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When Leadership and Spiritual Direction Meet: Stories and Reflections for Congregational Life
Modern church leaders need to cultivate innovative and creative leadership skills, as they navigate today’s post-Christian world, and as their congregations look to them for insight and guidance. Gil Stafford takes a fresh look at this vital need, drawing upon his experience as a college coach, university president, and parish priest, and interweaving them with ancient spiritual practices found within the discipline of spiritual direction. Personal anecdotes help the reader envision their own life-transforming pilgrimage, as they develop into the type of adaptive leader that churches need in today’s rapidly changing world.
This book challenges church leaders to foster sacred safe space, holy listening, silence, and wisdom storytelling, in order to create a discerning church community. These techniques of spiritual direction can be applied to every aspect of the church, from small group studies to conducting parish business. Gradually the leader will be able to delegate some of his responsibilities to the congregation, liberating them to be leaders, and rescuing him from trying to be all things to all people.
This book challenges church leaders to foster sacred safe space, holy listening, silence, and wisdom storytelling, in order to create a discerning church community. These techniques of spiritual direction can be applied to every aspect of the church, from small group studies to conducting parish business. Gradually the leader will be able to delegate some of his responsibilities to the congregation, liberating them to be leaders, and rescuing him from trying to be all things to all people.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 14, 2023
This is not necessarily a “run out and read me now” (my 5 star reviews) but could be a really useful tool to parish / church leaders to consider how we lead and how we might adjust our leadership.
This book was recommended by a friend who pointed me to one particular section of the book. I started reading at the beginning, intending to skim through to the part that I was looking for, and was drawn into the stories and reflections, so kept reading. While I didn’t read every word, there are major pieces of this book that were good for me, as a leader, to read and reflect on. While I’m not a spiritual director, I am often a leader, and engaging “spiritual director” qualities might be a tool that I should use more often. I’m not sure that they were absent before, but I wonder about ways that I could engage those skills more thoughtfully in order to help members of congregations / organizations to engage more deeply in the work.
There were a few sections that weren’t as necessary for me to read closely, but I’m glad that I skimmed to the end because there I found a little gem: Integration Mapping.
I definitely want to engage this tool in upcoming discernment. The play aspect of it (using colors) can invite a different approach to discernment. This process could be very helpful for sorting out the different influences and considerations when making a decision.
If you’re a church leader looking to reflect on your leadership, I recommend adding this to the pile soon. If you’re in a parish that isn’t “fitting” right, perhaps this book can give you some more tools. If you’re a spiritual director and working in a parish, this can help you integrate the two more.
This book was recommended by a friend who pointed me to one particular section of the book. I started reading at the beginning, intending to skim through to the part that I was looking for, and was drawn into the stories and reflections, so kept reading. While I didn’t read every word, there are major pieces of this book that were good for me, as a leader, to read and reflect on. While I’m not a spiritual director, I am often a leader, and engaging “spiritual director” qualities might be a tool that I should use more often. I’m not sure that they were absent before, but I wonder about ways that I could engage those skills more thoughtfully in order to help members of congregations / organizations to engage more deeply in the work.
There were a few sections that weren’t as necessary for me to read closely, but I’m glad that I skimmed to the end because there I found a little gem: Integration Mapping.
I definitely want to engage this tool in upcoming discernment. The play aspect of it (using colors) can invite a different approach to discernment. This process could be very helpful for sorting out the different influences and considerations when making a decision.
If you’re a church leader looking to reflect on your leadership, I recommend adding this to the pile soon. If you’re in a parish that isn’t “fitting” right, perhaps this book can give you some more tools. If you’re a spiritual director and working in a parish, this can help you integrate the two more.
March 20, 2017
Excellent book by our priest--lots of autobiographical stories and good advice about spiritual growth and leadership!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews