Un-Christian David Kinnaman/Gabe Lyons, based on Barna research-sort of scary stuff as we face what late-GenX early-Millenials really think about today's church...but some hopeful suggestions on needed change.
Essential Church? Sam Rainer III--by the son of Thom Rainer, head of LifeWay, who also used to be Evangelism Secretary here for the Georgia Baptist Convention (Thom, that is.) Thom is listed as co-author, but Sam wrote most of this. I'm still working my way through the book, but it seems to have some good suggestions. Basic idea--making the local church 'essential' rather than 'optional' in members' lives, especially 20-somethings.
Comeback Churches by Ed Stetzer. Ed worked at NAMB when I did, and now heads up a research office at LifeWay. Subtitle-How 300 churches turned around and yours can too. Hope so. Morganton 'thrived' at an attendance of 200+ until various problems. Ran about 60-70 when I first came as pastor. We've added a few, lost others, and have a net attendance about the same...or at least I hope it will be the same after our 'summer slump.' Last year's fall attendance was much higher than in the summer, if memory serves. Anyway, that's not about the book--here's a quote from the book I hope to implement (p. 40)
"Pray Matthew 9:37-38 regularly and passionately. This is simple, but are we really doing it? Jesus told His disciples: 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field' (NIV).
In other words, "Hey folks, there are souls out there to be harvested and brought into the Kingdom. There's just one little problem. We don't have enought people willing to get out there in the harvest field and work."
The Baptist Faith & Message--Charles S. Kelley, Jr., Richard Land, R. Albert Mohler, Jr. This is the study book on the statement of faith, not the little booklet. It's a great reminder of what we agree on as our core Baptist beliefs, and why we believe that way. I did a sermon series based on this book. (Anyone out there who'd like a copy of the PowerPoints I used with the sermons is welcome to them. Just contact me at thechurchtds.net. (I wrote the email address that way to discourage spammers...just know that =@.)
On my "to read" list...
Loving the Church, Blessing the Nations
Let the Nations be Glad
Jesus Mean and Wild!
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