But as I sit, now involved in starting a church, I decided to revisit Dever’s book. After all what pastor doesn’t want a “healthy church?”

I’m not going to give a major book review but I do want to list Dever’s 9 Marks for you to consider.

1. Expositional Preaching. The definition he gives for this is “an explanation and application of a particular portion of God’s Word.” Or more specifically, “[expositional preaching] is to expound what is said in a particular passage of Scripture, carefully explaining its meaning and applying it to the congregation.” (My friend Kevin Larson of Karis has some thoughts on this issue for more insight.)

2. Biblical Theology. The concern here is for “sound doctrine.” “Our concern should be not only with how we are taught, but with what we are taught.”

3. A Biblical Understanding of The Good News. “All of us as Christians should pray that we would care more about the wonderful good news of salvation through Christ than we do about anything else in the church’s life.”

Here’s a quote from George W. Truett:

The Supreme indictment that you can bring against a church…is that such a church lacks in passion and compassion for human souls. A church is nothing better than an ethical club if its sympathies for lost souls do not overflow, and if it does not go out to seek to point lost souls to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

4. A Biblical Understanding of Conversion. Here is where his calvinistic theology is seen most readily. In quoting quoting their statement of faith he says, “We believe that Repentance and Faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graced, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God…”

5. A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism. “We should be more concerned to know and teach the gospel itself, than simply trying to teach people methods and strategies to share it.”

6. A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership. Dever points out that the modern notion of church membership is extrabiblical but that it points to themes discussed throughout the NT - people connect to local bodies, a responsibility to love and care for one another, etc.

7. Biblical Church Discipline. “A biblical practice of church discipline gives meaning to being a member of the church.” He lists 5 positive reasons for church discipline. It’s purpose is positive:

1) for the individual discipline,
2) for other Christians as they see the danger of sin,
3) for the health of the church as a whole,
4) for the corporate witness of the church,
5) our holiness is to reflect the holiness of God.

8. A Concern for Promoting Christian Discipleship & Growth. In the last few years this area (and evangelism) is one that has impressed me the most about Dever. I’ve read several who talk about his modeling of mentoring younger men in his church and regularly sharing his faith.

“But growth is a sign of life. Growing trees are living trees, and growing animals are living animals. Growth involves increase and advance. In many areas of our experience, when something stops growing it dies.”

9. Biblical Church Leadership. Here Dever points to a congregational form of a plurality of male elders. He briefly touches on the distinction between elders and deacons and displays the difference between his baptistic point of view contra a presbyterian model.

Well those are Dever’s 9 Marks. What do you think? Do you agree? Do you disagree? And why?

jason is the lead planter and pastor of LifeConnection Church, a new church plant in Independence, MO.

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If you’re as anxious (or just curious) as I was to see what happens, the Daily Telegraph has a synopsis of the final book here. 

I found this quote from a Telegraph review to be very interesting as well (and a clue to the book’s ending), which describes some of the book’s final scenes:

“This part of the novel is far darker than anything in the other books and (although I doubt many of Rowling’s readers will pick up on it) draws on the heroic stereotype from Achilles through to Christ.” 

I confess … I’ve read the first three books of the Potter series and also seen several of the movies. One thing I can say about JK Rowling is that she is a master storyteller.

There is a huge gender gap in churches in the US today, in fact this is true around the world. The question that Murrow asks is, Why and what can we do about it. He sets out to help the reader understand what it is about our churches that actually drives men away. And as he progresses through the book the list of reasons grows astronomically.

Essentially, his argument is that the church has become feminized. That is, the church is a place where the average woman can feel quite comfortable because it is set up for her success. While, at the same time, most churches are set up for men to fail through incompetence (it’s a woman’s world). From the ways churches function to the way that conflict is dealt with, most churches cater to women. In fact, in studies sited, men who found art and religion important were more likely to have an effeminate outlook on life, that is they responded to the survey more like women.

One poignant example is the way he suggests most churches deal with conflict (though many more could be sited). For men when conflict arises it’s, “Let’s step this outside and settle this like men.” And when it’s finished they can shake hands and move on. For women conflict is more typically internalized and thus bitterness grows and you avoid that person at all costs. So the cliche: men get angry, women get even. Yes this is somewhat generalized, but it is the case for the vast majority of men and women as research indicates.

So what does this mean in a local church? Think of how most churches deal with conflict. Murrow would argue we deal with it like women. We would find it reprehensible for two of our deacons, in the midst of an argument, to say “Let’s step outside and settle this like men.” But we find no problem dealing with conflict like women by suppressing anger, disallowing outward disagreements, and never actually speaking about it, etc. Here’s the point, both models are a bit messed up, but the church caters to feminine sensibilities.

Why should it even matter, however, for the church to address this issue? I mean shouldn’t men just change and deal with it? First off men are not in our churches, they are missing. The average church has a 60% - 40% split (and this in a world that has roughly a 50% -50% split). So as Einstein said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Something needs to change to see men reached by the gospel.

But why does that even matter? Well the statistics reveal that men are the gatekeepers for the faith. Here’s what I mean by that. I saw a study about a year ago (and Murrow indicates this too) that demonstrated if a child came to faith in Christ there was about 20% likelihood that the rest of the family would follow suit. If the mother came to faith in Jesus there was about a 28% likelihood the rest of the family would follow. But if a father began following Jesus there was over a 93% likelihood the rest of the family would follow in his footsteps. Men are strategic to the cause of Jesus in our world.

Something has to give. We can continue in our pursuit of insanity just hoping on a vain wish that the men will one day come back to church. Or we can actually reevaluate and change our course. Failure to do so is unacceptable I think.

And I think David Murrow’s contribution could be a great place to start for those of us interested in Jesus’ mission in our world. He has some great insight and practical suggestions as to how we might help usher in change.

You should also check out the accompanying website for more resources.

Has anyone else read the book? If so what did you think?

Essentially the book is about strategic quiting. There comes a dip in every organization that essentially separates the top from everyone else. This dip is stress-filled causes many to give up and quit prematurely. This differentiation is seen in the business world, there is a huge gap between number one and number ten (often even numbers 1 & 2). It is this dip that causes the differentiation.

Godin asserts that if one is going to push through the dip it will take strategic quitting. Giving up on things that are keeping you from pushing through. Pushing through the dip, however, will generate a lot of momentum and staying power and will move you on the way to become the best in the world (Godin qualifies what this means exactly).

There were a lot of correlations to what we’re doing with LifeConnection - we’ll need to fight through the dip that every organization experience.

The book was short, quick, and there were some helpful thoughts in it. If you have an hour free you might want to check this one.

If you’re unfamiliar with IDEA, formally, I guarantee you not unfamiliar with their design innovations. Having designed products from Apple to Microsoft, from Office Furniture to Medical Equipment, it seems difficult you have not run across one of their product designs. In fact if you have used a computer then you have surely used a mouse that began in their studio, having developed both the original single button design for Apple and a later 2 button design for Microsoft.

For me the book really sparked thoughts about how to develop a culture of innovation in LifeConnection. In fact, I would contend that the chapter on brainstorming is worth the price of the book. And right now you might be doing what Kelley describes in the book, rolling your eyes because you’ve “been there and done that.” But after reading that chapter I would almost guarantee you take part in nothing like what is described therein. I’m telling you, run out and buy the book and read that chapter if none other.

It was an extremely easy read as well. I think the major reason for this is due to the real world examples given along the way of their actual design projects. From their Nightline exclusive where they redesigned the shopping cart in a matter of 7 days to their race car derby where they beat out several major design firms to garner top prize for charity.

The thing that I notice in this book is that just about any aspect you can think of probably goes into helping create a culture of innovation, from the people you work with to the way you lay out workspace. In fact, with regard to the latter, it really opened up a lot of creative thoughts about how to layout office space and whatnot to help develop a cultural ethos that embodies innovation.

Without a doubt, this book was the best I’ve read of its kind this year. In fact, when its all said and done it might be the best book I’ve read this year, period. Surely some of that is due to my particular context at the moment, we’re in need of and in process of innovating through many complex ministry issues and needs. But I would recommend it to anyone who is interesting infusing innovation into your life, business, or ministry.

The book is set up in a narratival structure with the main protagonist stepping into a new role where he is ordered to delivery vastly improved costumer service than his predecessors. Early on he encounters Charlie, is guardian angel of sorts who loves Golf about as much as he loves helping others unlock the secrets to creating Raving Fans.

Ultimately the book is about creating amazing experiences for people that keep them coming back for me. In that, I believe one can find some valuable cross pollination for ministry. After all, isn’t one of the things we’re trying to do about creating irresistible environments where people can experience God, find connection with others, and serve the world?

Essentially the story chronicles keys to creating Raving Fans through the eyes of practitioners that Charlie has previously mentored. The first key is “Decide What You Want.” Here you must decide what it is you want your experience to look like. You have to have some vision of what you’re trying to do (and not do) so as to better serve people. Discovering what you’re not going to do may be just as important, in my mind, as envisioning what you will do.

The second key is “Discover What the Customer Wants.” This may seem at odds with the first, how can you decide what you want as well as focus on what the customer wants? Won’t these be at odds with one another? In fact these actually complement one another because you cannot discern from the customer what is important for you unless you have a clear vision of who you strive to be. But you must be willing to tweak your end game based upon the needs/wants of the customer.

A ministry application here might serve as an example. As a church planter I know we can’t do everything in LifeConnection at the beginning. There are going to have to be lots of things we say no to. For instance, if someone comes in and describes their want for a singles ministry, we’re going to say no - that’s outside what we can and will do right now. But if there comes a point where we have 200 singles connecting we might need to rethink our vision a bit to meet the needs of those to whom we’re actually connecting.

The final key is “Deliver Plus One,” shorthand for “Deliver the Vision Plus One Percent.” Here the idea isn’t to under-promise so you can over-deliver. No the idea is to deliver on your vision (promise) and then some. This not only helps to create raving fans but it also helps you to continually move forward in your organization. If you are not moving forward you will stagnate and stop growth and creativity and innovation. So deliver plus one will help you move ahead.

In all this was an interesting little book with some good insight on connecting with people. It helped to spark some creative brainstorming in me as I think about LifeConnection. It caused me to think of places where, as a user, I’ve had good experiences and why (and vice versa). If you have a few hours this might be one to pick up (that’s all it will take to read it).

The book is broken into three main sections: brand(ing), customer experiences, workplace. With 47 chapters in a book only a little over 200 pages you can see how each would be quick snippets of knowledge from the Starbucks play book.

What is interesting about the Tribal Knowledge described in the book is that they are the result of creating a certain kind of cultural ethos and less about selling a commodity. Even in the company mantra the hope is to change the way people drink and appreciate coffee. For Starbucks, then, profits are a by-product of developing and implementing this cultural ethos.

Because they are committed to developing a certain kind of cultural ethos everything is an intentional process for them. I was surprised to learn that this went as far as the color schemes in their stores, which represent different phases of the coffee bean development. (And silly me just thought it looked cool.)

It’s this kind of intentionality that has a lot to teach us who are in ministry. What if instead of haphazard piecemeal processes and projects we developed a heightened intentionality to our ministry? What if we were intentional about creating a certain kind of cultural ethos in our local churches that would permeate our communities and bring certain (positive) images to mind when someone thought of the church? What if we were intentional about doing what we do best - becoming the best at something? (A phrase that comes to mind, though I’m not sure of its source but its surely not original to me, is that when everything is important nothing is important.)

Whether one is a coffee addict or hates Starbucks - the corporate “machine” - this book will surely spark some creative thinking about your own processes, I know it did for me. For me this is what reading is so often about. It’s an opportunity to find diverse “conversation” partners to brainstorm, discuss best practices, learn new ideas, and so forth. So if you’re involved in ministry (or business) I think there is a lot that can be gleaned from Starbucks’ Tribal Knowledge.

Has anyone else read the book? What are your thoughts?

What I know about Shore only comes from his book. And what seems clear to me is he is greatly concerned about how believers live toward those who are far from God and he tries to communicate that in a very laid back and humorous fashion. Both of these are evidenced in the style and tone of his writing, which is extremely informal and unorthodox at times, almost as if he were talking to the reader instead of writing a book.

But more important than tone is what Shore actually says. And it is clear his desire is for believers to live out both aspects of the Great Commandment - love God AND love others. And so the book travels a path leading the reader to a place of positive engagement with those far from God, actually coming to the place of loving those who are different than us.

It seems clear that Shores own background has a lot to do with his unique perspective on this issue. Growing up in a flawed home with parents who both, at one time or other, jettisoned their responsibility toward the family and then (apparently) becoming a Christ follower late in life, Shore knows what it looks like and feels like to be one of the “others.” This comes through in his sensitivity to the issues those far from God experience and the prophetic insensitivity he displays for those who claim to be part of the club - which seems an appropriate description for how Shore sees most of Christianity.

One of the most interesting parts of the book was the end of every chapter had a section called, “Ouch” which was filled with real comments from people about Christians and Christianity. Shore took out adds on Craig’s List asking people to reply to him with their assessment of Christians and he the responses he received are extremely illuminating. (I thought this was a really creative idea.)

For the most part the book was worth the time, being encouraged to love as Jesus loved is always important to hear. At times the style of the writing was hard for me to take in and while this is merely personal preference, the informality was an annoyance at times.

If you’re looking for a creative take on relating to those far from God, from a guy who clearly desires to see the Christian community do just that, then I’m Ok - You’re Not might be a book to pick up.

If there are issues that cause greater frustration, guilt, and shame for the Jesus follower than evangelism I’d love to know what they are. How many well meaning Jesus followers have been put to shame because they know they aren’t doing all they could to introduce people to the One whom they follow? I know I’m in that group. In some ways reading this book was painful because I become more aware of how often I fail in this area.

And in my experience even that last sentence often brings many well intentioned believers to my side with comforting words about not being too hard on myself. Or I hear things about how we need to focus on the heart and not the behavior and that’s to be a comfort for my failing behavior in this area, as if Jesus isn’t all that concerned if I’m doing anything to make disciples. Or I hear how some people just don’t have the gift of evangelism. But evangelism is also a calling for all believers, not just some.

And so here I sit, book in hand, guilt in mind, looking for something to help Jesus followers step out and with humble confidence speak the gospel to their friends who are far from God.

It must be said that this book, in many ways, assumes something big. It assumes that you, as the reader, are engaging those who are far from God. This is a big assumption, because my experience is many are not. In fact I wonder how many believers do not ever talk to people who are far from God about Jesus. Maybe the question for us as readers is this, “When was the last time you took the initiative to share the gospel with someone?”

It’s scary isn’t it? I mean be honest. There’s a lot at stake when I share my faith.

But what else is going on that’s keeping me from sharing my faith? Will we ever be able to fully answer that question? Something is happening behind the scenes though if a follower of Jesus isn’t developing relationships with those far from God. There has to be some reason that isn’t happening in a life, doesn’t there?

Questioning Evangelism does a lot to help overcome these obstacles. In my estimation the approach described in the book is culturally sensitive, biblically grounded, and outwardly focused. It allows one to step away from the defensive posture to relationally engage people about spiritual issues. Just reading the example dialogues, most of which come from Newman’s real life experiences, is helpful. It’s like you have an opportunity to see what this sort of conversation can look like, and that’s valuable.

I can’t go into every detail of the book but I think the questions he raises as he concludes his book are worth repeating.

Will we be ready to address this next generation’s questions with compelling answers?

Will we approach them any differently than we have approached the Woodstock or the Pearl Harbor generations?

Will we design new methods of evangelism or rely on the successes of the past routines?

Will we adjust to the reality that some people belong (to a church or fellowship) before they believe?

Will we be theologically learned enough to counter the ever-changing spiritual smorgasbord around us, or will we put our food on the buffet as simply another entree option?

Will we present our message as the all-encompassing gospel that it is, or will we keep presenting the gospel as a simplistic intellectual proposition to be merely agreed with or rejected?

Will we keep responding to questions with answers, or will we answer them with questions?

Will we announce our message as Jesus the rabbi would? Or will we continue to follow the model of Murray, the used car salesman? (261-262)

Great questions that I need to consider in my own life, how about you? If I’m going to truly live for Jesus in my world and make disciples it means I am going to have to invest in the lives of those far from God and secondly I must verbalize the gospel of Jesus in a culturally relevant way to that individual.

No more hiding behind, “they’ll know by my lifestyle.” No more hiding behind, “Christians are to be separate from the world.” No more hiding behind feigned righteous indignation. No, if we’re going to make a difference in our world we our lives radically changed by Jesus’ values and vision for his world.

The premise of this particular book is that the book of culture needs to be read and interpreted in much the same way one does any book of literature, including the scriptures. The first chapter sets the philosophical-theological framework, the last chapter gives practical suggestions as to reading any of the many cultural texts and trend, and those between the two are tangible examples of cultural exegesis.

Ranging from “The Gospel According to Safeway” to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, from the Blogosphere to Human 2.0, this book provides helpful examples of cultural exegesis. The contributors of these essays are selections from a course on the subject that Vanhoozer teaches at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Each essay represents current texts and trends that help us probe into the heart of our culture. And for the one seeking to remain faithful to Jesus doing so seems to be at the heart of the Mission of God in our world. I would submit that in order to fully engage the world in which we live, for the cause of Jesus, we must strive to become adept at reading cultural texts and trends.

As I mentioned in a recent post that I have been looking forward to reading this book for some time because these are the kinds of questions I have been asking regarding Strengths - how do you put them to use. Buckingham’s book hits those issue squarely on the head and gives plenty of practical steps to living a Strengths-Based Life.

The book is extremely practical and I think the reader will benefit greatly for that. It gives a lot of step-by-step types of instructions with helpful advice along the way. There are several online instruments to help assess how you are currently utilizing your strengths.

Some of the most helpful pieces for me were the sections detailing how to write a Strengths Statement and Weakness Statement. Based upon who you are - personality, themes of talent, etc - it is vital to discover your most potent strengths. As you do this he guides you through the process of writing a Strengths Statement that can help you clarify what you are best at.

We’re heading in, somewhat blindly, into a Training Day this weekend. We’re utilizing the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment and Buckingham’s Trombone Player Wanted to help introduce students to discovering and utilizing their strengths. I say “somewhat blindly” because I’m still learning as I go on this. I’m excited for the Training Day and the potential it has for helping people discover their place in work and ministry.

The book is a definite read and one that I’m sure you will consult time and again. I also found it helpful to “hear” Buckingham saying it as I read. There’s something about the accent that helps me remember.

It is never easy for me to select textbooks for a class that I am teaching. No book ever seems to be perfect for the task at hand. Unless one has written the text oneself the forensic orientation always seems a bit skewed from the manner in which class presentations are planned and organized. Among the less than perfect matches there are usually a plethora of texts that are a pretty good fit. But, how does one select from the field of contenders? I have several qualifiers that I use to narrow the field of possible texts.

FIRST, I want a text that has enduring value for the student. I want the text that is used in class to be something that the student can add to his personal library and use as a resource for decades to come.

SECOND, the text must be interesting. Academics are disposed to a trained incapacity that makes them forget what makes a book a good book. It seems that the more years one spends within one’s academic community the more one is prone to forgetting the importance of rhetorical presentation. Agricola described rhetoric as “the utility of truth.” I believe that a good textbook by definition must organize and present the material so that it interests the reader in its contents and encourages a person to learn, discover, and understand.

Using the above criteria I selected Roy Zuck’s Teaching as Jesus Taught and the single volume Hard Sayings of the Bible as textbooks for my New Testament focused study course on the Words of Jesus of Nazareth.

Teaching as Jesus Taught is the most well-written non-fiction book I have read in quite some time. Zuck blends the findings of his significant research with a ton of Scripture, organizes the material in a heuristically challenging manner, and still produce a book that is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I used Teaching as Jesus Taught as an introduction to our study of the words of Jesus of Nazareth. Zuck places proper emphasis upon Jesus as Teacher (Teacher is the fourth most frequently used title for Jesus in the gospels). And, to flesh out just what the Great Teacher taught, Zuck uses questions to organize his material into chapters. His chapter titles provide an effective brief survey of the material so I share them with you here:

• Is It Possible to Teach as Jesus Taught?
• Who Considered Jesus a Master Teacher?
• How Was Jesus Recognized as a Teacher?
• What Made Jesus an Authoritative Teacher?
• What Qualities Marked Jesus as an Outstanding Teacher?
• What Other Qualities Marked Jesus as an Outstanding Teacher?
• What Goals did Jesus Have in His Teaching?
• Were Jesus’ Teaching Goals Limited to Knowing the Truth?
• What Impact Did Jesus Have on the Crowds and on His Disciples?
• What Impact Did Jesus Have on His Opponents?
• How Did Jesus Interest Students in Learning?
• How Did Jesus Use Picturesque Expressions in His Teaching?
• How Did Jesus Use Other Rhetorical Devices in His Teaching?
• How did Jesus Use Questions in His Teaching?
• How Did Jesus Respond to Questions Asked of Him?
• How Did Jesus Use Stories in His Teaching?
• Appendix: Jesus’ 481 Commands

I heartily recommend Teaching as Jesus Taught. As you read this book you will be blessed by the words of Jesus and will learn much about sharing them with others.

After reading Teaching as Jesus Taught, the class read each of the Gospels and we examined major themes of Jesus’ teaching (truth and righteousness, evangelism and missions, parables, apologetic method, etc.). Then, to stimulate discussion during the following class sessions which were organized around a colloquium model, we read and discussed the appropriate portions of Hard Sayings of the Bible.

Hard Sayings of the Bible was I think the best book available for the purpose we had in mind. However, I give it a much less enthusiastic recommendation that Teaching as Jesus Taught. There are a few places where one of the author’s theory of inspiration intrudes to warp the attempted harmonization. It is a good book, but needs to be read critically.

Hard Sayings of the Bible was originally published as five separate books; Hard Sayings of Jesus by F.F. Bruce, Hard Sayings of the Old Testament and More Hard Sayings of the Old Testament by Walter Kaiser Jr., and Hard Sayings of Paul and More Hard Sayings of the New Testament by Manfred T. Brauch and Peter H . Davids. This single volume includes more than 500 verses of the Bible that are either hard to understand or hard to accept and apply.

If I were teaching this class again I would definitely use Zuck’s book but I think I would drop Hard Sayings of the Bible and replace it with Bruce’s Hard Sayings of Jesus and Robert Stein’s The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings.

Check these books out. I think you will find that they (1) have enduring value, and (2) are very interesting.

* * * *

You can find Kevin Stilley blogging daily at Encyclopedia Kevinannica.

Guy was an “evangelist” for Apple in the 80’s and in the 90’s launched Garage Technology Venture, a venture capital company for business start-ups. Even before reading this book I had grown convinced that there is great import from business starting for church starting. But after reading this book I am convinced all the more.

Now I know for some that this is anathema, the business world providing any insight for the church world. I know because I once thought like that myself. I was cynical and jaded to anything that wreaked of corporate. It just didn’t seem “spiritual” to use business models because the church is not a business. And, yes, the church isn’t a business and not every model fits in the church world. But there is still a lot for us to learn from “best practices” in the business world.

I mean let’s consider Guy’s last chapter, “The Art of Being a Mensch” - a “Yiddish term ofr a person who is ethical, decent, and admirable” (211). Guy lays out three “simple concepts” for business entreprenuers. First, help many people (”you derive intrinsic joy from helping your fellow man”). Second, do what’s right (even when it’s hard). Third, pay back society (be a blessing to the world). These are extremely biblical concepts.

I don’t have time to fully argue for the value of extrabiblical sources for learning, growing, and developing leaders but suffice it to say this book will be a must read for any future leaders we develop in our church launching venture, it’s just that good and that important.

Back to the book. Guy addresses every aspect of starting a business, from positioning (finding your niche) to pitching (raising funds) to branding (getting the word out). I’ve already posted some of the great thoughts he had in the early chapters so I won’t reinvent the wheel here but I would like to point out that throughout the book I was continually reminded of our church launching venture.

In particular I’d like to highlight his chapter “The Art of Branding.” He begins the chapter, “proselytization, or evangelism, represents the core of branding for startups in today’s highly competitive world, in which information is free, ubiquitous, and instantaneous” (167). I love the way Guy speaks of promotion and publicity through the language of evangelist, he often refers to himself as an evangelist. It reminds me that when you love something you will talk about. Think about the Starbucks fanatic, or someone who loves a certain sports team, or someone who enjoys a certain car. They talk about it and become part of the marketing team for that brand.

It should be like this in the church as well. Now don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying the church is a brand like Nike. But when your church is on mission with Jesus then you will naturally want others to enjoy what has impacted your life, that’s all. And so as leaders in the church part of our role is help raise up evangelists of this kind as well. This creates viral marketing that we could never pay for if we tried. It’s stated in phrases by some like, “invest and invite.” It’s assuming you have something worth inviting people to, whether that be a small group gathering or a corporate worship gathering.

His section, “Lower the Barriers of Adoption” is a must read. Sure it doesn’t all translate, I don’t think as a church we’ll ever create an indexed users manual but conceptually there is a link, we need to make vital information readily available at minimal expenditures of time and energy. It reminded me of our need to provide tangible opportunities to get involved with us that are without a lot of prerequisites. For instance, one church invites people every week to help in efforts for the service and all they need to do is show up early, receive 15 minutes of instruction and then are set out. That helps to lowers barriers of adoption!

In all this book is an extremely valuable read, so much so that I know I need to work back through it again and again. I would highly recommend this book for any who are involved in ministry and especially those who are a part of church launching. As I mentioned before I can really see how this book could become a must read in our leadership development process.

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