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Church Board Training Manual

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    PIC No. 54: Pails in Comparison  (Nov. 21, 2023) Book #1 of 3 in the Churches in Transition Series • Title:  Church Board Training Manual: For Churches in Transition (Book 1 of 3) •  Authors:  Dr. Dennis Baker and Dr. John Vawter •  Publisher:  ChurchSmart Resources/IPM (Jan. 1, 2020, 70 pages) •  Management Bucket #14 of 20:  The Board Bucket Welcome to Issue No. 54 of  PAILS IN COMPARISON ,  the value-added sidekick of  John Pearson’s Buckets Blog . This blog features my “PICs”—shorter reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my  20 management buckets  (core competencies) filing system.  Church Boards: “No Meetings After the Meetings” If the authors of Church Board Training Manual (Book #1 of 3 for Churches in Transition) had priced this incredible resource on a value-per-page basis, you could not afford to buy all 70 pages. Honest! This book is jam-packed with value! Pastors a...
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Unhealthy Church Boards

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   PIC No. 53: Pails in Comparison  (Nov. 14, 2023)  Book #2 of 3 in the Churches in Transition Series • Title:  Unhealthy Church Boards -  Bringing Health to Unhealthy Ministries (Book 2 of 3) •  Authors:  Dr. Dennis Baker, Dr. David Fisher, and Dr. John Vawter •  Publisher:  ChurchSmart Resources/IPM (Jan. 1, 2020, 70 pages) •  Management Bucket #14 of 20: The Board Bucket Welcome to Issue No. 53 of  PAILS IN COMPARISON ,  the value-added sidekick of  John Pearson’s Buckets Blog . This blog features my “PICs”—shorter reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my  20 management buckets  (core competencies) filing system.  12 Types of Unhealthy Church Boards  Caution! Experienced church board members know that when a pastor resigns, the path ahead is often bumpy. The period between your last pastor and your next pastor often shines a spotlight on your church’s dysfunctions. An...
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If I Knew Then What I Know Now

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     PIC No. 112: Pails in Comparison  (January 22, 2026) •  Title:  If I Knew Then What I Know Now: CEOs and Other Smart Executives Share Wisdom They Wish They’d Been Told 25 Years Ago •  Author:  Richard Edler •  Publisher:  Putnum (1995, 242 pages) •  Management Bucket  #1 of 20:  The Results Bucket Welcome to Issue No. 112 of  PAILS IN COMPARISON ,  the value-added sidekick of  John Pearson’s Buckets Blog . This blog features my “PICs”—shorter reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my  20 management buckets  (core competencies) filing system. Note: An abbreviated version of this book review is featured in Issue No. 671 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting, archived at John Pearson's Buckets Blog . “Never attend a meeting unless you know when it’s going to end.” In 1996, 30 years ago (!), I thumbed through this fascinating book and underlined my favorite insights and wisdo...
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Speak Memorably: Cliché Swap-Out

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    PIC No. 103: Pails in Comparison  (June 26, 2025) •  Title:  Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience •  Author:  Bill McGowan and Juliana Silva •  Publisher:  Harper Business (June 10, 2025, 272 pages) •  Management Bucket  #19 of 20: The Printing Bucket (aka The Communications Bucket) Welcome to Issue No. 103 of  PAILS IN COMPARISON ,  the value-added sidekick of  John Pearson’s Buckets Blog . This blog features my “PICs”—shorter reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my  20 management buckets  (core competencies) filing system.  Pop Quiz: The Cliché Swap-Out Exercise! It's the rare (but excellent!) book that I review twice. But three reviews? Stay tuned. I hope this short "niche chapter" review (and Pop Quiz) will inspire you to order this new book. But, oh...my. There is still so much meaty content, I'm thinking about a third review next year. In my Book Bu...
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Margin

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   PIC No. 107: Pails in Comparison  (August 29, 2025) Book #4 of 12 in the Time Management Series • Title:  Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives •  Author:  Richard A. Swenson, MD •  Publisher:  NavPress (Oct. 25, 2004, 240 pages) •  Management Bucket #9 of 20:  The Team Bucket Welcome to Issue No. 107 of  PAILS IN COMPARISON ,  the value-added sidekick of  John Pearson’s Buckets Blog . This blog features my “PICs”—shorter reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my  20 management buckets  (core competencies) filing system.  The Cure for Overload LOL!  Dr. Richard Swenson’s book is very, very practical. The “margin doctor” suggests you deactivate your voicemail, or record this message, “Please wait for the beep and hang up.” You must read this! This is Book #4 of 12 in our  time management monthly series . Margin  ...
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