I have been writing a lot lately about business matters on a rather practical side, but now I want to share a little about the philosophical side. I encourage all church leaders to read about business and leadership and not always from “Christian only” perspectives. The secular world is filled with excellent authors, scholars and leaders and we should be willing to learn. I have enjoyed several works by Patrick Lencioni on Leadership. Lyncioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” gives a lot of food for thought specifically in areas of trust and accountability. I also enjoy reading about giving and fundraising, one of my favorites is “Not Your Parent’s Offering Plate” by J. Clif Christopher. He gives great insight into how stewardship has changed throughout the years and gives great insight into questions we need to ask, but perhaps are afraid to. Another great read is Peter Drucker’s “Managing the Nonprofit Organization.” Drucker is one of our nation’s leading thinkers on management and his writing is both challenging and practical. Keep reading and if you care to share with me your favorites, I would be blessed.
These thoughts above are from John Daniels, our partner based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. His primary focus is working alongside churches in administrative challenges and opportunities.