Title: Take the Lid Off Your Church

Author: Tony Morgan

Year: 2012

Format: eBook

In a church, it’s easy to mistake activity for accomplishment. People are coming and going, ministries fill the calendar with events, and Sunday is always just a few days away.

We give a lot of thought to the text and title of the sermon.

We give a lot of thought to the songs we’ll sing.

We give a lot of thought to the fonts and colors on the bulletin.

While each of those things can be (and should be) tweaked in several ways, all of that tweaking can cause you to miss what Tony Morgan calls, “the biggest determining factor of health and success for your church” (Kindle loc. 92).

Too many churches are toying with service orders and song arrangements while avoiding the most important thing: the Senior Leadership Team.

Morgan knows what he’s talking about in this eBook. He served on leadership teams at West Ridge Church (Dallas, GA), NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC), and Granger Community Church (Granger, IN).

He has also provided consulting and leadership coaching to hundreds of churches and leaders through The Unstuck Group.

He wrote this book because he’s concerned “that we aren’t thinking deeply enough about the people who hold the most influential positions within the life of a church” (loc. 44).

Some of you might be wondering what the Senior Leadership Team is (it’s not part of traditional church vocabulary). It’s “the team of leaders that usually includes the senior or lead pastor and the group of leaders that oversees the day-to-day operations of the church” (loc. 60).

As you think about assembling or redefining who gets a seat at that table, Morgan offers 7 qualities to look for:

1. Do they have leadership gifts?

2. Are they big-picture thinkers?

3. Are they strategic thinkers?

4. Can they build teams?

5. Do they share the vision and values of your organization?

6. Do they help us reflect the diversity of our ministry?

7. Are they lifelong learners?

Creating and maintaining a healthy Senior Leadership Team will make more of a difference in the long-term effectiveness of your church than all of that tweaking ever will.

Read this book.

Start with the team.

Tweak later.

Your Move

Who needs to be added to your Senior Leadership Team?

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Trevor Hamaker

Trevor Hamaker (DMin, McAfee School of Theology) is an author, adjunct professor, and youth ministry coach. He helps youth pastors see their potential, develop their skills, and reach their goals.

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