A moving story, told in Ken Blanchard's appealing parable style, of how a local church can rise above mediocrity to become a beacon of love in their community. In this newly revised version, Lead like Jesus for Churches (formerly The Most Loving Place in Town ) is the story of two men; a disillusioned church elder and a gifted young pastor, who recognize that their church has lost sight of its number one priority: loving God and each other. They begin a search—independently at first—to recapture their lost love and then together lead their fellowship in a successful discovery of the secret to becoming a beacon of love in their community. By the end of the story you clearly see why this secret—so simple yet so profound—is vital and how to apply it to the life of your church. Ken Blanchard is the coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and fifty other books, including the New York Times business bestsellers Gung Ho! and Raving Fans. His books have combined sales of more than eighteen million copies in more than twenty-seven languages. He is the chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a full-service global management training and development company that he and his wife, Dr. Marjorie Blanchard, founded in 1979. Phil Hodges served as manager of human resources and industrial relations in the United States business world for about thirty-six years. He is the co-author of three books: Leadership by the Book by Ken Blanchard with Bill Hybels and The Servant Leader and Lead Like Jesus by KenBlanchard. Lead Like Jesus for Churches Loving God and Loving Each Other By Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges Thomas Nelson Copyright © 2016 Lead Like Jesus All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-7180-7638-2 Contents Acknowledgments, 1, CHAPTER 1 The Letter, 3, CHAPTER 2 Phone Call, 11, CHAPTER 3 Love Lost, 19, CHAPTER 4 Blind Spots Revealed, 25, CHAPTER 5 A Rocking Chair Revelation, 37, CHAPTER 6 A Bedside Blessing, 41, CHAPTER 7 Forgiven Much, Love More, 51, CHAPTER 8 A Roadblock to Love, 61, CHAPTER 9 Reaching Out, 67, CHAPTER 10 Finding Self-Worth, 75, CHAPTER 11 Building His Church, 81, CHAPTER 12 A Chance Encounter?, 89, CHAPTER 13 The Leader Jesus Had in Mind, 101, CHAPTER 14 A Meeting of Hearts and Minds, 105, CHAPTER 15 Love-Based Leadership, 111, CHAPTER 16 The Challenge of Change, 117, CHAPTER 17 Love Revealed, 125, CHAPTER 18 Calling in the Elders, 133, CHAPTER 19 Taking Inventory, 141, CHAPTER 20 Gathered in His Name, 151, CHAPTER 21 Love Endures, 159, Discussion Guide, 163, About the Authors, 183, CHAPTER 1 THE LETTER "Thank the Lord for term limits," Tim Manning muttered to himself as he looked down at the agenda from last night's meeting of the Beacon Hill Community Church Elder Council. Three months from finishing his third consecutive two-year term as church chairman, Tim was ineligible to serve a fourth term. Although ambivalent about leaving office, he had to admit that it was good that he go. He still cared passionately about the church and was gratified by many things that had happened during his term in office. But he was worn out. After eighty-two council meetings, twenty-three congregational business meetings, and countless daily phone calls, e-mails, and coffee-shop meetings, he was ready to turn over leadership responsibilities to the next "suffering servant." Tim had no idea that his most important leadership journey with the church would begin in a matter of moments. As Tim reviewed the agenda, he paused at the third item: "Beacon Hill 30th Anniversary Celebration — Planning Update." It was a bit unusual to hold a thirtieth anniversary celebration. But his predecessor had abruptly shelved plans for a twenty-fifth anniversary celebration when the head pastor was fired for participating in local demonstrations against the war. The extreme tension that had permeated the church at that time precluded any attempts at joyful celebration. In the aftermath, attendance had dropped. There was a significant loss of financial support when some long-term members left the church over the pastor's firing. Budget talks became competitive, contentious, and sometimes downright nasty. As the new incoming chairman, Tim, along with the rest of the leadership team, had spent a lot of time and effort to prevent an out-and-out split in the church. Emotions ran high. Walls went up between the opposing sides of the decision to fire the pastor. When the furor calmed down, cold politeness froze over an undercurrent of deep anger and hurt. It had been a time of testing that brought Tim to his knees, asking God for the patience and wisdom not to respond out of his own pride, fear, and frustration. With the passage of time and the departure of some of the more bitter members of the congregation, the church slowly began to heal. The arrival of Mike Reston, a gifted young pastor with clear doctrine and an engaging preaching style, further buoyed up the spirits of the con