Ross Parsley - Messy Church: A Multigenerational Mission for Gods Family (Enhanced eBook)

What people are saying about

MESSY CHURCH

The title of Rosss carefully thought-out book is catchy, but make no mistake. Theres nothing messy about his life, heart, or ministry. The practicality of his leadership is verifiable, his integrity reliable, his credibility certifiable, and his heart for God clearly manifest in his worship ministry and leadership.

Jack Hayford, chancellor of
The Kings University, Los Angeles

When Ross Parsley writes about the local church, we all should read it. He is one of the brightest young pastors in our nation and a true friend in the ministry.

Brady Boyd, pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Messy Church is a living and divine philosophical underpinning upon which many can stand. It speaks of relationship with God. I hear the Father speaking through Ross into the storm of people rushing to fulfill their calling in the kingdom of God. This is a clear reflection of what God is indeed saying to the church in these days. Basically this: His kingdom is to be based upon relationship, rather than on authority.

Britt Hancock, church planter and founder of Mountain Gateway

Messy Church will literally mess you up, but in a good way. I love how Ross Parsley is able to showcase a concept that often takes us down a negative, critical road and instead highlights the hope, life, restoration, and purpose we can find in spiritual family. He truly helps us to see that through the good, the bad, and the ugly, family is still family. Not only will your perspective change, but you will put this down and walk away with tons of practical ways to create a culture of spiritual family that everyone needs.

Dino Rizzo, lead pastor of Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and author of Servolution

With powerful insight, personal experience, and refreshing transparency, Ross reveals a message needed to make your spiritual journey make sense. Allow the Holy Spirit to challenge and inspire you as you begin to understand the kind of church God uses Messy Church .

Chris Hodges, senior pastor of Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, and author of Fresh Air

Ross combines life lessons shaped by profound experience with a delightfully conversational style of communication to bring to us a message that is both significant in substance and enjoyable in style. In a day when ecclesiology (our theology about the church) is being reinvented, we need books like this that hold us to the center. A profitable read!

Bob Sorge, author, www.oasishouse.com

MESSY CHURCH

Published by David C Cook

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David C Cook Distribution Canada

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David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved; KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain.)

LCCN 2012936139

ISBN 978-1-4347-9937-1

eISBN 978-1-4347-0506-8

enhanced-edtion eISBN 978-1-4347-0548-8

2012 Ross Parsley

The Team: John Blase, Alex Field, Nick Lee, Renada Arens, Karen Athen

Cover Design: Amy Konyndyk

Cover Photo: iStockphoto

First Edition 2012

This book is dedicated to my family:

My original familywho taught me the most valuable lessons of life.

Growing up as a Parsley has been a wonderful and God-filled journey. Dad and Mom, you instilled in me the values and character traits that have allowed me to make it through even the most difficult moments of life. And what the Enemy meant for evil in our lives, God has turned into something beautiful for us all.

My blended familywho taught me all about grace.

At nineteen years old I embarked on a great adventure with all of you as our families merged into one. The power of a second chance came alive to me in the strength of our new experience. Loud, boisterous, full of life and energy, our house full of teenagers was crazy. But we will never forget the pivotal and shaping memories of Gods grace for us all.

My immediate familywho continues to teach me how to love.

Aimee, you are the love of my life and Gods greatest gift to me. You are my compass and courage, always protecting, always serving. You make our family what it is. Zachary, Taylor, Grace, Ethan, and Owen, you are my joy and crown. Im so proud of each of you and cant wait to see how God continues to use each of you in His great plan.

My ONEchapel familywho is teaching me how to live by faith.

Our journey is not yet long enough to know what God will do with us in this city, but I am so grateful for a group of people who love so easily, connect so willingly, and believe so faithfully. The best is yet to come for us, and thats saying something because it has been an amazing ride so far. Thank you for increasing my faith in how Jesus builds His church!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It seems to me as if writing a book is the result of a massive amount of investments by all kinds of people. I know that I am the author but not the only writer. As a family produces offspring and then contributes to each individuals experience, so I have many thanks to give and several acknowledgments to offer in producing this little book.

Thank you to Don Pape, who believed in this book long before I had the capacity to produce it. Im grateful for your confidence.

Thank you to Alex Field, my editor, who grew in the virtue of patience this last year because of me. I appreciate your encouragement and direction in getting this book done.

Thank you to Rob Stennett, who challenged me to keep telling my stories. You made this book more interesting.

Thank you to my New Life Church family, who allowed me to learn many of the lessons contained in this book. You will always be a miracle to me.

Thank you to Glenn Packiam, Jared Anderson, and John Egan, specifically, who had to endure these lessons up close. You were the instruments God used to speak into my life about the generations.

Thank you, God, our heavenly Father, for making us all part of your family.

Contents

FOREWORD

One time, when I was visiting a church as a guest speaker, the pastor said to me, Thank you for coming with a clean screen. Confused, I asked him, What do you mean? He told me he viewed people as window screens. When you wash a window screen with a water hose, whatever is in the screen will come out the other side, no matter how pure the water is. He said, When some ministers come teach at our church, it feels like Gods words are filtered through too much of their own agenda.