Thursday, March 8, 2012

Going Deep, Gordon MacDonald


A quick book review for a not so quick book. This is a hefty book, but at the end I wasn't ready to be finished. I love the way Gordon MacDonald uses a fiction format to give us a plan to take our churches and selves to a deeper faith. Instead of a boring how to book about planning meetings and what material to cover, MacDonald builds a story around a fictional pastor (himself) and church. Through the characters he succinctly lays out a plan of action to lead a group, most likely a church, into a deeper relationship with each other and with God. Using the "discipleship" method of Christ, the fictional pastor and his wife choose participants for a program to grow "deep people." The group studies people and portions of the Bible as well as more contemporary Christians' lives. Each member of the group is stretched beyond what they thought possible in their walk with Jesus.

I love the challenge this book presents. Are we satisfied with the level of our depth in Christ or is there room to go deeper? Could we be the catalyst in the life of another to encourage them to a deeper walk? I would LOVE to be part of a group like this! Reading the book, I felt like part of the group written about but, also, felt a great desire to have this kind of accountability and encouragement. I hope if you have any leadership role in an organization you will read this book for inspiration to lead your group Deeper!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”