Monday, January 31, 2011

Book Review: Transformation



book cover

Transformation
by Bob Roberts Jr.


ISBN-13: 978-0-310-32608-3
Trade Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Zondervan
Released: 2006, 2010


Source: Unrequested review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
The first-century church miraculously transformed a world steeped in plurality, immorality, and poverty. How? People lived transformed lives for the world to see; they impacted the church, community, and eventually the whole world. With God's help, churches today can do the same! But it won't come about through a new church program. It will come through a new church culture--a culture of transformation.

Pastor and church-planter Bob Roberts Jr. sees transformation in two spheres that are intimately connected to one another: the transformed life of the believer, which leads to a transformed world. Read Transformation, and you'll catch a vision for how your church can escape the routine and have both local and global impact for God's kingdom through the power of changed lives.


My Review:
Transformation is targeted at pastors to encourage them to create a church culture focused on transformation that impacts "lives, churches, and the world." It's easy to understand and has some good points (which I've also read in other books). It also has a few points that I haven't heard before, especially regarding church planting. I'd recommend this book to pastors more interested in seeing an increase in transformed lives than in the purely numerical growth of their church.

The various chapters were about: everyone is a missionary (through their "normal" work); transformation starts on the inside and works out; transformation comes about through the following relationships: you & God, you & a Christian community, and you reaching the world through your job.

How the church can impact the non-Christian community around them: have members live Christianity as a lifestyle (living dependent on & "tuned in" to God); affect both local and world-wide communities; plant new churches with the intent that those churches will also plant new churches; work with other churches; and support diversity within the church (so everyone is using their strengths to complete kingdom work).


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt:
Read the first 30 pages.

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