Ecclesial Leadership as Friendship

Ecclesial Leadership as Friendship PDF Author: Chloe Lynch
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429671458
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
When it comes to talking about the activity of directing the church, the language of leadership and leaders is increasingly popular. Yet what is leadership – and how might theological narratives better resource the discourse and practice of leadership in ecclesial contexts? In identifying and critiquing managerialism as a dominant narrative of leadership in the Western church, this book calls for an alternative approach founded on the concept of friendship. Engaging with the wider field of leadership studies, the book establishes an understanding of leadership activity and brings it into conversation with an incarnational ecclesiology. The result is a prophetic reimagining of ecclesial leadership in terms of a relational, kenotic praxis. This praxis of mutuality and love is framed here in the rich language of Christian friendship. The book also wrestles deeply with the embodiment of such a praxis, making explicit the power behaviours typical of friendship-leadership and offering constructive guidance for practitioners in the task of implementation within a complex and fractured world. This book offers a new vision of the centrality of friendship to leadership of a healthy church community. As such, it will be of great use to scholars of practical theology, ecclesiology and leadership, as well as practitioners in church ministry.

Ecclesial Leadership as Friendship

Ecclesial Leadership as Friendship PDF Author: Chloe Lynch
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429671458
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 270

Get Book

Book Description
When it comes to talking about the activity of directing the church, the language of leadership and leaders is increasingly popular. Yet what is leadership – and how might theological narratives better resource the discourse and practice of leadership in ecclesial contexts? In identifying and critiquing managerialism as a dominant narrative of leadership in the Western church, this book calls for an alternative approach founded on the concept of friendship. Engaging with the wider field of leadership studies, the book establishes an understanding of leadership activity and brings it into conversation with an incarnational ecclesiology. The result is a prophetic reimagining of ecclesial leadership in terms of a relational, kenotic praxis. This praxis of mutuality and love is framed here in the rich language of Christian friendship. The book also wrestles deeply with the embodiment of such a praxis, making explicit the power behaviours typical of friendship-leadership and offering constructive guidance for practitioners in the task of implementation within a complex and fractured world. This book offers a new vision of the centrality of friendship to leadership of a healthy church community. As such, it will be of great use to scholars of practical theology, ecclesiology and leadership, as well as practitioners in church ministry.

Friendship Leadership

Friendship Leadership PDF Author: Matt Messner
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532665962
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
No one can deny that friendships are powerful relationships of influence. Why not strategically incorporate friendship within a philosophy of leadership? People long for relational models of leadership, yet few specific methodologies have been developed. This book examines the friendship of God with humanity, and the leadership of Jesus with his disciples, to whom he declared, "I no longer call you servants . . . Instead, I have called you friends" (John 15:15). In response to this enduring example of the Divine bringing together both friendship and leadership, this book presents an unexplored model of leadership for the Christian practitioner: Friendship Leadership. The authors of Friendship Leadership share research, historical examples, and their personal experiences with this leadership model, as they describe both the trials and triumphs. Through this process, the book addresses the primary barriers a leader might experience when utilizing the Friendship Leadership model. Finally, the authors offer a guide for how to incorporate friendship into their leadership, strengthening others as they follow the example of our great Leader. The result is a transformational way of leading that nurtures relationships.

Doing Good, Well

Doing Good, Well PDF Author: Dr. Craig A. Bell
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 1973688743
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
This book is an attempt to synthesize the logic of mathematics, organizational behavioral/ management policy of an MBA and ecclesial scholarship of a Doctorate of Strategic Leadership into the pages of one book. This book begins with the premise that, similar to corporate leaders, faith-based leaders are also capable of implementing these skills and resources to maximize the efficiency of church organizations. It is critical that they have a full toolkit of resources to leverage when administering their organizations. It also acknowledges and recognizes that a life fully engaged in active ministry doesn’t necessarily allow time to pursue degrees in each of the aforementioned subjects. As a result, Dr. Bell has attempted to create a medium through which ecclesial practitioners and scholars may review these various topics to obtain insight. Similar to survey courses in college, readers should see it as a beginning point for further exploration. Take from it what you will and apply it to your God-given vision. Use it as a springboard to the progressively revealed Will of God for the effective administration of your call.

Leaders That Last

Leaders That Last PDF Author: Gary D. Kinnaman
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1585584983
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
Thousands of ministers burn out every year; others fall prey to sexual temptation. With piercing honesty, Leaders that Last dismantles stale stereotypes about pastors and offers hope for handling their recurring, daily struggles. Co-authored by a minister who admits to struggling with periodic bouts of depression, this practical resource offers a hopeful message for pastors of every denomination. Serving a church is a lonely business no matter how big the congregation. A pastor is expected to be nearly perfect, modeling holiness, generosity, and kindness. In need of moral and emotional support, pastors often try to go it alone, satisfied with a collection of acquaintances but no true friends. Starting a Pastors in Covenant support group changes all that. Struggling leaders can throw each other a lifeline when they agree to communicate with caring and candor. Geared primarily for those in ministry, Leaders that Last is an important message from two authors who understand the difficulties that come with ministering 24-7 . . . with no Sundays off.

The Routledge Companion to Leadership and Change

The Routledge Companion to Leadership and Change PDF Author: Satinder K. Dhiman
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000806553
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 657

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Book Description
The unique leadership challenges organizations face throughout the world call for a renewed focus on what constitutes "authentic, inclusive, servant, transformational, principled, values-based, and mindful" leadership. Traditional approaches rarely provide a permeating or systematic framework to garner a sense of higher purpose or nurture deeper moral and spiritual dimensions of leaders. Learning to be an effective leader requires a deep personal transformation, which is not easy. This text provides guidelines in a variety of settings and contexts while presenting best practices in successfully leading the twenty-first century workforce and offering strategies and tools to lead change effectively in the present-day boundary-less work environment. Given the ever-growing, widespread importance of leadership and its role in initiating change, this will be a key reference work in the field of leadership and change management in business. The uniqueness of this book lies in its anchorage in the moral and spiritual dimension of leadership, an approach most relevant for contemporary times and organizations. It represents an important milestone in the perennial quest for discovering the best leadership models and change practices to suit the contemporary organizations. Designed to be a resource for scholars, practitioners, teachers and students seeking guidance in the art and science of leadership and change management, this will be an invaluable reference for libraries with collections in business, management, sports, history, politics, law, and psychology. It will present essential strategies for leading and transforming corporations, small businesses, schools, hospitals, and various nonprofit organizations. It brings the research on leadership and change management up to date, while mapping its terrain and extending the scope and boundaries of this field in an inclusive and egalitarian manner.

Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship

Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship PDF Author: Anne-Marie Ellithorpe
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119756960
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
A unique and incisive exploration of the place and nature of friendship in both its personal and civic dimensions In Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship, distinguished theological researcher Anne-Marie Ellithorpe delivers a constructive and insightful exploration of the place and nature of friendship as innate to being human, to the human vocation, and to life within the broader community. Of particular interest to members and leaders of faith communities, this book responds to contemporary concerns regarding relationality and offers a comprehensive theology of friendship. The author provides an inclusive and interdisciplinary study that brings previous traditions and texts into dialogue with contemporary contexts and concerns, including examples from Indigenous and Euro-Western cultures. Readers will reflect on the theology of friendship and the interrelationship between friendship and community, think critically about their own social and theological imagination, and develop an integrative approach to theological reflection that draws on Don Browning’s Fundamental Practical Theology. Integrating philosophical, anthropological, and theological perspectives on the study of friendship, this book presents: A thorough introduction to contemporary questions on friendship and discussions of co-existing friendship worlds Comprehensive explorations of friendship in first and second testament writings, as well as friendship within classical and Christian traditions Practical discussions of theology, friendship, and the social imagination, including explorations of mutuality and spirit-shaped friendships Considerations for outworking friendship ideals within communities of practice, from the perspective of strategic (or fully) practical theology Perfect for graduate and advanced undergraduate students taking courses on friendship or practical theology, Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship will also earn a place in the libraries of scholars of practical theology and community practitioners, including ministers, priests, pastors, spiritual advisors, and counselors.

The Palgrave Handbook of Servant Leadership

The Palgrave Handbook of Servant Leadership PDF Author: Gary E. Roberts
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031013239
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 1729

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Book Description
This reference work offers comprehensive perspectives on servant leadership. Featuring a cadre of leading world-class scholars, practitioners, and contributing authors from diverse fields of inquiry, it aims to collate research on servant leadership with a particular focus on its moral and spiritual dimensions.It is divided into sections that center on topics such as character, philosophical influences, diversity and inclusion, critiques of servant leadership as well as examples of servant leaders Though first introduced in the 1970 by Robert Greenleaf, the field of servant leadership is still lacking consensus on a definition and a theoretical framework. The goal of this reference work is to begin to fill this gap by assembling the scholarship of the top scholars in this field and providing a go-to source for information on the theory and practice of servant leadership. This handbook will serve as an essential resource for researchers, scholars, and students of organizational behavior, human resource management, and business ethics, as well as consultants and business leaders interested in discovering the best leadership models to suit contemporary organizations.

Towards a Theology of Relationship

Towards a Theology of Relationship PDF Author: Michael Berra
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
ISBN: 0227179900
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
With the theme of relationship receiving renewed attention in a variety of areas, theological expressions of the subject are also being brought back into the spotlight. Although the concept of a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression, it is often poorly defined. Here, Michael Berra draws on the Swiss theologian Emil Brunner to redefine and rehabilitate the analogy of relationship. Basing his study primarily on Brunner's seminal work Truth as Encounter, Berra proposes that relationship ought to be the central motif for the whole of theology. He investigates the theme in light of modern relationship science, arguing that God-human interaction categorically meets the definition of a relationship, and that it is existentially intended to be intimate. Scholars and church leaders will find in Berra's approach a refreshing voice in this dynamic field.

Evangelicals Engaging in Practical Theology

Evangelicals Engaging in Practical Theology PDF Author: Helen Morris
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000546691
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
This book aims to introduce a distinctively evangelical voice to the discipline of practical theology. Evangelicals have sometimes seen practical theology as primarily a ‘liberal’ project. This collection, however, actively engages with practical theology from an evangelical perspective, both through discussion of the substantive issues and by providing examples of practical theology done by evangelicals in the classroom, the church, and beyond. This volume brings together established and emerging voices to debate the growing role which practical theology is playing in evangelical and Pentecostal circles. Chapters begin by addressing methodological concerns, before moving into areas of practice. Additionally, there are four short papers from students who make use of practical theology to reflect upon their own practice. Issues of authority and normativity are tackled head on in a way that will inform the debate both within and beyond evangelicalism. This book will, therefore, be of keen interest to scholars of practical, evangelical, and Pentecostal theology.

The Humble Church

The Humble Church PDF Author: Martyn Percy
Publisher: Canterbury Press
ISBN: 1786223155
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
In this bold and provocative invitation, Martyn Percy imagines what the post-pandemic Church might look like and sets out what it needs to learn. It argues that the Church needs to stop obsessing about itself – its size, its strategies to shore up decline, its waning public influence – and rediscover how to live as the body of Christ. In other words, what does it need to do in order to become more like Christ? As Christ poured out his life for the sake of others, he considers ways in which the Church might imitate Christ in practice today. Whenever Jesus visited anywhere beyond the confines of the Jewish community he immediately became socially useful, and so this extols such virtues as humble service in the community, not because it is an effective way to grow the Church, but because it is faithful to Christ’s own example. Avoiding responses such as exasperation, righteous anger at shortcomings or wishful thinking about returning to the past, he sets out a vision for the Church's future that is both biblical and christological. Incisive, imaginative and engagingly written, this will resonate deeply with many lay and ordained members of the Church.