Overview
Tom Bandy has come to be known as one of today's most insightful interpreters of congregational life and the cultural changes that are affecting it. In previous books he has addressed issues such as the addictive behaviors congregations exhibit, the cultural situation that makes this a "pre-Christian" era, and the organizational changes that must occur if bold new congregational systems are truly to work.By evaluating the responses to all of these concerns, the author has heard a recurring set of questions:
- How do I help people overcome the fear of change?
- How do I persuade them to accept the cost?
- Why is there a sense that change is inherently unfaithful?
- When I go to my church next Sunday and drink coffee with that little group of people God has gathered in our place, how in the world do I convince them to take such risks?
Coaching Change: Breaking Down Resistance, Building Up Hope is a book for pastors and other church leaders who have found themselves asking these questions. Drawing on the penetrating analysis of contemporary cultural shifts that has come to be his trademark, Bandy offers detailed and pragmatic suggestions for how one can invite established church members into the mission of transforming their congregation into a place that calls and equips people to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Bandy shows how values such as continuity, loyalty, agreement, and obedience are as important to new generations of Christians as they are to their more established counterparts, but that they often hold a different meaning for both groups. He demonstrates how to teach and preach about stewardship, now that it is becoming less a matter of building support for institutions and more a matter of shaping Christian, personal lifestyles. Throughout this volume, the author brings an understanding and caring pastoral style to the daunting task of preparing God's people for the future into which they are being called.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:THOMAS G. BANDY is a widely respected interpreter of North American congregational life, and partner in the church interventionist group Easum, Bandy and Associates. He is the author of Kicking Habits, Growing Spiritual Redwoods (with Bill Easum), Moving Off the Map, Christian Chaos, and Coaching Change, all published by Abingdon Press.