Open Positions

Executive Pastor
Central United
Washington, WA

Executive Pastor
Bethany Baptist
Broken Arrow, OK

 

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Suggested Books

A few highly recommended books, then others ...

Nathan Baxter suggests, Doing Church As a Team by Wayne Cordeiro

• Amazon says: "Doing church as a team is not a revolutionary concept. Jesus Himself modeled it nearly 2,000 years ago. When we do church as a team, we fulfill the Lord's desire that His Church work together-and we achieve amazing results for His kingdom. Presented with the humor and grace of a master communicator, this approach to building effective ministries through teamwork is biblical and refreshingly practical. Drawing from his experiences in pioneering and pastoring highly successful churches in Hawaii, author Wayne Cordeiro inspires and instructs on such topics as casting vision and creating a teamwork mentality, identifying and developing spiritual gifts and passions, mastering the fine art of delegation and remedying burnout before it strikes."

David Fletcher suggests, The Power of Uniqueness by Arthur Miller with William Hendricks

• Amazon says: "Based on the idea that every person is endowed from birth with a unique pattern of competencies and motivations, or giftedness, this book describes your Motivated Abilities Pattern (MAP), which indicates your personal giftedness and encourages you to pursue your unique calling and live a purposeful life that is highly productive and richly satisfying. Formerly titled Why You Can't Be Anything You Want to Be."
• The back cover says: "You can be anything you want to be. Don't let that lie rob you of your energy and purpose in life! You may function adequately at a job, even forge an impressive career--but unless what you do is lit by an inner fire, you're just getting by. Because the truth is, you were created with an indelible, highly personal pattern of innate giftedness and motivation. Arthur Miller calls it your Motivated Abilities Pattern, or MAP, and it's nothing you learned. It's something you were born with, the thing that makes you tick and determines your successes and failures. In this revolutionary book, Miller invites you to explore concepts far different from anything you've ever read in a career development guide. Drawing on nearly 40 years' experience analyzing the achievements of over 50,000 people, Miller uncovers a discovery about human nature that can literally change your life. If you feel frustrated and unmotivated by your present occupation--if you've spent months and even years wondering what to do with your life--this book can steer you in new directions that pack incredible returns."

David also suggests, Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches by Christian A. Schwarz

• The book says of itself: "Critics of the church growth movement have often emphasized the need for quality congregations. "Don't focus on numerical growth, concentrate on qualitative growth." Christian Schwarz agrees wholeheartedly! Through careful research, Christian Schwarz has verified the link between health and growth." Schwarz has eight quality characteristics: Empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship service, holistic small groups, need-oriented evangelism and loving relationships. None of these quality characteristics may be missing from a healthy church.
• An Amazon review: "Having read a number of books on Church Leadership and "How to Have An Effective Church" a lot of times I feel people put forth a "Model" approach rather than a "Principle" approach. "If you just do this more, than your church will grow" as if there is just one secret to growth. Christian Schwarz does a great job in sharing principles for a "Healthy Church" whatever model of church you may decide to have. Christian gives us eight character qualities that every church should be concerned about, as well as a way to test your own church to see if it is healthy. With the help of Christopher Schalk, a statistician, the study is based upon one of the most comprehensive research projects done in church history. The research basically shows us that a "Healthy Church is a Growing Church." I found this book extremely helpful as a pastor of a church myself. I highly recommend it for people who want to effectively further the kingdom of God."

Steve Roese suggests, Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

• Amazon says: "“I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened.” In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God."

Recommended Books from the 2007 XP-Seminar

Becoming a Healthy Church: Ten Traits of a Vital Ministry by Stephen Macchia

• Becoming a Healthy Church illustrates the ten most important characteristics of church health. Based on extensive surveys, this helpful volume is designed to encourage the creation of a healthy climate for any church and its ministry.

Confessions of a Reformission Rev: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church by Mark Driscoll

• Mark Driscoll's emerging, missional church took a rocky road from its start in a hot, upstairs youth room with gold shag carpet to its current weekly attendance of thousands. With engaging humor, humility, and candor, Driscoll shares the failures, frustrations, and just plain messiness of trying to build a church that is faithful to the gospel of Christ in a highly post-Christian culture. In the telling, he's not afraid to skewer some sacred cows of traditional, contemporary, and emerging churches. –Amazon

Culture Shift by Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro

• Like snowflakes and fingerprints, every church's culture is unique. Learning the art of cultural analysis and cultural formation shown in Culture Shift is indispensable for church leaders. –John Ortberg, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

The Elephant in the Boardroom by Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree

• Carolyn Weese and Russ Crabtree have done churches a great service in breaking the curious silence about pastoral transition, perhaps the most serious threat to churches in the less institutionalized twenty-first century world. Here you will find the reality-based principles that lead to strategic succession. –Bob Buford, Leadership Network

The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radicalby Shane Claiborne

• If there is such a thing as a disarming radical, 30-year-old Claiborne is it. Claiborne is a founding member of one of a growing number of radical faith communities. They call themselves "ordinary radicals" because they attempt to live like Christ and the earliest converts to Christianity, ignoring social status and unencumbered by material comforts. Claiborne's chatty and compelling narrative is magnetic—his stories draw the reader in with humor and intimacy, only to turn the most common ways of practicing religion upside down. He somehow skewers the insulation of suburban living and the hypocrisy of wealthy churches without any self-righteous finger pointing.
  "The world," he says, "cannot afford the American dream." Claiborne's conviction, personal experience and description of others like him are a clarion call to rethink
  the meaning of church, conversion and Christianity; no reader will go away unshaken.
  —Publishers Weekly

Leadership is an Art by Max DePree

• Perhaps we should banish all of our management books except Max De Pree's gem, Leadership Is an Art. The successful Herman Miller, Inc., chairman . . . . writes only about trust, grace, spirit, and love . . . . such concerns are the essence of organizations, small or large.—Inc. magazine

Leading From the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson

• If you are a second chair leader, are considering a second chair role, or work with a second chair leader, this book is a must read! Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson have done a superb job of defining the living paradoxes a second chair leader deals with day in and day out. Don't consider a second chair role without reading this book first.–Warren Schuh

The Multi-Site Church Revolution: Being One Church in Many Locations by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird

• The authors have done their homework. They have firsthand knowledge of the successes and failures of this movement, having been networking with and facilitating dialogue among churches across the country for years.”—Max Lucado, Senior Minister, Oak Hills Church

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Disciplines of Missional LeadersBy Earl Creps

• Earl Creps has written a deeply personal and challenging book—one that caused me to think about my own spiritual journey. Too many of us have made spiritual formation a series of activities and programs; Earl takes us off the map of common practice and into the places where the Spirit is at work. It reminds us that true spiritual formation pervades our lives and the ministries we serve, providing a helpful balance of being and doing. It will be a great encouragement to all who read it.
  —Ed Stetzer, author, Breaking the Missional Code

Organic Church by Neil Cole

• I heartily recommend this book. It is packed with deep insights; you will find no fluff in it. Among the books on church planting, it offers a rare combination of attributes: it is biblical and well written, its model has proven effective, and it is authored by a practitioner rather than an observer or an ivory-tower theoretician.–Curtis Sergeant

The Peacemaker—A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande

• This book is absolutely the best book I have read on interpersonal conflict management. Sande presents Scripture after Scripture to support his directives to diffuse disharmony among brothers and sisters in Christ. Having served as a pastor for twenty years and having seen my share of church spats, this book would have been extremely helpful years ago. I highly recommend this volume to all pastors, congregational leaders, and other believers who are seeking a biblical response to conflict in the church. The author also has a website that offers various key concepts of this book in brochure form. The church today could use more works like this one.—David R. Bess

Practicing Greatness by Reggie McNeal

• I have always been challenged by Reggie McNeal's ‘right on' insights. And this book is packed with ‘right on' insights for any leader wanting to move from good to great.—Robert Lewis, Pastor and Men's Fraternity Founder, Fellowship Bible Church, Little Rock, Arkansas

Shaped by God's Heart by Milfred Minatrea

• Milfred Minatrea is a pilgrim not a conquistador. His book is not a map drawn by someone who's conquered the land. It is a compass with a true north, that points to survival in the secular wilderness where Christ himself is waiting on vitality to knock. This book does not point the way to church growth. It calls the reader to honest pilgrimage—to find the way to meaningful faith. –Calvin Miller, Beeson Divinity School

An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind by Erwin Raphael McManus

• An Unstoppable Force will excite and inspire readers about being part of the Church that God had in mind! A "force" created to change the world. A Church that is engaged with its community, daring to cut itself free from atrophied practices and programs to flourish in creative and compelling worship. A Church that risks reaching out to our jaded culture with "outside the box" expressions of faith and love.
  –Amazon

Recommended Books from the 2006 XP-Seminar

The Associate Pastor

• Like the second-chair position in an orchestra, a well-prepared associate pastor complements and harmonizes with the senior pastor's ministry to create an exquisite symphony. Yet more often than not, we consider the position of “second fiddle” second rate. How long will we let the growing number of assistant and associate pastors struggle to recognize their significance?

Blue Like Jazz

• Miller is a young writer, speaker and campus ministry leader. An earnest evangelical who nearly lost his faith, he went on a spiritual journey, found some progressive politics and most importantly, discovered Jesus' relevance for everyday life. This book, in its own elliptical way, tells the tale of that journey. But the narrative is episodic rather than linear. As such, it offers a postmodern riff on the classic evangelical presentation of the Gospel, complete with a concluding call to commitment. –Amazon

Culture Shift

• Like snowflakes and fingerprints, every church's culture is unique. Learning the art of cultural analysis and cultural formation shown in Culture Shift is indispensable for church leaders.
  –John Ortberg, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

Elders and Leaders

• Several reviewers compare ‘Elders and Leaders' by Gene Getz to another book on church eldership called ‘Biblical Eldership' by Alexander Strauch. As with Strauch, Getz presents the biblical texts very well. He also includes writings of the early church fathers up to the 3rd century. What Getz does differently than Strauch is that he keeps the ‘pure text' work to the front of the book so elders of all size and type churches can read this as ‘pure' biblical exegesis. Later Getz draws conclusions which come from pastoring large, elder-led churches for over 3 decades.
  –Brad Smith

The Elephant in the Boardroom

• Carolyn Weese and Russ Crabtree have done churches a great service in breaking the curious silence about pastoral transition, perhaps the most serious threat to churches in the less institutionalized twenty-first century world. Here you will find the reality-based principles that lead to strategic succession.
  –Bob Buford, Leadership Network

The Leadership Baton

• This book is a great resource for church leaders that are feeling the vacuum of a lack of leadership development in their church. It is well written, and is loaded with relevant information. –Amazon

Leading From the Second Chair

• If you are a second chair leader, are considering a second chair role, or work with a second chair leader, this book is a must read! Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson have done a superb job of defining the living paradoxes a second chair leader deals with day in and day out. Don't consider a second chair role without reading this book first.
  –Warren Schuh

Organic Church

• I heartily recommend this book. It is packed with deep insights; you will find no fluff in it. Among the books on church planting, it offers a rare combination of attributes: it is biblical and well written, its model has proven effective, and it is authored by a practitioner rather than an observer or an ivory-tower theoretician. –Curtis Sergeant

The Power of Uniqueness

• The purpose of this book is to help identify your uniqueness and build upon your discovery. He describes the process of success as being ongoing and discusses how to maintain the momentum. Discovering one's area of giftedness and building on that in a way that glorifies God is the essence of the book. He devotes discussion to discovering one's giftedness and how to apply that knowledge to everyday life. –Dr. W.G. Covington, Jr.

The Present Future

• This is the most courageous book I have ever read on church life. McNeal nails the problem on the head. Be prepared to be turned upside down and shaken loose of all your old notions of what church is and should be in today's world. –George Cladis

Shaped by God's Heart

• Milfred Minatrea is a pilgrim not a conquistador. His book is not a map drawn by someone who's conquered the land. It is a compass with a true north, that points to survival in the secular wilderness where Christ himself is waiting on vitality to knock. This book does not point the way to church growth. It calls the reader to honest pilgrimage—to find the way to meaningful faith. –Calvin Miller, Beeson Divinity School

Traveling Mercies

• This is a personal, touching and often funny chronicle of one woman's faith journey, including her struggles with single parenting. When I was in need of inspiration, I often would spend a few minutes reading this one. It energized me to keep going, keep writing, keep putting words on paper. Lamott's creativity is contagious. –John Alkire

Velvet Elvis

• Bell is a gritty, no-holds-barred pastor whose deepest concern is to see Christians living authentically. He argues that to do so we need to be able to understand Scripture rightly, because Scripture teaches us who we are in relation to God and each other and, when we understand that, we will live rightly. –K. Steakley

The World is Flat

• For a columnist for the NY Times he has a firm grasp on the economic forces around the globe that influence policy decisions. It is a must for anyone that wants to understand the global business climate. –Aaron Schaal

Recommended Books from the 2005 XP-Seminar

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

• “I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve … I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened.” In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.” “Think of Donald Miller as a cleaned-up, Gen X Anne Lamott with testosterone, and this fresh memoir-like collection of essays as his version of Traveling Mercies. Miller (Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance) shares his journey from a self-described ‘Bible salesman on steroids' to discovering the freedom of embracing a God bigger than he can quantify.” (See below for an introduction to Ann Lammot's Traveling Mercies)“Although the book is drenched in pop culture references and clearly aimed at a Gen X audience, Miller's words will resonate with any believer who has ever grappled with the paradoxes of faith.”
• Miller has written for many magazines and published several books.
  

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry by John Piper

• “We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. The mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet. It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ. Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry. The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake. For there is no professional childlikeness (Matthew 18:3); there is no professional tenderheartedness (Ephesians 4:32); there is no professional panting after God (Psalm 42:1).” “The world sets the agenda of the professional man; God sets the agenda of the spiritual man. The strong wine of Jesus Christ explodes the wineskins of professionalism. There is infinite difference between the pastor whose heart is set on being a professional and the pastor whose heart is set on being the aroma of Christ, the fragrance of death to some and eternal life to others (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).”
• Since 1980, John Piper has been the Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the author of more than twenty books.
  

Buck-Naked Faith: A Brutally Honest Look at Stunted Christianity by Eric Sandras

• “It takes a lot of courage to begin a book on Christian discipleship with this sentence: ‘Sex with a stranger wasn't supposed to end this way.' That's the start of this challenging book.”“Once in awhile a book comes along that strips away all of the pretenses and leaves you feeling like you actually heard from God as you read. Authenticity has become a buzzword in the Christian jargon of the day. This books goes deeper than using words, but points out what it means to develop a living, vital faith with Jesus. The raw honesty and experience ranges from the borders of humor to personal pain and points to a great God who loves to exercise grace.” “Honest and gritty, Eric Sanders encourages a generation of believers to drop layers of make-believe nonsense that stunts our spiritual growth. What emerges is a positive alternative to life-crushing counterfeit faiths many of us are trying our best to work through. To do this, there's no secret handshake or magic formula, but there is vision and encouragement to take the risk and get dangerously real with God. With a pull-no-punches approach, Sandras exposes the naked truth: We need to dress our lives with a real friendship with God and nothing else.”
• Sandras is pastor of the Olympic Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Port Angeles, Washington. He is a founder of Vineyard's Emerging Leaders Initiative and frequently speaks across denominational lines.
  

Godric: A Novel by Frederick Buechner

• “Frederick Buechner's Godric ‘retells the life of Godric of Finchale, a twelfth-century English holy man whose projects late in life included that of purifying his moral ambition of pride … Sin, spiritual yearning, rebirth, fierce asceticism—these hagiographic staples aren't easy to revitalize …'” “In the extraordinary figure of Godric, both stubborn outsider and true child of God, both worldly and unworldly, Frederick Buechner has found an ideal means of exploring the nature of spirituality. Godric is a living battleground where God fights it out with the world, the Flesh, and the devil.” “With a poet's sensibly and a high reverent fancy, Frederick Buechner paints a memorable portrait.” You may want to begin reading this book with the Historical Note on page 177.
• This book was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Buechner is the author of more than thirty works of fiction and is an ordained Presbyterian minister.

Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches
by Christian A. Schwarz

• The book says of itself: “Critics of the church growth movement have often emphasized the need for quality congregations. ‘Don't focus on numerical growth, concentrate on qualitative growth.' Christian Schwarz agrees wholeheartedly! Through careful research, Christian Schwarz has verified the link between health and growth.” Schwarz has eight quality characteristics: Empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship service, holistic small groups, need-oriented evangelism and loving relationships. None of these quality characteristics may be missing from a healthy church.

The Power of Uniqueness by Arthur Miller with William Hendricks

• “Based on the idea that every person is endowed from birth with a unique pattern of competencies and motivations, or giftedness, this book describes your Motivated Abilities Pattern (MAP), which indicates your personal giftedness and encourages you to pursue your unique calling and live a purposeful life that is highly productive and richly satisfying.”
• “You can be anything you want to be. Don't let that lie rob you of your energy and purpose in life! You may function adequately at a job, even forge an impressive career—but unless what you do is lit by an inner fire, you're just getting by. Because the truth is, you were created with an indelible, highly personal pattern of innate giftedness and motivation. Arthur Miller calls it your Motivated Abilities Pattern, or MAP, and it's nothing you learned. It's something you were born with, the thing that makes you tick and determines your successes and failures. In this revolutionary book, Miller invites you to explore concepts far different from anything you've ever read in a career development guide. Drawing on nearly 40 years' experience analyzing the achievements of over 50,000 people, Miller uncovers a discovery about human nature that can literally change your life. If you feel frustrated and unmotivated by your present occupation—if you've spent months and even years wondering what to do with your life—this book can steer you in new directions that pack incredible returns.”
  

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal

• “McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing “church growth” with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shift, from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges in an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.”
• McNeil is the director of Leadership Development for South Carolina Baptist Convention.

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J. M. Nouwen

• “A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son catapulted Henri Nouwen on a long spiritual adventure. Here he shares the deeply personal and resonant meditation that led him to discover the place within where God has chosen to dwell … In reflection of Rembrandt in light of his own life journey, the author evokes the powerful drama of the parable of in a rich, captivating way that is sure to reverberate in the hearts of readers. The themes of homecoming, affirmation, and reconciliation will be newly discovered by all who have known loneliness, dejection, jealousy, or anger.” For all who ask, “Where has my struggle led me?” or for those “on the road” who have had the courage to embark on the journey but seek illumination of a known way and safe passage, this work will inspire and guide each time it is read.”
• “The internationally renowned priest and author, respected professor and beloved pastor Henri Nouwen wrote over 40 books on the spiritual life. He corresponded regularly in English, Dutch, German, French and Spanish with hundreds of friends and reached out to thousands through his Eucharistic celebrations, lectures and retreats. Since his death in 1996, ever-increasing numbers of readers, writers, teachers and seekers have been guided by his literary legacy. Nouwen's books have sold over 2 million copies and been published in over 22 languages.”
  

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

• This is another one of Annie's classic soul-bearing essays (pun intended) where she exposes “everywoman” in her writing. LaMott uses her everyday experiences and the people she loves to reveal her faith in God as something very attainable and very present in the small things. Only she has had the courage to bear her innermost thoughts and neuroticisms, laugh both at and with herself, and she makes me feel like it's terrific to be weird and imperfect. This book inspires you to think that God can and will help you to pick up the pieces if you just give him a try. “I had no idea what to expect in this, my first encounter with Anne Lamott. When I'm not laughing at Anne's great writing and gritty insights, I'm pushing down that lump in my throat. Anne plants and waters the flowers of faith and grace, but pats down their seeds beneath the coarse dirt and smelly manure of life. This woman can write and, boy, does she have something to say. If she steps on your toes to get to the podium, so be it. Hear her out. She writes of a heartfelt belief in Jesus that I share. But she also drags out the skeletons that we born-again Christians are so afraid to let out. Ironic, isn't it, that those who follow Christ—the most amazing example of love and acceptance and forgiveness to the “unlovely”—are the very ones who insecurely point their fingers at those outside their box. I grew up in that box. I still love Jesus, still consider myself “born-again,” but I, along with Anne Lamott, refuse to live in that box anymore.”
• Lamott has authored two bestselling works and has been a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
  

Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness by Eugene H. Peterson

• “Peterson uses the book of Jonah as a story-metaphor for what he sees as the ideal way of being a minister … 1) that a minister must first and foremost be grounded in a spirit-filled life through prayer and; 2) to achieve that, the minister must stay in one church throughout his or her whole ministry to really be rooted in the lives of people in the congregation.” “I am pastor of a United Methodist two-point charge. Two churches. Many headaches. I've been here three and a half years. I am told numerous pastors “start-out” in smaller, typically rural or town churches as mine are. Then we get noticed and we get moved on up the ladder. Better appointment—better pay—more prestige—better location. How many pastors buy into “the ladder”? More than you think. But Peterson does not. This book planted my feet deeply within my call. I wanted to move into bigger, better, different pastorates. Peterson would tell me, “You wanted to go to Tarshish instead of Ninevah.” His book forced me to recognize that the grass is not greener in a different parish. Comparing me to Jonah, Peterson left me no excuse of any theological integrity to leave my two-point charge. So here I stay. But Mr. Peterson, if you read this … Under the Unpredictable Plant is a horrible title. Few of the dozens of people to whom I have recommended your book can remember that crazy thought.
• Peterson was professor of spiritual theology at Regent College, Vancover, British Columbia. He served as founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He has written many books, as well as paraphrased the New Testament, The Message.