Imagine an organizational model for church leadership that enables the entire team to unleash their full potential. The joy and vigor coming from a collective strength, intelligence, and skill in the community of leaders not only brings greater potency but better yields for your ministry. What would it be like to see this kind of healthy leadership reproduced into the second, third, and fourth generation, on multiple strands? Leveraging the metaphor Ori Brafman popularized in his NYT best-selling book, The Starfish and the Spider, Rob Wegner, Lance Ford, and Alan Hirsch show: How to take a close look at your church's organizational structure and how to adapt instead of simply adopt a certain kind of structural approach. How churches can function without a rigid central authority, making them nimbler in reacting to external forces. How seeding starfish networks inside today's churches will prepare the church of tomorrow to be agile while maintaining the accountability to be effective. The Starfish and the Spirit is about creating a culture where church leaders view themselves as curators of a community on a mission, not the source of certainty for every question and project. It's about creating a team of humble leaders "in the middle" of the church, not at the top--leaders who naturally reproduce multiple generations of leaders, from the middle out.

"After five years of groundbreaking research, Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom share some gripping stories. The Starfish and the Spider argues that organizations fall into two categories: traditional "spiders," which have a rigid hierarchy and top-down leadership, and revolutionary "starfish," which rely on the power of peer relationships. This book explores what happens when starfish take on spiders (such as the music industry vs. Napster, Kazaa, and the P2P services that followed). It reveals how established companies and institutions, from IBM to Intuit to the U.S. government, are also learning how to incorporate starfish principles to achieve success."--BOOK JACKET.

Discover the wonderfully uplifting Starfish Café series from MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland. 'Heartbreakingly moving and yet beautifully uplifting, I cried for all the right reasons!' Jo Bartlett Welcome to The Starfish Café - where you will find stunning views, delicious food and lifelong friendships. Two broken hearts. Since she inherited The Starfish Café, Hollie has poured her heart into the business, striving to keep her mother's traditions and warm-hearted spirit alive. But behind closed doors Hollie is searching for true happiness as she grieves the tragic loss of her family who were once the beating heart of the café... An unexpected meeting. Jake lives by two rules: don’t let anyone get close and don’t talk about what happened. Little does he know that a chance meeting at The Starfish Café, facilitated by a fluffy lost dog, is about to turn his world upside down... The chance to love again. Can Hollie and Jake break down the barriers that have been holding them back from finding love and happiness, before Christmas comes around? After all, with courage, nothing is impossible... Join million-copy bestseller Jessica Redland for a magical winter at the seaside, where love blossoms and lifelong friendships are made. 'I fell in love with this story from page one.' Helen J Rolfe 'Achingly poignant, yet full of hope - You will fall in love with this beautiful Christmas story' Sandy Barker 'A tender love story, full of sweet touches and beautiful characters.' Beth Moran 'A warm-hearted and beautiful book. Jessica Redland doesn’t shy away from the fact that life can be very difficult, but she reminds us that we all can find love, hope and joy again.' Sian O'Gorman Praise for Jessica Redland: 'Jessica Redland writes from the heart, with heart, about heart' Nicola May 'I loved my trip to Hedgehog Hollow. An emotional read, full of twists and turns' Heidi Swain 'The Hedgehog Hollow series is a tonic I'd recommend for everyone. There is so much to make you smile in Jessica's stories and they are always uplifting reads, which will make you really glad you decided to pick up a copy.' Jo Bartlett ‘An emotional, romantic and ultimately uplifting read. Jessica always touches my heart with her sensitive handling of difficult subjects. The gorgeous community she has built around Hedgehog Hollow is one I hope to visit again and again.’ Sarah Bennett 'A beautifully written series that offers the ultimate in heartwarming escapism.' Samantha Tonge on the Hedgehog Hollow series 'Hedgehog Hollow is a wonderful series that has found a special place all of its own deep in the hearts of readers, including mine.' Jennifer Bohnet 'A heart-warming ride that navigates broken hearts and painful secrets, but ultimately restores your faith in the power of love. I absolutely adored it.' Jenni Keer on Healing Hearts at Bumblebee Barn 'A heartwarming story of true friendship, love and romance set in the gorgeous backdrop of the Lakes. A cosy hug of a read that left me feeling warm inside.’ Julie Caplin on The Start of Something Wonderful 'A heartwarming story set in a beautiful location... Love, friendship and the power of letting go are all covered in this gorgeous, beautifully written story.' Katie Ginger on The Start of Something Wonderful 'An emotional but uplifting page turner. The Secret to Happiness is a beautiful story of friendship and love' Fay Keenan

A huge international corporation has developed a facility along the Juan de Fuca Ridge at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to exploit geothermal power. They send a bio-engineered crew--people who have been altered to withstand the pressure and breathe the seawater--down to live and work in this weird, fertile undersea darkness. Unfortunately the only people suitable for long-term employment in these experimental power stations are crazy, some of them in unpleasant ways. How many of them can survive, or will be allowed to survive, while worldwide disaster approaches from below? Starfish, the first installment in Peter Watts' Rifters Trilogy At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

From saved souls to saved wholes, from transactional to transformational, this book describes fifteen paradigm shifts in how gospel-driven Christian leaders are thinking about churches and ministry in today's world. The church was never designed to be a fortress for the righteous, but a flood of revolutionaries, bringing the Good News of the Kingdom to broken lives and broken communities in a broken world. Today, millions of Christians are awakening to the holism, or wholeness, of the gospel call, expanding their understanding of church from an institution to a movement. Recognizing the Church's past missteps and re-envisioning its role in modern society, Missional Moves, will fundamentally alter your understanding of the church and how its mission is lived out. Rob Wegner and Jack Magruder are church founders and Christian thought-leaders who will walk you through three distinct categories of changes that today’s churches have to understand in order to have the greatest, positive impact: The paradigm shift of our missional imagination. The centralized shift of our local church mission field. The decentralized shift of the global family of Christ. If this calling toward movement and transformation is to be realized, it will require some earth-shaking shifts in our concept of the evangelistic mission: "Missional Moves." This book provides a plan of action for your church that will empower you to unleash each member on a mission, both locally and globally.

"Eleven-year-old Reeni's world is changing. Her star-of-the-senior-class, college-bound sister has no time for her, sixth grade is full of girls into makeup and diets and crushes, and something deep inside tells Reeni it's time to become more than a shy girl in the shadows. But when she commits to dancing a solo for her retiring ballet teacher's final recital, her lifelong fear of performing expands along with her newly-changing body. Lunch friends convince Reeni that a diet will give her courage and self-confidence, but the diet wreaks havoc with Reeni's life. She lies to her parents, breaks up with her best friend, and loses focus on school work and dance. Reeni faces a painful choice: should she break her commitment to solo and quit dance? Or might she have hidden strengths that could help her come out of the shadows and become the girl she wants to be?"--Provided by publisher.

Millions of Christians around the world are becoming aware of an imminent reformation of global proportions within the church. God is changing this revered institution and is making a new collective awareness of an age-old revelation, a corporate spiritual echo that reflects God's desire for the church. In this book, Simson brings to light what God is saying to Christians everywhere. Researched across the globe, he presents the case for the reformation of the church's existence. In a world where the church is being ignored, it is time to bring the church to the people and not the people to the church. Whether it is what we know as church from the last five years or the last five hundred years, no one has truly been able to break free from the structures of the past. Many may see this book as radical, many may see it as a reforming of old ideals but all who read it will be challenged and their priorities refocused in a life-changing way.