It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It
by Craig Groeschel
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Book Summary Information
Author: Craig GroeschelEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-29
ISBN: 0310286824
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Zondervan
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780310286820
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It
Book Review: Groeschel's Take is Candid, Intriguing and Curious
Summary: 4 Stars
Have you ever seen a church or a ministry that just seemed to have "it?" There's huge numerical growth, lots of people becoming Christians, crazy innovation... Whatever the reasons, there's something really special going on.
And you may not know what "it" is, but you know it when you see it.
Craig Groeschel doesn't try to tell the readers of his latest book, It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It, what "it" is--he readily admits that he doesn't know. But he does offers some practical insight into what it means to be a ministry with "it" primarily from his experience as the pastor of LifeChurch.tv.
There's a lot to like in this book, particularly Groeschel's candor. He's extremely open about his failures in ministry, particularly when it comes to getting distracted by the things that really don't matter.
"I believed we needed our own building and all the other things real churches have--like a sports ministry, concerts, conferences and our own church van. I thought those important elements would give us it. Then we'd be a real church. Little did I realize, we already had it. God was doing something very special. Lost people were being found. Found people were growing. The church was spiritually vibrant. All without any of the things I thought necessary" (pp. 61-62).
He goes on to say that eventually the church accumulated all those things he dreamed of--the building, the sports ministry, the conferences & concerts. Even the church van! "Then one day I realized that everything I'd always wanted was slowing killing everything we already had. Our church had it and we didn't know it," he writes on page 62. Programming that didn't align with the vision of the church nearly ended it.
Perhaps my favorite chapter in the book is all about a kingdom-mindset. Too often, there's a temptation to see other ministries and churches as competition, and rather than rejoice in their success, we make snarky comments (and sometimes accuse them of not being "real" Christians because they don't do things like we do). It's a divisive and heartbreaking attitude.
But ministries with it won't ultimately succumb to this. They're far more concerned with what God's doing everywhere than only what he's doing in their own ministry.
"Those who have it know it is not about them. It is not about their personal names. It is not about Willow Creek Community Church. It is not about North Point, Elevation Church, Newspring Church, Mars Hill, Vintage Faith, First Baptist, Wesley United Methodist, Lord of Life Lutheran, Holy Ghost Temple of Righteous Praise, or whatever your church is called. It is not about your student ministry, your children's ministry, your new logo or website. And it is certainly not about your name. It is about Jesus" (p. 144). Amen!
There's one thing that really drives me up the wall about Groeschel's writing. It's that it is very... cute. He tries really hard to be funny, frequently inserting parenthetical statements for humorous effect. Sometimes I got a good laugh, but more often than not the humor fell flat and wound up being distracting. There was honestly just too much.
Curiously, Groeschel's book seems to give the impression that a church or ministry with "it" will always be experiencing astounding numerical growth. Every example in the book of a church with "it" is a church that's exploding numerically. They're places where (as far as I can tell) Jesus' name is made great, and their success is worthy of praise.
But what does it mean for churches and leaders that are faithful to their calling, who point people to Jesus, love & serve their community as best they can... but their ministries are full of toil and difficulty?
I can't help but be reminded of Hebrews 11. The author writes of the Old Testament saints, men like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets "who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight" (Heb 11:32-34).
That's a powerful testimony to their faith, to be sure.
But then the tone shifts:
"Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated--of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth" (Heb. 11:35b-38, emphasis mine).
The world was not worthy of these unnamed saints who gave their lives as a testimony to Christ. They were faithful up until death.
Maybe that's what "it" truly is.
It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It is a very helpful and practical book on leadership. While not everything may be applicable and some content might be debatable, it's a book that's worth your time reading.
Summary of It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It
When Craig Groeschel founded LifeChurch.tv, the congregation met in a borrowed two-car garage, with ratty furnishings and faulty audiovisual equipment. But people were drawn there, sensing a powerful, life-changing force Groeschel calls 'It.' What is It, and how can you and your ministry get---and keep---It? Combining in-your-face honesty with off-the-wall humor, this book tells how any believer can obtain It, get It back, and guard It. One of today's most innovative church leaders, Groeschel provides profile interviews with Mark Driscoll, Perry Noble, Tim Stevens, Mark Batterson, Jud Wilhite, and Dino Rizzo. This lively book will challenge churches and their leaders to maintain the spiritual balance that results in experiencing It in their lives.Christian Living Books
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