Outreach Resource of the Year Something is not right. The witness of the church in North America is eroding. Many Christians are alarmed by the decline in church attendance and seek a culprit. Too often, we point the finger away from the church, make culture the enemy, and build walls between us and others. But our antagonism and enemy-making are toxins that further eat away at our witness. Is there a better way? Tara Beth Leach could easily be one of those millennials giving up on the church. Instead, she is a pastor who loves the church and is paradoxically hopeful for its future. In an era where the church has lost much of its credibility, Leach casts a radiant vision for Christians to rediscover a robust, attractive witness. We need to name the toxic soil we've grown in, repent for past wrongs, and lean into a better way to become the church that Jesus proclaimed we would be. Leach casts down idolatrous false images of God to recover a winsome picture of a kingdom of abundance and goodness. We can be sustained by practices that will tune our hearts to God's and form us into the radiant communities God intends for us and those around us.

Throughout Scripture and church history, women have been central to the mission of God. But all too often women have lacked opportunities to minister fully. Many churches lack visible examples of women in ministry and leadership. Pastor Tara Beth Leach issues a stirring call for a new generation of women in ministry: to teach, to preach, to shepherd, and to lead. God not only permits women to minister-he emboldens, empowers, and unleashes women to lead out of the fullness of who they are. The church cannot reach its full potential without women using their God-given gifts. Leach provides practical expertise for how women can find their place at the table, escape impostor syndrome, face opposition, mentor others, and much more. When women teach, preach, lead, evangelize, pastor, and disciple, and when men partner to embolden the women in their lives, the church's imagination expands to better reflect God's story and hope for the world.

Much of what men and women both think about women, gender differences, and cultural norms is remarkably under-processed. Without the benefit of intentional conversation about the barriers women face, most women are left to enter the world of leadership with inadequate awareness and resources. The acknowledgement of a woman's right to leadership is only the first step. We have not yet addressed the very common barriers women face when they enter the leadership arena, nor have we explored practical solutions to help them navigate those barriers so they can lead effectively. Women need to know that unrealistic optimism is a recipe for failure. Simply by acknowledging constraints to success, then exploring strategies to enhance leadership skills, we can help women take greater authority over their call to live out of a God-given identity and giftedness. When Women Lead is for men and women who advocate for female leadership within the Church. When women are educated about the challenges they face and are given resources to navigate beyond those challenges, their opportunity for success in ministry increases dramatically. The purpose of this book is to describe those challenges, explore practical solutions, and equip women to lead successfully and hopefully. While it is an excellent resource for women ready to enter leadership with more confidence and authority, it's also perfect for denominational leaders charged with raising up women called to leadership roles, for lay leaders who want to better understand the dynamics at work when the pastor is a woman, and for husbands, parents, and friends who desperately want to support women in their life who are living out what God has given them to do. What if the Kingdom of God is straining toward the day when all God's people are deployed in the work of the Great Commission? Women are already leading powerful movements around the world. The evangelistic explosion being documented in many closed countries is largely due to the leadership of women. Missionaries tell of the critical role of women in introducing the gospel to new groups. This book can help to equip a new generation of women to rise up with tools in hand to welcome and advance God's Kingdom on earth.