Mike Slaughter's new book... Change the World

I've been awaiting Mike Slaughter's new book, Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus for a while now. I've followed Mike closely over the last few years and heard him speak in person a few times. He is a leading voice of Christians and probably the leading voice among United Methodists challenging us to refocus as the Church and as individual disciples to follow Jesus in his mission in the world. Mike is senior pastor at Ginghamsburg UMC in Tipp City, Ohio.

The fine folks at Abingdon Press were nice enough to get me an advance copy and even promised a freebie hard copy if I write this review, so here we go. (I'd write about it anyway, even if I bought it. Mike Slaughter and Reggie McNeal are on the top of my reading and travel-to-hear list).


Change the World is a challenging and must-read for church pastors and leaders.


Slaughter breaks his chapters down into competing priorities (he argues for the first one listed):

1. Missional vs. Attractional
* He reminds us that "curious crowds don't equal committed disciples." Drawing huge numbers won't matter if those people simply "bring Jesus into their soft-secular worldviews instead of being transformed into his."
* we have three biblical mandates-
(1) Great Requirement- Micah 6:8
(2) Great Commandment- John 15:12-13
(3) Great Commission- Matthew 28:18-20.

2. inclusive vs. exclusive
* church has got to open up, get outside ourselves

3. disciples vs. decisions
* "The church has asked people to make a decision for Christ instead of make the commitment to follow in the lifestyle and mission of discipleship." lifelong process. more than a free ticket to heaven.

4. micro vs. macro
* instead of big money facilities, huge paid staffs and complex programming, the church needs to move "towards relational communities meeting in multiple locations with a focus on growing by doing." spiritual formation through service, not just bible studies?
* This chapter includes some good stuff on their experience growing house churches.

5. multiplication vs. expansion
* instead of just expanding one location, multiply everywhere
* inspiring stories of Ginghamsburg's work of revitalizing dying congregations in the city

6. mission vs. mortar
* stop spending millions in buildings to house the holy huddle, buildings that will be a burden on generations to come. spend that money on mission to change the world.
* minimize brick, maximize mission
* Goals: mobility, flexibility
* Multi-purpose space
* most churches are wasted space 6 1/2 days a week

7. Courage vs. Compliance
* "Will we boldly take the difficult road and challenge people to go beyond their comfort zones into the places of Christ's calling? Or will we settle for what has always been, bowing to the wishes of the timid resisters?"
* "For too long I have witnessed cowardice in church leaders who allow the mean-spiritness and faithfulness of the few to negate the mandates and purposes of God."

Amen.