it

I finished one of the books I purchased in OKC last night on the plane ride home. Craig Groeschel's latest book it: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It. This was a great book! Groeschel discusses the phenomenon of a church who has "it". 

From pg. 27:

  I can't tell you exactly what it is. Part of what makes it it is that it defies categorization. It won't reduce to a memorable slogan. It is far more special than that.

  That's why we have to embrace the fact that God makes it happen. It is from him. It is by him. It is for his glory. We can't create it. We can't reproduce it. We can't manufacture it.

  It is not a model. It is not a system. It is not the result of a program. You can't purchase or manufacture it. It can't be copied.

  Not everyone will get it. It can't be learned in a classroom. Yet even though it can't be taught, it can be taught.

Groeschel spends the bulk of the book highlighting characteristics that churches and leaders with "it" have in common. They are vision, divine focus, unmistakable camaraderie, innovative minds, willingness to fall short, hearts focused outward, and kingdom-mindedness.

He states that the last two chapters of the book are probably the most important and I found them to be very moving and inspiring. In the last chapter he wrote about how he has 3 prayers that he has made a part of his daily prayer life: stretch me, ruin me, and heal me. This was really challenging to me.

I liked this book enough that I'm strongly considering having all our church leadership read it this year (pun intended). Great stuff!