The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community Review

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The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community ReviewI heard about Jesse Rice's book, "The Church of Facebook: How the Wireless Generation is Redefining Community" from an interview he did on a podcast. The topic of online community and whether or not it can be authentic is of interest to me.
I wasn't sure what to expect; perhaps a Christianized critique of the whole social networking phenomenon complete with a set of warnings for believers and suggested rules for underage children. Thankfully this is not Jesse's book. Instead it opens with a fascinating story of the opening day on the Millennium Bridge crossing the Thames River in London. The unexpected shaking that day on the pedestrian footbridge is similar to the online spectacle of Facebook and other social networking sites. Jesse uses this and several other stories at the beginning of each chapter to create a historical framework for interpreting our online interactions. Jesse has done his research well and the book is very interesting because of it.
The science of connecting with others, of creating a "home" where we feel safe is the subject of chapter one. This is followed by a chapter on revolutionary changes to society and how Facebook is set up to be, if it not already is, a world changer. Chapter three delves into the controls people have of their online presence, of the information they choose to share online with others on their profiles. He poses the question of what we will do with the power we have to create, to shape society, with our online influence. Chapter four studies the impact that all of the new information has on an individual, understanding that people have adapted their behavior with this new way to connect with people, share information and collect new data. The fifth chapter focuses on the question of community and whether or not it can be experienced online. Are our relational needs truly being met? The final chapter speaks to implications of using social networking and some of the inherent behaviors that could be attributed to living life via an online presence. Jesse suggests some boundaries to keep the experience healthy, balanced and authentic.
Although the book could be categorized as a Christian book by a Christian author, it doesn't come across as preachy or fear-based. As such I hope it will be picked up by readers interested in modern communication, community development, sociology, and human psychology. It broadened my perspectives of social networking and has stayed with me as I've continued connecting with old and new friends online.The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community Overview

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Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series) Review

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Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series) ReviewThe Apostle Paul is an example of a follower of Christ who demonstrates for us the paths we must all take to finish well, according to Neil Cole in this book. He argues that Paul's leadership abilities and effectiveness increased with each of his missionary journeys, and the book uses the story of those journeys to find leadership lessons applicable to all who are engaged in Christian ministry.
The book helped me to see Paul's story from a new perspective. The natural tendency is to view Paul's missionary journeys as a whole, rather than chronologically, and to assume that Paul applied a consistent level of apostolic excellence throughout. However, as the author points out, if Paul is to be a realistic model for Christians today, we need to discover how he learned and improved throughout his ministry, so that we can do likewise.
The first two chapters describe how Paul's birth, early life, conversion and period of learning and waiting following his conversion prepared him for the mission God had planned. Chapter 3 describes the first journey, in which Paul and Barnabas rapidly covered a lot of territory, making converts and moving on. There was lots of activity, but the churches planted were weak and struggling. Chapter 4 describes the second journey, in which Paul parted company from his mentor Barnabas, underwent suffering, and recruited leaders that he could leave behind at each church plant so that the churches would be stronger.
Chapter 5 describes the third journey, in which Paul lived in Ephesus for 3 years, training and sending out leaders who could multiply the work of church planting, thereby achieving far greater effectiveness than had been achieved on the first two journeys. Chapter 6 describes the fourth journey, to Rome, in which Paul's influence spread to governors, kings and the emperor, with some of his most effective work occurring while imprisoned. Then Paul's final journey to death is described, and how he finished well.
There are many Christian leadership books which offer advice based on cultural and organizational principles. This is not one of them. This book is an extended Bible study of the life of Paul, and all of the leadership advice offered is drawn directly from that study. At times the author strays into conjecture, and some readers will disagree with some of his views on the historical record, but in my opinion this is a very useful and enlightening book for church leaders.
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The Normal Christian Church Life Review

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The Normal Christian Church Life ReviewAt the time I first read this book, the Lord had been increasingly showing me how far short of the Bible that most local churches fall, particularly in the denominations, which divide the Body of Christ. Thus, when I read Watchman Nee's exposition on what the Bible teaches us about the practical aspects of the local church (as opposed to the universal Church), I was very much encouraged and enlightened by his exposition.
However, I had an extremely hard time with his teaching that the only biblical revelation of a local church is a church that spans the entire city: In God's eyes, a local church consists of every single child of God in a geographical city. A practical local church must include all believers in Christ, and it is unbiblical to form a "church" that excludes anyone in the city whom Christ receives as His own.
It took a second careful reading of the book and some practical experience with Christians who are practicing this reality for me to see that this is exactly what the Bible teaches. What also helped was the sequel to this book, "Further Talks on the Church Life", which addresses many confusing questions such as "the church in the house/home", the biblical meaning of Christian unity, and the true biblical membership of a local church. A study of this subject is not complete without reading this companion volume (especially if the first book doesn't persuade you).
I've read quite a few of Watchman Nee's books, and I never cease to be astonished by how he manages at the same time to produce a crystal clear yet razor sharp exposition of the Bible. He seems to catch almost every detail, and he is truly gifted in making the most complex theological subjects very simple and practical.
I highly recommend this book to all the Lord's loving seekers who are sick and tired of playing church, who want to practice the reality of the Body of Christ.The Normal Christian Church Life Overview

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Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication Review

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Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication Review(I received a review copy of this book from Baker Academic though I was not required to write a positive review.)
This book is difficult to review because it truly is an in-depth manual that covers nearly every aspect of church planting. I'd love to discuss all the details in depth here, but the review would be much too long. Instead, I'll give a summary of the contents and my brief reflection on the contents.
There are four main parts of this book: 1) biblical foundations of church planting, 2) strategic considerations of church planting, 3) developmental phases of church planting, and 4) the critical factors of church planting. There is an appendix which contains a helpful bibliography and topical index but (sadly) no scripture index. I appreciated the many real-life examples of church plants around the world, which helped the authors explain the different nuances of planting. I also liked the charts and helpful diagrams throughout the chapters. The book is well written, concise, and the subdivisions in the chapters make for easy reading. That being said, the book is not really a layperson's guide to planting; it is a 450 page manual aimed at the serious "student" of church planting. This is the ideal book for a seminary setting or an advanced course on planting churches.
More on the four parts. In part one Ott and Wilson discuss many different biblical texts that deal with missions and church planting. They answer questions that have to do with the church in general, reasons for planting churches, church planting in Acts, and other such topics. Part two is about historical church plant movements and methods, including those of John Nevius, Roland Allen, David Garrison, and movements from countries around the world. In this second part the authors also talk about different types of church planters, contextualization, and church plant methods such as mother/daughter, teams, house churches, and indirect church plants (among others). Ott and Wilson also give historical examples of all these types in this section.
Part three has to do with the phases of church planting - from the beginning to the end. The authors talk about demographics, targeting, commissioning leaders, launching, structuring, discipling, and other issues like these. This part is the longest part of the book because it has to do with the nuts and bolts of what it means to start a church plant and keep the work going until it is an organized local church with leadership structure in place.
The last part talks in more detail about the church planter himself. There is also a chapter which discusses the dynamics of church planting teams (sometimes called the "core group"). Ott and Wilson also give more details in this part about developing leaders in the church plant, as well as partnerships in church plants.
Though my review may make this book sound like a dry technical manual about planting churches, it is not that at all. The authors frequently talk about the main point of planting churches: to preach the gospel and make disciples so God's name is praised. There is also much emphasis on the fact that the Holy Spirit is the one who does the true "work" in church planting, along with a continued emphasis on the need for church planters/teams to pray without ceasing.
I've read quite a few different books on church planting, and to be honest, this is at the top of my list. Of course I didn't agree with everything in the book, and I'm sure most readers will disagree with some things in it, but it is so comprehensive, well written, and helpful that I cannot seriously imagine anyone giving this book a bad review. No matter what historic Christian denomination you identify with, you'll be able to benefit from this book. If you're thinking about church planting or any sort of mission work, and if you want a solid, in-depth textbook in this area, I would highly recommend this book. This is one resource I will be using and recommending for many years.Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication Overview

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The 3 Loves: The 3 Passions of the Heart of Christianity Review

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The 3 Loves: The 3 Passions of the Heart of Christianity Reviewthe section titled Loving His People is amazing, this is an inspirational book, I will be sharing this at the church I attendThe 3 Loves: The 3 Passions of the Heart of Christianity Overview

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