Moving Beyond Church Growth: An Alternative Vision for CongregationsCharacter development for communities of faith Mark Olson believes that trying to meet unrealistic expectations for church growth, along with expectations that pastors be all things to all people, has resulted in low morale, even burnout, among clergy and dissension within congregations.Olson's book argues that church-growth models exemplify and exacerbate the tendencies of the modern age and Constantinian Christianity, holding the church hostage to technique and marketing. These assumptions set up pastors and churches for disappointment and failure. But they also, in his opinion, miss an opportunity to envision a faithful alternative to the consumeristic church.Olson's valuable book calls church leaders to faithful, bold, and courageous rethinking of congregational life and witness in substance, purpose, and style. His own 20 years of ministry in rural, suburban, and urban congregations inform an alternative rooted deeply in the past and anchored in strong leadership and worship, but also profoundly compassionate and engaged in the surrounding community. In this model, pastors' primary responsibilities are not to fix everything and everybody but to enable people to be present to each other and to provide hope. |
Contents
11 | |
24 | |
A Congregational Faith Audit | 43 |
Deprogramming the Church | 49 |
Reclaiming the Sabbath One Text at a Time | 56 |
Drawing the Line Reflections on Church Growth and Worship | 63 |
To Be a Change Agent Be a Traditional Pastor with a Twist | 71 |
Congregational Conflict Sacred Violence | 79 |
Each Congregation One Pastor | 86 |
Recovering the Ministerium A Congregation for Pastors | 100 |
Faithful Community A Creation Myth | 117 |
The Island of Faithfulness | 139 |
Afterword | 150 |
Notes | 152 |
Other editions - View all
Moving Beyond Church Growth: An Alternative Vision for Congregations Mark A. Olson No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
asked attend become began begin Bible bishop called challenge character Christ Christian church growth claim clear commitment compassion congregation continually conversation creation deep demands embrace experience faith feel felt Finally focus focused followed future gathering gift God's gospel happen hold hope imagination individual invitation involved Island of Faithfulness Jesus journey knowledge lead leader learned live looked Meadow means meeting ministry mission move needs objective offers once ordained passion Pastor Stephens person piece practice Praise pray prayer preach present problem promise question reality response righteousness seek seemed serve shaped side speak spoke staff steps story Sunday talked teaching things Thomas thought tion told Trito true trust turn understanding vision wait wanted whole wilderness witness wonder Word worship Zadok
Popular passages
Page 45 - And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things.
Page 128 - Paris, just now; but we don't want the incendiary's pillar of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night...
Page 45 - ... thanksgiving, as much as he can, and the people sing out their assent saying the amen. There is a distribution of the things over which thanks have been said and each person participates, and these things are sent by the deacons to those who are not present. Those who are prosperous and who desire to do so, give what they wish, according to each one's own choice, and the collection is deposited with the presider. He aids orphans and widows, those who are in want through disease or through another...
Page 46 - Sunday, he appeared to his apostles and disciples, and taught them these things which we have given to you also for your consideration.
Page 154 - Leaders, whatever their professions of harmony, do not shun conflict; they confront it, exploit it, ultimately embody it. Standing at the points of contact among latent conflict groups, they can take various roles, sometimes acting directly for their followers, sometimes bargaining with others, sometimes overriding certain motives of followers and summoning others into play.
Page 45 - And on the day named after the sun all, whether they live in the city or the countryside, are gathered together in unity. Then the records of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read for as long as there is time. When the reader has concluded, the presider in a discourse admonishes and invites us into the pattern of these good things. Then we all stand together and offer prayer. And, as we said before, when we have concluded the prayer, bread is set out to eat, together with wine and...
Page 154 - Robert G. Hamerton-Kelly, Sacred Violence: Paul's Hermeneutic of the Cross (Minneapolis: Fortress Row, 1992), 21.
Page 46 - God, having transformed darkness and matter, made the world. On the same day Jesus Christ our savior rose from the dead.
References to this book
Transforming Leadership: New Vision for a Church in Mission Norma Cook Everist,Craig L. Nessan No preview available - 2008 |