Renewal

Cursillo provides Christians with a supportive community and helps them renew their faith. The author approaches Cursillo as though it was just another cult, rather than a movement within established Christian denominations. Cursillo is not a cult, it is a movement of the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and other mainstream religions.

I only wish the author's Thesis Advisor had taken a more direct hand in ensuring the accuracy of her work. The book is out of print and is hard to find. Perhaps that is fortunate, since it provides a very distorted picture of Cursillo.

From its description of the content of the days through its analysis and breakdown of the intent and meaning of the Cursillo, this book is missing something substantial. It is my opinion that the author is writing about an event she has never shared. Whether her information came from a study of other articles or interviews of participants, a number of generalizations are made and opinions are stated as facts. I had difficulty reconciling the movement she described with the Cursillo weekend I attended and the subsequent weekends I have worked as a part of the team. A number of the most serious problems described in the book are simply not accurate, in my experience. Her descriptions of isolation through silence and the forms of secrecy do not seem at all familiar. It has been my experience that many of the problems she points out are those the Cursillo organizations and teams, as well as the candidates' sponsors, work hardest to overcome. Each denominational and regional Cursillo organization has a somewhat different view on the Cursillo weekend. Similarly, each Cursillo team puts on its Cursillo somewhat differently. The teams are all volunteers made up of a mix of experienced through very recent attendees. Certainly it is possible that my own experiences are just as "white-washed" as I believe her sources are inaccurate. But that is the way of God and man. And I'm not the one writing the book...

This study provides an objective scientific analysis of one of the popular Christian renewal movements. The author used standard anthropological techniques in this generally positive review. Members of the movement are uncomfortable with an objective analysis, however. Cursillo is presented as a movement that has become primarily inner-directed, that is, more focused on creating more Cursillistas than on changing the world.

These folks are out on the edge, and I am glad for it. We do have to begin speaking the language of our church members who are in the post-literate generation. It has confirmed to me that our church needs to begin (slowly) the integration of multi-media and team based leadership.

Out on the edge of the traditional congregation a media reformation is occurring. One place where this reformation can be seen is at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio. Another place is in this book by its lead pastor.

Michael Slaughter has been the lead pastor of this congregation since 1979. Upon his arrival at Ginghamsburg he found 90 persons who existed as a dying United Methodist congregation. At the time of this writing, a core membership group of more than 1000 persons provide five weekend worship experiences for more than 3000 persons.

The congregation has a contemporary style that attracts preChristians, seekers, and others on the edge of Christianity. Simultaneously, for those who understand the subtle presentation of theology and Christian symbolism, there are more than enough places to connect with spiritual trandition and culture.

Through the medium of this book Michael Slaughter shares his convictions concerning the life and death nature of the media reformation, a postmodern approach to congregation, and methodologies for building effective multi-sensory worship leadership teams.

A bonus is a CD-ROM included with the book. It contains materials that talks about the process of designing worship, six sample worship scenarios, a media portfolio of selected worship elements, and a searchable text of this book.

In addition to buying and reading this book, take advantage of visiting the congregation when you are in the Cincinnati area, or attend one of their annual teaching church events.

I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Slaughter's book! He gives a great,concise overview of how times have changed in the way of communication. It helped me realize that many churches have remained content to use methodologies that may have worked 20 or more years ago while neglecting technology that has created a new paradigm for effective, relevant communication. Mr. Slaughter includes actual job descriptions and schedules of key people needed to produce, what he calls, a multi-sensory worship experience. A very helpful cd-rom is included with several examples of what he describes in the book. If you are involved in planning worship services, you need this book!

Being a huge fan of Moresi, I was excited to read Suburban Renewal. Again, she has created a page turner until the end.

Suburban Renewal introduces you to Corrie and her husband Sam. After 25 years of marriage, we peek into their morning routine of coffee and reading the paper. Without waring, Corrie brings up the "D" word ~ divorce.

Like no other novel that I have had the pleasure of reading, Moresi takes us back 25 years prior to when the couple first meets and falls in love. We learn the struggles that Corrie & Sam have to deal with over the years which begin with teenage pregnancy. Corrie's mother does not approve of Sam and is ashamed of her careless daughter. Corrie and Sam choose to get married and have their daughter, Lauren. With little money, the couple moves into a garage apartment and try to make ends meet. Corrie's mother is trying to swallow the choices that she has made until she learns that Corrie is pregnant with her second child.

Suburban Renewal is filled with Corrie & Sam's struggles - from his father coming back into his life, raising teenagers, unemployment, AIDS and suicide.

One aspect of Moresi's writing that I love is that her stories are not happy from the beginning to the end. Meaning, they are true to life and the struggles that we endure on a daily basis. Sometimes we have a happy ending, sometimes not. But, it we have people in our lives to lend us love and support, that will help us to get through anything.

Once again, in her quiet, understated way, Pamela Morsi captures the essence of what makes a simple life worth living, and an everyday person -- extraordinary and worth knowing. Her characters do not save the world from super villains or dodge bullets; instead, they live our own lives. We recognize ourselves in them. We share their pain and their joys, and we feel that if they can do it, so can we.
Corrie had great plans at eighteen: college, a career. Then she became pregnant, and all that changed. Sam did not see this as a disaster. He was only too happy to propose. They started a life together.
A lot happens in twenty-five years: a child, then another one. A business, then another. Old friends, new friends. Death, new life, new generations. Urban sprawl, economic ups and downs. Everything impacts a family. Everything could destroy it, or strengthen it. Pam Morsi takes us along on Corrie and Sam's life journey, and we root and cry for them, because they could be us.
Pamela Morsi's latest novel couldn't be better titled. Without fanfare or grand parades, through trials and tragedies, her characters find the strength to renew themselves constantly. They face disaster and destruction, and renovate themselves and their environment without faltering. We close the book with a feeling of hope: we can have this too, because it's not something Sam and Corrie were given on a golden platter. They worked hard to earn what they achieved. Suburban Renewal is a story of success in everyday life.

Terrific read, even though the beginning goes a bit slow. Watching the characters develop, blossom, respond to challenges- plus the historical angle of the last 30 years in America, add up to a fascinating examination of how one family functioned together. This is more of a real life romance. Not the starry kind of looking-across-the-room at each other and "falling" in love. This is how true love develops and how a husband and wife realize the importance of the other. This is a love story that focuses on how real life impacts love.

Read it and then get your hands on everything Morsi has written. Her delightful (and humorous) earlier books will keep you laughing, while looking at interesting heroines who are NOT beautiful on the outside, but find their beauty in other ways. Morsi is my favorite- and that is saying a lot, considering how many great romance writers there are!

This is a very unique book. It doesn't look for churches that are success stories and then Barna writes why they have made it. Rather this a book that the author looks for churches that are "failures" and he tells us why and what it took to turn them around.

He states that it takes a special (or different) type of pastor to turn a church around. It takes a pastor that can exude confidance and strong leadership. He writes: "Leadership without strong management results in theoretical, idea-heavy, pastor driven churches. Management without visionary leadership leads to ministry that is mechanical, passionless. predictable and limited".

Also states that it will take a new pastor to turn a church around. The Pastor who is on watch when the church takes a dive will not be able to cause this major change as the church is ready to give its last gasp.

It is easy to see that Maxwell's leadership laws are being implemented. The difference in this book is that time lines and time deadlines are given.

I said I was afraid to read this book because I have been involved with 3 turn around churches (all have made it)and this last one was on the bankruptcy doorsteps as well as facing civil lawsuits and a possible criminal investigation. It simply doesn't get worse. Today, 4 years later, there has been a complete turn around. I was afraid because I read the book with an eye to judge myself according to Mr. Barna.

He writtings are exactly what my wife and I have experienced. This definitely is NOT a book on theory. These are actual case studies and I can personally attest to its accuracy. I only wish that I have read this book 20 years ago so that I could have gone into these situations with a bit more confidance.

The only way not to rate this book highly, is to only experience a turnaround by reading and not by doing.

This is one of the most intriguing, yet, depressing books I have ever read. On one hand Barna says that there is hope for the 85% of American Churches that have stagnated or are in the process of decline- they can be turned around. Based on actual case studies, Barna outlines the principles of renewal; yet, just when we can see ourselves leading our churches out of the spiritual doldrums Barna drops the other shoe. Turning around a church is an extraordinary difficult task that only a few pastors are capable of doing. Perhaps the most discouraging word was that this was a young mans job, that is, for men under the age of forty-five.

I appreciate the authors insight that it takes a strong, hardworking leader to run around a church. A forty-hour workweek will not do. Barna stresses that spiritual growth must be based on spiritual things and not just on the strength of men, a foundation of prayer is a must for a turn around church. Without prayer we are relaying on the strength of men. We need to bring people into a tighter bond with God, a process that is very uncomfortable for most people.

Here are some insights: Renewal takes a long-term commitment; one does not turn a church around in a year or two- it is a process that may take five or six years. There is an absolute need to seize the moment. Barna counsels pastors to make significant changes the first year of their ministry. To wait a year or two to earn how the church operates (advice given by almost every seminary and Bible college) will almost guarantee failure in the renewal process. Delay will only allow internal resistance to develop. Finally, he says that renewal pastors do not wait for a consensus before attempting change they will never get it. Consensus is the abdication of leadership.

If you are a senior pastor and have the courage to attempt to turn around your church, read this book.

George Barna has done an excellent job of pointing out what it takes to turn around a plateaued or declining church. What he writes I find to be true but sometimes it may be tough to hear. He does clarify what kind of pastor it will take and that most of these kinds of churches have a pastor that is not gifted for the task. It has been my personal experience that what he says works. I came to the conclusion after reading this book that many churches are not willing to pay the price to follow a pastor that is gifted to turn a church around. As a pastor this book caused me to take a closer look at churches and why they fail.

The author says the present generation church can be like the first generation church, but how can that be? The first church had 'the same' gospel, there was only 'one denomination' at that time and they were simply called Christians. There was no need for denominations in the early church because disciples all believed 'exactly the same things'. To say the present church can be like the first is to not understand the first.

The teachings in this book merely show how to run a successful corporation for that is was this present generation of many churches has become.

In a time of "Church Growth" gurus, books, and workshops - it is very refreshing to have a book that doesn't focus on bells and whistles and technological ways to manipulate, but calls the church back to the mission given by Christ - to go into the world with the transformative Christian faith. If only those of us in mainline denominations would be willing to lift our eyes off of agendas, useless meetings and other distactions and consider "Reclaiming the Great Commission." Mission, not maintenance, is the call of this book, bringing the focus of the church on God, people, and relationships. Shared vision founded in Biblical faith is the key for the local congregation and the larger church. I recommend this to pastors, priests, lay leaders, bishops, and all who are interested in sharing the Gospel.

Our church is using this book as a model for its vision for the year 2001. Our Daughters of the King prayer group is using this book as its study for the coming year.

I got a very few laughs out of this very dreary little tome. "Chapter One - RFK: The Man Who Loved Children" rather unironically resembles hagiographic bios of Uncle Joe and Uncle Adolf, among other leaders who cultivated public images of being friends of the little ones. If you enjoy pious, sentimental and self-congratulatory trips down memory lane, you'll love this book. Otherwise, I'd suggest that you take a pass.

Edelman's book examines the failures Welfare Reform--essentially punishing the poor--and how Bill Clinton co-opted RFK's memory to push his own centrist agenda. This is the kind of book conservatives hate, because it is hard to refute on emotional or straw man grounds.

Robert Kennedy had a rare understanding of the poor, and he tried to help those that live in poverty. He understood poverty in terms of individual faces; and not as a nameless mass of people that can be easily grouped together or defined. Often he would go and meet people that lived in desperate conditions of poverty. He cared enough to go to places that other political leaders would avoid. Peter Edelman worked for Robert Kennedy in the years from 1964-1968. He believes that the vision that Robert Kennedy had for America's poor is still very valid today. That vision is presented in "Searching For America's Heart". Kennedy believed in a very broad based effort against poverty that recognized the responsibility of government and all other segments of society; combined together with the vital responsibility of the individual. He believed that there should always be a safety net for those in dire need. He genuinely wanted to help people to have a better life, and to care for their children. That spirit has often been lost in today's world, and millions of Americans, a great number of them children; still live in poverty. Most of the poor are rarely thought about or seen by other people, and it is almost as if they do not exist at all. They are truly the forgotten Americans. But Edelman points out that there is much that we can do that could change this tragic reality, and that we can remember the heart that Robert Kennedy saw in America. That American heart is defined by decency, justice and fairness for all citizens. This book presents the challenge of finding and rekindling that most essential American heart.

This book sugar coats and glosses the ugly side of Islam. First, it omits references to the Hadith in which Mohammed is quoted as stating that "women are deficient in intelligence." Every Muslim in the world knows this, they just don't broadcast it in the West because they know it will counteract the ol' "Islam honors women" routine. Secondly, this book completely ignores the historical facts of JIHAD and DHIMMITUDE. Islam is a cult developed by a war lord to aid him in conquering the World. Nothing has changed tried reading Osama Bin Laden's public pronouncements, which are endorsed and admired all over the Muslim world.

Nobody has taught that Islam will rise again from West, especially Muslims in Muslim countries. But it is becoming true day by day, year by year. United States with it's freedom of speech and democracy, is a perfect place for Muslims to live their life according to Shariah (Islamic Law). Moreover US is clean from superstitious beliefs (fortune telling, foretelling, soothsaying...etc), in contrast these things still exist in most of the Muslim countries. This advantage for American Muslims gives them a chance to practice their religion purely, as it is stated in Quran (Holy book) and Hadith (Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) traditions).

These people in the book are successful American Muslim professionals working in all fields of science and contributing to America's economy - are the true believers of Islam. They are the example to others, and presently they are contributing a lot to Islam, after 9/11 Islam has been intentionally or unintentionally defined as the religion of terrorism. And these people as well as all the true Muslims in the world are proving them false.

Most of the American Muslims nowdays are converts, they have chosen this religion because it is the religion of Abraham, and it is the religion which was stated in Old Tastement and Bible to come after them. Fortunately many people with open heart are recognising the Word of God in His Book - Quran and following His last religion - Islam.

"Taking Back Islam: American Muslims Reclaim Their Faith" is an anthology edited by Michael Wolfe and the producers of the Internet site "beliefnet." Altogether there are more than 40 short essays contained in this 240-plus-xiv page book. The introduction by Wolfe notes that the contributors are "progressive, mostly American, Muslims."

The essays are thematically grouped into a number of larger sections: "Violence," "Democracy," "Women and Islam," "The African-American Experience," and more. As a whole this is an absolutely fascinating and illuminating collection of voices. Among the many topics covered are Quranic interpretation, Muslim humor, the roles played by mosques in America, fasting, Sufism, the impact of the 9/11 attacks, and sectarianism within Islam. It's not a sanitized book--the essays cover some difficult and controversial material.

There are some real standout pieces in this anthology. Mas'ood Cajee's "'Mom Raised Me as a Zionist'" is a funny and touching account of growing up in both South Africa and the U.S. and of his encounters with the Jewish community. Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar's "I Believe in Allah and America" is a genuinely stirring piece in which the author declares, "I am a Muslim and I am an American. I am proud of both and will compromise neither."

This is a thought provoking and valuable book which I especially recommend to Americans regardless of their religious beliefs. It's a book suitable for both classroom use and individual reading.

We need more of the spirit, more prayer and more sacrifice in this fleshly, democratic, make the people happy institution we call the church. The church is and always will be US! This book and books like Purpose Driven Church appeal to the people not to God. Sit on the floor, read from a stapled hymnal and see who the real christians are. Throw out your demographics and your wierd graphs and come to Christ like a child. Leave the strategy to him. Try reading Disciple by Juan Carlos Ortiz or 1&2 Timothy and Corinthians

The message of this book is critical for the church today. The sooner we cease trying to get the world to see things our way and begin to bring the gospel to them, the better.

This is a book that should be revised every ten years or so as we move through the generational and cultural devlopments or our times. It will be enlightening to see how well the generational cycle plays out.

It is a book that has plenty of narrative (in the first and last parts) for those who are most helped by that. It also has plenty of statistical analysis for those who appreciate that.

The book would be worth having if it were only composed of part three. All worth meditation. Many modern Christians, including a couple of the reviewers here, are unaware of their own cultural conditioning. They think there is something sacred in the western, 19th-20th century institution and outlook that they call the church. They have a hard time seeing that that was a way of 'packaging' the gospel for a particular place and time in history. Disciples in the 21st century are responsible for taking the gospel to the worlds of the 21st century. Regele helps us to realize that this includes our neighbors as well as people around the world.

Read this book if you are serious about being an ambassador for Christ. Remember, an ambassador represents his kingdom to other kingdoms. He must make his message understood and attractive to others in order to serve his king.

This is one of the most important books for church leaders written in the last few years. I have given away many copies, and I urge every pastor to read it. We are in a time of great social transition, and church leaders had better understand the nature of the changes around us. Mike Regele is not saying that a time is coming when there will be no people of God. What he is saying is that local churches that cannot adapt and penetrate their cultures will die. What would happen if 75% of America's churches would cease to exist in the next 50 years? Change in the culture around us is taking place at such a rapid rate that it could well happen. Thus, change in the church is not optional.

Because the stories are metaphysical as well as mythological, and because some of the names are unfamiliar and long (Godiyihgo 'ishkiñihí), reading them and capturing their many layers of meaning requires time and concentration. To help the reader's understanding, the author follows each story with a brief explanation and discussion, along with a personal and spiritual example of the story in the author's own life and writing. Yet, since within the author's worldview there is no division between this level of reality and the metaphysical, her explanations are often as complex as the stories. Though categorized as folklore and mythology, this book might as likely be found in the religious section of any Native American bookstore or library. It will appeal to any
reader interested in the human story. (Paula Chaffee Scardamali, Foreword Magazine August, 2002 ' Volume 5 ' Number 5)

This book stays at my bedside, and I have re-read it several times. The wisdom of the Quero Apache sinks deeper into me with each reading. The stories have many layers. They are fun to read at the superficial level, but they grow deeper and more rich with every read. This is authentic, ancient wisdom.

I have had the great pleasure of meeting the author and members of her family. Maria Yraceburu carries the stories and medicine bundle of her clan. She grew up on the res speaking Apache as her first language. Her ancestors forsaw her role as Spirit Woman before she was born.

(...)Take this book and read it with open mind and heart, you will feel the authenticity and Wisdom for yourself. As in all things, follow your own heart, and beware messages filled with spite and fear. I can't wait until Maria's next book comes out this Spring!

The story of Humanity's evolutions touches on our yearning for freedom. Maria Yraceburu has written a chronicle of rare understanding of indigenous knowledge and a sympathetic insight into the experiences of evolution.

Rutz makes a passionate argument for "open worship" as a means of restoring biblical worship and to return the church to what it is suppose to be, a dynamic, worshipping and growing entity. He traces the current woes of the church back to the legalization of Christianity under the Roman Emperor Constantine. It was then, he reasons, that Christians became spectators as buildings were built and a professional clergy system arose. It is Rutz's premise that until the church restores open worship, the world will never be won to Christ nor will Christians experience dynamic passionate worship.

As I read the book, I realized that Rutz hit the nail right on the head concerning jammed church schedules, boring worship serves and joyless Christianity. He rightly obverses that if biblical worship and fellowship do not happen during Sunday morning services, they will not happen at all. The greatest strength of this book was the appendix. It was there that he left his irreverent humor behind and made his most effective case for open worship to affect world evangelism.

Although his insights into worship and the church are good, his human and lack of documentation interfered with the book's effectiveness; he makes fantastic claims and precious little evidence. For instance, he claims that pre-Constantine Christian art worked used the feeding of the 5000 to depict the Lord's Supper and that only after Constantine did it show Jesus with the twelve. What are his sources? How valid is the evidence? Although this book did give me insight into the perils of open worship and some commonsense methods of how to handle them; nevertheless, I found the book of little value.

This is a pretty good book that describes the way the church should be. Where Sunday morning services involve everybody, not just the professionals. This book is written in an easy-going style, that makes it enjoyable, and sometimes just plain funny to read.

The only draw back about the book is that sometimes the author rants about a lot of historical things that don't really add to the book. Also, it would be nice to hear examples of "open church" services where you had people that were out-of-line. Sometimes this book is just a way bit too positive.

Too bad this book is out-of-print at the time of this review, but I recommend it just the same.

This book is full of practical insights. Spirit Filled Home Ministries is a network of independent home churches providing training, credentials and materials to home church leaders. These are free services. We have recently launched a free online college. Our views on small groups are similar to the author's.

go.home4church.org