Customer Reviews

UnLearning Church: New Edition

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This is a great book for the post-modern church. We all fall into bad habits and tend to stick with the ways of the past. Mike Slaughter wants us to break free and do church in new and innovative ways that reach differing pockets of society that the "church" typically overlooks. This book is a must read for every pastor and church-goer. I highly recommend this book. I know it led me to rethink what I am doing in my congregation.

Michael Slaughter, unLearning Church: Just When You Thought You Had Leadership All Figured Out (Loveland: Group, 2002)

Slaughter is the chief dreamer at Ginghamsburg Church, a catalyst for change among the new [...] style group of unique churches emerging in North America. Rather than duplicating church-growth models of last century, he champions leaving behind old labels, engaging the senses with technology and multimedia, allowing grace-space for paradox and hard questions, building a culture of innovation, focusing on those not yet at the table and leading from your example and passion. He suggests emerging churches will be built not by CEO pastors but spiritual visionaries who listen to God, paint a future full of promise, and empower laypeople for service. From eyes wide shut to arms wide open, he says we have a lot to unlearn and a lot to learn about radically demonstrating the love of Jesus in the world.

Originally reviewed for D Cronshaw "The Emerging Church: Pioneering Leadership and Innovation Reading Guide", Zadok Paper (Forthcoming 2010).

Church as we know it is not working, yet we continue to do the same thing in the same way and expect to get different results. Some call that the definition of insanity, I call it the Epidemy of Stupidity. Either way, why continue to do something that is not working. People often say they don't like change, but change happens. Do you still have an outhouse at Your house? Do you drive a car, have a microwave? Change is good when it improves a situation. Mike Slaughter is an innovator when it comes to how to Do church and how Not to do church. I have had the opportunity to live in the area where Mike Slaughter has grown a church. Although I have never been a member of Ginghamsburg Church, as I belonged to other churches or have been a Pastor in another church, I have participated in the life of the church from time to time. To grow the church, people needed to be grown into relationship with God. This did not occur overnight. Fifteen years ago, my kids and I attended regularly on Saturday night while continuing at our own church on Sundays. Mike preached on accountability. Almost every week that theme was in the midst of worship. He was preparing people for change. Now he has people realizing that "Christmas is Not YOUR Birthday" which is another great book by this author. This church has changed many lives for the kingdom of God. Many examples of how churches Unlearned church are given in this book. I highly recommend this book.

Churches aren't always comfortable with change, but Michael Slaughter says you have to be willing to change the way you do things to reach people for Christ. He's not talking about changing our theology, he's talking about the way worship and evangelism are carried out. He's convinced the megachurch model is dying and that now we must experiment with online services, multisite services, small groups, etc.

Author Mike Slaughter presents many ideas for rethinking church community and the importance that relationships play in both church growth and stability. Ideal reading and study for clergy and lay persons alike.