Multiplying Missional Leaders

by Mike Breen

As set forth in the introduction, this book serves as part two to Breen's earlier book, "Building a Discipling Culture."

Genres: Leadership, Discipleship

189 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Rachel Ciampoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives a broad amount of information about how to invest in leaders and does have a good amount of useful information. Reading it made me think back to management meetings at the office where we were talking through how to build up and invest in younger potential leaders. I think the church can benefit from strategic thinking like this and it is useful.

On the other hand, I am trying to decide if I think this is the best way to think through leading within a church, which should be very different from the business sector in values and strategy. He commonly draws out issues with the western church which have become too secularised, and in some ways you can see he tries to correct that. But in many other ways, I think he himself is being too secularly oriented in his approach. When he speaks about the type of person to recruit for instance, he uses Jesus' calling of the 12 disciples to argue we should be building into only the type of people who can potentially lead 50+ people. I don't see anywhere that Jesus called the 12 particularly because of their character and competency -- rather Jesus made it clear that if you serve even the 'least of these' you are on the right track. I do agree that we need to be strategic in building into people, but I also think more importantly we need to obey God's word and trust that he himself is building the church.

I agree with the premise that this book is built upon--that we are called to build into people and resource people rather than programs or plans. I think that in my future ministry, I will probably take some help from this book, and some from my own secular management experience and I too will probably conflate them in some strange ways, but probably in some different ways to Breen.

Overall I thought this was a good book with plenty of useful tidbits and some that I won't probably be taking on board.

[Vito LoCascio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid second book continuing the “building a discipleship culture” story. This booking provides stories, tools and training to develop leaders, create a pipeline to recruit, train and multiply missional leaders. I particularly appreciated the chapter on creating a common vocabulary based around (vision, vehicles, values and valuation). The use and augmentation of the “shapes” (from 1st book) provide tangible tools to remember and share biblical principles. Solid book, I recommend to people interested in leading missional movements and developing leaders.

[Beverly R Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multiplying Missional Leaders has been a book that reinforced my beliefs particularly about the 5 fold ministry and the importance of equipping the saints. In this book Mike Breen notes that we must embrace and understand the 5 fold. As a prophet, it brought clarity to me because of the simple way it uses triangles to explain each 5 fold leader relationships with with the Father, the church and world.

[Phil Whittall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past few years I've read an increasing number of books from the 'missional' tribe of the church. The latest is Multiplying Missional Leaders by Mike Breen.

The raising up of leaders is a constant issue for most church leaders that I've ever met (myself included) and so most are always willing to read and engage with new ideas on how to do that. There's the usual dissatisfaction with the rate of progress and development of the current crop.

But no need to fear, Mike Breen to the rescue. All you need to do is develop your leadership pipeline, know the difference between your training triangle, learning circle and your leadership square so that you can build your rotary leadership engine. Then you get your L50 leaders and huddle them and get them to find their oikos and to know their up and their ins from their outs.

Actually that's my biggest issue with this book, it is absolutely chock full of jargon that I just found silly and plays to the management consultant lurking inside each church leader. Although I guess he could argue that he has at least made his illustrations memorable.

On the upside the book is also full of wisdom, tested by experience and grounded in authentic missional church life. Some of the points are ones developed elsewhere - so there's not lots of difference here between Bill Hybels calling for character, competence and chemistry in a leadership team and Breen looking for character, capacity, chemistry & calling even though their models of church are completely different.

Breen is helpful in articulating the leadership process of train, deploy and review, reminding us that it takes time, reminding us that prospective leaders need to see their leaders do the stuff too and that releasing leadership into what God is calling them is an incredibly powerful kingdom weapon. As opposed to releasing them to help you do what God has called you to do.

I'm unconvinced by his articulation of the fivefold ministries and in places it was a bit theologically lite (or at least making much bolder statements than the evidence supports) but I found it time and time again a stimulating and provocative read. One that in many places I found convicting and practical. It is a book that helped me think, 'we could do that.'

It's a book, that despite the fact that it creaks under the weight of its jargon, I would definitely recommend to any church team that wants to think through their leadership training process. This will provoke helpful discussion and I think will lead to a more effective outcome and that is a mark of a good book.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multiplying Missional Leaders
by Mike Breen

Initial Question:
Does Breen provide guidance that leans more toward disciples who fully intent to listen to and live like Jesus or does Breen use "discipleship" to try to preserve some form of western culture "church?"

---

Answer:
It's foggy for me and I'm a fence rider with Breen. I love his contagious language and would enjoy more dialog with others on this and other Breen books, but there's still something about the last pages… a hook seems to be there to attract an American (or western) pastor conscience, a conscience that will chase any allure that flashes some promise of numerical or legacy-engendering success.

At the heart, I believe Breen and his material are excellent guides to begin a practice of intentional life as disciples who make disciples. Again: excellent.

I would like to go back and read elements about discipleship and mission (I don't remember if or what Breen said). Sometimes I felt (in hindsight) that Breen pitched discipleship as a big missional adventure - and that was exciting to hear. However, I don't want our hearts to see discipleship as something we do "out there" on the "mission front" but right in the middle of our ordinary life rhythms as we listen to the words of Jesus and carry them out within out Christian communities.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and well worded expansion of Breen's recent 3DM learning community teachings, with an obvious and necessary focus on developing leaders of mission. The book is quite readable and well organized. More importantly, it is compelling in its immediate applicability to leaders - disciples making disciples. Here Breen provides useable information and shares personal experiences with imitatable wisdom. It is our challenge and Spirit led responsibility to innovate what we have been taught so that we show forth Jesus Christ to a world that so needs the breath of God.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring, helpful and thought provoking. I had to keep putting it down to go share what I'd read or begin thinking how this applied to my context.

[Albert Hong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great chapter on equating "going deep" in Scripture with getting a spiritual "hit" from new information. All in all, good thoughts but 3DM is better at modeling than writing.

[Joshua Toepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every pastor or church leader I know should read this book.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful, clear. Good followup to Building a Discipleship Culture.

[Tommy Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously one of the best pragmatic books I've ever read.