Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference [Hardcover]

Neil Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Christians today are on a rescue mission. Each of us is called to get involved in God's plan to make disciples. A former California lifeguard, Neil Cole weaves together his personal experiences of saving lives with biblical principles for how to make and multiply disciples. Cole shows how to create Life Transformation Groups that can help a Christian grow in a safe and transparent relationship with one or two other spiritual pilgrims. Full of heroic and even humorous stories, Search and Rescue captures readers' imaginations and hearts and doesn't let go until they want to make a difference and know how to go about doing it.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A Tool for Rescue Neil Cole has discovered a simple and powerful tool for accomplishing the task of making and multiplying committed disciples. He calls this method the Life Transformation Group (LTG). The LTG is a group of two or three people who meet together weekly for three essential disciplines: confession of sin, steady intake of Scripture, and prayer for others who need Christ. The genius of the LTG is that it is simple and transferable, making it naturally self-proliferating and an appropriate tool for any cultural or church context. Outlining this system, Search & Rescue will benefit pastors, church leaders, and anyone interested in fulfilling the Great Commission.

From the Back Cover

The world needs heroes. Are you one of them? Church planter and pastor Neil Cole knows about saving lives: he is a former California beach lifeguard. In Search & Rescue, he takes the lessons learned from that experience and applies them to our mission of rescuing people from darkness and leading them into the kingdom of God. Cole presents a passionate and moving plea to continue the work of rescue, along with a simple, proven plan for doing so: the Life Transformation Group. "Simple, uncluttered, apostolic, organic, and eminently doable. I heartily recommend this book to you."--From the foreword by Alan Hirsch, author, The Forgotten Ways and The Shaping of Things to Come "Neil has written a much-needed book. More than raising up pastors and church leaders, the key issue today is raising up disciples if we want to see lives changed and radical transformations take place in our society. What Neil recommends makes a difference."--Bob Roberts, pastor, NorthWood Church; author, Transformation, Glocalization, and The Multiplying Church "Search & Rescue actually works. Neil Cole's network of friends and co-workers is the fastest-growing informal fellowship of believers in the Western world. Why? Because it instantly attracts every person who desires an exciting role as a genuine hero in the greatest adventure of our time."--James Rutz, author, Megashift "In this practical book, Neil gives you everything you need to start patrolling your own beach if you want to get serious about lifesaving efforts."--Reggie McNeal, author, The Present Future "Warning! This is not another self-help book; it will challenge you to save others' lives. If you read it, believe it, and do it, God will use your life to change the world."--Jaeson Ma, lead director, Campus Church Networks; author, The Blueprint "Cole makes Christian disciple making come alive. A captivating story that is solidly biblical and down to earth, with practical application. Right on target!"--Robert E. Coleman, distinguished professor of evangelism and discipleship, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; author, The Master Plan of Evangelism

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801013097
• ISBN-13: 978-0801013096
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #489,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Neil Cole was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. While studying at CSULB he encountered the Good News of Jesus Christ and turned his life over to Him, never looking back. His journey in God's kingdom brought him to serve in a mega church, a local community church and now small rapidly multiplying organic churches that meet in homes, campuses and places of business all over the world. Neil travels around the world sowing the seeds of God's kingdom, catalyzing the development of organic church networks and coaching leaders. He has been married for over 27 years to Dana and has three adult children--Heather, Erin and Zach.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reminder on discipleship fundamentals, February 23, 2009

By 

mikeandleslie "mikeandleslie" (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference (Hardcover)

I was introduced to the principles in the 2nd half of the book earlier in my church planting journey. I only wish I paid closer attention back then. I simply didn't have the maturity and perspective to see disciple-making at the core of church planting. Despite having two seminary masters' degrees and being a favored student in my church planting classes, four years into my first planting experience I came to the shocking realization that I didn't know how to make disciples outside of "preach it; program it, and they will come."

Cole's books have been a God-send to me to help me think about disciple-making as Jesus and Paul did it, and also to help me think about biblical values like multiplication and reproducibility. Search and Rescue is his most updated treatise on the fundamentals of disciple-making that provides us with an updated example of his movement's disciple-making tool (the Life Transformation Group) that is being used all over the world. Whether people in urban Western settings to people in the African bush, thousands upon thousands of men and women are using this simple, reproducible tool to make more and stronger disciples everywhere. It seems to me the closest thing to what John Wesley and the Circuit Riders used to disciple those were coming to Jesus en masse: leaderless, simple, obedience-oriented, and reproducible. I see their value, not only as a student of history, theology and mission, but also as a practicing pastor/church-planter. We introduced LTGs organically into our church community and began watching people start to do crazy missional things like ministering to day workers, the homeless, under-performing elementary schools. Cell group material and scads and scads of expository sermons never activated these same people into such action that have been sustained for nearly two years to date.

I wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone who is looking to get back to the basics and learn from someone who is a proven disciple-maker and has learned from some of the best thinkers on disciple-making movements from a biblical and missiological perspective -- be it Roland Allen, Thom Wolf and church planting guru, George Patterson. Anyone looking for the next cool and trendy program or strategy will be utterly disappointed. Anyone looking, however, to launch movements of Jesus-followers that spread like a virus would do well to read this book.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deja Vu, April 15, 2008

By 

Jeremy D. Myers "Writing at Till He Comes .org" (Westtown, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference (Hardcover)

I love everything by Neil Cole, and this book is no different. If you've never read anything by him, this is the book to read.

However, if you read Cultivating a Life for God and/or Organic Church this book will be full of deja vu. Aside from numerous new stories about life guarding, this book is basically just an updated remix of these two previous books.

Nevertheless, though I have read his other books, I was still glad to read this one because it helped remind me of the important concepts that Cole presents.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discipleship IS the key, September 25, 2009

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Janice Price - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference (Hardcover)

I am so impressed with Neil Cole. After seeing him at our denominational spring conference, I became convinced of his direction. God has planted within him a desire for Kingdom growth by following Christ's last words to us- to make disciples. We have gotten off track by promoting programs and increasing church sizes, but we have not nurtured disciples who in turn are capable of multiplying themselves through the Holy Spirit. I can't wait to read his other books.