Leading a Life with God: The Practice of Spiritual Leadership

People who pray together can change the world.

A faith community's deepening prayer life depends on an effective spiritual leader. Many are willing to assume this role, but some aspiring guides have trouble making the transition from an individual practice to leading a group. Wolpert demonstrates how personal devotion can evolve into leadership practice.

Bestselling spiritual leadership books "provide insights from secular leadership disciplines and then add a paragraph about how these disciplines should be 'led by the Spirit, '" writes Wolpert. "I have yet to find a resource describing in depth how to be led by the Spirit. Such is the purpose of this volume."

Leading a Life with God grew out of Wolpert's previous book, Creating a Life with God, which focuses on different prayer practices and how we can integrate them into our personal devotions. Like his previous title, Leading a Life with God focuses on forms of prayer that offer ways to discern God's calling and introduces you to historical figures who best illuminate each practice. These include:

• the Jesus Prayer
• the examen
• contemplative prayer
• praying the Bible
• praying in nature
• creativity as prayer

Make prayer an important part of your congregation's spiritual life and ministry. As Wolpert concludes, "The spiritual life is way too precious to keep to ourselves but rather is a banquet to be shared."

Leading a Life with God contains detailed appendix material, including "A Step-by-Step Guide to the Prayer Practices" and "A Retreat Model."