Canoeing the Mountains

Over 150,000 Copies Sold Worldwide!

Outreach Resource of the Year – Leadership

Learn to Scale the Mountains of Modern Ministry Leadership

Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt to the unexpected. They set out prepared to chart a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, only to find themselves face-to-face with the Rocky Mountains. In many ways, leadership today feels much the same. You may find yourself navigating an unfamiliar cultural landscape, leading in contexts you never anticipated. Perhaps the skills and training you once relied on feel inadequate for the journey ahead, holding you back more often than propelling you forward.

Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. In Canoeing the Mountains, Bolsinger provides a thoughtful and practical guide for leaders facing the unprecedented challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Canoeing the Mountains offers:



- Fresh perspectives on the adaptive leadership needed to face today's challenges

- Practical strategies to help you rethink your approach to leading in unfamiliar and shifting environments

- An expanded study guide to help you reflect, apply, and implement these lessons in your own leadership journey

If you're ready to move beyond the tools that no longer serve you and embrace a new way of leading, Canoeing the Mountains will inspire and equip you to rise to the challenge. To scale the mountains of modern ministry, it's time to set aside your canoes and new navigational tools to give you confidence and courage to lead in places you never expected to find yourself.



Tod Bolsinger is the vice president for vocation and formation and teaches practical theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He has also served as senior pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church and associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood.

Part 1: Understanding Uncharted Territory


1. Seminary Didn't Prepare Me for This


2. Adventure or Die


3. A Leadership Model for Uncharted Territory
Part 2: On-the-Map Skill Set


4. Competence and Credibility


5. Preparing for the Unknown


6. Eating Strategy for Breakfast
Part 3: Leading Off the Map


7. Navigating the "Geography of Reality"


8. My Italian Grandfather Was Killing Me


9. Don't Just Do Something, Stand There . . . Then Do Something


10. The Mission Trumps!


11. Take a Good Look into the Coffin
Part 4: Relationships and Resistance


12. Gus and Hal Go to Church


13. Et Tu, Church?
Part 5: Transformation


14. How a Nursing Mother Saved America


15. The End of Our Exploring


Epilogue: Taking the Hill with Grandma


Study Guide


Acknowledgments


Notes

"Contemporary pastors and church leaders face a daunting challenge. The world and the church have changed dramatically. Congregational expectations have never been higher or more complex. How can we lead our churches with wisdom and kingdom impact in the ever-changing world of today and tomorrow? Tod Bolsinger answers this pressing question in his timely book Canoeing the Mountains. Combining solid biblical theology, contemporary leadership theory and years of experience as a pastor and church consultant, Bolsinger offers a new vision of pastoral leadership as well as dozens of practical examples that bring this vision to life. All pastors and church leaders need to read this book, for their own sake, for the good of their churches and for the advance of God's kingdom in the world."



"Since the missional church discussion began to develop real momentum, the constant question has been how does this theological vision of the church after Christendom translate into the practice of real congregations struggling with enormous challenges? A great deal of excellent work has been done, and there are excellent resources for the community and leadership seriously committed to missional change. But Bolsinger's book is a major step forward. It is based on solid missional theology, rooted in concrete congregational experience, shaped by provocative research of many diverse voices and communicated energetically and creatively. Most importantly, it is shaped by theologically informed hope, not just optimism, and takes the risks that must be taken for the sake of faithful witness today. I strongly commend this book!"



"Tod Bolsinger, a colleague of mine at Fuller Seminary . . . uses the metaphor of 'canoeing the mountains' based on the experience of Lewis and Clark, who successfully completed the mission of the Corps of Discovery because of their ability to lead creatively in light of unexpected circumstances. . . . Whether you're a pastor, a small business owner, a branch manager, or a CEO of a major company, you are probably facing challenges not unlike those confronting . . . Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. If so, I encourage you to get a copy of Canoeing the Mountains. You and those you lead will be glad you did."



"I see many pastors and leaders of churches who are exhausted by the daunting task of leading churches in a culture that is changing faster than it ever has before. There are many books that tell us we need to change, and there are also many books that give a vision of what a new kind of church could look like. There are very few that address the difficult task of helping leaders navigate the complexities of leading that is necessary for a changing world. Tod Bolsinger's Canoeing the Mountains provides the right mixture of theological insight, leadership theory and relevant stories that will give the necessary principles to help leaders face unfamiliar terrain." weniger anzeigen expand_less