It’s Launch Week for Church on Trial – And It Couldn’t Be More Timely
By the time you hear the thunder, it’s too late to build the ark. - Unknown
I’ve been working on my new book for the last year, but based on the headlines from the last few weeks, I never could have guessed just how timely this week’s launch date would be. If you’re a pastor, ministry leader, staff member, or member of the elders or board of directors, the official release date is here, and you should order the book today.
Early in my career as a media producer, I started getting calls from churches and ministry organizations caught in a crisis. It could have been an outside crisis created by cancel culture protests, a critical ex-church member, or disgruntled ex-employee, a lawsuit, or an inside crisis (often self-inflicted) when a pastor or staff member engages in adultery, sexual abuse, embezzlement, alcohol abuse, and many others.
Whatever the cause, church leaders are usually blindsided and have no idea how to respond to and navigate the challenge – especially when it comes to communicating with the congregation, donors, or general public. My goal in the book isn’t to save a perpetrator or cover up anything – it’s to appropriately tell the true story, seek help for the victim (if there is one), communicate to the congregation or donors, and help the church or ministry move past the crisis.
Revelations from the last few weeks reveal just how important it is to communicate the truth, get the right legal and communication advice, prioritize the victim, and help the congregation heal.
Possibly, the most important part of the book is helping church and ministry leaders avoid a crisis in the first place. While in today’s digital, social media world, you can’t always avoid a crisis, you can put key principles in place to create a culture that will help protect you from needless crises.
As the back cover of the book says:
In the ministry world where unpredictability is the only certainty, church leaders face a unique challenge—navigating the upheaval precipitated by crises. From unforeseen scandals to disruptive emergencies, leaders must be equipped with grounded solutions to manage them with confidence and poise.
That is why Phil Cooke’s Church on Trial is a must-read. An essential guide for maintaining integrity and preserving the good standing of your church in the face of a crisis, you will learn how to:
– Maintain and earn congregational trust and unity,
– Know how and what to prioritize,
– Safeguard your church’s reputation preemptively and proactively before
it crashes and burns,
– Implement best practices for crisis prevention and recovery,
– Build relationships and collaborate with trusted legal and communication advisors and
– Gracefully handle negative media attention and publicity.
– How to move past the crisis into a healthy future.
Multiple pastors and denominational leaders have already ordered copies of the book by the case and distributed them to the staff, elders, and even volunteer leaders in the church. When a crisis happens, the more people who understand how to respond appropriately and quickly, the better your chances of getting to the other side.
You can order your copy from anywhere books are sold, or you can order here for a donation to The Influence Lab and the work we’re doing training media missionaries around the world. If you’d like information about bulk orders, just click and request here.
Crises do not have to break your church. Rather, your church can be built to weather the storms they bring. It’s my goal that every pastor and ministry leader in America read this book because it could not only save agonizing heartbreak and personal devastation but also save your church from potential collapse.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
