Synopsis "Biblical Leadership: Renewing What Was Lost"
Matt Woodward knows what he's talking about. This is not just an academic study. Matt's active involvement in the community is lived reality. He knows leadership from the ground up. That's why this book is so important. It provides a clear analysis of the radically different leadership models presented by the organizational Church and the biblical text. To put it bluntly, the Christian Church is an empire, built on the Greco-Roman view of leadership roles. It is not a biblical view, as Woodward clearly demonstrates. And because it is not a biblical view, it is filled with all the same problems and issues as any other human empire-and destined to fail. Woodward provides a clear alternative, a Scripturally-based leadership model that can restore God's Kingdom on earth. It's time to listen to this sage advice. If we don't, it just might be too late. Arthur "Skip" Moen, Founder of At God's Table Matt Woodward is not writing this book to propel him to the top in the church world, he has been there and found it less than satisfying. In a day when seminars are packing modern coliseums to learn how to grow megachurches and leadership that can keep them growing, Matt has produced concise guidelines on how to grow people who function, rather than leaders seeking titles. This book explains how to find your personal zone for the purpose of making God smile and be satisfied that He decided to give you that special gift. The book also suggests how to ask the right questions in order to jump start individuals who have become accustomed to a passive church life into spiritual adults with grown up rewards. Matt takes the reader back to ancient biblical circumstances and explains how clear the original message and solution was the listeners who had unique common problems, which modern societies often no longer share. Although the Roman world of Jesus did not permit some of ancient laws, which Moses prescribed to believers living under the Canaanite legal system 2,000 years earlier, doing the right thing in difficult situations remained the same. In his research, Matt separates ancient facts from modern traditions and allows contemporary Christians to make sense of the biblical text. In a day in which the church has often become its worst nightmare...a kingdom of its own, Matt has redefined biblical leadership in a refreshing and readable format. In short, what the church needs now cannot be defined by adding new meanings to old words like revival and renewal. Like it or not, contemporary believers find ourselves facing a crisis of faith, which demands a realistic and practical look at Christianity in modern society. This book provides a glance at the honesty and grit needed to change leaders into actual people who are willing to ask the right questions. Thanks Matt for providing each of us with the tools needed for real transformation. This rest is up to us!" Ron Moseley, Founder and president of the American Institute
