Bill Donahue - The Irresistible Community: An Invitation to Life Together

2015 by Bill Donahue

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

Ebook edition created 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4412-2243-5

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations labeled CEV are from the Contemporary English Version 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are 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. ESV Text Edition: 2007

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Some names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

I worked with Bill for many years and got to see up close his passion and expertise for helping churches roll up their sleeves and create community. He has helped people all over the world create greater relational connectednessand he will help you.

John Ortberg , senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church; author of Who Is This Man?

The Irresistible Community describes for us the kind of community we all long to be a part of and how to open it up to the rest of our world. My friend Bill Donahue brilliantly weaves the story of Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper with important table manners for building genuine community. If you want to lead others beyond believing into true belonging, read The Irresistible Community.

Dave Ferguson , lead pastor of Community Christian Church; lead visionary for NewThing; author of Finding Your Way Back to God

We all long for community with others. Sometimes we look for it in the right places. Sometimes were far off base. But few of us know why we so desperately long for connection and belonging. Bill helps us see that those roots start, and find their water, in and through Jesus. As you see Jesus speaking to the disciples in the upper room, youll hear him speaking to you too. As you hear him speaking to you, youll hear truth, grace, and love. If you want to pursue a healthy life, pursue it in community. Regardless of where you find yourself in life, Bills work will shape your thinking.

Steve Gladen , global small group pastor of Saddleback Church; author of Small Groups with Purpose and Leading Small Groups with Purpose

Once again Bill Donahue brings his vast experience and extensive knowledge of relational dynamics, transformational community, and disciple-making environments to a resource that can change the way we experience church. Anyone who has met Bill knows that his passion for transformational community is irresistible, and this book will make you thirst even more for relationships that matter. Pull up to the table, pass the bread, and dig into the meat of what being the body of Christ is really about. You wont settle for the scraps of mediocre community ever again.

Heather Zempel , discipleship pastor of National Community Church; author of Community Is Messy

Bill played a big role in helping our church build a thriving group ministry. In one of the training sessions he conducted with our leaders, he walked us through Jesuss vision for community in the upper room discourse. Our leaders caught that vision, and they in turn spread a passion within our church for authentic community comprised of table, towel, and truth. Read this, and youll find that same passion.

Dr . Tony Evans , senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship; president of The Urban Alternative

As much as anyone, Bill Donahue has helped equip the church to make community and small groups values that are able to be replicated anywhere. In The Irresistible Community: An Invitation to Life Together , he has served us well again. I read anything and everything I can by Bill Donahue.

Bill Willits , coauthor with Andy Stanley of Creating Community

The term community has become more of a clich than a way of life. After reading The Irresistible Community , I believe deeply that the small group community will recapture what Christian community really is.

Rick Howerton , discipleship and small group specialist at LifeWay

To all those who believe
that the life-changing power of a little group,
gathering in the name of Jesus,
can transform the world... one life at a time.