Tami Frailey, staffer at Connection Church in Canton, MI, recently posted about her takeaways from "Lasting Impressions: From Visiting to Belonging." She writes:
I was waiting until after the holiday rush to blog my review on Mark Waltz's latest book: Lasting Impressions – from Visiting to Belonging. I wanted to be sure this review didn't get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
I just finished reading the last page of a good book. “Lasting Impressions: From Visiting to Belonging” is the latest book by Mark Waltz (you can follow him here on twitter) the Pastor of Connections at Granger Community Church. This is a meaty read filled with great stories woven into the fabric of connection. I don’t want to give too much
- People can only be where they are. They can only take a step from where they are. Mark uses great biblical examples of this. They have to discern where they are. We can’t place our expectations on them.
- Most people need time to meet others, connect, and develop trust before they join us or share our agenda. (Note to self: Does our church have the atmosphere that allows people to do just that?)
- “Responsible to people vs. Responsible for people. (Note to self again: this messed me up. I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I think I just gained some sleep in the future)
- If you attend a mature church, be prepared for immaturity.
- Great descriptions of the “four relational interaction spaces” in each church.
- There is a whole mess of connection goodness regarding volunteers.
What I really appreciate about this book is that not only does Mark shed light on connection in ministry, he doesn’t just leave me there. By using great stories, authentic transparency, and sharing mistakes made along the way, Mark paints a great resource for connection. This is a must read for anyone that has a heart for people to connect.
Thanks for the review, Tami! God's best as you whiteboard questions and continue to create culture that invites people to pursue and embrace Jesus!
