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Recreating the Church , livre ebook

Christian Board of Publication - L Hamm Richard

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146 pages

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Mainline denominations in the United States are in crisis. These institutions - created in and for modernity - are now facing a changed, postmodern culture. Hamm faces the crisis, examining its origins, and offers sound advice on how to lead to church to make the adaptive changes needed to thrive in postmodern times. A TCP Leadership Series title.

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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	Christian Board of Publication
Date de parution	01 août 2009
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780827232648
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0950€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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RECREATING the CHURCH

Leadership for the Postmodern Age

RICHARD L. HAMM

RECREATING the CHURCH

The Columbia Partnership Leadership Series from Chalice Press

Christ-Centered Coaching: 7 Benefits for Ministry Leaders Jane Creswell

Coaching for Christian Leaders: A Practical Guide Linda J. Miller and Chad W. Hall

Courageous Church Leadership: Conversations with Effective Practitioners John P. Chandler

Enduring Connections: Creating a Preschool and Children’s Ministry Janice Haywood

From the Outside In: Connecting to the Community Around You Ronald W. Johnson

The Heart of the Matter: Changing the World God’s Way Charles Halley

Operation Inasmuch: Mobilizing Believers beyond the Walls of the Church David W. Crocker

Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation George W. Bullard Jr.

Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age Richard L. Hamm

Seeds for the Future: Growing Organic Leaders for Living Churches Robert D. Dale

Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age: Building Bridges Instead of Barriers Edward H. Hammett

www.chalicepress.com www.thecolumbiapartnership.org

RECREATING the CHURCH

Leadership for the Postmodern Age

RICHARD L. HAMM

Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from theNew Revised Standard Version Bible,copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover art: Fotosearch Cover and interior design: Elizabeth Wright

For more TCP resources, see www.chalicepress.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

07 08 09 10 11

Library of Congress Cataloging–in–Publication Data Hamm, Richard L. (Richard Lee), 1947- Recreating the church : leadership for the postmodern age / by Richard L. Hamm. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references ISBN-13: 978-0-8272-3253-2 (alk. paper) 1. Christian leadership. 2. Church renewal. I. Title.

BV652.1.H237 2007 262'.1—dc22

Printed in the United States of America

2006033391

Contents

Editor’s Foreword Preface Historical Background Modern versus Postmodern 1 Why Is Leadership in the Mainline Church So Difficult? 2 Technical and Adaptive Change

PART I: How Did It Come to This? 3 The First Element of the Perfect Storm The Hurricane of Change in American Culture

4 The Second Element of the Perfect Storm Organizational Obsolescence 5 The Third Element of the Perfect Storm The “High Pressure” of Anxiety Conclusion of PART I: The Three Most Important Questions

PART II: Challenges Confronting Mainline Churches Today 6 Generational Differences 7 The Crisis in Governance of “Mainline” Churches 8 Seeing the Challenges through Polarities

PART III: Leading a Journey of Transformation 9 Personal Aspects of Leading Adaptive Change 10 Systemic Aspects of Leading Adaptive Change 11 Why Bother?

vii viii xi xiii 1 8

17 18

45 46 56 63

75 76 93 113

Appendix: Questions to Use in Exploring a Context Notes

Bibliography

123 127 130

Editor’s Foreword

Inspiration and Wisdom for Twenty-First-Century Christian Leaders You have chosen wisely in deciding to study and learn from a book published inThe Columbia Partnership Leadership Serieswith Chalice Press. We publish for • Congregational leaders who desire to serve with greater faithfulness, effectiveness, and innovation. • Christian ministers who seek to pursue and sustain excellence in ministry service. • Members of congregations who desire to reach their full kingdom potential. • Christian leaders who desire to use a coach approach in their ministry. • Denominational and parachurch leaders who want to come alongside affiliated congregations in a servant leadership role. • Consultants and coaches who desire to increase their learning concerning the congregations and Christian leaders they serve. The Columbia Partnership Leadership Seriesis an inspiration- and wisdom-sharing vehicle of The Columbia Partnership, a community of Christian leaders who are seeking to transform the capacity of the North American Protestant church to pursue and sustain vital Christ-centered ministry. You can connect with us at www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org. Primarily serving congregations, denominations, educational institutions, leadership development programs, and parachurch organizations, the Partnership also seeks to connect with individuals, businesses, and other organizations seeking a Christ-centered spiritual focus. We welcome your comments on these books, and we welcome your suggestions for new subject areas and authors we ought to consider.

George W. Bullard Jr., Senior Editor GBullard@TheColumbiaPartnership.org

The Columbia Partnership, 905 Hwy 321 NW, Suite 331, Hickory, NC 28601 Voice: 866.966.4TCP, www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

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Preface

This book is intended to speak to leadership in all three expressions of mainline church life: congregations, middle judicatories, and denominational structures. It is common to draw hard lines between these three, seeing each as unique and distinct from the others. Some even want to lay blame on those serving in other expressions for the difficulties they are experiencing in the expression within which they 1 are currently doing their own ministry. Nevertheless, while the function of each expression is somewhat distinctive, they struggle mostly with the same challenges and demons. Though leaders in each expression have a tendency to lay blame on the leaders in the other expressions, all of us are, in most regards, in the same boat. As the twentieth-century cartoon character/philosopher Pogo said, “We has met the enemy and they is us!” The final two chapters specifically point toward solutions and strategies, but this is not primarily a “book of prescriptions.” Rather than leaping into “fixes,” I believe it is essential to first reflect on the challenges that confront the mainline churches and those who would lead them. It is the desire for the “quick fix” that has so often drawn well-intentioned leaders into dead ends, frustration, and counter-productive “solutions” that simply reinforce the obstacles to change. This is one of several books from The Columbia Partnership Leadership Series that seek to both understand the challenges and to address them 2 at a deeper level. I recently concluded service as General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. The title “general minister and president” is an indication of the dual nature of the work: pastor and executive. I served for ten years and three months. It was the most wonderful, terrible, and demanding experience in all my years of ministry. I give thanks to God for the opportunityto have served in that role; I give thanks to God I amno longer serving in that role; and I give thanks to my wife, family, and friends for not leaving mewhileI was serving in that role! The role of general minister and president, shared by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, is parallel to similar roles in other mainline traditions, variously called: presiding bishop (Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), general secretary (Reformed Church in America, American Baptist Convention), and stated clerk (Presbyterian Church USA). Among the eight mainline

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