I received a copy of this book at a Christian Writers Workshop, as part of a conference I attended. Before I get into the review, I need to preface that I read this book stand alone. I knew nothing of it, or it’s author, or that it was an expansion on the WRF Statement of Faith section on “Mission and Evangelism”. Therefore, some bits of information (that were assumed the reader would be recognize) went right over my head. I am not familiar with the World Reformed Fellowship organization or their Statement of Faith, However, that doesn’t mean the book wasn’t a worthy read. There are some great bits of information I gleaned from it, so I wouldn’t count it as a loss. Quite the contrary, it has inspired me to look into the WRF more. Anything, in my opinion, that stirs up the desire to read further is a victory. Fortunately, the internet helped me fill in some of those gaps.
In Regards to the Author: Samuel T Logan, Jr.
Technically Samuel T Logan, Jr. is listed as the editor of the book. There is no “author” as it is a compilation of various authors, scripture and WRF related information into a singular book. I can’t entirely give him credit as the author, and to be honest, a good portion of the bits I underlined can be contributed to other authors. However, Mr. Logan does a great job of binding this information together, transitioning from thought to thought and using his own knowledge and writing skills to fill in the gaps. There are some thoughts or statements that stood out to me, that are entirely his own. One must go into reading this book understanding, though, that this is a compilation of thought vs. one man’s perspective.
In Regards to the Book: Reformed Means Missional
The book is broken down into two parts, the first is “laying the foundation”. To understand what it means to follow Jesus into the world, our mission, we need to understand the WHY. But even before you get into the first chapter, the Forward and Introduction are important reads. In a nutshell the book helps us understand what it means to be missional, a look into the WRF ‘s stance on it, what a missional church will look like, and hitting The Book to understand what Romans has to say about missions. One of my favorite portions of the first section took a look at the question “What does a Christian look like?”. Readers, the way the book handles this question alone makes it worth reading.
In the second section of the book, Logan moves us beyond the WHY and into practical application. Instead of it being a general step by step guide however, the subsequent chapters are devoted to very specific topics of global importance. Such as violence toward women, poverty, child sexual abuse, etc. This portion is where we get to see the other authors shine. Each handling one topic, and handling it well. This makes the second portion of the book a great reference guide for the future when you need guidance on one of these topics. Instead of sifting through pages upon pages looking for a paragraph, you can narrow the field to the chapter of the book. These are important chapters that cover the challenges facing the church today on a global stage and cultural platform without neglecting that these are also issues that can be found in our own backyards. I am also pleased that these subjects were covered in a very straight forward, yet gentle way.
Highlights from the Text:
“It is not so much that God has a mission for his church in the world; rather God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission – God’s mission.” Christopher J.H. Wright, Foreward to “Reformed Means Missional” by Samuel T. Logan, Jr.
“When we ask what makes a person a Christian, we are asking about what a person seeks first.” Reformed Means Missional by Samuel T Logan, Jr.
“I learned the love of God bent down, way into the muck, and mire of this world, into the darkest corners running with rats. “He was despised… he was pierced… he was crushed… He was opressed, and he was aflicted. I saw that his love led him to become like us so that we might actually become something like him.” Diane Langberg from Reformed Means Missional by Samuel T Logan, Jr.
Reformed Means Missional
Samuel T Logan, Jr.
New Growth Press
ISBN 13:978-1-938267-75-8
Gena McCown 