2013 Apr 14 - sample church financial statement | St. Catherine of Siena Church Income Statement - Summary With Budgets More information Find this Pin and more on Christmas List by Ryan Steinke . Prior to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. This book will not just be another church leader or methodology book, it will challenge you to reconsider how you lead your church. I recommend reading Simple Church as a reminder to church leadership to resist the pull toward organizational complexity and align the church’s ministry structure around the process of making disciples. that for your church to be healthy, it needs to be specifically and consciously organized around a simple process that moves people further and further along their walk with God. These summary studies help you see the fulfillment of Revelation. At the beginning of the book It is stated that this philosophy is not doctrinal by nature, that is, it does not directly influence doctrine. This is a great book! Francis cautions us that many people want to change the Church based on personal preference rather than biblical conviction. Simple Church, which is thicker than the title suggests, makes the case for a simplified approach to ministry based on the discipleship methods of Jesus. They do a very thorough job of presenting their argument for a simplified church model. They are honest about the challenges facing a church during a move towards simplicity. Although the overarching idea beyond this book is sound, there are just to many issues with this philosophy. This book is one of the current church-as-business genre, where strategies for growth are posited as ways to build the church. This book revolutionized my view of church ministry! But I decided to write a small smattering of my thoughts nonetheless, as I just finished it yesterday and so I figured it fitting to at least write of my first impressions. I pray that all of us would have soft hearts and humble spirits, longing to glorify God in our local churches. “Does it fall within the domain of prescription for the first-person subject to analyze the relationship of similitude of the second-person object to a period of solar illumination occurring during a season between a solstice and the autumnal equinox?” In the linguistic sense of referential meaning, that sentence is poetry. Have you ever read a book and thought, “Sure wish they had made that a long read article at my favorite magazine instead of repeating themselves for 220 pages”? "A simple church is a congregation designed around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth." In the early church age, believers met wherever they could—usually homes (Acts 16:40; Romans 16:3-5; Colossians 4:15)—and learned from whomever had … With insights based on case studies of 400 American churches, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove the disciple-making process is often too complex. Appealing to Apple Computer’s simplistic approach, Rainer and Geiger share that “simple” is not only “in,” they also show that this approach is effective. This book I have most certainly not come to a firm conclusion on as of yet. Really?) Start by marking “Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples” as Want to Read: Error rating book. I applied, this book will make your lives easier as you focus your efforts on your discipleship process meaning you work smarter instead of harder and get more done, making the most of your time and resources. [My thanks to Philip B. Payne, author of Man and Woman, One in Christ, an outstanding theological book on women that I reference frequently. Book Summary While sleeping near a sycamore tree in the sacristy of an abandoned church, Santiago, a shepherd boy, has a recurring dream about a child who tells him that he will find a hidden treasure if he travels to the Egyptian pyramids. Fill in the form below for your free download copy of the "Simple/House Church Revolution." Whatever the next few steps are (small groups. Frankly, I didn't really enjoy this. A Summary of the Contents of Each Bible Book contains summaries for the Old and New Testament. For a church to be "simple" it needs clarity, movement, alignment, and focus. And churches with multiple campuses are absolutely not following the example of the church in Acts. According to the authors, a simple church is defined as “a congregation designed around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth” (61). the idea is simple enough, and there wasn't much profound here. This involves clarity, movement, alignment, and focus. Rainer and Geiger present their research, which is complex, in a simple way. Bible Book Summary. I'd rather be motivated to follow a discipleship pattern from Scripture than research. This is interesting as a secondary source but I'd suggest starting with "The Trellis and the Vine" first. I’m not a big fan of the Church Growth Movement, but I like what Rainer, head of Lifeway Christian Resources, sets before us in the pages of this work. The book is centered around these four points: This book could have been a fourth as long and still just as effective because the message is very simple; every church should give some thought to a clearly defined and Christ-centered process of discipleship. This book really says that we must fight for simplicity, that simple is good. I still am somewhat wary of the "conveyor belt" mentality that is conveyed. In other words, less is better. Simple Church Summary. There are some good nuggets in here, but the book as a whole is weakened by the lack of theological insight Rainer and Geiger bring to the table. If I don’t do my job, I don’t get paid. p.190 "While the comparison churches are program-centered, the vibrant churches are process-centered." Blech! Ministry Pass Review 2019 – Is It Really Worth It. Part of me really does not like this book, and I struggle to know if that's my own contrary nature or not. Man looks at the external, God looks at the heart. If we were really living the way He wants us to, and trusting in Him for results, we'd see far more things happ. It feels like this is the evangelical answer to Jim Collins "Good to Great". I appreciate the clarity with which the authors pres, This book is an interesting read. The simple revolution is here. Number growth in churches is not the only indicator of health. But it's one of those books where you're just so glad that someone else is actually saying what you've always kinda thought. With research from various churches Rainer and Geiger propose that. From the iPod design to Google’s uncluttered homepage, simple ideas are changing the world. Two scholarly camps exist on the major theme of 1 Timothy. Conclusion. p. 187 "Ministries are different from programs. While Paul was in prison he had been thinking about his work as an apostle. If we were really living the way He wants us to, and trusting in Him for results, we'd see far more things happening than if we make plans based on man's wisdom. Local churches should not be cookie-cutter models of a "mother" church, but should seek to glorify God in the local context in which they find themselves. The challenge in this book: are you making a busy group of people or disciples of Jesus? Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Simple church as a fairly lengthy book about a simple process for the church. There is no doubt many churches today have overly complex program schedules and are far too bowing to the perceived needs of church members instead of seeking to fulfill the command of Christ to make disciples of all the nations. Summary : In this "blueprint for survival," Christian sociologist George Barna evaluates the moral and spiritual decline of society and the corresponding stagnation within the Church. Of course, the words "programs" and "process" have the whiff of pragmatism and thus can alarm those of us who see an over-reliance on man's methods as detrimental to the truth growth of the church. I think the basic idea presented (focus your church's ministry on the process of spiritual growth and get rid of the stuff that doesn't fit that focus) is fantastic and could help most churches if properly understood and applied. Have you already read the book? And it's proper and good to be somewhat intentional in organizing and executing the activities of the church. According to ‘Simple Church’, growing churches do these four things: It might seem harsh cutting a much loved program but if a tree is not producing enough fruit then it needs pruning. The problem with the church in America is pastors feel like corporate prayer is a burden. This book is written primarily to church pastors and leaders, to those who are seeking to understand how to structure their church and set up a process that will more easily enable the church to fulfill God's mission on this earth. It feels disjointed and headed in multiple directions. Melissa Albert burst onto the YA scene (and catapulted into readers' hearts) with her 2018 debut The Hazel Wood. Be the first to ask a question about Simple Church. Part of me really does not like this book, and I struggle to know if that's my own contrary nature or not. This philosophy systematizes the sanctification to an inappropriate extent in my opinion. Summary of The Book of Ephesians. I myself long for churches where the Word is preached in season and out of season, where prayer is unceasing and ever-rising, and where believers are encouraged and constantly growing more like Christ, and in which an unbeliever would walk into and say, "surely, God is here." As pastors and church leaders we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking busyness = effectiveness but this is not necessarily the case. Although the overarching idea beyond this book is sound, there are just to many issues with this philosophy. What was hidden throughout the ages was revealed to us when Christ came. 30 issues per year (Less than $0.20 a day) For most people it probably is really boring, but for me it's pretty exciting stuff. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This book reaches the right conclusions (mostly) but instead of getting there from a biblical/exegetical basis, they do so on the basis of extensive research. Focus. The genre of the book of Acts is Narrative History with several Sermons. While the book had good and valid points, I feel it could have been much shorter as there was lots of repetition. At one point I was out every night of the week with home groups, drama groups, prayer meetings, men’s breakfasts, outreach groups, worship practice, leaders meeting, youth meetings and so on and so on…. by B Books. Several times I felt uncomfortable while reading this. Simple churches thrive by taking four ideas to heart: Clarity. The opening paragraphs were so awkward-a pastor so bummed he has to go to a prayer meeting. Warning: Read with caution. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The big idea is to come up with a discipleship process for the church and to make that process the basis for everything (discipleship, small groups, worship service, missions, budget, personnel, etc.). Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church (body of believers) and the way that Jesus Christ loved the church is the way that the husband must love his treasured wife, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (5:25). Maybe if we were on our knees more together as a body we’d be in a better place. A SiMPLE CHURCH is a congregation designed around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth (discipleship). simple church returning to gods process for making ... book is at best a book focusing on leadership principles for leading a religious organization but the leadership principles advocated ... prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex http wwwchristianbookmixcom this is the summary of simple church From the design of Apple products to Google's uncluttered homepage, simple ideas are changing the world. Has some good things to think about, but this book is too rigid and obsessed with man made methods. Great read, great for leadership discussion. I’m not a big fan of the Church Growth. I also appreciate how they eventually answered the questions their first several chapters illicit from me. Read with caution. The problem is that the church is not a business and I have no interest in seeing it run like one or do something on the basis of what someone's research project says. In this book, they have taken those results and have combined them into a process called Simple Church. They bring the reader through their research and at the end of their book provide a chapter to assist in developing a personal plan for writing a simplified ministry plan. The idea behind the simple church movement is to emulate the gatherings of Christ-followers in the book of Acts. Don’t worry, this book does not give you yet one more thing to do…. I wouldn't argue growth is a helpful indicator of health, but it's certainly not the only indicator, and all growth isn't good growth. The bible is clear that disciples, not busyness are the goal. Third, after loving God and others, the natural result is … “Does it fall within the domain of prescription for the first-person subject to analyze the relationship of similitude of the second-person object to a period of solar illumination occurring during a season between a solstice and the autumnal equinox?” In the linguistic sense of referential meaning, that sentence is poetry. I pray that we would seek to worship God with our whole lives, loving those around us as we seek to live at peace with all men. I found this book so helpful and refreshing. It is Luke’s sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Other flaws include essentially a three part church ministry; 1) Sunday service, 2) small groups, and 3) evangelism. This book reaches the right conclusions (mostly) but instead of getting there from a biblical/exegetical basis, they do so on the basis of extensive research. The Beautiful, Amazing, Powerful, Weak, Dysfunctional Church A Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Study of the Book of Acts 3 Scripture Passage Page 20. Alignment. You’re welcome to save the PDF’s, print them and share them. p.60 "To maximize everyone's energy you must recruit according to the simple process, offer accountability for the implementation of the process, implement the same process in each ministry department, and unite people around the simple process. It feels like this is the evangelical answer to Jim Collins "Good to Great". The problem is that the church is. During his free time, Eric enjoys dating his wife, taking his daughters to the beach, and playing basketball. This book is stronger … Here’s a one-page PDF summary of the seven church eras of Revelation. He was kind enough to look over the manuscript and make a number of suggestions and corrections. It’s like the pastors don’t want to do any work or, heaven forbid, prepare an extra sermon...I thought the call to be a pastor was to lead, shepherd and teach your people...maybe they should get paid less if they don’t want any responsibility on their plate. Helpful elements include not having ministries within the church competing with one another for people’s time, promotes unity, Simple church as a fairly lengthy book about a simple process for the church. In Simple Church, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger share their conclusions based on the case studies of 400 North American churches that their discipleship processes are often far too complicated and show an easier, more effective way of making disciples. I’d love to hear from other church leaders on this one. The book of Acts is the history of the early church, not a mandate for church structure throughout the ages. ), and the book would've been just as good at 50 or 75% the length. Introduction. No bells or whistles required. But to think that a believer needs to be handed from one program to the next in a kind of maturation master plan...well that strikes me as a bit simplistic and trite. I believe the authors of this book would agree with that, and at the end of the day, I suppose this book is more about setting up a framework and structure in which these things take place. Number growth in churches is not the only indicator of health. Overall, I love the general idea of the book: simplifying the ministry of the church to more effectively disciple people in their Christian walks. Get proven strategies and practical ministry how-to’s delivered straight to your inbox. Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger have collaborated to bring to us a work that is by no means earth-shattering, yet is somehow hitting a note that many of us miss. They bring the reader through their research and at the end of their book provide a chapter to assist in developing a personal plan for writing a simplified ministry plan. With insights based on case studies of 400 American churches, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove the disciple-making process is often too complex. Frankly, I didn't really enjoy this. Each letter addresses an issue that your church may be facing. Now in paperback, multi-awarded #1 national bestseller Simple Church guides Christians back to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making DisciplesAuthors: Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger Lowest Price: Amazon Published: 2011 by B&H Publishing Group Available Formats: Hardback, Paperback, Kindle, AudioRead Customer Reviews: Here. Christian growth is not just an assembly line that you push people through. If that is its purpose, then well done. If there is complexity in the book, the complexity serves to make a life of vision simple in the end. I wanted to ask..but what about the leadership of the Holy Spirit? p.189 "If it is unclear how a ministry addition will move people through the simple process, do not launch it." Appealing to Apple Computer’s simplistic approach, Rainer and Geiger share that “simple” is not only “in,” they also show that this approach is effective. Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger, Simple Church – Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples (Nashville, Broadman and Holman, 2006) 257pp. Summary of: Letters to the Church Francis Chan This book is a series of letters that confront and challenge churches in America today. Paul explains the mystery of the church and gives practical insight into living as believers. This site is all about helping leaders like you break attendance barriers and move your church forward. This book will not just be another church leader or methodology book, it will challenge you to reconsider how you lead your church. Whatever complicates or challenges this simple progression from being on the fringe to being a Christ-follow, well, should be eliminated. However, the entire philosophy is geared around getting people from Sunday attendance, to the “major ministry” (usually small groups), and that leads to sanctification. Multi-awarded #1 national bestseller Simple Church guides Christians back to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. It is the job of the pastors and ministry leaders to clarify the church vision and make sure everything they do it moving them towards accomplishing that. If this book causes churches to reconsider ill-conceived church programs and an almost frantic culture of busyness, I suppose that is not a bad thing. The basic idea of this book is for the leaders to evaluate every program in the church and it’s fruit. 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