Author: Alan Hirsch
Publisher:
I have to warn you about this book. It’s not for everybody. If you want to keep doing church the way you have always done it, leave this book on the shelf. If, on the other hand, you are interested discovering what it means to be a missional congregation, read the book.
The main purpose of the book is to explore and explain a phenomenon of church growth, first evident in the apostolic church. This type of growth has surfaced throughout church history, and is evident today in the explosion of Christianity in
However, this book is not just a history lesson. It also goes far beyond a simple comparison and contrast of the contemporary, emergent, and traditional models of church. The book will prepare the reader to challenge the underlying paradigm that has defined Church since 313 A.D.
Alan Hirsch encourages the reader to do more than just reflect on the ways a church can engage the culture today. He challenges both our vocabulary, and our thinking, and pushes us back to address the biblical, apostolic question of what it means to be a community of Jesus followers. He addresses the core issue of how we see ourselves as followers of Jesus, specifically as participants in an organic movement.
Hirsch says, "A prophetically consistent Christianity means that we must remain committed to a constant critique of the structures and rituals we set up and maintain." (Hirsch, page 55).
Read the book. You'll be glad you did!
Reviewed by:
Dr. Larry S. Doyle
Director of Missions
Piedmont Baptist Association
Greensboro, NC
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