Guided by Grace (2nd edition)

Servant Leadership for the Local Church

The world promotes a wide variety of leadership philosophies. Even in ministry, there is a great diversity of leadership models. Some believe leaders must be authoritative. Some believe leaders must be driven or dogmatic. Many leaders fear competition, so they stifle input. Some leaders are insecure, so they avoid confrontation. Some leaders are self-centered, so they insist that everything must be done their way. Some leaders fear rejection, so they accommodate compromise. Other leaders harbor envy, so they attack good men.

God’s work requires a different kind of leadership—grace-filled servant leadership. God’s people need love. They need nurture. They need transparent leaders who will mentor them, equip them, and serve with them. People without Christ need Christian leaders who will be genuine with them. They need to hear the gospel from the heart and then see it lived out in sincerity.

This book flows from the heart of a pastor who has sought to grow in grace as he has served a single church family for over three and a half decades. These biblical principles have formed the philosophy that has driven the growth and spiritual development of Lancaster Baptist Church in northern Los Angeles County, California. Over the past thirty-five years, this church has grown from a handful of weekly attendees to thousands of faithful, spiritually-maturing members. And it has all been a result of God’s grace.

If your heart yearns to lead the way Jesus did, read this book, live its principles, and pass them on to others. Your ministry will never be the same.

Striving Together Publications, copyright 2021, 224 pages, hardback.