Fishing Tips: How Curiosity Transformed a Community of Faith

by John Pentland

An open invitation to be curious. Using an ancient story as inspiration, John Pentland reflects on how Hillhurst United said "Yes" to throwing the nets on the other side of convention The result was innovative, invigorating, and transformative. This book is for leaders, councils, boards, and small groups who want to invite true change that matters.

226 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Lauren Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

"fishing tips is not a blueprint but a description of an ongoing process." (9)

This book had really great insights to how to grow membership in a church. I love that it was united church specific. I did think it was missing the point on a lot of the growth being from pure luck or population growth surrounding the church.

This book was a medium read, as I read it in about 3 days!

I would recommend it to any United church out there!

[Marni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of hope for Christian church goers. With imagination, there are other ways of doing church besides 'how it's always been'. My copy is marked with lots of pink highlighting. Clear, inspiring writing with examples.

[Dianna Prest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was able to confirm some things that we are currently doing in our church as well as stimulate dialogue in our church council on things that we could be doing.

[Susan Marrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Pentland describes how his church, Hillhurst United in Calgary, transformed themselves (under his leadership). Not everything would work at my church (particularly the order of worship and perhaps the musical style), but he includes many questions for reflection and many "tips". We could do far worse than have everyone on the board read this book and do some serious discussion about it, leading to actual change and growth. It's rather exciting to think that church can still be this relevant, meaningful, and dynamic. (Quite a few proof-reading fails only seemed to indicate how the author and editor were anxious to get to get their message to print as quickly as possible.)