Local church life is changing dramatically. Once familiar and established patterns of leadership are giving way to new and emerging forms of ordained and lay ministries; clergy now often work in teams with resposibility for large groups of churches, and many congregations are exploring entirely new ways of serving their local communties through initiatives like Fresh Expressions.

Membership of traditional denominations may be falling, secular culture may be hostile to the church, yet there is genuine spiritual hunger that cries out for satisfaction. Challenges and opportunities on such a scale require fresh and innovative thinking about what new styles of leadership are needed in the vastly changed landscape in which churches now find themselves.

This is a book for all involved in church leadership at the local or structural level. It draws on leadership theory and practice from a wide range of disciplines to offer some creative techniques and solutions, especially in relation to:

Nurturing vocation and skills

Enhancing team ministry and collaborative working

Making leadership at the strategic level effective

Sustaining new models of church

Growing through change - and resistance to change!