The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age

by Dwight J. Zscheile

Brings theological insights together with cutting-edge thinking on organizational innovation to help churches flourish in a time of profound uncertainty and spiritual opportunity.In today’s dynamic cultural environment, churches have to be more than faithful—they have to be agile. That means embracing processes of trial, failure, and adaptation as they form Christian community with new neighbors. And that means a whole new way of being church. Taking one page from the Bible and another from Silicon Valley, priest and scholar Dwight Zscheile brings theological insights together with cutting-edge thinking on organizational innovation to help churches flourish in a time of profound uncertainty and spiritual opportunity. Picking up where his bestseller, People of the Way left off, Zscheile answers urgent and practical questions around how churches become agile and adaptive to meet cultural change.

Genres: Religion, Church, Leadership, Nonfiction

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2014

Reviews

[Harry Allagree · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one retired from active parish ministry, I was reluctant to take up our Bishop's invitation to read this book during Eastertide & to join in the discussion, but curiosity got the better of me. I felt reasonably sure that not a whole lot of new insight would emerge, since for quite a number of years to date the Church has been struggling with the enormous cultural shift. I had read & discussed a goodly number of books over the past 20 years by thinkers who had put in their two cents' worth. The most that any were able to conclude was that 1) we're in the midst of a huge change; 2) the Church's agenda isn't working in its present form; 3) nobody seems to have a real clue as to how to proceed into the future, aside from rearranging the furniture on the deck of the Titanic.
So, when this book was suggested, personal interest wasn't a top motivating factor. Having said that & now, having read the book, I will admit to being grateful that I at least read it. Predictably, I didn't find a whole lot of anything new in most of Zscheile's suggestions, and he himself says, predictably, that he doesn't have any pat answers to give. But what Dwight Zscheile does have to offer is an extremely well-written overall analysis of the dynamics of the shift, and some well-articulated "hunches" as to how, in general, judicatories & individual churches might begin to begin a process of being more "agile" so as to cope with it all. If nothing else, Zscheile outlines the immense scope of the kind of change that faces the Church, and an honest analysis of how we've tried to manage it so far...in a word, badly. Nevertheless, he writes all this with an unrelenting sense of conviction & hope in the grace of God's Spirit, and of the power which well understood Scripture has to anchor us for the challenge. I appreciated Zscheile's sharing of his own parochial experience in this regard, and was most taken with his comments & ideas in Chapters 3, 5 & 6 (thus 1/2 of the book!). His is a motivating work, & leaders & innovators -- not only or even primarily clergy!) -- will find it more than helpful, along with the plethora of other research efforts constantly being produced.

[NECaruso · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is half right and half wrong, I gave it two stars for missing the boat in the most telling way: the author seems unaware that declining membership and engagement is not a church thing, it's a society wide thing. The Elks and bowling leagues are in the same sinking boat with us.

I give Zscheile points for pointing out that Christianity is no longer the social default nor our church the establishment any longer. He also nailed some difficulties with education for the ministry. Then he went off the rails. The author never defined the problem he expected his program to solve (failure to flourish?), he borrowed his concepts from the corporate world and stoops so far as to refer to Christians as spiritual consumers, and he gives not a shred of data, of which there is quite a lot available if you look, on the problems the church is facing today.

Curiously, Zscheile rightly chides the church for being too worldly in matters of bureaucratic rigidity then doubles down on the worldliness he expects from a 'good' church by advising his acolytes to deeply immerse themselves in the problems of the community to meet people where they are. Did it not occur to him that we are all already immersed in our problems and we do not need the church up to its eyeballs in them too? Yes, meet us where we are to *meet* us, then show us there's more than this. Using the church to spackle over the broken safety net is like using a snow shovel to hammer nails - you don't have the church do the work of, say, a rescue squad. The church is not a half assed counseling program.

Meet us where we are. Show us that there's good news. Build relationships by building relationships within the congregation, none of this top down, contrived 'holding spaces' nonsense, but worship, shared meals, etc.

[Lisa Lewton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m excited to read this book with our church board. This is an accessible read for lay leaders and helps settles leaders imagine how to be relevant and how to be open to the Spirit’s leading.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic take on church "agility" - Agryis and others mentioned. The church as a learning organization?

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What would it look like for churches to embrace agility today? To attend prayerfully both to God and to a changing world? To adapt their lives in response to deep listening and relationships with those who are not part of them? To move with quick and easy grace, to be led by God in a dance? To identify and carry forward what is most life-giving and true, and to leave behind the baggage that gets in the way? Innovation and agility are in fact nothing new for Christian disciples. They are integral to God’s mission as described in Scripture, and they characterize many of the most vital moments of witness and service in the church’s history."

Zscheile, Dwight J.. The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age . Church Publishing Inc.. Kindle Edition.

The author leans a bit more into spiritual disciplines than I am comfortable with, but overall a good and challenging read.

[David Houston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Some newish ways of thinking about the Church.
I've got to say his concept of a 'church without a lot of resources' is a LOT different from mine - he's in a church with a 'lead pastor' (and refers to 'senior pastor' a couple of times). In my view, any church with more than one paid clergy person today is 'big' or 'with lots of resources'.

Still. I think he does do a decent job of translating 'Silicon Valley innovation models' to today's church. Translating for the 'common churchgoer', maybe not so much. He seems to think words like 'Judicatory' are in everybody's vocabulary.

[Jeff Lehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book with our church's governing board over a year ago. It sparked fruitful conversation about innovation and creating a culture of failure. Written accessibly. (Full disclosure, Dwight is a mentor and friend.) I particularly enjoyed the examples he gives about the congregation he serves in St. Paul and the process they went through to define what it means to follow the way of Jesus today.

[John Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another entry in the 'secular solutions to church problems' genre, offering nothing especially helpful.

[Leif D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting!!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone finally wrote a book about what I do and how the church needs to evolve for the future! This was a breath of fresh air.

[Danny Vaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful read for me.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ideas are good, but could have been said in less words

[Cathy Manduca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking exploration of what it means to be Christian in modern times.

[Ian Burch · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty engaging. not sure Silicon Valley is the place to go for inspiration

[Josh L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent book for church leaders unfamiliar with business principles of innovation. For those already familiar with these principles it will be nothing new, just applying these concepts to the Western church.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with the other members of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, and we discussed a chapter at each meeting. It is an excellent book applying principles of growth, management, innovation and organizational change from successful companies to churches. The author advocates for trying new models, being willing to fail, listening to people re interests and goals rather than doing what has worked in the past, being willing to fail- all applied to churches and growth. Compelling ready- a lot of ideas and food for thought for building a 21st century church

[Clarac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many interesting ideas, not just church related.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book by Zscheile! A very helpful read for churches who know that they need to change and innovate amidst cultural shifts, but don't really have a great idea why or how they need to do that. Zscheile unpacks the why and how in this book in a concise manner.

Zscheile draws from organizational change theories as well as adult learning theory, appreciate inquiry and other ideas to bring to bear on the church. A timely read for the Church today!