The Connecting Church 2.0 by Randy Frazee

Are people really connecting at our churches? Or are they lonely and unfulfilled? Nationwide attendance numbers tell us something is wrong. Here’s a book that makes sense of what is really going on in our society today. There’s real help here too to go with his persuasive analysis in terms of what needs to happen in our churches to stem the raging tide.

Mr. Frazee has had over 10 years to work out his ideas since the first edition of this book was released (hence the 2.0). He is only more convinced. We are missing the unity of the early church. Who could disagree with that statement? We lack the community that characterized them. He is also particularly candid in the methods of modern churches, even what I would find fault with–I didn’t expect that!

American culture has been high-jacked by individualism. In other words, individual rights trump community, even the Christian community called the local church. Small groups became the rage a few years ago because someone figured this fact out. Individualism has even, says Mr. Frazee, robbed small groups of their real value because we are groups of individuals. The group knows we will hit the road if anything is said, so they say little. Community, then, fails at what it was designed to do.

What’s the answer? He says we must shift thinking back to a real understanding of community. There’s a common purpose there that we can all rally around and serve the Lord. After he explains just how lonely and isolated we really are. the balance of the book tells us how to implement in our churches.

He speaks so much of a neighborhood approach, called a starfish model, that quite frankly is far beyond our comfort zone. Can it work? Read and decide for yourself. My thoughts–we can glean some real ideas from him without becoming a congregation of multiple house churches. I could never follow him fully, but did he ever give me much to think about. For that, I thank you Mr. Frazee. As a pastor, after reading your book, I feel obligated for Christ’s sake and the multitudes of the unconnected to work at community again.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.