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 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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Review: 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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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: 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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Review: Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will

Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will by Kevin DeYoung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am reminded of my shallowness of having a laugh at (at the expense of) many wonderful single ladies who seem to have the gift of celibacy. They are mighty in ministry and have a great sphere of influence, some of them with a Masters or PhD in theology or ministry. Some have gone out to the mission field for years and have come back in middle age, and sometimes when you know these lovely ladies personally, it makes me wonder whether they have ever thought of getting married. Yes I know what Paul says that singlehood is preferable and I understand why he puts forth that suggestion in the perilous time of the early church's persecution. However, I scratch my head and ponder why some of these middle aged ladies share that they had simply been too choosy and perhaps had waited too long.

But onto my own life, when I finish my degree, it is so scary to think of what will happen next. Do I pursue a Masters or PhD? And if so, in the UK or US or somewhere else? Or I first get some ministry experience by going into full time ministry? and if so, for how long? Where should I go into ministry, in a church, or parachurch or perhaps even take on a full time job and hold a lay-leadership position? Is it God's will for me to marry the girl I am dating now, or if there is difficult times prior to engagement and marriage, could it be that she is not the one for me?

These are serious questions. And many of them will impact who I am and who I will be as a person in future. I picked up DeYoung's book after thoroughly enjoy his book on "Crazy Busy." As a slowly reforming thinker away from postmodernism, I connected with his authenticity and passion for God. The first few chapter were like... nothing special... but as i continued to flip the pages, the content spoke increasingly to me. Ever read a book that had an amazing first few chapters only to water off into extreme boring-ness? This book is far from it. The closing chapter on grandpa DeYoung struck me right in the heart. I was saddened by the many years of wanting my will to be done, and for God to show me supernatural signs to convince me to do otherwise.

I had done an extensive intertextual study on asking God for signs (especially before making a decision on matters large or small), as part of a two part youth cell group study. As a pentecostal, I have had various experiences of supernatural encounters in the spiritual realm. Yet the reformed theologian resonate with DeYoung's approach because I am convinced that signs were more often than not, initiated by God, and not by man.

Just today in bible school we were joking that the more power encounters a person has, the less "holy" he should be regarded to be. Because the more "holy" ones should be the ones who did not need a supernatural encounter with the Lord before daring to make a decision. But in all seriousness, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book.

And if you are interested to know which part of Scripture I had done in the study here are the verses: Gen. 9:8-17, Exod. 7:1-5, Num. 14:1-12, Isa. 20:1-6, Ezek. 4, 12, 24, Luke 2:8-15, 25-35, 1 Cor. 1:18-22, Mk. 8:11-13, Mt. 11:2–6 (par. Lk. 7:18–23), Mt. 12:28 (par. Lk. 11:20), Mt. 12:38–42 (par. Lk. 11:29–32), John 2:18-22. Do comment if you notice that I had missed an important passage on this topic so that i can add it into the study when I conduct it in future!

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Review: Breaking the Idols of Your Heart: How to Navigate the Temptations of Life

Breaking the Idols of Your Heart: How to Navigate the Temptations of Life by Dan B. Allender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having had a diet of 95% non-fiction books in the recent years, this book brought me back to good old days of my childhood - when I could not stop turning the pages of an enthralling story. Dan Allender captivated and held my imagination with his narrative of Noah and Joan, so much so that I found myself trying to read Longman's commentary as quickly as I could to find out how the story would unfold.

I am astounded as to how Allender masterfully penned the vividly relatable fictional story whilst constrained with so little word counts. The extended parable served as a wonderful companion for Longman to flesh out, elaborate and reflect on the themes of idols, cast against the backdrop of the book of Ecclesiastes.

In choosing not to get mired in the source criticism, authorship or expounding various scholarly contentious theological issues, Longman probably targets the lay reader. I'd suggest that the authors did a marvellous job at engaging this target audience. However, I wished that the book was written with less brevity and more attention was given to narrate through the reflection and application segments (the authors provided reflection questions at the end of each chapter, but I'd guess the majority of readers would not journey through the book together with others and received the benefit of helpful introspection, prayer and review).

While I have given this title 4 out of 5 stars, I'm thoroughly impressed with how well Allender and Longman have put their strengths together to come up with this gem. I think that I am most definitely going to read (and maybe review) their other titles in the near future, just to appreciate this interesting format they have written so very well with.

I received this book from IVP Academic for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

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Review: The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline

The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline by Jonathan Leeman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a student of theology that leans more toward biblical theology, no wonder I felt that I did not like this book as much as I thought I would - Leeman states he is attempting to lay out a systematic theology! So perhaps the more systematic scholars would find this a more enjoyable read.

Brevity is not one of Leeman's strength. This book makes Dever's original 9marks book look pint sized! As I read through the pages, often I would be wondering to myself, why couldn't he just write more concisely; how I wish I did not have to wade through so much murky water just to find that gem or two? This is a pity because there were plenty of nuggets of wisdom for reflection between the pages, but you'd need to get through quite a fair bit to find them.

I've yet to encounter a book that exceeded 300 pages that I found still managed to capture my attention, and this was no different (the sole book that did was Stott's The Incomparable Christ - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/324690). But alas! Leeman mercifully includes a summary of the main substantives of the book in the Appendix. Perhaps one could start from there, see which topic interests you and then dive into deep depths of the chapter.

If he, like Dever, would shrink this immense amount of research into a shorter book, that would probably make for a 5 star masterpiece (Dever shrank his 300+ page long book into a 130 page book titled "What Is a Healthy Church? - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/966587)" While the sister volumes in the 9marks series titled Church Discipline and Church Membership may fit the bill, I cannot really tell much from the amazon previews what they really are like. Ideally it would be great if they were merged into shorter one combined title given the numerous overlaps between the two topics.

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