Gene Getz has written an insightful, biblical treatise on church renewal, focusing on New Testament principles as applied to the unique needs of contemporary culture and rooted in the perspective of the history of the church.
Gene A. Getz, (B.A., Rocky Mountain College; M.A., Wheaton College; Ph.D., New York University), a host and teacher of Renewal Radio, served as a professor at Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary. He has authored more than 60 books, including The Measure of a Healthy Church, Elders and Leaders, and the Men of Character series. He has been a church planting pastor in the Dallas metroplex since 1972 and now serves as President of the Center for Church Renewal and Pastor Emeritus of Fellowship Bible Church North in Plano, Texas.
Getz provides an excellent guide taking the reader through scriptural principles needed for church renewal. While the book is over 30 years old, it is still very relevant to the modern church. Getz’ identification of the three lenses (scripture, history and culture) and the need to look through them in that order provides a powerful as well as practical strategy for developing any church and ministry strategy. I plan to keep this book close for continued reference as well as use it as a core tool for training leaders for use in their own lives and within their churches.
This is a good book. It is very helpful for understanding how the church should function, freely creating forms that work in our context to accomplish the commands and directives of scripture.
I think it was a little long though, as it began to get repetitive as I kept reading.
It gives a very clear and practical overview of what the church is from the Bible and how it's principles can be applied to the church today so it's less institutionalized. It has a very objective approach yet it remains a very comfortable reading experience. This is not a dry book.
There was some genuinely good stuff in here, especially his "lenses" discussion developed from Francis Schaeffer. However, there are better books on being the church.