Book Review: Breakout

Mark Stibbe was the vicar of St Andrews Chorleywood and a well renowned conference speaker. He is a bit of a mixture of charismatic Anglican and Toronto airport "Father's love" ministry. St Andrew's has birthed Soul Survivor, helped birth New Wine, provided a place where people like Mike Pilavachi and J.John to name just two could flourish into what they are today. Andrew Williams is the 2nd in command.

I had really enjoyed Mark's book "From orphan's to heirs" so was looking forward to this, again having had it recommended to me by a couple of people.

This review may come across as a bit negative, and that is not my intention, because this book is worth a read. Also, I celebrate the way God has blessed them and given them success missionally through developing a system of smaller groups and congregations up to 50 in number with specific missional goals. They are reaching people for Jesus and that is great to hear about. I still don't really know what to make of the book to be honest. It is very much a "This is what we did" kind of book, but I found several parts of it a little grating.

Firstly, there was the repeated suggestion that "No-one had ever done this before so we had to write it / do it / make it up ourselves". It probably did feel like that, but I have a book written in 1981 by Paul Yonggi Cho charting the development of their "Home cell groups" in Seoul, South Korea. Their cell groups, led by lay people, and the holy spirit, met all over the city, in groups of up 15 families, with a variety of missional focuses. The biggest church in the world runs something that sounds awfully like a "Mission Shaped Community" at St Andrew's Chorleywood (and something different to the "Cell concept" Ralph Neighbour brought to the UK). That is an encouragement to consider the concept once more, but it also meant reading this book having read Yonggi Cho's classic I could not get as excited about the uniqueness of the project. There was a lot of reference to them learning from St Thomas Crookes in Sheffield, which suggests the concept is not even unique to the UK.

Secondly, why do some authors, and tongue in cheek my experience would suggest especially Anglican authors, have an obsession with alliteration? The Alpha Course resources are a case in point. The abridged version of "Breakout" is that if I developed the full use of the 3 Ms, the 4 Vs, and the 12 Cs, then my Church may be able to successfully develop MSCs. Maybe it is the number of non profit groups with abbreviated names meaningless to outsiders that use our Church centre that has built up a level of dislike for it. I confess, it may be my issue, but it starts to put me off.

Thirdly, the whole telling of the story was billed as a really honest, warts and all account of the change to running these MSCs. There was some real openness about their struggle, but in terms of actual brass tacks, "what do I need to know if I am going to launch MSCs" kind of learning, then only about two and a half out of the 250 pages refer to the issues they faced and 2 out of the 4 problems were within the local Anglican communion.

Fourthly, I have read several people say things like "This could be the second reformation". I have heard it said about cell groups too. I just don't think claims like that help particularly. MSCs may provide an opportunity for reform within the Church, but they might not, and if they don't it does not invalidate what God has done through MSCs in Chorleywood.

"That St Andrew's is moving out of the barracks terrifies the enemy and his host, and signals an enormously important moment, a milestone, in English Christianity" is surely over-egging that particular pudding?

"If this is the completion of the Reformation, or indeed the beginning of a second reformation, then all I can say is, bring it on Lord!" grates every time I read it.

I can't help but feeling that the great success of their move to MSCs has been that a large chunk of the Church is more mission focused and that has greatly improved their mission. I am left totally unconvinced by their methodology, because I think it is a real case of "horses for courses". I was left feeling the most important thing is that they did something, rather than what they did. So if that something is cell groups, MSCs, Alpha Courses, Kidz Klub, whatever, just do something missional and do it well.

I believe this book highlights that visionary leadership, unity, careful planning, deliberate channelling of resources, and lots of encounter with the living God can help shape something brilliant. I do believe that has happened at St Andrews and thank God for it. It encouraged me.

But for me, in my Church in Shrewsbury, I am left slightly underwhelmed by what I can actually do here with the MSC concept other than listen to the Holy Spirit's guidance and seek creative ways to be missional. We are not starting with 900 people to build, we start with 300. We do not have a large international ministry which draws people here. We are not well known in a national movement. We are building from a different place. They are telling their story, which is fine, but there did not seem to be much for people not in their position.

A small part of me wondered whether the MSC thing was an easier way for a large, well known Anglican Church to spread its reach into new parishes. They are not planting Churches in the new place but they do have an "MSC" that meets there so that is ok. That means some local Anglicans will be attracted because St Andrew's now has an MSC that meets in my local community hall up the road, in my parish, instead of having to travel 6 miles to the building. That would also explain why two of the four learning points appeared to be about not upsetting local Anglicans. That said, they are reaching many new people with the good news of Jesus so their growth is not just transfer growth and that is really exciting.

I also think the book could have been about 50 pages shorter, as the final pages felt a bit like the end of the last Lord of the Rings film. They were important to find out the final technical part of the plot but the story was over.

Drawing this altogether you may think I hated the book. I didn't. It is well worth reading their journey and how God has spoken to them and helped make their Church more missional.

Book Review: Velvet Elvis

I have seen several Rob Bell DVDs including several from the Nooma series and "Everything is Spiritual" and have appreciated them. I know the book is not his most recent, but I had not read it, and these are my thoughts.

Firstly, a friend recommended it to me. I always like books which someone else puts in your hand. More often than not, either it has touched them, or they know it will touch you.

Rob Bell appears to be something of a polarising figure as a key part of the emerging church scene and increasingly speaking on sell out tours while finding himself on the end of harsh words from people like Mark Driscoll.

I enjoyed the book. It is well worth a read. In the book I am given permission to read, think, wrestle with, accept or reject parts of it and seek to hear God. Fair enough. I had to do all of those at different times.

First up, I found it the most interesting and engaging Christian book I have read for ages. A genuine page turner. His style is so fluid and accessible, I read it in a day of holiday. It was far from a chore.

Secondly, I found some of his commentary and exegesis absolutely fascinating. The way he intertwines the background with the present to develop his ideas makes it very easy to follow and enlightening. Even when I don't reach the same conclusions his methodology of getting there is so clear it gives me permission to follow it into my conclusions, even if they differ. Examples of him helpfully illuminating the background include the significance of the backdrop of the roman empire in Jesus statements and actions, the significance of the woman touching Jesus cloak within his Jewish context and also the portrayal of rabbinic discipleship and what this opens up in our understanding of Jesus calling his disciples.

Thirdly, he makes some very good points, very well. He talks directly, decisively, but humbly and often with humour. I enjoyed agreeing with him more than I enjoy agreeing with other authors who leave me feeling slapped by their ideas rather than nurtured. Pithy little statements like the word "Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective" hit the spot so well.

Fourthly, he is pretty brutal in his honesty, in his doubt. I appreciate that. The entire tone of the book is like reading about someone who could be your friend because even when they have not got it altogether they are honest about it. I like that.

Fifthly, I can see why some people hate this book and choose to publically disagree with Rob Bell from their pulpit. "The Bible is God's word, the rest is just commentary" is enough to raise the hackles of plenty of people, and I can see why especially conservative evangelicals are very twitchy about some of the things he says and some of the suggestions he makes. A modernist, tightly cohesive, systematic theological position this is not. Hell being full forgiven people who have not chosen to trust God is a bridge too far for me, and claiming truth wherever we find it is no easy feat and well out of the comfort zone of many evangelicals.

I would recommend people read this book. I found it very provoking, in a good way. Parts of it stray beyond where I feel led by scripture, and he gives me permission to bring my ideas to the table. I come from a church tradition that is determined to build a wall, and in some ways have chosen a specific set of bricks with which to do that while ignoring others. The trampoline looks like a lot of fun. This has given me much food for thought.

And if you do not understand what that means then you had better read Velvet Elvis.

He is risen!

Today is the big one.

I don't worship a set of ideas.

I don't worship a moral framework

I don't worship an institution.

I don't worship a book.

I don't worship a dead prophet.

I don't worship a cultural identity.

I don't worship a distant God.

I worship a living God, who came to us.

I worship a risen Lord.

Progress report

At the beginning of this year I set various goals.

Here is how I am doing!

I have arranged to do the 3 Peaks on June 19th in aid of the British Heart Foundation and Oasis Trust, then the Snowdon 15 on July 10th in aid of Bread Trust. I have been training on saturday mornings, with a hearty 8.5 mile walk in South Shropshire. Up the lawley, caer caradoc, hope bowdler, then back over caer caradoc and the lawley.

Once the weather improves I will be up into Snowdonia on the weekend getting some practice in, including Crib Goch (pictured)


My bible reading is going ok but I am currently lost in the wilderness of Leviticus. 70 days into the year I am on day 47 of the notes. This is not good. A forthcoming holiday will see me do battle with the history of the Jewish nation and we will see where we go from there.

My weight is static at just over 12 stone, so some work to do there, but I am hoping these mountains take their toll.

Am I being loving? I hope so. I have daily opportunities to show grace in all sorts of circumstances. I know God is doing something in my character, during what still feels like an "apprenticeship" stage of life.

Back to blogging

I lost my blogging mojo for a few weeks but I think it is on its way back.

I think I got a bit depressed reading bits of the blogosphere and will try to focus on my journey a little bit more.

Our 5 a side football has gone a bit crazy and we get 7 or 8 per team at the moment which is chaotic!

On Sunday we played 11 a side against a local college and emerged 5-2 winners.

On Tuesday I was in a discussion about "reaching the 20s-30s". I couldn't help but think of our team photo.

Let's keep being who we are and doing what we do, and reach people when who we are and what we do touches their life.