"11 Innovations in the Local Church," Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer&Warren Bird (Regal Books, June 2007)
As this trio of church-growth veterans points out, innovation for the sake of innovation is a minefield fraught with danger. Two leading problems: becoming unbiblical or so irrelevant that a church can fade into history’s dustbin.
Yet, in this very readable volume, they explore vital examples of congregations that have stepped beyond the ordinary to impact people’s lives, spread the gospel and change their communities.
"Nobody told us the church changed"
One of the most amusing remarks in the book appears in the introduction. Stetzer—a former seminary professor and missiologist—tells of an aging congregation that decided to visit five churches that were effective at reaching young adults.
When they returned to compare notes, an elderly woman remarked, "Preacher, the church changed, and nobody told us."
Having interviewed Stetzer before, I suspect this anecdote stems from a church he helped revitalize by leading the elderly people to adopt a more contemporary form of worship. What he didn’t say in the book was that this church succeeded while several others he advised refused to adapt and continued to stagnate.
This ingrained resistance to change is nothing short of phenomenal when considering one of the examples in the book—a dying church that transformed itself by becoming a multi-site extension of a neighboring body. First, they had to change their name, which some objected to because they might lose their connection to an early pastor who was the church’s first missionary. Fortunately, agents of change carried the day.
The need to adapt is serious. As the authors mention, "After 50 years of sprucing up our churches and spicing up our worship, the culture is less reached and those who go to churches are less committed."
Yet, they insist that innovation still matters, in spite of a rapidly-changing world that today considers ground-breaking innovations of the ‘80s and ‘90s as ancient relics.
A balanced approach
One of the strengths of this book is its balanced approach, with the authors exploring both the strengths and weaknesses of each innovation they review.
For instance, while they take an admiring look at the growth of house churches, they mention that biblical elements of these groups are often missing. And, despite missionaries trying to catalyze house churches in 34 Western nations, none has broken through among a majority of people.
Since Bird co-authored a book on multi-site churches last year, it isn’t surprising that the chapter on this innovation comes from a laudatory point of view, including a baker’s dozen list of the strengths of churches with multiple venues.
Yet, the trio doesn’t gloss over the innate shortcomings of multi-site churches, particularly the temptation to appeal to a consumer mentality.
Opening the book with a chapter on house churches may turn off some readers. And, ironically, some would question whether these groups would fit their working definition of a church listed in the introduction.
Surprising elements
Still, "11 Innovations" has far more strengths than weaknesses. Some of the chapters may surprise you, such as the one on ancient-future churches that review a growing appetite for reconnecting modern worship with early Church traditions.
There is also a chapter on attractional churches, the method that many have consigned to dinosaur status. However, the authors emphasize that figures as diverse as John MacArthur and Brian McLaren use attractional language; the problem may not be the "come and see" approach as much as what is there to see.
As evidence, they discuss a Nazarene church in northern Ohio that has a huge impact in a poor part of its city because of its aggressive blend of youth ministry, high-tech worship and community outreach.
In the end, "11 Innovations’" primary value is as an overview rather than a step-by-step, "how to" instructional guide. Yet, if it persuades pastors and church leaders to acknowledge that biblically-grounded change is needed to reach the culture—and convince their flocks to agree—it will provide a great service.
