Megachurches are springing up all over the country, but the truth is that very few churches have over one thousand members. In fact, the average church in America has around only one hundred.
In Left Behind in a Megachurch World, Ruth A. Tucker weaves together an interest in church growth and spiritual formation to provide a narrative-based look at congregations whose numbers are "plateauing." Filling a noticeable gap in literature designed to encourage the smaller church, this insightful and well-researched book opposes the idea that numbers are the only way to measure success. Tucker's unique writing will relieve small churches from the pressure to grow and encourage pastors, laypeople, and small congregations to remain open to God's work in their church.
Average Rating: 3 out of 5 stars(3 out of 5 stars)
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2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Garet Robinson (Sugar Land), August 03, 2009
Ruth Tucker is a world class teacher, profound missiologist, and someone who has a heart for the New Testament church. Her passions are clear and evidenced in his text, “Left Behind in a Megachurch World.” Yet it seems that these and other passions might have also gotten the best of her in writing this book.
More of a rambling dirge against large and mega churches across the United States, Tucker seems to miss the intended point of the book of filling “a noticeable gap in literature designed to encourage the smaller church.” While there is significant ink devoted to these small churches, personal stories affirming them, and discussions about their quirky nature there is little actual encouragement for them.
There is much promise in the book and it is really why I bought it in the first place. Being able to hear a dissident voice in the midst of the celebrification of Christianity is something we all need.
For Tucker her aim at fixing this inequity rests squarely on the mega-ministries that have been pushed forward in the Christian subculture. Tucker offers brilliant anecdotes about the necessity for community, missions, and authentic life. Chapters 10 and 12 on humor and spiritual memories in left behind churches are worth a good read. They are great!
Yet for all her insight she fails to realize that these qualities can be found in churches small, medium, and large in size. At one point she even recommends resources of one the mega-ministries she has lamented previously in the book.
Tucker is an excellent historian and world class missiologist, but should remain on task and not spending time redressing mega-church ecclesiology. This is perhaps the great failure of the book.
I find it hard to encourage people to read Tucker’s work seriously. Though if you are looking for methodology in energizing your left-behind church I might recommend “Growing an Engaged Church” by Albert Winseman.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by First Presby Ch Of Palmdale (Palmdale, CA), September 13, 2008
We bought this book for our 6 program staff employees. So far the ones that have read the book have given excellent reviews-very easy read. There is good information relevant to our mid-sized church trying to figure out how to "be community" to our local area. The only negative reviews were that a few tidbits of information in the book really didn't speak to our church situation; overall, the book was well worth its REALLY LOW price.
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