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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Journeys

Life is not just one journey; it is several journeys, each culminating with valuable lessons that build toward our final breath and eternal destination.

My newest book has just been released, it is called Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the life of Paul. If you have read any of my other books and think you know what I have to say, this book will be a surprise. It is written in a different manner (more narrative) and does not have the deconstructive elements often associated with some of my other books. It is also one of the shortest books I have written and easy to read in a relatively short time. It is not about church as much as about those who live a missional life, regardless of your church affiliation or preference.

Following the life of Paul from start to finish this book shows how a person of influence is formed by God and shaped to have greater significance and ultimately to finish well. Any person who wants to make a difference in this world will find the book meaningful.

Not only does Journeys provide a unique understanding of Paul's story in Acts, but it also provides new vocabulary for all of us about how God forms us for a life of influence. One can identify with the various stages of life development that the book describes and understand what lessons are most important at those phases of maturity. Wherever you are on the formation of your life, this book will explain some of the basic life lessons for that stage and also shed light on what is to come if you courageously follow the path through the current journey you find yourself in. It is not so much prescriptive, as it is descriptive of leadership formation in general and of Paul in specific. It is practical without putting all leaders in a single box.

If you are a leader who desires to finish strong, you will find this book valuable. If you are interested in the book of Acts and the apostle Paul, this book will provide a fresh perspective and uncommon observations that will allow Paul to be more accessible as a flesh and blood example that you can follow. If you are a leader that is trying to figure out what in the heck God is doing in your current situation, this book may offer some helpful explanation. If you are a mentor to others and want to understand how leaders are formed and what is important at each stage of maturation, this book will grant you helpful insight. If you are interested in missional church movements this book will provide a biblical basis for how multiplication movements are catalyzed and spread.

Based upon a life-time of solid research by Dr. J. Robert Clinton as well as very thorough research from the book of Acts and the Pauline Epistles, this book provides real practical lessons for leaders in any stage of development. It has taken me 16 years of research, experience and lots of mistakes to write this book, and because of that it is very dear to me. I think you will find it fresh and challenging.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Really looking forward to reading this!

John Barcanic said...

Having read Making of a Leader, by Clinton, as well as your earlier works, I really look forward to journeying together in this new one. There is certainly a need for a practical study of the stages of leadership formation from a biblical point of view. Thanks in advance for your contribution.

Neil Cole said...

Hope you like it. Please let me know what you think.

John Barcanic said...

Had to read the book twice. The first time because I was so interested in your study of Paul's life and ministry, and the second to actually think about my own experiences and development as a leader.

Thanks, Neil, for this insightful book. It has been helpful in recentering me on Christ and the gospel rather than only the leadership wisdom of this age. The emphasis on who I am as a leader rather than what I do was particularly helpful to me.

John Barcanic said...

Had to read the book twice. The first time because I was so interested in your study of Paul's life and ministry, and the second to actually think about my own experiences and development as a leader.

Thanks, Neil, for this insightful book. It has been helpful in recentering me on Christ and the gospel rather than only the leadership wisdom of this age. The emphasis on who I am as a leader rather than what I do was particularly helpful to me.