Customer Reviews

The Kingdom Experiment

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This book is great for any person, those who have been Christians their entire life or are just starting their journey in the faith. It breaks down the scripture into chewable bites and gives tangible ways for the reader to live it out. The book will work best with a group of people so they can encourage one another to take advantage of the ideas within the text. I have used it with Seniors in high school and they made a great connection with it and we did many of the examples that were given on how to live out the beatitudes. Once again I would recommend this book for any group of people who are looking for ways to live out their faith in a real way.

To write a small group discussion/activity guide based on the Beatitudes is an ambitious and challenging thing.

It seems like a great idea though, and after reading The Kingdom Experiment (HOUSE Studio) by Bruce Nutter, Liz Perry, and Rachel McPherson I am convinced of just how good of an idea it is.

The book is part Biblical study, part activity guide, and part self-reflection, moving with enough white space to keep the creatives engaged and enough direct instruction to keep the detail-oriented folks happy.

The book consists of eight chapters, one for each of the Beatitudes, with a reading for the specific Beatitude that chapter deals with. The readings are brief, and some of them leave room for criticism only because they aren't exhaustive Biblical studies. They are complete in so far as they engage the reader on the basic premise of Jesus' teaching. The reading is followed by two discussion questions and then a list of practical activities and journaling exercises intended to help the group members engage more deeply with the material.

The material is definitely appropriate for a wide audience and if group members take on eight of the activities, as suggested in the introduction, for each chapter the book will create a significant level of challenge as the activities bring us face to face with the ways that our daily rhythms and habits are out of sync with the world Jesus is envisioning in the Beatitudes. I believe this guide is accessible enough to be used by any group, even those with varying demographics, but I do believe it appeals to a younger audience as much of it is geared toward engaging technology and speaking into rhythms and habits that suit those living south of Generation X.

The downside of this material is that the discussion questions may not be enough to provide enough discussion for an entire group time. Two questions, given the size and engagement of any particular group, could pass rather quickly and then the group is left to figure out how to interact with the material. However, the activities that span the time between meetings are so solid that a group starting this study will find themselves talking about their experiences from the previous week and skipping the discussion questions altogether.

Overall, this is a fantastically challenging study and any group going through it will find themselves confronted with the goodness and beauty that is, to quote Richard Rohr, "Jesus' plan for a new world."

This book moves beyond typical small group/Sunday School curriculum. In taking a look at the Beatitudes the reader (and group) are challenged to find ways to embody the beatitudes by changing their routines, trying something new, stretching themselves, or seeking an adventure.
Each chapter has a number of "experiments" to choose from that will challenge you during the week. Reviewing the experiments and what insights you gleaned lead to incredible group discussion and lead to deeper community and spiritual discipline.
Also check out the Mosaic Experiment and the Sinai Experiment from House Studio for similarly great material.

So many of the books we discuss in my small group at church simply remain discussion points. The Kingdom Experiment actually encourages you to move the discussion into tangible reality. It inspires you to give thought on how to live out the Beatitudes in your daily life. Actions are always the best witness and this book equips followers of Christ to humble themselves and begin acting their faith out in our communities in loving ways.

I really like this book because it was a good book that shows the be-attitudes. It has a really good disccusions topic for all the beattitudes, but I think that they should of put more discussion topics. I think that this is a good book for college age students but it has lots of try its for outside the class. It was a good book, but their should be more online disscusions

We used this study for our Young Adults Group & found it to be a fresh and fun study on the Beatitudes. The study includes practical concepts that are presented in an engaging way for an adult group. It uses some terminology that may be a bit advanced for a younger age group (like the teens). The study has good away from class exercises for practical application. The study has good lessons, but we would have liked more in-class discussions/ participation. The studies and discussions were insiteful. We would have liked a summary/ review lesson to wrap up the study, but the class thoroughly enjoyed the study. We look forward to seeing more studies along this line.

I only skimmed through it, but it looks really great for small groups who want to live intentionally. I passed it onto a friend who I thought would get some use out of it.

What a great book for those interested in "Living the Kingdom of God"! There are lots folks in every church across the country who are just plain bored. The Kingdom Experiment is a certain cure for this disease. Think of it as "Disciple Training Boot Camp". Some of the challenges are more inviting than others... but that's what makes it a great experiment. My only criticism: daily scripture guides would have been a nice addition. All in all... awesome!

Finally a great group exercise that truly challenges people not only to engage the Word of God with our minds and hearts but also with our hands and feet. If the gospel is not embodied in our communities and our world, can we truly say that we believe/understand it? The Kingdom Experiment will be a refreshing exercise for those who have grown tired of simply talking about God's Word and want to see it lived out!

have been talking to the authors at their booth at General Assembly and Coferences 2009. Exciting what these guys are trying to accomplish. Truly living the life of the kingdom is something difficult for us to grasp in the 21st century. I think this book will give us a great jumping off point to become the Church Christ has called us to be.