Spiritual Leadership

Over 1 million copies sold What every church will always need The need for talented, vigorous leaders in the church cannot be overemphasized. Such times demand active service of men and women who are guided by and devoted to Jesus Christ. With more than 1 million copies sold, Spiritual Leadership stands as a proven classic for developing such leadership. J. Oswald Sanders, a Christian leader for nearly seventy years and author of more than forty books, presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms. He illustrates his points with examples from Scripture and biographies of eminent men of God, such as Moses, Nehemiah, the apostle Paul, David Livingstone, Charles Spurgeon, and others. Featured topics include: The cost of leadership The responsibility of leadership Tests of leadership The qualities and criteria of leadership The art of reproducing leaders The one indispensable requirement of leadership Sanders holds that even natural leadership qualities are God-given, and their true effectiveness can only be reached when they are used to the glory of God. Let this classic be your guide for leadership, and watch how God works through you to do great things for His glory.

The revised edition of the Blackabys' "Experiencing God" encourages business and church leaders alike to follow God's biblical design for organizational success.

C.H. Spurgeon's passion for raising up future spiritual leaders marked his ministry. Drawing on the strategies of this tremendous man of God, Steve Miller presents C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership for leaders interested in understanding the role of faith and conviction in forming a philosophy of spiritual leadership. Miller highlights the qualities Spurgeon viewed as indispensable to servant-hearted leadership. Here is a comprehensive guide for the church, providing help in developing leaders for today and tomorrow.

“Take time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” — 1 Tim. 4:7, J. B. Phillips Translation As J. Oswald Sanders points out, true discipleship is more than intellectual assent to a belief in Christ; it involves the whole person and lifestyle. True disciples pursue their Master. They know that God is watching over their faith, but they also take Scripture’s command seriously: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.” They take pains, by His power, to look more and more like Jesus. This book will help you to be such a disciple. It examines Jesus’ teaching on what it means to follow Him, helping you become the kind of Christian Jesus wants you to be—not one devised by man or even other Christians. You’ll learn: The profile of an ideal disciple Conditions for discipleship The tests that disciples endure How disciples pray and grow The posture and practices of a disciple And more For anyone who wants to be not just a believer in Christ, but an imitator of Him, this book is a treasured resource. Includes questions for reflection, ideal for both individual and group study.

In our postmodern, experience-oriented culture, people are longing for greater authenticity, integrity, and depth in their pastors and leaders. Board directors, church members, and staff alike are all eagerly seeking leaders who effectively integrate their spirituality and leadership. Pastors and executives, however, often struggle with knowing how to integrate their spiritual values and practices into their leadership and management roles. Designed for pastors, executives, administrators, managers, coordinators, and all who see themselves as leaders and who want to fulfill their God-given purpose, The Spirit-Led Leader addresses the critical fusion of spiritual life and leadership for those who not only want to see results, but who also desire to care just as deeply about who they are and how they lead as they do about what they produce and accomplish. Geoffrion creates a new vision for spiritual leadership as partly an art, partly a result of careful planning, and always a working of the grace of God

In this unique resource, Fr. Michael E. Connors, CSC, gathers and expertly guides the collective wisdom of experienced preachers and homilists to provide a unique resource that examines the preacher’s unique role as shepherd and a spiritual leader. The chapters will investigate these dual roles according to the roots of the Catholic spiritual tradition and provide practical advice for priests, deacons, seminarians in homiletics classes or preaching classes, retreat leaders, RCIA catechists—all who preach. Preaching as Spiritual Leadership provides solutions to the following questions: How is preaching embedded in the Church’s pastoral mission? What does it mean to be a shepherd and spiritual leader for others? How can a preacher flourish in the role of spiritual leader? How can we lead others into committed discipleship through preaching? To be a shepherd and spiritual leader, the preacher must be in some sense a mystic, who is filled with the Lord’s gracious presence, a presence to be shared with others. Homilists are a sacramental people, they must also be a mystagogues: ministers who can both lead the community’s ritual celebrations, and help the People of God to plunge into the liturgy with lively faith, to touch the holy realities behind them.

The idea that certain kinds of people gravitate toward certain kinds of leaders has been around for a long time. There are exceptions and degrees of commitment, of course. People (as individuals) are complicated and changeable. On the other hand, people (as groups) are remarkably consistent and predictable. There are patterns. The typical follower of this leader has these characteristics. The typical follower of that leader has those characteristics. Conversely, this group of people tends to look for, believe in, and listen to this kind of leader; and that group of people tends to look for, believe in, and listen to that kind of leader. There are trends. Certain kinds of people are more responsive to certain kinds of leaders. Certain kinds of leaders seem to be more empathic toward, and understanding of, certain kinds of people. They seem to know some contexts, certain needs, and distinct attitudes better than others. If you follow the career of a leader, you can anticipate who they will gather around them and where they will be most effective. Bandy shows how this is true for church leaders too and introduces ideas of different types of leaders attracting different groups of followers. Knowing your "type" will help you know who will be attracted to your leadership style.

J. Oswald Sanders probes Scripture to elicit principles and factors that inspired the dynamic spiritual leadership of Paul and the other apostles in the halcyon days of the church. Paul's letters reveal a frail, fallible man--one who fell and rose again--someone who can speak to our need. Because spiritual principles are timeless, we can learn to apply them to our own situations.