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| Foreword: The Golden Calf, Bronze Serpent, and Brass Angel | |
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| Preface | |
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| The Need for Power | |
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| The Temptation to Accrue Power | |
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| Limit Every Member to One Office | |
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| Clarify the Nominating Process | |
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| The Temptation to Exercise Financial Influence | |
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| Kill Entitlement Culture | |
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| Foundations and Endowments | |
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| The Temptation to Gather Information | |
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| Change the Way Leaders Interact with Those Incentivized for Decline | |
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| Communicate in As Many Forms As Possible | |
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| The Need for Intimacy | |
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| The Temptation to Maintain the Status Quo | |
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| Confront Worship Routines | |
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| Meet the Need for Familiarity in Other Ways | |
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| Change Your Worship Space | |
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| Change Your Worship Service | |
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| The Temptation to Become an Insider | |
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| You Know You Are an Insider If | |
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| The Temptation to Limit Church Size | |
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| Satisfy the Need to Be Known and Cared For | |
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| Pursue Smallness Aggressively | |
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| The Need for Affirmation | |
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| The Temptation to Become Child-Focused | |
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| Move from Child /Youth-Focused to Child/Youth-Friendly | |
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| Thriving Preschools and Declining Churches | |
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| The Temptation to Push Ministry on Clergy and Paid Staff | |
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| Reorganize the Work of Ministry | |
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| The Temptation to Avoid the Hard Work of Assimilation | |
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| Practice Radical Hospitality | |
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| The Need for Stability | |
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| We Will Be Here Long After You Are Gone! | |
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| The Temptation to Play It Safe | |
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| Change Is Disruptive and Declining Churches Face Less Change | |
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| Laity, Make Your Church the Best Place to Work | |
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| Pastors, Honestly Evaluate Your Position | |
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| Epilogue: Moving Forward: How to Resist the Temptations of Church | |
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| Recognize and Name the Fear | |
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| How Can the Cycle of Fear Be Broken? | |
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| Change the Culture | |
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| The Christian Faith Defines Meaning | |
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| The Christian Faith Defines Community | |
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| The Christian Faith Defines Hope | |
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| Appendix | |
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| Leadership Covenant | |
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| Covenant of Respect | |
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| Notes | |