Confessions of a Reformission Rev.

Before it was a Seattle megachurch with 4000 regular attendees, Mars Hill Church was nothing. That should go without saying, but so should a lot of other things that most people don't think about, like the fact that starting a church is difficult business and often messy, or that it's actually right for people to leave your church if they aren't helpful or are causing division.

Mark Driscoll didn't really know anything about starting a church when he first began hosting meetings in his rented house. But he learned, and a lot of what he learned he includes in Confessions of a Reformission Rev.which is as much about the things he did (and continues to do) wrong as it is about the progress and successes of Mars Hill.

Part autobiography, part history of a local congregation, part ecclesiology and Christology, part manual for those looking to start their own assembly, the common theme that runs through Confessionsis that, to really be successful, a church must be utterly devoted to Christ. The title emphasizes this—Driscoll's account is full of admission to sins he's committed in the development of the church.

Each chapter (except Chapter Zero) looks at Mars Hill in its various incarnations as measured by Sunday attendance. (Chapter One covers 0-45 attendees, Chapter Two 45-75, etc.) Tracking numbers this way isn't arrogant, it's simply a way of categorizing the difficulties inherent in successive stages of church growth....though Driscoll admits to struggling with arrogance more than once.

Ultimately it is his candor that makes this book a success. Driscoll is equally open concerning mistakes and good choices—which is consistent with the purpose of this book. Not simply a chronicle, Confessions of a Reformission Rev.is for those starting or developing churches (it comes complete with discussion questions), though it is compelling and convicting reading for any Christian. This is a must-read for Christian leaders, regardless of denomination, church size or ministry style.