First we asked, What are you begging for? What is your congregation begging for? What is your community begging for? Now we are answering with The Power of REAL (Sept. 2011). Here’s what our first round of readers are saying about The Power of REAL and Dr. Joseph W. Daniels, Jr.:

At a time when most churches are stuck in the way it “used to be,” Pastor Daniels reminds us of what churches are called to be – dynamic and authentic catalysts for transformation in the lives of individuals and communities. The Power of REAL is a primer for those seeking to create ecclesia, called out communities of love, militant and triumphant, as Jesus intended His churches to be.
Kaya Henderson, Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools

Filled with wisdom, spiritual insight and practical application The Power of REAL is a timely parable that unfolds with spiritual power and hope. If you are being called by God to transform your local church and only have the time and resources to invest in one book—this is it!
Rev. Gary A. Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 New Church Starts and author of The Meandering Way and Imagining Church

Dr. Joseph Daniels is a transformational leader in the life of the Church and humankind. His wisdom and forethought, as shared in The Power of REAL, provides the reader a realistic view of Church through Dr. Daniels’ eyes; and, it helps each reader connect to the God within them. As with Begging for REAL Church, focused on the desire for Church relevancy, The Power of REAL is a must read for denominational leaders, pastors and laity who want to better understand making the Church relevant today and in the future. This book is a powerful resource, which needs to be read by leaders across our nation.

~ Bob Brown, Chairman and CEO, B&C Associates, Inc.

For Pastor Joe Daniels, “REAL” is “Relevant, Enthusiastic, Authentic and Loving.” Joe is all of these things and he has built a vital congregation. In research, we call this a “primary source” because it is the honest account of the struggles and wisdom of a real pastor. It is a resource in practical divinity, where what we know about how humans work and how God works can come together for Christian disciples trying to make church real. It is written in a very accessible style that will make a good “coaches manual” for both clergy and lay.
David McAllister-Wilson, President, Wesley Theological Seminary

Joe Daniels is one of the most creative and effective United Methodist pastors whom I have had the privilege to know. This new book demonstrates, both in its form and its content, his extraordinary creativity for ministry. From planning and leading worship, to articulating an understanding of leadership, to casting a vision for a “real” church, Joe Daniels is a man called to serve with a capacity to inspire. His book will inform and transform its readers with a bold mission for the church.
William B. Lawrence, Dean, Professor of American Church History, Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University

The Power of REAL is the logical following to Begging for REAL Church. In this sequel, Joe Daniels dares the intricacies of how assemblies of the spiritually needy become baptized ministers of the Gospel. Safe religious routines are challenged to become responses to life’s wrestlings. Through The Power of REAL, Joe Daniels, along with Christie Latona, invite us to what church can be! Don’t delay. Read it!
Rev. Vance P. Ross, Senior Pastor, Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church

Rev. Joe Daniels, prophet, organizer, teacher and preacher, has spoken truth to power and shared powerful truth with those he serves. He is one of the few pastors in the United States that has transformed an urban congregation and an urban community. The Power of REAL provides key insights for all congregations and pastors on how to connect with people and how to connect people to God. It is a real telling of how to make the Gospel plain and transformative.
John R. Schol, Bishop, The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the The United Methodist Church

Words cannot adequately describe TRUTH. However, Truth leaps from the pages of this remarkable book. We either accept it or reject it at our peril. Under the power of the Holy Spirit, Laity and Clergy will be set free to serve God and humankind, with Holy Boldness, by living THE REAL CHURCH, thereby taking on the Body of Christ as their flesh and blood.
Dr. Felton Edwin May, DD, United Methodist Bishop (Retired), Pastor, Turning Point United Methodist Church, Trenton, New Jersey

After reading The Power of REAL, I was moved by its relevant content and timeliness. It infused additional and fresh hope for seeing transformation and revitalization of churches, especially Black and Multicultural congregations modeling the life and ministry of Jesus as the approach for offering men, women, children and youth, authentic receptivity and “radical hospitality” into the kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven. Hence, The Power of REAL is a must read. It is liberally illustrated by real life stories and punctuated by challenging life-application tools.
Dr. Fred A. Allen, National Director, Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century of The United Methodist Church

As Joe, a novice preacher being mentored by the older, wiser Pastor D in The Power of REAL realizes early in this highly readable parable, this is some really powerful stuff! In his sequel to Begging for REAL Church, Reverend Joseph Daniels presents a clear call, with concrete ideas, to help urban church leaders merge with and transform their city surrounds through worship that is Relevant, Enthusiastic, Authentic, and Loving (REAL). In practical, “non-churchy” language, he offers practical advice for urban ministers, disciples, rank-and-file worshippers, and lay people who seek resurrection through dependence on the Divine. The Power of REAL is the story of a man, his mentor, his church, and his church community, who begin not only to rise above their desperate circumstances but also to speak a united vision of hope and lay out a strategic plan for bringing their collective dreams and aspirations to pass. Daniels shares practical tips for urban congregations, worship cultures, and communities to grow together in and through the Word. Most importantly, he provides something readers of all, little, or no faiths can use: some Holy Spirit CPR. Through fellowship, service, and healing, Daniels reveals, churches can manifest REALness, serve as change agents in their underserved communities, and make worship work. And that’s some really powerful stuff!
D. Kamili Anderson, Writer/Editor/Community Activist, Washington, DC

Joe Daniels, as the pastor of Emory United Methodist, Church, and as co-chair of Washington Interfaith Network in Washington, D.C., has exhibited a unique talent to not only build a congregation, but also to build a community and city that cares for all. Rev. Daniels is a powerful voice for church, justice, love and community. He is a prophetic voice that is too often missing in our country today. I count Rev. Daniels as one of the most important voices that I have worked with in the over 40 years of my experience in community organizing working with pastors of many different faiths.
Arnie Graf, Co-Director, Industrial Areas Foundation

Pastor Daniels is a dynamic and wonderful individual committed to the growth of the local church. He represents a wonderful group of church leaders with the wisdom to teach and demonstrate the power of church growth and systems. He is a mentor and guide and his leadership example is a blessing.
Olu Brown, Lead Pastor, Impact Church in Atlanta and author of Zero to 80: Innovative Ideas for Planting and Accelerating Church Growth

If ever there was a book best needed to strengthen the black church, this is it! Every aspiring young pastor and every weary urban minister toiling in a dying inner city church ought to read this lively, well-written narrative of a vision for re-energizing the urban church. What makes it so compelling is that it is based upon the real church experience of the author.
Cornish R. Rogers, Professor Emeritus, Claremont School of Theology

If your church is more like the Church of the Last Chance than the Church of Living Hope, then you want to read this story of changed lives and communities through the power of Christ. Joe Daniels knows what it means to help dry bones come alive in vital ministry. There are lessons here for all.
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership and Director, Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary