Lead Like It Matters Workbook : 7 Leadership Principles for a Church That Lasts

In this workbook companion to the book Lead Like It Matters, discover the trick to keeping the momentum going in your church, ministry, or organization.

It has been rightly said that "Jesus is the hope of the world." While we can never argue against the importance of the power of the risen Son of God, it is also true that "the local church is the hope of the world." After all, the church is the body of Christ. Jesus manifested himself through the church. And we, as the church, are chosen and called by God to be light in the darkness and give hope to the hopeless.

For this reason, it is critical for the body of Christ—both pastors and laypeople alike—to learn how to lead like it matters. In this study guide, which accompanies the book of the same name, pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel shares what he has learned in more than twenty-six years of leading LifeChurch. The church began in a borrowed two-car garage, with ratty furnishings and faulty audiovisual equipment, but people were drawn there because they sensed a powerful, life-changing force that Craig calls "it." While exactly what "it" is can be difficult to define, Craig reveals seven factors that contribute to it (or at least don’t kill it):

Sessions include: 

1. Vision
2. Divine Focus
3. Unmistakable Camaraderie
4. Innovative Minds
5. Willingness to Fall Short
6. Hearts Focused Outward
7. Kingdom-Mindedness

Craig also unpacks three important realms that every leader must master: (1) prioritizing mindset over model, (2) creating systems that empower it, and (3) finding a balanced way to lead to stay centered around it. While adopting these seven factors and realms will not guarantee a church will have that "it" factor, it will certainly lead that church toward it. It will help all of us lead like it matters.

New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, an innovative, multisite church that created the free YouVersion family of Bible apps. He has written twenty books, including The Benefit of Doubt: How Confronting Your Deepest Questions Can Lead to a Richer Faith (2025). Known as a pastor with a heart for spiritual leadership, he hosts the top-ranking Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast and speaks frequently at leadership events and conferences worldwide. Craig and his wife, Amy, live in Oklahoma and have six married children and seven grandchildren. Connect with Craig at www.craiggroeschel.com.

Dudley J. Delffs, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction. A lifelong Anglophile and descendant of King James I, Dudley lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife. His most recent book is The Faith of Dolly Parton (Zondervan, 2018). Follow along with Dudley at dudleydelffs.com.