Church Transfusion E-Book

Neil Cole

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: J-B Leadership Network Series
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Seitenzahl: 413

Beschreibung

Just as our life is in our blood, the life for Christ's body is in His blood. Changing a church is more than a new goal or direction. Our churches need more than an organizational transition; we need a full transfusion of Jesus' blood, His life, within every disciple. Anything less than that will only perpetuate more of the dysfunction and unhealthy church practices that have already plagued us for too long. We are in desperate need of the internally transforming power of the gospel of grace and the presence of Christ so that our salvation is then worked out in a way the rest of the world will notice. It isn't enough that we believe in the facts contained in the gospel, we must allow the gospel itself to infect our souls and transform us from within. The DNA of Jesus' lifeblood is needed in our churches and nothing shy of a full transfusion that touches every cell will be sufficient. In this book Neil Cole (author of Organic Church, Church Transfusion and Journeys to Significance) and Phil Helfer, co-founders of Church Multiplication Associates, will first point out that change is possible with God, but only with God. In the second half of the book they will lay out some of the actual practical considerations to weigh if you want to release real organic health in your church. Using multiple examples of very different kinds of churches that have been through the process, the authors present ways that leadership and practices need to change in order to release organic church movements from their midst. Chapters cover: * Leadershifts necessary * Detoxification from dependence issues. * How to ignite change virally. * How to grandparent movements. * How to measure success in movements. This book (another in the Leadership Network series) applies organic life principles to established churches with practical help that is holistic and natural. The content in this book will be helpful whether you are pastor of an established church or wanting to revitalize a small organic church. Jesus didn't die and rise from the dead so that we can be like everyone else in the world. Our faith is more than just a better doctrine or a bigger goal with a capital giving campaign; it is a better life. Jesus is the difference, and what a difference he makes...don't be satisfied with less.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Title

Copyright

Leadership Network Titles

About the Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series

FOREWORD

PREFACE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PART ONE: CHANGE IS POSSIBLE—WITH GOD

CHAPTER ONE: SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The Upside-Down Kingdom

About Church Transfusion

CHAPTER TWO: BASIC ORGANIC PRINCIPLES THAT WORK IN ALL CONTEXTS

CHAPTER THREE: NO LONGER BUSINESS AS USUAL

Transfusional Churches

Change DNA?

Reimagining Church

The Challenges of Change

Transitions

Easing the Transfusion

The Transfusion Process

CHAPTER FOUR: CHURCHES IN TRANSFUSION

Vineyard Central, Cincinnati, Ohio

The Well, Orange County, California

Los Altos Grace, Long Beach, California

ValleyLife Grace, Phoenix Valley, Arizona

New Song, Irvine, California

Comparing and Contrasting the Transfused Churches

PART TWO: IMPLEMENTING CHANGE FROM THE INSIDE OUT

CHAPTER FIVE: DYING AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT

The Sin of Self-Preservation

Carrying Your Cross

Embracing a Theology of Death

The Cure for All That Ails Us

CHAPTER SIX: DETOXIFYING FROM DEPENDENCE

The Problem of Self-Deception

Common Areas of Dependence in Churches Today

Starting the Detox Process

CHAPTER SEVEN: HOW SMALL PEOPLE CAUSE BIG PROBLEMS

The Source of Smallness in a Person’s Life

An Equal-Opportunity Condition

The Story of John, the Son of Zebedee

CHAPTER EIGHT: LEADERSHIFTS

Leadershift: From Cosmos to Kingdom

Leadershift: From Management to Engagement

Leadershift: From Position to Submission

Leadershift: From Control to Order

Leadershift: From Self-Interest to Selflessness

CHAPTER NINE: DISCIPLES, DISCIPLES, DISCIPLES

CHAPTER TEN: WATER THE GREEN SPOT

Skunk Works Considerations

CHAPTER ELEVEN: HEALTHY REPRODUCTION

Methods That Don’t Multiply

True Spontaneous Multiplication

Rapid Reproduction

Roadblocks to Reproduction

Grandparenting Movements

Multiplication and Death

CHAPTER TWELVE: NEW MEASURES OF SUCCESS

From Institutional to Influential Success in Acts

Not Always About Positive Results

Long Live the Organic Church

Can We Change the World?

Can We Change the Future?

What Can We Leave Behind for Future Generations?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE PRICE OF TRANSFUSION

The Price Church Leaders Must Pay

The Price Church Members Must Pay

The Price Denominations Must Pay

CONCLUSION: EQUIPPING PEOPLE FOR MINISTRY IN THE WORLD

THE AUTHORS

Index

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

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CHURCH TRANSFUSION

Changing Your Church Organically—from the Inside Out

Neil Cole

Phil Helfer

Dave Ferguson

Copyright © 2012 by Neil Cole and Phil Helfer. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cole, Neil, date

 Church transfusion : changing your church organically—from the inside out / Neil Cole and Phil Helfer ; foreword by Dave Ferguson.

p. cm. – (The Jossey-Bass leadership network series)

 Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-118-13128-2 (hardback); ISBN 978-1-118-22509-7 (ebk; ISBN 978-1-118-23851-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-26318-1 (ebk)

 1. Church renewal. 2. Church. I. Helfer, Phil, 1958– II. Title.

 BV600.3.C635 2012

 253–dc23

2012017443

Leadership Network Titles

The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs

, Brian Bailey and Terry Storch

Church Turned Inside Out: A Guide for Designers, Refiners, and Re-Aligners,

Linda Bergquist and Allan Karr

Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams

, Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson

In Pursuit of Great AND Godly Leadership: Tapping the Wisdom of the World for the Kingdom of God,

Mike Bonem

Hybrid Church: The Fusion of Intimacy and Impact

, Dave Browning

The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers

, Jonathan S. Campbell with Jennifer Campbell

Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code: Seven Keys to Unleashing Vision and Inspiration,

Samuel R. Chand

Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staffs Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders

, George Cladis

Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens

, Neil Cole

Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church,

Neil Cole

Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul,

Neil Cole

Church Transfusion: Changing Your Church Organically—from the Inside Out

, Neil Cole and Phil Helfer

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders

, Earl Creps

Reverse Mentoring: How Young Leaders Can Transform the Church and Why We Should Let Them

, Earl Creps

Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments, and Practices of a Diverse Congregation

, Mark DeYmaz

Leading Congregational Change Workbook

, James H. Furr, Mike Bonem, and Jim Herrington

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community,

Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over Fifty,

Amy Hanson

Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey

, Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr

The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation

, Jim Herrington, Robert Creech, and Trisha Taylor

The Permanent Revolution: Apostolic Imagination and Practice for the 21st Century,

Alan Hirsch and Tim Catchim

Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement,

Mel Lawrenz

Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out

, Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro, with Warren Bird

Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement,

Will Mancini

A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey

, Brian D. McLaren

The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian

, Brian D. McLaren

Missional Communities: The Rise of the Post-Congregational Church

, Reggie McNeal

Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church,

Reggie McNeal

Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders

, Reggie McNeal

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church

, Reggie McNeal

A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders

, Reggie McNeal

The Millennium Matrix: Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church

, M. Rex Miller

Your Church in Rhythm: The Forgotten Dimensions of Seasons and Cycles,

Bruce B. Miller

Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches

, Milfred Minatrea

The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World

, Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk

Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leading in Times of Transition

, Alan J. Roxburgh

Relational Intelligence: How Leaders Can Expand Their Influence Through a New Way of Being Smart,

Steve Saccone

The Post-Black and Post-White Church: Becoming the Beloved Community in a Multi-Ethnic World

, Efrem Smith

Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers,

Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird

The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community,

Eric Swanson and Rick Rusaw

The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence

, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and Ken McElrath

Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America’s Largest Churches,

Scott Thumma and Dave Travis

The Other 80 Percent: Turning Your Church’s Spectators into Active Participants,

Scott Thumma and Warren Bird

Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work

, Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird

The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken About Pastoral Transitions

, Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree

About the Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series

Leadership Network’s mission is to accelerate the impact of 100X leaders. These high-capacity leaders are like the hundredfold crop that comes from seed planted in good soil as Jesus described in Matthew 13:8.

Leadership Network

Explores the “what’s next?” of what could be

Creates “aha!” environments for collaborative discovery

Works with exceptional “positive deviants”

Invests in the success of others through generous relationships

Pursues big impact through measurable kingdom results

Strives to model Jesus through all we do

Believing that meaningful conversations and strategic connections can change the world, we seek to help leaders navigate the future by exploring new ideas and finding application for each unique context. Through collaborative meetings and processes, leaders map future possibilities and challenge one another to action that accelerates fruitfulness and effectiveness. Leadership Network shares the learnings and inspiration with others through our books, concept papers, research reports, e-newsletters, podcasts, videos, and online experiences. This in turn generates a ripple effect of new conversations and fur­ther influence.

In 1996, Leadership Network established a partnership with Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint, to develop a series of creative books that would provide thought leadership to innovators in church ministry. Leadership Network Publications present thoroughly researched and innovative concepts from leading thinkers, practitioners, and pioneering churches.

To learn more about Leadership Network go to www.leadnet.org.

FOREWORD

Dave Ferguson

I was sure there would be a fight! I was afraid the Exponential Conference, the largest church planting conference in the country, might end up looking more like an Ultimate Fighting Championship. In one corner, for the first time ever, we had pulled together leaders from the missional-incarnational crowd who advocated for churches being simple, small, and reproducible. And in the other corner we had church-planting leaders trained in the church growth model that believed in launching churches as large as possible. We had both sides represented in several panels; we had thought-leaders cofacilitating workshops and everyone expected sparks to fly, controversy to ensue, and hand grenades to be lobbed back and forth. None of that happened. I’m not sure a single punch was landed. In fact, after I finished leading my workshop with Neil Cole at that Exponential Conference I remember him looking me in the eye and saying, “Dave, for a mega, multisite church guy, you are not too bad!” That workshop was the beginning of my friendship with Neil Cole. But long before that he was a significant influence in my life and in my leadership through his writing and his practice as an apostolic leader and Christ follower. I continue to read everything Neil writes and pay very close attention to all he says. I believe Neil is not only an apostolic leader but also a prophetic voice that gives us a glimpse of God’s church as it’s meant to be.

So what happened to all the controversy at Exponential? There was no controversy; but there was the beginning of a very important Kingdom conversation about how all churches can become missional movements just as Jesus intended. Because of Neil and other missional leaders like him, I have been on a journey with the church I lead, Community Christian Church, and the church-planting network for which I provide vision, NewThing. During the last two years I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned in this conversation through a process called “Future Travelers.” This is a process that is helping churches make the shift toward becoming a missional movement. During the last twenty-four months I’ve discovered there are at least three critical moves these churches must make to make that shift:

Move toward practices that apprentice people in the ways of Jesus.

Move toward clearly understanding and articulating the mission of Jesus.

Move toward a vision of a movement to accomplish the Jesus mission.

Some churches “get” one of the three. Very few “get” two. None of them “get” all three, and most “get” none. If you are a church leader who wants to see your people apprenticed in the ways of Jesus; if you desire to see your energy and effort contribute to the mission of Jesus; if you long to be a part of a missional movement, then Church Transfusion: Changing Your Church Organically—from the Inside Out will show you how.

And that is why Church Transfusion is so important. Within the pages of this book is both the encouragement to make the shift and the practical application for how to make this shift from authors who do “get it.”

Now, I don’t agree with everything Neil says or writes. Check out the shots he takes at multisite in Chapter Eleven. And he doesn’t endorse everything I say or write. But I need Neil Cole. I need his influence and I need to be in conversation with him because he understands the church as a missional movement!

So, throw down your boxing gloves, stop being defensive and enter into an important Kingdom conversation. I believe Church Transfusion: Changing Your Church Organically is the latest discussion in this important conversation about the church as a missional movement. If we take this book and missional movement seriously we will see in the twenty-first-century church in the west what we saw in the first-century church in the east.

Dave FergusonLead Pastor, Community Christian Church and Visionary of NewThing

PREFACE

Neil Cole