Description

By Kay Kotan and Blake Bradford

Mission Possible, by Kay Kotan and Blake Bradford, has been taken to a new level. In Mission Possible 3+, Kay and Blake have re-written and updated their best-selling resource for local churches to better assist congregations seeking to use the simplified, accountable leadership structure, often called the one-board model.

The authors remind the reader that meetings are not ministry. The idea of the simplified, accountable leadership structure is to focus on ministry while making meetings fewer in number but larger in meaning. In this third edition of the bestselling book aimed at congregational leaders, particularly United Methodists, the authors provide practical, field-tested steps to simplify your church structure, practice accountable leadership, and unleash more people into ministry.

Too often churches try to simplify their structures by just having less meetings and having fewer people at the meeting table. But real simplification and accountable leadership means that meetings – and leaders – are transformed. Kay and Blake walk you through the three distinct phases: discern the right path, equip participants for accountable leadership, and implement both the technical and adaptive changes to simplify your structure and align your resources for missional effectiveness.

This expanded and updated version also includes two new sections: a section chock full of 26 indispensable resources and an exclusive nearly 40-page brand-new, judicatory section. This expansive resource is packed with invaluable tools for leadership board members, pastors, nominating committee members, and judicatory leaders. Because of both Kotan’s and Bradford’s deep and on-going commitment and investment in the evolution of simplified accountable structure, this resource is expanded in size to 300 pages. The authors share the latest best practices from working with hundreds of congregations of all sizes and thousands of leaders from across the nation. This essential resource is now in a larger user-friendly workbook format (8.5 x 11) and offers new expansive worksheets, charts, samples, and checklists to assist leaders in effectively implementing the model with thoroughness and efficiency. No church leader will want to lead a post-modern, post-pandemic church without this tool in their hands!

Kay and Blake walk you through both the technical and adaptive changes to simplify your structure for missional effectiveness. In addition to new information and expanded material, Mission Possible 3+ includes more than 50 pages of additional resources, making the transition to a simplified structure even more straightforward. Chapters and resources include:

• SAS Overview
• Starting the Discernment Phase
• Discernment Team and Plan
• Discernment Completion and Next Steps
• The Big Vote
• Developing Leaders for Ministry
• Selecting Leaders: Equipping your Nominations Committee
• Tools for the Leadership Journey
• Accountable Leadership Comes First
• Adaptive Leadership: Changing the Conversation at the Table
• Multiple Hats, One Board
• Board Meetings that Make a Difference
• A Year in Leadership
• Communicating
• SAS For DSs, Presiding Elders and other Judicatory Officers
• SAS and Annual Conference Alignment
• The Role of the DS in the Local Church SAS
• SAS at the District Level
• Next Horizon: SAS at the Conference Level
•  Judicatory Accountability
• An Invitation to Our Judicatory Partners
• 12 Steps to SAS Discernment Transition
• FAQs for SAS
• Common Potholes
• Organizational Structure Charts
• Rules to Remember for Structuring and Nominations
• Nominations Interest/Recommendation Form
• Nominations Interview Questions
• Sample Nominations Report
• Sample Church Conference Resolution for Structure Transition
• SAS Charge Conference for Nominations
• Sample Board Leadership Covenant
• Sample Guiding Principles
• Leadership Board meeting Agenda
• Online request/report for Governing Board
• Leadership’s Annual Rhythm Checklist and Reference Chart
• Suggested Strategic Ministry Planning Steps and Timeline
• SAS FAQs for the DS
• Requirements for initial DS consultation
• A Recommendation for District Governance Simplification
• A Recommendation for Conference Governance Simplification
• Creating a Conference-wide Approach to SAS
• SAS Shifts
• Common SAS Gaps
• Initial Consultation with your DS
• Formal Request to the DS
• Brief Overview of SAS