Douglas B. Sosnik

This book made me want to throw up. I strongly disliked how it presented the church.
However - the basics of what it said were very worthwhile.
"People are adjusting their lifestyles for many reasons, chief among them their insatiable hunger for community, connection and a higher purpose in life."
Basic American values - empathy, optimism, strength, decisiveness, authenticity, faith, a sense of community, belonging, purpose.
"Values are what Americans want to see in a ... church before they're even willing to consider their policies and products. They choice people make about ... religion are driven by emotions ratther than by intellect."
"Great Connectors use every available communications channel and new technology to push their message."
Megachurches - "not just selling the Word of God, they're selling a connection."
Megachurches - "Adapt to demographic and social change, target potential worshipers based on their lifestyles, use multiple communication channels to deliver messages that are relevant to people's lives."
"The key to any great church leader is his or her ability to speak to people's hearts, not their heads."
Community and purpose. Small groups and a cause greater than themselves.
"If megachurches are the flashy new sports car of religion, traditional churches are the Edsel."
People and institutions that embrace change tend to succeed. Those who ignore the whims of their customers or scoff at the public's shifting lifestyles and values lose ground to their competition."
Mega churches "find out what people need, then get them into small groups, and give them something to do."

I dislike strongly some of the wording, but their concept is very true but it doesn't mean my particular church has to change greatly. We are a small group. There are some things we can do intentionally or tweak to be more effective and inviting.… (more)

The central drawing point of this book for me was that it talked about the new ways in which Americans are forming community. We no longer connect in the same ways we used to . . . letters, sitting on the front porch in the evenings, etc.

The technology which many people said would separate us (which it did for a time), has now connected us. Webistes like Meetup.com, Facebook.com, Myspace.com, etc, etc, etc have helped to form community.

At times, there are many dry statistics, but the substance of this book in intriguing and the authors draw from many personal stories that bring the whole book together.

Here is a basic summary of what the authors point to as the way to connect in the new American Landscape. These are there five points in "How to Be a Great Connector:"

1. Make and Maintain Gut Values Connections: We have all the information we could ever ask for. We know what is going on in the world-we are a smart and well-informed people. You can't lie to us, we simply need to know where you stand. As a leader, you have to take a stand and be willing to be real with us. We need authenticity. There are several people quoted saying something like this about President Bush in regards to the2004 elections, "I didn't agree with him about _______(fill in the blank), but at least I knew where he stood."

2. Adapt: Things are changing quickly. Can you quickly change with them?

3. LifeTarget: Analyze, analyze, analyze the people you are targeting. Know what they like and don't like. You'll end up giving people something they don't need if you don't get specifics.

4. Talk Smart: Basically, look for ways to communicate your message. Don't be afraid of using new technologies such as MySpace or MeetUp, or who knows what to get your message out there.

5. Find Navigators: In a group of ten people, there is one person who influences the other nine. Find these people, connect with them, and they'll do the work for you.

This books also spends the final chapter talking about what they call Generation 9/11, or the "young Americans who were in high school and college when terrorists struck New York and Washington . . ." (pg. 221). One of my favorite things is to read about how my generation is affecting the way things work and how we react and work in this culture. This was my favorite chapter for those very reasons.

This book isn't for everyone, but if anything I presented piques your interest, then you'll definitely enjoy the book.… (more)