We Interrupt This Hiatus with Breaking News!

Spoiler: It's a book.

It’s been several months since the last installment here. Forgive me. The hiatus was unplanned. It was also probably inevitable, as 2025 has been an unusually busy year and I handle busyness unusually badly.

In any case, I have news. The revised and expanded edition of my very first book is now available:

Originally published in 2010, this second edition includes updated reflections on my additional decade-and-a-half of experience working with pastors across the US and incorporates insights from my work with Redeemer City to City.

Charles Cotherman, executive director for the Center for Rural Ministry at Grove City College summarized the book this way:

“This book is a celebration of the strategic, missional potential of small churches, which are often underreported and underappreciated in our bigger-is-better society. O’Brien’s winsome and informed reimagining of church success provides a hopeful path forward in a cultural landscape marked by isolation, church scandal, and the seemingly inescapable allure of celebrity culture. Small churches aren’t mistakes or relics of a bygone age. They are uniquely equipped participants in God’s mission.”

The book is significantly discounted at the Baker Academic website just now. Check it out!