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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SImple Discipleship, December 20, 2009
This review is from: Simple Discipleship (Paperback)
Tom Cocklereece knows how to keep it simple! In his recently released book, Simple Discipleship, Tom provides "a framework for building your ministry process to effectively make disciples" (9). Tom gives a play-by-play game plan to move your church from complex to simple. The bridge of effectiveness from the old way of "making disciples" to the simple discipleship way is spiritual life coaching. Tom's simple process of discipleship "does not replace teaching materials per se, but instead provides a framework umbrella, matrix, and method that will help ministry leaders do simple church and discipleship" (22). A wise person once said, "It takes a good tool to do a good job." Simple Discipleship is a good tool that will raise the bar of discipleship in your church. Pastor Tom takes Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples to the next level. He does not only make a case that the Church must simplify but delivers a bullet proof plan on how to keep it simple. My highest recommendation for Simple Discipleship. If I were trapped on a deserted island and were only allowed to bring one book on discipleship, it would be Simple Discipleship! - Jess Bousa (church planter, pastor and author of The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God)
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Absolute MUST HAVE BOOK! Practicality at it's Finest!, May 12, 2010
This review is from: Simple Discipleship (Paperback)
As a pastor seeking to educate and truly grow disciples, I slipped into the rut of thinking that attendance and financial factors indicated growth. My view of discipleship was simple: Teach the word, and somehow people will grow. There was no real roadmap, no growth module, and certainly no way to really know what a member who has been at our church for any number of years really knows about the Gospel. We were beginning a never-ending cycle of come to church, hear the message, give offering, attend bible studies (maybe), and start all over again. I had enough. I prayed and earnestly sought God for a way out of the cycle that has preceded me with the three generations of Pastors before me. The answer was discipleship, but how? The answer very plainly is Simple Discipleship. Dr. Tom Cocklereece's book not only presents the "why", but in a detailed and extremely practical manner he presents what I strongly consider as a model of discipleship for the ages. Focusing on the quadrant of Word, Worship, Ministry, and Missions, people entering a church that utilizes this model will know from their first new member's orientation where they're headed, and how they'll get there. Too many churches can't answer that question, and in this age...we must present these answers if we're seeking real growth. The book, which I've read almost in one sitting, does a fair job of combining the key elements in works from Discipleship Predecessors such as Bill Hull, Thomas Rainer and Eric Geiger, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and others and masterfully condenses it into a model that every church can reach in a practical fashion, while allowing flexibility for Pastors and leaders to develop curriculum objectives that best fit their church's unique fingerprint and vision for their respective communities. The first half of the book deals with the Elements of Discipleship (very intriguing), and moves into the second half which is Implementing Simple Discipleship. Just a hands down model that I am confident (and please date this review) will sweep this nation and be utilized in some form or fashion in many many churches. I pray every Pastor reads it and has the courage to present this to their church. I am also humbled and grateful to God that I ran across this book at this early stage of its presentation! We are fully launching this program in July, our leaders are on board, and our community is in great expectation here in Baltimore of what we're about to do. I am also ordering copies for each leader on board, and will be bringing the author to Baltimore in the very near future to hopefully present this directly to Pastors in our area. This will not just be a "program" in our church...I plan to implement this structure as the backbone of our ministry. In fact, I've already secured permission to utilize some form of this logo as our church logo. I feel like I'm the 9th franchise owner of a new startup company called Starbuck's that not too many people have heard of yet! (How did that turn out, anyway?) GET. THE. BOOK. PLEASE. Don't thank me. Don't thank the author. Thank GOD for dropping such an amazingly practical gift through Dr. Tom for ALL of our churches to use regardless of denomination, affiliation, etc... God Bless You. Pastor Ken
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A guide for making disciples in the 21st Century, September 14, 2011
This review is from: Simple Discipleship (Paperback)
Does your church body set God-sized goals and pursue God-ordained passions? Or do they sit on the sidelines waiting for something miraculous to happen? Whose responsibility is it to instill a desire to follow where God is leading? Have churches today lost their focus? Do they disciple their flock so that they will mature into the Christians they are designed to be or do they let them sit in the pews week after week stalled and compromised? The average church member today believes that the church is not helping them grow. They aren't being taught how to stretch their faith and aren't being asked to expand their comfort zone. While more and more programs and a variety of worship choices are being implemented designed to bring more people into the church, they don't appear to be doing much more than that. "Simple Discipleship" is the tool that pastors and leadership teams to help implement Dr. Cocklereece's proven program to teach discipleship and help members grow into the people God created them to be. The program contains evaluation tools and a CD containing special materials for your church to use. Dr. Tom Cocklereece is a pastor and CEO of RENOVA Coaching and Consulting which provides values-based transformational ministry, leadership, executive, marriage and life coashing. He works with churches to implement this disciple-making paradigm and has a passion to serve in innovative ministry. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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