Customer Reviews

Church That Works: Your One-Stop Resource for Effective Ministry

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Church That Works: Your One-Stop Resource For Effective Ministry by Gary L. McIntosh (Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, La Mirada, California) is a useful advice guide for pastors. Topics covered include how to assess new ministry trends, welcoming and following up with newcomers to one's church, revitalizing a declining church, ministering across generations, leading and compensating one's staff, and much more. Of especial interest is the insight into the changes the Boomer generation have brought to American secular and religious society, reinventing and redefining even the stages of life. Emphasizing practical needs as surely as spiritual, Church That Works is an all-around excellent reference and resource, highly recommended for anyone charged with tending to the daily workings of a church or the spiritual needs of a congregation.

I thank my brother Pastor, Victor Lewis. He recommended this wonderful book as our ministry pondered the decision of moving to a second Sunday service. The insight that was given, truly Heaven sent. The author Gary McIntosh allowed the Spirit of the living God to use him mightly. The Zion Hill Baptist Church of Rodeo, CA is most assuredly indebted to God and this author. To God be the Glory!! Praise... His Holy Name!

I like many of the ideas for involving/reaching groups of people. That said, this book seems to be aimed at churches with money. Many of the ideas in here are not very feasible for a small church with limited budget and etcetera. That said, the most valuable resource in a church are the people, and a passionate, creative congregation will find ways to implement some of the strategies in this book.

The right tools can make an impossible job quite easy. The right tools are usually desinged by those people who have gone before us and attempted to do the task at hand before we did. Gary McIntosh gives good practical tools to be used for church growth. He lays out his tools of experience in simple short chapters that can be picked up and used with ease.