I started this book months ago, it was recommended by my brother who read it as part of his Doctor of Ministry studies. For whatever reason I never got too far into the book, it kept getting set aside as other things took higher priority. Then a few weeks ago I was able to really dig into this book, and I am very grateful that I did. It is fill with great insights into what leadership means, and indeed what church means, in the 21st century. A call to creativity and intuition, and allowing ministry to be shaped by one's context rather than by programs and structures developed elsewhere (in place or time).
Tim Keel leads a church that is part of the "Emerging Church" movement. They have sought to be intentional in shaping their community of faith in an honest and creative manner that does not neglect the past, but is not bound to it. One of the best things about Keel's book is that he resists the temptation to create a program based on what happens at Jacob's Well (his church in Kansas City, Missouri) that can be transplanted into other churches. That would defeat the whole premise of his book which is to encourage leaders to respond to their own environments with creativity and intuition (which he says is an important way God's Spirit leads us).
My copy of this book is filled with highlighted passages, and I'm sure I will return to this volume time and again to remind myself of the wisdom and insights Tim Keel has shared, and to reaffirm my commitment to use the gifts of creativity and intuition in my role as a church leader.
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