Create Your Own Future!: Alternatives for the Long-Range Planning Committee

This book is for church leaders, both clergy and lay, who seek to challenge the status quo and implement change in their congregations. Schaller's plan of intervention suggests that the long-range planning committee is the most effective vehicle of change. He systematically addresses the issues this committee faces, such as knowing when to intervene, how to decide which issues to tackle, how to face financial concerns, when to implement the plan, and how to overcome resistance.

Key Features: Involves volunteer leaders in planning for future; Suggests long-range planning committee as a vehicle for change; Presents a plan for implementing change in a congregation

Key Benefits: Addresses demands for higher quality congregational life; Discusses when to choose tradition or new approaches; Explains when to study and when to act; Shows how to implement a plan; Illustrates how to overcome resistance

Lyle E. Schaller was the country's leading interpreter of congregational systems and their vitality. He was the author of dozens of books, including From Geography to Affinity, also published by Abingdon Press. He lived in Naperville, Illinois.