Sunday, August 26, 2018

Review: The Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence

The Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence The Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence by Thabiti M. Anyabwile
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book was easy to read and novice readers would find no trouble going the material. The target audience is an American one, and specifically African American (as seen from Chapter 11's The good news for African American Muslims). I felt that the illustrations and personal accounts sometimes did not serve to explain the substantive that the author was trying to bring across. It is however not the most engaging of titles, and if I did not have to sieve out information for a world religions seminary course, I doubt I would have wanted to read it from cover to cover. There was a lone flash of brilliance, whereby 61-2, whereby Anyabwile quoted from C. S. Lewis ("Jesus is liar, lunatic or Lord") to substantiate that accepting Jesus as a “good moral teacher” or as a prophet, only to then reject his prophecy and teachings about himself is not an honest position to take. With Moody's 2018 reprint of the original 2010 title, it is a pity that some updating or additions were not made.

I received this book from Moody Publishers Newsroom for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

View all my reviews

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Review: Small Church Essentials: Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of under 250

Small Church Essentials: Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of under 250 Small Church Essentials: Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of under 250 by Karl Vaters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With Ecclesiology being my primary theological area of interest even before I started my seminary education, I have read probably about 50 books on church growth and church leadership. This being probably the first book I have read from a small church perspective, I realised my skepticism was uncalled for as I thoroughly enjoyed this wise, insightful and highly practical labour of love. How I wish that there are more like it this the market (consulting the bibliography did not help much, because as Vaters stated, the lack of such resources compelled him to this endeavour).

With my past experience pointing me towards congregational sizes of medium to large churches (>500) as compared to a (<200 member) small church community, I believe I am analysing the small church model in a relatively objective manner. They are not my preferred choice, and I have no reason to paint them in a good light. Yet I caught a little of Vaters’ passion for the church, both his and others; in this book, he seeks to give insight on the nuts and bolts of the small church's mechanisms and illustrated numerous ecclesiological principles that are unique to it.

I also grieved over how church growth principles (meant for large Churches) could be disastrous when applied to small churches. I am heartened that many of the mistakes he made in adopting cut-and-paste (large) church leadership techniques would not have to be committed again by many readers, and spare many a flock from the resulting pain. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and regard this to be a brilliant 6 star book.

I received this book from Moody Publishers Newsroom for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

View all my reviews