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The Prodigal Church: A Gentle Manifesto against the Status Quo

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This book is not a tired rant.
This book is not a reactionary diatribe.
This book is a gentle manifesto against the status quo.

In The Prodigal Church, Jared Wilson challenges church leaders to reconsider their priorities when it comes to how they -do church- and reach people in their communities, arguing that we too often rely on loud music, flashy lights, and skinny jeans to get people in the door.

Writing with the grace and kindness of a trusted friend, Wilson encourages readers to reexamine the Bible's teaching, not simply return to a traditional model for tradition's sake. He then sets forth an alternative to both the attractional and the traditional models: an explicitly biblical approach that is gospel focused, grace based, and fruit oriented.

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2015

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306 people want to read

About the author

Jared C. Wilson

58 books940 followers
Jared 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 43 reviews
Profile Image for Barry.
1,227 reviews58 followers
April 17, 2020
Wilson shares his concern that too many churches today are guided by the principles of pragmatism (doing what works, as evidenced by growing numbers) and consumerism (giving the customer what he wants). This leads to serving up more and bigger programs and entertainments. But does not lead to discipleship and spiritual growth.

He reminds us that what the church needs is the same as what everyone needs — the gospel. And the Holy Spirit works change, not because we have the best programs or strategies, but miraculously through the power of God.


Here’s a really nice review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Profile Image for Kent.
193 reviews7 followers
November 7, 2016
Largely a critique of the attractional church model of ministry, the author, himself a pastor within the model for some years, explains how he came away from that kind of model and how the church really needs to focus on the gospel. (The gospel is not just for new Christians; seasoned saints need it, too. It not only justifies us, it sanctifies us as well.) He explains that though many of the attractional church's goals are good, those who are honest within the movement/model recognize that their methods are not helping them to reach their goals.

There are many great insights in this book, including the truth that if all you're preaching are how-to sermons, you are really preaching law and not grace. And the law you preach enslaves, while the grace you're not preaching is what brings freedom and holiness. "The 'dos' can never be detached from the 'done' of the finished work of Christ in the gospel, or else we run the risk of preaching the law" (85). Our thirst for relevance and our rush to application to "my life" often overlooks the importance of lifting up Christ and his work before our people, of lifting up the grace of God often before our people, because knowing what Christ has done and seeing God's glory through the preached word is necessary for being transformed into the image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18). The whole chapter on this is excellent, as are most of the other chapters.
Profile Image for Jason Kanz.
Author 5 books39 followers
August 20, 2015
I have read most of the books authored by Jared Wilson and each time, I am convinced that his voice needs to be heard by the church. His passion for the gospel is an unquenchable fire. His most recent book, The Prodigal Church: A Gentle Manifesto Against the Status Quo (2015, Crossway) is no different.

The Prodigal Church reflects Wilson's heartbeat. In essence, he writes with conviction to encourage the church to return to its gospel roots, again and again. He rightly shows how the response to legalism in the church can not be an attractional model, but one grounded completely in the finished work of Christ. The church exists not to beat people up, not to glorify the self, and not (primarily) to provide tips for self-improvement. The church exists to glorify God and make much of Jesus and his finished work.

Although the whole book is a clarion call for "gospel wakefulness", to draw from another Wilson book, the fourth chapter, "the Bible is not an instruction manual", was my favorite. In this particular chapter, he shows the reader that the primary purpose of the Bible is not a manual for better living. It is a story of a God who relentless pursues His children, ultimately bringing them to Himself through His son Jesus. On page 80, Wilson wrote, "I will go so far as to suggest to you that not to preach Christ is not to preach a Christian sermon. If you preach from the Bible, but do not proclaim the finished work of Christ, you may as well be preaching at a Jewish synagogue or a Mormon Temple. Ask yourself, as you look over your sermon outline or manuscript, 'could this message be preached in a Unitarian church?' Ask, 'did Jesus have to die and rise again for the stuff to be true?'" This one quote represents the lifeblood of this book.

The message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone must be the heartbeat of the church. We have no hope in programs or personalities. Wilson understands that and communicates it wonderfully in this important book.
62 reviews
October 23, 2019
Well Micah I finished it then told you that I would write this in my review.

So I will be honest I agreed with probably 80% of everything in this book. We need a simpler church we need to focus on what we do and reorient ourselves back to the gospel. We also need to always ask the question of why do we do what we do.

I will not labor on what I disliked because the only two people who may read this are Micah, who I have already talked to about the book and Tim. So Tim if you want to know what I did not like let me know
Profile Image for Josh.
446 reviews28 followers
February 10, 2016
Maybe more like 4.75 stars. Incredibly important for the church, in the church's current moment; also so helpful and encouraging. This book addresses a few key things about church life and worship I haven't really seen addressed quite the same way anywhere else (yet).
Profile Image for Chris Land.
85 reviews10 followers
July 18, 2015
This is a must read for all who love Jesus and His church
Profile Image for Tyler C.
142 reviews9 followers
May 25, 2017
In "The Prodigal Church" Jared Wilson has written a gentle manifesto against the status quo of the attractional church. This is one of most important books I've read on the church. He argues against pragmatism and consumerism in the church and argues for a more Gospel centered view of the church. I thought his analysis on the legalism of many attractional churches was on point. The irony is that in an effort to (sometimes rightly) oppose the legalism of more traditional churches they have created their own legalism by emphasizing the self. They don't say "thou shalt not" but rather "thou shalt", which is still legalism. If all people in church hear is how they can pull themselves up by the bootstraps and be all they can be with Jesus randomly tacked on the end, it causes what Wilson calls spiritual whiplash. Moreover, if someone comes to a church for material reason, then they have not been won to Christ...they have been won to "stuff." Some noteworthy quotes:

"If the message that Jesus died and came back to life isn't compelling enough to draw people, the enticement of winning a car (for example) is not going to work. Anyone who believes on Christ because they were attracted to stuff has been won to stuff, not Christ." (105)

"A good theology of worship helps us understand that worship begins not with asking, 'What would move people?' or 'What would engage people?' but by recognizing that authentic worship beings with God, not with us" (97)

"(In the attractional church) Sin is recast as problems, baggage, brokenness, all real and true things but none is quite getting at what sin really is - a cancer deep inside all of us the is a hideous offense against the holiness of God" (29)

"To hear a lengthy appeal to our abilities culminating in an appeal to our utter inability, can cause spiritual whiplash" (27)
Profile Image for Colby Jackson.
76 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2021
“What we win them with is what we win them to”.
Clearly points out the massive problem of the attractional church design in America. Even if the heart behind it is right, putting the power of bringing people to Christ in our own hands is never the answer. I came into this book looking for answers to whether or not big drums and wearing hats to church was okay. I closed it realizing that there is always the opportunity to worship something. Maybe for me it was that I was too concerned on the little customs. My focus should be on what the Bible clearly states church to be. A place for worship, discipleship, learning the true word of God, fellowship, and most of all a place where the gospel is preached. Behind the skinny jeans and massive bands, the real problem is that we are not surrendering everything to worship Christ. Second half of book got redundant which author even claimed so I skimmed a little. Testimony at the end was gut-wrenching but really just went as a huge reminder that there are people with extreme hurt and brokenness. Self-help sermons and worship concerts don’t solve that hurt. Ever. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can truly save.
Profile Image for Smooth Via.
220 reviews
August 8, 2018
Wilson has some solid critiques of the attractional church model. However, he makes the mistake of equating his own personal experience inside the attractional church with inherent problems with the model in general. To the contrary, many of the problems he assumes are inherent with the model have not been present in my own experience with the attractional church. Furthermore, many of his critiques would also readily apply to churches that I would not classify as attractional at all. But perhaps the biggest weakness is that he does not put forth a compelling alternative model (at least not clearly).
Profile Image for Curt Mize.
44 reviews6 followers
November 29, 2018
Epiphany inducing. This is the most winsome, loving, and hopeful critique of the attractional church model in existence. Not only does Wilson diagnose the problem with so many of our churches, he offers a clear way forward. This book is for anyone who feels trapped on the exhausting hamster wheel of church programming, and just can’t do it any more. There’s hope in these pages.
Profile Image for Jonathan Roberts.
2,211 reviews51 followers
June 14, 2020
Great book! A good intro to his Gospel-Driven church ideas. I have been very blessed by multiple books by Mr Wilson and will continue to read anything he writes. This book is one part biography, one part critique and one part a new path to take. I plan on taking many of his ideas to the Lord in prayer to see what sticks! Thanks Jared for a great book!
Profile Image for Angie.
383 reviews
June 9, 2023
I found this to be quite interesting, though it seems to be geared toward pastors and church leaders, I am neither of these. I did, unknowingly, find myself in a seeker oriented church for a brief, yet seemingly interminable, 4 years. This book did help me understand some of the gut feelings I was having about the practices there.
Profile Image for Jay Lloyd.
11 reviews
July 9, 2017
Truth wort reading.

Every pastor should read this book. Being a Christian begins with grace is sustained by grace and concludes in grace. Thank you for sharing your journey and observations.
Profile Image for Aaron Loy.
5 reviews3 followers
October 31, 2017
As a church planter and now coach and network leader who works with pastors and church planters, I found this book to be invaluable, timely and surprisingly gentle while remaining unflinchingly prophetic. I wish I could make every church planter read this before they set out.
Profile Image for Timothy Bandi.
27 reviews
March 4, 2018
Amazing

If you were ever a part of this church( The "attraction all style-church. e.g. -Purpose Driven Life, Willow creek , or seeker other seeker models) at some point, this book will be a life changer! Thank you Jared and glory to Jesus!
Profile Image for Hopson.
284 reviews
July 11, 2017
Helpful book that respectfully pushes back against the attractional megachurch movement.
Profile Image for Nathan Brewer.
44 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2017
There is a lot to process and evaluate after reading this book. Wilson does a great job of emphasizing the necessity and sufficiency of the Gospel in our relation to the lost.
Author 1 book2 followers
January 2, 2019
Such a helpful, and at times painful, critique of the attraction all church model, and all of us in our temptations to rely on worldly wisdom to win people to something.
Profile Image for Andrew.
214 reviews
January 11, 2019
Wilson’s most personal book, and a really helpful one that comes from his heart for churches and Christians. I highly recommend it and especially the last chapter.
Profile Image for Steven.
214 reviews
August 12, 2023
Helpful and very specific. The closer you are to the specific context the more helpful it will be.
Profile Image for Andrew.
108 reviews5 followers
April 6, 2018
I appreciated Wilson's insight into recent church history within the States and how that history is affecting us now. Pragmatism and consumerism likely guide our service to God more than we like or know. May we repent.

One note: the author was able to guess my feeling towards the end of the book. Yes, it did feel a little "redundant." Still, keep up the good work.
Profile Image for Phil Wade.
83 reviews4 followers
June 17, 2016
How do you react to the claim that what a Christian does at church on Sunday morning is the most important thing he can do that week? I think some pastors have said this as a way of saying worshipping God is our most important act, but if that’s what they intend to say, they aren’t quite saying it. One could easily hear in such a claim that attending church that morning is the most important part of the week. Is that what worship is? Are we only able to worship the Lord in an organized service on one day or can we develop a lifestyle of worship for the whole week? Is the church’s mission to draw people into its organization or to declare the wonders of Christ Jesus?

Jared C. Wilson has experience in churches that put all of their creative energy into making the Sunday morning service exciting, unique, and attractive to the people of their city, and he believes those church leaders have lost the vision for Christ’s church on earth. The manner of the services and the theme of the sermons (or talks) point to good feelings and self-improvement. “But are they the real message of Jesus?” he asks.

Wilson’s argument in The Prodigal Church rests on his belief that what you win people with is what you win them to. “Pragmatic discipleship makes pragmatic Christians. The way the church wins its people shapes its people. So the most effective way to turn your church into a collection of consumers and customers is to treat them like that’s what they are.”

He urges church leaders to question their assumptions about what takes place in their services and programs. If their goal is make clear the claims of Christ or to help others make God of first importance in every part of their lives, then they are on mission regardless their presentation style.

You could walk away from the attractional church’s pattern of teaching and think you needed some more skills, some more enthusiasm, and some more advice, but you’d rarely walk away thinking you need more grace.

Wilson is careful not to overly criticize. He isn’t arguing for his preferred church style or saying that everyone has to agree with him on what makes for a good worship service. He admits we have different styles, but making consumerism a normal part of the American church does not lift up the name of Christ or apply his grace in healthy ways. That’s not a style choice. It’s a problem. It isn’t cultural sensitivity; it’s being co-opted by the culture.

The second part of the book offers many thoughts on how to do church well, including some stories of people who realized their manner of ministry didn’t accomplish their intentions. I heartily agree with and recommend this book.
Profile Image for Levi Sweeney.
51 reviews9 followers
January 31, 2017
"The Prodigal Church" by Jared Wilson said many things which I think needed to be said. At the same time, the book suffers from a lack of theological substance which could have made it more effective.

Wilson writes from the perspective of someone steeped in the ethos of the "seeker-friendly" church, or the "church-growth" movement. Warren Cole Smith refers to this view of ministry in his book "A Lover's Quarrel with the Evangelical Church" as a philosophy of "Get Them In the Door."

Wilson argues that the seeker-sensitive model of church, while built with good intentions, has gone off the rails by seeking to cater too much to non-Christians while neglecting to address the spiritual needs of dedicated believers.

At the same time, Wilson unceasingly emphasizes that the idea of the "seeker-sensitive" model is good at its core, but the execution is lacking. He believes that the church has a duty to evangelize the lost as part of its very purpose.

That said, I feel that the author's unwillingness to take a clear stance on the issue, what with his vacillating criticism throughout the book, hinders his ability to argue his case effectively.

I am glad, however, that someone beside me understands that the traditionalist model of churching has largely been caricatured as a "bogeyman" (to use Wilson's words) to justify the seeker-sensitive model.

I am also pleased that Wilson has enough sense to see that there is something horribly wrong with the current system that evangelicalism runs on. The loud, clanging worship music, the spiritually emaciated youth ministry culture, the widespread Biblical illiteracy. When is enough enough?

Combined with the author's heartbreaking life story, which I can't help but identify with, this book, despite having the flaws of most books based off of blogs, had me glued to the sofa for the entire weekend.

The one thing that would have made this book so much better is if Wilson had tried to more firmly ground his criticisms of the modern church in scripture.

He himself states that he had to spend "years" unlearning the typical system of topical preaching, which cherry-picks Bible verses as if they were excerpts from a how-to manual. But he seems to do exactly the same thing here.

I believe Wilson could learn a lot from reading John MacArthur's "Ashamed of the Gospel," which tackles from a theological perspective much of what Wilson points out here. Written in the 1990s, I feel that it's time that tome got passed around again.

Again, "The Prodigal Church" isn't a perfect book, but it's a good start on waking up the modern church to its sorry state of affairs.
Profile Image for Ken.
102 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2016
I identified with much of Jared's experience and thought processes in this book. I too have questioned where I fit. I too have believed there's something more to church life. I believe this book needs to be read by our elders, to help us consider how serious we really are about moving our church to a culture of discipleship.

The author presents his case with humility, which helps his case. He asks plenty of questions, but doesn't offer many concrete ways forward. However, since the work is not ours but God's, he probably did not want to do the same thing others have done by offering a multiple step plan to get this done.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
258 reviews12 followers
May 18, 2015
If you have read much of Wilson you should be able to guess where his call against the status quo in churches would lead. The gospel. And rightly so. Wilson does a fine job of thinking through the motivations of the attractional church model and the better way of giving the church Jesus and his gospel. This is a book I would love all of my friends in ministry to read - knowing that many will hate it because it is quite opposite of what we do. But think about it. Isn't the point of Christianity Jesus? Shouldn't his good news of grace be what defines and builds our churches?
Profile Image for Joe Cox.
91 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2016
It's hard to know what will be trendy in church life. So often as pastors we feel like we are paying for the sins of our earlier visions and dreams. Jared will take you, not to a new place, but return you to an old place. Maybe even a timeless place. Highly recommend this read. Would have given it a fifth star but it spent most of its time deconstructing and not reconstructing. Maybe that's the purpose of the book.
21 reviews
May 10, 2016
The majority of the book contained concepts and thoughts I am aware of and have spent much energy exploring. Though helpful and reassuring, they would garner the four star rating I have given the book. The reason I did rate it this highly was the chapter on the author as a young man. The depth of personal struggle in ministry and life resonated and the honesty was liberating. Good book, great chapter.
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