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Leading From the Sandbox: How to Develop, Empower, and Release High-Impact Ministry Teams
A child's sandbox is a place where creativity and fun are synonymous. Likewise, our ministries should be fun, inspiring, and challenging.Leading from the Sandbox is a how-to manual for developing high-impact teams in your ministry or church. Discover what your local church, missions organization, or ministry is all about.This leader's resource is ideal for the pastor or leader who wants to deal with team members in a positive way, determine a central ministry focus, mentor others, and much more.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2004
16 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 12, 2011
TJ Addington's book "Leading from the Sandbox" was written to create a method of organizational management for church teams and Christian organizations. It ends up being of little help for either. He lays out a system that a person familiar with his Bible can recognize has no place in the church. Though he would give lip service to a servant leader, the practice itself involves leading by insisting on conformity to the sandbox, (not even to scripture) or removal. This is hardly the servant leader called to shepherd the flock in 1 Peter 5. Also, an observer of management theory can recognize that not only is Mr Addington 10 years behind the times, but after cutting through the jargon, he simply doesn't say anything profound.
If you're looking for a good leadership or management book, even a Christian leadership or management book, I'd recommend spending some time with your Bible and a freshman business management text book. Study the life of Paul or Jesus. Or pick up anything by John Maxwell, "Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders, or "Business by the Book" by Larry Burkett. "Leading from the Sandbox", though well intentioned I'm sure, is misguided and poorly executed.
If you're looking for a good leadership or management book, even a Christian leadership or management book, I'd recommend spending some time with your Bible and a freshman business management text book. Study the life of Paul or Jesus. Or pick up anything by John Maxwell, "Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders, or "Business by the Book" by Larry Burkett. "Leading from the Sandbox", though well intentioned I'm sure, is misguided and poorly executed.
February 25, 2009
Excellent tool to help clarify core objectives and direction when managing others.
This book really helped me to see the importance of taking some time each week away from the office where I could focus on upcoming meetings, pray for those I'm leading and work on some personal development!
Highly recommended.
This book really helped me to see the importance of taking some time each week away from the office where I could focus on upcoming meetings, pray for those I'm leading and work on some personal development!
Highly recommended.
December 15, 2008
Well worth reading.
Chapters 7-9 were chapters that I found most useful.
Chapters 7-9 were chapters that I found most useful.
April 1, 2016
I am not a leader in my organization or ministry. My current leadership position is only in my marriage. However, I still have learned a lot from Mr. Addington. I imagine I would have a different perspective if I were currently or had been a leader in ministry or business.
This book takes a very practical approach giving straightforward suggestions and answers to your questions about leading in ministry. The first half of the book is about how to lead from the "sandbox." The "sandbox" is the safe area for staff and workers to "play" or work in alignment with the organizations vision, mission, strategy, values, and culture. It is the leader's responsibility to define the in-bounds area of the sandbox by defining and communicating the mission, the strategy, the values, and the preferred culture of the organization. By doing this, the leader empowers his staff to make decisions and take initiative.
The second half of the book is about healthy leaders and healthy teams. My favorite chapter is about how to build a healthy team. Mr. Addington gives his recommendations of what to look for in team members and what to avoid. He makes it very clear that leaders need to be brave enough to get rid of team members that don't fit with the team or possess a fatal flaw like low emotional intelligence or laziness.
I will definitely keep this book on my bookshelf and re-read it if and when I become a leader in an organization or ministry.
This book takes a very practical approach giving straightforward suggestions and answers to your questions about leading in ministry. The first half of the book is about how to lead from the "sandbox." The "sandbox" is the safe area for staff and workers to "play" or work in alignment with the organizations vision, mission, strategy, values, and culture. It is the leader's responsibility to define the in-bounds area of the sandbox by defining and communicating the mission, the strategy, the values, and the preferred culture of the organization. By doing this, the leader empowers his staff to make decisions and take initiative.
The second half of the book is about healthy leaders and healthy teams. My favorite chapter is about how to build a healthy team. Mr. Addington gives his recommendations of what to look for in team members and what to avoid. He makes it very clear that leaders need to be brave enough to get rid of team members that don't fit with the team or possess a fatal flaw like low emotional intelligence or laziness.
I will definitely keep this book on my bookshelf and re-read it if and when I become a leader in an organization or ministry.
December 19, 2011
A fantastic book with actionable suggestions to help leaders at all levels be intentional in their pursuits. Leaders are charged to clearly define their ‘sandbox’ (or ‘table’), which is nothing more than a framework consisting of Mission, Guiding Principles (values), Focus, and Preferred Culture. Within that framework, teams are developed, empowered, and released to accomplish the mission. Highly recommended reading!
May 26, 2014
I hope to use the Sandbox concept to structure conversations at church on how to create a unified partnership of 4 language conversations. Stay tuned.
I am sort of allergic to how-to books, so this is a bit of a slog.
Now I am basically done with the book and want to go and create some templates for discussions at my congregation to form the four sides of the "sand box". An appendix with discussion guide would be helpful.
I am sort of allergic to how-to books, so this is a bit of a slog.
Now I am basically done with the book and want to go and create some templates for discussions at my congregation to form the four sides of the "sand box". An appendix with discussion guide would be helpful.
December 31, 2012
This was a very good book for me. It is written from a non-profit church leadership perspective, but every business leader could benefit from reading this. He talked a lot about Key Results Areas, Vision, values and culture. I plan on using some of his ideas in leading my church.
February 9, 2014
Excellent resource of leadership training in full time ministry.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews