Fish or Cut Bait: How Winning Churches Make Decisions

Through extensive research, Dr. John Kaiser shares the best practices of ten successful congregations. Focusing explicitly on decision-making rather than planning, structure, relationships, or any other host of factors, Fish or Cut Bait outlines how these congregations’ boards/leaders provide both accountability and support for pastors. Kaiser details the five questions that effective churches use when making healthy decisions to remain true to their mission: What must be done? Who says so? Who takes the lead? What's it going to cost? What if there is trouble? He includes the top ten things that the congregation, pastor, staff, board, and tribe need to avoid. Regardless of size, tongue, tribe, or style—if your congregation wants to go fishing in deeper waters for a spiritual catch, this book will fit nicely in your tackle box.

 

Dr. John E. Kaiser is president of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada (fellowship.ca), one of the country’s larger evangelical denominations. Prior to that appointment he developed and directed GHC Network (ghcnetwork.org), a movement for growing healthy congregations, under the auspices of the American Baptist Churches of the West (abcw.org), based in Northern California. In the 1980s and 90s, he successfully founded and led both a midsize church and a large church in Florida with the Evangelical Free Church of America.

 

John consults, trains, and coaches leaders of churches, nonprofit organizations, and denominations across North America, New Zealand, and Australia. He lives near Toronto with Lee, his wife of 27 years. They have two adult children, Ben and Ruth. John holds a B.A. from Bryan College, an M.A. and M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a D.Min. from Denver Seminary.

For resources and information related to John’s consulting, training, and writing, check out www.accountableleadership.org.