The Externally Focused Quest

A practical approach for leaders to guide their congregations to become more externally focused The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community is designed for church leaders who want to transform their churches to become less internally focused and more oriented to the world around them. The book includes the clear guidelines on the ten changes congregations must adopt to become truly outwardly focused. This book is not about getting all churches to have an annual day of community service as a tactic but changing the core of who they are and how they see themselves as a part of their community. * Outlines the ten changes needed for church leaders to transform their churches * Presents a highly practical approach that shows leaders how to become more externally focused without having to give up programs that serve members * A new volume in the popular Leadership Network Series This book reveals what it takes to make the major shift from an internal to external focus and how that affects church leadership.

ERIC SWANSON is a missional leadership specialist with Leadership Network, leading initiatives with externally focused churches that are missionally engaging their communities, cities, and the world. With Rick Rusaw he is the cofounder of the Externally Focused Network. RICK RUSAW is the senior pastor at LifeBridge Christian Church and an innovative leader, speaker, author, and trainer. With Eric he is the cofounder of the Externally Focused Network. Eric Swanson and Rick Rusaw are coauthors of The Externally Focused Church and The Externally Focused Life. They frequently speak and train at seminars and conferences on missional/externally focused churches. ABOUT LEADERSHIP NETWORK The mission of Leadership Network identifies and connects innovative church leaders, providing them with resources in the form of new ideas, people, and tools. Contact Leadership Network at www.leadnet.org.

About Leadership Network. Acknowledgments Foreword (Alan Hirsch). Introduction. Chapter 1: What Kind of Day Is Today? Chapter 2: Focus: They Choose the Window Seat, Not the Aisle Seat. Chapter 3: Purpose: They Practice Weight Training, Not Bodybuilding. Chapter 4: Story: They Live in the Kingdom Story, Not a Church Story. Chapter 5: Missions: The Few Send the Many, Not the Many Send the Few. Chapter 6: Partnering: They Build Wells, Not Walls. Chapter 7: Systems: They Create Paradigms, Not Programs. Chapter 8: Evangelism: They Deploy Kingdom Laborers, Not Social Workers. Chapter 9: Creativity: They Innovate, Not Replicate. Chapter 10: Outcomes: It's About the Game, Not the Pregame Talk. Notes. The Authors.