Callahan, Kennon L.

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Callahan, Kennon L.

PERSONAL:

Married; wife's name Julie; children: Ken and Mike. Education: Earned B.A., M.Div., S.T. M., and Ph.D. Hobbies and other interests: Outdoors, hiking, horseback riding, and camping.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Dallas, TX.

CAREER:

Pastor, educator, consultant, and writer. Has been a pastor in Ohio, Texas, and Georgia; taught at Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

WRITINGS:

Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, Harper & Row (San Francisco, CA), 1983-87, reprinted in three volumes, Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, CA), 1997.

Effective Church Leadership: Building on the Twelve Keys, Harper & Row (San Francisco, CA), 1990.

Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: The Planning Workbook (revised edition of Volume 3 of Twelve Keys to an Effective Church), HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1990.

Effective Church Finances: Fund-Raising and Budgeting for Church Leaders, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1992.

Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church: A Guide for Every Member, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1992.

Dynamic Worship: Mission, Grace, Praise, and Power: A Manual for Strengthening the Worship Life of Twelve Keys Congregations, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1994.

Visiting in an Age of Mission: A Handbook for Person-to-Person Ministry, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1994.

Building for Effective Mission: A Complete Guide for Congregations on Bricks and Mortar Issues, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1995.

(With Ian B. Tanner) Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: The Study Guide, Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, CA), 1997.

Twelve Keys for Living: Possibilities for a Whole, Healthy Life, Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, CA), 1998.

Preaching Grace: Possibilities for Growing Your Preaching and Touching People's Lives, Jossey- Bass (San Francisco, CA), 1999.

A New Beginning for Pastors and Congregations: Building an Excellent Match upon Your Shared Strengths, Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, CA), 1999.

Small, Strong Congregations: Creating Strengths and Health for Your Congregation, Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, CA), 2000.

The Future That Has Come: New Possibilities for Reaching and Growing the Grass Roots, Jossey- Bass (San Francisco, CA), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kennon L. Callahan is a longtime pastor and consultant to Christian congregations throughout the United States and the world. He is also the author of numerous books beginning with Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, which focuses on assisting local churches in their strategic long-range planning and forms the foundation for much of his other work based on his Mission Growth Movement for church renewal. His books have covered almost all aspects of running a church and enhancing the congregation's experience. For example, Effective Church Finances: Fund-Raising and Budgeting for Church Leaders is a comprehensive guide to budgeting and fundraising in which the author explores developing a budget, fund raising, and setting goals. Writing in Booklist, Dona Helmer called the book a "down-to-earth" guide. In Preaching Grace: Possibilities for Growing Your Preaching and Touching People's Lives, Callahan discusses the sermons that pastors present each Sunday. The author includes guidelines for helping pastors focus on and use their unique strengths and gifts in preparing and delivering sermons that will inspire and influence their congregations. Writing in Leadership, Dick Rant commented that there is not much new in terms of approaches but recommended the book for "pastors who need encouragement in their ministry."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1998, Dona Helmer, review of Effective Church Finances: Fund-Raising and Budgeting for Church Leaders, p. 1900.

Leadership (Carol Stream, IL), winter, 2002, Dick Rant, review of Preaching Grace: Possibilities for Growing Your Preaching and Touching People's Lives, p. 111.