A helpful challenge to the church
A sigh of relief often follows the reading of this book by church leaders, pastors, staff and officers. Finally a documented study that demonstrates the need for the evangelical church to take a serious look at the basics. The writers follow the process of a deep study of churches... failures and thriving churches. In identifying the why for each case, a pattern emerges. Churches that are growing, with enthusiastic people, are churches that have identified what 'the church' is to be doing, and do it! It is a process of evaluation, focus and implementation.
This is not a book of programing ideas. It is conceptual, and addresses the tendency of the evangelical church to layer program after program (many good) on the back of the church schedule. The result is lots of good people who are just tired of going to one more activity, or dont seem to have time for living a full and abundant life.
Every pastor, elder, deacon and other church leaders ought to read this book. It is an easy read, you can skip the more academic parts. But read the conclusions. This is needed in the US church today.
