Transformation: How Glocal Churches Transform Lives and the World

Over the past several months I have read and reflected on Bob Robert's book. Transformation has been one of those books that has had a major impact in my life at a critical time. The message is clear, very basic yet so profound. Bob draws on personal experiences and his own transformation. His authenticity and transparency is powerful, real and encouraging to those of us who feel the same way but have a hard time facing it and admitting that we struggle with the same things as mature people in leadership positions. True Transformation only comes from an authentic and growing relationship with the Living God. Global transformation, that we need so desperately today, starts with personal transformation. Bob clearly communicates how we can personally be transformed. How we can experience the life that we were meant to live, be the people we were created to be, accomplish the work we were made to do. Reading, meditating and following what Bob shares from his personal life experience has literarily transformed my personal time with God and my daily walk with God. Thanks Bob for being so transparent and so real with your thoughts and your practical applications. As the process of personal transformation takes place, we are moved to be part of Global Transformation, as we view our lives, our faith and our work as one harmonious unit. We can not experience true personal transformation and "stay in our box". Be the same people, settle for keeping it quiet. We are moved to pursuing our passions and making "Transparent Connections" with others who are also being transformed. It's through these connections and each doing our part that we see "Global Transformation". Bob uses simple memorable diagrams to clearly communicate the connections between personal and global transformation and the key elements of each. At the end of each chapter there are a few thought provoking questions that I recommend to ponder and maybe write down in an accompanying journal. It seems to really help. I did this by myself, I am considering recommending it to a group of friends I meet regularly with and do it together. I am sure it will spur some great discussions. Bob Robert's true life examples and his personal experiences give the concepts and ideas of this book credibility and authority. I really enjoyed and use many of the stories as examples of what can happen if we experience true transformation. Transformation is one of these books I put with Covey's "Eighth Habit". Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life". as they relate to personal purpose and impact; Collins' "Good to Great" and Friedman's "The World is Flat" for community and world impact. The best part is Transformation talks about the true power that changes the world now and forever. Get it, read it and try to do what it recommends, it will transform your life from the mundane to world impact! I am experiencing it first hand right now.

This book is a great read for people who are wanting their lives to count for the Kingdom of God. Roberts is a great thinker and practicioner and has lived out his message for the last 25 years (or so). I have learned a great deal from he and the guys who are a part of Northwood and Glocal Net (www.glocal.net). There is so much to be learned about being about the Kingdom of God, Church Planting, Global Movements, creating culture inside of a group of people that perpetuates (sp?) itself and much more. i believe that the true authority of Roberts' writing is his faithfulness to practice these things along with his teachings. Don't just read his book, learn from his life and the example he and his family are of people who have laid their life down for the mission of the good news about Christ. On the structural side of things: Roberts is a global thinker in multiple ways. He writes with a circular form of logic. Meaning he will loop towards a point. This resonates with the way I think, especially because I am so ADD. My only problem in reading the book is when I would take some other tangent in my mind off something he said and he would go a totally different direction. I think that his flow of writing will more effectively connect with some from my generation (30 and under) because we think more like this. Boomers... Maybe it will be harder for you. Not sure. Bob, thanks for the book!

The book begins with a rhetorical question "What would your church be like if ..? and follows with a piercing assessment of the state of the art in the church and missions. I'm not a church professional and haven't spent a single day in a seminary class so I found it quite refreshing that a guy that has so much experience with both can be that objective and introspective about his profession and the contemporary church. I can imagine that Dr. Roberts situation analysis will cause an immune response from those that are comfortable with the incremental statistics and "successes" of the modern church. Even if you don't like his perspective that somewhere between the first and 21st century the church evolved from substance to style, keep reading. The rest of the book deals with personal transformation, church transformation, and the impact that has on local and global transformations. Good stuff. The book cautions that it is not a recipe or how-to guide. It is unlikely that other churches would successfully duplicate what has been done at Northwood and their 80 plus daughter churches using the same methods and programs. Every church has to find its own way to be transformed and then transform locally and globally. The book offers numerous examples and some insight into their unique situation. In fact, it seemed a bit exaggerated at times. On a trip to Texas a few months back I had an opportunity to visit Northwood on a Sunday morning. Folks - this is for real. Bob is a real guy that has the energy, drive, and insight of a silicon valley entrepreneur, the heart of a guy doing his best to walk with God, and a thick Texas accent. The people at Northwood are real. They really do those things like take their kids to countries that have state department travel advisories and plant churches in their own neighborhood. Something that struck with me was that most of the people at Northwood were new to church when they got there. They didn't know you weren't supposed to or couldn't do the things they've done. Perhaps those of us that have been doing church and missions all our lives have some things we can learn (or forget) from these folks and the principles outlined in the book. I hope this is not wasted on professionals - some of us amateurs might just get it too. In fact, I think that is a core premise of the book. After returning from my trip to Texas, I bought extra copies and gave them to some other average folks and even a few church staff. Books don't transform people but this one provides a decent kick in the pants.

Bob Roberts is the Jedi Master of Church Planting and Missional Living. For under $20 I felt like I was able to have nine different sessions with Bob at his best. Each chapter was as if he was sitting across from me telling stories and imparting wisdom from his many years of actually doing this thing called missional living and planting churches. I never felt like Bob was trying to sell me a bill of goods. I walked away feeling like I had just invested time with a guy who gets what the Church and the Gospel is about. Here is a pastor, church planter, husband, dad, deep thinker, world traveler, risk taker, Kingdom expanser, and friend who has something to say to those who think the Church can be something more than what many have settled for. Bob's book is inspiring and easy to read while being packed full of content that is consequential. As a doctoral student studying this stuff I have not read anything that has been as helpful in the conversation of transforming our churches, communities, and lives than this book. Buy it today!

If you love stories of God working in and through his people, his church, then you need to read Transformation. Bob Roberts' first book will inspire you and become a tremendous tool for any church leader to pass along to lay people as well as staff members. What does a church look like that truly reaches out to her community and unreached peoples through the passion and energy of her members. You'll see it in Transformation. What can a local church do when she really has a heart for church planting, church multiplication? Read it and be filled with vision and get ready to run!