Andy Rowell

Church Leadership Conversations

  • Review of Dissident Discipleship by David Augsburger

    Christian_scholars_review_1My review of Fuller Seminary professor David Augsburger‘s excellent new book Dissident Discipleship is now in print.  Sorry, it is not available online.  You can only see the Table of Contents for that issue. Taylor University faculty received their copies of the Winter 2007 Christian Scholar’s Review a couple of weeks ago so it is probably at your nearest Christian college / seminary library. 

    Here is the citation for my review:
    Rowell, Andrew D.  Review of David Augsburger, Dissident Discipleship.  Christian Scholar’s Review 36 (2007): 236-239.
    It is in the Winter 2007; XXXVI:2 issue if that helps. It is actually the last few pages of the entire issue so it is easy to find.

    Here is the citation of the book reviewed:Dissidentdiscipleship_1
    Augsburger, David. Dissident Discipleship: A Spirituality of Self-Surrender, Love of God, and Love of Neighbor.  Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2006.  245 pp. $19.99 (paper), ISBN 9781587431807. 

  • Biblical Literature II Textbooks

    I have posted below the textbooks I am requiring for BIB 210: Biblical Literature II (New Testament Survey) which starts next Wednesday.  Both this and OT survey "Bib Lit I" are required for all Taylor University students. 

    I have 45 students in the course.  I have 30 freshmen, 8 sophomores and 7 juniors.  They represent 17 different majors including accounting, chemistry, economics, engineering, environmental science, sociology, and visual arts.  (Reminds me of a church).  There are 15 different states and three countries represented.Encountering_the_new_testament

    1.     Elwell, Walter A. and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.   I assigned a different book last semester but I used this one for lecture preparation. What I most appreciate about the book is its scholarly simplifying.  Elwell and Yarbrough weigh issues as they are normally weighed in recent scholarship.  For example, the four-source vs. two-source synoptic gospel hypotheses are not given much time at all.  This is not crucial information for undergraduates nor is there a particularly helpful scholarship consensus to pass on to them.  This was a huge question in the 1960’s when source criticism was at its height.  Furthermore this is an incredibly well-organized and well-written work.  It is colorful and has great summaries.01_how_to_read_the_bible_for_all_its_wor    

    2.     Fee, Gordon and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. 3d ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.  Make sure you get the third edition. Though not always crystal clear, this book engages the difficult questions about reading the Bible that trip up the sharpest readers.  Later in life, students who wrestle with this material will be much better Bible study leaders and lay church leaders because they have wrestled with some important hermeneutical issues. 01_tniv_study_bible 

    3.     Bible. If you do not yet have a study Bible, I recommend the Zondervan TNIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.  (It costs $24.99-79.99 on Zondervan.com depending on the size and cover you choose among 9 choices).  The TNIV is the updated version of the 1978-1984 NIV.  It includes a number of improvements based on 25 years of scholarship since the NIV was published. I really think it has made the NIV obsolete though many churches are slow to change.  It is famous or infamous for its inclusive language.  I think they have been responsible and judicious in their use of inclusive language in the TNIV (see here) but there are definitely some conservative evangelicals who beg to differ. I recommend it to my students as an outstanding version to use in their reading through the New Testament during the semester.  In my sermon preparation, besides consulting the original languages, I will consult the ESV, NRSV, NLT, The Message, and HCSB.  See my description of the best Bible study tools on the web and more about Bible versions at my post here. 

    Download BIB 210 Syllabus.doc

  • Spring 2007: Program and Curriculum Development Textbooks

    Update: February 1, 2007

    I have placed the syllabus below. 

    Download syllabus_ced352_ver_2.doc

    Original Post:

    I thought I would list here on the blog what books I am requiring in my Taylor University Christian Educational Ministries 352 course this spring which starts next Wednesday, January 31st.  I have 26 students in the course spread out over two sections.  They are all juniors and seniors. 

    We will begin the course by attending a workshop at Granger Community Church next Friday, February 2nd called First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences at Your Church with Mark Waltz who has a book by the same title and also has a blog.  If you are near South Bend, Indiana, come check it out and we can chat about it!Mark_waltz2   

    I told the students this about the workshop:

    The reason we are going is that Granger does programming better than most any church in the nation.  They are known for their excellence and expertise.  They were rated in a recent Outreach Magazine survey as the #2 innovative church in the nation (though one of their pastors helped organize the survey).  In this workshop, we will see many of the principles of the course demonstrated: goal-setting, strategic planning and evaluation.  I hope you will be impressed by Granger’s zeal for evangelism and its programming excellence.  This trip will also launch us into a semester-long discussion about what we can learn from the megachurch and what we might question.

    COURSE TEXTS (We will be using the six books in this order). 

    1. Stevens, Tim and Tony Morgan. Simply Strategic Stuff: Help for Leaders Drowning in the Details of Running a Church. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 2003.  $13 (Required last year so there are a number of CEM seniors with this book).Simply_strategic_stuff

    The Stevens/Morgan book is excellent for becoming a wiser, more competent church leader.  They both are pastors at Granger Community Church where will be visiting but we will not be attending their workshop. (Later correction: Actually Tony is leaving mid-February to take a position at a church in South Carolina).  If you are excited about reading before the semester begins, your assignment will be to read any 100 pages in this book.  You will be reflecting about what you learned at the workshop and from reading this book in a three page paper.  You will need to write how many pages you read.  Tony and Tim both have blogs: http://www.tonymorganlive.com/ and http://www.leadingsmart.com/ and a podcast www.simplystrategicshow.com    

    Optional instead:

    But if you are strongly interested in business and not as interested in church ministry, you may read the following work. (Tim and Craig, I am thinking about you here). Instead of reading 100 pages of Stevens/Morgan, I am requiring that you read 150 pages of Collins. I have not ordered the Collins book for the Taylor bookstore.  I hope and expect most of you will read the Stevens/Morgan book.  Though Good to Great is the most influential business book in many years, it has also been read by many pastors.  If you are excited about reading before the semester begins, read any 150 pages in this book.  You will write a three page paper reflecting on this book and the Granger workshop.  You will need to write how many pages you read.  You can also find audio to listen to Collins at http://www.jimcollins.com/  

    Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.  $17. Youth_ministry_management_tools

    2. Olson, Ginny, Diane Elliot and Mike Work. Youth Ministry Management Tools. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2001.  $28.

                   We will use this book to help design a ministry and build programming skills.

    3. Stanley, Andy, Lane Jones, and Reggie Joiner. Seven Practices of Effective Ministry. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2004. $15.

                   We will be challenged by Andy Stanley, one of the Seven_practicesmost influential pastors in America, and the insights he has gleaned leading one of the fastest growing churches in America today.  Andy, Lane and Reggie have a podcast on this book at http://www.practicallyspeaking.org/  

    4. Kimball, Dan.  The Emerging Church.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.  $13 (Required last year so there are a number of CEM seniors with this book).

    This book will serve as an Emerging_churchalternative to the megachurch model.  Kimball’s book is an excellent introduction to understanding the emerging church movement which is the most important young adult ministry movement in America today. Dan has a blog: http://www.dankimball.com /

    Optional instead:

    But if you are strongly interested in counseling, you may read the following book instead.  (Mary, I am thinking about you here).  But instead of reading 100 pages of Kimball, I am requiring that you read 200 pages of Scazzero.  I have not ordered the Scazzero book for the Taylor bookstore.  I hope and expect most of you will read the Kimball book.

    Scazzero, Peter with Warren Bird.  The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship That Actually Changes Lives.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.  $13.

    But if you are strongly interested in social-justice or ministry to the poor, you may read the following book instead.  (Shanna and Carly, I am thinking about you here).  But instead of reading 100 pages of Kimball, I am requiring that you read 150 pages of Sider.  I have not ordered the Sider book for the Taylor bookstore.  I hope and expect most of you will read the Kimball book.

    Sider, Ronald J., Philip N. Olson and Heidi Rolland Unruh. Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002.  $15.

    5. Peterson, Eugene H.  Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987.  $11 (Required last year so there are a number of CEM seniors with this book).Working_the_angles

    This book will serve as an alternative to a high emphasis on programming.  The Peterson book talks about the importance of prayer, Scripture and spiritual direction in the life of the pastor.  Peterson is one of my heroes. 

    Optional instead:

    But if you are strongly interested in charismatic prayer ministry and are less interested in church ministry, you may read the following book by Cymbala.  You will be required to read all 200 pages of Cymbala as opposed to only 100 pages of Peterson. I have not ordered the Cymbala book for the Taylor bookstore.  I hope and expect most of you will read the Peterson book.

    Cymbala, Jim.  Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1997.  $13.

    6. Frazee, Randy. The Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool Workbook: Discovering the Quality of Your Relationships with God and Others in 30 Key Areas. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.  $11.Christian_life_profile

                   We will use this workbook to learn about how to evaluate spiritual growth – something notoriously difficult to measure.