Spread the Word: 12 Christian Leaders on Church Growth
Spread the Word
Why do some churches grow while other churches falter? How can the church meet the changing needs of diverse communities? Get advice from Christian leaders—including Francis Chan, David Platt, Paul David Tripp, and many more! This hand-curated collection of feature stories, originally published in Bible Study Magazine, speaks to our role in advancing God’s plan for his people. Learn how you can take part in spreading the gospel around the world.
Featuring:
- Tim Challies
- Francis Chan
- Tony Evans
- Craig Groeschel
- Bill Hybels
- Tim Keller
- Eric Mason
- John Piper
- David Platt
- Chuck Smith
- Ed Stetzer
- Paul David Tripp
Top Highlights
“‘I am eager for Christians to look at personal devotions as being less about Bible study and more about relationship. I believe we can find freedom in seeing personal devotions as a conversation: hearing from the Lord in the Bible and then speaking to him in prayer.’” (source)
“Do not just trust to get an audible voice of God; that may happen, but he is not going to speak to those who are neglecting his Word. He will speak to us who are seeking his voice through his Word.’” (source)
“Keller believes ministry requires three elements: affinity, ability and opportunity. ‘Affinity is having a burden in my life—‘I really want to do ministry.’ The ability is somebody saying, ‘We think you have the gifts. We ordain you.’ You may have the desire for ministry, but you cannot be self-accredited. The community must recognize your gifts. Finally, opportunity means God in his providence opens the door and somebody actually says, ‘Would you come do it?’ ’” (source)
“when those three things all come together, you’ve got a call” (source)
“Perhaps because of the leadership lessons he has learned, Mason warns against seeing a church community solely as a mission field, without the interaction that comes from doing life together. He encourages church planters to consider their churches as ‘a place that you love and engage, where you can seek the peace of the city and its welfare, because in it you find your welfare. You’re not just helping those people; God is using the ministry to sanctify you, as well as to reach people in the neighborhood. Treating people like a project comes from stereotyping, versus meeting and connecting with people and learning what’s actually going on in the community. We need to lovingly engage in meeting the most pressing needs rather than creating a toxic charity.’” (source)
Product Details
- Title: Spread the Word: 12 Christian Leaders on Church Growth
- Editors: Rebecca Van Noord, Jessi Strong, and John D. Barry
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Pages: 51
About the Editors
Rebecca Van Noord is the former editor-in-chief of Bible Study Magazine. She has developed content for several Bible reference products, including Lexham Bible Dictionary and Faithlife Study Bible.
Jessi Strong is the senior writer for Bible Study Magazine. She has also developed content for Faithlife Study Bible and Lexham Bible Dictionary.
John D. Barry is the CEO and Founder of Jesus' Economy, a non-profit dedicated to creating jobs and churches in the developing world. He also serves as a missionary with Resurrect Church Movement, the domestic division of Jesus' Economy dedicated to equipping U.S. churches to alleviate poverty and plant churches. John is the general editor of Faithlife Study Bible and Lexham Bible Dictionary. He has authored or edited over 30 books, including The Resurrected Servant in Isaiah, Cutting Ties with Darkness, and the daily devotional Connect the Testaments. John formerly served as founding publisher of Lexham Press and is the former editor-in-chief of Bible Study Magazine. John speaks internationally on engaging the Bible, poverty, and spreading the gospel.