In the interests of full disclosure I should say that I count some of the staff and members of Kings as friends and am part of the same family of churches as the author of this book, Steve Tibbert. It’s always a slightly tricky thing when you review a book by someone you know. Being a sycophant isn’t my thing but then I’ve not always got the balance right when making public comments about people who, after all, are on the same team. That makes it sound like I’m about to pan this book, which I’m really not at all.
Good to Grow is the story of Kings Church in south-east London since Steve’s became the leader in the early 90′s. It’s a story of a church that has grown from some 200 to well over a thousand regular attenders, now meeting across multiple sites and pushing ahead at some rate of knots. As such it’s a story to be applauded. There simply aren’t enough stories like this in the UK of churches growing consistently over the years and breaking through significant barriers in terms of numbers and diversity.
Good to Grow also contains the leadership lessons that Steve has learnt along the way and Steve is a very focused leader and there is lots of good stuff here particularly on building a diverse church, building a great marriage and the challenge of regularly retooling your leadership team to be ready for the next season of growth.
The chapters are short and the tone is conversational so you race through the pages quickly and nowhere does it get bogged down in detail. I read it in about three hours and it’s time well spent.
At times the book is a bit uneven and patchy and this is mostly when the story and the leadership lessons get mixed up and the chapter loses focus, this was more evident at the beginning of the book as the story of the early years of Steve’s tenure was recalled. The book became much sharper and found its stride from the middle onwards.
However, any quibbles I have are minor and it certainly doesn’t spoil the book. The big take home lesson for me was the importance of building a great team which undoubtedly Steve has done. So for an encouraging story of church growth, for honest assessment of how to build a diverse multi-racial team and for other useful leadership lessons Good to Grow is a worthwhile book for a leader to read.
I should add that since having children the tears always feel a little closer to the surface not because I’m all weepy over my kids but mostly because my brain is addled, my body is weary, my emotions are all over the place and I’m generally just shattered. As a result I’ve been surprised by how close to the surface the river really is.
Those excuses aside, I think it is a mark of a good relationship between a church and its leaders when there are tears at the parting and hopefully not in the ‘at last we’ve got rid of him and we’re so happy we could cry’ kind of way.
Instead for me there were tears because I wasn’t leaving a job, I wasn’t moving on to a new career opportunity, I wasn’t going to bigger and better things. There were tears because I was leaving friends, I was leaving family, I was leaving my church. Mine, not because I led it but because I was part of it. It was the place I belonged, the place where I found community, where I found faith, laughter, friendship and where I found iron to help bash me into shape.
In this church we went through most of what life has to offer: our wedding, the death of close family members, the birth of our children, the ups and downs of daily life. We gave together, ate together, teased each other, reached out to the community together and now we were leaving but not disappearing being sent and being sent well.
I’d be worried if a leader could deliver a final sermon unmoved by the changing of relationships or the parting of ways, I’d be concerned if someone was there so little time that those friendships were never really formed because this isn’t a profession it’s a calling, it isn’t a job (although I was paid) it was the fruit of a shared vision and goal in life: that together we could do something however small to reach some people in our neighbourhood with the wonderful news that Jesus knows them though they sin, that Jesus died for them though they are sinners and that Jesus can turn them into saints.
So I cried. Knackered, tired but unashamed.
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I also note his sense of humour, self-deprecation and commendation of those who work for him. Good leadership whatever you think of his politics.
I, unlike God, very much do grow weary. This has (and is) a testing time with developments at the shop, the recent and excellent Soul Purpose, last weekends Borderlands, working on a church merger, in addition to all the normal business involved in church leadership.
My own tendency is to get my head down and just work harder, to press through until I come out the other side. This fails on a number of levels but mostly because ministry becomes something I do and not something that God does through me. Weakness and tiredness reminds me that my ministry (such as it is) is not something to be built upon my strength or abilities (such as they are) but upon His grace, His goodness, His sovereign purposes and through the power of His Holy Spirit.
Of course it is perhaps harder to remember that when I’m not feeling tired, but that’s not how I’m feeling right now. Fortunately God does not grow weary, His power is not diminished by time or strenuous activity, His wisdom, knowledge and justice not compromised by a tired mind. Therefore He remains able to do all that He plans and wills, and as far as I’m concerned His grace is sufficient and He is enough for me.
And whether I am tired or not that is good to me.
TOAM just seems to fall between the gaps – it’s neither as sharp on leadership as Willow Creek, nor is it a church family event like New Wine (or as our own Stoneleigh used to be). It’s open to others but this year was all about Newfrontiers, it has theology but rarely stuff from people and places that stretch us (we didn’t even have any seminars by the authors of our own theological papers – which seems like a missed opportunity). It’s international but the majority of people are unsurprisingly from the UK.
I guess I still don’t really know what TOAM is for which always makes it hard to know whether I should go back again. The reason I do of course is for the relationships.
Having said that, I still want to learn and not be arrogant enough to think I know it all, so I’ll spend some time listening to the talks and seminars (available here).
The Monkey & the Fish is part of Leadership Network’s innovation series and I’m really not sure what to make of it. The subtitle is Liquid Leadership for a third culture church and I have to confess even after reading it I’m not entirely sure what that means.
On the back cover it pronounces this to be a book that is a mandate for change and a manifesto for how and I have to say I’m not sure it’s either of those things.
Dave Gibbons is another American mega-church pastor, this time of Newsong which has a site in London and several other nations so this shouldn’t be a book simply for ‘over there.’
Let me explain third-culture. If I was born in Britain, that’s my first culture. Then I go and live and in Sweden and raise children there. Sweden is the second culture. Noah then grows up with some Britain and some Sweden, he can live in both and create a new culture, that’s third culture. So as they say on the website it is, “having the mindset and the will to love, learn, and serve in any culture, even in the midst of pain and discomfort.” Apparently God is third culture, which is a bit daft really. God is love, his ‘culture’ is love and so of course he can love anyone, anywhere at anytime. That makes Him God not third culture. Anyway.
In essence it seems this book is about creating leaders and churches that really, actually and truly love people then it would really change the world. Now I’m not sure what churches they have in America but come on now, that should be in church leadership 101. Love God, love people. I mean, that is what Jesus said right?
To be fair though it does seem that he is practising what he preaches and engages with the poor, realises that a having a big church isn’t IT (although it does help in getting your book published), realises and affirms the importance of the world of business in mission and the importance of multi-generational ethnically diverse leadership and the importance of community in a global fragmented world.
On the whole the illustrations were average and there isn’t a lot of theology or scripture here although there are some good ideas and some good examples from their story. It’s kind of a strange love child of emerging church and mega church. So you could read it and if you’re a church leader you might find it interesting if you’re thinking of reinventing the wheel.
I’ve read a few of Bill Hybels’ books now, and a few things are blindingly obvious. The man is fired up about, I think just three things the local church, evangelism and leadership (well possibly sailing as well but he’s not written a book on that yet). Axiom is one on leadership. It reads quick as it is essentially his leadership proverbs, truths discovered over his years as senior pastor at Willow Creek and digested into bite size chunks.
It seems to me that Bill is the ultimate CEO style church leader, no question this guy could lead a major corporation and although this is not the only leadership style there is still so much to learn that would help me become a better leader. Having read it once, I really need to go back through it, pencil in hand.
If you’re a leader or aspire to leadership then this is a great book to read, it will sharpen your thinking no end, give you great insights into many leadership challenges and battles and set you thinking with renewed energy about how to advance in your area of leadership. I’m not sure I’m a CEO kind of leader, unless there’s a new scruffy kind of CEO, but I wouldn’t hesitate in getting prospective leaders to read this.
Mark lists, as he sees it, four key currents that are shaping our movement – church growth, reformissional, neo-pentecostal and emerging – with the strongest current being reformissional. I get an honourable mention under emerging, the weakest influence.
Mark writes,
“Emerging churches are passionate about the environment, social justice and the poor, and downplay the importance of many things that conservative evangelicals would consider central.”
I’m mentioned because,
“It would be nice to think that we adopt some of the positive aspects of the emerging movement without needing to compromise theologically. I have written about how I think that can be done here. Phil Whittall is the best example I can think of as a newfrontiers pastor who has taken on board some of the emerging church concerns of the environment, living simply and social justice.”
Which is interesting. If there are any NSCCers reading this, let me know what you think about this. Mark posted quite a bit on the emerging church as he was getting his head around it and listed six key areas, have a read.
I read authors like Shane Claiborne, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren and appreciate their works. I read bloggers like Andrew Jones and Christine Sine. Mark has me right I care deeply about the environment, social justice, simplicity, generosity and the church’s response to consumerism. I think the church should have greater and better political engagement than it does.
I think if as a movement we can allow ourselves to be shaped by the best of all four currents we will continue to be focused on reaching the lost and building the kingdom, preaching the Word and keeping in step with the Spirit, caring for the poor and engaging with culture.
“It’s 07:49am and I’m standing on an escalator, flanked on both sides by streaming commuters and flashing LCD screens. Easyjet suggest I go skiing. Armani want me to know that their new mobile phone has ‘night effect’, whatever that might be. I deserve more TV channels, and Virgin would love to supply them to me. I am barely an hour into my day, and already I have seen dozens of these visions of commodified happiness. Where, in all this buzz of hype, is the promise of real life?“
Read the whole thing here
“A true leader’s very behaviour expresses a personal set of values and beliefs that govern his life”
and
“Worship leaders should personally get taken up with God and let those who wish to follow respond to their lead”
and
“‘Watch me and do as I do.’ This is Biblical leadership.”
“Congregations want and need leaders who are open, vulnerable and authentic. People who know them and are known by them. If the church is the community of God’s people, there can be no stand-offishness from the leaders, no professional detachment. They have to be community people to the core if they are to build God’s communities of purpose for others.”
Read the whole thing here
It’s an issue I find challenging – getting the balance right between on the one hand getting the work done, meeting non-Christians, spending time with my family and spending relational time with family in the church as well as friends outside it. It’s hard not to think you’re building shallow not deep.
Mark Mittelberg is passionate about seeing people trust their lives to Jesus. You can’t read Becoming A Contagious Church and miss that one.
It’s the sort of book that America and the guys at Willow Creek does so well – energetic, inspirational, aspirational, motivational and other words that make you want to get up out of your chair and change the world. Being British, we may first have a cup of tea and wait for it to be a bit warmer, which sort of takes the steam out of it a bit.
It certainly has food for thought, I liked the fact that it started with prayer and ended with a real clear understanding that it is God who saves. It wasn’t simply a book that said if you do my course in your church you’ll become a megachurch in 5 years! Thankfully it avoided those pitfalls.
It had some ideas that I think would work in the UK which is always a benchmark for me, how culturally ‘locked in’ is it. So while the style probably doesn’t move that well, the substance could.
Basically it starts with the leader, for the church to care about those beyond its walls the leader must care. For the church to invite friends and speak to non-believers the leader must invite and speak, for the church to win the lost the leader must live it as well as speak it. As the leader of my church is me, that’s challenging stuff. Am I stuck in the Christian ghetto and am I scared and silent when I’m not amongst Christians? I don’t think so, but I needed to ask the questions.
Then bit by bit you work the circle outwards, find a co-conspirator, find a few more and then from amongst this group of passionate soul-winners you start infiltrating the culture of the church. Simple really.
If you’re involved in evangelism or leadership then this book is worth considering, and whatever the application the passion in this book should motivate you.
Craig Groeschel is the pastor of LifeChurch.tv (yes that is it’s name) that has thousands of people in multiple places and has made a name for itself with its use of technology and live streaming of worship and preaches to its multiple campuses. His latest book is one on leadership, It: How Churches and Leaders can get IT and keep IT published by Zondervan.
This book irritated and inspired me in almost equal measure. Groeschel is funny and communicates well and he’s on to something. Some churches and some leaders do have it. Some think Mark Driscoll has it. Others think he definitely doesn’t. But there is an it that we’re discussing, it’s that X-factor in Church life and leadership. Leaders want to have it and they want their churches to have it. But nailing it down isn’t easy. And yes all through the book the word it is in italics and yes it gets a bit much.
At one point Groeschel writes, “The best explanation I can give you is this: it is what God does through a rare combination of these qualities found in his people: Passion for his presence; a deep craving to reach the lost; sincere integrity; spirit filled faith; down to earth humility and brokenness.” (p31)
I thought ‘yes – this is a book I want to read’ so I was disappointed to discover that he doesn’t write about those things, they are almost (but not entirely) absent from the rest of the book. Instead we get chapters on vision, focus, having fun with your team, being innovative, trying and failing until you succeed, and then mission and openness with other churches. (The last two chapters were especially good).
This isn’t to say that what he writes on any of those things isn’t helpful, interesting or potentially useful but it doesn’t help me discover brokenness or passion or humility. So, this book did make me think about all of those things and I’m always looking for fresh leadership help (God, knows I need it) but it just didn’t seem to satisfy.
I described the experience to a friend as asking for pasta and sauce and just getting sauce. The stories are great, the anecdotes punchy, the points poignant but somehow it lacked what was needed to provide sustenance. Not enough Bible, not enough on what he said makes it.
Then there were a few irritating cultural comments which can hardly be helped, he wasn’t writing for the UK. Here’s the one example that bugged me the most – scattered in the book are profiles of successful megachurch pastors in the US including the heart rending story of Perry Noble and NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina a community with nearly 48% classified as unchurched. Oh how my heart breaks! Unless I’m very much mistaken that makes 52% are classified as churched. Here in North Shrewsbury the breakdown is more like 2% churched 98% unchurched. If 52% were churched I’d be leading a mega church because that would mean there were 10,000 Christians instead of about 250 spread across 6 churches. I don’t know if you can tell, but that bugged me because there is a MASSIVE difference between the US and UK when it comes to faith.
Anyway overall it is worth a read if you’re in leadership because it will make you think about the dynamics and culture of your church and your team, and I’m impressed by the way they place a value on serving other churches (if you want free resources from them go here) and their commitment to mission and more but this book could have been more. But this could have been a full meal of a book instead of a light snack.
leaders-in-formation
Slipstream exists to network, equip and grow leaders across the generations through:
Curiously enough, I’ve become a contributor already with some of my earlier book reviews (this one and this one – links to Slipstream) appearing on the site. It’s always pleasing to discover someone else is reading your blog and that something on there is worth reading. So I was more than happy to give permission for them to be reproduced. It’s an excellent idea and I hope it takes off, do go and take a look. I’ve included a permanent link under things I’m involved in, which is a bit more than in reality but I can’t think of where else to put the link at the moment. The first podcast interview is with Terry Virgo, who leads Newfrontiers, the family of churches I belong to.
So there you go, head to slipstream, read, debate, engage and feed back!
Confessions of a Reformission Rev is an interesting book, didn’t take me too long to read (less than a week) of yet another mega-church in an American city, this time Seattle. Ok Seattle is the most unchurched in America with only 8% evangelical but I dream of 8% of any kind of Christian. For the UK to get up to 8% in any place would be an achievement. In my area if we get up to 8% most people would think revival has broken out. In my area if the church growth is spread out evenly among all the churches my church would have to double in size three times.
I believe Jesus when he said 'life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions'. I believe he offers something better. This blog is mostly about that search.
I'm also a husband, a father, church planter, keen runner, reader, and motorcyclist. These and a few other things make guest appearances from time to time.
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