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New Book Helps Church Leaders Make Church Meetings More Participatory

TOW defines the  Church in terms of the Gathered Church (on Sundayor whenever the church meets) and the Scattered Church (sent out to work in all sectors of society the rest of the week).  However, when the church gathers on Sunday seldom is there any learning from or active participation by or informative reporting about what God has done through the scattered during the week.  Dr. Larry Peabody, who wrote his first book about Theology of Work in 1976 has written an insightful book on how Pastors could involve the scattered church on Sunday mornings in practical and meaningful ways.  If you want to begin merging these two arms of the church on Sunday, this book will give some ways to make that happen.

Millennials, and many older Christians, are not responding well to the sit-watch-and-listen format of so many church meetings. A new book, Curing SundaySpectatoritis, confronts that issue head on by offering examples from 25 church leaders who are finding ways to include more participation in church meetings.

One long-time believer compares the Sunday experience to “going to see a good movie where the professional musicians and professional speakers put on such a good show.” He recently stopped participating in the organized church.

The term “spectatoritis” in the book’s title speaks for itself. No dictionary needed. Like arthritis, bronchitis, and appendicitis, spectatoritis brings on a measure of disability. But unlike those and other inflammatory “-itis” conditions that ache and throb, Sunday spectatoritis typically leaves its victims quite pain-free, even comfortable. And who among us, including church people, will seek a cure if unaware of any disabling symptoms? But this book shows how spectatoritis can be cured.

This book is for all who love the Body of Christ and work for its well-being. It is for pastors, church leaders, and church planters in all kinds of communities—in urban, suburban, exurban, and rural congregations. It is for Christians who seek to encourage increased congregational participation and to support leaders as they pursue that objective.

Curing Sunday Spectatoritis is available from Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle editions. (see links below)