Book Review – Sticky Church

I did a skim read of Sticky Church by Larry Osborne.  I hope it’s not an oversimplification of his book, but I believe his thoughts can be sumarized into one need and one solution.  The biggest need in churches, according to Osborne, is to learn how to “close the back door.”  Rather than investing in marketing or other things designed to get more people through the doors of a church, Osborne recommends focusing on retention – becoming sticky.

The catch-all solution for becoming “sticky” in Osborne’s mind is to do sermon based small groups.  Sermon based small groups add harmony and community across ministry lines in the church.  The message gets repeated twice, and therefore more internalized.  People are more attentive on Sundays, even taking notes, because they know they’ll need the material later.  The overarching leadership agenda of the church has and added asset for unifying people together.  Friendships and relationships are happening, which adds more solidarity.  All this adds up to a more committed and connected church.  There are more things that pull the church together, and therefore people find their experience “sticky.”

I like the concept Osborne lays out in his book, but I’d prefer to see a more selective application.  There are times when a whole church needs to rally together in the same direction.  These are “all hands on deck” situations that every ministry should bend towards, of which small groups may be the most influential.  However, I don’t think the weekly sermon carries with it the weight or significance to warrant other ministries subscribing to it. 

When sermon based small groups are the only model for a church, I believe lay leadership will be wounded.  The model really increases the clergy/laity divide.  Although yes, there is some desirable unity that comes from sermon based small groups, that unity all funnels back to the teaching and direction of one leader, the pastor.  There are other gifted teachers and leaders in the church that need to be cut loose to do their thing.  When gifted leaders are handed a script each week, I believe it will hold them back from releasing their full gifting; and probably even wonder if their gifting would be better used elsewhere.

Let’s use sermon based small groups for key leadership transitions, but as for the routine system, let’s avoid creating another pastor dependent ministry.