Rating: 
Summary: Another remarkable book for church leaders everywhere.
Review: The first thing that I did after I read this book was to order another five of them for use in the teams that I lead. This book is in the tradition of SoulTsunami, a must read for church leaders everywhere.Leading in the postmodern culture is a lot different than the corporate model that a lot of churches have adapted. The 21 Irrefutable Laws don't seem so irrefutable in a culture where there are no absolutes anymore and those who insist that there are, are often looked at with suspicion. Aqua Church helps answer some of the questions that a new age brings
Rating:
Summary: great book to promote change where it's needed.
Review: This book is written specifically for churches that don't feel that their voice is reaching our current culture. Leonard Sweet, a postmodern visionary, applies much of the trends written about in his book SoulTsunami to the church, encouraging it to grow and change not the central message of Christianity, but rather the containers we present it in. Sweet does not get too specific about methods within the book, but rather presents a "jumping off point" in each chapter for churches to transform themselves. Each chapter ends with ideas for discussion and activities to apply many of the concepts discussed. AquaChurch is not a panacea in and of itself, and does not claim to be, but it acts as a much better tool; it promotes growth within each church's personal context.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging and Disturbing
Review: This is the first book I have read by Leonard Sweet and I found it both engaging and troubling. Engaging because Sweet is a masterful communicator. I've rarely encountered such an excellent word-smith. He has a rare gift for illustrating truth through metaphor. The entire book, in fact, is built on the metaphor of the mariner. Jesus is our North Star, the Bible is our Compass, Tradition is our Anchor, Creativity is our Gyroscope, etc. Sweet talks about "the traps of maps" and how people go over-board in wrongly relating to the Bible. He freely quotes poets and actors, preachers and philosophers, newspapers and supermodels in his grasping for ways to communicate. His grasp of postmodern culture is amazing. Not so, however, his grasp of Scripture and this is what makes the book disturbing. While he acknowledges the authority of Scripture, he fails to demonstrate proper exegesis. He calls himself almost a fundamentalist when it comes to the content of the gospel, but almost a libertine when it comes to the containers in which the gospel is presented, which sounds a lot like "the end justifies the means." When it comes to methods, anything goes. I fear that such looseness with methods cannot help but compromise the message. A dirty container will pollute the content that is placed within it, and too much adaptation to culture will adversely affect our understanding of the gospel. Sweet walks too close to the line, I think. There is more emphasis on giftedness and innovation in leadership than on character and godliness. In fact, I remember absolutely no discussion on the qualifcations for leadership stipulated in the Pastoral Epistles. Troubling, for a book on church leadership. Creativity is given more weight than fidelity to Scripture. The pulpit is considered a prison, not the primary platform for disseminating truth. These all make the book disturbing to me, and not one that I would quickly recommend to
others. A few positives, though: his chapter on taking shore leave (Sabbaths) was needed and helpful. Also, his many, many colorful illustrations and quotations. The book is worth periodic revisiting for the illustrations alone. I also see value in Sweet's emphasis on utilizing technology, particularly the Internet, in the church - but not to the neglect of more traditional forms like preaching and teaching. So, in summary, this book is a mixed bag. In Sweet's attempt to help the ship of the church navigate the seas of postmodern culture, Aquachurch is in danger of getting too much water into the boat.
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