Eldership and the Mission of God - by J R Briggs & Bob Hyatt (Paperback)

About the Book

The biblical model for church leadership is found not only in pastors but also in teams of elders who oversee, shepherd, teach, equip and guide the community into God's mission. In this practical guide, J.R. Briggs and Bob Hyatt unpack the role, character and posture of a mission-oriented elder.

Book Synopsis

Every church needs leadership. But leadership should not reside in a single pastor. The biblical model for church leadership is found in teams of elders who together guide the community into God's mission. Church leaders J.R. Briggs and Bob Hyatt provide a comprehensive picture of elders as agents of mission for their communities. Healthy eldership structures a church for mission, as elder teams model the kind of community the local church is intended to be and steward the gospel in a local context. Looking at eldership through a missiological lens, Briggs and Hyatt unpack the role, character and posture of a mission-oriented elder. Elders oversee, shepherd, teach, equip and model for God's people what life with Jesus looks like in a particular context. Including a study guide that elder teams can work through together, the authors provide practical guidance for how elders are selected, work together, make decisions, protect the congregation and invest in the lives of others.Discover here a clear vision for what it means to be a faithful elder. May it help you and your church thrive in pursuing God's mission in the world.

Review Quotes

"Any church elder looking for insights on team leadership strategies will appreciate this survey."

"Intensely practical, thoroughly rich in wisdom, Eldership and the Mission of God is a book on church leadership that defies its stereotype. As well-honed practitioners and careful thinkers, Briggs and Hyatt recast everything about elder work for its call to mission. I wish I'd had this book twenty years ago."

"This book is written from experience and lessons learned; it's engaging, warm, and practical, not dry and heavy. The authors' egalitarian position doesn't overwhelm the book; indeed, complimentarians will embrace and be challenged in nearly every chapter. Discussion questions are included. Recommend to every pastor, elder, and church planter.

About the Author

J.R. Briggs is the cofounder and cultural cultivator of The Renew Community in the greater Philadelphia area. He also serves as the director of leadership and congregational formation for the Ecclesia Network. He is the creator and curator of the Epic Fail Pastors Conferences and is the author of Fail.

Alan Hirsch is the founding Director of Forge Mission Training Network. He is the co-founder of shapevine.com, an international forum for engaging with world transforming ideas. He leads Future Travelers, a learning journey applying missional-incarnational approaches to established churches and is an active participant in The Tribe of LA, a Jesus community among artists and creatives in Los Angeles.Known for his innovative approach to mission, Hirsch is a teacher and key mission strategist for churches across the western world. His popular book The Shaping of Things to Come (with Michael Frost) is widely considered to be a seminal text on mission. Alan's recent book The Forgotten Ways, has quickly become a key reference for missional thinking, particularly as it relates to movements. His book ReJesus is a radical restatement about the role that Jesus plays in defining missional movements. Untamed, his latest book (with his wife Debra) is about missional discipleship for a missional church.His experience in leadership includes leading a local church movement among the marginalized as well as heading up the Mission and Revitalization work of his denomination. Hirsch is an adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary and lectures frequently throughout Australia, Europe, and the U.S.

Bob Hyatt is the founding pastor of The Evergreen Community in Portland, Oregon. In addition to coaching and pastoring, Bob also serves as the director of church and movement multiplication for the Ecclesia Network.