William M. Easum and Thomas G. Bandy, Growing Spiritual Redwoods. Abingdon Press, 1997.
Referenced in: Strategies for Congregational Renewal – Easum and Bandy’s Diagnostic on Thriving Congregations
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Bill Easum and Tom Bandy have written extensively on how congregations may position themselves for effective ministry in the twenty-first century. For a complete layout of their model, and how each of their volumes contributes to its development, see the resource guide on the Easum and Bandy System.
Growing Spiritual Redwoods is a thorough explanation of the identity, mission, and organization of the kind of church that can thrive in the twenty-first century pre-Christian environment. It is the foundation of the Easum/Bandy model.
Growing Spiritual Redwoods begins by describing the “cultural forest” surrounding the church. It is a radically shifting environment that forces congregations to shift attitudes, metaphors, processes, structures, theology, and leadership to address the twenty-first century pre-Christian era (vs. twentieth century Christendom). From there, it presents separate chapters on the characteristics of spiritual redwoods that, just like the giant species, can thrive and grow large in this new and challenging cultural forest. These include:
- A passion for a transforming experience of Jesus and a connection with the genuine spiritual yearnings of our time.
- Indigenous worship with multiple options that honor the diversity of the missional context and that have a specific focus of transforming lives (a hallmark of Easum/Bandy).
- Organizational models that celebrate life transformation, release mission, nurture leadership, and make disciples (discusses vision, values, beliefs, mission)
- A chaos of vitality where every cell, including the smallest groups in the church and every ministry or staff team, deepens faith and builds relationship, and in which every team births mission and proclaims God.
- Spiritual leaders who function as midwives whose holy intuitions detect in others what they have not seen in themselves and then help them give birth to the potential which God has created in them.
Growing Spiritual Redwoods is a compelling description of congregational life. Even if readers do not share Easum’s assumptions about culture or agree with all of his suggestions, they will walk away from this book awakened out of institutional slumber and into a fresh and transformative view of kingdom potential.
See the Resource Guide for other volumes in the Easum/Bandy system.
From the Publisher
Growing Spiritual Redwoods is an effort to help church leaders answer the kinds of questions that confront congregations and Christians in this era of rapid and uncertain change in the church, questions such as: Are you committed to Jesus Christ, or to a particular doctrine, denomination, or church? Do you speak of faith as an experience of Christ, or as a heritage that you protect? Do you believe that ministry is to make disciples or members? William Easum and Thomas Bandy believe that deep spiritual vitality and an openness to the new thing that God is doing will characterize the “spiritual redwoods” that emerge from this time of change. Congregations to whom this term can be applied do not spring spontaneously into existence, nor are they built in a mechanical, by-the-numbers fashion. Instead, they are grown, and providing the environment that will grow these vigorous centers of witness and mission is the crucial task of church leadership in our time. Some of the components of this task include: Cultivating the passion for the transforming experience of Jesus, in individuals and in church communities. Enabling worship that feeds new life in multiple ways, and which is indigenous to the forest from which spiritual redwoods grow. Nurturing organisms designed to release mission, make disciples, deepen faith, and proclaim God.
About the Authors
Bill Easum is Senior Consultant with 21st Century Strategies and is one of the most highly respected church consultants and Christian futurists in North America. Bill has been a pioneer in the church growth movement, with 35 years of pastoral ministry in four churches and two denominations. During his 24 years at Colonial Hills Church in San Antonio, the church grew from 35 in worship to over 1,000, with 2,200 members. His record of evangelization and social justice ministries has been acknowledged by the Industrial Areas Foundation in New York as one of the finest records in North America. Bill is a graduate of Baylor University, B.A., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, M.Div., and Perkins School of Theology, S.T.M. Bill and his wife Jan have one daughter, Caran. Bill’s main vice is he loves to salt water fish and then let the fish go.
Thomas G. Bandy is a leadership mentor and consultant for faith-based organizations. He is the author of more than fourteen books and numerous articles, including Why Should I Believe in You? (Abingdon Press) and Talisman: Global Positioning for the Soul (Chalice Press). He has been a pastor, teacher, lecturer in philosophical theology, and national denominational leader in the United States and Canada. he is now an internationally known workshop and conference leader.
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