I just finished Darrin Patrick's first book Church Planter moments ago. And the one-word that comes to my mind after reading it is "affirmed." Which is exactly what I needed after internal lingering doubts have plagued me from time to time in recent weeks.
But I'm not here to review me... Let me review Darrin's book:
Just as the subtitle indicates, Church Planter is broken up into three sections: The Man, the Message, and the Mission. The chapters are more brief than I would have expected (which is a good thing), and Darrin handles deep concepts quickly, yet thoroughly. I wish I had his gift of brevity while not feeling like I skimped on something. So let me attempt to be brief about each section...
The Man
Section 1 is about the church planter. Darrin explains in his introduction that he holds to a complementation view of the role of men and women in church (egalitarians hold that women can be pastors, complementarians hold that only men can serve as elders/shepherds/overseers/pastors). But even if you are egalitarian, this book is worth reading. "The Man" is about the character qualifications that are needed to lead a church.
In all honesty, I think this book should just be entitled "Pastor." While I, as a future church planter, needed to read Darrin's exhortations, many times I found myself thinking that all pastors need to read this book. Darrin works through the Scriptures of what it means to shepherd God's people, and whether you pastor a 1-year-old church or a 100-year-old church, all pastors need to understand their role and calling.
The Message
The middle section of Church Planter is all about the gospel message. I found this wonderfully refreshing and invigorating theologically and intellectually. Something I've been learning over the past several years is that the good news of the gospel isn't just for our salvation, but for our sanctification as well. This idea has changed the way I counsel people, the way I preach, and the way I pray. So it was encouraging to see Darrin encouraging church planters and pastors to apply the gospel to all areas of life. But before you can apply it, you have to understand it, which is what Darrin aims to help his readers do.
The Mission
The final section is about the mission of the church. It was so refreshing to read from someone so committed to the teaching of the Word, yet wanting to see the church tack from the Word and live it out in their communities with compassion. Having tired of seeing churches that get caught up in social justice that they lose sight of Jesus, as well as seeing churches get so wrapped up in their knowledge of Scripture they lose sight of a lost and dying world around them, I was thrilled to see someone striking a Christ-like balance of pursuing God wholeheartedly while seeking the benefit of the city.
The Conclusion
If you are a church planter, whether in the pre-launch stages or years 1-5, you will definitely want to pick up or borrow a copy of Darrin's first book. It will encourage you, challenge you, and remind you of your calling.
If you are a pastor, I recommend you also find a way to grab a chance to read Church Planter. Darrin's style is easy enough to read it won't take you too terribly long to work through the book, and you'll be glad you gave it a few hours.
I made a New Year's resolution to not buy any books in 2010 (I had decided I should read more of the books I already had than keep collecting books I may never read). I have managed to hold to that resolution all year long (except once when the Marion Library was selling off some books really, really cheap!), which means passing on some books I am eager to read. I figured Church Planter would end up on the "some day" list. I am grateful my friend, Jason Poling, purchased me a copy as a gift to encourage me as my family embarks on this church planting adventure.
I foresee myself being like Jason and giving this book to church planters and pastors I interact with. And as someone who rarely ever re-reads a book, I expect I'll be opening the cover (which by the way, I absolutely hate! Looks like the poster for a movie about a serial killer...) once again to be reminded of what God has called me to.
Rating: 4.5 sickles out of 5
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