Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose
by Stephen Lewis, Matthew Wesley Williams, and Dori Grinenko Baker
Foreword by Parker J. Palmer
Learn to live and lead profound change in the world.
If you are discerning your own purpose, accompanying others on their path, or leading organizational change, Another Way is for you. In this unique leadership book about engaging wholeheartedly in profound change, you'll learn to lead in a way that is deeply connected to your inner well-being as well as your communities of accountability.
Another Way shares four adaptable practices (C.A.R.E.) to help you facilitate change in yourself, your community, and the world. When this kind of leadership happens, people experience community, find joy in one another, and create a better future from the deep reservoir of their souls.
Another Way:
- Guides you through enacting the CARE Practices, an acronym for four practices that help individuals and communities lead lasting change for good, out of the deep places where soul resides.
- Shows you how to move from critical reflection on what is to intentional action around what could be.
- Uses story and commentary from real life experiences to help you activate your role in creating the future you long to inhabit and a future worthy of generations yet to come.
- Provides end-of-chapter discussion questions for individual leaders, organizational leaders, and those who accompany young adults exploring their leadership potential.
Written by the leaders of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE), the national leadership incubator for emerging Christian leaders, Another Way will shape the way you look at yourself, your leadership, and the communities that hold you accountable to making the world a better place.
Listen to the ‘Slowing Down to Find Another Way’ Podcast Series
Book Trailer
Endorsements
"Another Way is a deeply timely, insightful, and provocative must read for people and leaders who seek to be change agents across vocations and sectors. In an age in which values-centered and servant leadership has increasingly become the exception rather than the norm, the CARE approach provides a profound road map for connecting the inner journey with outer change and a guide to transform ourselves so we can more faithfully transform our communities, our organizations, and world."―Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, Executive Director, Sojourners and author of Mobilizing Hope
"In this moment of swift transitions, I'm grateful for the ministry of FTE. The model of leadership and discernment that Stephen, Matthew and Dori have developed there is a gift to all of us. Receive it and know that there is Another Way."―Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Pastor at Greenleaf Christian Church and President of Repairers of the Breach
"I love it! The formula is so simple, so elegant and so effective. I wish that I'd had this resource when I was leading a seminary. It would have made such a difference."―Barbara A. Holmes, President Emerita, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
"The practices you will encounter here are deeply rooted in ancient traditions that most of us have forgotten. Another Way offers alternatives to people who love God but have fallen out of love with religion. Here you will find a way of re-engaging the Way of Jesus and exploring what that means, both at a personal and organizational level. Perhaps most importantly it grounds this exploration in voices and experiences of Black folk, addressing a long-standing gap in the literature on leadership, vocation, and the future of Christian faith."―Richard Rohr, OFM, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation
"Brilliantly crafted, Another Way is a master class on facilitation and collaborative learning. When you are ready to stop running from your purpose, sacrificing your wellbeing, and denying the changes occurring in and around you, settle in for this journey…choose Another Way." ―Gregory C. Ellison II, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Founder of Fearless Dialogues
"In a world where communication has been reduced to 140 character sound bites, Stephen Lewis, Matthew Williams and Dori Baker offer us Another Way, a way to sink into the silence of beloved community to allow the authentic to emerge from an experience of shared wisdom and trust.” ―Bishop Karen Oliveto, The United Methodist Church, author of Together at the Table
"This is a book that we have longed for! The wise authors guide readers to find new ways of being prophetic and compassionate leaders through countercultural, communal, soul-connecting and life honoring processes. The structure of the book itself serves as a powerful teaching tool as it embodies what the authors present as an alternative communal leadership model! This book is for leaders who truly care about people and our world!" ―The Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Iliff School of Theology
"This book is a manifesto for transformative, life-giving, soul-soothing, spirit-led leadership. Confronted by the ways in which their work 'deepened the privilege of the privileged,' the authors invite us to accompany them as they explore assumptions, uncover toxic theologies, wade into hard truths and experiment collectively to redefine leadership, rethink process and practices and reimagine “the next most faithful step.” A challenging and creative resource for all those seeking to build and sustain justice-seeking beloved communities joining God in the repair of the world."―Rev. Janet Wolf, Public Theology and Nonviolent Organizing, Children’s Defense Fund
"A refreshing blend of story, theology, and practice. Lewis, Williams, and Baker challenge, guide, and invite readers to align their personal lives and the organizations they lead to imagine another way. Unlike business models of organizational change, Another Way reminds us God is and is in the process of vocational discernment and institutional alignment." ―Kathy Khang, author of Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up
"The authors and their colleagues have transformed the Forum for Theological Education from a traditional funding organization to an intersectional, engaging and lively incubator of the next generation of ecclesial leadership. FTE gatherings and fellowships are strategically building capacity, deepening conviction and nurturing courage, especially with and for communities of color. This book shows how and why; must-read for anyone working toward a future for the church."―Ched Myers, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries, author of Watershed Discipleship: Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice