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: The Wisdom of God

To say that I am a fan of A.W. Tozer’s writings would be an understatement.  I have read many of his works that has been published over the years.  I appreciate his style and approach to topics of the faith.  When I got the opportunity to read a “never before published” work of his, I was a little excited.  The work that I am talking about is The Wisdom of God.

The Wisdom of God is a collection of sermons and thoughts from sermons that has been compiled by James L. Snyder.  This is an important thing to remember as you read this book because you will find that there are topics and statements that are repeated often in various chapters.  At first, it was a little annoying reading the same thing over and over and over, but once I got my brain wrapped around that these were different sermons compiled together into a book, it helped.

Snyder shows how Tozer reveals what the wisdom of God is all about.  As the book cover shares, “wisdom is more than just a list of instructions – it is a part of God’s character, inseparable from His love and grace.”  The book is broken up into twenty-three chapters covering the topic of the wisdom of God and how it applies in different situations.

I would say that this was a different read that the normal Tozer work.  The compilation of various sermons into a book was sometimes repetitive, but the meat of what is shared is still inspiring and causes the reader to look at this topic that plays such a big role in the Bible in a fresh manner.

Recommendation

I would recommend this to anyone looking to get a fresh look at what the wisdom of God is about.  I would remind the reader that this is a compilation of sermons and materials so do not be surprised when certain things are often repeated and when the chapters do not necessarily flow into one another.  Otherwise, it is a good read.

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Book Review: "You Are Free"

I enjoy reading books. This has not always been the case. In middle and high school, you would hardly ever see me reading anything. In college, something began to change. Maybe it was one of my professors that I admired sharing one of his little rhymes – “you must read to succeed!”

I have found myself devouring books both physical and electronic since I got out of school. You will see authors of various kinds on the bookshelves in my home and office at the church. You will see men who see things very similar to what I do. You will also see men that I differ in viewpoints on. I believe it was Rick Warren who said something along the lines of “if you cannot learn from those you disagree with, then you are in trouble.”

I have enjoyed being a blogger reviewer for HarperCollins Christian Publishing. I have read some really great books through their program. I began to notice one troubling pattern developing: the authors I was reading were all men. As a man, I appreciate having other men speak into my life. I need that. But I also believe that God is using some women to speak into the life of the Church, and they deserve an audience. This is one reason that I signed up to review Rebekah Lyons‘ book, You Are Free and give my honest opinion. 

The Book Itself

You Are Free is a book about experiencing the freedom that Christ died to provide each and every person that puts their trust in Him. Lyons shares a story of how she came to experience freedom in various areas of her life. She reminds readers often throughout the book, “Christ doesn’t say you can be or may be or will be free. He says you are free.” You Are Free contains fifteen chapters, each devoted to a specific area of freedom to experience. 

My Personal Thoughts

I did not know much about Rebekah Lyons other than what my wife had talked to me about. I had read some of her husband’s work (Gabe Lyons), and was a big fan. With Ann Voskamp writing the forward, I thought that this would be worth the read. I was not wrong. 

You Are Free is a great little read for those who are looking for a personal story of what freedom looks like in a person’s life. Lyons uses this entire book to walk the reader down the path of her life with each chapter setting up the next well. I really liked the personalness of this book.  It was much more than just a “how to” book or an information dump… this was a woman sharing her story of what God had done in her life. The vulnerability that Lyons shows is refreshing to see/read. 

Lyons makes sure to use Scripture well throughout this book. Most of the references are footnoted and gives the reader the opportunity to check what God’s word has to say on the various subjects discussed. 

My Recommendation 

I would say that if you are looking for a “how to” book, then you will probably be frustrated with You Are Free. It is just not that (and I’m so thankful that it is not). If you are more interested in hearing/reading the story of a woman’s journey to finding freedom in various areas of her life with some helpful tips along the way, then this book is for you. 

I thought that You Are Free was a refreshing break from my normal reading. It was good to get the perspective from a God-loving female author. It is encouraging to know that God is still gifting and using ladies for His work to speak to and edify the Church. I look forward to many more in the near future.

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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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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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Book Review: "The Hole in Our Gospel"

Recently, I read a book from Richard Stearns called "The Hole in Our Gospel."  Stearns is the President of World Vision US since 1998.  The book is both the story of how he came to the position of President of World Vision US and a call to look at the "gospel" that we believe in.

I found this book to be a great read.  The first part of the book takes you on a journey with Stearns as he answers the call to lead the World Vision operations in the United States.  Stearns is very honest about his doubts and trials.  I found it very easy to relate to him even though I have never been a CEO of anything.  The later chapters was a fresh look at the "gospel" and the fact that it is more than just telling someone, "Jesus loves you."

I would highly recommend you to add this book to your reading list.  I am confident that anyone who reads this book would be encouraged and even convicted on different fronts.

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Book Review: "It's Better To Build Boys Than Mend Men"

This was a book that I found in a closet at our church.  The title intrigued me so I decided to pick it up and take a look at it.  It was written by S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-fil-a.  Being a big fan of Chik-fil-a and having heard Mr. Cathy speak at a mayor's prayer breakfast one time, I was interested to hear what he had to say.

This is a great book for people that are working with teenagers.  Mr. Cathy has been very active in teaching a 13 year old boys Sunday School class at his local church.  The book is just some thoughts that he's had from his experience.  This book was written to feel like you and sitting down somewhere and Mr. Cathy is just sharing some of his thoughts with you.  You could tell that his love for young people and the burden that he has for seeing them become all that God created them to be was very inspiring.

If you work with teenagers or know someone who does (especially males), I would highly recommend this book for them to give them some encouragement.  It is a great read from someone who has been in the trenches with young men for many years.

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