This groundbreaking guide reveals successful strategies for multiplying the impact of new church congregations.
Based on a national, cross-denominational study commissioned by Leadership Network, Viral Churches explores the best practices in church multiplication movements, as well as the common threads among them. A hands-on resource, Viral Churches offers the fresh vision and critical perspectives essential as a catalyst for today's church planting leaders.
Authors Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird draw from their own experiences as well as the insights of numerous church planting leaders. Filled with illustrative success stories, this important book reveals how to plant churches that multiply into a movement. Each chapter highlights a different point on such issues as keeping the focus on evangelism; recruiting, assessing, and deploying planters; increasing the survivability of new churches; using a multisite strategy effectively; funding; overcoming obstacles; facing challenges ahead; and many more.Autorentext
Zusammenfassung
A groundbreaking guide for multiplying the impact of church plants
Based on a study that was commissioned by the Leadership Network, this book reveals the best practices in church planting and uncovers the common threads among them. A much-needed resource, this book will inform, guide, and even catalyze today's many church planting leaders. The authors clearly show leaders how to plant churches that create a multiplication movement and offer inspiration for them to do so. The book addresses their questions about what to do next in their church planting strategies, in light of research on what's actually working best.
- Author Ed Stetzer heads up LifeWay Research
- Provides reliable, credible information about what church planting strategies work best
- A volume in the Leadership Network Series
Offers a definitive guide for church planting and the burgeoning movement it is part of.
Inhalt
About Leadership Network ix
Foreword xi
Rick Warren
1 Introduction 1
2 Church Planting: The New Evangelism 11
3 Growth by Multiplication: Big Contrast to Addition 31
4 New Players: Aggressive Local Churches and Church Planting Networks 49
5 Kingdom Cooperation: Church Planters Learning Together 67
6 Predictors of Success: Recruitment, Assessment, and Deployment 83
7 Thriving: New Church Survival Rates 101
8 House Churches: Separating Reality from Fiction 115
9 Multisite Strategy: A Fast-Growing Trend That Affects Planting 129
10 Rapid Growth: Still Not Reproduction 139
11 Funding: Partnerships Matter 149
12 The New Scorecard: Measuring a Church Multiplication Movement 161
13 Obstacles to Missional Replication: What Holds Us Back 185
14 Conclusion: Solving the Toughest Challenges 195
Acknowledgments 209
Appendix: List of Churches and Networks Cited 211
Notes 215
Annotated Bibliography for Church Multiplication 225
The Authors 233
Index 237
Scripture Index 244