Changing Church: How God Is Leading His Church Into the Future (Paperback)

~ (Author) "IN MANY WAYS THE YEAR 2001 WAS A SIGNIFICANT YEAR, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THAT IT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND APOSTOLIC..." (more)
Key Phrases: doctrinal load, territorial apostles, workplace apostles, Second Apostolic Age, Holy Spirit, New Apostolic Reformation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For church leaders, prayer warriors, and Christians who want to see the bigger picture of what God is doing in the world right now, this follow-up to "Churchquake!" overlooks denominational barriers, asking one and all to join together for the ultimate fulfillment of God's purposes.

About the Author

C. PETER WAGNER is widely recognized as a leading authority in the fields of church growth and spiritual warfare. Wagner is cofounder of the World Prayer Center and is chancellor of the Wagner Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is the author or editor of more than 50 books, including Churchquake! and Acts of the Holy Spirit. Peter Wagner and his wife, Doris, live in Colorado Springs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Regal Books (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830736581
• ISBN-13: 978-0830736584
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,476,871 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspend Judgment, Give it a Read first!, October 31, 2004

By	siouxsiepoet "catching the breath of God on a... (poet, freelance editor, book reviewer) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changing Church: How God Is Leading His Church into the Future (Hardcover)

If you've found yourself wondering why church has lost its luster, C. Peter Wagner's Changing Church, will shed some light on this dilemma. Examining the Church and noting "the postmodern aversion to brand loyalty" or the "old wineskin" of traditional denominational structures, Wagner challenges readers to examine the "new wineskin" known as the Second Apostolic Age.
A Church Growth Professor at Fuller Seminary for over 33 years, holding three earned doctorates, two from Fuller and one from Princeton, Wagner speaks with simplicity and clarity detailing the dilemma the Church finds herself in-in layman friendly terms. Citing pastors, churches and apostles from around the globe, Wagner's case is solid. When encountering terms like "spirit of religion," "oneness theology," "TULIP," "apostles," "spiritual warfare," and "trinity," suspend judgment in order to fully examine the breadth of Wagner's argument.
By embracing a "lighter doctrinal load," "equipping the saints for ministry," embracing "Wesleyan holiness" and holding others "mutually accountable," the church can move into the postmodern era and fulfill her God-given role. Crossing denominational lines and ordaining anointed leaders, not necessarily seminary-trained leaders (scholars) are essential to the Second Apostolic Age. The Church functioning as a body of believers at long last is Wagner's hopeful message ripe with promise.
Wagner shares his personal paradigm shifts, offering biblical references to move readers gently through his argument point by point. Wagner is a true scholar, able to convey a vast amount of information in a concise (180 pages) and unintimidating way. If you can get beyond the buzzwords mentioned above, this book will challenge you to examine your view of the Church, personal holiness, and the coming apostolic revolution. An excellent book for intercessors, laymen, pastors, and students. Thoroughly indexed, it can be a valuable addition to any library. I highly recommend this book. Written by Suzanne Rae Deshchidn for www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luther, Wesley, Wagner, November 20, 2004

By	Mark M. Thomase (Maine) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Changing Church: How God Is Leading His Church into the Future (Hardcover)

This was a strange experience -- as a student at Fuller Theological Seminary I picked up a book at the Fuller Bookstore written by a former Fuller professor, which contains a chapter explaining exactly why seminaries are irrelevant and useless -- and I loved every word of it!

Make no mistake, there is something in this book for almost everyone to hate. Over the last decade or so, virtually every Pharisee and self-appointed heresy hunter on the Internet has taken shots at Peter Wagner, so my guess is that Wagner decided that he's lost that part of his potential audience anyway. So, Wagner embraces Open Theism, Latter Rain Restorationism, and the prophetic/apostolic movements; he holds out an olive branch to "Oneness" Pentecostals; and he exposes "TULIP" Calvinism as the false doctrine that it is.

Is this a divisive book? Oddly enough, no. Of course there will be some that reject Wagner just as they have rejected him before, but this is a call to the Body of Christ to put aside the things that have divided us -- denominationalism, ridiculously heavy doctrinal statements, and everything else that is the teaching of man -- and actually become what Jesus asked us to become: not intimidated Christians cowering in a holy bunker waiting for the Rapture, but Christians who will seek forcefully to advance the Kingdom of God, make disciples of all nations, and storm hell's strongholds with the promise that the gates of hell will not stand against us.

I applaud Prof. Wagner for his courage in writing this book. I have studied Latter Rain theology for most of the last ten years. It is Biblical theology that is miscalled a "heresy" because one denomination, the Assemblies of God, rejected it 50 years ago. Jesus warned us about the problem of new wine and wineskins. When the Latter Rain wine hit the Church 50 years ago it just about burst the A/G wineskin, but that certainly doesn't mean that there is something wrong with the wine. After all, Wesley was all but thrown out of the Church of England, and "heretic" was one of the nicer things Martin Luther was called when he started pouring the new wine of the Reformation. If the Lord tarries, I confidently predict that 100 years from now Peter Wagner (and his mentor, John Wimber) will be mentioned in the same breath as Luther and Wesley.

8 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Critical Thoughts From a True Reader, April 8, 2005

By	Roy Ingle "The Seeking Disciple" (Augusta, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Changing Church: How God Is Leading His Church into the Future (Hardcover)

I for one did read the book. While I am not a fan of C. Peter Wagner or his books, I do want to write a review that is based on the book and not my personal feelings toward Wagner. I do take exception with the reviewer who feels that Wagner will be ranked with the likes of John Wesley or Martin Luther in 100 years but that is beside the point. Only Jesus should be honored at all (1 Timothy 6:16).

The book deals with the charismatic emphasis on the third wave and more specifically the apostle/prophet movement begun by Wagner, John Wimber, Bob Jones, and Bill Hamon. The book essentially outlines Wagner's desire and his personal eye-witness to the changes he sees coming (and have come) from the third wave movement and these above mentioned teachers. In many ways, Wagner writes with a positive view toward the future and he believes that God is preparing His church for a mighty world-wide revival.

The problems with this book are many. For one, Wagner, while a theologically trained man, seems to take exception with theology (see chapter 8). He sees theology as more of a hinderance to a move of God than a plus. He believes the walls of doctrine need to fall down and bring together Catholics, Evangelicals, Liturgical Protestants, and of course Pentecostals and Charismatics. The problem with this view is that it ignores the call to hold to sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:15; Titus 2:1) and ignores defending the historic Christian faith (1 Peter 3:15-16; Jude 3-4). Theology is vital to the Church (John 8:31-32; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Galatians 3:1-5).

Secondly, the book has the feel of the whole emerging church idea. Wagner is willing (and seems delighted) to let go of sound teaching for whatever causes the church to grow. Whether it be the Open God views of Clark Pinnock or Oneness Pentecostals or Catholics. The point for Wagner (and sadly many other charismatics) is experience is the key. Experience in Christ and the Spirit is the ultimate unity binder. Of course, this is not biblical (1 Cor. 1:10-17; 3:10-17; James 2:14-26; 1 John 2:3-6).

Finally, the book follows suit with many other church growth gurus and fails to offer a biblical pattern for church growth. Wagner highlights text that benefit his chapters but fails to exegete the passages. In the end the reader is left chasing experience and embracing whatever it takes to get my church to grow with little thought of "is this biblical?". Charles Spurgeon rightly noted, "The church that is most loved by the world is surely that which is most abhored by God."