Sunday, May 28, 2017

Review: Taking Your Church to the Next Level: What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Taking Your Church to the Next Level: What Got You Here Won't Get You There Taking Your Church to the Next Level: What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Gary L. McIntosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After having read the book, I felt like I had just stepped into a time warp machine and had journeyed with a small church plant all the way to when it became a decentralized church (McIntosh's preferred term to the more commonly used megachurch). Only a few pastors would have had the privilege to have embarked on that voyage, and so it was a very surreal experience for me.

While I'm no church pastor (I'm just a student in bible college), I found the book immensely helpful. McIntosh dedicates a chapter each to different sized churches, discussing the characteristics, key points of transition and proposed action plans to be considered. That's the second part of the book. The first part, was much gloomier, but oh so very necessary for the many stagnating churches who are oblivious that they may be soon die off. Part One dedicates entire chapters to each type of congregational life cycle of a church. The content is easy to comprehend and highly relatable - any church pastor (even member) should be able to identify which stage their church is presently in.

If I could borrow a star wars reference, I felt that McIntosh is like the wise Jedi Master - leaving us young padawans, as the new leaders of the next generation of the resistance, with this wonderful tome of knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and heartily recommend it to all pastors and lay believers who love their church.

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Sunday, May 21, 2017

Review: Oversee God's People: Shepherding the Flock Through Administration and Delegation

Oversee God's People: Shepherding the Flock Through Administration and Delegation Oversee God's People: Shepherding the Flock Through Administration and Delegation by Brian Croft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found the book to be a rather enjoyable read! I felt the love the authors had for the sheep and the shepherds (in contrast to other authors' love for their pockets in their writing of yet another useless self-justifying book of their opinionated practices). The content was easily comprehensible and engaging enough to read large chunks at a go. The references were Scripture were helpful and I did not find myself being jolted by any weird out of context citing that typically plagues books on practical ministry. The latter part of the book had many beneficial practical frameworks that any lead pastor would find useful to consider implementation (or the refining of existing procedures).

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Sunday, May 14, 2017

Review: Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City

Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City by Timothy Keller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rather than propose a culture-specific quick-fix model, Keller communicates a theological vision across various ministry settings to balance the three axes of gospel, city and movement (p23-24). For him, the reading of Scripture is less about “what I must do” and more about “what he has done.” (p78). Keller skilfully uses secular narratives to illustrate biblical truths. For example, utilising C. S. Lewis’ analogy of Hamlet’s relating to Shakespeare and Dorothy Sayer’s writing of herself into the story to save Lord Peter Wimsey to illustrate divine revelation (34-35).

Keller emphasises that the Center Church movement is “not a formula,” (p39) and repeatedly calls church planters and pastors to hold opposite theological positions in tension. For example, an “evangelical-charismatic church” (p47) that draws on both the Systematic Theological and the Redemptive Historical Methods. Keller maintains that a church that truly understands the implication of the biblical gospel will look like an unusual hybrid of various church forms and stereotypes. Because of the inside-out, substitutionary atonement aspect, the "evangelical-charismatic church" will place great emphasis on personal conversion, experiential grace renewal, evangelism, outreach and church planting (p85).

When I first read this book in my first year of bible school (about 2-3 years ago), much of it went over my head and dismayed, I put the book down for a later time when I would be more theologically and spiritually astute to comprehend the rich theology, sociological concepts, and ministry/missional responses to secular culture. Keller’s extensive lists of recommended material reflect his thorough research. Throughout the book, he engages with the ideas of various thinkers and scholars; for example, Niebuhr in Chapter 16 and Bosch and Newbigin in Chapter 19.

A caveat therefore is that Keller’s exhaustive referencing and thorough development of substantives may intimidate the average pastor. Probably only the most “scholarly” of church leaders able to comprehend and persevere through. And for those that do, Keller hopes that they would be inspired and that the overwhelming task ahead would elicit a sense of humility (p382). Indeed, a gospel city movement cannot come about without the “providential work of the Holy Spirit” roots the pastors as to who is the chief engineer of revival – it is a work of God, not man’s (p373-374).

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Sunday, May 7, 2017

Review: The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy J. Keller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's quite comical and yet embarrassing how I discovered that I had read this book twice. I'd be so angry with my wife that I am unable to sleep, and so I see this book lying on my bookshelf and seek to read it to see what does the Kellers have to say to help me cool down. (The first time I got sleepy halfway went to bed straight after reading so I didn't remember much of it).

So this time I'm making sure I penned my brief thoughts down. Having had a keen interest on dating and attracting the opposite gender since my youth, I had read dozens of books on (biblical) manhood, dating (or not dating), courtship and marriage. I rate this title as one of best I have read - Gary Thomas' The Sacred Search, McDowell & Lewis' Givers, takers & other kinds of lovers, and Janssen's Your marriage masterpiece being the others I rate highly.

I was quite skeptical (as I would be about any Tim Keller book or sermon/lecture) - even though I cherish how my mentor journeyed with me through The Prodigal God and thus helped me gain an appreciation of the Gospel, receiving and extending grace - because of the many "fanboys" I know who irritatingly quote Keller a tad too often. So I was surprised to have found the book to be an easy yet enriching read - simple enough for the lay person to understand, yet profound enough for the scholarly types to engage in some theological wrestling.

The Kellers ground the content with a responsible exposition of Scripture, and Tim does what he does best - contexualise the theological truths and providing brilliant illustrations to help the readers better understand them clearly. Sometimes the Kellers provide a personal account of their own marriage on the topic, but always we are presented the opportunity to evaluate how we measure up God's invitation to his design for marriage (or singlehood). I heartily recommend this book - both to the married and unmarried - and regard this as a 6 star title.

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