I have never been that guy who geeks out over Bible study software. I've always been old school. You know, I'd go with the hardcopy, printed editions of study helps and commentaries. These large, multi-volume works have taken up shelf space in my study/office for at least 20 years. And come on, who doesn't like shelves lined with books? It's a great aesthetic for a study.

Needless to say, heading out to study for my sermon at a coffee shop or a park was next to impossible. Well, unless I stuffed my bag so full of books that the zipper began to pray.

The Logos Scholar's Library: Gold has changed the way I study, where I study and the results of my studying. I am consistently impressed with it and thought I would share my review here at the blog.

I need your help.

I need a home-run title and subtitle for a book I'm writing with Warren Bird (for release in April 2010 at the Exponential Conference). If the publisher uses your title, we'll give you a double award:
(1) we will name you in the "acknowledgements" page, AND
(2) we'll mail you your choice of 3 books from a list of 30 title options we'll supply.

Standards: Title/subtitle need to be:
1. Distinctive, unique and compelling.
2. Clearly forecast what the book is about
3. Use the phrase "church multiplication movement" (probably in the subtitle)

Audience: Big-picture church planters, especially network leaders, who want to move from "addition" to "multiplication." If you attend Exponential, that's the core audience.

Gist -- what the book is about:
The book can be summarized in two words: multiply everything. That means to build environments where leaders spend most of their time reproducing themselves, and to use structures that readily lend to being replicated. That perspective also involves a huge commitment to permission giving, empowerment, risk taking and innovation. To maintain something is far easier than to train someone else to do it, and also to instill in that person the heart and skill to train yet others.

The book will include as-of-yet unreleased research in addition to examples and guidance on how to foster Church Multiplication Movements.

Our hope and prayer is that this book will inspire you to form not just a network, but to help develop a church multiplication movement - an explosive pace of birthing of new churches, all of which engage lost people and replicate themselves through planting even more new churches.

Our best ideas so far (but none of them clear winners):
1. Viral Churches: From Church Planting to Movement Making
2. Viral Churches: Fueling a Church Multiplication Movement in This Generation
3. Orchards: The Move from Church Planting to Church Multiplication Movements
4. Orchards: Not How to Plant a Tree, But How to Grow a Field Full of Orchards
5. The Blue Ocean Book: Creating Uncontested Space for a Church Multiplication Movement

This is enough to give you the idea. What do you think?

Many of my readers already know who Geoff Surratt is. He's the Pastor of Ministries at Seacoast Church (a growing multi-site church), an author, a blogger, he's on Facebook and yep - he's on Twitter too. This guy is everywhere! His new book, Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches from Growing: How Leaders Can Overcome Costly Mistakes, came out last May and is a helpful word to those seeking to lead the church to be effective in reaching the unchurched.

I had a chance to ask Geoff a few questions about the book. He'll be around on the blog today to answer any follow up questions you may have.

My friends at New Hope Publishers want to give away some books to bloggers:

Do you have a blog? Do people actually read your blog? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, New Hope Publishers would like to send you free books.

Continue reading Who Wants Free Books?.

Here are some videos about church revitalization. I will be posting more soon.

Back in August, I was invited to record a television program and shoot some video for the Assemblies of God. Both programs were videotaped at the Total Living Network in Aurora, IL.

Larry Griswold and Gary Blanchard from the Illinois District of the Assemblies of God interviewed me for the video. They then took the videos as part of a bigger program and showed it to over a thousand leaders in different meetings throughout the region.

To load them on YouTube, I combined them based on length so each video (after the introductory one) is between 5-10 minutes.

Thanks, Larry and Gary, for the chance to serve your churches and permission to share these videos with my blog readers.

I have included all the videos below.

Introductions, The State of the Church in the U.S, Re-Focusing on the Lost

The Bridge to What God Desires, The Keys to Change

The First 100 Days of Change

The Role of Leadership/Teamwork

Mistakes to Avoid

A Word to Denominational Leaders - Making it About the Mission, Not the Machine

In his new book, The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani challenges the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ who live above the culture of consumerism. This means we need to not only recognize the problem of consumerism (in the world and in the church), and change our behavior, it means we must develop a counter-cultural worldview that is deeply rooted in Scripture. I asked Sky a few questions related to the book, read the interview and ask Skye relevant questions in the comments. He'll be on the blog today to interact the the readers.

You're book critiques consumer Christianity but you doing so by selling a Christian book. How do you reconcile that?

My wife asked me this repeatedly while I was in the process of writing it, and it's something I hear frequently. "Aren't you being a hypocrite?" (If I had a dime....) I think the key is to understand the difference between consumption and consumerism. Consumption is a behavior that we must engage to survive. We must consumer food, water, air, and other resources. And many of us consume books, media, websites, etc. The Divine Commodity is not a critique of consumption (a behavior), but consumerism (a worldview). Consumerism is a way of viewing yourself and the world, and I believe it stands it opposition to the worldview taught by Christ. Consumerism places the consumer at the center of the cosmos, and affirms that the goal of life is to satisfy one's unmet desires, and avoid discomfort, by consuming goods, experiences, and other people. When this gets applied to Christian faith it warps our understanding of self, mission, church, worship, community, and even God.

You state that the church today lacks imagination. What does that mean?

Working for Leadership Journal, I've gotten around to a lot of churches and ministry conferences. Everyone seems to agree that the church in North America is struggling, and the explanations tend to fall into two categories--church leaders are told they either lack the right resources or they lack motivation. I disagree. We are the most resourced Christians that have ever lived (nearly $7 billion a year in Christian books and merchandise alone), and I don't believe the men and women I know in ministry are lazy. They care deeply about Christ's church and his mission. (Sadly many of these ministry conferences are driving sales of new resources or burdening pastors with shame and guilt, but failing to turn the tide of decline in the American church.)

I think our true deficit is imagination. We've embraced the mission of Christ, but we simply cannot wrap our minds around how to do what Jesus envisions. Without having "the mind of Christ" but desiring to be faithful to his command to "go and make disciples," we reinterpret the mission through the only lens that makes sense to us--the one we've inherited from our consumer culture. This explains why our churches are run like corporations, our worship has become entertainment, and why Christianity has become more of a brand than a counter-cultural calling. What we need are imaginations illuminated by God's Spirit to see a new way. That's what my book seeks to unveil by prescribing spiritual disciplines of re-formation and new ways of thinking about faith, church, mission, and God.

Explain the title. How has God become a commodity?

A commodity is something that is not valued for what it is, but for what it may be exchanged for. A subsistence farmer values rice because of its inherent rice-ness; because his family eats it to survive. But once he grows more than enough rice for survival, it becomes a commodity. He doesn't value the surplus rice because it's rice, but because it may be exchanged for something else--tools, clothing, etc.

So it is with God. Those holding a consumer world view see everything as a commodity--assigning value based not on a thing or person's inherent identity, but their usefulness to the consumer. In Consumer Christianity God has not inherent value apart from what he can do for me. As one sociologist studying American faith has put it, our God isn't the one revealed in Scripture--almighty and holy--but a consumer deity part divine butler and part cosmic therapist. Unfortunately many churches are failing to deconstruct this warped understanding of God, and in their attempts to attract religious consumers they may actually be reinforcing the idea that the individual, not God, is the center of the universe.

The art and story of Vincent van Gogh runs throughout the book. What connection does he have to modern consumerism?

In truth van Gogh has no direct connection to modern consumerism, but he plays a critical function in my book. Few people know that van Gogh was a devout Christian who studied to be a pastor and served as a missionary. But he later had a significant falling out with the institutional church. Still, his faith endured and is reflected in many of his paintings. His story of wrestling with faith and a culturally-captivated form of Christianity parallels my struggle and the struggle I've heard from many of my peers.

In addition, van Gogh's art--apart from being stirringly beautiful--is also a window into our imaginations. He expresses biblical truths in a form beyond the didactic. I really consider him a prophet-painter. His paintings help take the reader into the realm of imagination that I believe is so lacking in our churches today.

What is something church leaders can do right away to begin combating the influence of consumerism in their churches?

I think we can start returning the prophetic voice to the pulpit. Consumerism has banished many of these leader to the wilderness--or the ivory tower of academia--where few can hear their call to repentance, surrender, and renewal. They make us too uncomfortable, and when attracting a large crowd is the definition of a successful ministry, those pastors with prophetic inklings are never going to make the cut.

That being said, there is hope. I believe a lot of folks--particularly the younger generation of evangelicals--are longing for preaching that moves beyond the positive. They recognize that sometimes the only way to reach the positive is by traversing the negative--that the only way to new life is through the cross. I believe preaching, at its best, should inspire. It should pull away the curtain of shadow and darkness that covers our eyes so that we can behold a vision of the beauty of Christ and his kingdom. This requires two things. First, it means naming the lies and distortions (the dark curtain) that veil our sight. Second, it requires the illumination of that which is right and true and beautiful about God.

I am convinced that the most opaque curtain in North America blocking our view of God is consumerism. Therefore, it is our responsibility as preachers to name this darkness, show how it is warping our view, and pull it back from the eyes of our people. But critiquing the darkness is never enough. Once the curtain is removed, we must shine the light and illuminate a flaming vision of life with Christ in his kingdom. This is the inspiring sight that should fill our people and lift them to new heights. We must help them see the treasure in the field for which they would sell all they have to buy. This is what I hope to accomplish, with God's help, whenever I ascend to the pulpit, and it is why I was compelled to write The Divine Commodity.

Look for it next year... and follow Tiffany here. (Tiffany is the source of a certain t-shirt that my wife likes a lot.)

Yesterday, I spoke in Saint Louis, Missouri at the Acts 29 Regional Quarterly Gathering.

If you want to see "loose" quotes of what I said, you can see them using the Twitter hash tag, #a29midwest. Nowadays, most speakers leave a Twitter-trail that is, at times, accurate. ;-)

Below is a picture from of the meeting at a former (and now renovated) Catholic Church.

I presented around my recent co-authored book, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them. I promised to post the presentation I did and you can find it below.

As you will recall, the numbers are those who agree, somewhat or strongly, with the statement listed. I have only listed the agree percentages. You can download a pdf of the presentation I used here.

Also, if you are interested in more information, you can check out a podcast where Jason Hayes and I discuss the younger unchurched generations and the churches that reach them.

Thanks for coming to St. Louis!

Since I am in Orlando at the Exponential Conference, church planting is on my mind. I get a lot of requests for book recommendations, especially as they relate to church planting. In recent years we've seen a great increase in the number of books written on the subject. Here are books (along with some of my thoughts) that may be helpful to those thinking through church planting. (If I missed any, feel free to let me know. And, if you choose to share this on your blog, please note the comment about reproducing it at the end.)

Also, throughout the day, I will be tweeting some church planting related info. You can follow me on Twitter here.

"I like reading sailing books by people who have circumnavigated the globe; I prefer history from the pen of eyewitnesses who participated when the tide turned for a nation; and I want to read church planting books by people who have been down the alley-ways of neopagan Western society and know what it means to call together a new body of believers in Jesus Christ." -J. Nelson Kraybill, from the Foreword to Church Planting: Laying Foundations.

The books:

Steve Ogne's and Tim Roehl's new book, TransforMissional Coaching: Empowering Leaders in a Changing Ministry is a valuable read for those of you leading others in the church. I was privileged to write the foreword, and have shared that on the blog here. I had the chance for some Q&A about the book that unpacks some of their ideas on coaching.

Tim will be interacting in the comment section so feel free to add your questions.

You've entitled your book "TransforMissional Coaching"...where did the word "transformissional" come from?

Continue reading Church Leadership Book Interview: TransforMissional Coaching.

Sometimes I feel that I live in two worlds.

First, there is the SBC world. It is big, powerful, and tribal. SBC world is so big that you can live your life in that world and never know there is a broader Christian community. In that world, almost every pastor would know who Junior Hill is, but I am guessing many of my non-SBC readers do not.

Second, there is the broader Christian world. And, there are some movements in that world that impact the SBC world. More on that in a moment.

This week is a mix for me and it prompted this blog post.

Update: Thanks for the hundreds of you who wrote in! We are closing this offer. the first 75 will hear from Jason Hayes, my co-author, in the next few days.

If you are a blogger who would like to have an advance look at Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them, please email your name, address, and blog address to jason.hayes@threadsmedia.com.

The first 75 bloggers that email Jason and indicate they will do a review will get a free copy. (And, it does not even have to be a positive review!)

This blog post will disappear soon, so let us know if you are interested immediately.

Here's a quick look into what it's all about:

Who are the young unchurched, and how can they be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ?

In a poll result highlighted by CNN Headline News and USA Today, nearly half of nonchurchgoers between the ages of twenty and twenty-nine agreed with the statement, "Christians get on my nerves." Now, researchers behind the larger study present Lost and Found, a blend of dynamic hard data and modern day parable that tells the real story of an unchurched generation that is actually quite spiritual and yet circumspect, open to Jesus but not the church.

Continue reading Want to Review Our New Book?.

Philip Nation just brought by a copy of our forthcoming resource based on our Compelled By Love book. The small group study kit is not available yet, but working at the publisher has its benefits!

Here are the very first photos:

And here is the the world (blog) premier of the video (first shown at the National Outreach Convention).

You can find more info about the book and the ideas contained in this new resource here.

Right now I am sitting in a meeting listing to my friend Chuck Hunter speak from his paper, "How We Evangelize Pre-Christian People; Four Strategic Themes." It is part of his forthcoming book The Apostolic Congregation: Church Growth Reconceived for a New Generation (no links because it is not out until Sept. 2009, but you can see his earlier writings here).

Here is a picture of Chuck (George) Hunter talking with Carl George.

While I am at the meeting, let me share a little about the group, its situation, and its future.

The blog tour for Compelled by Love continued today. The tour has included Alan Hirsch's blog, Tall Skinny Kiwi, Darryl Dash, Micah Fries, iemissional. Today, we visit my friend David Fitch at Reclaiming the Mission. David is a great thinker and writer and you will often see his links in my "Noteworthy Items" below. Drop by his blog and read the interview there.

Many moons ago, I asked your help on picking out a book cover. I'd like to ask your help again.

My next book will be released at the Atlanta Catalyst Conference. I will present the data in one of the main sessions and talk about what it means as we engage emerging generations. Some of the research will be included in each of the packets and then a pre-release copy will only be available at Catalyst. The book will then be available for general release in January.

The book is called Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them. We are excited about the book because there are so many saying that emerging generations are increasingly distant from the Christian faith, but often not providing solutions (with some notable exceptions). Our book is not called, Lost, and We Just Wanted to Let You Know. We look at some new research on emerging generations and then look at churches that are reaching them. I am excited about the book and think it will be a great help for those who care about reaching increasingly unchurched future generations.

Well, the publisher wants your feedback. They have two designs that they have sent me.. The first problem with the design is that they lack the name of my co-authors, Richie Stanley and Jason Hayes. However, the publisher has rightly repented for this omission but still wanted your feedback and time is short. They have a concept meeting tomorrow.

So, if you don't mind, take a look at these two versions and give me your feedback. Option 1 is called "yellow" and option 2 is called "white." At the end of the thread, I will jump in with my opinion (and I do have one). However, I hated the design of Comeback Churches, and it ended up winning some sort of graphics award, so I have no talent at this.

So, your help is solicited!

Option 1: "yellow"


Option 2: "white"

Facebook for Pastors

My friend Chris Forbes from MinistryMarketingCoach.com has put together a handy guide to "Facebook for Pastors" you might like to check out. Download the pdf (E-book page, direct link here). The 31 page e-book makes a case for why pastors should consider using the social networking site in their ministry and has tips and ideas for making the most of having a profile on Facebook. Chris is a ministry media strategist and marketing consultant based in Oklahoma who works globally with missionaries, churches, and ministries in reaching people of all kinds.

Robert Morgan and The Promise

Robert J. Morgan is pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville where the stated goal is simply "to become disciples." His new book from my friends at B&H Publishing Group is called The Promise, and its goal is to show readers how God guarantees goodness to come from even the toughest situations. If you, or someone you know, need a reminder of God's good intentions for his people this book could be a great resource. You can download it for free here.

Piper and Negative Calvinism

Does becoming a Calvinist make you angry? John Piper recently shared his thoughts concerning the negative tone among many Calvinists.

So the intellectual appeal of the system of Calvinism draws a certain kind of intellectual person, and that type of person doesn't tend to be the most warm, fuzzy, and tender. Therefore this type of person has a greater danger of being hostile, gruff, abrupt, insensitive or intellectualistic.

I'll just confess that. It's a sad and terrible thing that that's the case. Some of this type aren't even Christians, I think. You can embrace a system of theology and not even be born again.

Sobering words. John gives a two more reasons Calvinists have, or are perceived as having, a negative tone. Be sure to check it out.

ABWE

I enjoyed my time with the people at ABWE, and this photographer can follow me around anywhere if he can always make me look this cool. (I have no idea how me made the halo appear around "ABWE.")

The new issue of Outreach Magazine gives their reader-submitted "Resources of the Year" in several categories. What came in at the number one spot for Leadership Training Resource of the Year may surprise some of you (and it greatly disappointed three authors who co-wrote a certain book that was a runner-up).

I know it would be alliterated if it said, "Friday is for Friends." However, I am always behind a couple of days. Here are a few friends, new and old, from the last week.

David Dockery and Union University

I heard from David this week. He is president of Union University. I have written before about Union and its recent tornado damage.

Explore Ministry Opportunities in Western Europe at "The Gatherings"

As I have mentioned before, LifeWay shares part of my time with the International Mission Board.

I will be going to Spain in February to meet with the leadership and do some teaching. The IMB leadership will be doing some events in the states as well. Please connect with them if you can...

Here is the info:

The Western Europe region of the International Mission Board invites you to participate in The Gatherings, a two-day event designed to connect you and your church to the work God is doing in Western Europe.

Join IMB workers and other stateside church leaders/members at one of two locations in 2008: Stafford, Va. (March 3-4), or Atlanta, Ga. (March 6-7). During The Gatherings, we'll dialog about ministry among postmoderns and fast-growing immigrant groups in Paris, Barcelona, Zurich, Rome and other places in Western Europe.

Find out more information and register online: www.telleurope.org.

We hope to see you soon at The Gatherings!

Upcoming Church Planting Events

On January 28th, I will be leading a one day conference at the Global Church Advancement seminar in Orlando. (Drew Goodmanson throws me under the bus here, telling people to go to his seminar instead. Drew is probably right... he will do a great job.)

I usually do two days with the folks at Global Church Advancement, but my friend Steve Childers let me off a day early so I could speak at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for the Acts 29 Bootcamp on Tuesday, the 29th. I usually do two days at such bootcamps, but my friend Scott Thomas let me off a day early so I could go speak at Liberty University on Wednesday, the 30th. (We will be working with Liberty and Thomas Road on Thursday to talk about their church planting plans.)

Thanks to Ergun Caner for sharing his speaking platform. If I understand it correctly, I am speaking at the young adult ministry on Wednesday night. It is at this meeting where Ergun was "tazed for Jesus" (my description, not his). You can see it on YouTube here. (Promises have been made that no harm will come to this guest speaker.)

Coming up at Dallas Theological Seminary

The folks at Dallas Seminary sent this along for me to share about an upcoming conference.

On March 31 - April 1, 2008, the Center for Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary is hosting Beyond the Church Doors.

This conference is about more than programs and strategies; it's about igniting passion in your congregation to see God transform their community.

On Day 1, you will hear from Drs. Ed Stetzer and Alan Roxburgh as they discuss the theology and practices of a missional church and prepare you to lead your church toward a missional focus.

On Day 2, your ministry team will interact with Drs. Alan Roxburgh, Eric Swanson, and Bob Roberts and engage in group process time to formulate practical steps for developing a missional culture within your congregation.

For more information and to register online, please visit www.dts.edu/ccl.

Jonathan Edwards Looks at the Emerging Church

My friend Bill Henard raises Edwards from the dead to evaluate the emerging church movement. He presented the paper at the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education and graciously allowed me to post it here. It is an interesting read... it has to be with a title like "Sinners in the Hand of the Emergent Church: Jonathan Edwards Join the Conversation."

Can Michael Vick Be Forgiven?

Jon Walker asks and answers the question here and in a new e-book. It is a good and timely question.

Warren Bird Takes the Cake (and writes the books)

My friend Warren Bird recently had a celebration that included a cake. The cake looked remarkably similar to a book we had recently co-authored with Elmer Towns. The book, as the cake "clearly" shows, is 11 Innovations in the Local Church.

Warren is a freak of nature. He has written more books than any one man should (at his age, at least, since Elmer Towns has written many more). Warren now coordinates the reseach for Leadership Network in addition to co-authoring every other book in the universe.

Brandon Park studied 11 Innovations along with his church staff and made a great summary that you can download here.

Enjoy the book, even though you can't have any of the cake.