Creating a Purposeful Life, by Richard Fox and Heather Brown. Infinite Ideas, 2012, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-90682197-5. £12.99. Reviewed by Elizabeth Welch Richard Fox’s book, Creating a Purposeful Life, is a helpful compilation of thoughts, quotes and input from research amongst over 120 contributors, focusing on well-being through looking at issues of time, identity and…

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In Pursuit of Great AND Godly Leadership: Tapping the Wisdom of the World for the Kingdom of God, by Mike Bonem. Jossey-Bass, 2012, 268pp, ISBN 978-0-470-94742-5. £16.99 Purchase here Reviewed by Roger Matthews Over the years that I have been teaching leadership concepts and skills to clergy and church leaders, one the most frequent questions…

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Loving Volunteers: Loving those you lead – and inspiring others to do the same, by Richard Steel. Grove Leadership Series No. 3. Grove Books, 2011, 28 pages, ISBN 978-1-85174-782-5, £3.95. Reviewed by Ed Davis Working with volunteers is a fundamental to leadership in the charitable sector, and the source of many benefits and challenges. Yet…

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Building up the Body, by Richard Steel. BRF, 2013, 174pp, ISBN 978-0- 85746-175-9, £7.99. Purchase here Reviewed by Mike Butterworth The Introduction briefly and usefully alerts readers to the different spheres in which volunteers operate, their varied motivations and the need to treat them well. Why people volunteer: and what it offers them in return….

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Embracing Chaos: Leadership Insights from Complexity Theory, by Tim Harle. Grove Leadership Series No. 4. Grove Books, 2011, 28 pages, ISBN 978-1-85174-791-7, £3.95. Purchase here Reviewed by Justin Lewis-Anthony First thoughts: Isn’t Tim Harle’s booklet otiose? Why should church leaders be encouraged to embrace chaos? Isn’t that the default pattern? Second thoughts: of course, Harle…

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Remixing the Church: Towards an Emerging Ecclesiology, by Doug Gay. SCM Press, 2011, 133pp, ISBN 978-0-334-04396-6, £19.99. Purchase here Reviewed by Elizabeth Welch Doug Gay writes, from a perspective that is both critical and affirmative, of the ‘emerging church’ movement, offering what he sees as an epilogue (or is it an epitaph?) to a movement…

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Consultancy Skills for Mission and Ministry: A Handbook, by David Dadswell. SCM Press, 2011, 223 pages, ISBN 978-0-334-04373-7. £19.99 Purchase here Reviewed by Tim Harle This is an important book. Dadswell brings together considerable wisdom and experience, reflecting his background as a business consultant, Anglican priest, and teacher at York St John University. He acknowledges…

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Discerning Leadership: Cooperating with the Go-Between God, by Graham Cray. Grove Leadership Series No. 1. Grove Books, 2010, 28 pages, ISBN 978-1-85174-764-1, £3.95. Purchase here Reviewed by Sue Heatherington In revisiting John V Taylor’s writings on the work of the Go-Between God in the person of the Holy Spirit, Graham Cray has produced a profound…

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Reshaping the Mission of Methodism: A Diaconal Church Approach, edited by David Clark. Church in the Market Place, 2010, 285 pages, ISBN 978-1-899147- 74-8, £10.00. Reviewed by John Nelson John Nelson reviewed this book for the Teal Trust. Here is a synopsis of his review (for the full review, visit http://www.teal.org.uk/reading.htm) This is an important…

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The Inner Life of a Christian Leader, by Chris Blakeley & Sue Howard. Grove Leadership Series No. 2. Grove Books, 2011, 28 pages, ISBN 978-1-85174-772-6, £3.95. Reviewed by Justin Byworth This excellent Grove booklet is a great resource for Christian leaders on a topic that any would neglect at their peril – how we keep…

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