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  1. jason
    Macon, GA
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Really Good!
    December 11, 2010
    jason
    Macon, GA
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I'm not a church planter. I wanted to be, but as it turns out, it isn't what God has called me to do–at least not right now. After I found out about Darrin Patrick's book, Church Planter, I wanted to give it a read even though I'm not planting a church. (One small caveat: I've been a part of two Acts 29 Network Churches and believe that church planting is thoroughly biblical and really exciting.) I had high expectations for this book and Patrick did not fail me. In fact, he exceeded my expectations and I'm glad he wrote this book. It is needed for reasons I will mention below.

    The book is divided into three sections: 1) The Man, 2) The Message, 3) The Mission. Each of these sections are creatively broken down into sub-chapters and each topic very well covered. One of my first reactions to the book was the amazing artwork on the cover: VERY cool. My second observation was the plethora of footnotes throughout. I absolutely LOVE footnotes. You can never have enough footnotes...

    One of my favorite things about this book is the concise yet thoroughness of the topic at hand. Patrick digs deep into theology and practice while weaving in anecdotal stories and lessons he's learned throughout the years. The book covers a lot of deep topics and Patrick does well by not getting too bogged down in the details while still touching on the many issues therein. Concise yet informative = huge win.

    The issues discussed are very timely, too. There has no doubt been a wave of church planting efforts here in the U.S., and there is a strong need for clarity. It is important to be on the 'right' mission with the 'right' message and a 'right' man leading the charge. Patrick clarifies what this means. He's thoroughly biblical, passionate about culture, and excited about the future of God's people. These elements are crucial if a church planter is going to do what God has called him to do.

    Another thing I appreciated about Patrick's book is his wisdom, humility, and reliance on Jesus. It bleeds through each and every page. The man is humble and honest about his mistakes while also being willing to demand that others do not make those same mistakes. (This is wisdom).

    Last, I do not believe this book is strictly for church planters/planting. While this is Patrick's focus (because this is what he does), every pastor could benefit from reading this book. Even if you are a pastor in a church and have been for 30+ years, you will glean a lot from Patrick's work.

    P.S. - The first paragraph on page 237 is a series of questions. Read this a few times over again. It sums up the book and will challenge you. Pray, and then get to work.
  2. Pastor Rob
    VA
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Long overdue foundations for church planters
    November 2, 2010
    Pastor Rob
    VA
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    THE MAN

    Darrin Patrick draws his knowledge from 20 years of experience in ministry. He has walked the church planting road as founding pastor of the Journey Church in St. Louis and has the qualifications to speak on areas that make or break church planters and church plants as the vice president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network. He makes no apology for the title of the book ruling out ½ of the population by gender and quickly reduces the number left due to a lack of maturity required to be considered a man apart from his gender. After establishing the fact that more than anatomy is needed in order for a man to be considered to lead the Lord's church in our day, he dedicates the first 1/3 of the book to the biblical qualities needed. He begins by examining the spiritual condition of the man in question and progresses all the way through to the man's determination to persevere in ministry no matter what the price. Quitting is not an option. Further, the man must possess a clear call into the ministry, be dependent wholly upon the Holy Spirit, possess the correct skills–gifted by the Holy Spirit–to plant/pastor a church, and be willing to lay down his life to protect the sheep that Jesus has placed in their care. While these qualities seem obvious on the surface, Patrick delves into each area in a manner that will convict even the most tenured pastors by holding up a mirror that reveals to them how they look to God in each area. Only the people with the most hardened hearts will not be convicted. The one additional area that probably should have been addressed is where the man fits in demographically (urban, suburban, rural, etc.) to ensure a good fit in the area where he is planting, or pasturing, a church.

    THE MESSAGE

    After covering the man in question from every possible angle, Darrin moves onto to examining the message that the man proclaims to the world. This may seem like a no-brainer but many people do not even give the message a fraction of the time that they give the marketing strategy. This creates a problem when tens of thousands of dollars are raised and spent, the crowd arrives to see what the hype is about, and then they do not even get a chance to hear the gospel. People do not need another hip self-help club to attend once a week, they need a savior and Darrin Patrick makes no apologies for this fact. He covers the message from every conceivable angle beginning with the historical reliability of what we believe, the salvation accomplishing power which must always remain centered on Jesus Christ. A message properly expounded will expose sin in the hearer's lives and shatter the idols that they have elevated into God's rightful place. He anticipates the fact that many people will question the truthfulness, effectiveness, sufficiency and authority of the message we preach and he addresses the objections with sound biblical support. He handles the message with reverence to the object of the message and necessity of proclaiming the message truthfully and fully. This section will cause even the long-term preachers to step back and examine the message they have been proclaiming to assure that every time they step in the pulpit they are lifting up Jesus and not themselves or their agenda.

    THE MISSION

    If you build it they will come may work in theory, but it makes little sense to build anything without an intended purpose. Darrin Patrick tackles the church's mission in a manner that challenges the traditional idea of what it means to "do" church. This section is right on time, given the ease in which one can forget the big picture once they get into the heat of battle. Everyone must know what they are doing for God and keep that in focus. Further, if the church is to be a biblical church, it needs to follow the biblical mandate for why a church even exists in the first place. Just calling itself a church is not enough as Patrick reveals through the final section of the book. He asserts that the heart of mission is compassion in reaching a lost world, and addresses the biblical teaching answering the questions, what is the church and what does it look like? He covers the manner in which we can contextualize the gospel for people to understand it and gives a charge to care for the city in order to win the right to have an audience. The ultimate goal, he concludes, is city transformation whereby the city would weep if the church were no longer present. This is a radical concept in an age where many churches have turned so inward that they exist to serve and entertain the current members at the expense and exclusion of those outside the fellowship. This final section will challenge any pastor or leader to examine their church's activity in the world based upon what the Bible teaches it should be doing and will, if considered, bring about a radical change in our communities.

    In a world overflowing with books designed to help the church planter develop their methods, and strategies, Church Planter addresses the more foundational issue of whether or not the person is even a qualified person with a biblical message and mission. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering a call to plant a church as well as established church pastors. It is time that we get back to the foundation of building God's kingdom which involves real people hearing a Christ-centered saving message from a church on mission to transform its community and this book will help all who are serious at coming alongside of God's work.
  3. Bentley Crawford
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A Challenging and Critical Read
    October 8, 2010
    Bentley Crawford
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    If you are looking for a book that clearly and concisely describes what is required of men who would be a pastor or church planter, what the central message this man and church proclaims should be, and how he and the church he leads should love one another and function in their city then this new book by Darrin Patrick is a pretty good choice.

    The book is Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission and was published by Crossway Books. Patrick is a pastor at The Journey in St. Louis and is also a vice president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network.

    Now, not being a pastor or church planter myself, I am obviously nothing more than a christian who cares about these issues and desires to think about them more biblically and see others think about them more biblically as well.

    Preliminary Observations:

    As I like to do with all books I read, I try to make preliminary observations about the book to help me get context as I read it. Speaking in terms of design and graphics quality I have really enjoyed the books Crossway has been putting out lately. This book is no exception. It has a great look and an awesome picture on the front. Though I was initially turned off by the cover as possibly over-glorifying a pastor or church planter as this lone saver of souls. The back of the book is also very helpful with a long list of respected evangelical leaders and thinkers giving glowing endorsements for this book.

    The book is only 240 pages long and is very accessible in terms of length and writing style.

    Surveying the table of contents really helps make clear what the book will be about. And it covers a wide range of topics very well and very coherently. The book is divided into three main sections: The Man, The Message, and the Mission, with Mark Driscoll writing the forward.

    The Man:

    In the first section "The Man," chapters include:

    -A Rescued Man

    -A Called Man

    -A Qualified Man

    -A Dependent Man

    -A Skilled Man

    -A Shepherding Man

    -A Determined Man.

    I thought this was quite an impressive survey of what is needed and required of a pastor/church planter. I found Patrick's writing to be both admonishing and warning toward those lacking in these areas as well as encouraging and shepherding toward the same people. Helping one to evaluate their calling and gifting and ask the hard questions about themselves, while not leaving them hopeless and despairing.

    Starting with the most basic and essential requirement is that a man be truly saved before he be a pastor/church planter. This may seem obvious and unneeded until we realize that many churches could be being led by men who are actually not saved themselves.

    The chapters on calling and qualification were especially helpful in helping potential church planters or pastors evaluate their calling and if they meet biblical qualifications. They weren't just helpful on a practical level, but Patrick was pointing us back to the biblical criteria for elders. The office shouldn't be reserved for the best communicators or committed members, but for men whom God has gifted and is calling. I also think it would be helpful for churches to have these things as their criteria when thinking through who their elders or pastors should be. These issues can seem so nitpicky and unimportant until we realize that it is God who gives elders to the church. It is the potential elder's and the churches responsibility to take the qualifications in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus seriously.

    The final four chapters in this section were equally helpful in equipping men to think through what the real life of a pastor/church planter might look like and what will be essential in their lives.

    The Message:

    I also found the second section titled: "The Message" clear and instructional as well:

    -A Historical Message

    -Salvation-Accomplishing

    -Christ-Centered

    -Sin-Exposing

    -Idol Shattering.

    Each of these chapters were packed with great teaching on the objective reality and power as well as the every day experience of the gospel. Nothing is more essential and critical than the message of the gospel. Getting the gospel right and applying it to our lives is the first and most foundational point from which the rest of the points made in this book should flow.

    The Mission:

    The final section zeroed in on "The Mission":

    -The Heart of Mission: Compassion

    -The House of Mission: The Church

    -The How of Mission: Contextualization

    -The Hands of Mission: Care

    -The Hope of Mission: City Transformation.

    This could possibly be the most controversial section among the reformed camp. With characteristic Acts 29 emphases on "missional" themes such as "contextualization" and "city transformation" are possible points of tension. Though some may not be thoroughly convinced of Patrick's positions I felt that he did a great job of clarifying his positions and striking what to my mind seems like a biblical balance.

    Conclusion:

    I was struck by how comprehensive this book was in so small an amount of pages. Patrick extensively covered a range of issues that are so important. It truly is as Dave Harvey says on the back of the book: "a boot-camp-in-print."

    If I had hoped to see anything that wasn't thoroughly mentioned it would be a treatment of the gifts God gives to each of His people to build His body. It seems it would be helpful for a pastor/church planter to not only see his role as one that God has gifted him for but also to have a healthy grasp of how he is but one part in the whole of the varied parts of the body. And building a healthy "every member functioning properly" perspective into his church could only help further church health and mission.

    Even if you don't agree with everything in the book it seems that almost everyone thinking of seeking the position of pastor or church planter should read this book and be forced to wrestle with what is found here.

    Who Should Read It:

    Overall I found this to be a very helpful book covering a host of topics that should be one of the top books any of the following should read:

    1. an aspiring pastor/church planter,

    2. an existing pastor/church planter who hasn't really received much instruction in these areas, and finally

    3. church members and leadership searching for elders or pastors.
  4. Ricky Kirk
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    September 15, 2010
    Ricky Kirk
    'Church planting' has come to be somewhat of a buzz word within various denominations and networks. Various models and paradigms of ministry are espoused, critiqued, implemented, succeed and fail. Patrick's book calls the church planter back to the basics of what is involved and provides a thorough biblical foundation for the type of man called to plant a church, the message of the gospel that is to be proclaimed and the mission of the church as it proclaims the message of the gospel in it's city.I am not a church planter, but found this book extremely insightful to me as a pastor. The work uses scripture throughout to establish the main points of each section, as illustrations to points, and as general encouragement. In addition to a solid scriptural basis, Patrick incorporates a wide selection of quotes throughout the book from early church fathers to pastors of our day.One of the most helpful parts of the book are the very penetrating questions in the beginning chapters for a church planter. These questions examine the call of a church planter and delve into the character and gifting he has (or doesn't have). I found these questions to be valuable not only for a church planter, but for every pastor to examine his call afresh. As I disciple others who have expressed a call to ministry, I will use many of the questions in this work to guide future church planters and pastors.If I could summarize this book in a succinct way it might be as follows: The Man, the Message, and the Mission of church planting/the church is Jesus. While the man called of God to plant/pastor, the message of the gospel he proclaims and the mission of the church plant to reach it's city have responsibilities and practical decisions to make, the man is simply a man (with a call from God) proclaiming a message with a mission. The Man, the Message, and the Mission of church planting/the church is Jesus.
  5. Darin
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Top notch resource
    March 12, 2012
    Darin
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This book does an excellent job of clarifying, a mans heart for the mission of church planting. The theology was sound, and principles very applicable.

    If you are considering a church plant, I would highly encourage you to read this book, and examine yourself in the light of the call you are seeking. This book has meat, and substance in a short read, and doesn't dance around the real issues of launching a church.

    Worth the time.
Displaying items 1-5 of 11
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