Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church

okay pastors. You are coming to realize that the program-driven, "what can you do for me now" consumer approach to Christianity is quickly becoming unworkable. Sure... it may sputter on for a few years, but where are all your 18-30 year olds? They're all at churches like Solomon's Porch and other emerging communities which are doing their best to walk away from the "provider of religious goods and services" paradigm for church and get back to being covenant communities. Pagitt, and you gotta love the guy- he'll anger you, inspire you and humble you... all in one sentence- provides a glimpse into how their community does it. It's not a program, not a blue-print, don't think you can xerox it... but it may inspire you to do something beyond the "seeker" paradigm (which doesn't seem to draw many seekers) you've leaned on... but are finding less and less workable all the time.

Doug Pagitt is a lead pastor at a church in Minnesota called Solomon's porch. His book is about his journey away from the program centered Mega-church into a more organic, decentralized community. He talks about some new ways of viewing spiritual formation that are quite different than the commonly used "talking head," educational approach. His ideas are, self-proclaimed, experimental. He admits to being at the early stages in his church journey, however his ideas are quite compelling.If you are interested in connecting with the next generation in your church, or are involved in any high school or college ministry - I would order this today and read and discuss with your community.There is much talk about post-modernism in churches that plain and simple is not healhty. And often times, when it is healthy dialouge, there is no real story of success - instead it is just a bunch of ideas that never become anything. Solomon's Porch and this book are the beginning of healhty dialouge and ideas turning into reality!It is not Pagitt's desire to create a thousand churches just like his. Rather, he has asked some honest and searching questions about how God and His character are going to be formed in his people and is trying to be and do this in the way that meets the needs of his church.As a pastor of a mega-church, Pagitt certainly has me asking some honest questions.

An insider's glimpse into the heart of a community seeking the source of its oneness. Finding that in hearing one another's stories - to the point of seeing real difference - they can find a unity in diversity that is Spirit formation. Multiple voice are heard throughout this text and the fact that these voices find one another offers hope to any of us seeking a fellowship with God and with others that transcends "Sunday morning church."

Listen, this is a great book by some authentic followers of Christ who are doing their best to live in true community. If we all lived more like this, maybe church wouldn't smell so bad to so many people (inside and outside it). The writing is witty and challenging, and this community's vision of the Christian life will hook you.

Well not really, that would just be plain sacreligious. But seriously, this book is amazing. I am so overwhelmed by what is happening in the Church. It is essential for any intelligent Christian to read this book. It provokes the heart and mind. Kudos!peacelovebellbottoms