Over the last couple of years I have compiled a massive list of internet resources. The amount of material that is available is huge. Some of it is helpful, a lot of it…well, it’s the internet after all.
As I’ve looked for material to use in Leadership Development, one of the best sites I’ve found comes from the good people at Christianity Today. Among their many publications, they have created a source entitled: Building Church Leaders.
While many of the resources available on the site need to be purchased, there are a lot of free and valuable tools available for download. In addition, there is an excellent, free newsletter that also circulates free resources. Oh, and did I say the word “free”.
Click on the following link:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/features/welcome.html
and you will find training sheets, case studies, powerpoint presentations, assessments, guides to practical ministry issues…and more. All of them are organized around Leadership themes that you will find helpful.
Leadership Resources:
As I collate a list of Essential Books as a library on leadership, the one that I am reading at the moment begs honorable mention. In June, 2005, Christianity Today presented its annual Book Awards identifying the best books in a number of categories. Tied for the best in the area of leadership was:
Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches Robert Banks & Bernice M. Ledbetter (Baker Academic)Focusing more on character and integrity than on methods and techniques, this book sifts through the enormous amount of literature on leadership to present essential theories and practices.
On the coverjacket, Carson Pue of the Arrow Leadership Ministries has written an accurate appraisal of the book: "Every wise leader I know learns from the past and applies it to the future. Books on leadership abound, yet anyone who begins a serious study of this subject needs to become familiar with the broad history of leadership development, both its theory and its practice. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one book contained some of the most insightful writings and thoughts from past to present? Reviewing Leadership is such book and should be on every Christian leader’s bookshelf.
www.Pastors.com
The World-wide Web has become a vast library of resources for ministry. At the same time, it can become a time trap. Most of us want to quick access to reliable information. We don’t have time to search our way through site after site, link after link, looking for the right stuff. That’s where a site like www.Pastors.com proves it’s value.
www.pastors.com is one of the ministries provided by Rick Warren and the Saddleback congregation. A large number of Pastors are already familiar with one of the features of this site: a free, weekly enewsletter Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox. The toolbox provides a compilation of resources gleaned from a wide number of sources. For example, there was a link to a library of free videoclips produced by the Southern Baptist Mission Board.
Some people read the weekly Toolbox without realizing that it is the doorway to the extensive resources available on the home website: www.pastors.com A visit to the home page is well worth the trip. An extensive list of ministries each have their own stack of resources and archives of free articles: [tip: check out the six-part series of articles by Chuck McAlister - How to Transition an Established Church]
The website is designed as a place to connect as well. There are extensive Pastor Forums [registration is required]. As of August, 2004, over 40,000 people in ministry were registered as site users.and many were involved in forum conversations.
Bottom-line:
www.pastors.com - excellent "one-stop" shop. and Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox - an excellent time-saving filter.
Leadership Resources:
Over the last 4 months, I have collected over thirty web-based Leadership organizations that provide a wealth of resources for the Church. While some require a subscription charge, most offer free resources including weekly e-newsletters, monthly e-zines, and archives filled with informative material.
One of the best of these web resources is The Bullard Journal.
George Bullard is a familiar name on the list of Church consultants. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Hollifield Leadership Center and Lake Hickory Learning Communities located in North Carolina. His writings come from extensive research and experience with “learning communities involving congregational, denominational, and parachurch leaders who are seeking to respond to the challenges of 21st century Christian leadership throughout North America.”
The Journal is centered on articles written by George Bullard that are consistently insightful and thought-provoking. Easy to read, he has an ability to distill thoughts into well organized patterns.
In addition to the articles, he includes two very helpful features. The first, a book review by him, is a delight to read. The books he picks reflect the best of leadership studies across a broad spectrum, both religious and secular. In addition, he provides a consumer rating for each book: beg, borrow, buy or steal! Such advice is tremendous help when it comes to a library budget. The best thing about the book review is that he provides a list of quotes from each book that capture insight, and at the end, he offers a list of implications that directly affect Church leadership.
Finally, each issue contains a link to further resources. Below I’ve pasted one such link – to one of the finest free tools [and I emphasize, FREE] available to Church Leaders…
SSJ Tutorial
Spiritual Strategic Journeys: Tutorial for Congregational Redevelopment is a web-based tutorial to assist congregations in traveling along a spiritual strategic journey towards reaching their full kingdom potential. It is free and may be used by congregations, denominational, and parachurch leadership, and consultants and coaches who work with congregations. It is located at www.congregationalresources.org/bullard.asp
Questions about the tutorial may be addressed to SSJTutor@Hollifield.org. You can find The Bullard Journal through the following links: www.BullardJournal.org
For more information, email BullardJournal@cs.com or call (828) 256-2126 or write to The Bullard Journal 6692 Valwood Rd., Conover, NC 28613-8759
You can also subscribe to the Bullard Journal by sending an email with the word "subscribe" in the subject or body to TheBullardJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com