BOOKS
Author Says Unity Is Key to 'City Reaching'
City Reaching
By Jack Dennison
William Carey Library Publishers
276 pages, paperback, $14.99
Reviewed by Frank King
Rampant crime, murder, domestic violence and corruption all mark many cities across the country today leaving both saved and unsaved residents crying out for transformation. How does the church meet the challenge? Author Jack Dennison offers a biblical and comprehensive answer in his book City Reaching.
Founder and president of Cityreach International, a parachurch organization committed to winning America to Christ, Dennison challenges churches to embrace new methods of "doing church." City reaching is an integrated strategy employing the city church--the body of believers comprising the various denominations, ethnicities and paraministries in a community--to effect citywide transformation. Unity is key, he says, because the task is too great for one group.
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Though Dennison stresses the importance of cooperation, he says his strategy allows for "each stream of the church, each collection of denominational churches, each local congregation and each paraministry to set its own goals and develop and implement its own plans." Those plans collectively will accomplish the city church's goals.
City Reaching is biblical and dedicated to fulfilling the Great Commission. Dennison says it already has proved effective in more than 140 nations. This book would make an excellent resource for anyone who is passionate about reaching his or her community with the gospel.
Faith in Leadership
By Robert Banks and Kimberly Powell, editors
Josey-Bass Publishers
272 pages, hardcover, $24
Reviewed by Frank King
Faith in Leadership teaches leaders how to effectively live out their faith at work. Though it may help pastors better understand business leaders, the resource targets people in mainstream fields, helping them meet the unique challenges a secular work environment presents.
Sponsored by the De Pree Leadership Center at Fuller Theological Seminary, the book is an anthology of sorts. Each chapter is written by a different writer who is an accomplished practitioner, consultant or editor in faith-based leadership. The variety of contributors represents diverse backgrounds and denominations.
"Christian leadership is different because it has a different starting point," says Benjamin Williams in his chapter. "That starting point is a relationship with Jesus Christ and a vision of the Kingdom that He came to inaugurate."
The authors tackle the unique challenges that confront Christian leaders in the mainstream workforce, where a person's faith must be more implicit than explicit, yet just as profound.
Faith in Leadership also addresses the various virtues, practices and vital issues that should mark a Christian's behavior and business practices, which could prove valuable to leadership in both Christian and non-Christian arenas. This book is priceless for pastors who regularly minister to the business community.
Effective Pastoring
By Bill Lawrence
Word Publishing
262 pages, hardcover, $21.99
Reviewed by Chris Maxwell
Priorities are always key in keeping your life on course. Time, expectations, motivation and gifts can confuse and stress leaders--especially pastors, who have a people-oriented ministry.
Many books push and shove to reveal the best method for meeting these challenges; some recommendations make the tension even worse. But in Effective Pastoring, Bill Lawrence provides clear ideas for peaceful success. The book, connected to the Charles Swindoll Leadership Library, presents a fundamental concept: A pastor should focus on developing his personal relationship with Christ. All else must ride with that, not drive it.
Lawrence--executive director for Christian leadership and professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary--draws richly from his experience as a teacher and pastor. He says it is crucial for leaders to be visionary, communicative, persistent, empowering and organizational, and He stresses that pastors who pursue effectiveness must reflect Christ.
Each of his three sections--the person, the purpose, the practice--accentuate how pastors must lead by serving or they will not lead at all.
This book can serve as a study guide for church ministry teams. Students can learn before erring in ministry.
Lawrence has much to teach, and his explanations prove it. They can bless church direction as leaders pilot properly--and biblically.
The Dynamics of Pastoral Care
By David W. Wiersbe
Baker Books
156 pages, paperback, $10.99
Reviewed by John M. De Marco
The Dynamics of Pastoral Care is the latest volume in an ongoing series titled, Ministry Dynamics for a New Century, edited by Warren W. Wiersbe. The series seeks to give pastors concise information on a variety of ministry tasks.
In this volume, pastor-chaplain David W. Wiersbe explores the "shepherd" model as the one most appropriate for the 21st-century pastor. Wiersbe examines the character and ministry styles of Jesus, Moses, David and Abel, among others. The author emphasizes how pastors must build relationships and earn the trust of their people through listening, loving, serving and visiting their church members.
Wiersbe does a good job of laying out the biblical framework for seeing God as a shepherd and His people as His flock or sheep. The author is critical of the tendency in church today to imitate secular business models that view the pastor as a CEO or manager. The value and identity of each person in the shepherd's care must be affirmed, he contends.
Encompassing more than just the arena of pastoral care and visitation, this book is a helpful "big picture" snapshot of the call and diverse responsibilities of the church pastor. Other titles in this series focus on such subjects as church finance, church leadership, spiritual formation, worship and preaching.
How to Cast Out Demons: A Guide to the Basics
By Doris Wagner
Renew
224 pages, paperback, $11.99
Reviewed by Deborah L. Delk
Despite Jesus' command to His disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons and preach the gospel--and the disciples' subsequent success--many believers today feel ill-equipped to exorcise demons. To counter this, author Doris Wagner has written a primer to help believers walk confidently in this area of ministry.
She begins by illustrating the need. On one hand, our disadvantaged society is drawing further and further away from biblical standards of righteousness and drawing deeper and deeper into immorality and occultism. On the other hand, the disadvantaged church by and large is acting as if the biblical reports concerning demons were a myth.
How to Cast Out Demons will act as a helpful introduction to those unfamiliar with this ministry, but it will probably have added wisdom for those already involved in deliverance. This book is especially for pastors, lay leaders and intercessors--those most likely to confront demonic spirits. Wagner outlines for her readers common demonic entry points, how to recognize these spirits, how to address them and, of course, how to cast them out. She also emphasizes the importance of prayer for inner healing is after the deliverance is over.
Wagner recommends several other resources, including books and questionnaires, and she even addresses legal questions. Included in the instruction are encouraging testimonies of those who have been delivered. All of them help illustrate the lesson Jesus' first disciples learned--that believers do, in fact, have power over the enemy.
The Church That Never Sleeps
By Matthew Barnett
Thomas Nelson
228 pages, paperback, $12.99
Reviewed by G. Sean Fowlds
Pastor Matthew Barnett, son of well-known pastor Tommy Barnett of Phoenix First Assembly, has written his first book, The Church That Never Sleeps, about his experiences pastoring the Los Angeles International Church, popularly known as The Dream Center.
Barnett tells how he was not the first choice as pastor of the church but that no one else wanted the job so he ended up pastoring the large inner-city church as a 20-year-old. The church's founding came as a result of his father being tapped by a leading Assembly of God official to help launch the ministry on the site of Bethel Temple, the denomination's first church birthed out of the Azusa Street revival of the early 1900s.
Seasoned beyond his years, Matthew Barnett has succeeded in moving the ministry to the former Queen of Angels Hospital in the heart of Los Angeles. He has developed the church's ministries to include more than 200 separate community outreaches.
The Church That Never Sleeps is the compelling story of Barnett's vision for a 24-hour church. It's one that should inspire others to reach out to their neighbors and make a difference in their corner of the world.
MUSIC
Jesus, What a Beautiful Name
Name Above All
By Vineyard Music Group.
Reviewed by Margaret Feinberg
The newest installment of the ongoing Touching the Father's Heart Series, marked No. 39, meets the demand for new worship with a rich handful of fresh cuts from worship leader Andy Park. Recorded at Northwest Community Church in Bethel, Wash., Name Above All reflects an atmosphere of worship that leads listeners into an intimate time with Jesus.
What makes the album unique is the complexity of the lyrics. Many worship albums rely on repeatable phrases or choruses, but Name Above All goes beyond simple sentences of adoration and walks in the areas of declaration and scriptural truth.
Songs such as "Come and Follow Me" carry worshipers beyond an invitation to follow Christ into a bold proclamation of faith.
As a result, the songs may be a bit more difficult to learn in a church setting, but they open the doors for a deeper heart cry to be expressed through prayerful worship.
The title song carries a simple psalmist cry for the power found in Jesus' name. "Psalm 20" contains an encouraging message of God's faithfulness, while "I Believe" is a straightforward declaration of the faith. Yet there's a gold nugget in the bonus track, "Just Like a Child." The country-flared, penny-whistled tune expresses the simple desire to have childlike faith. Name Above All is another winner from this great series.
Winds of Worship #15: Live From Canada
By Vineyard Music Group
Reviewed by Margaret Feinberg
Winds of Worship #15: Live From Canada was recorded in Cambridge, Ontario, at the Ca lvary Pentecostal Assembly during the Canadian Vineyard's National Leadership Conference. Produced by Philip Janz, the recording boasts a strong list of well-known and lesser-known worship leaders, including David Ruis, Andy Park, Dan Wilt, and Brian and Loralee Thiessen.
Though many of the cuts carry an edgy, worshipful flair, the imprint of the Native North American Indian is unmistakably unique and wonderful. The shrill calls to worship found in the introduction stir something deep within the human spirit.
One of the highlights comes from the second track "Megwich Kchi-Manitou." It's an expression in Ojibway, which translates "Thank You, great God." A beautiful blend of thanksgiving and intercession, the song directs worshipers to God's continuing revelations of Himself in creation.
The album carries an upbeat flair with cuts such as "I Give Thanks." Yet a holy desperation emerges in "Resting Place." Based on Isaiah 66, the slow tempo songs contain a natural Indian beat with a reflective, introspective tone. The concluding song "When It's All Said and Done" contains the lyrics that sum up the album: "When it's all said and done/ I will breathe the breath of worship."
Passion: The Road To One Day
By Various Artists
Sparrow Records
Reviewed by Margaret Grady
This is not just another worship CD for the younger generation. Passion: The Road to OneDay is a vast improvement over the first release in this series, Passion: Better Is OneDay. This new recording has a refreshing mix of tunes, accompanied by electric guitar, piano and even an accordion.
Passion's vision is to bring college students together from across the country to bring spiritual awakening and revival to their generation. Sparrow executives say the current success of Passion releases, with The Road to OneDay debuting at No. 1 on the Christian Music SoundScan charts in March, is evidence that God is raising up a new generation of worshipers who want to live for God's glory and spread His fame around the world. Roughly 50,000 such worshipers met near Memphis, Tenn., May 19-21, for OneDay, which featured 24-hour prayer and praise.
Artists on the compilation include Charlie Hall, David Crowder, Christy Nockels and the hugely popular British worship leader Matt Redman. They capture the fresh energy that is flowing today in so many churches where intimacy with God has become a primary theme.
"Shout to the North," "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?" and "Sing Like the Saved" are among the disc's standout tracks. Believers young and old will experiences new depths in worship through this unique collection of songs.
The First Fruits of Christafari
By Christafari
Lion of Zion Entertainment
Reviewed by Doug King
Reggae Worship: The First Fruits of Christafari reflects a mix of worship, reggae and dance hall grooves, combining songs from the group's first worship release, Reggae Worship Volume 1, and previously unreleased material.
Along with the band's original music there are two fantastic renditions of classic worship tunes: "Majesty," which is splashed with steel drums, and "Lord I Lift Your Name on High." The disc also features great instrumental worship jams that will have your toes tapping and your spirit soaring.
With their classic reggae rhythms interwoven with strong Christian messages and colorful Caribbean-flavored worship, Christafari provides a unique and refreshing way to enter into God's presence.
As Incense: Symphonic Expressions of Faith
Integrity Music
Reviewed by Margaret Feinberg
As Incense blends worship and symphony together into one powerful album. Recorded with the Emmy Award-winning Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, each of the disc's 10 songs are arranged and conducted by Paul Terracini.
The music is rich, almost thick at times, in its expression. Songs such as "The Lord Reigns," "Jesus, Name Above All Names" and "How Lovely Are Thy Dwelling Places" are brought to life with dense textures and a full-bodied sound. Some listeners will find the album sounds more like a movie soundtrack than a worship recording, but that's because the quality is so good.
This album is ideal for times of personal prayer and study or as a backdrop to a nice dinner. No music collection is complete without a handful of great instrumental albums, and this is a superb offering.
Sonic Flood
By Sonic Flood
Gotee Records
Reviewed by Georgia Meredith
Sonic Flood's self-titled CD offers contemporary listeners everything they could want in a worship album, including great lyrics and a smooth rock beat. This Nashville, Tenn.-based worship band has one passion: to lead young people into God's presence. They have their own unique sound, but they may remind some listeners of the British worship band Delirious.
Sonic Flood includes several new worship tunes, but it also features some classics that are popular today among youth groups--especially "The Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman and "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" by Martin Smith, lead singer of Delirious. "My Refuge" and "I Need You" are also standout cuts.
Sonic Flood is gaining in popularity as they lead worship at major youth events around the country, including this summer's huge youth conference at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Fla. Their sound is fresh, their message is passionate, and their motivation is not just to sell hit records. You can tell these guys love Jesus.
Purpose by Design
Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ
Verity
Reviewed by Twanna Powell
Fred Hammond's trend-setting sound has set a precedent in urban praise and worship in the last decade. Along with his acclaimed vocal ensemble, Radical for Christ (RFC), Hammond continues to set new musical standards with his latest release, Purpose by Design.
The album kicks off with an explosive start on "I Want My Destiny," featuring smooth vocals over an infectious acoustic guitar groove. "Let Me Praise You Now" follows in the funky musical flow. Hammond also puts his special touch on such traditional classics as the high-energy "Jesus Be a Fence " and "I Know It Was the Blood."
Purpose by Design also features Hammond's trademark ability to produce soulful, reverent worship songs. Live tracks such as "When You Praise" and "You Are the Living Word" are destined to become popular selections in churches' praise and worship services.
With one of the most anticpated albums of the new millennium, Fred Hammond and RFC have done it again with Purpose by Design.
SOFTWARE
Software Offers Prayer Guide
For 10/40 Window
Worldwide Prayer Guide
Gospel Light
Price $16.95
Reviewed by Adrienne S. Gaines
In conjunction with the A.D. 2000 and Beyond Movement and the Praying Through the Window campaign, Gospel Light has released a comprehensive CD-ROM chock full of useful information about the world's 1,632 unreached people groups.
With this easy-to-navigate resource, aptly titled Worldwide Prayer Guide, users can click on a profile of one of 124 countries in the 10/40 Window, the world's most unevangelized region, located between the 10th and 40th parallels north spanning from North Africa to East Asia. Each country profile includes a link to more background from the U.S. State Department.
From the country profile, users canclick on profiles of the various people groups within the nation. Each people profile gives a history of the people, a description of their lifestyle and religious practices, and a map showing exactly where in the country the people reside.
Each profile ends with prayer points highlighting the needs of the region. Most, however, are more general than specific, such as: "Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers" or "Pray that Christian [media] will be made available."
The CD-ROM also includes video clips and additional articles giving more detail about the religions that dominate the 10/40 Window, including Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Worldwide Prayer Guide is an excellent and comprehensive resource invaluable to anyone dedicated to praying for or ministering to the unreached peoples of the world.
Dennison details his model for citywide transformation.
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