Books 

The work grounding our mission

Want to learn more about Adaptive Capacity and the impact it has on helping faith leaders thrive as change leaders?

Read the work of our co-founder and principal, Tod Bolsinger!

Tod Bolsinger

Tod Bolsinger (PhD,Mdiv Fuller Theological Seminary) is a speaker, executive coach and author who brings over 30 years experience as a pastor, Professor, and Senior Administrator in Higher Education and non-Profit Executive,

 He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains, which was named Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year in Pastoral Leadership, as well as the Christianity Today Award of Merit recipient It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian.

​His most recent books include Leadership for a Time Of Pandemic and Tempered Resilience: How leaders are formed in the Crucible of change 

  • Tempered Resilience

    What type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change?

    Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains, is uniquely positioned to explore the qualities of adaptive leadership in contexts ranging from churches to nonprofit organizations. He deftly examines both the external challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back.

    Bolsinger writes: "To temper describes the process of heating, holding, hammering, cooling, and reheating that adds stress to raw iron until it becomes a glistening knife blade or chisel tip." When reflection and relationships are combined into a life of deliberate practice, leaders become both stronger and more flexible. As a result, these resilient leaders are able to offer greater wisdom and skill to the organizations they serve.

    Buy Here

  • Canoeing The Mountains

    Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains.

    You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along.

    Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.

    If you're going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools. Now expanded with a study guide, this book will set you on the right course to lead with confidence and courage.

    Buy Here

  • It Takes A Church To Raise A Christian

    Tod Bolsinger challenges Christians to rediscover the essential nature of God as a Triune community. By doing so, says Bolsinger, the church will recover its vitality as a truly life-transforming communion.

    Focusing on daily living issues, the book engages writers including John Calvin and Richard Foster. Reclaiming a true trinitarian practical theology will allow Christians to reawaken and nourish a spirituality that is communal, not merely consumerist or individualistic. It will create Christian communities in which God transforms believers together into the likeness of Christ.

    It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian is designed for pastors, worship leaders, evangelists, and other church leaders.

    Buy Here

Reader Reviews:

  • "Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along. Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world. If you're going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools.

    -14th Annual Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year, Leadership

  • "Since the missional church discussion began to develop real momentum, the constant question has been how does this theological vision of the church after Christendom translate into the practice of real congregations struggling with enormous challenges? A great deal of excellent work has been done, and there are excellent resources for the community and leadership seriously committed to missional change. But Bolsinger's book is a major step forward. It is based on solid missional theology, rooted in concrete congregational experience, shaped by provocative research of many diverse voices and communicated energetically and creatively. Most importantly, it is shaped by theologically informed hope, not just optimism, and takes the risks that must be taken for the sake of faithful witness today. I strongly commend this book.”

    -Darrell L. Guder, Henry Winters Luce Emeritus Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary

  • "As a thoughtful, innovative leader, Tod's acumen makes Tempered Resilience a critical read for every leader seeking to navigate an organization throughout an ever-changing environment".

    -Santiago "Jimmy" Mellado: president and CEO of Compassion International

  • "Cuts to the core of why so many gifted leaders struggle in periods of transition and how leaders can position themselves to thrive amid the chaos of change."

    -Linda A. Livingstone: president of Baylor University

  • As I delved into the pages of your book, I found myself nodding in agreement and reflection on numerous occasions. The way you dissected the Lewis and Clark expedition's journey and drew parallels to the challenges faced by leaders in modern organizations was both thought-provoking and inspiring. The notion that leaders must adapt, innovate, and sometimes completely reevaluate their approach in the face of unexpected obstacles is a powerful message that resonated deeply with me.

    "Canoeing the Mountains" has not only broadened my perspective on leadership but has also provided me with practical tools and frameworks to navigate the complexities of leadership in today's dynamic landscape. Your emphasis on the importance of humility, resilience, and a willingness to learn struck a chord with me, challenging me to reevaluate my own leadership style and approach.

    -Matthew Mendez

Join Our Adaptive Capacity Leadership Newsletter