What is described
in this book is extremely important for church leaders. Thom
Rainer, the new president of LifeWay Christian Resources for the
Southern Baptist Convention, and Eric Geiger, executive pastor in
Miami, Fla., have done some valuable research that could prove
vital, as well as invigorating, for local churches. We have
recommended several of Rainer’s book in the past, stating that he
does credible research which challenges us to think about what we
are doing, whether it is in ministering to the rising generation
or church life in general.
Simple Church
is the result of valuable
research done
with hundreds of congregations, not just in the SBC, which
reflects phase one, but with hundreds of other evangelical
churches in phase two of their study. The book explains the
methods used for surveying, consulting, and for drawing the
conclusion outlined in the book (Survey development, sample
identification, and data collection).
While Rainer and
Geiger acknowledge that the growth of the church is ultimately the
result of God, they found a correlation between a church’s
vitality and growth and the church’s design. They found that the
churches that are demonstrating growth and vitality are churches
that are simple in design and are clearly focused on what they are
attempting to do in their local church.
What I like about
this book is that it focuses on transformational discipleship.
That’s what the church is all about, not programs or schedules,
but being intentional in every phase of the church’s life in its
objective. Like CE&P’s Making
Kingdom Disciples
framework, this book is not about programs. It is not suggesting a
new church model. The authors claim that no new program is being
pushed but rather an attempt to design church ministry that
reflects “the simple process of discipleship in your church,”
regardless of the model or framework chosen.
The common
threads found in their data in those churches growing and seeing
spiritual transformation were fourfold: clarity (people
understanding what the church is all about), movement (moving
people to greater commitment), alignment (arrangement of all the
ministries and staff around the same simple process), and focus
(doing only those things that contribute to ministry objective).
The authors claim it is focus that gives the energy and power to
the clarity, movement, and alignment.
They also
conclude that the process of developing that kind of discipleship
focus moves in a specific direction: first, church attendance,
where attachment is developed; second, small groups; and third,
the ministry that follows the first two steps. Here is their
statement: “A simple church (vs. a complex church) is designed
around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people
through stages of spiritual growth. The leadership and the church
are clear about the process (clarity) and are committed to
executing it. The process flows logically (movement) and is
implemented in each area of the church (alignment). The church
abandons everything that is not in the process (focus).”
The authors’
contrast of the pastor of a complex church vs. the simple church
will be challenging and refreshing. The data in Simple
Church
will
underscore the authors’ conclusions. Far from being simplistic in
their conclusion, life transformation happens best not with the
kind of complexity that most churches struggling to grow and be
vital experience, but simply by focusing on the mission and
knowing how to say no to everything that distracts or impairs that
focus.
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