Back in 2005, while a bunch of us were trying to figure out what a truly "missional" church and existence would look like, The Shaping of Things to Come became the only road map we could find. That book didn't so much tell the reader what to do, but it dropped enough road signs along the way that it became an immeasurable help and confirmation that we were on the right road and not totally crazy!

With The Permanent Revolution, Hirsch and Catchim are once again way out ahead on the journey, lighting the way for the rest of us. This instantly became one of my favorite books in many years.

I have never read a more comprehensively researched or written work on Ephesians 4 and the five-fold ministry. In fact, I am certain that no serious work of this nature, on this topic, is available to us today. The authors carefully look at the biblical, historical and traditional understandings of the giftings (apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher) and how the marginalization of several of these gifts/people has led to the rapid decline we are now experiencing as the Church.

Chapter 5, Custody of the Codes: Mapping the Contours of Apostolic Ministry, speaks on the distinction between little "a" and Big "A" apostles. Pure gold! In so many ways I have wanted to read this material all my life. I needed someone to say, "Hey, what you have been feeling, and the things that have been stirring in your heart all these years is good and right. God put that there..."

The clarification between Pauline and Petrine apostolic ministry found in Chapter 6 was worth the price of the book alone. So many leaders need to read this!

Part 3 deals exclusively with modern-day apostolic leadership. This is where people are really going to get shook up. The systems, traditions and well-worn structures of much of the Church today will feel a Category 5 earthquake is approaching.

If widely read-and believed-by the Church, this book is a game changer.

To get a free signed copy of this book check out our book give away here: 

GCM COLLECTIVE NATIONAL CONFERENCE PROMOTIONAL GIVEAWAY

For a good, short interview of one of the authors, Tim Catchim, check out Mike Breen's blog here: Interview with writer(s) of The Permanent Revolution