The Weyerhaeuser Center for Christian Faith and Learning at Whitworth University invites you to participate in our next pastors' reading group, which will begin in October. The purpose of this group is to help pastors and interested lay persons explore vocation and ministry through the reading and discussing of books related to these themes. Our hope is that this reading group will provide intellectual stimulation, personal enrichment and warm fellowship as we engage in a significant conversation regarding the nature and purpose of the church in the 21st century.

This fall we will be reading The Missional Leader: Equipping YourChurch to Reach a Changing World, by Alan Roxburgh and Fred Monanuk.

Book Description:

Missional churches are not about a particular program or isolated projects (such as mission trips or youth ministry). At the very heart of a missional church is a gathering of people who are concerned with the bigger purpose of bringing God's word into the larger community outside their walls. In The Missional Leader, consultants Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk give church and denominational leaders, pastors, and lay leaders a clear model for leading the change necessary to create and foster a missional church focused outward to spread the message of the Gospel into the surrounding community. The Missional Leader emphasizes principles rather than institutional forms, shows readers how to move away from "church as usual," and demonstrates what capacities, environments, and mindsets are required to lead a missional church. Experts in the field of missional leadership, Roxburgh and Romanuk outline a strategic change model that can be implemented to help transform a congregation and its leaders. They also present the factors that define the character of an effective missional leader and show how a pastor and lay leaders can lead their congregation to best serve the church and larger community. Ultimately, this book helps to guide church leaders to cultivate a local church environment where God is the center of conversation and God shapes the focus and work of the people.

Our first meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 3, from 7-8:30 a.m. in the catering rooms at Whitworth University. A copy of the book and a light breakfast will be provided for you at no cost. We will read various chapters and discuss the book on these dates:

· Oct. 3 (7-8:30 a.m.)
· Nov. 7 (7-8:30 a.m.)
· Dec. 5 (7-8:30 a.m.)

We need to know how many books to order and how many to count on for breakfast. Please respond to Michelle Seefried by Tuesday, Sept. 19, at (509) 777-3275 or mpace@whitworth.edu. We hope you will be able to join us.

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