Books About Change in 2026
This week Rev. John opened up a conversation about change — why we want it, and why it sometimes feels so difficult to attain. He shared an equation that can help map out the resistance to change and why (even if your congregation SAYS they want change) it might not be happening as quickly as you’d like, if at all.
If you have not read that post yet, you might want to begin there.
After reading it, you may find yourself thinking, “That’s exactly what we’re wrestling with.” If that’s you, we wanted to gather a few books that take the conversation further. Some lean more theological. Some are grounded in leadership practice. Some focus on what is happening inside the leader when change feels heavy or slow or complicated.
We begin a book that’s a bit older - but we’d be remiss if we didn’t include it in this round up - Choose Change from Ministry Forum friend and supporter - The Rev. Dr. Peter Coutts. P.S. If you appreciate this book, we also recommend taking Self-Leadership with Dr. Coutts, available on CHURCHx.
Choosing Change: How to Motivate Churches to Face the Future by Rev. Dr. Peter Coutts - 2013
Humans have been choice-makers since the days when hunter-gatherers had to decide when to hunt and what to gather. Making choices is what humans do. But individuals feel more personal autonomy and power to choose today than ever before in human history. In Choosing Change, author Peter Coutts acknowledges that clergy today recognize the impact our individualistic culture of choice is having on congregations. But Coutts also points out that many leaders do not think about motivation. For them, encouraging change is about selling their congregation on a new idea, governed by the assumption that a better idea should win the day. Wide experience in the church demonstrates that this approach often doesn't work and leaves many congregational leaders demoralized. Leaders see the need for change in their congregation, and they earnestly want to help their congregation to change. But the approach to leadership they learned, which perhaps worked better in days gone by, is no longer working. Leaders are in the motivation business, argues Coutts. Choosing Change provides an overview of current thinking from the field of motivation psychology. In the first half of the book, Coutts explores theories, ideas, and terms that are most pertinent for leaders who desire to encourage congregational change. The second half of the book offers detailed guidance for congregational leaders who want to be motivational leaders.
Future-Focused Church: Leading through Change, Engaging the Next Generation, and Building a More Diverse Tomorrow by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, Raymond Change - 2025
In the past few decades, the church has experienced rapid and distressing change. Hard-working pastors and leaders often know they need to embrace diversity, creatively engage younger generations, and equip their people to love their neighbors. But since they don't know how to make the changes needed, they feel stuck and wonder, "What do I do now? What steps can I take to lead our church purposefully and prayerfully into a more hopeful future?" For these dedicated yet drained church leaders, this research-informed resource from the team at the Fuller Youth Institute offers a clear roadmap to faithfully and effectively navigate change that will revitalize your church. Through extensive research, interviews, and case studies, you will learn how to see the big picture, activate a transformation team, know your "why," discern where God is leading, communicate a compelling vision, maintain disciplined attention, and experiment toward a more fruitful, faithful, and lasting future. This hope-filled guide for building tomorrow's church today is the resource your church has been waiting for. Find It Here
CULTURE SHIFT: Leading a Growing Church in Uncertain Times by Gary Nicolosi - 2024
These are difficult times for churches. Less than half the population in the United States and Canada are now members of any church, and the percentage of people who call themselves Christian or even believe in God is rapidly declining. And yet, churches still have the potential to grow into vibrant, life-giving communities that engage the culture, attract new members, do good works and share the good news of God’s amazing love in Jesus. CULTURE SHIFT surveys the history of a changing culture to explain the conditions which the Church confronts and the challenges it must address. It details three major culture shifts that are impacting the church and then offers a framework for an effective missional response. The heart of the book consists of seven workshops that will be especially helpful to vestries, parish councils, evangelism and church growth committees, or even in a parish forum. Any of the workshops may be used without copyright permission.
These workshops include: • Ministry in an Emerging World • Building a Missionally-Effective Church • Change and Paradigms • Marketing the Church • Worship Planning • Building a Better Stewardship Campaign • Diagnostic Tools for Strategic Ministry Planning
With his extensive experience in ministering to urban, suburban and rural churches, large and small, Gary Nicolosi is convinced any church can grow if the leadership and members desire to grow and are willing to pay the price.
How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going: Leading in a Liminal Season by Susan Beaumont - 2019
How do you lead an organization stuck between an ending and a new beginning-when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Beaumont calls such in-between times liminal seasons-threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead. How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going is a practical book of hope for tired and weary leaders who risk defining this era of ministry in terms of failure or loss. It helps leaders stand firm in a disoriented state, learning from their mistakes and leading despite the confusion. Packed with rich stories and real-world examples, Beaumont guides the reader through practices that connect the soul of the leader with the soul of the institution.
Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change by Tod Bolsinger - 2020
What type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change? Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains, is uniquely positioned to explore the qualities of adaptive leadership in contexts ranging from churches to nonprofit organizations. He deftly examines both the external challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back. Bolsinger writes: "To temper describes the process of heating, holding, hammering, cooling, and reheating that adds stress to raw iron until it becomes a glistening knife blade or chisel tip." When reflection and relationships are combined into a life of deliberate practice, leaders become both stronger and more flexible. As a result, these resilient leaders are able to offer greater wisdom and skill to the organizations they serve.
Also available: Tempered Resilience Study Guide