Transforming Church in Rural America by Shannon O’Dell

Transforming Church in Rural America is one of those books that I am thankful to have in my library. As a seminary student, learning from others seems to be my job. So when I found this book on BookSneeze.com, I thought what an interesting title.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through his stories and how O'Dell mixes in some practical advice from church planters. The primary audience is the rural church. However, I do believe that something can be found for everyone. Any church planter, pastor, even a dedicated member can tell you that the church body is filled with people who want things their way and are not likely to accept change easily. O'Dell even comments, “When you begin to live out a God-sized vision, it is guaranteed that people will start barking.” Sometimes as Christians we think that simply because our dreams are God-give, people will fall naturally in line. However this is not always the case. In fact, many are resistant to the cost, the time and the energy it takes to start something new. Many times people want to vote and have the vote be unanimous. The biggest thing that I walked away from was O'Dells calling to the church. It truly proves that God's ways are not our own.

The things that I struggle with are the fact that O'Dell's church is an icampus (online version) and it's multisite. Being involved with a multi site church myself I did not take up an interest. However the way that it read was that O'Dell seemed more interested in the numbers of the church rather than allowing God to take the credit and glory for the growth of his church.

I enjoyed the book and am very thankful to be able to learn form other people's experience.



I got this book for free from booksneeze.com. I’m not required to give a positive review.

Nothing Can Separate

The other day I commented that I wanted to see the Social Network. I haven't yet but the next day I was on Facebook and notice that a friend had changed her relationship status from married to single and taken all of her wedding pictures down. It may not seem like a big deal but it does make me wonder if she and her husband have split.

I wonder about whose fault it was. I wonder whose decision it was to end it. I wonder what they church did to support and counsel them through. I want to call without it being weir or like I am being nosy. I look for someone to blame. I want to blame their parents for not properly showing them what marriage was when they were children. I want to blame the husband for maybe being too involved with work. I want to blame the wife for spending too much time with friends. 

I look for someone to blame then I feel a sens of pride and irritation come in. I feel irritated that God has me single. I feel prideful in thinking that difficult choices and the urge to call it quits would never enter into my thoughts as a married person. 

It's then I realize that I leave God all the time. I think that I know best and that I know what to do and ultimately I end more messed up than when I started. I am not sure why the one relationship that holds the promise that I will never be alone is the one that I forsake the most. Why I seek comfort in things that I know will not satisfy. Why I long for things that will never truly fulfill what I think I need. 

It is then that I remember that we all fall short. I am reminded that He is the one, in this relationship, who is all in and not me. That I am no better than the girl who is getting divorced, who is struggling with addictions, who is pregnant and considering abortion. I am in just as much in need of God's grace, love and forgiveness as they are. It is also then that I remember that no sin is outside the Cross. That nothing I can do will ever separate me from God's love.

It's with those reminders that I pray. For forgiveness. For wisdom. For love.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39