Rethinking the Successful Church: Finding Serenity in God's Sovereignty

by Samuel D. Rima

Helps church leaders redefine ministry success by understanding the role of Gods sovereignty in church growth.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Brian Virtue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book 20+ years after it came out and culture shifted pretty heavily. I've never been in the megachurch pastor circle or people wanting to be megachurch pastors so that target audience didn't really hit with me. But the spiritual and theological engagement over issues like image, control, power, idolatry....all are transferable to a different generation and cultural moment because they are part of the human reality and reflect the heart struggles we are prone to. A revised version of this book that accounts for new shifts in church leadership as well as social media / internet would bump the rating up as it would resonate for a much broader audience and in some important new ways. But the engagement over vulnerable leadership, dependence and trust, and the sovereignty of God are all important parts of this book that are needed for today's leader as well. So 3 stars since it's a bit outdated in its framing, but there are some important threads here for how God develops leaders in His curriculum and timing and what that "success" looks like.