George B. Thompson 
Futuring Your Church [PDF ebook] 
Finding Your Vision and Making it Work

’A vision is not a mission statement, ’ declares George Thompson. In the throes of establishing their congregational identity, many church leaders resort to developing a mission statement which gets put in a file drawer and forgotten until the next budget review. The problem is that mission statements focus on concrete achievements; a vision, in contrast, establishes the larger picture of aim, broad purpose, and hopes.
In Futuring Your Church, church leaders explore the congregation’s heritage, its current context, and its theological bearings. From the insights gleaned, members can discern what God is currently calling their own church to do in this time and place. Once this vision is found, Thompson provides a simple organization model for applying the vision–for making it work. A practical, helpful tool for futuring authentic ministry.

Om författaren

George B. Thompson Jr. is Professor of Leadership and Ministry Practice at The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, George. Thompson is the editor and co-author of Alligators in the Swamp: Power, Ministry, and Leadership (2005, The Pilgrim Press) and author of Church on the Edge of Somewhere: Ministry, Marginality, and the Future (The Alban Institute, 2007). Some of his other books include:Futuring Your Church: Finding Your Vision and Making it Work How to Get Along with Your Church: Creating Cultural Capital for Doing Mininisty How to Get Along with Your Pastor: Creating Partnership for Doing Ministry Alligators in the Swamp: Power, Ministry, and Leadership (editor and co-author)Church on the Edge of Somewhere: Ministry, Marginality, and the Future Grace for the Journey: Practices and Possibilities for In-Between Times (co-author with Beverly Thompson)