Read Online Small Town Jesus Taking the gospel mission seriously in seemingly unimportant places Donnie Griggs 9780991403059 Books

Product details Paperback 172 pages Publisher Everyday Truth; 1 edition (June 2, 2016) Language English ISBN-10 0991403053

Small Town Jesus Taking the gospel mission seriously in seemingly unimportant places Donnie Griggs 9780991403059 Books Reviews

• I want to start by saying there is much in this book that is commendable. It focuses on how the church needs to still present the gospel clearly, serve the community and bridge racial/prejudicial divides in small towns. It also helps clarify what being ingrained in your small town looks like and how it will help your ministry and bringing them the Word of God.
  
  That said, for me, it was a bit heavy on the pragmatics at times. I lean towards the regulative principle of worship and am more reformed in my ecclesiology than the author, so some of the methods mentioned I don't entirely agree with. For instance, his ideas regarding multi-site campuses and telepastors (simulcasting sermons to all sites at once) aren't within the biblical model of Christianity. That's not to say that their sinful, just that they tend to negate the duties of a pastor.
  
  On of the biggest annoyances of the book is the occasional mishandling of scripture. It is in no way blasphemous or unorthodox, but it is pulling scripture out of context to make a point that it was never intended to make. The example off the top of my head is his misuse of Nehemiah, something that is commonly misused by pastors.
  
  Please don't take my criticisms as meaning this book is bad. Quite the contrary, there is much to commend in this book and it will indeed help me as I minister in a small town. Just make sure to spit out the seeds while consuming the fruit.
• I am not a church planter or even part of the clergy. I am a dispatcher by day and an amateur theologian by night. So why am I writing a review on a book about small town church planting? To be perfectly honest, I was curious. I was curious to see how Donnie Griggs, the author of Small Town Jesus, would perform as a Christian writer. Donnie is an individual that I have known passingly over the years; and with us both being from the same small town where any news is big news, I wanted to see what all the talk was about.
  
  What does Small Town Jesus have to say? The Christian literary world is filled with books on the missiology of church planting. What is strikingly interesting about the mountain of missiological texts is that the overwhelming majority falls into one of two categories (1) Planting in urban settings, and (2) Planting in foreign lands. Jesus of Nazareth, the God-man from a small town, calls us as believers to bring the lost from all over into his kingdom. He calls us to search the highways and byways, the cities and the small towns to bring all those who will come to him (Lk 1423). So what about the small towns off the highways and byways?
  
  At the time of this review, Small Town Jesus is the only text written in the last decade that I could find readily available on on the topic of missiology and church planting in small towns. Out of a sea of 8,378 readily available texts on missiology and church planting, I certainly would say that Small Town Jesus has something very unique to say at this time.
  
  But is Small Town Jesus relevant? Is it worth your money to buy a copy? Yes! Yes. And a little more yes with a side of yes for good measure. If you are passionate about missions, Small Town Jesus is for you. While the text is clear that it was written for church planters, there is so much goodness to be found in it. The text is relevant for anyone passionate about seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ advance. Griggs’ passion and love for missions is simply contagious. Griggs has delved into the world of missiology in both the rural, urban and foreign settings through real life experience and in-depth study, and have gleaned some of the finest contextualization insights to be found. While yes the text is targeted towards church planting in small towns; the gems however that are to be found in the text are abundantly useful for missions in nearly all settings.
  
  Small Town Jesus is relevant as the Western civilization continues to move into post-Christianity in both the urban centers and small towns across America. The illusion of small towns as idyllic communities has been shattering for quite a while. To name off a few of the trends developing in small towns in a post-Christian western world crime is rapidly increasing, illicit drug usage continues to skyrockets, sex trade becomes ever more normalized and violent crimes in many small towns surpass statistically the urban centers. Small towns need Jesus just as much as the larger cities. Small towns need men and women passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ to bring hope that Christ has commanded us to bring to all of humanity, from the cities to the ends of the earth. This includes small towns.
  
  Are you ready to read Small Town Jesus? I hope so. This is a text that has been needed for a long time. From having observed Donnie Griggs around town, among mutual friends and now in a literary setting, I promise you that he is an authority that can be trusted on this matter. This text is motivational and relevant. Out of the forty-four texts on my book shelves on missions, evangelism and church planting; I would place it among the top of the list. It is just that good.
  
  I personally am looking forward to future editions of this text as I have feeling it’s going to be around for a long time. Some of the things that I hope for in future editions is a further development of ideas that are expressed. There is a bit of filler speech in the text that could be reworked. There is a degree of humbleness that came through in the text that would not be evident for those that are not aware of Griggs successes. The text could greatly benefit from an inclusion of an appendix chronicling examples of his church plant successes and failures constructively and selectively.
  
  Small Town Jesus is a resource I would personally recommend for any Christian who is interested in missions, especially in small towns and similar settings. It’s short. It’s cheap. It is a text that has been needed for a long, long time. Oh, and why yes I do know what I will be buying a number of my pastor friends around the country come this December and it will certainly be this book.
• Donnie Griggs offers an analysis of small towns that places value and dignity of those living in small towns. He also asks us to consider viewing small town ministry as a worthwhile calling for young pastors. This book questions different narratives that many Americans believe about rural areas of our nation. (1) The first narrative this book questions is the idea that we should put all of our energy towards planting churches in big cities and overseas. For many Christians from small towns, this probably is attractive because it allows them to either travel or escape the place they grew up in. Why do we want to go overseas or to a large city? Let's check our motives. (2) The second narrative that Donnie questions is that "churched" areas/counties/small towns/rural areas are fine and need no help or any more religious influence. He argues that this is false and most small towns have the desperate needs that we often associate with urban areas if we look at recent sociological studies. Perhaps the suburbs are fine, but it seems the small towns are really worth paying attention to and in need of a solid biblical influence as anywhere else.
  
  I find this book very hopeful on a topic that I find is becoming hopeless. The unspoken strategy for many young people is to "get good grades and leave" their hometown. Frankly it is refreshing to read a book that puts value on small places in a way that looks at them as an actual destination rather than purgatory (until you reach a bigger, better city/suburb with a higher paying salary). I am from a small town and many of my friends view it as a place to escape or a place that isn't worth sticking around because of lack of jobs. This book shows us how the gospel doesn't really allow us to have completely cynical views of our small town people or cultures. If you consider yourself a Christian, you can't be a cynic about small town culture. For anyone who knows Christ, it should transform them to see people equally despite where they are from or what their career goals are. This book is a challenge to people who think they are better than the obscure places of America.
  
  I highly recommend this book to anyone working in ministry and also anyone who is a teacher (like myself) who teach in a rural area and are trying to give young people hope.