively
attractive to the world.
Following Saint Paul’s first letter to the
Corinthians, they seek to be “all things to
all men”—not forgetting the rest of the
sentence, “that some might be saved.” By
taking on roles as various as those of the
Welcome Wagon, the USO, the Rotary, the
quilting bee, the book club, the coffee
shop, and the mixer—and, of course, the
traditional family and school—they have
become much more than the traditional
churches that many Americans grew up in
and have long since lost. Belonging to
Mariners or any other large church conveys
membership in a community, with its
benefits of friends and solace and purpose
and the deep satisfaction of service to others.
When we were talking in his office one
day, Beshore described the Next Church
strategy as succinctly as I was to hear it.
“We give them what they want,” he said,
“and we give them what they didn’t know
they wanted—a life change.”
“WHO IS OUR CUSTOMER”
Bob Buford, a Texas businessman and
author who became one of my guides in
the world of the Next Church, showed me
a handsome framed woodcut on the wall of
his study one day. It read, “What is our
business Who is our customer What
does the customer consider value”
The words come from Peter Drucker,
the high priest of management theory, who
has recognized the pastoral-church phenomenon
as one of the signal events of the
late twentieth century—part of a sweeping
and spontaneous reorganization of social
structures and relationships.
“What is our business” That would be
FDFX. I saw this mysterious acronym on a
T-shirt, and eventually figured out what it
meant. It comes from a chronically
invoked Next Church mission statement:
turning irreligious or unchurched people
into Fully Devoted Followers of Christ.
“Who is our customer” That would be
Baby Boomers, mostly. This is not exactly
niche marketing. The postwar birth cohort,
after all, is the biggest and currently the
most powerful one out there, the flushest
and the most fecund. Boomers are a needy
and a motivated bunch—with lots of experience
in shopping for spiritual comfort.
Churches like Mariners are drawing a
flock of previously unchurched or unhappily
churched people by being relentlessly
creative about developing forms of worship—most
symbolically and definingly,
music—that are contemporary, accessible,
“authentic.” Next Church services are multimedia
affairs. Overhead projectors allow
the preacher to sketch his point the way a
teacher would on a chalkboard, or to illustrate
his message with a cartoon, an apt
quotation, or a video clip. Lyle E. Schaller,
an independent scholar and
the author of dozens of
books on the large-church
movement, suggests that
these are the descendants of
the stained-glass window,
another nonverbal storytelling
device.
A leading pastor in this
movement, Leith Anderson,
of Wooddale Church, in
Eden Prairie, Minnesota,
likes to talk about “reading
the culture” and “translating
the culture.” The culture is
suspicious of old-church
“European” atmospherics,
ritual, and language—suspicious
of old institutions in
general.
Some of these churches
“are dramatizing a truth that
missionaries have known
for decades,” the church
scholar George Hunter
writes in his new book,
Church for the Unchurched.
“To reach non-Christian populations, it is
necessary for a church to become culturally
indigenous to its ‘mission field’”—
whether that is Asia, Africa, Latin
America, or Exurbia. “When the church’s
communication forms are alien to the host
population, they may never perceive that
Christianity’s God is for people like them.”
Anderson, in his recent book, A
Church for the 21st Century, put this in
perspective. “While the New Testament
speaks often about churches, it is surprisingly
silent about many matters that we
associate with church structure and life.
There is no mention of architecture, pulpits,
lengths of typical sermons, or rules
for having a Sunday school. Little is said
about style of music, order of worship, or
times of church gatherings. There were no
Bibles, denominations, camps, pastors’
conferences, or board meeting minutes.
Those who strive to be New Testament
churches must seek to live its principles
and absolutes, not reproduce the details.”
It is music, more than any other issue
or symbol, that divides congregations on
the cusp of growth. The
pipe organ, the old hymnal,
and the robed choir are
emblems of continuity and
cohesion to those who
uphold tradition, of encrustation
and exclusion to
those who don’t. Whether a
church uses contemporary
music or not defines which
kind of people it wants.
When it uses contemporary
music, it’s saying it wants
unchurched people—particularly
those of childbearing
and child-rearing age.
Even the most stubbornly
traditional churches,
if they have any critical
mass at all, are putting children’s
education, child
care, and teen activities up
there with music as essential
ingredients to attract
Boomer families and, in the
years ahead, the following
generation, usually called
Busters (for the post-Boom baby “bust,”
born after 1964).
Its means may be market-driven, culturally
sensitive, and cutting-edge, but this
does not make the Next Church “progressive”
or “liberal” on the fundamentals.
3

What the new churches are is
expressed well by the Fellowship of Las
Colinas, in Irving, Texas, in its official
statement of purpose: “We exist to reach
up—which is worship (expressing love to
God); to reach out—which is evangelism
(or sharing Christ with others); and to
reach in—which is discipleship (becoming
fully devoted followers of Christ).”
Although not usually fundamentalist in the
sense so poorly received in liberal churchgoing
and secular America, these churches
are proudly evangelical—that is, they are
devoted to missions and conversion—and
take the Bible very seriously if not always
literally. God’s word is the only thing
about these churches that is considered
sacred, and yet their people invoke Jesus as
often and as familiarly as other people talk
about their friends.
A CHURCH OF OPTIONS
Boomers as customers are
accustomed to eclecticism,
which is the embodiment of
choice. In spontaneous imitation
of that other late-century
cathedral, the mall, the
megachurch offers a panoply
of choices under one roof—
from worship styles to boutique
ministries, plus plenty of
parking, clean bathrooms, and
the likelihood that you’ll find
something you want and come
back again. This is what the
customer considers value.
People may drive fortyfive
minutes to an hour to get
to a church like this—but then,
as normal Americans, they’re
in the habit. Bob Buford
explains, “People don’t work
in their neighborhoods. People
don’t shop in their neighborhoods.
People don’t go to the
movies in their neighborhoods.
So why should anyone expect them
to go to church in their neighborhoods
They’ll drive right by small churches in
their neighborhood to get to attend a larger
one that offers more in the way of services
or programs.”
The membership of most of the
churches I visited was predominantly
white, although in almost every one I could
see a sprinkling of black and brown and
Asian families. Most pastors plead that
they attract the people who happen to live
in their communities (defined as an
agglomeration of ZIP codes). But they
don’t look happy about it.
Lyle Schaller, the church scholar, told
me that race and ethnicity are “still a very
significant line of demarcation” in most of
American church life (except for very
large, multicultural, charismatic congregations).
The same impulse that drives people
to worship with their own social kind,
or to make the choice of a church a statement
about the way they see themselves in
the world, keeps them racially unmixed. In
this sense the gated community lives.
In Next Church circles
there is a keen interest in
creating churches, or services
within churches, that
minister to Americans in
their twenties. I heard more
than one exegesis of the
differences in tastes and
expectations, spiritual and
otherwise, between Boomers
and Busters.
I did glimpse something
of the Buster style in
Chris Seay, the pastor of
the University Baptist
Church, in Waco, Texas,
who is mellow as only a
twenty-four-year-old can
be. Seay ministers to a
flock of twentysomethings
and younger meeting in
an old downtown movie
theater.
Seay, a third-generation
pastor, says this about
Busters: “It’s not that we
don’t trust God; it’s that we
don’t trust the institutions. They’ve let us
down. But I don’t think Busters have
rejected Christ.” His mission is to “communicate
to seekers in a safe place,” he
says. “They need a place where it’s safe to
say, ‘I don’t believe this whole God thing.
I think it’s a lot of malarkey.’”
Like the mainline denominations,
though perhaps with more success, new,
large, independent churches attempt to live
with intense divisions among their flock
over abortion and homosexuality. Some,
like Michael Foss, the pastor of Prince of
Peace Lutheran Church, in suburban
Minneapolis, are fiercely agnostic. “I’m
convinced you can be a Christian on either
side of those issues,” Foss told me when
we talked last fall. “One of the tragedies of
the culture is the tendency to draw lines
where they needn’t be drawn. Christians
ought to quit throwing rocks at Christians.
We don’t have to agree on everything. And
these are side issues. What we’re about is
spiritual renewal.”
Such dangerously free thinking is not
always apparent among the Next Church
pastors I spoke to. Like politicians, they
put varying degrees of emphasis on teaching
people the biblical injunctions on these
matters, and in their hands Scripture stacks
up pretty heavily against people who terminate
viable pregnancies or enjoy nonprocreative
sexual relations of any type.
But it seemed to me also that their conclusion
was always that compassion was necessary—vigilance
against the sin, forgiveness
for the sinner.
I asked Ed Young, the pastor of Las
Colinas, if his church could keep getting
bigger and bigger, and he answered,
“As long as we keep getting smaller and
smaller.” The riddle is worth pondering.
Growing churches and congregations,
like growing businesses, have a reflexive
thirst for market share. They tend to equate
rising numbers with self-worth and bricks
and mortar with godliness. But growth
is also an expression of the evangelical
mission.
Not only self-styled evangelicals are
growth-minded. Bill Tully, the rector of St.
Bartholomew’s, a distinguished old mainline
Episcopal church in New York City, is
watching the large-church “restoration
acts” across the country with an appreciation
of the inherent tensions of growth.
“People come to church to be touched,
to belong,” he told me in an E-mail mes-
4

sage one day. “We form local congregations
as if they were clubs. And then we
behave as if they were clubs. But clubs are
anti-growth.” Tully added, “Working to
keep a church at a comfortable number is
almost always self-defeating. Organically,
that’s stasis, and it spells death eventually.
A church that consciously grows will learn
to ask of everything that it pursues, Does
this help us grow Or, does this keep us the
way we are”
It is not accidental that the latest generation
of large churches, with their huge
auditoriums and balconied atriums, some
with food courts and fountains, resemble
secular gathering places. (Banks and colleges
used to build their buildings to look
like Gothic cathedrals.) By adopting nonthreatening
architecture, the large churches
are finding another way to lower psychological
barriers against the church edifice.
The multi-use church facilities open their
doors to every kind of community group
for meetings.
Experience has taught these churches
that after the initial exposure, size can soon
alienate the potential new member. The
small-group system that Willow Creek
gave its own expression to, which has itself
been widely adopted by even not-so-mega
churches, encourages every new member
to join a cell of usually no more than ten
people, led by a lay person. Such a cell,
says Willow Creek’s small-groups czar,
Jim Mellado, “is the basic unit of church
life.”
The perfume of these groups may be
Christian, but their integument is social.
Ideally if not always practically, your cellmates
are the ones who are there for you
when your parent dies, or when you’re lugging
your stuff to a new apartment, or
when you have to go to the doctor all of a
sudden and you need someone to pick up
the kids after school. Relationships, that is.
Neighbors. Family, when so many people
seem not to have a family anymore. What
used to happen naturally, at least in the
small-town America we mythologize,
today needs a little more deliberateness.
“We have to work at keeping the village,”
a small-group enthusiast at a church in
Minneapolis told me.
A THIRD FORCE
What may at first go unremarked when
one beholds all the small-grouping and
service being provided for people who
come to these
churches is the
service being
provided by all
those people
who are already
there. Teaching
Sunday school
and arranging
flowers and passing
the plate
have long been
the formal obligations
of any
Protestant congregation’s
core.
But the degree
and intensity of
participation in
the Next Church
is on a wholly
different scale.
The churches,
even the ones
with enormous
paid staffs can
truly be said to
be led and staffed by their laity.
The overwhelming reality is that the
bulk of the people who make the church
function are volunteers. One of the basic
elements of large-church management is
identifying the “gifts” of people in order to
fit them to the church’s various ministries.
What brings people to their gift of service
is a desire to do something that—perhaps
unlike their day job, perhaps unlike their
evenings—matters. Among the things that
they didn’t realize they wanted when they
came back to church, in the view of many
people I met, was not just a changed life
but the chance to change the lives of others.
Peter Drucker has written approvingly
of what he calls the pastoral churches as
yeasty new sources of nonprofit-sector
volunteerism. In the view of Drucker, these
churches are an integral part of a potent
and largely unseen “third force” of volunteer
productivity and philanthropy that is
picking up what the private sector has forsaken
and the public sector has squandered.
Drucker says that
Americans today go to church
for reasons very different
from those of two generations
ago. Then attendance was
steered by heritage, habit, and
social status. “Now,” he told
me recently, “it is an act of
commitment, and therefore
meaningful. It is no longer an
act of conformity, and therefore
meaningless. People
need community, yes, and
they need a spiritual identity,
yes, but they also need
responsibility. They need the
feeling that they contribute.”
GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY
Willow Creek Community
Church, the Fellowship of Las
Colinas, Saddleback Valley
Community Church, Mariners
Church, Wooddale Church,
Calvary Chapel, the Church
of the Open Door, the
Community of Joy, House of
Hope, Gateway Cathedral, New Life
Fellowship... these places have something
in common: they whisper no word of a
denomination.
In some cases that’s because the church
belongs to none. The Next Church is sui
generis, a house built of local materials and
independent pluck and zeal. In other cases
the church would just as soon not mention
that it owes allegiance to any remote earthly
institution. In a few cases the church
doesn’t even call itself a church.
Though many congregations in the
Next Church retain nominal membership
in mainline or evangelical denominations,
and some are thriving as parts of a greater
ecclesiastical whole, what they are concealing
in the names they have chosen is at
the heart of the great convulsion going on
in American church life: the challenge to
5

denominations.
Unaffiliated churches have led the way
in acting independently, creatively, aggressively,
competitively, intentionally, to build
huge communities of people whose lives
orbit the church seven days a week. In
most cases they have had no help from
denominations—no staffing, liturgy,
financing, or brand recognition. Indeed, a
few dozen of these churches are big and
influential enough to constitute denominations
in everything but name: they train
pastors and lay leaders, they “plant” and
counsel churches, they publish their vision,
and they seek new followers.
Just as significant for the next generation
of these large churches, and for the
established Protestant denominations, is
that they are training their pastoral staffs
themselves. They would rather identify
their own best pastors and create a priesthood
(another word they don’t use) in their
own image than take whichever stranger
the bishop wants to send their way every
five years.
These new pastors may join the staff of
the church or lead a church plant—be it
geographic, to serve a new community, or
ethnic, to serve a growing minority, or
demographic, to serve a new generation..
Leith Anderson and other church leaders at
Wooddale are currently planning the first
church plant into another denomination.
“We are not in the business of building
denominations,” Anderson told me. “We
are in the business of building the kingdom
of God.”
GETTING INTENTIONAL
As an old-fashioned Episcopalian who
has seen and admired examples of the Next
Church across the country, I returned from
my reporting feeling more impatient with
the creaky, lazy, obscure, complacent, and
sometimes forbidding dimensions of my
familiar church. I also came away with a
new appreciation for the interior logic of
evangelism.
Evangelicals are about the business of
growing the flock, broadening God’s market
share, spawning new Christians and
leading them to a mature faith and a life of
service. The Next Church leaders and their
congregations are willing to say so, and to
act accordingly, in ways that would scare
many of the people in my church out of
their wits. For old-church people like me,
the church provides safety from those who
believe other than we do, and safety from
pressure to act on our supposed convictions
and faith by seeking out others to
share them. A gated community, in other
words. In familiar and safe surroundings, I
understand, we take comfort and draw
closer to God. But might we be missing
something—something as important as
giving as good as we’re getting
I’m not a natural mark for megachurch
membership. I attend a beautiful, traditional
old stone church with the finest organ,
choir, and music director in my city. I look
to few things as warmly as singing great
lungfuls of old hymns on Sunday morning
and kneeling for that transcendent moment
of grace at the communion rail. But I also
wonder whether my church is not in danger
of withering away. And whether it
doesn’t deserve that fate if it doesn’t get
intentional, and soon.
The full text of this article appeared in the August,
1996 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. It is available via
their web site at http://www.theatlantic.com or in
The Atlantic Monthly found in the Newsstand section
of America On Line. Leadership Network has been
given permission to reprint the article and a copy is
available by faxing a request with your name and
address to (903) 561-9361.
POST-PUBLICATION REFLECTIONS
Since writing “The Next Church,”
Trueheart has moved to France where he is
a correspondent in the Paris Bureau of The
Washington Post. NEXT interviewed him
concerning reaction to the article and additional
reflections based on his research for
“The Next Church.”
NEXT: What was the genesis for the article
How and where did the idea for the
writing assignment originate
TRUEHEART: The genesis of the article
was a proposal to The Atlantic Monthly a
couple of years ago from Bob Buford
and Leith Anderson to cover some of the
same material in an article of their own
entitled “The Full-Service Church.” The
editors of the magazine were intrigued
by the idea but (apparently) felt an outsider
journalist might be more suitable
to tell the story than a couple of committed
insiders. I am in their debt for an
outstanding idea as well as for lots of
help and friendship and insight along
the way. Errors of judgment and interpretation,
of course, are mine alone.
NEXT: What kind of response have you
received to the article And from whom
TRUEHEART: The letters I have seen,
and other responses communicated to
me, fall into two general areas. I seem to
have struck a chord with people who are
frustrated by their slow-moving and
non-user-friendly churches, and apparently
inspired a few sermons and smallgroup
discussions at various churches.
The negative responses tend to fall
somewhere in a line of criticism that
says the Next Church is about yuppie
self-gratification, closed-mindedness
and gated communities, that the Next
Church has little or nothing to do with
God (or heaven or hell or death) and
everything to do with entertainment.
There’s a tone of mockery in some of
these letters, as the writers seize on the
outward manifestations (a shoppingmall
church, for example) and don’t
take the time to understand the inner
results as I tried to describe them. In
others, there’s some defensiveness from
pastors and attenders of small, old-style
churches who believe they are still on
6

the right track, as indeed they may be.
A few of the letters, however, raised a
problem that I hadn’t fully grappled
with in my article, and which your readers
may want to consider: If the Next
Church has decided that the church can
be redesigned to meet contemporary
cultural needs, and is willing to abandon
centuries of tradition and habit to do so,
is it consistent to say that that spirit
applies to everything BUT scripture If
the hymns and stained glass windows
are deemed irrelevant and easy to
replace with more meaningful substitutes,
why is that not so with the Bible,
an equally difficult text to follow no matter
how it is “translated” and after all,
just another highly-ambiguous human
artifact created and modified by mortals
over the centuries In short, why
not go whole hog (These are deliberately
provocative questions.)
Most gratifying, however, was the news
reported to me by The Atlantic Monthly
that the requests to reprint the article
(by congregations around the United
States) had been virtually unprecedented
in number for an Atlantic article.
This is evidence that people in churches,
Next and not-so Next, want to explore
these ideas and see what they might
adapt to their own purposes. It is a very
different kind of response that I am
accustomed to as a newspaper reporter
in that people want to digest the material
and act upon it. That kind of impact
is rare and I feel fortunate that I might
have had a hand in some real change in
American church practices.
NEXT: Was there any “unexpected learning”
for you in researching/writing the
article
TRUEHEART: I think I will let the last
section of the article speak for itself, and
for me. I had “unexpected learning”
every day I was working on this, from
the variety of expressions of religious
faith that I encountered to the new
insights (and new impatience) I felt
about my own belief and churchgoing
habits. I feel as committed as ever to my
own kind of traditional Episcopal liturgy,
but the Next Church article has
given me a devilish desire to challenge
my pastors and fellow-churchgoers to
think differently about what they do. I
can be both a traditionalist and a bombthrower,
in other words, and I enjoy
both roles! I find this ambivalence very
healthy and stimulating for me as a
Christian. I also have found, in the mail
I have gotten, that by admitting to my
own misgivings about the Next Church
AND my abiding love of some old
church traditions I have reflected what
a lot of other people feel too — betwixt
and between, wanting to change but
reluctant to change.
NEXT: Hindsight is 20/20...is there anything
you would add to the article if you
were writing it today
TRUEHEART: If I had had more space
I probably would have spent more time
and words on trying to understand the
interior, spiritual experience of worshipping
at Next Churches, and not just the
outward, social experience — in other
words, getting beyond “what people
want” in Beshore’s phrase to “what people
didn’t know they wanted,” and
whether Next Churches are as good at
the latter as they clearly are at the former.
Some pastors confessed to me that
they had plenty of people along for the
ride, and not really paying any attention
to the religious part of their churchgoing.
This is a hazard, it seems to me, of a
church that is very good at not seeming
like a church.
Secondly, I would have liked to get into
matters that you were probably glad I
didn’t. The race line, for one, and the
class line, all of which I only hinted at in
the gated-communities motif. The exclusion
of women from church leadership
positions virtually everywhere I went —
talk about an old encrustation, a vestige
of Europeanism! Also, how the Next
Church deals with internal differences
over abortion and homosexuality (I
regret not seeing the biggest gay congregation
in America, in Dallas, in what is
surely an outstanding example of a market-targeted,
doing-things-differently
Next Church.). A number of letters I got
were openly skeptical of the tolerance
and agreeing-to-disagree spirit I
described around these issues.
Thirdly, I might have done a more thorough
job of explaining the financing of
Next Churches, given that such huge
amounts of money are raised and spent.
I sensed from many of the people I
talked to that to open that door was to
invite comparisons to corrupt televangelists
fleecing their flocks, but I should
have opened the door anyway.
Fourthly, I wish I had dealt more subtly
and intelligently with the varieties of
religious expression that I swept, for the
sake of argument and convenience,
under the big tent of the Next Church.
Can one really make the same generalizations
about swooning charismatics
and upper-crust Willow Creekers, about
buster congregations like the one in
Waco and aging hippie congregations
like Chuck Smith’s The more I
learned, the more I wondered.
Finally, I wish I had learned and reported
more on the service component of
Next Churches — how lives are turned
to service, and to what degree the
service is directed inward (to others in
the congregation or foreign missions) as
opposed to outward (soup kitchens,
center-city kids). This is a criticism I
heard of the Next Church, that it cares just
for its own or those it wishes to convert.
is interested in
your response to
“Welcome to the Next Church.”
Please mail your comments to
Leadership Network, P. O. Box
9100, Tyler, TX 75711-9100, or
FAX your comments to (903)
561-9361, or e-mail comments
to carol.childress@leadnet.org
7

Barna Research Group
1997 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES
SPONSOR CONFERENCE/SPEAKER DATE LOCATION FOR MORE INFO, CALL
“What Effective Churches
Have Discovered”
January 30
February 3
February 10
February 11
Riverside, CA
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Portland, OR
1-800-552-2762
Beeson Institute for
Advanced Church
Leadership,
Asbury Seminary
“Visionary Leadership”
Dale Galloway, John
Maxwell, Elmer Towns,
Maxie Dunnam, James
Earl Massey
February 17-21
Wilmore, KY
1-888-523-3766
Beeson Institute for
Advanced Church
Leadership,
Asbury Seminary
“Purpose-Driven
Churches”
Rick Warren, Carol Davis,
Jim Garlow
May 13-17
Lake Forest, CA
1-888-523-3766
Beeson Institute for
Advanced Church
Leadership,
Asbury Seminary
“Church for the
Unchurched”
Bill Hybels, George Hunter,
Walt Kallestad
October 21-25
S. Barrington, IL
1-888-523-3766
Changing Church, Inc.
“Building the Church for
the 21st Century”
May 14-17
Burnsville, MN
1-800-874-2044
email: changing@aol.com
Leonard Sweet, Bill Easum,
Mike Foss
Evangelistic Association of
New England
(EANE)
Congress ‘97
“Streams of Mercy”
Jack Hayford, George
Barna, Anne Graham Lotz,
John Maxwell, Ron Blue,
Carol Kent, Thomas Wang
February 6-8
Boston, MA
(617) 229-1990
email: congress@eane.org
INJOY
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April 23-24
October 8-9
Detroit, MI
Atlanta, GA
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March 8
March 15
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Houston, TX
Tacoma,WA
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International Renewal
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“Women in Ministry and
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Ministry development and
counseling tracks include
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April 10-12
Portland, OR
(503) 251-6455
Keynote Speakers: Elisa
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8

National Evangelistic
Association
1997 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES (continued)
SPONSOR CONFERENCE/SPEAKER DATE LOCATION FOR MORE INFO, CALL
National Evangelism
Workshop ‘97
“Cutting-Edge Methods
and Inspiration”
Bill Easum, Dale Galloway,
Marta Poling-Goldenne,
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Miller
July 23-25
Denver, CO
(806) 762-8094
Overlake Christian Church
“By My Spirit” Pastors’ &
Leaders’ Conference
May 4-7
Kirkland, WA
1-800-275-6304
Jim Henry, Kirbyjon
Caldwell, Bob Moorehead
Saddleback Valley
Community Church
“How to Build a Purpose-
Driven Church”
Rick Warren
February 1
April 24
November 1
Lake Forest, CA
Oklahoma City, OK
Lake Forest, CA
1-800-651-7331
Saddleback Valley
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Saddleback Church
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May 14-17
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Saddleback Staff
Robert H. Schuller
Institute for Successful
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“Build a Mission and the
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January 27-30
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Stephen Ministries
Stephen Series of Lay
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January 5-11
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April 13-19
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Willow Creek Association
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May 14-17
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Willow Creek Association
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August 6-9
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Willow Creek Association
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October 22-25
S. Barrington, IL
(847) 765-0070
9

Deep Change, Discovering the
Leader Within
by Robert E. Quinn
Jossey-Bass Publishers
1-800-956-7739
$25.00
http://www.josseybass.com
This is a book about the process of transformation
or “deep change” and written
on the premise that
personal change precedes
organizational
change. It speaks to
the development of
internally driven
leadership and is
a thought provoking,
reflective
and yet energizing
book. The
most useful feature is the
reflection and discussion questions, both
on personal and organizational change,
found at the conclusion of each chapter.
While not a quick read, it can be a
valuable tool to self and organizational
understanding.
Behind the Stained Glass
Windows, Money Dynamics in the
Church
by John and Sylvia Ronsvalle
Baker Book House Co.
(616) 676-9185
$25.00
http://www.bakerbooks.com
Money. What do church members think
about it What role does it play in the
dynamics of a local congregation or
denomination And what are the implications
of these attitudes for the future of
the church The answers to these questions
and more are found in this new major
study on money and the U.S. church. The
product of three years of research, funded
by the Lilly Endowment,
and endorsed
and supported by
fifteen major
denominations,
this book will be
a useful resource
to church leaders.
Healthy
Congregations,
A Systems Approach
by Peter L. Steinke
The Alban Institute
1-800-486-1318
$12.95
Few are as skilled in writing about the
congregation from a systemic perspective
as Steinke and in this volume he has
provided a useful resource to pastors and
lay persons concerned
about holding in trust
the well-being of
their congregation.
Organized around
the themes of
wholeness, disease,
and health,
the section on
diseases is helpful
for
the comparison of
clergy and mission focused
churches and the dangers of rigidity.
Especially useful are the reflection and
discussion questions found at the end of
each chapter.
The Inter Change Cycle, The
Secret to Getting Through Life’s
Difficult Changes
by Lillie Brock and
Mary Ann Salerno
Bridge Builder Media
1-800-878-8422
$16.00 (paperback)
Based on the reality
that personal
change precedes
organizational
change, this book
can be very helpful in understanding
and processing change. Using a six stage
model of change (loss, doubt, discomfort,
discovery, understanding, and integration),
the authors describe responses to each
stage in terms of feelings, thoughts, and
behavior and also identify skills that are
needed to successfully work through each
stage. At the back of the book is a series
of questions to help one recognize and
score in what stage of change you are in
and useful color coded change cycle
charts.
The Leading Edge, Leadership
Strategies from the New
Testament
by Robert Dale
Abingdon Press
1-800-672-1789
$12.95
Bob Dale, who is a
both a student and
teacher of church
leadership development,
has
written a valuable
book for pastors and others
interested in effective leadership and
ministry. Using the New Testament
as the framework and principal resource
and stewardship as a uniting theme, he
concentrates on focus and energy; flexibility
and opportunity; future and horizons; and
feasibility and crisis. Biblical case studies
and church examples provide helpful
illustrations.
10

The 1997
Leadership Network
Forum Schedule
Mission Pastors Forum
January 29-31, 1997
Executive Pastors Forum
February 18-20, 1997
Christian Education Forum
March 6-8, 1997
Womens Ministry Forum
April 24-26, 1997
Senior Ministers Forum
May 20-22, 1997
Small Groups Forum
June 5-7, 1997
Worship Leaders Forum
August 25-28, 1997
Singles Pastors Forum
September 25-27, 1997
Business Administrators Forum
October 21-23, 1997
Childrens Ministry Forum
November 11-13, 1997
Senior Adults Ministry Forum
December 4-6, 1997
P L E A S E N O T E
▼
Attendance at all forums is by invitation only, limited to 25 people per forum
and one participant per church. Participants are Senior Ministers and other
ministerial staff of large churches (1,000 or more worship attendance) and
have at least one year of ministry experience. If you would like to receive an
invitation or recommend someone to be invited to a forum, please call or
write Nancy Kiser at the Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323 or
(903) 561-0437. The cost of a forum is $195 which includes lodging
(double occupancy) and all meals. For your convenience, forum fees may be
charged to American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All forums will be held at
the Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Transportation
from the Colorado Springs Airport to Glen Eyrie is available through the
Airporter, Inc. shuttle service. The fare is $20 for 1-2 persons or $10 per
person (3–11 people). A reservation is necessary and can be made by calling
(719) 578-5232.
*
new
DAILY SCHEDULE – 3-DAY FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
7:30
8:30
NOON
1:00
3:00
4:00
6:00
7:00
9:00
Forum Begins
Set Agenda
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
Free Time
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
Conclusion and
Adjournment
*
11
Youth Leaders Forum in 1997
February 25-27
Glen Eyrie Conference Center
Colorado Springs, CO
Do you sometimes feel that you are
the only one thinking that Youth Ministry in the
last half of the 90’s is a whole new animal from what it
was in the first half You are not alone.
.
Youth Specialties is holding a forum for
Youth Ministers of large churches (1,000 or more in
average worship attendance).
Attendance is by invitation only
and participants must have at least one year of ministry
experience in a large church.
.
If you would like to receive an invitation to the forum,
call Michelle Fockler at Youth Specialties (619) 440-2333.
.
The cost of the forum is $290 which includes the Youth
Specialties registration fee ($145) and meals and lodging
at Glen Eyrie (double occupancy, $145). For those planning
to attend the forum but stay off site, the registration fee is
$200 which includes meals during the forum only.
New GenX Worship CD
4-day format cost is $275
“Pour Over Me”
FOR INFORMATION ON LEADERSHIP NETWORK’S LAY
MOBILIZATION FORUMS, CALL KATHIE JAMIESON AT
1-800-765-5323 or (903) 561-0437.
GenX churches are always looking
for new music that is authentic to
Xer culture and style of worship.
University Baptist Church (Waco,
TX) has just released a new GenX CD of original music called
“Pour Over Me.” Led by pastor Chris Seay and the UBC worship
team, the CD is a live recording of a typical worship service. UBC,
a congregation less than two years old, reaches over 800 Xers
weekly. “Pour Over Me” can be ordered by mail from UBC
Worship, 1901 S. 12th Street, Waco, TX 76706. The cost is $18.00
which includes shipping and handling. For additional information,
call (817) 752-1401. (Also see 1997 GenX forum
information on page 16).

FAX Forum Questions
(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY)
1. Is your church involved as a “teaching church” to other
churches Do you hold seminars or conferences to teach
and/or mentor other churches If yes, please explain.
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circumstances of the merger and identify one key “learning”
that would help other churches considering a merger.
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WE’LL SHARE YOUR RESULTS IN A FUTURE ISSUE OF NEXT.
12

N E T F A X B A C K I S S U E S
D A T E
Sept. 5, 1994
Sept. 19, 1994
Oct. 3, 1994
Oct. 17, 1994
Oct. 31, 1994
Nov. 14, 1994
Nov. 28,1994
Dec. 12, 1994
Dec. 26, 1994
Jan. 9, 1995
Jan. 23, 1995
Feb. 6, 1995
Feb. 20, 1995
Mar. 6, 1995
Mar. 20, 1995
Apr. 3, 1995
Apr. 17. 1995
May 1, 1995
May 15, 1995
May 29, 1995
Jun. 12, 1995
Jun. 26, 1995
Jul. 10, 1995
Jul. 24, 1995
Aug. 7, 1995
Aug. 21, 1995
Sept. 4, 1995
Sept. 18, 1995
Oct. 2, 1995
Oct. 16, 1995
Oct. 30, 1995
Nov. 13, 1995
Nov. 27, 1995
Dec. 11, 1995
Dec. 25, 1995
Jan. 8, 1996
Jan. 22,1996
Feb. 5, 1996
Feb. 19, 1996
Mar. 4, 1996
Mar. 18, 1996
April 1, 1996
April 15, 1996
April 29, 1996
May 13, 1996
May 27, 1996
June 10, 1996
June 24, 1996
July 8, 1996
July 22, 1996
Aug. 5, 1996
Aug. 18,1996
Sept. 2,1996
Sept. 16,1996
Sept. 30,1996
Oct. 14,1996
Oct. 28,1996
Nov. 11, 1996
N O .
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
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25
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27
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38
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40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
T O P I C S
Peter Drucker on the Church and Denominations
Lyle Schaller’s Signs of Hope
Have Americans Lost Touch with the Sacred in Their Workaday Lives
Leading by Vision and Values
It’s a New Day for Volunteers in the Church
Christian Philanthropy, American and the World
Children’s Ministry ...It’s Not Church “Baby Sitting”
Jumping the Sigmoid Curve
Letterman Has His Top Ten List ...So Do We!
Targeting People in Transition
When the Horse is Dead, Dismount
America at Mid-Decade
What Exactly is Lay Mobilization
Church Champions ... Regulators or Resources
Living in an Age of Whitewater (Ten Issues for the Future)
A Blueprint for Lay Mobilization
Eight Distinctives of Full Service Churches
Women’s Ministries in the 90’s ...The Other Half of the Church
Escaping the Past and Inventing the Future
Re-Tooling the Church ...Summit ‘95
Teenagers Today ...What a Difference a Decade Makes
Mentoring on Both Sides of the Equation
Ten Principles for Effective Partnerships
Beyond the Learning Organization: Designing Your Learning Network
Listening to the Unchurched
Changing Organizational Characteristics
The New Apostolic Paradigm
The Essence of Strategic Leadership
Ten Keys to Starting a Saturday Night Service
Church Traditions: Building Blocks or Roadblocks
Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Church
Does Evangelism Have a Future in America
Children’s Ministry in the 90’s...Changes and Challenges
“L > C...The Law of Ecological Learning”
The Fifth Resolution
Beyond Boomers to Generation X
From Generation to Generation
Social Entrepreneurs...Moving From Success to Significance
Leadership for Turbulent Times
The Teaching Church Network...Churches Mentoring Churches
Authenticity and Connections Frame Gen X Forum
New Wineskins, Not Patches
Spirituality and Rediscovering Mission
Success and Derailment in the 90’s
Developing Leaders & Finding Balance;Women’s Ministries For The 21st Century
Mission and Boundaries
Leading to Learn, Learning to Lead
Preparing For The Future: The Issues of Gen X Pastors
Four Critial Questions For 21st Century Pastors
The Critical Issue of Leadership
Welcome to the Next Church
The Diffusion of Innovation
Three Key Shifts in Worship
Some ABC’s of Ministry in the 90’s
An Adulthood Survival Kit
Church Architecture in the 21st Century
Ten Observations On Contemporary Leadership
■ ■ ■ ■
TO REGISTER FOR NETFAX, OR TO ORDER BACK ISSUES...
(back issues are sold in full sets only for $39 which includes shipping and handling)
... call the Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323 [ (903) 561-0437 OUTSIDE THE U.S. ]
■ ■ ■ ■
13

The Leadership Network
Web Site
Since opening in August of this year, thousands have
accessed Leadership Network in Cyberspace through
our web site located at http://www.leadnet.org/.
In keeping with the changing nature of the Internet,
we have added the following new features:
☛ New graphics that make it easier and faster
to download
☛ A search engine that allows you to search
the entire site by subject or keyword
☛ A direct link to Amazon Books that enables
you to safely purchase Leadership Network
recommended books online at a substantial
discount
☛ Updated content and new links to other
useful sites
The web site is first rate and informative. You remain on
the edge of building the church for the next generation.
Gene Wilkes, legacy@airmail.net
I just wanted to write to say, this is by far the best Web Site for
Church Leaders. You’ve done an outstanding job. I like the
fact that it’s fairly quick and the vast amount of resources
available for downloading.
Jim Hazelwood, JHazel4359@aol.com
I checked out your new web site. Great work! Loads
quickly, presents itself clearly, contains much helpful info,
and reinforces your mission statement.
Warren Bird, WarrenBird@aol.com
14

After you visit Leadership Network’s web site at http://www.leadnet.org/, you might check out these sites
that are exceptional for their content and links to other Internet sites.
http://www.easum.com is the location of 21st Century Strategies led
by consultant/author/former pastor Bill Easum. The site reflects the
mission of the organization: to provide the networks, environment, and
resources to help church leaders transition into the 21st century.
Especially useful features are the library with recommended reading and
book of the month with Bill’s comments and implications for the church and the networking section that allows
interaction and discussion with others through four primary e-mail discussion groups: contemporary worship,
transformational leadership, transitioning churches and small groups. This is a must site for 21st century church
leaders.
http://www.enews.com is a magazine reader’s Fort Knox. The site provides
access to over 2,000 online magazines in five major subject areas: business, recreation,
news, technology, and entertainment. Its features allow you to just browse or
search for a particular article or subject. You can also customize your reading based
on your interests. Bookmark this one.
http://www.goshen.net is the largest network of Christian web pages and links
to other Christian sites on the Internet with over 250 sites and the number increases
daily. It offers free space and design help to Christian organizations wanting to
establish a home page. Major features include a help wanted/classified section, religion and world news services,
personal study tools, and shareware. This is another bookmark site.
http://www.amazon.com bills itself as “the earth’s largest bookstore” with over a
million titles. Updated daily, the site gives you the latest on best sellers now and in the
making, major review sources, and of course has a search feature to help you locate a
particular book by subject, title, author, or keyword. Once you locate the book, you get a
brief synopsis, list price and Amazon’s discount price. One click and you can order it direct.
If you have any interest in reading books, reading book reviews, buying books...anything
you can imagine related to books, then this is your site.
http://www.smallgroups.com is a very helpful site for information related
to small groups in the church. Administered by the Small Group Network,
the site includes a library, bookstore, church models, consultants, different
types of small groups (men’s accountability/recovery/youth and teen), and a
calendar of training events.
15

unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.unleashed,not
unleashed,not released.unleashed,not released.
ISSN: 1082-037X
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network.
Permission to reproduce
material in NEXT may be
obtained by calling,
faxing, or writing
Leadership Network.
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
inside the U.S.,
or (903) 561-0437
outside the U.S.
FAX: (903) 561-9361
Web Site:
http://www.leadnet.org/
Mailing Address:
L E A D E R S H I P
N E T W O R K
P. O. Box 9100
Tyler, Texas 75711-9100
NEXT is printed on 50-percent recycled paper with 30-percent
post-consumer waste using 100-percent soy-based inks.
16

Last December,
over 30 senior ministers
gathered at a Leadership
Network forum to address
the issue of building an
enduring church. James Collins,
co-author of the best-selling book,
Built to Last, was the principle
resource. Highlights of the forum
and participant learnings
comprise the cover article of this
issue of NEXT.
While we understand the Church
is eternal, what about the local
expression of church Is your
church “built to last” Will the
legacy of your leadership include
having built an enduring church
THE STAFF OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
INSIDE NEXT
COVER STORY
BUILDING AN ENDURING CHURCH
■
BOOMERS & BUSTERS
(page 4-5)
■
1997 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES
(page 6)
■
THE BOOKSHELF
(page 7)
■
FAX FORUM QUESTIONS (page 8)
■
NETFAX (page 9)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEB SITE
(page 10)
■
WEB.WATCH (page 10)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK FORUMS
(page 11)
■
GEN-X LITURGICAL CONFERENCE
(page 12)
V O L U M E 3 , N U M B E R 1 M A Y , 1 9 9 7
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
BUILDING AN ENDURING CHURCH
“I am here to challenge you with
the question, ‘Are your churches
built to last’ ”
With this statement, James Collins
opened a special Leadership Network
forum convened in December, 1996, around
the theme of “Building An Enduring
Church.” Collins served as the
primary resource for the forum
whose participants included
over 30 senior pastors of large
churches from across the
nation.
Collins’ book, Built To
Last, Successful Habits of
Visionary Companies, was
named the best business
book of 1995 and has sold
over 500,000 hardback
copies. A paperback edition
was released this spring. The
book was the result of studying 18 enduring
organizations that are the premier institutions
in their industries, widely admired by their
peers, and who have a long track record of
making a significant impact on the world
around them. Visionary companies prosper
over long periods of time through multiple
product life cycles and multiple generations
of leaders. They are not companies without
problems or failures and, for better or worse,
they have made an indelible imprint on the
world around them.
Clock Building, Not Telling Time
Having a great idea or being a charismatic
visionary leader is “time telling.” Building a
company that can prosper far beyond the
presence of any single leader is “clock building.”
“Builders of visionary companies are clock
builders...they have a large portion of their
Day-Timer © devoted to building a great
company.” They take an architectural
approach and concentrate on building the
organizational traits of visionary companies.
The primary output of their efforts is not the
tangible implementation of a great idea, the
expression of a charismatic personality, the
gratification of their ego, or the accumulation
of personal wealth. Their
greatest creation is the
company and what it
stands for. Clock building
requires a fundamental
assumption of building for
the long term.
Another finding of Collins’
research is that building a
visionary company does not
require a high profile charismatic
style of leadership. In fact,
“the charismatic, visionary
leader is often a liability, not an
asset.” Organizations need strong leaders at all
levels but, too often, dependencies get built
around the charismatic leader.
A Core Ideology
The core ideology is the combination of core
values and purpose. The essence of what
makes great institutions is their core values.
The context and everything else may change,
but the values are not open to change. Core
values do not change. They do not sway with
the trends and fads of the day. Nor do they
shift in response to changing market conditions.
The key question is this: if the world changed
and you were seriously penalized for holding
that value, would you keep it
People often confuse values with goals,
aspirations, strategies and all that other stuff.
continued on next page

If you have more than three to five core
values, you are mixing values and practice.
Purpose is the set of fundamental reasons
for a company’s existence, beyond just
making money. The primary role of
purpose is to guide and inspire and when
properly conceived, it is broad, fundamental
and enduring. A visionary company
continually pursues, but never fully
achieves or completes, its purpose.
Purpose can also
tell you what not
to do.
Core ideology
need only be
meaningful and
inspirational to
people inside
the organization;
it need not be
exciting to all
outsiders. A clear,
and well-articulated
ideology
attracts people to
the company whose
personal values are compatible with the
company’s core values, and conversely,
repels those whose personal values are
contradictory. You can’t get people to share
core values...you get the people who are
attracted to the values you share. What are
you doing today to develop a deep bench
of people who share the values of your
church
The essential challenge is: How do you
preserve your core values and purpose and
at the same time change your strategies,
cultural and operational practices and
ways of doing church
The Key is Alignment
The key is aligning the vision and values
to the practices and activities of the
enterprise. To do this will require eliminating
practices, programs, and activities that are
not critical to the core ideology.
What do you need to stop doing in order to
achieve alignment with your core values
and purpose Citing his own example of
unplugging his television set to be more
productive in the use of his time, Collins
challenged the participants to list ten
things “that you can stop doing in order to
achieve alignment...what do you need to
unplug”
The Importance of a BHAG
A bold mission or what Collins calls a
BHAG (pronounced bee-hag, short for
“Big Hairy Audacious Goal”) is a powerful
mechanism in
an organization.
More than a goal, a BHAG is a “take
the mountain” kind of challenge. Going to
the moon in the 1960’s was a BHAG. A
BHAG is clear and compelling and serves
as a unifying focal point of effort. It also
requires a high level of commitment, not to
a particular leader, but to the goal. It is not
a statement but must engage and capture
people’s spirit.
A BHAG can also play an important role
after the departure of highly energetic leaders
(often founders). As Collins put it,
“I like leaving behind a BHAG that
will continue after you leave. Often,
an organization is a vehicle for the
founder to pursue his or her purpose,
but there comes a point where the
organization has to transition to
having its own purpose. A lot of
organizations never make it past this
point. There is nothing to sustain the
organization.”A BHAG can help ensure
the continuity of an enduring organization.
The inherent danger of the BHAG is,
however, that once achieved, an organization
can stall and drift in the “we’ve
arrived” syndrome.
The Time To Build Is Now
Building an enduring company or church
takes time. Collins’s final question to the
forum participants
focused on
timing: “What do
you need to be
doing today to
ensure that your
church or organization
is stronger
50 years from
now than it is
today
“The big mistake
in thinking about
shaping an enduring
company
is to think of it
five years before the retirement of the
senior leader. It should be thought about 25
years out. You have to take the long view.
Too often companies take a short term perspective.”
James Collins is a management educator and
author based in Boulder, Colorado, where he
operates a management-learning laboratory.
He previously was on the faculty of the
Stanford University Graduate School of
Business and also served as a consultant with
McKinsey & Company and Hewlett-Packard.
He can be reached via e-mail at
JCC512@aol.com
Built To Last resources
include:
Built to Last by James C.
Collins and Jerry I. Porras.
Published by Harper-
Business; paperback edition
is $14.00.
The Executive Book
Summary of Built To Last
(8 pages) available through Soundview
($4.50) at
James C. Collins
A BHAG engages people—it reaches out and grabs them in the
gut. It is tangible, energizing, highly focused. People “get it”
right away; it takes little or no explanation.
2

1-800-521-1227 or
http://www.soundview.com
Building Your Company’s Vision by
James Collins and Jerry Porras. Harvard
Business Review, September-October,
1996. Reprints are available for $5.00 from
HBR at 1-800-988-0886. Ask for reprint
96501.
“Building An Enduring Church” is the
cover story of the Church
Champions Newsletter, Vol.2, No.1,
which can be found at
Participant Learnings
In small groups and the large forum,
participants discussed the principles and
findings of Built To Last in light of their
own experiences in leadership and
ministry. What follows is a sampler of key
learnings.
On clock building and time telling...
“I realized that to be a clock builder, you
have to step back from the organization...and
be able to give up the rewards of
the organization and the system.”
“I am struck by two things: the charismatic
leader being a liability as much as an asset
and how much growth can pull you away
from who you are.”
“For me, it has been discovering the
distinction between ‘building to last’ as
opposed to preservation.”
“I am going to work on a “stop doing”
list...to try and stop dealing with the things
that don’t matter for the next 50 years.”
“We need to start a generation of new
churches that are ‘built to last’ from the
beginning.”
“I had to ask myself the question, “How
much of what I do in my daily schedule
will build strength in 50 years”
On preserving the core...
“While we have a great group of elders, I
realized we have done nothing to develop
the next level of leaders...leaders with our
core values.”
“We need to reexamine
core valu
e s ,
structure, and
strategy...I don’t
want to tie future
leaders to our present
strategy.”
“I see the need for
an annual orientation
for staff,
whether they are
new or not, about
our purpose, values,
and why we exist.”
“I realized how important it is that we not
build our values around issues.”
On alignment and BHAG...
“Before we assign a value, we need to be
sure that it can be lived out in the life of
our church...this will be even more important
in the coming century.”
“We need to quit appreciating the past and
move on to the future...the values are clear
but the vision is not...we need a BHAG.”
“It is time for me to provide more visionary
leadership...to address the BHAG...and
to think more creatively about staffing patterns.”
“We have to be more intentional about
instilling strong mechanisms that will help
us achieve alignment.”
On succession...
“It is time to seriously think through the
issue of succession with our leadership and
staff.”
“I am near retirement and beginning to
realize what I have lost in getting too close
to the institutional side of church.”
“As I begin to think about my successor, I
need to help our church understand the
importance of operational systems and
structure. The real strength is in equipping
people, not running programs.”
Core
Ideology
=
Leadership Network recently
asked several participants at
the Built To Last forum how
they had applied what they
had learned during the
forum. Here is
some of their
response.
Austin, Texas
Core Values
+
Purpose
Core Values = The organization’s essential and enduring tenets—
a small set of general guiding principles; not to
be confused with specific cultural or operating
practices; not to be compromised for financial
gain or short-term expediency.
Purpose = The organization’s fundamental reasons for
existence beyond just making money—a perpetual
guiding star on the horizon; not to be confused with
specific goals or business strategies.
George Cladis,
Senior Pastor of
Covenant
Presbyterian
Church
“Collins helped me understand that if you
can express the mission, goals and purposes
of the church, even its core values, in
picturesque ways, you need to then stick to
the description and emphasize it repeatedly.
You build ministry and structures and
missions off of those words. It has been
interesting to me that some of our new
members who have come into our church
and gone through a new member process
look at what I am doing in presenting the
comments are continued on page 5
mission of the church and say, “You know,
this looks like the stuff Jim Collins talks
about.”
3

Worship for the
Next Generation
Much has been written in recent years
regarding the generation some are
calling “X.” I’d like to offer you a
“snapshot” of these folks that I’ve
assembled primarily from three sources:
a book by Kevin Graham Ford, Jesus for
a New Generation, conversations with
Bill Easum, and the recent “Gen X” conference
held at Community Church of
Joy in Glendale, Arizona.
A General Snapshot
The following is a snapshot of this group
using generalizations that are most
descriptive for me.
Fear—All the good jobs are taken, and I’m
under too much pressure to succeed.
Anger—My family has ceased functioning;
there is nothing to look forward to.
Recreation—Life, sex, chemicals, and
relationships are recreation.
Polarization—Although the boomers
promised they would change the world,
racism, hate, and cultural division have not
gone away.
Cynicism—You can hear my hopelessness
in the cynical nature of my music and
comedy.
Independence—I will live my own life,
develop my own values, and live apart
from the demands of this society.
Visual influence—I grew up watching
Sesame Street and MTV. I don’t read well
and I don’t learn in an academic system
based on text.
Little regard for authority and systems—
I’m not “anti” authority and systems; I just
don’t care.
Music as global language—Music is the
language of my heart. If you want to know
me, listen to my music.
In this “snapshot,” we see a picture of a
generation detached and without hope. As
this generation looks to the church or,
more accurately, as the church tries to
minister to this generation, we must ask,
“What are you looking for”
I am looking for something spiritual—not
necessarily something religious.
I am looking for people who are honest—
not necessarily impressive.
I want to be deeply involved in a radical
movement—not casually connected to an
organization that doesn’t have a mission.
I want to be involved—I’m not content to
be a spectator of life.
I want to be challenged with high
standards that invite me to a compelling
vision.
I want to explore all the options—there
can’t be just “one world view.”
This generation carries a great deal of
emotional pain and if we intend to minister
to this group, we need to learn about their
pain. We need to understand how they
view the world. Most importantly, we need
to demonstrate authentic, honest love.
Over and over, this generation is inviting
the church to “get to know me.”
What Does The Church
Have To Offer
Reconciliation for a generation who feels
alienated from each other and from the
American dream.
Restoration of trust for an abused and
betrayed generation.
Safety for a generation victimized by
violence and crime.
Real love for a generation who has been
“burned” by authority and systems.
Mission to something larger than
themselves for a generation who feels
unwanted and unneeded.
Faith That Works For A
Generation In Need Of A Radical,
Life-Transforming Experience
Churches who are serious about this kind
of ministry might examine three key areas:
(1) the large group—the occasion,
worship event, gathering space, that calls
this group together; (2) the small group—
the safe place to “get to know me” and
find support for making things work; and
(3) a reason to be—the mission, cause,
outgrowth that motivates this group to
truly change the world.
These three dynamics seem to work
together in some mystical kind of way.
Large-group events need the intimacy of
small-group and purpose of mission in
order to be meaningful. Small groups need
the energy and inertia of large groups and
the focus of mission in order to draw and
compel. Mission focus needs the celebration
of large group event and the intimacy
of small group in order to be sustained.
What Are The Implications For
Worship For The Next Generation
1) Worship (or evangelism event) alone is
not enough to sufficiently energize this
group. Worship or event is one part of a
larger effort to engage and involve.
2) Worship must be visual. Video and
computer graphic projections will need to
be an integral part of this event. A film
license will be needed along with your
CCLI license.
3) Technology of all sorts—sound, lighting,
video, Internet, laser, hologram—all
will become factors as we move into a new
millennium in worship.
4) Worship will need to be real, radical,
and have an “edge.” This generation will
not respond to a “praise band” approach or
a presentational event.
4

5) Worship music for this generation will
probably not involve keyboards. As you
get to know this generation, you will
hardly find a keyboard sound anywhere in
their music. The new music will incorporate
guitars, drums, and percussion elements of
all sorts.
6) Worship will be concentric, not linear.
There will be all kinds of things happening
at once. This drives boomers crazy, but
the next generation can handle four or five
different things happening in an event
simultaneously. Worship may not have a
beginning or an end; it might just stop for
awhile.
7) Worship will not just be Sunday
morning. The prime time for next-generation
worship might be 10:00 Saturday night.
8) Next worship might require new
leadership with new skill sets. Typical
preaching may or may not be effective in
reaching this generation. Musicians who
have been effective in the past may not be
included in this approach. The average age
of the leadership might be significantly
younger than in the past.
9) Worship (or event) will be the springboard
for establishing small groups of
people who have a strong “affinity” for
one another. Worship (or event) will also
serve as the stimulus for significant
mission work and involvement.
A key word that always pops up in any
discussion of Gen X is “passion.” We, as
God’s church, must cultivate a passion for
this new ministry. This passion will drive
us to commit resources, develop leadership,
and become actively engaged in the work
of reaching the next generation.
Handt Hanson is the Worship Team Leader
at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in
Burnsville, MN. This article is used with
permission from Perspectives, the
newsletter of Changing Church, Inc.
(http://www.changingchurch.org).
Built To Last participant comments,
continued from page 3
Steve Sjogren,
Senior Pastor, Vineyard Community Church
Cincinnati, Ohio
“He (Collins) gave me a lot of language and I came back with a new glossary of
terms—the BHAG or Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Maybe this has been part of our
discovered success or backing our way into something that works by intuition, but
we have had BHAG’s from the beginning. He confirmed what we were aspiring to
do from the beginning was right. It was the right tack to take, taking on a goal that
is so large that only God and a lot of focused effort could really pull it off. For
example, we have said in our explicit vision statements for some years now that
we aspire to touch every person in our city of 1.8 million people. Since the
Collins forum, we have put more language to it and said we are going to literally
touch a million people in 1998, and we worked out a formula to do it.”
Mike Slaughter
Senior Pastor, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church
Tipp City, Ohio
“I have had to become much more intentional about coaching the next generation
of leadership. For example, we have a 31-year old preaching
pastor who now preaches at one of our services every
week. He could replace me if something ever happened.”
George Bullard
National Consultant on Transformation
“The idea of a core ideology crystallized for me what I
want to do in preparation with a congregation before they
begin their strategic journey. This has to be done before
they begin to discuss vision and do strategic thinking.
Also, building the lists of what are you going to stop doing and what will you start
doing was important. To build something enduring, you have to think beyond
yourself. To help your congregation succeed 50 years from now, you have to have
a servant-leadership mentality that focuses on the congregation succeeding, not
just yourself.”
5

1997 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES
SPONSOR CONFERENCE/SPEAKER DATE LOCATION FOR MORE INFO, CALL
Stephen Ministries
Stephen Series of Lay
Ministry
June 15-21
July 13-19
August 3-9
San Diego, CA
Seattle, WA
Baltimore, MD
(314) 645-5511
The Interim Ministry
Network
The Interim Ministry
Network
“ Healthy Congregations:A
Systems Approach for the
Interim Ministry ”
Peter Steinke
“Ministering in the ‘In-Between
Times’ in the Post-Christian
Era”—Loren Mead
June 21-23
July 16-18
Seattle, WA
Richmond, VA
800-235-8414
800-235-8414
National Evangelistic
Association
National Evangelism
Workshop ‘97
July 23-25
Denver, CO
(806) 762-8094
“ Cutting-Edge Methods
and Inspiration”
Bill Easum, Dale Galloway,
Marta Poling-Goldenne,
Thomas Murray, Herb
Miller
Willow Creek Association
Leadership Summit
August 6-9
S. Barrington, IL
(847) 765-0070
Emerging Urban Leaders &
Leadership Network
Emerging Urban Leaders
Summit
September 25-27
Washington, D.C.
(703) 532-7600
Fuller Theological
Seminary
“ Small Group Ministries
for the 21st Century ”
October 9-10
Minneapolis, MN
1-800-999-9578
Gareth Icenogle, David
Stark
INJOY
“Leadership with John
Maxwell”
October 8-9
Atlanta, GA
1-888-249-0700
Leadership Catalyst
“ Leading From Within ”
October 9-13
Mesa, AZ
1-800-333-6506
Beeson Institute for
Advanced Church
Leadership,
Asbury Seminary
“ Church for the
Unchurched ”
Bill Hybels, George Hunter,
Walt Kallestad
October 21-25
S. Barrington, IL
1-888-523-3766
Willow Creek Association
Church Leadership
Conference
October 22-25
S. Barrington, IL
(847) 765-0070
Saddleback Valley
Community Church
“How to Build a Purpose-
Driven Church”
November 1
Lake Forest, CA
1-800-651-7331
Rick Warren
21st Century Strategies
“ Implications of the
Quantum World”
November 19-21
Aransas Pass, TX
(512) 749-5364
Bill Easum, Len Sweet
21st Century Strategies
Consultant Training
December 8-11
Aransas Pass, TX
(512) 749-5364
6

The Organization of the Future
Frances Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith,
Richard Beckhard, editors
Jossey-Bass, Inc.
1-800-956-7739
$25.00
With an opening by Peter Drucker and a
close by Charles Handy, this book sets
high standards for the middle content and
the collection of practitioner authors from the worlds of government,
business and community does not disappoint. They address
where, when, and how organizations and their leaders must evolve
in the coming years. This is an outstanding companion book to the
earlier Leader of the Future, also produced by the Drucker
Foundation.
The Interventionist
by Lyle Schaller
Abingdon
1-800-672-1789
$14.95 paperback
In many ways, Lyle Schaller's newest
book, The Interventionist, is his pinnacle
achievement. Longer than most of his
books, this one lays out his conceptual
framework for analyzing and helping churches plan for their
future. The book is actually a series of questions that Schaller uses
to understand each congregation as an unique body and how they
can best be helped. While written for church interventionists,
pastors and denominational workers will discover tools to help see
a church’s systems and find leverage points and process for
improvement. Leadership Network is hosting a forum with Lyle
Schaller based on this book June 22.
The Fourth Turning
by William Strauss and Neil Howe
Broadway Books
1-800-323-9872
$27.50
This book comes on the heels of the
authors’ successful volume, Generations,
and continues their belief in, and understanding
of, the cyclical nature of
American history. According to Strauss and Howe, each cycle has
four turnings, the last being a Crisis, and they locate America
roughly ten years away from a crisis that equals the Revolution, the
Civil War, and World War II. The companion web site,
http://www.fourthturning.com, is worth exploring. In addition to
audio and text excerpts, it includes a discussion group on
religion and the fourth turning.
Five Challenges for the Once
and Future Church
by Loren Mead
The Alban Institute
1-800-486-1318
$12.25
This third offering in Alban’s “Once and
Future” series takes a look at five
challenges facing the church. According
to author Loren Mead, they include transferring the ownership
of the church, discovering new structures and a passionate
spirituality, making the church a new community and source of
community and becoming an apostolic people. While the book can
easily be read in one sitting, you will think about its contents
for days.
Reality Isn’t What It Used To Be
by Walter Truett Anderson
HarperCollins/San Francisco
1-800-331-3761
$13.00
Billed as “a dazzling excursion through
the postmodern world—from deconstruction
and punk rock to Ronald
Reagan and the New Age religion,” this
book examines the major facets of the postmodern world. Church
leaders will find this book useful as Anderson talks about new
world philosophies, beliefs about beliefs, faith and freedom,
culture wars, postmodern literature and what all this means for
democracy in the twenty-first century. Virtually no aspect of the
postmodern scene is left untouched as Anderson looks at our first
lurches into the global era. This is a sometimes disturbing, but
insightful, book.
7

FAX Forum Questions
(PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY)
1997 Methods of Communication
We are wondering about the variety of communications methods
used by churches in 1997 and are especially interested in the following.
1. What types of print publications does your church use to
communicate Please provide a brief description of each.
FAXFORUM is another way of learning
more about the issues of interest to you
as a reader of .
Please help us by completing the brief
survey to the right and fax it back to us
at (903) 561-9361.
If you prefer to return it by mail,
please send it to:
Leadership Network
P. O. Box 199277
Dallas, TX 75219-9277
Please tell us something
about you:
Name:
Church or Organization:
Address:
Telephone:
FAX:
E-mail:
Ministry Position:
❑ Senior Pastor ❑ Other:
Age: ❑25-34 ❑35-44 ❑45-54 ❑55+
I have attended a Leadership Network:
❑ Forum ❑ Summit
❑ Church in the 21st Century
❑ Other:
2. If your church uses radio or TV, how are they used and who
is the target market
3. Do you have satellite downlink capability If so, what is the
bandwidth of your dish Ku or C
4. Are you using the World Wide Web Please describe how you
use it and include your web address (URL).
FAX YOUR RESPONSES TO LEADERSHIP NETWORK:
FAX: (903) 561-9361
WE’LL SHARE YOUR RESULTS IN A FUTURE ISSUE OF NEXT.
8

N E T F A X B A C K I S S U E S
D A T E N O .
T O P I C S
Sept. 5, 1994
Sept. 19, 1994
Oct. 3, 1994
Oct. 17, 1994
Oct. 31, 1994
Nov. 14, 1994
Nov. 28,1994
Dec. 12, 1994
Dec. 26, 1994
Jan. 9, 1995
Jan. 23, 1995
Feb. 6, 1995
Feb. 20, 1995
Mar. 6, 1995
Mar. 20, 1995
Apr. 3, 1995
Apr. 17. 1995
May 1, 1995
May 15, 1995
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Jul. 10, 1995
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Aug. 7, 1995
Aug. 21, 1995
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Oct. 2, 1995
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Oct. 30, 1995
Nov. 13, 1995
Nov. 27, 1995
Dec. 11, 1995
Dec. 25, 1995
Jan. 8, 1996
Jan. 22,1996
Feb. 5, 1996
Feb. 19, 1996
Mar. 4, 1996
Mar. 18, 1996
April 1, 1996
April 15, 1996
April 29, 1996
May 13, 1996
May 27, 1996
June 10, 1996
June 24, 1996
July 8, 1996
July 22, 1996
Aug. 5, 1996
Aug. 18,1996
Sept. 2,1996
Sept. 16,1996
Sept. 30,1996
Oct. 14,1996
Oct. 28,1996
Nov. 11, 1996
Nov. 25, 1996
Dec. 9, 1996
Dec. 23, 1996
Jan. 6, 1997
Jan. 20, 1997
Feb. 3, 1997
Feb. 17, 1997
Mar. 3, 1997
Mar. 17, 1997
Mar. 31, 1997
Apr. 14, 1997
Apr. 28, 1997
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Peter Drucker on the Church and Denominations
Lyle Schaller’s Signs of Hope
Have Americans Lost Touch with the Sacred in Their Workaday Lives
Leading by Vision and Values
It’s a New Day for Volunteers in the Church
Christian Philanthropy, American and the World
Children’s Ministry ...It’s Not Church “Baby Sitting”
Jumping the Sigmoid Curve
Letterman Has His Top Ten List ...So Do We!
Targeting People in Transition
When the Horse is Dead, Dismount
America at Mid-Decade
What Exactly is Lay Mobilization
Church Champions ... Regulators or Resources
Living in an Age of Whitewater (Ten Issues for the Future)
A Blueprint for Lay Mobilization
Eight Distinctives of Full Service Churches
Women’s Ministries in the 90’s ...The Other Half of the Church
Escaping the Past and Inventing the Future
Re-Tooling the Church ...Summit ‘95
Teenagers Today ...What a Difference a Decade Makes
Mentoring on Both Sides of the Equation
Ten Principles for Effective Partnerships
Beyond the Learning Organization: Designing Your Learning Network
Listening to the Unchurched
Changing Organizational Characteristics
The New Apostolic Paradigm
The Essence of Strategic Leadership
Ten Keys to Starting a Saturday Night Service
Church Traditions: Building Blocks or Roadblocks
Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Church
Does Evangelism Have a Future in America
Children’s Ministry in the 90’s...Changes and Challenges
“L > C...The Law of Ecological Learning”
The Fifth Resolution
Beyond Boomers to Generation X
From Generation to Generation
Social Entrepreneurs...Moving From Success to Significance
Leadership for Turbulent Times
The Teaching Church Network...Churches Mentoring Churches
Authenticity and Connections Frame Gen X Forum
New Wineskins, Not Patches
Spirituality and Rediscovering Mission
Success and Derailment in the 90’s
Developing Leaders & Finding Balance;Women’s Ministries For The 21st Century
Mission and Boundaries
Leading to Learn, Learning to Lead
Preparing For The Future: The Issues of Gen X Pastors
Four Critial Questions For 21st Century Pastors
The Critical Issue of Leadership
Welcome to the Next Church
The Diffusion of Innovation
Three Key Shifts in Worship
Some ABC’s of Ministry in the 90’s
An Adulthood Survival Kit
Church Architecture in the 21st Century
Ten Observations On Contemporary Leadership
Children... Today's Church, As Well As Tomorrow's
Multiple Worship Services and Church Growth
Four Cries of Today's Youth
The Organization of the Future
A Checklist for Change Agents
Generation X... Three Myths and Realities
Developing the Soul for Leadership
The Key Principles of 21st Century Networks
The Movies, T-Rex and Vibrational Leadership
Hollywood, The Sequel
In Search of a Leader
Learning to be a Life-long Learner
TO REGISTER FOR NETFAX, OR TO ORDER BACK ISSUES...
(back issues are sold in full sets only for $39 which includes shipping and handling)
... call the Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323 [ (903) 561-0437 OUTSIDE THE U.S. ]
9

http://www.leadnet.org/
the leadership network website
THE GATEWAY INTO OUR WEB SITE HAS
been redesigned to make it easier for
you to access the information you need.
In addition to everything we publish in
print form, such as NEXT, NetFax, Into
Action, Champions Letter and Champions
FAX, there are bonus areas with additional
information.
Also featured are direct links to web sites,
books, and other information providers
that leaders of the emerging
21st-century church will
find useful. Our entire site is
searchable via either subject or keyword.
“What’s Hot,” our site’s newest feature,
will direct you with one click to the very
latest information that has
been added to the site.
http://www.leadnet.org/
After you visit Leadership Network’s web site
at http://www.leadnet.org/, you might check out these sites
that are exceptional for their content:
http://www.fastcompany.com is the site for the magazine by the
same name recommended in the last issue
of Next. Fast Company seeks to “define a
new world of business and to capture the spirit of the men and women
who are making it happen.” In addition to expanded articles from the
magazine, there are discussion groups of business leaders to join. You
will also find a selection of relevant conferences. Best of all, there is an
easy search engine that saves you time on the site.
http://www.regenerator.com is the gateway to the site for
re:generation quarterly, a journal of culture
and faith for the next generation. In addition
to articles and features from the magazine, there is detailed information
on the June conference, “The True and the Beautiful: Generation X at
Worship” co-sponsored by Leadership Network. (See the ad on the back
cover of NEXT.)
http://www.altavista.digital.com is a great place to begin a web
search. While everyone has their favorite
search engine for sifting through the
voluminous information found on the web,
Alta Vista’s engine actually powers most of the other search sites. At the
Alta Vista site, click on the advanced area to do searches using “and.”
Your inquiry will also return you to a topics map where you can further
refine the hits to the specific topic for which you are searching.
http://www.christcom.net is the new face of the Christian
Community Network which acts as a broker
for other Christian oriented sites. Its best feature
is a look at today’s news from a Christian
perspective that in turn points you to further web resources to explore the
issues raised by the news. It also includes internal discussion groups and
pointers to other discussion groups about the topics raised by the news.
http://www.gospelcom.net is the site of Gospel Communications
Network and serves as a host site for 65
other Christian organizations. You can
search their resources and links by audience, content or service. Two
additional resources are the on-line commentaries and columns of
Quentin Schultz and Terry Mattingly.
10

The 1997
Leadership Network
Forum Schedule
Senior Ministers Forum
May 20 -22, 1997
Small Groups Forum
June 5-7, 1997
*
Worship Leaders Forum
August 25-28, 1997
Singles Pastors Forum
September 25 -27, 1997
Business Administrators Forum
October 21-23, 1997
Childrens Ministry Forum
November 11-13, 1997
Family Ministries Forum
November 13-15, 1997
Senior Adults Ministry Forum
December 4-6, 1997
P L E A S E N O T E
▼
Attendance at all forums is by invitation only, limited to 25 people per forum
and one participant per church. Participants are Senior Ministers and other
ministerial staff of large churches (1,000 or more worship attendance) who
have at least one year of ministry experience. If you would like to receive an
invitation or recommend someone to be invited to a forum, please call or
write Nancy Kiser at the Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323.
The cost of a forum is $195 which includes lodging (double occupancy) and
all meals. For your convenience, forum fees may be charged to American
Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All forums will be held at the Glen Eyrie
Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Transportation from the
Colorado Springs Airport to Glen Eyrie is available through the Airporter, Inc.
shuttle service. The fare is $20 for 1-2 persons or $10 per person (3–11 people).
A reservation is necessary and can be made by calling (719) 578-5232.
*
new 4-day format cost is $275
DAILY SCHEDULE – 3-DAY FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
7:30
8:30
NOON
1:00
3:00
4:00
6:00
7:00
9:00
Forum Begins
Set Agenda
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
Free Time
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Breakfast
Discussion
Lunch
Conclusion and
Adjournment
FOR INFORMATION ON LEADERSHIP NETWORK’S LAY
MOBILIZATION FORUMS, CALL
1-800-765-5323.
New Drucker Tapes Available
LEADERSHIP NETWORK recently held
a consultation on the subject of
City Partnerships, with Peter Drucker
as the primary resource. Most of
those who attended were from our
Church Champions Network. They
heard Drucker comment on the nature
of partnerships and the need to build
strong partnerships in order to change local communities.
In addition, three case studies of on-going city partnerships
were presented.
Because the learnings of this consultation will be of
interest to many Leadership Network constituents, we are
making available a set of materials from this meeting that
includes:
■ 4 audio tapes, (3 with Peter Drucker and 1 with
case studies)
■ notes from all sessions
■ case study materials
■ follow up resources
The total cost of $40 includes shipping.
To order a set of City Partnership materials, please call
1-800-765-5323.
NEW Section 3 Starter Kit
Revisions Now Available
If you purchased your Starter Kit for
Mobilizing Ministry prior to January
1997, you will want to purchase the
newly revised Section 3, “Resources
and References.”
This 128 page expanded version offers:
apple new resources
apple computer software for gift information
and tracking people’s service
apple discovery tools
apple other resources: administrative,
assimilation, context, matching and
placement, coaching and leadership,
risk management, DLM associations,
“whole-life ministry” and church
strategy and transformation
The cost of a new Section 3 is
$15.00. To order your copy, call
1-800-765-5323.
11

ISSN: 1082-037X
The Road to the Future
The signs are everywhere –
from the spectacular success of
“Chant,” an album featuring
Gregorian chants sung for more
than a millenium, to the mass
appeal of Taize, a monastic
group based in France that
sponsors ecumenical services
featuring chant, liturgical prayer
and candlelight vigils.
The search for authentic
spirituality among Generation X
is leading – among other places –
to the treasures offered by the
confessional traditions of
the Reformation, Orthodoxy,
and Catholicism. This conference
will appropriate the riches
of the past in developing
authentic worship for the
postmodern movement.
runs through the past.
“The True & the Beautiful”
a new generation at worship
San Francisco June 20 - 22, 1997
a conference sponsored by
Re:generation Quarterly and
Leadership Network
Come experience worship from the Reformed, Orthodox, and
Catholic traditions ■ Find out what the popularity of ‘spirituality’’ in
pop music means for the church ■ Enjoy workshops on everything
from Gregorian Chant toIconography ■ Listen to Sacred Jazz
FEATURED SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE FR. MARK BROSKI, St. Benedict (Catholic)
Monastery, Virginia ■ ANDY CROUCH, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship,
Harvard University ■ BILL HALEY, The Falls Church (Episcopal), Virginia
FR. JONAH PAFFHAUSEN, St. Eugene (Orthodox) Hermitage, California
REV. SCOT SHERMAN, The Village Church (PCA), New York
BRAD WILCOX, Re:generation QuarterLY
REGISTRATION (INCLUDING FOOD, HOUSING AND CONFERENCE COSTS)
WILL BE $190.00 DOUBLE ROOM, $230 SINGLE ROOM, OR $150
COMMUTER RATE (NO HOUSING). FOR MORE INFORMATION,
CONTACT LINDA STANLEY AT LEADERSHIP NETWORK AT 1-800-765-5323.
12
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network.
Permission to reproduce
material in NEXT may be
obtained by calling,
faxing, or writing
Leadership Network.
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
inside the U.S.,
or (903) 561-0437
outside the U.S.
FAX: (903) 561-9361
Web Site:
http://www.leadnet.org/
Mailing Address:
L E A D E R S H I P
N E T W O R K
P. O. Box 199277
Dallas, Texas 75219-9277
Leadership
Networ
ork k is moving
to Dallas!
While our 800 telephone
number will remain the
same, please make a
note of our new address
as of June J
1, 1997:
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
P.O. Box 199277
Dallas, TX 75219-9277
1-800-765-5323
NEXT is printed on 50-percent recycled paper with 30-percent
post-consumer waste using 100-percent soy-based inks.

“A revolution is transforming
American Protestantism.”
So begins an important new book
by Donald E. Miller that chronicles
the emergence of a “new
paradigm of church” at the close
of the twentieth century in
America. Based on five years of
research and interviews with
pastors and church members
across the country, the book
provides insight into this new type
of church and its response to
people’s search for spiritual
meaning and significance.
We thank Miller and the University
of California Press for the use of
excerpts from the book and
commend it to the readers of NEXT.
THE STAFF OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
INSIDE NEXT
COVER STORY
REINVENTING AMERICAN PROTESTANTISM
■
A HALF TIME GAME PLAN
- AN INTERVIEW WITH BOB BUFORD -
(page 4-5)
■
NEW RULES FOR A NEW ECONOMY
(page 6-9)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK RECOMMENDS
(page 10-11)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEB SITE (page 11)
■
WEB.WATCH (page 12)
■
THE BOOKSHELF (page 13)
■
NETFAX (page 14)
■
LEADERSHIP NETWORK FORUMS (page 15)
■
NEW LEADERSHIP NETWORK STAFF (page 16)
V O L U M E 3 , N U M B E R 2 N O V E M B E R , 1 9 9 7
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
REINVENTING AMERICAN
PROTESTANTISM—
Christianity in the New Millennium
by Donald E. Miller
Arevolution is transforming American
Protestantism. While many of the mainline
churches are losing membership, overall
church attendance is not declining. Instead, a
new style of Christianity is being born
in the United States, one that responds to
fundamental cultural changes that began in
the mid-1960’s. These new paradigm churches,
as I call them, are changing the way
Christianity looks and is experienced.
Like upstart religious
groups of the past, they have
discarded many of the attributes
of established religion. Appropriating
contemporary cultural
forms, these churches are
creating a new genre of worship
music; they are restructuring
the organizational character of
institutional religion; and they
are democratizing access to the
sacred by radicalizing the
Protestant principle of the
priesthood of all believers.
The new paradigm can be found in many
places. One of its most typical sites is within
the numerous independent churches that
have proliferated in recent years. These
churches are contributing to what has been
called a new era of postdenominational
Christianity in America, reflecting a general
disillusionment with bureaucratic hierarchies
and organizational oversight. Other new
paradigm churches remain within existing
denominations, but their worship and organizational
style differ decidedly from those
of the more institutionalized churches in
their denominations. Indeed, some of these
new paradigm churches
disguise the fact that
they even have a denominational
affiliation.
Included in my definition
of new paradigm
churches are “seekersensitive”
churches,
such as Willow Creek Community Church in
Chicago or Saddleback Community Church
in southern California. These churches are
attempting to design worship services that
appeal to those who do not usually attend
church. I also want to include in the ranks of
the new paradigm a growing movement of
churches that identify themselves as part of
“apostolic networks.” These churches model
Professor of Religion Donald E. Miller at a service at Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach,
California; Photo by Irene Fertik, University of Southern California News Service
their organizational structure after the religious
leadership described in the New Testament
book of the Acts of the Apostles.
It is not particularly helpful, in my view, to
use such theological terms as evangelical or
fundamentalist to describe these changes in
American Protestantism. Even categories
such as charismatic and Pentecostal are too
broad to capture the distinctive character of
the revolution described in this book,
although many new paradigm churches do
embrace the gifts of the spirit. Nor do I find
the terminology of religious “culture wars”
continued on page 2

The following TWELVE CHARACTERISTICS,
all of which must be present to some
degree, distinguish new paradigm
churches:
■ they were started after the mid-1960’s
■ the majority of congregation members
were born after 1945
■ seminary training of clergy is optional
■ worship is contemporary
■ lay leadership is highly valued
■ they have extensive small group
ministries
■ clergy and congregates usually dress
informally
■ tolerance of different personal
styles is prized
■ pastors tend to be understated,
humble, and self-revealing
■ bodily, rather than mere cognitive,
participation in worship is the norm
■ the gifts of the Holy Spirit are
affirmed
■ Bible-centered teaching
predominates over topical
sermonizing
very useful, since many of the new
paradigm churches cut across political
and social issues in innovative
ways.
To clarify the character of this
revolution—which might even be
viewed as the initial phase of a
“Second Reformation”—I focus
on three movements that I believe
fit the definition of new paradigm
churches: Calvary Chapel,
Vineyard Christian Fellowship,
and Hope Chapel. While there
are differences among these
groups,
there
are also many parallels. All
three movements originated in
southern California, but each
of these movements has spread
across the country, and increasingly,
the world.
The story of American religion
is one of change. I argue that not
only are new paradigm churches
doing a better job of responding
to the needs of their clientele than
are many mainline churches,
but—more important—they are
successfully mediating the
sacred, bringing God to people
and conveying the self-transcending
and life-changing core of all true
religion. They offer worship in a
musical idiom that connects with
the experience of broad sectors of
the middle class; they have jettisoned
aspects of organized religion that
alienate many teenagers and young
adults; and they provide programming
that emphasizes well-defined moral
values not otherwise available in the
culture. In short, they offer people
hope and meaning that is grounded in
a transcendent experience of the sacred.
Their growth can be attributed to their
ability to communicate the sacred in
profound and life-changing ways and to
embody this experience in postmodern
organizational structures.
I believe we are witnessing a second
reformation that is transforming the way
Christianity will be experienced in the new
millennium. This reformation, unlike the one
led by Martin
Luther, is challenging
not doctrine but
the medium through
which the message
of Christianity is
articulated. But
what makes this
reformation radical
is that the
hope of reforming
existing
denominational
churches
has largely been abandoned. Instead,
the leaders of these new paradigm churches
are starting new movements, unbounded by
denominational bureaucracy and the restraint
of tradition—except the model of first-century
Christianity.
The roots of many new paradigm churches
may lie in the sixties, but it is a mistake to
think that today’s churches represent socially
marginal countercultural values, or that they
have not evolved in the last three decades.
Many clergy and members of the declining
mainline congregations would like to ignore
this revolution in America. But such
dismissals ignore the complexity of these
movements. They are not socially marginal.
Quite the contrary, these are middle-class
churches that represent the mainstream of
American society.
What distinguished these new paradigm
churches, however, is the level of lay
involvement in leadership and program development.
Mirroring democratic values, clergy
encourage members to initiate new programs
and projects which thus reflect the members’
own needs and interests. The pastor sees his
role as facilitating and mentoring members
who are doing the work of ministry, rather
than attempting to staff these ministries with
professional clergy.
These new paradigm churches are growing,
while mainline churches are declining,
because they address the issue of meaning for
their audience in culturally appropriate ways.
The target audience of these churches is
people for whom religion is a hollow word. If
the message is to make sense, it needs to be
embodied in new forms.
2

It is apparent that the cultural relevance of
new paradigm churches, including their
contemporary style of evangelism, plays
an important role in their growth and the
strength of their members’ conversion
experiences. By being culturally current,
new paradigm churches aim to keep
nonbelievers from feeling alienated by any
style of dress or ritual associated with
Christianity; instead, they want any
objections to stem from the content of the
teachings, which they refuse to compromise.
In other words, while culturally current
worship unquestionably attracts people to
new paradigm churches, it is equally
important to stress that conversion experiences
focus on the message and not simply
the form of Christianity. In short, the focus
of new paradigm churches is on internal
transformation as opposed to change in
external appearance.
A recurrent theme in our conversations
was that the people encountered in new
paradigm churches are somehow different
from ordinary associates and friends. The
term “real” frequently surfaced as a way of
describing these Christians who seemed to
lack the defensiveness and egocentricity
that is so much a part of the human
condition. One interviewee described his
initial impressions of new paradigm
Christians in this way: “I sensed that the
people were real. The leadership here gave
me the ability to meet God where I was at,
or God met me where I was at.”
At the core of these acculturation
experiences is a radical change in focus
from being self-directed to being Goddirected.
This refocusing of one’s “center
of value” is perhaps best understood as a
basic openness to direction, or leading, by
the Holy Spirit. In any case, many of these
converts reveal a decided deemphasis on
“self ” as typically understood within the
psychological literature on self-fulfillment.
The model instead is one of servanthood.
At a practical level, there is considerable
emphasis on personal discipline and
responsibility, particularly to one’s family.
Indeed, words such as discipleship and
accountability are heard at every turn
within these movements. New-paradigm
churches are “high demand” institutions,
however relaxed and contemporary their
music and organizational structure may
appear. They provide a structuring of
mentoring and accountability for individuals
who are serious about the tough challenges
of changing their lives.
Donald Miller (demiller@mizar.usc.edu) is a
Professor of Religion at the University of
Southern California. His book, The
Reinventing of American Protestantism, is
published by the University of California Press
(1-800-822-6657) and retails for $27.50.
Shortly after the release of his book,
Donald Miller was interviewed by
NEXT, and what follows are highlights
of the interview.
NEXT...What did you want to accomplish
with this book
MILLER...I wanted to
know why Calvary Chapel
could pack 2,200 teenagers
into their church on Monday
night, while my church—
part of a mainline denomination—struggled
to have a
youth program with a dozen
high school age students.
Furthermore, I was well
aware of the “graying” trend
of mainline churches, and I
was intrigued that Vineyard,
Calvary and Hope were
attracting large numbers of
baby boomers and baby
busters.
NEXT...What did you learn in the
process of writing the book
MILLER...On my first visits with the
leaders of these movements, I was struck
by how non-defensive they were. I was
given access to any meeting, was invited to
speak with any staff member, and allowed
to inspect any records. They had nothing to
hide, and I think this “transparency” is
what, in part, attracts people to new
paradigm churches. People can be themselves,
they can admit their problems, they
can seek support and strength, there is no
need to pretend that one is something other
3
than a person who needs forgiveness,
love and a chance to be a part of an
inter-dependent community.
When I started my research, I assumed that
liberals had something to teach those who
were “less enlightened.” The further I
moved into this research project, the more
I saw that the opposite might be true:
namely, the declining mainline churches
might have something to learn from these
religious “upstarts.”
NEXT...Are you suggesting that this
new paradigm of church will become
the dominant paradigm in the next
millennium
MILLER...The religious ecology of
America is much too complex for there to
be only one dominant paradigm. I do
expect, however, that denominational
religion as we know it will decline in
importance and the
growth in American
Christianity will be
among churches that take
seriously the need to present
the gospel in a medium
that connects
culturally with its potential
audience.
NEXT...Please distinguish
more clearly the
differences between a
“new paradigm” church
and a “seeker-sensitive”
church.
MILLER...When I started
writing this book, I
began looking for a term
that would describe these movements.
Others have used “post-denominational” or
“seeker-sensitive” church, but none hit me
quite right. New paradigm church seems
broader and more encompassing than
seeker-sensitive.
NEXT...To what degree is this new
reformation tied to the Boomer and
Buster generations Is it more generationally
driven than culturally driven
MILLER...I’m not certain that one can
separate generational issues from cultural
evolution. Indeed, the argument is that
baby boomers have reshaped their culture,
continued on page 4

and the buster generation is making the
same attempt in the late 1990’s. Are not
youth usually the source of cultural
innovation
If we take the long view of religious history,
worship forms are always changing in
response to cultural change, and the groups
that are growing are those that appropriate
the symbols of the new culture in communicating
their truth.
NEXT...Is it too simplistic to say that
“new paradigm” churches have found a
way to make the message culturally
appropriate and mainline churches have
not
MILLER...It is not just the packaging that
is important. The question is whether the
people, including the clergy, are having
life-transforming experiences in worship.
Are these churches, and their clergy, mediating
deeply moving experiences of the
sacred
NEXT...You write that ritual churches
will grow if the sacred is encountered.
Do you see evidence of that happening in
the more liturgical churches
MILLER...Yes. My own local Episcopal
church is currently exploding with growth
and I credit this to a dynamic and innovative
worship. Also, liturgy, when done
well, can provide the space for people to
experience the transcendent—even in
moments of silence.
NEXT...You suggest that these three
movements plus the independent
churches and seeker-sensitive churches
combine to make this a post-denominational
era. Yet, are these “new paradigm”
churches not creating new denominations
MILLER...The inevitable sociological
trend is that sects become denominations,
or, stated differently, that charisma
becomes routinized. And so it is not
surprising that the Vineyard has declared
itself a denomination. Nevertheless, I think
we are learning that innovation is often
most explosive in decentralized organizations,
whether it be a corporation or a
church.
NEXT...You write that the primitive
model inevitably evolves toward
denominationalism. Do you believe this
will happen with the new paradigm
churches in a postmodern world where
the organizational structures and
culture are very different than the
modern world
MILLER...You make a good point. I think
we are learning a lot about the deficits of
hierarchical, pyramid styles of layered
bureaucracies. It is very possible that
“networks” may be the organizational
structure of the future.
NEXT...You characterize new paradigm
pastors as restless, individualistic and
entrepreneurial. What other observations
would you make of these senior pastors
MILLER...They are voracious learners
and they seek information from a variety of
sources. Also, they do not use traditional
ways of getting information. They read
books but also will hire a consultant to
come in and teach them something. They
are very culturally savvy. They read the
culture intuitively, not through a text book,
and understand it backwards and forwards.
Also, their internal drive comes from the
fact that their lives have been transformed
and currently are in process of change.
Therefore, they have something to share.
NEXT...Len Sweet (historian/theologian/author)
recently remarked that this
is the only spiritual awakening in
American history that is being led more
by the culture than the church. Do you
agree and what is the role of the new
paradigm churches in this awakening
Or are they merely reflective of it
MILLER...I don’t think one can so neatly
separate the church from culture. On the
other hand, I don’t see this awakening as
being a new message-as was true in the
Reformation-but rather a change in the
medium through which the message is
addressed. The message is not innovative
but it is more in the medium of how it
is expressed. It is both the medium and
the messenger in the form of these new
pastors.
There is no single route to second half
significance, no formula that always
works for every person. Instead, there are
multiple pathways that could be a part of
your overall journey. Here are eight ways
to pursue significance in the second half
of your life.
EIGHT PATHS TO SECOND HALF
INVOLVEMENT
Volunteer
Donate substantial time and energy to a
cause you deem significant.
Be a donor
Contribute financial resources to a cause
you deem significant.
Use your business as a ministry
Use your enterprise to accomplish
Kingdom work even as you pursue your
core business.
Become a board member
Provide leadership and expertise to a
nonprofit organization that has a mission
you deem significant.
Partner
Team up with someone involved full time
in a cause you deem significant, acting as a
silent partner to provide resources to that
individual in whatever ways are needed to
accomplish meaningful results.
Establish a parallel career
Take on executive responsibility for a cause
you deem significant, even as you continue
to carry out your vocational
commitments.
Become an organizational leader
Make a fundamental career change by
becoming the executive of an established
organization that has a mission you deem
significant.
Become a social entrepreneur
Use your entrepreneurial expertise and
experience to start and build a nonprofit
initiative designed to meet a societal need
in an innovative way.
4

W
ith the 1995 publication of his book,
Half Time, Bob Buford introduced a new
way of thinking about the second half
of one’s life and the idea of moving from success
to significance. The response to the book resulted
in people agreeing with the idea of second half
but asking the question, “How do I do that, how
do I move from success to significance”
The answer is to have a plan, a game plan if you
will, for the second half. Game Plan, released in
the spring of 1997, provides a map to help you
navigate your journey into this remarkable,
untapped season of growth.
In a recent interview with the editor of NEXT,
Buford reflected on the two books and especially
the response to Game Plan.
NEXT... What did you learn from writing the
two books
BUFORD... Half Time has 90,000 plus
copies in print with very little marketing, which
tells me that we
hit a nerve.
There is an
enormous,
unprecedented
movement into
middle age. I
believe the most significant demographic fact
of the next ten years will be baby boomers
entering half time.
People realize they are in half time and
vaguely realize they would like to make the
shift but they simply don’t know how. I had not
intended to write a second book but everybody
said. “ Give us the steps of how to make the
journey...it’s easier said than done.” That’s why
I wrote Game Plan.
NEXT... How do you take the first step in
developing a game plan
BUFORD... Realize that you have a long and
vital second half. In 1900, the life expectancy
was 50. Currently, people will have the opportunity
to live vital lives well into their 70’s and
80’s. We will most likely be given the gift of a
whole second adulthood and I think it is a new
American frontier.
NEXT... And the succeeding steps
BUFORD... The second step is to then ask
yourself, “ What do I want to do with the gift of
this extra time Do I continue to invest in doing
what I am doing now or something else perhaps
of more significance”
The third step is to find your spiritual center so
that you have a place from which to push off.
You begin with the end in mind, “What do you
want your life to amount to”
I believe each of us will
have a final accounting
before God that
revolves around
two questions:
“What did you
do about Jesus”
and “What did
you do with
what I gave
you to work
with” Just as
we have physical
imprint in our
DNA, each of us has
what I call a spiritual
DNA, a specifically
unique and highly personal
work prepared for us by God.
NEXT... Why is it so hard for people to move
into a second half centered on significance
BUFORD... The hardest part is the lift off—the
beginning. The pull of gravity is so severe and
so strong. Most of us are on a plateau or autopilot.
We establish a routine in order to be effective
and there is a point of diminishing returns
around half time. The difficult part of the journey
is the leaving—the exodus—leaving the security
of the known. And then there is a wilderness
period when the known landmarks are not
present. We are pioneering our way into a new
life and it is frightening for most people.
NEXT... Is this journey into second half one
that you make alone
BUFORD... No, you need to find your second
half team. People don’t do things by themselves
any more—we act in the context of a team. You
need a mentor—someone who is well ahead of
you on the journey. You need people with
complimentary skills to yours, who believe in
what you are doing and are encouragers in the
discouraging moments. You also need accountability,
people with whom you can check in
with every now and then.
NEXT... Moving into a significant second
half requires time, does it not
BUFORD... Yes. It cannot be done overnight.
For most people, the transition takes several
years because you have to re-negotiate your
existing arrangements. Each of us lives as part
of an ecology that includes other people. If we
change our role, we change life for others as
well.
Secondly, there is an amateur period to the
journey. It gets worse before it gets better.
There is a wilderness time. Why would we
expect to have an eight year learning curve in
secular work and a two week curve in significance
work That’s why it is very important not
to do it alone. Yet many people embark on their
significance career utterly alone and as a result
diminish their effectiveness.
NEXT... What about the connection between
half time and the opportunity for people to
do Kingdom work
BUFORD...There is an enormous capacity for
people to be involved in Kingdom work—
for people who
want significance
in their lives and
want to be put to
use according to
how God has
equipped them.
I really believe one person can make a difference
and the second half is the time to do it.”
Single copies of Game Plan are available through
your local bookstore or by calling Zondervan at
800-727-3480. Multiple copies may be purchased
at a discounted price of $10.00 by calling
(719) 473-1698.
5

Readers of NEXT understand that we are
living in a new world with new rules. In
fact, many NEXT readers are helping to
establish the new rules when it comes to
21st century churches. Kevin Kelly,
executive editor of Wired, has identified
12 new rules for the new network economy.
Leadership Network has been given
permission to excerpt the article for
NEXT, and we have chosen to highlight
seven of the twelve rules. We thank
Wired for the use of the material.
The Digital revolution gets all the
headlines these days. But turning
slowly beneath the fast-forward turbulence,
steadily driving the gyrating cycles of
cool technogadgets and gotta-haves, is a
much more profound revolution—the
Network Economy.
This emerging new economy represents a
tectonic upheaval in our commonwealth, a
social shift that reorders our lives more
than mere hardware or software ever can.
It has its own distinct opportunities and its
own new rules. Those who play by the new
rules will prosper; those who ignore them
will not.
The advent of the new economy was first
noticed as far back as 1969, when Peter
Drucker perceived the arrival of knowledge
workers. The new economy is often
referred to as the Information Economy,
because of information’s superior role
(rather than material resources or capital)
in creating wealth.
I prefer the term Network Economy,
because information isn’t enough to
explain the discontinuities we see. We have
been awash in a steadily increasing tide of
information for the past century. Many
successful knowledge businesses have
been built on information capital, but only
recently has a total reconfiguration of
information itself shifted the whole economy.
The grand irony of our times is that the era
of computers is over. All the major consequences
of stand-alone computers have
already taken place. In contrast, all the
most promising technologies making their
debut now are chiefly due to communications
between computers—that is,
to connections rather than to computations.
And since communications is the basis of
culture, fiddling at this level is indeed
momentous.
Information’s critical rearrangement is the
widespread, relentless act of connecting
everything to everything else. That is why
the Network Economy is a big deal.
The new rules governing this global
restructuring revolve around several axes.
First, wealth in this new regime flows
directly from innovation, not optimization;
that is, wealth is not gained by perfecting
the known, but by imperfectly seizing the
unknown. Second, the ideal environment
for cultivating the unknown is to nurture
the supreme agility and nimbleness of
networks. Third, the domestication of the
unknown inevitably means abandoning the
highly successful known—undoing the
perfected.
The Network Economy is not the end of
history. Given the rate of change, this
economic arrangement may not endure
more than a generation or two. Once
networks have saturated every space in our
lives, an entirely new set of rules will take
hold. Take these principles, then, as rules
of thumb for the interim.
1. The Law of Connection
Embrace dumb power
The Network Economy is fed by the
deep resonance of two stellar bangs: the
collapsing microcosm of chips and the
exploding telescom of connections. These
sudden shifts are tearing the old laws of
wealth apart and preparing territory for the
economy.
As the size of silicon chips shrink to the
microscopic, their costs shrink to the
microscopic as well. They become cheap
and tiny enough to slip into every (and the
key word here is ‘every’) object we make.
Soon, all manufactured objects, from
tennis shoes to hammers to lamp shades to
cans of soup, will have embedded in them
a tiny sliver of thought. Because they can
be stamped out fast and cheap, like candy
gumdrops, these chips are known in the
industry as “jelly beans.”
As we implant a billion specks of our
thought into everything we make, we are
6
also connecting them up. Stationary
objects are wired together. The nonstationary
rest—that is, most manufactured
objects—will be linked by infrared and
radio, creating a wireless web vastly larger
than the wired web.
The glory of these connected crumbs is
that they don’t need to be artificially
intelligent. Instead, they work on the dumb
power of a few bits linked together. Dumb
power is what you get when you network
dumb nodes into a smart web. It’s what our
brains do with dumb neurons and what the
Internet did with dumb personal computers.
A PC is the conceptual equivalent of a
single neuron housed in a plastic case.
When linked by the telescom into a neural
network, those dumb PC nodes created
that fabulous intelligence called the World
Wide Web. It works in other domains:
dumb parts, properly connected, yield
smart results.
The net is not just humans typing at each
other on AOL. Rather, the net is the
collective interaction spun off by a trillion
objects and living beings, linked together
through air and glass.
This is the net that begets the Network
Economy. According to MCI, the total
volume of voice traffic on global phone
systems will be superseded by the total
volume of data traffic in three years.
The whole shebang won’t happen
tomorrow, but the trajectory is clear. We
are connecting all to all. Every step we
take that banks on cheap, rampant, and
universal connection is a step in the right
direction. Furthermore, the surest way to
advance massive connectionism is to
exploit decentralized forces—to link the
distributed bottom. How do you make a
better bridge Let the parts talk to each
other. How do you improve lettuce
farming Let the soil speak to the farmer’s
tractors. How do you make aircraft safe
Let airplanes communicate among
themselves and pick their own flight paths.
In the Network Economy, embrace dumb
power.
2. The Law of Plenitude
More gives more

Curious things happen when you connect
all to all. Mathematicians have proven that
the sum of a network increases as the
square of the number of members. In other
words, as the number of nodes in a
network increases arithmetically, the value
of the network increases exponentially.
Adding a few more members can dramatically
increase the value for all members.
Consider the first modern fax machine that
rolled off the conveyor belt around 1965.
Despite millions of dollars spent on its
R&D, it was worth nothing. Zero. The
second fax machine to roll off immediately
made the first one worth something. There
was someone to fax to. Because fax
machines are linked into a network, each
additional fax machine sliding down the
chute increases the value of all the fax
machines operating before it.
The fax effect suggests that the more
plentiful things become, the more valuable
they become. In a Network Economy,
value is derived from plenitude, just as fax
machine’s value increases in ubiquity.
Power comes from abundance. Copies
(even physical copies) are cheap.
Therefore, let them proliferate.
Instead, what is valuable is the scattered
relationships—sparked by the copies—
that become tangled up in the network
itself.
In the Network Economy, scarcity is
overwhelmed by shrinking marginal costs.
Where the expense of churning out another
copy becomes trivial (and this is happening
in more than software), the value of
standards and the network booms.
In the Network Economy, more gives
more.
3. The Law of Exponential Value
Success is nonlinear
A chart of Microsoft’s cornucopia of profits
is a revealing graph. During its first 10
years, Microsoft’s profits were negligible.
Its profits rose above the background noise
only around 1985. But once they began to
rise, they exploded.
The penetration of fax machines likewise
follows a tale of a 20 year overnight
success. Two decades of
marginal success, then during the mid-
1980’s, the number of fax machines quietly
crosses the point of no return-and the
next thing you know, they are irreversibly
everywhere.
Each of these curves is a classic template
of exponential growth, compounding in a
nonlinear way. Biologists know about
exponential growth; such curves are
almost the definition of a biological
system. That’s one reason the Network
Economy is often described more accurately
in biological terms. In
deed, if the Web feels like a
frontier, its because for the first
time in history, we are witnessi
n g
biological growth in technological
systems.
At the same time, each of the
above examples is a classic
model of the Network
Economy. The compounded
successes of Microsoft and the
fax machine hinge on the prime
law of networks: value
explodes exponentially with
membership.
In the Network Economy, success
is nonlinear.
4. The Law of Tipping Points
Significance precedes
momentum
There is yet one more lesson to
take from these primeval cases
of the Network Economy. And here, another
biological insight will be handy.
In epidemiology, the point at which a
disease has infected enough hosts that the
infection moves from local illness to a
raging epidemic can be thought of as the
tipping point. The contagion’s momentum
has tipped from pushing uphill against all
the odds to rolling downhill with all the
odds behind it. In biology, the tipping
points of fatal diseases are fairly high, but
in technology, they seem to trigger at much
lower percentages of victims or members.
There has always been a tipping point in
7
any business, industrial or network, after
which success feeds upon itself. However,
the fixed low costs, insignificant marginal
costs, and rapid distribution that we find in
the Network Economy depress the
tipping points below the levels of industrial
times; it is as if the new bugs are more
contagious—and more potent.
Lower tipping points, in turn, mean that
the threshold of significance—the period
before the tipping point during which a
movement, growth, or innovation must be
taken seriously—is also dramatically
lower than it was in the industrial age.
Detecting events while they are beneath
this threshold is essential.
In the past, an innovation’s momentum
indicated significance. Now, in the
network environment, significance precedes
momentum.
Biologists tell a parable of the lily leaf,
which doubles in size every day. The day
before it completely covers the pond, the
water is only half covered, and the day
before that, only a quarter covered, and the
day before that, only a measly eighth. So,
while the lily grows imperceptibly all
continued on page 8

summer long, only in the last week of the
cycle would most bystanders notice its
“sudden” appearance. But by then, it is far
past the tipping point.
The Network Economy is a lily pond. The
Web, as one example, is a leaf doubling in
size every six months.
In the Network Economy, significance
precedes momentum.
5. The Law of Increasing Returns
Make virtuous circles
The prime law of networking is known
as the law of increasing returns. Value
explodes with membership, and the value
explosion sucks in more members,
compounding the result. An old saying
puts it more succinctly: “Them that’s got,
shall get.”
The law of increasing returns is far more
than the textbook notion of economies of
scale. In the old rules, Henry Ford leveraged
his success in selling cars to devise more
efficient methods of production. This
enabled Ford to sell his cars more cheaply,
which created larger sales, which fueled
more innovation and even better production
methods, sending his company to the
top. While the law of increasing returns
and the economies of scale both rely on
positive feedback loops, the former is
propelled by the amazing potency of net
power, and the latter isn’t. First, industrial
economies of scale increase value linearly,
while the prime law increases value
exponentially—the difference between a
piggy bank and compounded interest.
Second, and more important, industrial
economies of scale stem from the
Herculean efforts of a single organization
to outpace the competition by creating
value for less. The expertise (and advantage)
developed by the leading company is
its alone. By contrast, networked increasing
returns are created and shared by the
entire network. Many agents, users, and
competitors together create the network’s
value. Although the gains of increasing
returns may be reaped unequally by one
organization over another, the value of
the gains resides in the greater web of
relationships.
We are headed into an era when both
workers and consumers will feel more
loyalty to a network than to any ordinary
firm. The great innovation of Silicon
Valley is not the wowie-zowie hardware
and software it has invented, but the social
organization of its companies and, most
important, the networked architecture of
the region itself—the tangled web of
former jobs, intimate colleagues, information
leakage from one firm to the next, rapid
company life cycles, and the agile email
culture. This social web, suffused into the
warm hardware of jelly bean chips and
copper neurons, creates a true Network
Economy.
There is no future for hermetically sealed
closed systems in the Network Economy.
The more dimensions accessible to member
input and creation, the more increasing
returns can animate the network, the more
the system will feed on itself and prosper.
The less it allows these, the more it will be
bypassed.
The Network Economy rewards schemes
that allow decentralized creation and
punishes those that don’t. An automobile
maker in the industrial age maintains
control over all aspects of the car’s parts
and construction. An automobile maker in
the Network Economy will establish a web
of standards and outsourced suppliers,
encouraging the web itself to invent the
car, seeding the system with knowledge it
gives away, engaging as many participants
as broadly as possible, in order to create a
virtous loop where every member’s
success is shared and leveraged by all.
In the Network Economy, make virtuous
circles.
6. The law of Devolution
Let go at the top
The tightly linked nature of any economy,
but especially the Network Economy’s
ultraconnected constitution, makes it
behave ecologically. The fate of individual
organizations is not dependent entirely
on their own merits, but also on the fate of
their neighbors, their allies, their competitors,
and, of course, that of the immediate
environment.
The rich, interactive, and highly plastic
shape of the Network Economy resembles
a biome seething with action. New niches
pop up constantly and go away as fast. One
day you are king of the mountain, and the
next day there is no mountain at all.
Biologists describe the struggle of an
organism to adapt in this biome as a long
climb uphill, where uphill means greater
adaptation. In this visualization, an
organism that is maximally adapted to the
times is situated on a peak.
All organizations (profit and nonprofit
alike) face two problems as they attempt to
find their peak of optimal fit. Both are
amplified by a Network Economy in
which turbulence is the norm.
First, unlike the industrial arc’s relatively
simple environment, where it was fairly
clear what an optimal product looked like
and where on the slow-moving horizon a
company should place itself, it is increasingly
difficult in the Network Economy to
discern what hills are highest and what
summits are false.
The harsh news is that getting stuck is a
certainty in the new economy. Sooner,
rather than later, a product will be eclipsed
at its prime. While one product is at its
peak, another will move the mountain by
changing the rules.
There is only one way out. The organism
must devolve. In order to go from one high
peak to another, it must go downhill first
and cross a valley before climbing uphill
again. It must reverse itself and become
less adapted, less fit, less optimal.
This brings us to the second problem.
Organizations, like living beings, are
hardwired to optimize what they know and
to not throw success away. Companies find
devolving a) unthinkable, and b) impossible.
There is simply no room in the enterprise
for the concept of letting go—let alone the
skill to let go—of something that is working,
and trudge downhill toward chaos.
But there is no alternative (that we know
of) to leaving behind perfectly good products,
expensively developed technologies,
and wonderful brands and heading down
8

to trouble in order to ascend again in
hope. In the future, this forced march
will become routine.
In the Network Economy, the ability
to relinquish a product or occupation
or industry at its peak will be priceless.
Let go at the top.
7. The Law of Churn
Seek sustainable
disequilibrium
In the industrial perspective, the
economy was a machine that was to be
tweaked to optimal efficiency, and
once finely tuned, maintained in
productive harmony. Companies or
industries, especially productive of
jobs or goods, had to be protected and
cherished at all costs, as if these firms
were rare watches in a glass case.
As networks have permeated our
world, the economy has come to
resemble an ecology of organisms,
interlinked and coevolving, constantly
in flux, deeply tangled, ever expanding
at its edges. As we know from recent
ecological studies, no balance exists in
nature; rather there is perpetual
disruption as new species displace old,
as natural biomes shift in their makeup,
and as organisms and environments
transform each other. So it is with the
network perspective: companies come
and go quickly, careers are patchworks
of vocations, industries are indefinite
groupings of fluctuating firms.
Change is no stranger to the industrial
economy or the embryonic information
economy; Alvin Toffler coined
the term future shock in 1970 as
the sane response of humans to
accelerating change. But the Network
Economy has moved from change
to churn.
Change, even in its toxic form, is rapid
difference. Church, on the other hand,
is more like a creative force of destruction
and genesis. Churn
topples the incumbent and creates a
platform ideal for more innovation and
birth. It is “compounded rebirth.” And
this genesis hovers on the edge
of chaos.
This notion of constant churn is
familiar to ecologists and those who
manage large networks. The sustained
vitality of a complex network requires
that the net keep provoking itself
out of balance. If the system settles
into harmony and equilibrium, it will
eventually stagnate and die.
Effective churning will be an art.
In any case, promoting stability,
defending productivity, and protecting
successes can only prolong the misery.
When in doubt, churn.
In the Network Economy, seek
sustainable disequilibrium.
After Built To Last,
What Comes Next
The May issue of NEXT
focused on Leadership
Network’s forum on
“Building An Enduring
Church” with James
Collins, author of the
best selling book,
Built to Last.
The cover story of the October issue
of Inc. features an interview with Collins on
what comes next. In the article, he ventures
three significant changes in business for the
future:
➊ Companies will increasingly assume that
what they stand for in an enduring sense is
more important than what they sell. It’s more
important than ever to define yourself in
terms of what you stand for rather than what
you make, because what you make is going
to become outmoded faster than it has at any
time in the past.
➋ A shift away from focusing on strategy to
building mechanisms. Mechanisms are the
practices that bring what you stand for to life
and stimulate change. They force things to
happen that reinforce your core purpose,
converting that purpose into action.
➌ Companies being built that do not depend
on a charismatic leader. This model of leadership
has to die and be replaced with the
leader as architect, one who designs the
mechanisms that reinforce and give life to
the company’s core purpose and stimulate it
to change.
The full article can be viewed on the Inc.
website at
9

L EADERSHIP N ETWORK
R ECOMMENDS
Conferences
“Church Growth
and Urban Ministry”
1997 Annual Meeting of
the American Society
for Church Growth
November 20-22, 1997
Orlando, FL
For more information,
call or fax
(219) 436-1565
The focus of this annual
gathering of pastors, consultants, and
leaders of church growth will be on urban
ministry and effective evangelism.
Speakers will include Frank Harrington,
Tom Wolf, Eddie Gibbs, Howard
Eddington, George Hunter, Roberto
Candelario, Elmer Towns and others.
“Making Christ Known:
Congregations for the 21st Century”
November 21-23, 1997
Pittsburgh, PA
For more information, call 800-638-3522,
ext. 2562
Targeted to local congregations, plenary
speakers will include author and pastor
Walter Wangerin, Jr., Stephen Carter
of Yale, and church consultant and
author Kennon Callahan plus more than 20
workshops.
“Helping Churches Become More
Efficient and Effective”
Lake Pointe Strategic Growth Conference
February 15-16, 1998
Rockwall, TX
For more information, call (972) 771-2322
or e-mail lakepointe@airmail.net
Sponsored by one of the southwest’s most
innovative local congregations, among the
issues to be addressed are Tracking
Spiritual Formation, Financing the
Growing Church, Ministry to Children, and
Church Planting. The conference will be
lead by the senior pastor, Steve Stroope,
and Lake Pointe staff.
“The Extrospective Church...
The Vision of an Outreach-Focused
Church”
Vineyard
Community
Church
April 23-25, 1997
Cincinnati, OH
For more
information, call
(513) 671-0422
Pastor Steve Sjogren and the Cincinnati
Vineyard are known for their creative
outreach. In addition to Sjogren, major
sessions will be led by Doug Murren
and Robert Logan. Seminar tracks are
organized around the issues of evangelize,
exalt, encourage, empower, children &
youth, and support services.
“Media
Reformation,
Why It Is A
Life or Death
Issue for Your
Church”
Ginghamsburg Church
January 27 and March 24, 1998
Tipp City, OH
For more information, call (937) 667-1069
Led by the media team of this national
teaching church, the conference will
focus on the vision, tools, structure and
staffing related to the effective use of
contemporary media in churches.
Publications
National Magazine Exchange, Inc.
Annual subscription of $98.28 for up to
eight magazines
1-800-235-0826
This is one of the best deals in publishing!
For an annual subscription of $98.28,
you can subscribe to as many as eight
magazines. The selection list has almost
400 titles to choose from and includes
popular as well as specialized publications.
You can also change your selections at no
additional cost.
Church Law & Tax Report
Six issues annually;
introductory price of
$39;
renewals are $78
1-800-222-1840
(8 am- 4 pm EST)
This publication,
authored primarily
by attorney and CPA
Richard Hammar, is the premier resource
for information related to legal and tax
issues impacting local congregations.
Other publications from Christian Ministry
that are useful include their annual
Compensation Handbook for Church Staff
and resource kit on reducing the risk of
child sexual abuse in the church.
10

World Pulse
24 issues annually $26.95
($31.95 Canadian)
(630) 653-2158
Published by Evangelical
Missions Information
Service, World Pulse is an
outstanding resource to help leaders stay
informed of God’s activity throughout the
world and key issues and leaders in global
evangelism.
Services
Friends of the Groom—
A Christian
Drama Group
909 Center Street
Milford, OH 45150
(513) 831-2859 or Fogmail@aol.com
FOG is a very talented ensemble that has an
ability to communicate Bible stories and truth
through drama. For over 17 years, they have
used dialogue, mime, humor and music to
deliver timeless messages. Their creativity is
expressed in both performance and workshops.
In an era of story telling, they are
among the best.
Team Development, Inc.
111 Lions Drive,
Suite 220
Barrington, IL 60010
(847) 381-9300
Fax (847) 381-6218
Team Development, Inc., led by Don Cousins,
provides consulting services to church
leadership teams in the areas of ministry
and staff development, organizational and
structural issues, finance, administration and
worship. Drawing on his seventeen years of
experience as part of the senior leadership
team at Willow Creek, Cousins helps church
leaders customize their ministries.
http://www.leadnet.org/
the leadership network website
In addition to everything we publish in print form, such as NEXT,
NetFax, Into Action, Champions Letter and Champions FAX,
there are bonus areas with additional information.
Also featured are direct links to web sites, books, and other
information providers that leaders of the emerging 21st-century
church will find useful. Our entire site is searchable via
either subject or keyword.
“What’s Hot” will direct you with one click to the very latest
information that has been added to the site.
http://www.leadnet.org/
11

After you visit Leadership Network’s web site at http://www.leadnet.org, check out these sites that
have great content and links...
http://www.newsworks.com is the home of Newsworks, a site that
lets you access more than 125 of the nation’s leading newspapers on
topics of specific interest to you. Using new internet technology, the
site allows you to customize your interests and then provides links to related stories found throughout the New
Century Network, a consortium of the nine largest newspaper publishing companies.
http://www.willownet.com is the Internet site of the Willow Creek
Association. The site contains information about the various Willow
Creek conferences as well as resource and programming materials
which can be purchased online. Of special interest is The Exchange,
an online ministry career database where you can search for staff or a ministry position.
http://forbes.com is location of Forbes Digital Tool, web site of
Forbes magazine. With an excellent design, the site has archived
articles that are easily searched by subject or key word. It also includes
the Forbes supplements, FYI, ASAP, and the Gilder Technology Report. Read the recent cover article on Peter
Drucker or the May article on Willow Creek Community
Church .
http://204.157.202.13/budman/links.html is the site of Great Links for
Preaching Pastors, a rich treasury of links to preaching aids including homiletics,
sermons and notes, religious humor, illustration collections, scholarly journals, popular publications, and as well as
exegetical and theological resources.
http://govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/ is the location for one of the best
demographic compilation sites as part of the Oregon State University
Government Information Sharing Project. Want to understand more about your community The site has a user
friendly interface that tracks population and economic studies, housing characteristics, and even school districts
reports.
http://www.nacbanet.org is the new site of the National Association of Church
Business Administrators. Especially helpful is the information on products and
studies of interest to churches on compensation and staffing as well as the certification
program for church business administrators.
12

Organizing Genius, The Secrets
of Creative Collaboration
by Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward
Biederman
Addison-Wesley
1-800-447-2226
$24.00
“This book is
about organizing
gifted people
in ways that
allow them to
both achieve
great things and
to experience
the joy and personal
transformation
that such
accomplishment
brings,” so says author Warren Bennis, one
of the nation’s best observers of leadership.
Profiling seven “Great Groups” that
have made remarkable contributions, the
book provides a look at what can happen
when collective creative energies are
focused. The last chapter with 15 Great
Group principles is worth the price of the
book.
The Time Bind, When Work
Becomes Home and Home
Becomes Work
by Arlie Russell Hochschild
Metropolitan Books
1-800-288-2131
$22.50
An insightful
writer and sociol
o g i c a l
researcher,
Hochschild
writes about the
pressures of
time on people
and families
resulting from
the changing workplace in the 1990’s.
White collar, blue collar, executive suite to
the factory floor, we are given an inside
view of both the problems and opportunities
facing today’s workforce.
Unlocking Church Doors, 10 Keys
to Positive
Change
by Paul Mundey
Abingdon Press
1-800-251-3320
$14.95
One of the chief
skills of a 21st
century leader is
understanding
and implementing
change and transition. Written by a practitioner
and filled with congregational examples
of change, this book is a useful tool
for church leaders seeking to initiate positive
change in a local congregational setting.
Managing By Values
by Ken
Blanchard and
Michael
O’Connor
Berrett-Koehler
Publishers
1-800-929-2929
$20.00
Now more than
ever, a company
or organization
must know what it stands for and on what
principles it will operate. This brief volume
explains how an organization can
become a “Fortunate 500” company by
learning how to define, communicate, and
align its values with its practices.
Rocking The Ages, The
Yankelovich Report on
Generational
Marketing
by J. Walker
Smith and Ann
Clurman
HarperBusiness
Books
1-800-242-7737
$25.00
This book is
from the company
that
pioneered
the concept of “generational marketing.”
Drawn from over 25 years of tracking the
values and lifestyles of U.S. generations, it
is useful for those who want a deeper
understanding of Matures, Boomers and
Xers (their terms). Especially helpful are
the many “snapshot” charts and graphics.
13

N E T F A X B A C K I S S U E S
N O.
T O P I C S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
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43
44
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62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
Peter Drucker on the Church and Denominations
Lyle Schaller’s Signs of Hope
Have Americans Lost Touch with the Sacred in Their Workaday Lives
Leading by Vision and Values
It’s a New Day for Volunteers in the Church
Christian Philanthropy, American and the World
Children’s Ministry ...It’s Not Church “Baby Sitting”
Jumping the Sigmoid Curve
Letterman Has His Top Ten List ...So Do We!
Targeting People in Transition
When the Horse is Dead, Dismount
America at Mid-Decade
What Exactly is Lay Mobilization
Church Champions ... Regulators or Resources
Living in an Age of Whitewater (Ten Issues for the Future)
A Blueprint for Lay Mobilization
Eight Distinctives of Full Service Churches
Women’s Ministries in the 90’s ...The Other Half of the Church
Escaping the Past and Inventing the Future
Re-Tooling the Church ...Summit ‘95
Teenagers Today ...What a Difference a Decade Makes
Mentoring on Both Sides of the Equation
Ten Principles for Effective Partnerships
Beyond the Learning Organization: Designing Your Learning Network
Listening to the Unchurched
Changing Organizational Characteristics
The New Apostolic Paradigm
The Essence of Strategic Leadership
Ten Keys to Starting a Saturday Night Service
Church Traditions: Building Blocks or Roadblocks
Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Church
Does Evangelism Have a Future in America
Children’s Ministry in the 90’s...Changes and Challenges
“L > C...The Law of Ecological Learning”
The Fifth Resolution
Beyond Boomers to Generation X
From Generation to Generation
Social Entrepreneurs...Moving From Success to Significance
Leadership for Turbulent Times
The Teaching Church Network...Churches Mentoring Churches
Authenticity and Connections Frame Gen X Forum
New Wineskins, Not Patches
Spirituality and Rediscovering Mission
Success and Derailment in the 90’s
Developing Leaders & Finding Balance;Women’s Ministries For The 21st Century
Mission and Boundaries
Leading to Learn, Learning to Lead
Preparing For The Future: The Issues of Gen X Pastors
Four Critical Questions For 21st Century Pastors
The Critical Issue of Leadership
Welcome to the Next Church
The Diffusion of Innovation
Three Key Shifts in Worship
Some ABC’s of Ministry in the 90’s
An Adulthood Survival Kit
Church Architecture in the 21st Century
Ten Observations On Contemporary Leadership
Children... Today’s Church, As Well As Tomorrow’s
Multiple Worship Services and Church Growth
Four Cries of Today’s Youth
The Organization of the Future
A Checklist for Change Agents
Generation X... Three Myths and Realities
Developing the Soul for Leadership
The Key Principles of 21st Century Networks
The Movies, T-Rex and Vibrational Leadership
Hollywood, The Sequel
In Search of a Leader
Learning to be a Life-long Learner
A Church Within A Church
A Generation on the Fault Line
Hire for Attitude; Train for Skill
Advertising Joins the Journey of the Soul
Important Lessons From Peter Drucker
Mobilizing the Laity...Seven Trends and Implications
Urban When Urban Wasn’t Cool
Customizing Lay Mobilization
The Secret of Great Groups
Five Windows Into The 21st Century Church — Part I
Five Windows Into The 21st Century Church — Part II
Five Reasons Seeker Churches Are Hard To Build
TO REGISTER FOR NETFAX, OR TO ORDER BACK ISSUES...
(back issues are sold in full sets only for $39 which includes shipping and handling)
... call the Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323 [ (214) 969-5950 OUTSIDE THE U.S. ]
14

The New 1998
Leadership Network
Forum Schedule
* *
*
Mission Pastors
January 28-30, 1998
Small Groups
June 3-6, 1998
Executive Pastors
February 17-19, 1998
Worship Leaders
August 24-27
Women's Ministry
March 19-21, 1998
Singles Pastors
September 15-17, 1998
Senior Ministers
May 19-21, 1998
Business Administrators
October 19-22, 1998
Senior Pastors Wives
May 19-21, 1998
Childrens Ministry
November 16-19, 1998
Pastoral Care
December 8-11, 1998
*
Four-day Forums—$295; Three-day Forums—$225
▼
P L E A S E N O T E
Attendance at all forums is by invitation only, limited to 25 people per forum
and one participant per church. Participants are Senior Ministers and other
ministerial staff of large churches (1,000 or more worship attendance) who
have at least one year of ministry experience. If you would like to receive an
invitation or recommend someone to be invited to a forum, please call or
write Nancy Kiser at the Leadership Network office at 1-800-765-5323.
The cost of a forum is $225 which includes lodging (double occupancy) and
all meals. For your convenience, forum fees may be charged to American
Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All forums will be held at the Glen Eyrie
Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Transportation from the
Colorado Springs Airport to Glen Eyrie is available through the Airporter, Inc.
shuttle service. The fare is $20 for 1-2 persons or $10 per person (3–11 people).
A reservation is necessary and can be made by calling (719) 578-5232.
NEW Section 3 Starter Kit
Revisions Now Available
If you purchased your Starter Kit for
Mobilizing Ministry prior to January 1997,
you will want to purchase the newly
revised Section 3, “Resources
and References.”
This 128 page expanded version offers:
apple new resources
apple information on available computer
software for gifts and tracking people’s
service
apple discovery tools
apple other resources: administrative,
assimilation, context, matching and
placement, coaching and leadership,
risk management, DLM associations,
“whole-life ministry” and church
strategy and transformation
The cost of a new Section 3 is $15.00.
To order your copy, call
1-800-765-5323.
DAILY SCH. – 3-DAY FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
7:30
Breakfast Breakfast
DAILY SCHEDULE – 4-DAY FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
7:30
Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion
NOON
Lunch
Lunch
NOON
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
1:00
3:00
Forum Begins
Free Time
Conclusion and
Adjournment
1:00
3:00
Forum Begins
Free Time
Free Time
Conclusion and
Adjournment
4:00
Set Agenda
Discussion
4:00
Set Agenda
Discussion
Discussion
6:00
Dinner
Dinner
6:00
Dinner
Dinner
Dinner
7:00
Discussion
Discussion
7:00
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion
9:00
Dessert
Dessert
9:00
Dessert
Dessert
Dessert
FOR INFORMATION ON LEADERSHIP TRAINING NETWORK’S LAY Y MOBILIZATION FORUMS, CALL
1-800-765-5323, ext. 104
15

Leadership Network
Welcomes New Staff
Following our move to Dallas, the staff
of Leadership Network has expanded
with the addition of several new people,
including a new executive director.
Effective September 1,
Mark Sweeney joined
our staff as Executive
Director and Chief
Operating Officer. He
comes to Leadership
Network following a 25
year career in Christian
publishing, having Mark Sweeney
served as the Publications Manager of
Moody Magazine and Moody Press and
also Publisher of Victor Books. For the
past two years, he was the Chief
Operating Officer of a ministry-oriented
marketing group based in Dallas.
“I come to Leadership Network with a
lifelong love for and commitment to the
local church and I am especially pleased
to now have the opportunity to learn from
some of the most outstanding church
leaders and others who
are at the forefront of
this emerging new
church. I am energized
by the tremendous
challenge that is ours.”
says Sweeney.
As of August 1, Doug
Pagitt is leading the
Doug Pagitt
Young Leaders Network. Formerly the
Youth Minister at Wooddale Church in
Eden Prairie, MN, Pagitt is building a
national network of
young leaders (people
born after 1960) and
leading our Generation
X initiative. Also joining
the staff as a secretary in
the Young Leader area is
Mollie Smallen.
Colleen Hager Effective October 1,
Colleen Hager, joined our Information
Center staff as a Communications
Specialist. Formerly the Director of
Communications for the Greater Dallas
Community of Churches, her responsibilities
will include the future production of
NEXT and chronicling the story of the
emerging 21st century church.
In the Local Church Leader’s Center,
Carolyn Cochran joined us to serve as
Executive Assistant to Brad Smith.
Later this fall, look for a special edition of
NEXT that will describe Leadership
Network’s clarified mission, new operating
structure, all our resources and initiatives
and full staff contacts.
New...
Leadership Network
Book Series
In an effort to provide new tools
and resources for 21st century
church leaders, Leadership Network
has entered into a co-publishing
agreement with Jossey-Bass, Inc.,
a San Francisco-based leading
publisher of professional books in
the fields of management and non
profit leadership.
❧
As part of the new Jossey-Bass
Religion-in-Practice series, Leadership
Network Imprint Books will focus on
issues and practices related to the
emerging 21st century church. The
first two books in the series will be
released in 1998. Written by leading
practitioners, they deal with the
issues of leading a church staff
ministry team in the 21st century and
the character and heart of the 21st
century leader.
❧
Jossey-Bass publications are
characterized by their combination of
theory, practice and innovation. For
more information, visit their web site
at http://www.jbp.com
ISSN: 1082-037X
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network.
Permission to reproduce
material in NEXT may be
obtained by calling,
faxing, or writing
Leadership Network.
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
inside the U.S.,
or (214) 969-5950
outside the U.S.
FAX: (214) 969-9392
Web Site:
http://www.leadnet.org/
Mailing Address:
L E A D E R S H I P
N E T W O R K
2501 Cedar Springs LB-5; Suite 200
Dallas, TX 75201
NEXT is printed on 50-percent recycled paper with 30-percent
post-consumer waste using 100-percent soy-based inks.
16

According to author and
consultant William Bridges,
“It isn’t the changes that do
you in; it’s the transition.”
And these days, it seems
everyone is dealing with
multiple, not single, transitions.
Leadership Network is
no exception. Just as many of
the leaders and congregations
with whom we work are trying
to transition to the 21st
century, we are, too. This
special issue is our way of
sharing with the readers of
NEXT our transitions of
recent months and what they
mean for Leadership Network
and the people and
congregations we serve.
THE STAFF OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
INSIDE NEXT
COVER STORY
Changes At Leadership Network
■
Bob Buford (Page 2)
■
A Brief History (Page 2)
■
Mission and Values (Page 3)
■
Mark Sweeney (Page 3)
■
We’re a Network of Networks (Page 3)
■
Church Leaders Network (Page 4)
■
Interventionists Network (Page 5)
■
First Ideas, Then Results (Page 5)
■
Information Network (Page 6)
■
Get It...See It...Do It. (Page 6)
■
Five Windows Into the 21st Century Church
(Page 7)
■
A New Logo (Page 8)
■
Leadership Network Staff (Page 8)
■
How To Contact Us (Page 8)
V O L U M E 3 , N U M B E R 3 D E C E M B E R , 1 9 9 7
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
SPECIAL EDITION
“Even if you are on the right
track, you’ll get run over if you
just sit there.”
What Mark Twain knew in the 19th
century is equally true, if not more so,
at the beginning of the 21st century.
Even though the recipients of Leadership
Network services and products tell us we
have been on the right track, we know we
can’t “just sit there.” And we haven’t.
This special issue of NEXT is the culmination
of 18 months of listening, study, self-examination,
reflection and prayer on the part of
Leadership Network.
We have listened to attendees at forums,
readers of our publications and participants
in special focus groups around the country.
We have sought counsel from wise
advisors. We have studied the ever-changing
culture and looked at effective organizational
models.
We have re-examined the nature of who we
are and what we do and clarified our mission
and values.
While we have reflected on our past, we
have chosen to focus on our future and what
that means for us as an organization and for
our customers.
And we have sought divine direction for our
initiatives.
The result is a new/old Leadership Network.
We have a new clarity and focus to our mission
which is accelerating the emergence of the
21st century church.
We have a new executive director and other
staff as a result of expanding our capacity to
connect you with people, ideas, and resources.
We will be providing new resources in the
form of NetFax Plus, Champions Connections,
a re-configured NEXT, more enhanced
forums, adventure learning events and
expanded web sites.
We have a new logo that reflects our continued
commitment to build networks of innovative
leaders and congregations across the country.
We have a new address and offices since
moving to Dallas in July, 1997.
The old and organizing Leadership Network
question, however, “How can we be useful to
you” is still basic to who we are.
The old guidelines of working with leaders
who are islands of health and strength, lifelong
learners, and agents of change remain
in place.
The old objective of staying “on the edge” is
more intentional than ever.
And the old end result of transforming lives
through local congregations is still the
desired outcome.
As we enter the 21st century amidst times
of change and transition, church leaders,
congregations and organizations have a
choice between being driven to the future in
fear or drawn to the future by a vision of
the new.
We at Leadership Network have chosen
the latter.
We hope you will join us on the journey.

Why I’m in the Game
Bob Buford
In my book, Half
Time-Changing Your
Game Plan from
Success to Significance,
I wrote that the second
half of one’s life
is now a new and
unprescribed opportunity
for many people. My half time came in my
Bob Buford
early forties when I decided that being successful
in business wasn’t enough to have a complete life.
Leadership Network is the way I made the shift
from success to significance. It has been the vehicle
that has allowed me to transform my passions,
dreams and material resources into fruitfulness
for God’s Kingdom.
Peter Drucker, my mentor, friend and great
teacher, has said that “the emergence of the large
pastoral church is the most significant social event
in America today.” I believe the Church is intended
to be the mediating institution which transforms
belief into behavior that results in service to others
and that we are at a moment in church history in
which this transformation is becoming more of a
reality than ever before.
The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us that “life is
seasonal.” Our move to Dallas signals a new and
renewed season in the life of Leadership Network.
The large church has changed dramatically in the
dozen years since Leadership Network was founded.
The church of the 21st Century is reforming itself
into a multi-faceted service operation. Leadership
and team building are the issues of the day for this
new century.
Based on a deep respect for unchanging Biblical
truth, Leadership Network will, in this new season
of life, continue to monitor the changing culture in
search of implications for churches and church
leaders, search for the best tools to use in the service
of the Gospel, and help leaders connect with each
other.
That’s why I’m in the game.
Bob Buford is the founder and Chairman of the Board of
Leadership Network.
A Brief History of
Leadership Network
Leadership Network began with one
entrepreneur and one question.
The entrepreneur was Bob Buford and the
question was “How can I be useful to
God’s Kingdom”
In 1984, a second entrepreneur, Fred
Smith, Jr., joined the effort and together
the two began to create a network of large
church leaders across the United States.
From the beginning, the network has
crossed denominational lines and
included mainline, evangelical, as well
as independent churches characterized
by their innovation, desire to be on
the cutting edge of ministry,
entrepreneurial leadership.
and
While Leadership Network was founded
and remains guided by the core tenets
of Biblical faith, our focus has always
been on the practice and application
of faith at the local church level that
results in transformed lives.
We have sought to build on the existing
islands of health and strength, focus on
leaders who are life-long learners, and
2
who are in positions of influence and can
effect a wider distribution of change.
The work of Leadership Network has
evolved through the years in response to a
simple question, “How can we be useful
to you” The answers came first from
senior pastors of large churches and
later,
other ministry staff of large
congregations. Still other answers have
come from denominational leaders,
theological educators, church consultants
and people committed to mobilizing the
laity. Recent answers have come from
Teaching Churches and a network of
young leaders of the next generation of
churches.
“I have been to five forums and have
never returned without being tremendously
refreshed and encouraged.
Relationships I have developed through
these forums provide me with a proven
network of people. It’s not like picking up
the Yellow Pages. I now know who to call
for very specific needs.”
-Barry McKenna, Director of
Administration, Ward Evangelical
Presbyterian Church, Livonia, Michigan
“What a joy it was to be a part of another
Leadership Network forum for church
administrators. You are a god-send to
help us stay on the cutting edge of learning
and high tech, as we continue to
reach and disciple people for the Lord
Jesus Christ.”
-F. Marvin Myers, FCBA, Executive
Director, National Association of Church
Business Administrators

We’re a “Network of Networks”
We believe the network is the defining
organizational form of the 21st century
and the most appropriate way to accomplish
our mission.
1
3 2
Our new organizational form is essentially a
“network of networks” that reflects both the
diversity and scope of our mission.
There are three core networks.
the church leader network...
is the primary customer base of Leadership Network and comprised of “innovative and early
adopter” local church leaders who lead 21st century churches and churches most likely to
become 21st century churches. This network identifies “best practice churches,” looks for
common principles, and then translates the principles into processes that can be applied to other
churches. It is the eyes, ears, and most importantly, the reality check for us. The people in this
network are a major focus of the investment of our resources in terms of staff, time, and capital,
and the network is nurtured through peer learning at forums, periodic conferences, and special
learning events.
the interventionists network...
accelerates the pace of learning of those who intervene in local congregations. These leaders
include consultants, denominational leaders, teaching churches, tool builders and suppliers.
Through customized forums, workshops and relationships, it seeks to connect the best practices
in these fields. It assists interventionists to, in turn, assist churches in an effective and productive
manner.
the information network...
explores the future and what is being forecast in a wide variety of disciplines in addition to
identifying ideas, concerns and trends in innovative churches. Once synthesized, these learnings
are then translated into appropriate communication channels such as NetFax and NEXT to assist
church leaders in reaching decisions about the future direction of their church and transitioning
to become a 21st century church.
Our Mission and Values
Church Leaders
Network
Mission
Information Network
Interventionists
Network
The mission of Leadership Network is to accelerate the emergence of the
21st century church.
We believe the emerging paradigm of the 21st century church calls for the
development of new tools and resources as well as the equipping of a new type of
21st century church leader, both clergy and laity.
This new paradigm is not centered in theology but rather it is focused on structure,
organization, and the transition from an institutionally based church to a mission
driven church.
We value innovation that leads to results and working with Kingdom perspective
church leaders. We value seeing fruit on other people’s trees. And finally, we value
getting it “right” for those we serve as well as for our team.
Playing for Keeps
Leadership Network Prepares
for the Future
Mark Sweeney
Bob Buford tells us why
he is “in the game,”
and using his talents
and resources for
Christ’s Kingdom. As a
new member of this
team, I find I am
Mark Sweeney
already fully energized for the task of helping
retool the emerging 21st century church.
Leadership Network is entering a new period in its
life. We are acknowledging that, like the church
itself, we must change in order to meet the rapidly
multiplying needs of our customers. In addition to
our new home here in Dallas, we have a renewed
commitment to develop systems and structures
that will enable us to provide you with the type of
tools and knowledge you have requested.
Since our beginning in 1984, our purpose has
been to provide leaders of innovative churches
with a wide variety of resources and networks.
While our mission has evolved and expanded, our
constant question to you - our customer - has not
changed. “How can we be useful to you”
Change is not something we shy away from at
Leadership Network. In fact, we know that
our ability to embrace and interpret change
is absolutely vital to our commitment of service
to you.
Increasingly, islands of health and innovation are
percolating to the top all across our nation. The
congregational landscape is in constant motion.
Where there once were one hundred churches
who “got the message” of innovation, there now
exists a thousand. Across North America we see
scores of churches growing in effective ministry
who “Get it...See it...and Do it.”
The Leadership Network team is moving, growing
and changing...and we’re playing for keeps.
Mark Sweeney is Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer
of Leadership Network.
3

Church Leaders
Network
Brad Smith is
the Director of
the Church Leaders
Network. He joined
Leadership Network
in 1993 and provides
leadership to the forums, networks
Brad Smith
of church leaders, Leadership Training
Network, and new projects.
NEXT...What is the purpose of the
Church Leaders Network
BRAD...Our purpose is to discover and
define the best practices of innovation,
effectiveness and health in churches of
all types, and provide peer-learning
opportunities for leaders to learn from
each other.
NEXT...What is the key to the success of
these networks
BRAD...The key is finding the right
church leaders and building networks
around them. Without these key individuals,
Leadership Network would be just another
think tank or “we’ve got the answer”
group. We really work hard to avoid that
approach. We’ve also learned the art of
finding interesting people and grouping
them so there is enough sameness for
dialogue, yet enough diversity to create
a challenging learning environment.
We connect people. They are the
experts; we build the learning opportunity
around them.
NEXT...There are several types of
church leader networks. How do they
differ
BRAD...Our first network is one that
consists of large churches. Within that
network, we have networks of senior
pastors, executive pastors, and other types
of local church staff groups. Then, we
have a team ministry network. These are
churches that are pursuing innovative lay
mobilization and team ministry. We also
have some new networks, led by Doug
Pagitt. We are also just beginning networks
of urban, minority, and ethnically
diverse churches.
NEXT...Explain how learning within a
network takes place.
BRAD...Most of the learning takes place
in forums which are face-to-face meetings
of key leaders in the network. If we do
our job in selecting the right people to
invite, the forums look easy. In most cases
the participants establish their own
agenda. In enhanced forums, we may
bring in a key expert in the field to start
the discussion at an advanced level, but
we limit the “presentation” time, otherwise
people get out their pens and turn off
their brains. When the participants are
the experts, they jump in with full brain
energy and are challenged by new ideas
and learn from each other and across
denominational lines.
For advanced learners, we find that the
forums are often more helpful and
timely than structured training programs.
Among paradigm pioneers, by the time
the innovation is recorded in a book, often
the culture has already moved to make it
obsolete.
Bottom row, L to R: Doug Pagitt, Molly Smallen. Top Row, L to R:
Carolyn Cochran, Brad Smith, Alex Landin, and Nancy Kiser
NEXT...How do you account for the
fact that people often describe
Leadership Network as “unique”
BRAD...Leadership Network seems to
emphasize proactive spirituality. We
promote strong leadership using proactive
gifts in a manner that is dependent upon
God to create supernatural results. We
are not just the hard edge of leadership
practices nor the soft edge of spiritual
reflection. We weave the two together
in a way that honors God-given
leadership gifts, but doesn’t set them
above the necessity that if God has not
preceded the leader, his or her efforts
are useless.
NEXT...What about the next
generation of church leaders
BRAD...Doug Pagitt recently joined
Leadership Network to lead our initiative
in building a network of young leaders,
both men and women, born after 1960
who are the future. He’ll be continuing to
identify and resource church planters,
youth ministers, college ministers,
ministries to Xers that are “churches
within a church,” in addition to young
senior pastors.
NEXT...What is the biggest challenge
for you now
BRAD...One major challenge is that
our culture is changing so fast that our
church clients are constantly on the lookout
for how they can proactively lead
those changes in positive ways. That
requires us to work overtime
to continue to sort out the difference
between a fad, a trend,
a true innovation and the larger
movement of God.
NEXT...What really excites
you about your job
BRAD...It is great to be at a
vantage point where you can
see, on a daily basis, where
God is at work and then help
others to see that. In what
other job do you get to see the
best of the best - the best of
what God is doing among
denominations and beyond I am
impacted every day, in very concrete
terms, with all the good things God is
doing and how awesome He is.
4

First Ideas,
Then Results
Is there a common factor in
congregations who go beyond ideas
to actually implement innovation Yes.
Put simply, it is the ability to build
proactive systems to empower people
and release their gifts in service.
In 1994,
the Leadership Training
Network (LTN) was created by
Leadership Network to help churches
build the systems needed to translate
innovative ideas into reality. Led by
Brad Smith and Sue Mallory, LTN has
trained over 5,000 people throughout the
US and Canada.
During the next three years, LTN will
complete its “incubation” stage within
Leadership Network. As an independent
training organization, it will continue to
help churches implement new ideas that
surface within Leadership Network
forums and learning events.
Interventionists
Network
Dave Travis is the
Director of the
Interventionists
Network and joined
Leadership Network
in 1995. Based in
Atlanta, he works
with denominational Dave Travis
“Church Champions,” consultants, teaching
churches and others who have a
direct impact on local congregations.
NEXT...Define the Interventionists
Network.
DAVE...This network is comprised of
people we call Interventionists who are
church consultants, teaching churches,
judicatory and denominational leaders,
tool builders and suppliers. We want
people who give “hands-on” help to a
number of churches. We identify “best
practices,” look for common principles
and then translate those principles into
processes that can be applied to other
churches. Finally, we identify the need
for new tools and connect the appropriate
tool builders to the target market.
NEXT...How has the Interventionists
Network evolved
DAVE...Because Leadership Network
already had a solid reputation of serving
large churches, we sought to identify a
vehicle for sharing that knowledge with
mid-size congregations. In 1995, we
began working closely with judicatory
leaders who would then pass “the baton
of learning,” so to speak, to their congregations.
We also included independent
church consultants in that target group.
Of course, both leaders and consultants,
whom we call “Church Champions,”
work with congregations of all sizes, but
this seems to be a good way to help midsize
churches without reinventing the
wheel. A second expansion we undertook
recently was to serve Teaching
Churches, who are innovative congregations
that mentor other learning congregations.
We strive to have our learnings
multiplied through a variety of networks.
NEXT...How do you connect Church
Champions to local congregations
DAVE...Once Church Champions have
attended our learning events, we
are better able to link them with local
congregations who are seeking guidance
on specific issues. We often try to
look at geographic and denominational
commonalties when making this match.
NEXT...What’s new in the
Interventionist area
DAVE...I’m really excited about the
“Connections” service. It is designed for
those leaders who want to accelerate their
pace of learning or who are on a fast
track. Each quarter, we are going to
supply them with premium information
such as reprints of significant articles,
notes, audio tapes from Leadership
Network events and an on-line
interactive service. In addition, they will
receive a quarterly book with annotated
notes with implications for Church
Champions and congregation leaders.
Our hope is that we develop a high level
learning community.
Linda Stanley and Dave Travis
NEXT...What really excites you
about your job
DAVE...For the past five years, my
personal mission statement has been
to add value to leaders who are building
God’s Kingdom by making them
more effective in carrying out their
commission. I see this as an enabling role
rather than a direct leadership role. What
is truly exciting is being able to live out
my mission statement and see direct
results of the work God has called me
to do.
5

Information Network
Carol Childress
is the Director
of the Information
Network. She joined
Leadership Network
in 1991, is the
author of NetFax,
and until recently,
was the editor of
NEXT.
Carol Childress
NEXT...What is the purpose of the
Information Network
CAROL...Our purpose is two-fold. First, it
is to explore the future both in terms of new
ideas and innovations within the Church
and secular arenas. Secondly, it is to be able
to take that information, plus our learnings
from church leaders and interventionists,
and disseminate that knowledge through a
variety of channels. Some customers have
called us a “headlight” to the future, meaning
that we don’t have all the answers but
we help provide direction to the future
based on our study and contact with leaders
in a variety of disciplines. We explore, we
gather what we’re learning and then
transfer those learnings to our customers
because information, unless it is shared, has
no value.
NEXT...How do you sort through the
mass of information that’s available to
leaders today
CAROL...I hope we never get to the point of
focusing on information for information’s
sake. As a culture, we are drowning in
information but starving for wisdom. We
are not interested in giving people an “information
dump.” Our chief aim is to sift
through the information and get to the real
value, which is knowledge and wisdom relative
to the critical issues that local church
leaders are dealing with in terms of leadership
and mission. We do this by extensive
reading, by attending conferences and seminars,
by networking with leaders in a wide
variety of disciplines and by being in a continual
learning mode. And, of course, our
primary source of learning is our “customer.”
I hope we are active and effective
listeners.
NEXT...What is new for 1998
CAROL...In 1998, we will introduce a new
resource piece, NetFax Plus, which will
identify resources and be more on the practical
application side of ministry. The ongoing
response to NetFax continues to be
very positive and NetFax Plus will compliment
the ideas contained in NetFax. Our
website will become more timely and interactive.
We are also reconfiguring NEXT to
make it more useful to readers. Our goal is
always to connect Leadership Network
customers with the best leaders, ideas and
resources.
NEXT...What is your biggest challenge
CAROL...A continuing challenge is to stay
on the edge, to try and find the seedbeds of
innovation both within local congregations
and the culture. A second challenge is insuring
that we have the appropriate channels of
distribution for our learnings and the capacity
to continue delivering information at the
level of excellence we believe Leadership
Network customers deserve.
L to R: Carol Childress, Patricia Morrissey, Colleen
NEXT...What really excites you about
your job
CAROL...Because the product of our work
is the diffusion of information and innovation,
it is often difficult to know the impact
that information has on congregations and
individuals. So, I get excited when I hear
from customers who tell us that an idea or a
connection we have facilitated has made a
difference in the life of the congregation.
These are wonderful times of opportunity
and I believe it has never been more exciting,
nor challenging, to be a Christian and
to be involved in Kingdom work.
Get it...See it...Do it.
Leadership Network’s internal
“code” for our work is expressed
in these six words: “Get it...See
it...Do it.”
“Get it” defines the body of ideas
being developed by today’s most
innovative church leaders. The core of
these ideas is the eternal and unchanging
Biblical truth. Their application is in the
context of an ever-changing culture and
through new tools and forms that are
appropriate for this day and age.
“See it” identifies the best practices
and models of innovation. Church
leaders need to see these ideas embodied
in a working model and within churches
and leaders like themselves.
“Do it” provides the resources, tools,
training, processes and connections
that help a local church convert good
intentions into results.
Undergirding the activity
of the various networks
of Leadership
Network is an operational
infrastructure
that includes finance,
telecommunications,
information systems,
customer service, Ronald Smith
human resources, administrative support
and creative services.
Ronald Smith is the Director of
Operations for Leadership Network and
is responsible for all operational aspects of
the organization, from accounting to
xerox. He joined Leadership Network
December 1, 1997 following a ten year
career in administrative management
within the insurance industry.
Bruce Freeman, who
joined Leadership
Network in 1995,
is Creative Services
Director and responsible
for the design
and production of all
our various publications
and web site.
Bruce Freeman
6

Five Windows Into the
21st Century y Church
new American church is
A emerging for the next century
led by a new type of clergy and lay
leader. During the past year,
Leadership Network has been
listening to and learning from this
new church and its leaders.
In trying to describe this emerging
church, we believe 21st century
churches can be identified by five
core characteristics. Each of the five
characteristics is a window into the
mission, values, structure and
culture of a 21st century church and
will be present or in process within
an individual congregation.
The five windows are (1) effective
leadership; (2) lay mobilization; (3)
cultural connectedness; (4) authentic
community; and (5) Kingdom collab-
1
oration. Within each of these
windows are a number of individual
innovations.
Window One...Effective Leadership
Leadership is shifting from a single
leader to a leadership team that is a
gift based partnership between the
pastor, staff, and lay people.
The role of the pastor is changing
from one focused on preaching/
pastoral care to one focused on
being proactive in leadership, vision
casting, and centered on mission.
Leadership is also de-centralized and
shifting from the pastor and staff as
doers of ministry to being equippers
of others in ministry.
There is now a body of knowledge
related to leadership and management
developed in other disciplines
that is accepted and used by the
leadership team.
The source of pastoral and staff
leadership is shifting from being
academic and credential based to
more of an emphasis on character,
gifts, and demonstrated competence.
The source of the leader’s abilities
flows from an authentic relationship
with God, their inner character, and
willingness to be transparent with
others.
2
Window Two...Lay Mobilization
There is a high value placed on lay
mobilization with each person seen
as having a gift, role and place to
serve.
There is a systemic approach to
the process of identifying gifts and
talents, equipping/coaching, and
placement for service.
Mobilization is implemented by a
leadership team with a specific point
person.
The perspective is one of “whole life
ministry” with people using their
gifts to serve others not only in
the church, but with 3family, work,
community and the world.
Window Three...Cultural
Connectedness
The changing 21st century population
is set in the context of an age of
mission and a society in which the
influence of Christianity is declining.
The 21st century is global, urban and
multi-cultural. 21st century leaders
and churches understand and engage
the culture proactively (i.e. seeker
sensitive and seeker driven) at its
points of need.
Using a first century model, 21st
century churches are culturally
indigenous to their mission field and
customize their worship, teaching,
outreach and ministries according
to their specific cultural and
demographic setting.
21st century churches are also
creative about developing new forms
of worship that are authentic,
transcendent and accessible.
4
Window Four...Authentic Community
Ministry is customized for people
as individuals and is driven by
people’s needs and opportunities,
not programs. There is a sense on the
part of the congregation that their
needs have been heard and the
church has responded appropriately.
Community is fostered through
small groups for purposes of caring,
learning, support, ministry, and
accountability.
There are multiple points of entry
and service.
There is a recognition of multiple
stages of faith development and
a process in place that fosters
individual growth and maturity at
each stage.
There is an emphasis on disciple-making,
worship, prayer, and a sense of
holy adventure that the congregation
is on a journey to discover where
God is active and join with Him in
His work, both locally and globally.
5
Window Five...Kingdom Collaboration
21st century churches are open to
partnerships and alliances that cross
denominational lines for purposes of
mission, both locally and globally.
There is an openness and willingness
on the part of leaders to interact
with and learn from other leaders
outside their tradition and regional
boundaries.
Peer networks make possible an
“extension of learnings” concerning
best church practices and shared
knowledge and become a significant
additional resource for leaders, in
addition to denominations and other
traditional suppliers.
7

With the assistance of the
creative talents of
RMBB/Richards Group, a leading
international creative agency
based in Dallas,
Leadership
Network adopted a new organizational
logo that reflects our
commitment to connecting
people, ideas, and resources.
“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return
for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is
not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10, 12 (NIV)
“NetFax is a vital source of information
for on-going ministry implementation.
A recent issue dealing with “hire for
attitude and train for skill” came at a
key time when I was dealing with
staffing issues in my current service as
senior pastor.”
-Pastor Leroy Armstrong, Jr., Senior
Pastor, Greater Good Hope Baptist
Church, Louisville, Kentucky
Leadership Network
Staff
Bob Buford, Founder and Chairman of the Board
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ISSN: 1082-037X
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network.
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8

We are launching a reconfigured
NEXT–but one still focused on
information about the best practices,
tools, resources and models of
innovation found in the 21st century
church. As always, we welcome your
comments as we continue to ask,
“How can we be useful to you”
We are increasing the number of
issues from four to six each year;
NEXT remains a publication sent to
you courtesy of Leadership Network.
This issue highlights a special
Leadership Network forum held this
past December with Peter Drucker
and Lyle Schaller which centered on
the question of “What’s next”
for the culture, the Church and
church leaders.
THE STAFF OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
INSIDE NEXT
COVER STORY
WHAT’S NEXT
Highlights: Drucker-Schaller Forum
■
FIVE PITFALLS OF INNOVATION
(Page 2)
■
CONVERSATIONS WITH FORUM
PARTICIPANTS:
SAM WILLIAMS (Page 2)
GARY SIMPSON (Page 3)
RICK WARREN Page 4)
GENE APPEL (Page 4)
■
1998 LN FORUM SCHEDULE (Page 6)
■
1998 CONFERENCES (Pages 7)
■
GREG LIGON INTERVIEW (Page 8)
■
1998 LTN SCHEDULE (Page 8)
What’s Next This past December over 100 church leaders
from throughout the country gathered in
Southern California at a special Leadership
Network forum focused on the topic of
“What’s Next” in terms of the culture, the
church and church leadership. Participants
included senior pastors, lay persons active in
their churches, denominational leaders,
church consultants and theological educators.
Peter Drucker and Lyle Schaller served as
the principal resources for the forum and
what follows is a summary of their primary
observations.
Drucker On Changes
in the Culture and Church
We now live in a westernized world but one
not dominated by the West. The biggest issue
in every developed country the next 25 years
is not rich or poor but the relationship
between young and old. Changing demographics,
a shift in the working population
and the explosion of urban concentrations of
people combine to create a new world in
which the traditional church does not work.
The old communities do not work and new
ones have to be created.
“I consider the emergence of the pastoral
church, one focused on the congregation and
the individual within the congregation, to be
the most important social development in this
country in the last 20-25 years. Pastoral
churches see their congregation as a resource,
not a market. The communicant is not a customer,
but a partner.”
Schaller on Changes
in the Culture and Church
The critical issue is a shortage of competent
leadership with the kind of passion that
Highlights from the
Drucker–Schaller Forum
generates followers. A critical question is
“What in your congregation are you doing to
produce leaders for the next generation”
Community has moved out of the neighborhood
and into the marketplace. We are now
living in the age of discontinuity in churches.
We know a lot about change in the church but
we don’t know much about discontinuity.
Churches are being organized around cause
instead of institution. Pastoral allegiance is
shifting from denomination to movements
and networks. We are moving from western
European cultural religions to more and more
“made in America” religions. We have
moved from an age of belief to an age of
unbelief.
Lyle Schaller and Peter Drucker
An expanded summary of notes and
participant interviews from the
Drucker–Schaller forum will be available
February 1 on the Leadership Network web
site:

Conversations with Four Drucker–Schaller Forum Participants
Bay Marin
Community Church
San Raphael, California
Originally founded in 1987;
400 in worship
What’s working well: Post-modern
multi-cultural evangelism, team
ministry, leadership development
Sam Williams is the senior pastor of Bay
Marin Community Church and adjunct
professor of Leadership and Church
Planting at Golden Gate Theological
Seminary. He can be reached at
415-453-7959 or williams@aol.com
NEXT: From your perspective as both a
pastor and as an educator of pastors,
what is happening in the culture that is
impacting the way the Church carries out
its mission
Williams: I would change the wording to
“How have the changes in the culture
affected the Church” In Marin County,
nearly everything that Schaller or
Drucker described is already happening.
What is generally true here is beginning
to be true in other places and probably the
single word that captures most of it is
what is being written and said about
post-modernism. The word post-modern
simply says we’re past modern. It doesn’t
describe anything but most of the
descriptive characteristics of Gen-X are
what we’re experiencing among all ages.
It’s a world view and not a generational
description.
NEXT: The Bay area is an area where the
interest in spirituality, but not necessarily
Christianity, is very high. How has that
changed your approach to reaching and
discipling people
Williams: People have almost totally
excluded the Church as a possible source
of spiritual meaning. We have had to
turn around our whole thinking about
evangelism. Previously, most people
would functionally define evangelism as
taking God to people. It made the lost
person the dummy. Just ask a question
they couldn’t answer. “You don’t know
these verses, you don’t
know these laws” Almost
all evangelistic methodology
calls for a commitment
right then.
We have redefined evangelism
as helping people
discover where God is
already at work in their
lives. So we ask a question
they can answer. “Tell
me about your spiritual
interests.” “Tell me about your spiritual
journey.” “ What’s happening in your life
spiritually” They know the answers to
these questions. It’s Mars Hill instead of
Pentecost. It is acknowledging people’s
spirituality even if it’s not Christian at
first. It is starting where they are. So we
2
Sam Williams
view evangelism as helping people discover
where God’s already working in
their lives and journeying with
them to an understanding at the
end of which some believe.
Our discipleship was turned
around because a linear strategy
wouldn’t work. The model that
we are developing now is a
spiritual fitness model because
people in our area are really
into fitness. When you go to a
gym or a health club, a trainer
sits down with you and does a
physical assessment and you set your
goals. And then they develop a specific
training plan.
NEXT: Do you have assessment tools
that you are developing
Williams: Yes, and we’re training spiritual
trainers. It differs from typical one-on-one
Five Pitfalls of Innovation
During a time of Q & A, Rick Warren, senior pastor at
Saddleback Valley Community Church, asked Peter Drucker
“What are the pitfalls of innovation” The following is his
response.
➊ The market is not where you expect it to be or thought it would be.
➋ There is a cash crunch and you outgrow your financial resources.
If you see it ahead of time, it is easy to prevent; but if you wait, it will
hurt you.
➌ There is a management crisis. You outgrow your management
structure. You outgrow the “hands on” people. Everything goes wrong.
If you grow fast, say 30–40%, you have to change your structure. You
have to re-build. The leader must ask, “What things can only I do”
“What things do other people have to do”
➍ There must be clearly defined roles for people and you have to be
continually upgrading and training the staff. The founder becomes the
obstacle. It is easy to prevent. One looks at what the enterprise
requires and then asks, “Am I the right person to provide this” Then,
structure accordingly and not based on what you, the founder, necessarily
want to do.
➎ Finally, the issue is succession. One cannot talk of a successful
entrepreneur until the organization survives after the founder is gone.
Often the organization looks for someone very much like the founder,
but the worst plan is to look for a carbon copy of the founder.

discipleship in that we don’t bring the
package to the person and say, “Here’s
what you need to do to be discipled.” The
discipler’s first task is to help the person
identify where they are coming from and
where is the place to begin.
One of the phrases that we frequently hear
is “I think everybody has to discover their
own way to God.” We got hung up thinking
that people were rejecting Jesus as
the Way, Truth and Life. Then it hit us
that once they finally figured out who He
was, they did not reject Him at all. The
key word was discover. Everybody must
discover their own way. It is a reflection
of the individuality of people in this postmodern
cultural setting. We ask “How
can I help you” “What do you need to
know” That is basically our new model
of developing disciples.
NEXT: The other part of your life is
associated with training people for
ministry. What’s happening in terms of
theological education in the 21st century
Williams: What needs to happen, which
is a different answer than the question,
is that in the areas of practical preparation
for ministry, practitioners are needed
as teachers. My credibility comes from
what I do when I’m away from seminary
the rest of the week.
When I went to seminary, we were taught
how to administer programs and at that
time, it was adequate preparation. We
didn’t need leadership classes. The
difference between administration and
leadership is that leadership has to do
with ideas. It has to do with direction.
Administration is a management function.
There are two dimensions to leadership.
One is visionary leadership and the other
is change leadership. Visionary leadership
is announcing thus. Change leadership is
announcing the destination and managing
the journey. With the continual change
taking place, visionary leadership is not
enough. You’ve got to know how to get
there.
NEXT: What skills does the 21st century
church leader need
Williams: They need to be highly
relational. You lead from the middle, not
from the front—from being in the middle
of a group of people, in the middle of the
culture. Leadership is a very intimate
experience in post-modern culture.
Leaders must have a high degree of
vulnerability and transparency. A big
issue for a leader is being trustworthy.
People will not follow someone, especially
in the spiritual realm, if they don’t feel
they can trust them.”
Concord Baptist
Church of Christ
Brooklyn, New York
Founded in 1847; 2,000 in worship
What’s working well: Youth leadership
and intergenerational ministry; strong
pastoral ministry coupled with historic
tradition of cutting-edge ministries;
transition to leadership, anticipating
global trends and changing
organizational culture.
Gary Simpson is the senior pastor of
Concord and has served there since
1990. He can be reached at
(718) 622-1818 or reverence@aol.com
NEXT: You minister in a unique city,
New York, which is certainly multicultural.
From that vantage point, what are
your observations about what’s next in the
culture
Simpson: It is interesting to
watch a convergence of
cultures happen. Being in a
cosmopolitan area like New
York where there are so many
different cultures and religious
practices, Christianity has
become one choice of many.
The church starts to mirror all
those cultures and be a place
where they clash, collide and learn to coexist.
In an urban context, we are at the
front edge of the reverse of white flight,
and a number of whites who moved
to the suburbs are tired of making the
commute into work and are coming back
into the neighborhoods.
NEXT: How is that impacting the people
in your pews
Simpson: I think we have become more
intentional about embracing the culture
of all persons who are of African descent.
What is interesting is, in doing that,
we are now attracting people who are
Asian and white. So now it calls for a
whole other expansion. There is the great
possibility in fifteen years that Concord
will be a much more balanced, multiracial
church. Often we have been
pigeon-holed into being a leading
African-American church but what we
are discovering is that in the church life
in all of New York, we are a leading
church. Period.
NEXT: You mentioned that you have had
to change your leadership style. How do
you lead now
Simpson: I lead by equipping, basically,
and I model the developing leader. I try to
show people by example that leadership is
growth, it is change, and in order to be a
leader, one must first concentrate on the
development of oneself. I am at the point
now where I am turning things over to
lay people. A mission statement on my
wall says, “You are called to teach,
preach and make disciples.” That’s all I
really want to do and the rest of it has to
be in the hands of people who want to do
other things.
Concord is going to be a
leadership center; it will
begin with kids. I try to get
young people to believe that
God has equipped them with
leadership skills and abilities
and that they don’t have to
search for leaders and heroes.
It’s inside of them. The Lord
is placing a number of lay
people in my congregation in
strategic leadership roles,
both locally and nationally.
This has just exploded over the last three
to five years and it is exciting to watch it
happen. Ultimately, I am struggling with
how large churches can be of assistance
to smaller churches.
Gary V. Simpson
3
continued on page 4

I am also interested in intergenerational
work. We have got to find a way to
connect the generations. Churches are
going to be pastored by younger pastors
who are going to have older congregations.
They will have to be the bridge builders
for both their generation and the one
after them.
Saddleback Valley
Community Church
Lake Forest, California
Founded in 1980; 13,000 in worship
What’s working well: Evangelism
and discipleship, lay leadership, the
purpose-driven assimilation process
Rick Warren is the founding and senior
pastor of Saddleback. His book, The
Purpose Driven Church, has sold over
250,000 copies. He can be reached
at 714-581-5683 or
7361.2106@compuserve.com
NEXT: From your perspective
both at Saddleback and as a
national leader, what do you
see happening in the culture
and what do you see happening
in the Church
Warren: Technology is driving
the cultural changes. The main
thing is that technology has
made it possible for us to move from
synchronous to asynchronous communications.
Synchronous communication is
if I want to watch Seinfeld, I have to
synchronize my watch to view it when
it is available unless I have a VCR.
The VCR made possible asynchronous
communication; I can watch it on my
time. Eventually, because of the Internet
and band width, if I want to watch
Seinfeld at 7:14 or 7:27 or the next day,
I’ll just be able to log on, and it will come
directly to me at that time. As a church,
we are working through the implications
of this. Even though we offer a worship
service four times, it’s still only four
times. So, how do you get Bible study
How do you get worship I’m not replacing
it with the Internet obviously, but I’m
just asking, “How do you get biblical
content and information to people when
they want to get it”
NEXT: But it’s not all about technology,
is it
Warren: No. Human nature will always
be the same. No matter what trends
happen, there are some basic needs.
People still feel lonely. People still feel
greedy. People still search for God.
People are still going to need relational
instructions. So the style issues change,
the communication modes change, but
human need doesn’t change.
NEXT: What do you see happening in
the Church
Warren: One trend I heard mentioned
this morning, was that churches are
getting larger. The church of 1,000 is
more common now. The whole idea of
what constitutes a large church keeps
going up and up and up. Some churches
are learning that you don’t have to build
and that gives people freedom.
I think what Promise
Keepers did was to open
a lot of different eyes to
interdenominational things.
The denominational barriers
just keep dropping and dropping,
lower and lower.
NEXT: Saddleback has had,
and continues to have,
exceptional growth in the
number of members. How do you
assimilate all those new people
Warren: If you have a process, it doesn’t
matter whether you bring in five a month
or 15 or 50 or 500. The process still
works. Once the structure is there, we can
handle any level of growth. We don’t
focus on growth. We focus entirely, 100
percent, on assimilation.
NEXT: How has that kind of rapid
growth changed your role as the leader
Warren: I am not a doer in any sense
of the word. I don’t even pastor the
church anymore. I pastor my staff. I’m a
staff pastor to lay ministers, and the lay
ministers pastor the church. This church
Rick Warren
outgrew me a long time ago. I was gone
11 weeks this summer and the church
grew. Why Because it doesn’t need me.
I provide vision. I’m a rudder, but I’ve
empowered the staff and lay people. You
have to use and mobilize the lay ministry.
They are your staff and giving them a
place is important. For instance, in our
office building, there is as much space for
lay staff as there is for paid staff.
Central Christian
Church
Las Vegas, Nevada
Founded in 1962; 3,200 in worship
What’s working: Synergy of adult
ministries, growth of unity between
generations, childrens’ ministries,
evangelism (75% of church was
previously unchurched), discipleship
Gene Appel has been senior pastor
since 1985. He can be reached at
702-735-4004 or geneappel@aol.com
NEXT: What do you see happening in
the culture that is affecting churches
Appel: In most urban centers today,
community is really a missing element.
In Las Vegas, you can take that and
multiply it ten times because everyone is
from somewhere else. There are no roots.
You don’t have good friends or supportive
relationships with family. That is why our
vision statement begins with the phrase,
“ To connect the unconnected to Christ.”
Even our logo shows community in it. We
want the church to be a place of community
and connection, connecting to Christ
most significantly, but then in relationship
with each other.
The lack of a moral concept for our
young people is going to present
unpredictable amounts of chaos for us in
the coming decade. Young people
growing up right now from broken
homes lack a moral consciousness, a lack
of right and wrong. We’re not just dealing
with a culture of belief and unbelief.
We’re dealing with a culture of morality
and no morality. That’s going to have
continued on page 5
4

Gene Appel
far-reaching implications for the Church.
I also think it is a great time. We know
that people are spiritually searching. But
beyond that, I think it is a great time to be
in ministry because historically people
cannot go without moorings for very
long.
NEXT: How has your leadership role
changed in the last four or five years and
what do you see happening in the future
Appel: My own role has changed over
the years in a number of ways because
the church has changed. We’ve doubled
four times in the last 12 years and the
general rule is when an organization
grows 20 to 30 percent, the organizational
structure changes. So that means my
leadership role has had to undergo major
amounts of change. I have had to learn to
know to whom to delegate in the building
of our team. I have had to be much more
committed to building team leaders,
leaders who lead leaders, and engendering
in them the vision and values of the organization.
Ten years ago, I would have
seen my role more as a leader within the
church whereas today, I see it critically as
a leader of key leaders.
NEXT: How has the role of
lay people changed over the
years and how do you see it
changing in the future
Appel: It has changed dramatically
because the church
has changed. Although they
believed in the priesthood of
all believers 10 or 12 years
ago, it was pretty much the
clergy doing the work of the ministry and
lay people serving on boards, singing in
choirs and things like that. What we have
tried to say is that every believer has gifts
that God put in them and they are significant
players in ministry. Early on, we
knew we needed to help people discover
their gifts so we developed a class in that.
But there are all kinds of weaknesses
with the class and it led to a lot of frustrated
people who knew a lot about themselves
but were without a meaningful
place to serve and no one helping them.
Now we try to look at a three-phase
process. There is the educational component.
When class is over, a
training consultant works
one-on-one to help them
really understand more
about the opportunities.
There is a follow-up phase
of making sure this
person is then making the
connection in ministry.
Peter Drucker said it so
well this morning. We need to see our
congregations not as our clientele, but as
resources. I think that is so critical. You
can say all you want to about the consumer
mentality today, but people want
to be a part of something that is bigger
than themselves. We tend to sit around
and complain about the lack of involvement
and probably the reason is that we
have not appropriately challenged lay
people and given them opportunities to
serve because when you get it right, they
really respond.
NEXT: What do you see as the biggest
challenge facing the Church in the
United States
Appel: Right now we are with cutting
edge people and we forget that
this is not representative of the
majority of churches. There is
a sense in which we can say,
“People are here from all over
the country. Look at the great
things God is doing.” But the
fact of the matter is, five
percent or less of the churches
in the nation are represented
with these kinds of stories. I
feel a great personal burden towards the
other 90 to 95 percent of churches in the
United States that are biblically-based
and biblically correct in the essential
beliefs of Christianity but totally culturally
irrelevant. They cannot communicate the
greatest message in the world to a culture
that is dying to hear it. And it’s going to
die if we cannot give it.
“ One of the things that we
don’t want to do is allow
society to dictate what we
respond to. We really try
to allow the gifts that God
has placed in the body to dictate what
we are to respond to.”
D. Z. Cofield, senior pastor
Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Houston, Texas
The World
According to
Peter Drucker
by Jack Beatty
The Free Press
1-800-223-2348
$ 25.00
This recently released
biography on Peter Drucker
covers over six decades of
Drucker’s work from his early
writings to his very latest
books. It also addresses
the role of Leadership Network
and its work with pastoral
churches.
5

The 1998
Leadership Network
Forum Schedule
* *
*
Mission Pastors
January 28-30
Small Groups
June 3-6
Executive Pastors
February 17-19
Worship Leaders
August 24-27
Womens’ Ministry
March 19-21
Singles Pastors
September 15-17
Senior Ministers
May 19-21
Business Administrators
October 19-22
Senior Pastors Wives
May 19-21
Childrens’ Ministry
November 16-19
Pastoral Care
December 8-11
Four-day forums—$295
*Three-day forums—$225
▼
P L E A S E N O T E
Attendance at all forums is by invitation only. Groups within each
forum are limited to 25 people and one participant per church.
Participants are senior ministers and other ministerial staff of large
churches (1,000+ adults in weekend attendance) who have at least one
year of ministry experience in their current position. All forums are
held at Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. If
you would like to receive an invitation or recommend someone to be
invited to a forum, please contact Nancy Kiser at the Leadership
Network office at 1-800-765-5323 or fax (214) 969-9392.
“For me, the number one value of these forums is
having a great network of family ministry pastors
to relate to. As recently as five years ago, I was only
one of a very few family ministry pastors in the
Twin Cities!”
John Erwin
Pastor to Family, Grace Church
Edina, MN
“Leadership Network has seen the need and
provided the network for on-going learnings. For
four years I’ve been praying for a network of family
ministry people. I couldn’t do without this network!”
Tim Smith
Pastor of Family Life, Calvery Community Church
Westlake Village, CA
Family Ministries Workshops
cosponsored by Leadership Network
In response to the request from participants at the Family Ministries forum,
Leadership Network will be offering three one-day intensive workshops for
volunteers and paid leaders in Family Ministries.
Please call the host church for registration information.
March 5 — Fullerton, CA
First Evangelical Free Church; Doug Haag, host
(714)529-5544
March 19 — Minneapolis, MN
Grace Church; John Erwin, host
(612) 924-4240
March 31 — Nashville, TN
First Presbyterian Church; Mark DeVries, host
(615) 298-9503
DAILY SCH. – 3-DAY FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
7:30
Breakfast Breakfast
DAILY SCHEDULE – 4-DAY FORUMS
Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
7:30
Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion
NOON
1:00
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch/
Conclusion and
Adjournment
NOON
1:00
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch/
Conclusion and
Adjournment
3:00
Forum Begins
4:00
Discussion
Discussion
4:00
Set Agenda
Discussion
6:00
Dinner/
Forum Begins
Dinner
Dinner
6:00
7:00
Dinner
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
7:00
9:00
SetAgenda/
Discussion
Dessert
Discussion
Dessert
Discussion
Dessert
9:00
Dessert
Dessert
6

1 9 9 8 L E A D E R S H I P C O N F E R E N C E S
SPONSOR CONFERENCE/SPEAKER DATE LOCATION FOR MORE INFO
Bill Easum - 21st Century
Strategies
Disciple Making Churches
March 19-21
April 21-23
April 28-30
May 19-21
Birmingham, AL
Raleigh, NC
Pensacola, FL
Indianapolis, IN
Phone: (512) 749-5364
email: easum@easum.com
www.easum.com
George Barna - Barna
Research Group
Inward, Outward, Upward:
Ministry that Transforms
Lives
February 10
March 10
March 17
March 24
March 26
March 30
March 31
April 2
April 23
April 27
April 28
April 30
May 26
May 28
June 1
June 2
Bakersfield, CA
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
Little Rock, AR
Shreveport, LA
Baton Rouge, LA
Chicago, IL
Nashville, TN
Louisville, KY
St. Louis, MO
Virginia Beach, VA
Raleigh, N.C.
Atlanta, GA
Columbia, SC
Phone: (805) 658-8885
Changing Church, Inc.
Growing Leaders for the
21st Century
National
Conference
May 12-15
Burnsville, MN
Phone: (800) 874-2044
email: changing@aol.com
www.changingchurch.org
National Evangelistic
Association
Evangelism Connections ‘98
April 17-18
Atlanta, GA
Phone: (806) 762-8094
Ginghamsburg United
Methodist Church
The Media Reformation -
Why is it a life or death
issue for your church
January 27
March 24
Tipp City , OH
Phone: (937) 667-1069
www.ginghamsburg.org
1998 Ginghamsburg
Change Conference: Isn’t it
Time to Break Out of Your
Box
May 1-2
Tipp City, OH
Vision New England
Church Leadership for the
21st Century
May 1-2
Agawam, MA
Phone: (800) 229-1990,
ext. 311
Saddleback Community
Church
How to Build a
Purpose-Driven Church
January 31
May 13-16
Lake Forest, CA
Lake Forest, CA
Phone: (800) 651-7331
Current Thoughts & Trends
and NavPress
Trendscope ’98
March 23-26
Glen Eyrie,
Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: (800) 944-4536
email:
grace_saenz@navigators.org
Willow Creek Association
Church Leadership
May 13-16
South Barrington, IL
Phone: (847) 765-0070
www.willowcreek.org
7

Ligon Joins
LTN Team
as Manager
Greg Ligon joined Greg Ligon
Leadership
Training Network (LTN) as manager in
December. Ligon left behind the ivycovered
brick walls of Southern
Methodist University, where he founded
the United Methodist Campus
Ministry. His four areas of responsibilities
include logistics
management, marketing, product
development and the development of a
network of lay ministry directors.
Ligon, a 1989 graduate of Asbury
Seminary, admits to a strong sense of
mission for this new role. “I feel like I
have been preparing myself for years
for this very work. The connection here
is that I have a passion to build leaders
and impact the church on a scale larger
than just through one organization or
institution.”
Since it’s creation in 1994, LTN’s
customer base has increased over 100%
each year, thus challenging both
personnel and program resources. “ I
am thrilled to have Greg on the team.
He has a heart for the greater Church
and easily embraces all denominations,
which is a gift to our customer,”
explained Sue Mallory, LTN’s
Executive Director. “ Greg is highly
capable and lives and breathes the
passion of mobilizing people and
their gifts,” said Brad Smith, President
of LTN.
1 9 9 8 S C H E D U L E
Jan 9 & 10
Feb 13 & 14
Mar 6
Apr 26 - May 1
May 11
May 12
May 14
Jun 5 & 6
Jul 10 & 11
Jul 19 - 24
Sept 27 - Oct 2
Oct 20 & 21
Nov 8 - 13
Phoenix, AZ
Seattle, WA
Sacramento, CA
San Bernardino,
CA
Arrowhead
Springs
Louisville, KY
Toronto, ON,
Canada
Calgary, AB,
Canada
Chicago, IL
Atlanta, GA
Colorado
Springs, CO
Glen Eyrie
Nashville, TN
Scarritt Bennett
Dallas, TX
Atlanta, GA
Simpsonwood
NEW Section 3 Starter Kit Revisions Now Available
If you purchased your Starter Kit for Mobilizing Ministry prior to January 1997, you will want to
purchase the newly revised Section 3, “Resources and References.” This 128 page
expanded
version offers:
apple new resources
apple information on available computer software for gifts and tracking
people’s service
apple discovery tools
apple other resources: administrative, assimilation, context, matching and
placement, coaching and leadership, risk management, DLM associations, “whole-life ministry”
and church strategy and transformation
Two-Day Forum
Two-Day Forum
One-Day Forum
Level One
Institute
One-Day Forum
One-Day Forum
One-Day Forum
Two-Day Forum
Two-Day Forum
Consultants
Training
Level One
Institute
Two-Day Forum
Level Two
Institute
FOR INFORMATION ON
LEADERSHIP TRAINING NETWORK’S
LAY MOBILIZATION FORUMS, , CALL
1-800-765-5323, ext. 104
ISSN: 1082-037X
NEXT is a publication of
Leadership Network.
Permission to reproduce
material in NEXT may be
obtained by calling,
faxing, or writing
Leadership Network.
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
inside the U.S.,
or (214) 969-5950
outside the U.S.
FAX: (214) 969-9392
Executive Editor:
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NEXT is printed on 50-percent recycled paper with 30-percent
post-consumer waste using 100-percent soy-based inks.
8

it h@iem
IrabitMsn:
four points of IW - ---
A high value IS placed on lay
~#blmol
FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
--
C:-y is Lay I-: - n So
Important to 21st Century Churches
WM eat& POW he answer to this question can be because traditionally, we have not had the
8 ~ M 8 wing ~ a glft, reh and found in hundreds of congregations money for multiple paid staff beyond our
across the United States. Take a look pastors," remarked Leroy Armstrong,
place te mne.
at the 50 lay ministries flourishing at All senior pastor of Greater Good Hope Baptist
Saints Episcopal Church in Pawley's Church. "What we have lacked is a system
.a~~mbInflmto
-
Island, South Carolina. Watch as that would help us be more intentional.
md -lit$, qu Louisville's Greater Good Hope Baptist's People have always served in the church,
asrd th#r p b for ~ WV~S.
ongregation creates a blueprint for lay but it may not have been the best match for
ization with a focus on prison their gifts. The value of this systematic
outreach and Kentucky's urban youth. In
outhern California, a team of approximmmamml
mately 40 lay music ministers at Calvary
Church Newport-Mesa successfully weave
musical themes into worship services which
ITb pmpmtJw lo sne et attract over 1,200 each weekend. They
clear1 y recognize the importance of music
Ilrlrsbllf~ -- p-ts to their primarily Buster congregation.
WrtrgthrLghMSmuEd
Lay mobilization is vitally important to
WbhsrtssW~~ congregations seeking to minister accord-
@n@ work, md
I
'tgt-
7r' -
WHY IS LAY MOBILIZATION SO
IMPORTANT TO 21 ST CENTURY
CHURCHES
(Page 1)
H
FOUR KEY POINTS FOR
SUCCESSFUL LAY MOBILIZATION
(Pages 2-4)
YOUNG LEADER NITWORK
(Pages 5,8)
1998 LN FORUM SCHEDULE (Page 6:
LN RECOM
IDS (Page 7)
ing to their God-given gifts, both within the
church and community. Members, recognizing
their gifts, live out their calling in
every area of their lives.
Across the nation, a growing number of
thriving congregations believe in the lay
mobilization movement. Each has introduced
a system into their church in which
lay mobilization has flourished.
For many of these congregations, resources
provided by Leadership Training Netwo~k
(LTN), a sister organization of Leadership
Network, have proven to be invaluable
during the initial exploration and decisionmaking
stages. Since its inception in 1994,
LTN has guided hundreds of congregations
to create and implement a system which
helps laity discover their gifts and find
places to serve. LTN's Sfarter Kit for
Mobilizing Ministry continues to be a good
step-by-step guide for churches beginning
this process. In addition, LTN continues to
help find, train and provide an on-going
peer-coaching network for church professionals
involved in lay ministry.
"Our African-American culture has always
placed a high value on the power of the laity
s
L Working Ltogether to help conslruct a Habiiat for
Humanity house, members of All Saints Episcopal
Church model successful lay mobilization.
process is that it guarantees a higher
success rate. We are now able to mobilize
people into ministries that are best suited to
their gifts."
Gloria Reynolds, All Saints Episcopal
Church's director of lay ministry, believes
their lay involvement has blessed many
within and beyond the church walls. "What
excites me is to see the faces of our church
members and those they serve. My hope is
that some day all our members will be using
their God-given gifts in His service."
The importance and value of lay mobilization
within a congregation is real. Signposts
within our culture continue to tell us that
there's a growing yearning for a spiritual
compass, a cry for the genuine - the authentic.
Engaging lay members in meaningful ministry
fulfills their desire to connect with others
and provides a platform from which they
can bring their faith to life.

hat value, it ends up creat-
IF
A gh value is placed on lay mobil- a stir that sometimes
iz with each seen as
ha i a gift, role and place to serve. be a of
for service.
reactively changing the
-
ulture and building an
Churches are sustain
ued innovation have this value in the
very fiber of their culture. For some impl ting a system. not just two
churches, this may be something they have it building a team made
to proactively change. Perhaps a tradition- people with diverse gifts who often
committee has centralized must learn to respect each other's gifts.
ministry in the hands of a few, or "charter
leaders. Saddleback Valley Community
members" are clinging to the key decision-
Church's baseball diamond with four
making roles. Maybe the staff feel their
bases, that provides a clear track for people
success is measured in terms of program
to move through howledge about the
goals rather than equipping gods, and it is all the 'bean-counting' church, their faith, gifts and then service, is
hard for them to give up control, fearing
"program excellence" will suffer.
details and complicated plans
Changing a church culture takes many
fronts and is a job that is never finished.
Preaching about spiritual gifts and the nd
with multiple layers of small group leaders
to serve, in order to lnature s~iritually*
establishes a biblical context. Using illus-
and coaches, is another system. Willow
mtions and examples of gifted people Creek's Networking curriculum or
implementors complain that
impacting their family and community
Marlene Wilson's voluntser management
through @f~based serving helps people
prwess are such systems. The key to a
"see" what they are hearing about. Vision
"system" is that it provides clear steps for
hips to other churches that are doing it
44pew-sitters" to become significantly
well creates a hunger for a new focus.
involved in both relationships and service.
changes, and vastly underesti-
Changing staff and ministry evaluations by
This service is not arbitrary; it intentionalhow
well people are being equipped, rather mate what is required to pull ly matches their gifts and interests in the
than how program goals are met'
church, community and the whole of their
sends a strong positive message that this is
lives, and has on-going support, training
a value with teeth attached.
and coaching. Without such a system,
mobilization task force
churches may get the self-starters and
Ultimately, the key to creating a new value
entrepreneurs involved, but the majority of
in a culture is to make it something that
the church will remain either marginally
leaders often talk and think about as they visionaries and irnplementors." involved or frustrated by repeated attempts
perform their tasks and make a priority in
to serve in the wrong places.
equipping others. However, there are many
churches that talk about gift-based service
"Sometimes people get too caught up in
constantly, but the impact of the idea
asking, 'mat is the best spiritual gifts surseems
to remain blocked at the Ieadership
vey' or, 'Is it four bases or seven steps'
level, Only a small percentage of the
These are good questions later in the
church actively serves. Special events such
process," explained Brad Smith of
as "Career Fairs" or "Service Sundays" get
Leadership Network, "but when you are
more people signed up for the short-term,
adding a system that impacts every area of
but somehow the momentum quickly
the church, an imported program rarely
dissipates.
works by itself. The first question should
be, 'Who not 'What' Who in our church
For many years, churches have talked Leadership Netwqk has the gifts and passions to recruit and
about the value of lay mobilization, but
steer a team to assess our needs Who can
many are now discovering that if the talk is
design and build a system that truly fits us
not connected to a system to implement
continued on page 3
I
L
- .. - -- --

Four Key Points, continued from page 2
Then, how are we going to give them the people, what we know in terms of opportuauthority,
training and tools to accomplish nity and what we need to make the
this Once the right team is in place, they connection."
Can look at various models and build thk
I
PI^^^^^ for service should not be banchurch-wide
ownership that is needed."
L
dled with a "sink or swim" mentali&.
An effective system places within the Members should be given appropriate
church a way to her care for people and .training and tools for success within their
buiId leadership teams. "The system is work. Mallory suggests that lay ministry
designed to continually equip people, so directors ask themselves these questions:
every year you are adding people and "DO we equip them to serve God through
equipping them for new ministries," the Church and the world", "What are we
explained Sue Mallory, director of doing to support that person" and "Do we
Leadership Training Network. After an have the ministry descriptions, definitions
initial interview, members are guided of the job, the tools and the training"
through a holistic gift-discovery process, If people are placed where they are gifted
looking at time, talents and the particular and passionate to serve, they will live out
congregation. Once this information is the ministry more fully. To ensure a solid
gathered, the system links the church fit within these positions, members need to
member with appropriate opportunities for understand how the church functions, eleservice.
"You can do discovery all day ments of the job and where resources are
long," said Mallory, '%but if you don't have located. Periodic follow-ups with members
a logical process by which to follow up on are critical. Ultimately, the success of this
information, you just frustrate the new per- process requires solid continuous planson.
Studies have shown that these mem- ning, a dedicated leader and the ability to
bers often depart from the church feeling look at each member's gifts and desire to
unfulfilled."
serve. "IdealIy," emphasized Mallory, "he
Once a person's gifts are identified, a sys- lay mobilkah system needs to beinvisitern
must be in place to make the connec- ble and seamless."
tional link between their talents and
, what is available in the church.
Often in churches, there is little or
y ilization is implemented by a
no coordination in this area; service
mnortunities are word-of-mouth or I! eship team with a specific point-
Gown by a small portion of the I P 1.
-
church staff.
"In Ephesians, we read about the
ligarnknts that connect the body to make it ne of the most important decisions a
whole. I think this is an exquisite anaIogy 0 church will make affecting the future of
for lay mobilization. In our churches, we the lay ministry effort is the selection of the
have all the body parts, but not the liga- team leader or program director. This perments,"
said Mallory. "What a good sys- son's ability to work effmtively with other
tem does is provide the connectional liga- staff and members of the church is critical
ments. It connects what we have, what to the system's success. Identifying leaderwe've
discovered about the richness of our ship and building a strong ministry team
continued on page 4
WHAT3 THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN INNOVATION AND
nnovations are new ideas that ar
lamented into reality. Innova-
11
tiveness is the ability of a church to
champion, the :.
ion is short-
lived. The key to innovativeness is a
culture that values many peoples'
diverse gifts, and a system that
empowers them to be involved in
creativity and decisionmmaking at all
levels. If you remove any particular
idea or group of people, new inno-
vations will continue to flow. In
essence, lay mobilization is mom
about innwativeness rather than r
particular program, idea, gimrnicl
L
I
How
do 1 u&rsteod Whet is the Bibid Whet is my unque
md become a pnrt besis fa- senrim & of ggifts and
of the church
incemm
hlt€xt
I
Soum: Ths Starkr Kit for Mobilizing Ministry, published by Leadership Training Networli
-

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF
Succ~ssw~ LAY MINISTRY
DIRECTORS:
1. Trust other people
2. Thrive on responsibility
and leadership, and take
the initiative
3. Are team players
4. Believe people are
capable of self-control
and can work well
without constant
supervision
5. Have the ability to
motivate others
6. Are flexible and have the
abillty to multi-task
7. Are able to effectively
resolve conilic!
Source: The Starter Kif for Mobilizing
Ministry, ublished by Leadership
Training hP etwork
+
I
up a structure from which tc
operate. Each team structure is
perspective is one of whole-life
different based on its goal. For
k'
I
example, our usher team meets sty - people using their gifts to
half an hour wore he sunday -
not onlv only in the church, but also
service to pray and pew
prepare for
ily, work, community and the d
their ministry duties. Once a I worid. wunu.
month, they meet as a team.
L 1
However, our Helping Hands
*try, which helps feed the h~ngy,
opportunities within their community,
meets weekly for Bible study and sharing. swh as machi ng fheir cMd's
Because of the nature of their work, fre
serving on the PTA board or teaching
quent gatherings are more critical than for,
Enghsh to recent immigrants. ''Gd God a
say, church ushers."
unique purpose for each of our lives, and
He has blessed us with which must
"uhmahl~* them in the game is not b, left idle," emphasized Mallory.
the goal. You invite people onto a team,
help disciple them along the way and
resolve conflict as it arises. Remember that
they are not Wng of this 40 hours a
week like you are," cautioned Stevenson.
"lf you don't build a healthy team, you're
dead. You have to create teams that model
the values and culture of your church. The
director of lay miistry should mistently
and strategically be involved in visioncasting
for the individual and the team.
Otherwise, people will not give of their
time and talent."
0
nce members go &rough the discovery
interview and grft assessment v s s ,
matching, placement and cosching follows.
Some members may leap-frog
through the process, already confident in
lmowing where they are to me.
For example, a business leader may
choosetousehisorhergifts whileonthe
job. The director of lay ministry,recogniz-
ing the value of this new '"mission field,"
Four Key Points, continued from page 3
rests with the dimtor of lay mobilization will then place the layperson in ministry
or respective lay leader, 'There is no sim- within their company. Otbm may find
ple formula for identifying leaders,"
explained Ian Stevenson, pastor of ministry
development at Calvary Church
Newpod-Mesa. "Much depends on what
other gifts exist within the church leadership.
But I always look for the grfts of
encouragement and leadership. Leaders
should have a heart to help people grow
through service. Otherwise, people will get
burned out and leave. If that point-penon
is not focused on putting together a stru~
ture for people to be involved in, there will
not b long-term success."
Once the leader has been i w e d and
goals chilied, the team is developed.
Tm that point on," mked Stevenson,
h
L
-
"I will challenge the leader to begin underwho
their team is and how to set
I
'UI
I11VlC IUIUM llllUlIlMUUll U11 lii]
nobilization and obtaining The Startel
Yit for Mobilizing Ministry, cal
~adership Training Network a
I -80a-765-5323, ext. 104.
FOR FURTHEREADING:
1. How to Mobilize Church VoIunteew
The Effective Management of Volunteer
Programs, by Marlene Wilson; published
by Volunteer Management Association.
1 -800-944-1 470.
2. The Purpose Driven Church, by Rick
Warren; published by Zondewan.
71 4-888-2500.
3. The Coming Chmh RevoIution-
Empowering leaders for the Future, by
Carl George; published by Baker Books.
1-800-877-2665.
Members uj'Gnuter (iuod Hope BapiisI Chmhfound their Ldrship mirmi heiyjur ut
launching new lay mbilizalion effofls in Louhvill.
I

The
Young Leader UnivePBe
BECAUSE MINISTRY
THE POST-MODEM TRAEO~ON IS ANOTHER WORLD
A
L ;Od6) !a! F
\ ,e!wori
L
Doug Pagin joined
Leadership Network in
\
the
Augut, I997 7and
Young Leader
Network
NEXI) Tell me
about the Young Leader Network.
Doug: It is designed to be a place for the
best leaders and churches, engaged in
ministry among the post-1960 generations
to connect around related issues in
the post-modern transition.
NEXl Sounds like it is a lot more than
just Gen X ministry.
Doug: Yeah, it sure is. In fact, most of the
leaders in tbis network do not even like
.--
@ the term Gen X. Those involved in the I
network are doing minis~ not only with
Gen X but also with the Millennials,
LW You@ Leader Forum
A11 fonuas will be held at Glen Eyrie Conference W, Chhdo S p h UI ~ M
those who are coming of age on the eve of indi. ~~ in these fom is by hvitatim only. To receive m invibh or reed ,
the next ~llillenniurn. Most importantly, meone for a form, contact us through our websi~ w.younghder.mg or d l Molly Smallen
they are doing it in the context of the
post-modern transition.
targe church You& MiIktebs
NEXT You talk a lot about post-modv
d hfay4-6 Churchmaalers
ernism. What is post-modernism
- Doug: There are many answers to that asiay6-8 YOWI~ WO~W Lden
question. Broadly speaking, post-mod-
~sentice~eaders
ernism is a cultural critique of the mod-
muochw~tbiar C~UIT~, 'IOW ~dult wo~ip swrioe
ern, mtid age that began about the time
Y W h~
h t ~ city ~ ~ , htors (simpsanwood f h i e t ceater, ~ ~ AW GA)
of the Enlightenment and dominated the
Industrial Revolution and Western culture
Cow WmlipbdmFm w o n : TBA)
continued on page 8
- '6b.g Leader Unive]~#
NorcmBu3-5
YomgS~Pas~

* Business Administrators
October 19-22
November 10-12
~mups * Childreas Ministpy
Jwne 3.6 November 16.19
E * ~mau
* Worship Leaders * Pastoral Care
August 24.27 December 8.11
Attendance al all fonm is by Invitation only. 6mup wlthln a h
forum are llmited to 25
Singles Pastors
September 15-17
forums are held at Glen E hnter, Olwado QIIIW,
* Four-day forums-$295 Colorado, If you would like to receive an lnvltatlon or
Threemday forums--$225
recanmend sosomeone to be lmlted to a fonm, pleas8 Eontact
Mdershlp Ilstwwlt, 1.80P765.WP3 or fax 216989.9392.
DESIGNED FOR CONSULTANTS AND DENOMINATIONAL EXECUTIVES
r _
June 3-5
$249
Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
August 5.7
$495
Teaching Church hadem
November 2-4
$249
General Conslahnfsi
Denominational Workers
November 2-4
$249
All forums are hdd at Glen Eyrie
Cmference Center in Colorado Springs,
unl~ otherwise s p M . For further
information or to register, contact
Linda Stanley at Leadership Metwosk,
1-800.765-5323.

Reinvehg Your Church
Brian D. McLaren
3
$12.99
Not another "how to" book, McLaren, a lmal
pastor, uses the framing question of, "What
kind of church would we want if we had to
start from scratch" to begin a discussion of
reinventing the church. Be suggests tRirtsen strategies that can
help leaders and congregations determine their future direction.
I O U . .
,UC
II
FUTURE
I The Comacnitv of the Future
Richard ~eckhad, "~arshall Goldsmith,
Frances Hesselbein and Richard F. Schubert,
editors
Jossey-Bass, Inc.
1-800-956-7739
www.i~com
I gird offering in the successful Drucker
-
Foundation ~utuk Series, this voluhe focuses on the changing
shape of community found in business, faith cornrnun&ei,
schools and cvbers~ace. It com~liments the earlier two books in
the series on ieadii and orgarbations of the future. The book
speaks to community trends, values, communication and technology
and includes a chapter
1
by Bob Buford, founder of Leadership
Network.
The Hungry Spirit
Charles Handy
Broadway Books
1-800-323-9872 for ~re-~aid orders only
www.bdd.com
I Growing S p W
Abingdon Press
Redwds
William Easurn and Thomas Bandy
- - --- -
I This is a handbook for 21st Century Church
leaders. Easum and Bandy describe the transformation
underway in churches that are not
merely advancing, but thriving in 2 1 st century
culture. Leadership, worship, organizational
form, vision and culture are all addressed in terms of the emerging
new church for a new century,
After you visit leadership Network's website at
www.leadnet.org and our Youno leader Nehvonk website at
www.youngleader.org, you migM check out these sites that are
exceptional for their content:
www,cs,caltech.edul~adamlLEADlgemhtml
This is a very good and extensive collection of links to websites
focusing on Gen X issues and culture.
www.brigda.org
If you could visit only one site for information and connections
concerning global missions, you would be hard-pressed to find a
better site than this one. Electronic conferences, forums and links
to mission agencies and missionaries combine to make this a
valuable site,
cornmuni~ Church of Joy
Glendale, AZ
(602) 561-0500 or
registration@joyodine.org
www-jo yonline.org
Plenary sessions and workshops will focus on designing
worship services for Boomers and Xers, post-modernism,
the heart of the leader and transitioning the church into a
mission center.
T, I
Charles Handy's latest book is his most spiritua1
one yet. The son of an Irish pastor, and now
NETWORK OF SINGLE ADULT .*
a wl-lulv wrr ,,ianagement commentator, Handy explores what
LEADERS
comes after we are content with material things. The book starts
Free fax service to persons involved in sinslowly,
but sections two and three have good insights on the inter-
gle adult ministry. Join by sending name,
relationship between work, for-profit and not-for-profit organiza-
"
organization, telephone and fax numbers
tions. Handy makes one uncomfortable and always makes one to: 7484 Carrie Ridge Way, San Diego, CA
think. 92139-3936, voicelfax (619) 257-6226.

kk.evaIIu
&sidering the ,
church. gospel,, a
, . .
!h:Iture in thq ' :
pospxhode:
ion:
[*ICIIO
T C I ar*m a
of Leadership Network.
material in NEXT may
be obtained by calling,
For more Information visit m.youngleader.org or call 1.800.765.5323
faxing or writing
Young Leader #Work, continued from page 5
until the present. Many people
debated the make-up and
parameters of modernism
and post-modernism, and
there is much discussion
about the end of one and the
beginning of the other. Wle
the Young Leader (YL) network
does not feel the need
to answer aIl these questions,
the fact remains that the m-
sition from the modern age to
the post-modern age has
begun and it will likely last
for quite some time. What we
are most concerned with is
what opportunities are available
to the Church during this
transition.
NEXT So you do not see
post-modemism as a threat to
the Church
Doug: Not necessarily. In
fact, there are some ways that
the Gospel is better equipped
for impact in a post-modern
world than in a modern,
hyper-rationalistic age. We
look forward to exploring
how the Church can take
advantage of this opportunity.
NEXT: How do people connect
with the YL network
Doug: We are a "network of
networks." In 1998, we are
offering four basic ways to be
involved. First, for those
engaged in ministry among
the post- 1960 generations,
we are planning a large
national forum called Re-
Evaluation. The tag-line is
"Considering the Church,
Gospel and Culture in the
Post-Modem Transition". It
will be held near Santa Fe,
NM at the Glorieta
Conference Center, October
12 - 15.
NEXT: What are the other
three ways to be involved
Doug: One way is through
small national events called
''forums," which provide a
place for leaders to meet with
approximately 25 peers in
ministry. There are no speakers
or workshops, and the
schedule and discussion topics
are set by participants. In
addition, there are regional
and on-going networks.
Regionals provide opportunities
for people within a common
geographic area to connect.
Other opportunities for
on-going networking are
available through our web
site. (Ed now: Check out our
~heduling btformation on page 5 as
weil as on the YL website!)
N#X!': There seems to be a
Iot going on in the YL net-
work.
Doug: Yes, you're right. Just
the sheer number of peopIe
involved in such innovative
ministry makes our work
challenging. But more so
than that, it is exciting. There
is a cml story in I Chronicles
28 about the building of the
Temple. While I do not see
what we are doing at quite
that level, there are some
encouraging paralleIs. David
told his son Solomon that he
need not fear the ovenvhelming
size of the task before
him because God would provide
him with the people
necessary to get the job done
by bringing to him skilled
craftsman and workers. I
believe God is raising up this
generation of leaders and will
provide the people necessary
to get the job done.
I
Leadership Network.
Phone; 1-800-765-5323
. *
A ,
,'it
r :'
-c r
<
htive Editor:
>. ',* ,,
> 3.
Managing Editor:
Colleen Townsley Hager
Web Site:
http://www.leadnet.org
L E A L E K S H I P
N E T W O R K
2501 Cedar Springs LB-5;
Suite 200
Dallas, TX 75201

In terms of achievement and complexity,
the mapping of the human gene system has
been compared to landing a man on the surface
of the moon and safely returning him to
earth. The initials “DNA” have become
shorthand for the genetic blueprint that is
found in every living cell.
Using the metaphor of a genetic code,
seminitician / church historian / pastor /
teacher / author Leonard Sweet has written
a new book that examines eleven genes of
his faith tradition, Wesleyan, in the context of
Millennium III and the transition from a modern
to postmodern world. The DNA of these
faith genes provide a blueprint for spiritual
awakening to 21st century Christians and
their congregations.
Released in early April, Eleven Genetic
Gateways To Spiritual Awakening is published
by Abingdon Press. We thank both Len Sweet
and Abingdon for permission to share
excerpts from the book with the readers of
NEXT.
Eleven Gateways 1
Eleven Genetic Gateways
to Spiritual Awakening
by Leonard Sweet
Sweet Q & A 3
Young Leaders 5
National Re-Evaluation forum
Waco regional conference
Seattle regional conference
Re-evaluating the role and
function of the church for
the future
Forums 6
1998 Schedule
Interventionists 6
Peer learning forums
Future workshops
LN Recommends 7
Schuh Joins LN 8
Eleven Genetic Gateways to Spiritual Awakening
by Leonard Sweet
We are living in a marching-off-the-map
world. We are living in a Genesis-like
world. We are living in a world of such
blazing speed that there are more
changes in a decade than used to
occur in an entire century. But this
much we can say: “here” is less
boundary than border. Indeed, in the
course of each of our lifetimes we
have moved from a world of
boundaries to a world of
borders. As the little girl
from The Piano in that
creepy MCI commercial
chants, the boundary
between “here” and “there”
is now virtually gone. We are
living in a world where any place
can become every place.
For Christians, the implications of
this shift are as exciting as they are
enormous. Boundary ministry/living is
different from border ministry/living in
transforming ways. In boundaries, life is
predictable, controllable, familiar and
well delineated. There are firm conceptual
bearings, and one becomes skilled
at using categories and concepts that
iron out all elements of contradiction,
discontinuity and irrationality from discussions
as well as from life.
In borders, life is ill-defined, unformulaic,
diffused and displaced. There is a sense
that the limits are endless while the
certainties are nonexistent. Borders
have a way of changing and twisting.
This is especially so of today’s borders,
which are like drawing a line in the
water with your finger. For a decade
now, the most ambitious scientific
project in the history of humanity, the
Human Genome Project, has been
scanning and mapping the human genetic
code, the grand total of the genetic
0
1
information contained in microscopic
strands of human DNA.
Genes are the organic, dynamic and
formal organizing elements of the cell,
and of the entire organism. Every living
cell carries the genetic blueprint of the
whole organism. The information
encoded in these bundled, twisted
ribbons of molecules is called
DNA.
We are all coded beings. Our bodies
are coded; our communities
are coded; our churches
are coded. We are genetically
encoded to think in certain
ways and do certain
things.
Timing
The TIMING Gene
In a postmodern world, timing
can be almost as important as
content. Jesus’ keen sense of timing
was one key to his ministry. His sense
of timing was superb not because he
focused on timing itself, but he focused
on the doing of ministry in the time in
which God had given him – and the
timing took care of itself.
The question facing the church at the
end of the 1990’s is the same one that
faced our ancestors in previous century
turnings – Will we claim this moment
for Christ Or will we let it pass
In the past, leaders were those who
could execute a task the fastest.
Tomorrow’s leaders are those who can
learn new things the fastest. We need to
be quick enough off our feet, and strong
enough on our feet, so that we can plunge
through the windows of opportunity
that literally pass by, windows that
God seldom outlines in neon lights.
(Continued on page 2)

(Continued from
Learning
page 1)
The FAST LEARNING/UNLEARN-
ING Gene
Fast Learning is a key to spiritual awakening.
It is time to stop talking about
education and start talking about learning.
Learning encompasses “anytime,
anywhere, anybody, anything.” In fact,
learning may be more central to a spiritual
awakening than worship. Wesley
stressed substantive teaching and
preaching over pandering to new members.
The early Wesleyans were more
concerned about how to send people
out rather than how to seduce them in.
If our churches were sending out educated
disciples, they wouldn’t have to
worry about bringing in new people to
worship. Instead of peopling buildings,
our genes tell us to be building people.
Instead of making programs, it is in our
genes to make disciples.
In one way, the learning gene shifts the
church’s focus from “church growth” to
“church health.” Herein lies our problem
– we have ceased being disciplemaking
churches.
We must free the church’s educational
system from the “lecture-drill-test”
methods of the factory model. Religious
learning systems must be based on new
academic paradigms that shift from
passive learning modes to active learning
modes, especially ones where students
learn habits of the mind and
habits of the soul at their own rate and
in their own areas of special interest.
In short, the changes in our learning
paradigm require new structures
and new core tools for the learning
gene–active learning, interactive learning,
mutual learning, team learning,
service learning, game learning,
leisure/vacation learning, adventure
learning, electronic learning, network
learning, group learning, distance
learning and cyberlearning systems and
programs.
One old/new model of serious theological
education the church needs to consider
is the “seminary” model. The word
“seminary” means literally “seed bed.”
If each congregation were to think of
itself as a “seminary,” a “seed bed for
faith,” and the ordained minister selfconsciously
became a “Dean,” a whole
new approach to the theological education
of baptized ministers would result.
The seminary model proposes the
unleashing and releasing of ministry
leadership among the baptized, showing
them how to live as Christians and how
to help others live as disciples of Christ.
The model features practical courses
for everyday problems as well as more
theoretical courses.
The CELL Gene
Cell
The human body is composed of little
blocks of protoplasm called cells. So is
the body of Christ.
What is a cell A cell connects the
spaces between people and the space
within people. In a world that separates
people from without and fragments
them from within, connections are at
the core of a healthy spirituality. Less
abstractly, a cell is an intentional
group of three to twelve people who
gather together on a weekly basis for
worship, outreach, discipleship, prayer,
pastoral care and evangelism. The cells
do all of the seven pillars of the church
of Acts: studying the Word, worship,
prayer, evangelism, edification, care
and mission. Never larger than fifteen,
they are to meet the needs of the
members as well as to disciple
believers. Most especially, they are
designed to train ministers and
prepare leaders for ministry, and
to teach the lesson of connectedness.
The celling out of the Christian church
is especially crucial in a world that has
“demassified” to a “niche-or-be-niched”
degree (Chuck Fromm) of market fragmentation.
In typical “both/and” postmodern
fashion, the more global the
world we live in, the more individualized
and customized any appeal must be.
Team
The TEAM Gene
Teamwork is part of the postmodern
“horizontal revolution” that is moving
the fulcrums of power from machinebased
to people-based, from pyramid
to pancake, from ladder to web. It is a
“revolution” the church should be leading,
not following, for we of faith are
many, we are legion. The deployment
of team culture in the core space from
which disciples of Jesus live and move
and have their being is one of the most
necessary recapitulations of the
0 2
Christian tradition that must be accomplished
in the postmodern era.
A team does not simply replace or
replicate what is already being done
under the name of “committees.” In
fact, team leadership requires very
different skills from hierarchical
leadership. Team leaders need informal
leadership masteries: the ability to
bring out others’ gifts, manage conflict,
communicate strongly and clearly, build
consensus, affirm diverse gifts. Team
members also need to embrace multiple
leadership roles that can only be
grasped by many hands and many
minds working together. In the star
model of team leadership, there are
key roles for an administrator (record
keeping), facilitator (processing meeting
itself and group identity builder), coach
(helping team members develop their
skills and capabilities and get training),
workload coordinator and external
liaison (group communications).
Jesus invested everything he had in a
team. The Bible knows nothing of solo
ministry, only team ministry. When one
reads the Bible from this standpoint of
teams, what one sees is amazing. The
Bible is the story of collaborations–
Moses and Aaron; Caleb and Joshua;
Esther and Mordecai; Ezra and
Nehemiah; Peter and John; Paul and
Timothy; Barnabus and Mark. Even the
Gospels themselves are presented to us
as a team – Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John.
The early church was dominated, not by
a single, unified thrust, but by a variety
of leadership models and competing
missions (such as Peter and James in
Jerusalem, Paul in various other centers)
that agreed on one thing: the centrality
of Jesus the Christ. The leadership in
the early church was a network of
teams.
Mobilization
The MINISTRY MOBILIZATION
Gene
Contrary to what many Christians
think, you don’t need a graduate theological
education to respond to a “call”
to ministry. The rite of “call” is baptism,
not ordination. Every member is commissioned
and installed by baptism to a
“general office” of ministry, educated
and equipped by those set apart for
(Continued on page 3)

(Continued from page 2)
the “special office” of ministry.
Southern Baptist megachurch pastor
Rick Warren is more Wesleyan than he
cares to admit when he tells his people
that the most important thing they may
ever do with their lives is join
Saddleback Church, choose a ministry,
and serve Christ by servicing others.
The fifth gene uses with great difficulty
the language of “lay” because this gene
works to rid the body of this terminology
of clergy and laity. Bodies of Christ
living out of their “lay” ministry genes
will work to abolish the laity. That is
one reason why the language of “volunteerism”
is such an abomination when
used in the context of the church.
Rotary recruits “volunteers.” Kiwanis
seeks “volunteers.” The church of Jesus
Christ deploys ministers. It is time to
banish the language of volunteer from
our vocabulary.
What then does an ordained minister
do First, it is the “post-Jethro” ministry
of the ordained to give up ministry: to
educate and empower the baptized to
offer their gifts to one another and the
world, to delegate and give away ministry
to others who then give away what they
have to others, and to connect ministers
to ministries, to connect passion to
projects. The multiplication of ministries
is the central leadership task of the
church. In the words of one consultant,
ordained leadership “is the development
of laypeople who can minister the grace
of God in its many forms and as a
result, create obedient disciples of
Jesus Christ who apply the truths of
the Bible to their everyday lives.”
Millennium III is rightfully being called
“the millennium of the laity.” In
Millennium II we learned to think big
and think simple. In Millennium III we
must learn to think small and think
complex. Like a computer with parallel
processors, instead of one CPU to do all
the work (the clergy person), the
church has multiple CPU’s (liberated
laity) not only to do the ministry, but to
think it.
The WIRED Gene
Wired
A church that does not come to grips
with technology is living in the deathgrip
of the past. God has a history of
speaking through new media forms,
beginning with the Christian church
itself. Jesus came on the scene during a
major technological shift: the transition
from an oral to a written culture. It was
difficult for some early Christians to
come to terms with having the Gospels
written down instead of circulated by
word of mouth. The technology of writing
violated the purity of word-of-mouth
transmission. Yet the Christians were
some of the first to claim this new technology
and use it.
Fifteen hundred years later, a segment
of the Christian community called
Protestants was also the first to use
another technology for the glory of
God – the printing press.
Today, we are being asked to do what
our ancestors did before us: bring the
church into a new technological world.
In a sense, of course, every generation
has to answer the same question:
How do we exploit technology without
letting it ensnare or enslave us
The issue here is more than building a
home page on the World Wide Web or
buying computers for offices. The issue
here is a communications revolution
that revolves around the culture of the
screen instead of the culture of the
book. In an electronic culture, any
place can become every place.
Technology redefines distance –
emotional, social and psychological
distance as well as economic distance.
Similarly, an electronic culture sounds
the death knell to issues of time.
Altars-gate
The ALTARS-GATE Gene
Prayer is the most powerful force in the
universe. But don’t believe me. The
results of scientific research into the
medical benefits of prayer are so overpowering
that
physicians who
don’t integrate
prayer into their
treatments appear
almost liable to
malpractice suits.
As of 1998, there
were eleven medical
schools in the
U.S. that offered
specific courses on
“prayer and healing” (I am afraid to
tally a comparison with divinity
schools).
0
3
An awakening does not happen by
itself; an awakening is awakened – by
vigilance, fasting and prayer. Everyone
is asking, “If the fields are ripe, what is
wrong with the harvest” What is wrong
is the absence of prayer.
Con.NEXT.ion
For further Reading:
Eleven Genetic Gateways to Spiritual
Awakening by Leonard Sweet
Abingdon Press
800.672.1789 (Cokesbury)
$13.95 (soft cover)
Additional Resources from Len Sweet
SpiritVentures Ministries (704.849.0256)
Quantum Spirituality: A Postmodern
Apologetic $15.95
FaithQuakes
$19.95 (hard cover)
$14.95 (soft cover)
A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe
$14.99 (hard cover)
www.leonardsweet.com
leonardsweet@drew.edu
Fan and CD painting:
Warner Sallman, Christ at Heart’s Door, 1942.
Anderson University. Copyright Warner Press.
“Jesus told us
what to do.
He never told
us how.”
Recently, the editors of NEXT had an
opportunity to dialogue with Len
Sweet about the difference between
change and transition and what it
means for the church to move into a
postmodern world.
NEXT: Say more
about the difference
between change and
transition in terms of
moving from one historical
age to another.
Sweet: Every age has
to do with change, and
certain ages have to do
with transitions. It was
a transition from the
apostolic to the ancient or patristic
world. It was a
(Continued on page 4)

(Continued from page 3)
transition for the church to move away
from those who had an immediate memory
of Jesus and the experience when He was
alive to a new way of being in the world
and talking about the gospel.
What is really comforting for me is to know
that God sent Jesus to incarnate who God is
during one of the most incredibly transitional
centuries.
NEXT: Any parallels between the first and
twenty-first centuries
Sweet: The transition we are going through
now is much more like the transition that
Jesus went through. That’s why understanding
the apostolic period is important. In
order to do ministry in the twenty-first century,
you’ve got to know how ministry was
done in the first century.
What is freeing is the awareness that Jesus
told us what to do. “Go unto the world and
make disciples.” But He never told us how.
That has to change for every age. You don’t
put new wine in old containers.
NEXT: What about skill sets needed to lead
in the twenty-first century
Sweet: You need almost the opposite set
of skills to do ministry in the modern world
versus ministry in the postmodern world. A
big one, for example, is control...the need to
be in control and in charge and on top of
things. The phrase “out of control” was
negative. Now, out of control is positive.
The key to doing ministry in a postmodern
world is, “Can you give up the ministry”
“Can you give it away”
NEXT: So where is the hope in
this transition
Sweet: God will be in this
future and the church will
get out of its safety zone
and into the world. Do
you remember the famous
picture of Jesus standing
in the garden knocking at
the door The modern world
portrayed it to be the door to
our hearts. That’s not it. The reference
is from Revelation 3:20 and there
Jesus is
talking to the church. He comes in to do
what To get us out, to join Him in ministry
in the world!
Christ at Heart’s Door
W arner Sallman
Church Champions Discuss Trends in Culture
Recently, the Church Champions Editor’s
Board met in the Dallas office of Leadership
Network (LN) to discuss current trends and
their applications for churches today. The
Editor’s Board works with LN’s Church
Interventionists Network to help plan
programs and publications for these
participants.
Here is a glimpse of some of the conversation
that took place on the issue of Cultural
Connectedness.
Bill Easum - Technology is a key issue here.
More and more churches are taking advantage
of the lower costs and using multimedia
within the worship and small group experiences.
We are moving away from talking
heads to a total team-based experience, and
I stress the word experience. Pastors in
these contexts don’t look at it as preaching
in the traditional sense. They instead lead in
creating experiences. Some critics may
call it entertainment, but if it is not entertaining,
it won’t educate. Entertainment is
replacing education.
Kevin Miller - We are seeing a return to
“sacredness.” People have to feel something
in the worship. It still has to have a sense of
mystery and transcendence.
Dan Reeves - The word “tribal” is a key
word. There are several tribes or schools of
thought that are reaching people and connecting
with them in their culture. Many of
those tribes are connected but some are
unconnected. There is a church in the midst
of New York City that is reaching people with
great effectiveness because it is perfectly
suited to that culture. Likewise, there are
several tribes within Southern California
that are using different styles, but all are
reaching people. The common denominator
is the mindset.
Dan Reiland - A church in
Atlanta has taken
the “integrated service”
model right into the
worship service. The
pastor believes no
segment should be
longer than eight
minutes; the format
basically
breaks the “preaching”
into three parts
with interrelated
drama and testimonies.
Using traditional language,
it would be preach, drama,
preach, testimony, preach, video and so
© WARNER PRESS
ANDERSON UNIVERSITY
on. It is all wrapped up in one continuous
flowing experience. I see this as the logical
direction that churches have been moving.
0 4
Dan Reeves - Confining spirituality to a time
and place is something that the church
struggles with. First, it’s not how scripture
looks at the issue. Second, it puts a lot of
pressure on churches for one hour on
Sunday, and third, it’s not how people think
today. Spirituality in today’s culture has nothing
to do with going to church.
Sue Mallory - It is important to move from
the pastor-centered models to collaborative
models that include larger teams. It is the
only way to stay connected to the church
and its constituency. Also, I think the church
is realizing that it cannot work on
its own under the assumption that one
congregation can do it all. It is very freeing
to intentionally work with other congregations
to release the Good News in a city.
(Sue Mallory is director of Leadership
Training Network of Leadership Network.)
Jim Herrington - This will be a dominant
theme throughout the next twenty years.
Many churches are collaborating at the city
level across denominational, church and
cultural lines. To be connected to today’s culture
will require this type of thinking
and action.
Mike Hoisington - A piece of this is multiple
congregational affiliations for church participants.
I see more and more of this. People go
to one church for a certain ministry and
another for a different ministry. This is very
difficult for some church leaders to handle
conceptually.
Don Zimmer - While the world is increasingly
global, strong localization is also at work.
They are tied to a local community and
people’s worship needs require a church to
have three, four or more worship styles to
reach a community.
Kevin Miller - One concern I have is that
increasingly a lot of people think emotionally.
For example, if a movie moves you emotionally,
the subject matter is irrelevant. I think
this is part of the reason we see dissonance
between the public and private lives of
leaders . It’s not just in one age group or
another; people of all ages are saying that
what a leader does in private is irrelevant
to their public life.
(Continued on page 8)

Ministry on the New Edge
Over the past five decades the American church has sought to do ministry in a way
that connects with American culture. Because culture is never static, there is a need
for the church to re-evaluate its approaches to ministry. Those who have figured out how
to do church most effectively in today’s world may have to make changes to do
ministry in the world of tomorrow. Some of what has made ministry effective in the
past, may be a liability in the future.
Trajectory of the
American Church
Trajectory of the
Emerging Culture
Regional Recap
For tapes and transcripts from Regional Forums, visit “The Young
Leader mall” on our website.
Individualization
(separate seats, private devotional times,
target-market ministry, talent-focused
involvement)
Removal of Mystery and
Transcendence
(down-playing symbols, communion and baptism,
explanation of prayer, sermons that
relate to today, “self-help movement”)
Desire for Community
(coffee shops, town squares, internet)
Pursuit of the Mystical
(focus on angels, UFO’s, “The X-Files,”
New Age, holistic health)
Waco Regional Conference
held in March
“It is basic to have a distinction between
change and transition. In the two
thousand year history of the Christian
church, every leader has had to deal
with change. You are among the few who
have had to deal with transition.”
- Len Sweet
Transformation through
Knowledge
(printed materials, specialized
Bibles, small group instruction, education)
Transformation through Experience
(thrill-seeking, volunteerism, talk
shows, validation of people’s story)
In light of these differing trajectories, the church will have to answer many difficult
questions in the coming years. The National Re-Evaluation forum is designed to
help
re•evaluation: considering the church, gospel,
and culture in the postmodern transition
A forum for doing ministry
October 12 - 15, 1998
Glorieta, New Mexico
www.youngleader.org
Pre-forum Conversations
Pre-forum conversations will be available in the
"On-Going" section of youngleader.org.
Community vs Individualism
Tuesday, June 9, 2PM (CST)
Wednesday, June 10, 9PM (CST)
The Mystical and Rational
Wednesday, July 15, 2PM and 9PM (CST)
For information:
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Life Transformation Through Experience,
Not Just Knowledge
Monday, August 3, 3PM (CST)
Tuesday, August 4, 8PM (CST)
Team Leadership After the Age of the
Dominant Pastor
Tuesday, September 1, 3PM and 7PM (CST)
0
5
Seattle Regional Conference
held in April
“To say that our way of putting the
gospel is shaped by our culture and by
the culture of those who passed it on to
us is not to disparage that sense of the
gospel or to say that it is ‘incorrect.’ We
need to recognize how true it is that
our ‘gospel’ is shaped by our culture’s
way of reading it.”
- George Hunsberger
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Information, resources, people
c o n n e c t i o n s ,
registration for our events,
www.youngleader.org

Forums
1998 Large Church
*Small Groups
June 3-6
*Worship Leaders
August 24-27
Singles Pastors
September 15-17
*Business Administrators
October 19-22
Family Ministries
November 10-12
*Childrens Ministry
November 16-19
*Pastoral Care
December 8-11
* Four-day forums - $295
Three-day forums - $225
Daily Schedule 3 Day Forums
time day 1 day 2 day 3
“After 25 years of attending Childrens Ministry conferences
across the country, I have now stopped doing this ‘circuit’
and limit myself to one main event - Leadership Network’s
Childrens Ministry forum. It’s the greatest in-depth opportunity
to interface on cutting edge issues that affect childrens
ministry in large congregations. This forum is the highlight
of my year for strategic planning. I wouldn’t miss it.”
- Bonnie Aldrich, Childrens Pastor
Pulpit Rock Church, Colorado Springs, CO
PLEASE NOTE
Forum attendance is by invitation only. Groups within each
forum are limited to 25 people and one participant per
church. Participants are senior ministers and other ministerial
management staff of large churches (1,000+ adults in
weekend attendance) who have at least one year of ministry
experience in their current position. All forums are held at
Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. If
you would like to receive an invitation or recommend someone
to be invited to a forum, please contact Leadership
Network at 800.765.5323 or fax 214.969.9392.
Daily Schedule 4 Day Forums
time day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4
7:30
Breakfast
Breakfast
7:30
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion
noon
1:00
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch
Conclusion &
Adjournment
noon
1:00
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch
Conclusion &
Adjournment
3:00
Forum Begins
3:00
4:00
6:00
7:00
9:00
Set Agenda
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Church Interventionists Network Schedule
Peer Learning Forums
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
June 3-5, 1998 Small Groups Consultants
Forum in Colorado Springs. For those who
consult with churches in the area of Small
Groups Ministry. $249
August 26-28, 1998 Women’s Ministry
Consultants Forum in Atlanta, Georgia.
For those who consult with churches in
the area of Women’s Ministry. $249
November 2-4, 1998 Denominational
Workers/General Consultants Forum in
Colorado Springs. For those general church
consultants who work with multiple
churches. $249
4:00
6:00
7:00
9:00
November 2-4, 1998 Teaching Church
Leaders Forum in Colorado Springs. For
those leaders in Teaching Churches that
regularly mentor other churches through
formal programs such as conferences, workshops
and strategic change relationships.
$249
Forum attendance is by invitation only.
These forums are held at Glen Eyrie
Conference Center in Colorado Springs
unless otherwise specified.
For further information on forums and
workshops, and to register, contact
Linda Stanley at Leadership Network,
800.765.5323.
0 6
Dinner/
Forum
Begins
Set Agenda/
Discussion
Dessert
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
Workshops
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dessert
August 5-7, 1998 Leadership Network
Forum Process Training for Leadership
Development. Lake Lanier Resort near
Atlanta. For those who desire to use
Leadership Network's principles for building
peer learning forums for leaders. $495
January 10-12, 1999 The Gathering Of
Champions: Networking and New Tools
for Church Interventionists. Dallas, Texas.
May 17-18, 1999 The Diffusion of
Innovations with Dr. Everett Rogers: A
Workshop for Church Interventionists.
Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Recommends
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Empowering Congregations and Congregational Champions
Managing People Is Like
Herding Cats
Warren Bennis
Executive Excellence Publishing, 1997
(800.304.9782)
$24.95
Warren Bennis knows leadership.
A compilation of his articles on
leadership previously published
in Executive Excellence, this is a
valuable volume for any leader in
both the profit and non-profit
worlds. Organized around three core
sections, “The Leadership Crisis,”
“What Makes A Leader” and
“Leading Change,” there is wisdom
in each of the thirty chapters.
Re-Thinking the Future:
Re-Thinking Principles,
Competition, Control and
Complexity, Leadership,
Markets, and the World
Rowan Gibson, editor
Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 1997
$25.00
A collection of interviews and
original contributions from worldclass
consultants and thoughtleaders
(Peter Senge, Gary Hamel,
Charles Handy, Kevin Kelly, Philip
Kotler and Stephen Covey, among
others), this book re-examines
business, economics and society in
terms of discontinuous change. It is
a good “headlight” on key shifts
ahead in the 21st century.
George Bullard, executive editor 803.765.0030, ext. 8100
or BullardJournal@compuserve.com
$18.00/year (12 issues)
Targeted at denominational leaders, church consultants and others
who work directly with local congregations, this monthly publication
contains useful and insightful information for church leaders.
Generating Hope, A Strategy
for Reaching the Postmodern
Generation
Jimmy Long
InterVarsity Press, 1997 (800.843.4587)
$14.99
Distinguished by its attempt to discuss
ministry to Gen Xers in the context of
the larger issue of postmodernism, this
is a very good resource for anyone working
with young adults and succeeding generations.
Long’s adaptation of Niebuhr’s
classic model found in Christ and Culture
and the theological reflections on community,
shame and hope are of special interest.
Missional Church, A Vision for the
Sending of the Church in North America
Darrell L. Guder, editor
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998
(800.253.7521)
$26.00
The second book in The Gospel and Our Culture
series, this volume is based on the belief that the
real issues in the current crisis of the Christian
church in North America are not methodological,
but spiritual and theological. Chapters on context,
leadership and community plus a very good
bibliography make this a valuable book for 21st
century church leaders.
Leadership Catalyst (888.249.0700)
www.leadershipcatalyst.org
$89.95 includes 16 sessions plus workbook;
individual cassettes, $10; workbook only, $19.95
Leadership Catalyst, committed to the intentional process
of developing character in leaders, has produced a tape series.
Topics include “Declaring Strengths; Submitting to Strengths,”
“Maturing in Christ,” and “Blameless Hearts: Influence &
Authority.”
Creative Church Conference, C3
Fellowship of Las Colinas, Irving, TX (972.304.8300)
June 4-6, 1998
$140.00 first registrant, $125.00 additional registrants
www.folc.org
This conference is aimed at pastors and church leaders who
want to learn how to help a local church become more creative.
Breakout sessions will include Spiritual Development, Music
and Media, Childrens Ministry, Student Ministry, Singles Ministry
and Facilities Management.
0
7

(Continued from page 4)
Kevin Martin - I agree. If we are looking for
evidence that North America is post-
Christian, read the headlines. Character
does not seem to matter for our society. One
of the implications for this is that the
“Father Knows Best” ministry is over. People
are telling us that the pastor has less knowledge
than they do, even in spiritual matters.
Kevin Miller - For some people, the question
is ‘Can the church meet my needs and heal
my afflictions’ If the answer is not ‘yes,’ they
are out of there. This is not just the task of a
sermon or Bible study. It takes a community
or a small group to meet needs and heal
afflictions. However, the culture is so individualistic
it makes it hard to convince those in
need that it works this way.
Bill Hoyt - The foundation of this whole issue
of cultural connectedness is the understanding
that we run on two rails. One rail is
engagement. We really struggle with that. We
know in our heads that there is a disconnect
between what goes on inside our local congregation
and what is happening in a community.
That’s the first struggle.
The other issue is transformation, both life
transformation and community transformation.
People become engaged but then we
have to deliver on the transformation side.
We have to have both.
Participants in this conversation:
Bill Easum is Senior Consultant for 21st
Century Strategies. His latest book is
Growing Spiritual Redwoods.
Jim Herrington is Executive Director of the
Union Baptist Association (SBC).
Mike Hoisington is the President of the
Master’s Design Group.
Bill Hoyt is Executive Minister for the
Southwest Baptist Conference (BGC).
Sue Mallory is Director of the Leadership
Training Network.
Kevin Martin is Canon for Congregational
Development of the Episcopal Diocese of
Texas.
Kevin Miller is Vice President of Editorial
Development for Christianity Today and
Editor of Leadership.
Dan Reeves is President of Pacific
Consultation and Mediation Services. He
is also the current president of American
Society of Church Growth.
Dan Reiland is Vice President for Leadership
and Church Development for InJoy, Inc. His
latest book is Shoulder to Shoulder.
Don Zimmer is Director, Dimensions in
Leadership for Wellspring, Inc.
Other Editor’s Board members include: Russ
Bredholt, George Bullard, Steve Macchia,
Jim Mellado and John Schoedel.
NetFax Subscription
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Canada $58.00 U.S.
Schuh Joins LN
as Large Church Leaders
Network Manager
Warren Schuh joined
Leadership Network as
manager of the Large
Church Leaders Network
(LCN) on April 20. He
brings to this new position
over 25 years of experience
in pastoral ministry, most
recently as Executive
Pastor of Mission Hills
Church in Littleton, Colorado.
“This new role offers me the opportunity to use
the giftedness God has given me in strategic
thinking and analysis in a larger context, and to
continue to help the local church in the United
States become what it is supposed to be. My
first priority is to look at what we can do for
LN’s long-term and advanced participants.
Many have enjoyed the forums but are asking,
‘What’s next’ ‘How can I be stretched as an
experienced leader by other experienced leaders’
For the next several months, I’ll be contacting
LN’s most frequent customers to seek
their help in designing a new series of
advanced and enhanced forums and services,”
explained Schuh, a 1977 graduate of Gordon-
Conwell Theological Seminary.
He continues to reside in Littleton with his wife
Connie. They have three children, two in high
school and one in college.
Since the LCN office is based in Littleton and
Leadership Network is in Dallas, Schuh’s secret
ambition to “drive an 18 wheeler cross country
at least once” might be fulfilled!
Schuh replaces Brad Smith in this role.
Brad will continue to be involved as the
Director of Church Networks which includes
the Large Church Network, Leadership
Training Network (Sue Mallory and Greg
Ligon), The Young Leaders Network (Doug
Pagitt) and other church networks currently
in the planning stages.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
INFORMATION ASSISTANT
PUBLISHER
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEBSITE
YOUNG LEADERS WEBSITE
INTERVENTIONIST WEBSITE
Carol S. Childress
Colleen Townsley Hager
Vicky Perrenot
Leadership Network
Charlla L. Feller-Davis
www.leadnet.org
youngleader.org
churchchamp.org
NEXT is a free publication of Leadership Network and is published six times a year.
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE MATERIAL IN NEXT may be obtained by calling, faxing or writing Leadership Network.
Phone: 800.765.5323 inside the U.S., or 214.969.5950 outside the U.S. FAX: 214.969.9392
NEXT is printed on 50% recycled paper with 30% post-consumer waste using 100% soy-based inks.
0 8

The young woman spoke convincingly from
her heart. “When I walked through the door,
I knew this was a different kind of church.”
She went on to describe her faith journey, one
that eventually led her to a personal relationship
with Christ and a new life as a growing
disciple. The church of which she is a
member is a 21st century church, one that
takes seriously the building of authentic community.
It is a church that recognizes people
are at different stages of faith development
which is why it has in place a process that
facilitates growth and maturity at each stage.
It is a church that offers multiple points of
entry and service and focuses on people, not
programs. It is a church where community
is fostered through groups for the purpose
of caring, learning, support, ministry
and accountability. Finally, it is a church
where the congregation believes it is on a
holy adventure with God to discover where He
is active and join Him in His work, both locally
and globally. Would these characteristics
describe your congregation
Authentic Community 1
Authentic Community:
A Hallmark of 21st Century
Churches
Crabb Q & A 3
A Conversation with Larry Crabb
Leadership Tool 4
The Timothy Series
Young Leaders 5
Forums 6
Interventionists 6
LN Recommends 7
1999 Conferences 8
V O L U M E 4 , N U M B E R 4 J U L Y • A U G U S T , 1 9 9 8
FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Authentic Community:
A Hallmark of 21st Century Churches
Twenty-first century churches share
several common characteristics.
They have effective leadership, and
they seek to understand and proactively
engage the culture. They equip
and deploy the laity, and they collaborate
with others to advance the Kingdom of
God. These churches are also serious
about building authentic community within
the congregation. It is visible throughout
the life of the church and reflected in
the congregation’s approach for helping
people mature in their faith. It is not built
through programs, but focuses on peoples’
needs and opportunities.
“People can walk into the church and
sense something different. They feel the
presence of God. They experience the
vitality and spiritual dynamic present.
Even visitors recognize it,” explains Carol
Childress of Leadership Network.
A key element in building authentic community
is providing an intentional
process through which people grow in
their spiritual maturity. This process
takes on a very different shape and feel,
based on the nature and context of each
congregation.
At Chapel Hill Bible Church in North
Carolina, three very different small
groups exist for this purpose—the entrylevel
Bible study group, which includes
time for fellowship and prayer; the
lifestage group, led by elders, which
matches peer groups based on their
lifestages; and finally, the Timothy Series,
their most intentional group (see page 4).
The uniqueness of this process is that it
helps people get to whatever level of
growth is best for them. “We want to
work with people who have not been
challenged or stretched,” explained pastor
for leadership and ministry, Randy
Russell.
0
Jeff Jones, pastor of leadership development
at Fellowship Bible Church North
(FBCN) in Plano, Texas, a Dallas suburb,
defined the heart of FBCN as the
“Minichurches,” small groups of 12 to 80
members, designed to be church-inminiature,
and primarily led by married
couples in homes. Meeting every other
week, group members edify and encourage
each other, creating a fully functioning
community. Minichurches are divided
into care groups, which often meet separately
and provide fertile ground for cultivating
future Minichurch leaders.
Not all 21st century churches subscribe
to creating such an overtly intentional
process for building community. Paul
Kaak, pastor of global extension
of New Song Church in West
Covina, California,
explained, “Our congregation,
made up of primarily Gen Xers,
doesn’t like it when things appear
canned. As church leaders, we do have
something in mind, but we don’t widely
publish it. For us, the crux of authenticity
is in Christ-centered cell groups of eight
to twelve. We try to help our groups see
the difference between settling for a
cruise ship mentality versus functioning
like a battleship. On a cruise
ship we expect others to
meet our needs while we
sit back. On a battleship
we are on a
mission... and we do
the mission together.
Everyone has a place
and a role, but we
can’t do it alone —
we need each
other.” He continued,
“We call them ‘ExCell Groups’ which
provides a picture of movement, growth
and expansion. We are moving toward a
1
(Continued on page 2)

cell church model because we are convinced
that community is so important.
For Xers especially, group life is more
important than the big church event.
People get connected and disciples are
made in groups committed to witnessing,
spiritual formation and leadership
development.”
At New Song, the larger worship service
is primarily, but not solely, for believers.
It is not a front door for non-believers.
For non-believers, the front door is relationship
first,
and group life
We have been learning second.
about the unfamiliar Relationships
spiritual and mystical are fostered
outside the
side of our faith, along church walls.
with the more familiar Believers share
rational side. We are life with nonbelievers,
experiencing a deeper introduce
intimacy with God. them to others
in their
Christian community,
and may then invite their seeking
friends to join them in a Growth Group
(sub-groups of the cell). Here, with 3 to 4
others (Christians and non-Christians),
discussions center around living life and
reading the Bible. It’s kept very simple.
Words like “accountability” are replaced
with the concept of a “character
conversation.”
Well-trained leaders are crucial to the
success of groups and community building.
Some 21st century churches recruit
and develop leaders from the bottom up,
empowering leaders to multiply themselves.
“We facilitate a very decentralized
process for choosing and developing leaders
by empowering and equipping each
leader to mentor emerging ones,” said
Jones. “We bring these men and women
into an Emerging Leaders group where
we equip and encourage each new leader
to rise to the next challenge. We try to
customize the training experience to the
needs of each leader.” New Song raises up
leaders through cell groups where people
start off in apprentice leadership positions.
Small group leaders, not the paid
staff, prepare apprentices using a reproductive
“just-in-time, on-the-job” training
strategy.
For most 21st century churches, participation
in community-building groups is
0 2
not dependent upon formal membership
with the congregation. Often churches
require membership for key leadership
positions, such as deacons and elders.
But as Russell pointed out, “We are looking
for people who possess giftedness and
spiritual maturity, regardless of membership.
We feel that ultimately, membership
will come. We just make them a member
de facto, based on experience.”
Measuring the effectiveness and success
of the group can be fairly simple. At
Chapel Hill, Russell explained, leaders
get together quarterly to see if they are
on target. In the lifestage groups there is
minimal supervisory oversight, but leaders
meet on a semester basis with
Russell. At the conclusion of the Timothy
Series, an evaluation tool is completed by
all participants. New Song leaders take a
more informal approach. They can tell
when groups are working by whether the
“one anothers” happen. “We are forever
pointing to the Biblical term— edification,”
Kaak said. “Was everyone involved
in building up one another in the group
Did we love, encourage, challenge, bless
and pray for one another” Success within
both of these approaches is measured
by some common denominators: people
are coming, leaders are being equipped,
groups are growing— hopefully with non-
Christians and new Christians, as well as
people connected with each other by
faith.
Opportunities which enhance members’
prayer lives help many 21st century
churches nurture authentic community.
Chapel Hill Bible developed a special service
called “Be Still and Know,” which
provides a quiet, contemplative setting
around the Lord’s table, for intentional
prayer sessions led by elders and deacons.
Individual prayer stations, complete
with tables, chairs and table lamps, are
set up in the sanctuary, where reflective
music is played. “It is intentionally openended
and is a wonderful time of healing,”
said Russell.
For Gen Xers at New Song, there are
classes on prayer and teams that pray. In
addition, an enlightened awareness of the
grace of God has led to increased emphasis
on the spiritual disciplines. Kaak
explained, “We have been learning about
the unfamiliar spiritual and mystical side
of our faith, along with the more familiar
rational side. We are experiencing a deeper
intimacy with God; individually, in
groups and corporately. We have been in
a transition this past year, moving from a
church that focuses on skills for doing
life, to being a church where we are discovering
and enjoying being with God.
Some new realities for us are ‘abiding in
Christ,’ ‘spending time in solitude’ and
the ‘life of prayer.’ As you can imagine,
this has a huge impact on group life! Our
Xers are learning to integrate the spiritual
dimension into their groups and
beyond.”
Authentic community, of all the characteristics
of 21st century churches, is perhaps
the hardest to describe because it is
a by-product, an outflow of the health and
vitality of the congregation. It cannot
stand alone but flows out of who the people
and leaders are, the sense of mission
and what they are trying to accomplish,
and their walk with God. There is no
quick formula for building authentic community.
There is no “owner’s manual.”
For congregations truly intent on building
authentic community, the final destination
is clear; it is just important to design
a travel plan, chart a unique route and
identify the mode of transportation best
suited for the church. ◆
Jeff Jones
pastor of leadership development
Fellowship Bible Church
Plano, TX
1700 Gateway
Richardson, TX 75080
phone ............972.783.8800
fax .................972.783.8841
e-mail ............jljones@fbcnorth.org
website ..........www.fbcnorth.org
size of weekend worship: 3,500
Paul Kaak
pastor of global extension
New Song Church
West Covina, CA
358 E. Bonita Avenue
San Dimas, CA 91773
phone ............909.622.8113
fax .................909.622.6484
e-mail ............gok2ak@aol.com
website ..........www.newsongchurch.net
size of weekend worship: 850
Randy Russell
pastor for leadership and ministry
Chapel Hill Bible Church
Chapel Hill, NC
1200 Mason Farm Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
phone ............919.968.4754
fax .................919.918.4059
e-mail ............rnrussell@aol.com
website ..........www.biblechurch.org
size of weekend worship: 1,200

A
with
LARRY CRABB, JR.
NEXT: How do you build authentic
community within
the church
Crabb: First of
all, you have to make
it your agenda. There
is nothing tougher
than building true
community. If you set
your sights on anything
less, you will
settle for some type
of superficial community.
Building true
community is not a
five-step program.
You cannot pursue
the usual goals of
church structure—a
certain size group, a certain set of programs,
new facilities—and expect connection
to simply happen.
NEXT:So, with that understanding,
what are the key issues in building
authentic community
Crabb: I believe there are two. The
first is safety. Can people trust what is
really happening in them to others Do
we deeply care for each other because we
know Christ is for us Churches are not
typically safe places. We need to provide
safety for every honest pursuit of God and
be dangerously unsafe for all pretense
and rebellion. An example...a woman told
me that when she was 12 she came home
from school and announced to her dad
that she got a part in a school play. Her
father’s immediate response was, “How
did you do on your math test” He completely
discounted her, did not hear her.
These types of experiences made her feel
unsafe because when she shared something
that meant a lot to her, he did not
care. She was making known something
within her that reflected a legitimate
hunger. It should have been affirmed. We
need to make a real study of three kinds
of relationships: (1) the kinds of relationships
that diminish a person, (2) the
kinds of relationships that heal and
release the person God made us to be,
and (3) the kinds of relationships that
don’t do much of anything. Unfortunately,
the latter is too common in our churches.
Intentionality is such a key to the whole
thing. It must be our agenda or else our
relationships will be the third kind. When
someone does have the courage to say
something, we often fail to see what the
Spirit wants to nourish and what He
wants us to resist.
NEXT:What is the
other issue
Crabb: If safety is
the first issue, intentionality
is the second.
Leadership needs to
know how to lead. Do we
realize how terrified people
really are People
want to be deeply heard,
not diminished. That
includes facing what is
truly ugly and bad in
someone. We don’t want
to hear spiritual platitudes.
Small group leaders
and pastoral staff need to build
community that connects. Think hard
about what kinds of relationships do damage,
cause pain and increase the terror,
and what kinds relieve the terror, release
the work God is doing in them and honor
the person God wants them to be.
Most of us don’t pay close attention to
how we impact others. Questions to consider
are: ‘Do I make the same (or similar)
impact Christ would make’, ‘If we
want to build a healing community, what
needs to be healed’ The biggest obstacle
to building healthy community is a profound
sense of inadequacy. We don’t know
what to do when someone shares something
meaningful, so we back away and
encourage only shallow communication.
NEXT:Once you recognize these two
issues, how do you move to the next step
Crabb: I have a simple model I call
‘Enter, See and Touch’. If we are to build
authenticity in groups, we must be able
to enter each others’ lives.
Next, we need to know what we are looking
for, what we can see in another’s soul.
We need to be able to recognize two key
elements in ourselves and others: (1)
people are incredibly thirsty for some
kind of relational contact that gives them
a legitimate sense of belonging, and (2)
people protect themselves in all sorts of
0 23
ways from being seen. We fear scorn,
rejection, criticism. As a result, we lack
the courage to open up and be healed. We
long for the relationships that our defensive
maneuverings sabotage.
Once you enter someone’s story and have
the courage to say, “I want to know you, I
have time to hear your story” and, as we
see more clearly both the hunger for love
and the fear that it doesn’t exist, then we
must know what it means to touch someone,
to dispense grace. We need to communicate
what is deeply stirring in us
that represents the reality of Christ, and
simply give it. When I’m walking in fellowship
with Christ, as my faith is burnished
through suffering, as practicing
spiritual disciplines enables me to hear
the voice of God’s Spirit, then something
is alive within me, that when given, can
make a difference. The key to community
is to be real in the presence of grace, to
own what’s painful and ugly in the confidence
that God has placed something
better in all His children. ◆
Con.NEXT.ion
Dr. Larry Crabb, Jr.
A Distinguished Scholar in Residence at
Colorado Christian University, Dr. Crabb
is recognized nationally for his books
and seminars designed to strengthen
Christians in their personal walk and
relationships. Dr. Crabb has authored 14
books and numerous articles. He is affiliated
with Foothills Bible Church in
Littleton, Colorado where he occasionally
teaches and preaches.
phone 303.730.7172
fax 303.730.7270
e-mail 103034.257@compuserve.com
website www.larrycrabb-ibc.com
Recommended READINGS from
Larry Crabb:
Inside Out
NavPress
To order, call 800.366.7788
$12.00 (softback)
1988 (Revised 10th anniversary edition)
Connecting
Word
To order, call 800.251.4000
$19.99 (hardback)
1997

Tool
A
LEADERSHIP
S E R I E S
Developing Disciples, Servants & Leaders
The Timothy Series is one way North
Carolina’s Chapel Hill Bible Church
identifies potential leaders.
The series, designed for men and women
seeking to grow in their faith, includes
eight to twelve courses covering four
tracks (Gospel, Early Discipleship,
Serving and Leading). Some include prepackaged
courses (Experiencing God,
The Jesus I Never Knew), as well as customized
ones on mentoring and the
essentials of theology. Through a series of
classes, discussions, self-study, life experiences,
and supervision by a mentor, participants
are given many ways to grow
their understanding of the Christian life.
The core courses are offered over a twoyear
period. Entry into the series is flexible
and coursework may be completed at
an individual’s pace. Courses meet for six
sessions, each one and a half hours long.
Childcare is provided for children under
age 11, as well as supervised learning
opportunities for older children. Each
course costs $20 and that includes learning
materials, childcare and other youth
activities. ◆
Con.NEXT.ion
To learn more about
the Timothy Series, contact:
Randy Russell
Chapel Hill Bible Church
1200 Mason Farm Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
phone 919.968.4754
fax 919.918.4059
e-mail rnrussell@aol.com
website www.biblechurch.org
Rhythm&Pews
Congregation Adopts Five Worship Styles
or members of Fellowship Alliance
Chapel, believing that something won-
can emerge from a difficult situ-
Fderful
ation is not hard for them to accept.
Ten years after senior pastor Marty
Berglund started the congregation out of
his home, Fellowship Alliance had a
thriving weekend worship attendance of
over 800, which has now grown to 1,500.
Berglund was pleased with how God was
working through this suburban New
Jersey congregation.
What Berglund did not count on was the
sudden diagnosis in 1992 of Epstein-Barr,
a viral infection, which caused him to
take a nine-month leave of absence from
the pulpit. “During that time different
people filled the pulpit and we scrambled
to put worship plans together,” Berglund
explained. “We always wanted to have
worship teams, and had prayed for God’s
guidance in that area. My illness caused
this very thing to happen!”
As word circulated among the congregation
about the need for worship teams,
talented people stepped up to participate.
“We have a lot of gifted people here,
and they wanted to be involved. As one
team started, another would follow.
Pretty soon we had five teams,” said
Berglund.
Based on the interests and gifts of the
members, each team reflected a different
style of music. A traditional choir led the
congregation in singing, as well as providing
musical accompaniment by the piano,
keyboard and base. A second team
brought a more contemporary feel to worship,
with six singers and a contemporary
band. Another team brought bold orchestral-style
music, with a strong brass section,
and engaged the congregation in a
variety of music, from traditional hymns
and choruses to more contemporary
tunes. The fourth team featured folk-style
music with three accompanying vocalists.
Finally, a fifth team, also contemporary,
led worship with both new and traditional
hymns.
All of this flourishing talent and energy
did not emerge easily, or without debate.
Church members were concerned that so
0
4
many different styles — especially the
contemporary ones — would cause them
to be “unfamiliar” with their Sunday
morning worship. “Some members wanted
separate worship services, based on
the ‘flavors of music.’ I did not like that
because it divides up the Body,”
remarked Berglund. “My wife came up
with the best analogy. Imagine, when a
mother has prepared hamburger for dinner,
members of the family express their
desire for an alternate menu —spaghetti
or salad. The father would explain that
the meal was prepared for them and that
tonight they are going to enjoy it together
because they are a family. The next night
they can have another menu, and share it
together. One of the beautiful things that
has emerged from this is that people who
have been prone to be traditional have
grown with the contemporary worship
and vice versa.”
Now, each quarter, four of the five worship
teams are on duty, each committed
to leading worship once a month. The
fifth team has the quarter off. “Because
each team has a whole month to plan for
their Sunday, the quality of the worship is
higher,” said associate pastor Glenn
Kantner.
What emerged out of a difficult time of
need, has helped Fellowship Alliance
strengthen their sense of community. “I
truly believe that genuine, authentic community
is driven by people’s needs and
opportunities. What happened here only
confirms that belief, and we are more
faithful disciples because of it,” concluded
Kantner. ◆
Con.NEXT.ion
To learn more:
Fellowship Alliance Chapel
199 Church Road
Medford NJ 08055
phone 609.953.7333
fax 609.953.7465
Marty Berglund
senior pastor
e-mail marty@fellowshipalliance.org
Glenn Kantner
associate pastor
e-mail glennk@fellowshipalliance.org

The challenge for young
church leaders today is
to prepare themselves
to lead a church that
does not yet exist.
The following are the thoughts of Andrew Jones, a church planter who works among
America’s “Cultural Creatives” in San Francisco and most recently in Austin, Texas.
Andrew can be reached at cyberrev@hotmail.com.
Is it just my imagination or does the worship
service change every time I look around Here
are some observations I’ve made about the way
they have morphed from the churches of my
childhood to what I see today.
Courtroom A black-robed orator delivers
the sermon from an ornate pulpit elevated
heavenward. Neck problems. Stained glass.
Gothic pipe organ stimulates loud singing.
The laity are inspired.
Classroom The pulpit degenerates into
a simple note holding stand for a geekilydressed
teacher. Sunday school rooms appear.
Song leading by the man with the waving arm
prepares hearers of the lesson. The students
take notes.
Concert The platform turned into a stage
the size of a runway. Drum and guitar stands
appear. Professional musicians entertain. A
communicator commands attention with a
well-crafted message. The spectators are
impressed.
Comedy Show Cushy seats and
scripted program. Moving stories from real
people. The speaker uses Letterman voice. An
emcee ties the production together. The audience
checks the “had a good time” box.
What will the church of the future look
like Here are a few of my thoughts.
Coffee Shop Couches replace pews.
Coffee cups sit next to Bibles on small tables.
A single guitarist leads from his stool in the
corner as others beat drums and join the
vibes from around the room. After the poet
Andrew Jones
My Phather’s House
completes the open mike set, the storyteller
ignites spiritual discussion over a common
meal. The participants are interacting.
Club Multiple environments. There is more
floor space than seating. Bands create an
interactive mystical experience in the main
room. Smaller spaces allow DJs to spin, book
readings, creative artwork, wrestling with
ancient mysteries and prayer. Late nights
rule. The elect are dancing.
Party Music gives background texture for the
fun atmosphere of a child’s birthday party.
Games unite the partygoers. A new follower of
Jesus is plunged into the host’s swimming
pool. A journey circle leader shares the discovery
of his spiritual community. A family’s
story of answered prayer creates spontaneous
singing. The children of God are celebrating.
What a way to finish off the century, and it doesn’t
start with a “C”.
0 5
RE•EVALUATION FORUM:
considering the church,
gospel, and culture in the
postmodern transition
A forum for doing ministry
October 12 - 15, 1998
Glorieta, New Mexico
www.youngleader.org
For information:
800.765.5323
PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE:
The best practitioners in church
planting, youth ministry, worship, young
adult ministry, church leadership, etc…
PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
Many of the participants plus, Rodney
Clapp, Stanley Grenz, Christine Sine,
Tom Sine, Sally Morgenthaller, Tom Wolf,
George Hunsberger, Jimmy Long,
Len Sweet and others.
JOURNEYS INCLUDE:
Worship, prayer, arts festival, Christian
Rave, Film Festival, fasting and more.
Pre-forum Conversations
Pre-forum conversations will be available in
the “On-Going” section of youngleader.org.
Life Transformation Through Experience,
Not Just Knowledge
Monday, August 3, 3PM (CST)
Tuesday, August 4, 8PM (CST)
Team Leadership After the Age of the
Dominant Pastor
Tuesday, September 1, 3PM and 7PM (CST)
Check out our website!
Information, resources, people connections,
registration for our events,
interaction and more!

Forums
1998 Large Church
*Worship Leaders
August 24-27
Singles Pastors
September 15-17
*Business Administrators
October 19-22
Family Ministries
November 10-12
*Childrens Ministry
November 16-19
*Pastoral Care
December 8-11
* Three-day forums – $225
Four-day forums – $295
Daily Schedule 3 Day Forums
time day 1 day 2 day 3
“The professionals who are both the planners and the doers
always offer the best ideas and give the best counsel for
effective ministry designs. Leadership Network’s forums
provide this strategic arena. The time I spend in dialog
with those facing the same issues is a tremendous encouragement
and wonderful learning experience.”
Dr. Richard R. Wynn, President
Emerging Young Leaders
PLEASE NOTE
Forum attendance is by invitation only. Groups within each
forum are limited to 25 people each and one participant per
church. Participants are senior ministers and other ministerial
management staff of large churches (1,000+ adults in
weekend attendance) who have at least one year of ministry
experience in their current position. All forums are held at
Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. If
you would like to receive an invitation or recommend someone
to be invited to a forum, please contact Leadership
Network at 800.765.5323 or fax 214.969.9392.
Daily Schedule 4 Day Forums
time day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4
7:30
Breakfast
Breakfast
7:30
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
8:30
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion
noon
1:00
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch
Conclusion &
Adjournment
noon
1:00
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch
Free Time
Lunch
Conclusion &
Adjournment
3:00
Forum Begins
3:00
4:00
6:00
Set Agenda
Dinner
Discussion
Dinner
4:00
6:00
Dinner/
Forum Begins
Discussion
Dinner
Discussion
Dinner
7:00
Discussion
Discussion
7:00
Set Agenda/
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion
9:00
Dessert
Dessert
9:00
Dessert
Dessert
Dessert
Church Interventionists Network Schedule
August 26-28,1998 Womens Ministry
Consultants Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. For
those who consult with churches in the
area of Womens Ministry. $249.
November 2-4, 1998 Denominational
Leaders/General Consultants Forum in
Colorado Springs, Colorado. For those general
church consultants who work with
multiple churches. $249
November 2-4, 1998 Teaching Church
Leaders Forum in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. For leaders in Teaching Churches
that regularly mentor other churches
through formal programs such as conferences,
workshops and strategic change
relationships. $249.
All forums are by invitation. To inquire
about receiving an invitation call Linda
Stanley at 800.765.5323.
Workshops
August 3-5, 1998 Leadership Network
Forum Process Training for Leadership
Development at Lake Lanier Resort near
Atlanta, Georgia. For those who desire to
use Leadership Network’s principles for
building peer learning forums for leaders.
$495.
0 26
January 10-12, 1999 The Gathering Of
Church Champions: Networking and New
Tools to Serve the Emerging Church at the
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dallas, Texas. A mix of
plenary and workshop sessions. Registration
opens August 3. Limited space available.
Cost is $175 before November 1. $225 thereafter.
Call 888.LEADNET to register.
May 17-18, 1999 The Diffusion of
Innovation with Dr. Everett Rogers: A
Workshop for Church Interventionists in
Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Call 888.LEADNET to register.

Recommends
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
The Church Consultant, The Collected
Works of Lyle Schaller on CD-ROM
by Lyle Schaller. Cokesbury, 1998, $124.95.
To order, call 800.672.1789
This is a “must have” resource for 21st
century church leaders. The collected
wisdom of Schaller’s 46 books, 300
editions of The Parish Paper,
7 video clips and 500 Friar Tuck
cartoons are contained in this
recently released CD-ROM. The
material is searchable by topic
and easily accessible using
query templates.
Life@Work Journal
The Life@Work Co.
12 issues/ $49.95.
To subscribe, call
800.739.7863
Written to address issues at the intersection
of faith and work, this new publication
has targeted business leaders
who have a hunger for linking their
faith and their work. Designed as an
interactive publication, this journal fills
a void in the market for leaders who
want to combine biblical wisdom with
business excellence.
Virtual Faith, The Irreverent
Spiritual Quest of Generation X
by Tom Beaudoin. Jossey-Bass Publishers,
1998; $22. To order, call 800.956.7739 or
check their web site, www.jbp.com
Much more than a thoughtful
exposition of popular culture and a
generation’s search for meaning,
Virtual Faith examines four
themes associated with Xers—
institutions, personal experience,
suffering and ambiguity—within
the context of a theological framework
that emerges from the
irreverence of the generation.
The Learning Congregation
by Thomas R. Hawkins. Westminister John
Knox Press, 1997, $14.00. To order, call
800.227.2872 or check their
website, www.wjk.org
“Learning equips the church to
remain the same while forever
changing,” writes Hawkins in this
concise and useful handbook on the
connections between the church,
learning, systems and organizing for
ministry in today’s fast-paced world.
www.media.mit.edu
The website of the famed MIT Media Lab,
this is a place to stay current with advances
in technological thinking that are re-shaping
our world. Be sure to check out the
“Noteworthy” section.
RNS Religion Week
Religion News Service, $199/yr (52 issues).
To subscribe, call 800.767.6781 or check their
website at www.religionnews.com
This weekly service is a quick digest of
news, trends and transitions from the
worlds of media, philanthropy and publishing
that have implications for religion.
Phone numbers and websites are included
in most cases for follow-up. It can be
delivered via fax or e-mail and comes with
a money-back guarantee.
Church Building and
Remodeling Handbook
by Paul Spite. AFD Consulting, $29.95. To order,
call 219.269.5233 or e-mail AFD@kconline.com
No church building committee should be
without a copy of this handbook. It is the
single most comprehensive resource we
have seen on church construction, renovation
or expansion. It even has a chapter
on “When Not To Build,” and the sample
forms and contracts make it an invaluable
tool for church leaders.
www.astd.org
The American Society for Training and
Development’s site is an excellent place to check
out trends and resources related to training,
learning and people development. While some
areas are restricted to ASTD members, you can
explore the research area and read selections
from their monthly magazine.
0 7

1999
SPONSOR CONFERENCE/SPEAKER DATE LOCATION FOR MORE INFO
Conferences
1999 LEADERSHIP
Bill Easum National Conference October 5–6 TBA phone 512.749.5364
21st Century Strategies
e-mail easum@easum.com
website www.easum.com
George Barna Inward, Outward, Upward: Over 40 seminars will be offered in
phone 805.658.8885
Barna Research Group Ministry That Transforms Lives cities throughout the United States.
website www.barna.org
For a complete listing and schedule,
please contact Barna Research Group
Changing Church Forum Leadership at the Crossroads May 10–15 Burnsville, MN phone 800.874.2044
e-mail changing@changingchurch.org
website www.changingchurch.org
Christian Stewardship Association Fall Conference September 30– Dallas, TX phone 800.475.1976 ext. 25
October 3 414.483.1945 ext. 25
e-mail scott@stewardship.org
website www.stewardship.org
Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church 1999 Change Conference April 31–May 1 Tipp City, OH phone 937.667.1069
website www.ginghamsburg.org
Saddleback Valley Community Church How to Build a May 10–14 Lake Forest, CA phone 800.651.7331
Purpose-Driven Church
website www.cssb.com
Virginia Mission Board Leading on the Cutting Edge January 28–30 Richmond, VA phone 804.672.2100 ext. 215
in the 21st Century
website www.vbrc21c.org
Vision New England Congress ‘99, Proclaiming Hope: February 4–6 Boston, MA phone 781.229.1990 ext. 311
On Christ the Solid Rock
e-mail info@vision4ne.org
We Stand
website www.vision4ne.org
Willow Creek Association Student Conference/Promise Land January 17–19/20–22 South Barrington, IL phone 847.765.0070
Small Group Conference May 17–19 website www.willowcreek.org
Church Leadership Conference May 20–22
Arts Conference June 9–11
Pre-Leadership Summit Workshop August 2–4
Leadership Summit August 5–7
CAN YOU
WHAT
THE
CHURCH
OF THE
21 ST
CENTURY
WILL BE
LIKE
WE BELIEVE that the differences God has in store will
astound us! The greatest impact of this emerging church will be
on its leaders. Leadership Network’s aim is to connect 21 st century
church leaders with one another and also to the best ideas,
tools and resources.
NetFax and Access are two publications that will change the
way you look at things. NetFax plugs you into the
networks of ideas and emerging perspectives
derived from our research of innovative churches,
culture, business and related disciplines.
Access keeps you current with the best books,
internet sites, conferences, audio/video-tapes, consultants
and services on the critical issues churches
will face in the 21 st century.
By becoming a subscriber to NetFax now for $48.00 a year
(Canada –$58 U.S.), you’ll also begin receiving our new monthly
publication, Access, free of charge. Both will be delivered by fax
or e-mail. NetFax will come every two weeks (26 issues) and
Access will come monthly (12 issues).
Please call us at 1.888.LEADNET to subscribe.
Enclosed is a sample of
NetFax (issue #100).
Please share it with
your staff, church
leaders and peers.
from LEADERSHIP NETWORK
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
INFORMATION ASSISTANT
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEBSITE
YOUNG LEADERS WEBSITE
INTERVENTIONIST WEBSITE
Carol S. Childress
Colleen Townsley Hager
Vicky Perrenot
Sabra C. Inzer
www.leadnet.org
www.youngleader.org
www.churchchamp.org
NEXT is a free publication of Leadership Network and is published six times a year.
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE MATERIAL IN NEXT may be obtained by calling, faxing or writing Leadership Network.
Phone: 800.765.5323 inside the U.S., or 214.969.5950 outside the U.S. FAX: 214.969.9392
0
8

From coast to coast, something is happening
as 21st century churches and leaders are
joining together to transform lives and communities,
to learn from each other and
explore new ways of cooperation on behalf of
the Kingdom. It takes various forms…city
reaching, prayer summits, peer learning networks,
new affinities, local/global connections,
and new alliances and partnerships
between congregations as well as non-profits
and others. At the heart of it is collaboration
from a Kingdom perspective that transcends
the traditional boundaries of denomination,
culture and geography. As a 21st century
leader, how engaged are you in Kingdom collaboration
V O L U M E 4 , N U M B E R 5 S E P T E M B E R • O C T O B E R , 1 9 9 8
FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
THE UNITING THREAD IS FAITH
Kingdom Collaboration 1
The uniting thread is faith
City Reaching 2
Mission Houston
15 Critical Principles 3
The local church in partnership
A Time for Everything 4
Leadership Network: Part II
Our 1999 Season 4
Young Leaders 5
Forums 6
Church Champions 6
LN Recommends 7
THE ERA OF
working alone in
Kingdom ministry has
come and gone.
Collaboration with others,
especially across denominational and
cultural lines, is surfacing more and more
among 21st century churches and their
leaders. It begins with a way of looking at
the role of the church and seeing beyond
mere geographical, denominational and
cultural boundaries. It is a movement
about like-minded Christians and congregations
who share the same kind of vision
and values of being disciples and joining
together to do God’s work. It is lived out
in many different ways—helping construct
a Habitat for Humanity house with
congregations from other parts of the
city, organizing neighborhood renewal
workdays with both public and private
groups, and partnering with congregations
from other denominations, cultural
traditions and neighborhoods.
Kingdom collaboration
can take two paths: single
churches taking the
initiative to impact their
city, or groups of churches,
other non-profits and
organizations partnering
together to target a
region. The underlying
focus, within both strategies,
is to claim the
entire city for God.
One of the most successful
single-congregation collaborations is
the Little Rock-based “Common Cause”
ministry of Fellowship Bible Church
0
1
(FBC). Their mission statement speaks
volumes about their commitment to service:
“To equip Christians to change the
world through irresistible lifestyles and
influential works of service.” After completing
a three-year equipping process,
which leads to involvement in the
Common Cause ministry, members’ gifts
are matched with opportunities of service.
Groups—renewed annually and
formed primarily around lifestyle and personal
mission—foster fellowship, spiritual
development and community service.
Each group partners with a local organization
or “cause.” This fall, over 700
adults will serve in 60 Common Cause
groups. Last year, over 1500 FBC members
participated in the all-day “Helping
Hands” neighborhood renewal, working
side-by-side with homeowners from five
inner-city neighborhoods. “It was tremendous
to witness the interplay of exchange
between the homeowners and church
members,” explained Bob Hightower,
neighborhood services
coordinator for the City of
Little Rock. “They talked
with each other, exchanged
ideas, and got to know
each other. The value of
that was powerful. You just
can’t buy that!”
Similar stories, born out of
individual congregations,
are found in many
American cities. Peachtree
Road United Methodist
Church in Atlanta sends
out over a thousand members to serve in
60 community groups. “This one-day
annual event plants seeds,” explained
(Continued on page 2)

associate pastor Kelly Barge. “Members
frequently come back ready for a more indepth,
year-round commitment, leading
to involvement in our outreach commission
or one of our other city-wide, ecumenical
ministries.
Local churches, partnering with community
groups, government agencies,
denominational bodies and businesses,
are making an impact across the country.
“Collaboration is not new,” stated Jim
Herrington, executive director of Union
Baptist Association in Houston. “Many
cities have been doing partial city and
whole city tactics for years. The problem
is that when the tactic is completed, the
church has no sense of how the tactic has
contributed to completing the task of
reaching the city. A strategic plan for the
whole city is the missing dynamic in most
cities.”
Based in Virginia, Operation
Breakthrough (OBT), serves as a catalyst
and resource for sixty independent and
mainline congregations that have made
long-term commitments to adopt a service
project in a low-income community.
Successes are not
uncommon within OBT
churches, as local businesses
and agencies
pitch in to assist. “A lot
of churches don’t have
experience working outside
of their setting,”
explained Gary Ham,
executive director. “We
bring the churches and the projects
together, and these churches deliver!
Gary Ham
People are getting off welfare. Homes are
being restored. Families are becoming
whole.”
Care Fresno, a creation of Fresno police
officer Vicki Dellone, has made a bottomline
impact. Working in 30 neighborhoods,
370 volunteers (from a local
church networking group), have been
credited with influencing the 60% reduction
in neighborhood crime, the increase
in school attendance, and student academic
success. “The benefits of partnering
law enforcement agencies with faithbased
groups are immense. We can bring
stability to a troubled neighborhood, but
we cannot provide long-term, individual
spiritual growth required for lasting
change. The church is uniquely equipped
to fulfill that role,” expressed Vicki.
“Twenty-first century churches will need
to make a profound paradigm shift from
‘inside-out’ thinking to ‘outside-in’ thinking,
from simple ‘church growth’ to
‘church multiplication’,” explained Jim
Montgomery of Dawn Ministries. “We will
have to change our frame of reference
from just increasing the size of our own
little turf and begin making plans for the
discipling of whole cities, counties, states,
regions and, ultimately, the whole nation.
This will call for the whole Body of Christ,
in these geographical entities, uniting in
the vision of filling them with growing
cells of believers capable of impacting
their whole environments.” ◆
City Reaching: Strategic mobilization of the Body of
Christ as it preaches and demonstrates God’s transforming
presence into every aspect of city life.
NEXT recently interviewed Jim Herrington,
executive director of Union Baptist
Association (UBA) in Houston, Texas, which
is an association of 500 Southern Baptist Churches,
to learn about the city reaching collaboration,
Mission Houston.
NEXT: How did Mission Houston get started
JIM: In the fall of 1995, DAWN Ministries (Disciple A
Whole Nation) hosted a seminar in Houston in which presenters
described three key principles that emerged from
urban settings around the world where significant and
sustained growth had occurred in the church.
NEXT: What were those three principles
JIM: They said it took the whole body, mobilized
strategically around a common vision to reach the whole
city, and it had to be an on-going process. Out of that conference,
five leaders emerged. We all said, ‘God is in this.
We believe He wants us to serve as a catalyst to call the
v2 0
church to this vision.’ For ten months, the five of us met
to pray together for the city. In February 1996, we decided
that we needed extended time (a retreat) to hear God’s
voice more clearly.
NEXT: What happened at the retreat
JIM: Two things emerged. We had a shared sense that
the next step was to call pastors of the city together for a
prayer summit. We also sensed that we were
not to be the ones to call the summit
together. Instead, we invited 61 key Houston
pastors and their spouses for an overnight
retreat. Forty-one of them responded, and
when they gathered, two powerful things
happened during our worship time. At one
point during our prayers, a Hispanic, charismatic
pastor—and those are important
descriptors—was praying. In the middle of
his prayer, the tone of his voice changed. It
sounded like he quit talking to God and started talking to
us. We all looked up at him as he turned and spoke directly
to the pastor of one of Houston’s largest churches.
‘Brother, I need to confess that I have said bad things
about you and your doctrine. I confess before God and
these brothers and sisters tonight.’ It was just like the
room went electric! Immediately, the intensity of the praying
changed, people became more real, more authentic in
their praying.
As we were singing our benediction, a key pastor came to
the front of the room. With tears running down his face,
he said, ‘My life has been shaped by racism. I need to be
healed.’ Several of us gathered around him to pray.
Another pastor reached over to the table, got a glass of
water and a cloth napkin, and knelt in front of him. After
removing his shoes and socks, he washed his feet.
Jim Herrington
(Continued on page 3)

NEXT: What a powerful image of reconciliation.
JIM: If you had asked me before that night whether
this collaborative effort was ever going to be realized, I
would have said: ‘I want it to. I believe it needs to. I
believe God is calling me to give my life to that, but there
are a lot of obstacles to overcome.’ By the time the night
was over, it was clear that there was a large group of pastors
who had captured a taste of what it could be like if a
unified church would work together to reach the city.
PARTIAL
CITY
City Reaching Paradigm
STRATEGIC
TACTICAL
WHOLE
CITY
NEXT: You had a citywide prayer summit following
this one. What was the response and what did you learn
from it
JIM: We had 172 pastoral leaders, one of the largest
gatherings of pastors ever in our city. There was no
preaching; nobody had anything to sell. We just said,
‘We’re going to pray and ask God to unify us, to give us
vision for the city, and help us know the next step.’ People
from nine different denominations and 11 different
nationalities participated. We learned that if we were
going to bring the whole church together to develop a
shared strategy for a city, we must have leaders with
Critical Principles
The Local Church in Partnership
enough relational influence that
the church would come together
under their leadership. One of
the hardest things about these
collaborative efforts is identifying
that leadership team,
because you don’t have any formal
process for doing it; that’s
why we’ve been so very careful
to pray and wait for God to
make the way plain.
NEXT: What do you hope to
achieve through Mission
Houston
JIM: Ultimately, we expect
leaders of the whole church to convene
for a 3– 4 day Congress. In this
Congress, the church, working from a
comprehensive map of the city, will
develop a strategic plan designed to
complete the Great Commission in the
greater Houston area. We will outline
specific ministry needs. Before the end
of the Congress, denominational, interdenominational
and multi-cultural
groups will commit to tackling these
needs together.
NEXT: Then what
JIM: Following the Congress,
(Continued on page 8)
“ Collaboration is not new. Many
cities have been doing partial city
and whole city tactics for many
years—Billy Graham crusades,
Jesus video distribution, etc. The
problem is that when the tactic is
completed the church has no
sense of how the tactic has contributed
to completing the task of
reaching the city. A strategic plan
for the whole city is the missing
dynamic in most cities.”
— Jim Herrington
Whether churches seek partnerships
with other congregations or
Christian organizations in order to
serve local or global communities, success
is often elusive. Interdev’s twelve
years of field experience of building lasting,
successful ministry partnerships have
revealed certain common themes. These
principles are critical to the success of
building a ministry partnership.
Effective partnerships are built on
1 trust, openness and mutual
concern.
Lasting partnerships need a facilitator
or coordinator.
2
Successful partnerships develop in
3 order to accomplish a specific
vision or task.
Effective partnerships have limited,
achievable objectives in the
4
beginning.
Effective partnerships start by
5 identifying needs among the people
being reached or served.
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Effective partnerships have a
partnership “champion” inside
every partner church or other
ministry.
Partnerships are a process, not an
event.
Effective partnerships are even
more challenging to maintain
than to start.
Effective partnerships are made up
of partners with clear identities and
vision.
Effective partnerships acknowledge,
even celebrate, the
differences.
Effective partnerships serve at least
four constituencies—people they
are trying to reach, partner churches/ministries,
partner funding constituencies,
and the partnership
itself.
Effective partnerships have a
high sense of participation and
ownership.
0
3
13
Effective partnerships see prayer
and communion as uniquely powerful
elements.
Effective partnerships do not
14
come free.
Effective partnerships expect problems
and pro-actively deal with
15
them. © Interdev 1998
Check out our website at www.leadnet.org
for an in-depth article outlining these 15
critical principles. ◆
Con.NEXT.ion
For more information about Partnership
development or training contact:
Interdev
P.O. Box 3883
Seattle, WA 98124
phone 425.775.8330
fax 425.775.8326
e-mail interdev-us@xc.org

A Time for Everything
There is a time for
everything, a season
for every activity
under heaven.
Leadership Network is entering a
new season—one filled with exciting
new initiatives, networks and opportunities
to better service our growing customer
demands.
On August 1, Brad Smith began serving as
executive director of Leadership Network
(LN), filling the position Mark Sweeney
held during the past year. During his
Brad Smith
tenure, Mark led the 14-year-old organization’s
successful transition from Tyler to
Dallas in July 1997, and developed a staff
and enlarged operations that are now
able to respond to rapidly expanding customer
demands.
“Because of these successes under Mark’s
leadership,” stated Bob Buford, “Brad will
be able to focus more fully on new priorities—developing
Leadership Network’s
board of directors, serving our existing
select group of customers with enhanced
services, and adding new networks. Board
members are excited and confident about
the future of Leadership Network, Brad’s
significant abilities, and this really
unique and gifted team.”
“Several years ago, we had found so many
new headwaters of innovation in church
leadership, both inside and outside the
large church movement, that our networks
had grown beyond our capacity to
support them adequately, “explained
Brad. “We also had more and more people
wanting to learn what was being discussed
inside our “by invitation only”
events. We’ve had to develop ways to
share that knowledge without taking
away from our core calling—to help
innovators and ‘best practice’ church
leaders learn from each other.”
Some years before joining the Leadership
Network team, Brad, 39, spent four years
in Washington working for US Senate
Majority Leader Howard Baker and other
congressional leaders, focusing on foreign
relations, agriculture and communications.
In addition, he developed leadership and
spiritual formation programs at Dallas
Theological Seminary, and later planted
Kessler Community Church in Dallas.
During his five years with LN, Brad has
helped develop large church, lay mobilization
and young leader networks.
“I’m excited to be a part of a strong team
that is passionate about the Church and
her leaders, and so committed to finding
and highlighting God’s movements within
the Church. We will continue to ask our
founding question, ‘How can we be useful
to you,’ in all that we do. It is also imperative
that our focus remain on identifying,
connecting, resourcing and
communicating with innovative church
leaders.” ◆
From the beginning, Leadership
Network has set out to find the best
innovators in church leadership and
provide a place for them to learn
from each other. Perhaps our best
skill is knowing how to get out of the
way so peer learning will happen.
0
4
Large Church Network
Large in the church world does not mean
slow. Large churches are often the first to create
the new innovations. In particular, this year
we’re noticing that leaders in this network are
abandoning the old CEO models of large
church and building organic forms that capitalize
on the advantages of large, even more than
ever before. Senior pastors are exploring new
roles as the spiritual directors responsible for
creating healthy growth environments. Staff
leaders are finding more decentralized ways to
empower people to use their gifts and callings.
It’s the beginning of another time of transition
for the large church, which opens up even
more need for peer-learning among change
leaders. We are excited about adding new
enhanced forums for advanced church leaders
who are ready for more challenging peer-learning
approaches. Warren Schuh and Nancy Kiser
Church Champions Network
Serving Consultants/Catalysts to Congregations
By networking innovative consultants, denominational
leaders and teaching church leaders,
we accelerate their learning and the diffusion
of ideas to the broader church. We are expanding
our workshop base which provides specific
tools to help Church Champions, and adding
new peer networking forums for specific consultant
groups.
Dave Travis and Linda Stanley
Young Leader Network
Our networks are all about connecting the best
doers and thinkers in ministry—both regionally
and nationally—who are discovering the organic
nature of the church of the future. They are
struggling to be biblically grounded as they pioneer
culturally relevant ministries in places that
seem to be influencing the rest of American
and Canadian culture. We also hope to share
what they learn so that other church leaders
will be proactive rather than reactive in dealing
with cultural change. Doug Pagitt and Molly Smallen
Information Network
Believing that “information has no value unless
it is shared”, we will expand the distribution of
NEXT, NetFax and Access, and continue to connect
customers with information and models of
innovation, both within the Church and culture.
Carol Childress, Colleen Hager, Vicky Perrenot and Sabra Inzer
Leadership Training Network (LTN)
While no-agenda forums have been the primary
way Leadership Network has created peer
learning environments, LTN has used interactive
training events as the means for their peer
learning. We continually explore “best practice”
churches in the area of lay mobilization or giftbased
team ministry and create a framework
of common principles found in these churches.
In addition, we assist teams in implementation
through exposure to tools, assessments and
skill building.
Sue Mallory, Greg Ligon and Carolyn Cochran

The question
for churches doing
ministry on the New Edge
In addition to the two questions that many churches ask, “What
do/should we do” (program) and, “Why do/should we do it” (purpose),
the Church is needing to ask another question in order to be
effective in the coming world.
The question is “Who are we”
The Gospel and Our Culture Network articulates the
widely-held belief that in the changing world, the Church will need
to be Missional in order to be effective. www.GOCN.org
The following is an adaptation of two chapters from their book, The
Church Between Gospel and Culture, that highlights some of the
characteristics of “missional” churches and the role of the pastor in
these New Edge churches.
The Church in America is often portrayed by the following images.
Traditional Model
The Church is a place where religious
things happen—worship, preaching,
sacraments.
Pastor/Leader’s role is in the church and
they represent the church.
Congregation serves the
church and helps
with doing what
the church does.
The world comes
to the church for
what the
church has to
offer.
Contemporary Model
The Church is a supplier of religious
goods and services.
Pastor/Leaders
serve the people
by providing for
them what they
need.
The Congregation and
the world uses the
resources of the church
to survive in the world.
Missional Model
The Church is a Body of people who are
fulfilling the Kingdom Mission of impacting
and changing the world.
The role of the pastor/leader changes
from serving the congregation or providing
services to being an Apostle, Poet and
Prophet.
Definitions for the new role of the pastor
The role of the pastor in missional communities
will include these three
Apostle
responsibilities:
APOSTLE
◆Leads the congregation as witnesses in
lands where old maps no longer work.
◆ Demonstrates how to encounter with the
culture.
◆ Rather than recruiting new members, the
apostle holds up the Gospel to challenge the
congregation to be apostolic.
◆ Helps the congregation recognize that it is
on the margin of culture and is called to penetrate
and change the culture, not simply be
a resource for the culture.
0
5
Poet
POET
CONSIDERING THE CHURCH,
GOSPEL, AND CULTURE IN THE
POST-MODERN TRANSITION
OCTOBER 12-15, 1998
INFORMATION AT
WWW.YOUNGLEADER.ORG
▲Articulates the congregation’s experience in
culture, identifying and expressing the soul
of the people.
▲ Serves as listener and observer, sensing
the experience of the Body and giving that
experience a voice.
▲ Knows that the congregation and culture cry
for something more than self-development or
techniques of success; they are crying to be
connected to a Word that calls them beyond
themselves.
▲ Begins the process of calling out an alternative
vision for God’s people, so that the congregation
hears their story as God’s pilgrim
people.
Prophet
PROPHET
▼Addresses the Word of God directly to the
specific, concrete, historical experience of
the people of God.
▼ Provides hope for the community through
Biblical witness that it exists for the life of
the world.
▼ Calls forth a different story for God’s people,
a people who are out on a mission journey
that calls them far beyond themselves…
The National Re-Evaluation forum will
provide a place for the discussion of what
these concepts mean for those seeking to
be the Church in communities of the
post-1960 generations.
www.youngleader.org
Molly Smallen: molly@youngleader.org
Doug Pagitt: doug@youngleader.org

1998 & 1999
Large Church
* Business Administrators
October 19-22, 1998
998 * Pastoral Care
Family Ministries
November 10-12, 1998
* Childrens Ministry
November 16-19, 1998
December 8-11, 1998
Mission Pastors
January 27-29, 1999
1999
Senior Ministers
Executive Pastors
February 11-13, 1999
Pastors Spouses
May 18-20, 1999
May 18-20, 1999
Three-day forums $225
* Four-day forums $295
Forums
“I have finally found a room full of kindred souls
who share my struggles and my joys.”
Steph Martens
Worship Leader
Elmbrook Church
Brookfield, WI
“I’m grateful for the vision of LN to provide this
vehicle. It is a gift to the church and healing to my
spirit to have been here for the week.”
Dave Bullock
Worship Leader
Grace Chapel
Lexington, MA
PLEASE NOTE
Forum attendance is by invitation only. Groups within each
forum are limited to 25 people each and one participant per
church. Participants are senior ministers and other ministerial
management staff of large churches (1,000+ adults in
weekend attendance) who have at least one year of ministry
experience in their current position. All forums are held at
Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. If
you would like to receive an invitation or recommend someone
to be invited to a forum, please contact Leadership
Network at 800.765.5323 or fax 214.969.9392.
GATHERING OF CHURCH CHAMPIONS
INNOVATIVE TOOLS AND NEW NETWORKS TO SERVE THE EMERGING CHURCH
What’s happening
In building the Church
Champions Network over the
last three years, we’ve found
some common themes reflecting the new attitude
and actions of men and women who are
resourcing the emerging, effective churches
across North America. They are more concerned
with helping local congregations than
building their own institutions, and usually
serve as church consultants, denominational
leaders and teaching church program leaders
in large churches.
So...
We wanted to have a big event to expose a
broader group to the best thinking and practices
going on out in the field so they can gain
the insights and acquire the tools they will
need in the next decade.
What’s the format
It will be a mix of plenary sessions, small
intensive workshops and sub-network gatherings
with an impressive lineup of presenters.
Drop a few names for me.
It’s a mix of long-time leaders as well as
emerging leaders. Leith Anderson, Lyle
Schaller, Bill Easum, Kevin Miller, George
Bullard, Dave Stark and Dan Reeves, as well
as some strong practitioners that have highly
effective ministries within their own contexts,
will hang out with us. In addition, we will have
presentations by some of the LN staff. Topics
will range from specific helps for churches—
such as innovative small group practices and
coaching wounded congregations—to large
issues such as cultural trends and reaching
postmodern generations.
Where and when
The where is Dallas. The when is January 10-
12. We begin at 5:00 p.m. on the 10th and
close at noon on the 12th. Plan on a lot of
activity within a very short time.
Registration before November 1 is $175; afterwards,
it will be $225. Space is limited and
once we fill up, we will close the event. Word
got out about this forum even before we set up
the program and a good-sized group has
already registered. We hope you’ll decide to
come hang out with us in Dallas! Contact us
soon at 888.LEADNET (532-3638). ◆
ChurchChampions Network Schedule
Forums
November 2-4, 1998 Denominational
Leaders/General Consultants Forum in
Colorado Springs, Colorado. For those general
church consultants who work with
multiple churches. $249
November 2-4, 1998 Teaching Church
Leaders Forum in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. For leaders in Teaching Churches
that regularly mentor other churches
through formal programs such as conferences,
workshops and strategic change
relationships. $249.
All forums are by invitation. To
inquire about receiving an invitation
call 800.765.5323.
Workshops
March 17-18, 1999 Lay Mobilization
Consulting Workshop at the Arlington
0 26
Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Texas. Cost is
$395 and includes registration, lunch and
workshop fees; a reception will be held on
March 21.
May 17-18, 1999 The Diffusion of
Innovation with Dr. Everett Rogers: A
Workshop for Church Interventionists in
Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Call 800.765.5323 to register.

Recommends
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Out on the Edge, A Wake-up
Call for Church Leaders on the
Edge of the Media Reformation
by Mike Slaughter, Abingdon Press
1998, $16.75.
To order, call 800.672.1789
In keeping with their profile as a
pioneering 21st century church, this
latest offering from Mike Slaughter
and the leadership team at
Ginghamsburg UMC is both a book
and a CD-ROM (either PC or Mac)
that presents their contextual
understanding and practice of
ministry in today’s world.
The Christian
Stewardship Association
3195 S. Superior Street, Suite 303
Milwaukee, WI 53207
414.483.1945 (phone), 414.483.4844 (fax)
www.stewardship.org
Through education, research,
resources and networking, CSA seeks
to equip Christian leaders concerning
biblical stewardship. Their website
has excellent stewardship resources
and a full schedule of their
conferences and materials.
www.infoplease.com
If you need a quick resource for
research and illustrations, this
site is like an online almanac and
is easily searchable. Information
categories include the world, USA,
living, sports, people, society,
entertainment, business, and
science and technology.
Wisdom to Action: Ideas and
Practices that Transform
Organizations
November 8-10, Los Angeles, CA
The Drucker Foundation
For more information, call 212.224.1174
www.pfdf.org
This national conference will
address issues such as change
management, organizational
assessment and community partnerships.
Speakers will include
Warren Bennis, Jim Collins,
Esther Dyson and others in
addition to Peter Drucker.
0 7
www.zondervan.com/newslink.htm
This is a wonderful website with links
to religious journalists, newspapers
with religion sections and organizations,
and it’s a great way to track the
coverage of religious trends and
events.
Blur
The Speed of Change in the
Connected Economy
by Stan Davis and Christopher Meyer
Harper-Collins, 1998; $25.00. To order,
call 800.242.7737
www.blursight.com
Speed, connectivity and intangibles
equal blur in the new world
in which we live and work. The
BLUR economy is explained in
terms of demand, fulfillment
and resources in the book’s first
half; the second half includes
specific ways that BLUR will
impact your and your enterprise.
While written from a business
perspective, the material has
implications for nonprofits and
congregations.
faithworks
10 issues/$19.95. To subscribe, call
888.715.9403
A new “lifestyle magazine” for
Christians, faithworks explores
issues of faith in the context of the
21st century and how a relationship
to God shapes our response to reallife
issues. Regular features will
include articles from the perspective
of cross culture, faith and family,
interfaith, and faith and style.

(Continued from page 3)
groups will implement plans. As results
are achieved, progress will be reported to
the Mission Houston leadership team.
About every three years we will come
back together to reassess, make new
plans and move back out to implement
the plans. It is a new paradigm, because
if we get to Congress and get the church
working from a common, on-going strategic
plan, then what we have is the church
working collaboratively from now until
the day Jesus comes. ◆
VISIT THE
ONLINE COMMUNITIES
OF LEADERSHIP NETWORK
J IM H ERRINGTON
Executive Director / Union Baptist Association
Jim will speak on city reaching at our Gathering of
Champions forum, January 10-12, 1999. Call
1.888.LEADNET (532.3638) for more information.
www.leadnet.org
www.youngleader.org
Con.NEXT.ion
Jim Herrington
Union Baptist Association
2060 N. Loop West, Suite 100
Houston, TX 77108
phone 713.957.2000
e-mail jimuba@flash.net
www.churchchamp.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
CAN YOU
WHAT
THE
CHURCH
OF THE
21 ST
CENTURY
WILL BE
LIKE
WE BELIEVE that the differences God has in store
will astound us! The greatest impact of this emerging
church will be on its leaders. Leadership Network’s
aim is to connect 21 st century church leaders with
one another and also to the best ideas, tools and
resources.
NetFax and Access are two publications
that will change the way you look
at things. NetFax plugs you into the networks
of ideas and emerging perspectives
derived from our research of
innovative churches, culture, business and
related disciplines. Access keeps you current
with the best books, internet sites, conferences,
audio/video-tapes, consultants and services on the
critical issues churches will face in the 21 st century.
By becoming a subscriber to NetFax now for
$48.00 a year (Canada –$58 U.S.), you’ll also
begin receiving our new monthly publication,
Access, free of charge. Both will be
delivered by fax or e-mail. NetFax will
come every two weeks (26 issues) and
Access will come monthly (12
issues).
Please call us at 1.888.LEADNET
to subscribe.
from LEADERSHIP NETWORK
EXECUTIVE
MANAGING
EDITOR
EDITOR
Carol S. Childress
Colleen Townsley Hager
INFORMATION
ASSISTANT
Vicky Perrenot
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEBSITE
YOUNG LEADERS WEBSITE
Sabra C. Inzer
www.leadnet.org
www.youngleader.org
INTERVENTIONIST
WEBSITE
www.churchchamp.org
INFORMATION CENTER WEBSITE
www.leadnetinfo.org
NEXT is a free publication of Leadership Network and is published six times a year.
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE MATERIAL IN NEXT may be obtained by calling, faxing or writing Leadership Network.
Phone: 800.765.5323 inside the U.S., or 214.969.5950 outside the U.S. FAX: 214.969.9392
0
8

From our beginning, Leadership Network,
and in turn our “customers,” have been the
beneficiaries of the wisdom and counsel of
Peter Drucker. Recognized as a world-wide
thought leader and the “father of modern
management,” Drucker has devoted much
of his time and energy in recent years to
working with the “third sector” comprised
of nonprofit organizations and churches. ■
He has often remarked that the role of management
is “to make the church more
churchlike, not to make the church more
businesslike.” ■ In a significant essay
published in the October 5, 1998 issue of
Forbes, Drucker writes of the new paradigms
in management and the once-valid
assumptions that today are “either wrong,
out-of-date or both.” ■ We thank Peter
Drucker and Forbes for allowing NEXT to
publish excerpts from the essay. It speaks
volumes to leaders and organizations seeking
to become more effective in mission and
ministry in the 21st century.
Effective Leadership 1-4
Management’s New Paradigms
Peter F. Drucker
Young Leaders 5
Large Church Forums 6
Church Champions 6
LN Recommends 7
NetFax 8
O U R M I S S I O N :
Leadership Network’s mission is
to accelerate the emergence of
effective churches. We identify,
connect and resource best
practice, innovative church leaders
and communicate what is learned
to the broader church.
V O L U M E 4 , N U M B E R 6 N O V E M B E R • D E C E M B E R , 1 9 9 8
As we advance deeper into the
knowledge economy, the basic
assumptions underlying much of
what is taught and practiced in the name of
management are hopelessly out-of-date.
As a result, we are preaching, teaching and
practicing policies that are increasingly at
odds with reality and therefore counterproductive.
This essay attempts to re-examine
these assumptions and practices. Basic
assumptions about reality are the paradigms
of a social science. Get the assumptions
wrong and everything that follows from them
is wrong.
For a social discipline such as management,
the assumptions are actually a good deal
more important than are the paradigms for a
natural science. A social discipline such as
management deals with the behavior of people
and human institutions. The social universe
has no “natural laws” as the physical
sciences do. It is thus subject to continuous
change. This means that assumptions that
FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Management’s New Paradigms
Peter F. Drucker
“Mission defines
strategy,
after all, and
strategy defines
structure.”
PETER F. DRUCKER
were valid yesterday can become invalid and,
indeed, totally misleading in no time at all.
That’s where we are today with the discipline
of management.
(Continued on page 2)
What are the assumptions that
are leading management astray
■ That there is only one right way to
organize a business.
■ That the principles of management
apply only to business
organizations.
■ That there is a single right way to
manage people.
■ That technologies, markets and
end-uses are fixed and rarely overlap.
That is, each industry has a
specific technology and a specific
market.
■ That management’s job is to “run
the business” rather than to concentrate
on what is happening outside
the business. That is,
management is internally, not
externally, focused.
www.leadnet.org

“The pastoral megachurches that have been growing so very fast in
the U.S. since 1980 are surely the most important
social phenomenon in American society in the last 30 years.”
— Peter F. Drucker
Until the early 1980s, all but the first of these
now outdated assumptions were close enough
to reality to be useful. In this essay I will show
why every one of these assumptions is now
either wrong, out-of-date or both.
The Discipline of Management
We today tend to think of management
as business management.
Management writers, management
practitioners and the laity do not even
hear the word “management”; they automatically
hear “business management.”
It is therefore important to assert—and to
do so loudly—that management is not
business management, any more than, say,
medicine is obstetrics.
There are, of course, differences in management
between different organizations—mission
defines strategy, after all,
and strategy defines structure. But the differences
between managing a chain of
retail stores and managing a Roman Catholic
diocese are amazingly fewer than either retail
executives or bishops realize.
www.leadnet.org
The differences are mainly in application
rather than in principles. The executives of all
these organizations spend, for instance, about
the same amount of their time on people
problems, and the people problems are
almost always the same.
So whether you are managing a software company,
a hospital, a bank or a Boy Scout organization,
the differences apply to only about
10% of your work. This 10% is determined by
the organization’s specific mission, its specific
culture, its specific history and its specific
vocabulary. The rest is pretty much
interchangeable.
Why is it important to break down the artificial
distinction between business and nonbusiness
organization Because the growth
sector of a developed society in the 21st century
is most unlikely to be business. The
growth sectors in the 20th century in developed
countries have been in nonbusiness—in
government, in the professions, in health care,
in education. In the 21st century that trend is
going to continue with a vengeance.
So the nonprofit social sector is where management
is today most needed and where systematic,
principled, theory-based management
can yield the greatest results fastest.
People pay little attention to the
succession process, though it
is, in fact, the ultimate test of
good management.
0 2
The One Right Organization
From the very beginning, more than a century
ago, the study of organization has rested on
one assumption: “that there is or must be a
single ‘right’ form of organization.” That onesize-fits-all
idea persists today.
By now, however, it should have become clear
that there is no such thing as the one right
organization. There are only organizations,
each of which has distinct strengths, distinct
limitations and specific applications. It has
become clear that organization is not an
absolute. It is a tool for making people productive
in working together. As such, a given
organizational structure fits certain tasks in
certain conditions and at certain times. Yet
there are universal principles of organization.
One is surely that an organization has to be
transparent. People must know and understand
the organizational structure in which
they are to work. This sounds obvious—but it
is far too often violated in most institutions,
even in the military.
Multiple Organizational Structures
The executive of the future will require a toolbox
full of organizational structures. He will
have to select the right tool for each specific
task. That means he or she will have to learn
to use each of the tools and understand which
one works best for each task. And when, in
the performance of a task, he or she
should switch from one kind of organization
to another.
This analysis is perhaps most needed for
the currently politically correct organization:
the team.
It is generally assumed today that there is
only one kind of team—the jazz
combo—where each participant does his
or her own thing but together they make
great music. Actually there are at least half a
dozen—perhaps a full dozen—very different
teams, each with its own area of application,
each with its own limitations and difficulties,
and each requiring different management.
Here are some examples of teams:
The old-fashioned functional team is the kind
that prevails in department stores. The different
departments—buyers, displayers, promotion
and advertising, selling—do not work
together, and none of their members ever do
the task of a member of another function,
except in a rare crisis.
The advantage of this team is that each member
can be trained in a particular strength, as
are hitters, pitchers and catchers on a baseball
team. And each member can be measured
and judged against clear and specific
goals. The weaknesses are rigidity, slowness in
www.leadnet.org

changing anything, and the danger that each
group will be focused only on its own function.
It will do its job well, but pay little attention
to the organization’s overall performance.
Another team is exemplified by the way service
to customers is now being organized. The
service person assigned to the customer has
the ball, in football parlance. The service person
can and does call on anyone in the company
to help a customer with a particular
problem; that expert is then on the service
person’s team for as long as it takes to fix the
problem.
Volunteers…need,
above all, challenge.
They need to know the
organization’s mission
and to believe in it.
They need continuous
training. They need to
see results.
And there are many, many more kinds of
teams. We are now only beginning to explore
them and to define the strengths and weaknesses
of each and where each works or
doesn’t work. But unless we work out—and
fast—what a given team is suited for, and
what a given team is not suited for, teams will
become discredited as just another fad.
What in all this is the role of the chief executive
I doubt that anyone would assert that we
really know how to organize the top management
job, whether in a business, a university,
a hospital or even a modern church. We talk
incessantly about teams—and every study
comes to the conclusion that the top management
job requires a team. But here, rhetoric
parts entirely from reality, and we practice the
most extreme personality cult of supermen
chief executives—Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Lou
Gerstner—celebrities all.
But how were these people selected and who
will succeed them—and by what process
What are the safeguards to assure that the
successor will be the best person for the job
People pay little attention to the succession
process, though it is, in fact, the ultimate test
of good management.
Only One Way
That one way or another people need to be
managed remains the prevailing view, but it is
wrong. On this fundamentally wrong
assumption that there is only one right way to
manage people rest all the other assumptions
about people in organizations and their
management.
One of these assumptions is that the people
who work for an organization are working
full-time and are dependent on the organization
for their livelihood. Another such
assumption is that the people who work for
an organization are subordinates expected to
do what they are assigned to do and not much
else.
A very large and steadily growing minority of
the work force are no longer full-time
employees. They work for an outsourcing
contractor, be it a cleaning service or a data
processing outfit. Even if employed full-time,
fewer and fewer people are subordinates,
even in fairly low-level jobs. Increasingly they
are knowledge workers. Knowledge workers
cannot be managed as subordinates; they are
associates. They are seniors or juniors but not
superiors and subordinates.
This difference is more than cosmetic. Once
beyond the apprentice stage, knowledge
workers must know more about their jobs
than their bosses do, or what good are they
The very definition of a knowledge worker is
one who knows more about his or her job
than anybody else in the organization. An
executive, therefore, is not just being polite
when he or she refers to an employee as an
“associate.” The executive is simply recognizing
reality.
Their relationship, in other words, is far more
like that between the conductor of an orchestra
and the people who play the instruments.
The conductor may not even know how to
play a violin, yet the success of his conducting
depends upon the quality of his associates.
And just as an orchestra can sabotage even
the ablest conductor—especially even the
most autocratic—a knowledge organization
can easily sabotage even the ablest, especially
the most autocratic, superior.
What this means is that even full-time
employees have to be managed as if they were
volunteers. In this, the typical corporation can
learn a lot from the Salvation Army or the
Catholic church.
Like volunteers who work for the church and
for the army, knowledge workers own their
0
3
means of production, which is their knowledge.
Furthermore, we have known for 50
years that money alone does not motivate
employees to perform much more than it
motivates volunteers.
What motivates—especially knowledge workers—is
what motivates volunteers. Volunteers,
we know, have to get more satisfaction from
their work than paid employees precisely
because they do not get a paycheck. They
need, above all, challenge. They need to know
the organization’s mission and to believe in it.
They need continuous training. They need to
see results.
One does not “manage” people, as previously
assumed. One leads them. The way one maximizes
their performance is by capitalizing on
their strengths and their knowledge rather
than trying to force them into molds.
The Erasing of Technological
Boundaries
In the 19th century and throughout the first
half of the 20th, it could be taken for granted
that technologies outside one’s own industry
had minimal impact on that industry. Know
your own technology and you prospered.
Now the assumption to start with is that the
technologies likely to have the greatest impact
on a company and its industry are technologies
outside of its own field. Technologies,
unlike the 19th century technologies, no
longer run on parallel but separate tracks;
they constantly crisscross.
As they crisscross, the walls that neatly defined
industries have come tumbling down. Where
once companies competed within an industry,
today industries compete with industries. The
same is happening in services. All those “natural”
monopolies have faded away.
One implication of this is that non-customers
are as important as customers, if not more
important, because they are potential customers.
There are very few institutions where
the non-customers do not amount to at least
70% of the potential market. And yet very few
institutions know anything about the non-customers—very
few of them even know that
they exist, let alone know who they are. And
even fewer know why they are not customers.
Yet it is with the non-customers that changes
always start.
All our experience tells us that the customer
never buys what the supplier sells. Value to
the customer is always something fundamentally
different from what is value or quality to
the supplier.
www.leadnet.org

Consider the pastoral megachurches that have
been growing so very fast in the U.S. since
1980 and are surely the most important social
phenomenon in American society in the last
30 years. There are now some 20,000 of
them, and while traditional denominations
have steadily declined, the megachurches have
exploded. They have done so because they
asked, “What is value” to a non-churchgoer
and came up with answers the older churches
had neglected. They have found that value to
the consumer of church services is very different
from what churches traditionally were
supplying. The greatest value to the thousands
who now throng the megachurches—both
weekdays and Sundays—is a spiritual experience
rather than a ritual.
Bringing the World into the
Organization
All the traditional assumptions I have
examined here rest on an even bigger
assumption: that the domain of
management is within the company. That
management’s principal job is to run the
organization.
That, too, is no longer true. It leads to an otherwise
incomprehensible distinction between
management and entrepreneurship. It artificially
divides the functions of managing and
innovating. An enterprise, whether a business
or any other institution, that does not innovate
and does not engage in entrepreneurship will
not long survive.
That is true even of the oldest institution in the
world, the Roman Catholic Church. It is usually
considered the most conservative one—
and prides itself on not being given to rapid
changes. Yet it, too, has frequently innovated
and changed with the world.
Protestantism innovates, too. The great church
historian Richard Niebuhr (1894-1962)
showed in several books that any major
change in society leads to the emergence of
new Protestant denominations.
It is still happening. The emergence of the
Knowledge Society today has led to the explosive
rise of the new, large, nondenominational,
pastoral “megachurches.” It has also led to
an explosion in Pentecostalism, attracting
largely the less educated and less upwardlymobile
members of modern society while the
megachurches have tended to attract knowledge
workers.
What all this means for management is perfectly
clear: the forces that most influence
organizations come from outside the organization,
not from within. The new Catholic
orders grew not because the organization
required them, but because events in society
required them. The Methodist movement in
Protestantism exploded almost spontaneously
in the late 18th century, not for reasons of theology
but as a response to social depravity
among the poorer classes in Britain and the
U.S.
In short, these religions survived because they
innovated in response to social change. It
should have been obvious from the beginning
that management and entrepreneurship are
only two different dimensions of the same
task. An entrepreneur who doesn’t learn how
to manage will not last long. A management
that does not learn to innovate will not last
long.
Every institution—and not only business—
must build into its day-to-day management
four entrepreneurial activities that run in
parallel:
One is the organized abandonment
of products, services, processes,
markets, distribution channels and
so on that are no longer an optimal
allocation of resources. This is the first entrepreneurial
discipline in any given situation.
Then any institution must organize for
systematic, continuing improvement
(what the Japanese call kaizen).
Then it has to organize for systematic
and continuous exploitation,
especially of its successes. It has to
build a different tomorrow on a
proven today.
And, finally, it has to organize systematic
innovation; that is, to create
the different tomorrow that makes
obsolete and, to a large extent,
replaces even the most successful products of
today in any organization.
I emphasize that these disciplines are not just
desirable, they are the conditions for survival
today.
These entrepreneurial tasks differ from the
more conventional management roles of
allocating present-day resources to presentday
demands. These entrepreneurial activities
start with the outside and are focused on the
outside.
Executives of any large organization—
whether business enterprise, Roman Catholic
diocese, university, health care institution,
government agency—are woefully ignorant of
0 4
the outside, as everybody who has worked
with decisions in a large organization knows.
These executives must spend too much of
their time and energy managing inwardly
rather than managing outwardly.
Management does not need more information
about what is happening inside. It needs more
information on what is happening outside.
Growth and survival both now depend on getting
the organization in touch with the outside
world. Management has become an external,
not an internal, task. For results take place
outside the organization. Inside, there are
only costs.
The Role of an Outward-Directed
Management
The first task of management is to define
what results are in the enterprise that is
in its keeping. This, as anyone who has
ever engaged in it can testify, is one of the
most difficult, one of the most controversial,
but also one of the most important questions.
It is therefore the specific function of management
to organize the resources of the organization
for results outside the organization.
Therefore, the new paradigm on which management,
both as a discipline and as a practice,
must be based is that management must
define the results it expects to attain and then
must organize the resources of the institution
to attain these results. The paradigm holds for
universities, churches, charities and governments,
as well as business enterprises. ◆
Excerpts from the first chapter of Peter Drucker’s
forthcoming book, Management Challenges for the 21st
Century. First printed in the October 5, 1998 issue of
Forbes magazine and reprinted with permission from
both Forbes and the author.
© Peter Drucker, 1998
Con.NEXT.ion
The full text of Drucker’s essay,
Management’s New Paradigms,
appeared in the October 5, 1998
issue of Forbes Magazine. It can be
viewed on their website located at
www.forbes.com/forbes/98/1005/620715
2a.htm
See also these books by Drucker:
The Age of Discontinuity: Guidelines to
our Changing Society (1992)
The Executive in Action:
Managing for Results, Innovation and
Entrepreneurship (1996)
The Effective Executive (1993)
Managing the Non Profit Organization:
Principles and Practices (1992)
www.leadnet.org

I’ve just returned from the Young
Leaders’ National Re-Evaluation
Forum, and am writing this while
memories are still fresh.
BRAD SARGENT
In the past several years of engaging
in studies of postmodernism
and the times we live in, IÕve concluded
that I have a postmodern
mind ÒtrappedÓ in a Boomer body.
(Okay, so IÕm 43.) During the Forum I
realized again the importance of intergenerational
interconnectedness and of
identifying strategic Òbridge peopleÓ to
help create some stability in this tumultxuous
era of transition.
INTERGENERATIONAL
CONNECTIONS
Generations are important to God, and
we always function within the context of
our own age peer group. But numerous
passages in Scripture also talk about
generations connecting, with the older
passing on to the younger the heritage
we have received from God.
IÕve noticed an interesting pattern in the
Old Testament wisdom literature as
organized in the Hebrew Bible. When we
look at the books among these which feature
individuals, we see that most have
the following in common:
• Age and Family Situation
They are separated from their parents,
or their parents are deceased,
and they are in their mid-teens to
early 20s when God calls them forth
into a significant ministry.
• Antagonistic Environment
They almost always find themselves
marginalized in the midst of a culture
that is extremely hostile (or barely
tolerant) toward them and their following
after the true God.
• Urban Setting and Secular
Training
The place God plants them is usually
a city Ñ often capitols of empires or
at least centers of great influence.
And they are familiar with secular culture
because they tend to be trained
in the pagan academies of their day.
• Intergenerational Discipleship
Most have a mentor from an older
generation on the scene who gives
personal instruction to help the
younger man or woman transform
knowledge into wisdom.
That overall profile looks a lot like the
post-1960 postmodern generation to me.
BICULTURAL BRIDGE PEOPLE
If we have GodÕs mission in mind, we want
to reach out with the gospel to all generations
in all places. How can we do that
when the postmodern mindset may seem
so contrary and confusing I believe part
of the answer lies in identifying bicultural
bridge people.
The history of the early church gives us a
series of examples of bicultural men and
women used to spread the gospel.
Barnabas was from a Levitical Jewish
family and therefore probably steeped in
Old Testament Scripture, as well as from
the gentile country of Cyprus. Paul was
tricultural, actually Ñ a Pharisaic Jew, a
Roman citizen, and raised in Damascus.
Lydia Ñ the Òseller of purpleÓ Ñ was a
gentile businesswomen who undoubtedly
dealt with merchants from a variety of
cultures. Timothy had a gentile father and
Jewish mother.
I returned from the Re-Evaluation Forum
with a healthy dose of optimism for the
future of the emerging postmodernist
0
5
generations of Christians and for those
from modernist generations who stand
with them. I wonder what role others
might play in that unfolding future ◆
R E - E V A L U A T I O N
R E G I O N A L
F O R U M S
FOR CHURCHES ON THE NEW EDGE
SCHEDULE AND DETAILS AVAILABLE
DECEMBER 1 AT
WWW.YOUNGLEADER.ORG
WE ARE PRODUCING a special edition
of NEXT in early December featuring
the best learnings of the
ReEvaluation Forum. The issue, which
you will receive as a regular NEXT
subscriber, will feature six aspects
found in the church of the postmodern
era. If you would like to receive
multiple copies to share with your
church team or other partners in ministry,
please call us at
1.800.765.5323.
After December 15, you may also
read this issue from two of our
websites:
www.youngleader.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
www.leadnet.org

New for
1999
Large Church Forums
Starting in 1999, we will be offering
selected Enhanced Forums for those
who have previously attended a minimum of
two consecutive or three non-consecutive
forums. Enhanced forums will provide specialized
learning opportunities and appropriate
1998:
q
Pastoral Care
December 8-11
Four-day forum $295
The Colorado Springs Airport
Shuttle Service is no longer in business.
We suggest that you call
800.781.4486 for the Pike’s Peak
Limoseen Service for transportation to
and from Glen Eryie. They prefer you
call them two weeks to 24 hours in
advance.
LTN, Leadership Training Network, is an
affiliate organization of Leadership Network that
conducts training for church leaders, focusing
on the growing movement of lay mobilization
through churches. Sue Mallory brings a wealth of
experience as a church staff member, consultant
and trainer to her role.
NEXT: What you are seeing in the area of
Lay Mobilization in churches
1999:
qMission Pastors
January 27-29
Executive Pastors
(plus Enhanced)
February 11-13
Directors of Lay Ministries
April 6-8
Senior Ministers Spouses
May 18-20
Senior Ministers
(plus Enhanced)
May 18-20
W I T H S U E M A L L O R Y
Director of LTN
Lay Mobilization Consulting Workshop
March 21-25, 1999
resource people, and will require some preforum
preparation on the part of participants.
Of course, there will continue to be the availability
of networking and dialogue with your
peers who are the best practitioners in the
country! ◆
1999 Forum prices will be:
$295.00 three-day forums
ENHANCED FORUMS:
$345.00 three-day forums
SM: It has been exciting to see
the wave of activity across denominational
lines and across North
America as churches are investing
in an intentional way toward the
mobilization of their congregations.
They are finding it necessary
to enhance their existing systems
or create new systems to accommodate
knowledge about people,
their gifts, talent and needs, the ministry
opportunities in the church and the community,
and to create opportunities to equip God’s
people for service in those ministries.
NEXT: Leadership Network and Leadership
Training Network are sponsoring a workshop
for Church Champions and Directors of Lay
Ministry in the area of Lay Mobilization next
March 21-25. What will participants learn at
the workshop
PLEASE NOTE
Forum attendance is by invitation only. Groups within each
forum are limited to 25 people each and one participant per
church. Participants are senior ministers and other ministerial
management staff of large churches (1,000+ adults in
weekend attendance) who have at least one year of ministry
experience in their current position. All forums are held at
Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. If
you would like to receive an invitation or recommend someone
to be invited to a forum, please contact Leadership
Network at 800.765.5323 or fax 214.969.9392.
SM: The workshop will be an overview of a
system and principles designed to establish
effective mobilization through teams in any
local church. It will help participants understand
the role of the pastor and lay leaders in
its development. We will review the six-step
process for establishing Lay Mobilization ministries
in a church and give participants the
referral resources they need for helping
churches in this area.
NEXT: What else does LTN offer for
churches and Church Champions
SM: LTN offers one- and two-day forums
designed to cast a vision for gift-based,
church-wide mobilization through teams;
(Continued on page 8)
ChurchChampions Network Schedule
1999 Forums
NEW!
May 5-7, 1999 Church Planting
Supervisor/Funders at Glen Eyrie Conference
Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For those
church consultants who work with multiple church
planters. $295.
August 23-25, 1999 General
Consultants/Denominational Leaders at
Simpsonwood Conference Center near Atlanta,
Georgia. A General Consultants Forum for denominational
consultants and independent church
consultants. $295
NEW!
October 18-20, 1999 Conflict and Change
Consultants at Simpsonwood Conference Center
near Atlanta, Georgia. For those consultants who specialize
in coaching congregations through conflict.
$295.
October 18-20, 1999 Women’s Ministry
Consultants and Coaches at Simpsonwood
Conference Center near Atlanta, Georgia. For those
leaders who coach multiple congregations in women’s
ministry and leaders of denominational women’s
organizations. $295.
0 6
All forums and workshops are by invitation.
To inquire about receiving an invitation
call 800.765.5323.
1999 Workshops
March 21-25, 1999 Lay Mobilization
Consulting Workshop at the Arlington Marriott
Hotel in Arlington, Texas. Cost is $395 and includes
registration, lunch and workshop fees.
May 17-18, 1999 The Diffusion of Innovation
with Dr. Everett Rogers: A Workshop for
Church Interventionists at the Colorado Springs
Marriott Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. $149.
prior to March 15, 1999. $195 after March 15, 1999.
Call 800.765.5323 to register.
www.leadnet.org

Recommends
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Diffusion of Innovations
Everett M. Rogers
The Free Press, fourth edition, 1995
To order, call 800.323.7445, $32.95
A classic book for anyone seeking to
understand the power and process of
change and the diffusion of innovation
within a system or organization, it has
important implications for leaders wanting
to initiate and lead change.
After Heaven, Spirituality in
America Since the 1950’s
Robert Wuthnow
University of California Press, 1998
To order, call 800.822.6657, $29.95
One of the most insightful observers of
American religion, Wuthnow examines
the shifts in the America’s search for
spirituality over the past half century
through interviews, cultural analysis,
and other research efforts. It is a significant
book for those seeking to understand
the reality of the altered U.S.
religious landscape.
The Healing Power of Stories
Daniel Taylor
Doubleday; 1996; $22.50
In a culture increasingly influenced by
story, this book is useful in understanding
the elements, approaches and
power of the narrative. Especially helpful
are the questions that help to shape
family, religious, cultural, school and
life-defining stories.
Revolution in Leadership:
Training Apostles for
Tomorrow’s Church
Reggie McNeal
Abingdon, 1998
To order, call 800.251.3320; $16.00
In this important book for 21st century
leaders, McNeal establishes the changed
context of ministry and identifies new
ministry skills sets and a model of lifelong
learning for the future.
Mars Hill Review
Three issues annually; $29.00;
call 800.990.MARS or
visit their website at www.marshillforum.org
This journal looks at contemporary culture
through the lens of biblical truth as
reflected in books, poetry, films, essays
and interviews. Check out the current
issue and other Mars Hill Forum opportunities
at their website.
0
7
www.leadnet.org

(Continued from page 6)
beginning and advanced five-day Institutes to
equip pastors, directors of lay ministries and
ministry leaders in setting up the process in
their churches; and a network of trained LTN
consultants available to consult with churches
on-site in this process.
NEXT: What is happening in denominational
churches with the idea of lay mobilization
SM: Lay mobilization knows no denominational
boundaries or age limits. It is being
established in all the mainline denominations
as well as nondenominational seeker churches
and Catholic churches as well. Without
exception, these new systems are being
brought to life through ministry teams, some a
blend of staff and
volunteers, selected for their gifts and their
passion for the ministry to which they have
been called.
NEXT: Is this just for large churches
SM: No, this is a ministry that applies to
churches of all sizes. We have had leaders
from very small churches attend our training
and be helped as well as leaders of mid-size
and larger congregations. ◆
We have redesigned our website
to make it easier for you to
access the variety of resources
of Leadership Network.
¥ information is bundled in
simpler packages
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quickly
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are faster and more
efficient
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community of LN websites
are clear and direct
In addition, weÕve created a new
website devoted exclusively to
useful information for 21st century
leaders...
www.leadnetinfo.org
¥ publications...NEXT, NetFax, Access
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¥ recommendations eof outstanding books,
conferences, websites
So, check us out and, please,
let us know how we can be
useful to you.
The Main LN Website
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Other LN sites which youÕll want to check out:
www.churchchamp.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
www.youngleader.org
www.ltn.org
CAN YOU
WHAT
THE
CHURCH
OF THE
21 ST
CENTURY
WILL BE
LIKE
WE BELIEVE that the differences God has in store
will astound us! The greatest impact of this emerging
church will be on its leaders. Leadership Network’s
aim is to connect 21 st century church leaders with
one another and also to the best ideas, tools and
resources.
NetFax and Access are two publications
that will change the way you look
at things. NetFax plugs you into the networks
of ideas and emerging perspectives
derived from our research of
innovative churches, culture, business and
related disciplines. Access keeps you current
with the best books, internet sites, conferences,
audio/video-tapes, consultants and services
on the critical issues churches will face in the 21 st
century.
By becoming a subscriber to NetFax now for
$48.00 a year (Canada –$58 U.S.), you’ll also
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Access, free of charge. Both will be
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Please call us at 1.888.LEADNET
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from LEADERSHIP NETWORK
EXECUTIVE
MANAGING
EDITOR
EDITOR
Carol S. Childress carol.childress@leadnet.org
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INFORMATION
ASSISTANT
Vicky Perrenot vicky.perrenot@leadnet.org
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEBSITE
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www.leadnet.org
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WEBSITE
www.churchchamp.org
INFORMATION CENTER WEBSITE
www.leadnetinfo.org
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www.ltn.org
NEXT is a free publication of Leadership Network and is published six times a year. To receive your free issues, please contact us
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0
8

Post-denominational churches. The next
church. New paradigm churches. They are
all names that have been used to describe
a new kind of church that is emerging at
the close of the twentieth century and the
dawn of the third millennium. ■ The current
reformation underway is not so much a
reformation of faith as it is one of practice,
not so much against apostasy as it is
against irrelevance in a warp speed culture.
■ Missiologist/researcher/author C. Peter
Wagner has adopted the term, New
Apostolic Reformation, to characterize this
movement of God that is reshaping
Protestant Christianity in the US and
around the world. ■ His new book,
Churchquake!, to be released in March,
seeks to identify the dynamics of this movement
and chronicle the distinguishing characteristics
of this new wineskin. ■ We
thank Wagner and his publisher, Regal
Press, for their permission to print excerpts
in this issue of NEXT.
in this
issue:
1 New Apostolic
Reformation
C. Peter Wagner
4 An Interview
David Cannistraci
5 Fast Change
Silicon Valley
Learning Adventure
7 LN Recommends
8 Church Champions
Network
9 Large Church Networks
10 Young Leader Networks
11 Leadership Training
Network
NEW CENTURY
NEW CHURCH
September 26-29, 1999
V O L U M E 5 , N U M B E R 1 J A N U A R Y • M A R C H , 1 9 9 9
The greatest change in the way
of doing church since the
Protestant reformation is taking
place before our very eyes. I have
come to label this phenomenon the
“New Apostolic Reformation.”
The New Apostolic Reformation is an extraordinary
work of God at the close of the twentieth
century, which is, to a significant extent,
changing the shape of Protestant Christianity
around the world. For almost 500 years,
Christian churches have largely functioned
within traditional denominational structures
of one kind or another. Particularly in the
1990’s, but with roots going back for almost a
century, new forms and operational procedures
began to emerge in areas such as local
church government, interchurch relationships,
financing, evangelism, missions, prayer,
leadership selection and training, the role of
supernatural power, worship and other
important aspects of
church life. Some of
these changes are being
seen within denominations
themselves, but for
the most part they are
taking the form of loosely
structured apostolic
networks. In virtually
every region of the
world, these new apostolic
churches constitute
the fastest-growing segment
of Christianity.
For 2,000 years, Jesus has been building His
Church, just as He announced He would when
He was here on earth. Through the ages, the
Church has grown and expanded across the
FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Another New Wineskin...
the New Apostolic Reformation
C. Peter Wagner
continents. Century after century, however, the
Church grew in a variety of ways. It grew one
way in New Testament times and another way
in the Roman Empire before Constantine. It
grew another way in the Roman Empire after
Constantine, another way in the Middle Ages
and another way at the time of the Protestant
Reformation. Then it grew another way during
the era of European colonialization, another
way in post-World War II and another way in
our own times.
One of the constants, though, was that as each
change appeared on the horizon of history, a
new wineskin was required to contain the
new wine of the Holy Spirit. This book is
about one of those new wineskins God is
providing for another crucial hinge of
church history.
In some aspects, these changes in the life and
ministry of the Christian church are more significant
than anything we have seen since the
days of the Protestant Reformation. This is not
only radical change, but the change is also
coming more rapidly than many think. We live
in a time when both the
degree of cultural
changes and the rate of
cultural changes are
accelerating alarmingly.
Many of the characteristics
of traditional
Christianity are not being
changed. For one thing,
the bedrock theology of
the Protestant
Reformation is not up
for revision. New apostolic
leaders are not
questioning justification by faith or the priesthood
of all believers or the authority of
Scripture. The Apostles’ Creed maintains its
high profile as an acceptable summary of the
(Continued on page 2)
www.leadnet.org

doctrinal foundations of
the Christian faith.
Predictably, the well-known
dynamics of the diffusion
of innovation theory will
operate and sort out who
will adopt the new wineskins
of the New Apostolic
Reformation and who will
choose to stay with the old
ones. Innovators introduce
new ideas into social networks.
Those who first
accept them are called
“early adopters.” Others
come in as “middle
adopters,” still others eventually as “late
adopters,” and those who never accept the
innovation are “non-adopters.” We are well
into the early adoption phase of the New
Apostolic Reformation, when we can expect
fairly strong objections from traditionalists
who are threatened by these changes.
Vision
The radical change in the sixteenth century
was largely theological. The current reformation
is not so much a reformation of faith (the
essential theological principles of the
Reformation are intact), but a reformation of
practice. A major difference was that the sixteenth
century reformation came in reaction
to a corrupt and apostate church.
www.leadnet.org
This current reformation is not so much
against corruption and apostasy as it is
against irrelevance. It is true that important
changes in practice did come about in the
centuries following Martin Luther and John
Calvin, but for the most part they came relatively
slowly because in
those days culture changed
gradually. Given the accelerated
rate of cultural
change we now see in our
generation, it might be
expected that changes in
church life will also be
more rapid and, therefore,
more radical.
Churches Driven
by Vision and
Values
New apostolic leaders live
in the future. Traditional
church leaders begin with the present and
then look to the past. New apostolic leaders
begin with the future and then look to the
present. Most denominations are heritage
driven. Most apostolic networks are vision
driven. The difference is enormous.
Peter Wagner
The way pastors and other church leaders
decide to focus their minds will deeply affect
their personal attitudes, which in turn affect
everyday decisions and priorities of ministry.
For example, those who choose
to focus on the past for the
most part are reactive, they
readily see obstacles and they
have a low tolerance of risk.
Those who choose to focus on
the future are more likely to be
proactive, they readily see
opportunities and they have a
high tolerance for risk. I like
what Ed Delph says about new
apostolic pastors and
church leaders:
“Most of them feel
like they are called
to take ground and
not to hold ground.”
There are five principal values that,
according to my observation, set the
New Apostolic Reformation apart
from much of traditional
Christianity. The differences fall
along a spectrum. There are many
shades of gray, but the general outlines
of these differences are clear.
Three of these values relate to faith:
theology, ecclesiology, and eschatology.
The other two relate to practice:
organization and leadership.
New apostolic churches are not
creedal, but they do agree on the
core of theology. It is characteristic
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of new apostolic leaders to keep the core list
as short as possible. My observation is that
there are three generally agreed-upon theological
absolutes in new apostolic churches:
3
1
2
3
The Bible is true and
normative. It is the
absolute authority for faith
and practice.
Jesus Christ is God and Lord.
An individual’s personal
relationship with Jesus
Christ makes the difference
between heaven and hell.
New apostolic Christians passionately believe
that Jesus is the answer to life’s problems and
that if individuals need personal help or help
for their families, the first essential step is to
become a believer. In other words, they reverently
address the ultimate meaning of life.
Another trait is a burning desire to win the
lost to Christ. A characteristic of many traditional
churches is that the church exists primarily
to serve its members, and when that is
done it may or may not choose to reach out.
The radical change in the sixteenth century
was largely theological. The current reformation
is not so much a reformation of faith (the
essential theological principles of the
Reformation are intact), but a reformation of
practice. A major difference was that the sixteenth
century reformation came in reaction to
a corrupt and apostate church. This current
reformation is not so much against corruption
and apostasy as it is against irrelevance.
The third new apostolic compass-point value
is that Satan is being defeated, that things are
going well for the Kingdom of God and that
spiritual victories will continue to exceed
spiritual defeats.
How are new apostolic organizations organized
The operative word is relationships. The
best way to spend time, most new apostolic
leaders will agree, is in building relationships.
Leaders can be trusted, and delegating authority
to individuals has two outstanding advantages,
namely focusing vision and releasing
creativity. As any new apostolic leader will tell
you, suspicion and distrust feed the status
quo; trust and empowerment shape
the future!
(Continued on page 3)

Multiplying Ministers
Organizations do not grow in any significant
measure without multiplying leaders.
Consequently, it should go without saying that
the New Apostolic Reformation could never
have become the fastest-growing segment of
contemporary Protestantism without an efficient
system of selecting and training leaders.
The leaders are designated as “ministers,” so
an essential key to new apostolic church
growth is multiplying leaders.
Worship
new apostolic leaders are advo-
The congregation is the incubator.
Membership is not a legal contract; rather it is
a spiritual covenant. Few churches reach it,
nevertheless, the ideal is that every single
church member function as a minister. New
apostolic leaders take their roles as apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, as
found in Ephesians 4:11, very seriously. Their
primary task is detailed in the next verse,
“…for the equipping of the saints for the
work of the ministry.” When this happens, the
congregation becomes the primary incubator
for ministers, both lay ministers and staff ministers.
New apostolic pastors have long since
recognized that to the degree they themselves
attempt to do all or most of the ministry of the
church, they clasp an impenetrable lid on the
growth of their congregation. Therefore, they
make it a point to train others to minister. Lay
people have to be both trained and empowered
for ministry if the church is ever to
become anything other than a small,
static church.
Several cating “coach” as a helpful role designation
for the pastor. What does a coach do The
coach sets the game plan and deploys all
available personnel for executing it and winning
the game. If everyone plays on the team,
what positions do they play Functionally, this
is determined by the spiritual gifts God has
given to each believer. It is up to the pastor or
the coach to help each one discover what gift
or gifts they have, develop them, and then use
them to the fullest extent possible for ministry.
Outreach
Initiation of new apostolic ministry comes
from the bottom up. No church can do everything.
How do we choose The new apostolic
answer is simple—do whatever works. If
their new ministry is meeting a need, it will
work. If not, it will fail. Who initiates ministry
Not some committee or church board or
denominational agency. Anyone can initiate a
new ministry in most new apostolic churches.
The two major structures for organizing lay
ministry in new apostolic churches are ministry
teams and small groups. Some churches
major on one and some on the other. Some
combine the two. Some are transitions from
one to the other. Although some ministry
teams, such as those relating to worship, are
managed by church staff, many of them operate
on the free enterprise model. They are
largely self-directed and self-financed. Some
focus inward, designed to meet the needs of
the congregation, and others focus outward
toward the community.
When lay people are ministering throughout
the congregation, this provides the primary
incubator for new staff leaders. Most new
apostolic churches are characterized by
home-grown staff. This is in contrast to the
traditional model where lay people assuming
staff positions is the exception rather than the
rule. New staff members usually come from
outside the church. The new apostolic paradigm
of home-grown staff carries with it a
series of new realities. The rules of the game
of training for and ordination to professional
ministry are changing. One of the outcomes is
that individuals who are ordained in new
apostolic churches tend to have a considerably
higher age profile than in traditional
churches. The church member who has
demonstrated outstanding spiritual gifts as a
lay person is frequently well into a secular
career. Mid-career changes into full-time
Christian ministry are now becoming
commonplace.
Plugged-In-Worship
New apostolic worship is “plugged in” to
three important power sources: the sound system,
the Holy Spirit, and contemporary culture.
Of all the changes taking place, this one
has also spread outside new apostolic circles
more than any other change. Traditional
churches in just about all denominations are
beginning to realize that worship forms of
past generations will not survive long into
the future.
Outreach in Overdrive
New apostolic churches want to grow and they
are willing to pay the price for growth. Their
outreach is intentionally focused on four central
tasks: (1) expanding the local church,
(2) planting new churches, (3) mercy ministries
in the surrounding communities, and
(4) cross-cultural missions.
Churches that have a vision to reach the lost
are fed up with traditional models. Why
Because they haven’t worked! Among new
apostolic church leaders, whether denominational
or otherwise, there is little aversion to
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pragmatism. They say “If God has given us a
job to do—let’s get it done! If a methodology
works, use it; if it doesn’t work, scrap it!” This
is not a statement of carnality; it is a statement
of driving commitment. God’s work must be
done in God’s way, true. However, throughout
history, God’s ways have changed and changed
again. God’s way of doing something yesterday
is frequently not God’s way of doing it today.
New apostolic church leaders constantly seek
ways to update and contextualize their outreach
ministries. ■
Eight Significant Changes in Worship
From ➜ To
Classical
Performance
Hymns
Pipe organ
Cerebral
Awe of God
Liturgy
Meditation
Contextual
Participation
Songs
Percussion
Celebration
Intimacy with God
Liberty
Mission
Excerpts from Churchquake! The Explosive
Dynamics of the New Apostolic Reformation
by C. Peter Wagner and published by Regal
Books, 1999 (800.446.7735)
Peter Wagner is co-founder of the
World Prayer Center in Colorado and former
professor of missions at Fuller Theological
Seminary. He is recognized worldwide for his
research and writing on church growth and
spiritual warfare.
Con.NEXT.ion
Further reading on New Apostolic
Reformation Churches:
The New Apostolic Churches
by C. Peter Wagner (Regal Books, 1998)
Reinventing American Protestantism
by Donald Miller
(University of California Press, 1997)
A Church for the Unchurched
by George Hunter III (Abingdon, 1996)
The New Reformation: Tomorrow Arrived
Yesterday by Lyle Schaller
(Abingdon, 1995)
NetFax, Issue# 27, “The New Apostolic
Paradigm,” September 4, 1995
NetFax, Issue# 106, “The New Apostolic
Reformation,” September 11, 1998
Both issues of NetFax are accessible at
www.leadnetinfo.org
www.leadnet.org

A New Apostolic Pastor
An Interview
with David Cannistraci
Dr. David Cannistraci
is co-pastor of Evangel Christian
Fellowship, a new apostolic
church in San Jose, California.
In a recent interview with NEXT,
he shared these thoughts on
the New Apostolic Reformation.
NEXT: What does “new apostolic
church” mean to you
Cannistraci: Apostolic can mean a lot
of different things. For me, it means that
we are drawing directly from Acts and the
epistles…, the patterns, apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers,
equipping the saints to do the work
of the ministry, cross-cultural missions
and church planting, aggressive prayer
and spirituality. So, we view the book of
Acts and the epistles as being a model.
And we don’t see it stopping there.
NEXT: Do you see American
churches, at least those with
whom you have contact, learning
from apostolic churches
overseas
Cannistraci: Yes. We have learned the
principles of cell ministry. We have
learned 24-hour prayer from these
churches. And we’ve learned how to mentor.
We’ve learned that it’s really not the
context of the seminary that duplicates a
world changer. It is relationships that
shape a person’s life. Jesus related to and
mentored the disciples and they changed
the world.
NEXT: Of all the elements that
comprise being apostolic,
what’s the core, the nonnegotiable
Cannistraci: I would have to say intimacy
with God because for me, all ministry
springs from hearing God. Maybe the
essence of being apostolic is getting out of
the bunker and going for it...crossing a
boundary to establish the Kingdom...not
being content with where we are. While
we value the past, we’re certainly not living
there. I’m not a representative for this
whole thing. This is so big that all I can
really represent is my little corner. Bill
Hybels and Rick Warren and all these
guys...they’re all kind of like me, but
they’re all quite different ...yet we’re all
part of this big cutting edge that is the
Church. It’s a movement of God...nobody’s
going to be able to name it. It is what God
is doing now and it’s so big that we can’t
claim it. All I can do is represent my little
tribe but there are a lot of tribes in
the nation. ■
As lay leader, I continue to be fascinated with how my personal
journey intertwines my faith and work as a small business
owner. It is ironic to me that I took two days away from my
business to attend this church learning event (Silicon Valley
Fast Change Learning Adventure), and found it equally powerful
in learning things I can apply at work. It was as informative as
any business seminar I have attended.
Dan Engstrand
Congregational President, Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Minneapolis, MN
Silicon Valley Learning Adventure
www.leadnet.org
I came to learn and network with church leaders from across
the United States. I left with an explosion of new ideas going
through my mind…inspired and motivated to go out and
‘change the world.’”
Tammy Kelley
Executive Director, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church
Tipp City, Ohio
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Silicon Valley Learning Adventure
ne of the questions
we ask every CEO before we
“Oback them is, ‘Is it more important
for you to be CEO of this company or for
this company to succeed’ That’s always a
tough question for a person who wants to be
the long-term leader of any enterprise,”
explained Floyd Kvamme, a partner in the
leading venture capital firm of Kleiner
Perkins Caufield & Byers which launched
Amazon.com, America Online, Sun and
Netscape. “Frankly, we will not enter into an
investment situation with someone who
answers the question the way that doesn’t
lead to the success of the enterprise. Because
at the end of the day, leadership is critically
important. It kind of gets—to use one
of my terms—‘into the wallpaper of
the company.’”
Kvamme was one of four resource persons at
Leadership Network’s Fast Change Learning
Adventure. One hundred and forty church
leaders gathered in San Jose, California
December 3–5 to learn more about “fast
change,” a reality woven into the very fiber
of those who thrive and survive in Silicon
Valley. Leadership Network hosted the
Learning Adventure, bringing Silicon Valley
leaders who live and breathe bits, bytes and
virtual communities together with church
leaders from across the nation.
“...At the end of the day, leadership is
critically important. It kind of gets—to
use one of my terms—‘into the
wallpaper of the company.’”
Floyd Kvamme
Each of the four resource persons, active in
his own church, pondered such queries as,
“How do you organize in the new millennium”,
“What new models will be required to
merge the traditional church with the online
church”, “What new skills will you need”,
and “What other strategic questions should
church leaders to be asking”
Floyd Kvamme spoke about the
Valley’s culture, leadership and transition to
growth. “One thing we have learned is that
innovation is not age specific,” he remarked.
“Silicon Valley is more than a place, more
than a technology; it’s a culture. It’s driven
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by a point of view that says we can increase
human productivity by changing the way the
world does things. We can create products
that will accelerate the process of global
business and the way markets generate
social capital. Our products can change the
way people communicate and relate to each
other across the earth. We can have a positive
impact upon history, and those are very
big visions even for business people. They
are so big that they count even more than
the money.”
In this high-tech community, change is as
“accepted” as the gentle seismic tremors
which percolate from time to time.
“Everything is changing,” said Kvamme,
“and in the Valley we may know that more
than anyone else. The Internet doubles every
90 days and we see a web page coming up
every four seconds. MIT says that we’re
approaching a point where we’ll see a billion
people wired in just the next few years.
There’s a business term that describes this:
radical discontinuity. It means that change is
taking place so fast in our culture that we
really can’t explain it. What we do know is
that emerging technologies are driving
change.”
Mike West, who built the company
Octel, a pioneer in voice mail, referred frequently
to how managing change in the field
of technology could be directly applied to
managing change in the Church.
He emphasized the importance of a clear
mission and core values. “What are the core
values of your company (congregation)”,
“Why do people want to stay with you versus
going elsewhere
(Continued on page 6)
Matt Hannan visits with University Baptist
Church pastor, Chris Seay.
www.leadnet.org

Roderick Caesar, senior pastor of Bethel Gospel Tabernacle in Jamaica, NY, visits
with Walt Wilson, a key presenter at the Fast Change learning adventure.
Rick McEachern, senior marketing
manager for Apple Computer, spends much of
his time building and mobilizing fast-paced,
agile teams across multiple organizations,
teams which often become change agents in
the company. Investing in people, keeping
work fun, employing wisely, clearly defining
role requirements, demanding high quality,
setting smart objectives, setting and communicating
clear objectives, equipping people,
and hosting post-mortem reviews upon completion
of the project are crucial principles for
effective fast-teams.
In the Friday evening session, Walt
Wilson, President of Palo Alto Research,
I brought two questions home to explore with our ministry staff:
• “How do you explain your vision in one deep breath”
• We will now ask all new members, “We have a fairly complex
ministry in our church; why did you choose to join”
R. Craig Strickland, D.Min.
Senior Pastor, Hope Presbyterian Church
Cordova, TN
www.leadnet.org
shared “three parables” which framed his
thinking about the Internet. “One, computers
are no longer about computing. They are
about how we communicate, buy and sell.
Two, the Internet is not about technology. It is
about communicating the Great Commission.
Three, if you think you can conduct effective
ministry today without using the Internet, I
think you’re in trouble.” He said, “I think
God will hold us accountable if we don’t
leverage the most pervasive communications
tool He has ever put in the hands of Man.”
Brad Smith, Executive Director of
Leadership Network, concluded the Learning
Adventure with a summary of the experience
Before this Learning Adventure, I really didn’t have a grasp of what
people really meant when they were talking ‘online communities.’
I do now. And I am convinced that they are great untapped
opportunities for ministry.
Matt Hannan
Pastor, New Heights Church
Vancouver, Washington
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in which he contrasted the culture of the
Valley with that of the Church. “In Silicon
Valley, we have heard that the hope of the
world is the human spirit through quality and
innovative products. We know the hope of
the world is God’s Spirit through His work in
individuals and the Church. In Silicon Valley,
we heard that one’s identity and significance
are found through the impact of one’s work
in technology that changes the world. Yet we
know that our identity and significance are
found in being a creature of the Holy and
unchanging Creator. Here we heard that people
are passionate about being involved in a
cause beyond themselves. In the Church, people
can be involved in a cause that will truly
change the world and impact the whole
of eternity.”
This learning adventure was not really about
technology, nor was the goal of learning
from these leaders to import Silicon Valley
into the church. It was to make the church
more church-like and introduce church teams
to new ideas and approaches to accomplish
the eternal mission in context of our fastchanging
21st century world. (click. click.) ■
Nine Key Principles for Fast Teams
Rick McEachern, Senior Marketing Manager
Apple Computers
1. Invest in people
2. Keep work fun
3. Employ wisely
4. Clearly define role requirements
5. Demand high quality
6. Set S.M.A.R.T. objectives
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Relevant, Timely)
7. Set and communicate clear
objectives
8. Equip people
9. Rigorously review upon
completion of the project

Recommends
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Encouraging the Heart, A
Leader’s Guide to Rewarding and
Recognizing Others
James Kouzes and Barry Posner
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999, $22.00
800.956.7739
The third book from this writing team
builds on The Leadership Challenge and
delves into the art of encouragement,
revealing practices that exceptional leaders
use to inspire extraordinary performance
from others. Part Two will be especially
useful to pastors and others
responsible for leading churches
and organizations.
The Leadership Engine,
How Winning Companies Build
Leaders At Every Level
Noel Tichy with Eli Cohen
Harper Business, 1997, $27.00
800.831.3761
Leaders develop other leaders, and
companies and organizations that are effective
develop leaders at all levels of the
organization. This very helpful book on
leadership is divided into two parts. The first
half focuses on the why and nature of
leadership development, and the second
part consists of useful processes and tools to
accelerate leadership development.
Out of the Christian
Ghetto...Inviting A New
Conversation with
Today’s Culture
Becoming a Healthy Church: 10
Characteristics
Stephen Macchia
Baker Books, 1999, $16.99
616.676.9185
Drawn from the experience and
participation of New England Christian
churches, pastors and lay persons, this is a
wonderfully crafted book that will be a
valuable resource to local congregations. It
identifies and describes ten indicators of a
healthy church—the centrality of God’s
Word, passionate spirituality, fruitful evangelism,
high impact worship, mission and
vision driven, leadership development,
church planting, financial stewardship,
intentional disciple-making, and
loving relationships.
The Prospering Parachurch,
Enlarging the Boundaries
of God’s Kingdom
Wesley K. Willmer and J., David Schmidt
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998, $21.95
800.956.7739
This volume is one of the best single books
on parachurch ministries and an important
contribution to our understanding of the
nature, history, role and structure of parachurches.
Especially helpful is the section
on building an effective board of directors
and the parachurch donor.
New York City, May 20-22, 1999
Sponsored by Mars Hill Forum
To register or for more information,
call 800.990.MARS, fax 206.842.0296
or register online at www.marshillforum.org
If you are committed to the Church but
want to move out of “the Christian ghetto”
and learn more about the hows and
whys of engaging the postmodern culture,
then this conference is for you.
Among the keynote speakers will be Tim
Keller of Redeemer Church in Manhattan.
www.crosswalk.com
This is a site Christian leaders will want to
bookmark. It is filled with useful information,
news, links and opportunities for interaction.
Topical pages include music, money,
communities, spiritual life, careers, communications
and fun. It also includes web
filtering and free web-based e-mail.
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7
The Purpose Driven Church
National Seminar
April 24, 1999
Simulcast to over 40 cities nationwide
For more information, contact Saddleback Church
call 949.833.1804 or fax 949.475.1765
www.saddleback.org/simulcast.htm
A one-day seminar on the principles of a
purpose driven church, this nationally
broadcast event will be led by Rick Warren
and will also feature author and
communicator Max Lucado via satellite
from San Antonio.
www.leadnet.org

LEADERSHIP NETWORK
SERVING CONSULTANTS/CATALYSTS TO CONGREGATIONS
Diffusionof Innovations
The Diffusion Of
Innovations Workshop
with Dr. Everett Rogers
Long-time readers of NEXT or NetFax
will recognize the diagram on the
right. It comes from the seminal book
by Dr. Everett Rogers entitled The Diffusion
of Innovations.
This book is the study of how innovative ideas
and practices are spread through a system. It
is a leading textbook on communications and
innovation theory.
The book, first written in the 1960’s and
frequently updated, includes understandings
that now guide high-tech companies, marketing
firms and consultancies as well
as governments.
Dr. Rogers, professor of communications at
the University of New Mexico, will be leading a
workshop for Church Champions on May
17–18, 1999 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
This workshop seeks to answer two basic
questions:
• How are innovative ideas
spread through a system
• How can Church Champions
use the diffusion principles
to speed adoption of new
techniques
Innovators
Early
Adopters
Early
Majority
Participants in the workshop will learn about
each category as well as the ability to apply it
to churches under their care. Each category
needs different means of influence to yield
maximum results.
This event is open for all Church Champions
who work with multiple congregations as well
as interested local church leaders.
Open Workshops for Church Champions for 1999
Late
Majority
Laggards
Space is limited. Registration details are found
below. Special room rates for participants
have been arranged at the host hotel, the
Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel. ■
www
www.churchchamp.org
Lay Mobilization Consultants Workshop March 21–25 Arlington, TX
Arlington Ballpark Marriott Hotel
$395 Conference Fee includes materials
The Diffusion of Innovations Workshop May 17–18 Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel
$195 Conference Fee
Special room rates available for the above events.
Leadership Network July 26–28 San Bernadino, CA
Forum Process Training Workshop
Arrowhead Springs Conference Center
$495 Conference Fee includes room/meals
To register or receive more information please call Leadership Network Customer Service at 800.765.5323
www.leadnet.org
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8
The Diffusion of Innovations Curve

1999 Large ChurchFORUMS
Starting in 1999, selected forums will be offering Enhanced
Components for those who have previously attended a minimum of two
consecutive or three non-consecutive forums. These enhanced segments will
provide specialized learning opportunities and appropriate resource people,
and will require some pre-forum preparation on the
part of participants. Of course, there will continue to be the
availability of networking and exchanging with your peers who are
the best practitioners in the country!
1999 LARGE CHURCH FORUMS SCHEDULE
The purpose of these forums is to provide a place for peers in ministry to come together
from across the country with no set agenda, papers or lectures—just a time to interact
with others in similar circumstances about common concerns. They will provide an opportunity
for intense peer interaction and idea exchange.
PLEASE NOTE
Forum attendance is by invitation only. Groups
within each forum are limited to 25 people each
and one participant per church. Participants are
pastors and staff of large churches (1,000+
adults in weekly worship attendance) who have
at least one year of ministry experience in their
current position. All forums are held at Glen
Eyrie Conference Center, Colorado Springs,
Colorado, except where noted. If you would like
to receive an invitation or recommend someone
to be invited to a forum, please contact
Leadership Network at 800.765.5323 or fax
214.969.9392.
NEW
THIS YEAR
March 15–17
Key Lay Leaders
San Diego, California
For the key lay person
who has
demonstrated ongoing,
churchwide
leadership and spiritual
influence.
April 6–8
Directors of Lay
Ministries
For pastors leading
NEW
THIS YEAR
in the area of lay
mobilization.
May 18–20
Senior Ministers
ENHANCED
One of the best sources
for senior pastors seeking
innovation and
insight into issues
regarding change.
May 18–20
Pastors’ Spouses
Provides wisdom and
encouragement from
others who understand
the unique role of being
the mate of a senior
pastor in a large church.
June 2–5
Small Groups
ENHANCED
For those with the
responsibility of overseeing
small groups in the
church.
NEW
June 7–9
Men’s Ministries
THIS YEAR
For directors of
men’s ministries.
August 23–26
Worship Leaders
For worship leaders
wanting to discover the
latest ideas and trends
in worship from peers in
large churches.
September 14–16
Outreach Ministers
For staff members
who have primary
NEW
THIS YEAR
responsibility for
the local outreach
ministries of their
churches.
September 14–16
Women’s Ministries
For directors of
women’s ministries.
October 5–7
Prayer Pastors
For those who provide
guidance, educational
training, and who practice
leading prayer in the
local church setting.
October 11–14
Business
Administrators
ENHANCED
For those responsible
for the facilities, budget,
office personnel,
accounting and general
business of the church.
“Thank you for giving me the
much-needed opportunity to
share thoughts and struggles
with others in similar situations.
That was invaluable.”
David Chadwick
Forest Hill Presbyterian Church
Charlotte, NC
November 9–11
Family Ministries
Provides insight and
effective models for
dealing with issues
unique to whole family
ministry.
November 15–18
Children’s Ministries
ENHANCED
For those who develop
and guide ministries for
children in nursery
school through sixth
grade.
December 7–10
Senior Adult
Ministries
For directors of senior
adult ministries.
www.largechurch.org
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9
3-Day Forums
$295
$345 ENHANCED
4-Day Forums
$395
$445 ENHANCED
“This was the best place I
have ever been to get fresh,
new ideas from really topnotch
people who are doing
the job.”
Gary Foran
Kensington Community Church
Troy, MI
“This type of networking is
invaluable and not available
elsewhere on a truly national
level.”
Maggie Rowe
Vision New England
Burlington, MA
“This forum gave me access to
thoughts and ideas that are difficult
to come by. It afforded a
unique view (the big picture) of
the Body of Christ.”
Joe Key
Fellowship Evangelical Free Church
Knoxville, TN
www.leadnet.org

How do we minister effectively
with youth and young adults in
our changing world
March 22-24, 1999
April 19-21, 1999
April 26-28, 1999
May 24-26, 1999
October 25-27, 1999
November 15-17, 1999
Cost of Forum:
REGIONAL FORUMS
Rocky Mountain Regional; Pathways
Church; Denver, Colorado
West Coast Regional; Calvary Church
Newport Mesa; Orange County, California
Atlantic Regional; Cedar Ridge Community
Church; Washington, DC area
Midwest Regional; Bethlehem Lutheran
Church and Colonial Church; Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Northwest Regional; Mars Hill Fellowship;
Seattle, Washington
Southwest Regional; Pantego Bible Church;
Arlington, Texas
$75.00 per person
$50.00 each for a group of four or more
$50.00 each for Church Planters
The cost covers all program materials and lunch on Tuesday. Housing
accommodations are not included. For more information and electronic registration,
visit our web site at www.youngleader.org or call 800.765.5323.
SMALL NATIONAL FORUMS
The Young Leaders Network of Leadership Network will also be
hosting four small national forums. There are specific criteria for
each of these forums, therefore, participants may attend by invitation
only. If you have questions regarding invitation criteria please visit
www.youngleader.org or contact Molly Smallen at 800.765.5323.
A national forum in six regions connecting
those doing ministry in the emerging culture.
March 31–April 2, 1999
April 21–23, 1999
June 9–11, 1999
September 8–10, 1999
Young Women Leaders Forum
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Church Planters Forum
Glorieta, New Mexico
Worship Leaders Forum
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Church Within a Church Forum
Colorado Springs, Colorado
If you’re working with people born in the
‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s, you face some unique
challenges. Our new environment requires
new skills and new mindsets. Old formulas
for pastoring simply no longer work. And
getting in tune with the most practical way to
minister in this era of change can be a
daunting task.
That’s why the Young Leader Networks of
Leadership Network will be hosting six
“Ministry on the New Edge” Regional Forums
in 1999 to bring people and inspiring
approaches together. You’ll meet with ministry
leaders from many other communities in
similar situations; and from this interaction,
you’ll leave with relationships that will help
you connect in your own world.
www.leadnet.org
These “Ministry on the New
Edge” Regional Forums exist to:
1. Provide conceptual guidance for
understanding and engaging the
emerging culture.
2. Model and facilitate discussion of
new skills for effective ministry in the
emerging culture.
3. Provide exposure to varied new
ways of expressing the faith and
being the church in the future.
4. Provide access to resources to help
young leaders be effective in the
emerging culture.
5. Help innovative leaders discover
friends for mutual encouragement,
ongoing learning and collaboration.
6. Inspire hope and action through
holistic experience of worship, conversation,
teaching, art and prayer.
0 10
Through these
forums, Young Leader
Networks hopes to
accelerate the
emergence of
effective churches by
exploring the cultural
shift upon us,
creating regional
networks of those
doing ministry in the
emerging culture, and
honing the skills
needed to work
within it.
www.youngleader.org

September 26-29, 1999
Municipal Auditorium • San Antonio, TX
Leadership Training Network presents
NEW CENTURY NEW CHURCH
Celebrating the Emergence
of a Lay-Mobilized Church
FEATURING:
Ken Blanchard, author, The One Minute Manager
Max Lucado, Christian author and Pastor
Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity
Sue Mallory, director, Leadership Training Network
Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor, Windsor Village UMC
Michael Slaughter, pastor, Ginghamsburg UMC
Wayne Cordeiro, pastor, New Hope Christian Fellowship
Bruce Bugbee, founder, Network Ministries
Greg Ogden, professor, Fuller Theological Seminary
Leadership Training Network
RethinkRetoolRenewResource
CELEBRATING THE EMERGENCE
OF A
LAY-MOBILIZED CHURCH
Join Bruce Bugbee for the First Annual National Network
Ministries Conference September 29-30 immediately following
New Century: New Church.
$295 early registration fee
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
call toll free, 877.LTN.LEAD
877.586.5323
or check out our website at
www.ltn.org
FAX 214.969.9392
See you in San Antonio!
September 26-29, 1999
Events Calendar
1999
March 19 Oklahoma City, OK One Day Forum $99
March 21–25 Dallas, TX Consultant’s Training $395
April 25–30 Sandy Cove Level One Institute $799
North East, MD
May 13* Vancouver, Canada One Day Forum
May 15* Victoria, Canada One Day Forum
*NOTE: These Canadian meetings are in partnership with The International Leadership Centre–Canada.
For information or to register call 800.804.0777
May 28–29 Portland, OR Two Day Forum $159
June 11–12 San Diego, CA Two Day Forum $159
July 16–17 Richmond, VA Two Day Forum $159
July 30 Detroit, Ml One Day Forum $99
September 26–29 San Antonio, TX LTN National Conference $299
October 22–23 Denver, CO Two Day Forum $159
November 14–19 California Level Two Institute $799
To register or for more information, call Leadership Training Network, 877.LTN.LEAD
0 11
www.ltn.org
www.leadnet.org

60 second
survey
Work is easy.
Just get the right information
to the right people
at the right time.
Visit the six on-line communities of Leadership Network
Please remember to
complete the NEXT 60-
Second Survey enclosed
with this issue!
www.leadnet.org
www.largechurch.org
www.churchchamp.org
www.youngleader.org
www.ltn.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
CAN YOU
WHAT
THE
CHURCH
OF THE
21 ST
CENTURY
WILL BE
LIKE
WE BELIEVE that the differences God has in store
will astound us! The greatest impact of this emerging
church will be on its leaders. Leadership Network’s
aim is to connect 21 st century church leaders with
one another and also to the best ideas, tools and
resources.
NetFax and Access are two publications
that will change the way you look
at things. NetFax plugs you into the networks
of ideas and emerging perspectives
derived from our research of innovative
churches, culture, business and related
disciplines. Access keeps you current with
the best books, internet sites, conferences,
audio/video-tapes, consultants and services on the
critical issues churches will face in the 21 st century.
By becoming a subscriber to NetFax now for
$48.00 a year (Canada –$58 U.S.), you’ll also
begin receiving our new monthly publication,
Access, free of charge. Both will be
delivered by fax or e-mail. NetFax will
come every two weeks (26 issues) and
Access will come monthly (12 issues).
Please call us at
1.888.LEADNET to subscribe.
from LEADERSHIP NETWORK
EXECUTIVE
MANAGING
EDITOR
EDITOR
Carol S. Childress carol.childress@leadnet.org
Colleen Townsley Hager colleen.hager@leadnet.org
INFORMATION
ASSISTANT
Vicky Perrenot vicky.perrenot@leadnet.org
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEBSITE
YOUNG LEADERS WEBSITE
Sabra C. Inzer sabra.inzer@leadnet.org
www.leadnet.org
www.youngleader.org
CHURCHCHAMPIONS
WEBSITE
www.churchchamp.org
INFORMATION CENTER WEBSITE
LARGE CHURCH NETWORK
LEADERSHIP TRAINING NETWORK WEBSITE
www.leadnetinfo.org
www.largechurch.org
www.ltn.org
NEXT is a free publication of Leadership Network and is published four times a year. To receive your free issues, please contact us
through any of the phone numbers listed below.
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE MATERIAL IN NEXT may be obtained by calling, faxing or writing Leadership Network.
Phone: 800.765.5323 inside the U.S., or 214.969.5950 outside the U.S. FAX: 214.969.9392
www.leadnet.org
0 12

The New Edge
Our world, in the midst of multiple and
significant transitions, is shifting to
“Post.” To Postmodern, Post-secular,
Post-Christian, Post-conservative, Postliberal.
And with the shift come new
rules, new needs, new answers, new
approaches and new cultural edges.
While the church must always be
present with the reality and truth of God
throughout the culture, the New Edge of
culture is both a natural and essential
place to be the church of Jesus Christ.
This special issue of NEXT reflects the ongoing
conversations among church leaders
who are ministering on the New Edge and
in particular, the more than 500 young
leaders who gathered at a Leadership
Network national forum in October to
re-evaluate how ministry is being done in
these times of transition on the edge.
We invite you to read, discuss, pray and
participate in seizing the opportunities
found on the New Edge.
Inside this
issue
the national
reevaluation forum 1
journey 2
the issues
on the new edge 3 - 8
community 3
experiential 4
mystical 5
telling the story 6
leadership 7
missional church 8
creed interview 9 - 11
yl schedule 12
next
february, 1999
special
www.youngleader.org
0
1
special edition from leadership network
The National Reevaluation Forum:
The Story of Gathering
WHERE: Glorieta, NM
WHEN: October 12-15, 1998
They traveled from all corners of North
America. From New York to Alaska.
From California to Georgia. From
Kansas to Canada. They came to
re-evaluate ministry in the context
of the Postmodern transition. More
than 500 young leaders of the new
millennium’s emerging church spent four
days listening, learning, dialoguing and
praying about the church and
ministry in a radically changing world.
Some came seeking direction. Others
were looking for “confirmation of what
God is already doing in my life and my
church.” Amidst their diversity, they have
in common a passionate heart for God
and a deep desire to live out their faith
and reveal Christ in a Postmodern world.
Cutting-edge practitioners in worship,
church planting, leadership, youth
ministry and young adult ministries
shared their knowledge and infectious
hope. Clusters of pastors and ministry
leaders gathered in “affinity groups” to
discuss everything from restoring arts
in the church and reclaiming a social
conscience to developing rave-vivals
(ministry to rave and club cultures).
Plenary sessions featured practitioners,
church theologians, thinkers and
futurists such as Rodney Clapp, Carol
Davis, Stanley Grenz, George Hunsberger,
Jimmy Long, Sally Morgenthaler,
Christine Sine, Tom Sine, Len Sweet and
Thom Wolf. Sessions included dialogues
on new leadership styles, spiritual formation,
Biblical justice, worship, the use of
story and the mystical, and the experiential
aspects of faith.
Worship times, led by teams from
churches in Washington, Colorado and
California, were rich, sweet and varied.
Ancient Scottish hymns, raucous
thundering songs of lament and praise,
candles and incense created a holy
atmosphere, calling participants to a
full sensory worship experience.
Theologians and practitioners dialogued
about their common journeys on these
uncharted paths of cultural change. They
shared their struggles and insights on
ministering in a society transitioning
from learning primarily by proclamation
and rational presentation to one where
narrative storytelling, in its many forms,
is the primary learning mode. They
compared notes on multiple models
of emerging ministries.
Young leaders found encouragement in
this community. “I used to think, ‘are
we the only church doing this’ For
the first time I’m seeing hundreds in
the same place as we are,” a pastor
commented. Others celebrated
attending the first conference where
church size and numbers weren’t even
mentioned. They loved the, “lack of
pretension, genuine humility, no head
trips and ordinary average people
seeking God.”
That the church is in transition, from
the modern age of reason to what it
will become, is undeniable. And what
it becomes will not be “programmed”
but organic. The Gospel message remains
unchanged but the maps for this journey
are still in process. Noted theologian and
semiotician Len Sweet offered this
observation: “The primary challenge
in this Postmodern transition is
navigational tools. Each person or
church becomes their own cartographer.”
In reflection, the Reevaluation Forum
was an extraordinary cartographer’s
convention.

detourby brad cecil forum participant
The sign in the
middle of the
road read
“Detour.” I
obligingly turned
and followed the
signs onto an unfamiliar
road and continued
winding through
residential neighborhoods until
I was back on the original road
beyond some construction. The
road I had been on was undergoing
major work – it appeared that they
were widening it.
“I guess the road had
been built in a different
period and had to be
redone to accommodate
the traffic patterns
of today’s travelers.”
Something similar happened
to me a few years back in
my ministry. I was
traveling down the
ministry road
that I had traveled
on for years,
but one day I ran
into a sign that read
“Detour.” Like so many
others in ministry, I had
witnessed the exodus of young
adults from our church and apart
from programs that had ancillary
attraction (meeting other single
people), I did not see much activity
among the young adults. However,
I saw this growing spirituality in
popular culture, especially among
young adults, and was confused. I
began to sense that young adults
were not just “going through a
phase” that they would grow out
of some day and “find their way
back.” It seemed that something
had happened to the way people
think. The signs on this detour
kept pointing me in a direction off
the main road.
www.youngleader.org
My detour became an intense
theological/philosophical journey.
I started exploring the issue of
Postmodernity and its effect on
our culture. I started to uncover
“understanding” that helped
explain this emerging spirituality,
pluralism, desire for dialogue, and
real community that was so prevalent
in young adults. But to be
honest, I heard little or no discussion
of it in ministry circles and
felt fairly alone on this detour –
until my journey took me through
California in 1997. I attended the
GenX 2.0 conference at Mt.
Hermon, which was disturbing
and refreshing. It was an anointed
confirmation that we weren’t
“lost,” but it was disturbing to
realize that we were on the brink
of the most significant shift to
occur in the Church in hundreds
of years and no one knew for sure
what was around the corner.
I left Mt. Hermon with my head
spinning and my heart inflamed.
Throughout the year I continued to
dialogue with fellow “journeyers”
through e-mail, phone calls,
forums and regional conferences,
and personal visits. I looked forward
to the Reevaluation
Conference in Glorieta, NM in
1998 with much anticipation.
Detour
The Reevaluation Forum was
sweet. The opening session
confirmed that this “reevaluation”
of ministry is not born in rebellion
but in necessity. The world is in a
time of transition that has not
occurred in the last 400 years;
modernism built a ministry road
that was effective . . . but is in
need of some major revision for
today’s travelers.
Stanley Grenz illustrated beautifully
how this transition will affect our
travel. While modernity starts in
doubt and requires an apologetic
of evidence,
0 2
Postmodernity
starts in community and
“community becomes the
hermeneutic and the apologetic.”
Len Sweet, the master of
metaphor, illustrated so well the
glorious task we are faced with: to
“Kiss the World.” One session after
the other kept encouraging me and
my fellow travelers to continue on
this detour while the ministry road
is undergoing some major renovation
for today’s travelers. Thom
Wolf, Carol Davis, Rodney Clapp,
Sally Morgenthaler, Brian McLaren,
and Tom and Christine Sine all
provided signs that we were
headed in the right direction.
The best part of the Forum, for me,
was the fellowship with others who
are on this detour with me. I was
so encouraged to listen to others
who wrestle with the new direction
this is taking us and the dialogue
of faith that is required because of
the unfamiliar road. The fellowship
was deeply moving – especially
communion on the last night. I
kept thinking, “How beautiful is the
Body of Christ.” If I am going to
travel these unfamiliar roads . . . I
can’t think of a better group of
people to join on this journey.
I am awed by
the time we live
in . . .
to think that
God would
entrust this
generation with
this transition
and the
responsibility
of building the road of ministry
that others will travel on for
years to come. While the road is
“less traveled” right now, I think
Frost is right . . . it makes all
the difference.
axxessbrad@aol.com

The Reevaluation Forum brought
together many of the best practitioners
and ministry thinkers in the country
today. With that degree of passion,
ideas, wisdom and perspectives in one
place it is difficult to accurately report
everyone’s experience, but there were
themes that came through in the large
sessions, affinity groups, journeys
and coffee shop discussions.
Among the many things discussed,
the following six issues came up
repeatedly and well represent a
framework for discussing the church
of the future, the church on the
New Edge.
The following issues will give a glimpse
of what was shared and discussed at the
Forum. Tapes of all the presentations
and transcripts from some of the
presentations are available through
www.youngleader.org.
Community is central to the 21st
century church. Today we are a
culture of fractured families and
changing social structures. We are
time-starved and isolated by distance,
work, individualistic pursuits
and even our neighborhoods. Yet,
we were created for community.
Community in the church of the
future is more than just making
relationships or being in a
small group.
Community is an expression of the
Gospel. It is both our hermeneutic
and our apologetic. The best the
Church has to show is how we live
in community with Christ at the
center. Father-Son-Holy Spirit is
only tangible in community.
Community is not an extra or
bonus: it is the essence of what
Christians have to offer Understanding
this reality, Rodney Clapp, senior
editor at InterVarsity Press, suggested
three characteristics of Christian
communities in the emerging culture.
we need to
talk the right talk
“Our first language is the story that
we were created by this particular
God, a God with a name, Yahweh,
a God with people, Israel, and then
later the church. Our second
language is like a missionary who
goes to a foreign country and learns
the native language. We need to
learn the second language (of this
emerging culture).”
we must
live the talk
“Modernity was a period that
separated fact from value, money
from morality. It privatized and
de-politicized faith. We bought the
idea in modernity that you can
believe whatever you want, you can
hold whatever religious convictions
you want as long as it doesn’t make
any difference in the way you live.
Postmodernity is a setting that
reminds us that convictions and
practices cannot be separated. We
can no longer simply say, ‘Don’t look
at us, look at Jesus.’ We have to
start living the talk.”
Authentic community is organic in
origin. It begins with the basics of
being the people of God in the location
0
3
in which God has placed
you. It will look different
because each area’s culture,
people and needs are different.
Community is a by-product,not a
program. “Don’t fall into the trap of
looking for the ‘right program.’ It’s not
a program and can’t be imported,”
cautioned Stanley Grenz, professor
at Regent Seminary.
be community
where we live
“The Church must be concerned about
witnessing the truth and reality of the
Gospel in the place where we live. If we
are going to embody community as the
body of Christ, then I think we have to
start where we are. We need to ask,
‘Where are there neglected people in
our community’ ‘Where is there injustice
in our community’ ‘How have people
misheard or had misrepresented to
them the Gospel in our community”
Rudy Carrasco, of Harambee Christian
Family Center in Pasadena, California,
physically lives in community
with his church and his inner-city
neighborhood. Many members live
within walking distance of each other
and become family to the family-less.
Neighborhood youth know Harambee
homes offer a continuous open door.
Rudy is modeling the ‘redeemer
kinsmen’ relationship he experienced
when, at the age of two, his father left,
and five years later his mother died.
That’s when a neighborhood church
community lived out their Christianity
and “walked me through the next ten
years of my life,” said Rudy.
www.youngleader.org

“To experience God is
often the highest form
of knowing, and the
entire worship
experience must be
more than presentation
about God.”
–Reevaluation Forum participant
People long to experience an
intimate relationship with God, and
the relationship between knowledge
and experience has shifted.
In the emerging
culture, experience
now precedes and
validates knowledge.
People experience something first
and their experience then creates
the context for learning. This is
changing the way churches do
everything from evangelism to
discipleship, from leadership development
to teaching and preaching.
The role of the leader in this setting
is changing to that of a guide and
interpreter of experience rather
than simply the deliverer of
information. The unique role of
the Christian leader is to do this
in the context of church history
and scripture. There are at least
four dimensions of the experiential
nature of the emerging culture.
personal
People desire to personally
experience nearly everything or
to hear the stories of others’
experiences. What is important is
the personal nature of experience
and the ability to share in the
experience of others. The increase
of interaction and personal
communication, the increased
interest in biographies and the
rise in interview-style talk shows
all point in this direction. Many
effective churches are finding
creative ways of providing
environments that allow people
to have experiences and to tell
their stories.
participatory
There has been a shift from
representation to participation,
according to church historian and
cultural observer, Len Sweet.
People desire to participate in all
areas of life including church.
Churches hear this call for
participation in worship,
leadership, the styles of sermons
that are effective, the identification
of vision and purpose, and all
facets of ministry.
hands-on involvement
hands-on
involvement
Many in the emerging culture
attended schools that encouraged
participatory learning, and they
work in environments that are
structured around teams and lifelong
learning. People want to serve
and are looking for places to use
their talents and abilities in both
their church and community.
Hands-on involvement in projects
such as Habitat For Humanity and
local, national and international
mission efforts are ways that
churches are providing opportunities
for direct involvement.
multi-sensory
The emerging culture engages all
the senses.
“Taste, touch and smell
become as important as
hearing and seeing.”
Churches are re-discovering that
worship is equipped to touch all
the senses, addressing the whole
person, not just the mind.
“Everything in the service needs
to preach–architecture, lighting,
songs, prayers, fellowship, the
smell–it all preaches. All five senses
must be engaged to experience
God,” explained Mark Driscoll,
pastor of Mars Hill Fellowship.
www.youngleader.org
0 4

What is Christian mysticism Author
Andrew Louth, in The Origins of
the Christian Mystical Tradition,
defines it as “the search for and
experience of immediacy with God.”
Early church mystics were those
who refused to be content with
just knowing “about” God. They
would not rest without relationship
with Him.
Why is mysticism re-emerging
today The emerging culture is less
dependent upon a scientific and
rationalistic way of thinking. The
emerging culture has moved to a
time when people crave experiencing
God for themselves.
The Church needs to be sure that
the Christian faith is accessible to
outsiders as it seeks to be a place
of spirituality and mystery. The
Church must also fight against an
individualistic form of spirituality.
In an attempt to guard against these
failures, churches are returning to
the “old” and using guided meditative
prayer, prayer walks, incense,
candles, chanting and other
historical Christian rituals.
The mystical nature of the emerging
culture is leading many churches to
focus on three areas:
an acknowledgement
of people’s
spirituality
“The issue facing many
pastors today is how to
lead already spiritual
people to become
followers of Christ.”
We are entering an era when society as
a whole is more spiritual in nature and
yet less Christian. To begin a spiritual
dialogue today, one must ask someone
about their spiritual journey. Respecting
an unbeliever’s “spirituality” is the necessary
beginning point of the conversation.
Some who come to church seeking
a spiritual experience with God
would be disappointed to only hear
information about God.
an appreciation
of mystery and
wonder
Christians are recovering a sense
of the mystery and awe of God.
Karen, a college student and
Forum participant, described her
experience of being reared in
a typical conservative evangelical
church but finding herself increasingly
discontent.
“In the church I grew
up in there was no
imagination, no mystery,
no beauty. It was all
preaching and books
and application.”
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Then she and a group of friends
visited a more liturgical church that
valued the mystery of the faith. It
added a whole rich new dimension
to her spiritual life. “I truly worship
there. It’s the wonder, the beauty I
love,” said Karen.
a return to the
creative
arts
When Martin Luther nailed his
theses to the door, they inadvertently
inspired Reformers to correct the
church’s “ills” by destroying many
statues and paintings. Throughout
the Reformation, Christian knowledge
increased while interest in the
arts dwindled. By the nineteenth
century, pious Christians abandoned
the arts and deemed them “worldly.”
“The arts and faith were
torn apart.”
Today, leaders of churches in the
emerging culture welcome the arts
as part of their worship, recognizing
that creativity always points to, and
glorifies, the Creator.
“What’s been missing in all our
modern churches is beauty,”
observed a senior pastor at the
forum. “Maybe, like the woman who
stole into the Pharisee’s house with
a box of costly perfume, we need to
return beauty to our worship. We
are a sensate people and worship
involves more than just song.”
www.youngleader.org

The beginning questions people ask
today are not “what and why,” but
“where and when.” Because there is
a lack of universals in the emerging
culture, there is little context or an
over-arching story for understanding
and dealing with the issues of
life and history. The Church has
The Story that is uniquely qualified
to create an understanding of the
“where and when” of human history
and personal predicament.
from storytelling
to telling the
story
“Telling The Story is best
accomplished through
the use of stories, but
they are not the same
thing. An effective
pastor today must be a
teller of The Story, the
great Biblical, Genesis to
Revelations Story, not
just a good storyteller.”
This means that all communication
must be done in light of the whole
story of what God has promised to
do, has done and is doing.
Brian McLaren, senior pastor of
Cedar Ridge Community Church,
made several observations about
storytelling.
www.youngleader.org
stories invite
participation
“A story almost always involves
exploring life from the perspective
of a person in a predicament. And
that becomes a mirror for all of us
who spend the majority of our lives
in one predicament or another –
that we often call the human
predicament.”
stories are
sneaky
“A story doesn’t grab you by the
lapels and bring you close so that
you can smell the cigarettes and
coffee and Altoids on his breath.
What a story does is sneak up
behind you and whisper something
in your ear. And when you turn
around to see what it is, it kicks you
in the butt and runs and hides
behind a bush. And in so doing, a
story does something that no
abstract proposition can ever do.
It stops you in your tracks and
makes you think. It catches your
attention and won’t let go. You can’t
help it. A story can’t be argued with
or dismissed like a proposition. A
story is just sneaky. It doesn’t teach
by induction or deduction. It teaches
by abduction. It abducts your attention
and it won’t let you go until
you have done some thinking for
yourself.”
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the story is
the point
“Who is reincarnating the Word in
stories today I suppose that the
best black preachers do it a lot
more than white folk like me.
When they preach narrative
passages from the Bible, they are
not doing it to illustrate a point.
The story is the point. They believe
in the story’s magic. They don’t
want to drain it of its blood, skin it,
stuff it, mount it and present it as
an outline of abstractions and limp
moralisms the way I so often have
done. C.S. Lewis understood this,
which is why so many of us love
him. Narnia can teach you more
about hope and Heaven and
Jesus than a boxed set of my best
sermons, including the fill-in-theblank
outlines.”
“The challenge for those
communicating in the
emerging culture is
to use the wonderful
benefits of storytelling
to tell The Story to a
culture that is looking
for a context of ‘when
and where’ for the
many questions of
‘what and why.’”

“The emerging new
culture demands a new
way of leading and a
new set of leadership
skills. The new way of
leading is based on being
rather than doing.”
Leadership must always fit the
cultural setting in which it exists.
Many current leadership systems
and structures will not produce
an effective church in the
emerging culture.
Christian leadership must always
be grounded in certain leadership
principles. To that end, Carol Davis,
a practitioner of leadership development
for 25 years at The Church
on Brady, addressed the question,
“What are the essential characteristics
of a leader in any setting” “There
are a few timeless things,” said
Davis, “such as living in community,
missional in purpose, connected
to culture and, most importantly,
connected to Christ.”
the new way of
leading involves...
being an extractor
rather than the sole
creator of the vision
The leader draws out and articulates
the people’s collective vision
and then serves as its protector.
The leader asks the question, “What
are the needs, gifts, abilities and
desires of the congregation” –
followed by “How then do I serve
this community”
the new way of
leading involves...
being an interpreter
of experiences in
addition to imparting
knowledge
The leader serves as a guide
and interpreter of experience
rather than only being the deliverer
of information.
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the new way of
leading involves...
being an apostle who
leads the community
to engage, embrace
and transform the
culture
The leader must help the community
to understand, make contact with
and transform the surrounding
culture as opposed to simply serving
as a supplier of religious goods
and services.
Many pastors are not yet equipped
with the skills to pastor effectively
in the coming age. This new way of
leading requires a different set of
leadership skills including listening
and translating, extracting and
synthesizing, as well as being a
teller of The Story.
Listening and translating means
helping the community to see
how it is uniquely qualified and
equipped to minister in the
surrounding culture.
Extracting and synthesizing means
finding the inherent passions,
desires and abilities of the
community and helping them to be
expressed in useable, tangible forms
of ministry. Being a teller of The
Story means helping the community
see their existence in light of what
God has promised to do, has done
and is doing.
www.youngleader.org

The world is changing and the Church
will need to be missional in order to
be effective. In addition to the two
questions that many churches ask,
“What should we do (program)” and
“Why should we do it (purpose)”,
the Church is needing to ask another
question in order to be effective
in the coming world.
The question is one of identity –
“Who are we”
The following is an adaptation of
two chapters from the book, The
Church Between Gospel and Culture
edited by Forum presentor George
Hunsberger, that highlights some
of the characteristics of “missional”
churches and the role of the pastor
in these New Edge churches.
The Church in America is often
portrayed by the following images.
traditional model
traditional
model
The Church is a place
where religious things
happen—worship,
preaching, sacraments.
The Pastor/Leader’s role is in
the church and they represent
the church.
The congregation serves the church
and helps with doing what the church
does. The world comes to the church
for what the church has to offer.
contemporary model
contemporary
model
The Church is a
supplier of religious
goods and services.
The Pastor/Leader serves
the people by providing for
them what they need.
The congregation and the culture
use the resources of the church to
survive in the world.
missional model
missional
model
The Church is a
Body of people who
are fulfilling the
Kingdom Mission
of impacting and changing the world.
The role of the pastor/leader
changes from serving the congregation
or providing services to being
an Apostle, Poet and Prophet.
definitions for the
new role of the
pastor
The role of the pastor in missional
communities will include these
three responsibilities:
apostle
• Leads the congregation as
witnesses in lands where old
maps no longer work.
• Demonstrates how to encounter
the culture.
0 8
• Rather than recruiting new
members, holds up the Gospel to
challenge the congregation to
be apostolic.
• Helps the congregation recognize
that it is on the margin of culture
and is called to penetrate and
change the culture, not simply
be
poet
a resource for the culture.
poet
• Articulates the congregation’s
experience in culture, identifying
and expressing the soul of the
people.
• Serves as listener and observer,
sensing the experience of the
Body and giving that experience
a voice.
• Knows that the congregation
and culture cry for something
more than self-development or
techniques of success; they are
crying to be connected to a world
that calls them beyond themselves.
• Begins the process of calling
out an alternative vision for
God’s people, so that the
congregation hears their story
as God’s pilgrim people.
prophet
• Addresses the Word of God
directly to the specific, concrete
historical experience of the
people of God.
• Provides hope for the community
through Biblical witness that it
exists for the life of the world.
• Calls forth a different story for
God’s people, a people who are
out on a mission journey that
calls them far beyond themselves.
www.youngleader.org

CREED INTERVIEW
One of the hottest new bands in the
country is a group called Creed, led
by Scott Stapp, and named
Billboard magazine’s 1998 Rock
Group of the Year. Their first album,
My Own Prison, went platinum in
seven months, with sales of over
3 million. Many are drawn to the
group because of the spiritual
message found in their lyrics.
Recently, Doug Pagitt and Chris
Seay of Leadership Network spent
some time with Stapp, and his
video interview was shown at the
Reevaluation Forum. The following
excerpts are from the interview.
Doug: Now I’m intrigued by a
couple of things – your willingness
to do this interview and why it was
of interest to you. You must get
requests all the time. Do you grant
every interview that’s requested
Scott: You know, I don’t know
why. Maybe it’s just because it’s
my first Christian interview. Or
my first interview with religious
people. I’ve never done an interview
with any religious publication.
When the secular media asks me
questions, ninety percent of them
have no background in religion so
they don’t even understand some
of the answers that I give them or
even some of the lyrics. I just
wanted to see what you guys were
all about and kind of get a feel for
you guys – how the Christian community
was – what they were
thinking and get a pulse on the
rational Christian community–you
know, the normal Christian people
– if you can call Christians normal.
At one point in my life I thought
that I was called to be a minister
and I think that was probably
around 9 or 10 years of age. But, I
became disillusioned by a lot of
things that happened to me by
Christian people. You know, there
were so many different things that
were going on in my mind that
made me really start to question
and want to get away and try to
figure out things on my own and
through my own search. And I’m
still there. I haven’t come to any
resolutions. Just because I felt
like, man, I guess no one else is
thinking this way or feeling this
way or has ever wanted to do this.
So I felt like I was some big evil
sinner and that I was the only one
because on Sundays everyone put
on their suits and sat on the front
row and acted like they were perfect
and had the perfect families
and the perfect lives and their kids
were great and everything was perfect.
And so for me to have these
feelings and thoughts and have no
one to identify with just even isolated
me more in an environment
where I was supposed to feel love
and understanding and compassion.
It’s refreshing to hear you
say that there are churches that
aren’t like that. I wish that I could
get ahold of one youth pastor that
was very, very influential in my
life. His name is Fred Franks and
I don’t know where he is right
now but he was just dynamic –
just a great guy. He was real.
He was a real guy and you could
tell he had been through some
real things.
I was thinking the other day about
when someone asked me if I was a
Christian and I looked at him and
said, ‘I don’t know, man. I still
have a lot of questions that I wish
I had answers to.’ And that’s why
I don’t want to tell anyone that I’m
a Christian. First of all, because
I don’t know if I am, but second
of all, I have a lot of questions
about that and I can’t sit here and
tell you guys that by the letter of
the law I’m a Christian or not.
I know that I believe in God and
I speak with Him every day and I
have a relationship with Him and
I feel like He speaks with me and I
feel like He’s very instrumental in
everything that I do.
(continued on page 10)
www.youngleader.org
0
9

Scott: Maybe the whole struggle
and the whole search and the
whole desire to ask questions
and find the truth is what makes
us Christians.
I hear a thunder in the distance
See a vision of a cross
I feel the pain that was given
On that sad day of loss
A lion roars in the darkness
Only he holds the key
A light to free me from my burden
And grant me life eternally
Doug: There are Christian singers
who sing whole albums and don’t
say a thing about God in them and
they are sponsored by Christian
radio stations and Christian
festivals, and then there are you
guys, sponsored by whomever
you’re sponsored by and you’re
singing about God in about every
third song, it seems like. So what
do you say to people when they
say, ‘Are you a Christian band’
scott: I say we’re not. The first
thing is the other three guys in my
band, you know, they don’t believe
the same way I do. I write all the
lyrics so they’re just kind of
thrown into these beliefs. They got
in the band to be rock stars in the
classic sense of the word. And
now, all of a sudden, they’re hit
with all this stuff that they didn’t
ask for. And this responsibility, you
know, if they want to drink beers
or whatever, I’m like, ‘Would you
please pour that in a cup before we
go to autograph sessions’ Not a
clear cup. I just don’t want you to
influence some little kid who came
to the show at 12 years old and
who is a Christian kid and thinks
we’re a Christian band. I don’t
want to be a stumbling block for
him. Whether we are or not, now
all of a sudden they have a
responsibility and they didn’t ask
for it. They wanted the partying of
being a rock star. And so it’s kind
of thrust on them because of the
lyrics and it’s put a lot of responsibility
on three other guys who
totally didn’t ask for it and they
just wanted to be like any other
typical rock star.
This album specifically was that
whole break-away thing for me
from the Church, and just kind of
setting off and dealing with the
anger. I was very angry. I was very
bitter.
Doug: In “What’s This Life For”–
when you use the swear word in
there–was that intentional to make
a statement
scott: That’s a quote. A friend of
mine had committed suicide. In
his suicide letter he wrote, ‘Now
who’s settled the God damn
score,’ and then blew his head off.
I wrote that line because that song
was inspired by that whole
(L-R) Doug Pagitt, manager of Leadership Network’s Young Leader Networks; Scott Stapp,
of Creed and Chris Seay, pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.
1 0
situation and in a situation Mark
went through.
By putting that line in there, that
song was all about trying to reach
out. Like this is what I would have
said to him if I could have talked
to him an hour before or a day
before. And I’ve gotten a lot of
criticism for that but I don’t care
because a lot of people don’t know
why I did what I did. I was very
opposed to them making an edit
on that because I wasn’t damning
God. I wasn’t saying that in anger
at God. And I can understand the
respect factor. We have to respect
people and this is a word that
even people who don’t believe in
God feel is like one of the worst
expressions that you can make. I
just really felt that it was important
and necessary to be there because
I wasn’t trying to reach people
who had their lives together with
that song. I wasn’t trying to reach
Christians. Another thing is you’ve
got to think about who you’re
trying to reach. And the people
that I’m trying to reach, they’ll
understand that and that might
make them go, whoa. And they’ll
hear that and they’ll identify with
that anger. They’ll identify with
that feeling and it’ll make them
listen. There’s an answer right
after ‘But we all live under the
reign of one king.’ This one guy
came up to me and he said, ‘I
turned your album on and I had
just finished writing my suicide
letter and I was sitting on my bed
with a gun and I was going to
blow my head off and I got to
‘What’s This Life For’ and I just
started crying. Thank you.’
I don’t want to be this band or
this writer that people don’t
understand. I want people to
understand what we’re doing. I
think a lot of people say it is really
www.youngleader.org
Note: Lyrics from the song My Own Prison from the album by the same name

eclectic and great and they will
ask, ‘What does this mean’ I
think that sometimes very creative
and artistic people use that as an
excuse for not being able to
express themselves properly.
I just think you can’t run from the
truth. As much as you want to
run – and as much as you want to
– you can’t run. One of the things
I used to tell my dad is, ‘I’m not
going to be a missionary. No way
I’m going to some Third World
country. No way.’ Okay God, did
you hear that I’m not going to be
a missionary. And I think that I
was running. I think that I’m still
running, to some degree. But the
ironic thing is that I’m running and
that I ran right into Him. And I’m
like doing the same thing that I’d
We the meek are all in one
I cry out to God
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison
be doing – I mean, I’ve affected so
many people by accident just like I
was a minister with the message
of salvation in My Own Prison. I
didn’t even think about it until after
it was done. And how many people
who have never even stepped in
a church hear My Own Prison
every day.
I asked God for this but then I
didn’t want it any more. And I
asked God – you know, I would
ask God for things when I was
young – I would be like, ‘God give
me the wisdom of King Solomon
and give me the spiritual strength
of Samson.’ I would ask Him for
all of these things. I would be like
please, help me understand and
use me and all this stuff. And then,
all of a sudden I didn’t want it any
more but He gave it to me anyway.
And He’s like, well, if I gave you all
of this stuff, you’re going to use it,
whether you want to or not. I think
that’s basically how it’s developed.
You know my songs on this album
were – there was a lot of, listen
man, I know what’s right. I know
what I’m supposed to feel is right.
I’ve been told there’s still something
missing.
I didn’t know we were going to be
on the radio or I didn’t know that
we were going to sell 3 million
records and I was going to be
doing interviews like this. We
didn’t know. I wrote them for me.
The only answer for the success is
the message. I think there’s a message
in there that needs to get out
and that God wanted to get out.
doug: It seems to me that you
guys are real nice guys that don’t
have some big machine behind
you creating an image and pushing
the thing.
Scott: What you see is what you
get. It wasn’t intentional. That’s
how we wanted it to be. We just
wanted people to say, ‘This is
Creed, this is Scott, this is Brian,
1
1
this is Mark.’ It’s not like I wake up
every day and put on my rock star
outfit. We get up and what you see
is what you get. It’s a struggle in
the sense of I want to be real and I
want to be who I am, but the public
doesn't want that. In essence,
they don’t want me to be real.
The full video interview
is available
for purchase at
www.youngleader.org.
www.
The Main LN Website
www.leadnet.org
Other LN sites which you’ll
want to check out:
www.youngleader.org
www.churchchamp.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
www.ltn.org

1999 Young Leader Networks Forum Schedule
Details for all young leader events available at www.youngleader.org
“ministry on the new edge” 1999 regional forums
Regional forum attendance is designed for those doing ministry among the
post-1960 generations.
The cost for the forums is $75 per person.
($50 for church planters and teams of four or more)
rocky mountain region
march 22 - 24
denver, co
west coast region
april 19 - 21
orange county, ca
atlantic region
April 26 - 28
washington, dc area
midwest region
may 24 - 26
minneapolis, mn
northwest region
october 24 - 26
seattle, wa
southwest region
november 15 - 17
dallas, tx
goals for regional forums:
• Provide conceptual guidance for understanding and engaging the emerging culture.
• Model and facilitate discussion of new skills for effective ministry in the emerging culture.
• Provide exposure to varied new ways of expressing the faith and being the church in
the future.
• Provide access to resources to help young leaders be effective in the emerging culture.
• Help innovative leaders discover friends for mutual encouragement, ongoing learning
and collaboration.
• Inspire hope and action through holistic experience of worship, conversation,
teaching, art and prayer.
small national forums
The Young Leader Networks will also be
hosting four small national forums. There
are specific criteria for each of these
forums; therefore, participants may
attend by invitation only. If you have
questions regarding invitation criteria,
please visit www.youngleader.org or
contact Molly Smallen at (800)765-5323.
young women leaders forum
march 31 - april 2
colorado springs, co
church planters forum
april 21 - 23
glorieta, nm
worship leaders forum
june 9 - 11
colorado springs, co
church-within-a-church forum
september 8 - 10
colorado springs, co
CAN YOU
WHAT THE
CHURCH
OF THE
21 ST
CENTURY
WILL BE
LIKE
WE BELIEVE that the differences God has in store
will astound us! The greatest impact of this emerging
church will be on its leaders. Leadership Network’s
aim is to connect 21 st century church leaders with
one another and also to the best ideas, tools and
resources.
NetFax and Access are two publications
that will change the way you look
at things. NetFax plugs you into the networks
of ideas and emerging perspectives
derived from our research of innovative
churches, culture, business and related
disciplines. Access keeps you current with
the best books, Internet sites, conferences,
audio/video-tapes, consultants and services on the
critical issues churches will face in the 21 st century.
By becoming a subscriber to NetFax now for
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Access will come monthly (12
issues).
Please call us at 1.888.LEADNET
to subscribe.
from LEADERSHIP NETWORK
For more information or questions
about this special edition, please contact Doug Pagitt at doug@youngleader.org
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
YOUNG LEADERS
YOUNG LEADERS
INFORMATION ASSISTANT
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP NETWORK WEBSITE
YOUNG LEADERS WEBSITE
CHURCH CHAMPIONS WEBSITE
INFORMATION CENTER WEBSITE
LEADERSHIP TRAINING NETWORK WEBSITE
Carol S. Childress carol.childress@leadnet.org
Colleen Townsley Hager colleen.hager@leadnet.org
Molly Smallen molly@youngleader.org
Doug Pagitt doug@youngleader.org
Vicky Perrenot vicky.perrenot@leadnet.org
Charlla L. Feller-Davis charlla@mindspring.com
www.leadnet.org
www.youngleader.org
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NEXT is a free publication of Leadership Network and is published four times a year.
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1 2
www.
The Main LN Website
www.leadnet.org
Other LN sites
which you’ll want
to check out:
www.churchchamp.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
www.youngleader.org
www.ltn.org

The days of the “Lone Ranger”
leader are numbered. After all,
even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
The shift from a single leader to a
leadership team is perhaps one of
the most difficult, yet necessary,
transitions for church leaders to
make in order to be effective in
the 21st Century. The story of
Brentwood Presbyterian Church’s
journey to becoming a teambased
congregation has many lessons
for church leaders. Leading
the Team-Based Church, a new
book by senior pastor George
Cladis, provides valuable insight
into the characteristics and
biblical foundations of creating a
church culture that fosters and
celebrates team. We thank the
staff of Brentwood for sharing
their story and Jossey-Bass
Publishers for the use of excerpts
from Leading the Team-
Based Church.
2 Gifts from the Top
Down
A PROFILE OF
TEAM LEADERSHIP
5 Leading the
Team-Based Church
by GEORGE CLADIS
7 LN Recommends
8 Large Church
NETWORKS
9 Young Leader
NETWORKS
10 Church Champions
NETWORK
11 Leadership
Training Network
V O L U M E 5 , N U M B E R 2 A P R I L • M A Y • J U N E , 1 9 9 9
One of the characteristics of effective
churches in today’s culture is their philosophy
and practice of team-based ministries
and the impact this has on their approach to
staffing and leadership development. The
specifics of structure and operationalizing this
approach vary according to the needs and
culture of each church.
Effective churches have at least the following
three key aspects in common.
Leadership is decentralized and
becomes a gift-based partnership
between pastor, staff and lay persons.
F R O M L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K
Effective Churches and Team Leadership
One of the important lessons
learned from decades and
even centuries of hierarchical
leadership is that it
tends to immobilize people.
Structure takes precedence
over mission and
highly centralized leadership
blocks the contribution of the gifts and talents
of people throughout organizations. Even
churches. Perhaps especially churches.
Making this transition in leadership does not
come naturally to a congregation. It requires
both intentionality and “spade work.” There
must be a conscious decision on the part of
the existing leaders to give their leadership
away and to literally push the ministry of the
church out the door and into the community.
It results in the mutual empowerment of people
in ministry but it also requires the hard
work of cultivating the soil of the congregation’s
culture to accept the changes.
Diffusing leadership throughout the congregation
through ministry teams often means that
the role of the staff changes. Rather than serving
as doers of ministry, they become equippers
of others in ministry and facilitators of
ministry teams. Many staff members find it
more difficult to adjust to this role shift than
the lay persons on their team because the staff
has been trained in a model of ministry that
emphasizes the “doing of ministry themselves”
rather than the “leadership of ministry
done by others.”
The leader’s abilities flow from an
authentic relationship with God.
This seems obvious, right One
cannot be an effective leader in
ministry without an authentic
relationship with God. Yet in
our professionally credentialed,
achievement-oriented
culture, it is possible to confuse
skills and competency with the inner
qualities of character, trust and integrity.
Unless leaders are connected to God in a
growing relationship sustained by spiritual
disciplines and accountability, their leadership
will ultimately prove hollow. Effective leaders
give attention to and nurture the inner side of
leadership.
The role of the pastor is determined
by their calling, gifts, needs of the
church, and the gifts of others on the
leadership team.
The leadership expectations
placed on pastors today are
often excessive. They are
expected to be all things to all
people. A shepherd. A teacher.
A CEO. A counselor. A spiritual
director. A vision-caster. A
preacher. And the list goes on and on. There
is little consideration for the calling and gifting
that is unique to each person or the particular
leadership needs of the specific
congregation. Effective churches are recognizing
that pastoral roles are best determined by
the calling and gifts of the leader in the context
of the entire leadership team and the
leadership needs of the congregation at that
time. For one pastor it might mean a teaching
role. For another, preaching or spiritual leadership
might be emphasized. With this
approach to ministry, all of the leadership
needs of the congregation are met through
the collective gifts and callings of the entire
team rather than the single leader. ■
www.leadnet.org

A
Profile of
Team
CHARLES SHIELDS LANDED HIS DREAM JOB. IN HIS SEVENTEENTH YEAR AS SENIOR PASTOR OF
BRENTWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, HE WAS NOW ABLE TO FOCUS ON USING HIS GOD-
GIVEN GIFTS TO BE THE CONGREGATION’S SPIRITUAL GUIDE, TEACHER AND PREACHER.
HOW RADICAL.
BUT IT WAS. As the congregation had
grown, so had his involvement in non-pastoral
duties, such as managing an expanding staff
and attending numerous committee meetings.
But this is more than a story about Charles
and his dream job. It is a story about how a
church intentionally moved from a traditional
pastor-staff-committee structure to a more
team-gift-based model.
This strategic staffing change was not pulled
out of mere thin air. However, some might
argue that divine intervention and human wisdom
authored the five-year staffing plan,
which led to monumental role redefinition for
this 75-year-old congregation.
Brentwood, located in Los Angeles, had consistently
grown under Shields’ leadership.
Seventeen years ago, membership numbers
stood at 500, with far less than that in worship.
Now, over 1300 names fill the rolls, with
four Sunday services and over 100 ministries
available for adults and youth.
www.leadnet.org
Brentwood’s normal response to growth had
been to add staff, change staffing patterns,
plan and re-plan. “The church had grown to a
place where we were thinking about adding a
fourth ordained pastor, or to staff ourselves
another way—and that was a significant commitment,”
explained Shields. “We realized we
had more work than our paid and unpaid
staff could manage. We needed to add staff,
but we first needed to identify a clear plan,
a rationale.”
With that, the POPA Task Force was created.
Fourteen key lay leaders—representing two
committees, Planning and Organization, and
Personnel and Administration (POPA)—were
called together to create this five-year staffing
plan which ultimately provided a blueprint for
how the church wanted to staff itself based on
the ministry and values they held.
“This was a huge shift,” explained Sue
Mallory, director of Leadership Training
Network and former director of lay ministries
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at Brentwood. “Borne out of the desire to
recognize and protect the gifts and boundaries
of our staff and their families, the lay
leaders risked creating a new visionary
plan that brought home the values of a
lay-driven church.”
Eight months later, the plan was unveiled.
Research findings included results from a
time and motion study and interviews with
staff and key lay leaders. The plan included
the creation of a Preferred Pastor Profile. The
Profile specifically laid out what the church
wanted their ordained pastors to do and not
to do. “What it said,” remarked Shields, “is
that Brentwood wanted their pastors to teach,
preach, identify and hold up their vision of
what God wants them to do. They wanted us
to give spiritual guidance and direction and be
available for emergency pastoral care. Some
optional things might be counseling and
involvement in selected committees.”
(Continued on page 3)

Ultimately, it was decided not to add
a fourth ordained pastor, but to create a leadership
team made up of pastors and directors
and an operations executive.
Directors would be full-time,
responsible for Lay Empowerment,
and Children and Youth ministries.
They would have some theological
training beyond their personal
church experience, would be able
to train, equip and empower
others, and have more of a
teaching role.
A second new position of Ministry
Coordinator was also added. This
20-hour-per-week support role
was responsible for children and
adult ministries, adult fellowship,
worship and music, deacon care
giving, and mission in society.
Lynn Cheyney, Brentwood’s associate
pastor of six years, recognizes
that today, the world beyond the
church often views coordinators as
administrative assistants and is
seeking to reshape the position to
build more empowerment into it.
“Titles are being re-studied, along
with pay scales,” she explained.
“The POPA recommendations were
a major move toward freeing up all
pastoral staff from time-consuming
administrative and committee work
and truly enabling people to work
within their gift-mix,” explained
Shields.
But there was one factor in the equation no
one had counted on. A few weeks into the
approval of the plan, Shields was diagnosed
with advanced prostate cancer and took a 20-
month partial leave of absence. “I worked
part of the time, focusing on preaching and
worship leadership, stewardship and development,
and vision interpretation,” explained
Shields. “During that time, Lynn became acting
head of staff. She worked in concert with
the new operations executive to manage the
administrative duties as I continued to fight
the cancer battle. She did a superb job of
building team, which was clearly her gift.”
Cheyney facilitated weekly staff meetings, creating
a format that encouraged collaboration;
she rarely provided opinions until all had an
opportunity to speak. However, as Cheyney
explained, along with the successes of building
a team, numerous “internal earthquakes”
also erupted.
Charles Shields
Sue Mallory
Lynn Cheyney
New roles and reporting structures, unclear
job expectations, and unfamiliar job titles and
descriptions all added to these seismic
tremors during the initial months.
Deacons, who previously reported
directly to senior pastoral staff,
had to adjust to working through
ministry coordinators and directors.
Pastors had to learn new
ways of relating to elders, working
with the coordinators and not
around them. Previously successful
ways of “doing business” at
Brentwood screeched to a halt.
The new roadmap was riddled
with detours, potholes, new paths
and redefined boundaries.
“But we had committed to the
value of the plan,” said Mallory.
“With the support of the POPA
team, open and ongoing discussions
in staff meetings and a lot of
grace, we worked through the
challenges.”
Now four years later, with the
“internal earthquakes” minimized
to an intermittent tremor, “people
are now getting our best gifts from
us, so ultimately, it was the best
plan,” explained Cheyney. “It is
truly phenomenal. With Charles
back the congregation is getting
what the church needs from all
the pastors—teaching, preaching
and discipling—not that those
roles are restricted to pastors.
But, the way I spend my day now is very different
than four years ago. This plan has
allowed me to teach two or three times a
week in different settings and provide one-onone
spiritual direction. If I am called into a
committee meeting, I am not called to manage.
I address vision and mission questions
and help them theologize around how God fits
into their ministry,” said Cheyney.
What enabled the POPA plan to work so well
was the congregational buy-in, explained
Mallory. “The leadership core got it. They
realized that you have to die to live. We went
through an incredibly painful transition period,
but God’s grace can get you through anything.
Imagine leaders having to be authentic
enough to admit that they can’t do it all. This
plan truly allows people to live out their gifts
and strengths.”
Dreams jobs. They happen. Go figure. ■
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with CHARLES SHIELDS
Senior Pastor
Brentwood Presbyterian Church
Los Angeles, CA
NEXT: What are the two top
learning points you would pass on
to other pastors
Shields: I would ask them to not
see their job as running the church,
but as empowering the people of
God to be the ministers they are
called to be. Leaders come and go,
but there will always be a body of
people, and they need to claim the
ministry God has given them.
Recognizing this makes me feel
totally different internally. I take my
reward in seeing the payoff through
people living out their gifts.
NEXT: What is the other learning
point
Shields: It’s pretty simple.
Trust God.
NEXT: So, what’s the key learning
point for leaders who may be considering
a new way of restructuring
their team
Shields: Well, a congregation
must be very intentional about
how it structures itself. It starts
with the premise that all of us are
ministers. In the back of our bulletin
under “Ministers” we have
listed,“All of us.” Therefore, if we
believe that, then how we organize
ourselves, who we hire, enables all
of us to be ministers. I have a dual
role. First, I am a Christian. I have
given my heart to Christ. I am
called to the ministry. I also happen
to have gifts that have led me to be
in the pastorate.
Interview conducted by Colleen Townsley Hager
www.leadnet.org

Ken Blanchard is chairman
of Blanchard Training
and Development, Inc., an
international training
company. He is the author
or co-author of 12 books,
including the One Minute
Manager series. He is a
visiting lecturer at Cornell
University, where he also
serves as Trustee Emeritus.
Additionally, Dr. Blanchard
has played a key role in
several Leadership Network
and FaithWorks learning
events in recent years.
into problem solving, the better. I’m sad, too,
that John Wayne is dead, but today you can’t
make it anymore with just a horse and a couple
of guns. We all need each other.
NEXT: Some people think that with a
team there is need for a leader.
Is this true
Blanchard: Teams always need leadership.
Whether that leadership comes from a formal
leader or arises out of the group will depend
on the organizational culture. Every team,
though, needs attention on goal achievement
as well as group maintenance.
There are four stages to team development.
The first stage is orientation or the process of
getting direction. Teams need a person or a
process to help them develop a charter which
will clarify their mission, values and goals,
and the roles and responsibilities each will
play. Starting a new team off with a non-directive
participative style will not work. The
boundaries have to be established. Once a
team gets underway it often gets moved to the
second stage, which is dissatisfaction. It is
always tougher to work as a team than people
anticipate, and maybe the circumstances or
members’ behavior are not as expected.
During the dissatisfaction stage, which is very
natural, a group needs direction, support and
as think tanks—a forum to theoretically discuss
visions or direction for a community of
people. Committees act as the steering wheel
of the vehicle, while teams are the engine and
wheels. The team’s duty is to actively pursue
the vision and goals of the entire group—not
to simply discuss them. Talents and particular
skills are sought-after and harnessed together
onto a team in order to work toward the end
result everybody holds as supremely valuable.
It is the team that ultimately drives you to your
vision.
NEXT: What are the two or three key
characteristics of effective teams
Blanchard: Based on significant research,
we developed an acronym to describe the
important characteristics of a high-performing
team: P. E. R. F. O. R. M.
P stands for purpose. A high-performing team
needs to know where it is going and what its
purpose and goals are. E stands for empowerment.
To function well, a team needs to
have the power to make decisions and do
what is necessary to accomplish its goals. R is
relationship and communication. High-performing
teams communicate well and have a
high sense of trust among members. F stands
for flexibility. While a team needs to know
where it’s heading and what its goals are, it
It is the team that ultimately drives you to your vision.
An
Interview
with
Ken Blanchard
NEXT: Are there circumstances in
which a team is not appropriate
Blanchard: We feel that there are few
occasions when teams are not better than
individuals. In fact, one of our favorite sayings
is, “None of us are as smart as all of us.” The
more thinking and perspectives you can get
www.leadnet.org
a coach. The third stage is called integration;
the team begins to develop some group
norms and ways of operating. If there is a
leader, the leader can mainly play a supportive
role with the group providing its own
direction. If the appropriate leadership is provided,
then a team can get to the fourth and
final stage, which is called production. Now it
is operating on all cylinders. If you walked
into a meeting, you wouldn’t know who was
in charge.
Managing a group through these various
stages of development is an important leadership
role. If the members understand the
stages of group development, they can possibly
designate their own leaders, but whether
the leader comes from inside the group or
outside, they definitely have a need for active
leadership.
NEXT: What are the differences
between team and committee
Blanchard: A committee is formed by a
group of individuals called to design a specific
task or figure out a way to meet certain needs
of the group. Committees are often regarded
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has to be able to change direction when circumstances
demand. O stands for optimal
performance. The reason you form a team is
to accomplish a goal. R refers to recognition
and appreciation. In order to feel good about
themselves, team members need to be recognized
and appreciated for their efforts.
Catching people doing things right is very
important in a team environment. And finally
M stands for morale. People need to feel
good about being part of a team. A high-performing
team, where people are feeling discounted,
unappreciated and not involved, will
never be a strong team. Morale is a barometer
of the human condition of any team.
NEXT: What is the single-most important
“glue” that holds a team together
Blanchard: It is a clear purpose and set of
values and goals. It has been said that a river
without banks is a large puddle. So, the first P
in the P.E.R.F.O.R.M. model starts the process
and is the glue that keeps the team together.
NEXT: What difference does faith make
in the context of leadership
Blanchard: As effective leaders, we need
(Continued on page 12)

Leading the Team-
Based Church
by George Cladis
The following are excerpts from the
recently-released Leadership Network
book, Leading the Team-Based Church by
George Cladis and co-published with
Jossey-Bass.To order a copy, call
888.378.2537 or 800.956.7739, or
contact your local bookstore.
The most effective churches today are ones
that are developing team-based leadership.
Effective leadership teams in the Church of
Jesus Christ look to Scripture and Christian
theology for their direction and shape. The
biblical and theological model for team-based
ministry is based on the triune nature of God.
In different cultural contexts, different images
of God have served as, in the language of
Lawrence Hoffman, master images. These
controlling images have an effect on how we
think about relationships and community,
although we are often unconscious of it.
The postmodern world is an image-oriented
world. The flow of images across our brains
is training our minds to think more in
images than in words.
And these
images have an
effect on how
we order the
world around us
and conceive of
human
community.
In my search for
meaningful ways to
build and lead ministry
teams in a postmodern
world, I began to wonder
what biblical master image
could guide me as a church
leader. In the seventh century,
John of Damascus, a
Greek theologian, described the relationship
of the persons of God (Trinity) as perichoresis
which means, literally, “circle dance.” A
perichoretic image of the Trinity is that of the
three persons of God in constant movement in
a circle that implies intimacy, equality, unity
yet distinction, and love.
The perichoretic model of God calls into
question the traditional hierarchies of power,
control, and domination that have formed the
basis for church leadership in the past. The
George Cladis
postmodern era, however, calls for new leadership
structures and the New Testament provides
better examples of leadership than
empire leading and maintaining. From the
model of God as perichoretic community, we
can derive seven key characteristics of church
leadership teams that are both spiritually
meaningful and practically effective for ministry
in a postmodern world.
THE COVENANTING TEAM
Just as God covenanted with us, so we seek to
covenant with one another as a basis for a
good community. Ministry teams are communities
that covenant to be in fellowship together
and live out the love of God. The
members covenant with one another both
to be in a relationship of God’s love and
agree on their process and plans and
the ways to move toward their fulfillment.
The covenant, either written or
verbal, describes and defines the
team members’ relationship as a
ministry team. Ways and methods
of doing ministry are defined and
agreed upon. The covenant forms
the basis for their community.
Ministry teams that covenant to
be in community with one
another and have a central
purpose are a powerful unit
of ministry. Their power
comes not from themselves but from the
Spirit, who acts to create their community,
gives them a sharp vision for ministry and
binds them one to another. Although team
covenants may specify what constitutes good
working relationships, the goal of the
covenant is not to create tight boxes for conformity.
Rather, the covenant gives order to
passion and sets forth loving and honorable
ways to be in relationship with one another.
Churches around the country are beginning to
discover the value of implementing various
kinds of covenants to form the basis for
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A New Resource for
21st Century Leaders
The emerging models of effective
churches call for the development of
new resources for 21st Century
church leaders as they lead congregations
in making the transition from an
institutional-based church to a
mission-driven church.
Leading a Team-Based Church is
the first in a new imprint series of
books co-published by Leadership
Network and Jossey-Bass Publishers,
Inc. designed to provide church leaders
with resources on the practice of
ministry in the 21st Century, leadership,
organizational design, cultural
understanding, and mobilizing and
equipping people for service.
Published as part of Jossey-Bass’
Religion-in-Practice series, other
books in production are on topics
that include the integrity and heart of
the leader, and processing change in a
congregation.
According to Carol Childress,
Leadership Network’s information
broker and project liaison with
Jossey-Bass, a primary goal of the copublishing
venture is to identify and
showcase the leading thinkers, practitioners
and churches who are the
new models of effectiveness and innovation
among 21st Century churches.
“Leadership Network is committed
to discovering the best resources that
will enable church leaders, and in turn
their congregations, be effective in the
context of this next century.This
series offers a wonderful opportunity
to do that.” For more information on
the Leadership Network imprint
series, visit our website at
www.leadnetinfo.org.
Jossey-Bass is acknowledged as a leading
publisher for the non-profit, leadership
and management markets. Its
books are characterized by their
combination of theory, insight, innovation
and practice. For more information
on Jossey-Bass, visit their website
at www.josseybass.com.
www.leadnet.org

members of church ministry teams to work
together. I have heard some argue that
covenants, whether verbal or in writing, are
not needed. In my experience, however, and
that of many others, healthy, team-like conduct
is not readily practiced on church staffs
and other ministry groups. The intent to live
the Gospel in relationships can be present, but
the actual doing of it falters. In most cases,
teams have relational problems not because
of a single culprit acting intentionally but
because of the dysfunctional behavior that
goes unrecognized and unaddressed.
Covenants help solve this problem by giving
team members standards of good group
behavior and relationships.
THE VISIONARY TEAM
Scripture reveals the activity of God as Father,
Son and Holy Spirit moving and acting in our
midst with a clear purpose. Effective ministry
teams are those that cast a vision that unites
people around a God-given cause. Visionary
teams are motivated by a strong sense of mission
and purpose. They know where they are
going and work to align their energy and
effort toward fulfilling their divinely inspired
purpose. They sense that their work has ultimate
meaning. They sense that they are proceeding
to do something highly significant,
and they are clear about what each team
member’s role is in accomplishing the objective.
The vision is like a drawstring that pulls
the organization together and focuses it on its
particular mission. The energy, spiritual gifts,
resources and organizational structure of the
church are aligned with the vision.
www.leadnet.org
THE CULTURE-CREATING
TEAM
The community of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit is a culture of love. God calls the
Church of Jesus Christ to exhibit the Kingdom
of God to the world. We are to be culture creators.
It might even be more accurate to say
we are enabled by God to be counterculture
creators.
The postmodern world is full of culture creators.
Ministry teams endeavor to create the
culture of the perichoretic fellowship of God.
In doing so they, and thus their churches,
offer an alternative to the destructive and dysfunctional
cultures around us. The team-created
culture that is specific to the vision for
the church’s ministry becomes the basis for
the congregation’s culture as well. The leadership
team immerses itself in a culture it then
cultivates within the congregation. When we
build a strong team and church culture, we
will attract those who resonate with the mission
supported by that culture. Creating
Christian culture means developing the symbols,
themes, activities, values and structures
that reinforce the faith and purpose of a given
congregation. Ministry teams that make a difference
are inspired and equipped by God to
shape this culture.
THE COLLABORATIVE TEAM
There is no competition among the persons of
God. The idea that the Son would work
against the ministry of the Spirit is entirely
incongruous with the nature of God. That the
Father would be jealous of the Son is absurd.
There is, in the nature of God, what we might
call perfect collaboration.
Team ministry has a solid biblical and theological
foundation that, in most cases, sets it
above Lone Ranger heroics as the most meaningful
way to serve in the church. A team that
learns how to discern
the spiritual gifts of the
individual team members
and have members
work together,
pray hard, share information
and energy in
order to move toward a sharply defined mission,
vision, or cause is an extremely powerful
unit of ministry.
Collaboration is not uniformity. Collaboration
is coming to the table with spiritual gifts to be
used in ministry. When the gifts are freely
offered for ministry, God blesses and creates
the spiritual synergy resulting from the team
members’ collaboration. Collaboration works
against competition. Collaboration is the art
and skill of negotiating community, networking
gifts, and focusing individual contributions
to fit into the larger movement of the faithful
fellowship.
THE TRUSTING TEAM
God exudes trust. The perfect community of
the Trinity implies perfect trust. There is no
sense that the Son betrays the Father or the
Spirit lies and is deceitful. Scripture instead
reveals that God keeps His promises, creates
and holds to covenants, and establishes trust.
Church leadership teams must model trust.
They must work to keep it. When it is lost,
they must work to regain it. Churches, like
people, thrive and blossom in environments of
trust and become ugly and schismatic when
overwhelmed by distrust. The ways a church
leadership team builds and retains trust
among its members and exhibits trust to the
church at large will determine, in a large part,
how well trust becomes a part of the total
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fabric of the congregation. When we discuss
trust, we deal with the greatest possibilities —
and the greatest threats—for leadership
teams and congregations.
THE EMPOWERING TEAM
Perichoretic leadership lifts up the responsibilities
of others rather than taking responsibility
away. Ministry team members take
appropriate risks to innovate and surrender
their responsibility in order to empower others.
Their task is to empower others so that
they may learn and grow and be all that God
calls them to be.
Effective ministry teams in the postmodern era
are empowering teams. They have put aside
the older, hierarchical models and spread out
the authority and responsibility of doing ministry.
Leadership no longer means taking control,
dictating or giving orders. Gone also are
the more subtle
forms of controlling,
such as using
theological degrees
to lift oneself above
others with the
implication that
“clergy know best.” Because of the strong
biblical support for the ministry of the people,
those theologically trained find it their responsibility
to emphasize the growth and development
of the people of the church into
ministers of the Gospel.
One of the marks of highly innovative and lifefilled
churches today is the giving away of
ministry to the people in ways that resemble
the ministry of the early church. Clerics in
these churches function as coaches, giving
advice to, equipping, training and encouraging
those in the front lines of ministry: the
people. These teams reinforce the concept
that there is no such thing as a passive
Christian; all of us are called to mission and
ministry. Empowering teams build strong,
enduring churches because the responsibility
for the mission of the church is widely shared.
Make team building more
than a technique—
make it a lifestyle.
THE LEARNING TEAM
Effective ministry teams are ever-growing and
open to new discoveries. They have an insatiable
appetite to learn. The learning team is
not satisfied with its present state but seeks to
grow spiritually and to know more about
doing ministry in more effective and meaningful
ways. From trial and error, learning teams
build a depository of learnings that help them
be more effective in ministry. They take risks
in innovation. They allow for failure because
they know that failure is a form of learning
and growing. ■

Recommends
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Co-Leaders, The Power of
Great Partnerships
David A. Heenan and Warren Bennis
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999, $24.95
800.225.5945
“For all but the simplest tasks, we need
teams of leaders working toward a common
purpose.” This is a very good book
about partnerships, collaboration, and
the need for a gifted number-two person
in an organization. Full of stories and
summary lessons for co-leaders, it is
valuable reading for senior and executive
pastors and other leadership teams.
Discontinuity and Hope,
Radical Change and the Path
to the Future
Lyle E. Schaller
Abingdon, 1999, $16.00
800.672.1789
The past forty years in the American church
have been marked by an unprecedented
degree of discontinuity. In vintage Schaller
style, complete with lists, he not only identifies
the consequences of this period of
radical change, but calls our attention to
them as signs of hope for the future of
Christian churches in America. This is
important reading for church leaders seeking
to be effective in ministry in the future.
Culture Shift, Communicating
God’s Truth to our
Changing World
David W. Henderson
Baker Books, 1998, $10.99
800.877.2665
“The world has moved, but it neglected to
send a change of address card. We keep
delivering the same words to the old
address, but no one is home.” Henderson
describes six crucial changes that have
shifted Western culture and suggests a
biblical response to each one. He argues
that we have become consumers, spectators,
and self-absorbed and think beyond
God, beyond right and wrong and beyond
meaning and purpose.
What Kids Buy and Why,
The Psychology of Marketing
to Kids
Dan S. Acuff
The Free Press, 1997, $20.00
800.323.7445
This will be useful to anyone who works
with children...teachers, parents, children’s
ministers. It is less about selling and more
about understanding the cognitive, emotional
and social needs of children at various
developmental levels from birth
(dependency) to 19 (late adolescence).
The Disney Way, Harnessing
the Management Secrets of
Disney in Your Company
Ginghamsburg Conferences
(937) 667-1069
www.ginghamsburg.org
Summer Series:
Media Reformation, July 19; Creating
the Wired Church, July 20; Connecting
People To Their God Destiny, Mobilizing
the Laity in Your Church, July 20.
Change Conference 1999:
Revolution-Ancient/Future Church,
September 17-18. This is a not-to-miss
learning event for any ministry leader
wanting a glimpse at the future of the
church.
Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson
McGraw-Hill Publishers, $21.95
800.722.4726
This is not a Mickey Mouse book. It is the
story of a company that is perhaps the single-most
influential shaper of contemporary
culture and how they built their success on
four powerful words: dream, believe, dare
and do. Framed around ten principles and
practices, each chapter concludes with
questions for reflection.
www.mmm.com/meetingnetwork/
is the web address of 3M’s Meeting
Network, a useful site that includes a variety
of information and tools related to
effective meetings. Feature articles change
monthly and you can also sign up for their
e-mail newsletter.
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7
Local Church-Based
Foundation Conference
Fourth Partner Foundation
903.509.1771
If your church has a charitable foundation
with a minimum of $1 million in assets, this
is your opportunity to connect with other
local church-based foundations. The Fourth
Partner Foundation is hosting its first forum
for leaders of church-based foundations. It
will be held in the second half of 1999. Call
Fred Smith for more details.
www.leadnet.org

This is a new column in NEXT dedicated to identifying
trends that have been started in, or are
emerging from, the large church. One such trend
that has been around for some time and is rapidly
being deployed throughout the country is
the relatively new position of executive pastor.
Bob Feitl, executive pastor of Calvary Community
Church in Westlake Village, CA has written an
excellent descriptive article on the role of the
executive pastor. The following is an excerpt from
Feitl’s article:
Wherever you go today, everyone is talking about
vision, and rightfully so! Vision has correctly been
identified as the central guiding motivation for any
organization. According to George Barna, “Vision is a
clear mental image of a preferable future imparted
by God to His chosen servant, based on an accurate
understanding of God, self and circumstances.”
But a vision without an implementation strategy is
a vision that gets blurry and dim, and too distant
to compel passionate commitment. That’s why Ken
Blanchard says, “Vision alone can’t get it done. Too
often we spend all our time on vision and none
on implementation.”
It is for this very reason that in the emerging
megachurches of the last twenty years, the new
role of executive pastor has developed into that of
a partner with the senior pastor.
The executive pastor is not a manager, but rather
a leader. John Kotter says that “Management is
about coping with complexity whereas leadership,
by contrast, is about coping with change.” The
executive pastor leads change through a process of
coaching, motivating, inspiring, affirming and
empowering.
Not a clone of the senior pastor, but a counterpart,
a profile of this relatively new breed of clergyman/leader
known as the executive pastor
requires an unusual and not-frequently-found marriage
of talents, gifts and abilities. To be successful,
the executive pastor must have a happy marriage
of diverse spiritual gifts such as leadership and
pastoring, administration and faith.
In relation to the senior pastor, the executive pastor
is partner, protector, shield, defender, confronter,
encourager and reality check. The executive pastor
prepares the way ahead for the senior pastor, but
also turns and follows behind, assuring that the
details of implementation and execution can, and
will be, carried out.”
A copy of the full article on the role of executive
pastor is available by contacting Pastor Bob Feitl
via email at bfeitl@calvarycc.org, or at Calvary
Community Church, 5495 Via Rocas, Westlake
Village, CA 91362.
www.leadnet.org
This past March, more than forty people from across the country came
together in San Diego, California, to participate in the first Large Church
Forum for Key Lay Leaders - the lay person in the church who
has demonstrated ongoing, church-wide spiritual and leadership
influence. Here's what a few of the participants had to say
about the Experience:
“My needs and expectations were well met.The opportunity to exchange stories and
share in the learning process was supportive and encouraging, and promoted increased
learning and enthusiasm.”
Mark Zipper
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Burnsville, MN
1999 LARGE CHURCH FORUMS SCHEDULE
The purpose of these forums is to provide a place for peers in ministry to come together
from across the country with no set agenda, papers or lectures—just a time to interact
with others in similar circumstances about common concerns. They provide an
opportunity for intense peer interaction and idea exchange.
AUGUST 23–26
SEPTEMBER 14–16
SEPTEMBER 14–16
OCTOBER 5–7
OCTOBER 11–14
NOVEMBER 9–11
NOVEMBER 15–18
DECEMBER 6-8
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“This Forum provided great insight into the many
ways God is working in his church.”
Dick Geer
Kempsville Presbyterian Church
Virginia Beach, VA
“I have reflected often and in depth on this excellent Forum.
I have shared the notes and concepts with my senior pastors
and church leaders. We were encouraged to know of the
diverse approaches to effective ministry and the consistent
vision to share Christ from a Kingdom-based perspective.”
Grace Sweatman
MGT Family Church
Toronto, ON
Worship Leaders
Outreach Ministers
Women’s Ministries
Prayer Pastors
Business Administrators
ENHANCED
Family Ministries
Children’s Ministries
ENHANCED
Senior Adult Ministries
800.765.5323
www.largechurch.org

Personal thoughts from Doug Pagitt, Manager of the Young Leader Networks.
TOGETHER … We vs. Me
is better any day.
While it is always easier to describe the past than to
predict the future, let me suggest how we may need to
do ministry in the transitional world of the future.
Together.
People easily talk about working together and doing
ministry in “community.” However, it often takes
more work and patience than they realize. Here
are six suggestions for ministering together.
WE MUST KNOW WE NEED IT
If we are going to do ministry together, we
need to believe in the very depths of our
souls that working together is a necessity.
This is not some new-Millennium-feel-good
notion, but rather, a reality of the world in
which we live.There is no way any one of
us is going to discover “The Code” and
create “The Model” for the rest of us.We
are in a much better place if we decide to
learn from, and build on, one another at
every turn and step along the way.
BE WILLING TO DO THE
HARD WORK
We are all busy.We are tempted to not do
things that seem good - that don’t give
immediate results. But let’s be sure to take
the long, holistic — and might I say —
Christian view.Work together even when
it means moving a bit slower and less
effectively. In the long run, what we do
together produces a richer tapestry and
result than what is produced individually.
What we are able to accomplish together
will shine brighter than the few “urgent”
things we didn’t get done on our own.
WE NEED TO KNOW AND
LOVE EACH OTHER
Let’s be committed to our fellow ministers
and not just to what we can learn from
them. In my nearly two years with
Leadership Network I have often been
asked what I have learned and the innovations
I have seen around the country. I
have seen effective ministries nationally.Yet
the best thing I have discovered is the people
doing ministry. People are our best
commodity.They are much more important
than the ministry they produce. Let’s
believe in, invest in, bless and love our ministry
partners.
DO IT LOCALLY
As I have interacted with ministries across
the country, I have been continually surprised
(even though I shouldn’t be any
more) and saddened by how often people,
doing very similar ministry in the same or
neighboring communities, don’t even know
one another.There are organizations, like
Leadership Network, that strive to bring
people together. But, let’s take it upon ourselves
to know, encourage and support the
Body of Christ in our local areas. Allow
other organizations to support what is
already going on. Carve out time and pay
attention to those around you. Invest in
the people who are ministering in your
local area.
DO IT GLOBALLY
Perhaps the great stories of what God did
in the late 20th and early 21st centuries
will not so much emphasize the U.S. or
Western world, but will focus on the
developing nations and the many martyrs
around the globe who have given so much
0
9
for their faith. Let us allow our “togetherness”
to include these heroes through
prayer, personal visits and financial support,
including them in all the areas where ministry
is taking place.
DO IT HISTORICALLY
Let’s take encouragement from the words
of the Apostle Paul in the book of
Hebrews. Be supported by those who have
gone before us.Who “surround” us. Let’s
learn from the ministries of our predecessors.
Let’s remember that we are examples
and encouragers for generations of leaders
who will follow.Take the long view.
Consider the right thing, in the perspective
of those who will minister in the context
we create.They will be best served by the
great things we do together, rather than
the few things we accomplish on our own.
Like many of you, I am excited for
ministry in this emerging world.And
for me, the thought of going together,
hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder—into
the scary, opportunityfilled
future—is not only exciting, but
the only way to go.
For two years, Doug Pagitt has led the Young
Leader Networks. He is leaving June 15 to begin
Solomon’s Porch, a new church in Minneapolis.
You may contact him thru their website:
www.solomonsporch.com
www.youngleader.org
www.leadnet.org

LEADERSHIP NETWORK
SERVING CONSULTANTS/CATALYSTS TO CONGREGATIONS
How Leadership Network Resources Advanced Leaders
Leadership Network Forum Process Workshop
SINCE 1984, Leadership Network has used a process of leadership
development to help innovative and advanced leaders learn from one
another. It is called the Leadership Network Forum Process. In the last
several years, we have been privileged to have over 1,000 participants
each year in these targeted learning events.
These forums are organized around peer learning from one another
instead of a lecture or presentation-driven format. While the concept
seems easy to do, there are actually some critical elements to the design
and development of each forum in order to make it successful.
Last year, for the first time, Leadership Network began to teach others
how to do the forum process for groups they serve. We are pleased to
again offer a workshop for Church Champions to help them learn and
apply the forum process. Participants at last year’s workshop included
those who work for denominations, parachurch groups and church consulting
firms, as well as teaching churches. The event was filled to capacity.
Not only that, we had a lot of fun.
development programs. Participants leave with an action plan that will
enable them to move quickly to add this process to their existing leadership
development offerings. In addition, they will receive sample materials
on paper and disk that can be adapted for use in their own
organizations.
Participants reported that learning the forum process helped not only in
resourcing their advanced leaders, but also in designing appropriate
strategies to develop other church leaders under their care.
This year’s workshop will take place July 26-28 at Arrowhead Springs
Conference Center near San Bernadino, California. The cost is $495 and
includes all workshop materials, tuition, room and board for the event.
Space is limited to insure quality learning by participants.
To register for this event or receive more information please call
Leadership Network Customer Service at 800.765.5323.
Leadership Network uses this workshop to train those who moderate
its own Large Church Forums each year in addition to those
who lead these processes for other groups.
Workshop participants will learn not only the conceptual elements
but also the practical tools to jump-start their leadership
FORUMS DESIGNED JUST FOR
CHURCH CHAMPIONS
The following forums are built around the
Leadership Network Forum Process and are intended
for Church Champions:
General Consultants/Denominational Forum
August 23-25
$295
Conflict/Change Management Consultants
October 18-20
$295
Women’s Ministry Coaches and Consultants
October 18-20
$295
Family Ministries Consultants
November 8-10
$295
The above chart is one of the key concepts in understanding
advanced leadership development.
It is a resource tool used in the Forum Process
Workshop to be offered July 26-28.
ALL FORUMS ARE BY APPLICATION AND
INVITATION.TO APPLY, CALL 800.765.5323
www.leadnet.org
1
0
www.churchchamp.org

September 26-29, 1999
Municipal Auditorium • San Antonio, TX
Leadership Training Network presents
NEW CENTURY NEW CHURCH
Celebrating God’s Movement of
the New Equipping Church
FEATURING:
Ken Blanchard, author, The One Minute Manager
Max Lucado, Christian author and Pastor
Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity
Sue Mallory, director, Leadership Training Network
Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor, Windsor Village UMC
Michael Slaughter, pastor, Ginghamsburg UMC
Wayne Cordeiro, pastor, New Hope Christian Fellowship
Bruce Bugbee, founder, Network Ministries
Greg Ogden, professor, Fuller Theological Seminary
Dieter Zander, worship leader
Leadership Training Network
RethinkRetoolRenewResource
CELEBRATING GOD’S MOVEMENT
OF THE
NEW EQUIPPING CHURCH
$345 Registration Fee
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
call toll free, 877.LTN.LEAD
877.586.5323
www.ltn.org
FAX 214.969.9392
See you in San Antonio!
September 26-29, 1999
1999 EVENTS CALENDAR
June 11–12 San Diego, CA Two Day Forum $159
June 18–19 Portland, OR Two Day Forum $159
July 16–17 Richmond,VA Two Day Forum $159
July 30 Detroit, Ml One Day Forum $99
September 26–29 San Antonio,TX LTN National Conference $299
October 22–23 Denver, CO Two Day Forum $159
November 14–19 California Level Two Institute $799
A partner with Leadership Network
To register or for more information, call Leadership Training Network, 877.LTN.LEAD
1
1
www.ltn.org
www.leadnet.org

(Continued from page 4)
to look beyond ourselves to a higher purpose
and direction. Faith, more than anything,
impacts the inner core of people. Jesus was
very concerned about our inner core. He
wanted us to be servants of one another. That
means once the vision, values and direction
are set, leaders should work for their people,
not for their own power, recognition or gratification.
When He washed the feet of the disciples,
He was answering their questions,
“How do I lead”—by following, and “How
do I become first”—by being last.
Unless you have faith and know that your
main goal is to serve and honor God, effective
leadership is difficult. Why Because your ego
will get in the way. Ego stands for Edging God
Out and people who are ego-driven are concerned
about power, control, recognition and
all the temptations that move you away from
helping a team and toward self-gratification.
Through faith we understand that self-gratification
is not going to lead us to our end goal.
Effective leadership is getting everyone to
believe in the vision, even when the end is not
in sight. ■
Interview conducted by Colleen Townsley Hager
Work is easy.
Just get the right information
to the right people
at the right time.
Visit the six on-line communities of Leadership Network
www.leadnet.org
www.largechurch.org
www.churchchamp.org
www.youngleader.org
www.ltn.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
CAN YOU
WHAT THE
CHURCH OF
THE 21 ST
CENTURY
WILL BE
LIKE
WE BELIEVE that the differences God has in store
will astound us! The greatest impact of this emerging
church will be on its leaders. Leadership Network’s
aim is to connect 21 st century church leaders with
one another and also to the best ideas, tools and
resources.
NetFax and ACCESS are two publications
that will change the way you look
at things. NetFax plugs you into the networks
of ideas and emerging perspectives
derived from our research of innovative
churches, culture, business and related
disciplines. ACCESS keeps you current with
the best books, internet sites, conferences,
audio/video-tapes, consultants and services on the
critical issues churches will face in the 21 st century.
By becoming a subscriber to NetFax now for
$48.00 a year (Canada –$58 U.S.), you’ll also
begin receiving our new monthly publication,
ACCESS, free of charge. Both will
be delivered by fax or e-mail. NetFax
will come every two weeks (26 issues)
and ACCESS will come monthly
(12 issues).
Please call us at
1.888.LEADNET to subscribe.
from LEADERSHIP NETWORK
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
INFORMATION ASSOCIATE
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
LARGE CHURCH NETWORKS
YOUNG LEADER NETWORKS
CHURCHCHAMPIONS NETWORK
INFORMATION NETWORK
LEADERSHIP TRAINING NETWORK
Carol S. Childress carol.childress@leadnet.org
Colleen Townsley Hager colleen.hager@leadnet.org
Vicky Perrenot vicky.perrenot@leadnet.org
Sabra C. Inzer sabra.inzer@leadnet.org
www.leadnet.org
www.largechurch.org
www.youngleader.org
www.churchchamp.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
www.ltn.org
NEXT is a free publication of Leadership Network and is published four times a year. To receive your free issues, please contact us
through any of the phone numbers listed below.
Permission to reproduce material in NEXT may be obtained by calling, faxing or writing Leadership Network, 2501 Cedar Springs Rd. LB-5, Suite 200,
Dallas, TX 75201 Phone: 800.765.5323 inside the U.S., or 214.969.5950 outside the U.S. FAX: 214.969.9392
www.leadnet.org
1
2

The creative arts ...p oetry, music, art,
literature, drama. ..are emerging to be
significant elements of worship, ministry
and communicating the Gospel in our
2lst Century culture. We thank
Kathi Allen of Allen Research &
Communications for her research and
writing on the role of the creative arts
and Christian artist.
5 Interview: ChvkFeocgdr
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FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
The arts are a language of the soul.
They speak with eloquence and power.
A chance viewing of a painting in
then-Communist Russia moved an
observer to life-changing faith. One
scene in a play brought a young woman
to repentance and conversion. Music
emanating from a broken-down
church called to an artist passing by
and broke through lifelong barriers
against Christianity. Newspaper
headhes remrt "Poetrv's Dower
I J 1
transforms young lives."
In today's warp-speed culture, we live
in information overload. Art engages
US in reflection on the deeper issues of
life and soul. In Boston, Chicago,
Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco
and Washington, DC, more people
now attend art events than sporting
events. Art are popping up in
shopping malls. Literary readings are
held in every major city. Interest in
poetry is skyrocketing. Clearly, the arts
are speaking the language of our
culture's thirsty soul.
But there is a nagging question ... is the
church ready for a Christian arts
renaissance That was the question on
a recent cover of WmshiP L&
magazine. And it's also the burning
question in the hearts of many of
today's Christian artists.
What's the big deal Why are the arts
and faith an issue instead of a given
Two historical turning points shaped
the American Protestant church's
uneasy relationship with the arts -
the Reformation and the cultural shh
of the last forty years. Today, the church
stands at a turning point in its
(wntind on page 2)

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Jaw, as never before. the AK I 3 need a strong a~olol- lemon st rat in^ thpl
r BU3rLl rdvancinpthe Yk
-," 5 6
honor to Gc -.
relationship to the creative arts. Our
response will to some degree determine
our effectiveness and relevance in future
ministry. Church history and recent
cultural changes give us a glimpse as to
why this is so important.
"...Music was to m extent still mptabk to
tFRnz [Puritans]. The other artsfared wurst...
the Calvinistic a d Puritan m mnts had
virtually IW appreciation fur the fine av ts... the
arts were in thlves wurldly, unholy and...
a C'vristian shId wer parhipate in them."
H.R. Rookmaaker
renowned Christian art historian
THE REFORMATION During the
Reformation, the link between artistic
and sacred was severed in the Protestant
church. Overzealous reformers,
attempting to purge the church of idols
and corrupt practices, destroyed
centuries of religious art. Some Puritans
ransacked cathedrals and destroyed
stained glass, paintings, tapestries and
even communion vessels. They
whitewashed artwork on the walls and
turned seating face forward in austere
school-like fashion. Singing and
instrumentation nearly ceased. Artists
were deemed sinful and worldly.
While singing and limited
instrumentation returned fairly rapidly,
other art forms were suspect and
scorned. The pervasive shunning of
artists and deep-seated distrust of arts
can still be seen today. There is a "tide
of distrust about creative efforts that
lurks around our Christian enclaves,"
states Howard G. Hendricks, chairman
of the Center for Christian Leadership
at Dallas Theological Seminary.
CREATING AN ALTERNATE
UNIVERSE Throughthe1g5o's,
mainstream culture and the church
shared similar Judeo-Christian values.
Then society entered a forty-year
period of unprecedented change.
Traditions were questioned and often
discarded. In reaction to cultural shdts,
Christians were urged to abstain from
movies, dance, Rock n' Roll and
performing or visual arts. Sermons were
preached and books written to
discourage involvement in secular arts.
As many frustrated Christians
withdrew from mainstream life, a
Christian subculture emerged.
The late Emmy Award-winning TV
producer, Bob Briner said, "In the arts,
entertainment, media, education, and
other culture-shaping venues ... the
church has abdicated its role as salt and
light.. .we have created a phenomenal
subculture with our own media ... our
subculture is healthy. It's the world that
needs help.. .instead of running from it,
we need to rush into it." However,
most of the church ran from culture
and abandoned culture-shaping arenas.
Church consultant Sally Morgenthaler
observed, "We are so imploded in our
own subculture that we are cut off from
the rest of culture." When Christian
artists ventured into mainstream, they
paid a painful price.
THE CROSSOVER PRICE Since
art was worldly and artists sinful,
Christians who "crossed over," meaning
their art reached into the world, found
themselves the subject of anger and
scorn. Instead of celebrating their
entering the secular arena, Christians
protested and even banned their work.
Amy Grant's crossing over angered
thousands. Her records were returned
and angry letters written. Inside the
church, it was equally difficult for
artistic believers. Musicians by the
thousands were squelched. Dancers
were discouraged. Actors were often
forbidden to enter that heathen world.
Sculptors had no place for their work.
Fiction writing was deemed worthless.
Painting was frowned upon. Many
artists abandoned their art or their faith.
ART OR FAITH Inthe 1960's,
Rookmaaker offered this prescient
observation, "As the younger
generation born and raised w i h these
circles comes to understand the
importance of the arts, all kinds of
problems and tensions arise.. .Many
have turned away from Chstianity or
more tragically, from Christ, as they
have come to feel that 8th
vital aspect
of human Me is outside religion or faith,
then somethmg basic must be defective
in the faith."
Dan is a musician and songwriter. He
found percussion, then absent in
church, added passion to music - but
he lived in an evangelical home in the
60's. His parents, armed with Christian
books on the evils of music with beat,
demanded his music be destroyed.
Forced to choose between art and faith,
he chose faith without passion.
(mtinlled on page 12)

'%
d
' \*
W.41. r
rrches are findir lew avenues of effective minist] !mbm e arts. The arts gain entrance to places
/ to which churches are seldom invited. Poetry readings are in bookstores, libraries and cafes. Schools are rushing to reinstate
art classes. Public art is exactly that - pubk and on display. Community centers host art classes. Corporations hire performing
arts groups for company events. Church planters kad film discussion groups at major bookstores. Renewed interest in the
arts has paved the way for a new tribe of missionaries - GoGod's artistic children living out their creative calling in our culture.
Church buildings have something the arts desperately need - weekday space for exhibitions, performances and classes.
Churches can gather their artists and produce plays, workshops and gakries. Doors to creative outreach are now wide open.
The most erective art-based outreach is authentic and not driven by hidden agendas. What do we mean by authentic
Whatever outreach form is chosen, it should be true to the art, the artist and the church. For example, ifa church hosts a
neighborhood poetry evening, people come expecting to hear from a talented poet and to be in the company of people who
appreciate poetry. If the church doesn't have quality poets or appreciate poetry, it isn't authentic. "If you're faking any of it,
they'll know,"said Clark Crebar, minister in a postmodern setting at First Covenant Church in Sacramento, California.
Outreach through art isn't driven by unspoken agendas. If the agenda is evangelism and art is merely a "too1,"the audience
fees used. ''1 think there is a little bit of dishonesty in the old Christian concert model of inviting unsuspecting unbelievers to
4
b i . events to be 'preached at',"says Philjoel, of the Newsboys. Luring with an art form primarily to preach lacks honesty. A
Christian artist's recent off-Broadway production was strongly criticized for tacking on a sermon at the end of the play. Critics
aid the art was excellent and the message was powerful, but the unexpected "tacked on"sermon was inappropriate.The
play's impact was severely diminished by subjecting the unsuspecting audience to an out-o invitational sermon.
. ' \I
\&
w,green/akepc.org
, GLPC hosts "Gallery Nights" on universz
. themes such as longing and beauty. It's an'
opportunity for the congregation and
year-round community school.
:han 60 multi-racial artists with music
~erformances by gospel music artists ,.,
:hurch choirs. Called "Hope in Our City:
Anacostia, A Place of Spirit," its purpose was
"to demonstrate that in Anacostia ... in
midst of severe urban neglect there fl
full spiritual life." The show was
described as Anacostia's most important
last hundred years, In February,
Last fall, they used art's power to change Nashington, DC's Union Station invited thfm
. 2 perceptions about the Anacostia area of DC. to present "Hope in Our City" for National
"G Thw created an exhibit featuring art by more Black History Month. Nearly twcsmillion
i j~B people experienced the exhibit. 4
a- 7% -1 , WTHI -
i

" W e are about to say art and worship in the same sentence, a jarring
concept to many i
n whip
leadership. On the
other hand, to
many Christian artists struggling to find their vocation embraced in the life
By Kathi Allen
t Church in Peoria, IL and church consultant
When the Protestant church purged ltself of
"arts," lt bl~ndfolded belleven, squelched artists
and s~lenced powevful expressions of wonh~p.
Th~s once-r~ch mu1t1-hued tapestry ~ncludlng
muslc, instrumentation, palntlngs, stalned
glass, poetry, story, Imagery, dance, scents
and symbols was strlpped of ~ts beauty and
reduced to mus~cal 'Styles" dependent on
generat~onal and leadership preferences.
Today, we use worshlp and music
~nterchangeably "S~nce muslc 1s not the sum
and substance ofworshlp, we need to repent
of our redu&on~sm and set about to restore
fullness to the presence of God ~n our mldst"
says theology professor; Robert Webber:
Since muslc 1s a matter of taste, tralnlng,
experfence and ablbty, "worsh~p" has become
a hotly debated battleground. Worshp wars
have spl~t churches lnto "trad~tlonal" and
"contemporary" muslc camps Now we're ~n
danger of further sphtenng lnto ph~losoph~cal
camps of modern vs. postmodern wlth
resultant ~rnpl~catrons for muslc.
In churches across the country, lndlgenous
art-filled worshlp IS emerg~ng. Green Lake
Presbytenan Church In Seattle has worshlp
that 'is organ~c, lt uses up fvom our
community," says Pastor M~chael Kelly. He
loves saylng to new behevers who are amsts,
"You love God now. Express that In the
context of the gospel. Don't try to make ~t
fit what you thlnk the church wants. What
this church wants 1s for you to express lt fvom
your own heart, In th~s church, at thls tlme
and In thls age " "By no means 1s our sense
of beauty and worsh~p only about muslc. It's
about hturgy, the sanctuary and all the arts."
NEXT: Why are we experiencing P
renaissance in the arl
SM= We have moved from a codified langu
(print) to when our main entrance points into
NEXT: Are the c~ts integml to worship
SIIII= The arts in every aspect of the church are
non-negotiable. At the turn of this millennium, it's
almost a no-brainer. Our whole culture, Christian
and non, and every age group is relating to and
even accessing meaning in life through art It's not
through lists bf ab& hanaeh6a about God,
but through visual a&, media and narrative.
NEXT: How can churches embrace
the arts
SM. I think any church, from the smallest to
the largest, can start embracing art in worship by
using the very forms they're using now. To use arts
in worship, first and foremost use arts to build
relationship. It is not art as product first but art
as community. Start with small art affinity groups
or a creative arts think tank at church.
w -
~~btheauthorolWonhip
Ewngrhan,a~~toWo*skrp

NUCT: Why are we seeing changes in
relation to worship and the arts
-..,lie Peacock is ,. ,.,-t who loves the
t
hynhludq wellan
with a pastor's heart. Peacock is an aw , -
vhhg singer, mrgder and record p*,
ad k the recipient of eight Dove Awards,
four Ml Pop lluri Awards and three Gmpd
Muic Azsaciation Producer oi the Year Awarrb.
I
CP: I would suggest revisiting scripture in terms of our image-beanng capabilities, W'S the btax+g 1
for thinlung about all imaginative and creative endeavors, and unless that starts in the pulpit and pours
out into the body it's very dit'ficult for changes to happen.
CP: Most definitely. That's why I wrote At The CYOSSY~. I think we have an incredible responsibility. I
meet artists with a chip on their shoulder about not being accepted by the church. My response is not to
demean their pain, but to begin by loving one another as Christ loved us. We need to understand how far
the average Christian is from creative and imaginative thought. We've got some work to do to bring them
into our sphere of thought and action.
CP: When the church believes artists should only spend time writing, singing, painting or acting some
version of the gospel, two things happen. First, it ksumes the artist is the best communicator of things
didactic and spiritual, and they might not be. Listening to your pastor teach might be more profitable.
Second, it creates a false dualistic view of life with a sharp distinction between that which belongs to God
and that which doesn't. It teaches the average person that there are things beyond the gaze of God. That's
a horrible lie to teach God's movle.
CP: Yes. We've experienced that in contemporary Christian music. We see people use "Christ&" music
to accent the religious component of their lives. But, when they want to be romantic, introspective or
consider social injustices, they turn to others. They feel let down when Christians bring their faith to bear
on those subjects. They say, "Hey, don't do that. I expect you to do this one thing. If you do others, I won't
purchase your music." A disciple mentality sees all of life lived under the gaze and authority of God ...including
romance and social iniustice.
CP: A Christian subculture can limit the gospel because it limits dissemination of the Truth. It becomes a
circular audience - Christians gathering and having ongoing dialogue about faith and the Truth. If you
circle the wagons so no one else can get in, or wants in, then the gospel doesn't go out. That certainly
happened in the commercialization of Christian pop music. Most Christian music is geared toward the
church so very few Christian musicians go into the community and interface with people who don't know
Christ. The gospel can't go forward if God's people aren't there. The power to imagine and create is given
by God and can be lived out in every sphere of influence and activity, not just the church. *

PETER F. DRUCKER
COMPLAINT
15 A G'T-7-
JANELLE BARLCIW
and CLAUS M0LLER
Management Challenges Moving Off the Map, A An Empire Wilderness,
for the 2 1st Century Field Guide to Changing Travels into
PBTE.R E DRUCKER the Congregation America's Future
HARPER BUSINESS, 1999, $27.50
THOMAS G. BANDY ROBERT D. KAPLAN
Not a book about business or ABINGDON PRESS, 1998, $18.00 RANDOM HOUSE, 1~~8, g 27.50
Robert Kaplan is a modernday
de Tocqueville. In ths
processes and tools in this
end of the twentieth century
His observations and
A Complaint Is A Gift
JANELLE BARLOW AND CLAUS
MOLLER
BERTRETT-KOEHLER PUBLISHERS,
1996, s 16.95
As the US has increasingly
shifted to a service-and
customer-focused economy,
dealing successfully with
complaints has become
essential. Using the
Home to the Innovation Network. A collection of literary, artistic and A good site for general-purpose
The sections on "Articles and Reports" technology resources that will be of information on religion with a wide
and "Best Practices" are full of useful special interest to Xer's. variety of useful links to other sites'
articles for innovation, creativity and
organizational learning.
organizational learning.

I
They say the first step is the hardest. This clichb
especially rings true for the person whose vision for
ministry means having to start from scratch. Fervor
and excitement quickly wane at the thought of all the
red tape separating him or her from their passion.
The "Ustry Incubator," an innovative concept
designed to assist these visionaries, is emerging in
more and more large churches. Given that the startup
phase of a new ministry demands unique leadership
skills - different from the ongoing skills needed to
maintain and he-tune the ministry - the ministry
incubator idea was born to meet these specific
challenges. By pulling together a group of pe~ple who
are particularly gifted and experienced in these startup
issues, minimal time is lost on unnecessary
bureaucracy or false starts and more time can be devoted
to actual ministry.
A typical incubator team might include experts in the
areas of law, fmnce, marketing, real estate and
systems/organizatiom, Ideally, this team commits to
at least one year in helping the individual or $oup
get started. The incubator team invests its collective
wisdom and expertise in doing things that often bog
down the people with the true Man for the ministrg.
Applying for 601 c. (3) status, writing bylaw, fnding
an appropriate facilityPocation, setting up and
recruiting a Board, defining a marketing strategy, etc.
are activities which are second nature to the incubator
team, yet might present a real energy drain for the -
visioncaster.
Because it is leaving in place an established ministry
complete with a capable, functioningboard to provide
ongoing direction, the ministry incubator team is free
to take its entrepreneurial &ills to the next ministry
start-up.
The genius behind tm wept is that it allows
incredibly gifted people, who often have d@lculty
bding opportunities in the church which truly utiie
their professional talents, to put those very ekills to
work for the Kingdam in dimct, concmte ways.
. .
Forums provide an opportunity for peer interaction and idea exchange, a place for
peers in ministry to come together to interact with others in similar circumstances
about common concerns. Selected forums offer enhanced components which run
concurrent with the regular Forum.This enhanced group is limited to those who have
previously attended a minimum of two consecutive or three non-consecutive Forums.
Attendance is by invitation only. If you have at least one year of ministry leadership
experience, are serving in a church with 1,000 or more in adult weekend worship
attendance and would like to receive an invitation, please call us at 800.765.5323.
SEPTEMBER 14- 16 .................. Outreach Ministers ...................................... $295
SEPTEMBER 14- 16 .................. Women's Ministries ...................................... $295
OCTOBER 5-7 .......................... Prayer Pastors ............................................... $295
OCTOBER I I 14 ...................... Business Administrators ENHANCED .......... $445
OCTOBER I I - 14 ...................... Business Administrators ............................... $395
NOVEMBER 9- 1 I ..................... Family Ministries .......................................... $295
NOVEMBER 15- 18 ................... Children's Ministries ENHANCED ............... $445
NOVEMBER 15- 18 ................... Children's Ministries ..................................... $395
DECEMBER 6-8 ....................... Senior Adult Ministries ................................. $295
'This enhanced gathering
enabled an exchange uf ideas
m
a 'mrifletf level. Kkep it up"
Kirt Andarson
Christ Memorial Refamad Chwrch
Holtand, MI
Jim Abrahamson, Kirt
Anderson and Steve
Stroope at the Senior
Ministers Forum held
this past May in
Colorado Springs.
For more infomation on Ministry Incubators,
contact:
Steve Roese Tim Snow
Executive Pastor
Executive Pastor
Irving Bible Church
University Presbyterian Church
Irving, TX
Seattle, WA
972.83 1.8777 206.524.730 1
srr@irvingbible.org tims@ upc.org
Castle during the Senior Ministers Forum.
www.leadnet.org

~ssocktion; Dan U
Foursquare Church
PREMIUM Rosourc~s
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only through email. To subxvibe, contact charnP;.ns~~date@kadnet.~
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November 9-11 $295
Fw those who conmlt with multiple c~ng~egatwns in the am $Family Ministria.
Held at Glen Eyrie Canfirm Center in Color& Springs.

LEADERSHIP
FEATURING
author, The One Minute f l a k
pastor, Windsor Village UMC
WAYNE CORDEIRO
NI EARECKSON TADA
MILLARD FULLER
MAX LUCADO
pastor, Oak Ms Church of Christ
1
..
LeadershipTraining Network was formed to:
help church leaders see the vision for empowering people for gift-based
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train church leaders and ministry teams to implement the principles of
equipping, gift-based ministry into church-wide reality
network church leaders, resource providers and others contributing to
equipping, gift-based team ministry
The misswn of-ship Trainiw Network
is to ksource chu'rch Itadmy to equip people for
biblbl, g iji- tedm ministry.
CORE VALUES
We are a team-driven organization committed to biblical principles.
We model our values by lifting up Christ's example of servant leadership and
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is the most important part of any equipping ministry system.
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1999 LTN EVENTS
September 26-29 San Antonio,TX ational Conference $345
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To register or for more information, call Leade
(877.LTN.LEAD) or visit www.ltn.org, the LTN w

Poetry BDBk sales at Barnes & Noble have
i n c h gyer 40% in the last two years.
~kyrockin~ sales are prompting some
bookstores to switch to selling only poetry.
Since &e mid- 1970qr, nearly 300 universities
have established graduate poetry programs. 3
a
to coast heralds the hope of a new
expression of creative celebration that
'ear has not heard, nor eyes seen."'
Davin Seay, Los Angeles-based
author and journalist, reporting in
Worship Iade~ magazine.
Some graduate poetry prqgms are hardr
to ge~ into than Harvar& taw c4aol $ The culture has shifted and the
postmodern era, with its love of
aesthetics, is here. Postmoderns, raised
in a multi-sensory audio-visual world,
see art as a given. It is their primary
language of communication.
(mtintcedfrowl page 2)
Just ten years ago, literary fiction was
still dubious. When best-sehg authors
Brock and u e Thoene appeared at the
&tian Booksellers Convention, people
avoided them. "Fiction was very suspect
in that market. It was perceived as makebelieve
or something less than truth,"
says their literary agent Rick Christian.
ART & FAITH "Nowonthecusp
of the Millennium, churches and
congregations across the country and
around the world are moving to r ech
their artistic birthright, rediscovering
the potency of art as a means of
proclamation, celebration and kinship
with the Creator ... the energy,
enthusiasm and hard-won experiences
of churches and individuals from coast
"Artistic expressiun, by, banishedfiovn the
Church, is shng new signs oflife. It is tiw
for the Churck to awaken h artistic vision."
John R. Throop
pastor, Christ Church
Peoria, I1
We are at a defining moment. It is time
to reclaim our artistic heritage and begm
to tell the greatest story ever told in
the language of our culture - the
language of the arts. *
%W ALLEN JS A FOUNDING ORGANIZER OF PROMON~RY
ARTISTS ASSOCIATION, A GROUP DEDICATED TO
ENCOURAGING CHRISTIANS IN m ARTS AND IMPACTING
CULTURE THROUGH ART. KATHI, ARESEARCH CONSULTANT,
IS TK@ OWK3R OP ALLEN RESEARCH W COMMUNICATTONS.
SHE CAN BE REACHED AT ARC~NK@AOL.COM

Leadership is about being and doing
and cannot be separated from
authenticity. Effective leaders are
authentic leaders.
Two such leaders — Mike Foss and
Reggie McNeal — write in this issue
about authenticity and the importance
of authentic leadership in today's
culture. Also included are excerpts
from The Ascent of a Leader, the newest
book in the Leadership Network
imprint series of resources for
21st Century leaders.
table of contents
3 Getting Real…Is it Important
5 The Ascent of a Leader
6 Interview: Bruce McNicol,
Leadership Catalyst
7 LN Recommends
8 Large Church
N E T W O R K S
9 Young Leader
N E T W O R K S
10 Church Champions
N E T W O R K
11 Leadership Training
N E T W O R K
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4 OCTOBER • NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 1999
Authentic
Leadership
and the
Call of God
FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
by Mike Foss
For many years, we in the United States
have labored within a model for
ministry that can be described as “the
pastor as professional.” This model was
an attempt at elevating the role of the
clergy to that of a peer among other
professionals — engineers, doctors,
lawyers, etc. The problem with the
model is that it moved the spirit of
ministry to the externals of the pastoral
office. The ministry was a role or
function that was not necessarily
connected to the spirituality (faith
practice) of the pastor.
This social and educational separation
of the role of ministry from the person
of the minister has led to an inner crisis
in ministry. The facts that as many as
seven out of ten senior pastors are
longing to leave their ministries, and
the percent of clergy families torn apart
through divorce now approaches
that of the culture at large, are but signs
of this crisis.
There is, however, an emerging hunger
within both pastors and the culture at
large for spiritual authenticity in
leadership. We are entering a time like
that of the prophet Hosea when the Word
of God must, once again, be first a word
to the pastor in order for it to be heard
as a word through the pastor. We are
entering an age of upheaval...an age of “call."
Authentic leadership is first about the call
of God. This is the word to the leader.
The call of God is always an invitation to
a real faith that works in real life. That is,
the pastor is called to practice his or her
spirituality. Grounding the call of God to
our relationship with God is fundamental
— but it is contrary to many of the
practices of ministry. The call is often
placed in a past experience or a present
context. But the past runs out of steam
and the present changes constantly. When
my call is established on my personal daily
reading of Scripture and prayer, the
connection between what I do in ministry
to who I am is clear. Being precedes doing
in authentic ministry. Being a child of
God is the soil from which doing my
particular calling springs.
(continued on page 2)
www.leadnet.org

Faith is first lived and then led. The
integrity of our leadership will be
questioned by others. We will
wonder ourselves. If it isn't grounded
in the forgiving love of the Savior, we
shall run on empty and our words
will, over time, prove to be hollow.
I have never met a pastor or church
leader who entered ministry in order
to be about the business of the Church.
Even business people who serve on
our boards and ministry teams have
come because of the spiritual work of
the Church. How disappointed we
all are when the spiritual is reduced
to a perfunctory devotional to be
rushed through in order to get to the
real stuff — the planning — of
Christ's Church. Let leaders pause
before the God who calls to hear the
Word. Let us listen, then speak the
Word to others.
“Did you see what you just did" It was that
inner voice again. The voice I have come to
trust and heed. Not a voice of shame or blame, but a voice of conviction and
truth. “What did I just do" I wondered. And the scene played out in the
theater of my soul.
We were in an all-staff meeting when the question was raised about finances.
I reacted abruptly, and then proceeded with my presentation. I couldn't even
remember the exact form of the question. But I remember being irritated and
feeling ambushed.
But, as I replayed that scene, it was clear to me that no ambush was intended.
In fact, I had set up the question by hinting at financial restructuring. And
the worst of it was that, in my spiritual replaying of that scene, I saw my
colleague's face: bewilderment, hurt and then anger.
So, I got up from my desk and sheepishly walked to her office. “Can I speak
to you" I asked. “Yes," she replied. And another round of repentance and
amend-making began.
The leader must slay the giant of perfection in order to be
authentic. Facing our imperfections frees us to live in the grace
our God has called us to and, in so doing, we invite others into
that same real relationship with our God. Authentic leaders —
no matter what field they are in — will celebrate their
imperfections! Celebrating our imperfections opens us to spiritual
growth. We can more clearly see ourselves and the reckless love
of our Savior.
Celebrating our imperfections also opens us to see the gifts of
others. In the conversation that followed with that staff person,
I learned again how she was interested
in learning so that she could more
fully support our mission and
ministry. Some questions leaders
receive are setups! This one wasn't.
And when I went to her, I
rediscovered the gifts God had given
her for the ministry to which she had
been called.
Imperfections are inadequacies.
No one is perfectly adequate. That
is why a team-based ministry is so
vital. Whether that team is the leader
and other staff, or the leader and
volunteers, the adequacies of one
another extend the possibilities for
achieving the mission and vision of
the ministry. When leaders try to be
“all things to all people," they dilute
the integrity of their calling — and
close the door on others effectively
entering the ministry through the
sharing of their gifts. Practice makes
progress — not perfection! Leaders
who practice their imperfection will
discover the unique gifts and passions
within themselves and turn loose those in others. Vulnerability
without a plea for sympathy is a hallmark of leadership for the
next age. When a leader is willing to be vulnerable, he gives
others the permission to do likewise.
Vulnerability...imperfection...teaming; these are the characteristics
of a learning ministry. They slay the demon of perfection and
invite us to learn from our mistakes, successes and confusion.
Without the expectation of perfection, we are free to examine
our mistakes for the learnings they provide. Mistakes, by
themselves, don't teach us anything. Only as we reflect upon
them can we learn from them. A culture without the fear of
failure frees us to do such critical reflection.
Successes can also be mined for their teachings. What worked
and why What could have been improved and how These
can be critical questions for the advancing of the Savior's work
in our midst. Without a false humility that refuses such positive
assessments, we can grow toward our mission for ministry as
we invite others into these reflections.
All of these are possible when the leader dares to be authentic,
vulnerable, imperfect and teaming (within community). Surely
this is the call for all the people of God.
Michael W. Foss is the pastor of
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN.
He can be reached by email at
mfoss@princeofpeaceonline.org or
www.princeofpeaceonline.org, the prince of peace website.
www.leadnet.org
2

Warren Bennis, well-known leadership consultant
and author, suggests that today's leadership
effectiveness requires seven essential leadership
attributes. These include technical competence (a grasp
of one's field), conceptual skills (the capacity for abstract
thinking), track record (a history of achieving results),
people skills (an ability to communicate, motivate and
delegate), taste (the ability to identify and cultivate
talent), judgment (making difficult decisions in a
short time frame with imperfect data) and, above all,
character (“Leadership That Serves Followers,”
Leader to Leader, Spring ’99).
That seventh attribute, character, points us
toward what we might call “authentic"
leadership. While an exhaustive description
of authenticity might elude us, we know it
when we see it. Authentic leaders are
surrendered to God, self-aware, surrounded
by colleagues and sensitive to followers'
needs.
Surrendered to God. Authentic spiritual
leaders cultivate an audience of One. They
have been captured by the heart of God.
Their personal agendas, hopes and ambitions
both yield, and are informed by, the heart of
God for them. They benchmark their lives
against God's calling on them, not on their
own or others' expectations. They know why
they are on the planet. This insight lends
intentionality to their leadership. They can
articulate the life vision they have discovered
from the heart of God. This personal mission
is not just spoken, it is incarnated in the leader.
Authentic leaders maintain a correspondence
between what they espouse and what they
model. Their core values support their life
goals. The attitudes and actions of authentic
leaders betray a life sold out to God, enjoying
on-line connectivity with Him.
Self-aware. The single most critical insight
a leader possesses is self-understanding.
Without this, leaders live reactionary lives,
hampered and hurt by unresolved familyof-origin
issues and personal dragons. They
often are unaware of hidden addictions and
compulsions that set them up for everything
from burnout to stunted social skills to
character shortcomings. Leaders who have
not reckoned with themselves can live in
denial, not having confronted their own dark
sides. On the flip side, some wonderful
discoveries are reserved for those who practice
self-learning. An unexamined life rarely
operates out of strengths and gifts. Authentic
leaders know what they are good at and what
they bring to the table, and they practice
doing that. While this self-awareness journey
may never be completed, it must at least be
undertaken. The failure to do so robs a leader
of the ring of authenticity.
Surrounded by colleagues. Authentic
leadership is also collegial. It creates an
empowering environment that fosters others'
development. Authentic leaders do not
brandish imperial airs about themselves,
rewarding some and exiling others on
personal whims and insecurities. They don't
develop winning organizations by
demanding that others swear personal loyalty
to them. They have winning ministries
precisely because they have not made it all
about themselves. Rather, it's all about getting
in on what God is up to. This focus calls out
enormous commitment and creative energy
from those who share the leaders’ aspirations.
Authentic leaders make, and are made by,
great groups that accomplish
God-sized missions.
Sensitive to followers’ needs. Authentic
leaders serve followers; they do not seek to
be served by their followers. This shapes how
they pay attention to people and treat their
relationships. People aren't in the way of their
pursuing their dreams and ambitions. People
aren't merely potential recruits, sources of
funding or talent pools to be tapped by the
leader. People weren't created to make sure
the leader is successful. Authentic leaders
understand they were called to help make
people successful. They know the kingdom
is people. Authentic leaders don't manipulate
and exploit others (even when the effort is
veiled as a spiritual enterprise).
(continued on page 4)
3
www.leadnet.org

They evaluate their leadership by its positive
impact on helping people's lives be
transformed by Jesus. No leader who serves
followers has ever wanted for lack of them.
No one would argue that inauthentic
leadership was ever acceptable. However,
the stakes have never been higher for leaders
to evidence authenticity. Leadership has
shifted from positional to personal, from
role to responsibility, from commanding to
covenanting. Leadership is increasingly
exposed rather than insulated. The distance
between the front lines and the bottom lines
is narrowing. All this means that some
significant things hinge on the promise and
presence of authentic leadership.
Spiritual vitality begins with authenticity.
Spiritual formation is the number one issue
for Christian leaders. This is not to discount
the need for leaders to be competent.
However, we must see a lack of personal,
spiritual vitality as a competency issue. A
growing number of church leaders (lay and
clergy alike) grow dissatisfied with serving
as mechanics on church machinery. They
yearn for deeper meaning and a sense of
significance in the pursuit of their call.
Spiritual authenticity shows up in the
leader’s being open and vulnerable. The
imprimatur of authenticity extends to the
development of grace-based relationships
with others that grows out of seeing others
with Jesus' eyes. Authentic leaders don't
pretend with God or with others. They
don't hide their weaknesses. Nor do they
ignore them. These challenges serve as the
green edge of the leader's personal growth.
Authentic leaders are ones who still struggle
to grow and invite others to do the same.
Authenticity promotes accountability, with
the leader going first. Genuine spiritual
leaders leave others encouraged, refreshed
and hopeful. Their authenticity allows
them to bless others. They reflect the heart
of God to their followers.
Community-building rests on the
foundation of authenticity. Jesus established
the Church as a faith community. The Spirit
descended at Pentecost on members of a
praying community in the Upper Room,
many of whom had spent three years in
Jesus' personal group of disciples. Jesus chose
community as his leadership development
model because He was used to community
where He came from. He chose to do His
work on earth as He had in heaven — in
community with the Father and the Spirit.
The early Church maintained this sense of
community. Life transformation still occurs
best in community. This is why
congregations that take life transformation
seriously look for ways to create intentional
community, usually in some kind of small
group expression.
Genuine authenticity cannot thrive absent
authenticity. Dysfunctional community can.
Noncommunity can. Bureaucracy can.
Programs can. Clubs can. But communities
of faith require covenant and accountability
and a priority on relationships. Lifetransforming
congregations provide healthy
environments where people can be real with
each other and real with God. Being broken
is the entry requirement to the community,
not having it all together. Without leaders
who traffic in honesty and grace,
community breaks down. People then
pretend and power up. They judge and
exclude. When leaders practice candor,
when they admit they do not have all the
answers, when they acknowledge they have
shortcomings, when they celebrate others'
accomplishments and when they coach with
grace, they foster community.
Team-based leadership requires
authenticity. Teams use trust as currency.
If it is in short supply, then the team is poor.
If trust abounds, the members of the team
have purchase power with each other to
access each other's gifts, talents, energy,
creativity and love. The development of
trust, then, becomes a significant leadership
strategy. Trust creates the load limits on the
relationship bridges among team members.
Trust grows only to the extent that
authenticity is present. This means that
leaders cannot be isolated and insulated.
Authentic leaders risk. They trust their
followers just as they want to be trusted by
them. They give freedom for failure but
ensure that learning practices are in place
to coach for life and ministry effectiveness.
Authenticity supports better decisionmaking
because options can be debated.
Pre-Christians search for authenticity.
A final argument for authentic leadership
comes back to the leader’s passion to partner
with God in His redemptive mission in the
world. In an experience-based postmodern
culture, leaders can no longer count on the
authority of the Bible to challenge
peoples' lives. What counts today is what
counted in the first century before the New
Testament had even been written…the
power of an authentic life. This is why Jesus
is still held in high esteem today, even while
the institutionalized expression of the faith
He founded is suspect to many, particularly
those whose view of Christianity is limited
to its un-grace-ful expressions.
Those outside the Church culture flee
institutions or religious clubs that exist to
serve themselves. They are not interested
or impressed with the size of church
buildings or membership rolls. They are not
looking for religious activity; they are
looking for spiritual authenticity. They are
desperate for God. Any Christian leader
who takes seriously the Great Commission
seeks for ways to reduce the barriers between
people and God. This passion for people
will drive the leader to authenticity. A love
for the people Jesus died for will lead leaders
to create authentic expressions of Jesus' love
by helping people, not condemning them,
by creating hope, not generating shame. In
short, authentic spiritual leaders have a shot
at people outside the faith because they will
follow Jesus into the streets and meet people
on the turf of their own life concerns.
Practicing authentic leadership will demand
two things from you. First, it will require
choices. Not just one choice, but thousands.
Every encounter with God, with other
people, with yourself will create a choice of
whether you will be authentic or something
less. Second, authenticity will require
courage. The courage to face your own self,
to risk vulnerability with others, to place
your life completely in God's hands. It
requires the courage to disappoint others,
but to please the One who desires to make
you into an authentic masterpiece —
a whole person.
Reggie McNeal is the
Director of Leadership
Development for the
South Carolina Baptist
Convention. 800-765-0030
reggiemcneal@world.att.net
www.leadnet.org
4

The Ascent
of a Leader:
How Ordinary
Relationships
Develop
Extraordinary
Character and
Influence
by Bill Thrall,
Bruce McNicol &
Ken McElrath
EXCERPTED BY CAROL CHILDRESS
Photo by Gregg Lansing
Big Leaders on Short Ladders
Many men and women of influence discover that leadership is like a ladder —
a challenging and unpredictable climb, often stable at the bottom and shaky at the top.
From the bottom, life at the top looks appealing, even alluring, and many leaders attack
the ladder with gusto, confident that they possess what it takes to conquer the rungs.
Yet, when these leaders reach positions of authority, unforeseen instability begins to
surface. The pressures of success, the temptations of privilege, the demands of followers
and the isolation of leadership leave deep impressions on the rungs — caused by the
white-knuckle grip of the leaders. Many look for a way to stabilize their situation, but
too many leaders come crashing down.
The Capacity Ladder
Each person has the opportunity to make use of ladders to scale their respective walls.
The ladder most are familiar with is one we call the capacity ladder. The ascent up the
capacity ladder begins with the first rung: discovering what I can do. In addition to
specific skills, your what-I-can-do inventory may include natural leadership inclinations,
a winsome personality, a dynamic influence or an ability to craft a compelling vision or
to persuade.
Moving up to the second rung — develop my capacities — grants more influence to the
leader. At this level, the leader sharpens talents and gifts. Early training often occurs in
college and graduate school, and there is further honing during the leader's first
engagements with companies, organizations or religious bodies.
The leader's successful scaling of the first two rungs attracts the attention of executives,
administrators, professors and thousands of group members or constituents who choose
their leaders. This attention catapults the person to the third rung, where decisionmakers
and followers award a title, position or office. This step up leads naturally to the
fourth and final rung: attain individual potential. From below, the top rung of the
capacity ladder looks great — honor, glory, respect and power — the results of effective
leadership influence. But the capacity ladder, though necessary, is not sufficient to ensure
that our abilities will result in positive influence or an enduring legacy.
When leaders with undeveloped character rises up the capacity ladder, their actions
have a negative impact on those around them. Even at the top of the capacity ladder,
leaders may not have begun to address the disconnect between the development of their
character and the development of their capacities.
The Character Ladder
In addition to rungs, all ladders need rails, the vertical posts that hold the rungs in place.
One rail of the character ladder is environment and the other rail is relationships.
We begin our climb up the character ladder with an act of trust. We all entrust ourselves
to something, whether it is God, money, spouse, career, productivity, ourselves or
whatever. Our character, and therefore our influence, flows from our choices of whom,
what, when and where we believe. Such trust — often referred to as faith — lives at
the center of our lives, shaping who we are.
me. In order to take this step, we must allow the myth of self-sufficiency to end. At
the bottom of the capacity ladder, we focus on discovering what we can do, whereas
on the character ladder, we focus on discovering what God can do. Early on the
capacity ladder, we awaken to our potential for what we think we can offer to God
and this world. On the character ladder, we awaken to our destiny under God.
This merging between our plans and God's intentions for our character is the goal
of the character ladder. God’s plan for our destiny involves meaningful interaction
with other human beings in communities and environments of grace. Lonely leaders
are everywhere, although power or wealth may anesthetize their souls and soothe them
into a false sense of security. How do we overcome isolation that threatens to rob us of
our influence The answer is found in the second rung on the character ladder — choose
vulnerability.
5
(continued on page 6)
www.leadnet.org

Vulnerability does not mean transparency. Transparency is
simply disclosing yourself to others at times and in ways that
you choose. In vulnerability, you deliberately place yourself
under others' influence, submitting yourself to others' strengths.
You give others the right to know the pain of your weaknesses
and to care for you. You choose to let others know you, to have
access to your life, to teach you and to influence you.
Notice that vulnerability triggers two relational effects. First,
people gain access to your life as you submit to their influence.
Second, you are given access to their lives as they trust you
and see that your life is open to them. What do we call this
kind of relationship Authenticity.
The character ladder is not as concerned with what we do as
it is with who we are. Its emphasis is on human “being" more
than human “doing." When we ascend the first and second
rungs of the character ladder, entrusting our needs to God and
others and choosing to open our lives for their review, we soon
face the next step — the third rung on the character ladder
— align with truth. On this rung, we must ask more soul-searching
questions: Will I listen to what they say Do I believe it is
true Will I follow their advice This is the true test of character;
not just coming under others' influence but acting on the
wisdom and truth of their counsel.
On the fourth rung of the capacity ladder, we may enjoy certain
privileges, power and authority from our climb. On the fourth
rung of the character ladder, we come face to face with daily
opportunities to set aside those same short-ladder payoffs in
order to make profound differences in the lives of others. The
tension comes in deciding which to choose, especially when
some character-ladder choices require capacity-ladder setbacks.
On the character ladder, we must pay a price. Within the
boundaries of loving God and loving others, the payment will
be different for each of us.
Leaders desire to lead from the fifth rung — to discover destiny.
Getting there depends on the process of developing character
in the context of the right relationships and environments.
Getting to, and staying on, the fifth rung has nothing to do
with pursuing power. It is about learning how to receive power.
The fifth rung is no panacea. It does not cure all our ills or pave
the way to a utopian life. It is rooted in reality. It is dependent
upon the first four rungs and the rails of the character ladder.
But in the climb we find peace. We find joy. We find fulfillment.
We find God, and we find a community that helps us know
our Creator and ourselves more fully.
Excerpts of The Ascent of a Leader were used with permission of the publisher,
Jossey-Bass. The book was published in October, 1999.
To order, call 602-249-7000 or your local bookstore.
Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and Ken McElrath are chairman, president
and director of marketing, respectively, of Leadership Catalyst,
a training and consulting firm that focuses on leadership development.
Visit their website at www.leadershipcatalyst.org.
www.leadnet.org
6
with
Bruce McNicol
co-author of
The Ascent of a Leader
NEXT: How did you select the metaphor of the ladder
McNicol: The ladder came from watching many leaders
malfunction at the apex of their influence. We realized that
as they climbed the capacity ladder where their competencies
had been very expensively and extensively trained, their
character had been merely presumed. People presumed that if
they had certain levels of responsibility, their character could
be trusted. Many of the leaders themselves did not realize that
they could not be trusted. They were sincerely committed to
God, but simply did not have the spiritual character to deal
with the weight of their influence once they reached the apex
of their leadership.
NEXT: What do you mean by “capacity-ladder leaders focus
on the appearance of performance”
McNicol: The capacity-ladder leader often assumes a
performance environment in which imperfection and failure
are not typically honored. We position ourselves in such a way
that those who are our colleagues or followers believe we are
actually able to perform even when we are not. This causes
the capacity-ladder leader to have the appearance of success
when, in reality, we are not succeeding at all.
NEXT: What is the message for pastors or other church leaders
who might find themselves becoming more and more
“performance” driven
McNicol: We want them to have an enduring legacy, to reach
God's destiny, not just their own goals. The best way to ensure
that is to develop their character. This is where they will get
tripped up, not in their competencies but in their character
and their relationships.
NEXT: If a pastor should turn out to be at the top of the capacity
ladder and yet is looked to by others as the leader in terms of
creating an environment of grace and relationships and they
can't do it, what happens
McNicol: The first issue in God ultimately exalting us is
humility. If a pastor recognizes this principle and knows that
they do not have the infrastructure that we talked about, they
need to be protected. Their humility will kick in at this point
and they will start to ask how to develop the infrastructure,
beginning with their closest colleagues and perhaps the elder
board or pastoral team. Here the definition of humility is very
important — trusting God and others with me. These kinds
of leaders are good at trusting God with other people but not
always so good at trusting God with themselves.
NEXT: Say something about the “myth of self-sufficiency" you
describe in the book.
McNicol: It is very common in a performance culture. Many
followers want to believe that their leaders are self-sufficient
and many leaders will take on that public identity. But if we
read Scripture well, we know it is not true. The issue is, how
can I train out, or unlearn, that myth and learn instead the
truth that grace actually thrives on imperfection Performance
thrives on perfection while grace thrives on imperfection. If
I don't remember that, then I won't get to first base.
interviewed by Carol Childress

Recommends
AQUAchurch,
Essential Leadership Arts For Piloting Your
Church in Today’s Fluid Culture
Leonard Sweet
Group Publishers, 1999 ($20)
“You can't consult maps in a world where
the terra is no longer firma. In a world
with no familiar landmarks, you can only
explore the world for yourself." Len Sweet
had given church leaders a wonderful
resource for exploring this ancient/future
world. He establishes the context of
ministry in today's world and provides
11 1 / 3 “leadership arts" for navigating the
seas of postmodernity along with practical
applications and examples of real aquachurches.
The Dance of Change,
The Challenges to Sustaining
Momentum in Learning Organizations
Peter Senge, Art Kleiner, Charlotte
Roberts, Richard Ross, George Roth
and Bryan Smith
Doubleday/Currency Books, 1999 ($35)
The latest in the Fifth Discipline
series of resources, this is a valuable
guide for leaders seeking to
initiate and sustain change in an
organization. It is rich in insight,
learnings, exercises and tools to help
leaders break through the power of
the status quo, initiate change and
innovation, and sustain the transformation long-term.
The Handbook for
Multi-Sensory Worship
Kim Miller and the Ginghamsburg
Church Worship Team
Abingdon Press, 1999 ($39)
“Worship celebrations designed
to speak to today's culture must
be planned for the purpose of
connecting with God and my
God-destiny." This useful
handbook and accompanying
CD are the latest resource from
Ginghamsburg UMC, a church
that is a leader in developing
effective ways to reach
contemporary culture. The
handbook has outlines and
specific resources of theme,
Scripture, music and video for 34 different worship celebrations.
Leadership by the Book
Ken Blanchard, Bill Hybels
and Phil Hodges
William Morrow Books, 1999 ($20)
A modern-day parable, this book is the story
of three leaders — a professor, a minister and
a businessman — and how they are able to
apply the leadership lessons and wisdom of
Jesus to their lives. While not autobiographical,
it draws on the experience of the
authors, all influential leaders in real life.
Leadership A to Z
James O'Toole
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999 ($22)
Leaders at all levels will benefit
from this wisdom book on
leadership. Both a handbook
on leadership and a coaching
tool, it is organized like a
dictionary with topics literally
from A to Z. These lessons for
leaders are concise, practical
and based on sound
scholarship and real-life
experience.
7
The New Pioneers,
The Men and Women Who Are Transforming
the Workplace and Marketplace
Thomas Petzinger, Jr.
Simon & Schuster, 1999 ($25)
Based on three years of travel, interviews
and analysis, this book manages to
chronicle the revolutionary shifts that are
transforming not only the economy but
the way we work and live. This is much
more than a “business book." Petzinger
makes sense of the shift from the Industrial
Age to an “Age of Adaptation" through
the stories of the people on the front line
of the revolution.
www.leadnetinfo.org

Wayne Cordeiro, senior pastor at New Hope Fellowship in Oahu, Hawaii, a church
with 6,000 in weekly attendance, recently spoke to church staff from across the country
at New Century: New Church — an LTN event held in San Antonio, Texas,
this past September.
Fractaling, a concept New Hope
has adopted to grow leaders and
the ministry of the church,
has proven successful
among the leadership
teams over the past three
to four years it has been
in place. A process
naturally found in many
living creatures and
plants, fractaling is
defined as a pattern that
infinitely repeats itself
throughout an organism.
Youth Ministry
Camps &
Retreats
Outreach
Friday
Night
Program
Small
Groups
Mission: To Present the Gospel…
Gifts & Passions for Each Quadrant
1. Organization, Leadership,
Creativity — Ann
2. Shepherding, Teaching,
Encouragement — Bill
3. Evangelism, Hospitality,
Extravert — Clark
4. Organization, Leadership — Sue
New Hope has taken this concept and applied it to organizational leadership
and team-building to create what they call a fractal leadership pattern.
The strengths of this concept are that it lends itself easily to growth and
it allows people to serve in ways that honor their gifts, dreams and passions,
rather than just filling empty slots for the church.
The process of fractaling to build church leadership teams is outlined
below, with the corresponding diagram using
the example of a person with a
Follow-up
Team
Technical
Team
F r
Program
Team
Hospitality
Team
id a y
N
P ro g r a m
i g h t
passion to start a Youth Ministry
program.
Step 1 Draw a circle representing
everything the ministry will include —
known and unknown.
Step 2 Create a mission statement for the
given ministry. It is important that the statement
matches the overarching mission statement of the church.
Step 3 Draw cross hairs inside the circle to create four quadrants
and title each quadrant. Each quadrant should represent the cornerstones
of that ministry.
Step 4 List the passions and gifts that are needed to oversee each quadrant.
Step 5 Suggest a person for each quadrant whose gifts and passions
match those listed.
Step 6 Ask the right person to fill each spot.
As the ministry grows, the process is repeated to create teams of 5-10
persons (including spouses) to serve each new “circle" of ministry.
by Melody Carson, Large Church Networks
You can find a more detailed description of fractaling and more in
Wayne Cordeiro's book, Doing Church as a Team. You also can order
the audiocassette of this presentation through Convention Cassettes
at 800-776-5454.
2000 LARGE CHURCH FORUMS provide an opportunity for peer interaction
and idea exchange, a place for peers in ministry to come together to interact with
others in similar circumstances about common concerns. Attendance is by invitation
only. If you have at least one year of ministry leadership experience, are serving in a
church with 1,000 or more in adult weekend worship attendance and would like to
receive an invitation, please call us at 800.765.5323.
JANUARY 31-
FEBRUARY 1
..............................................Missions Briefing ..........................................$175
FEBRUARY 1-3
..............................................Missions Pastors ...........................................$325
FEBRUARY 28-
MARCH 1
..............................................Key Lay Leaders ...........................................$325
APRIL 4-6
..............................................Equipping Ministers......................................$325
www.largechurch.org
8

Young Leader Networks
Should
We Use
Candles
As the Young Leader Networks manager,
I hear one question on a regular basis
(if three months counts as a regular
basis). It is a multilayered question of
what to do with Generation X or
Generation Y. How can we get them or
keep them at our church What about
postmoderns After all, when
postmodernism reaches popular culture,
most people wake up and smell the
roses. On the one hand, I understand
the concern. Why is it that everyone is
spiritual but not many of them are
attending Christian churches Why is it
that we can create large, efficient
disciplemaking churches that rarely last
more than a generation Why is it that
filmmakers are now the theologians
Why is it that people in the greatest
story of all cannot find themselves in
the story or tell the story
There are plenty of places for us to
point and say, “There is a megachurch
and don’t we all want to be like them.
Oh, and by the way, I need a few things
along the way to compensate for the
emerging cultural changes. Do I want
to do a more formal liturgy How about
using candles as a mood enhancer or
sensory stimulator for our services
How about getting some young guy to
run the music”
It is hard to look at any piece of the
media right now without hearing about
the Internet. Let me jump right in there
with the other 2.6 billion people talking
about it. What I find interesting in all
the hype about the Internet is the
differing ways in which it is viewed. Few
emerging companies are not considering
the Internet as a part of their business
plan. But there is at least one distinction
in the orientation of the many. There
are the companies that are saying “We
need to be on the web.” And there are
companies that are saying, “Our business
is the web.” The latter operates from
a whole new business orientation. They
are not just trying to catch up to the
hyped opportunities in cyberspace.
The idea of our world changing and
transitioning is not news to most of us.
The question is “Are we merely going
to try to catch up to the hyped
opportunities or will we consider church
leadership and what constitutes the
spiritual life from a whole new
orientation” Fortunately we have many
people recognizing that the orientation
of church work needs to change in order
to lead as Christians in an emerging
post-Christian world.
We live in a ruthlessly pragmatic world
that asks, “Will it work” before it asks,
“Is it right” This time in our history
demands that we take a step back from
pure pragmatism and become students
of culture like missionaries, students of
theology like church leaders of old,
students of sacred and spiritual things
like the monks of old, and students of
ideas that help stimulate right practices
in whole new settings.
In Acts we see churches’ theology
emerge from practice. The early leaders
are able to adjust their practice after
reflection and consideration (just ask
Peter or the church leaders in Acts 15).
Now we have 2,000 years of church
history that has changed many times
9
through the ages. More than that, we
have well-developed theologies that have
categorized things to the nth degree.
We do not operate objectively any more.
We see things through well-defined
grids that men have created. Therefore,
we cannot simply have theology emerge
out of practice because we have so many
forms of practice. We need new ideas
and new thoughts to inform our
theologies and practices and vice versa.
What is needed are reflective
practitioners (a term stolen from
Donald Schon) and people not afraid to
experiment with new forms of ministry
and church leadership. We need leaders
who call our culture to transformation.
We do not need any more
reproductions of franchised church
models or culturally driven forms of
church. We need bright minds that think
about our global culture in relationship
to the ancient story of God in the Bible
and then return to their places of
ministry to experiment with forms that
emerge out of this collective thinking.
At the Young Leader Networks, we want
to bring together the best thinkers and
practitioners in settings where our
collaborative learnings inform our
practice of Christianity in local places.
Take a look at our website and see
where you can contribute.
by Jason Mitchell, manager, Young Leader Networks
www.youngleader.org

The Church Champions Network identifies,
connects and resources those key consultants,
denominational leaders and Teaching Church
leaders who are leading the way to resource
churches that will lead the next decade of ministry.
Church
Champions
UPDATE:
Ideas, Innovation and Impact.
The primary resource for Church Champions.
A weekly email update with stories
from the field; connections to products,
consultants, books; and tips
from other top consultants;
complete calendar updates for
official Church Champions events plus
other events around the country for leaders.
To subscribe, email
championsupdate@leadnet.org
with the word “subscribe” in the subject line.
For back issues of the update, event info and
(coming soon) The Consultant’s Clearinghouse,
visit our website: www.churchchamp.org
OPEN INVITATION EVENTS
Open Space Technology Workshop
Featuring training by Harrison Owen,
originator of the Open Space Concept
March 13-15, 2000
Open Space is a whole system, large-scale intervention. It can be
adapted for use with churches and other organizations. Come learn
the principles through workshop and practice with the originator and
developer of the process.
Early registration before January 30: $525
Regular registration : $595
Coaches Week for Church Champions
August 27-31, 2000
Eight skill-training workshops designed to add capacity and new tools
for church consultants and leaders, including:
• Leading Church Change
• Small Groups Consultants Coaching
• Developing Teaching Church Systems for Denominations
• And more
Early registration before July 15: $550
Regular registration: $625
INVITATION-ONLY EVENTS
Forum Week for Church Champions
November 1-3, 2000
Five different forums for Church Champions, including:
• General Consultants Forum
• Denominational Leaders Forum
• Leadership Development Coaches Forum
• And more
Early Registration before September 15: $350
Regular Registration: $425
These forums are by invitation only. To inquire about an invitation,
please call the Leadership Network Customer Service Team
at 800-765-5323.
All prices reflect meals, rooms, instruction costs,
materials fees and breaks.
All of these events will be held at
Simpsonwood Conference Center
near Atlanta, Georgia.
For more information or to register please call
our Customer Service Team at 800.765.5323.
www.churchchamp.org
10

Testimonials from participants
continue to roll in, sharing with
our LTN team the impact this
event is making on the direction
of ministries from coast to coast.
“I have worked for a large, nationally known
corporation for 25+ years and attended many first-class
conferences. This was by far the best and most
inspirational!”
“Excellent ideas and ways to apply the information at
our own church!”
“This conference was awesome! It has presented a level
of excellence that blows my mind. You didn’t just bring
in experts, you brought the BEST!”
“God spoke through the workshop and
keynote speakers in a way that
affirmed and clarified vision.”
“Each session provided practical, takehome
tools for implementation of the vision
to which God has called us. To everyone at LN and
LTN, thank you for answering God’s call.”
“Dieter Zander and the praise team were amazing!
What a heart for God. The blend of worshipful choruses
and great hymns done in a new meaningful way were
outstanding. Praise the Lord! Praiselujah!!”
“I loved it all! Please do it again!”
Did you order your audiotapes of the workshops and plenary sessions If not, please place your order today.
Enclosed is an order form to use for mail or phone orders, or contact Convention Cassettes at 800-776-5454
to place a phone order. You may also order online: http://www.conventioncassettes.com/ln
Visit the LTN website, www.ltn.org, for post-conference updates and pictures.
Watch for more information about New Century: New Church 2001! Plan
now to attend.
11
www.ltn.org

LEADERSHIP TRAINING NETWORK
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
ONE-DAY SEMINARS
Strategies for Equipping Ministry Seminar
Seminars provide opportunities to hear presentations by seasoned practitioners, meet
in small-group settings and address situations unique to each church.
This fast-paced seminar includes:
• Casting a Vision for Equipping Ministry
• Steps to Building a Team-Based Equipping Ministry
• Preparing Your Church Culture for an Equipping Ministry
Cost: $99 (every fourth and fifth person from your team is free) — includes program
materials, continental breakfast and lunch.
Dallas, TX February 28
Orlando, FL March 10
Kansas City, KS April 14
San Francisco, CA June 2
Minneapolis, MN June 23
Seattle, WA July 21
Columbia, SC October 13
managing editor
content editor
communications associate
information associate
graphic designer
leadership network
large church networks
young leader networks
church champions network
leadership training network
information network
*Dates are subject to change.
LEVEL 1 INSTITUTE
These five-day institutes are for leaders and leadership teams just beginning or expanding
an existing equipping ministry. The faculty are all involved in the front lines of ministry
and represent a diverse range of denominations and roles.
Cost: $799 — includes program materials, meals and lodging.
Glorieta Conference Center
Sandy Cove Conference Center
Glorieta, NM
Baltimore, MD
March 26-31 September 24-29
LEVEL 2 INSTITUTE
This five-day institute includes more advanced courses than Level 1 and is designed for
leadership teams involved in enhancing current mobilization ministries. The intense
sessions inform, inspire and equip churches that are building equipping ministries to
mobilize their local congregation.
Cost: $799 — includes program materials, meals and lodging.
Simpsonwood Conference Center
Atlanta, GA
November 12-17
To Register Call 877-LTN-LEAD or Visit Our Website at www.ltn.org
Colleen Townsley Hager colleen.hager@leadnet.org
Carol S. Childress carol.childress@leadnet.org
Vicky Perrenot vicky.perrenot@leadnet.org
Beth Thornton beth.thornton@leadnet.org
Karen Nidositko-Cline karen.cline@leadnet.org
www.leadnet.org
www.largechurch.org
www.youngleader.org
www.churchchamp.org
www.ltn.org
www.leadnetinfo.org
NEXT is a free quarterly publication of Leadership Network.
To receive your free subscription contact our Customer Service team at 800.765.5323.
Requests to reproduce material in NEXT may be submitted in writing to Vicky Perrenot.
Leadership Network, 2501 Cedar Springs Rd., Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75201.
Phone: 800.765.5323 inside the U.S., or 214.969.5950 outside the U.S., FAX: 214.969.9392
Because we keep our ears close to the
ground in terms of what you want, we
have made changes in our publications.
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VOLUME 6, WINTER JANUARY • FEBRUARY • MARCH • 2000
At the dawn of the 21st
Century, the challenges
of ministry have never
been greater — or filled
with more opportunity.
We find ourselves in the
midst of sweeping
changes in social
structures, institutions,
relationships and culture.
Deeper than fads and
trends, these shifts are
more than just
generational differences
or alternative worship
styles and music.
We are in a period of
significant transition
from one world to
another. At the core of
this transition is a
fundamental shift in the
way we understand and
process information and
how we communicate
with one another.
DISCERNING THE TIMES...
It’s More Than Just Generations and Worship Wars
The Winter issue of NEXT attempts to illustrate this transition from two perspectives. One is the
Millennial Matrix © , a model based on communication theory integrated with philosophy and
historical church traditions, developed by Rex Miller.
The second perspective, a Ministry Transition Timeline © , developed by Brad Cecil, is based on a
fundamental shift in epistemology and the transition from a modern to a postmodern world.
We thank both Miller and Cecil for the use of their models.
NEXT: What is the Millennial Matrix © and
how was it developed
Rex Miller (RM): When the dominant means
of storing and distributing information
changes, so does the world in which we live.
The Millennial Matrix provides a window into
the future by comparing three fundamental
historical shifts in communication. Some divide
history into agricultural, industrial and
information ages. Some use generational cycles,
while others focus on technological shifts, social
trends and changing cultural values. All of
these are helpful, but none deal with the
fundamental structures of our identity,
relationships and social institutions in the way
that examining our communication systems
provides.
NEXT: Will you trace the three historical
periods and the corresponding
communication mode
RM: The three historical periods include oral,
print and the current broadcast culture. The
Liturgical tradition, birthed in an oral culture,
dominated until the Reformation. The
Reformation churches, birthed in a print
FROM LEADERSHIP NETWORK
culture, peaked in the 1950s as television became
the dominant form of communication. The
Celebration tradition has been the primary growth
segment of the Church for the past 25 years. The
challenge for Celebration churches is this: in
the height of their current success, will they
and can they see the tidal wave of change fast
approaching I want to be clear that this is not
about the value of one tradition over another.
Each has important characteristics that the
others need.
The Matrix resembles a prism refracting light
through each era of communication. “Light"
that traveled through each era emerged with new
meaning that created new realities. The matrix
format provides categories of comparison
between each era that have been helpful in
perceiving the structural effect that each mode
of communication had in shaping our
understanding of the world.
NEXT: Why do changes in communication
create such far-reaching changes in society
RM: Briefly, there is a cascading effect when
the fundamental means of perceiving our world
changes. This redefinition moves to our
L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K

elationships that impact social structures,
institutions, society and culture. It is not a
coincidence that the Reformation and the
invention of the printing press are linked. Nor
is it a coincidence that the first generation raised
on television brought about a spiritual and social
revolution in the 1960s. Our challenge today
is to consider the radical changes coming from
an emerging society that operates in an
interactive, globally linked, instantaneous, 24/7,
virtual communication environment.
The Ministry Transition Timeline © provides a
framework for understanding foundational changes
in the context of ministry.
NEXT: What prompted you to create a timeline
to help explain the postmodern transition
Brad Cecil (BC): Rather than a historical event,
postmodernity represents a transition in the
way of knowing and understanding. In trying
to illustrate the effects of postmodernity, I found
myself referring to the transition from the
medieval world to the modern world, and that
gave me the idea for a timeline.
NEXT: If postmodernity is not a historical
event, what is it
BC: I think it is best described as a shift in
epistemology or the way we understand and
process information. The significance of the
postmodern transition is that a new way of
understanding the world is emerging and it is
causing a significant shift in the way we think,
learn and communicate. It is evidenced in the
business world, in the entertainment world, in
literature, in art, etc.
NEXT: Describe what you mean by a shift in
the way we think.
BC: Prior to the Enlightenment and the start
of the modern era, there was more unknown
about our world than was known, which allowed
for a great deal of mystery to exist. Because
more was unknown than was known, the
underlying epistemology was a mystical
understanding. The shift from the medieval to
the modern world started out in skepticism —
the only things that should be believed are
things that can be proven to be certain. The
goal was to enlighten people to “facts," to
remove the mystery, and to challenge all belief
that was not founded in evidence. This was a
shift from a mystical to an empirical
epistemology. To address this understanding,
apologetics sought out empirical evidence to
prove the validity of Christian belief. The goal
of the Enlightenment was to remove all mystery,
but it failed. While the modern era produced
great evidence and understanding, it could not
remove all the mystery of our existence. I believe
we are headed into a new understanding that
is unlike anything we have seen before, an era
of what I am calling “Enlightened Mysticism.”
We still desire to explore and understand our
MODERN
• Enlightenment
Project
• Objective Truth
• Scientific
• Dualistic
• Empirical
Cultural Implications
• Holistic
POSTMODERN
• Deconstruction
Project
• Subjective Truth
• Mystical
• Experiential
world but we recognize our limitations, and this
is leading to a renewed mysticism.
NEXT: What do you see as the most significant
challenges for church leaders
BC: The largest challenge will come from the
new view of truth, that truth is no longer easy
to grasp and understand. People are now living
with the recognition of our limitations. This is
not to say that a particular view is wrong, it is
just limited. More and more people realize the
dynamic nature of our understanding, that most
of what we believe is what we believe right now
and that new observations and understanding
may alter that belief in the future. This will be
a challenge to the contemporary church, which
for the most part, has been built on a modern
epistemology where truth is logical, rational
and can be proven.
The other big challenge will come in the area of
spiritual formation. In the modern era,
information was transformational, so most
churches have adopted teaching models for
spiritual formation. Our structures and
organizations were developed to facilitate
teaching, so they were designed to have large
groups of people taught and are set up like
classrooms. Many Protestant churches removed
art because they felt it was insignificant
and distracted from teaching. Spiritual
formation in the future will have to adjust for
the new epistemology and incorporate
symbolism, art and experience into its design.
NEXT: Where does the church growth
movement fit into this new way of
understanding
BC: One of the most significant influences of
church growth in the last 20 years has been the
application of marketing principles. Since many
people view the church from a consumer
perspective, churches that have addressed the
needs of the consumer have grown. The new
epistemology appears to be rejecting standard
marketing principles and the consumer “feltneed"
orientation. This will present a significant
challenge to larger, more consumer-oriented
churches.
NEXT: How do you respond to those who say
that postmodernity poses a threat to
Christianity
BC: While there are definitely challenges, I feel
it is just a reminder that we are always
missionaries. We have visited the mission field
and it is us! We have to think again as
missionaries, re-think what it means to be the
Body of Christ in this new culture, and view
postmodern culture as we would any other
foreign culture.
MODERN
Spiritual Formation
• Primarily Through
Presentation/Teaching
• Reduction of the
Arts
• Reduction of
Mystical Elements
• Individualistic
POSTMODERN
• Primarily Experiential/
Participatory
• Integration of the
Arts
• Integration of
Mystical Elements
• Communitarian
The complete models of the Millennial
Matrix © and the Ministry Transition
Timeline © can be found on the
Young Leader web site.
www.youngleader.org

RESOURCES
R E X M I L L E R
Rex Miller has integrated his academic, spiritual
and business disciplines to assist secular and
religious organizations in times of transition. A
theology and communications major in college,
he has worked for Fortune 500 companies in sales, marketing and management.
Currently, he is vice-president of The Spencer Company, a furniture distributor
located in Dallas. Miller has been part of two church plants and is a frequent speaker
at churches and conferences related to issues addressed in the Millennial Matrix © .
He can be reached at rexmiller@compuserve.com.
The Millennial Matrix ©
The full text of the matrix, plus an extensive bibliography by Rex Miller, have
been posted on www.youngleader.org. Audiotapes of Miller's presentation
on the Matrix can be accessed at www.worshipinstitute.com.
Books
For further background reading related to the Millennial Matrix © , Rex Miller
recommends the following:
The Technological Society and Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes
by Jacques Ellul
The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
by Neil Postman
Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander
Future Worship: How a Changing World Can Enter God's Presence in the
New Millennium by Lamar Boschman
and MINISTRY
Web sites
C ULTU RE
POSTMODERNITY
http://www.baylor.edu/~Scott_Moore/Xnty_Pmism.html
is a web site on Christian Faith and Postmodernity with excellent
links to other sites, journals, magazines, essays and book reviews.
http://broquard.tilted.com/postmodern/intro.html
is a web site called Everything Postmodern, and it appears to
come close to the title. Note: the site is not religious in nature.
http://www.gocn.org is the web site of the Gospel and
Our Culture Network. It includes all the books in their series on
The Gospel and Postmodern Culture, as well as other information
about the Network's mission and activities.
http://home.pix.za/gc/gc12/genx/links/xpomo.htm
is an extensive listing of postmodern resources on the Internet.
It is a part of the Generation X Internet Onramp.
B R A D C E C I L
Brad Cecil is an associate pastor at Pantego Bible
Church in Arlington, Texas, where he leads axxess
(www.axxess.org), a learning community
developing ministry and leadership for the future.
Cecil has served as a church planter, national youth ministry director and shelter
director. A business owner as well, Cecil leads BCA (www.bcalink.com), an integrated
marketing communications company that assists organizations in developing
relationships through communication streams. He can be reached at
axxessbrad@aol.com.
Ministry Transition Timeline ©
The complete timeline, available in a PowerPoint presentation with additional
comments by Brad Cecil, can be downloaded from www.youngleader.org.
Books
www.youngleader.org/coolstuff.html is the reference page for LN's Young
Leader Networks and includes an extensive list of books.
http://www.marshillforum.org is the web site of the Mars
Hill Forum, whose mission is to reveal Christ in culture. It includes
their excellent journal and other initiatives.
http://www.nytimes.com/specials/index-millennium.html
is part of The New York Times' web site and its special millennium
series that ran in the Sunday magazine. Three issues are of
particular interest concerning the cultural shifts from modernity
to postmodernity: Into the Unknown (June 6, 1999); New Eyes
(September 19, 1999); and The Me Millennium (October 17, 1999).
http://www.regenerator.com is the web site of re:generation
quarterly, a Christian journal targeted at postmoderns.
http://www.next-wave.org discusses the nature of ministry,
faith and leadership in the 21st Century. Be sure to check their links.
http://www.focus.org.uk is Resources for Leadership, whose
mission is to help Christians engage postmodern culture. It
includes links to web sites, articles, books and tapes.

Y O U N G L E A D E R
Video Game Junkies
and Cultural Semioticians
Jason Mitchell, Director, Young Leader Networks
The updated Young Leader CD rolls
out in June! Loaded with articles
written by Young Leaders, interviews
with national leaders in the Network,
all the 2000 events, skill-set resources
and suggested new readings, the CD
is yours free when you attend a YL
event. It can also be purchased for
ten bucks.
I stayed up until 4:30 am on New Year’s Eve playing computer games
with Jeff, my brother-in-law. We had a bunch of fun, but spent a
ton of time trying to configure the new games on his computer, not
to mention the time spent trying to make our fingers move fast
enough and smart enough to play the game. I reflected on that
evening the other day as I watched a seven-year-old boy playing a
video game in a computer store. It was both enjoyable and annoying
to watch the little guy play the game so fluidly. His fingers moved
around the keyboard like a classical pianist, and I am sure he will
be going public with his Internet startup in a few months.
Check out the Young Leader
site at www.youngleader.org
for fresh resources and tools
for leaders in the emerging
church. And be sure to see
the new look for the site
beginning in March.
There was There was once a day when we would say this kid would
outgrow his video game obsession. Likely he won't. It's time to admit
that the platform he is learning and living on is the mode of the future, so it really doesn't matter
if he plays fewer video games as an adult. What matters is the fact that he is growing up in a
completely different world than most of us adults have known.
A few years ago, it seemed like the only people who were talking about this cultural shift stuff were
a bunch of wild and passionate revolutionary church leaders who had to shout to be heard and
understood. I suppose some of that shouting has accomplished something. Yet, while the landscape
has changed, there are still people who continue to say, “Yeah, we went through that when we
were young and you will outgrow it.” Or in other words, this excitement that we are feeling is
merely “youthful enthusiasm" that will go away when we have kids and get minivans. I am 36
and I know Brad Cecil is at least six months older than I am. I already have hair growing on my
ears, but I am still waiting to grow up and out of my condition.
The reason the landscape has changed is that we now have young people emerging like the
21-year-old who recently told me, “I am tired of people telling me how to be and act postmodern.
I am postmodern." In other words, “Yeah, got it." Done. This is the group of people I want to
spend time with in the future.
Besides, they like to play video games.
managing editor
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leadership network
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World View / Perspective
Nature of Truth
Nature of Faith
Relating the Gospel
Worship Structure
Worship Music
Architecture
DATE
COMMUNICATION MODE
CHURCH TRADITION
LITURGICAL
ORAL
4000 BC - 1500 AD
DIALECTIC: An open-ended point/counterpoint
“dialogue" that creates the context for continual
discovery. The auditory character of dialogue creates an
intimate, connected relationship to the universe.
RELATIONAL: Understanding and truth are inherently
connected with the speaker. The message and messenger
cannot be separated.
TRUST: Faith is not a concept but a personal promise and
faith's substance is found in the credibility of the one making
the promise. The Hebrew word for “believe" actually
communicates complete reliance upon what was spoken.
RE-ENACTMENT: A symbolic re-enactment of the
Gospel becomes a mystical drama and connection to
Christ, creating sacred time and sacred place.
LITURGY: A ceremony centered on ritual, symbols and
the common “mystical" experience of the Eucharist.
CHANT: Simple songs originally sung around
scriptures, creating a mystical quality where the position
of the notes held significance and augmented the
content.
ORNATE / FOREGROUND: A physical expression of
the heavenly realm — a sacred place.
REFORMED
PRINT
1500 AD - 1950 AD
CELEBRATION
BROADCAST
1950 AD - 2000 AD
LOGIC: Writing's sequential structure and linear
progression provides the foundation for rational logic.
The visual character of print creates a detached,
discriminating relationship to the universe.
RELATIVISM: Reasoning has shifted away from “either/or”
conclusions. It has become more important to understand
how one arrives at the conclusion (the process) than the
conclusion itself. The experiential character of broadcast media
creates a subjective existential relationship to the universe.
PRINCIPLE: Truth is abstracted from its source and is
embodied in its content. Truth and revelation produce
intellectual conclusions, which instruct and discipline
the human will (heart).
EXISTENTIAL: Truth is a process that has to be
personally validated, no longer gaining its authority
based on the credibility of an outside source or in the
substance of its content.
BELIEF: Faith is experienced as a concept with content
as opposed to a relationship. The content of faith creates
a moral structure providing discipline to the soul.
CONVICTION: Faith becomes a point of tangibility, a
verifiable moment between the person and God.
RE-TELLING: A logical presentation of historical
evidence and biblical texts, word studies in scripture to
validate the Gospel story.
PERFORMANCE: A celebration of faith — drama,
personal testimony, preaching — to help you sense the
relevance of the message. The intent is to make the
Gospel “hit home" to reach the audience where they live.
SERVICE: A meeting centered on singing “classic"
hymns, confirming doctrinal truth in scripture and
preaching the gospel.
PROGRAM: An event centered on celebration-style
worship, motivational preaching and personal revelation.
HYMN: Complex melodies and harmonies aided by a
printed system of writing music. Hymns communicated
complex truths of the faith.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
SONG: Simple content and complex rhythms aided by
amplification and numerous electronic instruments
shape this style of music. Songs express more relational
than doctrinal subject material.
RATIONAL / BACKGROUND: Designed to focus on
the effective preaching of the word. Only primary
symbols are used so there is no distraction from the
purpose of the building.
Rev. 1:8 (NASB)
PROMOTIONAL / CENTER STAGE: Designed as
theater to provide full view of the participants. The
space creates an audience/performer relationship.
© Rex Miller
The Millennial Matrix
INCLUSIVE
INTERACTIVE
2000 AD - FUTURE
SYSTEMS THINKING: New assumptions describe
reality as complex and interconnected. The fluid nature
of interactive media reflects a reality requiring the ability
to deal with variable events governed by overarching
system patterns.
ARCHETYPAL: There is a neutral or skeptical outlook
toward the content of truth in favor of finding a larger
context. Themes of truth work better than formulas in
a complex, rapidly changing, interconnected universe.
FAITHFUL SKEPTICISM: Faith will be experienced as a
many-layered journey. There will be great faith in the
medium. Certainty of faith will be viewed as naïve or
dishonest, while struggling with faith will be seen as a deeper
expression of faith — “Lord I believe, help my unbelief."
SIMULATION: Multiple venues and a variety of media
will be used like a prism to refract the truth of the Gospel
into a wide spectrum of insight. A single-point message
will be illustrated seven ways for 20 minutes.
GATHERING: Designed to be an interactive
collaboration without preconceived outcomes.
FUSION: A blend of musical forms. There will also be
simpler services with “unplugged" acoustical worship
balancing highly technical productions. Worship will
move from audience participation to audience
collaboration in a stimulating and intimate experience.
BARRIER-FREE / BACKDROP: Effective buildings will
have an open-ended nature, facilitating and encouraging
change. They will be content-rich and provide a multisensorial
experience.
MEDIEVAL
• Manuscript/Oral Communication
• 312 Constantine — unites Rome, converts to Christianity
• 400 St. Augustine — mystic/theologian
St. Augustine
M ystica l
Martin
Luther
MODERN
• 1452 Printing Press — transforms communication
• 1492 Columbus — discovery of the New World
• 1517 Luther — 95 Theses, Protestant Reformation
• 1564 Galileo — origins of modern science and mathematics
• 1611 King James Version — God is object to study
• 1644 Descartes — “Cogito ergo sum” (I think therefore I am)
Empirical
Hierarchy of
Needs
END OF MODERNITY
• Broadcast — transforms communication
• 1872 Darwin — man explains his origin
• 1927 Freud — “man creates God”
• 1954 Maslow — Hierarchy of Needs
• Radical Individualism — Consumerism
Internet
POSTMODERN
• Internet — transforms communication
• Nietzsche — Nihilism (loss of meaning)
• Derrida — Deconstructionism
• Popular Culture — media influences,
Contact, The Sixth Sense, Touched by An Angel,
The Celestine Prophecy, Oprah’s Spirit Moment
Enlightened Mysticism
© Brad Cecil, Ministry Transition Timeline
LEADERSHIP
N E T W O R K • 800-765-5323 • www.leadnet.org

N E X T
V O L U M E 6 2 N D Q UA R T E R 2 0 0 0
The Mission al Church
B E I N G T H E C H U R C H I N T O D A Y ’ S W O R L D
b y M i c h a e l D . W a r d e n
MA N Y O F T H E E S T A B L I S H E D
P A R A D I G M S B Y W H I C H C H U R C H E S
H A V E O P E R A T E D F O R D E C A D E S
C A N N O L O N G E R S U P P O R T
A P O P U L A C E T H A T I S L O O K I N G
F O R T R U T H O U T S I D E T H E
“ B O X” C R E A T E D B Y
O U R P R E D E C E S S O R S .
In the last half of the 20 th century, the
American religious landscape was transformed.
Commitment to traditional church
structures steadily waned, while at the same
time our hunger for spiritual fulfillment
inched its way into the forefront of the
cultural dialog. For the first time in our
history as a nation,the concept of Truth
began to lose its status as an independent
reality. Instead, Truth became relative,
dependent on an individual’s circumstance
or perspective.
This is a sign of the times…only one among
many. The culture is shifting.And many of
the established paradigms by which churches
have operated for decades can no longer
support a populace that is looking for Truth
outside the “box” created by our predecessors.
By necessity, the 21st-century church is
becoming more flexible and orga n i c, a d a p t i n g
and changing to engage the culture that
surrounds it.
This new environment is giving rise to a
fundamental “r e -d e s i g n” of how the Church
carries out its mission. To be effe c t i v e ,c h u r c h e s
once thought (and many still think) that all
they needed to do was maintain certain
expected church progra m s ,provide a
s a n c t u a ry where members could gather and
w o r s h i p ,p e rhaps send out work teams into
the community, or support missionaries at
various locations around the globe. E f fective
missional churches in today’s culture are
breaking new ground, t rying new approaches,
and going back to the blueprint provided in
Scripture to show them how to become an
authentic “city on a hill that cannot be hidden.”
While their approaches may differ widel y, t h e y
share at least four essential chara c t e r i s t i c s :
Crossing traditional boundaries.
E f fective missional churches pursue
partnerships that cross traditional boundaries—
such as denominations, e t h n i c i ,g t ye o g raphy and
s o c i o-e c o n o m i c These s . churches tend to see
t h e m s elves as a part of the larger expression of
Go d ’s presence in the community,city and worl d.
Gauging success by
transformed lives.
E f fective missional churches regularly evaluate
their own effectiveness based on the tra n s fo r m a-
tion of p e o p l e’s lives and the community. T h e y’r e
constantly asking the questions, “What difference
does it make that we are here” and “How do we
measure our effectiveness in the church body, t h e
community and the worl d ”
Impacting the culture
for the Kingdom.
E f fective missional churches find creative ways to
e m b race the culture in which they exist.They don’t
s ell out to culture,but rather seek to understand it so
they can engage it and impact it for the Kingdom.
I t’s a mindset that says,“My church is more than just
my local congrega t i o n it ; has a broader purpose and
role within the culture.”
Planting new churches and
training church leaders.
E f fective missional churches adopt an intentional
strategy of starting new churches and tra i n i n g
l e a d e r s .Missional churches are involved in planting
new churches and mentoring “l e a r n e r”
churches in creative ways.
So how are they doing it
In ways you might never expect.

“ The key to impacting the
culture is to enlarge the vision
o f your role as Christ’s follower
in the world.”
“We’re learning that the
capacity to form authentic
relationships is the key to
––Joel Ve s t a l
S e rvLife International
“God clothed his message in Jesus
Christ, not in a neon sign.”
––Art Ayris
F BC, Leesburg, FL
crossing traditional boundaries.”
––Jim Herr i n g t o n
Mission Houston
crossing traditional boundaries
Crossing traditional boundaries.
Not long ago,60 pastors gathered in a park in
O m a h a ,N eb ra s ka They . represented a spectrum of
d e n o m i n a t i o n s ,s o -economic c i and ethnic groups
that exist within the city. They didn’t gather to deb a t e
doctrine or accuse one another of “sheep stealing.”
I n s t e a d,they gathered to shoot a commercial. “T h e
Church of Omaha welcomes you,” the commercial
declared—a strong message coming from a city of
“one church,many congrega t i o n ” s .
“The level of unity we’re seeing now would hav e
been unthinkable even five years ago,” says Eric
Be n t s ,coordinator for Embrace Omaha, a cityreaching
orga n i zation woven together by dozens
o f churches in the region. Trinity Church, w h e r e
Eric is on staff, was one of the key churches in
establishing a strong prayer network throughout
the city. “We have been prayer-walking downtown
for 10 years and we have a network of i n t e r c e s s o r s
that currently includes over 200 people representing
all the churches.”
God has answered their prayers in astounding
w a y s .“Our childrens, youth and singles ministries
are all interconnected with other churches,” says
E r i c. In addition, a new unity has developed among
the Christian business leaders. God is “e m p o w e r i n g
Christian businessmen to take the gospel into
the work p l a c e ”,
says Eric. All this stems from the
unity among the church leaders within the city.
“ I t’s all built on relationships between leaders,
oiled by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.”
According to Eric and other city-reachers across the
c o u n t ry, building strong, v u l n e rable rel a t i o n s h i p s
among church leaders is t h ekey to reaching a city.
Gauging success by transformed lives.
E f fective missional churches are finding creative
ways to embrace the culture,cross traditional
boundaries and plant new churches.But how
do these churches effe c t i v ely gauge the impact
o ftheir ministry This is an area yet to be fully
explored as churches begin to come to grips with
the question,“What difference are we making”
Missional churches are beginning to ask the
question and search for indicators that tell them
t h e y’re making a lasting impact for the Kingdom.
One indicator is finances.“We look at how people are
giving financially,” says Art Ay r i s associate , pastor at First
Jim Herrington, executive director of M i s s i o n
H o u s t o n ,has seen firsthand what dramatic things
can happen when church leaders get together to
p ray and establish rel a t i o n s h i p “I s . think what we’r e
learning is that the capacity to form authentic
r elationships is the key to crossing tra d i t i o n a l
b o u n d a r i e ” s says , Jim.“ H i s t o r i c a ,w l l ye’ve crossed
boundaries by focusing on a project,but after the
project ends,e v e ryone goes back to their own thing.
So now, instead of inviting people to join in a project,
we invite them to join a prayer group.When we started
a year ago,we had seven prayer groups. Now we hav e
30 .The key is that our time together is ‘agenda free.’
The only agenda is for me to have a relationship with
you—not to get you to sign on a dotted line for some
p r o j e c .” t Because of the relationships built in these
p rayer groups,Houston churches have ga t h e r e d
together for the past three years and held a cityw i d e
p rayer summit. The most recent had 225 pastors from
d i f ferent denominations coming together to pray fo r
the city.In addition to the prayer summits,H o u s t o n’s
churches have also joined forces to reach out to various
communities within the city.One such effort is the
Convoy of H o p e .I t’s an outdoor carnival-like event
that includes free health screenings, free food and free
l e gal counsel for local residents.Herrington says that
Houston churches have begun taking this event into
n e i g h b o hoods r that, a year ago, nobody cared about.
To be effective at city-reaching, individual churches
h ave to let go of the “my kingdom” mentality and
e m b ra c ea bigger picture of what it means to be the
Church in the worl d. “I don’t look at things from
a ‘c h u r c h’ para d i g m ,” says Eric Be n t s .“I look at
things from a strategic para d i g m .When unity is
brought to bear at the leadership level ,it greatly
increases the life of the body in the community.”
e v e ry year.We always have more money than we need.”
In addition,missional leaders watch for other,
more subtle indicators.They look at the depth
o f worship taking place during church ga t h e r i n g s .
They listen to the things their people pray about.
They’re constantly asking for input from the
church and from members of the community.
They’re open to criticism and willing to change
course anytime something isn’t working, or is
communicating the wrong message to people
inside or outside the church.
But “the bottom line,” says Art, “is changed lives.We’r e
building a big church here, but the bottom line isn’t
building a big church—it’s tra n s formed people.”
Baptist
gauging
Church Le e s b u g,F r
success
l o r i d “ a People . give where
by transforming
their heart is.For the last 25 years,w e’ve been over budget
people’s lives

impacting the culture for the Kingdom
Impacting the culture for the Kingdom.
“We have a real hurting culture,” says Art Ay r i s .
“When the results of sin have permeated people’s
l i v e s ,what you end up with is a lot of hurting
p e o p l e .We’ve made a focused and concerted
e f fort to meet needs and, while meeting those
n e e d s ,share Christ.”
Le e s b u rg is not a huge city—there are less than
25,000 residents—but that doesn’t mean its
people don’t have serious needs. For example, A r t
s a y s ,“We have a rescue mission that has a drug
and rehabilitation center with 30 beds. We also
h ave a real problem with homeless women and
c h i l d r e n ,so we have a women’s shel t e r. We have a
pregnancy crisis center, and we have opened a
c o u n s eling center. R e c e n t l y, the local hospital came
to us to offer their help in meeting the medical
needs we encounter, and together we’re building a
medical clinic. And FBC hasn’t confined itsel ft o
the city limits. In Romania, t h e y’ve built housing
for orphans and, c u r r e n t l , ythe church has groups
Planting new churches and
training church leaders.
About a year ago, D avid Nicholas had a great idea.
As senior pastor of Spanish River Presbyterian
Church in Boca Raton, F l o r i d a ,h e’d been activel y
involved in planting churches for years. But he
wanted to do even more and share with others
the church-planting strategies that had worked
so well for his congrega t i o n .So he started the
Acts 29 Network, a gathering of churches from
all denominations that have come together for
one purpose—“to start church-planting churches
throughout the world to the glory of Go d.”
The strategy of the Acts 29 Network is simple. “We
t a ke 10 percent of our general offerings and put it
into church planting,” says Dav i d.“We support some
other missionaries and missions,but the bulk of w h a t
Con.NEXT.ion
Embrace Omaha –
w w w. c h r i s t c o m m g . o r
Trinity Church –
w w w. t r i n i t y o m a h ga . o r
Mission Houston –
w w w. m i s s i o n h o u s t go n . o r
going to Brazil and Romania to build shelters
for street kids.”
Art adds that all these ministries have created a
powerful openness to the message of Christ in
their community.“God clothed his message in Jesus
C h r i s ,not t in a neon sign.What we’re doing puts
flesh on the gospel ,and people in the community
s a y,‘ H e y,this is what the church should be doing.’ ”
J o el Ve s t a l ,founder of Se rv L i e fInternational in
H o u s t o n shares , a similar commitment.In the eight
years since his orga n i zation bega n ,his teams have
circled the globe over 16 times,bringing practical hel p
to people in need, all in the name of C h r i s .The t ke y
to impacting the culture,he says,is to enlarge the
vision of your role as Christ’s follower in the worl d.
“Our calling and need for community must exist in a
global context to fully understand the Kingdom of
Go d.Our missional drive should be fueled out of
our relationship to Him as opposed to pursuing
some cause.”
we do goes to church planting.Since its founding over
30 years ago,Spanish River Church has planted wel l
over 60 new churches—in Illinois,Te x a s ,M e x i c o ,
I n d i a ,B razil and Haiti. All of these churches hav e
e m b raced the goal of becoming “planting” churches
t h e m s el v e Leith s . Anderson,another church-planting
leader who pastors Wooddale Church in Eden
P ra i r i e ,M i n n e s o t a says , he frequently receives
requests from church leaders who want to know
the “s e c r e t” of e f fective church planting. In the end,
it may be something that can’t be easily understood
without going and seeing it for yoursel f. “ F i n d
churches that have a Kingdom mentality and are
growing and ministering,” says Le i t h .“ Learn
about them, but especially go and see them.
O f t e n ,the tra n s formation takes place on the
ride home when church leaders are discussing
their experience together.”
S e rvLife International –
w w w. s e rv l i f e g. o r
Spanish River Pre s b y t e r i a nC h ch u r–
w w w. s p a n i s h r i v e r. c o m
Acts 29 Network –
w w w. a c t s 2 9 n e t w o r k . c o m
Wooddale Church –
w w w. w o o d d a l e g. o r
FBC, Leesburg –
Michael Wa rden is a freelance writer in Littleton, CO.
w w w. f b c l e e s b u rg g . o r
He can be contacted at eaglesong@email.com
p lanting new churche s – training leaders
Strategies for other
c h u r c h e sthat want to
begin to reach their city.
Mobilize intercession for
the city immediately.
God always sends his intercessors first.
S t a rt building re l a t i o n s h i p s .
Go after the “franchise holders” in the
city—the ones who have a vision for
the community and are confident
enough in their position to be open
to seeing what God might want to do
outside the walls of their church.
Pray for disc e rnment fro m
the Lord as to who should
champion the movement—
realizing it might not be you.
Look for one who has a “horizontal”
apostolic gift—one who is a leader
of leaders.
Don’t let programs get
ahead of G o d ’s timing.
D o n’t let programs drive it at all.
Instead, follow what God is doing
through relationships,and then
allow programs to evolve natura l l y.
S O U R C E: Eric Be n t s
E m race Omaha

Q: How can you improve upon an event that brings great people together,
helps you learn how to be a better church leader, and gives you an in-depth
perspective of what's going on in large churches across America
A :Make it easier for church teams to attend. Bring it closer to home. Thats
what we did. The result is LCN Cluster Foru m s .
How will the new Cluster Froums work
• Forums will still be invitation-only events designed for churches with 1000 or greater in adult weekend worship attendance.
• Meeting in role-specific groups,participants will engage in peer learning and networking across denominational boundaries.
What are the benefits of Cluster Forums
• Process on-site with your team–d r e a m i n g, s t rategizing and synergizing what you have learned within your individual group.
• Form new friendships and networks of colleagues for year-round support, advice and idea sharing.
• Gain new ministry ideas and an understanding of what other large,innovative churches around the country are doing.
Fall 2000 Cluster Forum
November 1 - 3, 2000
Perimeter Church
Atlanta, Georgia
Business Administrator
Children's Ministry Director
Executive Pastor
Key Lay Leader
Senior Pastor
Small Groups Director
Worship Leader
Family Ministry Director
Pastoral Care
Prayer Pastor
Winter 2001 Cluster Forum
February 8 - 10, 2001
Calvary Community Church
Westlake,California
Business Administrator
Children's Ministry Director
Executive Pastor
Key Lay Leader
Senior Pastor
Small Groups Director
Worship Leader
Family Ministry Director
Missions Pastor
Outreach Pastor
Please e-mail customer. c a re @ l e a d n e t . o rg or call the Customer Care Team at 800-765-5323
for more information on registration, invitation criteria and fees.
Summer 2001 Cluster Forum
June 6 - 8, 2001
Elmbrook Church
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Business Administrator
Children's Ministry Director
Executive Pastor
Key Lay Leader
Senior Pastor
Small Groups Director
Worship Leader
Family Ministry Director
Men's Ministry Director
Women's Ministry Director
Youth Pastor
Equipping Ministry Director
Coaches Week
The Church Champions Network invites you to Atlanta for
August 27-31, 2000
Our coaches will be ready to unveil their game plan, consisting of nine
skill-building work s h o p s ,each two days in length, designed to
sharpen and hone your skills as a seasoned player on the ministry fiel d.
Wo rkshops will focus on building capacity for Church Champions in
their designated fiel d s .
You will have the opportunity to attend two workshops during the entire
Coaches We ek experience. I f your Coaches We ek time is extremely limited,
you may attend o n e2-day work s h o p .While the workshops themselves
provide quality tra i n i n g,peer relationships developed during the time together
are of equal value.
I f you would like to view a more detailed description of e a c h w o rk s h o p ,p l e a s e
go to w w w. c h u r c h c h a m g. p Click . o r on Events and follow the links to individual
w o rkshop descriptions. You may also call our Customer Care team at 800.765.5323
to request a fax copy of w o rkshop or registration info r m a t i o n .
m a n a ging ed i t o r
content ed i t o r
co m m u n i cations assoc i a t e
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l eadership netwo rk
l a rge church netwo rks
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l eadership training netwo rk
k n ow l ed ge netwo rk
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Carol S. Childress ca r o l . c h i l d re s s @ l ea d n e t . o rg
Vicky Perrenot vi c ky. pe r re n o t @ l ea d n e t . o rg
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N E X T
VOLUME 6 3 RD QTR. 2000
SIX KEY LESSONS
FROM EXPLORING
OFF THE MAP
✵ Learn to create your own
maps. The old ones don’t
work any more so you
will have to chart your
own course.
✵You won’t survive the journey
by yourself. In this
new world, there are no
super heroes, only super
teams so assemble your
team wisely.
✵ When exploring off
the map, use a guide and be
sure to get help from the
natives.
✵ Learn how to “manage
the present" while also
"preparing for the future.”
✵ Hold your assumptions
loosely and replace your
dependency on planning
with preparedness for
what lies ahead.
✵ Never, ever, lose sight of
the mission.
Field Reports from
Exploring off The Map
From all parts of the nation, from multiple faith-tribes and cities, by automobile
and by airplane, they came to Denver to join a new expedition called, “Exploring
Off the Map.” Now, they were together for the first time, eager and ready for the
launch of a journey that over the next four days would take them through unfamiliar
territory. They were a 21st century Corps of Discovery.
Over 500 men and women stood to take the Oath of the Corps, their voices clear
and united. “Having enlisted in the 21st century Corps of Discovery, I pledge to
join my heart, hands and mind with others of this expedition to explore unfamiliar
territory, being open to what lies ahead; to engage and learn from others; and
to ask the blessings of Almighty God for the journey.”
Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson in 1804, the goal of the first
Corps of Discovery was to explore and map the fabled “Northwest Passage,” a
navigable river route connecting the Missouri River with the Pacific Ocean.
The goal of the “21st century Corps of Discovery” was different. While the first
Corps sought a passage through uncharted lands, the 21st century Corps sought
a passage through an uncharted culture. The mission of the new Corps was “to
look beyond the present-day horizon and explore the changing national and
global landscape for the purpose of charting new maps for the 21st century.”
They were led in their journey by a team of Chief Scouts that included story
teller/film producer Dayton Duncan, learning organization pioneer Peter Senge,
experience economy experts James Pine and Jim Gilmore, consultant/teacher
extraordinaoire James Collins, systems thinking/organizational pioneer Margaret
Wheatley, world class observer/author Robert Kaplan, management and organizational
behavioral leaders Marjorie and Ken Blanchard, and church
historian/cultural maven Leonard Sweet. In addition, outstanding practitioners
from local congregations across the country served as Guides for more than 25
specialized cartography sessions.
Just as the first Corps of Discovery recorded their reflections and key learnings
in their journals, so did members of the 21st century Corps. We invited several
members of the 21st century Corps to reflect on their experience at Exploring
Off the Map, and the following excerpts from their journals are used with their
permission.

in his words, “The trees move the wind” in contradiction
to Jesus’ teaching about the Spirit in John 3. I’ve chewed
on that piece of meat since I left Denver. I realize that
we have been co-opted by materialism at a level far
deeper than buildings and budgets. Are we ministering
through living the life that Jesus shows and teaches us
how to live, or uncritically baptizing the practices of the
world and commerce Does anything genuinely distinguish
our ministries and churches from the practices of
the world" -Ron McCrary, Senior Rector, Christ
Episcopal Church, Overland Park, KS
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The Launch
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Scout Dayton Duncan established the context for the journey by
reviewing the composition and struggles of the original Lewis &
Clark expedition and the valuable lessons on team, diversity
and commitment learned by the Corps of Discovery.
“I am very excited about the future of the church in America,
but definitely relate to the gaps in the map that Lewis & Clark
faced as they set out on their expedition. The combination of
excitement and fear is the same I feel as I think about leading
over the next decades.” -Jeff Jones, Pastor, Fellowship Bible
Church North, Plano, TX
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“I like the fact that this crew was made up of
people on the edge in so many ways. I am
comforted, in some mysterious way, by the
fact that they did not have it all figured out
and in many points along the way they
were dead wrong. Yet, their journey was
bigger than individual pieces. I am glad that
it was messy, for out of their mess - several
times - new learnings emerged. My head tells
me that this journey could not have happened by
‘man’s’ power alone. It feels that there was some higher power
overseeing this experience. That too, lets me put my faith in the
unknown and give God lots of room to move.”
-Terri Elton, Director of Changing Church, Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church, Burnsville, MN
We Proceeded On…
Peter Senge, a pioneer in systems thinking and learning organizations,
reported on the differences in Western and Eastern
belief systems and practices.
“Peter Senge was one chief scout who rocked my
thought-world. He spoke prophetically
about how the church had been ‘coopted
by materialism.’ We have
adopted the heresy of believing that,
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“Senge says what we are doing is not producing the product
we care about—happiness. I think
I would have to agree…I look
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at the stats about social problems
and Christians are often
doing worse in the percentages
than non-Christians.
What’s this all about”
-Tammy Kelly, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church,
Tipp City, OH
“Peter Senge blew me out of the water. I expected a
short digest of The Fifth Discipline but he gave me
much more. I was stunned when he shared about the
growth of Buddhism among the younger generations.
It grieves me that we are presenting a
Christianity that seems so irrelevant, stuffy
and institutional that many cannot see the
essence of what a vibrant relationship with
Christ is all about.”
-Jeff Jones
Leaders in understanding the shift to an experience
economy, Joe Pine and James Gilmore outlined
the economic transformation underway and its
implications for the culture and church.
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“How can we foster a genuine experience and encounter
with God that people would not think of missing We
have the only true, real and significant experience to
offer. Why, then, is everyone rushing to all these other
places What am I doing that is distracting people from
a genuine and transforming experience with God”
-Jeff Jones
“We need to continue to expand our thinking of how we
can disciple people. It’s not just about great teaching, a
great book, the right conversation…it’s the total of the
experience we, as Christians, create around us.”
-Tammy Kelly
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Audiotapes of Exploring Off the Map General Assembly and Cartography Sessions are available by callin
EOTM participants. Summaries of Chief Scout re

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“What are the new measuring sticks In our church, we measure by the
number of people baptized or confirmed. What if we measured by the
number of people in our area that have not heard about Jesus I can think
of no better descriptor for today than relational.
The focus has shifted to push relationships
deeper. Maybe Wheatley and her ‘department
of the interior’ were more than a
‘talk’ and somehow became the challenge
for the day, for many of us have lived out
the idea of moving at the speed of LIFE not
light.” -Terri Elton
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Based on research from his forthcoming
book, management consultant
and author, Jim Collins examined
what it takes for companies to
move from good to great and introduced
his concept of the Level 5 leader.
“How and when do you say, ‘No’ If you always say, ‘Yes’ it will have the
same result as saying, ‘No.’ Good vs. great is a strong concept. I love the
partnership in Level 5 leaders between humility and will. Many leaders
have the will but humility is the rare commodity.” -Tammy Kelly
“Essential in the transformation from a good to great organization is a
Level 5 leader…a gifted leader who is deeply committed to the mission but
also humble and selfless…a servant leader.” -Jeff Jones
“As a leader using the Built to Last ideas for several years, I was afraid his
session would not stimulate my thoughts at the end of a very full day. I
was wrong. His two sides of the selfless executive that helps organizations
go from good to great, and his challenges to us as ‘church leaders’ were
profound and BOLD. The learnings I took home from this day are already
being woven into practical conversations with my teammates. I anticipate
more conversation in the days ahead. The map is being etched. I have
made some great contacts today with people that I believe will become
partners in ministry in the future.” -Terri Elton
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Oh, the Ocean….View in Sight!
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A pioneer in thinking about new organic organizational structures,
Margaret Wheatley spoke of the inward journey of the leader.
“She spoke prophetically about the toxicity of life when we try to live life
at the speed of light. She reminded us that there are two speeds in the
world: the speed of light and the speed of life. We damage others and ourselves
when we try to live at the speed of light. How many of our churches
have grown large by the efforts of pastors, staff and members who are living
at the speed of light in the doing of ministry Over the long haul, are
we damaging others and ourselves Is this what Jesus intends when
he commands us to, “Go and make disciples” It will take
great courage to explore some other ways of doing ministry
with people in a new world
that is off the map of our familiar
existence.” -Ron McCrary
Thursday night, the Corps of Discovery shared communion and a time
of community in squads or small groups.
“This evening’s ‘celebration’ was risky but powerful. My squad from
Tuesday was reduced to only two, but we joined together with another
group and it was amazing. The affinity we shared and risks we took were
awesome and moved us to deep bonds as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Bridges have been built. Stories shared. Hearts joined.” -Terri Elton
Returning Home
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“I now reenter the world that was familiar a week ago, yet some how I am
changed – different in ways I cannot fully explain. The plane is full –
many of my fellow explorers are aboard. The conversations around me
vary. The Lewis and Clark metaphor is alive and woven in with Senge,
Collins and a host of others as two explorers debrief their journey.
Other explorers are already scouting the territory – they are already in the
mission field living their mission. They
are present with people – listening –
really listening to those that have
been randomly placed beside
them. They are traveling at the
speed of life – at least for the
moment.
I identify with all of them – in some way
– yet choose to quietly reflect in their midst. My thoughts drift back to
Len Sweet’s powerful closing session – his summary words woven
together with powerful worship songs, the ‘washing of feet’ and united
voices in ‘Joy to the World.’ It certainly continued the celebration
experience from Thursday night and empowered us to sail into the
wind. That experience will carry me miles into my journey ahead.
Thank you to all who prayed, planned, prepared and participated in
this experience…and thank you, God, for letting our journey
together take place on such holy ground!” -Terri Elton
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g Convention Cassettes at 800- 776-5454. Visit the Large Church Network website, http://www.largechurch.org, t
marks are also on this same site in issues 12, 13 and 14 of Explorer, Leadership Network’s e-publication.

The Corps of Discovery from GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN
NOBLESVILLE, INDIANA included ten people. As part of their preparation
for EOTM, together they watched the PBS video on Lewis & Clark
that was provided to all 21st century Corps members and drew 15 leadership
lessons from the video. You can read their entire list at
http://www.largechurch.org. They also identified some significant “take
aways” for their church from EOTM, including these seven:
LET US BECOME REFUGEES.
LET US LEAVE OUR NATIVE LAND,
OUR COMFORTABLE AND SACRED PLACES…
OUR TERRAFIRMATWICE-TAMED AND TWICE-REMOVED.
OUR WELL-WORN MAPS AND BOULEVARDS
CARVED DEEP INTO ACCUSTOMED SOIL.
AND LET US FOLLOW JESUS INTO THE WILDERNESS
OF LOVE, MAPLESS AND UNTOUCHED…
LET US BECOME SERVANTS TO A PEOPLE AND
TO ALAND WE’VE NEVER KNOWN.
BUT WE SAY THE COST IS TOO HIGH.
WE DESERVE THE BEST IN LIFE.
RED CARPET TREATMENT.
GATED COMMUNITIES A ND GATED CHURCHES.
JUST THINK WHO WE ARE.
WE ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, AHOLY NATION,
AROYAL PRIESTHOOD,
A PEOPLE BELONGING TO GOD.
BUT FOR AREASON BEYOND OURSELVES.
THAT WE MAY DECLA RE THE PRA ISES OF THE
ONE WHO CALLED US OUT OF DARKNESS
INTO LOVE’S MARVELOUS LIGHT.
FOR ONCE, WE WERE NO PEOPLE,
BUTNOWWEAREGOD’S PEOPLE.
ONCE WE HAD NOT RECEIVED MERCY,
BUT NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED MERCY.
LET US, LIKE JESUS, SET ASIDE OUR CROWNS.
LET US LEAVE OUR STATUS AND COMFORT BEHIND.
LET US POUR OURSELVES OUT
AND LIVE AS REFUGEES IN THIS NEW, UNCHARTED LAND.
WHAT WONDROUS LOVE!
SALLY MORGENTHALER, EXPLORING OFF THE MAP
1. EOTM WAS AN AFFIRMATION OF THE WAY THAT GOD HAS LED
US FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS. The themes from the speakers were
consistent with our commitment to servant leadership, participative collaborative
leadership, team leadership, and the need to enable people for
significant service and ministry opportunities. Much of what we heard
was a confirmation of God’s faithfulness to us, as we often have not had
all the answers, or the rationale, behind our decisions for moving to new
wineskin paradigms.
2. WE DO NOT WANT TO EXPERIENCE WHAT LEWIS EXPERIENCED
IN HIS LIFE AT THE END WHEN HE GOT OFF MISSION. Staying on
mission is healthy. Teamwork and purpose are healthy. Only one person
died while the team was on the journey, but it seems as if their lives fell
apart when they returned and were not focused on the mission. We are
committed to the vision, mission and core values that God has given us,
and feel that ministerial and relational suicide is a possibility if we get
off mission.
3. WE FOUND THE DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP AT EOTM INTER-
ESTING. IT WAS NOT FOCUSED ON DOING OR BUILDING SOME-
THING AS MUCH AS IT WAS FOCUSED ON PROPER RELATION-
SHIPS WITH PEOPLE. In other words, leadership focused on connectional
issues such as passion, energizing human communities to shape
their futures and to face the skeletons in their closets, and seeing the
largeness and human capacity in people. Also, a significant part of leadership
is helping people to understand what is going on in the world
around them.
4. OUR CHURCH IS INDEED A LEARNING ORGANIZATION;THERE-
FORE, WE MUST LISTEN AND LEARN FROM OTHERS. We are trying
to understand for our purposes what Margaret Wheatley meant when she
said that when we go outside the organization we are in effect disempowering
our own people. We are committed to living in that tension
between learning from others outside the organization and learning from
those who are in our organization.
5. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PURSUE AND UNDERSTAND HOW WE
CAN INCORPORATE THE SABBATH PRINCIPLE INTO OUR INDI-
VIDUAL LIVES AND INTO OUR ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE. We do not
want to fall into the trap of our society, which organizes around values
that are suicidal. The question that we want to answer is, “How do we
rest and do the things that need to happen in ministry” We realized
that the Buddhists have figured this one out.
6. THE CULTURE’S TAKE ON THE “PITCH” OF CHRISTIANITY AND
THE NEW INTEREST IN BUDDHISM IS A SAD COMMENTARY ON
THE MODERN APPROACH TO CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA.
American evangelical Christianity has spent too much time on the “doctrinal”
end and not enough time on the “practice” end of the doctrinalpractice
continuum.
o access the complete journals of selected
7. WE WANT TO EXPLORE AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT
MEANS WHEN THE FLYWHEEL GOES FASTER WITH CONSISTENT
FORCE AND EFFORT (COLLINS ILLUSTRATION). How does this concept
relate to moving from good to great Is the relationship of preserving
the core, while stimulating innovation, a part of this flywheel dynamic

Reflections on the EOTM Experience
BY TODD HUNTER
Tuesday evening dinner
I knew I was in the right place when one of the pastors across the table from me recounted the story
of spending 10 hours in the car with his son driving to Denver. He said the whole way his son tried to
convince him that “Dad, you’ve gotta do church differently. Church is boring, irrelevant, and I get
nothing out of it.” As we kicked around the implications of this discussion, it seemed to boil down to
the question, “How do people really change and grow in Christ”
The Launch…Tuesday night
As we heard the story of Lewis and Clark, I was moved by the sense of their teamwork, how they joined “with hand and heart.” I was also challenged
by the knowledge that Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery routinely sought advice from the Indians to learn, as any missionary would, the
language, customs and culture. I love the quote, “Real men stop and ask questions of native people.” Without the Indians, Lewis and Clark would
never have made it. Without the help of indigenous people in contemporary culture, the church won’t make it to the other side, either.
I also was instructed by the idea that the Corps of Discovery thought of themselves as explorers and not a war party. This has to be our attitude toward contemporary
culture — we are not at war with them, we are explorers looking for the initiation of God’s kingdom in the culture so we can come alongside it as
ambassadors of His kingdom and partner with Him.
I left the meeting tonight thinking what a great storyteller Duncan was, and what a great story he had to tell. The question hit me as I was in the elevator
going to my room, “What if we knew and could tell God’s story revealed in the Scriptures as well as Duncan told of Lewis and Clark” I wondered
if that kind of winsome storytelling might be a real inroad to the hearts of people who question the notion of “truth.”
We proceeded on…Wednesday morning…The Prophet Senge
This session was prophetic to me because of Senge’s grasp of Christianity needing to be, and having been designed to be, a practice and not simply a set of beliefs or intellectual
assents to certain theories about the atonement or the inspiration of Scripture, etc.
I believe Senge said out loud what many of us have believed -- that the modern and transitional postmodern culture rejects the spirituality of most of evangelicalism. If we as
Christian leaders do not become serious apprentices of Jesus, demonstrating in our daily living a new kind of life, not simply a life that begins when we die and if we don’t, in
Gandhi’s words, "First be the change we seek to produce,” then I believe we are going to continue to lose credibility in the culture.
Wednesday afternoon…The Experience Economy
I again felt like we were being prophesied to in the same way the prophets of old reminded the nation of Israel about the things that God had done in their past. These things
were commemorated in memorials and ceremonies which, when recaptured by the people of Israel, had a wonderful heartening affect, tying them to the story of God in their history.
Simply taking baptism and the Lord’s Supper seriously would significantly add to the church’s experiences. These words are a great challenge to our performance-oriented
worship services, where we script and choreograph something we “do to other people.”
Thursday morning…Margaret Wheatley
I can’t think of anything as a pastor that would excite me more than the idea that, “Nurturing the human spirit is the major task of our age,” and that big goals, no matter how big they
are, can never live up to the excitement that “soul-sized affairs” have. I believe she was also being prophetic when she talked about the speed of life causing us to lose each other and
our own sense of consciousness and prohibiting us from doing the kind of reflecting, thinking, and standing back that we all need. In fact, Jesus said these activities – he called them
repentance (in Greek metanoia) – were both the way in to his kingdom and the way on. I’ve seen innumerable men and women give in to the ever-increasing speed of life, only to end
up committing spiritual suicide. Wheatley effectively rebuked my notions of modern individualism, teaching me that nothing exists independently of relationships, that our old command
and control models just don’t work. They do not have the capacity to nurture the imprint of God in human beings. There is no use in trying to re-tool these modern institutions.
They must be re-founded on a new basis. She sent my mind out of the room when she described passionate vision as, “an idea or an emotion that insists on its being,” and then you
structure around that.
Friday morning…Ken and Marge Blanchard
Contemporary times require us to manage the present while simultaneously creating the future. WOW! What a big idea! I’ve certainly felt this pressure. The idea that “Managers
will kill your future because they’re overwhelmed by the present," made me wonder how much I actually lead versus simply manage.
I found it helpful when Marge encouraged us to “forget” and look at things with “new eyes.” Getting the eyes of children or the eyes of “aliens” and seeing things from outside
our system would be tremendously helpful.
Friday morning…Len Sweet
• “If you’re over 38 you’re an immigrant,” Len said. “If you’re under 38, you’re a native.” This reinforced in me what I’ve been intuiting, and that is that many, if not
most, of our assumptions about pastoral function are based in late-modern Christendom and are not really functional for making the kind of disciples who can reach
contemporary culture. I believe the challenge for us will be to learn to be missionaries, apostles, theologians and disciple-makers again.
• Len’s right when he said, “The last thing leaders need is to try to be in control.” A quick survey of the New Testament demonstrates that Paul trusted the presence
of the Holy Spirit operative in a community and the Word of God to guide them. For the fourth or fifth time during the week, we were reminded that the corporate
model will not work for the church, at least not in the sense of making disciples who routinely embody the things of the kingdom of God.
• Culture is not the enemy. This reminds me that I am to be neither a basher of modernity nor a faddish embracer of post-modernity. But rather, culture simply is. It’s the water
we catch fish in, and you catch fish on their terms — where they are, not on our terms — where we wish they were. Thus the need, again, is for us to be missionaries.
• What technique and program were to the modern world, authentic spirituality will be for “the church on the other side.”
Headed for home
I left the room, bumping into and saying goodbye to old friends and new acquaintances. I walked out to my rental car, put my bags in the back and got out the map to the airport.
“A map,” I thought to myself, “is not a luxury we will have as we build new churches for the contemporary person.”
Todd Hunter, former director of The Association of Vineyard Churches, can be reached at todd@mail.postmodernmission.org

Events
LARGE CHURCH NETWORK EVENTS
LARGE CHURCH CLUSTER FORUMS – 2000 & 2001
AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR WHOLE TEAM!
Cluster Forums provide opportunities for church staff teams to gather
together in one convenient location while independently participating
in role-specific peer learning settings. The schedule includes
ample opportunities for each team to spend time together to debrief
and discuss applications for their own collective ministry. Teams or
individual staff members from churches with at least 1000 in weekend
adult worship attendance may attend. Staff must have at least
one full year of experience in their current role.
Forums for the following roles will be offered at all Clusters:
• Business Administrator • Children’s Ministry Director
• Executive Pastor
• Family Ministry Director
• Pastoral Care Director • Senior Pastor
• Small Groups Director • Worship Leader
• Key Lay Leaders
Forums for the following roles will only be available at selected Clusters.
Please visit our web site (www.largechurch.org) for specific forum dates:
• Equipping Ministry Director • Men’s Ministry Director
• Missions Pastor
• Outreach Pastor
• Pastoral Care Director • Prayer Pastor
• Women’s Ministry Director • Youth Pastor
$345 per person
$315 per person for church teams of three or four
$300 per person for church teams of five or more
Fee includes program materials and all meals, but does not include
housing. Upon receiving your registration, information on nearby hotels
with special rates will be provided.
November 1-3, 2000 February 8-10, 2001
Perimeter Church Calvary Community Church
Atlanta, GA
Westlake Village, CA (near Los Angeles)
June 6-8, 2001
Elmbrook Church
Brookfield, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee)
Visit our web site for further information: www.largechurch.org
LEADERSHIP TRAINING NETWORK EVENT
LEVEL II INSTITUTE
November 12-17, Atlanta, GA
This five-day institute includes more advanced
courses than Level I and is designed for leadership
teams involved in enhancing current mobilization
ministries. These intense sessions inform, inspire
and equip churches that are building equipping ministries
to mobilize their local congregation.
$799 per person
Includes program materials, meals and lodging
Visit our web site for further information: www.ltn.org
NEW APPROACHES TO STEWARDSHIP FORUM
November 29 – December 1, 2000 Orlando, FL
Sponsored by Leadership Network, The Mclellan Foundation,
Saddleback Valley Community Church, Perimeter Church
Senior pastors are invited to bring two members of their team (stewardship
pastor and high capacity layperson) to participate in the following
tracks:
1. Senior Pastor Track: Led by Rick Warren, Saddleback Valley
Community Church and Randy Pope, Perimeter Church
2. Stewardship Pastor Track: Led by Forrest Reinhardt, Saddleback
Valley Community Church and Jerry Schriver, Perimeter Church
3. Layleader Track: Led by Hugh O. Maclellan Jr., The Maclellan
Foundation and Bob Buford, Leadership Network
Teams will have the opportunity to compare insights and discuss applications
for their own church. This is not a theoretical discussion, but a
dialogue initiated by leading churches and lay leaders in this field.
• $495 per person
• $235 spouses (meals only)
Visit our web site for further information: www.leadnet.org
HOW TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS: Please call Customer
Care to obtain further information on invitation criteria
and registration information. 800.765.5323, or visit
the respective web sites listed here.
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