The Relational Way: From Small Group Structures to Holistic Life Connections

As the Director of Community Groups at a mid-sized church we used this book to launch our small group transition. This book is very well written, inspiring and informative. I have also launched small groups in a meg-church and I wish I would have had this book then to steer us in a more holistic direction. The resource is the best by far on the market. You must also get Boren's companion book "How Do We Get There from Here."

This book is representational of a new shift away from focusing on mere structural issues within small group ministry to looking at various dynamic issues pertaining to the community life of today's churches. While Boren does not dismiss the importance of strageic structures, he places them in proper perspective within the larger context of the "relational kingdom." As such, Boren presents ten "structural myths" that stand in contrast to ten "relational truths" that guide kingdom community. In my estimation, Boren demonstrates strong intuition, great wisdom, and genuine expertise in painting a beatiful picture of leading people into intentional Christian community. I recommend this book to anyone that is seeking to better understand the challenges and opportunities that come with creating Christian community today.

This was exactly the right resource at the right time for me. In fact, I highlighted the material so much that my efforts became almost useless! A year ago, I was hired at a young church to begin and direct becoming a church "of" small groups. Having directed small groups at another church for six years, I now had the fresh opportunity to pray, reflect, and grow my knowledge of how to help the Body of Christ experience healthy Bibilical community. Scott's book helped our planning team ask ourselves the right questions. It helped us to look beyond the mechanics of small groups and stay focused on Jesus and His desires for our relationships and community. I continue to pick up the book regularly for encouragement in personally living out and guiding others to embrace Kingdom livng with one another. Thanks, Scott!

The model of the church today stands in stark contrast to the church of the New Testament. In his new book, Scott Boren is calling for a new restoration--a restoration of the "relational way" that is at the very heart of God and His design for His church. The ideas Boren proposes are revolutionary within our culture; indeed they are counter-cultural, which is exactly what he intends and proposes in this book. I have been an avid reader of books on community, small groups, church growth, discipleship, and leadership for many years. It would not be an overstatement to say that this is the most provocative, visionary, thought-provoking book I've ever read. It is obviously inspired. Every pastor involved in small group ministry (or not involved yet) needs to read it. I've been thinking and writing about some of this stuff for several years, so I am in alignment with Scott's propositions, but he has put this in ways I had not yet considered. I've already ordered ten copies for our church leadership team. The book identifies ten assumptions that we as church leaders often make as we start or build our small group ministries. Boren categorizes these as "structural myths" that have quietly crept into how we think and act. In my ministry, I have either believed these myths or, even if I knew them to not necessarily be true, I organized ministry according to them. As I read Boren's book, I think to myself that I should have known better. But as Boren says, they have become such a subtle part of our "operational system" that until we read a book like this, we assume them to be true. Boren then provides a relational truth in opposition to each structural myth. I really like how Boren presents each chapter. He begins with Scripture, presenting strong, sound theology to the relational truth. Then in the rest of the chapter, he provides practical application in accordance with those theological truths. The way Boren has organized this book has helped me to first listen to God speak on each subject and then to consider how I might apply these truths in my situation. I like that. This book has stimulated my imagination, and I'm hoping it will do the same for other leaders in our church as well. It is sure to begin a dialogue that could be transformational for God's church where I serve and you serve. ___ Reviewer: Michael C. Mack is a small groups pastor, founder of an online SmallGroups ministry, and author of I'm a Leader...Now What?: How to Guide an Effective Small Group and Leading from the Heart: A Cell Leader's Guide to Passionate Ministry among others.

I had the priviledge of editing this book and working with the author over the course of a couple of years as he wrote the chapters you will soon read. The greatest feature of this book is that it provides a sound theological exegesis for a relationally-based church like no other book in print possesses. Scott Boren has also done an excellent job of exposing common myths about small group and cell group-based ministry. These myths are commonly held (and heavily preached) by a number of existing "experts" in the field of small group ministry, which is sure to be illuminating reading for those who keep abreast of what's being taught about small group ministry. The first part of each chapter is deeply theological and the last part is filled with practical application. I love the way Scott takes the Word and applies it to the myth, then reveals what he calls the "relational way" to approach each issue, such as group oversight, discipleship, evangelism, and leadership development, just to name a few. With each revision I reviewed, I became more inspired to pastor a relational church, one where people were never considered a cog in a giant clockworks of small groups, but as individuals with gifts, talents and opportunities to serve God on a team. If I didn't have my complimentary editor's copy on my bookshelf, I'd have paid retail to have this book in my library. I have already recommended it to a number of my colleages and church planters, and I'd be the first person to tell you that if you are planning to launch a small group ministry in your church or your small groups are simply not growing the way you think they should be, this book should be on your list as a "must-read-soon."