Customer Reviews

Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus

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If you ever feel frustrated with the American church today, like it is a far cry from what Jesus was all about--read this book. Way more than an idealistic guilt trip, this book has real, applicable ideas for how Jesus' people can make a difference for hurting, needy people in the world today.

If you're a fan of Jim Wallis (who wrote the foreward to this book, by the way) but finish his books saying "ok, but how?" you need to read Mike Slaughter.

I really enjoyed reading this book. After receiving this book I could not but it down. It is a great read for everyone. A great reminder of what a Christan should look like and what we should be doing in this world each and everyday.

The missional church movement returns to the mainline church in Mike Slaughter's Change the World. Using straightforward comparisons, Slaughter challenges the assumptions of mission, ministry, and success as defined by most mainline churches. At the same time, an alternative picture is painted of a church more interested in others than self. Drawing on work from missional movement leaders, such as Alan Hirsch, Slaughter uses his own experiences to propose a more faithful way of being the church.

Grounded in Scripture and theology, Slaughter exposes the shortcomings of current church values, writing "Our churches reflect the economic homogeneity of our culture more than they do the priorities of the kingdom." Slaughter makes clear that the people of God are intended to be agents of transformation who are sent to specific peoples for the purpose of multiplying movements of courageous disciples. This is in contrast to the church being seen as a place where special and similar people gather.

Slaughter saves some of his most direct discourse for the discussion of "Mission vs. Mortar" in chapter 6, where he laments the importance of buildings to the way the church currently functions. Facilities, their cost and prominence, drive how and why church is done. "Inflexible capital structures create systems that necessitate strategies of `bringing the world to church' rather than the `church going to the world.'" While his words are tough, the experiences of churches who are in debt during the current economic downturn seem to lend affirmation.

Short on how-to and high on passion, Change the World presents an important contribution to the missional church movement. By virtue of the author's experience, the book brings built in credibility for mainline denominations. Slaughter is the lead pastor of Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, where he grew the congregation from averaging 90 on a Sunday to a current attendance of over 4,000. Change the World makes the missional movement more accessible to mainline churches and denominations.

Slaughter's experience also raises questions, though. For example, readers may experience a disconnect as the pastor of a 4,000 antendee church decries attractional evangelism. While that possibility exists, Slaughter's framework gives no impression that he is interested in keeping one foot in the mega church world and one foot in the missional church movement. In fact, his commitment to this transition may be communicated when he writes, "Faith is not the absence of fear. Faith is feeling the fear & then acting on the promises & purposes of God anyway."

This is a great book for churches and individuals that desire to follow Jesus' example of reaching the world. I read it first on my Kindle and then ordered 4 copies of the paper back to share.

Outstanding! Anyone involved in Christian education should read this, especially those who think their congregation (or church!) seems to be drifting. ('drifting': going nowhere!)

This is a great book! Helpful for churches to realize the changes needed. I'm using the book with all of the small groups in my little United Methodist Church and people are catching on!

Mike Slaughter's book is a good book for thinking new thoughts and trying to find the message and mission of Jesus for the present times. It is a good read with many thoughts that are unfamiliar to most of us. He presents his message in a skilfull manner and is engaging in his writing.

I enjoyed it.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

When people hear the word "change" they run the other way, ask why, everythings going good and what's in it for me? Reading this book will help you uncover why it is so important for us to continue to challenge ourselves to grow as christians. Everything around us changes; work, children grow up, we grow older, seasons change but as christians we stay still. Reading this book you will understand why it is so important to continue to grow in your faith.

This book speaks about the church beyond the Sunday morning experience. It demonstrates how the church that embraces Jesus true mission to meet the needs of those arouund him will be transformed into a vital ministry of the community. This is a pastor must read book!

I wish I had read this book when I was first starting out in ministry. It has empowered and reignited that God passion inside me to go beyond, "what we've always done" and stand up and really lead change! The principles and tools found inside this book are there for anyone to pick up and run with. A huge thank you to Pastor Slaughter for his visionary and courageous challenge for every church to 'Change the World'.