This book addresses church growth not from a shotgun approach, but rather from a rifle approach. The authors premise that having a simple, well-articulated focus is more effective than trying to be everything to everybody. They offer a large amount of research to substantiate their assertion.

I really enjoyed this book and agree with the author's argument; that spiritual growth is a process and the simple churches - the ones that focus all of their effort on helping people along that process - are the churches that make a difference in the world.

In the first half of the book, the authors make their case. In the second half, they tell you how. I found myself frustrated in the second half because I'm in a complex church and I don't see a lot of hope for that changing any time soon. ( )

After reading this book I had more questions than I did answers. How do church leaders implement the concept of "less is more" in a church setting where the focus many times if bigger and better!

I know of several churches that have "bought" into the idea of the premise from this excellent book. I hear good reports but time will be the true indicator of the success of this strategy in the total church program.

I commend the writers for their work in arguing simplicity in the church. Take for example this excerpt from chapter three:

"Hezekiah was a revolutionary for simple. He was extremely focused. He was against cluttered spiritual lives. Evidently God liked this characteristic about him because in 2nd Kings 18:3 indicates that Hezekiah did what “was right in the LORD’s sight.”

He returned God’s people to the Lord. He brought them through an extreme makeover. He got rid of some things. First, he removed the high places and cut down the Asherah poles (2nd Kings 18:4). Basically, he threw out the altars that were set up to make-believe gods. He took out the godless clutter that had been competing for the attention and the affection of the people.

Most churches leaders are willing to do that. This move was surely understood and embraced by even the nominal God worshippers in Hezekiah’s day. They would expect the leader to insist that the people worship God.

Eliminating pagan idols is one thing, but what Hezekiah did next was controversial. Many church leaders would struggle to emulate his next move. Surely, people in his day struggled with this next change.

He broke the bronze snake that Moses made – on purpose.

He did not just drop it and claim it was an accident. He broke it into pieces. The mental picture of a baseball player breaking a bat over his knee comes close. Yes, it was the special and sacred snake. The snake that was crafted and held by Moses. The snake that God had instructed Moses to make. The snake that was the source of salvation for the people from their snakebites (Numbers 21:6-8).

He got ride of it because it was clutter. It was clutter because the people worshiped it. It took attention away from the real Savior. Bronze was worshipped. A fake snake was adored. What was once a good thing became an idol. It got in the way of their worship of God. The tool for worship became the object of worship.

In many churches the original tools for life change have created too much clutter. Instead of uniting, they divide focus. The programs have become ends in themselves.

Most churches need an extreme makeover and a modern day Hezekiah.

For Hezekiah, eliminating the bronze snake was most likely not a popular decision, especially with the religious crowd steeped deep in tradition. Most extreme makeovers involving God’s people are difficult. Hezekiah did something that was probably perceived being on the edge of sanity. It was a radical move. And that pleased God. In fact, there was no king like him before or after his time (2nd Kings 18:5).

The church needs some modern-day Hezekiahs."[1]

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[1] Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger, Simple Church, pp. 78-80.

I think this is an important book for ministerial and strong lay leadership to consider as they try to stream-line what works and what doesn't work in the current church setting. ( )

"According to Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger the ’simple revolution’ has also found its way into churches. Congregations once over-inflated with myriad programmes have now become streamlined disciple-making centres. At the same time, churches which are failing to make the switch are tending towards stagnation or decline."
[Read More]

http://kcarmstrong.blogspot.com/2006/... ( )

Simple Church is Geiger's concept; Rainer has signed off on the idea. Simple Church is a radical concept -- too radical, in fact. The premise is that a church has a responsibility to involve people and move them through a process of discipleship to service, mais nada (nothing more). Such spiritual entities as Apple Computers and The Gap are to serve as our example for how "church" is supposed to be done. What is lost in the simple church "process' is the fact that the Body of Christ exists to please the Head. Some things that the church does are not efficient, but they do bring honor to Him who merits all honor. Read it; but with caution. ( )