Leonard I. Sweet

a theography

Jesus

Lance Ford

It's time to leave the leadership obsession behind. It's never been about leading. "Leadership" has become a runaway obsession for those who are called to equip the body of Christ for service in the Kingdom of God. The concept of "followership" is all but lost in the wake of this leadership fetish, a near hypnotic obsession. Jesus' clear call, and the pattern of New Testament leadership, are actually found in a pattern of followership. We've been told otherwise but when it comes to a movement in our churches, our families, or the workplace, everything rises or falls on followership. Sweetproposes an intentional shift from leadership cults to followership cultures. He critiques the issue of leadership obsession but focuses onreigniting a passion for the "follow me" theme found throughout the gospels and the entire New Testament. Building on a set of metaphors/images, hestirs the imagination by showing what it means to be a follower of Christ and explainsthe vital cog that followership and the first follower play in helping others enter into the Kingdom of God. I Am A Follower moves readers: from leaders that are over to followers that are among from sages and gurus to scouts and guides from Saul's armor to David's sling from having the right answers to asking the right questions from architects to gardeners

The Way, Truth, and Life of Following Jesus

I Am a Follower

The church is heading into a "perfect storm" of cultural forces. Will you sink beneath the waves, or ride the winds of the Spirit? An array of cultural forces is coming together to present the church with unprecedented challenge and unequaled opportunity. Such "category 5" realities as postmodernism, postChristendom attacks on belief in God, and the threat of global warming have coalesced to make a "perfect storm" that will leave people uncertain of their place in the world, and all they have previously believed in. Like the disciples when Jesus calmed the storm, the church can cower and cry out for relief. Or, when everything is spinning and whirling in the wind, the church can go out to meet the storm, embrace the gale, . . . and pass out kites. From the Circuit Rider review: "Like other books Sweet has written and compiled, The Church of the Perfect Storm is thought-provoking and compelling. The material flows in such a way that allows readers to grasp the gravity of the situation. However, as with most futuristic material, there is also a sense in which readers may want to know: 'Okay, now what? Where do we need to steer this ship? Are mainline and evangelical churches so off-course as to fail to weather the rising tides that are here and soon coming?' Readers of this volume may enjoy the description of a post-Christendom world, but they may also want to know more about the prescription for the days ahead. (Click here to read the entire review.)

The Church of the Perfect Storm

Brent D. Peterson

Change is in the air and it may entail a radically different way of looking at life. The most common word to describe this change is 'postmodernism.'Postmodern and Wesleyan? is both an exploration and an internal dialogue. Essays written by differing voices explore various dimensions of postmodernism as they relate to theology, church, practices, communities, and missions.Each section includes a critical response by a respected Wesleyan leader to the ideas expressed. Dr. Leonard Sweet concludes each section with comments to continue the conversation.This important conversation piece invites churches, pastors, and laity to explore together how the Christian faith might shape both the present and the future.By providing a forum for engaging issues, both important and difficult, Postmodern and Wesleyan? offers a voice to some of the most creative thinkers in the movement and a help to Christians deciding the direction they must go in order to share the good news of God's love.

Exploring the Boundaries and Possibilities

Postmodern and Wesleyan?

Encourages Methodists to re-explore their spiritual identities in order to stir up dormant passions and challenge contemporary critiques of the faith.

Leonard I. Sweet

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