Seven Practices of Effective Ministry

There’s no scoreboard in the sanctuary, and the only plate is probably for the offering. But every church leader needs to know how to win, and every congregation needs to know when to cheer. This insightful book speaks to every church leader who yearns for a simpler, more effective approach to ministry. An engaging parable about one overwhelmed pastor is followed by an overview of seven successful team practices, each one developed and applied in a ministry setting. Reinforced by relevant discussion questions, these clear, easy, and strategic practices can turn any ministry into a winning team.

Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing. If you are satisfied with those results, you don’t need this book. If not, it’s time for a change.

Like your own personal trainer, 7 Practices of Effective Ministry is an insightful guide for any leader who yearns for a simpler, more effective approach to ministry. Here are seven strategic principles that when put into play will bring focus and clarity to everything you do and turn your ministry into a winning team.


Story Behind the Book

Looking for ways to help pastors faced with hectic lives and depleted resources, Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner, and Lane Jones decided to write a parable about the complicated life of a local pastor. Rather than come straight at those in ministry with formulas and lists, they engage readers in an effort to have them identify with the character.



“For many years, I practiced and taught church growth. What I have witnessed as a member at North Point takes church growth to a whole new level. Andy and his team communicate principles that will add value to you and the church you love.”
-John C. Maxwell, founder, The INJOY Group

“Every professional athlete recognizes the value of solid coaching. The best are always working to get better. From what I’ve seen at North Point, these seven practices can improve the game of any church in America.”
-John Smoltz, Cy Young Award-winning pitcher

“The practices covered in this book are down-to-earth, practical, and come from real difference-makers who know what church leadership is all about. Andy, Reggie, and Lane have definitely hit the ball out of the park with the 7 Practices of Effective Ministry.”
-Ed Young, Jr., senior pastor, Fellowship Church
Andy Stanley
 
Communicator, author, and pastor Andy Stanley founded Atlanta-based North Point Ministries in 1995. Today, NPM consists of six churches in the Atlanta area and a network of more than 90 churches around the globe that collectively serve nearly 185,000 people weekly. A survey of U.S. pastors in Outreach Magazine identified Andy Stanley as one of the ten most influential living pastors in America.
 
Andy holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from Georgia State University and a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author of more than 20 books, including The New Rules for Love, Sex & Dating; Ask It; How to Be Rich; Deep & Wide; Enemies of the Heart; When Work & Family Collide; Visioneering; and Next Generation Leader.
 
In the digital world, his success reaches well beyond the Atlanta area. Over 1.8 million of Andy’s messages, leadership videos, and podcasts are accessed from North Point’s website monthly.
 
Your Move with Andy Stanley premiered on NBC after Saturday Night Live in 2012 and on CBS after The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2017, giving him an even wider audience with which to share his culturally relevant, practical insights for life and leadership. Currently, over seven million episodes are consumed each month through television and podcasts, underscoring Stanley’s impact not only as a communicator but also as an influencer of culture.
 
Nothing is as personal as his passion for engaging with live audiences, which he has pursued for over two decades at leadership events around the world. In high demand, he speaks at various annual events before audiences of both church and organizational leaders.
 
“I cannot fill their cups,” he often says of the opportunity to impact leaders in business and in ministry, “but I have a responsibility to empty mine.”
 
Andy and his wife, Sandra, have three grown children and live near Atlanta. View titles by Andy Stanley
Lane Jones is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Traci, and their three children, Jared, Caitlin, and Madison. He coauthored 7 Practices of Effective Ministry with Andy Stanley and Reggie Joiner, and is the executive director of membership development at North Point Community Church, where he loves to write and participate in the creative process. Lane holds degrees from Georgia State University and Dallas Theological Seminary. View titles by Lane Jones
Reggie Joiner is the founder and CEO of Orange. He also co-founded North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, with Andy Stanley. During his 11 years as the executive director of family ministry there, he developed a new concept for relevant ministry for children, teenagers, and married adults.

If you end up road-tripping with him across the country on Orange Tour, be prepared to stop at every antique store along the way. He has found a way to wear orange for 3,453 days and counting.

Reggie and his wife, Debbie, live in Cumming, Georgia, and have four children: Reggie Paul, Hannah, Sarah, and Rebekah. For more information about Reggie Joiner, follow him on Twitter @ReggieJoiner. View titles by Reggie Joiner

About

There’s no scoreboard in the sanctuary, and the only plate is probably for the offering. But every church leader needs to know how to win, and every congregation needs to know when to cheer. This insightful book speaks to every church leader who yearns for a simpler, more effective approach to ministry. An engaging parable about one overwhelmed pastor is followed by an overview of seven successful team practices, each one developed and applied in a ministry setting. Reinforced by relevant discussion questions, these clear, easy, and strategic practices can turn any ministry into a winning team.

Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing. If you are satisfied with those results, you don’t need this book. If not, it’s time for a change.

Like your own personal trainer, 7 Practices of Effective Ministry is an insightful guide for any leader who yearns for a simpler, more effective approach to ministry. Here are seven strategic principles that when put into play will bring focus and clarity to everything you do and turn your ministry into a winning team.


Story Behind the Book

Looking for ways to help pastors faced with hectic lives and depleted resources, Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner, and Lane Jones decided to write a parable about the complicated life of a local pastor. Rather than come straight at those in ministry with formulas and lists, they engage readers in an effort to have them identify with the character.



“For many years, I practiced and taught church growth. What I have witnessed as a member at North Point takes church growth to a whole new level. Andy and his team communicate principles that will add value to you and the church you love.”
-John C. Maxwell, founder, The INJOY Group

“Every professional athlete recognizes the value of solid coaching. The best are always working to get better. From what I’ve seen at North Point, these seven practices can improve the game of any church in America.”
-John Smoltz, Cy Young Award-winning pitcher

“The practices covered in this book are down-to-earth, practical, and come from real difference-makers who know what church leadership is all about. Andy, Reggie, and Lane have definitely hit the ball out of the park with the 7 Practices of Effective Ministry.”
-Ed Young, Jr., senior pastor, Fellowship Church

Author

Andy Stanley
 
Communicator, author, and pastor Andy Stanley founded Atlanta-based North Point Ministries in 1995. Today, NPM consists of six churches in the Atlanta area and a network of more than 90 churches around the globe that collectively serve nearly 185,000 people weekly. A survey of U.S. pastors in Outreach Magazine identified Andy Stanley as one of the ten most influential living pastors in America.
 
Andy holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from Georgia State University and a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author of more than 20 books, including The New Rules for Love, Sex & Dating; Ask It; How to Be Rich; Deep & Wide; Enemies of the Heart; When Work & Family Collide; Visioneering; and Next Generation Leader.
 
In the digital world, his success reaches well beyond the Atlanta area. Over 1.8 million of Andy’s messages, leadership videos, and podcasts are accessed from North Point’s website monthly.
 
Your Move with Andy Stanley premiered on NBC after Saturday Night Live in 2012 and on CBS after The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2017, giving him an even wider audience with which to share his culturally relevant, practical insights for life and leadership. Currently, over seven million episodes are consumed each month through television and podcasts, underscoring Stanley’s impact not only as a communicator but also as an influencer of culture.
 
Nothing is as personal as his passion for engaging with live audiences, which he has pursued for over two decades at leadership events around the world. In high demand, he speaks at various annual events before audiences of both church and organizational leaders.
 
“I cannot fill their cups,” he often says of the opportunity to impact leaders in business and in ministry, “but I have a responsibility to empty mine.”
 
Andy and his wife, Sandra, have three grown children and live near Atlanta. View titles by Andy Stanley
Lane Jones is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Traci, and their three children, Jared, Caitlin, and Madison. He coauthored 7 Practices of Effective Ministry with Andy Stanley and Reggie Joiner, and is the executive director of membership development at North Point Community Church, where he loves to write and participate in the creative process. Lane holds degrees from Georgia State University and Dallas Theological Seminary. View titles by Lane Jones
Reggie Joiner is the founder and CEO of Orange. He also co-founded North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, with Andy Stanley. During his 11 years as the executive director of family ministry there, he developed a new concept for relevant ministry for children, teenagers, and married adults.

If you end up road-tripping with him across the country on Orange Tour, be prepared to stop at every antique store along the way. He has found a way to wear orange for 3,453 days and counting.

Reggie and his wife, Debbie, live in Cumming, Georgia, and have four children: Reggie Paul, Hannah, Sarah, and Rebekah. For more information about Reggie Joiner, follow him on Twitter @ReggieJoiner. View titles by Reggie Joiner