February 2019 Resource
Title:
Out of the Maze: An A-Mazing Way to Get Unstuck
Author:
Spencer Johnson
Publisher:
Portfolio/Penguin-Putnam, New York, New York
Book Review By:
Melvin Amerson
Premise of the Book:
Individuals, organizations, and churches can become stagnant, decline, or die, if they fail to explore new options, when the current environment changes.
What the Book Does:
Out of the Maze is a powerful - yet simple - book that offers a narrative to encourage creativity or courage to try something new. The maze serves as a metaphor for moving while failing to make progress. This book is a follow-up to Who Moved my Cheese. Out of a lecture, a story about how to get unstuck or out of complacency evolves.
What are the Important Insights:
The author of this resource shares excellent insights for helping individuals and organizations who want or need to change.
The Way Out of the Maze:
Notice your beliefs
Don’t Believe Everything You Think
Let Go of What Isn’t Working
Looking Outside the Maze
Choose a New Belief
There are No Limits to What You Can Believe
Lastly, “Changing what you think doesn’t change who you are.”
Possibilities as a resource for churches:
This is a great resource for churches who are seeking or need a nudge to consider change. Clergy and church leaders will find this brief book as a means of discovering hope and courage to engage in new opportunities.
Rev. Melvin Amerson is a member of the Texas Annual Conference and serves as a Resource Specialist/Area Representative at TMF. His experience and passion lie in encouraging and developing generous, faithful leaders and congregations.
Melvin is the author of Celebrating the Offering, Fruit for Celebrating the Offering and Stewardship in African American Churches: A New Paradigm, as well as several articles covering topics from generosity, leadership and visioning. Currently, he serves as a board member of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center and is a nationally-recognized generosity consultant known for his engaging presentations.
Melvin obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, a Master of Divinity degree concentrating in Christian education from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, an Executive Leadership certificate from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and a certificate in Professional Fundraising from Boston University.