I don’t know what to give this book for a rating. Let me explain.

Brad Powell is the lead pastor of a church in Detroit that went from traditional and ineffective to relevant. In this book, he shares a number of keys to the transition: both the things they did right, and the mistakes we should learn from. Unlike most of the literature on church growth I’ve read, Powell’s book has a substantial amount of content. He’s clearly concerned with staying faithful to scripture in all he does. You would expect a great rating, right?

The problem I have is with Powell’s understanding of church. I think it would be fair to say that he views the church as an evangelism centre whose main goal is to reach the lost. That’s a laudable goal, but it’s not the primary goal of the church. The church’s purpose is to come together as Christ’s body to worship, then to go out into the community to spread the kingdom.

With the true purpose in mind, I found it difficult to read passages where he talked about letting go of the people who hold you back from your mission to reach the lost. Those people who “hold you back” are your mission. I’m a pastor—I certainly sympathize with the sentiment—but I can’t agree with it.

In the end, I’ll give this a mid-field rating. If the problem I have doesn’t bother you (or if you just think I’m plain wrong), this really is an excellent book.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Booksneeze program.

Powell, Brad. Change Your Church for Good. Thomas Nelson, 2010.