As we begin to prepare for fall, and get everyone excited about the next year in ministry, I return to an old favorite — Simply Strategic Stuff. Simply Strategic Stuff, by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan, and published by Group, claims to be “help for leaders drowning in the details of running a church”. These two men hail from Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana. In 99 easy-to-read 2 page chapters, they cover a myriad of topics from staffing and training to the more difficult, firing a volunteer. Each chapter is stand alone in nature and the book can be read cover to cover in just a few short hours. They even include a discussion page with open ended questions giving the opportunity for your team to read and discuss it together. Finally, there is “The Granger Story” that gives the history to their beginnings.
There are many things that make this a book that will never make it to the bookshelf in my house, but rather, it will stay in the small shelf on my desk. First, it is a fun read! Humor and cute stories always make an easy read and these guys do with ease! It is done with honesty and humility, using their own mistakes and humbling life experiences. Most importantly, it is just plain good advice. They offer quick, simple, but effective answers and strategies that are tried and true, in a format that can be returned to when you need it. Today, I may need to read and strategize about recruiting volunteers, and in 6 months can return to the book for a new strategy on retaining those same volunteers. I also love how this can be catered to fit the church in many ways. It is written for pastors overseeing the whole church, it can be directly applied to the volunteer who is leading children’s ministry to implement with teachers and volunteers. It attacks the tough scenarios in administration from a relational standpoint with practical advice that can work in a church of any size.
My only disappointment would be a lack of scripture support. Many of the chapters have a scripture verse but several do not. I found when scripture was listed, I opened my Bible and pondered on the words. I reflected and prayed for God to guide me in this area. When I first read the book cover to cover as an overview, I did not notice the lack of scripture for every chapter, but as I returned to a chapter to help me with a particular dilemma, the scripture brought me home to the true source of success in ministry: Jesus.
So as a resource for anyone in a leadership role in a church ministry, I would highly recommend Simply Strategic Stuff. It can be a great resource for an individual or a team. My team will be reading it this year as a part of our training.
It is available through Group.com for $19.99 and it is currently on sale at Amazon.com for $13.59. Can anyone say gift opportunity?
What's so simple about "Simply Strategic Stuff"?
