When God Builds a Church: 10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church Review (Book Review Sample)

When God Builds a Church: 10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church Review Student Name University COURSE####: Course Title Instructor Name Due Date Book Review: When God Builds a Church "When God Builds a Church: 10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church" is a fantastic story and guide that describes the incredible growth of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, under the leadership of Bob Russell. The congregation slowly grew to over 18,000 after Bob's retirement in 2006 from having only 120 people in attendance when it began in 1962. This remarkable expansion is the setting for this book, written jointly by Bob Russell and his son Rusty Russell. The authors want to outline the ten basic principles that helped the Southeast Christian Church grow into what it is today, including Truth, Worship, Leadership, Excellence, and Faith, among others. According to Russell & Russell (2010), these are not just abstract concepts but were discovered on the ground during the Church's journey. The book seeks to provide a model for other congregations and church leaders who wish to do likewise regarding growth and vibrancy within their localities. For each principle, numerous illustrations are drawn from various stages of development in the Southeast Christian Church's history that help to explain them better, thus bringing out the deep context in each lesson learned. The narrative is meant to be inspirational and instructive, with theological insight and practical advice. Principle of Truth The first principle presented by Russell & Russell (2010) is the need to glorify God’s word as truth in addition to ensuring that the message conveyed to audiences is accurate and verifiable from the Scripture. The chapter begins by outlining the importance of biblical truth in church growth. It posits that the basis of a living church is its adherence to the truths in the Scriptures. In addition, it argues that the proclamation and practice of biblical teachings are vital aspects within any given congregation. They show how the practical application of scripture can be seen in various aspects of church life. These include but are not limited to, sermons that teach and relate biblical principles to life (Russell & Russell, 2010), bible study groups that emphasize applying scripture personally, and church activities founded upon scriptural truths. According to Russell & Russell (2010), the emphasis on truth has significant implications for the congregation's spiritual development. It leads to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Biblical teachings, nurturing more genuine and transformative faith experiences and developing a community anchored on scriptural values. This commitment to truth ensures that the Church becomes spiritually mature and can face life's challenges with wisdom and faith (Russell & Russell, 2010). Real-life illustrations also show how dedication to truth in churches is not just about information acquisition but lives changing according to God's Word, which is spoken about throughout it being an eye-opener by itself, even without other explanations. This chapter urges churches to make Bible truth their highest priority across all areas of ministry, arguing that without such a foundation, actual growth cannot occur while everyone involved will remain spiritually unhealthy at best. Principle of Worship The second chapter discusses why worship is essential in our connection to God and the formation of communities. It evaluates worship practices at Southeast Christian Church as a model for how genuine praise and worship transform the spiritual journey of the congregation. According to Russell & Russell, (2010), worship is an essential part of Christian ministry, whereby he encourages those leading worship to do so with genuineness and sincerity. He argues that churchgoing should primarily be about worshipping God. Russel is of the opinion that believers use worship to appreciate their creator, recognize Him as the Lord over their lives, and manifest His presence. Worship should be used transform the entire community of Christians rather than being just a public relations exercise in large churches. Thus, leaders of big churches should ask themselves these questions: Is the worship honoring God? Does it inspire worshippers? Moreover, does it bring visitors closer to Jesus Christ? Russell & Russell (2010) defines glorifying God as the primary aim of true worship and urges members to express their gratitude for what God has done for them. According to him, "a sense of joy" and "a sense of awe" are integral aspects of biblical worship that should not be absent from contemporary liturgies. Russell highlights that "awe and reverence" are missing from most congregations today. More often than not, such occasions are instinctive or natural actions where Christians raise their focus towards God rather than descending towards themselves. Consequently, Russell contends that religious individuals must have certain expectations during acts of adoration, which will guide facilitators in creating enjoyable experiences for congregants during these ceremonies. The Holy Spirit uses authentic worship to reach the seeker's heart, resulting in evangelism. Principle of Leadership Bob and Rusty Russell's Chapter 3 concentrates on the importance of Christ-centered leadership in church growth. They assert that leadership ability is vital to aligning the diverse interests of an entity, including churches, towards similar objectives. Many churches are known for their failure due to leadership incompetence. They sketch some features of vibrant, successful churches like South Louisville Christian Church. It highlights possibility and personal character as the two main aspects of leadership (Russell & Russell, 2010). In terms of success, good leaders can confront challenges, adapt, support other leaders, and delegate duties. The chapter also focuses on purity, sincerity, and humility as essential elements in church leadership. Finally, Russell talks about succession planning, which ensures continuity in the operations of a church (Russell & Russell, 2010). This chapter offers practical guidance to pastors as they choose and develop their leadership teams. This includes hiring people for their positions instead of themselves, keeping staff clean, helping weaker employees, organizing annual retreats, and encouraging family dedication. Moreover, they recommend ways to enhance church eldership, such as following biblical standards when electing them, involving them in staff support, and building genuine inter-relationships among them (Russell & Russell, 2010). The chapter concludes by giving some suggestions to ministers on improving their leadership qualities, stressing that competencies and character are essential for God-centered leaders at the church level. Principle of Excellence Russell & Russell (2010) stresses the role of excellence in Christian Ministry in their fourth chapter. According to the authors, Excellence is about dedication to church leaders' roles, such that they work towards organizational and personal goals. This involvement is vital for pulling off successful church projects, calling for thorough planning and preparedness for foreseeing or overcoming possible challenge (Russell & Russell, 2010). In Corinthians 3:17, Russel refers to putting efforts into glorifying God, who enables Christians to do things. He identifies mediocre church leadership as an enemy of evangelism, thus rendering it ineffective to unbelievers who are outreached and ignoring God's message (Russell & Russell, 2010). To this end, he argues that all religious activities should exceed expectations as excellent church services can attract non-believers and new members into the congregation. Nonetheless, achieving greatness is a challenging task. Being successful takes hard work and planning on the part of pastors, as advised by Russel, who suggests that a lot of time and effort are necessary for the attainment of one's goal (Russell & Russell, 2010). Enhanced participation and good remarks show how essential excellent Christian services are, characterized by continuous improvement in every area. Principle of Faith Church growth is the central theme of chapter five, which talks about faith and the need to take risks. It illustrates how great outcomes can be reached by making bold decisions that are motivated by faith; this leads to the expansion and vibrancy of the Church. Challenges faced by Christians in practicing their religion are highlighted by Russell, who also encourages them to embrace the risk connected with serving God using Matthew 19:26 as a reference point that 'with God all things are possible' (Russell & Russell, 2010). One such story in the chapter entails the making of "A Woman's Choice Crisis Pregnancy Centre," a pro-life clinic beside an abortion clinic. The audacity beckons Edmondson, Becky, who was its pioneer. According to Russell & Russell (2010), Difficult situations that test Christian beliefs need prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Russell shares his experiences while a young minister at Southeast Christian Church, demonstrating what it means to practice religion faithfully. He maintains that faith in church leadership requires commitment, visionary abilities, creativity, and the ability to handle doubts. To affirm their faith, he advises church leaders to engage in prayer, always consult with people who have dreams, visit other equally pious churches, call for brainstorming meetings, or even write statements of missions that are plain enough for ordinary persons to comprehend (Russell & Russell, 2010). Quoting from Peters and Waterman's "In Search of Excellence," Russell argues for the necessity of courage and objectivity in practicing faith, thereby overcoming fear, failure, and criticism. The author argues that decision...