What kinds of conversations will it take to share the Gospel with those who are far from God…in the 21st century?  What kind of tone will be heard as authentic (not artificial), relevant (not dated) interested in the needs of others (as opposed to self-interested)?

If you’re interested in cultivating the kinds of relationships that go way beyond the usual suspects, if you dream of connecting the widening 60% that will not be reached by the attractional model…you will find an essential resource in Rumors of God, a new book by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson from Thomas Nelson.

One of the most compelling aspects of Rumors of God is that it’s written from the perspective of two Australian born American pastors.  Whitehead, a teaching pastor at Willow Creek and Tyson, church planter and now lead pastor of Trinity Grace in Manhattan, actually met 20 years ago as teenagers at a youth camp in Mt. Barker, South Australia.  That in itself makes this an engaging read.  Topping that aspect though, at least for me, is that their story (with its beginnings in Australia) may equip Whitehead and Tyson with an invaluable perspective from a next Christians vantage point.

Taking the rumors theme throughout the book, the authors share a passage from Habakkuk in chapter one and a prayer in chapter two.  Both provide a glimpse of their direction.

The passage they share in chapter one is Habakkuk 3:2 (TNIV):

“LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

How appropriate for a time when many are beginning to recognize that we are now living in post-Christian America.  Their prayer is just as appropriate:

“May the dreams and visions of the church not just be fueled by Western culture, but may they be animated by the undeniable taste of the kingdom of God (p. 25).”

Taking their cue from Habakkuk and “reintroducing [us] to a God worth talking about (from Gabe Lyons’ blurb),” there are chapters on generosity, love, grace, freedom, commitment, community and hope.  Can you see where this is going?  You might figure these would be the topics.  It’s the way they’re presented, combined with the stories that are told, that make Rumors of God an obvious addition to the next Christians reading list and an essential resource for ministry at crowd’s edge.

Had a chance on a recent round-trip flight to pour through the newest book in Zondervan’s Exponential series.  For the City: Proclaiming and Living Out the Gospel by Darrin Patrick and Matt Carter (with Josh A. Lindsey) is a great addition to the series.  Written in a very personal and informal style, this is the story of two churches you ought to be following if you’re interested in city transformation.

At a slim 180 pages, it’s not a lengthy read.  The conversational style almost gives you the sense that you’re listening in to Darrin and Matt as they tell the story behind the missional preoccupations of The Journey (St. Louis, MO) and The Austin Stone Community Church (Austin, TX).

With individual chapters alternating between the recollections of the two founding pastors, Part One of For the City provides an insider’s look at the early days, but does it in a way that is packed with transferable principles and thought-provoking insights.

Part Two is focused on ideas that you’ll find both challenging and helpful:

• Contextualization (adapting communication of the gospel without changing the gospel’s essential character)
• Developing authentic community, learning to experience Christ through one another
• Serving the city, bringing the vision down from the soaring 30,000-foot heights to ground level implementation
• Equipping and positioning for mission through missional communities
• Suffering as a definite ingredient; not “if” but “when”

For the City is an easy read packed with an extremely challenging message.  Can we plant churches that are truly for the city.  Yes.  Will there be pain?  Certainly.  Will there be great joy?  Absolutely.

Matt Carter wrote, “If Austin Stone Community Church or The Journey shut our doors tomorrow, would our cities even know we were gone?  Would the leaders celebrate, feeling as if they had gotten rid of a nuisance?  Or would the city grieve and mourn our disappearance?”

Most of us long to be part of churches that would be missed.  Here is the story of two churches that have set their course and are moving in that direction.

If you’ve been following the conversation, you know that one of the most important current grouplife trends is the idea of missional small groups.  I’ve interviewed a number of small group pastors in well-known churches making the move (Josh Walters, Mike Breen, and Todd Engstrom).  I’ve also reviewed a couple of the key books on the concept (Missional Small Groups and Launching Missional Communities).

I had an opportunity earlier this year to review the final draft of MissioRelate, a new book from Scott Boren.  I said then and I’ll repeat it here, “If you’re looking for a way to move your small group ministry from “connecting in community” to “impacting communities,” MissioRelate is a must read.  If you’re like me, you will be challenged by Part 2.  Trust me…it’s worth a very careful read. With that foundation, Part 3 will get a lot of use as all of us move in the missional direction.”

Written in three parts, MissioRelate looks at a vision that changes everything, what we can do to change everything, and a process for changing everything.

In part one, Scott lays out a very compelling argument that there are four stories, four experiences, within the small group community experience.  Taken from an idea in Craig Van Gelder’s The Ministry of the Missional Church, he points out that the initial small group experience is about personal improvement.  There’s an upside to just being connected.  The second experience has to do with lifestyle adjustment.  Beyond attending when convenient, the group’s members begin to shift priorities to connect on a regular basis.  Note: these first two experience levels are very focused on improving the lives of the members.

Which brings us to the second two stories or experiences…and the spot where MissioRelate becomes both a challenge and a game-breaking grouplife manual.  The third experience/story is relational revision.  Beyond simple connection or even lifestyle adjustment to prioritize attendance, relational revision is about an intentional practice of mutual love and self-sacrifice.  The fourth story/experience is about missional re-creation.  Beyond caring for each other, the group begins to “engage the neighborhood and determine needs, meet those needs, and as a result…[their] experience will change how they exist as a group (p. 39).

Can You See Where This Is Going?

Part Two: What We Can Do to Change Everything? is about practical ways to move from one story to the next.  What I found very helpful throughout is that MissioRelate is never a criticism of existing forms (or the stories that inform them).  Rather, it is very practical, almost taking a field guide approach.  For example, chapter 5 is all about asking different questions when evaluating grouplife.  Where the questions asked by many small group champions settle for “How many groups does your church have?” and “How many of your groups multiplied last year?”, Boren suggests an entirely different set.  ”How frequently are people within groups sharing a meal together outside of official meetings?” and “How are groups being led to minister outside of predetermined expectations and meet needs spontaneously?” take grouplife far beyond familiar territory.

This is a very dense section.  At over 120 pages, it is packed with aha moments, ideas and exercises you’ll use in your own implementation.  It’s worth noting here that MissioRelate doesn’t have the ring of untested theory.  These chapters are all about real world application.

Part Three: A Process for Changing Everything lays out the process nature of moving beyond the ordinary experience and all the way to the fourth story.  Wrestling with worship services, connecting experiences and crafting a customized pathway that leads to missiorelate, there is a lot of meat here.  The chapters that make up part three will become the battle plan for implementation.

If you’re serious about building a grouplife system that goes beyond connecting and moves to impacting communities, MissioRelate is a must read.  Note: Excellent price break on purchases at Touch Publishers.  Order here.

Some books get scanned and end up filed away in a bookcase.  Others are read thoroughly–maybe even marked up–but still just get shelved and forgotten.  And then there are books like Carl George’s Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership.  Originally published in 1991, this is a great book and one you’ll use again and again.

While Nine Keys is written from a higher leadership bar perspective*, it has the potential to serve as the curriculum for leader development beyond the initial test drive stage.  One of the most compelling aspects of the nine keys is that they’re not primarily skill training, but heart and mindset development.

As you can see from the title, the book covers nine essential leader development concepts.  What you can’t see from the title is that each chapter includes a “how to” checklist and a set of “to dos.”  You’ll come away with an easy to incorporate development syllabus.

Here are the nine keys:

• Connect: Build a strong link with the pastoral staff
• Recruit: Keep your leadership nucleus fresh and growing
• Invite: Cultivate a larger contact group through enthusiasm and care
• Prepare: Tailor a plan that you prayerfully personalize to your group and apprentices
• Meet: Convene your group in such a way that people genuinely experience the Body of Christ
• Bring: Help each group member appreciate the whole church through larger corporate worship
• Serve: Make time to serve needs in and beyond the group
• Win: Initiate the kind of outreach that makes Christ to people
• Seek: Experience the renewal of God’s strength as you regularly meet with Him in secret

You may not be in philosophical agreement with everything you read in Nine Keys.  You might have moved away from the notion of birthing groups as the primary way you launch new groups.  You might have adopted a very low bar approach to recruiting potential leaders.  No matter.

I included Nine Keys in my GroupLife Reading List for Summer 2011 because this is a great book and packed with leadership principles that are timeless and relevant regardless of the model you’ve selected.

*In Carl George’s Meta Church model, apprenticeship is the primary leader entry point.  There is a high expectation from the very beginning for intentional leader development.

As you’re building the foundation for a missional approach, you might want to add Growing Missional Leaders: Biblical Strategies to Reach Your World for Christ to your resource list.  With a very practical approach, Dr. Matthew Lee Smith has put together an easy-to-use equipping manual that will help give building leaders a systematic approach.

There are several aspects that will make Growing Missional Leaders a valuable resource for your library.  First, Dr. Smith has taken an extremely biblical approach. Every chapter leads with a scripture passage and is packed with biblical references.  More than a pragmatic illustration of how to do it, Growing Missional Leaders provides the backdrop needed for a biblical foundation.

Second, at a slim 154 pages, the 24 chapter format will make a very doable assignment for teams exploring the missional concept.  In addition, every chapter concludes with a set of questions that will make discussion easy.

Third (and this might be most important), for certain kinds of churches considering this move, this is a book that will come across in just the right way.  It’s formatted just right to seem innocent and educational.  Trust me, and you know who you are, this is a book that will be an eye-opener for some members of your leadership team.  It won’t appeal to everyone, but for certain kinds of churches, Growing Missional Leaders will make a lot of sense.  Better yet, the discussion that follows will be a provocative step in the direction of Kingdom impact.

I like the simple approach of Growing Missional Leaders and think Dave Ferguson has it right in his forward.  ”If you and your team read and apply what is in this book, you will grow, your church will grow and the Kingdom of God will grow.”

Worked my way through a great book over the last 30 days.  On the Verge: a journey into the apostolic future of the church (affiliate link) by Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson is well worth the time.  A great combination effort by one of the leading missional writers and theorists of our time and one of the most seasoned practitioners around; On the Verge is extremely meaty.

If you’ve read any of Hirsch’s previous work (particularly The Forgotten Ways) and you’re familiar with Exponential (Ferguson’s 2010 offering)…just imagine a mashup of the best aspects of both.

On the Verge was written to answer a very practical question: How do I begin apostolic movement in my church?  Something the authors refer to as “movementum.”  To describe movementum they use a four stage approach:

• Imagine: focusing on helping us see the mission as Jesus sees it; the goal of the section is to help both the individual and the community to “see it.”
• Shift: describes the “paradigm-shifting” process that enables the mission to be understood as Jesus understood it; the goal being that every individual and community would “get it.”
• Innovate: develops a deeper understanding of innovation (as opposed to creativity), intended to encourage doing mission as Jesus does it; the goal being that every individual and every community would “do it.”
• Move: explores what it takes to generate and maintain movementum; continuously taking the church through the previous three stages: imagine, shift, and innovate.

One of the great features of On the Verge is the teamwork approach in the writing.  With four main components in the paradigm (imagine, shift, innovate and move), Hirsch wrote the sections for two and Ferguson wrote for two as well.  There is also a response at the end of each chapter.  For example, at the end of the very dense chapter on apostolic genius (you’ll remember this idea from The Shaping of Things to Come), is a very practical three page response by Ferguson that really brings clarity.  The combination brings to mind a great conversation that we get to be part of.

Although there are very compelling concepts throughout, I found Ferguson’s sections particularly helpful.  Great stories combined with the keen sense that he’s lived out the complexity make these chapters a great read; a much quicker read, as well.  Additionally, the Hirsch responses are very concise and to the point.

As you’re reading, be on the lookout for ideas you can use.  I know it is desirable to not just copy what is here, but there are some seriously good ideas in On the Verge (p. 106) if you’ve got eyes to see.  For example, the Community Loop concept being developed by Journey Church in the St. Louis area is a fantastic idea.  I’ll have more on this concept early next week.

Another very beneficial component are the questions for discussion that follow every chapter.  Along with some very challenging content comes the prospect for an extremely stimulating discussion about becoming a church that is equipped and motivated to reach beyond its walls into the community.

Finally, I think you’ll find the appendix to be an interesting resource.  A profile on each of the future traveler churches referred to in the book will encourage further exploration and research into the ways movementum is being generated in churches across the United States.

I found On the Verge to be both challenging and encouraging.  It prompted me to reconsider some concepts and examine closely some ideas about reaching the widening 60% that will not be reached with the attractional model that we know.  While not a quick read, it’s an important read and one you should give the time to work your way through.

I’ve said this a number of times, but I want to be sure and say this again.  Steve Gladen is a couple of things.  First, he’s one of the smartest GroupLife guys on the planet.  He’s also one of the most helpful small group experts on the planet.

Steve’s new book, Small Groups with Purpose: How to Create Healthy Communities is a perfect example of his brilliance and his extreme helpfulness.  Even better?  It is a great book, absolutely packed with wisdom and insight.  You’ll have trouble finding a chapter that doesn’t get extremely marked up, underlined, starred, and dogeared for future reference.

There are several things I really love about the book.  First, this is a first person, insider account of the inner workings of the largest small group ministry in North America.  That is worth noting.  Size isn’t everything, but to build something like this takes time, wisdom, patience, and leadership.  If you read with eyes to see…you’ll have some aha moments about how to build a pervasive small group culture.

Second, you don’t have to be a purpose-driven church to really benefit from an understanding of how the model works in grouplife.  Important concepts like “healthy groups balance the purposes” are fleshed out in ways that you’ll find yourself applying in your context.  With a chapter on how groups can develop each of the five purposes, Small Groups with Purpose will become a road map for implementation.  It will also provide some insight into the kinds of grouplife attributes and activities that can be measured to determine system health.

Third, Part III, Step-by-Step, How Can I Do This is as sweet and complete a blueprint as you’re ever going to come across.  Seriously…there aren’t many small group practitioners who know as much as I do about how it works at Saddleback, but there were so many no-brainer ideas that I came away with a long list of easy fixes and smart adjustments.

Fourth, each chapter includes a great set of questions that can be used for personal reflection or in the development process of a team.  Since this is a book that could easily provide a leadership team exercise for both  churches that are considering launching small group ministry as well as churches with groups already that dream of being more effective, this feature will be really helpful.

Finally, the things that stands out the clearest, throughout Small Groups with Purpose, are the author’s unassuming brilliance and authentic servant mindset.

This is a great book!  It will make a difference in your ministry, whether you’re already in the midst of the small group adventure or just trying to chart an effective course.

Carl George said, “You absolutely must put a copy of Steve Gladen’s book into the hands of your small group leadership.”  My one addition?  You’d have to be crazy to not take advantage of Small Groups with Purpose, a fabulous resource and one of the five books I included on my GroupLife Reading List for Summer 2011.

Want to reach the widening 60% that can’t be reached by the attractional model?  Developing a deeper cultural awareness is absolutely essential.  As part of my process I read Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society by Timothy Willard and Jason Locy.

I noticed Veneer and requested a copy after seeing a Qideas tweet (www.qideas.org), because I’m looking for ways to understand what is happening in the culture…and why.  This is definitely part of The Next Christians conversation.

What’s missing for many of us is a language or a way of talking about cultural developments.  Not, “what’s the coolest new song” or “what movie is everyone talking about.”  It’s not even what book is everyone reading.

It’s not actually about what.  It’s about why.

What can Veneer do to help develop your cultural awareness?  I think this paragraph from the Prelude provides a clue:

“If we listen closely, we can hear the world speaking a language, a language that echoes in the way we dress, the jobs we take, and even how we interact with our friends.  It is the language of culture.  We all speak this language as we mimic the world of celebrity, buy in to the promise of consumption, and place our trust in the hope of progress (p. 14).”

I loved Veneer.  I resonated and was captivated by some sections.  I also found it heartbreaking and some sections haunting.  I saw so much of my journey in it.  I also recognized immediately some of the language we’ll need if we’re going to play any part in connecting beyond the usual suspects.  You’ll see it, too, if you’re looking.

Teasing out the metaphor of veneer*, Willard and Locy tackle our obsession with celebrity (and pursuit of our own “15MB of fame”), as well as our desperate need to consume (a symptom of “an underlying belief system, a belief that personal meaning comes from the things we buy”).  They also explore technological progress “where computer screens and avatars simulate the life we want but not necessarily the life we have (p. 15).”

Veneer is not a quick read.  Chapters interwoven with thought-provoking imagery, short stories that vividly paint the picture, as well as carefully selected lines from theologians and scholars, all work together to create the basis for a conversation; an essential conversation that will influence your cultural awareness.

This book will be read, and re-read, as the conversation builds.  I hope you’ll add the ingredient of Veneer to the pot you’re stirring up.

*A thin decorative covering of fine wood applied to a coarser wood or other material.

Started putting your summer grouplife reading list together?  If you’ve been along for this ride, you know I am always reading.  I’ve just found that we can all learn so much from other practitioners and reading a book makes it easy.  I’m a big believer in including your team in what you read, as well.  There are definitely some books that you’ll want to share with the others on your journey.  Here are my top five for summer, 2011:

My first recommendation has to be Steve Gladen’s long awaited Small Groups with Purpose.  I read an advance copy.  It’s packed with the philosophy that has built the largest small group ministry in the United States.  As the Pastor of the Small Group Community at Saddleback Church, Gladen is one of the smartest grouplife guys I know.  He’s not a theorist.  He’s a practitioner.  This book releases on June 1st.  You can be the first on the block to get it in your bag this summer.  You can order it right here (affiliate link).

Second, if you haven’t read Connecting in Communities by Eddie Mosley, this is one I’d definitely add to the list.  Another practitioner, Eddie is the Executive Pastor of GroupLife at LifePoint Church.  This is a very easy read and very practical.  Make sure you’ve got a pen nearby because your copy is going to be marked up like mine.  There’s a lot here you’re going to think about adding to your system.  You can read my review right here.  You can order your copy right here (affiliate link).

Scott Boren’s Missional Small Groups has got to be on your list right now.  I included the missional group movement in my list of current grouplife trends because there is an increasingly important conversation going on right now about how to build groups that can impact and influence communities.  I particularly loved Boren’s “four different stories within grouplife.”  You can read my review right here.  You can order your copy right here (affiliate link).

One of the books that has influenced me the most this year has been The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons.  I can tell you that since I read it in late December, early January, this book has influenced more conversations that any other.  If you want to be involved in the grouplife opportunity to reach the widening 60% that will not be reached by the attractional model, this is a book you need to be reading.  Here’s my review of The Next Christians.  You can order your copy right here (affiliate link).

Carl George’s Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership: How Lay Leaders Can Establish Dynamic and Healthy Cells, Classes, or Teams is one of the best books on small group ministry…that you’ve never read.  First published in 1991, it’s been revised and updated.  This is a very important book if you want to build an effective small group ministry.  You can order your copy right here (affiliate link).

You might also take a look at my list of essential grouplife reads right here.  Although I published this list in 2009…it’s packed with some of the very best books on the subject of grouplife.

Had a chance this week to read Lance Witt’s new book, Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul.  Witt is the founder of Replenish Ministries and former executive and teaching pastor at Saddleback Church where he helped develop and lead the 40 Days of Purpose and 40 Days of Community Campaigns.

He’s often called a “pastor’s pastor,” and it’s for that reason that this book has been anticipated by many.  If you ever sat in on one of his conference sessions, you’ve had a taste of what’s in store.  If you’re unfamiliar with his work, you’re in for a treat.

The theme centering on the private world of the leader, what Witt refers to as “the back stage,” there are four sections:

• De-Toxing Your Soul: describing some of the “soul endangering toxins” in ministry
• Start Here…Start Now: Baby steps designed to help you begin to pay attention to your soul
• Sustaining a Lifetime of Health: Focusing on habits and practices
• Building Healthy Teams: Creating a healthy leadership culture

There are a number of things to really like about Replenish.  First of all, it is packed with the wisdom of a fellow traveler.  There’s no theorizing here.  These are the words of someone who has been down the path we are on…and lived to tell the tale.

Second, the book is very skillfully structured. The chapters are short (2 to 3 pages) and very readable (in some ways it feels like a conversation).  Easily the kind of thing that will fit in your schedule.

Third, each chapter concludes with a short list of four great questions.  Remember, Lance Witt was one of the behind the scenes players in the development of the 40 Days campaigns (i.e., here’s a guy who knows how to take content to application).

You may not be in a position to have ever spent time talking with Lance.  I’ve had that great privilege a number of time and I’ve always come away feeling like I just got to hang out with a uniquely gifted person who was actually interested in me.  Asking great questions.  Listening thoughtfully.  Following up by asking another really compelling question.

Replenish feels like you’re in a conversation.  And you can’t help feeling like it’s a good one.  Thought-provoking.  Challenging.  Soul satisfying.  Refreshing.

Need something like that?  I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul.