Jim Rutz's MegaShift

"The path away from spectator religion frees people from fixed church role-playing. Previously, many people were passive, conformist churchgoers, experiencing church as a television without a remote control. The personal involvement of every follower of Christ, though, rouses millions of talents and abilities to solve even the most difficult problems. The result is a 'Megashift', a quantum leap in church history." Jim Rutz, Megashift

My friend Jim Rutz has commented before on this blog and you may have read our occasional banter from email correspondence. His old book, The Open Church was a classic and his new book called MegaShift looks like it will stir up things just as much. Wolfgang Simson has devoted the last Friday Fax to Jim's book so for those of you that don't subscribe to FF, I have posted it here as a Word File. Friday Fax 2005 Issue 28-1.doc

Jim is blogging at Logging the New Reality

QUOTE:
"How does an open church look different from a traditional church? Most of them meet in homes, offices, schools, and restaurants. A bigger difference: they aren’t once-a-week affairs. They offer a 24/7 support community that’s somewhere between a volleyball team, college fraternity, etc. They don’t have programs. Projects sometimes, but not programs. Their meetings are highly participatory. The good ones are viral -- what baseball calls expansion teams. Jim promises a network of interactive fellowships meeting in homes worldwide without pastors, programs, or sermons where members will take a giant step up to a whole new level of life. Instead of sitting once a week on Sunday, they can be active participants in what God is doing. They shed their problems. They get a solid, dedicated team behind them, one that will stand by them no matter what, and enable them to reach their goals. They become a key person in the exploding Kingdom of God and have a lasting impact on the world of the future. Most importantly, they will have a much closer heart-knowledge of God."
From CBN interview

Criticism is given by Steve Muse. One sentence is worth mentioning because it is partly true. "While reading MegaShift, I felt as though I was in the presence of a well trained car salesman trying to convince me of how our early model car was just not good enough any more, and that we really needed--desperately needed--the newer version of something that was not really any better, that would cost more, and most likely was not as good as our original car."
James Rutz's MegaShift: A Critical Review
Well, unfortunately, Jim Rutz actually does sound like a car salesman. Jim adds a lot of schliiiiick to anything he writes and I just have to forgive him for that, since the content is excellent and his heart is in the right place. The Open Church also sounds like a sales pitch, but it is worth reading anyway.

I haven't read the book yet - and am kind of bummed that Jim has not sent me a copy to review - maybe he doesnt think I have what it takes to give this book a BIG SPLASHY SELL. And he is probably correct. But I will probably order it anyway and write up something soon. If anyone else reads it, please leave a link to your review below in the comments.

UPDATE: Email from Jim a few hours later"

"Dear Andrew, I would have sent you a Megashift, but couldn't find your address anywhere in my records. I looked under Jones. I looked under Tall. I even looked under Genius.
Nada.
So let me know where you're hiding these days, and the book is on the way.
Jim"

Comments

[Mike Morrell]

Hi Andrew, I'm sure its just an oversight (that and exorbitant shipping prices to your neck of the woods)--heck, he sent _me_ a review copy, and I'm _nowhere near_ the "name" ANDREW JONES is!

I'm going to shoot him an email requesting a copy on your behalf. I want to discuss it with you online once you've read it.

[Lynda Barber]

I was involved in the institution as a worship leader for 13 years.
I have just recently quit and feel like I don't know who God is! Being immersed in the jargon,system and lifestyle has left a very bad taste in my understanding of Christianity. I am realy close to walking away from God.
Any thoughts?

[Paul Morris]

Jim Rutz is a friend -- was a friend -- we've been out of touch for years. In any case, his "Open Church" has a point. It is clear (to me at any rate) that Jesus never intended what we see today in the institutional (read industrialized) church.

I've written a book as well. Hasn't been published in paper yet, but you can read it at http://thecarpenteronline.com. Maybe you might find it helpful.

Blessings,

PDM