PRISM CHURCH LA REQUIRED LEADERSHIP READING, 1,500-WORD ESSAY & CO-ED GROUP DISCUSSION: THE PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH BY RICK WARREN
Required Leadership Reading, 1,500-Word Essay & Co-Ed Group Discussion
For Aspiring Pastors & Members of the Leadership Team
Required Reading
The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren
This book is required reading for all aspiring pastors and members of the leadership team at PRISM Church LA.
Even if you have read the book previously, you are expected to read it again for this assignment.
The purpose of revisiting the book is not simply to demonstrate that you have completed a reading assignment. It is an opportunity to examine the principles, practices, and leadership philosophy presented in the book through the lens of your current role and current responsibilities at PRISM Church LA.
This assignment is intended to encourage thoughtful examination of how we presently serve, lead, communicate, disciple, organize, and contribute to the life and mission of the church.
The 1,500-Word Leadership Essay
After completing the book, each participant will write an approximately 1,500-word essay addressing the following question:
How do you currently apply the principles of The Purpose Driven Church to your work as a pastor or member of the leadership team at PRISM Church LA?
This is not an essay about what you would do.
Do not write primarily about what you would do if you became a pastor, what you hope to do someday, what PRISM Church LA could do in the future, what you think the leadership team should do, what you would change if you were in charge, or a hypothetical ministry position you may hold later.
Instead, write as someone who is already serving in the position.
Your essay should demonstrate an understanding of how the principles in the book are reflected in your current work, responsibilities, relationships, leadership, and ministry practices at PRISM Church LA.
Use specific examples from your present involvement whenever possible.
Essay Template
1. Introduction — Approximately 150–200 Words
Introduce the book and briefly explain its significance to your role at PRISM Church LA.
Identify the ministry principles or themes from the book that have been most relevant to your present service.
You may address:
What stood out to you during this reading?
What did you see differently this time?
Which principles connect most directly with your current responsibilities?
What does purposeful church leadership look like in the context of your present role?
The introduction should establish the central idea of your essay: how you are currently putting these principles into practice.
2. My Current Role at PRISM Church LA — Approximately 200–250 Words
Describe your current position and responsibilities at PRISM Church LA.
Explain what you currently contribute to the ministry and leadership of the church.
Consider:
What are your current responsibilities?
Who do you currently serve?
What ministries, teams, programs, or responsibilities are you currently involved with?
How do you currently support the pastors and leadership team?
How do you currently contribute to the spiritual growth and care of others?
How does your present role contribute to the overall mission of the church?
Be specific. The purpose of this section is to establish the context for the rest of your essay.
3. Purpose & Ministry — Approximately 250–300 Words
Identify principles from The Purpose Driven Church that you currently see reflected in your ministry at PRISM Church LA.
Discuss how you presently contribute to the church’s mission and ministry purposes.
Consider:
How do you currently help people connect with the church?
How do you currently participate in evangelism or outreach?
How do you currently encourage spiritual growth?
How do you currently contribute to fellowship and community?
How do you currently participate in worship or help create an environment where people can encounter God?
How do you currently serve others?
How do you currently help people move toward greater spiritual maturity?
Do not simply summarize the author’s ideas. Connect the ideas to what you are actually doing now.
4. Leadership in Practice — Approximately 250–300 Words
Explain how the book’s leadership principles are currently reflected in the way you lead and serve at PRISM Church LA.
Discuss your actual leadership behavior.
Consider:
How do you currently communicate with people?
How do you currently make or contribute to decisions?
How do you currently handle responsibility?
How do you currently work with other leaders?
How do you currently resolve disagreements?
How do you currently encourage and develop other people?
How do you currently demonstrate accountability?
How do you currently respond when ministry does not go according to plan?
How do you currently balance people, ministry responsibilities, and the mission of the church?
Include specific examples from your present experience rather than general statements about leadership.
5. Discipleship, People & Ministry Culture — Approximately 200–250 Words
Discuss how you currently contribute to developing people and strengthening the ministry culture at PRISM Church LA.
Consider:
How are you currently helping people grow?
How do you currently encourage participation and service?
How do you currently build relationships?
How do you currently welcome or support people who are new to the church?
How do you currently model Christian character?
How do you currently encourage others to use their gifts?
How do you currently contribute to a healthy leadership culture?
Reflect honestly on both your strengths and areas where you are continuing to grow.
Leadership development requires more than identifying what we do well. It also requires recognizing where our current practices need greater intentionality.
6. Personal Reflection & Accountability — Approximately 150–200 Words
Reflect on yourself as a current pastor, ministry leader, or leadership-team member.
Answer honestly:
What does this book reveal about the way I currently serve?
Discuss:
What are you currently doing well?
Where do you currently need to grow?
What leadership habits are you currently developing?
Where do you currently need greater consistency?
How are you currently accountable to the church and its leadership?
How are you currently making sure that your leadership remains centered on people, ministry, and the purposes of the church rather than personal recognition?
This section should demonstrate self-awareness, humility, and a willingness to grow.
7. Conclusion — Approximately 100–150 Words
Conclude by summarizing what you have learned from rereading The Purpose Driven Church and how those principles are currently visible in your service at PRISM Church LA.
Your conclusion should reinforce the distinction between future intentions and present practice.
End by identifying the leadership responsibility you are presently carrying and the commitment you are presently making to serve PRISM Church LA faithfully.
Writing Expectations
1. Approximately 1,500 Words
Aim for approximately 1,500 words, excluding the title and optional references.
2. Write in First Person
Use “I,” “me,” and “my” when describing your current ministry and leadership.
This assignment is about your actual service and leadership.
3. Be Specific
Avoid vague statements such as:
“I want to help people grow.”
Instead, describe what you currently do that contributes to people’s growth.
4. Use Current Examples
Examples should come from your actual experience at PRISM Church LA.
5. Connect the Book to Your Work
Do not simply provide a chapter-by-chapter summary of the book.
The purpose is to demonstrate that you can take leadership and ministry principles and recognize how they are already being expressed through your present responsibilities.
6. Be Honest
You do not need to portray yourself as a perfect leader.
Thoughtful recognition of areas where you currently need to grow can demonstrate maturity and self-awareness.
7. Maintain a Leadership Mindset
Write as someone who understands that leadership is a responsibility to serve others, strengthen the church, support its mission, and steward the responsibilities entrusted to you.
After the Essay: Co-Ed Potluck & Book Discussion
Following completion of the reading and essays, we will gather for a co-ed leadership potluck and group discussion focused on The Purpose Driven Church and its connection to our current ministry at PRISM Church LA.
This will be an opportunity to discuss the book together, hear different perspectives, and learn from one another’s experiences.
Potluck Instructions
Please bring one shareable dish for approximately 6–8 people.
Main dishes, side dishes or salads, appetizers, desserts, and drinks are all welcome.
Please bring your dish ready to serve when possible. Store-bought food is welcome. Label major allergens or dietary concerns, and bring serving utensils if your dish requires them.
If you cannot bring food, come anyway and participate in the discussion and fellowship.
Co-Ed Book Discussion
Opening Question
What was the biggest idea from The Purpose Driven Church that challenged, encouraged, or caused you to examine your current ministry?
Purpose & Mission
What do you understand the purpose of the local church to be?
How do you currently contribute to the mission of PRISM Church LA?
Where do you currently see the principles discussed in the book reflected in our ministry?
How does having a clear purpose affect the way you currently make ministry decisions?
How do you personally keep ministry from becoming primarily about activity rather than purpose?
Leadership
What does servant leadership look like in your current position?
Which leadership principle from the book most directly affects how you currently lead?
How do you currently communicate vision to the people you serve?
How do you currently handle disagreement or differences of opinion?
How do you currently encourage other people to grow as leaders?
What does accountability look like in your current ministry responsibilities?
Evangelism & Reaching People
How are you currently helping people who are outside the church feel welcomed and connected?
What are you currently doing to build relationships with people who may be unfamiliar with church?
How do you currently balance reaching new people with caring for people who are already part of the church?
What does effective outreach currently look like in your ministry area?
Discipleship & Spiritual Growth
How are you currently helping people grow spiritually?
How do you know when someone is actually growing rather than simply participating?
How are you currently encouraging people to move from attending to serving?
How do you currently identify and develop people’s gifts?
Ministry Culture
What kind of culture are we currently creating through the way we lead?
How do our attitudes and behaviors affect the people we serve?
What are we currently doing that strengthens unity?
How do we currently deal with unhealthy attitudes or behaviors?
What does excellence in ministry mean without allowing excellence to become more important than people?
Personal Application
What principle from the book are you currently practicing most consistently?
What principle are you currently struggling to practice consistently?
Where do you currently need greater accountability?
What is one area of your present ministry where you have seen growth?
What is one area where you recognize that you currently need to grow as a leader?
How does your current leadership reflect the kind of church culture you want to help build?
Final Group Question
If Someone Watched the Way We Currently Serve at PRISM Church LA, What Would They See About What We Believe the Church Is Called to Be?
Take time to listen to one another.
The goal of the discussion is not simply to determine whether we liked the book. The goal is to examine how its ideas challenge us to think more intentionally about the way we currently serve, lead, disciple, communicate, build relationships, and carry responsibility at PRISM Church LA.
Final Expectation
Read the Book. Write the 1,500-Word Essay. Come to the Co-Ed Potluck. Participate in the Discussion.
This is a leadership exercise in reflection, accountability, service, and purposeful ministry.