Review: Change Your Church for Good

                                                         Change your Church for Good

I recently had the opportunity to review Change your church for Good by Brad Powell. I was interested in this book because, as the wife of a pastor, I often see the church from a different angle than many and am often called to weigh in on decisions with my husband.

Brad Powell's book, Change your church for Good, relates his own experiences with changing a church to the larger context.  Overall the book was much better than I had expected. 

I was put off in the first portion of the book describing the Church's faults.  It was not that I disagreed with much of what was said, but the universality drawn from the church in the United states, or even the North American context, and equating that to the church worldwide today was what is too often seen in American evangelical writers.

The other problem I had was that the book left little to God's work, little to prayer, and little to the issues of how God chooses to act or not act.  Often the book sounds very close to a strait equation of do these things and this is what God will do, which is a dangerous way to look at God,

That being said, the main portion of the book was very good.  I especially appreciated the fact that he did not diminish the difficulties of change, and encouraged slowly changing over many years with a very clear target in mind, and first working the idea of change until the leadership and the congregants fully buy into the need.  There are many of my generation who either decide they want to church plant to avoid the need for change (at least in the early stages) or try to change a church to fast, give up and go elsewhere, which can do incredible damage. 

I recommend the book to those in any form of leadership in a church that is missing the mark and who have desire to see change.  If nothing else, reading through the types of change necessary to get to a new place can be very helpful, and some of the cautions and encouragements.

So, if you can work past the over-generalization in the beginning, and the inherent tone of over-confident superiority that comes out at times, it can be a useful book for any pastors toolbox.

I am a member of Thomas Nelson Publishers Book Sneeze program. Thomas Nelson provided me with a free copy if this book in exchange for my review of this book and I am not required to provide a favorable review.

Review: Change Your Church for Good