Book Review:Innovative Planning; Your Church in 4-D by Bud Wrenn and Rick Warren

 I am a geek for Church stuff and this is a geek book for pastors and other church leaders.  Most of our folks in the pews may yawn about leadership topics but this book deserves a look by the visionary leaders from congregations of all sizes.  There are a lot of planning, how-to books out there. Most are either marketplace language with a smear of scripture or a list of verses with little structure.  Wrenn and Warren bring us a book with a short, thoughtful, quotable and flexible process to move a group from theory to action.  This is a process for the church but can be applied to a family, a ministry within a local congregation, or for that matter Little League or Boy Scouting.  The book brings a systemic way to motivate a diverse group to longer range thinking.

The "4-Dimensions" are:  Visionary: asking "Where are we going?", Missional, asking "What will we do on the way?", Strategic, asking "How will it get done?"  and Tactical, asking "Who will make our dreams become action?".  The beauty of the process is the integration of  the spiritual gifts of the participants in these dimensions.  These D's form a visual for the church family, with its unique individual gifts into a mission unique to the group.  Everything moves toward doing something that invites the congregation to be both flexible and innovative.  Our medium sized congregation used the process in a one evening retreat with follow up break out groups.  The results are exciting.

This book is not another 40-Days style rigid process and  will not bring instant success.  It must be interpreted and applied to your situation.  The philosophy and theology are very sound.  It goes on my essential's shelf with the Leadership books.