A Leadership Network Publication

With this much-needed handbook, the authors brilliantly combine their experience guiding dozens of churches through the change process with both the study of Christian disciplines and the sophisticated understanding of such important business thinkers as John Kotter on leading change and Peter Senge on learning organizations. In this eminently readable book the authors have distilled their insights and practices into simple but powerful concepts for leading congregations, whether long established or recently formed, through profound change.

Leaders using this guide will also be interested in the companion Leading Congregational Change Workbook, which offers assessment questions, planning worksheets, activities, and case examples for each stage of the process.

Find Out How to Lead Effectively-- Even When You're Not in Charge

"Somebody said the hardest instrument to play is second fiddle. But since Jesus had one or two things to say about serving and submitting, this is a rich field. Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson have addressed a key need with wisdom and clarity."
-- John Ortberg, author, If You Want to Walk on Water, Get Out of the Boat; teaching pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

"The mission of an organization either hangs together or falls apart at the critical interface between first and second chairs. This helpful volume from seasoned practitioners identifies and addresses the character, competencies, and chemistry that make for effective second chair leadership. It's a book for you, no matter which seat you're in."
-- Reggie McNeal, author, The Present Future; director, Leadership Development, South Carolina Baptist Convention

"The Bible is full of strategic leadership partnerships: Moses and Aaron, Mordecai and Esther, Paul and Silas, and even the Trinity. Each one demonstrates individual gifts being cojoined for maximum ministry effect. Leading from the Second Chair articulates and celebrates the necessity of God's strategic partnerships."
-- Mike Slaughter and Kim Miller, lead pastor and creative director, Ginghamsburg Church

"If you are a second chair leader, are considering a second chair role, or work with a second chair leader, this book is a must-read! Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson have done a superb job of defining the living paradoxes a second chair leader deals with day in and day out. Don't consider a second chair role without reading this book first."
-- Warren Schuh, executive pastor, Calvary Community Church

"Leading from the Second Chair targets the misunderstood and often unrecognized paradoxes of empowered second chair influence. Leaders in the twenty-first century church can avoid tragic pitfalls while leveraging the powerful contribution of second chair leaders by understanding and engaging the experience-forged insights in this important book."
-- Jared Roth, vice president, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel