Going to the Root: Nine Proposals for Radical Church Renewal

The church today is often tired, lacking vision, and mired in bureaucratic structures, argues Christian Smith. Smith offers an alternative. The church can return to its roots. It can draw fresh vision from the Bible, Jesus, the early church, various and grassroots movements of Christians open to new directions. Congregations which go to the root will reexamine ways they handle such important issues as leadership and the role of clergy; decision making; Christian community; the role of women; worship, evangelism, and spirituality; and traditional church buildings.