Leading a local church is an exciting yet demanding task. And my years as the pastor of smaller churches convinced me that shepherding a small to medium size congregation demands a variety of leadership skills not required of the mega-church pastor.

I also learned that the activities and needs of a church demand the full attention of the leader. In effect, the church becomes his or her life. As a result, the church leader has a difficult time looking outward to the community and the world. Leading in outreach and missions is a challenge when there are so many needs within the congregation.

The Amazing Potential of One Surrendered Church is intended to be a tool in the leader's hands that will provide ways to think externally. The story of the church at Antioch, told in Acts 11 and 13, provide principles that today's leaders can emulate. The book is perfect for leadership meetings in that each chapter gives a bite-sized concept that can be discussed and prayed about. And in our rapidly changing demographics, the example of Antioch help us see the opportunity to reach out and welcome people of different cultural background than the majority of our members. This study can therefore provide the first steps toward becoming a multi-ethnic church that better reflects the community.