"Renovate or Die" - A Review

As the time to move into my appointment continues to draw closer, I continue plowing through the books that were on the reading list for the Vibrant Church Initiative consultation program my new church and I will be engaged in.  The most recent book, "Renovate or Die" was written by Bob Farr with assistance from Kay Kotan, the forward by Adam Hamilton, and the Epilogue by Doug Anderson.  This is one of those situations where I was able to meet and spend a week with the author a little more than 3 years ago when I was at a training for new church starts.  This is extremely important because much of the information that was presented to us during that training has been formalized and re-organized into this book.  Simply put, this was not my first introduction to the material or the author and I feel that I might have gotten some different things out of the book than those reading it for the first time would.

After a 13 page introduction on why we need to renovate and an overview of his model of urgency, vision and reality with hope, Farr gives us 10 ways to renovate our churches.  These chapter titles include:
1 It All Starts with the Pastor
2 Understand Your Present Reality
3 Get the Basics Right
4 Create Momentum
5 Inspire through Experiential Worship and Life-Application Preaching
6 Think Strategies, Not Programs
7 Staffing for Leadership
8 Disciple with Clear Steps
9 Network, Network, Network, and Then Market
10 Dare to Simplify the Structure

In reading the chapter titles you might get a realistic sense of where each chapter is going.  If you have read Paul Borden, Bishop Schnase and Adam Hamilton much of what you will read here is a direct outpouring of Farr's experience relating to these other texts.  He utilizes references to them heavily in many areas of the book.  This is not a bad thing.  It just may mean that this book ought to be at the top of your reading list rather than the bottom because it summarized a great deal of what I had read in these other venues.  Beyond the recapping, however, there were real life examples in the Methodist realm (our conferences, churches, etc) that showed how putting these strategies to work could pay dividends in a denomination and I think that is extremely important when presenting this type of material. This simply eliminates the excuses one might think of when sourced out of other denominational affiliations.

The last four chapters in this section were the most impactful for me, but again, I longed for more to be said. 

In the Staffing for Leadership chapter, only 2 pages were given to the discussion of "Getting the Right Paid Staff."  This is an area that has plagued many of the churches that I have served as both laity and clergy.  Pages upon pages could be written about this topic alone and we would do well to have those pages written and shared with us.  Let's address the codependency that happens in most church staffs.  Let's look at what it means to be an employee and worship at the same organization.  Let's talk about how assessment tools and consultation systems can help us grow a healthier church staff.  And let's take a fresh look at family systems as they play out in our churches, because this affects not only the paid staff, but the volunteer staff and lay leadership as well. Finally, let's look at the added stresses of lay staff members with Pastoral Leadership changes in the itinerate system.  Don't get me wrong, Farr makes some great points, even in this small section of this chapter, there is just so much more that needs addressing.

In the chapter covering "Disciple with Clear Steps," I applaud Farr for bringing the obvious to our attention again, because apparently the obvious is not so obvious to many any more.  I would suggest additional study here as well.  There is a growing surge of material available from both inside and outside our conferences/churches relating to this topic.  I love the quote, "...the level of commitment with which people join your church is the level they most likely will remain for their whole time with your church."  That is a spiritual 2x4 regarding our intentional pathways of discipleship if I ever heard one!

"We have to move from a membership mentality to a missionary mentality," is one of the quotes that jumped out at me from the chapter on networking and marketing.  There is definitely so much more to a Christ centered church than marketing.  With marketing as the 12th of 12 steps in this chapter, Farr's work serves as a good reminder for us not to put the cart before the horse!

In the final chapter of this section of the book, Farr implores us to streamline and "Dare to Simplify the Structure."  I can feel the fear and angst that most Methodist churches must feel when they see these words.  The key here is something I have always said, but Farr put it more simply, "meetings are not ministry."  We need to stop filling committees and teams that meet with no action and calling it ministry.  In every ministry context I have been in during the last 15 years, the more streamlined the leadership was, the more fruitful the ministry was.  The key is that we must not sacrifice accountability and Farr does a great job of pointing this out.

The part of the book that causes me to want to jump up and down and give attaboys and kudos to Farr is the inclusion of the chapters involving Five Strategies for Judicatory Leaders from Bishop Schnase.  While all of the other information is great for us leading local congregations, it was affirming to see that leaders in our jurisdiction and denomination are desiring to have tough conversations at all levels of governance.  Systemic change will involve us all, so it makes sense that the conversations that Annual Conferences and bishops must navigate should be as public as the conversations and change that we as local church leaders navigate.

At the end of the day, Farr does a good job with Renovate or Die.  My only recommendation is that you perhaps read this one first before you read some of the other books that are on the VCI list or that his work references.  By doing that, you will get a glimpse of those authors/works that you want to read more about.

Direct Hit - A Review

In this age of church decline, many congregations and pastors are searching for solutions to turn their churches around.  In his book Direct Hit, Paul D. Borden sets out to redirect real leaders towards the mission fields in which they reside.

Borden does a good job of identifying the inward focus of congregations as one of the primary reasons for decline.  Simply put, churches sometimes stop allowing the main thing (making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world) to be the main thing.  More subtly, Borden identifies the lack of leadership as an additional reason for the decline that many churches are facing.

There is a plethora of practical advice relating to developing and implementing vision, motivating congregations as preparation for change, developing ideas and personnel, and launching systemic and long lasting effective change.  Additionally, Borden cautions readers about the costs (pastoral, financial, emotional, spiritual, etc) of leading change.  As a broad spectrum, shotgun approach, Borden's 110 pages (not counting forwards, appendices, etc) packs a lot of punch.  He gives us plenty to think about with field tested methods and strong generalizations.  As an introductory book to pastors or congregations desiring change, it serves well and would be a great book to study in small groups to launch deeper conversations.

I would caution, however, that it is only a jumping off point.  Systemic change is hard to instruct fully in only 110 pages.  Many pastors and coaches have spent a lifetime developing such strategies and it is challenging, at best, to cram that much experience and learning in so few pages.

Here are a few areas that I think are either understated (ie. if Borden were ever to do an expanded version, more should be said about these things) or may be lacking in some additional information:

First, in discussing the prayer team (the developing resources team), I am convinced that more than 6 paragraphs are needed to truly convey how important prayer is to undergird this process.  Every successful change endeavor I have been involved with has only been successful when it was bathed in prayer.  Not sprinkled, dabbled in, but literally drenched in prayer.  Perhaps some insights and testimonies from some of the 200 successful churches they referenced in the forward would have been helpful here.

Second, in several places throughout the book, Borden refers to the process in terms of years related to the preparatory phases of systemic change.  It takes time to communicate change, cast vision, and for people to fully embrace the hope of a better tomorrow over an uncomfortable and stagnate present.  I want to say that every ministry situation that I have entered into in the past decade has been different.  Everything is contextual!  If you are entering into a situation where the stark reality of an immenent death has already created congregational urgency, then look for where the gaps are in the process (casting vision, providing hope to the hopeless, giving guidance to next steps, etc) and move in that space.  Simply put, there is no need to start the process from scratch...capitalize on the work that God is already doing in the midst of the congregation.  I have seen mergers take place and extension campuses thrive within months (yes months, not years) because we were following the movement of the Holy Spirit not a chronological road map.  Sometimes, God will surprise you!

Finally, I am in complete agreement that outside interventions are extremely beneficial.  There is a caveat, however, that those interventionists/consultants/coaches need to be well researched and have a mode of operation that is a fit for the congregation.  This requires work on the part of the pastor and congregation.  Pray about it.  Call references.  Check success rates.  Ask excellent questions before committing (where are our opt out options?  How does your model allow for our uniqueness of geography and people? etc).  If you are pitched a cookie cutter model, trash it immediately.  It is a proven fact that what works in suburban Chicago won't work in rural Texas or urban Los Angeles.  Processes are often able to be utilized in various areas, but cookie cutter programs that don't take into account the unique culture and context of the area in which they are deployed are usually doomed for failure.  Trust me, I have been involved in cookie cutter consultation before and it will set a church back years because they won't see any effective fruit from their labors and the process may poison the well for later intervention possibilities.

In the church that I am moving to at the end of June, they are already involved in a process very similar to the intervention that Borden describes in this book.  I am excited about the process and am looking forward to what the small groups that will be studying and discussing this book will have to offer in the form of their reflections.

In closing, I was left wanting a little more...whether it was a little more depth or testimony...I know that Borden has only scratched the surface in this book.  With that said, I would still strongly recommend it as a resource for churches and pastors as a beginning step in moving towards systemic change.

Serve God Save The Planet - Revisited

I was perusing my email today when I came across a notification that a new comment had been posted on submission to the blog I had made a few weeks ago. I appreciate the graciousness of the author of the comment and the opportunity to continue the dialog regarding Matthew Sleeth's book Serve God Save the Planet. So, I thought that I would post the comment here and respond and invite you to join Nick and I in this conversation.

Here is Nick's comment:
Russel-
Im a student at Mid America Nazerine University. I wanted to hear your thoughts on somthing in the book. I felt that throughout the book, Sleeth tried to state that the reason for so many problems(depression,family and marriage problems, ect.), were due to the fact that those people were not turning directly to saving the envirement. I wrote a book report on this book, and many of my class mates shared the same opinion.
Do you think it is that, or do u think those people are having those problems because they simply lack a true relationship with God??
-Nick

To answer the question first, I would have to say that a lot of the problems are predominately attributed to what you have called a 'true relationship with God'. And if I have heard and read Dr. Sleeth correctly, he would be on the same page. I would point readers to page 61 of the book where Dr. Sleeth states, "Perhaps many of our problems, including those of depression and anxiety, are warning signals that we are living a lifestyle that God does not sanction or want us to lead. The response to mental pain and discomfort should be to seek restoring connection with God. In seeking quiet moments, green pastures, and still waters, we may find just what our soul needs."

Coming from a theological perspective, it involves an understanding of our relationship with God, with each other, and with the rest of the created order. As I read the scriptures I notice that our fall or separation from God distorted all of the relationships we were created for. Sin separates us from God. Sin can distort and destroy our relationships with one another. Sins involving selfishness and self-centeredness distort and destroy our relationship with the rest of the created order. It is only through the act of grace through Christ Jesus that we are brought back into right relationship in all areas of our relatedness. Just as sin has affected (and still does) both humanity and the created order; the reconciliation in Christ Jesus affects both humanity and the created order. Those who have stepped into that life giving relationship with Jesus are being transformed from the inside out. As Colossians 3:9-10 states, "...seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator...", we are reminded that we are being restored to the goodness that God originally intended for us.

Dr. Sleeth utilizes Christ's dialog about the greatest of the commandments (loving God first and then others as ourselves) as part of his scriptural and theological framework throughout the course of the book to say essentially the same thing. He claims that in order to love God, we must love what God has created and called good (ie. creation). He is also quite explicit in saying that loving others includes changing our understanding of stewardship. Are we really loving others if we are using more than we need and others are going without? Are we really loving our family if our drive for more (gadgets, filled schedules, etc) causes us to have no time to invest in those relationships? Are we really loving God, the created order, and others if we are adding exorbitantly to the pollution levels (which in turn harms all areas of our relatedness)? For Dr. Sleeth, it appears that living out the greatest of commandments, thereby living out our faith in Jesus Christ, requires that we change not only our views, but also our practices when it comes to creation care. It is not simply going green for going green's sake. It is an explicit part of our call as followers of Christ.

I invite you to join in the conversation. Have I read Serve God Save the Planet accurately? Do you agree with my assessment of Dr. Sleeth's position? Is creation care an imperative of our faith? Let us know what you think!

Serve God Save The Planet - A Review

I had the opportunity to hear the author of the book I am about to review speak a few weeks ago. I was down in Houston for a quick in and out planning meeting and decided that I would attend Mercy Street for an opportunity to worship without having to lead worship. Several weeks prior to my trip, I had known that Dr. Sleeth was speaking on Sunday and Monday at Chapelwood UMC (the church where Mercy Street is housed on Saturday evenings) and was saddened that my trip was going to bring me back home prior to being able to hear Dr. Sleeth. What a surprise that is was that he was speaking to the Saturday evening group! It was a huge blessing.

After the service, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat briefly (and now having read the book, I would love the opportunity to do that again!) and he signed my copy of Serve God Save the Planet. Usually books that I acquire in this manner get read right away, but since I was in the middle of finishing a couple of others, it wasn't until this past week that I was able to make my way through the pages of Sleeth's book. Here is what I found:

First, I found a real life human being wrestling with the theological and ethical issues that face our world today regarding our relationship with God, creation, and one another. There was a genuine faith that exuded from the struggles that Matthew and his family went through in discerning where God was calling them in their faith journey. I am appreciative of the authenticity and transparency in the narratives that he shared in his book.

Second, I found more than just a complaint about the way things were. All throughout the book are examples of actions that can be taken to help remedy some of the problems that we face as stewards of creation. While some of the most concise and informative items occur in their fullest glory in the appendices, the work is consistent in offering solutions throughout.

Third, there was a consistent call to action for all Christians to join together. While we were exhorted to do something, I was appreciative of the reality of this being a process rather than an event. The changes that Matthew and his family have implemented have occurred over time and there was grace extended for us to take the time to implement changes in our own lives as well. Grace, however, should not be construed as an excuse for procrastination. Dr. Sleeth is clear in his exhortation.

Fourth, while I wrestled or disagreed with a couple of the ways in which Dr. Sleeth arrived at his conclusions (either of interpretation or implication), on the whole, his premises, logic, and conclusions were well thought out and delineated.

While an energy website and a couple of other sources are alluded to throughout the text, there are places where Dr. Sleeth says things like, "Current public health statistics point to the same conclusion (pg 59)." I say this only to say that the student (and honestly the partial cynic) that rests within me would have like to have seen a complete bibliography in one of the appendices for those of us who may want to do more reading on the subject. Being better resourced may make some of the decisions and changes that we must make about our consumption of energy easier to discern...or put another way, with the rest of the information, we might be better able to discern a starting place...for one family it may be reducing the number of vehicles, while with another family it may mean composting and reducing the amount of weekly trash.

The reader needs to be aware that everything is sacred and nothing is off limits in this book. From our obsession with sports, to our SUVs, to our televisions and computers, to our choices regarding children (even having them); Sleeth touches on it all. If read carefully, it will offend you at the core (and I mean that as a compliment to the author). I think that is because the gospel is presented throughout the text and quite honestly, I have always thought that Jesus desires to radically alter our lives...even our western ideologies based on the old idiom that more is better. Quite honestly, the truth does sometimes hurt.

Perhaps Shane Claiborne said it best when reviewing the book, "Creation is groaning. And Matthew Sleeth has responded. Serve God, Save the Planet is not an alarmist call of despair, but a hopeful invitation to reimagine the way we live..."

In the end I would give this book 3.75 out of 4 stars and encourage everyone that I know to read it!

I invite you to stay tuned for future reviews. Our next book up for review is Reading the Bible with the Damned by Bob Ekblad. I should have that review up in about a week or so!

Same Kind of Different as Me - A review

In their book Same Kind of Different as Me, Ron Hall (an international art dealer) and Denver Moore (a former homeless drifter) tell their story of friendship and faith. It is in many ways a story of overcoming. Prejudices, preconceived notions, misunderstandings, socio-economics, and race and ethnicity differences are just a few of the things that are addressed in this work...and they are overcome, over time, by both Ron and Denver.

Mark Clayman (the executive producer of the movieThe Pursuit of Happiness)touts that this book is: "The most inspirational and emotionally gripping story of faith, fortitude, and friendship I have ever read." Now this was a good book, but I wonder if that was taking it too far.

Let me digress for just a moment (to where you understand where I am coming from on this a little better). I spent five years studying sociology at Houston Community College and the University of Houston. In my later years, as a part of a qualitative research project I spent a lot of time in downtown and in the wards of Houston. When you begin interacting and spending much of your days and evenings with the homeless, the poor, the squatters found in these regions of a huge city, you begin to have a deeper understanding of their situation and an appreciation for their plight. If you survive a day in the wards, there is no doubt that you will be forever changed by the experience. I say this because it probably taints my view of this book...and I want to be fair. Having spent so many years researching and interacting and living with the disparity on the streets of Houston, much of what Denver shares is not new news to me...in fact, often times the reality that I am sure Denver faced isn't fully realized in the retelling of his story.

So here are a couple of my frustrations with the book:

First, I think as good a job as Denver did in expressing his world, based upon my own experiences he offered us but a glimpse into the world from which he came. I am personally grateful for that glimpse, but feel there is so much more to tell. The disparity that Denver reflects in his account is but a sliver of the reality that exists for thousands upon thousands of homeless in our country. The problem is much bigger than we might imagine.

Second, involving the overall economy of the book, I was disappointed that it took 89 pages (out of the 235 pages of text) to get to actual interaction between Denver and Ron. While the book is said to be a story between a dangerous homeless man and an international arts dealer (and a gutsy woman with a stubborn dream), there is a great deal of time discussing these characters' histories prior to ever getting to the relationship that forms between Denver and Ron. With 89 pages of history and context (and some of it never referenced again later in the book) there was less space available for the story and interaction between the 3 main characters as they wrestled with knowing each other and living into a friendship that was to be challenged not just by their histories, but also by their futures. A prime example is that there is an entire 2 page chapter dedicated to Ron's experience of Kennedy's assassination; and while I appreciate the sharing of that experience (and recognize that it was briefly---in a line or two---alluded to later in the text), I find little value of this sidebar to the story of Ron, Denver, and Miss Debbie...perhaps I missed something! The other thing about economy of the book is that I am not sure that Denver got as much time with us as Ron did (Denver would have a 2-3 page chapter followed by Ron with a 4-5 page chapter)...being a nut for social justice, I wonder if this is a fluke, or if it says something about the way that things are still today (I am praying it is just a fluke).

Finally, it should come as no surprise to some (and as plenty surprise to others) that God can use anybody in any situation for his good purposes. I believe that the book can serve as a springboard of hope to those that find themselves on either side of the socio-economic gulf that exists in our western world. I know that many organizations, including UMW, have included this book on their reading lists and I think that is a good thing. This will surely be groundbreaking awareness for some and merely further affirmation for others.

In the end, I would give this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is a good and easy read (and worth the reading). Just be careful about the hype, because depending upon where you are coming from, it may not quite live up to the fullness of expectation.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians - A Brief Review

I have just finished another book (I am really loving the fact that I now have time to read more than just textbooks!). This last encounter has been with a book that was co-authored by Rob Bell (Yes, the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and teacher who appears in the short film format provided by NOOMA)and Don Golden (the senior vp of church engagement at World Relief in Baltimore, Maryland). The title is Jesus Wants To Save Christians- A Manifesto For The Church in Exile.

Let me first say that there is a lot packed into this 181 page book, but it is an easy and quick read in the sense that if flows wonderfully with excellent transitions between the Scriptures and life as we know it.

As you might guess from the title, however, the message isn't an easy one to hear. If you are comfortable being a magnet that attracts others or a pew potato or an isolationist, then this book will surely rocket you out of that comfort zone. If you are attending church and think that there must be more, or surely we are missing the mark somewhere, then this just may be the book you're looking for.

Out of the story of our exiled ancestry, Bell and Golden show how the church exists in exile today. They give excellent Scriptural and theological context for this perspective. But they don't stop there; they go on to reveal the power and the hope that exists for this group of exiles. They show how God uses this for his good purposes.

The book flows in such a manner that it takes the biblical narrative and our present day narrative and restories these two narratives, in light of the scriptures and God's grace, into a powerful manifesto for the church universal. Its truth is missional, relational, and incarnational.

Here are a couple of quotes to pique your curiosity:

"And church is not ultimately about attending large gatherings. Church is people."

"Jesus wants to save our church from the exile of irrelevance."

"It isn't just about trying to save the world. It's about saving ourselves."

"Instead of standing at a distance and saying, 'Someone else,' it's stepping up and stepping in to the invitation to the risk, to the suffering, to the joy."

I invite and encourage you to read this book...but be prepared, you and your church may never be the same again!

The next two books on my reading list are Serve God Save the Planet by J. Matthew Sleeth, MS and Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore. Stay tuned in the week(s) to come for reviews on these and other books.

As always, I invite you to read these books with me. I would love it if in the future we could do more than just read and review the books posted here. I would love it if we could enter into a deeper dialog about our thoughts and insights. So if you have read Jesus Wants to Save Christians I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section below and we will continue that conversation in future posts.

The Shack - Yet Another Review

It has only been recently that I have had the opportunity to do what I will lovingly call "unrequired" reading. During the past three and a half years in seminary, I was inundated with books and articles to read (I am quite positive that many of those still need to be finished!). During this time, many of the requests or suggestions of books to read from parishioners and friends began to stack up. Sometimes I would buy the book and put it on my shelf, while other times I would be given the book by someone and add it to the pile. Needless to say, after all this time, the book pile is quite large.

I thought that it would be interesting to share what I am reading in hopes that others who are reading the same or other materials may be able to participate in a dialog about those books.

Anyway, one of the many books on that pile was The Shack.

Let me begin this review by playing the role of captain obvious and restating that this is a work of fiction! It has the word fiction printed on the back cover above the bar code and is recognized in the reviews as a work of fiction. As such, although Christian in orientation, it should still be read as a work of fiction.

That means that it is not a theological treatise, although it deals with some pretty hefty theological elements. The subtitle, "Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity", acknowledges the books wrestling with theodicy (how to reconcile God's power, God's grace/love, and God's jusitice). It deals with both community and communion (the act, not the sacrament). It deals with mercy and grace. It deals with free will and sin.

I will tell you that if you are a supporter of predestination, this book will drive you absolutely batty. For those that have an Armenian, Weslayan, or similar bent, you will be more at home with the writing presented.

Putting theology aside for a moment, I will tell you that Young is a gifted story teller. While there were a couple of spots where the dialog appeared a little corny, those moments were limited in frequency and brief in length (two instances at less than 1/4 page each). The Shack is an easy and pleasurable read. Young's word choice and narrative style create such vivid word pictures that you actually feel like you are in the story.

The story unfolds with a family going on a camping trip. During this time of vacation, Missy (Mack's youngest daughter) is abducted and murdered. After four years of funk (referred to as the Great Sadness), Mack receives a mysterious note on a dismal winter day that invites him back to that place of great pain and sadness...The Shack. Against his better judgment, Mack goes to the shack seeking answers...what he finds is God. Mack's encounter with God leaves him changed.

But the answers that Mack receives during his encounter with God are not the only surprises of the book...in fact, the end was a complete surprise (another gift of Young's talented writing ability).

Since the book is fiction, I don't want to spoil the end of the book for those who haven't read it yet. I will tell you that the book is well worth the read. It is thought provoking and if nothing else, it just might cause you to ask better questions about why you believe what you believe.

If you have read the book, what do you think of it?