Book: “Church Next”

Over the past several months, I have been reviewing books for my course on Internet ministry, trying to narrow down my choices and select books that will be most appropriate for the class.   My goal for these books is that they would provide a range of views on Internet ministry, with an appropriate mix of theology, philosophy, strategy, and technology.  I am NOT looking for books on how to create a web site or how to blog, etc., because these are secondary to first really understanding the concepts of online ministry. I also want books that are readable by the mix of students I will have and that will foster good discussions.

I have finally settled on three primary books for my course (though I still have a couple I am thinking about adding). Over the next few weeks, I will share my selections here on this blog.  The first book I have selected is Dr. Aubrey Malphurs’ Church Next.  Written with his son, Michael, I found this book to give a good overview of the current state of the Church and makes a great case for why the move to the Internet is the right one.  For those who do not know who Aubrey Malphurs is, he is Senior Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also the head of the Malphurs Group.

The book opens with two chapters on the decline of the Church in the US and the world and presents some reasons for just why that has happened.  Their conclusion: the Church has failed to change as society and culture changed and is becoming less and less relevant.

The second part of the book makes the case for change, with a full chapter devoted to the development of a “theology of change”. Frankly, it is this chapter that convinced me that this is one of the books I need in my course.  This chapter focuses on the idea that while it is allowable for the forms of the Church to change, it is not acceptable for the functions of the Church to change.  Using good examples and scripture, a case for change is well-made. This is followed up by a chapter on the effects of postmodernism on our culture.

The last part of the book is on how the Internet can be the tool for this change.  Because the book was written in 2003, most of what is here is old news. I will probably have my students scan this part, but we will not focus on it. We will have other sources in our class for ideas on technology.

Overall, this is a great book for those working to understand how something as timeless as Christ’s body (the Church) can change. If you are working with a church or organization who doesn’t see the need to move to the Internet, this book presents a compelling case.

Tags: aubrey malphurs, church next, internet ministry book