Highlight from The Worship Pastor

Zac Hicks proposes the use of the term "church lover" instead of "churchman" to describe a faithful person who stays on a church despites the many painful experiences in between. He goes on to list a few characteristics of such a person; one of which struck right in my heart and is quoted below. It is helpful to remember not to take such attacks personally but to ask for God's love to minister to these wounding people...

From The Worship Pastor: A Call to Ministry for Worship Leaders and Teams

A church lover willingly enters into their church's wounded and wounding nature. As worship leaders [ministers also], we are ever tempted to wander into the temporary comforts of bitterness to cope with the perpetual pain the church inflicts on us. The criticisms are endless-from sound levels to song selection, from intolerable theology to inappropriate outfits. Our church is always wounding us. Many a wise counsellor has said, "Hurt people hurt people." ...The wounds that the church inflicts on you can become the very vehicle for your ministry to her woundedness. A pastorally oriented worship leader embraces this counterintuitive dynamic out of raw, Spirit-borne, gospel-rooted love for the church.

Review: There's Hope for Your Church: First Steps to Restoring Health and Growth

There's Hope for Your Church: First Steps to Restoring Health and Growth by Gary L. McIntosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I first read this book in May 2015, having borrowed it from my school's library, and I promptly purchased a copy to keep. Now in Aug 2016, because of its amateurish looking cover, I reread it to see if it deserved to stay on my bookshelf (anything less than 5 stars would mean it would be put up for sale to make room). I was pleasantly surprised to rediscover how good it was, and the 5 star rating remains unchanged. Many books that I have read, I felt that the author had no idea what they were talking about. McIntosh writes with the verve of a seasoned veteran who has had thought through and worked on this subject matter extensively.

This practical and uplifting book for the pastor of a "dying" church (or church in need of revitalisation) is like fresh hot rations given to a battle weary soldier on the front line. I appreciated the can-do and positive tone coupled with McIntosh's succinct style of writing. I found that the case studies were always so very insightful, and were an amazing fit with the practical advice presented. They were probably the part of the book that reeled me in the most and that I most enjoyed.

I found the following methodologies highlighted in the book especially helpful:

- Identification of the signs of trouble in the church (Chapter 3) - low morale, downward momentum or plateauing growth, survival mode, passive attitudes, consolidated power, lack of vision, toleration of known sin and unproductive ministries
- Inclusion of a diagram (Page 75) that illustrates that God's Vision is an intersection of the pastor's leadership passion, passion/gifts of the congregation and the community needs
- Building a successful dominant coalition (Chapter 6) requires the right people (by approaching individuals personally rather than over the pulpit), who respect you, who are willing to receive the biblical training and replace disagreeable leaders
- After evaluating the church morale (Chapter 7), seek to lift it by being positive yourself, finding the silver lining (every situation no matter how dire, has its good aspects to highlight; eg. thank people who are overworked), celebrate all victories, require people who highlight problems to come back with three possible solutions, recruit encouragers, highlight heroes, stay close to the people, focus on the right people (Focus on the Very Important People, then the Very Trainable People, then the Very Nice People, and then the Very Draining People)
- Do not delay in confronting problem people (Page 112) who are: disloyal (on surface appear to be with you but speak against you when you are not present), belligerent (verbally or physically attack others), belittle (put others down to make themselves look better), undermine (who seek to draw others away to another church)
- Accept resignations immediately and do not allow them to change their minds (some influential staff or board members threaten resignations often to get their ways; Page 112)
- Evaluate and refocus on the core ministry (Chapter 9) and outreach/evangelism (because theological equipping of people does not always result in them desiring to bring in new people)
- In reference to church members being equipped for change (Chapter 10), I can relate personally that radicals arent a great source of feedback as they always bring a positive report; they are great for starting new things with great excitement and energy but burn out too quickly (Page 136)
- Watch out and deal with these 5 kinds of losses (Chapter 11): of identity (with the roles/positions/places they occupy in church), of control, of meaning (in places, programs and patterns of life), of belonging (when they are overwhelmed by numbers of newcomers they do not know), of a future (as people hope for a stable future and struggle with the idea that it is changing)
- Stay the course (Chapter 12)
- Church revitalisation chart and checklist (Pages 164-5)
- That 9 out of 10 church mergers fail (Appendix B)
- When church mergers work best (Pages 182-183): occurs because of mission and outreach rather than need to survive; consist of churches with common theology, philosophy of ministry, values, and corporate culture; both congregations sell their buildings and move into a new one; a single or new pastor is called to lead the congregation; when three churches merge and none is dominant (often when two churches merge, one feels shut out and loses its sense of identity); time is given to developing solid communication about a possible merger and addressing concerns; significant time for courtship is allowed to take place

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Review: 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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Review: Leading with a Limp: Turning Your Struggles into Strengths

Leading with a Limp: Turning Your Struggles into Strengths by Dan B. Allender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While it is not an absolutely brilliant book on leadership, the author's humility about his state of sinfulness shines forth. A pity that it seems that the book was written at different pockets of time, and comes across as a disjointed patchwork. Though many segments were extremely long-winded, some of the illustrations were brilliant (will reproduce them below):

Is it now? (140-142)
We are all procrastinators. Many things need to be done today that I wont get to legitimately, and by my procrastination, i will choose to delay other things. The way I manage I manage my days is similar to the way I choose books for my nightstand. If a book makes it ways to the stand, it has achieved a priority that few accomplish. I select my books with the discrimination of a Broadway director. I dont care what sacrifice was required to get the book published; I care only whether the book is worthy of being on my nightstand. Even then I will read only forty to sixty pages to determine whether I will invest the hours to finish it. I may not make great choices, but I am discriminating. Yet each book I read requires saying no to some other worthy read. It is all a question of what ought to take my heart right now.

I counselled a woman who was a partner in a prestigious law firm. She told me how the tensions among the partners were wreaking havoc in the organisation. Everyone was burned out, yet they were still taking on more difficult cases than the infrastructure could handle. Her marriage was teetering on the border of disaster, and she knew that a number of other employees were barely making it through the day.

She shared her burden with a group of women with whom she prayed. She read the Scriptures and novels. She laughed and wept. She discussed with her husband the cost of speaking up at the next stakeholders meeting. They knew it could be the end of her well-paying job. She had worked so hard to achieve her position that at first she refused to be the one to blow the whistle on the firm's idiocy and arrogance. But my work with her in counselling helped her see that telling the truth is never weak but that it actually requires courage and audacious faith. She finally told her partners that she didnt understand who or what was driving the reckless mismanagement of personnel and resources. She also asked if the out-of-control of the firm was due more to greed or to arrogance.

The firm's older partners stared at her as if she had turned traitor. She told them that she had no intention of resigning or continuing to work the inhumane hours. She also wondering out loud if anyone else wanted to see their marriage and children due to someone else's greed or arrogance. She told about her dreams for her children and husband, and she acknowledged that lack of courage she exhibited when she continually told her family that she didnt have time to be mother or wife. Clearly this woman chose not to lie or hide. She limped out of the meeting feeling like a fool, but she knew that her soul was more important than gaining the whole world.

This woman's courage was the catalyst for a month-long reconsideration of what cases the firm would take and how to redistribute the work load and financial remuneration. She still works with the same firm and is one of the most highly respected attorneys not only for her courtroom performance but also because she told the truth to her peers.


Strength and Tenderness (180-181)
Whenever we see strength and tenderness in others, we must prize it and do what we can to help it grow. My children provide a nearly constant supply of stories regarding their courage (strength) and care (tenderness) for me, for my wife, and for one another. They each live with a growing level of awe and gratitude for one another.

Recently, for instance, my son and I went for fly-fishing and an accident occurred where he fell and dropped his rod in fast-moving water. We both assumed it was gone for good, but later we discovered that the rod had gotten caught on a tree branch near the riverbank, at a spot that was nearly impossible to get to. When I foolishly decided to wade over to get it, I was nearly washed away by the current. It was a terrifying risk, yet we were able to retrieve the rod.

After the drama subsided, my son said to me, "do you think a rod is worth your life?"

I sheepishly answer, "no it was a foolish decision."

He went on to say, "what do you think it would have been like for me to lose my father over a silly rod?" His words quickened, and he said with passion, "what do you think it would have been like for me to tell my mother how her husband died? Do you understand, dad, that I would miss you for the rest of my life?"

I was stunned. I was not only taken aback by the utter foolishness of my choice but also by the passionate and compelling voice of my son as he named my failure, set it in a larger narrative of our lives together, and then spoke to the deepest desires of my heart to matter to my son. The effect was incomprehensible: I had never felt more foolish before my son - or more loved by him.

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Highlights from The Pastor's Book

Having read Pastor Hughes' chapter in Worship by the book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/145835), I felt that Chapter 1 here (authored by O’Donnell) paled in comparison. I'd skip the chapter, save for the section on page 27 that highlighted how Christ fulfilled the Jer. 31:31-34 prophecy, which was recorded in Heb. 8:7-13,

"Under the new covenant, Christians are thus to worship all the time—in their individual lives, in their family lives, and when they come together for corporate worship. Corporate worship, then, is a particular expression of a life of perpetual worship... Thus, with the New Testament perspective in mind, as Christians we must center our worship on Christ as the temple, priest, and sacrifice." (p27).

Having grown up in a charismatic church, (and even though I recently have found myself resonating increasingly with reformed theology), Chapter 2 is still pretty much foreign to me. I have never celebrated advent and most of the hymns highlighted are foreign to me. The poems for Christmas (p78-86), Good Friday (106-110) and Easter (118-122), however may prove to be useful in time to come! Chapter 3 was a pleasant surprise after two so-so chapters! (Perhaps because I'm looking forward to my own wedding soon; and that I have not been to many weddings that had sound gospel-centered preaching since I entered Bible School). I found this section on Pg 130 especially useful in helping me look at wedding in an entirely different light,

"Christian weddings are not commonly thought of as evangelistic, but they are, and here’s why: First, the presiding pastor's (your) ... preaching is to be gospel redolent, full of the good news... you normally have more non-Christians ... than on any Sunday service! The whole service is built around the Scriptures ... [and] the hymns and songs (rightly chosen) are also full of scriptural truth... paint[ing] a beautiful picture of what the gospel has done for the bride and groom and what it demands of them in marriage. Such a service can be used by Christ to make attendees thirsty for the water of life."

The Crucial Questions segment (p131-133) in the pre-marital counselling section provides advice and guidelines that are timelessly useful, whereby a minister can do himself and the couple a huge favour by ascertaining the following about them:

1. Do you discern that they are Christians? Can they explain what the gospel is? Or perhaps asking them "What are some of the ways you serve Christ?" 2. Is the couple chaste? "If a Christian couple is sexually active (fornicating is the biblical word), they are by definition living in sin... Their flagrant lack of restraint, should they marry, may sow the seeds of distrust... Nevertheless, if the couple repents and submits to pastoral guidance, ... and does so in fellowship with the body of Christ, then holy matrimony may be pursued." (p132) 3. Do they have family support to get married? "Parental distaste for or disapproval of one’s spouse can add substantial stress to a marriage... the pastor should explore the reasons before consenting to perform the wedding." (p132-133) 4. Do they have a similar direction in life? "The pastor needs to ask a few probing questions about their values and goals in life. Mutuality foreshadows harmony. Dissonance augurs trouble." (p133) 5. Do they want to have children? "Couples that marry and covenant with each other to forgo children are at odds with the Scriptures and with the historic church... if a couple is in sharp disagreement about having a family, they should consider whether to pursue marriage at all." (p133)

Chapter 4 is immensely useful. Hughes reminds us of the "the divinely appointed opportunity that every funeral allows" (p182). For him, "Death is an enemy (1 Cor. 15:26), but also an evangelist... Death forces the most profound questions to be asked, but mercilessly mocks those who sleep through its lessons.” (p183). In providing initial pastoral care to a grieving family, Hughes cautions that "comfort can morph into awkwardness if, for example, the grieving family feels that they have to be attentive to the pastor as they are making and receiving calls from loved ones... Sometimes the necessary details regarding the times for the visitation, funeral, and burial can be discussed at the initial visit with the family." (p184). The list of questions for the purposes of gathering information about the deceased on pgs 186-187 are extremely helpful; the busy pastor can then best conserve his time by immediately drafting a brief remembrance while the conversation is still fresh (and edit later). Downloadable versions of the Sample Funeral Information Worksheet and Sample Funeral Service Planning Worksheet (p585) will probably make the book price seem like a bargain. Hughes affirms that "the apparent reason for a funeral service is to confront loss, mourn the deceased, and offer comfort to the family; the conscious purpose of a Christian funeral must be to glorify Christ by declaring the good news of his death, burial, and resurrection" (p191). He closes the chapter with the insightful counsel that "pastoral care can be easily enhanced with a simple plan for follow-up, monitored through the church office or administrative assistant. The following is a sequence that honors the anniversaries of the day of death: One-month anniversary—call or visit; Three-month anniversary—send a card; Six-month anniversary—call; One-year anniversary—visit; Two-year anniversary—visit" (p195-196). The sample funeral sermons are invaluable in illustrating to us new ministers how the theoretical is applied to reality. (p197-231). I found the Poem enrichment segment extremely difficult to read through, perhaps because my own exposure to literature was only two years in secondary school (when I was 13-14 years old). The only poem that resonated with me was Samuel's Crossman's "My song is love unknown." I guess still prefer quoting from hymns, because the words would subconsciously relate better with something that they had heard before, even if it were decades ago. Chapter 5: I thoroughly enjoyed it. My imagination and concept of what prayer could be is expanded. I have never seen prayers like these! I am most probably going to spend alot of time reading, re-reading and meditating on these model prayers. This chapter is definitely not one to be sped-read through, but one that you should consider savouring and enjoying piece by piece. The only type prayers I had been exposed to thus far were "extemporaneous" prayers (spoken or done without preparation) and I treasure D A Carson's the exhortation that "public praying is a pedagogical opportunity... The answer ... is to provide more prayers that are carefully and freshly prepared." (cited in p263). I also appreciate the advice that "much depends on how well pastoral leaders prepare to lead the people in prayer... [as] prayer is more easily caught than taught." (p263). Another piece of extremely helpful counsel, "public prayers of the pastor must be a reflection of his private prayer; public prayer must flow from our communion and intercession with God in secret. Congregational prayers can be theologically precise and beautiful but hollow if they are not rooted in the heart and practice of the pastor." (p265). The last helpful advice was that prayer should never be "a pro forma weekly confession in which brain-numbed worshipers repeat a confession of sin... [but] transparent, engaged, passionate confession by the assembled body of Christ... it should never be routine." (p271). I realise that I have been exhorted all these years to pray, pray, pray, and yet have not had prayer modeled for me so that I could do likewise (until now)! I am challenged and inspired to pray like never before! On the topic of confessions, I found this piece of advice helpful,

"we are not advocates of a pro forma weekly confession in which brain-numbed worshipers repeat a confession of sin in muffled Latinate cadences. Rather, we are advocating transparent, engaged, passionate confession by the assembled body of Christ. We believe it should never be routine. Corporate confession of sin must be varied. Sometimes there needs to be no more than a reading of a Scripture passage along with the pastoral invitation, “Let us confess our sins” (or, “Let us confess our sins, as is fitting to each of our souls”), followed by sixty seconds of silence (real silence, without musical accompaniment) in which the congregation may do so! Another time it may be done by the use of an ancient confession with a brief pastoral rubric about praying it from the heart and then praying it slowly enough for people to do it." (p271-2).

Like Chapter 2 on Annual Services, the closest I've been to Creeds (Chapter 6) is Hillsong's This I Believe (The Creed). I did appreciate the suggestion of introducing creeds in a worship service by means of a short, thoughtprovoking paragraph, such as:

"My brothers and sisters, there are many ways we identify ourselves as God’s people. We sing the great hymns of the faith. We pray in the Spirit. We celebrate the sacraments. We listen to God’s Word proclaimed. Now we come to profess God’s story of our salvation through words of the ___________ Creed. And in doing so, we seek to acknowledge the past and present communion of saints and long for the time when all God’s people from every tongue, tribe, and nation will acknowledge together the truths of God’s Word before his throne. Let us now confess wholeheartedly the faith of the universal church." (p331).

I understand the authors' choice of Hymns and Songs (Chapter 7), but unfortunately I would not be able to provide much helpful evaluation of their suggested song lists (as I come from a very different tradition or song preference, of Planetshakers, Jesus Culture, Hillsong, Passion, Paul Baloche). I do resonate with their affirmation that "Music must be the servant of preaching" (in contrast to the worship segment being the highlight of the service, pre and post-sermon),

"This means that the lyrics of the songs used during the service should reflect the text of Scripture preached that day and that the music attached to those lyrics needs to maintain the integrity of the words in an enhancing and confirming manner. We believe that the Word of God read and preached is the central component of our public worship, but the music helps raise our affections—provided they are raised primarily by the truth of God’s revelation." (p352).

I cannot agree more that we are to be "sensitive to our specific congregations’ vocal abilities and knowledge of music, ... pitch, tempo, and rhythm, [therefore] we must select songs that are singable." (p352). I emphatically concur that we should and cannot allow sub-standard worship leading,

"Musicians must see themselves as fellow laborers in the Word and must lead with understanding and an engaged heart. Those who minister in worship services must be healthy Christians who have confessed their sins and by God’s grace are living their lives consistently with the music they lead. The sobering fact is that over time the congregation tends to become like those who lead. Musicians are also called to render their very best to God. Qualitative standards can be expressed classically (unity, clarity, proportion), and biblically (creativity, beauty, craft). In Christian worship, where music is a servant of the Word of God, musical standards are a requisite to clear communication. Church music must be judged by universal standards of musicianship: it must be good music, well performed, with due attention paid to intonation, rhythmic accuracy, articulation, and tone. Happy is the congregation led by godly, competent musicians." (p353).

Baptism (Chapter 8) was so-so, perhaps it is far simpler in complexity as compared to weddings or funerals! I found that this was a wonderful suggestion, or what they term "A very nice touch," is when 'the congregation sings a stanza of a hymn or song [to] allow time for the one just baptized to exit the baptismal tank and the next to be ready for entrance. Some stanzas that work well are from the following hymns (p388): • “My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness” • “My Jesus, I Love Thee” • “Praise the Name of Jesus” • “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” • “I Love Thee”' My takeaway actually was how Christians, like the two authors, could extend charity to one another even though they differ on certain non-essentials. In this instance it would be Kent Hughes (Baptist) and Douglas O’Donnell (Paedobaptist); in layman's terms, they differ in that the latter baptises infants and the former does not. And yet they come together to affirm what they hold in common:

i. The theological symbolism of immersion and elevation from the water throbs with the movement of the gospel. Submersion pictures our union with Christ in his death and burial, elevation our being raised with him to newness of life. (p375). ii. The waters of baptism are emblematic not only of our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ, but also of our washing and cleansing from sin that occurs concurrent with conversion. (p375). iii. The New Testament consistently records that baptism was reserved for those who professed faith in Christ—believers only. (p376). iv. Baptism is not necessary for salvation. A symbol cannot save... The imperative is simply to obey Christ, who commanded baptism for all who believe. (p376). Fundamentally, baptism is an outward physical sign of an inward spiritual reality. Nothing magical or supernatural takes place because someone is immersed in these waters. The act of baptism does not save you, but only is a symbol pointing to the reality of your salvation. You could liken it to a wedding ring that, in and of itself, does not make you married, but serves as a sign to the world that you have committed yourself in marriage to your lifelong spouse. (p392) v. In discerning the readiness of a professing believer for baptism, the church should consider whether the person is regenerate (p377), repentant (p377) and old enough (p378). vi. Congregational Covenant: where the pastor asks the people being baptised to stand and affirm their commitment as printed in the bulletin. Eg. “Do you, the body of Christ, promise to receive these children in love, pray for them, help instruct them in the faith, and encourage and sustain them in the fellowship of believers?” (p399).

Review & Highlight: Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

DeYoung authentically shares about his personal struggle with busyness. DeYoung shares that busyness is not a worn as a badge of honour, but because he is so bad at managing his life that he writes as a fellow straggler. In his words, he hopes that us readers will find the book "highly practical and accessibly theological" (p17).

Indeed many of us are addicted to crazy busyness in spite of the emotional, spiritual and physical toll it has on us. An anecdote from DeYoung that resonated with me: "I read an anecdote once about a woman from another culture who came to the United States and began to introduce herself as 'Busy.' It was after all the first first thing she heard when meeting any American. Hello, I'm Busy. She figured it was part of our traditional greeting, so she told everyone she met that's who she was." (p16)

DeYoung suggests that busyness can ruin our joy (p26), rob our hearts (p28) and cover up the rot in our souls (p30). In Chapter 4, The terror of total obligation, I was reminded that "Jesus didn't do it all. Jesus didn't meet every need. He left people waiting in line to be healed. He left one town to preach in another. He hid away to pray. He got tired. He never interacted with the vast majority of people on the planet. he spent thirty years in training and only three years in ministry. He did not try to do it all. And yet he did everything that God asked him to do." (p50)

I relate to his sharing that "I can forget that my circle of influence will inevitably be smaller than my circle of concern. Above all, I can lose sight of the good news that the universe is not upheld by the word of my power (see Heb. 1:3). That's Christ's work, and no-one else can do it. Hallelujah - he doesn't even expect me to try." (p51)

We must set priorities because every yes we say, means saying no to something else. In chapter 5, Mission Creep, Deyoung shares that he too must set priorities because "I cant do it all" (p57) and "if I am to to serve others most effectively" (p60). He also "must allow others to set their own priorities" (p63), sharing that his "own tendency is to to be overly accommodating when put on the spot by an invitation like that. I usually overcommit and lead people on, rather than stating up front what my priorities are (probably because I like pats on the back and prestige and so many of the Ps in Chapter 3 - The manifestations of Pride (People-pleasing, Pats on the back, Performance evaluation, Possessions, Proving myself, Pity, Poor planning, Power, Perfectionism, Position, Prestige, Posting online).

He also helpfully advises "Don't always expect the lunch request to work. Don't get upset when your 'what do you think?' email doesn't get answered. Don't be offended if your need doesn't go to the top of the pile. Understand that people often say 'I'm busy' because saying 'I have many priorities in life and right now you aren't one of them' would be too painful. Don't think it rude if some people have less availability for you than you have for them. And don't begrudge people the time you are so so desperately fighting for. Unless we're God, none of us deserve to the priority for everyone else all the time." (p64)

No book about rest is complete without commenting about the Sabbath, to which DeYoung cites G K Beale's conclusions (from Pages 800-801 in his 2011 book titled A New Testament Biblical Theology): "First, the seventh-day commemoration in Gen. 2:3 and Israel's Sabbath ordinance is transferred to the first day of the week because of Christ's resurrection. Second, Israel's way of observing the Sabbath, with all its detailed requirements, falls away, and there is a return to the creational mandate. The observance of this mandate is a day of commemoration of God's creative rest, a celebration that Christ has entered that rest, that believers have begun to enter such rest, and a pointing forward to believers completely entering that rest. In addition, Christ's coming fulfills Israel's unique Sabbath commandment, since he is Israel's Messiah, accomplishing Israel's end-time exodus and representing true Israel and the end-time temple." (p90-91)

DeYoung puts forth a summary reflection about the sabbath in commenting, "I think the most important part about the Sabbath command is that we should rest in Christ alone for our salvation. But along with that there is still an abiding principle that we ought to worship on the lord's Day and trust God enough to have a weekly routine where we cease from our normal labours." (p91)

Busyness, as DeYoung disgnoses it, "is as much a mindset and a heart sickness as it is a failure in time management. It's possible to live your days in a flurry of hard work, serving and bearing burdens, and to do so with the right character and a right dependence on God so that it doesn't feel crazy busy. By the same token, it's possible to feel amazingly stressed and frenzied while actually accomplishing very little. The antidote to busyness of soul is not sloth and indifference. The antidote is rest, rhythm, death to pride, acceptance of our own finitude and trust in the providence of God." (p102)

[Spoiler alert - I highly recommend that you stop here and read the book to find out what DeYoung emphatically advises us to do to put a stop to our crazy busyness]

In the penultimate chapter of this mercifully short book, this is the "one-point plan" DeYoung calls us to restore order to our life (p113) - "spend time everyday in the Word of God and prayer," that is if you are "sick and tired of feeling so dreadfully busy." This unfortunately is no-quick fix, which would have been great for us consumeristic people. Deyoung did not give us a specific time, as the emphasis is on a consistent habit rather than "a sporadic burst of fits and starts".

Even as a seminary student, I am heartened that DeYoung, the theologian and passionate student of the bible he is, relates to struggling with a devotional time just like I do. And to that, he tells us that "no single practice brings more peace and discipline to life than sitting at the feet of Jesus."

In the ending paragraph of the book, DeYoung has this word of encouragement to leave us with, "It's not wrong to be tired. It's not wrong to feel overwhelmed. It's not wrong to go through seasons of complete chaos. What is wrong - and heartbreakingly foolish and wonderfully avoidable - is to live a life with more craziness than we want because we have less Jesus than we need." (p118)

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Review: There's Hope for Your Church: First Steps to Restoring Health and Growth

There's Hope for Your Church: First Steps to Restoring Health and Growth by Gary L. McIntosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A practical, uplifting and can-do book for the pastor of a "dying" church is like fresh hot rations given to a battle weary soldier on the front line. The case studies are never boring and McIntosh's succinct style of writing provides a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I especially appreciate the following methodologies highlighted in the book:

- Identification of the signs of trouble in the church (Chapter 3) - low morale, downward momentum or plateauing growth, survival mode, passive attitudes, consolidated power, lack of vision, toleration of known sin and unproductive ministries
- Inclusion of a diagram (Page 75) that illustrates that God's Vision is an intersection of the pastor's leadership passion, passion/gifts of the congregation and the community needs
- Building a successful dominant coalition (Chapter 6) requires the right people (by approaching individuals personally rather than over the pulpit), who respect you, who are willing to receive the biblical training and replace disagreeable leaders
- After evaluating the church morale (Chapter 7), seek to lift it by being positive yourself, finding the silver lining (every situation no matter how dire, has its good aspects to highlight; eg. thank people who are overworked), celebrate all victories, require people who highlight problems to come back with three possible solutions, recruit encouragers, highlight heroes, stay close to the people, focus on the right people (Focus on the Very Important People, then the Very Trainable People, then the Very Nice People, and then the Very Draining People)
- Do not delay in confronting problem people (Page 112) who are: disloyal (on surface appear to be with you but speak against you when you are not present), belligerent (verbally or physically attack others), belittle (put others down to make themselves look better), undermine (who seek to draw others away to another church)
- Accept resignations immediately and do not allow them to change their minds (some influential staff or board members threaten resignations often to get their ways; Page 112)
- Evaluate and refocus on the core ministry (Chapter 9) and outreach/evangelism (because theological equipping of people does not always result in them desiring to bring in new people)
- In reference to church members being equipped for change (Chapter 10), I can relate personally that radicals arent a great source of feedback as they always bring a positive report; they are great for starting new things with great excitement and energy but burn out too quickly (Page 136)
- Watch out and deal with these 5 kinds of losses (Chapter 11): of identity (with the roles/positions/places they occupy in church), of control, of meaning (in places, programs and patterns of life), of belonging (when they are overwhelmed by numbers of newcomers they do not know), of a future (as people hope for a stable future and struggle with the idea that it is changing)
- Stay the course (Chapter 12)
- Church revitalisation chart and checklist (Pages 164-5)
- That 9 out of 10 church mergers fail (Appendix B)
- When church mergers work best (Pages 182-183): occurs because of mission and outreach rather than need to survive; consist of churches with common theology, philosophy of ministry, values, and corporate culture; both congregations sell their buildings and move into a new one; a single or new pastor is called to lead the congregation; when three churches merge and none is dominant (often when two churches merge, one feels shut out and loses its sense of identity); time is given to developing solid communication about a possible merger and addressing concerns; significant time for courtship is allowed to take place

I absolutely recommend this book! I read it once having borrowed it from my school's library, and I prompted purchased a copy to keep (and hopefully re-read in time to come!)

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