The long-awaited Lead by Karl Martin officially releases today!
We released a limited number of advance copies of Lead and asked fifty or so people – people who have direct first-hand experience of Karl Martin’s leadership, people who will spot an insincere assertion, people who will rib Karl for an exaggerated story, a mile off. Even people who are in the book themselves.
We asked them to give us an honest review of Lead. Those reviews are now starting to come in and I’ve been nervous. But, so far so good. Each one has been thoughtful, insightful, appreciative. Some have highlighted things I hadn’t seen, hadn’t realised.
We’re posting reviews in full here, one a day, but will put highlights on social media.
The first one comes from John Storey, a long standing member of the congregation, who was first to submit his review, and so this, rightly, will be the first to be posted.
‘I had an early read of Karl Martin’s new book, Lead – it is a brilliant book on leadership in the church today. Thoroughly immersed in Scripture, it is based around John’s gospel chapters 13 through to 21. Karl uses his experience leading churches in Leeds and Edinburgh, so it is entirely practical, and enlivened with stories and anecdotes, some amusing, all relevant and telling.
It isn’t all about success, either. Karl works through learning from your failures, and how to help upcoming leaders who make mistakes. In that section he talks about people who leave his church for various reasons and notes, “I will probably have others leave after reading this book”. I think that is unlikely! Rather the book endeared the writer, his team …. and indeed his family, to me!
Amusing, thoughtful, full of helpful insight, this is Karl Martin at his best. He draws you in, so you think of working it out for yourself – the advice to get a dog (for more thinking time!) may not work for you …!
By the way, the foreword is only 2 pages, and is worth reading in its own right – it certainly resonated with me. And be sure to add Lead to your ‘must read’ list for 2017!’
John Storey
