BOOK NOTES

Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter Whatby Peter L. Steinke, Alban Institute, 2007

Peter L. Steinke, well-known congregational consultant and family systems author, reports in his latest book that after reviewing over a hundred reports he had prepared for troubled congregations, he found five recurring themes: 1) high anxiety; 2) systemic impasse (two parties polarized); 3) lack of a clear sense of mission (even if a mission statement was in place); 4) poor boundaries; and 5) avoidance of problems. He follows this analysis with descriptions of behaviors and approaches that can, indeed, help a leader remain calm and courageous. Alban has also issued new printings of Steinke’s earlier books, How Your Church Family Works: Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems and Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach.

People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States by Michael O. Emerson with Rodney M. Woo, Princeton University Press, 2007

The absence of multiracial congregations has been documented and lamented for years. Some have even claimed that growing churches and diversity are incompatible. Michael Emerson and Rodney Woo have written one of the best books currently available on what they see as a “swelling momentum” of multiracial churches. While only seven percent of U.S. churches are multiracial by the authors’ standard (no race accounts for more than 80% of the members), more and more churches are seeking increased diversity. Churches are often motivated by either a missional commitment to a multiracial church, or they see diversity as their best hope for survival. Whatever the motives, this book offers data and stories to help congregations that seek to be multiracial.

Go Big With Small Groups: Eleven Steps To an Explosive Small Group Ministry
by Bill Easum and John Atkinson, Abingdon, 2007

A church that is fully committed to launching a congregation-wide small group ministry will find help in this brief book. It offers practical, step-by-step directions to start, build, and manage a network of small groups aimed at fostering relationships and encouraging spiritual transformation. The book focuses on how to create a strong, well-coordinated leadership infrastructure to support the multiplication of groups. Training and accountability are key. There is less information to guide the ongoing interactions within individual groups, and more that speaks to the framework and philosophy needed to foster group development.

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