Ten Leading Indicators Resources
The resources listed here are focused on helping churches and church leaders (oversight teams, senior ministry leaders) achieve and sustain greater Great Commission health. For a list of Web-based resources related specifically to church health, see Church Health Resources.
Ten Leading Indicators of Church Health Bulletin
Listing of the Ten Leading Indicators of a Healthy Church in a printer-friendly bulletin insert format in an English or Spanish version.
Centrality of God’s Word
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful … so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." — 2 Tim. 3:16
A New Kind of Church
Aubrey Malphurs, Baker. Malphurs argues that Scripture doesn’t prescribe a standard model for doing church. Instead, it provides freedom within guidelines.
Speaking God’s Words: A Practical Theology of Preaching*
Peter Adam, Regent. There are a number of good books on how to preach. Adam develops a biblical theology of why. (*Out of print title)
360-Degree Leadership: Preaching to Transform Congregations
Michael Quicke, Baker. "Most writing on Christian leadership omits preaching, and most books on preaching leave out leadership." Quicke argues that biblical leadership necessarily involves both - with the end of personal and community transformation always in mind.
Passionate Spirituality
"Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18-21). "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God … and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests …" — Eph. 6:10-18
The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ
Bill Hull, NavPress. This is Bill’s most seasoned and best book on discipleship to date.
Renovation of the Heart
Dallas Willard, NavPress. The chapter on "Spiritual Formation in the Local Congregation" is a must read for people who are interested in church health
Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches
Milfred Minatrea, Jossey-Bass. What does it mean for a church to be spiritual? Minatrea defines it in terms of its passions: loving God (worship, obedience), living his mission (serve, share), loving people (invite, embrace), and leading them to follow (equip, empower). In part two of his book, Minatrea describes how these passions translate into missional practices.
Fruitful Evangelism
"The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" — Luke 19:10
The Externally Focused Church
Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson, Group. Externally focused churches determine their effectiveness not only by internal measures, such as attendance, worship, teaching, and small groups, but also by external measures: the spiritual and societal effects they are having on the communities around them. They ask, "Whose lives are different because of this church?"
Building a Contagious Church*
Mark Mittelberg, Zondervan. Mittelberg presents a six-stage process to help church leaders raise the value for, and actually unleash, "contagious Christianity" in their church. (*Out of print title)
The Master’s Plan for Making Disciples
Win and Charles Arn, Baker. "Making disciples" is not limited to making new converts, as the authors suggest. But their development of the oikos principle is important and valuable.
Spirit-Filled Worship
"Shout for joy … Worship the Lord … Enter His gates with thanksgiving …" — Psalm 100
How to Start a New Service
Charles Arn, Baker. Not planning to start a new service? Arn will still help you think about the whole area of worship. He also provides a handy summary of generational differences and how to address them.
The New Worship
Barry Liesch, Baker. Liesch, who teaches at Biola, focuses on music in public worship. The goal is for pastors and worship leaders to discuss this book together.
Worship in Spirit and Truth
John M. Frame, P&R. Frame teaches theology at Westminster and leads worship in his church. He uses the Puritan’s "regulative principle" to help readers think through the meaning of and biblical "rules" for public worship.
Great Commission Driven
"Therefore go …" — Matt. 28:19-20
High Impact Church Boards
T.J.Addington, Sandbox. Addington addresses three high impact areas that every church leader must grapple with: What are healthy leaders; How do you do intentional leadership; How do you develop empowered leadership structures in your church.
The Purpose Driven Church
Rick Warren, Zondervan 1995. This book has probably done as much as any other to popularize the importance of being a mission or (what Warren describes as) a purpose driven church. It provides an example of how one congregation, Saddleback Valley Community Church, does it.
Winning on Purpose: How to Organize Congregations to Succeed in Their Mission
John Edmund Kaiser, Abingdon. Kaiser outlines the "rules of the game" for boards, the pastor, staff, and the congregation. For church and ministry leaders.
Leadership Multiplication
"Entrust to reliable men …" — 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Pet. 5:1-11; Eph. 4:11-16
A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders
Reggie McNeal, Jossey-Bass. McNeal provides both theory and action steps for leadership growth and development. Because it provides discussion questions related to each topic it covers, Work of Heart can be used individually, in mentoring settings, or it can be discussed together as a group.
Steering Clear: Leadership Strategies for the Almost Healthy Church
Jim Fann, NextStep Resources. Steering Clear uses Paul’s advice to Timothy at Ephesus to pursue discussions of leadership, endurance, credibility, church transformation, and related topics. Steering Clear can be studied on its own, with your leadership team, or in a coaching relationship.
The Next Generation Leader: Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future
Andy Stanley, Multnomah. Of all that could be said about leadership, what must be conveyed to next generation leaders? Stanley answers this question by discussing five key concepts: competence, courage, clarity, coaching, and character.
Church Planting
"In Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth" — Acts 1:8; Acts 13-28
Churches Planting Churches
Bob Logan & Steve Ogne, ChurchSmart. Churches Planting Churches is a guide designed to walk your church through the process of planting a daughter church.
Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century
Aubrey Malphurs, Baker. "This book is not only for church planters," Malphurs writes, "but also for those who are already in a church but want to learn more about how growing churches function."
Planting Missional Churches
Ed Stetzer, B&H. A balanced overview of "missional" church planting.
Stewardship of Resources
"Command … not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth … but to put their hope in God … Command them to do good … and to be generous and willing to share" — 1 Tim. 6:17-19
44 Ways to Expand the Financial Base of Your Congregation*
Lyle Schaller, Abingdon. Schaller describes this as a "how" book on encouraging people to be more generous in underwriting the costs of ministry. Practical and suggestive. (*Out of print title)
How to Increase Giving in Your Church: A Practical Guide to the Sensitive Task of Raising Money for Your Church or Ministry
George Barna, Regal. This is a research-based study of the who, how, and why of givers and giving.
MAXIMUM Generosity Web site
Generosity articles, video/audio, sermon helps, product resources, 40 day curriculum, stewardship cartoons, free eBook downloads, and more to inspire generosity and increase giving for general offering, building funds, and/or debt retirement. These resources have been developed by Dr. Brian Kluth of the First Evangelical Free Church of Colorado Springs, CO.
Intentional Disciplemaking
"Entrust to reliable men …" — 2 Tim. 2:2
"Therefore go and make disciples …" — Matt. 28: 19-20
Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ
George Barna, Waterbrook. "Almost every church in our country has some type of discipleship program or set of activities, but stunningly few churches have a church of disciples," Barna states. In this book, he outlines biblically based insights on building a discipling church.
Jesus Christ, Disciplemaker
Bill Hull, Revell. Hull reviews Jesus’ disciplemaking strategy and offers applications to the contemporary church. Formerly published as Jesus Christ Disciplemaker.
The Disciple-Making Pastor
Bill Hull, Baker. Hull encourages pastors to define their primary task in terms of disciplemaking. Chapter 9, "Making it Work in the Local Church," provides a programmatic snapshot of how a pastor could begin to implement the disciplemaking process in the church.
Loving Relationships
"By this will men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" — John 13:35
The Emotionally Healthy Church
Peter Scazzero, Zondervan. A discussion of relational health in groups and congregations.
Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, HarperCollins. A classic; thoughtful and suggestive.
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict
Ken Sande, Baker. Sande’s book is valuable to equip people in churches to respond to conflict biblically.
Access a variety of the Church Health book titles on the NextStep Resources Church Health page.
