Review Coming Soon: Lost and Found

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I have a confession to make: I’m tardy. Terribly tardy. Tardy in an area I don’t like to be tardy in, and that is that I received a book for review a couple months ago, and I was supposed to have the review done and posted by now, and I’m late. March was a blur, and now my life is settling down a bit, and I’ll get this done–soon.

The book is Lost and Found, by Ed Stetzer and others. Here’s the first part of the review, though–I’m over halfway through with the book, so I can write something. It’s a book about the fact that the 20-somethings are dropping out of church, why this is happening, what 20-somethings are looking for in a church (through a survey that was done asking unchurched and de-churched 20-somethings a lot of questions), and it ends with a study of churches that are effectively reaching 20-somethings. I’m looking forward to this section of the book, because here’s the truth: the book hasn’t “grabbed” me yet. I’ve read some of Stetzer’s work; he’s a good writer, knowledgeable in his field, and this book will be of benefit to me and others, I’m sure. Here’s the rub: he begins with a lot of statistics, analyzing the survey that was done in detail.

Now, I like statistics, at least to a point; I think they tell us some important things, like why Donovan McNabb truly is an overrated quarterback. But to lead with so many stats didn’t work for me, and it’s causing me to have a hard time really getting into the book; I feel like I’m slogging my way through. I fully expect the pace to pick up when I begin reading real-life stories about effective churches, but for now, that’s where I am with it. More later, and I hope the mood will brighten!

2 Comments

  1. Ian on April 11, 2009 at 9:10 am

    Me too Byron. I received a copy to review and have been reading it, but frankly it’s not the smoothest flowing book. I’m halfway through and Ed is still heavily into stats (which I also love), but nothing concrete yet about what to do with the numbers. One thing is clear though, this age groups wants community.

    It’s on my list to finish. I hope they don’t ask for the book back . . . .

  2. Byron on April 11, 2009 at 11:37 am

    I keep meaning to get to it, but other things keep cropping up. I’ve got a book I’m dying to start, Viola and Barna’s Pagan Christianity, but I’m telling myself that I can’t start it ’til I finish Lost and Found. That should finally get me off the dime!

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