Subscribe to Every Post:Writing my first book
Many people have encouraged me over the years to pursue writing (something I have always loved doing), and while I have always had the desire to pursue a book, I have never had time. During my sabbatical this May and June I am going to be doing some research on the future of Grace Gathering, and I have also decided to begin my first book.
I have many interests and passions on a host of subjects. I have narrowed it down to four different topics. I would like your help, if you would be willing to give it. Out of the four, which do you think would be the most helpful and needed in the church today?
If you are willing to give me your input on which one I should write first, please rank them from one through four (one being your top choice – or you may recommend a combination). Add any comments if you would like as well. Go to the bottom of the post and click comments to give me your input. I would greatly appreciate as much input as I could get.
(Here are the four topics and their summaries in no particular order. The titles are temporary.)
Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth
Growing churches usually develop more ministries, hire more staff, seek greater levels of excellence in programming, become more complex organizationally, build larger budgets, and become more centralized as a body. What if a church grew and needed less staff, offered fewer ministries, became simpler in organization, had less hierarchy, and became more decentralized over time? What if the senior pastor didn’t become more like a CEO as the church became larger and rather his role was emphasized less or maybe even restructured with less visibility and power? What if the emphasis of a growing church was less about the Sunday morning event and experience and more about the impact smaller, missional communities that met throughout city during the week were having? What if a church tried to do a few things well instead of trying to do everything, and thus, become spread too thin? What if greater amounts of the church budget were given over to these smaller communities to use for local and international mission, rather than a few leaders directing and deciding where all the funds go? What if the Sunday morning gathering was simply a regional event where all the smaller communities and churches that met throughout the week came for further training, inspiration, teaching, vision casting, networking, and large group worship/celebration? What if the ministry, the money, the vision, and the direction were taken out of the hands of the “professionals” and given back to the people? Just imagine if the people, without any formal training, felt empowered and confident to go out and be the church!
The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues
There are many issues in today’s world and within Scripture that divide and polarize the church. Should we mainly focus on the gospel of personal conversion or on the social gospel of meeting the needs of the disadvantaged and needy? Should our faith be more intellectual or experiential? Are some of the spiritual gifts in Scripture not operative today or should the church pursue all the gifts? Should we welcome homosexuals and try to love them into the kingdom or should we separate from them and stand against them? Should believers follow Jesus’ pattern of suffering and self-denial or expect earthly blessing and abundance? Should the church be attracting unbelievers to services or should believers be going to where unbelievers live? Does God have clear lines of gender distinction in church leadership or does God use men and women in various leadership roles? To what extent should the church engage in spiritual warfare? Does a centralized megachurch or a decentralized group of smaller communities have more influence for the kingdom? Among these and other issues, many see a fork in the road between competing positions, and thus, argue and defend one position as more biblical than the other. The balanced church, however, sees merit and at least hints of truth from each side and plows a path of synthesis and balance between the two. What would it look like if a community of believers avoided the watchdog mentality of defending a position against its polar opposite and instead tried to humbly learn from the other side? Could a church, which preserves foundational historic doctrine, remain unified if it gave people freedom to believe opposing positions on many of these debatable issues? Would the church be weaker or stronger because of it? The balanced church believes there is middle ground within a biblical landscape that not only avoids dissension and friendly fire but is preferable and creates synergy and unity among differences.
Sexual Purity of the Mind: why abstinence is inadequate
Much of the focus regarding sexual purity in the Christian community is on avoiding sexual behavior. Avoiding sex or pregnancy outside of marriage, avoiding STD’s, protecting one’s virginity, avoiding pornography, staying sexually faithful to your spouse, are all alternative messages to the overall acceptance of sexual promiscuity in our society. The main problem with the message of abstinence or any other message focused on avoiding certain behaviors is that it sets the bar too low. Remaining a virgin until one gets married is a worthy desire, but it is an inadequate substitute for true, godly purity. Married couples remaining sexually faithful to their spouse or avoiding pornography are good and right, but it does not equal purity. Biblical purity is about a heart and thought life of purity – not simply the abstinence of various physical acts. When Jesus talks about sexual purity he focuses most of his attention on issues of the heart and thought life. We may avoid immoral actions but have an immoral heart and mind. However, if we can gain victory and be sexually pure in our thought life, we will never commit any act of sexual impurity in our lives. Therefore, the battle ground for purity is in the mind and thought life not in the outward actions. This book will help you learn how to avoid rules/legalism and be Spirit-led, detect hints of immorality in the heart, know what to do when you are married and yet attracted to someone else, how to date and remain pure, the benefits of being vulnerable about your struggles instead of embarrassed, and treat others of the opposite gender with dignity and purity in the heart. Whether you are a teenager or in your sixties this book will help you strive toward the ultimate goal of sexual purity which is to be led by the Spirit in the deep recesses of your heart and mind.
The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living
In the church today we have more Bible studies on the market than at any time in history. We are saturated with Bible resources, of which many people are involved, but we have more carnal living within the church and little transformational living. Our problem is not that we don’t do enough Bible studies, listen to enough sermons, or engage in enough Christian resources; our problem is that we don’t spend enough time and energy putting into practice what we have learned. For many, we are simply addicted to the next Bible study or the next Christian book (before we even have time to apply what we just learned). Learning the Bible is important (it is the only way we can decipher spiritual truth), but becoming like Jesus in our character and engaging in his mission are more important and are the ultimate goals of the Christian life. The one is a means and the other is the end. God has not given us the Bible so that we can be intellectually stimulated; he has given us the Bible so that we can be internally transformed by the way we live. Sometimes we need to put our Bible studies and Christian books down, stop trying to “learn” more, and instead live out the radical life of following Jesus and become like him. Often we deceive ourselves into thinking that learning equals growth. This will require a shift in thinking by the church to get out of the holy huddle and into the lives of those in the community. This is messier, not as safe, more unpredictable, and carries greater risk, but it was how Jesus lived, and it is who we need to become as his disciples. It is time we stop exalting bible learning and begin exalting Bible living.
March 26th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Hi Chris,
I feel that “The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living” should be the number one priority. It encompasses the other three.
In my search for a new church before I came to Grace, my daughter and myself visited many churches. What I felt when leaving some of them on those Sunday mornings (especially th e larger ones) was isolation. The message was usually good and somewhat inspiring, but no one took the time to “know me” and I didn’t feel comfortable reaching out to “know them”. Jesus calls us to “know him”, and that is to be in relationship with him. Not to just study about his life through his word. Although studing the bible is important, and something I don’t do enough of, I would rather strive to have a heart like Jesus first. I could definately use help in this area.
Secondly, purity in my thought life is something I struggle with. It is difficult to keep unpure thoughts from just popping into my head. Is there like a mental block you can have installed somewhere, because I need that!
Decentralizing the church is something that we seem to do, but continued work in this area is a must to continue to be effective. I do love worshipping on Sunday mornings though!!!!
The balanced church, well, to be honest, that just sounds depressing. (sorry!) I am sure that you could make light of some issues I struggle with. For instance, my daughter has a friend, who we have known long enough that she calls me mom, and this girl’s dad and brother are both gay. And they, along with her mom, believe strongly in “spirituality” and things things like using the stars to guide your life. I don’t always know what to say or how to speak the truth in love with this situation.
Still, I think learning to become a disciple of Jesus would include the answers.
March 26th, 2009 at 5:44 am
Chris,
All the ideas are intriguing. However, choices would be:
1. The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living
2. Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth
3. Sexual Purity of the Mind: why abstinence is inadequate
4. The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues
I chose Bible Learning/Bible Living because, having grown up in the church and being used to how we “do” church, it is easy for me to be complacent and accept learning as the way to be a Christian. However, I am finding out that while I must listen to God and seek wisdom through study and prayer, I must also go out and practice what I preach. This, above all, is the toughest rut to get out of.
March 26th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Chris,
I think all 4 book concepts sound great. It is hard to put them in order of preference. If I had all 4 books right now, I would probably read them in this order:
1. The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living
2. Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth
3. Sexual Purity of the Mind: why abstinence is inadequate
4. The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues
The universal church may have a greater need for these books in a different order of preference. Not exactly sure how to figure that out, but you might give precedence to whatever that need is.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:02 am
This probably betrays my interests and projects right now, but I would say the overwhelming #1 choice for me would be the Giving the Church Back/Decentralization one. After that:
2. Goal is Jesus
3. Sexual Purity
4. Balanced
March 26th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Chris ; There is a treasure in each outline that you have. To each person a topic could become more important because of the treasure they see in it and how it is effecting there life ( there spiriual heart beat). Jesus’s commisson in Matthew to go and teach all nations, in Mark to go preach the gospel to all the world. I would say my first pick would be The goal is Jesus. All though in former years I really enjoyed doctrinal teaching ( and still do) my thrust and heart beat is to see the back slider restored and for Gods people to really enjoy the adventure with Jesus and the christian life. Free from condemnation and having a friendship with the Father and fellowship with the Holy spirit. My second choice would be Giving the church back to the people. I love corperate worship and a word from the Lord, the time getting to know more of the people from other house church’s, to see what there visions are, and what God is doing in there midist. Is this possible if we have the 2 themes I just mentioned that sexual purity and church balance would tend to become more less of a problem? Blessing to what ever you write, you are truly a remarkable man. js
March 26th, 2009 at 10:42 am
To make sure there is no misunderstanding in the above statement. What I was trying to say ( that sexual purity and church balance would tend to become less of a problem).
March 26th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Thinking of what is needed out there most…here is my preferred order.
1. Sexual Purity
2. The Goal is Jesus
3. Giving the church back
4. Balanced church
March 26th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Chris,
I think had I been living in IN still, my choices would have been different but now that I have been exposed to “the church” elsewhere, I think what we need is different than what I intially thought. My choices would be:
1. The goal is Jesus
2. Sexual purity (though I would possibly choose this as number one, I thought doing #1 would lead someone to be sexually pure)
3. giving the church back
4. balanced church
March 26th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I have been blessed by all of your teaching and am totally on board with your direction. I must say, though, that the most valuable lessons to me and my kids have been the teachings on purity. I feel that this generation could be radically changed by the message of sexual purity. It is such a huge need for everyone, especially young people – and they are our future. So, although I cannot rate all of your topics at this time, I feel very strongly that the Sexual Purity topic is the most relevant and needed message you could write about.
March 27th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Here’s my vote:
1. The goal is Jesus
2. Decentralization
3. Sexual purity
4. Balanced church
I like the first two a lot. I placed the Goal is Jesus one first when considering your question on what the church needs most right now. I think the decentralization of the church, while definitely in an infantile stage, is something that is catching on and will continue to as the mega-church structure inevitably fails to provide people with the whole deal (UP, IN, OUT). So, my point is, that there is probably starting to be more material on this out there. (on the flip side, it may sell better since it is becoming popular…) However, the Goal is Jesus topic is not something out there and I feel is so true and important for people to understand. I was so pumped after your message at the end of the year on this, and it is very exciting to have a message like that come from a pastor. (it is also very exciting to have a message on decentralization come from a pastor…. the institution destroying institutionalism! awesome!)
March 27th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Hi Pastor Chris,
From reading the comments of others, I see that my number one choice is the last choice of everybody else! However, I would be most interested in reading about the Balanced Church since many of these issues are currently dividing the church that Rod and I have been attending since we moved from Indiana to California 9 years ago. Many people have left our church and it feels like going through a divorce everytime a family leaves. It is sad and painful. I pray that your book will help keep church families together.
Here is my prioritized list:
1. Balanced Church
2. The goal is Jesus
3. Decentralization
4. Sexual purity
Thank you for this blog. It is my connection to GFC.
Jenny Owen
March 29th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Chris, I was born in Fort Wayne, currently reside in Kansas City, but have a friend who is a part of your fellowship and he sent several of your emails out. As a result of reading them, I became a subscriber to Thought’s From Chris as I so appreciate your candid and real views on the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of the church today. In my humble opinion, it is past time for you to write a book.
My choices:
1. Decentralizing church growth. The advent of cell groups within the body is (I believe) currently one of the most effective ways of reaching out to the community. I believe successful pastoral leadership is most evident when it is replicated. If you can clone what you do in your building and make it accessible to those who wouldn’t necessarily have the ability to travel to your building, then you’ve reached someone at his point of need. What works in the suburbs does not necessarily work in urban settings and vice versa. Moreover, in most church budgets I’ve seen a movement toward paying more and more staff and less and less outreach. This, to me, is in direct conflict with the great commission. We are to compel “them” to come – not to the church but to the Lord. A community bound by drug abuse doesn’t need a great band and praise and worship singers, it needs trained and loving counselors, access to medical resources, clothing, food, etc. Churches need to be spurred on to decentralize.
2 – Bible learning vs bible living – this says it all. We’ve got to go from head knowledge to heart action, setting priorities, vision, discipline, etc. We have too many hearers of the Word and too fee doers.
The last two, in my mind, are tied as I believe we will always be divided on social issues because so much of our opinion is based on 1) our background/upbringing, 2) our emotions, 3) our education. Anyone exposed to philosophy classes in college spent a lot of time thinking about and discussing ethical issues. It was at this point my views on all that “stuff” I learned in Sunday School and church was revisitied. I continue to question what I hear – call myself a true Berean. Personally, I think these subjects are much better served being discussed in small groups, perhaps with a book and study guide. However, I believe they could be somehow combined because both subject have much to do with not only what we think, but how we think as well. In this book, I would suggest including how we view, use, understand and train our kids in how we use our time, talent and treasure. We have morphed into very undisciplined people.
I so enjoy your blog and your emails. I pray the Lord continues to shower you with vision and openness, and, that your time away will give you much opportunity to re-energize your relationship with the Lord.
March 29th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Chris, I would rate as follows: 1) The goal is Jesus. 2) Balanced church. 3) Sex purity. 4) Decentralization. However in the unique times we live in, writing a book on balanced church/ dividing issues, in specific: the unfortunate avoidance and misinterpretations of most churches of ‘The End Times’. In my opinion this needs to be addressed as it ultimately points us to my #1 rating of ‘The Goal is Jesus’(Thy Kingdom Come). There is too much confusion and a feeling by most that this topic including the Book of Revelation cannot be fully or properly understood. The very thing the enemy desires at this particular point in history. Soon, (all) of us will be confronted with the realities of the end times, Daniel’s 70th week, and perhaps not be prepared for those realities. The Spirit can bring clarity, boldness, and a better sense of urgency to live our lives for Christ through understanding better His plan to come. In turn, this would unite church communities rather than be used as a tool of division by the enemy. The Truth is the Word of God. Why pass by some of what’s in it, giving Satan a way in to plant seeds of doubt and confusion?
March 30th, 2009 at 7:46 am
These are not ranked in order of importance, but in the order of what I think would make a good topic for a book. I think the first two are better suited for a book, and the second two are better suited for propagating through teaching and conversation.
1. The Balanced Church
I’d be interested in this if you also looked at what happens when “balance” gets out of hand. Is there such a thing as being “over-balanced,” to the extent that inferior doctrine, or even outright sin, is accommodated instead of challenged? How do you protect against creating a culture of indifference to doctrinal differences?
2. Giving the Church back to the People
I think this would be a very well-received book. I think we do have a lot of churches that are run by the pastor and staff, and impact is focused on church ministries rather than making sure that the people of the church are fully engaged. I’d also seek “balance” in looking at some of the ways this approach could be abused and become harmful. For instance, how do you make sure that those who are empowered to lead are actually worthy of being followed? How do you keep the decentralized church from devolving into a splintered body?
3. The Goal is Jesus
I think this is something that definitely needs to be stressed and highlighted, but I can’t help feeling a sense of irony in writing a book to add to the Christian marketplace on the topic of not needing so many books. This may be better suited to a pamphlet or series of articles than a book. It certainly should be regularly reinforced both from the “pulpit” and in smaller settings.
4. Sexual Purity of the Mind
Again, this is a topic that needs to be frequently revisited and is impossible to overemphasize. (In fact, I wrote on this topic at http://blog.sloppyedwards.com/abolish-abstinence-only-sex-ed/). However, I think there are already books on this topic (for example, “sex is not the problem (lust is),” aka “Not Even a Hint” by Joshua Harris, “The Purity Principle” by Randy Alcorn, and others) and what people need more than another treatment that they read on their own is for this to become integrated into teaching and conversation.
March 30th, 2009 at 11:36 am
OK, so here is my $0.02
Topic 1 – very interesting, relevant to our times in America. Obviously something you have some experience with, and also relevant to the continued ministry of Grace Gathering. You would have a ton of credibility here.
Topic 2 – For me not particularly interesting because either on some of those topics there is no “right” answer and thus debate will rage on until Jesus comes, and on others I think they are black and white, in which case we already have the answer.
Topic 3 – Great Topic, especially since our society is so sex-saturated. Abstinence alone is ineffective because it is trying to change behavior without changing the root heart causes.
Topic 4 – I think we are actually past this – I don’t think too many are learning OR living the Bible! People might go to studies or and listen to Christian radio, but at least in my church they still seem deeply Biblically illiterate. And there are a million books on living like Jesus – I doubt we need more of them, we just need to put into practice what we already know, which I do not think is accomplished by more learning through books.
So my vote is Topic 1 or 3 (this is a democracy right – you’ll tally votes and do what the people want – hahaha), although I will buy whatever you write as long as it is available on Amazon.com!
Love ya Bro
Orville
March 30th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I would have to go with…
1. Balanced Church
2. Giving Church Back to the People
3. The Goal is Jesus
4. Sexual Purity
I think Sexual Purity is an important issue and would make for a good second or third book. I think your thoughts on a hybrid model of ministry is effective.
March 30th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Chris,
Why not write a book that incorporates all four topics? If you wanted to do this, the first question would be what the central theme could be that brings them all together in one book. I think your first theme, about how church authority is structured, serves quite well as a foundation under which the other three topics could be effectively addressed–and perhaps a few more similar themes, if you want. I think a very large percentage of the problems that churches struggle with, at their core, are really about self-focused leadership. I don’t think you should suggest that if this problem were corrected that all of a sudden the other three problems would just automatically disappear and the kingdom of God would somehow suddenly fall upon us. But, the problems would become far more manageable. They would become problems that are being solved in Christ honoring ways rather than in ways that are more worldly focused. So, I would suggest writing a book in which the opening chapter explains the first principle, and how much you suspect it is costing the universal body of Christ in terms of effectiveness both within the body and without. The second chapter could be your second theme, as an example of the first chapter, in which it is shown that a very large percentage of the divisive issues in churches that lead to splits of congregations are really not about the legitimately sounding issues that are publicly given, but instead are really about who is going to be the center of attention and control decision making. This could be followed by another chapter that suggests that the ineffectiveness of churches at dealing with sexual sins among its members (or any other sins for that matter) can be largely traced to how the average attendee has never learned to practice the ‘priesthood of all believers’ towards other Christians. Instead this ministry–which I believe our Lord intended us to see in how we celebrate the Lord’s Supper–has remained largely controlled by official Church authorities. The result is that very few know how to confess their sins to other believers in a way that others can constructively bear them. And conversely, most Christians do not know how to constructively bear the sins of other Christians, if they should come to their attention. This is largely why many sins remain unresolved in most congregations. Next, you could have a chapter about how if we allow the officially trained experts in the Bible to just tell us what it says, we end up not learning how to effectively study the Bible ourselves. This results in the vast majority of most congregations being functional illiterate in terms of use of the Bible–in spite of the massive amount of quality material being published and purchased these days. The right approach is not to just have an expert stand in front of people and tell them what the Bible says about something, but to have everyone involved in a process of actively struggling to find the answers themselves. When you are done with your 3 example chapters, I would suggest closing with a chapter that returns the the opening theme. The question about the ‘clergy’ is not if we should have them, but what kind of work they should be doing. Church Leadership should be focused upon true discipleship and community, not upon maintaining control for themselves.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:19 am
Chris:
My ranking would be:
1) The Goal is Jesus…
2) Giving the church back to the people
3) The Balanced Church
4) Sexual Purity (not because it’s the least important but I think the other 3 go together thematically).
March 31st, 2009 at 7:47 am
Chris,
I would rank them;
1) The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living
2) Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth
3) The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues
4) Sexual Purity of the Mind: why abstinence is inadequate
March 31st, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Just doing a quick search on the volume of material out there on these topics, it seems that the most uncharted topic would be on a balanced church. It seems to me that there’s an awful lot out there on “where” a Christian ought to position himself on certain issues, but the concept of allowing for the gray areas doesn’t seem so widely explored. The challenge here, I would think, would be to write this and not come off as totally relativistic and theologically liberal. This concept would also allow you to get into the ultimate goal of Jesus versus dogma.
Right now, the market seems saturated with books on missional living and sexual purity, and I’m not sure that readers would gravitate towards yet another book on that topic–especially by the time yours would come out–many, many more will have hit the shelves by then. It seems that we live in a world where no one wants to be told what to do or what to believe, so if you came at it from this angle, you might be able to bring the Truth to a lot of people’s lives who have picked your book up hoping to be told that relativism is okay.
March 31st, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Sexual Purity of the Mind: why abstinence is inadequate
I think this is an excellent topic for your first book. First of all, I think you bring a different slant to the topic than other people that I am aware of. Second, it is important that your first book establish you as someone who thinks outside the box so that it will get noticed. Third, this is a topic that we can truly say people are dying for the lack of it. Sex is so powerful and so misused in our culture that it is destroying millions of lives. I think you can speak to people in a powerful way on this topic, so I am voting this as number one!
The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living
I think this is a very good topic for a book. Christ spent more of his time teaching people how they should live than teaching them what they should believe.
Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth
This is a good idea for a book. My thought is that it may be a bit premature because GG is relatively new at decentralization and that you can write this two or three years from now with a much deeper understanding of the process, the pitfalls, and the product.
The Hybrid Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues
This looks to me like a minefield. Not that you cannot safely navigate through it, but why expend your energy here when, I believe, you can be more effective in addressing other topics, like the ones above?
March 31st, 2009 at 8:22 pm
1) Balance
2) Giving the church back
3) Goal is Jesus
4) Purity
April 1st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
1. Giving the Church back to the People
2. The Goal is Jesus
3. The Balanced Church
4. Sexual Pruity of the Mind
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:07 am
I really like this list of possibilities. They are all solid – you really couldn’t go wrong.
That said, I tend to lean towards the last two (Goal is Jesus, Purity) simply because they seem to be geared toward the, so to speak, ‘everyman.’ The first two are great topics but give me more of a”pastoral/seminary” vibe. I say, go practical!
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Hey Chris, Thanks for asking me to chime in on your first book discussion. Here is my two cents…from an “outside” perspective…hope it helps! First, if the goal is to sell books and/or get the message out, I am not sure how any of these will be a lot different than what is out there already in book form. None the less, I do think a hibrid of a few might be a good way to go.
In the order of personal preference, but I might combine a few that focus on what the church needs to be heading into this century:
1. The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues.
I would be interested on your perspective on this issue. With the “emergence” of so many views on doctrine, I believe that many churches are “watering down” the Gospel. There is a middle ground, but we need to hold tight to our historic Christian beliefs. What does the Bible say about these issues? As the Church moves forward, we must keep the essentials. This would be an interesting topic.
2. The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living.
I am convinced that I know more than I act on (in my own life). I think most Jesus-followers know more about Jesus, the Bible, God etc. than we do. We need to be human-beings and human-doings at the same time…acting in obiednece what we know. This would be a good topic.
3. Sexual Purity of the Mind: why abstinence is inadequate.
I like this topic. It is needed, but I am not sure there aren’t other books out there that would compete with it. We need more voices in the marketplace on this issue, so it could work. I just don’t know.
4. Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth.
I like combining #1 and #2 with this one. I agree that much of the organizational church is in the hands of a few and needs to be put back into the hands of the average Jesus-follower. The tension is “reforming” those churches that are already established with certain aurhority structure, government, staff etc. to strike a balance…not throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The pastor needs to be an equipper of the saints to do the works of ministry no matter what the form (house churches, small groups, Sunday mornings, world evangelization etc.) Where is the balance I believe is the key. I know you are in the thick of figuring this out…
So, great topics. Keep going! I hope my 2-cents helps…Have fun! Have a great Sabbatical! Praying for you man! JB
April 5th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
1. Decentralization – this is relevant to Grace and the church as a whole. I do not believe that being in the infancy stages of this structure is a negative at all. This thought process is in its infancy stages throughout the U.S. and you can provide some wisdom and insight that not many others could at this time. If nothing else you can continue to provoke thought and bring good discussions to those who are considering moving to a similar model. And, if there are some things that we learn through the passing of time and our experience that are a little different than you wrote in the book, that just leads to a second book…Decentralization – Five Years Old and Still Learning.
2. Sexual Purity – Again, relevant and I think you could bring a slant and a freshness to the topic that would differentiate the book from the others that have been written (this is my wife’s number one).
3. Balance – I think it would be very difficult to write a book on this topic without having some form of predisposition or presuppositions showing through. Not impossible, but difficult.
4. Hijacked – I really do not believe this is as radical of topic as most others do. I think many believers want someone to give them a guide to Christianity that does not include having to read/study the bible much. I think that a very small percentage of professing Christians actually spend much time at all doing bible studies or reading, studying or memorizing scripture. Actually, even though I do not have any hard evidence for this, I would be willing to bet that the actual amount of time a Christian spends in the Word only continues to decrease with each generation. As an example, I came from a church background where the bible was very seldom studied or read, but the Church did try to be like Christ with their outreach…feeding the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless, fighting for the rights of the unborn, etc. I guess, to summarize, I agree with what Orville wrote in the blog…it is not too much of one and too little of another. Rather, it is too little of both of them. I wonder what the research shows for the large fall of Christianity in Europe (like the teenagers you encountered when you were over there last year – did not know who Jesus was nor what the bible was). My gut tells me the reason for the decline was not believers doing too much Jesus learning and not enough Jesus living, instead, it was probably too little Jesus learning and too little Jesus living.
Obviously, these are just my opinions. I believe you will be able to write a book that teaches and inspires people regardless of which one of the four topics you choose. I am also sure that God will continue to use you and the giftedness that he has blessed you with to advance His kingdom and bring Him glory.
April 5th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
My favorite is “Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth,”
the next is “The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living”
and the next is “The Balanced Church: charting middle ground on dividing issues”
and the last choice is “Sexual Purity of the Mind: why abstinence is inadequate”.
I know whatever God places on your heart to do, it will be done with absolute excellence and a very careful attention to the TRUTH. I bless you with love and peace my brother and will be holding you up with much prayer and supplication.
April 5th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I vote for The Goal is Jesus: how Bible learning has hijacked Bible living first. It wont be popular in the eyes of most but I think it’s most important.
Then Giving the Church back to the People: how to decentralize with growth is my second choice:)
April 6th, 2009 at 6:31 am
1. Giving the Church Back
2. The Goal is Jesus
3. The Balanced Church
4. Sexual Purity
All four topics are excellent. I view them as 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. You could even incorporate ideas from the first three into the one book.
April 6th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Who do you want to appeal too most in your writing? Church crowd, culture, unchurched? Church back to the people although practical seems too theological. The Balanced Church is intriguing from the standpoint of the issues you will deal with in the book. Sexual Purity refines our understanding of this issue and deals with the real issue of the heart. Goal is Jesus seems practical and would be more church oriented but needed. If I were ranking them I would say
1. Balanced Church
2. Sexual Purity
3. Goal is Jesus
4. Church back to the people
Identifying your target audience which I am sure you have already done, will help with finalizing the first book to write. Blessings, Ray
April 6th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
1. Giving the church back
2. The goal is Jesus
April 6th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
1. The Goal is Jesus
2. Sexual Purity
April 7th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I am not certain whom you desire your reading audience to be but from my perspective “Giving the church back” and the “Balanced church” seem to strike a chord. Perhaps a book that combines these two in some way, if that is possible, is something to consider. In my way of thinking there may be some relationship/parallelism between the two topics that could be explored and addressed in tandem.
April 7th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
1. the Balanced Church
2. The Goal is Jesus
3. Sexual Purity
4. De-Centralization.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:40 am
i like the following:
#1 Giving the church back to the people…with a well developed chapter on being balanced as a community
#2 Ends vs Means : Becoming more like Jesus AS we are learning more about him…with a well developed chapter on internal transformation vs. purely resisting negative behaviors…
April 9th, 2009 at 10:55 am
1. Giving the church back to the people.
2. The Balanced Church.
3. The Goal is Jesus.
4. Sexual Purity of the Mind.
April 12th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I personally believe that “The Goal is Jesus” needs to be written in today’s society. It is so true that we as Christians are too wrapped up in learning and studying with minimal doing. Do we act like a club or secret society or are we seen as Christ-followers? The other three topics are great, but I would for sure place this at #1.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Chris,
The goal is Jesus. I think that sermon you preached connected the dots more than any you have done for some time. I know you were surprised as was I since it hit me between the eyes.
I don’t want to forget your work on purity though just because it was longer ago.
Blessings,
April 14th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
1. Goal is Jesus
2. Giving the church Back
April 14th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I’ve wanted to email you many times in the past, but never could put in words what was on my heart and mind…so here it goes. “Sexual Purity of the Mind” I believe this topic would reach out to a greater amount of people. Believers-unbelievers…baby christian-mature christian…young-old…women-men…married-single…good church-not so good…straight-gay…etc. Everyone is bombarded every day with sexually impure images, words, and thoughts from TV commercials, internet, work, bill boards, even the grocery stores. Its sickening. The book would be a total SUCCESS if at least one person was to put the book down and pray for forgivness of their past sins and place faith in Jesus as their personal Savior. It would then be an instant #1 best seller. This topic should draw the most unbelievers to read it. Especailly with the right title. In 11 years Chris, you keep astounding me how well, complete, and yet simple you present the Gospel, given any topic to launch off of. “The Goal is Jesus” is a very close 2nd. Our Daddy is most certainly blessing others thru the wisdom He has given you in teaching and vision. We are very blessed that you are one of our elders. Thanks bro.
All for His Glory
April 18th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Chris, I have spent a while trying to come up with a way to tie all four topics together under one title (unsuccessfully). Something like, “shifting the way we do church and the way we live as the church,” only something catchy. I just think they are all related as we move from pursuing God on a convenient level towards pursuit on a deeper, purer level. Anyway, I think the sexual purity book would really good and stands out as something perhaps more unique compared to what is already out there, but I love the other three as stuff I am passionate about….So, like I said, somehow use them all!
April 21st, 2009 at 7:13 am
1. Sexual Purity
2. Goal is Jesus
April 24th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
1. Sexual Purity
2. Giving the church back to the people
April 25th, 2009 at 6:54 am
My favorit is the sexual purity topic. I think it is so needed today. Giving the church back to the people would be my second choice.
April 25th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
1. The Goal is Jesus
*2. The Balanced Church
3. Sexual Purity
I am most excited by the idea that many of us at times place more value on knowledge, learning, Bible studies, and Christian literature than we do on Bible living; and we need to change that. But a reason to choose a different topic is that this type of topic is probably a little more common, and your other topic choices have not been written about quite so much, esp. #2
*It would be great if you wrote about the Balanced Church. This quote from you really hit me:
“What would it look like if a community of believers avoided the watchdog mentality of defending a position against its polar opposite and instead tried to humbly learn from the other side?”
It sickens me that the Body of Christ, which should be unified with Christ as the head, has been divided because of differing beliefs.
In fact, I think you could link The Goal is Jesus and The Balanced Church together, like this: the very reason that the Church seemingly has been so thoroughly divided is because of Christians’ placing more importance on Bible knowledge than on Bible living. When knowledge becomes that important, it seems logical to separate because of differing beliefs; but if we are truly simply focused on using God’s Word as a resource to live more like Christ, then the Church might live in unity because it’s Biblical.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:17 am
1. Sexual Purity
2. The goal is Jesus
April 27th, 2009 at 8:19 am
1. Sexual Purity
2. Decentralization
April 27th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Giving the church back to the people is the one I would be most interested in reading.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
The goal is Jesus and sexual purity affect a wider audience than the other two that may be more targeted toward church leaders. I think I would go with what is more relevant for a greater number of people.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Giving the church back to the people is my clear number one choice. The Goal is Jesus and The Balanced Church are tied for second, and Sexual Purity would be last.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:27 am
The “Giving the Church back to the People” paragraph was beautifully written. I’d go with that in a heartbeat, as it is right in line with a lot of ideas that are near and dear to my heart.
However, I was up in NH for one of your “The Goal Is Jesus” sermons, and that’s a fantastic topic as well!
April 29th, 2009 at 10:03 am
i think you should throw the “Give it Back” concept paragraph into the blender and puree it with you “Following the Holy Spirit” post. That is the lost wisdom of Ephesians 4, letting the spirit shape the body as each member.
Aren’t you glad to have my advice? Now, get to work writing my book!