Book Review: “A Multi-Site Church Road Trip” By, Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, Warren Bird

Wanna read a book that gives an overview of what happens when churches begin operating by a man-made business model rather than an inspired Word of God? If you answered yes, then read Zondervan’s A Multi-Site Road Trip by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, & Warren Bird. This recollection of a cross-country trip to fifteen different multi-site churches across America, including Hawaii, is so full of the folly of man’s knowledge that there is, as expected, little room for Godly knowledge. Sure, there are Biblical passages planted throughout the book supporting ideas but not their Biblical meaning, but the most discussion of “is this right in the eyes of God?” is within the chapter discussing John Piper’s Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota. Sadly though, Piper and his elder’s insistence that nothing be done outside of the scripture’s authority is almost discussed laughingly by the authors.

While this book is full of business models and discussion of technology, this book would serve no purpose to the Christian leader looking to raise and groom a flock in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. As I read the book all I could think was, “this is nothing more than denominationalism via webcast.” Then at the end of the book the author(s) do decide to admit this fact. As a majority of the congregation discussed in the book are “non-denominational,” this book would have been more properly entitled How to Make Your Own Denomination in the 21st Century For Dummies. If anything, the members of these congregations are allowed to look behind the screen just as Dorthy was in the Wizard of Oz and see how their wizard does what he does.

I would recommend this book to no one.

Tags: A Multi-Site Church Road Trip, book review, Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, John Piper, Warren Bird, Zondervan

Book Reviews, Discernment | dvdbrumley March 10, 2010

5 Comments to “Book Review: “A Multi-Site Church Road Trip” By, Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, Warren Bird”

By Geoff Surratt, March 11, 2010 @ 9:42 am

Thanks for the review; I’m sorry you found it so reprehensible. Our goal as authors was to help churches spread the Good News so that people can be brought from the kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. We found the churches we visited (including Piper’s multi-site church) deeply committed to the authority of scripture and Godly knowledge; I’m sorry that didn’t come through for you in the book.
By Warren Bird, March 11, 2010 @ 10:07 am

I’m one of the book’s authors. I feel like this reviewer read another book. What he describes is certainly not what I wrote. I always want to build on God’s inspired Word. I would never laugh at Scripture’s authority. I encourage readers to check out the book for themselves, or at least check out what other reviewers say.
By dvdbrumley, March 11, 2010 @ 12:52 pm

To Warren & Geoff both, it would be a disservice to both of you and to the kingdom for me to give a review of a book that did not reflect my true thoughts. I found your book to very agenda driven and from the context of the book itself I read a bigger concern in red or black numbers than saving souls. Your book and ideas serve no other purpose in my opinion. Somehow, the church has survived 2000+ years without the things that you now stress as essential. Yet, according to surverys by Barna and others, American Christians, in particular those in these mega/multi-site churches, are so much less grounded in scriptural truths than those who have come before them that over half believe that there is more than one way to get to Heaven. Perhaps you guys believe the same, I don’t really know. I appreciate your correspondence and I hope that you can appreciate my take on your work as not insulting you guys but simply saying that at the end of the day, your book has little to do with New Testament Christianity. God bless you both.