This book was recommended to me by the CEF director for the state of Maine. Our morning staff devotions at camp were a guided exploration of this book.

Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders is precisely the leadership book which is needed in many churches. Many current leadership books that have been recommended to me focus on things like church growth, organization, and other external qualities of a church. This book focuses instead on many of the inner qualities that make a true leader in the eyes of God.

Sanders starts off his book with a comparison of an Old Testament verse and a New Testament verse that seem to be in contradiction:

The Old Testament verse is 45:5And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”Jeremiah 45:5, which begins, "And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not."

Sanders points out that our western, American view of leadership is vastly different from the first century view; we see a pastoral calling as a matter of power and prestige, while first century Christians saw it as a dangerous position of service. And with that, Sanders sweeps away the seeming paradox, and highlights one of the biggest spiritual issues that western leaders may face: the siren call of power and prestige.

Read this book whether you're a pastor or simple (as the subtitle says), "every believer." The principles in this book are for you.