Books @ Leadership Network

search (some) Leadership Network books

Happen to take a look at Google Book Search and found a search function to search portions of 3 Leadership Network books:

• The Multi-site Church Revolution: Being One Church in Many Locations by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, Warren Bird
• The Big Idea: Focus the Message--Multiply the Impact by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, Eric Bramlett
• Confessions of a Reformission Rev: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church by Mark Driscoll

You can get a limited preview beyond the sample chapter one. Use the "Search in this book" box in the right column (2nd item) of the book preview at Google Book Search to search for keywords and phrases. Amazing!

This is sure a handy tool to look up a phrase in the book you remember reading about but couldn't quite remember where it was. Search for it!

Over at amazon.com via Search Inside(tm), you can search these other Leadership Network titles:

• Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches by Scott Thumma and Dave Travis
• Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out by Robert Lewis, Wayne Cordeiro, Warren Bird
• Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders by Earl Creps
• The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey and Terry Storch
• Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil Cole
• A Work of Heart : Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders by Reggie McNeal
• A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey by Brian D. McLaren

More buzz about Mark Driscoll

Collin Hansen writes this insider look at the controversial and provocative Mark Driscoll in Christian Today -- Pastor Provocateur: Love him or hate him, Mark Driscoll is helping people meet Jesus in one of America's least-churched cities

In Mars Hill's early days, Driscoll struggled to find the right balance between unchanging orthodox theology and flexible methods of outreach.

"I also did not explain in written form that we were theologically conservative and culturally liberal, which caused great confusion because half of the church was angry that the other half was smoking, while the other half was angry that I taught from the Bible," Driscoll writes in Confessions of a Reformission Rev.

For a first-person perspective, check into the book titled "Confessions of a Reformission Rev" by Mark Driscoll (published by Zondervan and Leadership Network), which takes you along his journey of starting a new church and all the way from 0 to 10,000. I read the book late this summer, and the book gives a good look at the vision that Driscoll has to reach people in Seattle and everywhere, to know of some of his personal struggles and challenges, and his giftedness in connecting theology and practice. What's particularly useful to pastors and church leaders is how the book identifies different models and issues involved in a church as it goes through different sizes.

Most recently, Mars Hill Church is launching an open invite to anyone to ask Mark Driscoll anything at askanything.marshillchurch.org . The 9 questions that receive the most votes from the public will be preached as a sermon series at the top of 2008.

Review of Beyond Megachurch Myths

Excerpt from Book Review of Beyond Megachurch Myths from Outreach Magazine, by Tamara Rice:

For any church leader who has lived in the shadow of a megachurch comes a book that addresses the rumors, myths and accusations railed at super-sized ministries in a surprisingly constructive way. And don’t let the authors’ credentials fool you—Scott Thumma hails from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and Dave Travis, from Leadership Network—they see beyond statistics to the ugly realities of “sheep stealing” and ministry monopolies.

It would be a mistake, however, to approach this book expecting to have your own style of ministry unchallenged. In addressing each myth, from “they’re all alike” to “they water down the faith,” Thumma and Travis glean what can be learned from the megachurch experience by a pastor from even the smallest church, and this may grate on those who are simply and fundamentally against a single church growing into the thousands—no matter what the catalyst for growth.

Yet in reality, there is much to learn. According to the authors’ research, megachurches are generally more concerned with evangelism and outreach than smaller churches. Moreover, Thumma and Travis assert that many of the megachurch pastors they encounter are practically “obsessed” with evangelism.

In addition, while many small church pastors complain that their church’s culture inhibits change and innovation, the authors claim that megachurch pastors find their congregations easily incorporate new ideas and new people, and deal with conflict in healthy, open ways. So, unlocking their secrets—delegation, confidence, transparency—might not be such a bad idea.

Again, those who might get the most out of Beyond Megachurch Myths may be leaders of churches stuck in the long shadow of a local megachurch. In fact, the book’s best thoughts may be in chapter seven, which addresses the myth that megachurches are bad for other churches. Thumma and Travis urge smaller churches “living in the orbit of the mammoth church down the street” to work with the situation and not against it, in part by clarifying their own individual purpose and ministry in the community.

-EXCERPTED from Outreach magazine, "Media Cue," September/October 2007

Order the book, Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches, by Scott Thumma & Dave Travis.