‘Big Results Leadership’
By Mark Croston
B&H Publishing Group, 2021
How do ministry leaders know if they’re going in the right direction? Author Mark Croston lays out steps to God-centered leadership in an easy-to-read style that brings together cultural references and scriptural direction while drawing on lessons he learned over many years as a pastor.
Part 1, “Study,” involves gaining a clear-eyed view of past and present. “Every group you lead is different,” Croston writes. Leaders “get in trouble when they fail to first take the time to study those that they are seeking to lead.”
Understanding who the people are, how their geographical location influences their decision-making, and how their patterns affect responsiveness to new programming are included in this assessment. As leaders know their people better, they will hopefully skip the misperceptions that come from wrong assumptions.
In Part 2, Croston reminds leaders to “never settle for a plan, instead listen for God’s vision,” as he offers steps to find and cast a vision. He also notes that the hardest part about visions can be the wait for their fulfillment. “Do not step ahead of God because you may end up doing your thing instead of God’s thing.”
Croston moves from there to additional sections on execution and team-building. Readers will find questions at the end of each section to help provide clarity on their own leadership opportunities.
Croston is national director of black church partnerships for Lifeway Christian Resources, having previously served in pastoral ministry for 26 years.
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