Leading Beyond the Walls: Developing Congregations With a Heart for the Unchurched (Hardcover)

by Adam Hamilton (Author), Lyle E. Schaller (Foreword) "The purpose of this book is to encourage effective leadership in the local church, which in turn will develop dynamic congregations..." (more)
Key Phrases: nominally religious people, annual stewardship campaign, membership expectations, Church of the Resurrection, Holy Spirit, United Methodist (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Good pastoral leadership is not a "by the numbers" proposition. It is a matter of heart and soul, of devoting the whole self to the vision God gives for the congregation in which one serves. Yet neither is it purely intuitive; it requires hard, careful thinking about the directions and details of the path down which God calls.

When Adam Hamilton became pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, its membership consisted of himself and his family. Ten years later the church averages between five and six thousand worshipers per weekend. Throughout this remarkable period, Hamilton has learned many serious lessons about both the broad visions and the specific details of pastoral leadership. Bringing a depth of analytical skills often lacking in visionary leaders, in this book he goes beyond simply telling the story of Church of the Resurrection. He shares the questions that he learned to ask about the largely unchurched population to which Church of the Resurrection has reached out. Further, he demonstrates what he learned by listening to the answers to these questions, and how doing so has made possible a number of strategically crucial decisions the church has made.

One of those crucial decisions was to make more traditional forms of worship and praise the center of the congregation's life. The result is that the example of Church of the Resurrection offers pastors and church leaders (especially those in the mainline) the realization that they need not completely change their liturgical and theological identity in order to reach out to the unchurched. Drawing on his own experience, as well as the detailed research he undertook during a sabbatical leave on the characteristics of highly successful congregations, Hamilton offers pastors and other church leaders solid, substantive thinking on steps that congregations can take to become centers of vibrant outreach and mission.

About the Author
Adam Hamilton is pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. A new congregation in 1990, it currently averages between 5,000 and 6,000 in worship every weekend. Religion and Ethics News Weekly named Rev. Hamilton one of the "10 individuals on the spiritual landscape to watch."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687064155
• ISBN-13: 978-0687064151
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a new standard for the mainline, May 22, 2007

By	J. Johnson "Allman Brothers obsessive" (Manassas, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Adam Hamilton refuses to believe that mainline churches are irrelevant. He challenges us to engage our culture with all of our heart, soul and especially our minds.

He says that every church must answer three questions if it wants to reach people for Jesus
1. Why do people need God?
2. Why do people need the church?
3. Why do people need THIS church?

He then goes on to share observations on leadership from his persective as a mainline pastor who started a church with four people meeting in a funeral home and now has 7000 in worship. His observations are helpful for churches of every size. He doesn't tell the reader to replicate Church of the Resurrection's ministry, but to look at what they are doing and see if you get any good ideas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leading the Church, May 16, 2007

By	Steve P. Sanders (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had the pleasure of attending the Church of the Resurrection (COR) while living in Kansas City. Reverend Hamilton is an amazing pastor and has done incredible work through his congregation. I was "nominally" religious before attending and deeply religious afterwards. His book describes the fundamentals of what has made him and COR so successful in developing a passion for Christ and his teachings -- Steve

3.0 out of 5 stars Nuts and Bolts Ideas for Ministry, June 11, 2008

By	mibi52 (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

A lot of solid ideas for building and growing a church community. I'm not sure about all of them, but there are a number of ideas that would work for me as a pastor.