Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Transforming Church in Rural America-Shannon O'Dell

I recently recieved a copy of Shannon O'Dell's Transforming Church in Rural America, breaking all the Rurals, and it couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. My husband was recently hired as a youth pastor of a very small rural church much like the one described in O'Dell's book, so I was interested in his take on how to transform such a church.

Using the acronym V.A.L.U.E, vision, attitude, leadership, understanding and enduring excellence, O'Dell shares his struggles and humble beginnings of transforming a small rural church desiring change but not wanting to let go of the past to get there. With humor and bits of sarcasim he shares exactly what it's like to worship and live in a rural community but also how using his VALUE system and listening for Gods ultimate timing a church can go from rural to virtual. He states the key is not in growing a congregation but growing the congregants, which I'd have to agree with.

This was a very interesting and well written book with alot of great ideas for rural churchs wanting change. Though I don't think some of these methods would work with alot of rural church's there were many methods in the book that would benefit church's of all sizes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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