Books

Can a Church Live Again?

Foreword

Can a Church Live Again? is an opportunity to walk with a pastor and a 100 year old congregation through a journey from complacency and routine to intentionality, challenge and growth. When I first met Ronny Russell he was facing burnout, despair, and deep feelings of aimlessness. He had been pastor of Mission Baptist Church for more than fifteen years and felt he was stuck into a routine of pastoral care and institutional maintenance. He found little personal or professional fulfillment in such a routine. His rural congregation seemed also to be plateaued in their ministry. Ronny knew there should be more to ministry than this but needed help finding his way back to the roots of his call to ministry and the biblical mission of the church.

You will find great hope, encouragement, guidance and proven principles on each page as the author shares personal stories from his journey and those of his congregation and community. The power of the faith stories is incredible and true. Certainly transformed leaders transform churches and communities. Because Mission Baptist Church has become intentional over the last twelve years in becoming a disciple-making congregation, they have recaptured the joy of ministry. God has so blessed their efforts that they have some who drive 30 plus miles to participate in church and small group ministries. They’ve gone from one struggling worship service to two thriving services looking at the prospects of a third service. They’ve helped the hurting, those in personal, professional, and spiritual crises.

You will read stories of laypeople who are so excited and equipped for ministry that they beat the pastor and staff to the side of the hospitalized and persons in need. You will hear of a congregation who thinks more of how to reach those on the outside of the church walls than keeping themselves comfortable on the inside of the church walls.

You will learn how a pastor reclaimed his calling, discerned his unique equipping ministry, and discovered anew the joy and fulfillment of ministry. Ronny allows you to see his struggles and his successes. He has learned much through the school of hard knocks, and now he shares them with you in hopes that it might help soften the life lessons of your journey of personal, spiritual, and professional renewal.

How blessed I have been, and I think you will be, by walking through this journey of spiritual and organizational renewal. Yes, an established comfortable church can change—if it really wants to. The journey is tough but worth it in light of the Kingdom’s calling and the biblical mandates our Lord has set for his church.

If you’re struggling with some despair or feelings of inadequacy about your leadership and your church, this book is for you. You will learn of Holy Discontentment, the Stirring of Waters, Principles of Change and Transitioning, The Role of the Outside Prophet, and How to Count the Cost. You and your leaders will also learn valuable proven lessons of leadership in moving a church from maintenance to mission, from comfort to challenge, and you will have the opportunity to dream new dreams, explore new questions and adventures of laypersons in leadership, read about laypeople seeking God’s ministry for them and pastors and staff who seek to learn how to make disciples through their equipping ministries. What a wonderful journey it is. I can’t wait to see what God does in the next chapter of this congregation’s life and the life of their lay and pastoral leaders. Keep up with their new learning by visiting www.missionchurch.org or www.transformingsolutions.org

Edward H. Hammett
Author of: Making the Church Work,
The Gathered and Scattered Church,
& Reframing Spiritual Formation