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7 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A Fresh Challenge...
14 July 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a pastor of a small, rural church, I've been looking for a book that would put "missional" and "small groups" together. The small groups I have been a part of and led in the past have been focused on either Bible study or mutual support, and any talk about mission or service was merely lip service. So I was eager to hear how small groups could be done differently.
Boren's vision challenged me and my understanding of groups. He suggests something much deeper than a programmed, one-night-a-week gathering. He describes a rhythmn of small group life that is more like family life, a sharing of life and activities together. The missional aspect of this is that this sharing of life is not done exclusively with small group members but is expanded to include neighbors, friends, etc. It is a very organic model of small groups and one that may not be easy for everyone to implement, but my guess is that the rewards will be that much greater. (Reading back over this paragraph, I need to say that this vision of small groups is very much God-centered. It is small group life caught up into the life of God.)
The nice thing is that the "theory" behind these missional small groups is relatively short: 65 pages or so. The remaining 100 pages help with concrete practices for missional small groups and an appendix to help you get started step-by-step.
Even if you are sure Boren's vision for small groups isn't for you or your church (and his ideas cannot be described adequately in a short review), take the time to read this book. It will challenge you and help you dream of a way of being the people of God that is deeper and richer than what's usualy described - and experienced.
Boren's vision challenged me and my understanding of groups. He suggests something much deeper than a programmed, one-night-a-week gathering. He describes a rhythmn of small group life that is more like family life, a sharing of life and activities together. The missional aspect of this is that this sharing of life is not done exclusively with small group members but is expanded to include neighbors, friends, etc. It is a very organic model of small groups and one that may not be easy for everyone to implement, but my guess is that the rewards will be that much greater. (Reading back over this paragraph, I need to say that this vision of small groups is very much God-centered. It is small group life caught up into the life of God.)
The nice thing is that the "theory" behind these missional small groups is relatively short: 65 pages or so. The remaining 100 pages help with concrete practices for missional small groups and an appendix to help you get started step-by-step.
Even if you are sure Boren's vision for small groups isn't for you or your church (and his ideas cannot be described adequately in a short review), take the time to read this book. It will challenge you and help you dream of a way of being the people of God that is deeper and richer than what's usualy described - and experienced.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Excellent content. Fresh and timely...
22 Jun 2010
Format:Paperback
Scott Boren describes four basic kinds of small groups found in churches today because they tell a story about those who comprises them:
* The Story of Personal Involvement
* The Story of Lifestyle Adjustment
* The Story of Relational Revision
* The Story of Missional Re-creation
I won't go into all the details as to what each one means and steal the author's thunder. But I will comment with this: most small group ministries in American churches attract folks with the top two stories and hope the groups will naturally follow the story of the third and then the fourth, which will not happen by giving the groups service or outreach projects or evangelism tasks.
The book goes on to describe small-step practices that can move a group from one story to the next in a way that is more value-driven than task oriented.
This is an important book for lead pastors and small group pastors who see their small groups as far more than a key to member retention, but don't know how to walk the small group members into a much deeper expression where missional activities happen naturally (although not easily because missional living is consistently sacrificial).
A word to readers: don't skim it or just read the first ten pages and set it aside because you're a few pages into a bunch of other books that you should finish first. This book actually has the answers to some of the deepest small group questions you have in your heart, but you may not have ever thought of in your head. Prioritize the finishing of this book when you sit down to read it.
By the way, this book is much easier to read than some of the author's other excellent, yet deeper and theological books such as The Relational Way. I found it to be a page-turner and the content is easily understood the first time I read it.
* The Story of Personal Involvement
* The Story of Lifestyle Adjustment
* The Story of Relational Revision
* The Story of Missional Re-creation
I won't go into all the details as to what each one means and steal the author's thunder. But I will comment with this: most small group ministries in American churches attract folks with the top two stories and hope the groups will naturally follow the story of the third and then the fourth, which will not happen by giving the groups service or outreach projects or evangelism tasks.
The book goes on to describe small-step practices that can move a group from one story to the next in a way that is more value-driven than task oriented.
This is an important book for lead pastors and small group pastors who see their small groups as far more than a key to member retention, but don't know how to walk the small group members into a much deeper expression where missional activities happen naturally (although not easily because missional living is consistently sacrificial).
A word to readers: don't skim it or just read the first ten pages and set it aside because you're a few pages into a bunch of other books that you should finish first. This book actually has the answers to some of the deepest small group questions you have in your heart, but you may not have ever thought of in your head. Prioritize the finishing of this book when you sit down to read it.
By the way, this book is much easier to read than some of the author's other excellent, yet deeper and theological books such as The Relational Way. I found it to be a page-turner and the content is easily understood the first time I read it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Challenging and Resonant
8 Nov 2010
Format:Paperback
I came to this book having read several others along with articles and other publications that address the topic of small groups. While I have been aware of some of the elements mentioned in the book, I never understood them within the framework provided by the author. This book challenges the common assumptions concerning the nature and purpose of small groups. The biggest assumption is that small groups comprise a "program" or "ministry" of the local church alongside other similar "programs" or "ministries" such as the Children's Program, the Youth Ministry, or the Christian Education Department. We tend to think about small groups with a mindset of segregation rather than integration. One result is that small groups become just another menu item offered to people whose plates are already filled to capacity (or beyond).
Throughout the book the author uses the language of music to convey his essential message: We have been listening to and playing along with a particular "rhythm" of life and perhaps it's time for us to learn a new one. Since music is often used to tell a story, Boren refers to four different "stories" of group life. He suggests a progression toward what he calls "missional re-creation." This is where "the gospel comes to life and the rhythms of the kingdom begin to create something spontaneous, unexpected, and unpredictable (p. 44)."
The entire book, but especially Part Two, is designed to be read and discussed along with a small group of like-minded believers. In the second half we are provided with glimpses of what the "spontaneous, unexpected, and unpredictable" way of living may look like. First, three rhythms are identified: Missional Communion, Missional Relating, and Missional Engagement. Then, Boren discusses twenty-one different practices (seven for each rhythm) that will not appear earth-shattering or even new. These practices are common to the experience of most genuine Christians, yet most of us have not lived them out in the missional context. To facilitate reflection and discussion, space is provided at the end of each practice. The author encourages us to respond to each practice by answering these three questions: "What is God saying to me...?" "What does this mean for my life?" "What impact does this have on the way we do small group?" The end of the book includes an appendix that lays out a 13-step process that a group can adopt to determine how to start practicing their new rhythms together.
A picture comes to my mind when I reflect on the impact of this book upon my life. It is the picture of the Incarnation. God the Son coming into our world to live among us in order that we might experience His message of truth, hope, and redemption. This book captures that essence for us as Christ's ambassadors. We are called to live as a community in our world and live among the lost that they may experience the same truth, hope, and redemption.
Throughout the book the author uses the language of music to convey his essential message: We have been listening to and playing along with a particular "rhythm" of life and perhaps it's time for us to learn a new one. Since music is often used to tell a story, Boren refers to four different "stories" of group life. He suggests a progression toward what he calls "missional re-creation." This is where "the gospel comes to life and the rhythms of the kingdom begin to create something spontaneous, unexpected, and unpredictable (p. 44)."
The entire book, but especially Part Two, is designed to be read and discussed along with a small group of like-minded believers. In the second half we are provided with glimpses of what the "spontaneous, unexpected, and unpredictable" way of living may look like. First, three rhythms are identified: Missional Communion, Missional Relating, and Missional Engagement. Then, Boren discusses twenty-one different practices (seven for each rhythm) that will not appear earth-shattering or even new. These practices are common to the experience of most genuine Christians, yet most of us have not lived them out in the missional context. To facilitate reflection and discussion, space is provided at the end of each practice. The author encourages us to respond to each practice by answering these three questions: "What is God saying to me...?" "What does this mean for my life?" "What impact does this have on the way we do small group?" The end of the book includes an appendix that lays out a 13-step process that a group can adopt to determine how to start practicing their new rhythms together.
A picture comes to my mind when I reflect on the impact of this book upon my life. It is the picture of the Incarnation. God the Son coming into our world to live among us in order that we might experience His message of truth, hope, and redemption. This book captures that essence for us as Christ's ambassadors. We are called to live as a community in our world and live among the lost that they may experience the same truth, hope, and redemption.
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