Building and Sustaining a Thriving Leadership Culture
Foundational to a healthy church is a biblical model of church leadership. In the New Testament, church leadership is rarely a one-person endeavor—it is built around a plurality of elders working together, each bringing their own unique skills and gifts to the cause of shepherding the flock God has entrusted to them. There are many benefits to this model of leadership: being part of a team helps a church leader know his role, submit to authority, learn humility, and think about his gifts and position through the lens of what serves the church rather than his personal agenda. This argument in favor of elder plurality focuses both on how churches can build a healthy elder plurality and thrive as congregations once plurality is established.
176 pages
Part 1: Building a Plurality
Chapter 1: A Plurality Primer
Chapter 2: A Case for a “First Among Equals”Â
Chapter 3: Dressing for Leadership Storms: Five Hats Senior Pastors Wear
Chapter 4: Counterfeit Pluralities
Part 2: Thriving as a Plurality
Chapter 5: Building a Culture of Care and Accountability
Chapter 6: Acknowledging and Sharing Power
Chapter 7: The Plurality Tune-Up
Chapter 8: The Joy-Jamming Delight of Shared Ministry
Appendix 1: Elders, Care for Your Senior Pastor
Appendix 2: Your Wife Is Not Your Plurality: How Much Should a Pastor Tell His Wife?
Appendix 3: What’s the Best Way for a Pastor to Negotiate His Salary?
Appendix 4: Term Limits for Elders (Jeff Robinson)
