Hit The Ground Kneeling

Takes common statements about leadership - statements that we often take for granted - and questions them in the light of Christian faith and Christian perspectives on leadership. This book is suitable for church leaders.

‘When someone hits the ground running, there is all the superficial attraction of movement and progress. But there is no guarantee that they are going in the right direction.’ In Hit The Ground Kneeling, Stephen Cottrell takes common statements about leadership – statements that we often take for granted – and challenges them in the light of the Christian faith and Christian perspectives on leadership. Wherever you exercise leadership (at work, organizing a home, or doing something like coaching a local football team), the author playfully suggests some models of leadership that can help you – whether or not you reckon you’re a Christian.

Every human endeavour, from a primary school to the government, needs leadership. The Church believes itself to have a clear understanding of what constitutes Christian leadership, but advocates of leadership have been unable to give a clear, concise and universally accepted definition of the term. Justin Lewis-Anthony argues that our understanding of both secular ('managerial') and religious ('missional') leadership has been fatally compromised by the unconscious functioning of 'mythic' leadership, presented through the medium of the dominant culture of our own day, popular Hollywood film. We describe our leaders as if they should be collaborative, enabling, saints and/or expect them to show our enemies who is boss. We search for the 'great man' who will rescue us from all our problems through redemptive violence - within the Church, we talk about Jesus Christ but we expect John Wayne. This book shows how leadership is, at best, a 'contested concept' and at worst a dangerous, violent and totalitarian heresy.

Understanding Christian Leadership offers an examination of a distinctly Christian understanding of leadership offering a critical appraisal of insights from secular theories of leadership, exploring biblical and other theological insights into the nature and practice of leadership. Whilst arguing for a form of leadership which is widely dispersed and collaborative, the book seeks to explain the distinctive role of leaders within such a leadership economy. It also seeks to establish a proper relationship between sacred and secular leadership thinking, tackling some of the common philosophical and theological reservations to do with leadership discourse, whilst offering a critical framework for discerning the suitability for the Church of different sources of leadership thinking. Designed as core reading for leadership modules currently taught by the author across a large number of training contexts in the UK, this book is an indispensable text for those taking undergraduate or postgraduate-level qualifications in Christian leadership as well as those in other less formal leadership training contexts. Foreword by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

A constructive resource for all who endeavour to become reflective practitioners.

Explores a variety of growing churches to identify what is making the difference between them and churches which are static or declining. In addition to numerical growth, it asks how we measure spiritual growth and identifies the signs of spiritual vitality, laying a practical and theological foundation for continued growth into the future.

The aim of this course is to explore the Beatitudes, which encapsulate the teaching of Jesus. Jesus himself lived out the Beatitudes in his earthly life and called his followers to do the same. This five-session group study course encourages Christians to examine their lifestyle in the light of Jesus’ radical teaching and to live out these kingdom values – now. This course takes a two-pronged approach to studying the Beatitudes, deepening our understanding of Jesus and challenging our deepest personal values; and helping us understand how they should impact on our approach to major global issues, such as environmental pollution and the deep-seated hostilities and injustices that afflict our world. Each session of the course contains enough material for 90 minutes and includes guidelines for group study, with full background notes for leaders, interactive activities, including questions for group discussion and multimedia suggestions, a wide range of suggestions for Lenten prayer and meditation, and a challenge to practical action.