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Upward!: Wesleyan Formation in Three Movements
by Steve Harper Paul W. ChilcoteA powerful guide for new and longtime United Methodists.Upward! is a simple but brilliant course on Wesleyanism for regular people. It thoroughly and methodically guides readers through the distinctive qualities of the Wesleyan way—the theology, practices, habits, and attitudes that characterize Methodist people. Paul W. Chilcote and Steve Harper, two of Methodism’s most beloved teachers, offer this extraordinary book as an invitation to a life of wisdom and wonder in our current world. It is a book of both instruction and celebration, teaching (or reminding) us what makes the Wesleyan way most gracious and lovely. Pastors and other leaders will use Upward as their primary resource for sharing the Wesleyan approach. It can be used in a wide variety of ways and settings—as a sermon series, congregation-wide study, or for new member classes, to name a few. Individuals will use the book as a personal study, ideally in connection with others. Upward! helps leaders and readers to:- correct misconceptions about Wesleyan theology- clarify and reclaim Wesleyan theology- gain a new framework for understanding Wesleyan theology and sharing it with others
365 Devotions for Women
by Sally D. SharpeStrengthen your bond with God, one devotion at a time.As women, we have many roles and responsibilities. We are daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, caregivers, working women, leaders, teachers, pastors, and pastors’ wives, neighbors, friends—and the list goes on. Yet in all of these roles, we bring a special gift that God has given us: the gift of nurturing—helping others feel loved, appreciated, and capable of achieving all they are meant to be.We, too, however, need nurturing. Often, we forget or ignore this fact, finding ourselves overextended and drained after giving all we have without taking time for our own needs. Our lives tend to be busy, hectic, and sometimes even frenzied, leaving little time for ourselves or God. Yet God longs to wrap loving arms around us and give us rest, encouragement, hope, strength, peace, and joy. God is the only One who can fill us and make us whole.365 Devotions for Women is written to help you focus on your relationship with God. Twelve different Christian women share their reflections on what it means to be a woman of faith, walking with God day by day. As you go through the year (whether you start in January or June), encountering a different writer each month, you will find spiritual refreshment and a sense of camaraderie for the challenge of giving your relationship with God the time and attention it deserves. Though these women have diverse backgrounds, personalities, and ways of relating to God, they have a common theme: God loves you and longs to be in relationship with you.The contributors are Nell W. Mohney (January), HiRho Park (February), Cynthia Gadsen (March), Kelly Clem (April), Lillian C. Smith (May), Nancy Nikolai Shedden (June), Anne Hagerman Wilcox (July), Marie Schockey (August), Hilda Davis (September), Sallie Dye (October), Monica Johnson (November), and Ellen Gray (December)Begin today to nurture your relationship with God. It’s the most important nurturing of all!
Remember: God's Covenants and the Cross
by Susan RobbRemember the God who remembers us.God’s covenants throughout the Old Testament show the character of God’s promises to the people of Israel. In this book, Susan Robb leads readers through the covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, followed by the new covenant established on Maundy Thursday. The Lenten story culminates with an examination of the cross as another example of God’s promise for a new world.Susan Robb teaches readers the basic lessons of the covenants through a mixture of biblical history and personal stories. Her pastoral character and warm tone provide a basis for understanding God’s promises through history and the role of Jesus’s passion and crucifixion in the history of the covenants.Remember can be read alone or used for a six-week group study and church wide Lenten program. Components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and video teaching sessions featuring Susan (with closed captioning).
The Serving Leader: Five Powerful Actions to Transform Your Team, Business, and Community
by Ken Jennings John Stahl-WertThe Serving LeaderFive Powerful Actions to Transform Your Team, Business, and Community, 10th Anniversary Edition, Revised and ExpandedIt's people who make organizations great, so how can leaders best help their people achieve that greatness? As Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert show in this new edition of their bestseller, you can't just demand greatness—you have to inspire it. The most effective leaders don't just stand in front of their people, they stand behind them too. As one of the characters in the book notes, "You qualify to be first by putting other people first." This concept sounds paradoxical, but it leads to extraordinary outcomes—and The Serving Leader shows precisely how and why.While Jennings and Stahl-Wert use a compelling fictional story to outline the basics of Serving Leadership, all the characters in it are based on real people, the organizations depicted are based on real organizations—and the results they achieved are what really happened. This edition features a new foreword by Ken Blanchard, a new introduction, and a new chapter checking back in with Mike, the main character, to see what he has learned in the twelve years since he embraced Serving LeadershipOn one level this is the most practical guide available to implementing Serving Leadership; on a deeper level, it is a book about the personal journey of growth that real leadership requires. Great organizations are great because they're filled with people who freely choose to do their very best. It's a maddeningly simple concept yet stunningly hard to execute. Jennings and Stahl-Wert show leaders how to earn that kind of commitment.
Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change
by Mary-Frances Winters The Winters Group TeamCreating justice-centered organizations is the next frontier in DEI. This book shows how to go beyond compliance to address harm, share power, and create equity. Traditional DEI work has not succeeded at dismantling systems that perpetuate harm and exclude BIPOC groups. Proponents of DEI have put too much focus on HR solutions, such as increasing representation, and not enough emphasis on changing the deeper organizational systems that perpetuate inequities-in other words, on justice. DEIJ work diverges from traditional metrics-driven DEI work and requires a new approach to effectively dismantle power structures.This thought-provoking, solutions-oriented book offers strategic advice on how to adopt a justice mindset, anticipate and address resistance, shift power dynamics, and create a psychologically safe organizational culture. Individual chapters provide pragmatic how-to guides to implementing justice-centered practices in recruitment and hiring, data collection and analysis, learning and development, marketing and advertising, procurement, philanthropy, and more. DEIJ pioneer Mary-Frances Winters and her coauthors address some of the most significant aspects of adding a justice focus to diversity work, showing how to create a workplace culture where equity is not a checklist of performative actions but a lived reality.
The Enterprise Business Analyst: Developing Creative Solutions to Complex Business Problems
by Kathleen B. Hass PMPBusiness Analysts: Chart Your Path to Success with Creative Solutions to Complex Business Problems!Business in the 21st century is rife with complexity. To leverage that complexity and guide an organization through these turbulent times, today's business analyst must transition from a tactical, project-focused role to a creative, innovative role.The path to this transition—and the tools to accomplish it—are presented in this new book by acclaimed author Kathleen "Kitty" Hass. Winner of PMI's David I. Cleland Project Management Literature Award for her book Managing Complex Projects: A New Model, Hass has again written a book that will refocus a discipline.Hass believes that only by confronting and capitalizing on change and complexity—the new "constants" in today's world—can organizations forge ahead. The enterprise business analyst is perfectly positioned to understand the needs of an organization, help it remain competitive, identify creative solutions to complex business problems, bring about innovation, and constantly add value for the customer and revenue to the bottom line.The Enterprise Business Analyst: Developing Creative Solutions to Complex Business Problems offers:• An overview of the current and emerging role of the business analyst• New leadership models for the 21st century• Methods for fostering team creativity• Practices to spark innovation• Strategies for communicating in a complex environment
Project Decisions, 2nd Edition: The Art and Science
by Lev Virine Michael TrumperThis new edition gives project managers practical methods and tools to make the right decisions while juggling multiple objectives, risks and uncertainties, and stakeholders. Project management requires you to navigate a maze of multiple and complex decisions that are an everyday part of the job. To be effective, you must know how to make rational choices with your projects, what processes can help to improve these choices, and what tools are available to help you with decision-making. An entertaining and easy-to-read guide to a structured project decision-making process, Project Decisions will help you identify risks and perform basic quantitative and qualitative risk and decision analyses. Lev Virine and Michael Trumper use their understanding of basic human psychology to show you how to use event chain methodology, establish creative business environments, and estimate project time and costs. Each phase of the process is described in detail, including a review of both its psychological aspects and quantitative methods.
Burnout to Breakthrough: Building Resilience to Refuel, Recharge, and Reclaim What Matters
by Eileen McDargh"Eileen delivers a new perspective on the burnout crisis with humor, good sense, and unique ideas on how to manage our brains. I owe my daily well-being to her. Keep this book at your side to help you glide through your workday." —Marcia Reynolds, PsyD, author of The Discomfort ZoneIt's official. For the first time, the World Health Organization has classified burnout as a health problem. Renowned motivational speaker Eileen McDargh proposes that to tackle it, we must learn to break out of energy-draining thoughts and behaviors.Resilience, she argues, is strictly a matter of energy management--by better managing your energy, you can both build resiliency and overcome burnout. Breakthrough happens when our energy is consciously distributed to what matters most in our lives. So after a short survey that will tell you where you fit in a burnout and resiliency profile, McDargh helps pinpoint the causes of your burnout and examine the energy demands that keep you from refueling and recharging. She provides an in-depth energy analysis and gives you the keys to master the four dimensions that can give you a resilience breakthrough: head, heart, hands, and humor.McDargh guides the reader through the process of identifying energy drains and implementing strategies for handling them, whatever phase of life you are in. Her intention is to help you not only to successfully manage work and life demands but also make even larger strides in understanding how to put together a life by design and not by default.
Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges
by C. Otto ScharmerAccess the deepest source of inspiration and visionWe live in a time of massive institutional failure that manifests in the form of three major divides: the ecological, the social, and the spiritual. Addressing these challenges requires a new consciousness and collective leadership capacity. In this groundbreaking book, Otto Scharmer invites us to see the world in new ways and in so doing discover a revolutionary approach to learning and leadership.In most large systems today, we collectively create results that no one wants. What keeps us stuck in such patterns of the past? It's our blind spot, that is, our lack of awareness of the inner place from which our attention and intention originate. By moving through Scharmer's U process, we consciously access the blind spot and learn to connect to our authentic Self-the deepest source of knowledge and inspiration. Theory U offers a rich diversity of compelling stories, examples, exercises, and practices that allow leaders, organizations, and larger systems to cosense and coshape the future that is wanting to emerge.This second edition features a new preface in which Scharmer identifies five transformational trends and describes U process case stories around the world. There are also eight color drawings by Kelvy Bird that capture U journey applications and illustrate the concepts in the book, as well as new resources for applying the principles and practices.
The Project Manager's Guide to Making Successful Decisions
by Robert A. Powell PhD Dennis M. Buede PhDMake Better Decisions While Managing Projects!Decision-making is critical in project management. Lack of decision-making knowledge, avoidable mistakes, and improper definitions can negatively impact your company's ability to generate profit. The Project Manager's Guide to Making Successful Decisions is a practical handbook that focuses on the significance of project decision-making skills that will all you to reach workable and effective results. This valuable resource highlights numerous decisions necessary to support the project management life cycle, presents various techniques that facilitate the decision-making process, provides an overview of decision analysis as it relates to project management, and much more!+ Understand different types of decision-making processes and cycles+ Recognize how to frame the decision and gather better information+ Define alternatives and assessments to make the right decision+ Analyze short case studies demonstrating project decision making success
Our Search for Belonging: How Our Need to Connect Is Tearing Us Apart
by Howard J. Ross JonRobert TartaglioneWe are living in a time of mounting political segregation that threatens to tear us apart as a unified society. The result is that we are becoming increasingly tribal, and the narratives of life that we get exposed to on a daily basis have become echo chambers in which we hear our beliefs reinforced and others' beliefs demonized. At the core of tribalism exists a paradox: as humans, we are hardwired with the need to belong, which ends up making us deeply connected with some yet deeply divided from others. When these tribes are formed out of fear of the "other," on topics such as race, immigration status, religion, or partisan politics, we resort to an "us versus them" attitude. Especially in the digital age, when we are all interconnected in one way or another, these tensions seep into our daily lives and we become secluded with our self-identified tribes. Global diversity and inclusion expert Howard J. Ross, with JonRobert Tartaglione, explores how our human need to belong is the driving force behind the increasing division of our world. Drawing upon decades of leadership experience, Ross probes the depth of tribalism, examines the role of social media in exacerbating it, and offers tactics for how to combat it. Filled with tested practices for opening safe and honest dialogue in the workplace and challenges to confront our own tendencies to bond with those who are like us, Our Search for Belonging is a powerful statement of hope in a disquieting time.
How to Be a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact
by Jane E. Dutton and Gretchen M. SpreitzerPositive leaders are able to dramatically expand their people's—and their own—capacity for excellence. And they accomplish this without enormous expenditures or huge heroic gestures. Here leading scholars—including Adam Grant, author of the bestselling Give and Take; positive organizational scholarship movement cofounders Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn; and thirteen more—describe how this is being done at companies such as Wells Fargo, Ford, Kelly Services, Burt's Bees, Connecticut's Griffin Hospital, the Michigan-based Zingerman's Community of Businesses, and many others. They show that, like the butterfly in Brazil whose flapping wings create a typhoon in Texas, you can create profound positive change in your organization through simple actions and attitude shifts.
Guerrilla Project Management
by Kenneth T. Hanley M.Eng.A Fast, Flexible Approach to Managing Any Project — Right Here, Right Now!To manage effectively in today's complex project environment, you need a framework of project management (PM) competencies, processes, and tools that can be put to use immediately and that flexes and scales to meet the needs of any project.In Guerrilla Project Management, Ken Hanley emphasizes key project management competencies, including managing stakeholders effectively, assessing risk accurately, and getting agreement on the objective measures of project success. Focusing on these and other competencies as well as effective PM processes and tools, Hanley presents an alternative approach to project management that is light, fast, and flexible — and adapts readily to the many changes every project manager faces.Offering tips and techniques on topics ranging from communication and reporting practices to risk mitigation, this practical book is organized to allow readers to work through all aspects of a project or quickly find answers to specific problems.This is the go-to guide for today's nimble project manager!
Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation
by William H. WillimonWatch out. God is on the way.It’s not within our own power to make a fresh start. If we’re to have a future different from the past, it must come as a gift, something not of our devising. What we need is a God who refuses to be trapped in eternity, a God who not only cares about us but is willing to show up among us and do something with us, here, now.In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation, Will Willimon introduces you to the God who does just that, bringing heaven to earth and changing everything. In Advent we celebrate and anticipate the earth-shaking, life-transforming good news that God is coming to us. Watch out. Get ready. God is on the way.Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Will Willimon.
Experiencing Christmas: Christ in the Sights and Sounds of Advent
by Matt RawleDiscover how everything changed when God was born. Everything seems different at the end of the year. We put lights on our houses to dispel the growing darkness, Christmas music floods local radio stations, apple cider and cranberry sauce are again on the menu, and wrapping paper and tape are always ready. Things just look, smell, and taste differently during the Advent and Christmas season, and these differences are a sign to us that God is about to do something radical and different. Christmas is when God surrounded the divine with senses of his own. That first noel was when God had eyes to see suffering, ears to hear our cries, and hands to hold those in need, and all of these senses were bundled in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. “This will be a sign to you,” the angel told the shepherds, and they traveled to Bethlehem and found a child. What signs do you see during the Advent and Christmas season that point you to the divine?Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Matt Rawle. This book also includes a link to free downloadable teaching resources for children and youth.
The Gospel of John: A Beginner’s Guide to the Way, the Truth, and the Life
by Amy-Jill LevineUnlock the hidden depths of John’s Gospel.John’s Gospel offers readers a new language—of being born anew, of living water, of wind and spirit, of the “I am”—that enhances how we understand the divine, how we experience the world, and how we participate in the mystery of faith. With her characteristic wit and charm, Amy-Jill Levine introduces readers to the world of the Gospel of John by unpacking the stories in their original context, along with examining how the text is read today. This book considers the Gospel of John in its entirety, moving through the Gospel and exploring the prologue, the wedding at Cana, the Samaritan woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery, the healing of the man at the pool and the man born blind, foot washing, Mary Magdalene and Doubting Thomas, and the Lamb of God.Components available to use this book in a small group study include a leader guide and video available on DVD.
Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist
by Adam HamiltonPrepare to receive Christ this Advent with the message of John the Baptist and best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton in Prepare the Way for the Lord. For centuries, Christians have turned to the story and message of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist, best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton explores the Advent themes of John’s life and ministry, and how John calls all followers of Jesus to prepare our hearts for his coming. In each of the Gospels, the story of Jesus is intertwined with that of his cousin John, the one whom the prophets foretold would come to “prepare the way of the Lord.” When we hear the message of John the Baptist, it makes us and our world ready to receive Christ. Chapter topics include:1. A People Prepared for the Lord 2. God Is Gracious 3. The Fruit of Repentance 4. Witnesses Testifying to the LightTo use Prepare the Way for the Lord as a four-week Advent study, additional components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and DVD/Video sessions featuring Adam Hamilton.The book includes a link to free downloadable teaching resources for children and youth.
We Believe: How the Nicene Creed Can Deepen Your Faith
by Michael CarpenterWe believe in one God.Discover how the ancient Nicene Creed can transform your spiritual journey in Michael Carpenter's empowering book, We Believe: How the Nicene Creed Can Deepen Your Faith. Personal anecdotes and practical insights guide you to a profound connection with God. Dive into six chapters, covering the Nicene Creed sequentially, that unpack the essence of it, enriching reader's faith and deepening their understanding of Christian beliefs.In addition to the book, other study components include a Leader Guide and video available on DVD.
Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church
by James L. Killen JR.An introduction to pastoral care for pastors of small membership churches.“If you spend your whole life serving small membership churches and doing it well, yours will have been a life well spent.” Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. These churches and their pastors have an opportunity for excellence in this area, and should make the most of it. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.From getting acquainted with your congregation, weddings and funerals, picking up on subtle cues in a conversation to not-so-subtle conflicts, Killen shares insights from years of ministry in a small membership church setting.James L. Killen, Jr. is a retired elder of the Texas Conference, contributor to Circuit Rider, and author of Who Do You Say That I Am? A Personal Reader.
The Art of Hospitality Revised Edition: A Practical Guide for a Ministry of Radical Welcome
by Yvonne Gentile Debi NixonCreate a culture of radical hospitality that surprises and delights guests beyond their expectations.Engaging worship and intentional follow-up processes are important, but what compels guests to return to our churches is the warmth of our welcome and hospitality that goes beyond their expectations. In The Art of Hospitality, Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon guide you and your church creating radical hospitality that infiltrates the heart and culture of the entire congregation. Complete with key principles and proven techniques and strategies, this compelling and practical program will transform the way you do church, leaving guests surprised, delighted, and eager to return. This Revised Edition includes new insights and strategies for effective hospitality and welcome in all aspects of your digital and in-person ministry. This book is for pastors and other leaders in the church. Choose the Companion Book for everyone else in the congregation.
What the World Needs Now: Virtue and Character in an Age of Chaos
by Clay StaufferRedefine leadership and character.Discover a path to a more connected and meaningful life with What the World Needs Now. Written by Clay Stauffer, a seasoned pastor, professor, husband, and father, this book explores moral leadership, character, and values that transcend generational and cultural divides. With 30 concise chapters covering topics such as love, hope, diversity, and joy, Stauffer invites you to reflect on how we can improve our relationships, reshape culture, and build a sustainable future for generations to come. Blending Christian wisdom with universally accessible principles, the book illuminates the importance of virtues, emotional intelligence, and spiritual growth. What the World Needs Now inspires readers from all walks of life to embody values of decency, civility, and mutual respect.
Heaven and Earth Leader Guide: Advent and the Incarnation
by William H. WillimonWatch out. God is on the way.It’s not within our own power to make a fresh start. If we’re to have a future different from the past, it must come as a gift, something not of our devising. What we need is a God who refuses to be trapped in eternity, a God who not only cares about us but is willing to show up among us and do something with us, here, now.In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation, Will Willimon introduces you to the God who does just that, bringing heaven to earth and changing everything. In Advent we celebrate and anticipate the earth-shaking, life-transforming good news that God is coming to us. Watch out. Get ready. God is on the way.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options.Additional components for the four-week small group study include the book and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Will Willimon.
Multiplying Love: A Vision of United Methodist Life Together
by Paul W. ChilcoteA Vision of United Methodist Life Together.Our world needs love during these desperate days of radical polarization and division. Our United Methodist churches yearn to embrace love more completely because God first loved us. Our “faith” (including doctrine) is important; Christian “hope” (including renewal) is important; “love” of God and neighbor is more important. Multiplying Love underscores what matters most and stands in contrast to divisive misreadings of essential Methodist teachings. Chilcote helps us embrace anew the Wesleyan vision of love of Jesus as central to what we believe and how we live.When I finished Multiplying Love, I found myself jumping up and down shouting, “Yes, yes, yes! Gosh, do we need this!” We are at a remaking moment in the church. Dr. Chilcote beautifully articulates the deeper theological vision that beckons and sustains us. Multiplying Love helped me more thoroughly embrace the kind of loving people we are hoping to become. That’s what it’s all about to me, and this book nails it!—Rev. Christy Allen Holden, co-creator of The Channel UMC, a new hybrid community of faith (@christyallenholden)Every United Methodist pastor would do well to invite their church council to read Paul Chilcote’s brief and powerful Multiplying Love. It recalls the power of the Wesleyan approach to the gospel and makes a compelling case for the future of The United Methodist Church. I loved this book!—Rev. Adam Hamilton, Kansas pastor and author of Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith
The Best Teacher in You: How to Accelerate Learning and Change Lives
by Robert E. Quinn Mike Thomas Katherine Heynoski Gretchen M. SpreitzerWhat does teaching look like at its very best? How are great teachers able to ignite a love of learning and change students’ lives? In this book you’ll learn from seven remarkable teachers who stretch beyond the conventional foundations of good teaching to transform their classrooms into exciting, dynamic places where teachers and students cocreate the learning experience. Based on six years of extensive work, the book outlines a framework that identifies four dimensions of effective teaching and learning that are integrated in these highly effective teachers’ classrooms—and that all teachers can use to recognize and release the potential in themselves and their students.
Wave Rider: Leadership for High Performance in a Self-Organizing World
by Harrison H. OwenWhat began twenty years ago as a journey of exploration into the interplay between chaos, order, and the creative process culminates in this capstone work of Harrison Owen’s pioneering career. From the creator of Open Space Technology (OST), Wave Rider shows how to apply the fundamental principles of self-organization – the driving power behind OST’s immense success – not just to a single event but to the day-to-day management and leadership of organizations. Owen proposes that all systems – not only our organizations but indeed the entire cosmos – are fundamentally self-organizing. Control is ultimately an illusion, and attempts to assert it are a waste of time and can even be destructive. If we want to have truly high-performing organizations, at some point we need to set aside our preconceived goals and strategies, important as they are, and align ourselves and our work with the primal force of self-organization – learn how to ride that wave. To that end, Owen lays out eight concrete steps for becoming a successful Wave Rider, derived from the global experience of hundreds of thousands of Open Space events, wit ha clear focus on producing exceptional performance. The book includes a real-life tale from a genuine Wave Rider, Dee Hock of VISA International, as well as an imagined account of a day in the life of a wave-riding manager, to show how self-organizing principles can deal with specific functions like running a staff meeting, managing projects, motivating staff, and much more. Wave Rider is another exceptional contribution from one of organizational developments true innovators.