Organix: Signs of Leadership in a Changing Church

by Bob Whitesel

Does your leadership style fit new ways of doing church--leadership that is organic and elastic and that finds ways to seize God-given opportunities? Looking back and drawing on the ancient Christian tradition, Bob Whitesel describes seven traitsfor successful leadership, which he characterizes by seven symbols: O   (the Greek symbol theta) – the first letter of the Greek word theos stresses that God is the source of the burden for others and provides the power to help them. Rx (the medical prescription symbol) – an emphasis on addressing the spiritual and physical health of leaders. G  (a stylized “G” for “graffiti”)– the edgy, colorful, and artful collages that help define contemporary organizations. A  (inspired by the recycle symbol) – the idea of recycling places, experiences and people rather than discarding them. N  - emerging networks that connect people more quickly, efficiently, precisely and continuously. I  - an emphasis on “incarnation”, a going “in the flesh” to serve others rather than sending surrogates. X  (the Jerusalem cross with a number in each quadrant) – four types of measurement observed in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47), which at their core point to Christ’s work on the cross.     Taken together, thesesymbols spell out the word “organix” and represent a fundamentally new way tothink about your church and how you can best lead.

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Garry Mcclendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a “modern”millennial leader

I read this book and discovered, I think, that I am a “modern” millennial leader. I think being in the Army for many years develops this kind of leader. There is so much to use and learn in this book for God’s ultimate purpose.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was Whitesel's best book that I read for my grad class at Wheaton. However I didn't particularly like that in his estimation that Millenials somehow have leaderhsip all figured out. I think there are some flat sides to Millenial leadership and there are some positive sides to Modern leadership, which he totally berates.