Leading Kingdom Movements

If you are considering this book, you probably are trying to figure out how to do church better in our current post-Christian climate. As I read Breen and other missional authors/practitioners I have to remember that they are pioneers to a large degree because they have found some traction in the way they do church. However, and Breen qualifies this, it's hard to capture how they got that traction in a book or books. There are so many variables that seem to be in play these days that it is hard to define and address each one and put it into some coherent strategy. Breen does his best to give his readers something tangible to hold onto without making it too mechanistic or overstated. Where I really got some good help was Breen's emphasis on "letting God do the work" and "trying to hear God, then obeying what you hear." I think both these concepts can be abused if not explained, but Breen does a good job explaining them. We have defaulted so much to a formulaic way of doing ministry that we think ministry and discipleship really depend on ourselves (i.e. "Becoming Contagious Christian" by Mittleberg literally has a formula in it). Breen does a good job or getting his readers to embrace a more God centered approach to ministry, which, while refreshing, is much more demanding of our lives. I may not embrace all of Breen's interpretations of the Bible (i.e. he thinks Paul's thorn was the Judaizers), but there is room for interpretation on the stuff he brings up so it is fair. In the end, I think you have to have some of Breen's stuff while reading others practitioners like Cole, Halter, Roxburgh, Frost, Hirsch, etc. They all offer insights in this difficult time for the church. As I say that, I get this sense, that the real answers for folk who want a better church lie in mostly studying the life of Jesus and trying to become like him. He focused on the kingdom of God, the reign and rule of God on earth as it is in heaven. He emphasized that to live under God's rule means loving God and loving neighbor and then teaching others to love God and love neighbor (great commandment and great commission). I believe that if we all just did a little better of trying to understand and adhere to these main concepts of Jesus, then we will all experience the movement of God's kingdom.

There were two ideas I thought were worth taking careful note of in Leading Kingdom Movements:1) Orbits: Breen talks about developing leaders by expanding their orbits. Imagine two objects in space: one a mature object and the other a younger object. The younger object orbits around the more mature object, learning along the way. Over time, the younger object begins to broaden it's orbit, moving farther and farther from the mature object, but still circling back for input and guidance. This is an image of discipleship.[On a side note, I think this orbits idea also has a significant application to parenting.]2) Oikos: The oikos is an extended family, the network of 20-50 people who made up a Greek household. In Breen's ministry model, the oikos is a significant place of ministry and vehicle for mission. He calls it the "social space." This is a space that is mostly missing from the ministry models I've experienced.Think about the environments you see in ministries. "Public space" shows up on Sunday morning services. "Personal space" shows up in Small Groups, 6-12 people. "Intimate space" shows up in Discipling as we meet with one or two people for accountability and coaching. Think of these as family reunions, nuclear families and (to put it awkwardly) marriages. What's missing is the extended family, something that's often missing in the Western culture from which we often derive our ministry models.I'm excited to put this model to work and see what sort of fruit Jesus produces from it. Definitely worth checking out.

If you've ever read anything by Mike Breen before, or if you've spent time with him, you know this: There is nothing normal about him. The way he thinks and the way he lives. Perhaps, you may even call it weird. I'd call it "weird-good". When someone does unusual things in a surprisingly ordinary way it stands out. There is nothing normal about this book. In fact, I imagine it's unlike any book you've ever read about ministry and how to lead an organization, a church, a mission, or simply making a lasting influence.It's unfortunate that in our day it's become 'unusual' for Christian leaders to emulate closely the life of Jesus and his first followers and to think hard about what that might look like today. Mike has taken up the painstaking task of reflecting long and hard on his abundant life and ministry of leadership. This book is the fruit of those efforts which Eugene Peterson calls a "long obedience in the same direction". I devoured it cover to back and took notes the whole way through and I will do that again next week. Which is not a normal thing for me to do. But this is not a normal book.

This transparent review of how God has lead the author in advancing His Kingdom over the past several decades gives excellent context for all the other books the author has written. I came away feeling like I knew the author as a friend, and like I was given an invitation to similarly join God in Kingdom work. Woven into this contextual autobiography you will find many helpful conceptual models, apologetics for lay leader community-based movements, and practical advice for leading a Kingdom-advancing community of believers. The author speaks of people and households of peace - people who hear the message and open up in hospitality to receive and support the work of the one who is hosted. As a scriptural example, he cites Lydia opening her household to Paul and his followers, and supporting his ministry. In that mode, this book is a book of peace, welcoming you in and offering you encouragement and support, and inviting you to lead others to the King, who will then lead others.For those who have not yet read Breen, I think reading this book first might be especially helpful, since it really "sets the table" contextually, conceptually and spiritually, for his other books.

This is a great book. Highly recommended for those who, like me, are seeking to lead a community of God's people into mission. There is so much confusion around these days with a plethora of theorists who haven't actually done very much. Mike has. The principles in the book are rooted in valuable lessons Mike has learned and implemented over many years. I especially liked the analogy of 'the pea and molasses' (you'll have to read it..) Although I had come to similar conclusions myself, I appreciated Mike's different camera angle. Thoroughly rooted in Scripture. Immensely helpful.

every leader wanting to see a legacy beyond their own life in what they are involved in building, should read and note the lessons learned. refreshing and articulate

Thought provoking and challenging. Would be good to work through as a group. Mike's experience shows through and his style is easy to read.