Andy Stanley

8 Expert Authors Whose Books Will Grow Your Ministry To The Next Level

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Almost every ministry leader I talk with is reading a book to improve themselves and their ministry. But with more than a million books release annually, it’s difficult to select your next purchase. Which author’s have done the research necessary to release great content? Who can write as an authority on the subject that which you are interested? And honestly, who can write something worth reading? Here are 8 expert authors whose books will grow your ministry to the next level! 

Andy Stanley
Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend
Seven Practices of Effective Ministry (North Point Resources)
How to Be Rich: It’s Not What You Have. It’s What You Do With What You Have.

Jim Wideman
Children’s Ministry Leadership: The You-Can-Do-It Guide
Stretch-Structuring Your Ministry For Growth
Children’s Ministry Volunteers That Stick
Beat the Clock

Reggie Joiner
Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide…
Lead Small: Five Big Ideas Every Small Group Leader Needs to Know
Creating a Lead Small Culture: Make Your Church a Place Where Kids Belong

Ken Blanchard
Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service
Gung Ho! Turn On the People in Any Organization
Whale Done!: The Power of Positive Relationships

Ryan Frank
9 Things They Didn’t Teach Me in College About Children’s Ministry
Pulse: Pumping Life into Your Kids Ministry

Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

George Barna
Churchless: Understanding Today’s Unchurched and How to Connect with Them
Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions: Why Children Should Be Your Church’s 1 Priority

Michelle Anthony
Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today’s Families
Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family: Avoiding the 6 Dysfunctional Parenting Styles
7 Family Ministry Essentials: A Strategy for Culture Change in Children’s and Student Ministries

 

Who would you add to this list?

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Why You Need To Listen To These 24 Excellent Podcasts

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Why You Need To Listen To These 24 Excellent Podcasts

Podcasts continue to break download records year after year. With a growth in popularity and expanding options, it’s good to have an inside scoop to know what podcasts are worth your time. After daily listening to a dozen podcasts for a few years, I want to share some of my absolute favorites. Here are 24 excellent podcasts to subscribe to today!

Southern Hills Christian Church – Sunday morning services from a church making disciples who are making disciples.

Connexus Church Audio Podcast – Whether church has been part of your life or not, these 40-minute messages can help you grow in your relationship with God.

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast – Leadership, change, and personal growth to help you lead like never before.

theClub Leadership Podcast with Jim Wideman – Designed especially for NextGen & children’s ministry as well as any leader who wants to take advantage of over 40 years of children’s and family ministry experience.

Leadership with Ryan Frank – Created to help you lead and communicate with excellence.

Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast – A conversation designed to help leaders go further, faster.

Perry Noble Leadership Podcast – For those who are ready to be challenged in their faith and stretched as leaders.

Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast – A conversation designed to help you make the most of your potential as you work to become the leader God created you to be.

The Leadership Momentum Podcast – The world’s top church leaders candidly sharing their inspiration wisdom and bold advice.

Growing Leaders Podcast – Practical advice on leading the next generation.

Chris Brown’s True Stewardship – Biblical advice and expert solutions to callers with questions on managing God’s blessings, God’s way, for God’s glory

This Is Your Life with Michael Hyatt – Intentional leadership to help you live with more passion, work with greater focus, and lead with extraordinary influence.

The ChurchLeaders Podcast – Ground-breaking conversations with today’s top ministry leaders designed to help you lead better.

5 Leadership Questions – Five questions of different guests or about different leadership topics.

ChurchMag Podcast – A candid discussion on church tech and creativity.

Youth Ministry Answers – Questions from youth ministry for youth ministers.

FourFiveSix.org – Great ideas to take your preteen ministry to the next level.

Parent Cue Live – Designed to help families do family better; featuring parenting experts.

D6 Podcast – Helping Children’s Ministers and Youth Ministers build an excellence Family Ministry.

Focus on Marriage – Timeless wisdom from Focus on the Family that will challenge and encourage you in your marriage.

Creative Sheep Podcast – Communicating God’s love through excellent content.

TED Talks – Ideas worth sharing to inspire, intrigue and stir the imagination from some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers.

The Social Media Examiner Show – A daily dose of marketing vitamin that will equip you to take your social media to an entirely new level.

The Accidental Creative – Shares how to build practical, everyday practices that will help you stay prolific, brilliant and healthy in life and work.

 

What about you?
What should I add to my list?
Is there a podcast that you listen to regularly and enjoy?

7 Practices of Effective Ministry

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I finished reading 7 Practices of Effective Ministry a few weeks ago and now I want to share what I found to be most the helpful and impactful for my life and ministry. 

First the spark notes:
Clarify the Win: Fuels our motivation.
Define what is important at ever level of the organization.

Thing Steps, Not Programs: Protects our alignment.
Before you start anything, make sure it takes you where you need to go. 

Narrow the Focus: Points us towards excellence.
Do fewer things in order to make a greater impact. 

Teach Less for More: Guarantees that we stay relevant.
Say only what you need to say to the people who need to hear it.

Listen to Outsiders: Keeps us focused on growth.
Focus on who you’re trying to reach, not who you’re trying to keep.

Replace Yourself: Assures us of longevity.
Learn to hand off what you do.

Work On It: Positions us for discovery.
Take time to evaluate your work – and to celebrate your wins.

Spiritual Growth in Children
Wisdom, Faith, and Friendship

The ability to make wise decisions based on the truth of Scripture.
A willingness to put their faith in God through every situation of life.
Their demonstration of love and kindness to the people in their world. 

 Is it true?

 Is it interesting?

 Is it creative?                    <  Is it Helpful?

 Is it passionate?

 Is it entertaining?

 

“One thing I learned from you that I’ll never forget is…”
(Community, Kids, Parents, Volunteers, Staff)

“You should strive to find the delicate balance between facilitating the growth of believers and reaching those who are unchurched.” -Andy Stanley

There were many insights gained from this book two most cutting points were that I need to clarify and celebrate the wins in my ministry. Time slips by with each passing week. Goals get set, goals get met, and we evaluate but one thing I often fail to do is share the goal and celebrate when it is met. This past Sunday at Southern Hills I took note of the wins that happened at church and I shared them with my team. *Seeing Lydia Baldizon and John Skinner worship during our communion song! *When Ansley Hulsey was looking for her coach Hannah Baldizon and the smile on her face when she was there to welcome her! *When Drew Johnson brought forward both his tithe AND offering as an act of worship! Had I not invested the time into reading this book, these three wins would have slipped away, but instead this week they were celebrated and remembered.