Every author hopes that his or her book will sell a million copies. The reality is that most will sell far fewer than that. Way fewer! Occasionally, someone will call me asking how to get a book published. I explain how I did it, but I also explain to them that writing books, especially for the Christian market is not the most profitable endeavor, unless you're writing about end-times or are a well-known pastor of a megachurch. I always tell the caller to not plan on quitting their day job any time soon!
The one book I wrote whose sales have most disappointed me is Intentional Ministry in a Not-So-Mega Church: Becoming a Missional Community This book explores the differences between maintenance-minded churches and missional churches and discusses how to transform from a maintenance-minded mindset to one that is more missional.
For much of my ministry I have heard small churches complain about their lack of growth and the limited impact they've had on their communities. Much of the reason for this is they are stuck in a maintenance mindset. They continue to do the same things over and over that they've done since the 1950s, and they wonder why it's not working any more. They remain stuck in their ruts because these ruts are comfortable, everyone knows their role, and no one has to do anything differently.
As I point out in the book, a rut is just a grave with both ends kicked out. There's not much life around a grave, and there's not much life around a rut either. God is doing new things today, and the church that signs up to be on mission with God will have to do new things as well.
In order to do new things, some old things will have to change. Some will have to be eliminated. Churches don't like eliminating their sacred cows, and they certainly don't enjoy change. In the book I try to help church leaders lead their churches through the changes they might need to take. I try not to identify what those changes are because they might differ among churches, but I can almost guarantee that some things will have to change to develop a more missional mindset.
If your church is stuck I encourage you to consider buying this book. it may help jump-start your way out of your ruts. I think it's a book that can help a lot of churches.
Various denominational groups have invited me to present seminars based on this book, and these seminars have been well received by those attending. If you think this material might be helpful to your church, association, or judicatory please contact me so we can discuss my sharing it with them.
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