Transforming Church: Bringing Out the Good to Get to Great (Hardcover)

~ Kevin G. Ford (Author), Billy Graham (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Thriving in a changing world demands ongoing renewal and adaptive work. Kevin Ford provides an outstanding resource, rooted in groundbreaking research, to the church community and beyond. This book is deeply insightful, comprehensive, and inspiringly practical. I highly commend it to anyone with the courage to lead adaptive change."--Ron Heifetz, Founding Director, Harvard University's Center for Public Leadership

“Important and insightful...Ford delves into the deeper issues pastors and congregations must face. He promises no easy answers or quick fixes, but he does set forth a blueprint for church renewal that cannot help but transform our churches – and our lives. This book is ‘must reading’ for every pastor and church leader, and I pray for its widest circulation.”--Billy Graham

“A pill, a computer keystroke, a twelve-second sound bite. We moderns are addicted to mini-morsels and quick fixes and we wonder why our evangelical imprint on the culture blurs. Here, now, at last, a perceptive voice speaks on the pages of Kevin Ford’s Transforming Church. Having read scores of books claiming to have the ultimate answer to our contemporary confusion, this thoughtful discussion is a breath of fresh air. Intense, realistic research, welded with incisive interpretation and application of the Scriptures, highlights our root problem: emphasizing church breadth instead of church health. Read and reflect on the probing questions of this book. When consistently applied with dependence on the Holy Spirit, watch for transformation in a church. One size does not fit all—every community demands unique leadership seeking the vitality of each member in the pursuit of God’s divine pattern. This book is outstanding – one of the best I’ve read in years. A real winner!”--Howard G. Hendricks, Distinguished Professor, Center for Christian Leadership, Dallas Theological Seminary

“By nature, humans resist change. I’ve seen this for years in the prison system and in churches. Yet the greatest challenge for a leader, particularly in Christian service, is to move people out of their comfort zone. Look at the life of Moses. The people of God resisted and rebelled and complained. But the leader had to look beyond the immediate circumstance and see the vision of God, and lead people to it. That’s what is desperately needed today in the church. And Kevin Ford has given us a biblically grounded, well-researched, culturally incisive book to this end. It will help professional and volunteer church leaders exercise leadership as our churches are transformed, and in turn our communities are transformed; an important resource as the church navigates through challenging and often hostile waters.”--Charles W. Colson, Founder and Chairman, Prison Fellowship

Product Description

Using the story of five churches wrestling with change and searching for genuine growth in their ministry, The Transforming Church identifies the five dysfunctions of an unhealthy church and the five characteristics of a growing, healthy congregation. Hopeful and encouraging in tone, Kevin Ford will help churches identity and resolve common frustrations churches face and become a healthy church that is relevant and life-giving to society. Includes a free Transforming Church Snapshot assessment (via Website)--a $40 value. Foreword by Billy Graham. Endorsements from Howard Hendricks, Charles Colson, and Tony Campolo.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: SaltRiver (May 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414308930
• ISBN-13: 978-1414308937
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,149 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming!, November 19, 2007

By	Scott Hackler (Gurnee, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book! I wouldn't hesitate to encourage anyone who loves Christ and the church to thoroughly work through it. When I read Transforming Church, many of the events and circumstances of my more than twenty years of ministry began to make sense. Based on solid research and practice, Kevin Ford addresses the struggles churches and church leaders face in our culture. The stories of real congregations strained by personalized conflict, conflicting values and resistance to change made this not only accessible for me, but for the more than 30 staff and lay leaders in my church that have read it. That Kevin doesn't offer quick fixes and fast answers gave me confidence that this is the real deal. Like many church leaders I have been seduced by "successful" church models. Instead of throwing models at you, Transforming Church offers a systemic view of health and encouragement to do the work of transformation.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and Practical, June 14, 2007

By	Bob Roberts, Jr. "glocalnet" (Everywhere) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book I'm really excited about! I'm always asked by people at established churches how they can bring health and transformation to their churches. This is the first book I'll recommend. This book is also good for church planters because it's describing what the church should look like. It provides a way to gage your church as well as ways to develop your church. Way to go Kevin - this is a home run. Bob Roberts, Author of Transformation & Glocalization.Transformation: How Glocal Churches Transform Lives and the World

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, April 5, 2008

By	R. SMITH (West Springfield, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the best book that I have read on the subject of leading a church through transformation. Ford's insights and practical applications are fresh and relevent. I would highly recommend it to any pastor or lay leader.