This
is a book about big-box evangelical American congregations - normally not one
we review. When you get into it, however, its "good ideas per page"
quotient left me very excited. It is easy reading - I digested the whole book
on a four hour plane trip and became intrigued with its possibilities for main-line
smaller Canadian congregations.
The two authors, Andy Stanley and Ed Young, are pastors of two large congregations they started from scratch and nurtured into major enterprises. What makes this book so interesting is that they have developed "thinking-outside-the-box" leadership into an art. The way our Canadian main-line churches are in free fall decline, a little thinking-outside-the-box wouldn't hurt a bit.
This is a book about reaching out to those with a spiritual hunger, rather than just serving an older generation of over 60 current attenders. Their technique is simple. Create the kind of children's programs, teen events, and welcome for adults that create a great first impression. They create the kind of church that people tell their friends about, and that is why they have been growing. "If you have a church that is creative, relevant, and exciting to attend, people will invite their friends. … People will not invite others to a boring church." Although one of the congregations does a fair bit of advertising, their research tells them it was a personal invitation that first brought 90% of their people.
A warm welcome is only the first phase. People develop a true sense of belonging as they participate in the many small groups. Groups consist of four to six couples, or five to eight individuals. There are "home teams" meeting, as one would suspect, in homes; "common ground teams' that bring people together around mutual interests; and "task teams" that carry out all the various ministry tasks of the congregation.
They break a lot of the rules that main-line churches hold sacred. They generally hire new staff from within the congregation, based on their gifts and passion for the congregation's vision rather than seminary credentials. They have streamlined decision-making in order to respond quickly to changing needs. They encourage people to share their stories of how God is moving in their lives. They place a high value on communicating inside and especially outside the church using any means, including the latest in high-technology.
They have a clear vision of the kind of church they want to be and a memorable mission statement that guides them getting there. They do not hesitate to ask people to leave if they do not support that vision. "If a church is going to grow, there are some people who need to leave. I don't mean that they are bad people; but if they don't support the values, vision, and leadership that God has given us, they need to leave."
It is a book full of insights and ideas. The subtitle says it all: "Innovative practices that will change the way you do church.
Ed Young & Andy Stanley, Can We Do That? Innovative practices that will change the way you do church. West Monroe, Louisiana: Howard Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 1-58229-457-7. Review by Clair Woodbury.
Congregational News February 2006 Vol. 12 No. 2