Book review: Treasure Principle

I recently had the opportunity to re-read the Randy Alcorn one-million-selling classic, The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving. I was first introduced to this book about seven years ago when I was just beginning my pastoral ministry. It has been a foundation for my preaching on giving ever since.

The book’s appeal is its simplicity and brevity. The concepts are easy to understand and yet profound. The foundational principle (#1) is that “God owns everything.” Sounds simple, but how many Christians live with this conviction? It changes everything!

My next favorite principle (#6) is that “God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.” What a powerful antidote to the bigger and better American Dream lifestyle.

I wish that the author would have made a better connection to the giver participating in God’s Kingdom work presently happening on earth, but I understand that that is probably not his theological focus/priority.

I would recommend this book as a launching pad for deeper and broader study on biblical giving.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Book Review: Radical Together

Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God by David Platt (This title will be released on April 19, 2011)

Back in the summer, I spent several days on my beach vacation devouring a new book written by a young pastor of a rather large Birmingham church. The book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, spoke to my heart and more importantly challenged me. The author and pastor, David Platt, argued that Christians have replaced what’s radical about our faith with what is comfortable. Platt not only challenged the American Dream, but the American Church, declaring that we’re settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.

Platt is back with a follow-up, Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God. He advances his original concepts that were applied to the individual believer, now incorporating them into the community of faith.

Platt does some fine work on the topic of the “tyranny of the good” (Chapter 1). While this seems to be a popular topic these days, I thought Platt covered the idea more thoroughly than I’ve seen elsewhere. “Good can hinder the best….We must be willing to sacrifice good things in the church in order to experience the great things of God.” The author reminds us our mission is not religious activity, but rather making disciples. And Platt not only writes about this, but his church is acting upon this conviction. This is a must read chapter for all church leaders and hopefully it will nudge many churches to put everything on the examining table and ask, “Are these programs and activities the best way to spend our time, money, and energy for the spread of the gospel in our neighborhood and in all nations?”

Radical Together by David Platt (Chapter 1)

In Chapter 3, Platt reminds us that the purpose of God’s Word (the Bible) is not a handy advice book for our every question and need, but rather is meant to transform people “into the image of Christ and to get people in touch with the Holy Spirit of God.”

In Chapter 4, Platt encourages churches to unleash their people- “equip them, train them, support them, and set them free to use everything God has given to them to make his glory known through them in ways you could never design or imagine.” Church pastors/leaders/staff should spend more time mobilizing people rather than organizing programs. The church must be intentional about equipping members to make disciples.

The book is a fast and easy read. Reading the first book first is highly recommended as the two work best together.

(I received an advance copy of this book free to review from WaterBrook Multnomah)

Book Review: The Next Christians

The Next Christians: How a New Generation is Restoring the Faith by Gabe Lyons

Unless you’ve had your head in the sand for the last few years, you know all about the numerical decline in the Christian Church. My denomination has studied it just about every which way possible. We flail here and there trying to find the “answer” to reverse our downward trend. It has left denominational leaders, pastors and church members in a constant state of angst.

As a second career pastor who recently hit the big 4-0, some days I have to wonder if this is what I want to give the rest of my life to. But then I venture out into the world as the hands and feet of Christ and those institutional challenges seem to fade into the background. I see several church members serving “the least of these” and making a real difference and I almost forget the many that will never do anything more than show up a few Sundays a month. I see the transformation of a faithful few. I start to see the Kingdom slowly coming about on earth as it is in heaven and my angst over the survival of the institution no longer dominates my every thought.

Gabe Lyons new book, The Next Christians: How a New Generation is Restoring the Faith, gives voice to what many of us in the trenches of the modern church are discovering as the Spirit moves in new ways. We don’t have to fret because “Christian America” has died. Was it ever that great anyway? Is it possible that a refocused Church changes the world? Lyons gives a hopeful report from the frontlines.

Lyons is one of many modern authors to remind the Church of the comprehensive Gospel (creation, fall, redemption, restoration), a Gospel that doesn’t leave out the beginning or the end. The Gospel begins with humanity made in the image of God and finishes with humanity working towards restoration of that image. The Good News is more than just individual salvation from sin. We aren’t just saved from something, we are saved to something. Redemption is the beginning of our participation in God’s work of restoration in our lives and in the world.



One of the most valuable parts of the book is chapter three where Lyons groups modern Christians’ interaction with culture into three broad categories: Separatist, Cultural and Restorers. I think the groupings help Christians to look inward and see how we live out our faith in the world. Lyons says the Next Christians are Restorers. They envision the world as it was meant to be and they partner with God to work towards that vision. Restorers combine the best of both Separatists and Cultural Christians and add the new dynamic of restoration.

Most of the book covers the six characteristics that set apart the next Christians:
Provoked, not offended
Creators, not critics
Called, not employed
Grounded, not distracted
In community, not alone
Countercultural, not “relevant”

I highly recommend this book. It gave language to so much of what I am experiencing in my ministry as I try to answer God’s call to be about the work of the Kingdom in my community. I plan to use it with the leaders in my mainline, traditional church.

(I received this book free to review from WaterBrook Multnomah)

The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons (Chapter 1)

The Outward/Externally-focused, Missional, Kingdom-focused, Church Movement

For the last five years, I have been a student of and a participant in the outward/externally-focused, missional, Kingdom-focused, church movement. Yes, a movement by many names.

As I see it, there are several activities happening as churches turn this direction. Here are the four main ones I see. Am I missing any?

1. Missional Communities
Exploding in several flavors and directions, most happening away from the traditional church. Tend to be small, home-based or restaurant-based groups. Tend to be different from traditional small groups by having service components or being evangelistically-focused to bring in new people and may contain worship elements.

Key Players:
Neil Cole is the lead speaker for “organic church.”
My preference is Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, authors of “Tangible Kingdom.” “TK Primer” offers help for existing churches to begin communities.
Alan Hirsch seems to be the theologian-in-residence for this movement.


2. Acts of Kindness / Servant Evangelism
Offers simple entry for existing churches turning outward or new churches starting up to become noticed in town. So simple that many long-time church members won’t see the value in it. Make sure the theology is well taught in advance. For hundreds of ideas, go here: http://www.servantevangelism.com/matrix/matrix.htm

Key Resources:
“Conspiracy of Kindness” by Steve Sjogren
“Servolution: Starting a Church Revolution through Serving” by Dino Rizzo


3. Community Service / Engagement
Working in the community food pantry/clothes closet, serving in schools…you get the idea. Unfortunately, this tends to be the stopping point for many churches.

Key Resources:
“Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church” by Reggie McNeal
“The Externally Focused Church” by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson


4. Community Transformation
Really changing things in your town, bringing about the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Usually requires the entire Body of Christ working together which means collaboration amongst churches.

Key Resources:
“A New Kind of Big: How Churches of Any Size Can Partner to Transform Communities” by Chip Sweney
“To Transform a City” by Eric Swanson and Sam Williams

Top Books I Read in 2010

The Hole in Our Gospel
By Richard Stearns

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community
by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church
By Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
By David Platt

A Mile In My Shoes: Cultivating Compassion
by Trevor Hudson

Switch: How To Change Things When Change is Hard
By Chip Heath and Dan Heath

A New Kind of Big: How Churches of Any Size Can Partner to Transform Communities
by Chip Sweney

Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus
by Michael Slaughter

Transformation: Discipleship that Turns Lives, Churches, and the World Upside Down
by Bob Roberts Jr.

Book notes: To Transform a City

To Transform a City
by Eric Swanson and Sam Williams


Reggie McNeal foreword
The missional church sees itself as the people of God (a who) already deployed across all the domains of culture. These life-place assignments have been made by a God who desires to plant the Incarnational presence of his Son everywhere.

Release the people of God (a who) to impact the world.

There is no reference in the NT to church as smaller than a city.

The scorecard can no longer be about how well our individuals congregations are doing. The condition of our communities is the scorecard on how well the church is doing at being the people of God.

Book
Called together a group of Christian leaders to fast every Thursday, then meet at his house at 7pm for a couple of hours of prayer followed by dinner at Denny’s.

Magic Bus tour of human service agencies in the city

We can partner with any organization that is morally positive and spiritually neutral.

Invited city leaders to lunch
Tell us what you do
Tell us your vision for a healthy city
Tell us 3 impossible things you need to accomplish that no person can do for them (we will pray for these)

p. 19 “Kingdom Assignment”
1. preach on parable of talents, handed out $100 to 110 people, asked them to multiply and give money to something God cares about.
2. preach on loving possessions. Challenged people to sell a treasure between Sept and Thanksgiving and bring proceeds to church for distribution
3. give 90 minutes over the next ninety days to serve the least of these (community service fair)
4. no church on a Sunday, instead serve. Celebration service in high school they worked in.

Personal letters of appreciation to teachers and staff

Way easier to catch a wave than make a wave. Catch wave of God’s movement and action.

God intends every one of his children to be living on mission, partnering with him in his redemptive mission in the world.

What if… the church showed the world an alternative story of a truly transformed life, infused with kingdom values lived out through missional actions?

Christian leaders, unable to motivate their church members to follow God’s precepts, still vocally demand that secular society live by them. How can we expect (or in some cases demand) others to adopt the values and ethics of Christians when we as Christ followers so easily flout them?

Ben Ecklu, Campus Crusade West Africa says, “If Christians are sixty to seventy percent of the population of Ghana, then we must own sixty to seventy percent of our country’s problems. If just the Christians did things differently…the city would change drastically.”

We can serve the city, love the city, and bless the city- but only God has the power to transform the city.

The critical mass to transform a community begins with just one person who is yielded to the Spirit of God.

Transformation comes through proclamation and demonstration of the gospel, both a verbal message and a lifestyle of love and compassion, good news and good deeds.

A minister of God’s grace to the community.

If we want to be Jesus’ followers then it may be a good first step to meditate and reflect on the passage that captured his heart- Isaiah 61.

We don’t serve to convert, but we serve because we are converted.

The most fertile ground for evangelistic conversations is a servant-rich environment.

Ron Sider- “Our social concern dare not be a gimmick designed to bribe people to become Christians. Social action has its own independent validity. We do it because the Creator wants everyone to enjoy the good creation. At the same time, when our genuine compassion also has an evangelistic dimension, we rejoice. Again and again, that is exactly what happens when we truly care for the needy and stand with the oppressed who seek justice.”

Leadership teams play a catalytic role instead of sponsoring and owning ministries. A catalytic leadership role in the community.

Churches- what can we accomplish together that we could not do alone?

We must never lose sight of the fact that we are kingdom workers, not just community volunteers.

Amazing story (p.66-68) of El Salvador becoming significantly more Christian, but the nation becoming worse off. “We settled for conversion rather than transformation.”

Jim Herrington – “The hope of the world is the church, not necessarily the local congregation.”

Book review: A New Kind of Big

A New Kind of Big: How Churches of Any Size Can Partner to Transform Communities by Chip Sweney (Baker Books, 2011)

In my final year of seminary (Fall 2005), I wrote a paper on collaboration amongst churches and particularly why so little actually happened. In my research, people told me I needed to talk to a man that was making it happen in Atlanta, Chip Sweney of Unite! Since writing that paper, I’ve had the opportunity to become a part of Unite! and it has changed my ministry and my church forever.

A New Kind of Big tells the story of how churches, large and small, have come together to achieve what they can’t on their own- community transformation. The book is an easy, quick read with real-world examples and stories. Whether a pastor or lay leader in a small or large church, this book will lead you forward in the Kingdom task that our Lord has given us.

Sweney contends that the local church has responsibility for the welfare of its community and leads churches step-by-step through the process of becoming a catalyst for community transformation. Sweney paints the vision for churches coming together as the Body to accomplish a task too large for any one church- taking a city from floundering to flourishing.

I gained four key revelations or reminders reading the book:

1. The emphasis on partnerships. So often a church wants to start and run a ministry by itself. Sweney advocates for the power of working alongside the experts already in the trenches, organizations that know the needs more intimately and have already strategized effective ways to help. It’s important to point out that churches shouldn’t just dump money and ask for an update every so often. Instead, churches should find a lay champion and engage its people in the ministry.
2. Real ministry is done through relationships: relationships with those in our community, relationships with other churches’ leaders, relationships with partners, relationships with the people we serve.
3. The Kingdom call to become an externally-focused church of influence in our city.
4. The concept of “Channels of Cultural Influence” (Chapter 10) – These eight channels- education, health care, business, art and entertainment, media, nonprofits, government, and law/justice- are the playing field for our Kingdom work. By leveraging the members of our churches who are already living and working in these channels, we can increasingly reflect the characteristics of the kingdom of God throughout society and that is when true community transformation takes off.