Chalice Press has released a Leaders Guide for the groundbreaking book Leadership That Fits Your Church: What Kind of Pastor for What Kind of Church by Cynthia Woolever and the late Deborah Bruce.
“It will be available as a free download soon,” says Woolever, at www.USCongregations.org
The Leaders Guide, written by J. Brent Bill, is designed to help congregations unpack and utilize the wealth of information in the Woolever-Bruce book, the fourth in a series growing out of the exhaustive “U.S. Congregations” research conducted by the two over the last 10 years.
Bruce died suddenly in early July, shortly after the manuscript for Leadership That Fits Your Church was completed.
“All of us involved in congregational life, whether as lay leaders or clergy, know that even a strong pastorate is not enough if it is not coupled with strong lay leadership,” notes Bill in the final chapter of the Leaders Guide. “Congregational vitality depends on its ability to foster strong lay and pastoral leadership that match the church’s culture, mission and ministry.”
Bill says the guide can help congregations gain new insights into pastor-congregation dynamics, understand where “some tweaks” might be needed to improve or fix issues in this crucial relationship, and help church members and their pastors care for each other in fresh ways.
Though the Leaders Guide is organized into six 90-minute sessions, it is flexible enough to be used in a variety of ways and settings.
For more information, contact the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Research Services office by phone at 800-728-7228 ext. 2040 or by email at uscongregations@pcusa.org.