Just Say, "I Will.” The Church, and You, Will Benefit




I Will: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian by Thom Rainer is the latest in a series of books by the author to help the church by helping the average church member. An Autopsy of a Deceased Church sought to take a look at common traits that lead to the decline and death of churches and encouraged believers to avoid those pitfalls. I Am a Church Member was an effort by Rainer to address the attitudes of church membership and how to be a better church member. I Will takes that a step further by addressing church members' behaviors. 

I think I Will does for the average layperson what What Is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti M. Anyabwile may do for a more intellectual layperson. In fact, that is one of the things that I have loved about Thom Rainer. One doesn’t need an advanced degree to understand what in the world he is talking about. He speaks in a language people understand, giving important data in a relevant way that they can apply in very practical ways. 

The nine “I Will” statements explored are as follows:
I Will Move from “I Am” to “I Will”
I Will Worship with Others
I Will Grow Together with Others
I Will Serve
I Will Go
I Will Give Generously
I Will Not Be a Church Dropout
I Will Avoid the Traps of Churchianity
I Will Make a Difference

The book has lots of positives. One, it is in hardcover, so it can stand up to multiple uses and even an occasional accidental abuse. The size of it can fit in a glove compartment, a briefcase, even a side pocket of a computer bag or backpack. It doesn’t take up a lot of shelf-room. In addition, its compact size of just over 100 pages, will make sure that it doesn’t take up a lot of your valuable time either. 

I recommend this series of books to any layperson. Whether the believer is not a reader, someone who loves to read or somewhere in between, this series is well worth your attention and time. The great thing is that there isn’t necessarily a particular order that is needed in devouring them. Pick one up soon and be on your way to becoming a more godly, devoted and effective church member. I Will would be a great start.

If you liked this review, tell Amazon it was helpful. My review on amazon.com can be found here.

I was provided a complimentary copy of I Will: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian by BH Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

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