Recommended Books

21st Century Church, Millennium Edition - Rob Warner. Kingsway, 1999.

As we approach the 21st century, in an atmosphere of growing paganism and breathless cultural change, two crucial questions need to be asked by every local church:

In biblical terms, what is a church meant to be and do?
In practical terms, what changes must we bring about in order to bridge the gap to the modern world?

Rob Warner argues that if we have the courage to re-invent the church in radical new forms and make it culturally relevant, the 21st-century church has a momentous opportunity to secure a major advance of the gospel. As the new century draws near, this vision is now within our grasp, not just in one continent, but right around the world.
To purchase the book online:
http://www.equippingthechurch.co.uk/

Revolution in the Church - Michael L. Brown. Chosen, 2002.

Are you tired of the spiritual status quo? Are you convinced that there's something wrong with the "religious system"? Would you like to help spearhead large-scale change? Then you are holding the right book.
Revolution in the Church looks at the need for a spiritual revolution not only in the Church but ultimately in the world. In a dynamic and lively writing style, Dr. Michael Brown exposes erroneous practices and beliefs popular today, challenging you to make some radical transformations.
He explores the biblical pattern of leadership, what is and is not cultlike, the meaning of true discipleship, the Jewish roots of our faith, and other provocative issues facing the Church today.
With its timely and revealing message, Revolution in the Church will be a welcome corroboration of the revolution already taking place in your church - or a penetrating wake-up call to action.

Christianbook.com

The Jesus I Never Knew- Philip Yancey. Zondervan, 1995.

     What happens when a respected Christian journalist decides to put his preconceptions aside and take a long look at the Jesus described in the Gospels? How does the Jesus of the New Testament compare to...the Jesus we think we know so well? Best-selling author Philip Yancey says, "The Jesus I got to know in writing this book is very different from the Jesus I learned about in Sunday school. In some ways he is more comforting; in some ways more terrifying."
     Yancey offers a new and different perspective on the life of Christ and his work...and ultimately, who he was and why he came. Relating the gospel events to the world we live in today, The Jesus I Never knew gives a moving and refreshing portrait of the central figure of history. With a willingness to tackle difficult questions, Yancey looks at the radical words of this itinerant Jewish carpenter and asks whether we are taking him seriously enough in our own day and age.
     The Jesus I Never Knew uncovers a Jesus who is brilliant, creative, challenging, fearless, compassionate, unpredictable, and ultimately satisfying. According to Yancey, "No one who meets Jesus ever stays the same. In the end I found the process of writing this book to be a great act of faith-strengthening. Jesus has rocked my own preconceptions and has made me ask hard questions about why those of us who bear his name don't do a better job of following him."

Christianbook.com