Entering Wonderland: A Toolkit for Pastors New to a Church

by Robert A. Harris

The first year or so of a pastor's tenure in a new congregation is precarious; many pastors stay at a new congregation for fewer than five years. This handbook helps coach both experienced and new pastors to enter a new congregation effectively. Drawing from organizational systems leadership material in religious and secular worlds, it offers nearly fifty tips and tools designed to help new pastors analyze their congregation's system and then to lead leaders within the congregation to affect positive change.

Using imagery from Alice in Wonderland to clarify various archetypal roles within the church community, Harris provides concrete suggestions for facilitating communication and dealing with difficult behaviors within the congregation. He provides a coaching approach to ministry, in which the pastor reframes issues and asks provocative questions—a powerful strategy to maximize a new pastor’s chances for success.

Readers will find tools to help them uncover critical information about their new congregation

Genres: Church

234 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these guides/reflection questions feel quite useful (others fairly obvious). His sense of boundaries/boundary awareness feels outdated or just generally not well-developed here.

[Renee Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book with concrete suggestions for navigating life as the new pastor in a congregation. I have taken much of its advice and it works! Highly recommended.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very helpful for pastors at any point in their career and, I would argue, at any point in a pastorate. It's not very exclusive to the first year of a call, though it is surely helpful then. I think the ideas and exercises could be used at various times. There is not very much at all about Alice in Wonderland! He mentions it maybe 3-5 times. So if you're considering it because of that alone, don't bother. :) But if you're a pastor or any church leader, go for it.
I didn't read the last 20 pages because it was on ILL.

[Lee Reddyhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book for anyone entering a new church situation.
Helps you to find the history and joys of the church.
Good practical advice