Mind the Gap - B&H Publishing

In a rapidly changing world, how do you maximize your church’s effectiveness no matter what you’re faced with?

In Mind the Gap, Clint Grider addresses the question that plagues many pastors’ minds: “Is what we’re doing really working? Are we as effective as we could be?” Using an extended metaphor of the London Underground railway system, Clint offers a thoughtful, timeless way for leaders to evaluate and bridge many of the critical gaps that exist in ministry.

A combination of deep thinking and practical clarity, Mind the Gap demonstrates how churches can know they’re making the best decisions to multiply their disciple-making vision in all contexts. This is not just another leadership book filled with simplistic clichés, nor a book about a new ministry model. Instead, Mind the Gap offers a new mindset that cuts past the noise. For leaders who want to address gaps between what they think the church should produce and what’s actually happening in people’s lives, who want to deepen their people’s growth and impact for Christ, and who want to adapt nimbly when challenges arise, there is Mind the Gap.

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endorsements

“In a moment when almost every leader is aware of a crisis of discipleship, leadership expert Clint Grider offers a process for that very pain point. If you find yourself tripping over the gap between what you believe the church should produce and what is actually happening in the lives of your people, Mind the Gap offers an explicit approach and tested expertise. I believe you’ll return to it time and again.”
—Tod Bolsinger, bestselling author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience, Fuller Theological Seminar
“Clint Grider serves the church with a unique blend of a shepherding heart and a strategic mind. He is able to toggle back and forth in leading conversations about each believer’s discipleship journey and how a church can be most effectively organized to scale discipleship for a lot of people. He has devoted his life to serving and catalyzing the minds and hearts of ministry leaders and Mind the Gap will be a helpful tool for many.”
—Eric Geiger, bestselling coauthor of Simple Church and Designed to Lead, senior pastor of Mariners Church
“I am convinced that every Jesus follower is to leverage their job, skill, and passion where they live, work, and play to join in the expansion of God’s kingdom for His glory. In these challenging days, Mind the Gap comes alongside the pastor to help improve their effectiveness in shepherding people to this great end in their unique context. May God use this book to equip pastors and unleash the church for His glory!”
—Vance Pitman, president of Send Network, founding pastor of Hope Church, Las Vegas, and author of Unburdened and The Stressless Life
“In our turbulent culture, the primary concern I hear repeatedly from pastors is the realization that what the church is doing often isn’t making disciples as intended. Clint does a phenomenal job of not only naming but also describing this reality with detail and clarity. He also helps leaders think strategically about how to honestly address those gaps in ways that are both practical and comprehensive. If you are noticing disconnects in your church’s discipleship approach in today’s culture, this book is a critical, much-needed resource.”
—Dana Allin, author of Simple Discipleship and synod executive of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians
“Sometimes, numbers lie. That’s why Clint Grider challenges church leaders to measure success by counting growing disciples, not attendees. His book is packed with groundbreaking assessments and reflective questions to help you gauge whether your current systems are just filling seats—or actively transforming lives throughout your church and community every day. Want to ensure your ministries are impactful and interconnected, presenting a well-marked path to the Saviour? Read this book!”
—Graeme Schnell, chief executive officer of Focus on the Family Africa
“Wow, this book is an amazing tool and a must read for leaders! Amidst current cultural challenges and shifting societal values, we have found that prevailing ministry leaders are able to acknowledge and name the gaps in their own leadership and organizations. In Mind the Gap, Clint provides much needed language and strategies for how to do this in powerfully effective ways that will net scalable and measurable kingdom results.”
—Tim Foot, pastor, coach, speaker, musician, and chief executive officer and president of Slingshot Group
“A gap is the critical space between aspiration and reality that we must be mindful of if we want to make changes for the better. In this compelling work, Clint Grider provides the practical wisdom and needed hope to close the gap on discipleship, leading people, churches, and communities to transformation. Offering fresh insights and clear application, this work will help leaders change the world for good!”
—Dr. Randy Ross, founder and CEO of Remarkable! and bestselling author of Relationomics, Remarkable!, and Fireproof Happiness
“Clint’s passion for the church to live up to its full potential shines through every chapter of Mind the Gap. By addressing common pitfalls and misconceptions of church leaders, he breathes fresh life into ministries that feel stale or ineffective. And he provides frameworks that allow the transformative power of the gospel to be administered in the church and beyond. This is a great read for all Christian leaders!”
—Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., Baylor University President and scholar in organizational behavior, leadership, and creativity
“What I appreciate most about Clint and this book is his passion to help you uncover why you are (and aren’t) making disciples in your church. He offers great tools that can help you unlock your church’s next step in creating a deeper pathway for discipleship multiplication.”
—Daniel Im, author of No Silver Bullets, podcaster, and lead pastor of Beulah Alliance Church, Edmonton, Alberta
“Clint Grider’s Mind the Gap addresses the essential tension inside every church: how do you provide objective measurements to the seemingly subjective? Yet the answer to that question drives the growth that we all want to see. A necessary read for all leaders.”
—Bill High, President, 7 Generation Legacy and bestselling coauthor of Leadership Not by the Book and A Generous Life
“What stirs me the most about this book is Clint’s convincing and practical insights that challenge church leaders to not settle for a semblance of ministry success, but to pursue deep and measurable impact thoughtfully and relentlessly in people’s lives. I look forward to regularly poring over this essential book with our team.”
Dr. David Hsu, Senior pastor, West Houston Chinese Church

the author

Clint Grider is a strategist, vision optimizer, and momentum catalyzer with extensive experience in church ministry and nonprofit leadership. Clint is chief integration officer and senior lead navigator for Auxano, a leading consulting group that has served thousands of churches and other organizations. He identifies key strengths and systemic nuances at the core of an organization’s culture to unleash greater levels of impact. Clint’s leadership has been proven in churches, universities, global ministries, medical research, entrepreneurial, and other settings. He is an ordained pastor who holds business and educational psychology degrees from Baylor and a PhD in educational administration and process improvement from Texas A&M. Clint and his wife, Kindra, have been married for over 30 years and have two daughters. They live near Dallas, Texas.