Imagine my frustration: here I am settling down comfortably to begin reading Malphurs book - something I have been looking forward to doing for some time. I turn to the Appendix pages and find a whole bunch of pages missing! I could return it to Amazon - but I bought the book over 30 days ago and Amazons return policy does not allow me to return a book beyond 30 days! I think Malphurs book is good - though elementary in many ways. But the manufacturing defect has, as they used to say, really got my goat! What am I to do now? Is someone at Amazon going to help me out?
As a consultant to churches in the area of strategic church planning and leadership development this book is one of the best on the subject. If your church wants to get re-focused and re-energized for ministry a comprehensive planning process is a must. This book will help guide you through the process. Malphurs suggestions for facilitating planning sessions, i.e. storyboarding, workouts, etc., is worth the price of the book. See our web site for a strategic planning bundle with recommended books and resources for faciliting a planning process in your local church.
Unfortunately, Malphurs has again published a book that far underestimates his readers. Advanced Strategic Planning does little more than lay out the basics of strategic planning; issues of greater consequence are left untouched. Dealing with entropy in an organization is a serious issue that Malphurs seems to believe goes away if ones vision/goals/strategy are rightly aligned. I was disappointed with this book. Better to wait for Post-Advanced Strategic Planning.
