Monthly Archives: July 2010
Sticky Teams Review by Bill Easum
A review from Bill Easum from the Leadership Network Books Blog
Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne is one of the most practical and insightful books I’ve read in over two decades. It’s one of those books when you put it down you say “I wish I had written that.’ So I want to spend some time telling you why I think this is such a powerful book.
First, let me tell you who ought to read this book.
· New pastors just starting out- you might as well get things right at the beginning.
· Pastors already in the field who realize that the way their church functions isn’t cutting it.
· Pastors who are fed up with fighting with their Board.
· Pastors who are having trouble leading their staff.
Now, that list covers a multitude of sin, doesn’t it?
This Week: Follow the Insights on John Blog Tour
Insights on John is the second volume in the Swindoll’s New Testament Insights series, a series of commentaries that capture the wisdom and signature voice of Chuck Swindoll. His lifetime of experience teaching the Bible on the radio, through printed resources, and from the pulpit fill each volume in this series with content that will surely unlock the meaning of Scripture for a new generation of pastors and lay readers.
This is a series pastors will gain helpful stories, illustrations, and teaching insights from, while lay readers will be grounded with solid biblical teaching of each verse in the New Testament.
All this week bloggers will be reviewing and discussing Insights on John. A few have already posted their reviews. I’ll be keeping a running list here.
Simul Iustus et Peccator
Noah’s Notes
See Through
NauvooPastor
New Book by Chris Wright: The Mission of God’s People
Chris Wright’s pioneering 2006 book, The Mission of God, revealed that the typical Christian understanding of “missions” encompasses only a small part of God’s overarching mission for the world. God is relentlessly reclaiming the entire world for himself. In The Mission of God’s People, Wright shows how God’s big-picture plan directs the purpose of God’s people, the church.
Honesty, BBQ Chicken and Q Society Room
Frank Turk captured my attention with his largely negative review of Q Society Room: The Whole Gospel. I was especially intrigued by his third “bias” (that’s his word choice, not mine). I’d like to respond to bias 3 here, but first, in the spirit of Turk’s honesty I’ll list my own biases:
Bias #1: I’m the Zondervan publicist who asked Turk to review the The Whole Gospel, and he graciously agreed before he viewed the whole thing.
Bias #2: I’m going through Q Society Room: Engaging Post-Christian Culture with a small group, and we like it a lot. I may write on that more in a future post.
Bias #3: I think Turk is a mensch. Even when you disagree with him, you have to admit he’s a sharp guy whose fine thinking and writing merit consideration. Hence this response.
N. T. Wright on Female Bishops + Some Thoughts on Disagreement
Our friends at euangelion alerted us to an interesting video: N.T. Wright shares his thoughts on hubbub over female bishops.
I like Wright’s anecdote about the cabdriver who told him, “What I always say is this: if God rose Jesus Christ from the dead, everything else is basically rock ‘n roll, innit?” While Wright generally agrees with the cabdriver, he elaborates on his own convictions: “That doesn’t mean that nothing else matters. All sorts of things matter very much indeed, but we have to keep things in proportion.”
“Insights on John” Blog Tour plus Swindoll vs. Other Chucks
We’re looking forward to the Blog Tour for Chuck Swindoll’s Insights on John , which is just a little less than two weeks away, July 26-30.
You may not know this, but Swindoll isn’t the only Chuck with insights on the Bible – he’s just the best Chuck with insights on the Bible.
Observe:
Who: Chuck Norris
His insight on Romans: “Romans 13:4 is talking about ME”
This Week: The “AND” Blog Tour
The AND blog tour is here! All this week fellow church thinkers and bloggers will be posting up their reviews of the second book in the Exponential Series, AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church.
This week you can also order AND for 50% OFF and get free shipping at www.Zondervan.com with this code: 370030. The discount is valid July 12-16 only.
AND is written by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay (The Tangible Kingdom, Jossey-Bass). It wrestles with the divide between a missional church model and an attractional model. Halter and Smay teach readers how to move beyond the debate and use the best from both models. (Hence the name, AND. Cool, huh?)
So, if you’re working in a mega-church, a house church, an inner city church, or a 110 person church out in the country this book will have some insights for you. Read a sample here. Read a post from Hugh Halter titled, “What is Incarnational Community?” here.
These blogs have reviews up. I’ll be adding to list throughout the week:
The Burner
What Accords with Sound Doctrine
Life as Experienced
Studium et Liturgica
Take Courage
Ponderings by Andrea
Triocentric
For Those Who Thirst
Step Up to the Call
Reader Review Trends in Exponential Blog Tour
Reader reviews are in from the Exponential blog tour, and we noticed three trends:
(1) The book is so practical that it leaves nowhere to hide.
(2) But the book is encouraging, too. Is it too encouraging?
(3) Does the book leave God out of the picture?
Read on and let us know where you weigh in.
Learn more about the book. Read sample
1. The book is so practical that it leaves nowhere to hide.
This was put succinctly by Daniel Edwards: “When you finish exponential you have a simple path laid out before you and you’re left with no excuses as to why you can’t get started. That’s challenging.” Read Edwards’ review Several reviewers make similar conclusions: Martin Pitcher, Adam Jackley, Robbie Foreman, and Jeff Leake.
A counter-point was raised by John Collier, who suspects the Fergusons’ methods are too formulaic to be useful in various situations. On the other hand, David Kludt thinks it would be useful to communities of different sizes (read Kludt’s review), and Methodist pastor Justin Halbersma suggests the book would even be helpful for leaders in mainline protestant denominations.
Cool tangent of the day: Paul A. Nierengarten observes how Exponential connects to historic ministries of St. Francis and St. Anthony. Nierengarten also asks some thoughtful questions about leadership. Read Nierengarten’s review
