Steering Through Chaos

One of my goals this year has been to read more leadership and development books and less fiction. So when I saw the opportunity to participate in a blog tour  and review a new book by Scott Wilson, I jumped at it. Scott Wilson is the senior pastor of The Oaks Fellowship in Red Oak, TX. Before moving to Iowa in October, I was a member at The Oaks for almost two years. I saw first hand some of the transitions described in his book, Steering Through Chaos: Mapping a Clear Direction for Your Church in the Midst of Transition and Change.

In his book, Scott describes the normal ebb and flow of growth in organizations. Vision leads to growth which peaks and begins a decline which ends in stagnation and nostalgia. I’ve seen this happen a few times myself in the past. The cyclical nature of growth can produce amazing highs and devastating lows. There are two points on the curve where leaders can begin to get a sense of where things are headed. The first point lies between vision and growth and anticipates not only the current cycle of growth, but also begins planning for the next. This is where Scott’s book focuses. The other point is after the peak where decline has already begun. It’s the point of “too little, too late”. According to Scott, “if a leadership team takes action at point A and infuses the church with fresh vision, strategy, and heart, they can change the shape of the curve and experience another growth cycle.”

Another key idea in the book is a quote by Gerald Brooks, the senior pastor of Grace Outreach Center in Plano, TX. “Your church will grow only to the level of your pain threshold.” I haven’t even begun to fully contemplate its implications, but I can definitely see where this is true in churches as well as businesses.

Overall, I’m really enjoying the book. It’s neat to read about all of the steps the leaders of The Oaks took to plan and implement transition having been a part of the end result. I’m about halfway through the book now and am thinking about ways to incorporate some of the same ideas and principles in my approach to business and my job. Scott Wilson’s book is available at Amazon.com and through Zondervan.