NF

Good but not outstanding. I agree with most, but not all. ( )

A challenge to think a little different about church. Not all will agree with him. ( )

Deep & Wide should be required reading for any ministry taking a look at itself and wanting to look further than their belly button. Andy is an excellent communicator and deep & wide carries that tradition well. My only dislikes are his generalizations of liberals and those outside his click (Southern Baptist) are lacking and demonstrates not only his bias but also a lot of ignorance, which I'm attributing to lack of exposure so I'm letting it slide. Also, I know more of his story with his dad than he shares and have a different version and feel he was less than truthful; however, that's not my story to tell and leave it up to his conscience to wrestle with it. ( )

I recently finished Andy Stanley’s Deep & Wide, which came out in September of last year (2012). Deep & Wide is honest and direct: Andy Stanley wants to change the way you do church. Part auto-biography, part philosophy of ministry, Stanley unpacks the what, why, and how (“the secret sauce”) behind North Point Community Church’s approach to making disciples. This is an opportunity to look behind the curtains at one of America’s most impactful churches.

Some people love everything Andy Stanley does. Others are less impressed (to put it kindly). But here’s the take away: Whatever your gut-level response to Andy Stanley, every church leader in America needs to read this book. I don’t say that because I subscribe to every idea and approach that Stanley describes. Because I don’t. However, Deep & Wide starts a conversation that we so desperately need: “What are we doing to reach the lost?” If you’re in church leadership, I hope and pray that this question keeps you up at night. And Stanley’s book, even if you don’t like all of his answers, will begin a conversation that helps you become more intentional about your approach to reaching the lost – whether or not your approach looks anything like North Point's. ( )