Killing Cockroaches and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Kindle Edition
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership
 
 
Start reading Killing Cockroaches on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership [Paperback]

Tony Morgan (Author), Andy Stanley (Foreword)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)

List Price: $16.99
Price: $11.43 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.56 (33%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it delivered Friday, June 1? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $9.99  
Paperback $11.43  

Book Description

March 1, 2009
Pastor and popular church culture blogger Tony Morgan once worked as a city manager, a CEO-type job with the suit and tie, corner office, the works. Despite his top-rank status, Tony’s list of responsibilities still included killing cockroaches whenever a freaked out co-worker spotted one in the building. That’s where this unconventional, unforgettable book on church leadership begins.

Morgan’s point is that great leaders don’t have to do everything. The key is to play from your strengths while building a team that manages around your weaknesses.

Written in a relaxed style similar to marketing guru Seth Godin, Killing Cockroaches’ 142 offbeat, on-target entries will delight and energize church leaders. Chapter titles include “10 Easy Ways to Make Your Church Services More Boring” (creative services), “Action Speaks Louder than Advertising” (meeting people’s physical needs), and “The Power of Simple” (eliminating noise).

Check Out Related Media



Frequently Bought Together

Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership + Simply Strategic Volunteers:: Empowering People for Ministry + Simply Strategic Stuff:: Help for Leaders Drowning in the Details of Running a Church
Price For All Three: $38.33

Show availability and shipping details

Buy the selected items together
  • In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Simply Strategic Volunteers:: Empowering People for Ministry $13.45

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Simply Strategic Stuff:: Help for Leaders Drowning in the Details of Running a Church $13.45

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details



Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tony Morgan is a pastor and the chief strategic officer at NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina. Also a popular church culture blogger, he has written about staffing, technology, strategic planning, and leadership for Outreach and Rev magazines and Pastors.com and PurposeDriven.com. Tony and his wife, Emily, have four children.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: B&H Books (March 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805447857
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805447859
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #555,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tony is the Chief Strategic Officer and founder of TonyMorganLive.com. He's a consultant, leadership coach and writer who helps churches get unstuck and have a bigger impact. More important, he has a passion for people. He's all about helping people meet Jesus and take steps in their faith.

For 14 years, Tony served on the senior leadership teams at West Ridge Church (Dallas, GA), NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC) and Granger Community Church (Granger, IN). With Tim Stevens, Tony has co-authored Simply Strategic Stuff, Simply Strategic Volunteers and Simply Strategic Growth - each of which offers valuable, practical solutions for different aspects of church ministry. His book, Killing Cockroaches (B&H Publishing) challenges leaders to focus on the priorities in life and ministry. His most recent books on leadership and ministry strategy are available on Kindle.

Tony has also written several articles on staffing, technology, strategic planning and leadership published by organizations like Outreach Magazine, Catalyst and Pastors.com. Tony and his wife, Emily, live near Atlanta, Georgia with their four children -- Kayla, Jacob, Abby and Brooke.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Tony Morgan's latest book, Killing Cockroaches, is something of a unique book in terms of readability. It offers a format that can be both a strength and a weakness. If you are an avid reader of blogs, or are yourself a blogger, you will find the format familiar and welcoming. If, however, you want long, drawn-out chapters with wordy exposition and endless (read: redundant) supportive detail, this book may not be for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Killing Cockroaches, and quickly consumed the book in two sittings. Digesting the content, however, will likely take much more time. One of the best things about the book is that it does not need to be read in a linear fashion. You can pick up the book, flip to any page and begin reading any one of the numerous insightful sections. You might rather decide to scan the table of contents, looking for all the entries relating to a particular topic.

No matter what method you use to read the book, you will find a wealth of information offered in an informal, welcoming style. You get the sense that, if you were to meet Tony in person, he would be as congenial and as helpful as his writing.

For me, one of the best parts about the book was the repitition of key ideas. Tony has taken his more than a decade of ministry experience, mixed it with his wealth of non-ministry related executive experience, and condensed it all down into easy to understand segments full of application and insight.

Here are some of the ideas that resonated with me:

* Delegate: Don't delegate tasks, but rather delegate responsibility.
* Questions: In preaching, teaching, and other communications, make sure we are not just answering questions, but answering the questions being asked by people. The people not only within our church walls, but also those in the greater community in which we live.
* Answers: Don't feel like you have to answer everything. Get to the point in your communication. Less is more. Leave people wanting to come back for more.
* Culture: One of the best ways to connect with our community is to offer an experience they can't get anywhere else. Instead of copying the church down the street, decide who you are going to be and be it with excellence.
* Systems and strategies: Not the equivalent to programs and plans--these tend to be static, unbending, and slow to change. Systems and strategies are created by implementation of vision, and fostered by the driving DNA of the church.

Anyone who has a role in church leadership, from the senior pastor to the weekly volunteer would benefit from reading this book. I would suggest church staffs get together and make discussion of some of the ideas a part of their weekly staff meetings.

For the record, I did my first sitting with Killing Cockroaches with the paperback graciously given to me for review purposes by B&H Books. My second sitting was done with the Kindle version. I would recommend buying either version.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Tough to Rate This Book March 20, 2009
Format:Paperback
I have a hard time giving a rating for this book because it is different than most books. Actually, I'd classify it more as a "reference" book. It is better as a book that you utilize when you need a leadership topic. When you use it like that, it has great stories, illustrations and nuggets. Reading it all the way through is a little tedious and redundant.

So...My 3 stars is an average of two categories. 1 star for "read all the way through." 5 stars for "a great reference resource for leaders."

If you can get this in a format in which you can search (Kindle), the power of the book will come alive.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I love this book. It's easy to read in short bursts with profound, lasting impact. Tony has proven experience with effective leadership inside and outside the ministry environment; and he's found a way to share what he's learned in a practical, humorous and challenging way. This book helps all of us do a better job leading up, down, sideways and (most importantly) in.

As you read each individual entry, you'll find yourself laughing out loud, furrowing your brow, surprised by a revelation and impacted by the weight of the privilege we have ahead of us in the church today.

No matter what your role--volunteer, senior pastor, administrative assistant, ministry leader, artist, board member--this book can make you better. That is, if you have the guts to read it.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Does Killing Cockroaches stir your passion? No? READ THIS!
I enjoyed reading Tony Morgan's questions and stories about leadership. If you are interested in the difference between ministry in theory and ministry in reality, then you want to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Gray-Lion
Book Review: Killing Cockroaches by Tony Morgan
Killing Cockroaches is the product of Tony Morgan's work on the subject of leadership and observations of life. Much of his work has appeared in various forms on his blog [... Read more
Published on May 26, 2010 by C. M. Aiken
Glad to have this in my collection...
I owned "Killing Cockroaches" for about 5 weeks before getting a chance to read it, but it has quickly become my new favorite book. Here are some things I liked...
1. Read more
Published on September 29, 2009 by Andrew Barlow
Great Content, Easy Read
I have really enjoyed this book and find it to be very easy to read. The content is full of ideas and encouragements for leaders of any kind. Read more
Published on May 31, 2009 by Colt Melrose
Just as good as His blog.
This book is a greatest hits of TonyMorgan.com. It's a bunch of copy and pastings from his best blog entries. It won't be for everybody but I have enjoyed it very much.
Published on May 19, 2009 by J. Pinson
Excellent read
There are a numerous reasons why I recommend this book. From the moment that you open the cover and read the table of contents (which are in alphabetical order), to just flipping... Read more
Published on May 11, 2009 by Randi Owens
Innovative and Insightful
I've been reading Tony Morgan's blog for a couple of years now, so I was excited to hear that he was writing a book. Read more
Published on May 4, 2009 by Brian Ayers
Great Leadership Insights
Tony Morgan is already a recognized authority on leadership, especially in the church, and his latest book Killing Cockroaches only strengthens his reputation. Read more
Published on April 29, 2009 by James C. Jones
Stop Killing Cockroaches
Let's face it, our time is our most valuable commodity. Once it's spent, it's spent, never to be reclaimed. Read more
Published on April 29, 2009 by J. Hardwick
Call the exterminator!
I'm an avid reader. I can normally race through a book in just a couple days. This book was different, though. I've consumed other books like a juicy hamburger on the go. Read more
Published on April 9, 2009 by J. F. Bryant
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
killing cockroaches, complexity creep, ministry strategy, lead pastor
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jesus Christ, South Carolina, God's Word, The Buckle, Granger Community Church, United States, Mother's Day, Brand Autopsy, Elisabeth Shue, Great Commission, Creating Passionate Users, American Idol, National Community Church, Holy Spirit, Nameless Lurker Ministry Guy, Los Angeles
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(17)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject