You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life

Book Review
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Book Summary
Book Summary The author illustrates how the Christian life is about death and resurrection. He posits that the willingness to die brings forth a new life and hope for a better future. This transformation should start from the local church and spread worldwide. He notes that “new life comes from the ground up…” However, the transformation of the world requires the input of both newly-established and long-established congregations, provided they are all willing to die to rise to new life. He also reiterates that the problems facing today’s congregations are deeply rooted and cannot be fixed through superficial approaches. They require similarly deep-rooted transformations that begin with listening to the congregation’s heart to identify the things that are not working as they should. It also involves identifying the problem and asking for help from people who have experience transforming their congregation in the right direction. Further, it requires ensuring the congregation's survival before the issue can be thoroughly addressed through a spirit-filled prayer life among the congregants. Once the problem has been addressed, the congregation must be willing to change their ways to support the new life. Harnish discusses the importance of following God's calling by focusing on what lies ahead rather than what is behind. He reiterates the importance of being obedient to God. He also emphasizes that a healthy transformation in the congregation requires sharing "…a vision of the future that is better than the past," especially when the past has been glamorous. He further discusses congregational cardiomyopathy, characterized by a lack of a common, unifying vision that contributes to a future death. He further explains how pastoral leaders can define a vision and mission for their church; by listening to God's spirit for guidance. He also discusses the challenges of transformation to new life, including conflicting perspectives and the departure of some long-time church members, all because of a “hardness of heart” among the congregants. He also shares his leadership shortcomings and successes during the transformation period. The author illustrates the importance of vision and how allowing the congregation to take ownership of the vision is the key to powerful transformation in the church. He also shares practical steps for establishing a shared vision. He highlights the importance of considering a congregation's past, especially when defining the vision for the future. He further discusses the importance of centering transformation to a new life around persistent, obedient prayers guided by God's purpose for the world. Additionally, the author shares insights on how leaders can help their congregation live a transformed life. Questions such as “how will the church model the vision it has created for its future" arise. The book finally describes the habits of a healthy church, which include, but is not limited to, disciplined prayer and worship, a shared mission, and the love and grace of God. As he reflects on his journey, he allows other church leaders to reflect on their journey as well. Evaluation of Ideas Most of the ideas shared in the book spoke to me. I was especially captivated by the fact that Harnish not only supports his ideas with words from the Scripture but also real-life examples of his near-death life experience with a heart issue as well as the experiences of other churches in pursuing a new life. Below is a discussion of the ideas I feel strongly about the most. I found it interesting that congregations are willing to die in their old ways rather than face changes and experience a new life. It is surprising that even though Christians understand that the way to new life is through death, they still resist death. They acknowledge and accept baptism as a death to sin, their old ways of life, and the resurrection to a new life and future in Christ. Yet, they are unwilling or unprepared to apply this concept of death and resurrection in pursuit of God’s purpose for them. I felt strongly about this idea because I have been a victim of it in the past. I have resisted change in certain areas of my life, even though I knew that failure to change would harm my future. In the same way, I have seen people, organizations, and churches that were once the epitome of success dwindle due to their inability to embrace change as a stepping stone toward a new life. To be honest, I understand why churches resist change. There is comfort in the known, and any change in the status quo leads us into the unknown, which is an uncomfortable position to be in. Harnish points out that long-standing churches are unwilling to "face the struggle, feel the pain, or pay the price for new life." As Christians, Jesus paid this price for us through his death. However, we still have to face the struggle of choosing what is right rather than what is easy. Thus, we have to die to rise to a new life. I also felt strongly about the idea of establishing a vision that is shared by the congregation. As a very goal-centered individual, I understand the importance of having a vision. A clear vision allows me to establish a clear path that will lead me to my goals. Even more important is that I can change the path without changing my goals because many paths can lead me to my goals. A vision allows me to focus on my goals and pivot when necessary. In the same way, a shared vision for the congregants can ensure they achieve a common goal. It also allows them to pivot as required to achieve the goal. For instance, if the vision of a church is to make Jesus known, the church can use many paths to achieve this goal, such as using social media or passing out flyers about Jesus in the community. If these paths are not working, the church can always change them while keeping the end goal in mind. I felt so strongly about the idea of having a shared vision because I believe visions can outlive leaders. As such, even after a pastoral leader leaves a congregation, the vision that guided them in the right direction will continue to guide them in the absence of the said leader. Even when Jesus was selecting his twelve disciples, he had a vision, and this vision guided the disciples even after the death of Christ. They continued to spread the...