Add “The Irresistible Community” to Your Recommended List

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I spent some time this week with a new book from one of small group ministry’s most important voices. The Irresistible Community: An Invitation to Life Together is the newest book from Bill Donahue, a popular conference speaker, prolific author and leadership consultant. Most importantly, Bill was “Director of Leader Development & Group Life for the Willow Creek Church & Association where he created leadership strategies and events for over 10,000 leaders on 6 continents in over 30 countries.”

The Irresistible Community finds its reference point and takes its cue from the story of the upper room “where Jesus will use some very common objects to communicate some very profound mysteries concerning the Kingdom of God.” The table, the towel and the truth turn out to be three essential ingredients of authentic community.

Each of the three essential ingredients (table, towel, and the truth) receive the full treatment with a tasty mix of engaging stories and extremely practical ideas for application and implementation. Bill’s breadth and depth of experience really lends itself to writing a book like this one. Definitely not a book to be skimmed, it really deserves a careful read and an eye for takeaways, applications and practices.

I am always a sucker for a compelling concept and I love one of the organizing ideas of this one. An extra bonus, each of the 12 chapters begin with an intriguing story told from the perspective of one of the 12 attendees at the supper in the upper room. I loved it!

The Irresistible Community is definitely a book that should be read by small group ministry point people, coaches and leaders. I wish there was an included set of discussion questions, but it would be a simple matter to develop a set for each chapter. There is so much here that begs to be discussed and applied.

I consider several of Bill’s earlier books to be required reading for small group pastors. The Irresistible Community joins the list of essential reads. This is a very good read. Savor it and then be sure and pass it on to your coaches and small group leaders.

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Posted in Book Reviews