Bill Hybels

3.5 stars

There are lots of stories here of actual volunteers within the author's megachurch, so readers will be inspired and encouraged to think creatively about how to get involved in their own churches and communities.

The emphasis in the book was definitely on serving in the local church, because in a megachurch, there is a huge variety of ministries reaching out to the community. In smaller churches, members very well may need to go outside the church to volunteer, and I wish this had been addressed more in the book - many pastors and church leaders don't really acknowledge any kind of service outside of the church building as counting for the Kingdom.

I really appreciated that Hybels warns against overcommitment and burnout, and counsels both members and leaders of a church about best practices for getting involved, which include jumping in and just trying out some different opportunities, but also using those experiences to learn more about yourself and how God has gifted you and given you particular passions, so that you can work toward using those things to bless others, and actually enjoy the work, and feel fulfilled by it, at the same time.… (mais)

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book - primarily, I think, because Hybels seems to have mixed messages in it.

The chapter about discovering others' stories was my favorite; it had some good nuggets. Hybels emphasizes in some chapters that God created us the way He did for a purpose, and encourages us to "stay true to ourselves" when we are interacting with non-believers. We're not supposed to take on the persona of a forceful evangelist/super missionary and toss aside the gifts that God has given to us. We can serve Him with the personality that He has gifted to us as individuals. I really liked this bit, as it's something I see forgotten frequently!

"God made you exactly as you are. He wired you and gave you the temptation and the experience and the background that you have because he wanted someone just like you in this world right now." p.84

However, Hybels seems to change his tune a little later in the book. Hybels claims to be "mildly extroverted", though I have a hard time buying the "mild" part. The large bulk of his stories of people being faithful to make friendships with non-believers that eventually led them to know Christ are stories about him doing the work, although he also includes a couple of stories from his church members.

He sounds very, very busy, and I don't mean that in a good way. He has regular date nights with his wife, plus weekly "seeker" dinners, plus he pastors a large church, plus he has a sailing group, plus he goes out of his way to always be with people in crowded places, plus, plus, plus. As an introvert, I became exhausted just reading about everything he does on a regular basis! And while I can appreciate that he's serving God in a way that befits his personality, I got the distinct impression that he didn't actually mean his earlier claim about serving God the way we are. There were no stories of introverts included in the book that I can remember. Not one.

At one point, he mentions a man who wrote jingles for a living and who became a Christian (who, of course, also attends his church, because why would anyone possibly want to attend any other church?); he states he encouraged this man to stop writing jingles and to do something for Christ instead. "Write songs that help people go to heaven." p.181

Hold up there, Hybels. Since when does a person have to be doing "Christian" work to serve God? He says in the beginning of his book that people assume he has constant interaction with non-believers because he's a pastor and he actually has much more contact with Christians, and is jealous of laypersons who work in a secular environment. And yet he seems to only believe that "Christian" work is the way to truly serve God. How does he know that God didn't have plans for the man at the advertising agency where he worked? Undoubtedly, there were other non-believers there that he already had relationships with and who needed to know Christ.

Also, one chapter is all about learning to tell your story in a concise, effective way to those who inquire. Hybels believes a person should focus on their before/after conversion experience. Throughout the entire book, he talks to Christians as if all Christians became believers as adults (which, not surprisingly, is when Hybels came to know Christ). Never is it even considered an option that someone might believe as a child, so I couldn't relate much at all. I became a Christian when I was 5 years old and so I, quite frankly, don't have a dramatic before and after story with which to wow everyone.

There were a few other tidbits here and there that rubbed me the wrong way (Hybels talks of threatening his babysitters, for one... why that would be necessary is completely beyond me!), but I won't list anything more as this review is already too long.

The good: I like that Hybels is encouraging Christians to get outside their Christian bubbles, the way Jesus did, and yet not compromise their own beliefs or message. It is possible to love and value people without justifying or "accepting" their sin.

"….even the most "Christlike" Christians on the planet will be totally ineffective unless they get near people who are living far from God." p.82

"[Jesus] didn't expect people who had lived their entire lives far from God to be holy when he encountered them. What was of utmost importance to Jesus was that irreligious people were willing for him to make them holy." p.88

However, as an introvert, I cannot recommend this book as it seems to disregard the fact that not everyone has the exact same personality, or has had all the exact same experiences, as Bill Hybels.… (mais)