Vertical Church

What Every Heart Longs For, What Every Church Can Be

By: James MacDonald

Narrated by: Wayne Shapherd

An emergency call, and I rush from my coziness into the dark community where the police have requested a chaplain. Arriving in minutes, I find the family imploding with grief having just discovered their son hanging in the garage. In a moment of unshakable pain, he jumped off the ladder and into eternity. And I will never shake the look in their eyes when I asked why he hadn't called a church.

"Why would he do that?"

Across town, a pool of tears on my kitchen table as an out of town guest feels the weight of his infidelity, despairing that his famished soul finds no refuge and that he has to board a plane to feel fellowship.

"Has your church tried to help you?"

And the Christian leader confesses he hasn't been to church in years. Infighting, backbiting, heartbreaking, frustrating...church.

Though exceptions do exist, the reality is that church in America is failing one life at a time. Somewhere between pathetically predictable and shamefully entertaining, sadly sentimental and rarely authentic, church has become worst of all...godless. Vertical Church points to a new day where God is the seeker, and we are the ones found.

In Vertical Church God shows up, and that changes everything. If you want to experience God as you never have before and witness His hand at work, if you want to wake up to the first thought, "Thank God it's Sunday," if you're ready to feel your heart beat faster as you drive to your place of worship...then devour and digest the lessons of Vertical Church.

©2012 eChristian (P)2012 eChristian

Life Changing

I absolutely loved this book. It honestly gave me language to the season and the frustration I have with the state of the American church. I loved how humble and how transparent the author was in, evaluating his own heart and process. This gave me hope and it was a breath of fresh air to know that creating and establishing a vertical church is necessary. I could see more however, if you’re contemplating on reading the world, just read it.

Understanding what God wants from church

I love how James lays out from the Bible and from his experience how our engagement with Him is the catalyst for everything we are supposed to be as His church in the earth!

Best church book I've read in a while

If you could sum up Vertical Church in three words, what would they be?

James MacDonald really presses every button and rings every bell for anyone who is in church ministry leadership. Everything he said is true and I knew it the moment I heard it. I just had never put it all into words the way he has in the Vertical Church book. Listen to it if you dare and be ready for some inner conversion among those who are intellectually honest about the future of the Christianity in the Western World.

What other book might you compare Vertical Church to and why?

This book has the potential to become a Christian classic so how about "Pilgrim's Progress." This book comes to us at a crossroads in what must be a turn of the tide to church glory or continued fall of the church into the slough of despond.

A EKG for the way I think about Church

This book was even better the second time around. The Holy Spirit brought conviction to me through the testimony and good word of James MacDonald. I will be returning to this book yet again whenever I feel myself apt to drift from God's great purpose for His church: His Glory and renown made manifest among all people!

Awesome

Awesome! Life changing book. Brings purpose into clear purpose. Reread multiple times learn something new.

Incredible Resource

What made the experience of listening to Vertical Church the most enjoyable?

Pastor James McDonalds delivers this message with both conviction and precision! Wow!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is not the kind of audiobook one can simply sit and take in all at once. Too much info. Take your time with it. Nevertheless it's amazing info I'd recommend for anyone to get. Every church needs to hear this!

Filled with Truth

This book is filled with truth about how church should work and grow inspite of what happened to the author and Harvest Bible Chapel. I can almost hear the beginning of the trouble in this book as every example at the end of each chapter is one of their church campuses. Harvest Bible Chapel was a great example of how a church grows when it has its eyes focused on Jesus and how it will implode when it takes its eyes off of Him. This b book is sad to me but still so filled with Truth that its worth listening to.

Great Theology from a great teacher

What did you love best about Vertical Church?

Clear teaching that puts the focus right where it belongs ON GOD!

What did you like best about this story?

The clear and Biblical teachings that lead you away from yourself and to the God that made you.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes I found myself not wanting to move because I was so interested in what was being taught at that moment. Excited to re-listen to this one.

excellent book

loved it truly shows how to move from vertical to horizontal to glorify God bless

Show me your Glory!

What did you love best about Vertical Church?

Beautiful story of James McDonald's Harvest Church in Chicago, IL. God calls him to seek a different style of church, a Vertical church where God's glory is first and foremost above all else. This is done by fervent prayer! I so want to be a part of a church like this! Lord, let your will be done in my life and the church you plant me in! May your glory resound and your truth be proclaimed boldly!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I envisioned the ladies who were praying for James from his youth

Have you listened to any of Wayne Shapherd’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me pray and want to pray more! We are currently in the process of moving and I pray that where ever God plants me will be or will be in the process of being a Vertical Church! And I want to have prayer meetings in my new home!

Any additional comments?

I am recommending this to all my previous pastors!