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Renovation of the Church: What Happens When a Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation
Copastors Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken tell the story of how God took their thriving, consumer-oriented church and transformed it into a modest congregation of unformed believers committed to the growth of the spirit--even when it meant a decline in numbers.As Kent and Mike found out, a decade of major change is not easy on a church. Oak Hills Church, from the pastoral staff to the congregation, had to confront addiction to personal ambition, resist consumerism and reorient their lives around the teachings of Jesus. Their renewed focus on spiritual formation over numerical growth triggered major changes in the content of their sermons, the tenor of their worship services, and the reason for their outreach. They lost members.But the health and spiritual depth of their church today is a testimony of God's transforming work and enduring faithfulness to the people he loves.Honest and humble, this is Kent and Mike's story of a church they love, written to inspire and challenge other churches to let God rewrite their stories as well. Read it for the church you love.
185 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2011
37 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
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August 12, 2012
Carlson and Lueken are highly successful mega-church pastors who find themselves in the rat race of church success. The demands of feeding the weekly performance monster is sucking the life out of them.
In one characteristically transparent passage they write about a conversation following a Sunday morning service. From a performance perspective, we had put together a first rate product. The artistic elements were very compelling and technically excellent. There were times when people were laughing uproariously and others when they were wiping away tears ("Make them laugh and make them cry - in some seeker-church circles this is known as the Disney formula). After settling into the chair next to Manuel, I sighed and said, "Wow!" And with uncharacteristic dark irony, Manuel said, "You know, we don't even need God to do this" (p24).
On a church staff retreat, God uses the work of former church consultant Lyle Schaller to convict them about the impact of their work. It begins a journey that leads them to begin rethinking the culture of the congregation.
Along this journey they run into the teachings of Dallas Willard, come to understand that they have misunderstood the Gospel and begin teaching about this and the implications for the Christian life. They discover the relationship between American consumerism, the church growth model that was adopted in the U.S. in the 60s, and the impact this has on the spiritual formation of people.
"This is the hard raw reality of life in the North American Church. The people who come to our churches have been formed into spiritual consumers. This is who we are. It is our most instinctive response to life. And you can hardly blame us almost everything in our culture shapes us in this direction. But we must become deeply convinced that this is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the one who invited us to deny ourselves and lose our lives in order to find them. If we do nothing to confront this, we simply put a religious veneer over consumerism and nothing is changed" (p68).
For those who are looking for a happy ending, these two mega-church pastors don't provide that. They came to the conclusion that the work of the church is NOT to attract religious consumer and tell their story of repentance. The start the journey of spiritual formation for themselves and those under their care that results in people growing deeper into the image of Christ, and in the process their church lost nearly 1000 members.
They tell this story with authenticity and humility. It is inspiring, hopeful, and it tells the truth about the cost of following Christ. I highly recommend this book to every church leader or to those who want to see the church in our culture reformed.
In one characteristically transparent passage they write about a conversation following a Sunday morning service. From a performance perspective, we had put together a first rate product. The artistic elements were very compelling and technically excellent. There were times when people were laughing uproariously and others when they were wiping away tears ("Make them laugh and make them cry - in some seeker-church circles this is known as the Disney formula). After settling into the chair next to Manuel, I sighed and said, "Wow!" And with uncharacteristic dark irony, Manuel said, "You know, we don't even need God to do this" (p24).
On a church staff retreat, God uses the work of former church consultant Lyle Schaller to convict them about the impact of their work. It begins a journey that leads them to begin rethinking the culture of the congregation.
Along this journey they run into the teachings of Dallas Willard, come to understand that they have misunderstood the Gospel and begin teaching about this and the implications for the Christian life. They discover the relationship between American consumerism, the church growth model that was adopted in the U.S. in the 60s, and the impact this has on the spiritual formation of people.
"This is the hard raw reality of life in the North American Church. The people who come to our churches have been formed into spiritual consumers. This is who we are. It is our most instinctive response to life. And you can hardly blame us almost everything in our culture shapes us in this direction. But we must become deeply convinced that this is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the one who invited us to deny ourselves and lose our lives in order to find them. If we do nothing to confront this, we simply put a religious veneer over consumerism and nothing is changed" (p68).
For those who are looking for a happy ending, these two mega-church pastors don't provide that. They came to the conclusion that the work of the church is NOT to attract religious consumer and tell their story of repentance. The start the journey of spiritual formation for themselves and those under their care that results in people growing deeper into the image of Christ, and in the process their church lost nearly 1000 members.
They tell this story with authenticity and humility. It is inspiring, hopeful, and it tells the truth about the cost of following Christ. I highly recommend this book to every church leader or to those who want to see the church in our culture reformed.
August 22, 2018
Renovation of the Church is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at what happens when a "seeker friendly" church decides to reject a consumer-driven model of growth and center its teachings around the spiritual disciplines.
Oak Hills Church was, by all accounts, a hugely successful church. Founded in 1984 in Folsom, California, by 2001 the church was averaging about 2,000 attendees per Sunday. However, after an impactful spiritual retreat in which the co-pastors (and authors) - Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken - wrestled honestly with the "entertainment" focused direction of their congregation, they decided to make some serious changes about how they talked about God and organized their services.
As a result, their church attendance plummeted. But Carlson and Lueken didn't exactly see that as a bad thing. Renovation of the Church is a scathing indictment of modern church culture that never sinks into cynicism. Carlson and Lueken are honest about the mistakes and missteps they made while transiting their congregation around a "Kingdom" mindset.
The chapters on consumerism, spiritual formation, and worship are clear highlights.
Renovation is easy to read, and while it may only be of interest to those who are involved in Church ministry (and, if you are or want to be, this is a must read), the layperson can still get a lot out of the message of this book.
Oak Hills Church was, by all accounts, a hugely successful church. Founded in 1984 in Folsom, California, by 2001 the church was averaging about 2,000 attendees per Sunday. However, after an impactful spiritual retreat in which the co-pastors (and authors) - Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken - wrestled honestly with the "entertainment" focused direction of their congregation, they decided to make some serious changes about how they talked about God and organized their services.
As a result, their church attendance plummeted. But Carlson and Lueken didn't exactly see that as a bad thing. Renovation of the Church is a scathing indictment of modern church culture that never sinks into cynicism. Carlson and Lueken are honest about the mistakes and missteps they made while transiting their congregation around a "Kingdom" mindset.
The chapters on consumerism, spiritual formation, and worship are clear highlights.
Renovation is easy to read, and while it may only be of interest to those who are involved in Church ministry (and, if you are or want to be, this is a must read), the layperson can still get a lot out of the message of this book.
October 14, 2014
This is a book I have been waiting for someone to write for a very long time. When I was preparing for my senior year of college, I was required to spend a summer doing a ministry internship. Although I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to do that as part of a good ministry in a good church, that summer left me disillusioned with ministry. I returned to my senior year at Asbury hungry for a way of doing ministry that led to something more, and that hunger, along with relationships I was fortunate to have with great people at Asbury, guided me into the beginning of my interest in spiritual formation. It was during that year that I first read Dallas Willard, and from then on, my understanding of Christianity and ministry was dramatically changed.
The authors of Renovation of the Church had very similar experiences, only theirs occurred more than a decade into a very successful attempt at planting a church.
They had a rapidly growing suburban church with a new facility, and had around 1,700 people attending worship every weekend. Then they realized that the way they did ministry was actually working against the likelihood that their followers would ever have their characters become significantly like that of Jesus. They state, "It slowly began to dawn on us that our method of attracting people was forming them in ways contrary to the way of Christ" (35).
The book tells the story of their church, Oak Hills Church of Folsom, CA, from the time that it was planted, through their entry into the seeker church movement and rapid growth, then through the decision to change and the mistakes, consequences, and rewards that have followed. It is very honest, respectful, and obviously took a great deal of courage to publish. (Congratulations to both the authors and InterVarsity Press for doing so.) I've read the stories of other pastors or churches who have gone through similar journeys, but this is by far the best written.
Dallas Willard's foreword is worth the price of the book. He opens the book with a question (also repeated in a later chapter) which the rest of the book tries to unpack and Willard says is "the single most important question in the church culture of North America today": "How do we present the radical message of Christ in a church that has catered to the religious demands of the nominally committed?" (9) Or, as it played out in the story of Oak Hills, the question might be: How can we expect people whom we have attracted with a `come have all of your preferences and desires met at church' style of ministry to respond well to Jesus' `deny yourself and give up your life to follow me' gospel? The authors concluded that those two were incompatible.
Personally, one of the greatest strengths of the book was in making connections I had not been able to make before between our consumeristic habits that are so deeply ingrained in us in North American culture and churches' general lack of effectiveness at helping people grow in the character of Christ. As the authors point out, cultural consumerism isn't so much the problem, as is how churches have adopted the consumerism of the culture around us and decided we have to harness it as a strategy for church growth. Ministry becomes an endless cycle of creating attractive ministries to get people to come to our churches, then trying to keep them happy and engaged enough to continue coming rather than dropping out or finding another church. When people come to us on these terms, we cannot be surprised when we discover that they may actually have very little interest in learning to do the things that Jesus taught and arranging their lives as any of his serious students would naturally do.
Along with tackling the "insidious monster" of consumerism, the book also addresses personal ambition in pastors and how it feeds this destructive cycle. We can cover and excuse our selfish ambition in language of wanting to accomplish great things for God's kingdom, but ambition often leads us into ways of living that are destructive to our souls and those of the people following us. As Carlson states,
"The desire to be better than others, the odious nature of comparison, and the lack of contentment with our actual state, is the problem formationally. This whole personal ambition thing is a very messy area... Perhaps ambition is needed more than ever. But it must be ambition directed toward something other than personal and organizational success. We must be ambitious to decrease so that Christ may increase. This is truly something worth giving our lives to " (76, 87).
Amen. Our churches will certainly benefit if this book can launch honest conversations among our leaders.
P.S.: If you're not a pastor, this is still an important book to read, but... If you come away from reading it ticked off at your pastor or your church for not doing things this way, you've entirely misread the book. The authors themselves strongly urge against thinking that would lead to such a reaction, as they state that the best possible result is for you to encounter God in the church where you already are, rather than going looking for another church or pastor who does things the way you like. As I've stated it before personally, the biggest hurdle to great ministry in my church is my own unlikeness to Jesus, not that anyone else has gotten things wrong. In almost every case pastors and church leaders are working very hard and doing the very best they can in an incredibly difficult job. Take it easy on them, and use this book to help you become more like Jesus for them.
The authors of Renovation of the Church had very similar experiences, only theirs occurred more than a decade into a very successful attempt at planting a church.
They had a rapidly growing suburban church with a new facility, and had around 1,700 people attending worship every weekend. Then they realized that the way they did ministry was actually working against the likelihood that their followers would ever have their characters become significantly like that of Jesus. They state, "It slowly began to dawn on us that our method of attracting people was forming them in ways contrary to the way of Christ" (35).
The book tells the story of their church, Oak Hills Church of Folsom, CA, from the time that it was planted, through their entry into the seeker church movement and rapid growth, then through the decision to change and the mistakes, consequences, and rewards that have followed. It is very honest, respectful, and obviously took a great deal of courage to publish. (Congratulations to both the authors and InterVarsity Press for doing so.) I've read the stories of other pastors or churches who have gone through similar journeys, but this is by far the best written.
Dallas Willard's foreword is worth the price of the book. He opens the book with a question (also repeated in a later chapter) which the rest of the book tries to unpack and Willard says is "the single most important question in the church culture of North America today": "How do we present the radical message of Christ in a church that has catered to the religious demands of the nominally committed?" (9) Or, as it played out in the story of Oak Hills, the question might be: How can we expect people whom we have attracted with a `come have all of your preferences and desires met at church' style of ministry to respond well to Jesus' `deny yourself and give up your life to follow me' gospel? The authors concluded that those two were incompatible.
Personally, one of the greatest strengths of the book was in making connections I had not been able to make before between our consumeristic habits that are so deeply ingrained in us in North American culture and churches' general lack of effectiveness at helping people grow in the character of Christ. As the authors point out, cultural consumerism isn't so much the problem, as is how churches have adopted the consumerism of the culture around us and decided we have to harness it as a strategy for church growth. Ministry becomes an endless cycle of creating attractive ministries to get people to come to our churches, then trying to keep them happy and engaged enough to continue coming rather than dropping out or finding another church. When people come to us on these terms, we cannot be surprised when we discover that they may actually have very little interest in learning to do the things that Jesus taught and arranging their lives as any of his serious students would naturally do.
Along with tackling the "insidious monster" of consumerism, the book also addresses personal ambition in pastors and how it feeds this destructive cycle. We can cover and excuse our selfish ambition in language of wanting to accomplish great things for God's kingdom, but ambition often leads us into ways of living that are destructive to our souls and those of the people following us. As Carlson states,
"The desire to be better than others, the odious nature of comparison, and the lack of contentment with our actual state, is the problem formationally. This whole personal ambition thing is a very messy area... Perhaps ambition is needed more than ever. But it must be ambition directed toward something other than personal and organizational success. We must be ambitious to decrease so that Christ may increase. This is truly something worth giving our lives to " (76, 87).
Amen. Our churches will certainly benefit if this book can launch honest conversations among our leaders.
P.S.: If you're not a pastor, this is still an important book to read, but... If you come away from reading it ticked off at your pastor or your church for not doing things this way, you've entirely misread the book. The authors themselves strongly urge against thinking that would lead to such a reaction, as they state that the best possible result is for you to encounter God in the church where you already are, rather than going looking for another church or pastor who does things the way you like. As I've stated it before personally, the biggest hurdle to great ministry in my church is my own unlikeness to Jesus, not that anyone else has gotten things wrong. In almost every case pastors and church leaders are working very hard and doing the very best they can in an incredibly difficult job. Take it easy on them, and use this book to help you become more like Jesus for them.
October 16, 2017
Kent & Mike were 'successful' at growing their church until they started realizing how their method for increase undermined the call to discipleship as they catered to consumer culture. In this book they share how they intentional re-envisioned church toward spiritual formation and the effects it had, both negative (people leaving) and positive (people growing). This book asks the convicting question, "What kind of growth are you looking for?"
June 13, 2021
Really good book on what it means to live authentically in a church community
December 22, 2017
Highly recommend this one for pastors and church leaders.
December 26, 2011
I read Renovation Of The Church against the backdrop of resigning as pastor of my church. Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken brought me to much introspection and healing, in the face of that transition, with their theology of church. I identified with their struggles and could feel the pain of their transition. A few times their words stopped me in my tracks and brought tears to my eyes as they spoke straight to the wounds in my heart.
After eight years at our church it was becoming clear that our vision of a church that embraces life in the kingdom wasn’t being embraced. We faced the heartbreak of a congregation that would rather cease to be than come to new life. I struggled with my fruitfulness at this church. If Jesus said that Father is glorified in my bearing much fruit (John 15:8), I want to bear fruit! Renovation challenged me again in my struggle, was my expectation of what fruit looked like too tied to measures and metrics? Was it pride that made me want to leave when I felt rejected?
In the midst of the pain inflicted by the backlash to what turned out to be our final push to vibrancy, I held dark thoughts about the dear saints in our pews. It was a healing corrective to hear that the church was to be a messy place, that we aren’t called to make a sect of the in-crowd. They reminded me of my opportunity to bless those who curse you.
As I mentioned earlier to Rob, this reminded me of Ronald Rolheiser’s comments on Sarx in The Holy Longing. The flesh (sarx) that Jesus tells us we must eat to be his is the messy troublesome flesh of his body, the church. We must participate in the imperfect masterpiece, or as Switchfoot pens it, “the beautiful letdown” that is the church. Mike writes, “Our hearts grow bigger for God by worshiping next to they guy who hates to sing, doesn’t know the words and things the tune is lame. We are spiritually better off being in a community with both the committed and marginal” (107). Over the years I have found it difficult to worship where I don’t trust that guy next to me to be longing for intimacy with Jesus.
Last night I went to the Christmas Vigil service at an Episcopal church a few blocks from our new home. I sat behind a couple of young ladies who were clearly there because one of them belonged to the family filling that pew. Their sidelong glances betrayed their mild disdain for what was happening in the service. I remembered Mike’s words and I silently blessed them from behind. In the midst of those who might have been there only to satisfy relatives or admire music and the memorial poinsettias, we did together hear and respond to the Gospel!
I write this on the first Sunday that I haven’t been the pastor of a small church in eight years. I am still mourning the loss as well as enjoying the freedom. I greatly appreciated Kent and Mike in their honesty and transparency. In their story I know I am not alone in my pain or my joys. I rejoice to see Oak Hills as an example that what we’ve been wanting and talking about for so many years is possible. It is a great joy for those of us dreaming of Spiritual formation in the church. I also can’t help but appreciate a couple of guys who have so fully imbibed Dallas Willard’s thoughts, they can’t help but spill out on the page. That makes them feel like old friends to me.
After eight years at our church it was becoming clear that our vision of a church that embraces life in the kingdom wasn’t being embraced. We faced the heartbreak of a congregation that would rather cease to be than come to new life. I struggled with my fruitfulness at this church. If Jesus said that Father is glorified in my bearing much fruit (John 15:8), I want to bear fruit! Renovation challenged me again in my struggle, was my expectation of what fruit looked like too tied to measures and metrics? Was it pride that made me want to leave when I felt rejected?
In the midst of the pain inflicted by the backlash to what turned out to be our final push to vibrancy, I held dark thoughts about the dear saints in our pews. It was a healing corrective to hear that the church was to be a messy place, that we aren’t called to make a sect of the in-crowd. They reminded me of my opportunity to bless those who curse you.
As I mentioned earlier to Rob, this reminded me of Ronald Rolheiser’s comments on Sarx in The Holy Longing. The flesh (sarx) that Jesus tells us we must eat to be his is the messy troublesome flesh of his body, the church. We must participate in the imperfect masterpiece, or as Switchfoot pens it, “the beautiful letdown” that is the church. Mike writes, “Our hearts grow bigger for God by worshiping next to they guy who hates to sing, doesn’t know the words and things the tune is lame. We are spiritually better off being in a community with both the committed and marginal” (107). Over the years I have found it difficult to worship where I don’t trust that guy next to me to be longing for intimacy with Jesus.
Last night I went to the Christmas Vigil service at an Episcopal church a few blocks from our new home. I sat behind a couple of young ladies who were clearly there because one of them belonged to the family filling that pew. Their sidelong glances betrayed their mild disdain for what was happening in the service. I remembered Mike’s words and I silently blessed them from behind. In the midst of those who might have been there only to satisfy relatives or admire music and the memorial poinsettias, we did together hear and respond to the Gospel!
I write this on the first Sunday that I haven’t been the pastor of a small church in eight years. I am still mourning the loss as well as enjoying the freedom. I greatly appreciated Kent and Mike in their honesty and transparency. In their story I know I am not alone in my pain or my joys. I rejoice to see Oak Hills as an example that what we’ve been wanting and talking about for so many years is possible. It is a great joy for those of us dreaming of Spiritual formation in the church. I also can’t help but appreciate a couple of guys who have so fully imbibed Dallas Willard’s thoughts, they can’t help but spill out on the page. That makes them feel like old friends to me.
May 12, 2011
This book is a combination of hit and miss. On the positive side, the authors have wonderful and welcome insights into the differences between a body of believers centered on formation and one centered on an "attractional model" of congregational life, as well as honest and genuine offerings of the messy transition from one to the other. On the other hand, the authors both seem to display a sense of faith formation that is young and at times immature and their hierarchical, top-down approach to leading their congregation is almost scary in such a context of drastic ecclesial change. There is much to commend in this reflective piece, but the story might look a lot more seasoned and mature in ten more years or in the hands of leaders steeped more deeply in a formative approach.
February 13, 2024
Interesting story of what happens when a church goes from caring about maintenance and numerical growth to spiritual formation. It gave me a lot to think about. I don't agree with everything they wrote, and I wish they'd share more spiritual formation examples beyond silence and solitude, having a rule or life, and the general concepts we're taught by any church - go to church, read the Bible, pray. How can we read the Bible? How can we pray? How was art incorporated into the services? I applaud their effort, I just wanted more tangible practices and examples.
It's honest about their struggle, and their mistakes. It allows the reader to peek behind the curtain of the seeker-sensitive movement and see the real problems that are present. It was also interesting to read how being focused on spiritual formation can be detrimental as well, apart from the simple reason that the seeker-sensitive movement is very consumer driven. One thing the authors ran into in being focused on formation was how to accommodate those who stayed, but weren't necessarily interested in the different spiritual formation aspects being present. The authors also addressed the impact of snobbery in the spiritually mature, and how those individuals would evaluate others and the church.
If my annotations argue with the authors, and myself, I can tell it's a book that has grabbed my attention.
It's honest about their struggle, and their mistakes. It allows the reader to peek behind the curtain of the seeker-sensitive movement and see the real problems that are present. It was also interesting to read how being focused on spiritual formation can be detrimental as well, apart from the simple reason that the seeker-sensitive movement is very consumer driven. One thing the authors ran into in being focused on formation was how to accommodate those who stayed, but weren't necessarily interested in the different spiritual formation aspects being present. The authors also addressed the impact of snobbery in the spiritually mature, and how those individuals would evaluate others and the church.
If my annotations argue with the authors, and myself, I can tell it's a book that has grabbed my attention.
August 25, 2025
4.3⭐️
Renovation of the church is a great story of a church who goes through a huge transition of being a seeker oriented church, to a church to prioritizes spiritual formation. The first couple of chapters are the story, then they get more practical after that.
I think this book was a really good and refreshing read. I loved the story nature to it and the content was fantastic. As I am a part of a church that is going through a semi similar transition, it was good to hear the good, bad, and ugly. I loved their courage in stepping out in faith, but also their honesty of the difficulty it has been.
Some of my favorite and most impactful chapters were on consumerism (chapter 5), Spiritual formation (chapter 9), and worship (chapter 11). Really thoughtful book and I enjoyed the read. It creates a stir without ministry leaders souls and asks the questions of is what were doing right and affective. (like there is a "right" way of doing things)
I think the one draw back, and it has nothing to do with the content, is it feels unfinished. Would love for them to write a book 10 years later, or write another chapter or 2 on where they are at now!
I would give this book a shot if you're at all interested.
Renovation of the church is a great story of a church who goes through a huge transition of being a seeker oriented church, to a church to prioritizes spiritual formation. The first couple of chapters are the story, then they get more practical after that.
I think this book was a really good and refreshing read. I loved the story nature to it and the content was fantastic. As I am a part of a church that is going through a semi similar transition, it was good to hear the good, bad, and ugly. I loved their courage in stepping out in faith, but also their honesty of the difficulty it has been.
Some of my favorite and most impactful chapters were on consumerism (chapter 5), Spiritual formation (chapter 9), and worship (chapter 11). Really thoughtful book and I enjoyed the read. It creates a stir without ministry leaders souls and asks the questions of is what were doing right and affective. (like there is a "right" way of doing things)
I think the one draw back, and it has nothing to do with the content, is it feels unfinished. Would love for them to write a book 10 years later, or write another chapter or 2 on where they are at now!
I would give this book a shot if you're at all interested.
October 1, 2020
A very present help in times of trouble. I think COVID-19 has revealed a problem in many congregations that these two pastors noticed in theirs long before the pandemic. As a pastor praying and thinking through a way forward, this book was a tremendous help.
Much of their theology of spiritual formation is taken directly from other authors (Willard, Peterson, Nouwen, Webber, etc.). The authors are aware of that, but they distill what they have learned very well. Theirs is a great summary of some of the best thinkers, with the added benefit of having lived through trying to apply these ideas.
Finally, this books greatest value is that it comes from pastors “on the ground.” This is not the idea of a tenured professor far-removed from church leadership, but is of two pastors hard at work in grinding out the complex challenge of leading a congregation in 21st century America. Their honest accounts and stories of the post-Donner years illustrate the mess that is leading for change. And the last chapter on the mistakes they made along the way is perhaps the most valuable chapter in the whole book. At least it was for me, a 26 year old first time pastor.
Much of their theology of spiritual formation is taken directly from other authors (Willard, Peterson, Nouwen, Webber, etc.). The authors are aware of that, but they distill what they have learned very well. Theirs is a great summary of some of the best thinkers, with the added benefit of having lived through trying to apply these ideas.
Finally, this books greatest value is that it comes from pastors “on the ground.” This is not the idea of a tenured professor far-removed from church leadership, but is of two pastors hard at work in grinding out the complex challenge of leading a congregation in 21st century America. Their honest accounts and stories of the post-Donner years illustrate the mess that is leading for change. And the last chapter on the mistakes they made along the way is perhaps the most valuable chapter in the whole book. At least it was for me, a 26 year old first time pastor.
April 5, 2021
A book exploring the transition from a church with seeker sensitive focus moving to spiritual formation as the emphasis. I could empathise with a lot of the shadow side of the seeker sensitive church that they described and appreciated the transparency in the many areas where they felt they handled the transition wrong. I felt they authentically conveyed the nuances of the journey too (they haven’t worked out what evangelism period worship looks like yet), some of the traps they fell into and the “messiness” of the journey. Whilst I think the extent of the overhaul necessary varies from church to church, it offers lots of ideas and food for thought in what a transition might look look.
May 3, 2022
Wow! This is a book to be read by many. It is a very open and honest account of needed changes in a church. I will recommend this book to everyone I know. But I will criticize it only because it is so important. It still seems to me that the authors see the church as pastor centered and institutional. They honestly struggle with this and are trying to find a balance. But I think they fall on the pastor running things and maintaining an institution. I think the non-pastors need to be empowered and given authority. But wow this book sure goes in the right direction!
August 10, 2017
This was a humble, thoughtful book written about what happens when a church moves from a consumeristic, seeker-centered approach to church growth to a gospel-centered, spiritual transformation approach. The authors deal frankly with their own mistakes and weaknesses as they pastored this church through a huge paradigm shift. I appreciated their honesty and their chief desire to seek God first as the mission of the church.
September 29, 2018
This was eye-opening, if for no other reason than it's about my home church. I lived through the experiences expressed in this book, but had no context or understanding of what any of the changes meant. This book filled in the gaps of my memory.
It is refreshing to see its relevance even 7 years after the fact. When the motivations changed, a decision was made to change the institution. I think it was the right decision.
It is refreshing to see its relevance even 7 years after the fact. When the motivations changed, a decision was made to change the institution. I think it was the right decision.
February 15, 2018
Just what a pastor looking to implement spiritual formation language and practices in the local church
If you’re a follower of Dallas Willard and are as moved as many people are to integrate his teachings and way of living in the kingdom into your church, this is an incredibly inspiring resource. Honest, practical, insightful.
If you’re a follower of Dallas Willard and are as moved as many people are to integrate his teachings and way of living in the kingdom into your church, this is an incredibly inspiring resource. Honest, practical, insightful.
July 24, 2024
Second time reading this year, this time going through it with some people and definitely got a lot more out of it this time around. Great book telling the story of a mega church that switched to preaching the real Gospel and Spiritual Formation.
February 27, 2021
I have been yearning for a book like this - one that focuses on growing deep more than growing large as a church. I appreciated the author's transparency as well.
January 1, 2025
Really enjoyed the story components of this book
June 18, 2013
Some of my favorite non-fiction, non-Christian books are "looks under the hood" of movements, organizations, and individuals. Books such as Moneyball by Michael Lewis and The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell take an objective look at situations and people who have changed the landscape of their particular field or context. Their formula is fairly simple - "With odds against them, how did Company X become a trend setter and revolutionize their industry."
Unfortunately, Christian literature lacks this writing approach. Besides Philip Yancey, I can't think of any Christian authors who approach their subjects in somewhat of a journalistic way. Instead, we have works that are originating largely from one point of view. Usually, I never really notice this aspect but in the case of Renovation of the Church, I began to scream for a different perspective.
The authors, Kent Carlson and Ken Lueken, are the co-pastors of the church, Oak Hills, that is the subject of the book. They explain and present their transition from a church that is built on a consumer model of church organization to a church designed on a spiritual formation model. As far as I know, me being from one of the hotbeds of evangelical church environments, their approach is extremely novel and even "out there." I admire their courage and commitment to this endeavor and am envious of their experiences and church life. But as a reader who is a thousand miles away from their church, I needed more from their story than observations from the driver seat. I wanted to hear the other side of the story. What was it like for a church member to experience such a drastic change? What conversations were church members having among themselves? What were the success stories? How has a focus on spiritual formation changed individual lives? Lueken gave a few examples but they were often sparse.
This is where an outside perspective could have really made this story riveting. Instead, we get a hodge-podge of commentary on the state of American churches mixed in with the authors' personal philosophy on church leadership. In the end, we find out more about the authors' transformation as pastors than we do the church's transformation. This certainly serves a purpose and I am in high agreement with Carlson and Lueken's criticism of the American church and its pastors but their was more to be told there.
Personally, I could identify more with Eugene Peterson's tales of church work in his memoir, The Pastor, than I could Renovation of the Church. Peterson told stories on himself as well as members of the church he pastored. His stories could speak to the transformation that can occur in church and to churches under the reality of the Gospel. Carlson and Lueken never reached this level of reflection and expression.
Unfortunately, Christian literature lacks this writing approach. Besides Philip Yancey, I can't think of any Christian authors who approach their subjects in somewhat of a journalistic way. Instead, we have works that are originating largely from one point of view. Usually, I never really notice this aspect but in the case of Renovation of the Church, I began to scream for a different perspective.
The authors, Kent Carlson and Ken Lueken, are the co-pastors of the church, Oak Hills, that is the subject of the book. They explain and present their transition from a church that is built on a consumer model of church organization to a church designed on a spiritual formation model. As far as I know, me being from one of the hotbeds of evangelical church environments, their approach is extremely novel and even "out there." I admire their courage and commitment to this endeavor and am envious of their experiences and church life. But as a reader who is a thousand miles away from their church, I needed more from their story than observations from the driver seat. I wanted to hear the other side of the story. What was it like for a church member to experience such a drastic change? What conversations were church members having among themselves? What were the success stories? How has a focus on spiritual formation changed individual lives? Lueken gave a few examples but they were often sparse.
This is where an outside perspective could have really made this story riveting. Instead, we get a hodge-podge of commentary on the state of American churches mixed in with the authors' personal philosophy on church leadership. In the end, we find out more about the authors' transformation as pastors than we do the church's transformation. This certainly serves a purpose and I am in high agreement with Carlson and Lueken's criticism of the American church and its pastors but their was more to be told there.
Personally, I could identify more with Eugene Peterson's tales of church work in his memoir, The Pastor, than I could Renovation of the Church. Peterson told stories on himself as well as members of the church he pastored. His stories could speak to the transformation that can occur in church and to churches under the reality of the Gospel. Carlson and Lueken never reached this level of reflection and expression.
May 16, 2013
I recently finished reading Renovation of the Church: What Happens When A Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation by Ken Carlson & Mike Lueken, with the staff at our church, and it was an outstanding read.
The book is about a church that is in the process of continual evolution coming out of the 90′s where many churches took on a similar model of ministry based on the strategies and values of Willow Creek. What I appreciated about the authors, is that they didn’t knock Willow Creek or any churches like them. In fact they hold Willow Creek and Bill Hybels in high regard. Instead the focus of the book is about how they have come to depend less on attractional models of ministry and are now pursuing the unique direction and vision God is specifically leading them in, focusing on spiritual formation (not unlike the focus at Willow Creek with their Reveal study).
The chapters of the book focus on subjects like: transition, kingdom of God, consumerism, spiritual formation, outreach, worship, and mistakes.
The authors do a great job of tracing how they are making the transition from being attractional and “seeker sensitive” to being more focused on seeing greater depth and making disciples of Jesus, and not just believers in Jesus. I appreciate the honesty of the authors and how forthright they are with all the mistakes they’ve made along the way.
Here are a few quotes that stood out to me:
“…attracting people to church based on their consumer demands is in direct and irredeemable conflict with inviting people, in Jesus’ words, to lose their lives in order to find them” (p. 35).
“Jesus issues a high call to all those who are his followers. We take up our cross and follow him. It is daily death. We keep in step with God’s Spirit. We engage in the challenging work of putting on the new self. We decrease so he can increase. We live in the name of Jesus. This is not a calling for the elite few. It is the normative way of apprenticeship to Jesus” (p. 106-107).
“…our engagement cannot be the central thing about worship. The central thing – the content of our worship – is the story of God, not our sincerity” (p. 157).
The final quote that caught my attention was one from Henri Nouwen:
“For the future of Christian leadership it is of vital importance to reclaim the mystical aspect of theology so that every word spoken, every word of advice given, every strategy developed can come from a heart that knows God intimately…” (p. 166).
This is a great book that wrestles with vital questions for the Church gathered and for the individual follower of Jesus. I think this is a must read for those in vocational ministry, pastors, directors, support staff, and church boards. This book won’t give you a prescription or a new “model” for doing “church”, but it will make you ask some tough questions.
www.jonathanstephens.wordpress.com
@jonstephensNY
The book is about a church that is in the process of continual evolution coming out of the 90′s where many churches took on a similar model of ministry based on the strategies and values of Willow Creek. What I appreciated about the authors, is that they didn’t knock Willow Creek or any churches like them. In fact they hold Willow Creek and Bill Hybels in high regard. Instead the focus of the book is about how they have come to depend less on attractional models of ministry and are now pursuing the unique direction and vision God is specifically leading them in, focusing on spiritual formation (not unlike the focus at Willow Creek with their Reveal study).
The chapters of the book focus on subjects like: transition, kingdom of God, consumerism, spiritual formation, outreach, worship, and mistakes.
The authors do a great job of tracing how they are making the transition from being attractional and “seeker sensitive” to being more focused on seeing greater depth and making disciples of Jesus, and not just believers in Jesus. I appreciate the honesty of the authors and how forthright they are with all the mistakes they’ve made along the way.
Here are a few quotes that stood out to me:
“…attracting people to church based on their consumer demands is in direct and irredeemable conflict with inviting people, in Jesus’ words, to lose their lives in order to find them” (p. 35).
“Jesus issues a high call to all those who are his followers. We take up our cross and follow him. It is daily death. We keep in step with God’s Spirit. We engage in the challenging work of putting on the new self. We decrease so he can increase. We live in the name of Jesus. This is not a calling for the elite few. It is the normative way of apprenticeship to Jesus” (p. 106-107).
“…our engagement cannot be the central thing about worship. The central thing – the content of our worship – is the story of God, not our sincerity” (p. 157).
The final quote that caught my attention was one from Henri Nouwen:
“For the future of Christian leadership it is of vital importance to reclaim the mystical aspect of theology so that every word spoken, every word of advice given, every strategy developed can come from a heart that knows God intimately…” (p. 166).
This is a great book that wrestles with vital questions for the Church gathered and for the individual follower of Jesus. I think this is a must read for those in vocational ministry, pastors, directors, support staff, and church boards. This book won’t give you a prescription or a new “model” for doing “church”, but it will make you ask some tough questions.
www.jonathanstephens.wordpress.com
@jonstephensNY
July 16, 2016
Dallas Willard in the forward makes the observation that "we [in the dominant form of church life today] have trained Christians to be demanding consumers, not disciples... it was this issue of consumerism that brought the conflicting values of external success and authentic spiritual formation into such sharp contrast." (p9) and how they sought instead for "disciples of Jesus, not just avid consumers of religious goods and services." (p10-11).
From the get go, I appreciated the humility of the authors in admitting that they did not have their act all together and did not fall into the trap of over promising success by following an x-number point plan. With Ecclesiology being my second most favourite topic in theology (first being biblical theology), it was surreal to agree emphatically with the authors page after page after page (even though the church context I have been observing and reflecting about in far away Singapore). I too long for the day that my church would seek to grow spiritually formed Christians, rather than consumers addicted to week after week of worshiptainment. That powerful encounters at the altar would translate into lives forever changed by the Gospel, so much that believers cannot live in their old sinful ways. Their authenticity kept me constantly engaged, because their ten year or so struggle to transit from Willow's seeker friend model to one whereby the unchurched are faced with the invitation to repent rather than receive countless blessings upon blessings.
If you enjoy books by established church consultants like Gary McIntosh or Aubrey Malphurs, this book complements them so very well! The authors do not just know ecclesiological theories or doctrinal philosophies, as co-pastors they have sought to put many of these into real life application. On the topic of co-pastoring, this is the first time I have heard of such a notion, but it seems to be a really great idea (having considered their reflection of the pros and cons of it).
I heartily recommend this book, especially if you are a pastor frustrated with your congregation's disinterest in missions, evangelism, social justice, christian education etc. I would imagine how very useful it would be for the key decision makers on elder board/pastoral staff to have read and reflected upon relevance of what was discussed in the book for your church.
I received this book from InterVarsity Press for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.
From the get go, I appreciated the humility of the authors in admitting that they did not have their act all together and did not fall into the trap of over promising success by following an x-number point plan. With Ecclesiology being my second most favourite topic in theology (first being biblical theology), it was surreal to agree emphatically with the authors page after page after page (even though the church context I have been observing and reflecting about in far away Singapore). I too long for the day that my church would seek to grow spiritually formed Christians, rather than consumers addicted to week after week of worshiptainment. That powerful encounters at the altar would translate into lives forever changed by the Gospel, so much that believers cannot live in their old sinful ways. Their authenticity kept me constantly engaged, because their ten year or so struggle to transit from Willow's seeker friend model to one whereby the unchurched are faced with the invitation to repent rather than receive countless blessings upon blessings.
If you enjoy books by established church consultants like Gary McIntosh or Aubrey Malphurs, this book complements them so very well! The authors do not just know ecclesiological theories or doctrinal philosophies, as co-pastors they have sought to put many of these into real life application. On the topic of co-pastoring, this is the first time I have heard of such a notion, but it seems to be a really great idea (having considered their reflection of the pros and cons of it).
I heartily recommend this book, especially if you are a pastor frustrated with your congregation's disinterest in missions, evangelism, social justice, christian education etc. I would imagine how very useful it would be for the key decision makers on elder board/pastoral staff to have read and reflected upon relevance of what was discussed in the book for your church.
I received this book from InterVarsity Press for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.
November 28, 2012
This is a very interesting book. A complete indictment of much of mainstream, contemporary Christianity and call to greater discipleship. I like the theology of vocation and they certainly support that. At times I felt they had a reverse theology of the cross - "we are growing smaller so we must be more faithful than those large, worldly churches. The smaller we are, the more faithful we are." I don't know what denomination the authors were, and having no foundation is a danger for a non-denominational church that caused a lot of their struggle and searching, but it sure seemed they were trying to become more Lutheran! Maybe we are so far out of date that we are becoming the new fad. May it be so!
I agree with much of what they said, but thought they made changes that were needlessly drastic and shocking.
"Our purpose is to provide followers of Christ with the necessary tools so that they can establish new front lines where the kingdom of God is breaking out.
Jesus is calling us, as his disciples, as his apprentices in the art of living righteously, to establish beacheads for his kingdom, wherever God has planted us. And so the kingdom of God breaks out not so much when we gather together in the church on the weekends, although that certainly happens, but when a mother cares for her children, a carpenter frames a house, a businesswoman leads a strategic planning meeting, a mechanic tunes an engine, a student sits in class, a couple develops a relationship with their nonchurches neighbors.
To be faithful to the Great Commission, church leaders must push back at a religious culture that measures success by how large our church is, by how many programs we have, by how popular we are. When a church remembers that it exists to supply followers of Christ with realistic, reliable and practical means to live in the reality of the kingdom of God and establish new beachheads, then it is doing what it is called to do."
I agree with much of what they said, but thought they made changes that were needlessly drastic and shocking.
"Our purpose is to provide followers of Christ with the necessary tools so that they can establish new front lines where the kingdom of God is breaking out.
Jesus is calling us, as his disciples, as his apprentices in the art of living righteously, to establish beacheads for his kingdom, wherever God has planted us. And so the kingdom of God breaks out not so much when we gather together in the church on the weekends, although that certainly happens, but when a mother cares for her children, a carpenter frames a house, a businesswoman leads a strategic planning meeting, a mechanic tunes an engine, a student sits in class, a couple develops a relationship with their nonchurches neighbors.
To be faithful to the Great Commission, church leaders must push back at a religious culture that measures success by how large our church is, by how many programs we have, by how popular we are. When a church remembers that it exists to supply followers of Christ with realistic, reliable and practical means to live in the reality of the kingdom of God and establish new beachheads, then it is doing what it is called to do."
April 2, 2013
Carlson and Lueken are courageous pastors to be so transparent about their decade-long journey of finding the balance between pastoring beleivers and reaching the lost. Every question they wrestled with was grounds for deep reflection within my own heart, and as I would often find myself discouraged by the instricacies of this balance, I would again be encouraged by their journey. They don't claim to have all the answers. In fact, they are very humble in their claim to any sort of knowledge. The book is simply their story of what has happened and what challenges they continue to face. As an elder in my own church, I'm so glad to be asking questions I didn't before think to ask.
This book is an easy read. For a topic as profound as how to run a church, it reads like a light memoir. I enjoyed it immensely and found myself talking about it to many people after I finished it. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars was that they make many generalized jabs at the church.
Their plight is obviously tough: candidly relay a journey of learning through mistake in attempt to reform without bashing anyone along the way. And with their specific gripes, they actually did a pretty classy job. But the other side of the coin when it comes to critical writing is the attacking the mass syndrome. People become a little more bold and brazen when they can direct their complaints at a mass instead of to an individual. In parts, it felt like they were poking at the mass of the church in a way that was not productive.
All in all, however, I appreciate this book and how it has challenged me. I greatly encourage others (especially leaders in the church) to read it and engage in the conversation with their own churches.
This book is an easy read. For a topic as profound as how to run a church, it reads like a light memoir. I enjoyed it immensely and found myself talking about it to many people after I finished it. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars was that they make many generalized jabs at the church.
Their plight is obviously tough: candidly relay a journey of learning through mistake in attempt to reform without bashing anyone along the way. And with their specific gripes, they actually did a pretty classy job. But the other side of the coin when it comes to critical writing is the attacking the mass syndrome. People become a little more bold and brazen when they can direct their complaints at a mass instead of to an individual. In parts, it felt like they were poking at the mass of the church in a way that was not productive.
All in all, however, I appreciate this book and how it has challenged me. I greatly encourage others (especially leaders in the church) to read it and engage in the conversation with their own churches.
February 20, 2012
"What Happens When a Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation" is the by line. This is the story by two pastors of a Sacramento CA church that decided to intentionally move in this direction. Moving from 'consumerism' approach to programing they now emphasize thoughtful programing that helps disciples become more 'apprenticed to Jesus'.
Attendance dwindled from 1400 to 500 but the core is larger and more focused on the advancement of the kingdom of God where the disciples are. No more feeding the monster of bigger, better church programs to get more people into the building but more intention of feeding and growing the people of the kingdom to 'go and make disciples'. Gone is the Willow Creek model, although are reasonable in critiquing that as well.
I really liked this story of this church. I can relate. I especially liked the musings on the worship service and the focus on the Content of the service. They break it down into four parts: Gathering, Service of the Word, Service of the Table, Sending.
Music style flowing from thoughtful focus with the above in mind, then takes side stage not center stage (in a sense). Sincerity and devotion is not the center, but the Story of God and the content is the focus. Large doses of 'denial to self' vs 'consumerism' is appropriate in working through how to participate and receive the church service.
This is not another blueprint or 'how-to' so much as it is a Biblical, authentic discussion.
High fives, all the way around. The message and the thoughtful struggle evident in this book speaks coherently to the voices in my head as I attend my own church's service each week.
Attendance dwindled from 1400 to 500 but the core is larger and more focused on the advancement of the kingdom of God where the disciples are. No more feeding the monster of bigger, better church programs to get more people into the building but more intention of feeding and growing the people of the kingdom to 'go and make disciples'. Gone is the Willow Creek model, although are reasonable in critiquing that as well.
I really liked this story of this church. I can relate. I especially liked the musings on the worship service and the focus on the Content of the service. They break it down into four parts: Gathering, Service of the Word, Service of the Table, Sending.
Music style flowing from thoughtful focus with the above in mind, then takes side stage not center stage (in a sense). Sincerity and devotion is not the center, but the Story of God and the content is the focus. Large doses of 'denial to self' vs 'consumerism' is appropriate in working through how to participate and receive the church service.
This is not another blueprint or 'how-to' so much as it is a Biblical, authentic discussion.
High fives, all the way around. The message and the thoughtful struggle evident in this book speaks coherently to the voices in my head as I attend my own church's service each week.
September 30, 2012
I read this one because Jim Herrington recommended it. In some ways I wish he hadn't. It cuts a little too deep for some of us "lifers" who have spent our entire lives doing church to try to get more people "in the door". (Which, by the way, was never something Jesus actually did. He had a funny way of having "membership drives" - that is, sending many pretend-followers away in favor of sinners who were drawn to his deeply passionate message of Grace and a new way of living called The Kingdom life.
This journey or model of church isn't for everyone, just those who taking this idea of following Jesus to be like Him and to be made into people who make disciples who do the same. I appreciated the authors' candor about the struggle to transition from an attractional model to a transformational one without getting too far into the weeds of de-construction. Quite to trick.
This is a very good read for those hungry for more out of church life. And it's a dangerous one for those currently content in our age of spritual consurism. It conicts us of our "self oriented", what's in it for me, kind of church evalutation and participation. Read it. It's good medicine, even if it does taste a little bitter.
This journey or model of church isn't for everyone, just those who taking this idea of following Jesus to be like Him and to be made into people who make disciples who do the same. I appreciated the authors' candor about the struggle to transition from an attractional model to a transformational one without getting too far into the weeds of de-construction. Quite to trick.
This is a very good read for those hungry for more out of church life. And it's a dangerous one for those currently content in our age of spritual consurism. It conicts us of our "self oriented", what's in it for me, kind of church evalutation and participation. Read it. It's good medicine, even if it does taste a little bitter.
Read
February 11, 2018What does it look like to turn a megachurch into something smaller, slower, and more quiet? Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken show us in their book Renovation of the Church. They relate the story of Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California. As the pastors at Oak Hills, they resided over the growth of one of the fastest growing churches in the region. But it wasn't long before they felt God was leading them in another, smaller direction.
Their book explains the ups and downs that Oak Hills went through while transforming their church. Each chapter deals with a different challenge that they endured. They do this with a humble spirit and a grace rarely seen in Christian books. One of the last chapters, named "Mistakes," clearly shows this.
The authors have some clever ideas, and I commend them for not just criticizing the megachurch movement, but also offering solutions. They have the courage to offer up their mistakes and successes, and that is what makes this book worthwhile. Those looking for a how-to manual will be disappointed, but anyone who wants to know the heart and spirit necessary for change, look no further.
Their book explains the ups and downs that Oak Hills went through while transforming their church. Each chapter deals with a different challenge that they endured. They do this with a humble spirit and a grace rarely seen in Christian books. One of the last chapters, named "Mistakes," clearly shows this.
The authors have some clever ideas, and I commend them for not just criticizing the megachurch movement, but also offering solutions. They have the courage to offer up their mistakes and successes, and that is what makes this book worthwhile. Those looking for a how-to manual will be disappointed, but anyone who wants to know the heart and spirit necessary for change, look no further.
Read
June 10, 2014We in the dominant form of church life today have trained Christians to be demanding consumers, not disciples.
Basic Questions
• What is the Good News?
• What are we called to do in response to it?
• What is the church?
• How does the church respond to a consumer-driven society?
Their answers: The Kingdom of God is now. The Gospel as an invitation to be an apprentice of Jesus.
If Christ is King, everything, quite literally, every thing and every one, has to be re-imagined, re-configured, re-oriented to a way of life that consists in obedient following of Jesus.
Eugene Peterson
Change starts with leaders, and it starts with their formation as followers of Jesus
Implications for our work:
1. To what extent are we facing the absence of formation in our client congregations?
2. To what extent is spiritual formation a response to the issues our client congregations are facing?
3. In what circumstances should orienting towards spiritual formation be part of our recommendations?
4. How do we as consultants support our client congregations in orienting themselves toward spiritual formation?
Basic Questions
• What is the Good News?
• What are we called to do in response to it?
• What is the church?
• How does the church respond to a consumer-driven society?
Their answers: The Kingdom of God is now. The Gospel as an invitation to be an apprentice of Jesus.
If Christ is King, everything, quite literally, every thing and every one, has to be re-imagined, re-configured, re-oriented to a way of life that consists in obedient following of Jesus.
Eugene Peterson
Change starts with leaders, and it starts with their formation as followers of Jesus
Implications for our work:
1. To what extent are we facing the absence of formation in our client congregations?
2. To what extent is spiritual formation a response to the issues our client congregations are facing?
3. In what circumstances should orienting towards spiritual formation be part of our recommendations?
4. How do we as consultants support our client congregations in orienting themselves toward spiritual formation?
October 30, 2011
This quick book tells the story of two pastors who led a growing mega-church in California, only to realize that they were not seeing people (including themselves) become more Christlike. Over the course of a decade, they shifted the focus of the church to one of spiritual formation rather than a seeker-sensitive model. This books captures their story--both the successes and failures--as they moved through this decade long transition, and it gives the reader insights for how local congregations can become a place of developing people into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Some of the chapters give excellent insights into this process and cast a compelling vision of what the church could look like in North America. I especially loved the chapter on spiritual formation, as they gave tremendous insights for pastors and church leaders.
Overall, this book will be very beneficial for pastors and ministry leaders who want to see local congregations because more than a weekly event but a community of people who are committed to becoming Christlike.
Some of the chapters give excellent insights into this process and cast a compelling vision of what the church could look like in North America. I especially loved the chapter on spiritual formation, as they gave tremendous insights for pastors and church leaders.
Overall, this book will be very beneficial for pastors and ministry leaders who want to see local congregations because more than a weekly event but a community of people who are committed to becoming Christlike.
July 11, 2012
Excellent story of the intentional vision shift from being a seeker driven church to being a spiritual formation focused church. The authors graciously did so without bashing their seeker targeted heritage of their congregation. The authors honestly share both their successes and their foibles. I do wonder if they could have done more to provide spiritual formation for new believers at the level and in a form that they can digest it, if the congregation would not have lost as many invested people. Using Reveal language, they may have so emphasized those who are the Christ-centered and close to Christ place of spiritual growth that they did not provide adequately for the spiritual formation of those at the Exploring Christ and Growing in Christ stages. I would love to see the story of a congregation that has done a terrific job of providing spiritual formation at each and all of the spiritual growth places. And to be gracious to these authors, they are traveling largely uncharted territory.
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