Customer Reviews

There's a Sheep in my Bathtub: Birth of a Mongolian Church Planting Movement

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Brian Hogan, the author of "There's a Sheep in My Bathtub", contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing his book. He sent me a copy and the book is certainly a lively narrative of one American family's journey around the world in an effort of reaching those that are literally unreached.

Those of you that enjoy this blog would likely enjoy Brian's book as well. As you learn about the Hogan's story, fundamental cross cultural concepts such as partnership, contextualization, leadership, and team dynamics are all illustrated. Theirs is a story that is inspirational, challenging, and at times, totally heartbreaking. It details the crazy things some people do when they are compelled by a love for others and is a total example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

When I train new church planters headed for unreached people groups, I tell then that if they are successful, the churches that result will make the church planters uncomfortable. If a church takes on an indigenous character, then it will be outside the comfort zone of the apostolic messengers. It will seem weird to the missionaries.

Uncomfortable, apostolic, weird - yup, you would like this book too.

- tony sheng
student ministry global catalyst
http://tonytsheng.blogspot.com

From the odd premise depicted on the cover (with a very practical purpose) to the poignant and heart-rending personal story near the end, "There's a Sheep in My Bathtub" is a great read for those who are curious about life for a missionary family in a remote outpost or intrigued by cross-cultural living among an isolated people group or just fascinated by the mysterious and austere world of the legendary Genghis Kahn and the Mongolian Empire.

This story is very well written, highly interesting and inspiring. Hogan treats the divine and the mundane with the same honesty and straightforward tone. The Hogans' experiences preparing for careers in cross-cultural missions among the Navajo, their serial frustration dealing with the Chinese government on their way into Mongolia (all accepted with rare patience and wit), strange tales of Californians adjusting, "on the fly," to the Mongolian culture and climate (which, being from Central Wisconsin I can understand), and the mix of disappointment and triumph in personal relationships kept me reading past my bedtime most nights.

Buy it! Read it! Enjoy it! Pass it On (or keep it and buy another to pass on!)

What I do in training church missions strategists and church planting movements have something in common; both are difficult to explain succinctly. Brian Hogan's autobiographical account of his family's adventures in moving to East Asia and planting multiplying churches there now provide me a reference to point to for CP movements.

No dry, textbook explanations here. In fact, the beginnings of the movement, as described by Hogan, defied church planting theory initially. But the Hogans and their team of expatriate and local workers persevered and saw great fruit. Inspirational - and sad, in parts (Hogan's baby died shortly after being born in Mongolia)- THERE'S A SHEEP IN MY BATHTUB is a real modern-day, pioneering missions story that entertains as well as educates.

After decades of planting churches, if not by the sword, at least by bribery, Christians really need to seriously rethink their great commission strategies. This is one of those books that goes beyond conventional (and usually pretty boring) missionary "this is how I did it" tales, to exploring new horizons in church planting. It was incredibly uplifting and encouraging, especially with many books of the same type - "When Helping Hurts," "The Great Omission" - that contain wonderful theories, but are just that: theories. Not to say that theory isn't great, to build a foundation, but you always end up wondering what, exactly, it looks like in real life.
Brian taught at a Perspectives course that I was able to sit in about half of, and his amusing anecdotes and fascinating conclusions were just as interesting in the book as in real life. Having lived on a foreign mission field, I can relate to his cultural (and linguistic) difficulties; and the triumphs that small mission team experienced, by doing God's work God's way, is enthusing. This is what church planting is really supposed to look like.

I happen to live near Brian and Louise and they are the real deal. No fluff or artifice here. You will LOVE this story.

You will laugh and cry as you walk with the Hogan family in the early 90s as a church is just beginning in frigid Mongolia. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, with both hilarity and great suffering. Through the dedication of His people, God is miraculously at work in the world in our own day. This is missions on the edge. I highly recommend it.

Brian Hogan has written an intimate account of reaching the Mongolian people with the message of Jesus Christ. He talks about successes and failures to show how believers in Christ can show themselves within their own culture, not merely a transplanted expression from the Western church.

Brian Hogan's story paints a picture of life walking by faith. This book will have you laughing and crying as you share the Hogan's adventure of taking God's love to Mongolia.

Brian Hogan is such a good story teller. I appreciated his honesty and realistic view of missions. He is truly inspirational.

Brian Hogan has written a missiologoical work on church planting that is down-to-earth, inspirational, poignant, and easy to read. He draws you in as he recounts his personal adventures, but, even more important, are the principles that he brings out.
If you have an interest in missions and/or indiginous church planting, than this story of seeing a people group movement initiated is a must read. I have personally seen missionaries and church planters inspired and challenged by the story Brian tells in this book and the lessons that can be gleaned from it.