Rating: 
Summary: Read this book now!
Review: I am not a pastor but this book still managed to change my life. It challenged me to rethink the way we do church and now I am striving to follow what I feel is God's will for his church. When we rely on outdated traditions, everyone suffers. Erwin offers a fresh look at how church is done and I feel he is right on the mark. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: A must have for any church leader!
Review: I must admit, it has taken me three years to pick up this book. I have heard Erwin speak numerously on church and leadership. However, this is a must read for anyone who has a passion for the local church. Erwin masterfully weaves a vision for the church that may restore it to the influential cultural epicenter it once was.
McMannus is not interested in style or look. Instead he spends all 224 pages discussing the power and importance of a unstoppable ethos that church leaders should create in their churches. I am a pastor at CedarCreek Church, www.aroundthecreek.com. I am twenty-four and this will be a staple in my leadership library.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for any church leader!
Review: I must admit, it has taken me three years to pick up this book. I have heard Erwin speak numerously on church and leadership. However, this is a must read for anyone who has a passion for the local church. Erwin masterfully weaves a vision for the church that may restore it to the influential cultural epicenter it once was.
McMannus is not interested in style or look. Instead he spends all 224 pages discussing the power and importance of a unstoppable ethos that church leaders should create in their churches. I am a pastor at CedarCreek Church, www.aroundthecreek.com. I am twenty-four and this will be a staple in my leadership library.
Rating: 
Summary: can understand the mixed ratings.
Review: I This book was hard to read. After reading his other two books, I could understand some of what he was saying. It is also hard to read because so few churches are using the power that God has given us. Like all of his books, it is challenging. It is best read by church leaders, who have the authority to make the changes that he suggests.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Stoppable Reading
Review: I was hoping this book would be enlightening, but after the first two chapters I was bored stiff and only could read ramblings that went on and on. I was sadly disappointed from what I had assumed to be a great book by it's description.
Rating:
Summary: Change Management for the Church
Review: If you've never read a church renewal book, this is an OK place to start. If you cut to the core though, it's like most change management books...identify what's wrong, establish a super-ordinate goal, address problems objectively, then zero base and check everything you do against that goal. If you're looking for a Biblical basis for what a church should be, despite lots of Bible quotes, this isn't it. McManus believes a church should be overwhelmingly engaged in sacrifical service and obedience to Christ, but addresses those concepts without specifics. An Unstoppable Force is a loosely structured, passionate, anecdotal critique of and challenge to institutional churches. It is loaded with stories, accusations, admonitions, unusual metaphors and strong assertions. Some are intuitively appealing and convicting, others might be offensive or inaccurate; nothing is substantiated in any rigorous way. McManus may be the champion modern writer of pithy, quotable one-liner wisdomettes. McManus makes it clear An Unstoppable Force isn't a handbook or methodology, though the ninth chapter offer conceptual change management advice; it's his perspectives on The Church and a story of his experience and Mosaic, an eclectic, independent ministry in Los Angeles where he is Lead Pastor and spiritual environmentalist. Based upon both the book and website, Mosaic apparently has no edifice, holding services in public buildings. It is a congregation that emphasizes diversity and active service for Jesus Christ, while rejecting - for lack of a better thought, stodgy traditions. Oddly though, neither Mosaic's nor McManus Christology is revealed in the book, or on the website. Jesus Christ is frequently mentioned, obedience to Christ as Lord is encouraged but despite many Bible verses quoted, the only characteristic of the Jesus Christ of McManus or Mosaic that is unequivocal is inclusiveness. In his criticism of mainline churches McManus comes across as vigorous, confident and passionate. In describing his own ministry and Mosaic, he is sometimes perplexed, insecure, frustrated. He briefly aludes to two occasions where the congregation grew then divisively split with large factions departing. The dividing issues and events are not revealed. The last chapter of the book should be a published sermon, reprinted and distributed independent of the rest of the book. McManus does an eloquent job of describing the Ten Commandments as a minimum standard, not an objective, and portrays grace in an inspiring context. You have to work at this book to extract the substance; it's hidden in a lot of rhetoric. If you're looking for something better suppported and more prescriptive for church growth and renewal consider Lyle Shaller's books.
Rating:
Summary: Change Management for the Church
Review: If you've never read a church renewal book, this is an OK place to start. If you cut to the core though, it's like most change management books...identify what's wrong, establish a super-ordinate goal, address problems objectively, then zero base and check everything you do against that goal. If you're looking for a Biblical basis for what a church should be, despite lots of Bible quotes, this isn't it. McManus believes a church should be overwhelmingly engaged in sacrifical service and obedience to Christ, but addresses those concepts without specifics. An Unstoppable Force is a loosely structured, passionate, anecdotal critique of and challenge to institutional churches. It is loaded with stories, accusations, admonitions, unusual metaphors and strong assertions. Some are intuitively appealing and convicting, others might be offensive or inaccurate; nothing is substantiated in any rigorous way. McManus may be the champion modern writer of pithy, quotable one-liner wisdomettes. McManus makes it clear An Unstoppable Force isn't a handbook or methodology, though the ninth chapter offer conceptual change management advice; it's his perspectives on The Church and a story of his experience and Mosaic, an eclectic, independent ministry in Los Angeles where he is Lead Pastor and spiritual environmentalist. Based upon both the book and website, Mosaic apparently has no edifice, holding services in public buildings. It is a congregation that emphasizes diversity and active service for Jesus Christ, while rejecting - for lack of a better thought, stodgy traditions. Oddly though, neither Mosaic's nor McManus Christology is revealed in the book, or on the website. Jesus Christ is frequently mentioned, obedience to Christ as Lord is encouraged but despite many Bible verses quoted, the only characteristic of the Jesus Christ of McManus or Mosaic that is unequivocal is inclusiveness. In his criticism of mainline churches McManus comes across as vigorous, confident and passionate. In describing his own ministry and Mosaic, he is sometimes perplexed, insecure, frustrated. He briefly aludes to two occasions where the congregation grew then divisively split with large factions departing. The dividing issues and events are not revealed. The last chapter of the book should be a published sermon, reprinted and distributed independent of the rest of the book. McManus does an eloquent job of describing the Ten Commandments as a minimum standard, not an objective, and portrays grace in an inspiring context. You have to work at this book to extract the substance; it's hidden in a lot of rhetoric. If you're looking for something better suppported and more prescriptive for church growth and renewal consider Lyle Shaller's books.
Rating:
Summary: A Thought Provoking Book At The Right Time
Review: In his new book, Erwin McManus shows why he is considered to be a visionary for the church. He has a unique way of getting to the heart of the matter regarding our relationship with Christ and how we do church. This book is a visionary one because it is founded on the principles of God's Word which is the ultimate visionary book. That is why it makes such an impact. McManus clarifies and points out aspects of what God's church has the potential to be through Christ. His gift is that he has a great way of demonstrating the obvious; principles that we ocassionally may miss. This book will make you a better pastor, youth leader, Sunday School teacher, and Christian. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Thought Provoking Book At The Right Time
Review: In his new book, Erwin McManus shows why he is considered to be a visionary for the church. He has a unique way of getting to the heart of the matter regarding our relationship with Christ and how we do church. This book is a visionary one because it is founded on the principles of God's Word which is the ultimate visionary book. That is why it makes such an impact. McManus clarifies and points out aspects of what God's church has the potential to be through Christ. His gift is that he has a great way of demonstrating the obvious; principles that we ocassionally may miss. This book will make you a better pastor, youth leader, Sunday School teacher, and Christian. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Just when you think you understand what the church should be and the place church has in society you meet Erwin McManus-an original, who follows no one's mold but is certainly charting a new path that others will want to follow. He has profound insight into the big picture of the patterns of church and culture and how we can best influence the world around us. His church is comprised of people from 50 nations in the heart of East Los Angeles. He believes that "institutions preserve culture, while movements create culture.... There is a radical difference between leading one person to faith and leading a people to faith. The former produces a follower of Jesus Christ; the latter produces a movement of Jesus Christ. A genuine movement is a leadership culture." "It is more important to change what people care about than to change what they believe! You can believe without caring, but you can't care without believing." "If you're not willing to create problems, you're not willing to lead. Leaders create problems by changing expectations." Erwin's church, Mosaic, has creatively expressed their purposes through the use of five elemental metaphors: Evangelism is the Mission represented by Wind; Fellowship is Water; Service is Wood, Worship is Fire and Discipleship is Earth. Talk about "branding" concepts...every time we feel the wind we think of our mission! Every time we work in the yard we think of the four soils! Just as anything must be built from three basic shapes (circles, rectangles and triangles) and with three basic colors (yellow, blue and red) so everything in the church can be built from the basic spiritual elements of faith, hope and love. All they do is through the creative expression of the blending of these elements. Erwin does not believe in a "step by step" growth process but truly believes that even the youngest believers can be involved in ministering to others. He uses arts, music, drama etc to communicate his message in a variety of church settings, from traditional to a nightclub setting. This is a definite "must read" if you want to get a glimpse of what the church may look like in this century.
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