From embers to a flame - how God can revitalize your church - by Harry L Reeder III (P&R)
I still haven't found the box that contains 'A house for my name", but in the meantime I have ordered, received and half read 'From embers to flame", a book about church revitalisation from an American pastor.
I ordered the book because the author is the pastor of the home church of the Foucachons. In fact Sammy tried to take a group of us to the USA to a church revitalisation conference in Birmingham Alabama this January. www.emberstoaflame.org I was the first to pull out - we simply didn't have the funds for the airfare. Then one by one everyone else had the same problem, so in the end nobody's gone to the conference. Maybe another year. But meanwhile I got hold of the book.
It's easy to read, written in a refreshingly chatty style. You learn quite a lot about the author, including what he thinks about 'The prayer of Jabez', 'seeker-centred churches' and 'blended worship'. I am hoping for a purpose-driven section.
The book comes in American flesh so a lot of the examples given are a bit hard for a Briton living in France to relate to but the skeleton is biblical. In fact this book is almost the life-history of the church at Ephesus that I have wanted to read for so long. In the Bible we see the birth of the Ephesus church, its progress through the letter and the ministry of Timothy, and finally the diagnosis of potentially terminal illness in Revelation. I'd love to see someone with the right gifts pull all that together in a book some day. I rather think Harry Reeder would, too.
His basic prescription for church revitalisation is found in Rev 2:5 - remember, repent and repeat. Here are his chapter headings:
1 The Need for Church Revitalisation
2 The Biblical Paradigm for Revitalisation (a useful reflection on misson in the light of Paul and Timothy's return to find out how the churches founded on the first journey are doing)
3 The Gospel of God's Grace
4 The Role of Prayer
5 The Ministry of the Word
6 Leadership Multiplication
7 Mission and Vision
8 Great Commission Discipleship
Conclusion - What to do now.
I've got as far as "6 Leadership Multiplication", and so far I've enjoyed the book. It's a back to basics read, but that's a good thing for the New Year, isn't it?
I ordered the book because the author is the pastor of the home church of the Foucachons. In fact Sammy tried to take a group of us to the USA to a church revitalisation conference in Birmingham Alabama this January. www.emberstoaflame.org I was the first to pull out - we simply didn't have the funds for the airfare. Then one by one everyone else had the same problem, so in the end nobody's gone to the conference. Maybe another year. But meanwhile I got hold of the book.
It's easy to read, written in a refreshingly chatty style. You learn quite a lot about the author, including what he thinks about 'The prayer of Jabez', 'seeker-centred churches' and 'blended worship'. I am hoping for a purpose-driven section.
The book comes in American flesh so a lot of the examples given are a bit hard for a Briton living in France to relate to but the skeleton is biblical. In fact this book is almost the life-history of the church at Ephesus that I have wanted to read for so long. In the Bible we see the birth of the Ephesus church, its progress through the letter and the ministry of Timothy, and finally the diagnosis of potentially terminal illness in Revelation. I'd love to see someone with the right gifts pull all that together in a book some day. I rather think Harry Reeder would, too.
His basic prescription for church revitalisation is found in Rev 2:5 - remember, repent and repeat. Here are his chapter headings:
1 The Need for Church Revitalisation
2 The Biblical Paradigm for Revitalisation (a useful reflection on misson in the light of Paul and Timothy's return to find out how the churches founded on the first journey are doing)
3 The Gospel of God's Grace
4 The Role of Prayer
5 The Ministry of the Word
6 Leadership Multiplication
7 Mission and Vision
8 Great Commission Discipleship
Conclusion - What to do now.
I've got as far as "6 Leadership Multiplication", and so far I've enjoyed the book. It's a back to basics read, but that's a good thing for the New Year, isn't it?
Comments
On the other hand, I am struggling with the "Vision" chapter, I think because in the States there are so many churches that they have to "position themselves". "What can we offer that others don't?"
I have never known a world like that! In my experience it's been "What can we offer that others don't - oh yes, I've got it... The gospel."