Evaluating the Church Growth Movement: 5 Views (Counterpoints)

by Charles Van Engen; Elmer Towns; Howard Snyder; Craig Van Gelder

and

1 more

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2004

Overview

What exactly is church growth? In what ways has the movement actually brought growth to the church, and how effective has it been in doing so? What are its strengths and weaknesses? This timely book addresses such questions. After providing a richly informative history and overview, it explores—in a first ever roundtable of their leading voices—five main perspectives, both pro and con, on the classic Church Growth movement.

Contents

• Effective Evangelism View, Elmer Towns
• Gospel in Our Culture View, Craig Van Gelder
• Centrist View, Charles Van Engen
• Reformist View, Gailyn Van Rheenan
• Renewal View, Howard Snyder

Top Highlights

“Donald McGavran, the father of the modern Church Growth movement, recognized early on the divisive nature of Church Growth thought in a letter to his wife, written from Costa Rica on September 8, 1961: ‘It is clear that emphasizing the growth of the churches divides the camp. It is really a divisive topic. How strange when all are presumably disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Page 7)

“In multicultural contexts, the competition for members and the drive for numerical success have resulted in a consumer mentality. Missionaries and ministers have sought to market the gospel like any other product and present it in a culturally appealing way. In this way, a Western consumer mentality, rather than biblical theology, has set the agenda of the missional endeavor.” (Page 175)

“As coined by McGavran, Church Growth is simply the expected result of being obedient to the Great Commission. Church Growth was, and is, effective evangelism.” (Page 15)

“within a particular context. The strategy for mission is our prayerful listening to the gospel as a community,” (Page 100)

“four major questions that were to drive the Church Growth movement” (Page 12)

Product Details

• Title: Evaluating the Church Growth Movement
• Authors: Charles Van Engen, Elmer Towns, Howard Snyder, Craig Van Gelder, Gailyn Van Rheenen
• Series: Zondervan Counterpoints Series
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2004
• Logos Release Date: 2011
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Church growth
• ISBNs: 9780310493419, 9780310241102, 0310493412, 0310241103
• Resource ID: LLS:EVALCHRCHGROW
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:43:39Z

About Gary L. McIntosh

Gary L. McIntosh teaches at Talbot School of Theology, is a professor of Christian ministry and leadership, leads 20-25 national seminars a year, serves as a church consultant, was president of the American Society of Church Growth in 1995-1996, and has written over ninety-five articles and ten books, including Finding Them, The Issachar Factor, Three Generations, One Size Doesn’t Fit All, Overcoming the Dark Side, and Staffing Your Church for Growth.