Going Deep by Gordon MacDonald

Going Deep is a fictional story that attempts to answer a serious question many Christian leaders are asking today...how do we develop spiritually mature people?  Or using the books terminology, how might a church go about cultivating deep people who will become future leaders in their churches and communities?  The story follows a pastor as he is seeking the answer to this question and developing a plan of action.  He then forms a group called CDP (Cultivating Deep People) and starts intentionally training the younger generation.

I agree with other reviewers that this book is too long.  The first half especially is repetitive and slow reading.  With that being said, there are also many good ideas presented!  Basically, the pastor and his wife lead a small group of people who have been specifically chosen for their potential for growth and leadership.  Over the course of the year, the group meets weekly to focus on how to pray, study biblical leadership, learn about their personalities and spiritual gifts, share their stories, and support one another.  Each person/couple is also paired up with an older mentor couple to meet with during this time.  The story presents how a group like this could work and impact everyone involved.  My initial reaction...I want to be a part of a CDP group!  The Bible instructs the older generation to train up the younger and I think there's a real benefit to that.  This book is a tool someone could use to get ideas for this intentional training.  Presenting these ideas as a fictional story is an interesting twist.

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.