{Update: Please note: WTS Books is selling the book for 50% off—$9.99—for 48 hours. After that, the book goes up to $19.99. It’s not available at that price anywhere else.}
A steady stream of books cross my desk week in and week out, and I try to be careful not to “oversell” a book, even if I’m enthusiastic about it. But here’s one that everyone involved in any form of church leadership should very seriously consider: The Trellis and the Vine, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne (Matthias Media, 2009).
Mark Dever writes, “This is the best book I’ve read on the nature of church ministry.” David Helm says, “If I could put only one new book into the hands of every person preparing for ministry today, The Trellis and the Vine would be it.” (You can go here to read the full endorsements as well as seeing some sample pages.)
It’s a provocative, challenging, encouraging book. All the elders at our church are ordering copies to read, and I’d encourage pastors and elders out there to do the same.
I have to admit I didn’t know what a “trellis” was when I first got the book. It’s the structure, often latticework, that shapes and supports a growing vine. In the image for this book, that’s the invaluable, essential role of programs and structures. But the heart of ministry is planting, watering, fertilizing, and tending the vine—preaching the gospel in the power of God’s Spirit so that people will be converted and changed, growing in maturity in the gospel. Trellis work is easier, less personally threatening, more visible, and often looks more impressive. Vine work is personal and requires much prayer.
Marshall and Payne seek to answer questions like:
- What is the vine for?
- How does the vine grow?
- How does the vine relate to my church?
- What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference?
- What part do different people play in growing the vine?
- How can we get more people involved in vine work?
- What is the right relationship between the trellis and the vine?
Again, I’d highly recommend the book. Below is a video of Mark Dever talking about the book, and reading an excerpt that especially hit home with me when I first read it:
