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The Gospel-Driven Church: Uniting Church Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace
Many evangelical churches face the problem of the open "back door"--even as new people arrive, older members are leaving, looking for something else. Combined with this problem is the discipleship deficit, the difficult truth that most evangelicals are not reaching the unchurched at the rates they think they are. In fact, many of the metrics that we often "count" in the church to highlight success really don't tell us the full story of a church's spiritual state. Things like attendance, decisions, dollars, and experiences can tell us something about a church, but not everything.
To cultivate a spiritually healthy church we need a shift in our metrics--a "grace-shift" that prioritizes the work of God in the lives of people over numbers and dollars. Are people growing in their esteem for Jesus? Is there a dogged devotion to the Bible as the ultimate authority for life? Is there a growing interest in theology and doctrine? A discernible spirit of repentance? And perhaps most importantly, is there evident love for God and for our neighbors in the congregation?
Leading a church culture to shift from numerical success to the metrics of grace can be costly, but leaders who have conviction, courage, and commitment can lead while avoiding some of the landmines that often destroy churches. Wilson includes diagnostic questions that will help leaders measure--and lead team transparency in measuring as a group--the relative spiritual health of their church, as well as a practical prescriptive plan for implementing this metric-measuring strategy without becoming legalistic.
Most attractional church models can lean heavily on making changes to the weekend worship gatherings. And while some of these changes can be good, thriving grace-focused churches are driven by a commitment to the gospel, allowing the gospel to inform and shape the worship service and the various ministries of the church.
To cultivate a spiritually healthy church we need a shift in our metrics--a "grace-shift" that prioritizes the work of God in the lives of people over numbers and dollars. Are people growing in their esteem for Jesus? Is there a dogged devotion to the Bible as the ultimate authority for life? Is there a growing interest in theology and doctrine? A discernible spirit of repentance? And perhaps most importantly, is there evident love for God and for our neighbors in the congregation?
Leading a church culture to shift from numerical success to the metrics of grace can be costly, but leaders who have conviction, courage, and commitment can lead while avoiding some of the landmines that often destroy churches. Wilson includes diagnostic questions that will help leaders measure--and lead team transparency in measuring as a group--the relative spiritual health of their church, as well as a practical prescriptive plan for implementing this metric-measuring strategy without becoming legalistic.
Most attractional church models can lean heavily on making changes to the weekend worship gatherings. And while some of these changes can be good, thriving grace-focused churches are driven by a commitment to the gospel, allowing the gospel to inform and shape the worship service and the various ministries of the church.
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2025
153 people are currently reading
491 people want to read
About the author
Jared C. Wilson
58 books945 followersJared C. Wilson is the Director of Content Strategy for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Managing Editor of For The Church (ftc.co), and Director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author of numerous books, including "Gospel Wakefulness," "The Prodigal Church," and, most recently, "The Imperfect Disciple." Wilson blogs regularly at gospeldrivenchurch.com, hosted by The Gospel Coalition and is a frequent speaker at conferences and churches around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
April 1, 2020
I enjoy the candor and clarity of Wilson's writing. But, what I appreciate most is that he is trying to be forthright and clear about Jesus in a way that shows how Jesus is amazing. This book is no exception to that.
This book reads like a tract for how to steer an "attractions church-model" towards a model(?) of church that explicitly makes Jesus the center or focal point. He calls this being "gospel-driven".
I was already convinced of Wilson's thesis before I came to the book. But, this book was helpful because he lays out a way forward that is gentle and tender towards those that aren't convinced of this. I work in Campus Ministry and I'm consistently shepherding students who come out of the attractions model and want us to be attractional. This book has helped me have a greater heart for those students and given me practical ways to help those students see the beauty of Jesus in what Wilson calls the "gospel-driven" model.
This book reads like a tract for how to steer an "attractions church-model" towards a model(?) of church that explicitly makes Jesus the center or focal point. He calls this being "gospel-driven".
I was already convinced of Wilson's thesis before I came to the book. But, this book was helpful because he lays out a way forward that is gentle and tender towards those that aren't convinced of this. I work in Campus Ministry and I'm consistently shepherding students who come out of the attractions model and want us to be attractional. This book has helped me have a greater heart for those students and given me practical ways to help those students see the beauty of Jesus in what Wilson calls the "gospel-driven" model.
January 18, 2024
4.25 ⭐️ I think that this book does a really great job of distinguishing the “attractional church” problem among nondenominational evangelical churches right now. He also gives great examples and solutions for those searching to define a healthy church.
-.75 because he quotes Jonathan Edward’s WAY too much and bullies Willow Creek the entire time lol
-.75 because he quotes Jonathan Edward’s WAY too much and bullies Willow Creek the entire time lol
January 5, 2023
Wilson's speciality in all his books is on the gospel applied, especially to pastors and churches.
The last few chapters (7-10) are bursting with courage and application for pastors.
The last few chapters (7-10) are bursting with courage and application for pastors.
July 29, 2019
Probably one of the most encouraging book on ministry I’ve read in a while. Which is ironic, because the book isn’t directly meant to be encouraging—it’s meant to be a primer on how to change an attractional church to a gospel church. But in that process, I was encouraged because he laid out clearly over and over the importance of depth rather than mere width. And in ministry where numbers are much easier to focus on and quantify, such a message was a breath of fresh air.
The content of the book was solid all the way through. He’s a great writer, it was well-organized, and he even had a sample case study woven throughout to illustrate his points. For all this, I’m very thankful. I will access this book again and again in ministry.
The only critique I’d have is the lack of “gospel-centered” definition. It think this happens a lot these days. For example, he writes a lot that the gospel is enough (and it is!), but what does that mean? A prime example is when he talks about preaching. He says that the attractional church is more topical usually, while the gospel-centered church is about exposition and the gospel. Amen. He then talks about how this might lead people to not liking how you always focus on the gospel, on grace, on Christ, etc. Amen—understandable. But here’s the critique: Still, what does that look like? Why I say this is because I think he’s right that the attractional, topical type preaching is incorrect. I also think Jesus should be in every sermon. But I think people could read this advice and think that every sermon should come back essentially to justification by grace through faith in Christ alone. And I’ve seen “gospel-centered” churches do this—and essentially it leads (ironically) to poor exegesis, not teaching the whole counsel of God, and the preacher giving practically the same message every week. As a result, I wish there was more clarity on what it meant to be all about the gospel—how that doesn’t exclude other topics, debatable theological ideas (like Reformed theology), etc. (And this is an issue not only for Wilson in this book, but for all of us [myself included] who are preaching the message to be “all about the gospel.” I think we need less vagueness here, or else we might, ironically, create a shallow generation of Christians.)
But overall, an amazing book. And as I said above, a ministerial breath of fresh air.
The content of the book was solid all the way through. He’s a great writer, it was well-organized, and he even had a sample case study woven throughout to illustrate his points. For all this, I’m very thankful. I will access this book again and again in ministry.
The only critique I’d have is the lack of “gospel-centered” definition. It think this happens a lot these days. For example, he writes a lot that the gospel is enough (and it is!), but what does that mean? A prime example is when he talks about preaching. He says that the attractional church is more topical usually, while the gospel-centered church is about exposition and the gospel. Amen. He then talks about how this might lead people to not liking how you always focus on the gospel, on grace, on Christ, etc. Amen—understandable. But here’s the critique: Still, what does that look like? Why I say this is because I think he’s right that the attractional, topical type preaching is incorrect. I also think Jesus should be in every sermon. But I think people could read this advice and think that every sermon should come back essentially to justification by grace through faith in Christ alone. And I’ve seen “gospel-centered” churches do this—and essentially it leads (ironically) to poor exegesis, not teaching the whole counsel of God, and the preacher giving practically the same message every week. As a result, I wish there was more clarity on what it meant to be all about the gospel—how that doesn’t exclude other topics, debatable theological ideas (like Reformed theology), etc. (And this is an issue not only for Wilson in this book, but for all of us [myself included] who are preaching the message to be “all about the gospel.” I think we need less vagueness here, or else we might, ironically, create a shallow generation of Christians.)
But overall, an amazing book. And as I said above, a ministerial breath of fresh air.
May 11, 2019
I found this book quite disappointed. It is formulaic and superficial. One of the obvious contributors to this is that there is no chapter on prayer which is crucial.
December 2, 2024
Both convicting & empowering
Jared Wilson has quickly become one of my favorite writers, since we’ve had similar testimonies of waking up to the glories of the scandously simple yet powerful Gospel after early Christian years of spiritual amnesia. Wilson writes very helpful books on Christian living, the church, & pastoral ministry with this heartbeat undergirding all of it.
This one was no exception!
Offering both a convincing critique of the modern attractional church model while also offering helpful, practical, and theologically rich signposts for how to lead & be apart of a gospel-driven church, Wilson puts Christ at the center of it all: preaching, worship, discipleship, leadership, community groups, etc.
If you have felt weary of modern evangelical churches that are geared more to attracting “seekers” and less toward BOTH evangelism & edification and desire to know what it takes and how to spot a gospel-driven, Christ-centered, biblically-based church….this is an awesome resource and one I’ll be returning to many times
Jared Wilson has quickly become one of my favorite writers, since we’ve had similar testimonies of waking up to the glories of the scandously simple yet powerful Gospel after early Christian years of spiritual amnesia. Wilson writes very helpful books on Christian living, the church, & pastoral ministry with this heartbeat undergirding all of it.
This one was no exception!
Offering both a convincing critique of the modern attractional church model while also offering helpful, practical, and theologically rich signposts for how to lead & be apart of a gospel-driven church, Wilson puts Christ at the center of it all: preaching, worship, discipleship, leadership, community groups, etc.
If you have felt weary of modern evangelical churches that are geared more to attracting “seekers” and less toward BOTH evangelism & edification and desire to know what it takes and how to spot a gospel-driven, Christ-centered, biblically-based church….this is an awesome resource and one I’ll be returning to many times
June 14, 2019
A fantastically challenging and thought provoking book that forces you to honestly evaluate your entire walk and ministry. Told with real clarity and conviction, the exposition is driven along by an accompanying modern day parable.
I have only one criticism; that same parable feels unfinished and having established a firm foundation the author descends into a long shopping list of do’s and don’ts that fairly presume the justifications for his recommendations have already been laid out. In fairness, the approach is fundamentally practical. Nonetheless, it would have benefitted by accompanying in situ explanations of greater depth - particularly considering the oft challenging conclusions. In this regard it ends up feeling rushed, and loses some of its impact.
That said, a must read.
I have only one criticism; that same parable feels unfinished and having established a firm foundation the author descends into a long shopping list of do’s and don’ts that fairly presume the justifications for his recommendations have already been laid out. In fairness, the approach is fundamentally practical. Nonetheless, it would have benefitted by accompanying in situ explanations of greater depth - particularly considering the oft challenging conclusions. In this regard it ends up feeling rushed, and loses some of its impact.
That said, a must read.
April 2, 2019
If I could somehow get every member of my church to read one book, this would be the one. Wilson reframes the church growth conversation around the gospel and encourages pastors to prayerfully labor for healthy growth that can only come from God's work in the gospel. It is written with humility and a pastoral heart. The major strength of this book is that it is not merely theoretical. Often books will give you a gospel vision for ministry and never tell you how to move forward. Wilson offers his vision of a gospel-driven church and then offers an abundance of helpful counsel for how to lead with humility and navigate change. I highly recommend this book to anyone in ministry.
April 12, 2019
This book is for church leaders/members who have been thinking,"What is this 'new' gospel-centred thing I have been hearing about?" and for those who have been struggling with how to measure if your ministry or church is practicing a Christ centred understanding of grace. This has been an excellent summation of a gospel driven ecclesiology with clear appeal to re-evaluate what we church leaders and members measure as successful. Thankful for the assumptions Jared confronts. He doesn't leave us feeling judged but gives us generous instruction to point our churches toward what matters to Christ.
April 19, 2019
I wish I had this book from Wilson eight years ago when I transitioned a ministry in the way he describes in this book! Each chapter provides helpful insight and reminders for those looking to make the gospel the center of their church and life.
Wilson uses a fictional large church's transition as a trail throughout but the tools and priorities highlighted are important for churches of all sizes and contexts. His "five metrics that matter most" make the book vital for the church.
And beyond becoming a gospel-driven church, this book is going to be helpful to those of us already leading gospel-centered churches. Read this for yourself, buy it for your team. Be encouraged in the gospel.
Wilson uses a fictional large church's transition as a trail throughout but the tools and priorities highlighted are important for churches of all sizes and contexts. His "five metrics that matter most" make the book vital for the church.
And beyond becoming a gospel-driven church, this book is going to be helpful to those of us already leading gospel-centered churches. Read this for yourself, buy it for your team. Be encouraged in the gospel.
September 5, 2019
The title is a tip off of the type of language in this book: "gospel-driven" and "metrics." I'm not fond of that way of looking at the subject of the local Christian congregation and at first I struggled with his talk about "attractional" churches. But I'm writing this review to tell people who might not read the book because of the same language prejudice, "This is not that kind of book." Don't be misled by the author's choice of a title title and the author's way of describing a popular type of Christian church (think Willow Creek). Instead of the jargony book that breathes the spirit of the times, this is a well-written argument for returning churches to places that worship Christ and focus on the proclamation of His Word.
Now, how I finished that sentence may send you off in a different direction. (Either, "oh, I already value that and don't need to read a book about it" or "snore, that's the same old, same old.") This book presented me with some new thoughts, and I'm grateful for it. One treasure I'd never heard before: Jonathan Edwards' "What are distinguishing scripture evidences of a work of the Spirit of God." The title made me suspicious or at least cautious since Jesus compares the Spirit to the wind that we don't know it's coming or going. So I was pleasantly surprised, that Edwards who admits you cannot measure these things offered this list:
1. Esteem for Jesus
2. Repentance (Wilson's summary of Edward's point)
3. Growing respect and interest for the teachings of Scriptures
4. Growing in love for God and for other people
These are healthy outcomes to look for. Granted, we cannot judge by outward appearances, but consider what it feels like to look for these qualities, compared to judging a church by the size of its programs, its membership, or church attendance (these are commonly tracked by "metrics" - referred to in the title).
I was pleasantly surprised at how thought provoking this book is. I listened to the audio book - but this was a book I wish I'd had a paperback copy of, in order to mark up, underline and ponder more.
Now, how I finished that sentence may send you off in a different direction. (Either, "oh, I already value that and don't need to read a book about it" or "snore, that's the same old, same old.") This book presented me with some new thoughts, and I'm grateful for it. One treasure I'd never heard before: Jonathan Edwards' "What are distinguishing scripture evidences of a work of the Spirit of God." The title made me suspicious or at least cautious since Jesus compares the Spirit to the wind that we don't know it's coming or going. So I was pleasantly surprised, that Edwards who admits you cannot measure these things offered this list:
1. Esteem for Jesus
2. Repentance (Wilson's summary of Edward's point)
3. Growing respect and interest for the teachings of Scriptures
4. Growing in love for God and for other people
These are healthy outcomes to look for. Granted, we cannot judge by outward appearances, but consider what it feels like to look for these qualities, compared to judging a church by the size of its programs, its membership, or church attendance (these are commonly tracked by "metrics" - referred to in the title).
I was pleasantly surprised at how thought provoking this book is. I listened to the audio book - but this was a book I wish I'd had a paperback copy of, in order to mark up, underline and ponder more.
July 31, 2020
Very Jared Wilson! Relentlessly committed to gospel centrality. I think this would’ve been a paradigm-shifter if I hadn’t been following his ministry and reading his books for some time. Still solid! Beneficial for all, but particularly for pastors who are somewhat on the fence concerning philosophy of ministry/theological vision.
January 19, 2022
Challenging, convicting, encouraging, and exciting. I would recommend this book to anyone serving in a local church who desires to elevate the Gospel of Jesus Christ above any other growth plan, ministry philosophy, or style of ministry.
August 9, 2023
Mostly for pastors, but I enjoyed it anyways. If the direction of your church seems "off", read this book for encouragement and help on how to help the church toward gospel centrality. This book helped me not feel so "crazy". Good to have brothers who can articulate things so well!
January 12, 2024
3.5 stars. Good topic, author speaks on failures of the “attractional” church. The issue for me is that he
1. Does more citing than actual writing, and 2. Could be more concise. A 200 page book that could be fit in 150 pages or less. Would recommend as a textbook, not as a fun read.
1. Does more citing than actual writing, and 2. Could be more concise. A 200 page book that could be fit in 150 pages or less. Would recommend as a textbook, not as a fun read.
August 27, 2022
A great church ministry philosophy book. It contains solid arguments to move the church out of consumerism and pragmatism that characterized the growth movement. The book moves to what truly builds the church which is the Holy Spirit extending Christ’s kingdom.
April 28, 2019
This book is for those who feel like their church has a sincere heart but a misguided model. Those who feel that Christians have gotten good at complicating the things that God intended to be simple and accessible. Those who are scratching their heads at why worshiping God in traditional and thoughtful ways has become exclusively considered as a "reformed brand" while the rest of the Church has to cascade deeper into progressive ideals as though innovation and performance are an inescapable gravity-well that invariably supersedes the Gospel.
I imagine that many readers of this book, like me, were led there because this call for Gospel-centered church life is already on their hearts. I often found this work to put some words to things I only partially know how to say, and Wilson is a voice of hopeful encouragement where many of his colleagues have campaigned in criticism for progressive church models, neither offering help nor expecting change. The fact that he can use Andy Stanley or Willow Creek Church as examples without mobilizing a witch-hunt is a good sign we're dealing with someone who actually believes the Gospel is a remedy for wayward ways of church, and not the bullet that's going to put it down. He treats these with dignity and honors those endeavors where he perceives they have served Christ in the past, despite his disagreements with their ecclesiology.
Pick this book up if you're hungry for Jesus to become more central in your church. If you believe prayer can accomplish things that performance cannot. It will offer a good outline for what it costs to make that happen, and what you can expect along the road to fulfilling that vision.
I imagine that many readers of this book, like me, were led there because this call for Gospel-centered church life is already on their hearts. I often found this work to put some words to things I only partially know how to say, and Wilson is a voice of hopeful encouragement where many of his colleagues have campaigned in criticism for progressive church models, neither offering help nor expecting change. The fact that he can use Andy Stanley or Willow Creek Church as examples without mobilizing a witch-hunt is a good sign we're dealing with someone who actually believes the Gospel is a remedy for wayward ways of church, and not the bullet that's going to put it down. He treats these with dignity and honors those endeavors where he perceives they have served Christ in the past, despite his disagreements with their ecclesiology.
Pick this book up if you're hungry for Jesus to become more central in your church. If you believe prayer can accomplish things that performance cannot. It will offer a good outline for what it costs to make that happen, and what you can expect along the road to fulfilling that vision.
June 17, 2019
"If you want a gospel driven ministry, you must resign your will to the supremacy of the glory of Christ and trade your personal ambitions for the beauty of Christ’s bride" This sums up Wilson's message. I cringe at how often my arrogance has been at odds with God's mission.
Notes.
Heaven counts disciples, not decisions. (13)
And almost entirely new congregation every 5 to 7 years (21)
Chapter 1. The dilemma, what if it’s not working? (23)
The attractional church (24) A way of doing church ministry whose primary purpose is to make Christianity appealing
When attraction becomes the primary mission, you tend to use whatever works to attract them. (25)
Whatever you win people with is what you win them to (25)
The attractional church is built upon two functional ideologies: consumerism and pragmatism (25) essentially asking: who is our customer? What does our customer want?
Kay’s thoughts on the above, “it’s poop!”
Very often, what the customer wants is not what the customer needs. ( 26)
Pragmatism is what happens when you turn practicality into a formula. The pragmatists mantra says, “if it works, work it.“ (26)
Pragmatism is a sinful way of thinking, if only because it does not rely on the Holy Spirit. (26)
Judging a church’s health purely on visible metrics is unreliable and unbiblical. (26)
What if the ways we try to attract people to Jesus actually frustrate their ability to treasure him? Or even to see him? (27)
If consumerism is a subset of pragmatism, then pragmatism itself is a subset of a far larger problem: legalism. (27)
Whether you are prohibiting or commanding, the law of God cannot change a single human heart to honor God. ( 27)
Pragmatic methodology is legalistic because legalism is what happens when you disconnect the Christian’s “do” from Christ’s “done” in the gospel. (28)
Thirdly, the consumerism of the attractional church wins people not to the church but to consumerism. (33)
chapter 2: The metrics that don’t tell us everything, not everything that counts can be counted (38)
A ministry’s faithfulness to the mission of God is itself success, regardless of the results. (43)
The question Edwards asked is the same one we are asking, or ought to be asking, right now: what are the signs that a genuine move of God is taking place? (43)
Marks of neutrality:
1. A steady accumulation of decisions or responses during Sunday invitations (44)
2. Don’t put your faith in large attendance numbers. (45)
Jesus repelled just as many as he attracted. (47)
3. don’t equate success or fruitful ministry with people having emotional experiences. (47)
Chapter 3, the five metrics that matter most, going deeper than bodies and budgets (53)
The more important a metric is the more difficult it is to quantify. (54)
The metrics of grace
1. A growing esteem for Jesus Christ
How do you know if a church is focused on the glory of Jesus Christ above all? Let me make a few suggestions.
Start with the most visible ways you communicate. In the sermon and song service, is Jesus the focal point? In the sermons you preach, is Jesus a bit player, an add-on for the invitation time, or a quotable hero? Or does your preaching in worship promote his finished work as the only hope of mankind? Do the messages focus on the law, on giving people more things to do to get right with God, what do they do like more intently in the Gospel?... Are our sermons giving people five things to do, or are we reminding them that the essential message of Christianity is something God has done?
Musically, is the church focused on creating an experience for people or on adoring the creator? Do our songs tell the story of the gospel? Are we, the people, the stars of the show, or is Jesus? Does the church speak in vague generalities about hope, peace, and love without connecting them to Jesus as the embodiment of these virtues? Do the people of the church prioritize Jesus over simply doing good or knowing the right doctrine? Did the pastors exhibit high esteem of Jesus?
If a church is not explicitly and persistently making Jesus the focus, it is not fruitful (57)
2. A discernible spirit of repentance (57)
Christ is not the satisfier of our desires before he is the satisfier of God‘s wrath
Is the church preaching the dangers and horrors of soon? And then, Janet preaching of the gospel, is the message of grace and Jesus Christ clear? Are people responding to the spirits conviction and comfort with repentance? Do people own and confess there soon? Is there an error of humility about the place or an air of swagger? Or the pastors bullies? Are the people narcissists? Is appropriate church discipline practiced, gentle but direct? Is there a spirit of gossip or transparency? Is the worship service built around production value your honest intimacy with the Lord? Are the people good repent of us?
3 a dogged devotion to the word of God (59)
4. An interest in theology and doctrine (62)
The true people of God love to know the things of God
Transformation begins with the renewing of our minds (64)
5. An evident love for God and neighbor
The church is not called to be successful by attaining certain number or meeting a preset standard of growth, but we are called to be faithful. And that faithfulness will lead to fruitful growth. There may be seasons when your fruit leads to numeric growth. But the fruit of faithfulness according to the Bible, is deeper discipleship, maturing in Christ, and a more loving reach outward in service to our neighbors. (67)
"Measurement" questions
1. are those being baptized continuing to walk in the faith years down the line?
2. Do we have a clear way of discipling people? Why or why not?
3. how many of the attendees of the worship gathering participate in comunity groups? If the percentage is small, what are some reasons for this?
4. Can our members articulate the gospel? how would we go about finding this out?
5. if we asked ten people in our community who do not attend our church to describe what they think of it, what would they say? if the church shut down tomorrow, would our community care?
Chapter 4, Putting the Gospel in the Driver's Seat, repurposing your church around spiritual power (72)
Prayer is expressed helplessness (77)
when we're not engaged in prayer, it's because we feel like "we got this" (77)
The number one catalyst for spiritual growth was Bible study (79)
The gospel refers to the good news that God send his Son Jesus to live a sinless life, die a substitutionary death, and rise from the dead so that sinners who repent and trust in Jesus will be forgiven and have eternal life (81)
We do not "do" or "be" the gospel. We respond to it (82)
The gospel isn’t Christianity 101. It's the whole degree program (82)
May we never encounter the wonder, the majesty, the love, and the power of Jesus and yawn in response. (86)
Chapter 5: Steering from the Stage, Changing the message changes the movement (91)
What believers need from their churches, above everything else and in every element experienced, is nourishment from the Word of God (95)
The issue isn’t topical vs. expositional preaching, it's "a conviction, a reliance, and a substantive message that connects the biblical text being preached to the metanarratives of God's kingdom, God's glory, and God's saving work through Christ. Gospel-driven preaching is a preaching that proclaims and exults in the revealing of God's glory in Christ" (97)
Every text has a "road to Christ" (100)
Chapter 6: Building Your Service around Beholding. Designing the gathering for real transformation (106)
When the mood is the point, the message becomes expendable (109)
“To enjoy worship for its own sake, or simply out of a cultural appreciation of the performance… Would be like Moses coming upon a burning bush and deciding to cook his lunch on it“ (109) NT Wright
gospel invitations are offered after a legal message (115)
The four irreducible elements of gospel driven warship: 1. preaching 2. praying 3. Singing 4. Eating
Because prayer is an expression of dependence on God. The less we pray, the more we think we’re doing fine without him... it’s not enough to do the right things; we must do the right things in the Lords power (118)
We don’t become more like Christ by focusing on dos and don’ts, but by focusing on the done of Christ work (122)
Chapter 7: Pressing the Gospel Reset on Church Community, fostering a discipleship culture in your church (124)
Gospel centrality nurtures a culture of grace (126)
The church can become anything God wants it to, but it always starts with the gospel (129)
growth in Christ, not growth in church (129)
For key changes you can make to your church to nurture a gospel focus and develop a gospel culture (136)
1. reevaluate polity
2. rethink membership
3. re-order small groups
4. recruit and replicate disciple makers
Chair 8: Moving Toward Mission, turning the corner from"Come and see" to "go and tell" (144)
Confronting idols
Anticipating objections from the pulpit (155)
evangelistic techniques can be helpful, but scripted presentations are becoming less and less affective in most contexts (158)
Chapter 9: the three things you will need, your model is only as strong as your mentality (164)
Courage, commitment
Chapter 10: Leading Change on a Gracious Way: hour to do all this without hitting up your church (183)
Deep down most people just want to be understood. Heard and understood. (185)
If you want a gospel driven ministry, you must resign your will to the supremacy of the glory of Christ in trade your personal ambitions for the beauty of Christ’s bride (185)
we are all--whether planters, waterers, or harvesters--servants (187)
Ten keys to shepherding the transition
1 take it personally, but don’t make it personal (192) don’t tune your ups and downs to how people react, to what ground is Lost or made up, to hire services are performing, etc. (193)
2. Practice the spiritual fruit of patience. people prefer to be led and not pushed
3. move slowly and strategically
4. show meekness and give mercy (194)
5. employ plurality and embrace parity (196)
6. Overcommunicate
7. Show your cards (198)
8. operate consistently (199)
9. Cheerlead and celebrate wins
10. Keep preaching the gospel
Notes.
Heaven counts disciples, not decisions. (13)
And almost entirely new congregation every 5 to 7 years (21)
Chapter 1. The dilemma, what if it’s not working? (23)
The attractional church (24) A way of doing church ministry whose primary purpose is to make Christianity appealing
When attraction becomes the primary mission, you tend to use whatever works to attract them. (25)
Whatever you win people with is what you win them to (25)
The attractional church is built upon two functional ideologies: consumerism and pragmatism (25) essentially asking: who is our customer? What does our customer want?
Kay’s thoughts on the above, “it’s poop!”
Very often, what the customer wants is not what the customer needs. ( 26)
Pragmatism is what happens when you turn practicality into a formula. The pragmatists mantra says, “if it works, work it.“ (26)
Pragmatism is a sinful way of thinking, if only because it does not rely on the Holy Spirit. (26)
Judging a church’s health purely on visible metrics is unreliable and unbiblical. (26)
What if the ways we try to attract people to Jesus actually frustrate their ability to treasure him? Or even to see him? (27)
If consumerism is a subset of pragmatism, then pragmatism itself is a subset of a far larger problem: legalism. (27)
Whether you are prohibiting or commanding, the law of God cannot change a single human heart to honor God. ( 27)
Pragmatic methodology is legalistic because legalism is what happens when you disconnect the Christian’s “do” from Christ’s “done” in the gospel. (28)
Thirdly, the consumerism of the attractional church wins people not to the church but to consumerism. (33)
chapter 2: The metrics that don’t tell us everything, not everything that counts can be counted (38)
A ministry’s faithfulness to the mission of God is itself success, regardless of the results. (43)
The question Edwards asked is the same one we are asking, or ought to be asking, right now: what are the signs that a genuine move of God is taking place? (43)
Marks of neutrality:
1. A steady accumulation of decisions or responses during Sunday invitations (44)
2. Don’t put your faith in large attendance numbers. (45)
Jesus repelled just as many as he attracted. (47)
3. don’t equate success or fruitful ministry with people having emotional experiences. (47)
Chapter 3, the five metrics that matter most, going deeper than bodies and budgets (53)
The more important a metric is the more difficult it is to quantify. (54)
The metrics of grace
1. A growing esteem for Jesus Christ
How do you know if a church is focused on the glory of Jesus Christ above all? Let me make a few suggestions.
Start with the most visible ways you communicate. In the sermon and song service, is Jesus the focal point? In the sermons you preach, is Jesus a bit player, an add-on for the invitation time, or a quotable hero? Or does your preaching in worship promote his finished work as the only hope of mankind? Do the messages focus on the law, on giving people more things to do to get right with God, what do they do like more intently in the Gospel?... Are our sermons giving people five things to do, or are we reminding them that the essential message of Christianity is something God has done?
Musically, is the church focused on creating an experience for people or on adoring the creator? Do our songs tell the story of the gospel? Are we, the people, the stars of the show, or is Jesus? Does the church speak in vague generalities about hope, peace, and love without connecting them to Jesus as the embodiment of these virtues? Do the people of the church prioritize Jesus over simply doing good or knowing the right doctrine? Did the pastors exhibit high esteem of Jesus?
If a church is not explicitly and persistently making Jesus the focus, it is not fruitful (57)
2. A discernible spirit of repentance (57)
Christ is not the satisfier of our desires before he is the satisfier of God‘s wrath
Is the church preaching the dangers and horrors of soon? And then, Janet preaching of the gospel, is the message of grace and Jesus Christ clear? Are people responding to the spirits conviction and comfort with repentance? Do people own and confess there soon? Is there an error of humility about the place or an air of swagger? Or the pastors bullies? Are the people narcissists? Is appropriate church discipline practiced, gentle but direct? Is there a spirit of gossip or transparency? Is the worship service built around production value your honest intimacy with the Lord? Are the people good repent of us?
3 a dogged devotion to the word of God (59)
4. An interest in theology and doctrine (62)
The true people of God love to know the things of God
Transformation begins with the renewing of our minds (64)
5. An evident love for God and neighbor
The church is not called to be successful by attaining certain number or meeting a preset standard of growth, but we are called to be faithful. And that faithfulness will lead to fruitful growth. There may be seasons when your fruit leads to numeric growth. But the fruit of faithfulness according to the Bible, is deeper discipleship, maturing in Christ, and a more loving reach outward in service to our neighbors. (67)
"Measurement" questions
1. are those being baptized continuing to walk in the faith years down the line?
2. Do we have a clear way of discipling people? Why or why not?
3. how many of the attendees of the worship gathering participate in comunity groups? If the percentage is small, what are some reasons for this?
4. Can our members articulate the gospel? how would we go about finding this out?
5. if we asked ten people in our community who do not attend our church to describe what they think of it, what would they say? if the church shut down tomorrow, would our community care?
Chapter 4, Putting the Gospel in the Driver's Seat, repurposing your church around spiritual power (72)
Prayer is expressed helplessness (77)
when we're not engaged in prayer, it's because we feel like "we got this" (77)
The number one catalyst for spiritual growth was Bible study (79)
The gospel refers to the good news that God send his Son Jesus to live a sinless life, die a substitutionary death, and rise from the dead so that sinners who repent and trust in Jesus will be forgiven and have eternal life (81)
We do not "do" or "be" the gospel. We respond to it (82)
The gospel isn’t Christianity 101. It's the whole degree program (82)
May we never encounter the wonder, the majesty, the love, and the power of Jesus and yawn in response. (86)
Chapter 5: Steering from the Stage, Changing the message changes the movement (91)
What believers need from their churches, above everything else and in every element experienced, is nourishment from the Word of God (95)
The issue isn’t topical vs. expositional preaching, it's "a conviction, a reliance, and a substantive message that connects the biblical text being preached to the metanarratives of God's kingdom, God's glory, and God's saving work through Christ. Gospel-driven preaching is a preaching that proclaims and exults in the revealing of God's glory in Christ" (97)
Every text has a "road to Christ" (100)
Chapter 6: Building Your Service around Beholding. Designing the gathering for real transformation (106)
When the mood is the point, the message becomes expendable (109)
“To enjoy worship for its own sake, or simply out of a cultural appreciation of the performance… Would be like Moses coming upon a burning bush and deciding to cook his lunch on it“ (109) NT Wright
gospel invitations are offered after a legal message (115)
The four irreducible elements of gospel driven warship: 1. preaching 2. praying 3. Singing 4. Eating
Because prayer is an expression of dependence on God. The less we pray, the more we think we’re doing fine without him... it’s not enough to do the right things; we must do the right things in the Lords power (118)
We don’t become more like Christ by focusing on dos and don’ts, but by focusing on the done of Christ work (122)
Chapter 7: Pressing the Gospel Reset on Church Community, fostering a discipleship culture in your church (124)
Gospel centrality nurtures a culture of grace (126)
The church can become anything God wants it to, but it always starts with the gospel (129)
growth in Christ, not growth in church (129)
For key changes you can make to your church to nurture a gospel focus and develop a gospel culture (136)
1. reevaluate polity
2. rethink membership
3. re-order small groups
4. recruit and replicate disciple makers
Chair 8: Moving Toward Mission, turning the corner from"Come and see" to "go and tell" (144)
Confronting idols
Anticipating objections from the pulpit (155)
evangelistic techniques can be helpful, but scripted presentations are becoming less and less affective in most contexts (158)
Chapter 9: the three things you will need, your model is only as strong as your mentality (164)
Courage, commitment
Chapter 10: Leading Change on a Gracious Way: hour to do all this without hitting up your church (183)
Deep down most people just want to be understood. Heard and understood. (185)
If you want a gospel driven ministry, you must resign your will to the supremacy of the glory of Christ in trade your personal ambitions for the beauty of Christ’s bride (185)
we are all--whether planters, waterers, or harvesters--servants (187)
Ten keys to shepherding the transition
1 take it personally, but don’t make it personal (192) don’t tune your ups and downs to how people react, to what ground is Lost or made up, to hire services are performing, etc. (193)
2. Practice the spiritual fruit of patience. people prefer to be led and not pushed
3. move slowly and strategically
4. show meekness and give mercy (194)
5. employ plurality and embrace parity (196)
6. Overcommunicate
7. Show your cards (198)
8. operate consistently (199)
9. Cheerlead and celebrate wins
10. Keep preaching the gospel
May 10, 2019
Read my full review at https://hemustbecomegreater.com/2019/...
Unlike Jared Wilson, I was not trained in the attractional-driven model of ministry. I am not trying to transition my church to a gospel-driven model because we are already a gospel-driven church and are trying to “excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Yet, I desperately needed the message in The Gospel-Driven Church: Uniting Church-Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace for my own soul and for my leadership as a pastor.
I enjoy reading, but it’s not often that I highlight something on almost every page of a book. There were so many solid points and wise nuances throughout the book that I found myself doing this but also often writing comments in the margin like “Wow! Yes. So true! Important.”
Here are three reasons that The Gospel-Driven Church is not just for pastors and leaders who are thinking of transitioning their church from being attractionally-driven to gospel-driven.
1. It is important to understand the differences between a church being attractionally-driven and gospel-driven.
Jared defines the attractional church as “a way of doing church ministry whose primary purpose is to make Christianity appealing.” He quickly explains that a growing church isn’t the problem. “It bears mentioning that people being attracted to church is not in itself a bad thing! But when attraction becomes the primary mission, you tend to use whatever works to attract them…the problem is that ‘doing whatever it takes to get people in the door’ can replace or undercut what we want them to be attracted to.” (25) We want them to be attracted to Jesus, who is perfectly displayed and believed in through the gospel!
Even churches and leaders who are striving to be gospel-driven can easily forget why, biblically, we do things the way we do. Wilson points out that the “operating system” of the attractional church is basically consumerism (drawing people to church primarily through what appeals to them rather than what they need), pragmatism (changing church to try to accomplish what “works” rather than what God has commanded), and legalism/moralism (“Legalism is what happens when you disconnect the Christian’s ‘do’ from Christ’s ‘done’ in the gospel.”). (28)
Wilson answers the question, “What is a gospel-driven church?” by explaining, “One that explicitly and intentionally connects its teaching, programs, ministry philosophy, and mission to the content of the gospel…A gospel-driven church knows that the gospel isn’t one feature of a church, one thing on a checklist, something useful in an evangelistic program. A gospel-driven church makes the gospel the unifying and motivating factor in everything they say and do.”
2. To not experience vision drift.
Just as a church can easily experience mission drift, forgetting why they ultimately exist, a church can also experience vision drift. It is easy to slowly but incrementally forget how the gospel shapes the way we view church, which will eventually play itself out in how we do church. As a pastor, I constantly have either well-meaning church attenders or advertisements on my browser, inbox, and mailbox that tell me, “This program will show us how to do church” or “This is what we need to help us grow.” While there are many things that churches should constantly be evaluating and growing in (such as how well they are ministering to children or married couples, or if there are factors unnecessarily driving away new visitors), it is so refreshing to read a book that reminds us that God’s Word and the gospel are enough.
“The Five Metrics That Matter Most,” Chapter 3, would be worth the price of the book just by itself. As a non-attractional church pastor, this was the chapter that I read the slowest and underlined the most. I will be returning to it to evaluate our church on a yearly basis, sharing it at our next Elder and Deacon meeting, and briefly discussing it at our next Member’s Meeting. It is that important because Wilson takes us out of the numbers game and points out that whether or not you are currently growing in numbers, the first question should be, “are we growing in grace?” He explains, “the more important a metric is the more difficult it is to quantify. This is one reason why Jesus appointed shepherds for his flock and not accountants.” (54)
In Chapter 3 Wilson basically takes Jonathan Edward’s “Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God,” and explains and applies them to churches today. The five characteristics of a genuine move of God’s Spirit that he considers are: 1) A growing esteem for Jesus Christ 2) A Discernible Spirit of Repentance 3) A Dogged Devotion to the Word of God 4) An Interest in Theology and Doctrine, and 5) An Evident Love for God and Neighbor. This chapter and others serve as a good check for how our church is doing in keeping the main things the main things.
3. To be encouraged and built up in how the gospel shapes church.
Jared Wilson has a gift for helping believers see how the gospel plays out in all of life. He also has a gift for helping pastors and church leaders see how the gospel plays out into church life. Wilson’s The Pastor’s Justification was a lifeline to me a couple of years ago. For two months, I would read a chapter on Sunday night before going to sleep peacefully, being reminded that as a pastor I need the gospel just as much as those I minister to. In Gospel-Driven Church, Jared now explains in a “textbook” but not too-technical way, how the gospel should shape how we view the church. I found the book to be deep enough to be read in seminary classes, but straight-forward enough for a church leadership team to read together.
Reading a book that is focused on helping pastors who are in attractional-model churches transition to a gospel-driven church model may seem that it has little to offer those who are already gospel-driven. However, I found the opposite to be true. As my heart rejoiced in how God has designed the church, chapter by chapter I was challenged and reminded of what is most important for my church and kept asking the question, “Are we really letting the gospel shape our church? Right now?”
I would actually love to see many church members who are not even in leadership positions read this book, because it will remind them of why the church exists and why we want the gospel to drive all we do, from preaching (Chapter 5), to how we plan our worship service (Chapter 6), to how we interact in church community (Chapter 7), to how we go and share the gospel in our communities and world (Chapter 8: Turning the corner from “Come and see” to “Go and tell.”).
If you are looking for a convicting, refreshing, biblical, practical book on what should drive our churches, I highly recommend The Gospel-Driven Church. No matter what your training and model has been, you will benefit from it. Marinating in the gospel always benefits us.
As Wilson explains, “Preach grace and grace alone–and don’t give up!–and then watch as the metrics of grace emerge to become the measurement of your church’s health over time. Preaching the gospel is the first and most important way to give your church the power it needs to bear fruit for Christ.”
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. But it’s so good, I would have bought it!
Unlike Jared Wilson, I was not trained in the attractional-driven model of ministry. I am not trying to transition my church to a gospel-driven model because we are already a gospel-driven church and are trying to “excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Yet, I desperately needed the message in The Gospel-Driven Church: Uniting Church-Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace for my own soul and for my leadership as a pastor.
I enjoy reading, but it’s not often that I highlight something on almost every page of a book. There were so many solid points and wise nuances throughout the book that I found myself doing this but also often writing comments in the margin like “Wow! Yes. So true! Important.”
Here are three reasons that The Gospel-Driven Church is not just for pastors and leaders who are thinking of transitioning their church from being attractionally-driven to gospel-driven.
1. It is important to understand the differences between a church being attractionally-driven and gospel-driven.
Jared defines the attractional church as “a way of doing church ministry whose primary purpose is to make Christianity appealing.” He quickly explains that a growing church isn’t the problem. “It bears mentioning that people being attracted to church is not in itself a bad thing! But when attraction becomes the primary mission, you tend to use whatever works to attract them…the problem is that ‘doing whatever it takes to get people in the door’ can replace or undercut what we want them to be attracted to.” (25) We want them to be attracted to Jesus, who is perfectly displayed and believed in through the gospel!
Even churches and leaders who are striving to be gospel-driven can easily forget why, biblically, we do things the way we do. Wilson points out that the “operating system” of the attractional church is basically consumerism (drawing people to church primarily through what appeals to them rather than what they need), pragmatism (changing church to try to accomplish what “works” rather than what God has commanded), and legalism/moralism (“Legalism is what happens when you disconnect the Christian’s ‘do’ from Christ’s ‘done’ in the gospel.”). (28)
Wilson answers the question, “What is a gospel-driven church?” by explaining, “One that explicitly and intentionally connects its teaching, programs, ministry philosophy, and mission to the content of the gospel…A gospel-driven church knows that the gospel isn’t one feature of a church, one thing on a checklist, something useful in an evangelistic program. A gospel-driven church makes the gospel the unifying and motivating factor in everything they say and do.”
2. To not experience vision drift.
Just as a church can easily experience mission drift, forgetting why they ultimately exist, a church can also experience vision drift. It is easy to slowly but incrementally forget how the gospel shapes the way we view church, which will eventually play itself out in how we do church. As a pastor, I constantly have either well-meaning church attenders or advertisements on my browser, inbox, and mailbox that tell me, “This program will show us how to do church” or “This is what we need to help us grow.” While there are many things that churches should constantly be evaluating and growing in (such as how well they are ministering to children or married couples, or if there are factors unnecessarily driving away new visitors), it is so refreshing to read a book that reminds us that God’s Word and the gospel are enough.
“The Five Metrics That Matter Most,” Chapter 3, would be worth the price of the book just by itself. As a non-attractional church pastor, this was the chapter that I read the slowest and underlined the most. I will be returning to it to evaluate our church on a yearly basis, sharing it at our next Elder and Deacon meeting, and briefly discussing it at our next Member’s Meeting. It is that important because Wilson takes us out of the numbers game and points out that whether or not you are currently growing in numbers, the first question should be, “are we growing in grace?” He explains, “the more important a metric is the more difficult it is to quantify. This is one reason why Jesus appointed shepherds for his flock and not accountants.” (54)
In Chapter 3 Wilson basically takes Jonathan Edward’s “Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God,” and explains and applies them to churches today. The five characteristics of a genuine move of God’s Spirit that he considers are: 1) A growing esteem for Jesus Christ 2) A Discernible Spirit of Repentance 3) A Dogged Devotion to the Word of God 4) An Interest in Theology and Doctrine, and 5) An Evident Love for God and Neighbor. This chapter and others serve as a good check for how our church is doing in keeping the main things the main things.
3. To be encouraged and built up in how the gospel shapes church.
Jared Wilson has a gift for helping believers see how the gospel plays out in all of life. He also has a gift for helping pastors and church leaders see how the gospel plays out into church life. Wilson’s The Pastor’s Justification was a lifeline to me a couple of years ago. For two months, I would read a chapter on Sunday night before going to sleep peacefully, being reminded that as a pastor I need the gospel just as much as those I minister to. In Gospel-Driven Church, Jared now explains in a “textbook” but not too-technical way, how the gospel should shape how we view the church. I found the book to be deep enough to be read in seminary classes, but straight-forward enough for a church leadership team to read together.
Reading a book that is focused on helping pastors who are in attractional-model churches transition to a gospel-driven church model may seem that it has little to offer those who are already gospel-driven. However, I found the opposite to be true. As my heart rejoiced in how God has designed the church, chapter by chapter I was challenged and reminded of what is most important for my church and kept asking the question, “Are we really letting the gospel shape our church? Right now?”
I would actually love to see many church members who are not even in leadership positions read this book, because it will remind them of why the church exists and why we want the gospel to drive all we do, from preaching (Chapter 5), to how we plan our worship service (Chapter 6), to how we interact in church community (Chapter 7), to how we go and share the gospel in our communities and world (Chapter 8: Turning the corner from “Come and see” to “Go and tell.”).
If you are looking for a convicting, refreshing, biblical, practical book on what should drive our churches, I highly recommend The Gospel-Driven Church. No matter what your training and model has been, you will benefit from it. Marinating in the gospel always benefits us.
As Wilson explains, “Preach grace and grace alone–and don’t give up!–and then watch as the metrics of grace emerge to become the measurement of your church’s health over time. Preaching the gospel is the first and most important way to give your church the power it needs to bear fruit for Christ.”
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. But it’s so good, I would have bought it!
November 1, 2021
Wilson is a good writer. Think he hits on some important ideas for the pastor here, and especially helpful for a young one like myself. Also, it's a dope cover.
April 11, 2024
A Gospel-centered response to the seeker-sensitive/church growth/attractional church movement.
What happens when a local church becomes "attractional?" The attractional model refers to "a way of doing church ministry whose primary purpose is to make Christianity appealing." Author Jared Wilson describes this paradigm as having 'attraction' as the primary model. Churches may not intend to be attractional, but are trapped within a attractional paradigm.
The attractional church trains their congregants to be individualistic. Wilson writes, "the attractional church has spent decades discipling its customers toward a more self-involved, individualized faith, and we should not be surprised when this self-involved individualism is fully embraced, and people stop showing up to church on the weekend." Critiquing the attractional church is so crucial because the way a church wins its people shapes its people.
**THE TWO FUNCTIONAL IDEOLOGIES**
Wilson argues that the attractional church is built upon two functional ideologies: consumerism and pragmatism. Consumerism focuses on the questions: "Who is our customer? What does our customer want?" The attractional paradigm fails to acknowledge that what the customer wants is not necessarily what the customer needs.
Wilson also explains that pragmatism is not to be understood as just practicality. Rather, pragmatism is turning practicality into a formula. For Wilson, a church leader is thinking pragmatically if he believes that it is okay to do anything so long as people get into the door and hear Jesus. An example: "If you apply these principles, you will have an increase in attendance."
Pragmatism is a sinful way of thinking, because it does not rely on the Holy Spirit.
**ON FOCUSING ON ONLY PRACTICALITY**
The great irony is that the attractional paradigm is legalistic in nature while priding itself as 'not' being legalistic. The church growth movement was a response to "negative fundamentalism" which had an "unhealthy focus on prohibitions, which came at the expense of the gospel of grace." It does so by focusing more on the positive "how to" messages.
The problem: "the application-heavy approach of the attractional model fails to address that while the negative (prohibitive) law is powerless to change people, the positive (prescriptive) law is equally powerless." Only the grace of God can save.
Here is a strong statement against this unhealthy focus: "If you win people to biblical principles but fail to win them to the biblical Christ, you will simply create religious people who lack the power to change." Ultimately, the attractional church demotivates unbelievers rather than transforming them. Why? Because without the regeneration and sanctification given by the Holy Spirit, one cannot satisfactorily follow Biblical principles. At best, you will just be creating moral non-believers.
**WHY THE ATTRACTIONAL CHURCH DOESN'T WORK**
Data shows that that the decline of church attendance is happening at the same time as the explosion of the church growth movement. That means, the attractional church doesn't really work as promised. Wilson lists five reasons why:
1. It is becoming more difficult to think of the attractional model as generationally sustainable.
2. The discipleship culture of the attractional church is ecclesiologically unsustainable.
3. The consumerism of the attractional church wins people not to the church but to consumerism. The back door is as wide open as the front.
4. The attractional church is growing culturally naïve. It assumes that the unchurched are looking for a different and more relevant church and a cooler Christianity.
5. The attractional church is evangelistically unsuccessful. Studies have shown that a majority of people that are drawn to an attractional church and stayed as members are actually those with Christian backgrounds.
**THE NEED TO CHANGE HOW WE COUNT**
Wilson also critiques the way that the church growth movement has trained people to erroneously believe that a ministry's number is proof of God's approval of a church's method. It fails to realize that there are many cults and false religions that have a sizeable number as well.
Jonathan Edwards exegetes 1 John in his book, "The Distinguishing Marks of Work of the Spirit of God." In it, Edwards explains that the following are neutral marks: 1) steady accumulation of decisions or responses during Sunday invitations; 2) having a lot of people coming to your church; and 3) emotional experiences of people.
Rather, Edwards argues that 1 John teaches the true metrics of grace. This is what churches should attempt to measure to see the fruitfulness: 1) a growing esteem for Jesus Christ; 2) a discernible spirit of repentance; 3) a deeper devotion to the Word of God; 4) an interest in theology and doctrine; and 5) an evident love for God and neighbor.
Therefore, the growth and health of a ministry should use those five metrics of grace to be able to asses its depth and fruitfulness.
**THE GOSPEL AS CENTER**
In conclusion, the Gospel of grace should be of first importance in any ministry (1 Cor. 15). Apart from the Spirit of God at work through the Word, our ministries have no real spiritual power. Our churches may seem fruitful on the outside, yet may be rotting of consumerism, pragmatism, and legalism on the inside. Wilson also concedes that Gospel-centrality as an idea may also become an idol. But the answer to all of these is even more Gospel! The Church has to reclaim Gospel-centrality. Resorting to the attractional model is being ashamed of the Gospel as the power to save.
I highly recommend Wilson's book for every church and ministry. Personally, I found his warnings of thinking pragmatically as a good wake-up call. The Gospel and the Word should be central.
The Gospel should be at the center. To God be the glory.
What happens when a local church becomes "attractional?" The attractional model refers to "a way of doing church ministry whose primary purpose is to make Christianity appealing." Author Jared Wilson describes this paradigm as having 'attraction' as the primary model. Churches may not intend to be attractional, but are trapped within a attractional paradigm.
The attractional church trains their congregants to be individualistic. Wilson writes, "the attractional church has spent decades discipling its customers toward a more self-involved, individualized faith, and we should not be surprised when this self-involved individualism is fully embraced, and people stop showing up to church on the weekend." Critiquing the attractional church is so crucial because the way a church wins its people shapes its people.
**THE TWO FUNCTIONAL IDEOLOGIES**
Wilson argues that the attractional church is built upon two functional ideologies: consumerism and pragmatism. Consumerism focuses on the questions: "Who is our customer? What does our customer want?" The attractional paradigm fails to acknowledge that what the customer wants is not necessarily what the customer needs.
Wilson also explains that pragmatism is not to be understood as just practicality. Rather, pragmatism is turning practicality into a formula. For Wilson, a church leader is thinking pragmatically if he believes that it is okay to do anything so long as people get into the door and hear Jesus. An example: "If you apply these principles, you will have an increase in attendance."
Pragmatism is a sinful way of thinking, because it does not rely on the Holy Spirit.
**ON FOCUSING ON ONLY PRACTICALITY**
The great irony is that the attractional paradigm is legalistic in nature while priding itself as 'not' being legalistic. The church growth movement was a response to "negative fundamentalism" which had an "unhealthy focus on prohibitions, which came at the expense of the gospel of grace." It does so by focusing more on the positive "how to" messages.
The problem: "the application-heavy approach of the attractional model fails to address that while the negative (prohibitive) law is powerless to change people, the positive (prescriptive) law is equally powerless." Only the grace of God can save.
Here is a strong statement against this unhealthy focus: "If you win people to biblical principles but fail to win them to the biblical Christ, you will simply create religious people who lack the power to change." Ultimately, the attractional church demotivates unbelievers rather than transforming them. Why? Because without the regeneration and sanctification given by the Holy Spirit, one cannot satisfactorily follow Biblical principles. At best, you will just be creating moral non-believers.
**WHY THE ATTRACTIONAL CHURCH DOESN'T WORK**
Data shows that that the decline of church attendance is happening at the same time as the explosion of the church growth movement. That means, the attractional church doesn't really work as promised. Wilson lists five reasons why:
1. It is becoming more difficult to think of the attractional model as generationally sustainable.
2. The discipleship culture of the attractional church is ecclesiologically unsustainable.
3. The consumerism of the attractional church wins people not to the church but to consumerism. The back door is as wide open as the front.
4. The attractional church is growing culturally naïve. It assumes that the unchurched are looking for a different and more relevant church and a cooler Christianity.
5. The attractional church is evangelistically unsuccessful. Studies have shown that a majority of people that are drawn to an attractional church and stayed as members are actually those with Christian backgrounds.
**THE NEED TO CHANGE HOW WE COUNT**
Wilson also critiques the way that the church growth movement has trained people to erroneously believe that a ministry's number is proof of God's approval of a church's method. It fails to realize that there are many cults and false religions that have a sizeable number as well.
Jonathan Edwards exegetes 1 John in his book, "The Distinguishing Marks of Work of the Spirit of God." In it, Edwards explains that the following are neutral marks: 1) steady accumulation of decisions or responses during Sunday invitations; 2) having a lot of people coming to your church; and 3) emotional experiences of people.
Rather, Edwards argues that 1 John teaches the true metrics of grace. This is what churches should attempt to measure to see the fruitfulness: 1) a growing esteem for Jesus Christ; 2) a discernible spirit of repentance; 3) a deeper devotion to the Word of God; 4) an interest in theology and doctrine; and 5) an evident love for God and neighbor.
Therefore, the growth and health of a ministry should use those five metrics of grace to be able to asses its depth and fruitfulness.
**THE GOSPEL AS CENTER**
In conclusion, the Gospel of grace should be of first importance in any ministry (1 Cor. 15). Apart from the Spirit of God at work through the Word, our ministries have no real spiritual power. Our churches may seem fruitful on the outside, yet may be rotting of consumerism, pragmatism, and legalism on the inside. Wilson also concedes that Gospel-centrality as an idea may also become an idol. But the answer to all of these is even more Gospel! The Church has to reclaim Gospel-centrality. Resorting to the attractional model is being ashamed of the Gospel as the power to save.
I highly recommend Wilson's book for every church and ministry. Personally, I found his warnings of thinking pragmatically as a good wake-up call. The Gospel and the Word should be central.
The Gospel should be at the center. To God be the glory.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2020
A good and helpful book. Wilson effectively challenges the attractional church model both in its lack of faithfulness *and* it’s lack of fruitfulness. His call to rely on the power of the proclaimed person and work of Christ resonates with me deeply, as does his emphasis on prayer. I loved this quote: “If they aren’t won by the glory of Christ, they aren’t won to the glory of Christ.” Perhaps the most helpful line of argument in this book, though, is that the attractional church, in spite of its best efforts at distancing itself from “legalism” and “religion,” cannot be anything other than legalistically religious of it fails to prioritize engaging people with the reality of Christ crucified. This was the most compelling point of the book for me personally, and I expect that I’ll find myself referring to it again and again in conversation.
From my point of view, the narrative sections of the book weren’t as helpful, but others may feel differently about that. Also, there are aspects of church life that I want to emphasize more strongly than Wilson does. I am seeking for a richer vision for the daily life of fellowship within the believing community, and I think that point should be emphasized a little more forcefully by the author in his interpretation of Edwards’ “Marks” (I say “interpretation” because I haven’t yet read Edwards’ work). Also, this is sort of a minor gripe, but Wilson repeats some of the broad-brush criticisms of the contemporary worship scene that are common to the part of the Christian community that identifies as gospel-centered. As a worship leader who’s been profoundly impacted by the best that contemporary worship has to offer, I find those criticisms rather irksome, especially when they’re stated in a very matter-of-fact sort of way. But all in all, it’s a very good book.
From my point of view, the narrative sections of the book weren’t as helpful, but others may feel differently about that. Also, there are aspects of church life that I want to emphasize more strongly than Wilson does. I am seeking for a richer vision for the daily life of fellowship within the believing community, and I think that point should be emphasized a little more forcefully by the author in his interpretation of Edwards’ “Marks” (I say “interpretation” because I haven’t yet read Edwards’ work). Also, this is sort of a minor gripe, but Wilson repeats some of the broad-brush criticisms of the contemporary worship scene that are common to the part of the Christian community that identifies as gospel-centered. As a worship leader who’s been profoundly impacted by the best that contemporary worship has to offer, I find those criticisms rather irksome, especially when they’re stated in a very matter-of-fact sort of way. But all in all, it’s a very good book.
May 28, 2023
Excellent critique of attractional church models partnered with a compelling call for Gospel centred ministry. The book is stylistically set up in a similar fashion to a Lencioni with a fable followed by arguments and explanation. The fable has some cringe moments, as is often the case in this style of writing from authors that are not actually fiction writers.
Here's what I loved:
1. An emphasis on Jesus
2. A convicting challenge on the metrics or vital signs executive leaders use to measure their church's impact
3. A (fair) dismantling of the seeker sensitive model and prod at the therapeutic gospel.
Here's where I bumped:
1. The vagueness of his solution. I know the book's intent was partly to agitate the compulsion of contemporary church leaders to reduce gospel ministry to tractable metrics, however, the argument could have been made stronger by putting greater effort into unpacking the practicalities of a gospel driven church and "the metrics of grace"
2. Sometimes presented and prescribed stylistic elements of a service as "gospel driven" when they would have been better described as "traditional" protestantism e.g. congregational singing.
3. Some of the prescribed ways to alter ministry structures just sounded boring and and disempowering, as opposed to gospel-driven.
4. It would have been interesting to see his critique include the overtly experiential service methodologies of pentecostal arms like Bethel.
Overall, I found it a very challenging but helpful book. I will be digesting it and looking at ways I can adapt it to my ministry context.
Here's what I loved:
1. An emphasis on Jesus
2. A convicting challenge on the metrics or vital signs executive leaders use to measure their church's impact
3. A (fair) dismantling of the seeker sensitive model and prod at the therapeutic gospel.
Here's where I bumped:
1. The vagueness of his solution. I know the book's intent was partly to agitate the compulsion of contemporary church leaders to reduce gospel ministry to tractable metrics, however, the argument could have been made stronger by putting greater effort into unpacking the practicalities of a gospel driven church and "the metrics of grace"
2. Sometimes presented and prescribed stylistic elements of a service as "gospel driven" when they would have been better described as "traditional" protestantism e.g. congregational singing.
3. Some of the prescribed ways to alter ministry structures just sounded boring and and disempowering, as opposed to gospel-driven.
4. It would have been interesting to see his critique include the overtly experiential service methodologies of pentecostal arms like Bethel.
Overall, I found it a very challenging but helpful book. I will be digesting it and looking at ways I can adapt it to my ministry context.
April 11, 2019
As someone who believed in and was part of the seeker targeted and then seeker sensitive church model, this book was not always easy to hear. Even the comments on certain pastors and ministries that I have learned from over the years made this a difficult listen at points. Thinking " Yes, but..." at many points I kept listening and was glad that I did.
This book is not only about grace it is full of grace. It is not meant to tear down but to build up. Many of us believe the church should be Gospel driven but this writer gives us a context for making sure that is what we really do. It rings true for me. It doesn't say that it is easy to repurpose a church. It states quite the opposite.
I liked the intertwining of a story of a pastor and a local church attempting this shift along with the specifics of why and how. It made it easier to see.
I recommend this book. I've decided to stretch my reading to some I haven't read before. I'm glad I am.
The reader is quite good as well. He is very suited to the reading of this book.
This book is not only about grace it is full of grace. It is not meant to tear down but to build up. Many of us believe the church should be Gospel driven but this writer gives us a context for making sure that is what we really do. It rings true for me. It doesn't say that it is easy to repurpose a church. It states quite the opposite.
I liked the intertwining of a story of a pastor and a local church attempting this shift along with the specifics of why and how. It made it easier to see.
I recommend this book. I've decided to stretch my reading to some I haven't read before. I'm glad I am.
The reader is quite good as well. He is very suited to the reading of this book.
March 26, 2019
Everything Jared Wilson writes is worth reading. I've yet to leave one of his books unchallenged, yet I also never leave discouraged. "The Pastor's Justification" saved my life at a particularly vulnerable point in my ministry, and "Prodigal Church" mercifully jolted me awake to the dangers of following the attractional/pragmatic methodology I was raised to embrace. But this book is his best yet.
He has clearly stated the antidote to the ministry disease I have so long felt plagued by. Reading this book has helped me clarify and organize so many "gut feelings" that I've long been unable to coherently express. It is a beautifully simple, accessible ecclesiology that every pastor should read with their staff. I am inexpressibly grateful for this book.
He has clearly stated the antidote to the ministry disease I have so long felt plagued by. Reading this book has helped me clarify and organize so many "gut feelings" that I've long been unable to coherently express. It is a beautifully simple, accessible ecclesiology that every pastor should read with their staff. I am inexpressibly grateful for this book.
March 28, 2019
Excellent book that outlines what it means to call your church/ministry "Gospel Centered." That's a phrase that's become increasingly popular over the last few years, but there remains much confusion about what that means. Does preaching the gospel mean one's ministry is "Gospel Centered," or is there more to it? Wilson provides what's probably the most accessible book for those who are new to this ministry philosophy. Among the most helpful features is the story of a church in transition. Each chapter begins or ends by demonstrating the real-life ways churches wrestle with putting the gospel at the center of their ministry after realizing that it's been on the periphery. I've already bought extra copies of this book to give to pastor-friends.
May 23, 2019
Some very good insights in regard to the inefficiency of the "attractional" church model. His arguments for a "gospel-driven" church model keep the best of both an inward and outward focus for the church. The appendix - in my opinion - is where the book really slows down. The author tries to insert this "gospel-driven" model into different aspects of the church without much success. The suggestions are vague and miss the idea that the introduction of this model into a church will take years and is not a "quick-fix" for a church. Yet, this is still a great book to be used as a discussion starter among a church's leadership team.
July 27, 2019
This wasn’t a bad book. I agreed with almost everything Wilson said. It just seemed to me to be mostly unnecessary. Most of what Wilson says is just as well said (if not better said) in other books on church revitalization. Perhaps what made this book unique was the author’s apparent desire to convince attractional church leaders towards a more gospel-centered approach. Since I’m not an attractional church leader, and since I wasn’t quite expecting that angle in the book, it seemed far less helpful to me. But again, the content was good it just wasn’t all that helpful for someone who’s been reading some of the best books on church revitalization for years.
February 3, 2025
This book should be read by all who either go to church, want to go to church, or seek to lead a church in any way!
“What you win people with is what you win them too.”The gospel has to be the focal point of the church, for without it being so the church would cease to function the way God has intended it to be. The unbeliever is not the primary audience to the weekend service, but it is those who are of the body of Christ locally. Although we desire all to come to a saving faith in Christ, the church cannot forgo the edification of the saints to uphold seeker friendly motives.
Read this book. It has encouraged me, and enlarged my love for the saints, the church, and Christ all the more.
“What you win people with is what you win them too.”The gospel has to be the focal point of the church, for without it being so the church would cease to function the way God has intended it to be. The unbeliever is not the primary audience to the weekend service, but it is those who are of the body of Christ locally. Although we desire all to come to a saving faith in Christ, the church cannot forgo the edification of the saints to uphold seeker friendly motives.
Read this book. It has encouraged me, and enlarged my love for the saints, the church, and Christ all the more.
May 13, 2019
Top-notch book on shifting a church's focus from pragmatism to the gospel. This isn't just a book for seeker-friendly megachurches. Much of what Wilson describes could also be applied to any churches who have drifted into pragmatism. This is also a great book for church planters and revitalizers. The heart of this book is the gospel, and there are many examples of how to preach the gospel and bring your church toward a gospel-centered approach. The illustrations are engaging! Pastors ought to give this a read!
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