When Your Church Needs Saving: A Review of The Prodigal Church

Skinny jeans, guys wearing earrings, and  the out of control drummer whipping his head around. These are the images we associate with the attractional church. Videos of Elvis capping off our Christmas concert with a guitar solo might also pop to mind. We often envision attractional churches as the illegitimate baby of the Willow Creek and Saddleback church movements that has set up house in the middle of a trendy urban environment where pet salons and vintage, clothing boutiques have replaced the baby stores.

If we (like most churches) reside far away from the hustle and bustle of the modern city, we usually deem ourselves safe from the shady influences of the seek-sensitive movement. Surely, the church that is busy promoting the arrival of the next gospel quarter is not man-centered. Or is it?

Jared Wilson’s book The Prodigal Church helps us understand that context is not everything. Content is everything. More specifically, gospel content is everything. The little country church off a lonely dirt road can be just as seeker-sensitive as the mega church in New York City. Any church that trades the doctrines of grace and the proclamation of gospel truth for the for self-improvement sermons built around 5 point outlines that promise victory of something is an attractional church regardless of that church’s social media presence.  And such a church is still an unhealthy church even if it has large numbers because the gospel is not going forward.

I am thankful for Jared Wilson’s book. He helps believers understand what the attractional church model is, why this method of church growth is failing, and how to determine if our ministries are being driven by this seek-sensitive mindset that often devalues God in its attempt to value people. 

So is your church in need of saving? Should you take time to read Wilson’ book? Let me ask you this:

Have you ever gotten to the point in ministry where the Bible you preach from on Sunday seems unable to help people with pornography, divorce, and bullying on Monday morning?

If you answer yes, I encourage you to grab a copy of this book. It is quite possible that your issue is not the Bible but your ministry philosophy, your view of God.  The Prodigal Church will help you make this assessment. Click below to grab your copy today.

Click below to purchase your copy today.

The Prodigal Church