Amazon Shorts are manuscripts of 2,000 to 10,000 words published by www.Amazon.com for authors who are listed on Amazon with at least one book. I have started writing various Amazon Shorts to supplement my other writings with stories, new insights, and my experimenting with ideas on which he may write a future book.
Amazon Shorts can be downloaded for 49 cents each. Once downloaded, they can be saved electronically, read, and printed, as needed.
The following are the Amazon Shorts by George Bullard published to this point. At least one will be added each month. To purchase and download one of these Amazon Shorts, click on its picture in the right-had column of this blog.
I wrote this piece out of my personal passion for Christian denominations and their promising future. For the 
past several decades established Protestant denominations--particularly in the wester or first world--have appeared to be in decline. Some have called this a post-denominational era. This may or may not be true. There is a type of denomination I call real denominations who are seven practices of greatness. This is part one of an eight part series that talks about real denominations.
Other Amazon Shorts in this series will begin appearing by January 2008.
I wrote this piece as an Afterword to my book, Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation, 
published in 2006. The purpose of this Afterword is to add some afterglow insights, to distinguish my approach from several other popular approaches for congregational transformation, to suggest seven additional points I want to say to add value to congregations, and to outline a spiritual strategic journey congregational cluster process that leads to the transformation of congregations.
Reading the book before readying this Amazon Shorts is not required. However, after reading the Amazon Shorts, I am positive you will want to consider reading the book.
Congregations face various crises throughout their life and ministry. Some are manageable. Some are not. I 
wrote this piece to show several things. First, some crises in congregations become unmanageable because congregations never learn how to deal with mild or healthy conflict. Second, many congregations are not prepared to deal with really severe crises and issues. Third, one current explosive crisis in many congregations focuses around homosexuality. Fourth, the best solutions to this crisis may be one offered by readers of this story.
This is a great piece to use in congregations or with congregation leaders to help them think through how they would deal with acute emotional, moral, and spiritual crises in their congregation.
Every con
gregation needs a little conflict. Why? Because congregations without conflict are dead or dying. Conflict is a typical, common component of life. A byproduct of conflict is energy and passion. Conflict forces decisions and action. I have written this piece to introduce congregations to the possibility of developing the capacity to handle the inevitable conflicts that come along. If congregations will develop this capacity during times of healthy conflict, they will be equipped to handle periodic unhealthy conflict situations.
This is a tickler to interest readers in my next book coming out in 2008 by the same title as this Amazon Shorts.
Every congregation needs a little conflict. And, every congregation who needs a little conflict has or needs a 
Harold. I have written this piece to describe a real life situation for me in which I found engaging in dialogue with people who have different perspectives or styles in your congregation, your family, your neighborhood, or work place can often uncover great breakthroughs and insights coming from unlikely places. I also wrote it to honor Harold; one my life heroes.
Your congregation probably has a Harold or two. Do you love them? Do you hate them? Have you figured out how the bring out the best in them?
