Customer Reviews

Invading Secular Space: Strategies for Tomorrow's Church

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Written by two missions and church planting experts, this interesting book is written for mission and church leaders considering how to foster church planting movements like those already flourishing in many parts of the world today. Their last three chapters contain elements needed to empower the laity for ministry and personal discipleship figures prominently. But the book is more a theoretical reflection than a practical study on how to raise up disciples. A stirring read for those with a burden for reaching this generation for Christ.
-Dennis McCallum, author Organic Disciplemaking: How to promote Christian leadership development through personal relationships, biblical discipleship, mentoring, and Christian community

Martin Robinson and Dwight Smith, Invading Secular Space: Strategies for Tomorrow's Church (London: Monarch, 2003)
These authors work together with the UK body Together in Mission which offers coaching, resources and training for remissionalisation and church planting. In this strategic book they clarify where church, mission and leadership needs to focus to follow Jesus' example of invading secular space. Church is not just about gathering people to sit and listen to a minister teach the Bible, and mission is not just about inviting people into sacred space - even if seeker-friendly. They identify reasons churches and denominations are ignoring the decline of the church, and argue that it is imperative to activate a movement of missional churches rather than just seeking new methods and programs. They argue that central to such a movement is intensive church planting and intentional leadership development of leaders prepared to burn the rule book and lead with generosity and authenticity to mobilize people and multiply missional congregations.

Originally reviewed for D Cronshaw "The Emerging Church: Pioneering Leadership and Innovation Reading Guide", Zadok Paper (Forthcoming 2010).

Although the basic idea, that we Christians must bring our message to the people rather than wait for them to wander into our church, is undoubtedly valid, the explanations of how to do this seem more theoretical than practical. Some current examples - both sucessful and not successful - would greatly aid application.