10 Great Ideas from Church History: A Decision-Maker's Guide to Shaping Your Church [Paperback]

Mark Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 1997

Tired of following the latest church-growth fad? In many churches, building vision means embracing the ideas of the latest guru and jumping from one program to another. Ministry decisions are made according to the crisis of the moment or the pressures of the bottom line. Long-term planning can seem like an impossible dream. This book offers something different. Here are ideas that have stood the test of time--ideas from the most significant Christian leaders of the last five hundred years. Your church can implement key strategies from the lives and writings of the reformers:

• Gain a vision for truth.
• Renew your quest for holiness.
• See how delighting in God will inspire your worship.
• Bring renewal with a biblical model of revival.
• Build leaders with a time-tested plan for discipleship.
• Energize your vision for missions.
• Grow together with key principles of Christian community.

And who makes up the panel of expert consultants who will guide your vision for lasting change? None other than Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, William Carey, John Wesley, Richard Baxter, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and more. Each of the ten great ideas found in this book provides a biblically based and historically rooted vision for your church over the long haul. Do you want to revitalize the work of your church? Here are ten of the best ways in history to make it happen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this book Mark Shaw flogs the currently unfashionable idea that the past might actually be important for the present. His notion that Christians today might actually have something to learn from long-dead grey beards of Protestantism--like Martin Luther and John Calvin--or from long-forgotten names like William Perkins and Jeremiah Burroughs may at first not seem plausible. But give him a chance. Let him show you how teaching church history in both the United States and Kenya has instructed him about connections between past and present. You will be surprised. You will be challanged. You will be enlightened. You may even be transformed in your Christian life." ----Mark Noll, Francis McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame

About the Author

Mark Shaw (Th.D., Westminster Theological Seminary), along with his wife, Lois, and their two children, is a missionary with Africa Inland Mission. Since 1996 he has taught history and theology at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in Kenya. Previously he taught at Scott Theological College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (February 27, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 083081681X
• ISBN-13: 978-0830816811
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #443,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Shaw is the Director of the World Christianity programme at Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya. He has studied world Christianity at the University of Edinburgh (MTh) and the history of Christianity at Westminster Theological Seminary (ThD). Mark is the author of a number of books including Ten Great ideas from Church history (IVP) and The Kingdom of God in Africa: A Short history of African Christianity. He and his wife Lois currently reside in Kenya where they have lived and worked for twenty five years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Foundation, Inspiring Vision, June 13, 2009

By 

Sean Eddy "Pastor Sean" (Billings, MT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 10 Great Ideas from Church History: A Decision-Maker's Guide to Shaping Your Church (Paperback)

When considering various books and other resources for our vision casting as a local church leadership team, I came across this interesting title. As I looked into it further, I discovered that our team (and me, personally) had been looking at the "Vision" paradigm for local church ministry from the context of the last ten years or so. The books, articles, speakers, conferences of the last ten years are very, VERY similar, but often very, VERY shallow and man-centered (although Bible verses abound to show at least some attempt to include God). The key aspect that caused me to purchase this title was that these were people who had lived out what we are endeavoring to do, from a biblical base/foundation, and without the "bells and whistles" of our contemporary evangelical world. The "Ideas" of the book are key principles from the lives and learning of some of the greatest Christian leaders of history. With vibrant faith and often bull-dogged determination, these leaders displayed the power of God in personal and inspiring manner. This book cuts through the fluff and reminds us that building the church is God's work, and He chooses to reach the world through people who are fully surrendered to His Spirit's control and guidance. I invite local church leaders (pastors, Elders, Vision-casting teams, etc.) to consider this resource when they are seeking to follow God's Vision for the local church.

1.0 out of 5 stars Only men have lessons to teach???, December 12, 2011

By 

Philip Powell (Harpenden, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 10 Great Ideas from Church History: A Decision-Maker's Guide to Shaping Your Church (Paperback)

I just would like to know why the author hasn't included any woman in his list of lesson-givers. I haven't yet read the book but hopefully will read it soon.