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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Practical, Biblical, and packed with information., January 14, 2009
This review is from: Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods (RE: Lit: Vintage Jesus) (Hardcover)
Vintage Church, the third book from Driscoll/Breshears, combines scriptural insight with practical suggestions on how to be the church in the 21st century. The chapters on preaching, discipline, love, being missional, and transforming culture in particular are very helpful. I realize I just listed half the book as being my favorite part, but it's that sort of book :)
Three things that were especially helpful about this book:
- footnotes rather than endnotes, thanks for that...
- the "common questions" sections were very helpful (while Death By Love might be Driscoll's best work to date, some of the question sections in that book were pretty obscure)
- LISTS. All the way through the book you find principals of this, characteristics of that, ways to do this or that... and they're profoundly helpful to think through the different aspects of everything that is discussed. Because there's so many of them, though, I'd suggest reading through the book once and then working back through all of the lists scattered through the various chapters, to get a fuller sense of where your church is in relation to the ideas presented in the book.
A valuable resource, and I eagerly await Religion Saves and Doctrine.
T
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
They Don't Teach This Stuff In Bible College, February 24, 2009
This review is from: Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods (RE: Lit: Vintage Jesus) (Hardcover)
Much is made about the Church, why it exists in its different forms, and where it is inevitably heading. Driscoll and Breshears tackle this and much more in this book. They start with the foundation of the Church (Jesus) and move out to ecclesiology, methodology, love, discipline, sacraments, and technology.
At first, I felt as though the book was an apologetic or defense against George Barna's book Pagan Christianity, a book which does a fine job at undermining the Church and causing division amongst God's people.
This book would make a great text for any serious church planter or seminary student. Every chapter is fully fleshed out well and they leave very few stones unturned. Since I have started pastoring (is "pastoring a word?) a church, I have thought things like; "they do not teach you that in Bible College." This book teaches you the things Bible Colleges leave out. In case you may have missed a point, at the end of each chapter is a question and answer session to help further the discussion and put a seal on anything that might not have been explained well in the preceding pages.
That is one of two points I really found where the book could use improvement. There were many pages in which the point felt over-explained. As I was reading through it, I couldn't help but think to myself, "I got the point, let's move on." I know there are some out there who take longer to get the point or who like to have things explained as thoroughly as possible, but those people are not me.
The second nitpick I had (and this truly is a nitpick) was the assumption that churches had the same resources as Mars Hill (Mark's church) has in regards to technology and programmers. I think of the struggles I have had with my own church's website and I am a programmer. I can only imagine churches that do not have a web developer working for them. I do understand the role technology plays in churches and the need to harness it and use it. Like I said, nitpick, I know.
I give this book Four out of Five Stars. It is well worth the read if you are planting a church, running a church, serving in a church, or a member of a church. I highly recommend it.
-Don-
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Handbook for Biblical Ministry, February 18, 2009
This review is from: Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods (RE: Lit: Vintage Jesus) (Hardcover)
It is very appropriate and timely for Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears to release a book on church ministry. Driscoll has become a bit of a model for young church planters through his Acts 29 network and various conference appearances. Therefore, a consolidated `volume' if you will is welcomed.
As with previous books from the authors' pens Vintage Church is intensely practical. Mars Hill Church in Seattle is the reoccurring lab of reference for church ministry. This is extremely helpful in a book like this seeing that it gives a lot of flesh and bones to the biblical priorities outlined.
If you were critical of some of Driscoll's previous books due to language or questionable references (as I was with Vintage Jesus) you will have little to complain about here. From my perspective this is the type of product that really quiets and encourages sincere critics who want to see Driscoll's work used greatly in the church. If you are a Driscoll hater, well, he couldn't do or say much that would ever satisfy you. The writing style remains engaging, biblical, funny, and real; which are all virtues from Driscoll's pen.
One of the main strengths of the book is the way in which the authors tackle weighty ecclesiastical issues without flinching. Chapters like, Who is Supposed to Lead a Church?, Why is Preaching Important?, What is Church Discipline?, and What is a Missional Church? are not necessarily soft chapters. The authors deal with the issues biblically and tactfully. And this is where I find real encouragement in this book. This book will be read by thousands of young church planters over the next decade. Let's face it, as helpful as Dever's 9Marks or MacArthur's Master's Plan for the Church are, the book that young guys will be turning to, by virtue of Driscoll's popularity and influence, is Vintage Church. Chapters on the necessity of male eldership, church discipline and biblical ministry are so needed today. So, I for one am thankful that the book is well done, devoid of statements that promote immaturity, and centered on biblical ministry.
I should also say that I felt that some of the previous works were not as theologically tight as one might prefer. However, in this book the authors, on many occasions, find themselves saying a whole lot in a short space. For example in the chapter What is a Christian Church? the authors spend a good page talking about the distinction between the Nation of Israel and the Church. I really appreciated the theological care that was taken not only to include this but to speak clearly to it. They are demonstrating that theological precision is necessary in Jesus' church.
Further strengths include the sheer volume of footnotes (not end notes). Driscoll fills the book with Bible verses. This is so helpful and so refreshing when reading. In addition an appendix of the Mars Hill Membership Covenant is included. This was a helpful read. Other chapters on multi-campus ministry and the use of technology in ministry proved helpful as well.
The only real issue that I feel strong enough about to mention is Driscoll's definition of expository preaching. In the chapter entitled Why is Preaching Important? we read the following: "Expository preaching is simply going through a book of the Bible verse-by-verse" (pp. 91-92). Granted, the chapter goes on to give good reasons why one should do expository preaching (none of which I disagree with). However, it is the definition itself that is inadequate. I really like John Stott's statement in his classic Between Two Worlds:
It is my contention that all true Christian preaching is expository preaching. Of course if by an `expository' sermon is meant a verse-by-verse explanation of a lengthy passage of Scripture, then indeed it is only one possible way of preaching, but this would be a misuse of the word.
Properly speaking, `exposition' has a much broader meaning. It refers to the content of the sermon (biblical truth) rather than its style (a running commentary). To expound Scripture is to bring out the of the text what is there and expose it to view. The expositor prizes open what appears to be closed, makes plain what is obscure, unravels what is knotted and unfolds what is tightly packed." (pp. 125-126)
I bring this up only because too many people outside of the camp unfairly sully expository preaching as being a running verse by verse commentary. But in reality it is much more, as Stott indicates.
Overall I like the book and think it (along with Death by Love) are Driscoll's best yet.
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