|
$16.99
|
Item Added to Cart Electronic Item Added to Cart
|
|
Item Added to Cart
|
|
|
What if every church in America were run God's way?
Description:
If you think you’re frustrated with church leadership in America, imagine how God must feel. Dr. Paul R. Ford illumines key Scripture passages to exhort readers to go back to the Spirit-led form of leadership God intends for the accomplishment of his kingdom work. By proving that leadership in the body of Christ is to be a series of functions to be fulfilled by a group of people, not just key leaders, Ford inspires a collective sigh of relief and energizes us to move forward God’s way. What a difference that would make!
Moving from I to We
ISBN-13:
9781612913902
Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.25
Cover: Paperback
320
Pages
$16.99
Percentage Discounts for Bulk Purchases of Single Items
-
Downloadable
-
Part of a Series
-
Available in Spanish
You May Also Like:
Customer Reviews
Dem Bones Gonna Rise Again
I’ve been a fan of Paul Ford’s approach to ministry, and the tools he's provided to do them, for nigh on a decade now. This new book is more of a manifesto than a ministry tool—although it’s plenty of the latter as well.
The problem is stated outright in the introduction: “Today more than ever, young and midcareer leaders want to become ‘great Kingdom leaders’ rather than focus on equipping and releasing the body for the ministry of multiplication.” And thus the opening section, “Ezekiel’s Vision of We,” takes on the current paradigms of church leadership and ministry through the lens of Ezekiel 34—37 (during which, you might recall, God rebukes the “false shepherds” of Ezekiel’s time, as well as revives the dry bones via the Spirit). The problem becomes vividly clear during the author’s visit to Uganda:
"I experienced a vision from the Lord unlike anything before in my life…. I looked to the back of the long sanctuary. I could see the legs of the body of Jesus, stretched out at the back of this jammed worship center. The people were His legs. I could see the arms of His body reaching out. The people were His arms. Then I realized that I was standing in front of the people. I looked as if I was the head of Jesus’ body….
"It was difficult at first to grasp God’s intent. Then it became clear: Because of where I was standing, the people were confused about who was—and is—the head of the Church. In this vision, I wanted to yell out, 'People, I am not the head of Jesus’ body. I am not the leader of His Church. He is!' Then, very quietly as I continued speaking to the body gathered, the Lord said ever so clearly to me, 'Now you understand the problem.'”
Throughout the book, Ford exhorts us—especially leaders—to truly act like a body of believers. In Part 2, “Royally Getting Off Track,” he explores three “cults” especially prominent today—rightness, a craving for the spotlight, and strategies and tactics—that we tend to substitute for allowing Christ Himself to be the head of the Church. Put another way here: “The impact of individualism and the related sense of entitlement and dissatisfaction of Christians in the West is disturbingly real.”
The third and final section, “Body-Life Leadership Applied,” moves toward solutions, and is built around a different set of spiritual roles than we’re used to seeing: active listener, team builder, equipping releaser, values keeper, and vision sharer. That said, these tie in very strongly to the traditional classifications of spiritual gifts found in the Bible and elsewhere; you’ll just have to read the book to discover how.
Likewise, the application steps and discussion questions at the end of each chapter are thoroughly useful in helping groups and ministries become more relational and interdependent, both within ministry and outside the church walls.
In short, Moving from I to We is a great tool for putting the life of the body of Christ—and its headship—back where it belongs.
Posted by
Carl Simmons
on
3/4/2013 11:33:10 AM
Body Life for Dummies
Paul Ford has been in the churches and visited the mission teams that I have--it would seem--and knows of which he writes. Too often our North American culture values overhang our biblical faith and prevent us from realizing the radical and welcome invitation of Jesus to follow him. This invitation bids us "come, live, die" and it invites us this movement towards himself to also come and live and die in the context of "we"--the Body of Christ.
In masterful analysis and powerful prose, my colleague Paul Ford invites us to become enthusiastic followers of Jesus' way--to move from our self-centered and culturally individualistic perspective on life to Body Life relationships. It is the movement from "I to We" he describes so passionately.
May you read it and be draswn into the movement of Body Life "we." Steve Hoke
Posted by
Dr Steve Hoke
on
12/20/2012 3:49:06 PM
Time to Be Honest
I to We dives into the deep end of understanding the struggles of our church, providing the framework for quality shared leadership process. Dr. Ford's prophetic voice to the Church is both one of exhortation and challenge. The intensity of this book is magnified when we are moved to action, attempting to learn how to truly live out community and fulfill our role in the Body of Christ. Thanks for this call to "We," Paul.
Posted by
John Blake
on
12/20/2012 1:19:39 PM