Confessions of a Reformission Rev: Hard Lessons From an Emerging Missional Church (Mark Driscoll)

Rarely...no, NEVER, has a book's table of contents captivated me to the point of wanting to read it. That particular book feature is normally not a deciding factor in my selections. In Pastor Mark Driscoll's Confessions of a Reformission Rev, however, the ToC is both funny and an all-inclusive synopsis.

Chapter 0: Ten Curious Questions
Chapter 1: Jesus, Our Offering Was $137 and I Want to Use It to Buy Bullets
Chapter 2: Jesus, If Anyone Else Calls My House, I May Be Seeing You Real Soon
Chapter 3: Jesus, Satan Showed Up and I Can't Find My Cup
Chapter 4: Jesus, Could You Please Rapture the Charismaniac Lady Who Brings Her Tambourine to Church?
Chapter 5: Jesus, Why Am I Getting Fatter and Meaner?
Chapter 6: Jesus, Today We Voted to Take a Jackhammer to Your Big Church
Chapter 7: Jesus, We're Loading Our Squirt Guns to Charge Hell Again

Not what you'd expect from a book about church planting? Not what you'd expect from a pastor? Mark Driscoll and his Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington don't even come close to what most Americans expect from either. I'm not a church planter, and neither is my husband, but my family is involved with a relatively new church plant. We have quite a few friends who are involved with different types of church plants as well. To be honest, though, I didn't go into this one hoping to learn about church planting...I was just intrigued by the Table of Contents.

Each chapter deals with various structural and organizational, make-it-or-break-it issues within all new churches...and even more so in a Seattle plant. As the church numbers grew from 45 to 150 to 1000 to 3,000 to 10,000+, Mark Driscoll and other founders and leaders of Mars Hills Church experienced everything from spiritual warfare to childcare issues. In this book he speaks quite openly about his frustrations and his learning experiences as a pastor. It's quite raw in places, yet with every situation and with every decision (even the ones that weren't great choices), he sought (and continues to seek, from what I've read) to lead a church to be aggressive and willing servants to their city. Under his leadership, the church has developed a refined process for placing members in the places they are most gifted to serve, and people are expected to do so. Members are expected to give generously, and they are expected to serve. My goodness. With thousands of members who are on mission to give to and serve their community, (among many other factors) there's no wonder this church has become so successful.

Check out the Google link below to preview some of the book.

Mars Hill Church
Google Books link to Confessions of a Reformission Rev

Confessions of a Reformission Rev: Hard Lessons From an Emerging Missional Church (Mark Driscoll)