Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: The Leaders' Guide [Hardcover]

Kennon L. Callahan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1983

"(An) excellent book for churches that are contemplating renewal...(Callahan) understands the need for objective, mesaurable, and workable methods".---The Presbyterian Survey

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The church has had to wait too long for this indispensable material. Dr. Callahan's careful attention to detail and practical church programming is balanced by a depth of theological understanding and an earnest desire to help the church move from maintenance to mission. This book will give direction to the church for many years to come." --George Morris, Institute for World Evangelism

"[An] excellent book for churches that are contemplating renewal.... [Callahan] understands the need for objective, measurable, and workable methods." --The Presbyterian Survey

"Callahan has produced a book...which should, for many years, be an effective guide for local congregations.... The book is realistic and does not place upon a congregation impossible demands, but holds to realistic hopes.... This book is useful for pastors and employed staff. It can be used by the various organizations within the church.... Each organization would do well to read [it]." --Perkins Journal

"This very readable book offers a step-by-step, how-to approach to its subject.... Clear, concise,...[it] must certainly be judged a valuable contribution to the task of congregational long-range planning." --The Christian Century --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Identifies the twelve essential characteristics of successful, growing churches, and shows how any congregation and its leaders can develop productive long-range planning to enhance church life and mission.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 126 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row; 1st edition (October 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060612975
• ISBN-13: 978-0060612979
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,879,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kennon L. Callahan, B.A., M.Div., S.T.M., Ph.D. : researcher, professor, and pastor : is one of today's most sought-after church consultants and speakers. Author of many books, he is best known for his groundbreaking Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, which has formed the basis for the widely acclaimed Mission Growth Movement.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great foundation for THE MISSIONAL CHURCH, May 22, 2002

By 

Andrew Edwin Jenkins (Birmingham, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: Strategic Planning for Mission (The Kennon Callahan Resources Library for Effective Churches) (Hardcover)

I'm impressed by this work, because it is so far ahead of its time. Published in 1983, Callahan's work, in my mind, bucks the notion that "newer is always better." Indeed, as you read this book you will be familiar with it already-- because so much of what you read about today must have, in some way, found its roots in Callahan's ideas (i.e. many have read "Purpose Driven Church," by Rick Warren, which is also an informative read, but have no idea that many of the concepts put forth by Warren seem to originate here).

Callahan's book is straight-forward-- and is applicable in any church, in any size, in any location, and in any setting. He doesn't presume that you need a certain worship style-- his writing is not so shallow as that. Or, that you need a contemporary building (or a traditional one). No, he goes beyond the "surface" issues that we so often get stuck in and looks at the church in light of its MISSION.

That would be a central idea to Callahan in this-- and in all of his writings, as a matter of fact-- THE MISSIONAL CHURCH. In this work, he describes how the mission is central, and how various aspects of the church (he deals with facilities, visibility, mission and vision, finances, relationship, leadership, etc.) fit together to fuel the mission (rather than detract from it, or run as separate, disjuncted aspects of the organism).

A great read. You will benefit from the two introductions (on planning and hope, and mission and success) and chapter 1 ("Specific, Concrete Missional Objectives") alone. Those twenty pages are worth the price of the book, which is good... again... not because it is trendy, but because so many trendy works have stood on the shoulders of this groundbreaking work.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide for evaluation and planning ministry, May 11, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: Strategic Planning for Mission (The Kennon Callahan Resources Library for Effective Churches) (Hardcover)

I have used this book in a long range planning program in one church with excellent results. I am now using it in a second church and believe it will give us significant information and guidance.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for guidance in evaluating present ministry and planning for a more effective outreach.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The introductions alone are worth the price of the book, April 12, 2005

By 

Chris Meirose "Big Chris" (Waseca, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: Strategic Planning for Mission (The Kennon Callahan Resources Library for Effective Churches) (Hardcover)

I read this book as part of a class in Seminary (Bethel Theological Seminary, Arden Hills, MN). As the title says, the book pays for itself by the end of the two part introduction. The intros include a great set of information/ideas/practices that many pastors have thought about at various times, but have never condensed into one place so simply and clearly. This book is a tool box for those in ministry. I would put it on my "must have" list of books that I will keep handy in the years to come.

The only (small) criticism I might offer on the book is that a few of the practices are in need of review in light of the modern church setting. The one that comes to mind is the suggestion that the preaching pastor spend 1 hour counseling for every minute they spend preaching Sunday morning. Most sermons exceed 20 minutes in my experience, and in some traditions exceeding 45 minutes is acceptable. Nobody in a senior pastorate can spend 45 hours counseling and still have time to write a sermon worth preaching, plus guide and lead the church. This is a very isolated case in this book, and I have no hesitation in reccomending it to other students and pastors I know who are not fortunate enough to be in the class I am in.