In Dying We Are Born: The Challenge and the Hope for Congregations

by Peter George Bush

Deeply ingrained in Western culture, and in the minds of most church leaders, is the belief that there is a solution to every problem. Peter bush offers a powerful challenge to this approach, arguing that for new life, energy, and passion to arise in congregations, they must die--die to one way of being the church in order that a new way may rise. Bush identifies two types of dying congregations. Some congregations need to close their doors, bringing to an end years of ministry. Other congregations need to dramatically change their culture and ways of doing ministry. Such change may not entail literally closing the congregation's doors, but it will require people giving up deeply held understandings of the life and purpose of the congregation. All congregations, Bush contends, even ones that see themselves as healthy, need to be prepared to die, to take up their cross, so God can make them alive. A skillful storyteller, Bush shows readers why churches must confront their mortality. He examines the role of the prophetic leader, who proclaims both the congregation's death and its resurrection. He explores spiritual practices and the habits of wonder, remember, and risk taking for congregations that know they are dying--or need to die. Only by dying, Bush says, will a congregation find resurrection life, given by God who raises the dead to life

Genres: Church

146 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bush's final chapters on the need to die in order to live strikes a resonant chord for many of us who live in mainline Protestant community. To experience Christ's Resuurection we have to relinquish thoses things that hinder new life. Bush's discussion of Resurrection Habits was especially helpful

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great book for all congregations

[Eric Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have recommended this book to several ministers

[Joshua Boquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Removing the veil of misconception is a mark of any great teacher, and Peter Bush does that well here. Many members in my congregation long for the way things used to be, but Peter has helped me realize that they are in denial of a church death that has already happened.
In our North American context, death is seldom spoken or realized while we always talk about resurrection. But death happens before resurrection. Without death, there is no resurrection at all. I think many Christians today could be fine without Easter and only Christmas, but Easter is what gives Christmas meaning, and by Easter I mean the death it involves.
This book is deeply biblical and it deserves meditation. One aspect that I found particularly clearing is Peter’s use of Jesus wineskins metaphor as proof that systematic programs will never be cure alls for spiritual vitality in our congregations.

Somehow this book is unnoticed, which is a shame. Perhaps the title might be fearful to some, but it is nonetheless a reality we as the church have to embrace.