Unlearning Church: Just When You Thought You Had Leadership All Figured Out [Hardcover]

Michael Slaughter (Author), Warren Bird (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764422979 | ISBN-13: 978-0764422973 | Publication Date: December 1, 2001

You were born to be an original, not a copy. So was your church. It's time to break the rules...about the church...about leadership...about penetrating postmodern culture with God's purposes. It's time to unLearn "church." In this book, Mike Slaughter, Chief Dreamer of the renowed Ginghamsburg Church, shares a liberty non-model for emerging churches. Churches that lovingly dare to shoulder spiritual and prophetic leadership in our rapid-change culture. Led by leaders who want to flourish in their giftedness and God-given purpose-those not satisfied with being a leadership "clone." unLearning Church will equip you to:

*Recognize how your specific call and distinguishing gift mix can serve as a dynamic catalyst for visualizing and creating alternate pathways of ministry in your community.
*Articulate God's ancient purposes to today's postmodern world.
*Gaze boldly beyond franchised church models to a clear vision for how the Holy Spirit is empowering you and your church to demonstrate the kingdom of God.
*Create environments where people can become radical followers of Jesus Christ.

Find and follow God's directive for your church. Go beyond knowning and believing God's truth to experiencing and demonstrating God's Presence. Break the rules. Start unLearning "church."

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you want to know what kind of church is emerging next, read this book. -- Kirbyjon Caldwell, Senior Pastor, Windsor Village UMC

The well-researched messages of unLearning Church should be carefully heeded. -- George H. Gallup, Jr., The Gallup Organization

You'll discover truths that'll have you shouting for joy, and then be compelled to your knees. -- Wayne Cordeiro, Senior Pastor, New Hope Christian Fellowship

About the Author

Michael Slaughter, Chief Dreamer of Ginghamsburg Church, is a catalyst for change in the worldwide church. His dynamic teaching, heart for the lost and innovative approach to ministry has led Ginghamsburg Church to outgrow all paradigms for a church in a cornfield. Mike's call to "afflict the comfortable" and "comfort the afflicted" will challenge attendees to wrestle with God and their God-destinies.

Warren Bird researches cutting-edge churches and works with their leaders to multiple their evangelistic and disciple-making impact. He has collaboratively authored or edited 10 books and more than 100 magazine articles on topics of church health, church growth, evangelism, or small groups.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Group Pub Inc (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764422979
• ISBN-13: 978-0764422973
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #963,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to Unlearn, June 8, 2007

By 

Charles A. Bledsoe "Helping Others Change the... (Commerce Township, Michigan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unlearning Church: Just When You Thought You Had Leadership All Figured Out (Hardcover)

I usually read a book of 175 pages in 2 - 5 days, however it took me 3 weeks to read this book. The reason is because I had to stop and think, ponder and strive to understand how the principles presented would change my life and ministry. I read many paragraphs 2 or 3 times as I hungered to ingest and internalize these "street level" principles for ministry that really touches people where they live. I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels unchalleged by the ministries and purpose of their local church. "Unlearning Church" is a book that will stir your heart to both experience and live out real faith and purpose.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wake up or Stay Dead, March 14, 2002

By 

Jim Donovan (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unlearning Church: Just When You Thought You Had Leadership All Figured Out (Hardcover)

It's time for church leadership to wake up and see that those they want to reach for Chrisitianity are DIFFERENT than they are! Younger, in-touch with today's communications venues - but yearning for God (just as many of us have been). Slaughter uses vivid examples of how some churches have woken up to this fact. And, in a lively writing and textual font style of presentation brings this point home. As an older (age 50+) church leader my eyes are beginning to open. And,as Slaughter points out, a whole new adventure is beginning. Jesus Christ was, and is relevant - a simple fact not to be forgotten.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars no more McChurch, December 15, 2004

By 

J. Johnson "Allman Brothers obsessive" (Manassas, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unlearning Church: Just When You Thought You Had Leadership All Figured Out (Hardcover)

Mike Slaughter has been one of the most articulate voices of the emerging church movement and his work at Ginghamsburg UMC has been liberating for many of us in the mainline denominationns.

Slaughter emphasizes the need to develop a church that takes seriously the mission to embody Christ in a way that responds to the culture the church finds itself in. This is more than the use technology and contemporary stuff approach, moving on to an organic embodiment of the kingdom. Slaughter says that the answers of Ginghamsburg are not necessarily your (or my) answers as that may not be authentic for our situation. He says to do this we have to unlearn church as we know it.

He mixes his insights with stories of churches that he considers to be effectively unlearning church and a series of questions at the end of each chapter to encourage the reader to actively unlearn what he/she "knows" to be true

My only problem with the book is that I've heard it in so many venues that it did not seem new, but that is more my issue than Slaughter's