Stan Parks

Spent Matches

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Raw and real; provocative and practical. A brave and noble attempt to guide those on the cusp of total disengagement down a path of personal discovery and discipleship. Pete Burney Senior Executive, Corporate America Roy Moran’s book Spent Matches is an eye-opening book. It will help you to see the church in a bigger picture while looking through the lens of your understanding of kingdom vision and broadening your perspective of how we can win the world to Christ in a shorter period of time. In his book Roy expounds on the Great Commission found in Matthew 28. Roy explains clearly that the commission is for us to make disciples that make disciples. This concept is pure gold and is key to seeing closure to the Great Commission. This book builds beautifully on this principle and allows us to pick up a mirror and make an analysis of the heartfelt efforts that we have committed our lives to and sacrificed so much for. Sometimes the truth hurts us to the core, but only when we are hurting are we willing to change. I am thankful for the loving manner in which Roy wrote this book. It reaches into the heart of the matter while cautiously and carefully touching and challenging our hearts to change. Too many people are dying without Christ each day while we are allowing allowing our methodologies and approaches to stand in the way of Christ’s kingdom expansion. What will we do about it? Are we willing to change our methods and tactics so that we too will be able to see the Great Commission fulfilled in our lifetime? I recommend this book to all people who are passionate about finishing the task and are intensely awaiting the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Randy Keith Travis Jr. Third Generation Missionary and Co-Strategy Coordinator for the Latin America DMM project with World Missions and Evangelism Roy Moran is a trusted advisor to many, a chief agitator, uniquely skilled at bringing people “into close quarters with a revelation that creates discomfort in their paradigms” (see From Teachers to Learning Designers, chap. 4). His passion for pre-Christians and vision for a New Reformation is evident in these pages. If you are dissatisfied with the traditional approach to evangelism, you will find in Spent Matches a fresh approach worthy of consideration. If it causes discomfort, consider yourself blessed. A positive paradigm shift rarely takes place within the comfort zone. Richard Potter Musician and Writer, blogging at www.playingbyfear.com This book from Roy Moran highlights the biblical concept of the Christian church as a “movement”. . . not a “monument.” He challenges the tendency of the church to focus on “maintenance” rather than on her “mission” as the body of Christ. He provides a solution by calling the church back to the great commission which refocuses her on obedience to Jesus’ call to make disciples which will promote Church Planting Movements. After all it is “among the wolves that we are to find sheep.” His experiences and passions have produced a helpful and practical challenge to the church of Jesus Christ. Shalom! Rev. Victor John Bhojpuri CPM Coach, Leadership Development Roy Moran loves Jesus’ church enough to tell us the brutal truth. Deep in our soul, we know that we as the church are failing the people of this world. In Spent Matches, Roy does not give simplistic answers, but rather digs beneath the surface of the necessary changes in belief and practice for us to live out Jesus’ GREAT command: being disciples who make disciple-making disciples. Roy is not an arm-chair theologian but a local pastor who describes his journey with his fellow Shoal Creek disciples as they learn, struggle, fail, rejoice, and try again with lots of offbeat and refreshing efforts. Some would suggest that we abandon the existing church, but Roy shows us a hybrid path of how we as believers and churches can allow God to call us to a new Reformation of the church.”