Biblical Church Growth: How You Can Work With God to Build a Faithful Church

Rating:
Summary: Does God Truly Need Our Help?
Review: McIntosh attempts what is sorely needed by some of us in Christ's vineyard in order to get on the Church Growth bandwagon, biblical support.

In much of what is given from the pages of Scripture, McIntosh succeeds, even providing what one doesn't read or hear from CG advocates, temporing of allowing unbiblical, non-God pleasing elements into the church. However, the title in this reviewer's opinion clouds the issue at the very least, and possibly even defeats his warnings, with the subtite of: "How You Can Work with God to Build A Faithful Church." What troubles me is this addition of "you" to God in order to build. Just as on that first Palm Sunday Jesus said that even the rocks will cry out their Hosannas to the Lord if we humans don't. What is being challenged in all of this is the vital question: what does it take to save someone? Does the precious gospel purely preached and the Sacraments rightly administered according to the Lord's mandate need any additon or capabilities or cooperation of man?

This reviewer says the Scriptures clearly teach No! McIntosh honestly and sincerely believes Yes! Let the reader judge.

The book is a vital step in clarifying just what CG sees in the Bible as the basis for their methodology, so in this I commend and thank this articulate Christian writer for this effort. May the dialogue continue based on the Word alone.

Rating:
Summary: A Valuable Scriptural View of a Popular Convention Topic
Review: McIntosh takes the reader directly to the Word, and bases his complete teaching on what it takes to make a local church grow properly from its pages. It stresses the correct Biblical belief, attitude and teachings are for the long haul superior to simply using popular and various methods alone. I have felt this to be one of the best books on my shelf at this time. We all need to utilize various methods for growth, but need to build the proper Biblical teaching as the right foundation for each one.

Rating:
Summary: A Valuable Scriptural View of a Popular Convention Topic
Review: McIntosh takes the reader directly to the Word, and bases his complete teaching on what it takes to make a local church grow properly from its pages. It stresses the correct Biblical belief, attitude and teachings are for the long haul superior to simply using popular and various methods alone. I have felt this to be one of the best books on my shelf at this time. We all need to utilize various methods for growth, but need to build the proper Biblical teaching as the right foundation for each one.

Rating:
Summary: Cry of desperation
Review: The real problem with church growth is that Christian theology does not make sense to a modern mind. How can God be his own son, as Christians claim? This author skirts the problem by taking a madison avenue approach to selling Christianity.