Ministry Tools

Evangelism [Re]defined

2007-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

With more than 4 million people having heard the gospel message at one of his festivals or crusades since 1999, Luis Palau seems well suited to speak on the topic of evangelism. Born and raised in Argentina, he has taken his mix of music, messages and family-friendly fun all over the world.

Now, Palau has written a book on evangelism with co-author Timothy Robnett in Telling the Story. The book is a primer on understanding both the ministry of evangelism and the role of evangelist. It is geared for those trying to obtain a biblical grasp on the topic for the 21st century. Ultimately, Palau says it needs to start by defining both the interior and exterior calling and moving forward from the local church.

Recently, Palau made some time to answer questions on his motivations for writing the book and how the church can return to its evangelistic roots.

Ministry Today: Your new book, Telling the Story, attempts to redefine evangelism for a new generation. What do you think is the primary misunderstanding about evangelism today?

PALAU: Our definition of evangelism has always been a biblical one. It centers on the person and work of Jesus Christ�He is the good news. It's a message of hope about a relationship that connects people with a saving God who has done for them what they can't do for themselves. A true evangelist preaches Jesus Christ.

It's common today to focus on good deeds�to believe that helping the poor or healing the sick is the gospel, when those deeds are really a result of the gospel. Prayer, though vitally important, is also not evangelism. Paul described the message of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15: Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day. That is the evangelist's singular message.

Ministry Today: You spend significant time defining the interior life of the evangelist, as opposed to other books that specifically focus on the exterior workings. Is there not enough emphasis on that interior life?

PALAU: Absolutely! It's a major reason this book was written. The integrity and holiness of the evangelist is vital to the proclamation of the message. Recent history demonstrates that a believer�even one in a position of leadership and trust�can fall to temptation.

A successful evangelistic ministry begins with our personal lives as evangelists. We must have a transparent conscience with no unresolved conflicts or skeletons in the closet. Truthfulness has to be at the heart of our words and our writings. We must train ourselves to always give all the glory to God.

Ministry Today: How do you see evangelistic methods changing in the next decade or so of ministry?

PALAU: The methods should always be adapted to the culture and the times. We don't know what the future holds, but we believe that biblical evangelists in those times will discover ways of making the good news clear.

Just a few years ago, the concept of our festivals�rock bands, skateboarders, flying motorcycles�would have been too wild for most of us to grasp. Still, when I share the gospel now at these events, it's just me and a microphone and my Bible. The key is always going to be the messengers and the message�not the methods.

Ministry Today: In your book you seek to redefine roles for the evangelist to fit within the 21st-century church or ministry organization. Do you think the church still holds to outdated models?

PALAU: Models and roles will change. Churches at any given point in history are at various stages of growth as well as using various methods of ministry. Evangelists are Christ's gift�typically they are the ones who bring new roles, titles and methods of evangelism to the church.

When we bring a festival to a city, our first step is to reach out to the church community. Two of our festival-driven projects, friendship- evangelism training and counselor training, are designed to bring new information and, hopefully, new enthusiasm for evangelism to congregations of many denominations.

Ministry Today: What are the biggest dangers ahead for the church regarding the work of evangelism?

PALAU: I see three major dangers always facing the church when proclaiming the good news. The first danger is the idea that evangelism is left only to called evangelists. Every member of the body of Christ is called to be an active witness of the good news.

The second danger is that the church will fail to acknowledge the importance of evangelists and evangelism. When that happens, a ministry is created that focuses on methods and programs rather than equipping the congregation to pursue the Great Commission one evangelist at a time.

The third danger is that evangelism will be tied only to certain methodologies that may become outdated. When the methods become outdated, there's the danger that evangelism itself may be perceived in that way.

Ministry Today: So, are churches imbalanced in their approach to evangelism?

PALAU: The issue is not balance but fruitfulness and faithfulness. Some of the most evangelistic churches we encounter around the country are those that might seem imbalanced at first glance, but if the emphasis is on outreach, those churches almost always are flourishing.

Ministry Today: How does the church stay balanced?

PALAU: God has given evangelists to the church to prepare them for the work of evangelism. Congregations and their leaders must empower those people in positions of leadership. The call to join in winning the lost to Christ must come from the pulpit and from the church's lay leaders.

-- Matt Conner

Executive Summary: The Blogging Church

2006-12-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs
Authors: Brian Bailey with Terry Storch
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
File Under: Technology

Executive Summary: In our world of computerized communications, weblogs, or blogs, are part of a new revolution. The Blogging Church, by Brian Bailey with Terry Storch, proves a compelling case for capitalizing on that trend and provides clear instructions for venturing into the blogosphere.

The authors thoroughly explain blogs, not only discussing costs and related factors, but also revealing how typical congregations with very little tech know-how can get started.

The fundamentals are adequately covered as the authors help participants evaluate worth, process decision, prepare properly for a true purpose, learn from others and avoid falling for every new trend. They also share how their own congregation (Bailey and Storch serve on the staff of Fellowship Church, Dallas, pastored by Ed Young Jr.) decided to begin blogging only after proving its value as they ran the decision through a filter of three questions: Is it a tool or a toy? What problems are we trying to solve? What is the return on ministry investment?

Blogging allows local churches and their pastors to expand the reach of their pulpit ministry and office counseling. Outreach is available online as principles are explained, Scriptures are quoted, and reactions are solicited. Even mission trips occur in cyberspace, according to the authors. Promoting church events, informing potential visitors and offering testimony time, blogs can do easily what few other efforts are able to achieve.

The Blogging Church suggests that "blogging presents a rare opportunity for churches to be part of this new world instead of watching from a distance. Blogging is simple, inexpensive and powerful. In other words, the impact-to-investment ratio is impossible to ignore." With free software available online and easy-to-follow steps for even the most technologically challenged, blogging is an interactive ministry tool whose time has come.

Quote: "There is no blogging revolution without others. The heart of a blogging church is passionate pursuit of people who matter to God. Blogging is an incredible way to start conversations, reach out to others, develop relationships and build community."

Ideal Reader: Church leaders and followers of Christ who hope to find simple, practical and successful ways to use blogging for promoting a local church and reaching the lost.

Rate the book from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on these criteria: Practicality (5); Insight (5); Theological Depth (3); Readability (5)

Reviewer: Chris Maxwell

Executive Summary: Overcoming Barriers to Growth

2006-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

Overcoming Barriers to Growth: Proven Strategies for Taking Your Church to the Next Level
Author: Michael Fletcher
Publisher: Bethany House
File Under: Church Growth

Executive Summary: Author Michael Fletcher is the senior pastor of Manna Church in Fayetteville, N.C., and has led the congregation's growth from 400 to 4,000 active members during his 20 years of pastoring the church. So, it is from personal experience that Fletcher speaks to the issue of church growth as he identifies the major barriers to growth and then outlines methods for breaking through them.

According to Fletcher: "On the road to 'mega' there are three key stages of leadership structures or configurations and two major transition points. If pastors and leaders properly anticipate these transitions and adjust appropriately, stress can be reduced and leadership teams can work together to experience growth instead of working against each other."

Fletcher suggests, and cites supporting research, that the two main barriers pastors face in trying to grow their churches numerically are the 100/200 barrier and the 700/800 barrier, with the former representing the transition from a small church to a medium church and the latter representing the transition from a medium church to a large church.

With his stated goal being to help church leaders change internal structures in order to grow, Fletcher offers readers what he considers to be reproducible methods for achieving church growth success. First and foremost on the list is the need for the senior pastor to find God's vision for the church he leads.

Fletcher describes the importance of what he calls "the threefold law of vision:" the Law of Articulation, the Law of Unification and the Law of Mobilization. Unless the pastor can articulate the vision, unify the people around it and then mobilize them to help carry it out, the vision of growth is doomed for failure.

One point on which Fletcher risks alienating readers is his suggestion that pastors must switch from a Shepherd Model to a Rancher Model in order for their churches to grow, which some may feel contradicts the model of Jesus as Chief Shepherd. With that point aside, wherever pastors are located on the church-growth continuum, Overcoming Barriers to Growth can help them take their church to the next level.

Quote: "To move from small to medium or from medium to large, some very important things will have to change! It is important, then, to understand the dynamics involved in a church at the next level in order to take a congregation to that place."

Ideal reader: Pastors, elders and other church leaders desiring to identify and break through the barriers to numerical growth.

Rate the book from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on these criteria: Practicality (5); Insight (4); Theological Depth (3); Readability (5).

Reviewer: Sean Fowlds

Jamie Buckingham's Writing Seminar

2006-11-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

Here's an order form for Jamie Buckingham's Writing Seminar: Checks should be made to Christian Life Missions, 600 Rinehart Rd., Lake Mary, Fl 32746.

Writing, Proposals and a Media Empire

2006-11-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you attending the Writers, Media & Creative Arts Conference at Morning Star Ministries, here are three presentations from the Friday sessions (right click to download):

New Media Trends

2006-11-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you attending the Writers, Media & Creative Arts Conference at Morning Star Ministries, here's the PowerPoint presentation from a seminar about trends in in media consumption. Tomorrow, look for another PowerPoint, as well as a article proposal template.

Seminary for Free?

2006-10-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

In the November/December issue of the magazine, Ministry Today checked out some of the best theological education available--for free (or almost free). Read the article and use these links to check out the options:

Free courses:

Bill Mounce: Special features include abbreviated classes (in addition to the full-length offerings) and the ability to “customize” the lectures if you are leading a class.

Regent College, BC: Lectures can be enjoyed 24-hours a day. Regent standard bearers such as Packer, Fee and Eugene Peterson are joined by other well known evangelicals, like N.T. Wright.

Covenant Theological Seminary: MP3 lectures online, as well as, lecture transcripts and study guides in PDF format. Reformed emphasis.

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary: 10-course core curriculum. Attractive and user-friendly website. Testing and resultant certificate are optional.

Courses for purchase:

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary: 25 courses offered for $45 each. Gary Pratico, co-author of a Hebrew textbook, teaches a two-course Hebrew set.

Regent College, BC: In addition to Packer, Fee, and Peterson there is vintage material available --- including F. F. Bruce and Clark Pinnock. Some courses on DVD.

Westminster Theological Seminary: The full-length courses of note are from Moises Silva: New Testament Introduction and the Gospel of John.

Beeson Divinity School: Allen Ross’ 23-CD series on Hebrew exegesis for $96! Six other full-length courses by Ross, as well.

Founders Study Center: Packer is available at this site, too. Also, Roger Nicole, Timothy George, and--bonus--the late Martyn Lloyd-Jones on preaching.

Fuller Theological Seminary: A concentration of missions courses not available from the others in this list. Courses can be taken for credit or personal enrichment.

Institute for Theological Studies: 21 major seminaries can’t be wrong! They use ITS courses. So should you.

The Teaching Company: Mostly secular courses. The treasures here are the five courses on Christianity by Luke Timothy Johnson. DVD is available.

Wheaton Graduate School: Douglas Moo teaching Romans is desirable. Having to search the Wheaton website is not. Call 1-630-752-5119 and tell the bookstore you want to purchase the BITH 548 DL instructional CDs. The $37.50 cost probably makes it worth your time.

Asbury Online Institute: Only four courses available, and sorry, no Ben Witherington or Victor Hamilton offerings.

- compiled by Jon Rising

Too Much Information?

2006-10-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Mysecret.tv’s Craig Groeschel on the risks and rewards of pastoral transparency.

Craig Groeschel has no secrets ... well, maybe a few. Groeschel founded LifeChurch.tv in Edmond, Oklahoma in 1996 as one of the nation's first multi-campus churches. Today the ministry offers 40 weekly worship experiences at nine different locations. But, whereas many pastors of large churches become more secretive and inaccessible with success, Groeschel decided to reverse this trend (at least for himself) with his jarringly transparent Confessions of a Pastor.

A gifted and creative communicator, Groeschel bares his soul about personal and professional challenges. A mixture of Groeschel's confessions serve as the chapter headings of his book. Among his confessions: "I can't stand a lot of Christians," "I hate prayer meetings," "I worry almost all the time," and "Sometimes I doubt God."

We caught up with Groeschel amid a hectic schedule of media appearances related to mysecret.tv, a confessional Web site LifeChurch.tv launched in the summer.

Ministry Today: You write about being mentored by someone who advocated sustaining the "pastor's mystique." Isn't there something to be said for not airing all your issues lest your people lose respect for your calling?

Groeschel: Absolutely. You can share too much. One pastor confessed to his church his struggle with lust. In a sermon he actually told his listeners that he might even be having lustful thoughts about some of them at that very moment. Too much information! Church members need to see pastors as real people, struggling to surrender daily to Christ. By all means take risks, but take calculated ones. Ask yourself what your motivation is to share. Are you being selfish (for example, you want to relieve yourself of loneliness or guilt)? Or is what you're saying spiritually useful to those you serve?

Ministry Today: So, what are some of the practical implications of this?

Groeschel: I know many pastors who encourage small groups in their churches yet don't participate themselves. But Jesus spent "down-time" with the very people He was leading. Genuine relationships don't happen without transparency. And transparency means risk. I'm not recommending that pastors should be saying everything we're thinking (if I did that, I'd probably lose my job). But without pouring our hearts into one another, we isolate ourselves and dry up spiritually. And we can end up on the slippery slope toward hypocrisy.

Ministry Today: Ministry seems to naturally cultivate the tendency toward inauthenticity. So, how do you "keep it real"—in spite of what your congregation may think?

Groeschel: No matter what I do, some people (maybe a lot of people) won't like me. For too many years, I lived to please people and meet their expectations, which of course is impossible. My goal—one I don't always achieve, by the way—is to be who God created me to be. Anything less is hypocrisy and compromises the integrity of my ministry.

Ministry Today: Can feelings of inadequacy actually enhance ministry?

Groeschel: I don't know any pastor (especially me) who is an adequate leader for our pastoral role. That's why we need to learn to depend completely on God. Fears of inadequacy are normal. Talking about them openly, with deliberate intention, can be powerful. I regularly confess to our church that I get nervous before I speak, and that I feel completely inadequate to do this job. That humanizes me, both to them and to myself. I've experienced other times when I didn't know if I could continue in ministry. This wasn't something I talked about while preaching. It would've been too much for the average church member to bear. Although we should invite people to know us as real people following Christ, we should also consciously avoid undermining their confidence in our ability to lead them to Him.

Ministry Today: You mention the importance of a personal accountability partner.

Groeschel: My accountability partner is someone I knew before I was deeply engaged in public ministry. This has been helpful because he knows me as regular Craig, not Pastor Craig. To me, finding a true accountability partner ranks close to finding your spouse. It's a prayerful, intentional pursuit of a lifelong friendship, whose ongoing purpose is to make you more like Jesus. It's not a breakfast with three other people shooting the breeze. It's gut-level, here's-where-I-am, not-holding-anything-back transparency. It may be scary, but I've discovered that, for me, it's a matter of survival.

Ministry Today: What about the pitfalls of baring your soul to someone other than your spouse?

Groeschel: It is risky to bare your soul to someone besides your spouse—especially for a pastor. However, in my opinion, the dangers of isolating yourself, carrying your own burdens and secrets, are far greater. Honestly, I didn't bare my soul in the early stages of my accountability friendship. In the past I had been significantly betrayed by someone I trusted completely. That experience inclined me never to trust again. Thankfully, I eventually overcame that pain and reached out again.

Ministry Today: Mysecret.tv has gotten a lot of media attention. But some questioned the benefit of anonymous confesssion.

Groeschel: Our intention has always been to encourage visitors to mysecret.tv to approach others' confessions prayerfully, not use them as a voyeuristic experience. Also, we've never suggested that confessing anonymously to a computer has special powers. Directing our confessions into a prayer toward God and His people is what changes lives. But think how many never go there. For them, writing a private confession for millions to read can be a first step—a huge one, as it turns out—and one they might never otherwise take.

- Interview by Sean Fowlds

Downward Mobility

2006-10-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Why God doesn't give up on declining congregations--an interview with Ruth Tucker, author of Left Behind in a Megachurch World

Can God work through declining congregations in economically-depressed areas? Absolutely, Ruth Tucker argues in her new book, Left Behind in a Megachurch World (Baker). Associate professor of missiology at Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Tucker became interested in declining churches while researching for a church growth class.

"I ran across material from George Barna and others that said that if a church has plateaued or is declining, humanly speaking it's a waste of time to revitalize it—it's better to shut it down and start a new church," she recalls. "Just because a factory moved out of town and the numbers in the church decline doesn't mean that God is no longer working there."

These declining churches she describes as "left-behind," arguing that their potential is often overlooked as they stand in the shadow of larger churches. Recently, Ministry Today sat down with Tucker to discuss her book—and her conviction that one size does not fit all.

Ministry Today: Are megachurches a new phenomenon or is it just that they've received more media attention of late?

Tucker: This is not a new phenomenon. Spurgeon, Moody and others were megachurch pastors. In fact, one of these incredible stories was Mike King's church—Ebenezer Baptist Church. Mike took a trip to Europe shortly after he became pastor, followed in the footsteps of Martin Luther and changed his name to Martin Luther King. His son was Martin Luther King Jr. King would put megachurch pastors to shame today.

Ministry Today: You believe there's a place in God's plan for "left-behind" churches. Is there a place for megachurches?

Ruth Tucker: Yes, they're here whether we like it or not. Wal-Mart puts smaller stores out of business. Is Wal-Mart part of God's plan? I tend to shop at Wal-Mart on some occasions. However, what I'm saying in this book is that the megachurch should not be the standard.

Ministry Today: So, are "left-behind" churches qualitatively better than megachurches?

Tucker: No, there are terrible church fights—in fact, it's hard to mask these family fights. In this book, I don't make "left-behind" churches little utopias. But, there are ministries that a left-behind church can have that are simply not available to megachurches.

Ministry Today: Such as …

Tucker: I was in a megachurch not too long ago—more than 2,000 people—but the parking lot will not accommodate its way to 5,000 which is the church's goal. So, the church is leaving this beautiful campus and moving to the outskirts of town. The result is that the church is no longer near the needy people. That's the advantage of the left-behind church—it's near the needs.

Ministry Today: So, smaller churches can reach people that megachurches cannot.

Tucker: Yes. For instance, I know a pastor on the Indiana-Illinois border, whose church is in the shadow of a huge megachurch that everyone wants to go to. So, a lot of little churches nearby have lost members. But the church I visited sees this megachurch as no threat because this church has been built up around the concept of homeschooling. These families are not at all tempted to go to the megachurch because their needs are being met in the smaller church setting of about 200 people.

Ministry Today: Are you seeing more specialization of smaller churches, in response to the megachurch phenomenon?

Tucker: Yes. I just read in the paper about a church that has a lot of families with adopted children. Also, if a family is involved in the community and they go off to a suburban megachurch, they will lose that opportunity to serve in the neighborhood.

Executive Summary: O Shepherd, Where Art Thou?

2006-09-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Title: O Shepherd Where Art Thou? A Minister's Tale
Author: Calvin Miller

Publisher: Broadman-Holman

Ideal reader: Pastors who serve in average size congregations and battle the thoughts of failure. Calvin Miller's narrative and notes allow each person serving in ministry positions to know there is value in loving people.

Rate the book from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on these criteria: Practicality (5); Insight (5); Theological depth (5); Readability (5)

Core message: Calvin Miller brings application to fiction, compelling readers to investigate church growth's true motives. His major theme reminds today's spiritual leaders that honoring God and personally caring for people are the primary goals for local churches after all. Strategic leadership is vital. But Miller reminds readers that "professionalization" should never push pastoral care away from congregational life.

As modern Christianity hits the headlines in our fast paced world of numbers, splendor, names and games, lonely voices are asking the same question: "O shepherd, where art thou?"

Summary: Fresh tales are often hard to find in the church world searching for quick solutions. Attendance growth stats hit headlines, new success stories cover highlight clips and few people seek to imitate pastors who serve as true shepherds. Calvin Miller reminds us of this reality in his fable which merges comedy and conviction, O Shepherd Where Art Thou?

The well-known author and storyteller exposes realities of today's corporate megachurch world through the life of Pastor Sam. Once a normal pastor, Sam learns what works best for rich and famous clergy. The result? He refuses to visit people any longer. He chooses to play golf and allow laity to organize committees who can carry the load of pastoral care.

Are pastors disappointed if their personality profiles and spiritual gift tests highlight pastoral care instead of purpose pushers? Do the normal ministers in average size congregations rank as low in God's view as they do in today's polls? Can't traditionalism and postmodernism merge while keeping Christ-like love as a top priority?

Miller's humorous tale is very real. Pastor Sam can read statistics provided by fictional pollster Barnie George, learn from the fictional book titled Physician, Heal Thyself: How to Kiss Pastoral Care Good-bye Forever and notice how the fictional Right Behind novel series has influenced so many readers.

A church growth friend seeks to convince Sam toward "putting the 'me' back in 'mega.'" Sam battles to know which side to take. Another friend with small numbers but a true pastoral heart hopes Sam stays with his original calling. Quote: "The success syndrome builds many rationales. Is it possible that many success-driven pastors rationalize their lack of pastoral care by agreeing it is better to preach to many than pastorally serve a few?"

Reviewer: Chris Maxwell

Executive Summary: The Creative Leader

2006-09-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Title: The Creative Leader: Unleashing The Power Of Your Creative Potential
Author: Ed Young
Publisher: Broadman and Holman

Ideal reader: Though Ed Young suggests the book could help anyone interested in creative leadership in any sphere (business, educational and so on), it is first and foremost a book written by a senior pastor for other senior pastors.

Rate the book from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on these criteria: Practicality (5); Insight (4); Theological depth (3); Readability (5)

Core message: The bad news: If creativity is not the controlling value of your ministry, then it's doomed to failure. The good news: God has hardwired everyone with creative potential. It only needs to be unleashed.
If you accept the challenge to make creativity the defining virtue of your ministry, you are in for a great adventure. To succeed you must constantly trust in God's creative power, surround yourself with creative partners, and refuse to settle for a once-for-all formula that works. The 15-year history of Ed Young's church (from 150 to 20,000) is a story that shows how creativity can impact the world.

Summary: Young wastes no time in getting to what he sees as the quintessential element of leadership: creativity. He starts with an apologetic for creativity: creativity is downright Trinitarian- God invented it, Jesus modeled it, and the Holy Spirit empowers it. The benefits that flow from a creative leadership team are countless, so leaders must be gutsy from the start and not let "vision vandals" get in the way. Young challenges leaders to create an environment that is "consistently inconsistent" regardless of the critics' who fight against it.

After establishing this foundation of creativity, Ed Young could have subtitled the remaining three quarters of the book, "What I Did at Fellowship Church and Why It Worked." That's not a criticism; it really is a fascinating story. Young does better when defending his innovations from culture rather than Scripture.

The reader will likely nod in agreement when he says a sermon should not be longer than thirty minutes, but he'll probably raise an eyebrow when Young suggests that Paul was too long winded when sleepy Eutychus nods off and falls to his death in Acts 20. After a series of great stories about creative worship, preaching, and advertising, he persuasively sells his premise "It's The Weekend, Stupid." Young effectively demonstrates that without a first-rate weekend service for seekers and believers, there is little use fretting over other church initiatives.

One of the most provocative sections is his "staff-led" church model, a structure where only staff members lead the church. I'd love to see the letters he gets on this! Ed Young's tone is easy-going conversational, and the "Q & A" sections in the book are some of the most interesting. Young's passion for reaching people through creativity stirs the heart from cover to cover.

Quote: "Something that helps keep me balanced in the way I plan and deliver messages is remembering to speak to the chairs. I envision a table with four chairs. I am sitting in the head chair and in the three other chairs are a hell-bound seeker, a baby Christian and a mature believer. ... I have become convinced that any growing, vibrant local church is going to comprise one-third hell-bound seekers, one-third baby Christians and one-third mature Christians."

Reviewer: Greg Dutcher

Become a Reviewer

2006-08-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

Read a book recently that made you think/cry/angry/creative/etc.? We're looking for executive summaries of books for leaders by leaders on leadership, ministry trends, cultural issues, theology, etc.

Download our executive summary template (executive-summary.dot), and write an executive summary. If we like your executive summary, you may find it on here on the Ministry Toolbox blog, chock-full of information on new technology, curriculum, books and software to help you be more effective in ministry. The best executive summaries will end up in the print magazine--and we'll pay you for them! E-mail your summaries to us for consideration and watch the blog.

Check this out for an example of a good executive summary: Note: We're not looking for executive summaries of these categories of book: self-help, devotional, fiction or biography. We are interested in mainstream business books, if they are applicable to ministry leadership.

Executive Summary: Postmodernism 101

2006-08-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Title: Postmodernism 101
Author: Heath White
Publisher: Brazos Press
File Under: culture

Ideal reader: Undergraduates and seminary students as well as curious pastors and lay leaders who want to think intelligently about postmodernism and its consequences for the contemporary church.

Rate the book from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on these criteria: Practicality (4); Insight (5); Theological Depth (5); Readability (4).

Core message: A self-described "professional philosopher," author Heath White is a 30-something university professor of philosophy who clearly speaks with authority to the issue of postmodernism and its role as an influencer of both the church and culture at large. Among White's more salient points is his observation that postmodernism as a philosophy is here to stay and that it is the pressing responsibility of church leaders to address it with an attitude of faith and love rather than one of fear and loathing.

Summary: The book thoughtfully compares and contrasts the three major worldviews of premodernism, modernism and postmodernism. Premoderns do not accept that anything true and knowable is something people can reach consensus about. Meanwhile, moderns reject that there is no present consensus, nor foreseeable consensus, on the big questions of human life. Finally, postmoderns dismiss the idea that the big questions of human life have answers that are true and knowable.

Though White states his primary purpose for the book is to describe and explain postmodernism, he admits that a secondary goal is to offer some advice to fellow believers about how to respond to some of the challenges postmodernism presents.

In the book's opening chapter, titled "Why Read About Postmodernism?" White suggests that the root of the various reasons to learn about postmodernism is "the culture is changing, and postmodern ideas are driving the change."

White identifies three main concerns that thoughtful Christians have when they confront postmodernism and consequently addresses the corresponding reasons to learn about it. For those with a moral concern, learning about postmodernism teaches them how to combat it. For those with an evangelistic concern, learning about postmodernism helps them evangelize the culture. And for those with a theological concern, learning about postmodernism helps them rediscover what Christianity is all about, according to White.

The insightful questions for further thought after each chapter and suggestions for further reading provide a template for readers beyond the text. Regardless of where one is on the theological continuum, Postmodernism 101 offers readers thought-provoking analysis of this worldview and attempts to provide useful wisdom for the inquiring minds among us.

Quote: "Postmoderns are as anti-authority as any modern, perhaps more so. But they lost the faith that sustained modernism, the faith that human reason could deliver answers and find solutions to the great questions of human life."

Reviewer: Sean Fowlds

Executive Summary: Full Gospel, Fractured Minds?

2006-08-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

Title: Full Gospel, Fractured Minds?
Author: Rick M. Nanez
Publisher: Zondervan

Ideal reader: Nanez would be most pleased if every person in the charismatic/Pentecostal movement took to heart the exhortations in this book.

Rate the book from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on these criteria: Practicality (5); Insight (5); Theological depth (5); Readability (5)

Core message: The charismatic/Pentecostal movement (hereafter referred to as "Full Gospel") shares with the surrounding culture a crisis of the mind. Despite being a technically advanced society with a proliferation of media, we live an anti-intellectual society.

The author explains that anti-intellectualism is "a prejudice against the careful and deliberate use of one's intellect … Like worldliness, anti-intellectualism, more than anything else, is an attitude."

This attitude is inculcated in Full Gospel adherents by the incessant and unnecessary suggestion that there is a dichotomy between being spiritual and being a reflective thinker. Nanez wants his readers to take seriously the injunction to love the Lord with "all your mind" (see Matthew 22:37).

Summary: In the first four chapters, the author methodically shows that there is not a biblical basis for believing that knowledge gained by study or reflection is inferior to that imparted supernaturally. The adage, "all truth is God's truth," exemplifies the author's research.

The first chapter is particularly helpful as the author surveys the Scriptures to show that the terms heart, soul, mind and spirit are used interchangeably. His conclusion is that "there is no fundamental war between our minds and souls—between our heads and hearts."

The author is aware of the texts that his critics will attempt to rebut him with—he addresses them thoroughly and with sensitivity. In fact, a charitable and sensitive approach characterizes this treatise.

Nanez is an impassioned Full Gospel believer. He is just impassioned not only about worship and charismata, but about the study of the Scriptures and the life of the mind, as well. He takes time to show how revivalists and Full Gospel people ever got to the posture of anti-intellectualism; it was not the posture of their forebears like John Wesley.

Rather that just identifying a crisis, Nanez concludes by both showing what the mind should be engaged in (e.g. theology, apologetics, philosophy and science) and practical suggestions on how churches might cultivate the mind. His suggestion that individuals in local churches dedicate themselves to becoming expert in a topic then cross-pollinating with their fellow 'experts' is innovative and is an example of the constructive thrust of this book.

Quote: "When cold reason rejects the fire of God's manifest presence, disillusionment and injury rise to the surface. Likewise, when the charismata are not tethered to good thinking, the same confusion and injury will surely follow." Reviewer: Jon Rising