Becoming a Person of Influence By: Product Close-up Editorial Reviews. Building Below the Waterline: Shoring Up the Foundations of Leadership. Strengthening the Life of a Leader. Ordering Your Private World. When Men Think Private Thoughts. Rebuilding Your Broken World. The Women of Easter: A Place of Peace. Revisiting the fictional congregation of his best-selling Who Stole My Church? Pastor Gordon faces a new dilemma!
His church knows how to get people to visit and even make a personal commitment to Jesusbut it doesn't know how to cultivate spiritually deep disciples. Is the future of their community at risk? Paperback Number of Pages: Even though it's over pages long it is not a tiring read, in fact it didn't seem that long at all. I recommend this book for anyone who would like to give others the tools to be "fishers of men. Dec 07, AbbyJoy rated it it was ok. The first and most impressionable thing that really stuck out to me was the length. Going Deep is long. And I'm not just talking about the number of pages although it's long that way as well, at pages.
The pages would have been no problem for me if it had been engaging and maintained my attention span.
Don't get me wrong. MacDonald had some interesting thoughts and points, and I found a number of nuggets of wisdom. However, it was just a bit too drawn out for me. For one, the book is fictio The first and most impressionable thing that really stuck out to me was the length. For one, the book is fictional -- except for the two main characters, Gordon and Gail -- and follows this "cultivating deep people" experience over the course of two fictional years. MacDonald starts at square one when the idea just that -- an idea -- to when it begins to bear fruit, with all the ups and downs between.
With that in mind I didn't really become interested in it at all till I was more than halfway through, at the point where the fictional group actually starts meeting and growing deeper. Another thing lacking was emotion and description -- the glue to the plot. Any feelings concerning what the main characters where going through during this venture were flat out told, but rarely carried over to the reader. There was little description -- I'm really not even sure what many of the characters look like. Without anything to be able to relate to as a reader, I didn't feel engaged or connected in any way that would have made a better, lasting impression on me.
The one other thing that bothered me was the fact that this entire "idea" and experience is fictional. It only has two real characters, and everything else right down to the church and congregation is fictional. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't see anywhere that it has actually been lived out as it is in the book.
In my non-professional opinion, I think this book would have been better written in a better format, such as a devotional, for example. The entire thought that this is just fictional makes me wonder if it would even be worth a try. Unless you think that Jesus made a mistake with Judas. Feb 09, Tim rated it really liked it Shelves: Since the day I came across the genre in college, I've been a sucker for fiction that gets across a nonfiction concept. Whether it's called narrative nonfiction, creative nonfiction or literary nonfiction, any time an author puts concept to paper and creates a factually accurate and convincing narrative, I'm in.
It wasn't until years later that I would recognize that I'd encountered the genre far earlier in life in the parables of Jesus. What can I say? I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes. T Since the day I came across the genre in college, I've been a sucker for fiction that gets across a nonfiction concept. In Going Deep, Gordon MacDonald asks what kind of people a ministry should cultivate in order to thrive. He answer is narrated through the experiences of the fictional New England congregation he introduced in Who Stole My Church?
The first half of the book narrates the question of how to cultivate deep people, while the second half allows us to observe the process of attempting it. Though the narrative format might not connect with those looking for bullet points or chapter headings, it allows MacDonald to examine the process in greater detail. We see how MacDonald deals with grumblings and failures.
Though the story slows while describing the process of the small groups progress, overall I found Going Deep to be an interesting and readable insight into developing disciples. Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Nov 11, Alanna Love rated it liked it. Nobody wants to be a shallow person, but what exactly does it mean to be a deep person and how do we take our shallow selves to that next level?
Gordon MacDonald explores this problem in his book, Going Deep: Becoming a Person of Influence. When I first began this book, I confess, it was rather slow and I had a hard time getting into it. And not only was this concept intriguing, but I could also see how it could be effective.
One of my favorite portions of the book was where the ancient Jewish method of teaching of the Rabbis was discussed, launching off the idea that while Jesus was many things, He always was function in the role of a Rabbi for His disciples. I learned tantalizing things about the Rabbinical process, and I doubt that I will ever read the Gospels again without seeing Christ function as a Rabbi in each and every action. Altogether, I was impressed with this story of a traditional American church waking up to power of discipleship, and taking everyday people and transforming them into men and women of depth and influence, just like Jesus did.
Powerful Christianity is not for some pastoral elite, but it is for every person who calls upon the Name of Christ. And in this book, we see that power begin to be released the way it was intended as we watch people begin to go deep. For links, cover images, and more, check out booksneeze dot com. Dec 06, Brittany rated it liked it Shelves: When I was looking through books to read this one immediately caught my eye. I loved not only the cover, but the concept behind the book.
However, once I got into the book, it was hard to read. The author takes the time to carry on full conversations about ideas discussed throughout the entirety of the book, which makes it a little slow moving.
I really enjoyed the message portrayed in the storyline, but could not read more than a chapter at a time without becoming distracted by something else. It might just be that I have been reading a lot of fiction lately, and this non-fiction type book just couldn't capture my attention to draw me in.
I have set the book aside to try to re-read at another date. I know I can get more out of it that I did: I learned some great concepts and have taken on some of the "tasks" of becoming a deeper person, but would definitely like a twice-over for this one. I think this would be an awesome idea starter for pastors and their fellowships, but as a mere sheep in the flock of millions, this was a bit too much for me.
Nov 20, Marcus Lynn rated it liked it Shelves: MacDonald writes compellingly about the move from being a Sr. The story kept my interest and think more pastors need to be moving in this kind of intentional discipleship of believers. I mean, this is how the early Church did it. I suppose the easiest way would be to buy multiple copies of Going Deep and giving it to your leadership so that they can come up to the same conclusion.
The story was encouraging. But I need more than a story. Oct 25, Cameron Rebarchek rated it liked it Shelves: His church strived not only to produce any type of leader, but deep, growable leaders. We are invited into the difficult and personal moments in the formation and technique of forming such a group. I truly did enjoy the fictional story in which MacDonald wraps his concepts and ideas. It made the book rather easy and quick to read despite the actual length of the book. That said, the book was unbalanced in its presentation.
Nearly three-fourths of the book was designated to forming an idea and the final fourth of the book to what the idea actually looked like within the church. The book could have been just as effective while being half the length. There are other resources which will prove more effective and practical.
Sep 30, Ryan rated it it was amazing Shelves: I just finished Going Deep: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Though it was a little laborious at points, it was still an overall enjoyable read that I learned much from.
The future of the church lies in its growth—deepening spiritual growth. It is not a how-to manual, but an exchange of conversations, ideas, emails, letters, and meetings that all culminated in a forty-week intense discipleship process—CDP Cultivating Deep People. Since it is not a formula, but rather a story, it lends itself to a lot of thought—I found myself constantly thinking about what implementing this intense discipleship focus would look like in my context.
The Women of Easter: Easy practical steps to follow for every student of spirituality. In this fascinating book, best-selling author Gordon MacDonald discovers that his small New England church could be headed Ask a Question What would you like to know about this product? Aug 25, Kev Willoughby rated it liked it. The The future of the Christian faith will not be determined by the number of people who fill the pews but by the spiritual depth of those people.
Overall, a very good book aimed toward leadership. Dec 26, Linda Walters rated it it was ok. It left me feeling as I was reading it; that I was a gold rush miner panning for gold, sifting through ALL the sand to get to the gold in the story. It was hard work; with a few worthwhile nuggets here and there. The comparison of church against the training sessions of businesses was eye-opening.
Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. I have read some of the comments regarding this book, I naturally go to the lowest stars first. The comments have been made about the length of the book, and the book is long, but the details are so worth it. I felt I went on a journey with the CDP team. It makes me want to have one of my own. Pastors this is a must read. Thank you Gordon and Gail for your experience and for telling us the story. I look forward to telling my own soon. What insightful and inspiring ideas I have been able to glean from "Going Deep".
Not just in the church setting, but family, job and personal settings of our lives, we can detect and help inspire other people to grow deep roots. It is hard work but worth it! Another great book by Gordon McDonald!!
Encouraging ideas to help people learn how to become deeper in their beliefs and understand others as well as themselves. You learn how to read in depth and accept different personality traits in other people.
This is what churches need to spend time doing What a challenging, exciting book! I was convicted over and over again Filled with life altering truths! It was inspiring and a book that every church leader should read. First hand experience of the author. Needed for those in ministry as well as lay people. See all reviews.
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Heralds of the Reformation: