Dancing with Dinosaurs: Ministry in a Hostile & Hurting World [Paperback]

William Easum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1993

Before long, many of our Christian congregations will be perceived as sentimental creatures who are studied primarily as skeletons in the halls of museums. The church is in danger of becoming a dinosaur, according to church consultant William Easum. We live in a secular or unchurched world, but the church continues to develop ministries as if the church were in charge of a churched society. Dancing with Dinosaurs will help pastors and church leaders to plant culturally relevant congregations, explore first-century Christian communities as the primary model for viable congregations, and challenge complacent, arrogant assumptions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687316790
• ISBN-13: 978-0687316793
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,366,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Easum has a thirty year track record of growing congregations in two denominations. His last church, which he pastored for twenty-four years, grew to the largest United Methodist Church in South Texas. The past twenty years, Bill has served as a consultant to congregations and denominations. In 1986 he founded 21st Century Strategies. Bill has personally worked in over 700 congregations, some of which are the largest in the nation, and has taught hundreds of thousands of leaders (client list http://easumbandy.com/services/consultations/our_list_of_clients/). Bill is the author of more than a dozen best selling books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too limited a view, August 29, 1998

By 

Stuart P. Ray ([e-mail]) (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dancing with Dinosaurs: Ministry in a Hostile & Hurting World (Paperback)

I do agree with William Easum's basic assumptions, that "todays" church is in trouble and can not survive with it's current set of paradigms and practices. What troubles me is the fact the Mr. Easum does not address more current change management processes, the role of seminaries in preparation of clergy, the lack of leadership development practices, nor the antiquated governance systems employed in must church institutes. I would also encourage readers to develop a full understanding of the history of this country, as Mr. Easum also urges, and the period of time from now to the mid-2000's before engaging in a large scale change process. One might read a book entitled the "Fourth Turning".

Though I agree with most of the content, I would have liked to have seen a more systemic approach to the illes that not only effect the church, but all institutions as we know them.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading for pastors and laity alike., December 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Dancing with Dinosaurs: Ministry in a Hostile & Hurting World (Paperback)

Dancing with Dinosaurs hits the nail on the head on the subject of the problems that the Church is facing and will face in the near future. William Easum displays a clarity of thought and writing that would be more refreshing if the subject mater were less threatening. I found this work to be needed reading in order to, not just sound the alarm but to examine the nature of it as well. On the issues of Easum's solutions I am not fully convinced that his directions are the best. I did find much to think about from this book and would recommend it to pastors and laity alike.