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Winning On Purpose: How To Organize Congregations to Succeed in Their Mission
Do you really want the mission to succeed? Are you prepared to live within clear boundaries? Are you ready to align yourself with a greater purpose? Do you have what it takes?
Winning on Purpose offers leaders a way to organize congregations for success by creating structures that enable church life and health. As a comprehensive and powerful application of the biblical call to mission, Winning on Purpose sets forth the Accountable Leadership strategy. This model of leadership brings together standards for mission, boundaries, and accountability, and then shows how these standards come to life through the performance of four key players: the board, the pastor, the staff, and the congregation.
To read a sample from the book click here
Winning on Purpose offers leaders a way to organize congregations for success by creating structures that enable church life and health. As a comprehensive and powerful application of the biblical call to mission, Winning on Purpose sets forth the Accountable Leadership strategy. This model of leadership brings together standards for mission, boundaries, and accountability, and then shows how these standards come to life through the performance of four key players: the board, the pastor, the staff, and the congregation.
To read a sample from the book click here
184 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2006
62 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
John E. Kaiser
3 books3 followersJohn Kaiser is a writer, consultant, and executive coach. In more than thirty years of professional ministry he has taught college and seminary courses, planted churches, lead a large multi-staff congregation, directed a church-planting movement, trained boards, assessed congregations, coached pastors, and served as president of a denomination.
He has worked extensively across the United States and Canada and from time to time in Australia and New Zealand. His undergraduate degree is from Bryan College. His two masters degrees are from Trinity International University, and his doctorate is from Denver Seminary.
He and Leonore, his wife of thirty-two years, live in Ontario Canada. They enjoy their adult children (Ben and his wife Katrina, and Ruth), their young grandchildren (Owen and Ellie), and each other.
He has worked extensively across the United States and Canada and from time to time in Australia and New Zealand. His undergraduate degree is from Bryan College. His two masters degrees are from Trinity International University, and his doctorate is from Denver Seminary.
He and Leonore, his wife of thirty-two years, live in Ontario Canada. They enjoy their adult children (Ben and his wife Katrina, and Ruth), their young grandchildren (Owen and Ellie), and each other.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 25, 2022
This book has very personal meaning for me in that I have been working with a team of leaders who have been intentionally attempting to align our "Governance" to "Mission."The problem with many churches and organizations is that they’re organized based on control rather than trust. For example, in many churches, there is a church board that is comprised of ministry leaders. The pastor usually chairs this board that sometimes meets once a month. If a particular ministry leader wants to do something for his ministry, he brings it to the board, who then votes up or down on it. If a pastor thinks that something needs to be done, he usually brings it to this same board for “approval.” If the board accepts it, it moves forward. If not, the idea dies.
Do you notice the inherent issue with this form of church organization? In this model, the ministry is tied to administration. We ask people, who are perhaps very gifted in their area of passion in ministry, to also make administrative decisions that affect everyone else. And we’re asking people to make decisions based on issues that they might not be familiar with. Of course, the purpose of this model is supposed to be accountability.
John Kaiser presents a different model, which interestingly enough, he calls the “Accountable Leadership Strategy" in which accountability is to the mission being accomplished. The author cites that many churches function as if the Pastor and the staff simply preach and teach and facilitate events and services the church will be on mission (p. 28). John Kaiser calls this kind of leadership "Operational Leadership" in which the leaders treat people in the church as consumers and the Pastor and staff's aim is to keep them "Happy Campers." The outcome of this kind of thinking is to promote an inward ministry that is not hospitable to new people nor does it challenge people to become obedient followers of Christ. John Kaiser's approach is a radical departure from this and is very much a "Transformational Leadership."
In this book he presents that there should be four levels of leadership:
A church board, whose role is governance.
A pastor, whose role is leadership.
And a staff, whose role is management.
The congregation is the ministers.
John Kaiser states“The position played by the board is governance. Accountable to the board is the pastor, who plays the position of leadership. Accountable to the pastor is the staff, which plays the position of management. Staff in this book refers to the managers of ministries in the congregation without regard to employment or compensation status. Accountable to the staff are the various ministry teams, through which the members of the congregation lay the position of ministry” (p. 47).
For the purpose of governance, the role of the church board is to help set up broad agreed-upon policies that help to provide direction and accountability for the pastor but not take on the leadership of the church in regards to vision and implementation of the strategy. John Kaiser goes on to further state: "Tom Bandy calls it proscriptive thinking…’ Proscriptive thinking requires the board to think negatively in order to empower mission positively.’ John Carver refers to it as a proactive constraint in his book, Boards that Make a Difference. ‘The board has neither the time nor the expertise to state everything that should be done. It does have the sense of values necessary to recognize what should not be done. The principle is simple and, perhaps more than any other principle enables excellence in governing…A few simple, well-placed boundaries in the congregation can provide the pastor and staff with an abundance of freedom and resources to fulfill Christ’s purpose for his people” (p. 63).
In summary, this ingenious model of ministry is a bottom-up funnel in the sense that the entire aim of this model is to make disciples and to equip and deploy people in the ministry. Our church in Placerville, CA already has a "Parish Model" in doing ministry. At what is now known as Bayside Placerville (we are in the process of changing our name), we are committed to the theological mindset that we do not serve people who attend our church services but we serve and minister to our community. John Kaiser states that the first question that must be answered is who do you serve first? Those who are already inside the church? Those who are on the outside of the church? Or do you simply say both if something does not become your priority nothing will then be a priority? John Kaiser clearly articulates: "In a missional congregation the members choose to serve newcomers before they serve themselves (p. 89). This may be the most challenging thought in the entire book for congregations to have this kind of missional mindset.
This is an incredible read and I highly recommend any church leadership team that is desiring to wrestle with their structure serving the mission versus the mission serving the structure to read this book. If you do read it please email me your thoughts at alsoto@baysideplacerville.com
Do you notice the inherent issue with this form of church organization? In this model, the ministry is tied to administration. We ask people, who are perhaps very gifted in their area of passion in ministry, to also make administrative decisions that affect everyone else. And we’re asking people to make decisions based on issues that they might not be familiar with. Of course, the purpose of this model is supposed to be accountability.
John Kaiser presents a different model, which interestingly enough, he calls the “Accountable Leadership Strategy" in which accountability is to the mission being accomplished. The author cites that many churches function as if the Pastor and the staff simply preach and teach and facilitate events and services the church will be on mission (p. 28). John Kaiser calls this kind of leadership "Operational Leadership" in which the leaders treat people in the church as consumers and the Pastor and staff's aim is to keep them "Happy Campers." The outcome of this kind of thinking is to promote an inward ministry that is not hospitable to new people nor does it challenge people to become obedient followers of Christ. John Kaiser's approach is a radical departure from this and is very much a "Transformational Leadership."
In this book he presents that there should be four levels of leadership:
A church board, whose role is governance.
A pastor, whose role is leadership.
And a staff, whose role is management.
The congregation is the ministers.
John Kaiser states“The position played by the board is governance. Accountable to the board is the pastor, who plays the position of leadership. Accountable to the pastor is the staff, which plays the position of management. Staff in this book refers to the managers of ministries in the congregation without regard to employment or compensation status. Accountable to the staff are the various ministry teams, through which the members of the congregation lay the position of ministry” (p. 47).
For the purpose of governance, the role of the church board is to help set up broad agreed-upon policies that help to provide direction and accountability for the pastor but not take on the leadership of the church in regards to vision and implementation of the strategy. John Kaiser goes on to further state: "Tom Bandy calls it proscriptive thinking…’ Proscriptive thinking requires the board to think negatively in order to empower mission positively.’ John Carver refers to it as a proactive constraint in his book, Boards that Make a Difference. ‘The board has neither the time nor the expertise to state everything that should be done. It does have the sense of values necessary to recognize what should not be done. The principle is simple and, perhaps more than any other principle enables excellence in governing…A few simple, well-placed boundaries in the congregation can provide the pastor and staff with an abundance of freedom and resources to fulfill Christ’s purpose for his people” (p. 63).
In summary, this ingenious model of ministry is a bottom-up funnel in the sense that the entire aim of this model is to make disciples and to equip and deploy people in the ministry. Our church in Placerville, CA already has a "Parish Model" in doing ministry. At what is now known as Bayside Placerville (we are in the process of changing our name), we are committed to the theological mindset that we do not serve people who attend our church services but we serve and minister to our community. John Kaiser states that the first question that must be answered is who do you serve first? Those who are already inside the church? Those who are on the outside of the church? Or do you simply say both if something does not become your priority nothing will then be a priority? John Kaiser clearly articulates: "In a missional congregation the members choose to serve newcomers before they serve themselves (p. 89). This may be the most challenging thought in the entire book for congregations to have this kind of missional mindset.
This is an incredible read and I highly recommend any church leadership team that is desiring to wrestle with their structure serving the mission versus the mission serving the structure to read this book. If you do read it please email me your thoughts at alsoto@baysideplacerville.com
December 8, 2013
Good book for providing a framework to running a congregation. Our Church Council read this and used parts to help provide clarity and accountability.
January 17, 2020
Great book!
Winning on Purpose is a great book. Its main contributionmis that it delineates the relationships very well of pastor, staff, board, and congregation. Of course, I am biased. I think that people generally like a book when they agree with it. I do. But my bias is philosophical, not personal. I.e. I am not related to the author not do I have a financial stake in the success of the book. It just makes really good sense to me.
Winning on Purpose is a great book. Its main contributionmis that it delineates the relationships very well of pastor, staff, board, and congregation. Of course, I am biased. I think that people generally like a book when they agree with it. I do. But my bias is philosophical, not personal. I.e. I am not related to the author not do I have a financial stake in the success of the book. It just makes really good sense to me.
October 23, 2021
Winning on Purpose explains the structures and authority scopes necessary for accountable leadership within a congregation. Kaiser is sensitive to different forms of church polity as he develops this structure. If the principles of this book were actually followed, then there would be more pastors who leave the ministry (for good reasons) and more pastors who lead their congregations in long tenures that bear much fruit. Every governing board of a church congregation should read together this or another book like this.
January 15, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to using some of the principles in my congregation.
However the editing in this book is horrendous. Multiple errors per chapter instead of I the number 1 is used and multiple misspellings of God (cod) and one of Jesus (fesus).
The read would be much better without those errors.
However the editing in this book is horrendous. Multiple errors per chapter instead of I the number 1 is used and multiple misspellings of God (cod) and one of Jesus (fesus).
The read would be much better without those errors.
February 18, 2020
I am a new member of our church's council. This book informed me of the format that many nonprofit organizations are following. For a church, the parts are congregation, staff, council, and lead pastor. The author set up the boundaries of each part and designated the different duties. The book is very well-written and organized. I will refer to it many times during my tenure on the council.
January 29, 2019
Great clarity on leading the organization of the church. Knowing the game you're playing, the players, the rules, and most importantly what makes up a point on the scoreboard. Life is more than just running around and getting sweaty every day as it applies to your leadership in the church.
September 13, 2018
Excellent book for our Board of Directors at my church. Well planned and clearly easy to read. Now I want to go back and re-read sections to put things into action.
March 11, 2020
Good information about how our church council operates, but way too many sports analogies.
March 17, 2020
*Required reading for work.* Some of the principles are helpful and generally wise. The rest is particularly Baptist but pretending to be as universal (and biblical) as the other aspects.
August 9, 2021
I live the clarity this book brings. I wish I could contact the author.
July 19, 2023
Helpful. He kinda beats the sports metaphor to death though 😅 overall, some useful and thought-provoking items.
May 23, 2012
Written for senior pastors and "boards" so not terribly useful for other church staff and leaders. I don't find the game metaphor compelling. The advice given is applicable mostly to large non-denoms. Mainline denom church readers are FAR better served with one of these (in order of how good they are):
Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement,
Deepening Your Effectiveness: Restructuring the Local Church for Life Transformation,
Ultimately Responsible: When You're in Charge of Igniting a Ministry With Dvdrom , or
Equipping Church, The
Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement,
Deepening Your Effectiveness: Restructuring the Local Church for Life Transformation,
Ultimately Responsible: When You're in Charge of Igniting a Ministry With Dvdrom , or
Equipping Church, The
August 16, 2013
Winning on Purpose is a book about how to organize a congregation so that it can "succeed" in its mission. Kaiser has a strategy--he calls it "Accountable Leadership"--for empowering different people (or groups) to do different things. His strategy is set up to avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen and allowing people to lead, organize, and grow a congregation, while at the same time providing a structure of oversight to prevent abuse of power, including prolonged stagnation.
Kaiser's strategy is formed by having four groups (the congregation, a board, the pastor, and the staff) playing their appropriate roles and knowing the "object" of the game, "rules" of the game, and method of keeping "score." It is designed to prevent each player from usurping the duties of other players. In other words, the board should govern, the pastor should lead, the staff should manage, and the congregation should minister.
He goes into details of why each of these is appropriate, and why he thinks that this setup is more appropriate than others. Additionally, he talks a bit about how a congregation could transition from its current setup to an Accountable Leadership model.
Kaiser's strategy is formed by having four groups (the congregation, a board, the pastor, and the staff) playing their appropriate roles and knowing the "object" of the game, "rules" of the game, and method of keeping "score." It is designed to prevent each player from usurping the duties of other players. In other words, the board should govern, the pastor should lead, the staff should manage, and the congregation should minister.
He goes into details of why each of these is appropriate, and why he thinks that this setup is more appropriate than others. Additionally, he talks a bit about how a congregation could transition from its current setup to an Accountable Leadership model.
April 30, 2013
Since we implemented Kaiser's model at our church, we are so much more productive! Having had a taste, I will never go back to the old Board & Council system. This model is the Ferrari to replace the horse & buggy.
My only complaint is the need for more details on implementation. Having a FAQ or a website with a forum or Q&A section would be very helpful. I had a coach to help me, so I was fine, but a solo pastor trying to implement things on his own will need to make up some of the details on the fly.
My only complaint is the need for more details on implementation. Having a FAQ or a website with a forum or Q&A section would be very helpful. I had a coach to help me, so I was fine, but a solo pastor trying to implement things on his own will need to make up some of the details on the fly.
April 11, 2012
This is a very helpful book regarding systems and leadership structures within a local church. Though it would be very hard to completely adopt everything in this book to a Wesleyan setting... it does provide so much material and ideas to help focus the energies of the entire church. Identifying the four 'players' of the church and what their primary responsibilities should cover would be extremely helpful for any church to know and understand.
January 6, 2016
Great perspective on church leadership, but somewhat specific to American Baptist Churches of the West. This book provides some great big picture ideas for church structure using sports analogies (the object of the game, the rules or boundaries, etc.). As a United Methodist, much of what was discussed and proposed will have to be adapted to my specific setting and polity, but it was certainly a worthwhile read!
December 4, 2010
Will probably write more later, but for now I will just say that there is definitely some helpful stuff in here (making it worth a read), but there was lots I found irritating and frustrating that left me debating whether to give it 2 or 3 stars (gave it 3 for charity's sake).
January 3, 2025
A very non-churchy way to do church, but it makes so much sense it's ridiculous more aren't using the Kaiser model.
August 10, 2011
This gave a lot of practical information on church governance that can also be applied to any governance board - business or home owners.
May 11, 2012
This is a must read for any pastor frustrated by stubborn churches. What a helpful book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews