While I was reading M. Scott Boren’s “The Relational Way“, I was both challenged and encouraged. The first five chapters were stellar. Great words… much Truth mixed with experiential wisdom and a re-centering on the Way that the early church began. Even though the final five chapters were a little sluggish for me, I strongly recommend this book to those who are leading small groups or cells… those who are investigating small groups and cells… and those who are fans of the New Testament (haha).
As a side-note, I consider this book number one in my commitment (read: resolution) to read 12 soul-shaping books in 2009.
Here are a few challenging quotes from “The Relational Way”:
The programmatic drive to produce fruit (numbers) undermines the very essence that causes fruit to grow in the first place (relationships). (p. 26)
When we depend on models and methods developed elsewhere, we can easily miss out on God’s activity in the midst of our own church. (p. 20)
The job of the group leader is to take people to Jesus and Jesus to people. (p. 60)
Devaluing the church of yesterday does not make for a good story; it only breaks hearts. It only causes people to lose confidence in the church and the leadership of the church. The only way to proceed into what God has for the church tomorrow is to start where the church is today. (p. 107)
If Jesus were alive today he would establish his movement the same way he did 2,000 years ago. He would work with 12 people and develop them by imparting his life into them. He would demonstrate and equip them in the way of life in his kingdom and teach them to minister the way he ministers. He would not do this with the masses. He would concentrate his energy on a small group of future leaders, investing his life into a few with whom he would share refrigerator rights. (p. 41)
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.:rweaver:.