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Barbara Sullivan writes in depth about
the spiritual experiences of she and her husband, John. Their journey
led them to start a home church, which eventually expanded beyond the
walls of their house and resulted in many more ministries within
their community and beyond.
Sullivan’s enthusiasm for ministry made
for an exciting read. Not only does she describe specific situations
and leadings of God in her life, but her opinion and personal
theology derived from those experiences. At the end of each chapter
are a few “Applying the Lessons” challenge questions followed by a
poem-like reflection. At the end of the book, she also lists the many
ministries that have grown out of the initial home church.
Sullivan’s writing style is unique. In
fact, because of it’s mix of narrative and personal opinion, it could
have been a wonderful blog. If she had written daily as events
happened, and included suggestions for application, Sullivan surely
would have received a great deal of comment from readers. This would
have also given the reader an opportunity to clarify, ask for more
detail and grow with her.
At face value, Sullivan’s account of her
faith journey is compelling, amazing and encouraging. God’s Ground
Force could be immensely inspiring for ministry-eager readers.
The degree to which the ministries in her life bloomed and grew is
incredible. Throughout the book, she also emphasizes reliance on the
Holy Spirit’s leading, and ministering God’s way, as opposed to
focusing on human limitation and logic. The additional strong rebuke
of ‘the church’ and firm statements of her experience being
the better way to serve God may cause some tension with readers.
While she uses a great deal of Scripture to support many of her
thoughts, there are times when her conclusions can seem
contradictory. She is obviously a harsh critic of organized church,
and very often with good reason and insight, however her
demonstrative manner may be abrasive to some.
In the beginning, Sullivan seemed to be
sharing her experience and spiritual journey for its own sake and as
an encouragement to other Christians. Then, her direction shifted,
the reader was left feeling guided in how to start a home church. By
the end of the third chapter, however, it became clear that she had
an agenda, to admonish and then guide ‘the church’ to better minister
by listening to the Holy Spirit and reaching out into the whole
community. While this could be an inspiring and insightful book for a
broad spectrum of readers, its focus appears to narrow.
Overall, God’s Ground Force would
be immensely inspiring to a Christian reader, who may be ready to
step away from organized church and begin their own home church
journey. Additionally, the book could provide a group of church
leaders with an interesting dialogue starter as well as a resource
for community ministry opportunities.
Review contributed by: A. V. Warkentin.
She attends Reedley First Baptist Church in California, is a full
time mom and wife, and enjoys tutoring, reading novels and analyzing
just about every part of life.
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