I honestly felt like I got ripped off because of how highly rated it came. That says more about the person who referred it than the book.
My favorite thing about the book is that it really helps bring information that needs to be focused when trying to start a church. That information will be used as we plant our church.
My biggest disagreement with the book is the premise that launching is better than planting. I understand where the authors are coming from, and I believe that they probably were doing more than what the book went into, but the book is what I had to read. I really do believe that God is more interested in growing through a plant like model than burst like model.
My least favorite thing about the book was the lists that were meant to be funny, but made me wonder why I spent the money. Before certain sections, there would be a list such as "Rejected Titles for Launch." One in particular really turned me off: "Starting Churches by Dummies," or something along those words. I do not want authors to be over-arrogant, but at the same time, I believe they should not put so much ink in putting down their own book. It wasn't funny.
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I originally wrote this review about 2 1/4 years ago. Since that time, I have found the book to be very superficial. Everything is based on the event model - stage an event for people to come to. Make worship that event and people will come. The problem is that most unchurched people I have talked to would rather be a part of a church that cares for them than one that stages events to get minimal information from them and use it to propagate their churches.
I know of several who have followed this model and have done well. As we attempted to do this it felt so against what it meant to be church that we started over.
Finally, looking back, I think what I appreciated the most about the book was the authors' unwavering enthusiasm.