I just finished reading It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It. I picked up a copy at the conference I was at last week, on the recommendation of one of the presenters.

Wow.

On the heels finishing up unChristian last week, this was a great follow-up read. The conference I was at last week was a leadership conference designed for church leaders and the session I was in where this book was recommended was a session about transforming Sunday morning groups from ordinary to extraordinary. I signed up for that sessions because I believed that it would be beneficial with my Sunday School class. It was, and I left the session (and the whole conference) incredibly enthused about the work I do at church and eager to step up my game. Hopefully soon I'll find the time to write up about the conference. But for now, I'll write up a quick book review.

It is a passionate call for ministry leaders to seek that something (the author call it "it") that makes ministries special. It's really hard to describe, partly because the author insists on calling it "it" through the whole book -- there is no attempt to more precisely define it. A big reason for that is that it is incredible difficult to define, and much of the argument comes from a spiritual and emotional perspective were precise definitions don't necessarily make sense. I struggled with that a bit, as I really like to order things logically. Once I was able to get beyond that and open myself up to the book, it really took a hold of me.

I read most of the book on the plane rides from Kansas City back to Greensboro. It's a quick read. I'm hesitant to say it's an easy read because the book is very challenging. I was confronted with my need to honestly step up my game as it relates to ministry. I've been involved in groups that have "it" and I know that it's good. This book helped me refocus my desire to chase "it" and get "it" back.

I know this review probably sounds scatterbrained. I'm just having a hard time finding the way to express how glad I am to have read this book. If you're involved in leading any kind of ministry, I highly recommend it.

I'm on a reading kick right now and really enjoying it. And just as I finished reading It, I'm happy to come home and find that the copy of Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices that I won showed up today. So far, I've read the prefaces and introductions and the first couple of paragraphs of the first chapter. It looks very interesting.