Dream Awakener

The way I go about literary reviews is I start with my sense of the author’s thesis, followed by a general overview of the book, and then I focus on the themes that I want to remember for future use. I will be interviewing Eddie Gibbs about this book this coming week or the next, so stay tuned. The Ecclesia Network as well as Kairos Hollywood and Kairos West LA are mentioned in this book in the chapter Expanding Networks, so check it out.

THESIS
Gibbs makes the case that while mega trends are convulsing the Western World, the Lord has not abandoned his church, but rather is morphing her, creating fresh missional expressions.

GENERAL OVERVIEW
Gibbs begins Church Morph: how megatrends are reshaping christian communities, by giving us a enlightening overview of the megatrends – -modernity to postmodernity, the industrial age to the informational ages, Christendom to post-Christendom – that are currently traumatizing the church. He shares recent research that demonstrates “a serious disconnect between the churches agenda and young people’s preoccupations” (15). However in the remainder of the book, he provides us a wide and diverse survey of what God is up to in the Western world. He takes us on a tour that covers both sides of the pond, from Great Britain to North America. On this tour he takes six specific stops – “Fresh Expressions” of Church Within Traditional Denominations, The Megachurch Factor, Urban Engagement, Resurgent Monasticism, Expanded Networks and the Heartbeat of Worship – to give us a glimpse of how God is morphing His church.

THEMES TO REMEMBER
In chapter two, Gibbs does a masterful job of helping us understand post-christendom churches, the various streams of the missional and emerging churches, giving an insightful list of common characteristics. The hope is that leaders of the faith would be slow to judge and quick to understand. I found the interlude between chapters two and three to be an extremely helpful way to identify the ways people have understood the various streams of the emerging church.

While Gibbs admits to just scratching the surface of what God is up to, he does give us enough practical examples to generate a sense of hope that God has not abandoned the church in the West. As Gibbs takes us on the guided tour, he points out what he sees as helpful, but is also willing to critique or point out potential dangers for the church, in a very gracious way, fitting of a follower of Jesus.

It seems that his greatest critique comes when he talks about the megachurch. Yet with his critique, he also helps us to see the positive signs that are developing within the megachurch movement. He shares about Willow Creek’s willingness to be open about their weaknesses as well as the confession of Walt Kallestad when he came to the realization that many wouldn’t necessarily want to take over his megachurch because they would prefer to be “on the cutting edge making a difference” rather than “maintaining buildings and mortgages” (102).

There are various quotes throughout the book that I have underlined and intend to revisit, like where Gibbs talks about the Bible as a guide to life’s journey (52,3), or when he quotes John Witvliet on the Psalms (193).

This survey of significant developments is encouraging for the heart, stimulating for the mind and for those who have been moved by God’s grace, it stirs up a desire to sit with God and dream fresh dreams. I believe that the Spirit will use this book to breath fresh wind into His church. As I reflect on what is happening in the new monastic movement or with hip hop ministries, I am drawn to consider how God might morph the vision that He has laid on my heart. Examples and ideas found in this book will prove helpful for anyone desiring to develop a missional ecclesiology.

My interview with Eddie Gibbs will come later this week or next.