I
like the authors' emphasis on a fit church as opposed to a healthy
church. They draw the parallel to a healthy human, with low blood
pressure and cholesterol levels, who is unfit and can't do physical
activity. They identify five fitness levels of churches: beginner,
novice, intermediate, advanced, and elite. Fit churches must be
strong, able to endure, be flexible, and eat right (from the Word).
Being a fit church requires being intentional and having discipline.
The
authors go through the twelve characteristics of a fit church,
including a Plan of Action for each fitness level of churches. They
also include guidelines for developing ministry, such as effective
evangelism. They give many church success stories and some
enlightening stories of churches not being successful.
I
liked some of their insights. For example, some churches assume, in
error, that having building in the community makes them present in
the community. (Loc 671/3396) They also note that some churches learn
to function well with their dysfunctions, their dysfunctions becoming
the norm. (Loc 244/3396)
I
did not like the emphasis on the paid staff. Paid staff is to be the
financial priority in the church's budget. (Loc 1108/3396) The pastor
is described as the SEO (spiritual executive officer) of the church.
He is responsible for hearing from God and setting the vision for the
church. (Loc 2025/3396) Lay people, I guess, are not invited to be
part of the discerning process. I think that emphasis sends the wrong
message to lay people who often minister several times a week in
addition to their 9 to 5 job. This especially hurts when the pastor's
salary and benefits are far above the average income of the lay
people. Lay people are quick to conclude that they are not important.
The authors had previously written, “Becoming a fit church is
directly proportional to the degree the people of God are active in
ministry.” (Loc 879/3396) Pastors and their visions come and go. It
is ultimately the lay people who keep the church moving toward
fitness.
Another
area of the book puzzled me. When the authors write about worship,
they include lots of characteristics and strategies. They recommend
development by a team, evaluation, planning, paying attention to
things like pace and flow, being culturally relevant, being Christ
exalting, and more. The authors never mention intentionally seeking
what pleases God in worship nor praying to God to ask the Spirit to
lead the worship planning process.
The
authors have left the importance of prayer to the last quarter of the
book. I would rather have had prayer emphasized at the beginning of
the book, as an initial foundation, not near the end. But then, this
book is pretty much a facts and figures kind of book. For example,
the authors describe the baseline of the health of a church as the
number of salvations, baptisms, and funds invested in disciple-making
initiatives. (Loc 1920/3396)
For
a book on the church to be really effective, I think it needs to be
meaningful in all nations and cultures. It seems like this book
concentrates on American churches. A fit Chinese underground church
probably would not consider hiring a sound technician as part of
their worship ministry, let alone even have a building that required
sound. A pastor in Africa probably would not be able to plan out his
sermons a year in advance nor think about hiring a paid worship staff
person.
I
did realize a couple of truths in reading this book. I found out that
being a fit church takes a great deal of intentionality and work. It
is not going to happen by accident. Just the development of lay
ministry, including mentoring and encouraging, would be a full time
volunteer job. I also understand that my discomfort with some
churches has been because they were not fit.
I
do recommend this book to lay people and paid church staff to get a
good idea of what a fit church is like. There is a great deal of
informative material in this book. Potential readers need to realize,
however, that “fit church leaders” (Loc 1117/3396) may be few in
number and not a reasonable expectation for your church. It may be up
to you as a lay person to initiate the movement of your church to
fitness. This book will give you a good start on that journey. I
would recommend that you read this book along with another one
that emphasizes the spiritual nature of a healthy or fit church.
This
is a critical review from a lay person who has been active in
churches for fifty years, on church boards, director of adult
education, teaching adults classes (often twice a week), all while
working full time at the small Christian bookstore I owned. My
criticism of the emphasis on paid staff arises from the year our
church was without pastoral staff. I was on the church board during
that year, chair of the deacons. We had more people involved in
ministry that year than I had ever seen. People stepped up and
volunteered to preach, to lead worship, to lead ministries. People
later told us they had never seen the church function so smoothly. It
can be done if the lay people are well informed and included in every
aspect of decision making, including seeking God for vision and
direction.
You
can read an excerpt here.
My
rating: 3/5 stars.
Gary
L. McIntosh is an internationally known author of twenty five books,
speaker and professor of Christian ministry and leadership at Talbot
School of Theology, Biola University. He has written extensively in
the field of pastoral ministry, leadership, generational studies, and
church growth. He received his MDiv in Pastoral Studies from Western
Conservative Baptist Seminary, and a Dmin in Church Growth Studies
and PhD in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. He
and his wife live in Temecula, California. They have two adult
children and seven grandchildren.
Phil
Stevenson has an extensive background in coaching denominational
leaders, pastors, and church planters. He has consulted on
evangelism, church growth, and multiplication issues with a variety
of denominations. He currently serves as the District Superintendent
of the Pacific Southwest District of the Wesleyan Church and is also
a visiting professor at six universities and seminaries. He has an MA
in theology and philosophy from Point Loma Nazarene University, and a
DMin from Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He has
authored six books. He and his wife live in Roseville, California.
They have three adult children and two grandchildren.
Baker
Books, 224 pages.
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My
comments are an independent and honest review.
Do
we sometimes make God too holy, too other, too glorious to see Him as
part of our daily life? Do we want to have a famous ministry when God
just wants us to love the elderly lady next door? Do we want to see a
great vision from the Lord when He just wants to speak to us through
the child we meet on the street?
