On the Verge of a Paradigm Shift of Missional Christocentric Networked Exponential Mega Churches
Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 6:00AM 
I wanted to like the book on the verge by Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson, I really did. (My first clue should have been the cutesy capitalization of their book, they are not e.e. cummings.) The ideas in the book, whatever they are, might transform churches. But until the authors learn to abandon jargon, no one will be able to figure out what they are saying. Is it really that bad you might ask? Here is an example from page 43:
So when exponential/viral/networked thinking informs church growth savvy, which in turn is being reframed around missional-incarnational theology, then history is in the making.
This may be true, whatever it means. The Venn diagram that followed this jargon fest was somewhat helpful, but if the terms remain undefined, communication is lacking. If I really wanted a church like this, I would just join Amway.
The authors reference a lot of interesting books. I am reading one right now that they praise—Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. If they had understood the book they praise they would have written a book without jargon. Stick's main point that I have gotten so far is to NOT “bury your lead.”
In journalism, the failure to mention the most interesting or attention grabbing elements of a story in the first paragraph is sometimes called "burying the lead."
In other words, make what you are saying crystal clear right from the start. on the verge miserably fails this standard. If they do not understand one of the books they praise, I have to wonder if they also do not understand the other books they talk about.
Mega Churches have a big problem trying to form a community. Most of the attendees do not become active in the congregation. They attend for the required one hour and then they go home. Most Mega Churches understand this is a problem and try to alleviate it though small groups. Some succeed, but based on the constant restating of this problem in Mega Church books, my guess is that many fail in this attempt to form a community.
Hirsch and Ferguson decide that they do not have enough jargon, so they invent more jargon on this issue. The new word is communitas, which the authors tell us is different from community. How is it different? I am not sure, but the authors assure us it is. But of course the authors will never abandon some "good" jargon, especially jargon that makes things foggy so they can appear deep.
New ideas are not necessarily good ideas. I remember the introduction of Edible underwear. No doubt it sells in some shops. But I doubt it will ever achieve mass market appeal. on the verge is the publishing equivalent of edible underwear. Maybe there is a new wave of churches like the ones this book promotes. But this book will not help these churches, in fact it stands in the way. on the verge is destined for those book stores that periodically show up in abandoned K Marts-selling books no one wants at bargain prices.
[Positive Dennis]
Bill Watterson, cartoonist of Calin and Hobbes had Calvin say this:
The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure pure reasoning, and inhibit clarity. With a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and impenetrable fog!
Bible 
Reader Comments (1)
Indubitably, this is the apotheosis of concise exposition of the obfuscation inherent in the missional foundation advanced by innovative cogitation focused around the interactional dynamics of a fellowship that has inflated beyond a standard deviational norm.