Growing God's Church: How People Are Actually Coming to Faith Today
It's no secret that the evangelism methods of yesterday are not
yielding the kinds of results they did in the 1970s and 1980s. So
how are new Christians hearing the Gospel today? How are they
finding churches? And what makes them stay at a church? The answers
to these questions have the power to dramatically alter the way we
do outreach. And Dr. McIntosh has them.
Based on ten years of scientific research, Growing God's
Church shows pastors and church leaders how people are actually
coming to faith in the 21st century. It covers factors such as our
motive for ministry, the priorities churches set for themselves,
the reality of churchless Christians, generational and gender-based
differences in evangelism effectiveness, the name of your church,
the influence of pastors, and much more. The appendix includes a
copy of the survey that provides the basis for McIntosh's arguments
and an overview of the study is provided in the first chapter.
From the Back Cover
Reaching a changing world with the unchanging
gospel
God does not change--but people do. The ways people are hearing the
gospel and connecting with churches today are not the same as they
were even twenty years ago. It stands to reason, then, that if we
want our churches to grow--if we want the kingdom to grow--it's
time to reevaluate the way we do outreach.
Based on ten years of comprehensive research, Growing God's
Church unveils how people are actually coming to faith in the
21st century. Church growth expert Gary L. McIntosh answers
questions like
· How are new Christians hearing the gospel today?
· How are they finding churches?
· What makes them stay at a church?
He helps you evaluate your motives for ministry, your church's
priorities, the reality of churchless Christians, the name of your
church, and much more in light of the Great Commission and the
changing face of our modern world.
"Gary McIntosh is one of the leaders in research on growing
churches. Anyone who is interested in knowing about growing
churches should read this book. Everyone who is interested in
actually working in a growing church needs to read this
book."--Elmer L. Towns, cofounder and vice president,
Liberty University
"A true gift to the kingdom. Every leader with a desire to fulfill
the Great Commission should read Growing God's Church as
soon as possible. The takeaways are revolutionary for the way we do
outreach today."--Nelson Searcy, lead pastor of The Journey
Church, New York City, founder of www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com, and
author of The Renegade Pastor
Gary L. McIntosh (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is
president of the Church Growth Network and professor of Christian
ministry and leadership at Talbot School of Theology. He is an
internationally known speaker and church consultant who has written
twenty-four books, including Biblical Church Growth,
Beyond the First Visit, and What Every Pastor Should
Know.
Top Highlights
“Christians have always embraced social justice. Throughout the thrilling history of the expansion of the Christian church, ‘an impressive means of attracting converts was the extensive humanitarian activity of the Church.’2 From the first, the church cared for its own poor (Acts 2:45; 4:34); then, as the church was able, it started orphanages, hospitals, hospices, and houses for widows and indigents. These, it must be admitted, were all started out of love but also as a means for preaching the gospel of salvation. While serving the common good, the early church placed a priority on the greater good, that of saving souls.” (source)
“, the priority of the church is to win the lost, baptize new believers, and teach everyone to obey what Christ taught.” (source)
“Prophetic anticipation is the third feature seen in Christ’s Great Commission. The disciples were sent with the authority of the Lord on apostolic mission. They were to make disciples of ‘all the nations.’ Nations is best understood to refer to the tribes, families, and peoples of the world. It reverberates with the promise of God to Abram: ‘In you all the families of the earth will be blessed’” (source)
“Jesus was anticipating the establishment of Christian churches after the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. In its historical usage, church (Greek: ekklesia) simply meant ‘an assembly,’ that is, a physical gathering of people.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : Growing God's Church: How People Are Actually Coming to Faith Today
- Author: McIntosh, Gary L.
- Publisher: Baker
- Publication Date: 2016
- ISBN: 9781493401574
Gary L. McIntosh (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is president of the Church Growth Network and professor of Christian ministry and leadership at Talbot School of Theology. He is an internationally known speaker and church consultant who has written twenty-four books, including Biblical Church Growth, Beyond the First Visit, and What Every Pastor Should Know. He lives in California.