Book Review: "Becoming a Welcoming Church"

Title: Becoming a Welcoming Church

Author: Thom Rainer

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Overview

The work of the church is the most important work that there is on this planet.  The church has been tasked with the responsibility of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the rest of the world.  When a church finds itself being “unwelcoming,” it becomes a great barrier to the church accomplishing the task that it was created to do.  Thom Rainer has put together in this book to help churches take a new look at whether or not they are being welcoming to the public they are called to minister to.

Thoughts

I have really appreciated the books that Thom Rainer has put out.  It is easy to see that he has a big heart for the local church and helping it out as much as possible.  Becoming a Welcoming Church is similar in many ways to recent books that Rainer has written in the recent past.  It is not an overbearing read.  This small book is only 6 chapters written over 100 pages.  I was able to read the entire book in two sittings.  The content is straight to the point and does not use pointless filler material to bulk up pages.  The reader will like the fact that when they read this book, it will not take any more time than needed to get the point across.

The best part of Becoming a Welcoming Church – in my opinion – is the appendices in the back of the book.  These two tools will be very helpful to a local church to honestly evaluate where they stand in the category of being welcoming to outsiders.  The first tool is a “church facility audit” that walks a person through their facilities and website with fresh eyes.

The second tool is a “secret guest survey.”  I have been looking for this resource for a little while.  It is a survey that you ask someone who visits your church for the first time to fill out.  The questions are intended to show how everything appears to outsiders.  I believe that this is a great tool that will help the church keep fresh eyes looking at what and how it does ministry.

Recommendation

The natural tendency of a local church is to turn inwards to the needs of the members that are already present.  Those needs are real and important.  If the church only focuses on the needs inside the fellowship, then it will never grow.  The only way for a church to grow is to be reaching outside their walls and ministering to the community in which God has planted them.  This does not mean that we look past the needs already in the church, but if we come across as unwelcoming and that we really do not want any “outsiders” in the church, then that church will eventually run out of members and close its doors.

Thom Rainer has given the church a great little resource to remind her of the importance of keeping fresh eyes.  It is the fresh eyes that help us to see if we are really making progress or falling back.  This little book will be a helpful tool to churches and their leaders to see ways and areas where they can be welcoming to visitors and fulfill the ministry that they have been given.

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Book Review: "Who Moved My Pulpit"

A couple of months ago, I was given a book to read and asked to write a review about it.  The title of this book grabbed my attention almost immediately.  This book was Who Moved My Pulpit?  Leading Change in the Church by Thom Rainer.

I have read many of Thom Rainer’s books before.  I like his style of writing and topics that he predominantly writes about.  I took the the challenge of reading this book on with enthusiasm.

Change is necessary in any organization or living being.  One cannot stay the same and expect that everything will just go like it should.  Living things must change and grow to reach their potential and to reach more people.  @ThomRainer has said himself, “Change is urgent because the gospel is urgent.”  I could not agree any more.

The church of Jesus Christ has the most important task in the history of the world: sharing the gospel with the world.  In order to accomplish this task, the church must grow with the culture.  The message of the church (the gospel of Jesus Christ) must NEVER change.  The methods by which we use to share the gospel with our communities and around the globe MUST change at certain times.  This is because the means of communication change over time.  If the church does not change and adapt to clearly share the gospel with the world around it, then it will fail at carrying out the Great Commission.

In Who Moved My Pulpit, Thom Rainer seeks to provide church leaders with a resource to help them lead their churches through change in a healthy manner.  Rainer first shows that there are different types of “unmovable church members.” Then he moves into what I would call an 8-step process.  He spends a full chapter with each of these steps.

The appendix to the book is called a “Church Readiness Inventory for Churches.”  I truly think that this might be the best part of the whole book.  This is a series of questions that can help a church leader see where their church stands and how willing/ready they are for needed change.

Recommendation

When I first read this book, it took me all of 3 days to finish it.  I did not want to speed-read through it, but really see what all it had to say and process it.  I found that this is a great book for church leaders to help them in a much needed area of ministry… especially in our ever-changing culture. I want to see churches around the globe fulfilling the Great Commission at their fullest potential, and I believe that Who Moved My Pulpit is a great tool to help make that happen.

You can get your own copy of this great resource by clicking on the image above.  It will take you to a link where you can order a copy.

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Book Review: "I Will!"

I Will! Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian
by Thom S. Rainer

This book is the follow-up work to I Am a Church Member by the President of Lifeway Christian Resources.  That book was intended to show what the attitudes of Christian church members should be.  The main points from I Am a Church Member are covered briefly in chapter one of I Will!

After the first chapter, I Will! focuses on the actions that a Christian church member should have.  They are introduced in eight chapters.

In this book, Thom Rainer does a good job in making sure that readers understand that it is not just about having the correct attitudes, but that there are some specific actions that need to accompany the correct attitudes.  He uses examples from the Bible and everyday life to show how these actions look in life.

One point that I think was really good in this book is the term that was introduced: “churchianity”.  This is a term that Rainer defines as “practicing our church and religious beliefs according to human standards rather than biblical guidelines” (93).  Sadly, while the term ‘churchianity’ may not be found in the dictionary, it is found across the land.  Many churches are operating not in the power of the Holy Spirit, but in the power and according to the desires of people.

Recommendation:  I would recommend this book to any person that is wanting to understand a little better what a Christian church member’s life is to look like, especially in the context of church life.  Thom Rainer does a good job of pointing people to what biblical church membership looks like.

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Book Review: "I Will!"

I Will! Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian
by Thom S. Rainer

This book is the follow-up work to I Am a Church Member by the President of Lifeway Christian Resources.  That book was intended to show what the attitudes of Christian church members should be.  The main points from I Am a Church Member are covered briefly in chapter one of I Will!

After the first chapter, I Will! focuses on the actions that a Christian church member should have.  They are introduced in eight chapters.

In this book, Thom Rainer does a good job in making sure that readers understand that it is not just about having the correct attitudes, but that there are some specific actions that need to accompany the correct attitudes.  He uses examples from the Bible and everyday life to show how these actions look in life.

One point that I think was really good in this book is the term that was introduced: "churchianity".  This is a term that Rainer defines as "practicing our church and religious beliefs according to human standards rather than biblical guidelines" (93).  Sadly, while the term 'churchianity' may not be found in the dictionary, it is found across the land.  Many churches are operating not in the power of the Holy Spirit, but in the power and according to the desires of people.

Recommendation:  I would recommend this book to any person that is wanting to understand a little better what a Christian church member's life is to look like, especially in the context of church life.  Thom Rainer does a good job of pointing people to what biblical church membership looks like.

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I Am A Church Member Giveaway

Last week, I picked up a copy of I Am A Church Member by Thom Rainer at Lifeway bookstore. I really enjoyed reading this book. I posted a blog about it here. You can check out what I thought about it.

I was contacted by the publicist for this book and was given a copy to give away. So here's the details...

Winner will receive a free copy of I Am A Church Member by Thom Rainer.

To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog telling what is your dream vacation location by Sunday 11:59pm CST.

Winner will be selected at random and contacted via email.

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I Am A Church Member

Yesterday, I picked up a copy of I Am A Church Member by Thom Rainer.  I had heard many good things about this book through social media like Facebook and Twitter.  I have a reading list a mile long, but as I was going through Lifeway, I came across this book (and it was on sale!) and decided to go ahead and pick it up.

My first reaction in looking at the book was “it’s a lot smaller than I anticipated.”  The book is only about 80 pages long.  In my mind, I wondered if this little book could really be what all the hype I was hearing about.  After finishing the book this morning, I was reminded that dynamite comes in small packages, too.

As a Christian and a pastor, I have seen the deterioration of church membership especially within the denomination that I am part.  Many do not see the need to be official members of a local church.  Those who are members of local churches many times do not have a proper view as to what it means to be a church member.  Part of the reason for this is on the churches themselves.  There have been many times when I have been a part of a local church but there was no teaching as to what a church member should be.

I must agree with the 23 people who endorsed this book on the beginning pages that Thom Rainer has put together a great little book to begin the process of helping churches and members know the importance, reason and responsibilities of a church member.  It is a great little read that is very thought-provoking and causes one to address some important issues of being a member of a local church.

I would highly recommend that every person who is a member of a Christian church or anyone curious to what the big deal with church membership is about to pick up a copy of this little book and dive in.  I believe strongly that you will not be disappointed.

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I Am A Church Member

Yesterday, I picked up a copy of I Am A Church Member by Thom Rainer.  I had heard many good things about this book through social media like Facebook and Twitter.  I have a reading list a mile long, but as I was going through Lifeway, I came across this book (and it was on sale!) and decided to go ahead and pick it up.

My first reaction in looking at the book was "it's a lot smaller than I anticipated."  The book is only about 80 pages long.  In my mind, I wondered if this little book could really be what all the hype I was hearing about.  After finishing the book this morning, I was reminded that dynamite comes in small packages, too.

As a Christian and a pastor, I have seen the deterioration of church membership especially within the denomination that I am part.  Many do not see the need to be official members of a local church.  Those who are members of local churches many times do not have a proper view as to what it means to be a church member.  Part of the reason for this is on the churches themselves.  There have been many times when I have been a part of a local church but there was no teaching as to what a church member should be.

I must agree with the 23 people who endorsed this book on the beginning pages that Thom Rainer has put together a great little book to begin the process of helping churches and members know the importance, reason and responsibilities of a church member.  It is a great little read that is very thought-provoking and causes one to address some important issues of being a member of a local church.

I would highly recommend that every person who is a member of a Christian church or anyone curious to what the big deal with church membership is about to pick up a copy of this little book and dive in.  I believe strongly that you will not be disappointed.

 

LifewayWikipedia: The expression lifeway is a fairly new technical term that is not yet in most general dictionaries and for which most textbooks instead still use "way of life". →

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Rewind 11.9.12

The past two weeks have been some of those that you find yourself playing "catch-up" from. I know that have fallen behind on my "Rewinds", but now we're going try and get back on track. Here are some of the reads that I have found very helpful recently.

8 Terrible Church Visits
This was a good post from Thom Rainer, President of Lifeway Christian Resources, about some of the pitfalls that visitors to churches have to face.

How to Lead Young Men
This was a great post on giving some pointers on how to lead those who are coming behind us. We all like the idea of mentoring, but how do we do in carrying it out?

Francis Chan on Making Disciples
A short video of Francis Chan teaching in the topic of making disciples. Very practical and convicting.

Christianity Isn't Dying; Cultural Christianity Is
This article has some great insight into what the declining numbers in many churches are attributed to.

5 of the Most Difficult Challenges a Pastor Faces
Thom Rainer shares about some difficulties pastors face. This is a good read to help the average layperson in a church see what some situations come across as.

9 Signs You May Be Addicted to Social Media
Perry Noble shares some funny zingers here. Sadly, they can be very convicting also.

All the Married Ladies
My wife has done it again. Great post encouraging married ladies to be specifically thankful for their husbands. Heaven knows I didn't make this post easy to right.

3 Things the Church Can Learn From Election 2012
The People Have Spoken - What Should Christians Do Now?
Trevin Wax and Ed Stetzer have written some great articles in the wake of the recent presidential elections that have seemed to divide a country even further.

7 Things a Pastor Kid Needs From a Father
Barnabas Piper, son of the pastor, John Piper, has written a great post to pastors to remember to be the father God has called you to be even over the church position He has called you to.

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Rewind 10.6.12

I am going to try something new here on my blog. I read many things throughout the week. I am going to attempt to share some of the things that I have come across during the week that i thought were worth mentioning.

Check out these articles from the past week:

Why Many Employees Will Soon Be Working From Home by Thom Rainer.

Why We Believe Children Who Die Go To Heaven by Ed Stetzer.

Gospel Reign by Micah Carter. This is a new blog from a friend of mine who is a very gifted minister of the Gospel. He finally made his way into the blogosphere. I would encourage you to check out his stuff as I know it will be good.

7 Marks of Healthy Small Groups by Rick Warren.

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