Archive for the 'Emerging Church' Category

The Organic God | Margaret Feinberg

by Matt McCarnan on September 13th, 2007

The Organic GodMargaret Feinberg. The Organic God. Zondervan, 2007. 224 pp.

Set forth on an “organic” spiritual journey to discover God again for the first time, and free yourself of pollutants, additives, and other distractions that can cloud this ultimate relationship. This compelling read will help you create a real, authentic, and life-giving bond with God. It’s an invitation to fall in love with God all over again.

Imagine what it would look like to have an organic relationship with God—one that is stripped of all pollutants and additives of this world. The Organic God removes the unhealthy fillers and purifies our relationship with the God of the Scriptures. Through personal stories and scriptural insights, Margaret Feinberg shares glimpses of God’s character—big-hearted, kind, beautiful, mysterious—that point you to an authentic and naturally spiritual relationship with him, allowing you to truly discover God in a healthy, refreshing new way. You won’t be able to help but fall in love all over again.

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LeadershipNext | Eddie Gibbs

by Matt McCarnan on August 10th, 2007

LeadershipNextEddie Gibbs. Leadership Next: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture. IVP, 2005. 237 pp.

Our culture is constantly changing, often faster than we can adapt to it. Christian leaders struggle not only to acquire new skills and insights but also to unlearn what they already know. As both the church and the world change, so too must Christian leaders and their very notions of leadership.

Veteran church growth expert Eddie Gibbs maps out how Christian leadership must change in light of new global realities. Styles of leadership are changing, from hierarchies to networks and from compartmentalization to connectivity. Gibbs assesses the dynamics of leadership teams, identifies healthy leadership traits, and looks to how new leaders are identified and developed. This incisive analysis is a comprehensive resource for current and emerging leaders serving in churches, parachurch organizations and beyond.

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An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches | Ray Anderson

by Matt McCarnan on August 3rd, 2007

An Emergent Theology for Emerging ChurchesRay S. Anderson. An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches. IVP, 2006. 236 pp.

If the emerging church movement is looking for a theology, Ray Anderson offers clear and relevant theological guidance for it in this timely book.

Reaching back through time, Anderson roots an emergent theology in what happened at Antioch, where Saul (Paul) and Barnabas were set apart for a mission to establish churches outside of Jerusalem–among Gentiles who had to be reached in their own cultures. He shows how the Lord Holy Spirit himself revolutionized and inspired how the message of salvation was offered to others, and provided a model to follow.

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The Voice of Luke | Brian McLaren

by Matt McCarnan on July 23rd, 2007

The Voice of Luke Brian McLaren. The Voice of Luke: Not Even Sandals. Thomas Nelson, 2007. 224 pp.

Remember when I sent you out with no money, no pack, not even sandals? Did you lack anything?

(Luke 22:35)

From the same writing team of The Dust Off Their Feet comes a fresh exploration of the life of Jesus with retelling of the timeless narrative found in The Gospel of Luke. Not Even Sandals recovers the passion, grit, humor, and beauty have been lost in our translations of Luke. This stands alone among narratives as a supernatural action-adventure.

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The Church in Transition | Tim Conder

by Matt McCarnan on June 25th, 2007

The Church in TransitionTim Conder. The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture. Zondervan, 2006. 224 pp.

Through transparent personal stories and incisive insight, author and pastor Tim Conder encourages church leaders to embrace the changes necessary to transition their congregations toward effectiveness and authenticity in the emerging culture.

In our fast-growing, post-Christian, postmodern culture, the church often finds itself marginalized and ineffective in mission. The new emerging church is both hopeful and frightening compared to more traditional forms of Christianity. However, these “two churches” need each other. The Church in Transition presents honest stories of the failures and successes of a variety of transitioning fellowships.

Author: Zondervan Bio

Overview: Amazon | Zondervan | CBD

Excerpts: TOC, Ch. 1

Reviews: Amazon

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Endorsements:

  • “In The Church in Transition, Tim Conder has artfully brought clarity to an often fuzzy phenomenon. This book should be required reading for anyone even considering entering into conversation about emerging culture.” —Denise VanEck, pastor for community life, Mars Hill Bible Church, Grandville, MI
  • “To all who know him, Tim Conder is a kind, generous, graceful, and extremely intelligent follower of Christ. This book is sure to come as a comfort and challenge to those many, many leaders–both clergy and laypersons–who feel caught between the ‘emerging church’ and their own traditional churches. I cannot imagine a better guide through this transformation than Tim.” —Tony Jones, national coordinator of Emergent-US; author, The Sacred Way
  • “For those interested in the challenges and opportunities we face as we seek to understand the new cultural dynamics of our postmodern world and how the gospel is incarnated and articulated into this reality, Tim’s book is a great help. For those asking how to transition ministries into this new reality, they will find a reliable and invaluable guide with The Church in Transition.” —Tim Keel, pastor, Jacob’s Well Church, Kansas City, MO

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Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church | D. A. Carson

by Matt McCarnan on June 22nd, 2007

Becoming Conversant with the Emerging ChurchD. A. Carson. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications. Zondervan, 2005. 256 pp.

A careful and informed assessment of the “emerging church” by a respected author and scholar.

The “emerging church” movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying?

The time has come for a mature assessment. D. A. Carson not only gives those who may be unfamiliar with it a perceptive introduction to the emerging church movement, but also includes a skillful assessment of its theological views. Carson addresses some troubling weaknesses of the movement frankly and thoughtfully, while at the same time recognizing that it has important things to say to the rest of Christianity. The author strives to provide a perspective that is both honest and fair.

Anyone interested in the future of the church in a rapidly changing world will find this an informative and stimulating read.

Author: Zondervan Bio | Wikipedia | Theopedia

Overview: Amazon | CBD | Zondervan | Google Books

Excerpts: TOC, Preface, pp. 11-15 | Misc.

Reviews: Amazon | LibraryThing

Pastors/Church Leaders

Seminary/Ministerial Students

Laymen/Unknown

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Blue Like Jazz | Donald Miller

by Phil Gons on June 11th, 2007

Blue Like JazzDonald Miller. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality. Nelson, 2003. 256 pp.

“I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve. But that was before any of this happened.” In Donald Miller’s early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.

Author: TN Bio | DonaldMillerWords | Wikipedia | MySpace

Overview: Amazon | Nelson | DonaldMillerWords | Google Books | Wikipedia

Excerpts: Ch 1 | Misc. | Browse in Amazon

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

Pastors/Church Leaders

  • J. D. Greear at SummitChurchLife.com (ND) Review

Seminary/Ministerial Students

  • Garrett E. Wishall at ThoughtsandActions (03/06) Review

Laymen/Unknown

  • Shane Walker at 9Marks (NA) Review
  • Marcia Ford at FaithfulReader (ND) Review
  • Tim Challies at Challies.com (04/06) Review
  • Joel Mark Solliday at Campus CrossWalk (10/05) Review
  • Joseph Thouvenel at BarclayPress.com (ND) Review

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An Emergent Manifesto of Hope | Doug Pagitt & Tony Jones, eds.

by Phil Gons on April 17th, 2007

An Emergent Manifesto of HopeDoug Pagitt and Tony Jones, eds. An Emergent Manifesto of Hope. Baker, 2007. 320 pp.

Many have heard of the emerging church, but few people feel like they have a handle on what the emerging church believes and represents. Is it a passing fad led by disenfranchised neo-evangelicals? Or is it the future of the church at large?

An Emergent Manifesto of Hope represents a coming together of divergent voices into a conversation that pastors, students, and thoughtful Christians can now learn from and engage. This unprecedented collection of writings includes articles by some of the most important voices in the emergent conversation, including Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, and Sally Morgenthaler. It also introduces some lesser known but integral players representing “who’s next” within the emerging church. The articles cover a broad range of topics, such as spirituality, theology, multiculturalism, post-colonialism, sex, evangelism, and many others. Anyone who wants to know what the emerging church is all about needs to start here.

Authors:

Overview: Baker | Amazon

Excerpts: TOC, Intro, Ch 13–14 | Excerpt | Amazon | CBD

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

  • Roger N. Overton, A-Team Blog (04/07) Review

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Last updated 04/17/07

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The Secret Message of Jesus | Brian McLaren

by Phil Gons on April 11th, 2007

The Secret Message of JesusBrian McLaren. The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything. Nelson, 2007. 288 pp.

When Brian McLaren began offering an alternative vision of Christian faith and life in books such as A New Kind of Christian and A Generous Orthodoxy, he ignited a firestorm of praise and condemnation that continues to spread across the religious landscape. To some religious conservatives, McLaren is a dangerous rebel without a doctrinally-correct cause. Some fundamentalist websites have even claimed he’s in league with the devil and have consigned him to flames.

To others though, Brian is a fresh voice, a welcome antidote to the staleness, superficiality, and negativity of the religious status quo. A wide array of people from Evangelical, Catholic, and Mainline Protestant backgrounds claim that through his books they have begun to rediscover the faith they’d lost or rejected. And around the world, many readers say that he has helped them find—for the first time in their lives—a faith that makes sense and rings true. For many, he articulates the promise of what is being called “emerging Christianity.”

In The Secret Message of Jesus you’ll find what’s at the center of Brian’s critique of conventional Christianity, and what’s at the heart of his expanding vision.

Author: Zondervan Bio | Wikipedia | Theopedia | BrianMcLaren.net | Emergent Village

Overview: Amazon | Thomas Nelson

Excerpts: No excerpts available yet.

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

  • Gary E. Gilley, SVChapel (ND) Review
  • Michele Howe, FaithfulReader.com (ND) Review
  • Jason Clark, JasonClark.ws (10/05) Review
  • Adam Ellis, Adventures in Following Jesus (01/06) Review: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
  • John Chandler (04/06) Review
  • Scot McKnight, Jesus Creed (05/06) Review: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
  • Phil Groom, UKCBD (07/06) Review
  • Alex Tang (01/07) Review
  • C. Wess Daniels (01/07) Review
  • Trevin Wax, Kingdom People (ND) Review

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Last updated 04/09/07

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The Truth War | John MacArthur

by Phil Gons on March 29th, 2007

The Truth WarJohn MacArthur. The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception. Nelson, 2007. 240 pp.

Right now, Truth is under attack, and much is at stake. Christians are caught in the crossfire of alternative Christian histories, emerging faulty texts, and a cultural push to eliminate absolute Truth altogether. As a result, many churches and Christians have been deceived. Worse still, they propagate the deception that poses itself as Truth! In The Truth War John MacArthur reclaims the unwavering certainty of God’s Truth and anchors Christians in the eternal, immovable promises that are found in His Word.

Author: Grace to You | Thomas Nelson Bio | Wikipedia | Theopedia | Grace Community Church | TMS | Pulpit Magazine

Overview: Amazon | Thomas Nelson

Excerpts:

Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing

  • Phil Johnson (07/06) Review (halfway down)
  • W. Scott Lamb, Christian Worldview Network (03/07) Review
  • Michael Spencer, Internet Monk (04/07) Review
  • Paul Shirley, Cup of Coffee Talk (04/07) Review

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Last updated 04/18/07

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