CHAZOWN

I like Craig Groeschel. I like the concept upon which his multi-site church was built, though I'll acknowledge that it isn't for everyone. I also like his preaching, though I wasn't a fan of the money-back guarantee. I listen to him every week online. My favorite series so far was Satan's Sex Ed. One of the videos they ran for that series had me on the floor laughing. I'll post it for you. Which reminds me, Lifechurch.tv makes all of their materials available FOR FREE. Eat that, Ed Young.

Now that I've shown that I'm a true fan of Groeschel and his ministry, I can freely say that I did not really enjoy his book, Chazown. I think it was better the first time I read it when it was called Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. There is nothing new in Chazown. Worse yet, it is filled with pastoral cliches that drive me up a wall.

First, he uses the graphic of three intersecting circles to illustrate his first three points - discovering your vision, your values, and your gifts. Ugh. Then he moves to a graphic of five spokes on a wheel to illustrate the next set of ideas that will "transform" your life. Gag. Typical of a pastor, he is in love with alliteration. He even encourages you to write a mission statement for your life. Yuck. That just makes me squirm.

This book isn't totally devoid of worth, I just know that Groeschel can do better. Maybe next time, he'll leave aside all that is "expected" of him as a pastor and really just write something real and from the heart. If his second book, Confessions of a Pastor: Dropping the Pose and Getting Real, is anything like this one, I may go postal.