Customer Reviews

A Second Resurrection: Leading Your Congregation to New Life

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I just finished reading Second Resurrection and I found it very helpful. I believe every pastor who is interested in congregational turnaround will find it very helpful and encouraging.

Reading the book helped me re-affirm my call from Jesus to pastor churches in turnaround and it has given me the strength and courage to initiate the next push needed in congregational turnaround in the church that I pastor.

Reading Second Resurrection reminded me of the challenges that pastors are up against when they work toward congregational turnaround. It also helped me identify what I need to continue to do in order to be ready to do to faithfully follow Jesus' call to be a faithful and healthy disciple and pastor.

Easum divided the book into eleven chapters plus an epilogue. The chapters and epilogue are titled:

1. When It's Not a Matter of Sickness
2. Are We Spiritually Dead?
3. How Churches Die Spiritually
4. Turnaround Is an Eternal Issue
5. Leaders: It's Time to Die to Yourself
6. A Life Worth Watching
7. Resurrection Begins with You
8. Rolling Away the Stone
9. Life beyond the Tomb
10. Pastor, Are YOU Ready for Resurrection?
Epilogue: The Meaning of Faithfulness

In each chapter, Easum shares from his experience as a successful pastor and church consultant. Easum also included the real life experiences of women and men currently working in congregations to transform them from declining and dying congregations to vital and healthy congregations. I particularly found the spiritual health questionnaire in chapter 2 very helpful in discerning my own perception of the heath of the congregation I pastor.

Easum writes, "This book is not meant to be read by or with just anyone. It is meant to be read by a pastor and group of laypeople who long for
their church to turn around from its decline. Because of its frankness I suggest that a pastor read it first, then gather a group from the church ...who long for the turnaround, and read and discuss the book with them. Then begin the long journey of turnaround of the church.

Reading this book has helped me find the courage, energy, and strength to take the next step in transforming the congregation I serve as pastor. This has been the hardest stage in the turn around process thus far. Nevertheless, I've never felt more confident that I am following Jesus' call than I do right now. I believe that anyone who reads this book will have a similar experience.

I was challenged by Bill's title and intrigued by his thesis. It made sense, if the church is to awaken, it must be led by a pastor (and other leaders) who have been awakened; indeed, who have been resurrected to new life, new ideas, new paradigms. So far I am excited! But then it felt like it dragged. Emotionally charged sharing turned into matter-of-fact turnaround results. And the most successful idea seemed to be - to me - that the pastor should go out into the community, win a lot of people to Jesus Christ, bring them to his local church, and then the church can make its change.

I am still wrestling with this last concept. Am I supposed to be an evangelist or a shepherd? Should I spend my time listening to the Chief Shepherd through His Word and then on my face before a Holy God asking Him to bless His Word through my proclamation and teaching or should I invest myself personally in soup line serving and door-to-door witnessing in order to grow the church.

I was left a bit overwhelmed - maybe I need resurrection, according to the author - but with renewed enthusiasm for the calling of God to shepherd the body that I have been placed in to prepare her to meet her Bridegroom.

Few other people, if any, have the ability to cut to the chase and lay the truth on the line for churches better than Bill Easum. The diagnosis he makes of the core problem facing most churches in the Western culture generally and U.S. Churches in particular is right on the mark. Churches that are dead can't be transformed. They need resurrection.

Easum does not hold back any punches in saying how difficult it is for a congregation in decline to turn things around. Most pastors who attempt it will fail. It's not just difficult. It's impossible without deep spiritual life in Jesus Christ.

As Easum himself says, this book isn't for everyone. It's not intended to be. Don't expect to find the next wave of six easy steps to church growth. It's to let you know what you are in for if you believe God is calling you to lead a church to a place of resurrection, and how to discover the hope and courage to go for it.

If God has laid it on your heart that there's something desperately wrong in churches more concerned about themselves and their facilities than people living without Jesus in the world, and you can't stand by without at least trying to do something about it, don't wait another minute. Stop what you're doing NOW and get this book...and put its strong advice into action.

Every evangelical church says it is committed to Great Commission ministry, but how many truly are? This book is a wakeup call for the church and its leaders! Read with caution! It'll either change your church or cost you your church! I'd opt for the change! --Dr. Roger Haber, Central Baptist Church, Middleborough, MA

What a wonderful book for pastors and churches looking to hear God's call. Bill Easum says in this book what so many of us have wanted to say, "it's really all about Jesus." Easum gives great insight, wonderful helps, and ingredible inspiration. I'm having my staff and council read it.

The book was a very easy read but very challenging. By Easum's definition of a dead church, many or our churches, maybe even my church, is already dead. Easum is a bit radical in his recommendations, but then Jesus had that problem too.

I am glad I read it. I am encouraging our church leaders to read it. Let's deal with real issues instead of what the church kitchen should look like.