This guide overview of The Duct Tape Letters initially appeared in Frequent Grounds Unity’s January publication. It’s reprinted right here with permission of CGU and the reviewer. The Duct Tape Letters was written by Drew Baker, affiliate govt director of Frequent Grounds Unity; he additionally serves as a part-time minister and adjunct professor with Abilene Christian College. Baker’s article “A Homecoming of the Coronary heart” will seem in Christian Normal’s Might/June 2023 situation, which is able to give attention to unity.
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The Duct Tape Letters: An Unlikely Useful resource for Church Management
By Drew Baker; self-published in July 2022
E book overview by Evan Foote
I have to admit, I merely couldn’t ignore this title. I had to purchase a replica of The Duct Tape Letters simply to see the way it measured as much as The Screwtape Letters by famed creator C. S. Lewis. I’m a Lewis fan, and I really like Screwtape. Would Drew Baker’s not too long ago revealed homage be worthy of comparability to such an esteemed traditional?
To make sure, within the eight many years since Lewis wrote Screwtape, many authors have taken their flip in following his lead. However none of their titles fairly tickled my fancy like Baker’s latest try. And Duct Tape didn’t disappoint. Fairly truthfully, I feel any Christian, particularly these in management positions, will study many classes from its pages.
First, if you happen to like the concept of studying theological truths in a downside-up approach, you gained’t be upset. Similar to Lewis did within the Forties, Baker calls consideration to Christian discipleship, however from the opposing perspective. He achieves this by permitting us to learn mail despatched to the rookie demon, Duct Tape, from Grubworm, his extra achieved mentor. And although we see solely Grubworm’s aspect of the correspondence, we study rather a lot about Duct Tape—and ourselves—by the evil recommendation in these letters. On this regard, The Duct Tape Letters could be very very similar to Screwtape.
However Baker adopts a special approach by specializing in company religious well being fairly than particular person religious well being.
Drew Baker’s doctoral research targeted on wholesome congregational management, and his knowledge about church buildings and church management comes by means of within the 13 letters (chapters) that Grubworm sends to Duct Tape. After all, it’s all backwards. We learn concerning the risks of prayer, the delight of completely timed downfalls, the wonders of worldly distractions, the facility of porn, and so forth. However this backwards have a look at discipleship is a recent approach of reminding us of the great previous truths of the gospel.
Every chapter in Duct Tape is adopted by a simple and insightful dialogue information. The questions and prompts will assist church management teams and small teams talk about and apply the stable ideas hidden within the sinister correspondence. These 13 dialogue guides are a good way on your elders staff or small group to debate key discipling points.
Whereas Screwtape definitely continues to supply insights into 21st-century life, I recognize how Duct Tape tackles lots of the thorny subjects distinctive to our present tradition of pandemics, politics, and profane social media.
Baker doesn’t shrink back from points some church leaders could also be hesitant to deal with. Not each congregation will agree on these points, however all of us want to have the ability to talk about them brazenly and respectfully. On this regard, Baker has given us an excellent software.
After studying my e-book copy of The Duct Tape Letters, I purchased a tough copy by means of Amazon to share with a pastor pal. I encourage you to learn this guide, as effectively. And in case you are having bother getting your private or company religious disciplines to stay, you would possibly need to apply some Duct Tape.
Evan Foote is a founding pastor of the San Diego Frequent Grounds Unity gathering. He served as a pastor with Pomerado Christian Church in Poway, Calif., for over 40 years.
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Frequent Grounds Unity is dedicated to “creating areas and communities the place we are able to join throughout the streams of the Stone Campbell Motion and past.” A $15.00 digital obtain of The Duct Tape Letters is obtainable through this website; every copy bought there serves as a donation to help creator Drew Baker’s work as affiliate govt director of CGU.