A New Way of Being Church

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of reading "how to books" about church growth. Just do this and you'll be successful. Usually these purveyors of successful programming are big mega-church pastors. But when you're a small congregation with a limited budget, such "success in a box" guides leave you a bit flat and even discouraged. I'm more interested in reading books and attending conferences that allow me and my congregation to explore ways of being authentically who we're called to be. When we're able to be such a congregation then perhaps growth will be in store for us.

Pastors of big churches are often entrepreneurs, but in time they become CEO's. Having been a local pastor for the last 8 years, I will confess I'm not CEO material. Oh, I do my share of administrative stuff, but I'm no CEO. I'm more the jack of all trades, small business person.

That's why I so appreciate Diana Butler Bass's Christianity for the Rest of Us (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006). It's suggestive rather than prescriptive. It describes new ways of being church that are focused on being community -- a spiritual community -- that is called to be agents of transformation. Institution is not the end of all ends. Rather, church is about transformation, of becoming all that God would have for us. It is also a needed response to those who say only Conservative churches can grow. Not true, says Diana. And that's good news!

But, this isn't just good old fashioned liberalism, that is more social than gospel. This is a way of being church that is deeply spiritual, and not just "spiritual" in some nebulous way. It's a spirituality that is rooted in the traditions and practices of historic Christian faith.

If you want to buy yourself a Christmas gift -- buy this book (just click here and go to my Amazon bookstore)!

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