Sticky Church by Larry Osborne published by Zondervan / Copyright 2008

I recently read a book by Larry Osborne called Sticky Church. Strange title, but an excellent book. I may not agree with everything that he said, but the idea he proposed planted a seed in my own heart.

The idea is to take the sermon that was preached on Sunday and to form Group Discussions
during the week with discussion focused on that Sunday's sermon. Now what a novel thought.

Many pastors just preach and hope that it sinks in somewhere during their week.

 

What if it doesn't sink in? How can they grow? They can't.

 

He leads in the idea that the people can't grow spiritually like the LORD wants them to, because they don't fully understand what was preached on Sunday. They may have questions which need answered.

 

The idea of Sticky Church is to "close the back door" of the church so the people don't leave. Get them to come, not through programs, but through the preaching.

 

Jesus didn't offer programs or Sunday School or anything else that modern churches offer today. He preached the Gospel. It worked for Jesus, why wouldn't it work for us today. He taught His disciples the Whole Counsel of God.

 

Should pastors today do the same? YES! We don't disciple people, we make disciples. That's what the Bible says the New Testament Church is supposed to do.

How do we get them to stick?

 

Well, that is easier said than done. Once you start something to get people to come in the door, Is it sustainable when your church is running in the hundreds? A wise pastor once told me, "If you do it for 20, will you be able to still do it with 100 to 150?" My answer, "No." His simple statement, "Then don't do it." That has been good advice.

 

Simply put, those that are saved during the preaching we are to find a way to KEEP them in the fold and not let them go. Get sticky. Make a disciple of them. To do that, they need to be taught.

 

Sticky Church moves in that direction. Teaching those things that need to be better explained that usually cannot be done on a Sunday Morning Preaching service. Sticky Church suggests that churches should have Bible Study Discussions about the Sunday Morning Message / Sermon or have other Bible Study Group Discussions concerning other portions of Scripture that need deeper explanation.

Larry gives a step-by-step process on how to get people to stick in your church. He even warns that it will take time to implement this process and some people still won’t stick around.

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A lot of the stickiness comes having some sort of discipleship model/program in your church and teaching those new visitors/converts the Bible. Small groups. They did it in the New Testament. Couldn’t it work for today. The small group though is not to replace the Corporate Church Meeting on Sundays. It is to be a help and a builder on to that particular meeting.

The Professor’s Commentary
My straightforward thought on the book is that God through the preaching of His Word keep people from leaving a New Testament Church. The disciples preached the Word of God, and some were offended and some readily received the Word.

 

Is it our job to keep people from leaving or is that the Holy Spirit’s job. I like Sticky Church’s approach, but ultimately it is God who sets in the local church that pleases Him, not the other way around.

I enjoyed Sticky Church. It gave me food for thought. It is a Christian Theological Resource
book.
4 out of 5 Stars