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Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page
Learn the secrets to building and maintaining a healthy, productive, and unified ministry team that sticks together for the long haul.
Serving as a church leader can be a tough calling. Whatever your role, odds are you've known your share of the frustration and disillusionment that comes with turf battles, conflicting vision, and marathon meetings. You may have asked yourself, "How did it get this way?"
With twenty years of front-line ministry experience, Larry Osborne understands congregations (as baffling as they can sometimes be) and he know how the best-intentioned teams can become disrupted and disunified. With this book, he aims to shore up the foundation of a healthy team--what does a unified and thriving church leadership look like and how can it be achieved?
Sticky Teams is divided into three main sections, dealing with key aspects of what it takes to develop long-term, efficient
Landmines and Roadblocks exposes the organizational structures, policies, and traditions that can unintentionally sabotage even the best of teams. You'll discover strategies for managing conflicts and getting around obstacles.Equipped for Ministry explores what it takes to get everyone on the same page and headed in the same direction. Chapters deal with practical tips for board, staff, and congregational alignment.Communication examines what it takes to keep everyone on the same page, with a special emphasis on some especially dicey areas and issues of ministry, such as conversations about money.Whatever your situation; from start-up phase, to mid-sized, to megachurch, Osborne has been there. As the pastor of North Coast Church, he's walked his board, staff, and congregation through the process of becoming more genuinely unified, and, because of that, better able to carry out God's design for his church.
With warm encouragement and insight, he shares expertise that most pastors and leadership teams learn only from long how to invest the time to create church harmony and how to lead so that unity is maintained long-term.
Serving as a church leader can be a tough calling. Whatever your role, odds are you've known your share of the frustration and disillusionment that comes with turf battles, conflicting vision, and marathon meetings. You may have asked yourself, "How did it get this way?"
With twenty years of front-line ministry experience, Larry Osborne understands congregations (as baffling as they can sometimes be) and he know how the best-intentioned teams can become disrupted and disunified. With this book, he aims to shore up the foundation of a healthy team--what does a unified and thriving church leadership look like and how can it be achieved?
Sticky Teams is divided into three main sections, dealing with key aspects of what it takes to develop long-term, efficient
Landmines and Roadblocks exposes the organizational structures, policies, and traditions that can unintentionally sabotage even the best of teams. You'll discover strategies for managing conflicts and getting around obstacles.Equipped for Ministry explores what it takes to get everyone on the same page and headed in the same direction. Chapters deal with practical tips for board, staff, and congregational alignment.Communication examines what it takes to keep everyone on the same page, with a special emphasis on some especially dicey areas and issues of ministry, such as conversations about money.Whatever your situation; from start-up phase, to mid-sized, to megachurch, Osborne has been there. As the pastor of North Coast Church, he's walked his board, staff, and congregation through the process of becoming more genuinely unified, and, because of that, better able to carry out God's design for his church.
With warm encouragement and insight, he shares expertise that most pastors and leadership teams learn only from long how to invest the time to create church harmony and how to lead so that unity is maintained long-term.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2010
221 people are currently reading
866 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
November 21, 2021
I read this book with my husband as our Bible study we always have going. Our new pastor gave a copy to each of our elders to read, so Jer and I read it.
We found it to be easy to read and filled with incredibly useful information and advice. This is stuff the author has obviously learned from years of hard-earned experience. How thoughtful of him to try and save other churches from learning the hard way.
Highly recommend.
We found it to be easy to read and filled with incredibly useful information and advice. This is stuff the author has obviously learned from years of hard-earned experience. How thoughtful of him to try and save other churches from learning the hard way.
Highly recommend.
January 18, 2013
Thesis: "It's my hope that these pages will enable you and your ministry team to experience the joy and productivity that comes from genuine unity."
This is by no means a full review, simply some thoughts for improvement:
* Make it more biblical--rather than simply making offhand references to Scripture
* Be careful with intoned language regarding past experiences with individuals, even unnamed ones
* Take out those statements that make it seem like you built all the megachurches in the U.S., and that you were the first one to do so (maybe you did, but it doesn't help persuade me, it makes me distrust you)
* Include a discussion about character, not just utility and skill
* Ground the hope for unity in eschatological unity found in the New Creation, don't simply mention it in a sentence in the conclusion paragraph
This is by no means a full review, simply some thoughts for improvement:
* Make it more biblical--rather than simply making offhand references to Scripture
* Be careful with intoned language regarding past experiences with individuals, even unnamed ones
* Take out those statements that make it seem like you built all the megachurches in the U.S., and that you were the first one to do so (maybe you did, but it doesn't help persuade me, it makes me distrust you)
* Include a discussion about character, not just utility and skill
* Ground the hope for unity in eschatological unity found in the New Creation, don't simply mention it in a sentence in the conclusion paragraph
April 3, 2024
Really popular, but I don’t feel lived up to the hype. Some good principles in there—particularly on inner team relations and how to reach clarity in expectations. Favorite part was the part about making “plumb lines” for each ministry to lay out exactly what we are striving for.
Toward the end of the book, however, the advice really felt more business-y than is appropriate for a church. For example, one thing he proposed was staff positions should be evaluated in light of the amount of people that position brings to the church. . .after all, more people means more income which then justifies its own expense. If a position doesn’t bring in more people (and therefore more income), then it should be a volunteer position, not a staff position. All that did not sit well with me at all…
Expected much more from this book.
Toward the end of the book, however, the advice really felt more business-y than is appropriate for a church. For example, one thing he proposed was staff positions should be evaluated in light of the amount of people that position brings to the church. . .after all, more people means more income which then justifies its own expense. If a position doesn’t bring in more people (and therefore more income), then it should be a volunteer position, not a staff position. All that did not sit well with me at all…
Expected much more from this book.
August 8, 2022
Great book for church staff teams! I would say it's a good book for ministry teams as well, but maybe not the best because it's focused more on the local church staff. Still a good resource for people in ministry!
March 3, 2023
Valuable leadership principles scattered throughout a book that could have been 30-50 pages shorter.
July 4, 2020
This book is insanely practical and challenged my thoughts in a lot of really good ways. I learned about landmines that I would have never seen coming myself, whether it was how to handle growth in your organization, how to continually bring in new people and not hurt the older people, how to gracefully and humbly make big changes, etc. I think I'll be looking back to my notes from this book for a long time.
However, I can't help but talk about one area of the book that bothered me a lot: the author. I get it, he's more of a straight shooter, blunt, going to offend people sometimes kind of guy, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses that come from those strengths. But to blatantly call a man a raving idiot in your book (ch12) bothered me pretty deeply. I don't see how any pastor of a church could justify this and he seems ok with it enough to put it in his book. Just doesn't seem like something Jesus would do. The same goes for his incredibly sarcastic letter to the man in ch15, it doesn't matter if he sent it or not, by publishing it in his book he effectively sent it. I lost a lot of respect for him personally as a godly man and pastor and it bothers me that the people in his church around him would be ok with this. I wouldn't attend their churches, not if that's how they treat people.
However, I can't help but talk about one area of the book that bothered me a lot: the author. I get it, he's more of a straight shooter, blunt, going to offend people sometimes kind of guy, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses that come from those strengths. But to blatantly call a man a raving idiot in your book (ch12) bothered me pretty deeply. I don't see how any pastor of a church could justify this and he seems ok with it enough to put it in his book. Just doesn't seem like something Jesus would do. The same goes for his incredibly sarcastic letter to the man in ch15, it doesn't matter if he sent it or not, by publishing it in his book he effectively sent it. I lost a lot of respect for him personally as a godly man and pastor and it bothers me that the people in his church around him would be ok with this. I wouldn't attend their churches, not if that's how they treat people.
November 20, 2017
So, three of the four guys that I recognized in the four pages of praise for this book are no longer in their original ministries because of some level of scandal. Huh.
Regarding the rhetorical style, Osborne writes in the middle style, leaning toward the low style. Examples: lots of "If you think about it," "Let's admit it," etc. He's aiming for accessibility.
Some details raise concerns, such as laypeople serving communion (Ch. 8) and elders that delegate too much spiritual leadership because of a church's size (Ch. 10).
Matt Chandler's Forward: "The gaps in my training weren't biblical, theological, or even philosophical. My gaps were in the area of leadership and people" (14).
Introduction: Sticky Teams: What Makes Them Different?
19: want to be "united in purpose and vision"; be both productive and healthy, despite strong differences; develop and maintain strong relationships with board [elders], staff, and congregation; leadership health leads to ministry health
20: important to present a united front; Osborne didn't start well
21: three sections of the book: landmines/roadblocks, getting people on the same page, keeping everyone on the same page
22: watch out for the quietly passive-aggressive team member
Ch. 1: The Unity Factor: The One Thing That Can't Be Left to Chance
23: people in church leadership see more of the messy side of things; Osborne's ministry did not begin well
24: unity must be a priority; biblical examples of conflict: Aaron/Miriam/Moses, Paul/Barnabas/John Mark, Eudia/Syntyche.
25: Osborne spent 2.5 years developing his ministry team
26: unify the board before staff and congregation
28–32: irreducible minimums: doctrinal unity (statement of faith), respect and friendship, and philosophical unity (priorities and methods of ministry)
29: Simon the Zealot (hated Romans) and Matthew (collaborated with Romans) were both disciples
30: determine what is not worth fighting about (doctrinally)
31: be vulnerable, give others the benefit of the doubt, and debate kindly
31: most church fights are about methodology, not doctrine
Part 1: Landmines and Roadblocks: The Traditions, Policies, and Structures That Unintentionally Sabotage Unity
Ch. 2: Why Boards Go Bad: Structured for Conflict
35–36: problems are often organizational, not spiritual
37: 5 issues to avoid: meeting in the wrong place, ignoring relationships, not meeting often enough, constant turnover, and too many members (this is the outline for the chapter)
37: environment is not neutral
39: don't think of strict business as the really important stuff—good relationships help the business parts run more smoothly; small talk, eating together, going on retreats
40: once a month may not be enough contact time
42–43: forced sabbaticals seem unwise; prayer and confrontation are biblical
43: avoid too much turnover by using one-year terms with indefinite renewals
44–45: 12 is probably the max for a good board; North Coast usually has 7–11 board members
Ch. 3: Guarding the Gate: No Guts, No Unity
47–48: guard the gate, in part, to avoid the painful process of removal, which usually includes more than just the one person involved (friends and supporters)
48: guard the gate in a way that isn't a power grab
49: pastors should be part of the nominating process
49–51: speak up or shut up (don't complain after the fact if you didn't have the courage to say something); often, a candid/courageous first comment breaks the ice, and others follow with agreement; who said what might get out, but it's better to voice a significant objection than to remain silent and have to deal with the long-term consequences
51: leaders > representatives because representatives often feel bound to lobby for special interest groups, whereas leaders focus on doing what's right for the church
52–53: "no they" rule = anonymous sources are not heard; if "they" have a problem with something, talk about who it is and what the real objection is (sometimes a perceived problem is imagined)
54–55: faithful support and hard work are not enough—spiritual maturity is a minimum requirement for leadership, not just a willing heart; don't make the qualifications impossible, but don't water them down either (e.g., a good home life is a requirement [1 Tim. 3:4–5, 12; Tit. 1:6]); "keep contentious people out of leadership" ("pit bulls for Jesus")
55: Paul and Barnabas were not aligned philosophically (ministry direction)
56: likability, listening skills, and working well with others matter greatly
58: don't settle for the best person available; it's better to have a vacancy than to get the wrong person; resumes hide weaknesses
59: outside hires have a lower rate of success; character matters more than giftedness
Ch. 4: What Game Are We Playing?: How Growth Changes Everything
61: different size cultures are different animals, not just a bigger version of the same thing
63: elders should be neither yes-men nor adversaries
64–66: different size cultures are like different sports: lone track star, tight golfing buddies, basketball team, football juggernaut; a basketball team will not have the same feel as a round of golf with friends (stars get paid more), although everyone will still know what everyone else is doing; football teams are highly specialized; growing from one size culture to another will be painful for those unwilling to adapt
67–71: signs of a changing size culture are increased numbers (obviously), relational overload (can't keep up with what everyone is doing, but trying to), and increased miscommunication; lines of communication increase exponentially as team member increases one by one
Ch. 5: Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know: Axioms to Lead By
74–75: 1. Ignore Your Weaknesses: don't ignore areas of sin, but don't put lots of time/energy into fixing something that may not be fixable; focus on strengths and opportunities; for example, a church might waste a lot of money trying to procure a new facility, while it should be focusing on hiring great staff
75–77: 2. Surveys Are a Waste of Time: people often answer surveys with what they think the right answer is, not necessarily what they'll pour themselves into; people often reject innovation and often respond with what we want, not what we need; surveys asking for volunteers are helpful
77–79: 3. Seek Permission, Not Buy-In: failure becomes more palatable
79–81: 4. Let Squeaky Wheels Squeak: you can waste a lot of time trying to pacify people who won't be pacified no matter what you do; trying to pacify them sends the message that complaining works
81–82: 5. Let Dying Programs Die: because of limited resources, focus on things that are thriving instead of trying to do too much
82–86: 6. Plan in Pencil: budgets should be flexible; streamline policies
Ch. 6: Clarifying the Pastor's Role: Why Leadership Matters
90: pastors must express personal commitment over a long period of time
92: pastors are usually the most qualified to lead (because of time and training), not the chairman of the board or other lay leaders
95–100: pastors should present good drafts (not final proposals), keep no secrets from the board, and follow the board's advice (keeps the pastor accountable)
97: pastor's shouldn't promise absolute confidentiality (people are almost always fine with it; if the pastor can keep it confidential, he will, but he may need to talk to the board/elders about it)
99: wise people follow counsel
Ch. 7: Clarifying Board and Staff Roles: Why Teamwork Matters
102–8: when a church grows, the role of the boards moves from doing, to approving (ahead of time), to reviewing (after the fact), to setting direction/boundaries; board members of a mega church can't care for spiritual needs well—that gets handled in small groups (board members act as ranches who oversee shepherds); the board still provides wise counsel, has the power to hit the brakes, and works through crises
108–10: a small church can get by with generalists, but a big church needs specialists; even specialists need to empower others instead of controlling everything
111–12: ministries must concede to each other—even with specialists, not every ministry can go full tilt, because not every ministry is a priority
Ch. 8: Making Room at the Top: Why Young Eagles Don't Stay
114: after 20 years, things start to get stale
116–19: young eagles need empowerment and a platform; titles matter; Lord's Supper led by laypeople
119–20: let young eagles into meetings and help make decisions, or they might leave
121–23: tenure shouldn't be the only criterion for leadership; sometimes leaders need to move tenured folks around to make room for younger folks
123: have a ministry retreat to evaluate the ministry
Part 2: Equipped for Ministry: Getting Everyone on the Same Page
Ch. 9: Equipped to Lead: Lobbying Isn't Training
127–28: people get suspicious when information is presented quickly right before a decision (it feels more like lobbying, not teaching)
128–29: pastors must educate their elders to avoid becoming frustrated by or cynical about the education gap
129–30: don't just train people devotionally—train them intellectually/practically as well
132: hold special training sessions separately (otherwise it won't get the time/interest it deserves)
135–36: effective training requires repetition; stages: exposure (exciting; "aha"), familiarity (information gets old for some people, but still needs to be repeated), understanding
137: good church training makes a difference in professional careers too
Ch. 10: Board Alignment: The Power of an Extra "Shepherds' Meeting"
140: shepherds' meeting is for team building, training, and prayer; no votes or business decisions
141: no minutes
143: regular board meetings get shorter because of these shepherds' meetings
144: infralapsarianism and supralapsarianism
145: limit sharing requests, pray conversationally, pray for people by name (candidly and specifically)
147: North Coast Church is so big that the board doesn't pray much for church members anymore—small groups do that
Ch. 11: Staff Alignment: Plumb Lines and Assumptions
150: "ministry plumb lines" are "organizational proverbs" that help staff make decisions
152–54: plumb lines ought to be specific, honest, and different
Ch. 12: Congregational Alignment: Preempting Conflict
159–60: story about confronting a church member who was distributing "Christian" voter guides
160–66: achieve congregational alignment with a clear and simple mission statement (urge people toward sanctification in a healthy church), a front-loaded pastor's class (three evenings), the drip method of preaching, sermon-based small groups, and short and sweet congregational meetings (annual meetings is stretched over four meetings, the final one of which is just for voting)
Part 3: Communication: Keeping Everyone on the Same Page
Ch. 13: Change Diplomacy: Minimizing Conflict and Chaos
172: "Our fiercest battles are seldom fought over theology."
four-step process to introducing change: 1) test the waters (Is dissatisfaction shared? What changes should definitely not be made? Where will resistance come from?); 2) listen and respond to resisters (don't always think of resisters as enemies, but rather advisors who help you get from good to great; work on presentation, and try again later); 3) sell your idea to individuals before groups (have some strong supporters before the public roll-out); 4) lead boldly (Is it God's will/timing? Will there be a price to pay? Who will you lose? Do you plan to stay?)
Ch. 14: Setting Salaries: Investment or Expense?
185: "It's not [always] a sign of spirituality to keep quiet."; while high salaries increase expectations (and not necessarily morale), low salaries definitely kill morale; pay top employees one dollar more than what a "competitor" would pay
186: ask what it would cost to replace someone before asking how much you can afford
188: a pastor's salary could be more like a schoolteacher's or a CEO's, depending on skill, responsibility, size of the church, etc.
Ch. 15: Talking about Money: Assumptions, Facts, and a Savings Account
192: a church savings account is wise, especially in case of a financial crisis, or a great opportunity (e.g., buying property or land)
193–96: it's actually odd for church leaders not to know who is giving what (some people to threaten to stop their giving, and it's helpful to investigate their giving habits to see how best to respond)
197: sometimes a drop in church income is due to one big giving family who moved, not a decrease in overall giving
197–98: church leaders need to give too
198–99: encourage people to grow in their giving, and thank big donors without falling prey to favoritism or manipulation
Ch. 16: When Things Go Wrong: Telling the Truth When the Truth Is Hard
201: the three most common bad situations for church leaders to deal with are moral failure, financial crisis, and releasing a well-loved but ineffective staff member
202–4 (moral failure): "the deeper you dig, the uglier it gets"; leaders often polarize into two groups, a family/protection group, and a justice group; decide ahead of time what to do, because in the heat of the moment, no one thinks straight
204–7 (financial crisis): tell the truth; don't give apologies that fail to take full responsibility; ask what happened, why it happened, and how to keep it from happening again
208–10 (releasing staff): some staff members don't do anything bad enough to be fired, but they're still a drain on the ministry; be generous with severance packages; accept responsibility (not training well, hiring the wrong person); don't over-praise as they leave (you lose credibility)
Conclusion: Final Thoughts: Sticky Teams and the Gates of Hell
211: "I wrote this book to provide some practical guidelines for building and maintaining greater unity and spiritual health within our boards, staffs, and congregations."
212: we have every reason to be optimistic/hopeful: "If Satan can't hold off the church, if our forefathers couldn't mess it up beyond repair, we won't kill it either."
Discussion Questions at the end
Regarding the rhetorical style, Osborne writes in the middle style, leaning toward the low style. Examples: lots of "If you think about it," "Let's admit it," etc. He's aiming for accessibility.
Some details raise concerns, such as laypeople serving communion (Ch. 8) and elders that delegate too much spiritual leadership because of a church's size (Ch. 10).
Matt Chandler's Forward: "The gaps in my training weren't biblical, theological, or even philosophical. My gaps were in the area of leadership and people" (14).
Introduction: Sticky Teams: What Makes Them Different?
19: want to be "united in purpose and vision"; be both productive and healthy, despite strong differences; develop and maintain strong relationships with board [elders], staff, and congregation; leadership health leads to ministry health
20: important to present a united front; Osborne didn't start well
21: three sections of the book: landmines/roadblocks, getting people on the same page, keeping everyone on the same page
22: watch out for the quietly passive-aggressive team member
Ch. 1: The Unity Factor: The One Thing That Can't Be Left to Chance
23: people in church leadership see more of the messy side of things; Osborne's ministry did not begin well
24: unity must be a priority; biblical examples of conflict: Aaron/Miriam/Moses, Paul/Barnabas/John Mark, Eudia/Syntyche.
25: Osborne spent 2.5 years developing his ministry team
26: unify the board before staff and congregation
28–32: irreducible minimums: doctrinal unity (statement of faith), respect and friendship, and philosophical unity (priorities and methods of ministry)
29: Simon the Zealot (hated Romans) and Matthew (collaborated with Romans) were both disciples
30: determine what is not worth fighting about (doctrinally)
31: be vulnerable, give others the benefit of the doubt, and debate kindly
31: most church fights are about methodology, not doctrine
Part 1: Landmines and Roadblocks: The Traditions, Policies, and Structures That Unintentionally Sabotage Unity
Ch. 2: Why Boards Go Bad: Structured for Conflict
35–36: problems are often organizational, not spiritual
37: 5 issues to avoid: meeting in the wrong place, ignoring relationships, not meeting often enough, constant turnover, and too many members (this is the outline for the chapter)
37: environment is not neutral
39: don't think of strict business as the really important stuff—good relationships help the business parts run more smoothly; small talk, eating together, going on retreats
40: once a month may not be enough contact time
42–43: forced sabbaticals seem unwise; prayer and confrontation are biblical
43: avoid too much turnover by using one-year terms with indefinite renewals
44–45: 12 is probably the max for a good board; North Coast usually has 7–11 board members
Ch. 3: Guarding the Gate: No Guts, No Unity
47–48: guard the gate, in part, to avoid the painful process of removal, which usually includes more than just the one person involved (friends and supporters)
48: guard the gate in a way that isn't a power grab
49: pastors should be part of the nominating process
49–51: speak up or shut up (don't complain after the fact if you didn't have the courage to say something); often, a candid/courageous first comment breaks the ice, and others follow with agreement; who said what might get out, but it's better to voice a significant objection than to remain silent and have to deal with the long-term consequences
51: leaders > representatives because representatives often feel bound to lobby for special interest groups, whereas leaders focus on doing what's right for the church
52–53: "no they" rule = anonymous sources are not heard; if "they" have a problem with something, talk about who it is and what the real objection is (sometimes a perceived problem is imagined)
54–55: faithful support and hard work are not enough—spiritual maturity is a minimum requirement for leadership, not just a willing heart; don't make the qualifications impossible, but don't water them down either (e.g., a good home life is a requirement [1 Tim. 3:4–5, 12; Tit. 1:6]); "keep contentious people out of leadership" ("pit bulls for Jesus")
55: Paul and Barnabas were not aligned philosophically (ministry direction)
56: likability, listening skills, and working well with others matter greatly
58: don't settle for the best person available; it's better to have a vacancy than to get the wrong person; resumes hide weaknesses
59: outside hires have a lower rate of success; character matters more than giftedness
Ch. 4: What Game Are We Playing?: How Growth Changes Everything
61: different size cultures are different animals, not just a bigger version of the same thing
63: elders should be neither yes-men nor adversaries
64–66: different size cultures are like different sports: lone track star, tight golfing buddies, basketball team, football juggernaut; a basketball team will not have the same feel as a round of golf with friends (stars get paid more), although everyone will still know what everyone else is doing; football teams are highly specialized; growing from one size culture to another will be painful for those unwilling to adapt
67–71: signs of a changing size culture are increased numbers (obviously), relational overload (can't keep up with what everyone is doing, but trying to), and increased miscommunication; lines of communication increase exponentially as team member increases one by one
Ch. 5: Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know: Axioms to Lead By
74–75: 1. Ignore Your Weaknesses: don't ignore areas of sin, but don't put lots of time/energy into fixing something that may not be fixable; focus on strengths and opportunities; for example, a church might waste a lot of money trying to procure a new facility, while it should be focusing on hiring great staff
75–77: 2. Surveys Are a Waste of Time: people often answer surveys with what they think the right answer is, not necessarily what they'll pour themselves into; people often reject innovation and often respond with what we want, not what we need; surveys asking for volunteers are helpful
77–79: 3. Seek Permission, Not Buy-In: failure becomes more palatable
79–81: 4. Let Squeaky Wheels Squeak: you can waste a lot of time trying to pacify people who won't be pacified no matter what you do; trying to pacify them sends the message that complaining works
81–82: 5. Let Dying Programs Die: because of limited resources, focus on things that are thriving instead of trying to do too much
82–86: 6. Plan in Pencil: budgets should be flexible; streamline policies
Ch. 6: Clarifying the Pastor's Role: Why Leadership Matters
90: pastors must express personal commitment over a long period of time
92: pastors are usually the most qualified to lead (because of time and training), not the chairman of the board or other lay leaders
95–100: pastors should present good drafts (not final proposals), keep no secrets from the board, and follow the board's advice (keeps the pastor accountable)
97: pastor's shouldn't promise absolute confidentiality (people are almost always fine with it; if the pastor can keep it confidential, he will, but he may need to talk to the board/elders about it)
99: wise people follow counsel
Ch. 7: Clarifying Board and Staff Roles: Why Teamwork Matters
102–8: when a church grows, the role of the boards moves from doing, to approving (ahead of time), to reviewing (after the fact), to setting direction/boundaries; board members of a mega church can't care for spiritual needs well—that gets handled in small groups (board members act as ranches who oversee shepherds); the board still provides wise counsel, has the power to hit the brakes, and works through crises
108–10: a small church can get by with generalists, but a big church needs specialists; even specialists need to empower others instead of controlling everything
111–12: ministries must concede to each other—even with specialists, not every ministry can go full tilt, because not every ministry is a priority
Ch. 8: Making Room at the Top: Why Young Eagles Don't Stay
114: after 20 years, things start to get stale
116–19: young eagles need empowerment and a platform; titles matter; Lord's Supper led by laypeople
119–20: let young eagles into meetings and help make decisions, or they might leave
121–23: tenure shouldn't be the only criterion for leadership; sometimes leaders need to move tenured folks around to make room for younger folks
123: have a ministry retreat to evaluate the ministry
Part 2: Equipped for Ministry: Getting Everyone on the Same Page
Ch. 9: Equipped to Lead: Lobbying Isn't Training
127–28: people get suspicious when information is presented quickly right before a decision (it feels more like lobbying, not teaching)
128–29: pastors must educate their elders to avoid becoming frustrated by or cynical about the education gap
129–30: don't just train people devotionally—train them intellectually/practically as well
132: hold special training sessions separately (otherwise it won't get the time/interest it deserves)
135–36: effective training requires repetition; stages: exposure (exciting; "aha"), familiarity (information gets old for some people, but still needs to be repeated), understanding
137: good church training makes a difference in professional careers too
Ch. 10: Board Alignment: The Power of an Extra "Shepherds' Meeting"
140: shepherds' meeting is for team building, training, and prayer; no votes or business decisions
141: no minutes
143: regular board meetings get shorter because of these shepherds' meetings
144: infralapsarianism and supralapsarianism
145: limit sharing requests, pray conversationally, pray for people by name (candidly and specifically)
147: North Coast Church is so big that the board doesn't pray much for church members anymore—small groups do that
Ch. 11: Staff Alignment: Plumb Lines and Assumptions
150: "ministry plumb lines" are "organizational proverbs" that help staff make decisions
152–54: plumb lines ought to be specific, honest, and different
Ch. 12: Congregational Alignment: Preempting Conflict
159–60: story about confronting a church member who was distributing "Christian" voter guides
160–66: achieve congregational alignment with a clear and simple mission statement (urge people toward sanctification in a healthy church), a front-loaded pastor's class (three evenings), the drip method of preaching, sermon-based small groups, and short and sweet congregational meetings (annual meetings is stretched over four meetings, the final one of which is just for voting)
Part 3: Communication: Keeping Everyone on the Same Page
Ch. 13: Change Diplomacy: Minimizing Conflict and Chaos
172: "Our fiercest battles are seldom fought over theology."
four-step process to introducing change: 1) test the waters (Is dissatisfaction shared? What changes should definitely not be made? Where will resistance come from?); 2) listen and respond to resisters (don't always think of resisters as enemies, but rather advisors who help you get from good to great; work on presentation, and try again later); 3) sell your idea to individuals before groups (have some strong supporters before the public roll-out); 4) lead boldly (Is it God's will/timing? Will there be a price to pay? Who will you lose? Do you plan to stay?)
Ch. 14: Setting Salaries: Investment or Expense?
185: "It's not [always] a sign of spirituality to keep quiet."; while high salaries increase expectations (and not necessarily morale), low salaries definitely kill morale; pay top employees one dollar more than what a "competitor" would pay
186: ask what it would cost to replace someone before asking how much you can afford
188: a pastor's salary could be more like a schoolteacher's or a CEO's, depending on skill, responsibility, size of the church, etc.
Ch. 15: Talking about Money: Assumptions, Facts, and a Savings Account
192: a church savings account is wise, especially in case of a financial crisis, or a great opportunity (e.g., buying property or land)
193–96: it's actually odd for church leaders not to know who is giving what (some people to threaten to stop their giving, and it's helpful to investigate their giving habits to see how best to respond)
197: sometimes a drop in church income is due to one big giving family who moved, not a decrease in overall giving
197–98: church leaders need to give too
198–99: encourage people to grow in their giving, and thank big donors without falling prey to favoritism or manipulation
Ch. 16: When Things Go Wrong: Telling the Truth When the Truth Is Hard
201: the three most common bad situations for church leaders to deal with are moral failure, financial crisis, and releasing a well-loved but ineffective staff member
202–4 (moral failure): "the deeper you dig, the uglier it gets"; leaders often polarize into two groups, a family/protection group, and a justice group; decide ahead of time what to do, because in the heat of the moment, no one thinks straight
204–7 (financial crisis): tell the truth; don't give apologies that fail to take full responsibility; ask what happened, why it happened, and how to keep it from happening again
208–10 (releasing staff): some staff members don't do anything bad enough to be fired, but they're still a drain on the ministry; be generous with severance packages; accept responsibility (not training well, hiring the wrong person); don't over-praise as they leave (you lose credibility)
Conclusion: Final Thoughts: Sticky Teams and the Gates of Hell
211: "I wrote this book to provide some practical guidelines for building and maintaining greater unity and spiritual health within our boards, staffs, and congregations."
212: we have every reason to be optimistic/hopeful: "If Satan can't hold off the church, if our forefathers couldn't mess it up beyond repair, we won't kill it either."
Discussion Questions at the end
October 8, 2020
I listened to this on audio book.
Like a bad stock market, it started up and ended low, consistently moving that direction throughout the book.
Why read it?
-To think through your own leadership in comparison/contrast to the concrete examples and situations he interacts with.
-To hear a boatload of street-savvy leadership experience.
-To think pragmatically in the best biblical sense (This assumes you have a biblically rooted philosophy of ministry from Scripture already, something that I am not convinced the author is).
Why not read it?
If you are pragmatically disposed already and tend to discount biblical data on polity and ministry philosophy, this book will only encourage you in all the wrong ways.
-I could say more, but that just about sums it up.
The great value for me (especially early on in the book) was interacting with the street-savvy counsel and experience. If you have a strong biblical sieve, this can be a beneficial book. I give it two stars not because it was on the useless side of things (far from it), but because without a biblical philosophy of ministry, this book will simply blow you in certain pragmatic ways in church ministry.
For a great run-down of the contents, check this review out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Like a bad stock market, it started up and ended low, consistently moving that direction throughout the book.
Why read it?
-To think through your own leadership in comparison/contrast to the concrete examples and situations he interacts with.
-To hear a boatload of street-savvy leadership experience.
-To think pragmatically in the best biblical sense (This assumes you have a biblically rooted philosophy of ministry from Scripture already, something that I am not convinced the author is).
Why not read it?
If you are pragmatically disposed already and tend to discount biblical data on polity and ministry philosophy, this book will only encourage you in all the wrong ways.
-I could say more, but that just about sums it up.
The great value for me (especially early on in the book) was interacting with the street-savvy counsel and experience. If you have a strong biblical sieve, this can be a beneficial book. I give it two stars not because it was on the useless side of things (far from it), but because without a biblical philosophy of ministry, this book will simply blow you in certain pragmatic ways in church ministry.
For a great run-down of the contents, check this review out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 7, 2022
This book provided an interesting perspective on the dynamics of church leadership. While most of the application was for larger churches, there were aspects that applied to smaller congregations. I found the discussion of how the dynamics/structure changes with the size of the team especially helpful. Overall, a good discussion of the subject, but may not be the most applicable for a congregation with only a few staff members.
September 25, 2023
3.5
A lot of leadership wisdom from a pastor who has a different ministry philosophy than I do. Helpful stuff on church size dynamics, gaining and maintaining unity, the importance of plumb lines and wisely pursuing change in your church. I reject the multi-site, video church, “bigger is better” pragmatism , but there is still a lot of practical wisdom here.
A lot of leadership wisdom from a pastor who has a different ministry philosophy than I do. Helpful stuff on church size dynamics, gaining and maintaining unity, the importance of plumb lines and wisely pursuing change in your church. I reject the multi-site, video church, “bigger is better” pragmatism , but there is still a lot of practical wisdom here.
July 29, 2025
I read this book 9 years ago when I was just starting ministry and under the guidance of an abusive pastor and so I was curious to see if 1)my naivete made me like it or 2) if it was the charisma of my former pastor.
Surprisingly, reading it now after 8 years of pastoring there is a wealth of practical wisdom here that has been incredibly helpful, and despite this book turning 15 this year I'd still recommend it to new pastors for training and older pastors who feel stuck.
Surprisingly, reading it now after 8 years of pastoring there is a wealth of practical wisdom here that has been incredibly helpful, and despite this book turning 15 this year I'd still recommend it to new pastors for training and older pastors who feel stuck.
March 18, 2024
Very solid book to think through what it takes to lead a church. Very much appreciated a practical guide of leading through growth.
April 11, 2025
Overall a good book. If you’re looking structures in your ministry, this book will help. My only knock on the book is that he doesn’t support his structures with scripture.
Read
June 26, 2024Easy read, very practical. I thought the book got better the further I got into it. I would recommend to any vocational or lay leader.
April 19, 2010
From Matt Chandler's Foreword to Larry Osborne's recent book Sticky Teams:
"I'd been trained for ministry by a group of brilliant, godly men who taught me hermeneutics, Christan history, how to decline and parse Greek words, Hebrew, systematic theology, courses in Pauline literature, the Old Testament prophets, and preaching. I devoured every bit of it and learned quickly that I had a knack for theology and preaching. . . .
When I graduated, I felt I had all the information I would need to accomplish all that God would demand of me as a pastor. I had a verse for everything. . . . But my perception changed when I became lead pastor of the Village. It didn't take me long (about a month and a half) as a twenty-eight-year-old pastor to figure out that I had more to learn than I had time to learn. The gaps in my training weren't biblical, theological, or even philosophical. My gaps were it the areas of leadership and people.
In five years of theological training, we never talked about how to hire the right people or remove people who need to be removed. There was never a class on how to build a board or work with an existing board. There wasn't one seminar offered on how to set salaries, conduct performance reviews, or create clear job descriptions. Although the Scriptures taught me the spirit by which I was to interact with people and grace I was to show even my enemies, I was at a loss regrading the practical aspects of leading a team--and a team of leaders at that."
Osborne tackles a pile of practical issues regarding the unity of the board, staff and congregation, each of these in relation to themselves and the others. Part of his slant is the constant desire for church growth which of course, all things being faithful, is a good thing. But a lot of things are neutralized (such as worship styles) in order to promote it. Sadly those who despise this sort of thing also tragically neglect good administration, vision and leadership, leaving themselves susceptible to church splits, divisive leaders and stagnant congregations. Osborne has a particularly good chapter on developing young leaders, and another on training current elders. The principles throughout apply to leadership in all types of organizations.
You'll also want to know that the cover has a picture with bees on the honeycomb. My five-year-old son was pleased and smilingly commented "You are reading a book about bees, dad!" "Yes I am, son."
"I'd been trained for ministry by a group of brilliant, godly men who taught me hermeneutics, Christan history, how to decline and parse Greek words, Hebrew, systematic theology, courses in Pauline literature, the Old Testament prophets, and preaching. I devoured every bit of it and learned quickly that I had a knack for theology and preaching. . . .
When I graduated, I felt I had all the information I would need to accomplish all that God would demand of me as a pastor. I had a verse for everything. . . . But my perception changed when I became lead pastor of the Village. It didn't take me long (about a month and a half) as a twenty-eight-year-old pastor to figure out that I had more to learn than I had time to learn. The gaps in my training weren't biblical, theological, or even philosophical. My gaps were it the areas of leadership and people.
In five years of theological training, we never talked about how to hire the right people or remove people who need to be removed. There was never a class on how to build a board or work with an existing board. There wasn't one seminar offered on how to set salaries, conduct performance reviews, or create clear job descriptions. Although the Scriptures taught me the spirit by which I was to interact with people and grace I was to show even my enemies, I was at a loss regrading the practical aspects of leading a team--and a team of leaders at that."
Osborne tackles a pile of practical issues regarding the unity of the board, staff and congregation, each of these in relation to themselves and the others. Part of his slant is the constant desire for church growth which of course, all things being faithful, is a good thing. But a lot of things are neutralized (such as worship styles) in order to promote it. Sadly those who despise this sort of thing also tragically neglect good administration, vision and leadership, leaving themselves susceptible to church splits, divisive leaders and stagnant congregations. Osborne has a particularly good chapter on developing young leaders, and another on training current elders. The principles throughout apply to leadership in all types of organizations.
You'll also want to know that the cover has a picture with bees on the honeycomb. My five-year-old son was pleased and smilingly commented "You are reading a book about bees, dad!" "Yes I am, son."
August 14, 2011
Sticky Teams has been the most imminently practical book about church leadership I have read this year, hands down. For those of you unfamiliar with Larry Osborne, do you know who John C. Maxwell is? The guy who wrote The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and like a bazillion other books on leadership (no really, I checked Amazon, that number's right)? Well Larry Osborne is the John C. Maxwell of church leadership.
I know, I know, for many pastors, John C. Maxwell is the John C. Maxwell of church leadership. I can barely get through a meeting with my pastor without him referring to "the law of the lid". But in Sticky Teams, Osborne has written out of the wealth of his ministry experience to bring us what only time may show to be the definitive work on church leadership.
This is not a theological treatise on the spiritual elements of leadership. Rather, this is a ground level book that deals with all the interpersonal conflicts and miscommunication within a church. It may bother a few readers that only the occasional Bible verse is quoted, but Osborne is not addressing the doctrinal issues that sometimes divide a church. Instead, he is addressing the petty, the selfish, and the interpersonal issues—unmet or uncommunicated expectations, power shifts, undefined roles.
Osborne covers too much ground for me to give you a nice preview here, but I thought I would give you a teaser from one of my favorite chapters, "Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know". Here is his list:
1. Ignore your weaknesses
2. Surveys are a waste of time
3. Seek permission, not buy-in
4. Let squeaky wheels squeak
5. Let dying programs die
6. Plan in pencil
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Recommended for: Anyone and everyone within (or interested in) church leadership
This book was a free review copy provided by Zondervan Publishers.
I know, I know, for many pastors, John C. Maxwell is the John C. Maxwell of church leadership. I can barely get through a meeting with my pastor without him referring to "the law of the lid". But in Sticky Teams, Osborne has written out of the wealth of his ministry experience to bring us what only time may show to be the definitive work on church leadership.
This is not a theological treatise on the spiritual elements of leadership. Rather, this is a ground level book that deals with all the interpersonal conflicts and miscommunication within a church. It may bother a few readers that only the occasional Bible verse is quoted, but Osborne is not addressing the doctrinal issues that sometimes divide a church. Instead, he is addressing the petty, the selfish, and the interpersonal issues—unmet or uncommunicated expectations, power shifts, undefined roles.
Osborne covers too much ground for me to give you a nice preview here, but I thought I would give you a teaser from one of my favorite chapters, "Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know". Here is his list:
1. Ignore your weaknesses
2. Surveys are a waste of time
3. Seek permission, not buy-in
4. Let squeaky wheels squeak
5. Let dying programs die
6. Plan in pencil
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Recommended for: Anyone and everyone within (or interested in) church leadership
This book was a free review copy provided by Zondervan Publishers.
October 26, 2020
2.4 Stars
Some good but a lot of bad. Larry Osborne gives leadership and church ministry advice based on all the methods of church board ministry, seeker-sensitive ministry, and multi-site models. Osborne has some good bits of leadership advice, but he presumes too much in terms of church ecclesiology. Those who are convinced by the Scriptures that the role of the local church is to make disciples and proclaimed the preached word faithfully will find it hard to take Osborne's advice which is founded upon a lot of church growth methods. As well, Osborne sparingly uses the Scriptures and disregards the Biblical model for churches (elders and deacons) simply because they were small in size... presuming that these Biblical models do not apply to larger churches. This is perhaps Osborne's greatest fault, that he presumes that larger churches are a whole different ballgame. That somehow the Biblical rules and prescriptions for church leadership no longer apply when a church grows and that instead, we should apply the principles of business leadership.
I will be honest, there was some good in this book, but it was hard to take it all in with the bad. It was like eating a bowl of mayo with bacon bits sprinkled on top. Even though bacon tastes amazing it cannot remove the rancid taste of mayo in every bite. There are far far greater books on church leadership and ecclesiology for Christians to read that are far more faithful to the Scriptures (The Trellis and the Vine, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church).
Some good but a lot of bad. Larry Osborne gives leadership and church ministry advice based on all the methods of church board ministry, seeker-sensitive ministry, and multi-site models. Osborne has some good bits of leadership advice, but he presumes too much in terms of church ecclesiology. Those who are convinced by the Scriptures that the role of the local church is to make disciples and proclaimed the preached word faithfully will find it hard to take Osborne's advice which is founded upon a lot of church growth methods. As well, Osborne sparingly uses the Scriptures and disregards the Biblical model for churches (elders and deacons) simply because they were small in size... presuming that these Biblical models do not apply to larger churches. This is perhaps Osborne's greatest fault, that he presumes that larger churches are a whole different ballgame. That somehow the Biblical rules and prescriptions for church leadership no longer apply when a church grows and that instead, we should apply the principles of business leadership.
I will be honest, there was some good in this book, but it was hard to take it all in with the bad. It was like eating a bowl of mayo with bacon bits sprinkled on top. Even though bacon tastes amazing it cannot remove the rancid taste of mayo in every bite. There are far far greater books on church leadership and ecclesiology for Christians to read that are far more faithful to the Scriptures (The Trellis and the Vine, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church).
March 15, 2014
It's hard to believe that this small book contains so much wisdom for church leaders.
Do you have a divided board or elder team? Do you have a hard time convincing your elders, staff or congregation to go through with the radical changes you think God is leading your church to make? These problems are most likely not your church's fault or even the devil's fault. Unfortunately, the problems are probably your fault.
The good news is that all of us can grow in our leadership. Larry's helpful book on leading and aligning your board, staff and congregation shows you not only why team unity is so crucial, but also the simple steps you can take to start to build unity.
The chapter on Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know alone is worth the price of the book.
I will return to this book often for the wisdom it provides on:
-Elder board unity
-Staff alignment
-Equipping/training leaders
-Leading change
-Talking about money
-Setting salaries
-Hiring and firing
A lot of my pastor friends have this book on their shelves, but have never read it. Pick it up now... so you know what to do before the crisis hits.
Do you have a divided board or elder team? Do you have a hard time convincing your elders, staff or congregation to go through with the radical changes you think God is leading your church to make? These problems are most likely not your church's fault or even the devil's fault. Unfortunately, the problems are probably your fault.
The good news is that all of us can grow in our leadership. Larry's helpful book on leading and aligning your board, staff and congregation shows you not only why team unity is so crucial, but also the simple steps you can take to start to build unity.
The chapter on Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know alone is worth the price of the book.
I will return to this book often for the wisdom it provides on:
-Elder board unity
-Staff alignment
-Equipping/training leaders
-Leading change
-Talking about money
-Setting salaries
-Hiring and firing
A lot of my pastor friends have this book on their shelves, but have never read it. Pick it up now... so you know what to do before the crisis hits.
April 4, 2018
A couple of thoughts:
1. First, I am wary of mega churches, so some of my takeaways are likely influenced by this.
2. Overall a helpful book for thinking through the practicality of what it takes to build a leadership team and keep everyone on the same page.
3. Also good management information in general - leading your overall leadership team, staff, and church.
4. Excellent dialogue on the importance of communications, caring for staff, etc.
5. Maybe a little careless (more than he probably is in reality) when speaking of losing people. You will always have people that walk away, staff that just don’t work out, etc. But his tone seemed flippant about these at times and it calls to mind the pictures of mega churches and the people, especially burnt out and discarded staff, that they often leave in their wake. Some of the churches and pastors that recommended this book are prime examples (e.g., Mark Driscoll/Mars Hill).
But still, a helpful book when you keep in mind his context.
1. First, I am wary of mega churches, so some of my takeaways are likely influenced by this.
2. Overall a helpful book for thinking through the practicality of what it takes to build a leadership team and keep everyone on the same page.
3. Also good management information in general - leading your overall leadership team, staff, and church.
4. Excellent dialogue on the importance of communications, caring for staff, etc.
5. Maybe a little careless (more than he probably is in reality) when speaking of losing people. You will always have people that walk away, staff that just don’t work out, etc. But his tone seemed flippant about these at times and it calls to mind the pictures of mega churches and the people, especially burnt out and discarded staff, that they often leave in their wake. Some of the churches and pastors that recommended this book are prime examples (e.g., Mark Driscoll/Mars Hill).
But still, a helpful book when you keep in mind his context.
February 20, 2025
Read this back in seminary and didn’t love it—felt too practical, too business-y, not enough scripture or theology. Still weak theologically. But I have a much stronger category for natural law, “common sense” wisdom in leadership now than I did then. After pastoring for about a decade, I read it again, and loved it!
July 16, 2011
to be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this much, but it turned out to be a really insightful and practical book on cultivating unity among the leadership of the church.
February 27, 2015
Ton of practical wisdom on unity and church leadership.
January 8, 2017
Lots of practical wisdom here.
November 21, 2024
Osborne's work on church leadership/culture has some definite limitations, but within those limitations it is rather good. From my perspective those limitations include a different ministry philosophy (contemporary evangelical vs independent Baptist), a big church mindset, a tendency to pontificate, and an overall lack of Scripture. While that sentence sounds like an indictment it is not; it is context. This is a book of opinion written by the pastor of a large church whose doctrine/practice differs largely from mine. But I still found it profitable.
Why?
Because it is a wisdom-infused application of the pursuit of church unity. I've been in the independent Baptist world all my life, first as a pastor's child and now for 27 years as a pastor myself. We're (in)famous for our church splits. Yet the single biggest reason the churches I have pastored have grown/strengthened substantially is the presence of unity. We avoid drama, conflict, personality clashes, and anarchy. The result is a happy church moving forward together in the same direction.
If you don't know how to do that instinctively or thoughtfully you need to read this book. He emphasizes not only the importance of unity but goes to great lengths to explain to us how he developed it in his board, his staff, and his congregation. My assistant pastor and I read it paragraph by paragraph over some months discussing it all the while. Doing so created a fantastic venue for transferring church philosophy/culture, and building the kind of deep relationship necessary for frank discussion and long term teamwork.
If you don't understand the book has limitations it will hurt you. But if you do, and you keep it confined within those channels, it has the potential to help you very much. I commend it to your attention on those terms.
Why?
Because it is a wisdom-infused application of the pursuit of church unity. I've been in the independent Baptist world all my life, first as a pastor's child and now for 27 years as a pastor myself. We're (in)famous for our church splits. Yet the single biggest reason the churches I have pastored have grown/strengthened substantially is the presence of unity. We avoid drama, conflict, personality clashes, and anarchy. The result is a happy church moving forward together in the same direction.
If you don't know how to do that instinctively or thoughtfully you need to read this book. He emphasizes not only the importance of unity but goes to great lengths to explain to us how he developed it in his board, his staff, and his congregation. My assistant pastor and I read it paragraph by paragraph over some months discussing it all the while. Doing so created a fantastic venue for transferring church philosophy/culture, and building the kind of deep relationship necessary for frank discussion and long term teamwork.
If you don't understand the book has limitations it will hurt you. But if you do, and you keep it confined within those channels, it has the potential to help you very much. I commend it to your attention on those terms.
August 14, 2021
This book is the best in the Leadership Network series so far. I believe that is because it focuses more on teams then building churches since I disagree with the series main premise of what the purpose of the church is.
There were a lot of good one liners in this book that hold a lot of truth. One of them being “Keep contentious leaders out of leadership.” Leaders that like to cause problems have no place on a team since they rarely if ever solve problems, they just like to prevent solutions.
Another good line was “When you won’t let your team have a hand on the wheel, and only give them access to the break, expect them to keep pushing the break.” You have to give your team the ability to steer the car if you don’t want them to keep slamming on the break every time you as a leader try to start a new project or present an idea.
The author also discusses creating plum lines to help in steering the direction of your organization. You have to have narrow and specific goals to prevent your organization from going off the rails and being spread too thin. This also help to insure everyone on the team is on the same page when it comes to decision making.
Another good point that I have always said but want to reiterate since the author also says this is “If you wont be around to clean up the pieces, don’t break the dishes.” Leaders need to be willing to accept the bad consequences of their decisions as well as the good ones. Making decisions that end badly should not cause you to jump ship or blame others for the decision. It is important for leaders to stick around for the consequences of their decision, good or bad, if they want to gain the trust of their team.
There were a lot of good one liners in this book that hold a lot of truth. One of them being “Keep contentious leaders out of leadership.” Leaders that like to cause problems have no place on a team since they rarely if ever solve problems, they just like to prevent solutions.
Another good line was “When you won’t let your team have a hand on the wheel, and only give them access to the break, expect them to keep pushing the break.” You have to give your team the ability to steer the car if you don’t want them to keep slamming on the break every time you as a leader try to start a new project or present an idea.
The author also discusses creating plum lines to help in steering the direction of your organization. You have to have narrow and specific goals to prevent your organization from going off the rails and being spread too thin. This also help to insure everyone on the team is on the same page when it comes to decision making.
Another good point that I have always said but want to reiterate since the author also says this is “If you wont be around to clean up the pieces, don’t break the dishes.” Leaders need to be willing to accept the bad consequences of their decisions as well as the good ones. Making decisions that end badly should not cause you to jump ship or blame others for the decision. It is important for leaders to stick around for the consequences of their decision, good or bad, if they want to gain the trust of their team.
April 17, 2010
Enjoyed this look at improving relationships with the board, the staff and the congregation. Some of my favorite quotes include:
“I’ve found twelve members to be the absolute maximum we can handle on our board and still have full, honest, and vulnerable conversations… As I write this, we have eleven on our board, counting me and three staff elders.”
Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know: Axioms to Lead By, The six urban legends of leadership
1. Ignore your weaknesses - Why most of your weaknesses don’t matter
2. Surveys are a waste of time - Why surveys are a waste of time
3. Seek permission, not buy-in - The myth of buy-in and why it kills innovation
4. Let squeaky wheels squeak - The truth about squeaky wheels and why you don’t want to oil them
5. Let dying programs die - When it’s time for a nice Christian burial
6. Plan in pencil - Fuzzy budgets and flexible policies, why you need them and why control freaks can’t stand them
“Church harmony is inversely related to the amount of time spent oiling squeaky wheels”
“Without a commitment and willingness to cease funding and staffing the programs that no longer work, we’ll never have enough money and energy to create the future.”
“Overly restrictive constitutions and bylaws reveal a profound lack of trust…it took three years and a major rewrite of the constitution and bylaws to free up Sunday nights and Wednesday nights so that the church could launch a large-scale small group ministry.”
“At this point, it was obvious that we needed to redefine the role of our elder board in ways I’d not foreseen. First, we had to redefine our spiritual role. There were simply too many people for us to know or spiritually care for. We had to find a way to push our role as spiritual shepherds out to the front lines. In our case, that meant making sure that our small groups offered the same kind of spiritual oversight and care that we’d always seen ourselves as responsible for.”
“at North Coast Church, our small groups are the hub of our ministry and the primary vehicle for relationships, discipleship, and church health… That’s why our children’s ministry is not allowed to have a midweek program, no matter how great it might be for the kids and their ministry. We’ve found that most people will only give us two time slots per week (including the weekend worship service). If we had a midweek children’s program, the volunteer staffing needs would cut into our ability to get parents into small groups. And for the sake of the entire ministry, we believe a growing mom and dad is far more important than an awesome children’s program.”
“Real ministry takes place in small groups. A crowd is not a church. It’s impossible for the biblical ‘one another’s’ to be lived out in a large group setting dominated by casual acquaintances. Therefore, the success of our ministry will be determined by the number of people we have in small groups, not the number of people who attend our weekend services.”
“I believe the best way to reach non-Christians and disciple them to maturity is to make everything we do believer targeted and seeker friendly.”
“North Coast’s mission statement is, Making disciples in a healthy church environment. Everything we do is geared toward reaching that goal. That means we judge our success by two questions.
1 How well are we moving people along the continuum of non-Christian to fully obedient Christian? In other words, are we fulfilling both halves of the Great Commission?
2 How healthy is our church environment? Something we measure by looking at our five Ws (word, worship, witness, works, and warmth).”
“’Churches are a lot like horses. They don’t like to be startled or surprised. It causes deviant behavior.’
“He was right. The fiercest battles are seldom fought over theology. They’re fought over change, especially any change that comes as a surprise, alters a comfortable tradition, or represents a symbolic changing of the guard.”
Four Step Change Process
“I started to follow a four-step change process that I still use today when introducing any significant change or innovation to our board, staff, or congregation.”
1. Test the Waters
2. Listen and Respond to Resisters
3. Sell Your Idea to Individuals before Groups
4. Lead Boldly
“at the five-year mark of our ministry, we wanted to make home fellowships the axis of our ministry. That meant cancelling most other programs and putting all of our stock into what was at the time an unknown quantity. And soon afterward, we moved further into uncharted waters with sermon-based small groups, a lecture-lab model that takes the weekend message and digs unto it more deeply.”
“Our resisters told us that lots of people feared being stuck in geographic groupings in which they would have little in common with others except their neighborhood. They worried about studies that would be no more than sharing of ignorance or a regurgitation of the sermon. They fretted over being asked to share too deeply too quickly. And they absolutely hated the idea of being asked to divide their group after they’d started to bond. In short, they set an agenda of things for us to work on.”
“Our listening and responding to their concerns didn’t win everyone over. Some folks still dug in their heels. But listening and responding did help us put together a far better small group ministry, one that has thrived for decades.”
“Over the years, North Coast Church has gone through some huge changes. I often tell people that in terms of style and corporate culture, we’ve been three completely different churches during my tenure. Not that our message has ever changed; it hasn’t. And not that we’ve turned over or lost lots of people with a revolving-door ministry; fact is, our back door has remained relatively small.”
“Nonetheless, we’ve changed a lot. I’ve gone from suits with monogrammed shirts, to Dockers, to flip-flops and jeans. We’ve morphed from searching for excellence to thriving in an atmosphere of laid-back authenticity. Our outreach methods have changed from special “bring-your-friends-to-church” events to massive service projects that send our people out to minister in the community. And we’ve gone from being a small everybody-knows-everybody-church to being one with multiple campuses and worship venues that feature everything from gray hair and hymns to body art and giant subwoofers.”
“I’ve found twelve members to be the absolute maximum we can handle on our board and still have full, honest, and vulnerable conversations… As I write this, we have eleven on our board, counting me and three staff elders.”
Six Things Every Leadership Team Needs to Know: Axioms to Lead By, The six urban legends of leadership
1. Ignore your weaknesses - Why most of your weaknesses don’t matter
2. Surveys are a waste of time - Why surveys are a waste of time
3. Seek permission, not buy-in - The myth of buy-in and why it kills innovation
4. Let squeaky wheels squeak - The truth about squeaky wheels and why you don’t want to oil them
5. Let dying programs die - When it’s time for a nice Christian burial
6. Plan in pencil - Fuzzy budgets and flexible policies, why you need them and why control freaks can’t stand them
“Church harmony is inversely related to the amount of time spent oiling squeaky wheels”
“Without a commitment and willingness to cease funding and staffing the programs that no longer work, we’ll never have enough money and energy to create the future.”
“Overly restrictive constitutions and bylaws reveal a profound lack of trust…it took three years and a major rewrite of the constitution and bylaws to free up Sunday nights and Wednesday nights so that the church could launch a large-scale small group ministry.”
“At this point, it was obvious that we needed to redefine the role of our elder board in ways I’d not foreseen. First, we had to redefine our spiritual role. There were simply too many people for us to know or spiritually care for. We had to find a way to push our role as spiritual shepherds out to the front lines. In our case, that meant making sure that our small groups offered the same kind of spiritual oversight and care that we’d always seen ourselves as responsible for.”
“at North Coast Church, our small groups are the hub of our ministry and the primary vehicle for relationships, discipleship, and church health… That’s why our children’s ministry is not allowed to have a midweek program, no matter how great it might be for the kids and their ministry. We’ve found that most people will only give us two time slots per week (including the weekend worship service). If we had a midweek children’s program, the volunteer staffing needs would cut into our ability to get parents into small groups. And for the sake of the entire ministry, we believe a growing mom and dad is far more important than an awesome children’s program.”
“Real ministry takes place in small groups. A crowd is not a church. It’s impossible for the biblical ‘one another’s’ to be lived out in a large group setting dominated by casual acquaintances. Therefore, the success of our ministry will be determined by the number of people we have in small groups, not the number of people who attend our weekend services.”
“I believe the best way to reach non-Christians and disciple them to maturity is to make everything we do believer targeted and seeker friendly.”
“North Coast’s mission statement is, Making disciples in a healthy church environment. Everything we do is geared toward reaching that goal. That means we judge our success by two questions.
1 How well are we moving people along the continuum of non-Christian to fully obedient Christian? In other words, are we fulfilling both halves of the Great Commission?
2 How healthy is our church environment? Something we measure by looking at our five Ws (word, worship, witness, works, and warmth).”
“’Churches are a lot like horses. They don’t like to be startled or surprised. It causes deviant behavior.’
“He was right. The fiercest battles are seldom fought over theology. They’re fought over change, especially any change that comes as a surprise, alters a comfortable tradition, or represents a symbolic changing of the guard.”
Four Step Change Process
“I started to follow a four-step change process that I still use today when introducing any significant change or innovation to our board, staff, or congregation.”
1. Test the Waters
2. Listen and Respond to Resisters
3. Sell Your Idea to Individuals before Groups
4. Lead Boldly
“at the five-year mark of our ministry, we wanted to make home fellowships the axis of our ministry. That meant cancelling most other programs and putting all of our stock into what was at the time an unknown quantity. And soon afterward, we moved further into uncharted waters with sermon-based small groups, a lecture-lab model that takes the weekend message and digs unto it more deeply.”
“Our resisters told us that lots of people feared being stuck in geographic groupings in which they would have little in common with others except their neighborhood. They worried about studies that would be no more than sharing of ignorance or a regurgitation of the sermon. They fretted over being asked to share too deeply too quickly. And they absolutely hated the idea of being asked to divide their group after they’d started to bond. In short, they set an agenda of things for us to work on.”
“Our listening and responding to their concerns didn’t win everyone over. Some folks still dug in their heels. But listening and responding did help us put together a far better small group ministry, one that has thrived for decades.”
“Over the years, North Coast Church has gone through some huge changes. I often tell people that in terms of style and corporate culture, we’ve been three completely different churches during my tenure. Not that our message has ever changed; it hasn’t. And not that we’ve turned over or lost lots of people with a revolving-door ministry; fact is, our back door has remained relatively small.”
“Nonetheless, we’ve changed a lot. I’ve gone from suits with monogrammed shirts, to Dockers, to flip-flops and jeans. We’ve morphed from searching for excellence to thriving in an atmosphere of laid-back authenticity. Our outreach methods have changed from special “bring-your-friends-to-church” events to massive service projects that send our people out to minister in the community. And we’ve gone from being a small everybody-knows-everybody-church to being one with multiple campuses and worship venues that feature everything from gray hair and hymns to body art and giant subwoofers.”
December 31, 2017
One of the concerns I suppose I had when I cracked this book open was that it might be too dependent on having read "Sticky Church" by Larry Osborne. Authors will often find that one successful book and idea and then just write books that lean so heavily against that concept with a few additional ideas that it could almost have been consolidated as an additional chapter in that book. Not this!
Osborne does such a great job of expounding on the various areas in which a sticky team is built and maintained. He catalogs his experiences not as proof of his ideas and argument against anything to the contrary but as simple examples that lend credibility and substance to the things he's saying. His writing is approachable and relationally driven and yet you can clearly tell that he possesses the wisdom and depth of a leader of a large church who can manage it well.
I highlighted much of this book and even still struggled because there were full sections and chapters that I wanted to share with others. So I suppose I'm just going to have to get a few extra copies to put on my shelf for giving to others.
Osborne does such a great job of expounding on the various areas in which a sticky team is built and maintained. He catalogs his experiences not as proof of his ideas and argument against anything to the contrary but as simple examples that lend credibility and substance to the things he's saying. His writing is approachable and relationally driven and yet you can clearly tell that he possesses the wisdom and depth of a leader of a large church who can manage it well.
I highlighted much of this book and even still struggled because there were full sections and chapters that I wanted to share with others. So I suppose I'm just going to have to get a few extra copies to put on my shelf for giving to others.
August 7, 2012
Summary
Osborne focuses this book upon the “big three” team-building relationships a pastor must deal with and that are crucial to a healthy church. These three relationships are: the board, who have the power to make or break a ministry, the staff, which is usually comprised of paid ministers and support staff, and the congregation, comprising all others who participate in the life of the church. Each group needs a strategy of its own, plus an intentional way of interfacing with the other groups. To help these three groups, Osborne divides Sticky Teams into three parts, each designed to promote long-term unity and health in local church, which a special emphasis placed on the elder council, staff, and congregation. Osborne stresses the three pillars of unity which includes doctrinal unity, respect and friendship, and philosophical unity.
In part one, titled “Landmines and Roadblocks,” the author sets his sights on five roadblocks to unity: meeting in the wrong place, ignoring relationships, not meeting often enough, constant turnover, and too many members. More importantly, he discusses strategies for avoiding these landmines and for getting around the roadblocks, including "guarding the gate," as well as philosophical and relational unity. The second part, titled “Equipped for Ministry,” develops the importance of ministry alignment, mission, values, and methods. Specific chapters deal with board, staff, and congregational alignment. Osborne also discusses five keys for maintaining the health of a given church: a clear and simple mission statement, a front-loaded pastor's class, the “drip” method of preaching – where the core values and vision of the church are included in the regular preaching diet – sermon-based small groups, and short congregational meetings. Finally, Osborne includes a host of practical suggestions regarding keeping everyone on the same page in part three, “Communication.” He places a special emphasis on the controversial areas and issues of ministry – such as setting salaries and difficult staff members – the places where communication most easily breaks down.
Strengths
While acknowledging that there is no single right way to run a church, this book provides plenty of creative ideas for overcoming many different obstacles, and the discussion questions at the end make it suitable for church leadership teams to work their way through. Osborne is very pragmatic, and thus this book is chalk full of applicable nuggets of wisdom. Along with these opinions, his biases, style and philosophy come through loud and clear. Yet most times they do not cloud the outstanding principles of building, developing and serving with staff and board teams. In fact, Osborne’s willingness for honesty and authenticity endears the reader to him throughout the book.
Weaknesses
Sticky Teams is intentionally not heavy on leadership theory, but rather on leadership practice. Whereas on the one hand this contributes to the strengths mentioned above, it also carries with it inherent weaknesses. Osborne explains and advocates what has worked well for North Coast, which means that results may vary in different contexts. In some cases, readers will need more detailed guidance in how to execute some of the suggestions. The key thing is to find those practices that work well to maintain unity in your church, factoring in things like your church's denomination or tradition and its size.
Takeaways
Among the many insights that I gleaned from Sticky Teams, some that stood out include:
- Growth changes everything. The structure that was once great for a church at one size can be constricting, stifling, and even disastrous at another level of church growth. Leadership teams and congregations that fail to grasp and adapt to these changes will remain stuck at whatever level for which they work best, or worse will diminish due to constant friction against their “lid.” Using the sports analogies of track star, golfing buddies, basketball team, and football team, Osborne relates how elder and staff roles must shift as a church grows and becomes more complex.
- The “no theys” rule. The opinions of unknown members in the congregation can easily haunt and derail church leaders. Yet, much of the time, those who protect themselves behind the label of anonymity are not formidable, and might not exist at all. By not allowing anonymous opinions into consideration, leaders can address critiques from a level field and with better understanding of what they are facing.
- Guarding the gate. The best way to deal with bad and dysfunctional leaders is to keep them from becoming leaders in the first place. Osborne shares a valuable principle when he tells the story with the punch line: “If you don’t have the guts to speak up on the front end, you don’t have the right to complain on the back end.” Leaders need to make sure that they are the driving force of the selection process for other leaders, and maintain strict standards of spiritual maturity and cohesiveness with the team.
- Surveys are a waste of time. Surveys do not give leaders what they hope. Instead of giving honest answers, surveyors often give the answers they feel are expected – even if the survey is anonymous. In addition, the direction of ministries and congregations should not be given over to popular vote. Most people do not even know what they want, much less what they need. It is the leader’s job to set vision for the congregation.
With so many takeaways like these, Sticky Teams is one of the best “nuts-and-bolts” resources I have read for effective, mission-focused relationships between elders, ministry staff, deacons, volunteers, and the congregation as a whole. It would be difficult to find a more readable introduction to the full range of issues on building relationships and aligning all these areas toward effective mission fulfillment. If I ever have someone who asks for resources concerning how to effectively manage the different groups within a church, I will point them to this book first.
Osborne focuses this book upon the “big three” team-building relationships a pastor must deal with and that are crucial to a healthy church. These three relationships are: the board, who have the power to make or break a ministry, the staff, which is usually comprised of paid ministers and support staff, and the congregation, comprising all others who participate in the life of the church. Each group needs a strategy of its own, plus an intentional way of interfacing with the other groups. To help these three groups, Osborne divides Sticky Teams into three parts, each designed to promote long-term unity and health in local church, which a special emphasis placed on the elder council, staff, and congregation. Osborne stresses the three pillars of unity which includes doctrinal unity, respect and friendship, and philosophical unity.
In part one, titled “Landmines and Roadblocks,” the author sets his sights on five roadblocks to unity: meeting in the wrong place, ignoring relationships, not meeting often enough, constant turnover, and too many members. More importantly, he discusses strategies for avoiding these landmines and for getting around the roadblocks, including "guarding the gate," as well as philosophical and relational unity. The second part, titled “Equipped for Ministry,” develops the importance of ministry alignment, mission, values, and methods. Specific chapters deal with board, staff, and congregational alignment. Osborne also discusses five keys for maintaining the health of a given church: a clear and simple mission statement, a front-loaded pastor's class, the “drip” method of preaching – where the core values and vision of the church are included in the regular preaching diet – sermon-based small groups, and short congregational meetings. Finally, Osborne includes a host of practical suggestions regarding keeping everyone on the same page in part three, “Communication.” He places a special emphasis on the controversial areas and issues of ministry – such as setting salaries and difficult staff members – the places where communication most easily breaks down.
Strengths
While acknowledging that there is no single right way to run a church, this book provides plenty of creative ideas for overcoming many different obstacles, and the discussion questions at the end make it suitable for church leadership teams to work their way through. Osborne is very pragmatic, and thus this book is chalk full of applicable nuggets of wisdom. Along with these opinions, his biases, style and philosophy come through loud and clear. Yet most times they do not cloud the outstanding principles of building, developing and serving with staff and board teams. In fact, Osborne’s willingness for honesty and authenticity endears the reader to him throughout the book.
Weaknesses
Sticky Teams is intentionally not heavy on leadership theory, but rather on leadership practice. Whereas on the one hand this contributes to the strengths mentioned above, it also carries with it inherent weaknesses. Osborne explains and advocates what has worked well for North Coast, which means that results may vary in different contexts. In some cases, readers will need more detailed guidance in how to execute some of the suggestions. The key thing is to find those practices that work well to maintain unity in your church, factoring in things like your church's denomination or tradition and its size.
Takeaways
Among the many insights that I gleaned from Sticky Teams, some that stood out include:
- Growth changes everything. The structure that was once great for a church at one size can be constricting, stifling, and even disastrous at another level of church growth. Leadership teams and congregations that fail to grasp and adapt to these changes will remain stuck at whatever level for which they work best, or worse will diminish due to constant friction against their “lid.” Using the sports analogies of track star, golfing buddies, basketball team, and football team, Osborne relates how elder and staff roles must shift as a church grows and becomes more complex.
- The “no theys” rule. The opinions of unknown members in the congregation can easily haunt and derail church leaders. Yet, much of the time, those who protect themselves behind the label of anonymity are not formidable, and might not exist at all. By not allowing anonymous opinions into consideration, leaders can address critiques from a level field and with better understanding of what they are facing.
- Guarding the gate. The best way to deal with bad and dysfunctional leaders is to keep them from becoming leaders in the first place. Osborne shares a valuable principle when he tells the story with the punch line: “If you don’t have the guts to speak up on the front end, you don’t have the right to complain on the back end.” Leaders need to make sure that they are the driving force of the selection process for other leaders, and maintain strict standards of spiritual maturity and cohesiveness with the team.
- Surveys are a waste of time. Surveys do not give leaders what they hope. Instead of giving honest answers, surveyors often give the answers they feel are expected – even if the survey is anonymous. In addition, the direction of ministries and congregations should not be given over to popular vote. Most people do not even know what they want, much less what they need. It is the leader’s job to set vision for the congregation.
With so many takeaways like these, Sticky Teams is one of the best “nuts-and-bolts” resources I have read for effective, mission-focused relationships between elders, ministry staff, deacons, volunteers, and the congregation as a whole. It would be difficult to find a more readable introduction to the full range of issues on building relationships and aligning all these areas toward effective mission fulfillment. If I ever have someone who asks for resources concerning how to effectively manage the different groups within a church, I will point them to this book first.
January 30, 2019
This book was a timely read for me, courtesy of my brother-in-law.
I think this is one of those books that one shouldn't touch unless they are in the nitty-gritty of making structural decisions for a church and part of a board of some sort. Ignorance is bliss in that case.
I appreciated the candor and practicality in this book. It was no-fluff, take-it-or-leave-it, and super helpful precisely because at times there are issues that are both physical and spiritual, and I've observed for myself that when I don't understand the physical aspect, I opt to hyperspiritualize the situation and I'm learning that that type of response isn't necessarily the best either.
While I'm not a pastor by any means, there are helpful things to take away regardless of whatever church I'll be a part of in the future, and I'm thankful that a book like this exists that's tailored for people in that context rather than in secular businesses because it does come with unique challenges.
I think this is one of those books that one shouldn't touch unless they are in the nitty-gritty of making structural decisions for a church and part of a board of some sort. Ignorance is bliss in that case.
I appreciated the candor and practicality in this book. It was no-fluff, take-it-or-leave-it, and super helpful precisely because at times there are issues that are both physical and spiritual, and I've observed for myself that when I don't understand the physical aspect, I opt to hyperspiritualize the situation and I'm learning that that type of response isn't necessarily the best either.
While I'm not a pastor by any means, there are helpful things to take away regardless of whatever church I'll be a part of in the future, and I'm thankful that a book like this exists that's tailored for people in that context rather than in secular businesses because it does come with unique challenges.
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