Book Review: "Steering Through Chaos"

I recently received a copy of Scott Wilson's new book, Steering Through Chaos: Mapping a Clear Direction for Your Church in the Midst of Transition and Change from Zondervan Publishers.  I was asked to give it a read and share my thoughts with everyone I knew.  That is what I look to do in this post.

Steering Through Chaos is a book for those in leadership positions in ministry who have to deal with the "chaos" of different seasons of ministry.  Whether you like it or not, in church-life, change is a part of life.  Seasons of change can be very scary and intimidating.  Wilson does a great job in sharing some of the wisdom that he has learned in his 20+ years of ministry.  He shares 9 key elements to steering through the chaos of changes in church-life: Vision, Timing Change for Growth, Authenticity, Corporate Prayer, Recognizing & Avoiding Obstacles, Celebration, Finding a Great Coach, Keeping the Vision Fresh, and Endurance.

Personally, I found the book a very good read.  It didn't take me long at all to work my way through the entire book.  I really liked how he tied in personal stories to help illustrate points.  Another great feature that this book had was the questions at the end of each chapter.  These help to chew on the content of the chapter more and drive it home.  The articles from other church leaders in the trenches were scattered throughout and helpful.  The chapters on Celebration, Finding a Great Coach, and Endurance were the ones that stood out to me most because of where I am in ministry right now.

I would recommend this book to any person in ministry.  With "change" being a vital part of ministry, this book is a helpful tool to help "steer through the chaos" of that change.