Rating: 
Summary: My Neighborhood Is My Mission Field
Review: Clegg and Bird inspire and equip the reader to care and act as freedom fighters in the battle for the lost. After an introduction that accurately portrays the state of America's relationship (or lack thereof) with Christ they place the responsiblity for the situation on the church instead of the culture. And they show how to present Christ in relevant and attractive ways to a community that thinks it understands what God is all about. I've used this book as the basis for a Bible study that has seen results in increasing our church's level of commitment to an outward focus. It's must reading.
Rating:
Summary: My Neighborhood Is My Mission Field
Review: Clegg and Bird inspire and equip the reader to care and act as freedom fighters in the battle for the lost. After an introduction that accurately portrays the state of America's relationship (or lack thereof) with Christ they place the responsiblity for the situation on the church instead of the culture. And they show how to present Christ in relevant and attractive ways to a community that thinks it understands what God is all about. I've used this book as the basis for a Bible study that has seen results in increasing our church's level of commitment to an outward focus. It's must reading.
Rating:
Summary: Calling All Change Agents!
Review: Clegg and Bird make a strong case in this Vanguard book that America has become a mission field. The mind boggling statistics and compelling stories in the book back this claim up. This is not just a theoretical attempt to address the issue, as the authors site churches and people who are engaging pre-Christian people in our post-modern culture with the Gospel. I found the reality of what the authors are saying to be disturbing. Truly we can't continue doing church or outreach as we have for the past half century or even decade and expect good or different results. Rather than tear the church down, I felt Clegg and Bird were acting as consultants to guide the church through these changing times. The authors challenge readers to move from program evangelism to relational evangelism, which is the New Testament pattern. They cite examples from their own lives of engaging pre-Christians with the Gospel through relational evangelism. So they are practicing what they are preaching, which is refreshing. The book is chock full of interesting graphs and relevant statistics. It is plain to see that the church is losing ground in America, with the conversion rate not even keeping up with the birth rate. This book, calls the church to wake up and change! If you are a church leader wanting to engage people liveing in post-modern culture with the Gospel in a relevant manner and see healthy reproducing churches established as a result, then this book is a must read. I think Clegg and Bird displayed much courage to write a book like this. Certainly not everyone will agree with them, but then again those are probably the people who are resistant to change and want us to go back to doing church like we did in 1970!
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Feelings
Review: I suspect that this is one of those books that some readers will absolutely love, while others will be left disappointed. The book is FULL of illustrations; references to movie clips abound. Church growth "success" stories are frequently described. If you are the type that likes to sprinkle your sermon with statistics (especially with stats that illustrate how we are failing as a church to impact our society), then, this is the book for you! Regretfully, though, I found this book to be lacking in the area of solid content. Upon reading: "Lost in America," there was nothing that I read that I had not read before.
Rating:
Summary: The New Mission Field
Review: I was challenged by this new book by Tom Clegg and Warren Bird. The basic premise of the book deals simply with America now becoming one of the largest mission fields. While majority of Evangelicals have spent time focusing on the unevangelized across the world, we quickly losing the home front. The authors inspire us to begin the process of personal evangelism. One of the most refreshing parts to this book is the style that it is written in. Unlike most books where there is a linear approach, we read this book like an interative seminar. It is creative, fresh and easy to read. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Missionary in America
Review: In a country where "In God We Trust" is printed on the currency and where in any given city you can drive by several Christian church buildings within a few minutes, it seems almost absurd to suggest that the U.S.A. is a mission field. But that is exactly what Clegg and Bird not only suggest but effectively prove. After effectively presenting their case that the U.S. is indeed a mission field, they enthusiastically challenge the Christian reader to prayerfully and thoughtfully engage the unbelieving community around them. They do this by telling compelling personal stories as well as pointing to examples of other churches and individuals who have made a mark in their communities through thoughtful relational evangelism. The authors have done an excellent job of viewing evangelism in America as a cross-cultural experience. It is clear that they have become effective practitioners of what they are suggesting we do. Yet they do not come across as having arrived. One senses that they are very hungry to continue learning new ways to reach their own neighbors with the love of Christ. For many readers who are bound in a tradition of expecting quick results from confrontational evangelistic methods, this book may come across as compromising or weak. But the wise reader will understand that we are living in a different age that will require seeing evangelism more as a process more than an event. As the founding pastor of a brand new church, this book reinforced many of my convictions about what it will take to penetrate an increasingly secularized America. It also refreshed my hope that my community is reachable. I heartily recommend this book to pastors, church leaders, and Christians who are serious about doing "whatever it takes" to break through with God's love.
Rating:
Summary: A Missionary in America
Review: In a country where "In God We Trust" is printed on the currency and where in any given city you can drive by several Christian church buildings within a few minutes, it seems almost absurd to suggest that the U.S.A. is a mission field. But that is exactly what Clegg and Bird not only suggest but effectively prove. After effectively presenting their case that the U.S. is indeed a mission field, they enthusiastically challenge the Christian reader to prayerfully and thoughtfully engage the unbelieving community around them. They do this by telling compelling personal stories as well as pointing to examples of other churches and individuals who have made a mark in their communities through thoughtful relational evangelism. The authors have done an excellent job of viewing evangelism in America as a cross-cultural experience. It is clear that they have become effective practitioners of what they are suggesting we do. Yet they do not come across as having arrived. One senses that they are very hungry to continue learning new ways to reach their own neighbors with the love of Christ. For many readers who are bound in a tradition of expecting quick results from confrontational evangelistic methods, this book may come across as compromising or weak. But the wise reader will understand that we are living in a different age that will require seeing evangelism more as a process more than an event. As the founding pastor of a brand new church, this book reinforced many of my convictions about what it will take to penetrate an increasingly secularized America. It also refreshed my hope that my community is reachable. I heartily recommend this book to pastors, church leaders, and Christians who are serious about doing "whatever it takes" to break through with God's love.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Resource
Review: Lost in America is a good resource for those looking to engage the North American context in mission. It provides insightful analysis with practical tools on reaching America for God.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book!
Review: Lost in America should to be in every pastor's library. Better yet, in every pastor's hands. A sobering depiction of the spiritual state of America, Lost in America is a call to arms to evangelize America. The book offers a frank assessment of the situation and helpful tools to begin to deal with its impact.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book!
Review: Lost in America should to be in every pastor's library. Better yet, in every pastor's hands. A sobering depiction of the spiritual state of America, Lost in America is a call to arms to evangelize America. The book offers a frank assessment of the situation and helpful tools to begin to deal with its impact.
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