Church of Irresistible Influence, The

Rating:
Summary: The "How to" of Intentional Discipleship
Review: Although I am the first person to review this landmark book, I will not be the last. As one who is a student of what God is doing through churches in our communities, I am greatly impressed about what the faith community of Little Rock is doing to build "incarnational bridges" into their community. I personally believe this will be the next wave for churches. If you are interested in this process I can recommend a couple of books that have a similar story:
The Church that Never Sleeps by Matthew Barnett
Meeting Needs, Sharing Christ by Charles Roesel
City Reaching by Jack Dennison
Urban Churches: Vital Signs by Nile Harper
Recently, 25 pastors in Boulder County, who are committed to its spiritual transformation, received a copy of this book. If we apply the principles in this book, our community will never be the same!

Rating:
Summary: Move on out!
Review: Church is not just about a service on Sunday - but about becoming prepared to really live God's Word - and then living in the Word in our communities. What an inspiration. And I am not a Pastor ... just one of the congregation!

Rating:
Summary: Someone has finally put my thoughts into writing!
Review: I am taking a PhD class in organizational communications from the University of South Florida and one of the topics we covered in the class was corporate reputation. My interest in that specific area spilled over into that topic being applied to the church. I have started with the question, "What impacts the reputation of the church?" and the answer points to the presence of the body of faith in service to it's community. It is actually my major project for the semester. This book is being used as a resource for that paper as it solidified that thoughts for me.

This book has put into words much of what I have thought, implemented, taught and preached for the past 5 years. It is as monumental to my thoughts towards ministry as Warren's Purpose Driven Church and George Hunter's Church for the Unchurch. If you can read just one book on church leadership this year, read this one. It will challenge you and may place you outside your comfort zone, but it will help move your church towards impacting and influencing your community in ways that please God and grow His kingdom.

Rating:
Summary: Someone has finally put my thoughts into writing!
Review: I am taking a PhD class in organizational communications from the University of South Florida and one of the topics we covered in the class was corporate reputation. My interest in that specific area spilled over into that topic being applied to the church. I have started with the question, "What impacts the reputation of the church?" and the answer points to the presence of the body of faith in service to it's community. It is actually my major project for the semester. This book is being used as a resource for that paper as it solidified that thoughts for me.

This book has put into words much of what I have thought, implemented, taught and preached for the past 5 years. It is as monumental to my thoughts towards ministry as Warren's Purpose Driven Church and George Hunter's Church for the Unchurch. If you can read just one book on church leadership this year, read this one. It will challenge you and may place you outside your comfort zone, but it will help move your church towards impacting and influencing your community in ways that please God and grow His kingdom.

Rating:
Summary: Move on out!
Review: Lewis' book is a welcome offering, calling the church to "get beyond itself" and instead focus on how to radically bless those around it. Through this process, the church will recover her original mission and ministry and incarnate Christ to those wanting to believe, but distrustful of empty religion.

A thought provoking book full of inspiring stories, it is sure to usher in a welcomed paradigm shift in how and why we "do" church.

A read you won't regret.

Rating:
Summary: The "How to" of Intentional Discipleship
Review: This is an extremely important book, as it tells the story of one church's metamorphosis from a typical 20th century church to a church with truly "Irresistible Influence" in its community.

It tells the story in a very well-written, easy-to-read way, of the Fellowship Bible Church of Little Rock, Arkansas.

A church that is truly striving to "make disciples" in the manner that Jesus intended when He gave His disciples that Commission.

It is a breath of fresh air, and it inspired me to: try to persaude my own church to adopt their approach; or find a church-planting group that is using these principles, and join them.

Inspiring! Five stars!