The Irresistible Church: 12 Traits of a Church Heaven Applauds

By Wayne Cordeiro

After more than 25 years of ministry in Hawaii, Wayne Cordeiro knows how to do church as a team. In his signature style, he shares this expertise with pastors, lay leaders, and people in the pew who want to see their churches become more vibrant. The 12 practical steps include ways to help people become part of a community, develop a culture of serving, turn visitors into regular attenders, and much more. This short, easy-to-read book is one pastors will want to share with their leadership team.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: May 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781441232250

Wayne Cordeiro

Wayne Cordeiro is the founding pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii, which has a weekend attendance of more than 14,500. Wayne is a church planter at heart, having planted more than 108 churches in the Pacific Rim countries of the Philippines, Japan, Australia, and Myanmar. He has also planted churches in Hawaii, California, Montana, Washington, and Nevada. He is the author of eleven books, and he and his wife, Anna, have three married children and four grandchildren. They split their time between Hawaii and Eugene, Oregon, where they have a family farm.

Book preview

Church

Irresistible. Right from the start, let’s define this word and how it will be used within the context of this book. When something is irresistible, it’s alluring, magnetic, relentless in its persuasion. Something is irresistible when it can’t be refused. The word connotes an incredibly strong draw. It’s a banquet that you can’t walk past without tasting its choicest fare.

The title of this book, at first glance, implies that a church can become irresistible to people. When certain initiatives are undertaken, a church becomes irresistibly inviting, and people can’t help but be drawn to this church. I have no doubt that when the initiatives set forth in this book are followed, that sort of irresistibility will happen. When a church displays these qualities, the people will shout Encore! because they want it to continue and never end.

But becoming a church that’s irresistible to people is not primarily what this book is about. That is actually the by-product of this book’s premise. Here’s the twist.

This is actually a book about becoming a church that is irresistible to heaven.

This book is about a church that heaven can’t help but be deeply involved with, a church that God can’t help but bless and use for His eternal purposes. It’s a church that makes the angels shout Encore!

We are often apt to forget that the local church belongs to Jesus, not us. She is, or rather we are, His bride, and if we adorn ourselves for Him, His eyes will be on us for good. Forget this, and we begin to market ourselves for more members rather than posture ourselves for His manifest presence.

Success for a church may include marketing, facilities, and programs, but that is not what exclusively determines success. It is credited more to what I call the Hand of God factor. For more than thirty-six years (the time I’ve been in pastoral ministry), I’ve been an avid student of the Hand of God. Over the years, I’ve seen the Hand of God bless a church so that there is a favored season that lasts for decades. I’ve also witnessed other times when God’s hand was on a ministry for the first several years and then lifted. I’ve observed this with church after church. During this process, I’ve collected principles to keep us postured for His grace and to rectify things when His hand seems to be lifting.

An irresistible church is not a perfect church. Rather it is one that is constantly aligning itself to pleasing God. It is a people who position their hearts carefully and deliberately with the tenets of the kingdom so that God is pleased to work in unrestricted ways. God is irresistibly drawn to a church where every activity, every plan, and every leadership decision clearly displays His heart.

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This is a book about becoming a church that is irresistible to heaven.

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Among other verses, one biblical foundation for this premise is found in James 4:8. When we draw close to God, He draws close to us. In this passage, James pleads with us for commitment, cleansing, and contrition. These tenets, if followed, contribute to harmony and holiness within any local assembly. God’s righteousness is extended and imputed to us because of the work of Christ on the cross, but we make the choice as to how close we draw to God. The closer we draw to Him, the more God is able to use us for His glory. In this sense, the closer our churches draw to God, the more irresistible they become to heaven.

And this church can be yours.

What does an irresistible church look like?

When you envision an irresistible church, a church that God loves to bless and can use in incredible ways, what comes to mind? Chances are it’s a church that looks something like this:

You grow spiritually at this church. An irresistible church fulfills its purposes. It is a local assembly that provides spiritual education grounded in biblical principles that help you and your family grow in faith. You trust this church’s teaching. You can align yourself without mental reservation with the doctrinal stand of the church and commit yourself wholly to its position. It’s also a place where you can worship God corporately with other people. It provides an opportunity to meet other Christ-followers and make lasting, authentic friendships.

You witness a strong sense of mission. In the irresistible church, you see fruit: consistent conversions, lives being transformed, marriages healed, and new leaders being raised up.

You long to go to this church every week. Simply put, you look forward to being part of its functions. If you miss a week, you’re disappointed rather than relieved. You want to be involved because you know good things happen within and around an irresistible church.

You want to invest in this church for the long haul. With an irresistible church, you feel no compulsion to shop around for a different church. There’s a strong sense of satisfaction in connecting with the local assembly you’re part of. You don’t want to leave.

You tell others about this church. You feel comfortable, even eager, talking about an irresistible church with other people—Christians and non-Christians alike. You feel a sense of healthy pride in your church. You invite others to attend, and you’re not worried about what will happen when they visit.

You relax at this church, knowing it’s a model of growth, not perfection. You don’t expect or require flawlessness from an irresistible church. Mistakes are made, yet the people in your church own up to their mistakes, learn, and grow from them. An irresistible church is a model of grace and acceptance. People don’t need to look or act a certain way to be part of the assembly. You bear with people, as people bear with you, and one of this church’s unstated mottos is We’re all in this together.

You are delightfully challenged at this church. You leave different than you arrived. An irresistible church educates, motivates, and empowers you each week with new tools for life. You are inspired to live differently because of what you have heard. And like the pair of travelers mentioned in Luke 24, you leave saying, Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us?

Any church can be irresistible

Do those bullet points describe your church? If so, that’s a good thing. This book will help strengthen what you already know and help you develop and articulate the correct criteria for evaluating your church’s effectiveness. Then you can help chart its course for the years to come.

But if the above bullet points are not reflective of your church, if they describe a church you only dream of and long to attend, then lean in closely: I’ve got a secret for you. Your church CAN become irresistible.

In the pages ahead, we’ll look at twelve traits of churches with whom God is well pleased and subsequently people long to be a part of. People will always be drawn to places where God is actively involved with His people.

The story is told of a traveler who heard of the revival that was transforming Wales (1904–1906). People from far-flung countries began to converge on the town of Loughor. When his train came to a stop, the curious traveler asked a worker, How do I find the church where Evan Roberts is preaching, the one where the revival is taking place? The man replied, You just start walking, sir, and God’s presence will draw you in.

There’s something irresistible about the genuine presence and activity of God. People don’t need to see us, but they desperately need to see Jesus.

All the traits mentioned in this book are transferable. Use the study guide at the end of the book. Unpack these traits in your small groups. Discuss and process each question until you own it.

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You have the power to help create the irresistible church you long to be a part of.

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Remember, these qualities can be developed in any church. The exciting news is that you have the power to help create the irresistible church you long to be a part of. That’s the secret we’ll look at more closely throughout this book.

A church is so much more than a building. It is made up of individual lives, and collectively we comprise what the Bible calls the church—the bride of Christ. The more we grow to be like Christ, the more committed to His purposes we become, then the more involved in His mission we are. We have the power to create irresistible churches, because we are the church.

Perhaps you’ve just read the above lines with a bit of trepidation. You’re thinking, That may be all well and good. I’m glad I have the power to help my church go in a healthy direction. But I’m just one person. What can just one person do?

It’s a good question, one that can be answered two ways.

You have more influence in your church than you may think. Even if you don’t have a formal leadership role at your church, you care deeply about what happens. You’re a praying person, and prayer changes things. Or maybe you do have a formal leadership role in your church, but it’s a comparatively small one. You’re a small-group leader or you facilitate a Bible study group. Or perhaps your leadership role is larger. You’re a pastor, elder, or board member. No matter your role, start where you’re able. It’s okay to start small. Take the principles outlined in this book and talk about them with the people within your sphere of influence, no matter the size of the sphere. You’ll be surprised how the twelve traits catch fire among those with whom you interact.

We have both an individual and a corporate responsibility to develop the churches we’re part of, and I encourage individuals to join together and study the principles in this book. Yes, it’s healthy if an individual studies this book alone, followed up by taking steps to develop the traits within the local assembly. But imagine the possibilities for spiritual growth and renewal that could happen if a small group challenged itself to undertake the responsibility of becoming an irresistible church. Or further still, what might happen if an entire congregation worked through the principles outlined in this book, then committed to becoming an irresistible church together?

To that end, several helpful components are built into this book. Each of the twelve chapters focuses on one trait, and you can work through the material in one educational quarter at the pace of one chapter per week. At the end of the book, a study guide is available with questions for personal reflection or to use week-by-week as discussion starters for small groups. It also contains Scripture that will help you examine and apply the traits on a deeper level. This is a book designed with you in mind. Read it. Study it. Apply it. Then reap the rewards.

Getting from point A to point B

I’ve been in leadership meetings before, particularly in my earlier days of pastoral ministry, that I’d describe in hindsight as overly self-congratulatory. We were all eager to encourage one another. I guess that was because in those meetings we praised whatever activity took place; we equated activity with ministry. As a church, we were busy in Jesus’ name, and we compared being busy with being successful. We praised what was average because nice people had headed up the activity and we didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. We slapped ourselves on the back for working hard, for burning the candle at both ends, even though our pace was unsustainable and sometimes detrimental. In our drive to become influential in our communities, we were happy whenever we had good numbers at an event. But we weren’t asking ourselves the more important questions about spiritual impact, whether lives were being changed and whether the presence of God was truly in our midst.

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Developing the traits within a church does require honest self-evaluation—and that’s not always easy.

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The twelve traits outlined in this book offer a picture of what any church can become. The traits are realistic and attainable in their scope and practicality. But I must stress that developing the traits within a church does require honest self-evaluation—and that’s not always easy. Think of this book as a stand-up map near the entrance of a mall. A big red arrow on the map says You are here.

Where you want to go will inevitably be some distance from where you are now. This book will help you get from here to there. It will help you develop and articulate the criteria to honestly evaluate your church—not to criticize it, but to move down the corridors of the mall in the direction you long to go. Yes, the process requires honesty. And yes, the process requires asking the hard questions. I mention this up front simply to prepare you. Take courage. You can do it.

If a church does not have the traits outlined in this book, how does the church get from point A to point B? Is it simply a matter of the will? Or is it something more?

It’s both.

Change must be empowered by the Holy Spirit, because true transformation is not man made. It’s Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered. Yet we also must commit ourselves in such a

Reviews for The Irresistible Church

[twiga92 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Short, easy-to-read, this book takes us through 12 traits of a church that is irresistible. And the point the author tries to make is not just being irresistible to people, but being irresistible to heaven. The traits that make a church irresistible include the following:-Hungering for the presence of God-Remembering who she is-Living heart first-Connecting everything to a soul - love the quote: "in the end what matters most is souls that have been redeemed". That really is the bottom line.-Practicing gratefulness-Always learning-Promoting healthy relationships-Promoting spiritual self-feeding - liked the correlation between physical and spiritual feeding. As an adult, if we are hungry, we feed ourselves. We don't expect others to do it for us. The same goes spiritually. Just because we don't feel we are getting fed at a church is not reason to leave. We need to be able to feed ourselves spiritually.-Choosing to love-Taking risks-Humbling itself-Having a plan - this is good; not just doing the same things over and over again just because we've always done it this way. Having a reason/plan for what you do.*I received this book from the publisher to review as part of Librarything.com's Early Reviewers program.

[pomorev · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I suppose the idea of traits of success is trendy. Unfortunately, it also raises suspicion, as if someone has figured out the exact formula of a successful church. My main contention is that God often works well outside of our well established patterns. So when I read a sales pitch of the "12" traits that your church can "own" (p.14) to become irresistible - you can understand the concerns that rumble deep inside me. Consider also that many of the people I've ministered to came out of that carnage of churches that followed trends instead of the Holy Spirit. Not that these "12" traits are bad or wrong. I'm sure they work fine for people who love process. In fact most of them are great starting points for reflecting on the health of your community. I appreciate the God-ward and outward focus they bring. But there is a theological danger in thinking a process produces results when what you are talking about is something as organic as a church. Maybe I'd be more comfortable if Cordeiro simply called these "12" emphases that he's found helped him as a church planter. Then I'd probably at least be interested in reading through his experiences and see what wisdom I could glean to help me in my own efforts to build church. If you can look past the "12 practical steps" approach, there is some value in hearing Cordeiro's pastoral experience and his passion for a healthy church.

[lenow_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Books on the essential traits of a church are legion these days. Many successful pastors have written books that reveal the "secrets" of their success. The Irresistible Church by Wayne Cordeiro falls in the same genre of these others. Like most of the other books of this type, there are some helpful nuggets of truth along the way that can inspire you to grow in your faith and build up the church. In the midst of those nuggets are tons of stories about what worked at that particular church with the obligatory caveat that "what worked here may bot work in your situation."The twelve traits that Cordeiro lists are:1. Hungers for the presence of God2. Remembers who she is3. Lives heart first4. Practices gratefulness5. Promotes healthy relationships6. Is always learning7. Promotes spiritual self-feeding8. Connects everything to a soul9. Chooses to love10. Takes risks11. Humbles itself12. Has a planAs one can see from this list, most of these traits apply equally to individuals as they do to the church. In fact, the discussion on some of them focus more on the individual than the church. Therefore, Cordeiro could just have easily entitled his book "The Irresistible Believer" or something to that effect.The book is quite easy to read and flows quickly. The chapters are short and provide plenty of stories to keep the reader's interest.The biggest issue I have with the book is the premise for the twelve traits. In the introduction, Cordeiro writes, "This book is about a church that heaven can't help but be deeply involved with, a church that God can't help but bless and use for His eternal purposes" (11). There seems to be a serious theological problem with this premise. Does God depend on our behavior or actions as a church to choose whether or not to use a church for his purposes? God used Nebuchadnezzar to accomplish his eternal purposes, yet Babylon was less than holy. Can we ever force God to do something? Biblically, the answer to this question is a resounding, "No!" I think I understand Cordeiro's heart in this statement, but one must be much more careful in choosing language about God lest he say something about God that is patently untrue. I fear that Cordeiro has been less than careful in this situation.Overall, this is a decent read, but I would not necessarily go out and buy the book with the hopes of finding something original or groundbreaking.

[deusvitae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A book designed to encourage Christians to devote themselves to God and His purposes so as to make the churches with which they assemble irresistible before God.There is a disconnect between the publisher's marketing and the substance of the book-- the subtitle of the book is "12 traits of a church people love to attend*," while the author's premise is that he is setting forth 12 traits of a church that is irresistible to God. The author's presentation and focus are quite refreshing; there are plenty of books out there seeking to encourage churches to be more attractive to unbelievers, and precious few about how churches are to be attractive to God.The substance of the book is consistent with a lot of other books on similar subjects-- all things done with purpose, attempting to bring people in, love, risk, mission based, etc. Some features are excellent and not as well highlighted in other resources-- humility, direction toward self-feeding, seeking God's presence, working toward healthy internal relationships, gratefulness, and so forth.The Evangelical bent of the author is evident in the descriptions of salvation and references to God's communication directly or mediated through the Holy Spirit. There are other smaller matters of some dispute; nevertheless, on the whole, an excellent resource for all Christians seeking to become better disciples of Jesus and that their local assemblies may be more aligned with the will of God for them.**--unedited galley received as part of early review program. Perhaps subtitle will be more appropriate in final edition.

[gslykhuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good, solid church leadership material. A quick read. Nothing particularly new, however a good reminder of the important traits for a church. I enjoyed it.

[jclemence_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I first received my copy of Wayne Cordeiro's book, The Irresistible Church, I thought I was in for yet another church "fad." I was sure it would have something to do with making your church more like Starbucks, or stress some program or formula for success. I was pleasantly surprised to find, however, that the book was neither of the above. Rather, it was a reflection by a man who has been involved in the businesses of pastoring and church planting for over 30 years, and who has some really good things to say.The book consists of the twelve traits that any church must have to be successful (in God's eyes). I won't list the traits here, but by and large they are ideas that many an organizational leadership and/or church leadership book has already covered, and most of which any good leader should already know and practice. What was refreshing about The Irresistible Church, then, was not the content per se, but rather the manner in which Cordeiro presented it. He writes in a very engaging and personally challenging manner. He doesn't just present the material; he compels you to interact with it, to ask the tough questions of yourself. I also appreciated his balanced approach to what God does versus what we do. For example, he states in the introduction, "Change must be empowered by the Holy Spirit because true transformation is not man-made. It's Spirit led and Spirit empowered. Yet we also must commit ourselves in such a way that the Holy Spirit is delighted to work through us." Throughout the book, he does well to reemphasize that God is sovereign, and yet we have our part to play, too. Finally, as a good pastor/preacher, he successfully wove in many good, personal stories as illustrations.All in all, the book was a quick, engaging and fun read. People seeking a novel leadership paradigm or a "quick fix" for their church will be disappointed, but people who are seeking edification and growth by being challenged with time-tested leadership and spiritual principles will not have read the book in vain.

[aaronfenlason · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In "The Irresistible Church," Wayne Cordeiro describes 12 traits that are essential for a church that is blessed by God. These traits are not breakthrough or revolutionary. They are biblical, common-sense qualities. Cordeiro avoids the tendency to make cultural significance the measure of success for the church. Writing in a simple, straight-forward style, his concern is to show that success is measured in light of the opinion of heaven. Apart from the danger of implying that these qualities impose a necessity on God's part, the book is faithful to emphasize that matters of the heart and spirit are what place a church in the position of receiving tremendous blessing from God.

[cbikl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a phenomenal book and was an absolute pleasure to read. His 12 traits were spot on. It was refreshing to read a book that dealt with the church as a whole. He was able to reach past the leadership and touch the lives of all who make up the body of Christ and remind us just how great we have it.

[kurtabeard · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Wayne Cordeiro's, The Irresistible Church falls into the growing category of self help books for churches. He is another name in a list of mega-church pastors who have decided to write down their knowledge and keys for success and like most books in the category The Irresistible Church is resistible. Cordeiro breaks the success of a church in 12 traits and spends a handful of pages on each trait but most traits boild down to "the Holy Spirit". Half way through the book I realized Cordeiro wasn't defining the Irresistible Church he was defining the church. This created the implication that you can have a church that doesn't "hunger for the presence of God." Without hungering for the presence of God you don't have a church must less an irresistible church. To make matters worse Cordeiro skips over what makes a church truly a church and truly irresistible; (from the Belgic Confession article 29) "The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. In short, it governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head. By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church-- and no one ought to be separated from it."Maybe this is an instance where the author stepped over a dollar to pick up a dime. A pastor's reading time would be much better spent studying scripture, improving preaching or meditating on the sacraments then reading what the end results of those actions will bring. While his 12 traits are much easier to grasp than those in the marks of the church in the Belgic Confession his traits are just traits and not limited to the church nor indicative of the church. It's a focus book that any organization can use as an outline but it won't transform a club or business into a church.Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided at no cost through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer’s program.

[stephenbarkley · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I suppose, as a mega-church pastor, you can only be asked for the secrets to your success for so long before you finally break down and write a book about it! In The Irresistible Church, Cordeiro follows in the footsteps of other large-scale church leaders in writing down the elements that helped his ministry grow. To his credit, this isn't a book about specific strategies or marketing. Instead, he writes about topics like teaching church attenders to feed themselves spiritually, growing from your mistakes, and the need to be humble.I was underwhelmed by the book. It's a mildly inspirational/motivational read for pastors who are too busy to do any serious study. The twelve traits are quite random and reflect the priorities of Western evangelical church culture. When scripture is used, it's often just inserted out of context to prop up his point, like a good proof-text should. Take, for example, Psalm 46:10 (ESV): Be still, and know that I am God I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!Did you know that was written to encourage believers to get to know God for themselves, not just via church sermons?The length was also an issue. When you try to pack 12 traits into 142 pages (more in the consumer version—I'm assuming added padding and call-outs), you're left with about 10 pages per trait after the introductory stuff's out of the way. Pack in lots of illustrative stories and a healthy dose of bullet-points, and you're not left with much content in the way of actual teaching.Here's a question. Does your personal library have a lot of John Maxwell and Rick Warren titles in it? If so, you'll probably enjoy this book. If you trend more towards Richard Foster and Eugene Peterson, you may want to look elsewhere for inspiration.Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided at no cost through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer’s program.