Book Review: "Frequency"
About 2 years ago, Parkview partnered with a new spiritual formation tool called Monvee. It has been a fantastic tool, but the challenging thing is showing people what the good concepts in Monvee mean in real life.Enter Eric Parks & Casey Bankord with Frequency.
In this book, Parks and Bankord lay out the basic foundations of spiritual growth based on natural, intuitive, distinctive wiring that exists in each person. The hope is to overcome misconceptions that everyone's spiritual practices are supposed to be exactly the same. Instead they talk about our "frequency" - the natural channels, shaped by our personality and natural tendencies - through which a natural and sustainable connection with God can be formed. It's a powerful thing they say, because
Living on your frequency...is a connection with a God who wants to do amazing things in and through your life to make an indelible impact on the world. (10)
Honestly, the book's philosophy is a summary of John Ortberg's The Me I Want to Be, and those who have read Ortberg's work probably won't find much in the way of new insights. Ortberg provided much of the foundation for Monvee's structure, so this isn't plagiarism by our friends Parks & Bankord. The freshness of their writing, however, is a gift and the directness of it makes it a great read for those looking for access to ideas that they can move on in their own lives and ministries.
The real gem of this book, in my mind, are the "character studies" based on Monvee profiles linked to Biblical characters. Prominent leaders and writers are interviewed regarding how the Monvee assessment and roadmap addresses their struggles in spiritual growth and formation. With honesty and candor, these sections are a gift for anyone looking for a way to introduce both skeptics and newbies to the incredible usefulness of the Monvee online spiritual growth plan.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is curious to learn more about the philosophy behind Monvee as well as any churches looking to partner with Monvee to bring this tool to their congregations. The length, writing style, and personal touches are incredible pathways to getting people excited about what God could do in them and through them through Monvee.
In a related story, if you attend Parkview we are hosting a Monvee Open House where you can see the nuts and bolts of what Monvee can do to help you grow. The open house will be held Sunday, February 19th from 10:15-10:45a or until we've answered everyone's questions! You'll get a chance to see Monvee in action as well as have a chance to win a free Monvee Kit!