I Will – Thom S. Rainer

©2015  B&H Publishing Group, Nashville

Thom Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Since taking that position, Rainer has made a point of developing books that are helpful to the local church leader and the local church member be better at church. Books like Simple Church (co-written with Eric Geiger), I Am a Church Member, and Autopsy of a Deceased Church [all published by B & H]. This book is no exception.

In the same vein of Church Member and Autopsy, I Will is a small volume that reads well and gives sound advice on how church members can be the best church members they can be. Whereas I Am a Church Member deals with the actions of a church member who makes a difference, I Will addresses the attitudes that lead church members into joyous church membership. Within its pages, Rainer dispenses advice on removing selfish “I want” attitudes and replacing them with outward focused “I will” ones.

Rainer takes a page from his son’s book on financial decisions (Art Rainer, The Money Challenge, reviewed here) by introducing his topic with a fictional story that could be anybody’s story—it could be your story if you are finding yourself burdened by church. Perhaps the answer is not jumping ship on the church where you are, but adjusting your attitude. Here are the nine traits that the author identifies in an “outwardly focused Christian”:

1. Moving from an “I Am” to an “I Will” attitude – finding biblical solutions to attitudinal issues.
2. Worshiping with others – stop trying to go it alone.
3. Growing with others – get into a small group where people know, love, and encourage spiritual growth.
4. Serving – instead of expecting others to serve me.
5. Going – taking the love of God with me everywhere.
6. Generous giving – everything belongs to God anyway.
7. Perseverance – don’t drop out of church because it gets difficult or I don’t get my way.
8. Avoiding “Churchianity” – playing at church instead of being the church.
9. Making a difference – look for ways to advance the Kingdom of God.

In a culture where cafeteria-style Christianity and church attendance has become the norm, it is time for church members (and all Christians) to develop an attitude adjustment that leads us to looking outside our own shell of contentment in order to strengthen the church and obey her Master.

This little volume may not have the impact of I Am a Church Member, but it certainly hits the mark as a genuine partner work. I give Rainer four out of five reading glasses here.

—Benjamin Potter, November 4, 2017

Leading Through Change – Barney Wells, Martin Giese, Ron Klassen

©2005  ChurchSmart Resources, St. Charles, IL

Some wag once said that the only person who wants change is a baby with a dirty diaper. And I once heard a comedian indicate that that person may have questions about wanting change with the statement, “Leave it alone. It’s my mess. I made it; and I want to keep it.” However, change is inevitable if we want to exhibit life.

We see how change shows life if we watch the rose bush we planted last spring. We want to see growth, buds, flowers, and even the falling of the flowers. We want to see the plant go dormant for a season so that it can come back to growth, buds, and flowers again in the spring.

In church life, change must happen if the church is to exist to see the next generation become a part of our congregation. The principle is that the church must change or die. This is true not only for the church in the urban or suburban setting where the community is changing around them, but it also applies to the rural or small town church where the community itself seems to be drying up. If we are to exist—to continue to be effective in our communities—we must see where change is necessary, and make change.

With this in mind, I would like to recommend the book Leading through Change to pastors and leaders in country, rural, and small town setings. With shelves of books on leadership, church growth, and change for the good of the church in bookstores today it is difficulty to choose the one that fits for you. This book addresses the need for change, but more importantly it gives advice (not cookie-cutter process) on how to approach change that will remove lifelessness and add life to the local Town and Country church.

Section one of the book sets the foundation explaining the need for change, indicating the difference between change that works in the suburbs (which is addressed by most of the volumes on change available) and what will be helpful to bring about necessary changes in a rural setting. Section two develops some of the key ideas about change that will help the leader of a small-town our country church breathe new life into a church that needs to reach new people.

The authors, representing over 100 years of ministry (most if not all of which is in the small town or rural setting), develop nine steps (some “spiritual” some “cultural”) to approaching change in the church. A basic idea is not to force change, but to “lead through change” (as implied by the book’s title) by adapting to the change that is going on around you in your community.

This is an invaluable book for the pastor of the rural church. It includes encouragement (reminding the pastor/reader that just because some statisticians are bemoaning the decline in membership of churches as a sign of death without taking into account that some specifically rural communities are experiencing decline in population), and some practical helps about having a vibrant ministry in a culture that once was but is no longer the “preferred” culture of our society. Country living is still a viable option.

Here are some of the plusses about the book: It is short. Pastors (many who are bi-vocational) don’t have as much time to read the 300-400 page textbooks available on church growth and health. It is written by men who are part of the culture to whom they are writing, including real-life examples of what worked (and did not work) in their own ministries. And it is practically biblically based. We can see the Bible foundation for the actions taken as a church ministers in the midst of change, and the practical application of that Scripture.

One more bit of advice concerning leading through change. If you get a copy, start by reading page 77. This will give a good picture of leading change and leading through change in the small town and country church. It will also give you a good snapshot of what is to come as you return to page one and read the entire book.

For the small church, country church, rural church pastor, this is a must read and will be a positive resource throughout the years of his ministry in such a setting. I give this resource 5 out of 5 reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, October 24, 2017

Crazy Love – Francis Chan

Crazy Love – Francis Chan (with Danae Yankoski)

© 2008 David C. Cook, Colorado Springs

I’ve been hearing good things about Francis Chan for several years. I have been interested in reading his books since they first hit the bookstores about four years ago with CrazyLove. I just couldn’t bring myself to pay the high prices that were required by the publisher. Then Easter weekend, eBook sellers were offering a deal on all three of Chan’s titles (get them for your eReader—in my case Nook—this weekend for free). That’s right I was able to snag all three for free (they are back up to about five dollars again). So, starting today, I’ll be reviewing them.

Crazy Love is as challenging as David Platt’s Radical. The point of the book is that Chan wants to challenge Christians to live their Christian life as if they know Christ. The author’s candor and sincerity are evident in the writing. It is well-written and compelling. I know that as a result of reading, I personally am interested in becoming more Christ-like in the way that I live out my everyday life.

There is one caution that I would place on the reader. As the book progresses towards the last chapter there is a tendency in the reading to push the reader to (ultimately) embracing a social gospel. I do not believe that Chan himself adheres to such a stretching of the true Gospel message. His attention to Scripture command is too detailed to expect that he would espouse a gospel message that relies more on social action than on faith in Christ. At the same time some of the later chapters could lead the reader into just such a life.

Having said that, I think that every Christian would benefit from reading this short book. It brings to light the fact that a giant portion of the American church is filled with people who have “walked the aisle,” “said a prayer,” or other church-esque means of protection from going to Hell (or insurance of going to Heaven), without need for true commitment. Don’t read this book if you are fully satisfied with your life. You will not be able to stay the same if you really take the book to heart.

 

Chan rates four and one-half out of five reading glasses for Crazy Love.

—Benjamin Potter, April 27, 2012

 

[This is a review of the Nook version of this book.]