From all appearances, Zionsville Presbyterian Church in suburban Indianapolis was a success. It had only been "planted" about ten years earlier and already had launched building programs to make room for its growing congregation. Its articulate and energetic pastor, Glenn McDonald, was in demand by his own flock and others who wanted to know how to grow their churches like ZPC was growing.

Then a lone voice at a board meeting prompted McDonald—and his entire congregation—to stop and start over. "How long would it take someone visiting our church to learn about his or her need for Jesus Christ, and what to do about it?" was the question that launched a profound transformation in every facet of church life at ZPC.

The Disciple-Making Church: From Dry Bones to Spiritual Vitality by Glenn McDonald (FaithWalk, 272 pages, March 2004) is a chronicle of that journey and so much more. It is an awakening for any church, faith group, or disciple who ever allowed the "busy-ness" of the typical church to substitute for true discipleship. Pastors, lay leaders, believers, and seekers alike will discover how to release God’s transforming powers in their lives.

The book divides the transformation into two parts—six discipling relationships and the six marks of a disciple. McDonald weaves vivid scriptural insights and the wisdom of scholars with the experiences of his own congregation and others, and distills it all into one helpful, valuable, enjoyable book. His infectious enthusiasm for the "exhilarating freedom" of the disciple’s life virtually dances off the page.