The Gospel-driven Church: Retrieving Classical Ministries for Contemporary Revivalism (Deep Church Series) (Paperback)

Stackhouse is critical of what he terms fadism of the modern evangelical/charismatic church. His major concerns:

* Church Growth movement. The focus on church growth and numbers as the hallmark of a successful church while the depth of disciplemaking is neglected.

* Seeker Sensitive church movement. The focus of the church is to attract nonbelievers through relevancy but the result is a watered down gospel message.

* Prayer against territorial demonic powers which he feels is an unscriptural prayer practice.

* Charismatic worship which he feels is too individual and that worship leaders of today are singing "love songs" to Jesus rather than having good theological content. Experience is exalted at the expense of the historical events of Christ life, death and resurrection.

* Failure of the Alpha course to truly introduce foundational Christian doctrine. It is just too watered down compared to catechisms of the past.

I agree with most of his critiscm but his book was so negative and so polemical that it was hard to take him seriously. He so negatively states his case rather than being constructive the book was a complete turnoff. It was like having a good steak wrapped in garbage.

Here are some of his suggestions:

1. A modern reintroduction of preaching the word, prayer, and sacramental theology.

2. Reintroduction and more emphasis on the importance of communion and baptism.

3. Reintroduction of firm catechismal/theological teaching to the masses.

His solutions are also helpful but they are not new. The book could have been one half the length and had Stackhouse mainly focused on what the church needs today instead of his highly negative remarks I would have given him a better rating. That is why I titled this review "Lost Opportunity". He had good things to say but he totally lacked the grace, eloquence and skill to communicate it. He approached it with an attitude that he had an ax to grind and I am not sure why?

His approach would have been greatly enhanced if he had tried to bring the two different schools of thought closer by acknowledging to a greater degree the positive aspects of the "revivalist" movement such as:

* Charismatic worship has had the positive effect of actually focusing the attention of singing to the Lord and establishing a serious relationship with the Lord through music. I am not sure if Stackhouse remembers how dry and formal worship was in the past. There was no real connection with God in many churches and it was just ritual without much heart.

* Church growth/Seeker sensitive principles. The positive is that there has been a concerted effort on the part of the church in reaching the lost and those outside the faith. Yes, it could be improved but the heart for the lost is evident.

* Territorial prayers are unscriptural. The positive is that at least there is prayer! God knows the heart and as Spurgeon said "Jesus cleans up our prayers and presents them to the Father." None of us pray perfect prayers so I applaud prayer where it can be found and I trust if territorial prayer is not what God wants He will lead us in the right direction.

To me Stackhouse commits the same error that he claims the 'revivalist" have, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

There needs to be unity between the two schools of thought. Stackhouse's book is not recommended to be that catalyst.