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Approaches to Church Development. An analysis, comparison, and evaluation of various approaches to church development which includes suggestions for moving beyond the gap between the theoretical and the practical, for reframing ecclesiology a social theory, and for reconceiving theology as ongoing church education.. $10.00
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Becoming Partners in a Major Change Process. Explores the importance of a collaborative church-consultant relationship to the success of any major transformation process and spells out the implications for both partners. $6.00
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Classes of Changes. Describes four classes of changes used by church bodies: tuning and adapting changes which are operational, and reorienting and recreating changes which are strategic. Each class of change contributes to a different level of stress, requires a different management structure, and is of a different degree of difficulty. (Wall chart available, $53.00.) $6.00
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Cultivating a Learning Community. A short essay, originally published in Transformation, shows how Christian discipleship always involves being a learning community, and what that means in this time when the church is being marginalized. Illustrations are provided of congregations that are learning how to become learning communities. $2.50
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Cultivating Missional Communities. This study resource focuses upon Christian "practices": those behaviors by which congregations shape, teach, train, equip -- cultivate -- their identity, vision, and mission as Christian communities. Thus baptism, eucharist, forgiveness, ministry, discernment, and worship are practices through which a people are formed in a distinctive way of life. Questions for reflection and discussion are included. $8.00
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Developing the Missional Church. A collection of three essays reprinted with permission from the Reformed Review which explores features of the missional church, trends within missional congregations, and cultural currents. 1998. $3.00
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Going To The Roots. A short essay, originally published in Transformation, contrasts six presuppositions of the "establishment church paradigm" in which North American Christians were raised to six presuppositions based in scripture and Christian thought that form the "ecclesial paradigm" that is called for in the shift to a missional church. $2.50
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On Crafting a Fundamental Change Strategy. A short essay, originally published in Transformation, explores why the current practice of using only short-range incremental change tactics is failing and why strategic and system-wide changes are essential. Four classes of changes are explored and illustrated. $2.50
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Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (Study Guide). A Study guide created in partnership between the Center for Parish Development and the Synod of the Sun, Presbyterian Church (USA). $3.00
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Mission Programs or Missional Church? A short essay, originally published in Transformation, explores the contrast between congregations engaged in well-intended missional programs and the characteristics of missional congregations discerning and participating in God's redemptive mission in the world. $2.50
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Reading the Signs of the Times. A short essay, originally published in Transformation, shows how church bodies become trapped in the methods and ways of thinking that brought them success in an earlier era. Failure to break out of the "success trap" in the face of the destabilizing forces impacting the churches today will undermine the church's ministry. $2.50
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A Sequence for Managing Church Organizational Change. Helps change leaders consider both the content stream and the process stream in a major change process. Provides specific instructions for managing three process streams: the political stream, the communications/motivation stream, and the transformation management stream. $7.00
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A Strategic Church Transformation Process. Describes a tested 5-phase learning and development process through which Center consultants lead church bodies in order to help them make the often painful and always complex shift from the former establishment church paradigm to a new (and very old) ecclesial paradigm. (Wall chart avilable, $70.00) $10.00
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Strategic Planning and Managing for Church Organizations. A compilation of Center Letters sharing the results of the Center's research in applying strategic planning and strategic managing principles and practices within church systems. Helps church planners understand how church strategic planning must always be a theological process as well as an organizational leadership process. $6.00
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Strategic Questions for the Church Today. A compilation of Center Letters providing answers to such strategic questions as What Time Is It? How Shall We Measure Success? How Shall We Discern God's Call Today? What Visions Shall Guide the Church into the Future? How Shall We Define Our Mission? $6.00
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A Systems Model of the Church in Ministry and Mission. This theologically-grounded model incorporates general systems theory and shows influence relationships and dynamic interdependent factors among seven different sub-systems. $10.00
(A wall chart and interview guide are available to help readers use the model as a diagnostic analysis resource, $80.00.)
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Take Time to be Holy: Cultivating the Missional Church. A short essay, originally published in Transformation, offers examples of congregations taking the time to "read the signs of the times," by envisioning a dynamic and faithful future, seeing theology as the work of the people, cultivating a common mind, and clarifying a missional identity and vision. $2.50
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Theological Dimensions of Church Transformation. Explores how people think about God in today's secular world, what it means to be the church, how to become a purpose-driven and vision-led church, and the church's calling to be a sign, foretaste, and instrument of the reign of God. $10.00
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The Transformation Zone. Identifies factors involved as a church body moves from the Current Zone and into the Transformation Zone in the direction of the Future Zone. Shows how a church can use the Transformation Zone as a yeasty and rich opportunity for formation as God's faithful people. (Wall chart available: $70.00) $7.00
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Transforming the Structural Design System. Provides a theory to guide structural design in church systems, when to design and redesign, indicators of organization design dysfunction as well as a planned sequence of specific steps for church leaders to take when they engage in design or re-structuring processes. $8.00
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What's Going on Out there (and in Here)? A short essay, originally published in Transformation, explores the forces at work in the contemporary context both beyond and within the congregation. Helps people surface, share, and test assumptions and observations about their missional context and consider how to be more faithful in their ministry and witness. $2.50
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What Time Is It? A short essay, originally published in Transformation, explores four eras in the history of the church and shows the continuing impact upon the contemporary situation. If church leaders fail to recognize that times have changed, they will continue to waste their energy and the churches' diminishing resources into failed efforts to put Humpty Dumpty together again. $2.50
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Why Incremental Changes Won't Work. A short essay, originally published in Transformation, provides guidance in building readiness in a church body to make major and profound changes in fundamental presuppositions in order to shift from the old "establishment church" paradigm to a new "missional and ecclesial" paradigm. $2.50
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