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The Innovative Church: How Leaders and Their Congregations Can Adapt in an Ever-Changing World
The church as we know it is calibrated for a world that no longer exists. It needs to recalibrate in order to address the questions that animate today's congregants. Leading congregational studies researcher Scott Cormode explores the role of Christian practices in recalibrating the church for the twenty-first century, offering church leaders innovative ways to express the never-changing gospel to their ever-changing congregations. The book has been road-tested with over one hundred churches through the Fuller Youth Institute and includes five questions that guide Christian leaders who wish to innovate.
304 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2020
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December 17, 2020
The world is constantly changing, which means the church must adapt. In reality, the church has adapted over the centuries, though in recent decades the world has changed a lot faster than ever before. That makes adaption a lot more difficult. If you don't believe me, check out the effects of human development on nature.
many a book has been written on church leadership offering strategies to help adapt. They will continue to be written because what we learned a few decades back may not work today. Lyle Schaller had a lot to say about leadership and change back when I was in seminary. Most likely his advice will not work today. So a new crop of books emerges. Among those books is Scott Cormode's The Innovative Church. Scott is the Hugh De Pree Professor of Leadership Development at Fuller Theological Seminary. Before going to Fuller he taught leadership studies at Claremont School of Theology.
I've known Scott for over thirty years. I met him while I was working on my Ph.D. in church history. Scott was, at the time, an M.Div. a student with a keen interest in church history. he went on to earn a Ph.D. in Church History at Yale. That goes to show you that we church historians are very adaptable! I became a pastor and he became a professor of Leadership Development.
Like many books on leadership and change, Scott suggests that the church, to use his words, is calibrated for a world that no longer exists" Therefore, the church needs to be innovative if it wants to be effective in its ministry in the world. As a good historian, Scott doesn't discount the importance of what has gone before. We are dependent upon an inherited tradition. Innovation, therefore, doesn't mean throwing out that tradition. However, it requires that we recalibrate based on that original foundation.
As Scott moves forward he speaks of the meaning of innovation for Christians. He lays out a principle that he shares with all classes and groups he leads -- "leadership begins with Listening." It's a principle that we should imbibe, but often forget! He speaks of making spiritual sense, to make it clear that this book is about spiritual things, even if he makes use of secular ideas and principles. Form there he speaks of reinvented practices, processes for innovation, and organizing for innovation. Once he lays all of this out, he reminds us that innovation leads to change, even if churches aren't always aware of this. He speaks of next steps and then concludes by speaking to the emerging generations, which he refers to as the Smartphone Generation. I must admit that I struggle with some of this, but I'm of an older generation. I have advocated for and worked for change throughout my ministry, but that doesn't mean I'm always comfortable with it. Nevertheless, new generations emerge, and with it new ways of being the church.
I believe that many will find Scott's book helpful and perhaps even encouraging. He shares stories from his own life and ministry but also examples from the churches he has worked with. He introduces us to various principles and processes. I must admit that at this stage of my ministry (nearing retirement), I have less invested in these processes than those who are in the thick of things. Hopefully, they can learn valuable lessons, though sometimes, as we've learned during the COVID pandemic, reality is often the mother of innovation!
many a book has been written on church leadership offering strategies to help adapt. They will continue to be written because what we learned a few decades back may not work today. Lyle Schaller had a lot to say about leadership and change back when I was in seminary. Most likely his advice will not work today. So a new crop of books emerges. Among those books is Scott Cormode's The Innovative Church. Scott is the Hugh De Pree Professor of Leadership Development at Fuller Theological Seminary. Before going to Fuller he taught leadership studies at Claremont School of Theology.
I've known Scott for over thirty years. I met him while I was working on my Ph.D. in church history. Scott was, at the time, an M.Div. a student with a keen interest in church history. he went on to earn a Ph.D. in Church History at Yale. That goes to show you that we church historians are very adaptable! I became a pastor and he became a professor of Leadership Development.
Like many books on leadership and change, Scott suggests that the church, to use his words, is calibrated for a world that no longer exists" Therefore, the church needs to be innovative if it wants to be effective in its ministry in the world. As a good historian, Scott doesn't discount the importance of what has gone before. We are dependent upon an inherited tradition. Innovation, therefore, doesn't mean throwing out that tradition. However, it requires that we recalibrate based on that original foundation.
As Scott moves forward he speaks of the meaning of innovation for Christians. He lays out a principle that he shares with all classes and groups he leads -- "leadership begins with Listening." It's a principle that we should imbibe, but often forget! He speaks of making spiritual sense, to make it clear that this book is about spiritual things, even if he makes use of secular ideas and principles. Form there he speaks of reinvented practices, processes for innovation, and organizing for innovation. Once he lays all of this out, he reminds us that innovation leads to change, even if churches aren't always aware of this. He speaks of next steps and then concludes by speaking to the emerging generations, which he refers to as the Smartphone Generation. I must admit that I struggle with some of this, but I'm of an older generation. I have advocated for and worked for change throughout my ministry, but that doesn't mean I'm always comfortable with it. Nevertheless, new generations emerge, and with it new ways of being the church.
I believe that many will find Scott's book helpful and perhaps even encouraging. He shares stories from his own life and ministry but also examples from the churches he has worked with. He introduces us to various principles and processes. I must admit that at this stage of my ministry (nearing retirement), I have less invested in these processes than those who are in the thick of things. Hopefully, they can learn valuable lessons, though sometimes, as we've learned during the COVID pandemic, reality is often the mother of innovation!
November 6, 2020
Cormode argues that the church is not doing a good job today. “The church as we know it is calibrated for a world that no longer exists.” (372/869) The way church is done is based on a model centuries old. “The world has changed, but the church has not.” (21/869) In the past, the church has had decades to adapt to cultural change. That strategy will no longer work, Cormode writes. The church must be innovative while still being grounded in the gospel.
How the church can be innovative has been the focus of Cormode's study for years. He has tested and refined ideas he provides in this book. He writes about the mental models we have of how church should be and how they can be changed. He advocates listening to people and their needs and listening to God in expectant silence. “This listening precedes all action.” (148/869) He advocates innovation within traditions. He says such innovation requires discernment. The best leaders let the people think for themselves and provide for them the tools needed, giving the work back to the people.
The good news is that Cormode has provided a great blueprint for churches to change and be effective in the current culture while maintaining an emphasis on the gospel and valuing traditions. The bad news is that this book is way too much. I would usually recommend a book like this to board members but I doubt many would read a book this complicated and long. There is just too much philosophy of change and too many examples in this book. (Did we really need to know all about the pitch for Finding Nemo?) (531/869) I would suggest a student of Cormode create a twenty page synopsis of this book that would be read and used by lay people. The material in this book is too important to be relegated to seminary classrooms.
I've been through church changes, some effective and some painfully disastrous. Cormode has nailed many important issues like addressing the pain and feelings of loss from change. Another important point is that leaders must have the authority to inspire change, not by position but by earning the love and trust of people in the congregation. Such valuable insights!
I highly recommend this book. It contains so many insights into how the church can be effective in an ever changing culture while maintaining the never changing gospel. Perhaps one person on the church board could wade through the book's material and present it more concisely to others. Cormode notes that “seminary education is calibrated for a world that no longer exists...” (640/869) Likewise, this book is calibrated for a reading public that no longer exists. The material in it is so important, it needs to be represented in a different way to have an impact on the current Christian culture.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
How the church can be innovative has been the focus of Cormode's study for years. He has tested and refined ideas he provides in this book. He writes about the mental models we have of how church should be and how they can be changed. He advocates listening to people and their needs and listening to God in expectant silence. “This listening precedes all action.” (148/869) He advocates innovation within traditions. He says such innovation requires discernment. The best leaders let the people think for themselves and provide for them the tools needed, giving the work back to the people.
The good news is that Cormode has provided a great blueprint for churches to change and be effective in the current culture while maintaining an emphasis on the gospel and valuing traditions. The bad news is that this book is way too much. I would usually recommend a book like this to board members but I doubt many would read a book this complicated and long. There is just too much philosophy of change and too many examples in this book. (Did we really need to know all about the pitch for Finding Nemo?) (531/869) I would suggest a student of Cormode create a twenty page synopsis of this book that would be read and used by lay people. The material in this book is too important to be relegated to seminary classrooms.
I've been through church changes, some effective and some painfully disastrous. Cormode has nailed many important issues like addressing the pain and feelings of loss from change. Another important point is that leaders must have the authority to inspire change, not by position but by earning the love and trust of people in the congregation. Such valuable insights!
I highly recommend this book. It contains so many insights into how the church can be effective in an ever changing culture while maintaining the never changing gospel. Perhaps one person on the church board could wade through the book's material and present it more concisely to others. Cormode notes that “seminary education is calibrated for a world that no longer exists...” (640/869) Likewise, this book is calibrated for a reading public that no longer exists. The material in it is so important, it needs to be represented in a different way to have an impact on the current Christian culture.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
April 22, 2021
I would describe Cormode's work as a must-read for churches who know they need to change. It features practical models that align with innovation best practices of the corporate world, yet are skillfully adapted for church contexts. For example, Cormode pays specific attention to "Human-Centered Design," a process similar to Design Thinking. In his descriptions of the process, Cormode instructs the church leader on how to brainstorm, prune, prototype, and test with an emphasis on the Spirit's work in a context.
I was particularly drawn to the book's emphasis on practices and narrative. The objective of Christian innovation is not the pursuit of relevance, nor is it an attempt to attract young people. In order to reach "the smartphone generation," we don't need to invent something from scratch. With innovation, we're not trying to create new things, launch new programs, or start a new marketing campaign.
Instead, we're trying to reintroduce a timeless identity, to reshare an ancient narrative. With innovation, we reimagine the traditions of the faith for a contemporary context. Christian innovation is fundamentally connected to the historical practices of the faith: prayer, lament, hospitality, generosity, and others. For Cormode, the Christian innovator skilfully initiates the processes of discernment and human-centered design in the context of traditional practices. The result of this process is a set of new approaches to ancient practices that "make spiritual sense" of the "longings and losses" in our world.
Cormode's work is theologically grounded in the action of God. It is ultimately God who acts, God who creates. As innovators, we are here to water, to nurture, to give thanks for the ways in which God is always speaking a renewing word of life into this world. As leaders, it is not our task to come up with brilliant ideas. It is our calling to discern what God is up to, to listen to the longings and losses of our community, and to empathize. Joined together with the ceaseless creative work of the triune God, our innovative work may yet resonate with an ailing and divided world.
I was particularly drawn to the book's emphasis on practices and narrative. The objective of Christian innovation is not the pursuit of relevance, nor is it an attempt to attract young people. In order to reach "the smartphone generation," we don't need to invent something from scratch. With innovation, we're not trying to create new things, launch new programs, or start a new marketing campaign.
Instead, we're trying to reintroduce a timeless identity, to reshare an ancient narrative. With innovation, we reimagine the traditions of the faith for a contemporary context. Christian innovation is fundamentally connected to the historical practices of the faith: prayer, lament, hospitality, generosity, and others. For Cormode, the Christian innovator skilfully initiates the processes of discernment and human-centered design in the context of traditional practices. The result of this process is a set of new approaches to ancient practices that "make spiritual sense" of the "longings and losses" in our world.
Cormode's work is theologically grounded in the action of God. It is ultimately God who acts, God who creates. As innovators, we are here to water, to nurture, to give thanks for the ways in which God is always speaking a renewing word of life into this world. As leaders, it is not our task to come up with brilliant ideas. It is our calling to discern what God is up to, to listen to the longings and losses of our community, and to empathize. Joined together with the ceaseless creative work of the triune God, our innovative work may yet resonate with an ailing and divided world.
October 24, 2020
“The Innovative Church” by Scott Cormode brings to question how the church should continue to innovate, while maintaining the core values. Many churches fear or fight change, but Cormode argues that innovation is inevitable, it’s up to leaders how the innovation goes.
Leaders are called to listen. Congregations are full of people who have longings and losses and if a church leader is listening, they will hear what these things are. If the church is called to serve its congregation, then these longings and losses should be the first things a church aims to heal. But often we miss the mark because we don’t want to change beyond how we’ve always done things. Through stories, experiments, candor, and other techniques church leaders can find ways to innovate and thrive.
One of the biggest takeaways I had from this book is story telling. Humans deal with the world through stories, so it’s not surprising that the church is fluent in stories. But often we see the example of Jesus changing the story. Mental models are the things we use to make sense of the world, so the job of stories is to shift mental models into a new way of thinking. This is what the church must do when they innovate. Take a common mental model and use storytelling to shift the old model to the new. The new idea may not initially take, but if the leader continues listening and trying new ideas, the innovation will come and serve the church well.
Overall, I found this book extremely interesting. I’ve been in a variety of churches over the years and it’s true many churches can become rigid or unwilling to grow. It takes a leader to shift the story and create the direction, but it also takes a congregation who is willing to lose what is comfortable or what is common. Innovation is necessary, but who is willing to innovate? I gave this book 4 stars.
Leaders are called to listen. Congregations are full of people who have longings and losses and if a church leader is listening, they will hear what these things are. If the church is called to serve its congregation, then these longings and losses should be the first things a church aims to heal. But often we miss the mark because we don’t want to change beyond how we’ve always done things. Through stories, experiments, candor, and other techniques church leaders can find ways to innovate and thrive.
One of the biggest takeaways I had from this book is story telling. Humans deal with the world through stories, so it’s not surprising that the church is fluent in stories. But often we see the example of Jesus changing the story. Mental models are the things we use to make sense of the world, so the job of stories is to shift mental models into a new way of thinking. This is what the church must do when they innovate. Take a common mental model and use storytelling to shift the old model to the new. The new idea may not initially take, but if the leader continues listening and trying new ideas, the innovation will come and serve the church well.
Overall, I found this book extremely interesting. I’ve been in a variety of churches over the years and it’s true many churches can become rigid or unwilling to grow. It takes a leader to shift the story and create the direction, but it also takes a congregation who is willing to lose what is comfortable or what is common. Innovation is necessary, but who is willing to innovate? I gave this book 4 stars.
October 2, 2023
Scott Cormode’s The Innovative Church is a good book on adaptation in the church, of upholding the unchanging Word in a constantly changing world. I wouldn’t say the author offers prescriptions for programs to use, but he does give a few examples of what churches have done. His approach is more to the point of developing skills in what he calls flexibility or agility, I would say adaptability. He gives steps to processes in making changes in the church, still valuing tradition, but finding new means to reach others too. The author likes to repeat phrases and statements to develop new mental models for the church to use. For instance, the author writes, “I want the people entrusted to my care to live in a world defined by the fact that they can trust God. So I make a point to link whatever I am teaching to the deeper idea that they can trust God.” From his phrase, ‘mental models,’ one can see that the author combines some language and concepts from business with the church. I personally do not object, as these concepts aren’t about selling God or manipulating people to buy into God—that could be objectionable. These concepts are more to the point of considering what people are concerned about, mainly what they long for and have lost. With these in mind the church should “create shared stories of hope that make spiritual sense of the longings and losses of the people whom God has entrusted to our care.” If the church is to help people make spiritual sense of their experience then we have to listen to others to help. Cormode writes, “We have the first requirement for a Christian innovation process. It must begin with listening: listening to God, listening to Scripture, listening in community, and listening to the people entrusted to our care.”
Cormode has many good ideas church leadership should consider and challenges with many good questions. The author uses many good sources for further reading.
Cormode has many good ideas church leadership should consider and challenges with many good questions. The author uses many good sources for further reading.
May 7, 2023
Decent book. Since I actually finished it, you know it was worthwhile. I read a lot of church books and just never finish them. They are either super obvious or just books telling me to copy what their great church did. So unhelpful. This wasn’t that. This was on how to think and start. So very many examples of hypothetical church moves but all very big picture. More about how to think then giving actual ways forward. This was good for me but likely not for most readers who want actual new ideas that they can try. This will push you into dreaming and innovating without giving real ideas in how to do it. I have to admit, I would have liked a book with new ideas too. This wasn’t it. But for people who need to change, this will push them forward.
August 29, 2021
I read this book, together with other members of my church community, as part of an on-line seminar led by its author. There are some interesting ideas but they tend to be repeated far too much for my taste. It's kind of like the "rule for a good speaker" - first, tell them what you're going to tell them; then, tell them; then, tell them what you told them - carried to extremes.
April 9, 2022
Amazing book! I had the privilege to study under Dr. Cormode, and he has a brilliant mind. This book tackles the much-needed question of how to hold onto the never-changing Gospel, and to use it in a world that is ever-changing. It takes theology and makes it practical to help the people around you. For any church or ministry leader, this book is a must.
September 28, 2021
Through pointed questions and measured repetition, Cormode gives a process to innovate while answering some concerns raised.
January 28, 2022
Cormode crafts memorable phrases and weaves them through principles and stories so that by the end I could recall all the main ideas effortlessly. That's good content plus good writing.
June 28, 2022
Good summary of change management learnings from business world helpfully adapted to church setting.
April 13, 2024
Nuggets of wisdom and help in a book with a lot of pragmatism in it.
October 28, 2025
Not a "gripping" read, but rich and important content. Worthwhile.
January 11, 2026
“The Innovative Church” by Scott Cormode brings to question how the church should continue to innovate, while maintaining the core values. Many churches fear or fight change, but Cormode argues that innovation is inevitable, it’s up to leaders how the innovation goes.
Leaders are called to listen. Congregations are full of people who have longings and losses and if a church leader is listening, they will hear what these things are. If the church is called to serve its congregation, then these longings and losses should be the first things a church aims to heal. But often we miss the mark because we don’t want to change beyond how we’ve always done things. Through stories, experiments, candor, and other techniques church leaders can find ways to innovate and thrive.
One of the biggest takeaways I had from this book is story telling. Humans deal with the world through stories, so it’s not surprising that the church is fluent in stories. But often we see the example of Jesus changing the story. Mental models are the things we use to make sense of the world, so the job of stories is to shift mental models into a new way of thinking. This is what the church must do when they innovate. Take a common mental model and use storytelling to shift the old model to the new. The new idea may not initially take, but if the leader continues listening and trying new ideas, the innovation will come and serve the church well.
Overall, I found this book extremely interesting. I’ve been in a variety of churches over the years and it’s true many churches can become rigid or unwilling to grow. It takes a leader to shift the story and create the direction, but it also takes a congregation who is willing to lose what is comfortable or what is common. Innovation is necessary, but who is willing to innovate? I gave this book 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Baker Academic & Brazos Press for the ARC!
Leaders are called to listen. Congregations are full of people who have longings and losses and if a church leader is listening, they will hear what these things are. If the church is called to serve its congregation, then these longings and losses should be the first things a church aims to heal. But often we miss the mark because we don’t want to change beyond how we’ve always done things. Through stories, experiments, candor, and other techniques church leaders can find ways to innovate and thrive.
One of the biggest takeaways I had from this book is story telling. Humans deal with the world through stories, so it’s not surprising that the church is fluent in stories. But often we see the example of Jesus changing the story. Mental models are the things we use to make sense of the world, so the job of stories is to shift mental models into a new way of thinking. This is what the church must do when they innovate. Take a common mental model and use storytelling to shift the old model to the new. The new idea may not initially take, but if the leader continues listening and trying new ideas, the innovation will come and serve the church well.
Overall, I found this book extremely interesting. I’ve been in a variety of churches over the years and it’s true many churches can become rigid or unwilling to grow. It takes a leader to shift the story and create the direction, but it also takes a congregation who is willing to lose what is comfortable or what is common. Innovation is necessary, but who is willing to innovate? I gave this book 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Baker Academic & Brazos Press for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews