Customer Reviews

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Author Robert Schnase offers one compelling perspective of "best practices" in congregational settings.

The five best practices (my terminology, not Schnase's) are:

* Radical hospitality
* Passionate worship
* Intentional faith development
* Risk-taking mission and service
* Extravagant generosity

Not a cookbook, but an effective blueprint for how churches can grow and thrive. This was the reading for a small 5-week study group I joined at church and it made for terrific discussion.

One problem might be if congregations take this book and turn it into an extensive checklist for congregational success. The idea is that these practices flow out of Christian love and faithfulness, not that this is a template for every church to ape; that at least is my perspective on "Five Practices." This, however, is no criticism of Schnase but rather how some churches might take and try to use the book.

To get some great ideas on applying CPR to stagnant congregations - or to take a strong congregation to "the next level" - I'd highly recommend "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations,"

I got this for an adult Sunday School class, and we all like it so much that we are thinking about making it part of our new member orientation.
It is an outstanding book, along with the prayer book, to get folks out of the pews and doing God's work in the community.

I had great hopes for using this as a Lenten study, but I would never ask people to spend so much time reading something which has a very good premise but takes way too long to get through. I like the five ideas, but the coherence through the chapters is lacking, except for constant repitition. We get it already. I'm sorry to sound harsh, but I was really disappointed. However, it is also too United Methodist for an ecumenical audience. Keep pursuing the ideas.

The five practices apply to your congregation, but they also apply without much difficulty to most businesses. This is a great good book ... written well with valuable specific examples. Pick it up! Books like this don't come along that often.

We know what we've been doing is no longer working, but where does one go for guideance?

Our church board is using this book to begin a discussion on becoming a church that is
faithful to our calling to make disciples and fruitful as this book outlines.

We've had a couple lively, productive discussions. So we are on our way!

Though not always a fan of those books which begin with five, ten, twelve etc., but particular book is good. It has idead, concepts and ways in which churces can provide radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith developoment, rick-taking mission and services and extravagant generosity. This is no easy task but it is undertaken and done well.

A good read.

J. Robert Ewbank, author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

The author identifies, and helpfully describes and discusses, five practices that contribute to faithful and effective (fruitful) congregations: radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity. Our Council used this book to stimulate retreat conversations that proved productive.

Bishop Schnase details five practices that he thinks are essential for a growing, vital church. He uses adjectives like Radical (for hospitality), Passionate (for worship), Intentional (for faith development), Risk-taking (for mission and service) and Extravagant (for generosity), intended to arouse emotions that lead to a response. Many of his ideas are not new, but he does present them in a way that makes them more contemporary.

Great information but very wordy and somewhat repetitious. I recommend it for the basic concepts, which are well thought-out and timely, but be prepared to wade through the same information over and over again.

I purchase a additional copy for my church's library. If you ever wanted to jump start your church into the world of outreach this is the book. It is the best motivational book that's on the market today.