Change Your Church For Good - Book Review

The complete title of this book is: Change Your Church for Good – the Art of Sacred Cow Tipping. Brad Powell writes this book in a very direct and hard hitting manner. He defines the art of sacred cow tipping as the skill of successfully moving churches from the MILK of traditions to the MEAT of Truth, awakening them to be “the hope of the world.” The author’s directness is birthed out of his passion for the church. “I believe that the church is the hope of the world, with this one caveat … when it’s working right. And therein lies the problem. Most aren’t!”

Brad Powell is the pastor of NorthRidge Church. This book is birthed out of the journey that Powell led his congregation through to transition from a dying church locked in a pattern of cultural irrelevance to an exciting, contemporary church communicating God’s Word to people of every generation. Today more than 12,000 attend worship services each week at the campus located in Plymouth, Michigan.

The book is about church transition. Powell says that transitioning a church is like turning around a huge ship. It requires leadership, communication and patience. Courage is also needed because change goes against the prevailing current. Powell entitles one chapter: There Will Be Casualties (Accepting Short-term Losses for Long-term Gains). He writes, “How does a church transition without losing people? It doesn’t. … For many churches, the fear of losing people is a greater fear than failing God.” He then states three realities: If the church doesn’t change, it will lose people. If the church doesn’t change, it will lose the opportunity to reach new people. If the church does change, it will lose the right people.

My Recommendation: Don’t read this 316 page book unless you are ready to be challenged time and time again to change your church for the sake of the community around your church. DO READ IT if you want to be motivated to be a catalyst to empower your church to become what God wants it to be – the hope of the world.