Governance and Ministry has proven to be an indispensable guide for leaders and clergy on how to work together to lead congregations. In this second edition, veteran congregational consultant and minister Dan Hotchkiss updates the book to reflect today’s church and synagogue landscape and shares practical insights based on his work with readers of the first edition. Governance and Ministry highlights the importance of reaching the right governance model for a congregation to fulfill its mission—to achieve both the outward results and the inward quality of life to which it is called. Hotchkiss draws on governance research from business, non-profits, and churches, as well as deep experience in a variety of denominations and congregations to help readers determine the governance model that best fits their needs. The second edition has been streamlined and reorganized to better help readers think through leadership models and the process of change. The book features new material on the implications of congregation size, the process of governance change, policy choices, and the lay-clergy relationship. It also features two appendices with resources often requested by Hotchkiss’s consulting clients: a style guide for policy-makers and a unified example of a board policy book. Written with energy and humor, and offering plenty of practical examples, the second edition of this helpful resource is ideal for anyone involved in church leadership to assist in framing critical questions, creating a vision, and implementing a plan.

Author Jerry W. Storz’s experiences with board service and all things board governance goes back to his childhood, watching his parents deal with the joys and struggles of service as church board members for a small church. Eventually he made a career out of working with faith-based organizations, where he found that some board members knew their roles and responsibilities, while others clearly did not understand. As a response to his observations, Storz presents Thirty Days to Better Board Members and Meetings, intended for use as a devotional and discussion guide. He has studied faith-based board members’ behavior and now offers both nuggets of truth from scripture and board governance tips that he has gathered over these last few years. What’s more, he aims to bring the two together, allowing board members to learn and apply board principles and best practices so that they begin to see the true purpose of their board member service. Uplifting and practical, this devotional serves as a guide to board members of faith-based organizations to help them improve their leadership and service.

There are two types of conflict in congregations: conflict that kills and conflict that cultivates growth. So argues David E. Woolverton in Mission Rift: Leading through Church Conflict. Conflict that kills--that damages or destroys teams, ministries, missions, vibrancy--occurs when we as the people of God forget who we are, why we're here, and where we're going in carrying out the divine mission. Conflict that cultivates growth often begins with the same scenarios, but leaders see conflict as a context for learning how to live together as a people called to transform their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. In Mission Rift, Woolverton reorients our view of congregational conflict. In part 1, he examines conflict from a theological and ecclesiological framework, exploring why it is essential to discipleship and mission. In part 2, he presents six principles of missional leadership, challenging pastors and other leaders to define themselves within the frameworks of spiritual formation and family systems, and then to create environments that facilitate growth in faith communities. Rather than resolve conflict too quickly, Woolverton explains, lest we inadvertently sabotage the potential it has to draw a congregation toward spiritual growth, wise leaders recognize that a lack of conflict may be a symptom of missional decline, rather than congregational unity. When the church pursues its divine mission first, conflict may become essential for defining its mission priorities. Successfully leading through conflict toward a transformative end will empower a congregation's witness within its community and beyond.

Explore the practical realities of corporate governance in public, private, and not-for-profit environments In the newly revised third edition of The Handbook of Board Governance: A Comprehensive Guide for Public, Private and Not for Profit Board Members, award-winning professor and lawyer Dr. Richard Leblanc delivers a comprehensive overview of all relevant topics in corporate governance. Each chapter is written by a subject matter expert working in academia or industry and illuminates a different area of board governance: value creation and the strategic role of the Board, risk governance and oversight, board composition and diversity, the role of the board chair, blind spots and trendspotting in the boardroom, audit committee efficacy, and more. This latest edition contains updated coverage of a wide variety of key topics, including: Governing, auditing, and working from home, as well as conducting virtual and hybrid meetings New and necessary skillsets for directors, including contemporary environmental, social, and governance considerations for firms Diversity, equity, and inclusion issues impacting boards and firms, as well as the risks posed by corruption, organized crime, and cyber-crime An essential resource for board members and directors of organizations of all kinds, The Handbook of Board Governance is also an important source of information for managers and executives seeking greater understanding of the role of the board in the day-to-day and long-term management of a modern firm.

Church leaders must fundamentally change the way they view leadership, governance, and management in their organizations if they are to take seriously the need to listen to God's desires before acting. In Leadership and Listening, readers will find encouragement and specific suggestions for re-imagining church governance and management. Zimmer observes that the contemporary church is rooted in both the kingdom of God and the systems and cultures of government and business. Most people who serve in governing and management roles in the church in the United States today have been formed in the corporate world and acculturated to parliamentary process. As a result, many church governing boards are about 'business,' rather than their primary task: discerning God's desires for the part of the church they serve. Through research with more than one hundred church leaders, Zimmer learned that the church and the business community possess many insights and resources that can help boards shift toward a focus on seeking first the desires of God's heart and then responding effectively. By drawing on the guidance Zimmer offers, a church board can transform itself from a group that manages the day-to-day affairs of the church to one that makes listening, prayer, worship, reflection, and community the first priority.

Those who chair church boards deserve our prayers and respect. Often with little preparation or experience, they step up to lead the primary spiritual leadership team within a local congregation. When they need help, they have to search long and hard to find resources that respond to their specific questions and concerns. The Art of Kubernēsis (1 Corinthians 12:28): Leading as the Church Board Chairperson fills this gap. It takes the best ideas about chairing nonprofit boards being discussed today and carefully evaluates them. Those ideas that are compatible with biblical values and the unique nature of a church congregation contribute to this “map” for church board chairpersons. Although its primary frame of reference is congregational polity, the principles discussed can help anyone who chairs a faith-based nonprofit board.