Book Review: "Transforming Church in Rural America" by Shannon O'Dell

I recently read a book on leading in a rural church. I became interested in, "Transforming Church in Rural America" written by Shannon O'Dell partly because I actually grew up in a small rural town; my grandfather and godfather both lead in rural churches. The title was what first attracted me to reading the book but once I started reading I was immediately struck by the similarities between the authors story and that of my husband and mine (especially his background in transfering from youth ministry to that of Senior Pastor) even though we are leading in an urban setting.

 I believe Pastor Shannon's book is an example of transformational leadership that churches in various minitry settings could learn from. He offers some practical solutions for not only rural America, but ideas that can be adapted by main stream churches located in suburban or urban areas. Especially churches that have been on the scene for a while but who have gotton stagnant in their thinking or even given up believing that their church can make a difference in their communties. His story has a mixture of humor, some pain but a large portion of hope. You can tell that he was someone who has been humbled by his experience. He had to totally rely on God to do the extraordinary under seemingly impossible odds.

When Pastor Shannon started, he had a small congregation (which if you know most rural areas, it is pretty much the norm), but in a matter of a few years his church grew and they now minister to 1,000 of people all over the world. Talk about fufilling God size dreams! He does not offer a magical formula but his story does convey the importance of seeing the bigger picture and trusting God to work the plan even when we can't see where he is going with it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and at one point I could not put it down. I actually read several passages out loud to my husband and he too enjoyed it. His testimony gave us hope that transformation is possible especially when you listen to God's voice and his vision for ministry. Many of the things he implemented are not just adaptable to ministry but in our personal lives as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is leading a church in a rural area, but I would also suggest it to those who are leading in churches that are looking to transform their community, ministries or church.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze.com Book Review Bloggers Program. I was not required or influenced to give a positive review in any way. The opinions expressed here are that of my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, part 255