Planting Churches – Changing Communities

Planting Churches – Changing Communities
By David Stroud

David’s book will be a great encouragement to anybody pondering the possibility of starting a new church. Full of Biblically-based wisdom and practical insights, it is made more colourful by the inclusion of many testimonies from contemporary church planters who write honestly and instructively about their experiences.

Covering first the preparation of the church planter, including his call, and the preparation and gathering of his companions, it moves on to the qualities of the church planter underlining the need for a strong marriage and the ability to inspire and motivate other future leaders.

Finally, it concludes with very helpful insights regarding the practical planting phase with very worthwhile and profitable insights from a variety of angles, such as the timing of the starting of Sunday morning meetings and the possibility of needing to support yourself financially while initiating the church plant.

Altogether this is a first rate guide, carrying within its pages an attitude of faith and expectation of ultimate success, and the inevitability of gospel advance through robust church planting. The challenges and difficulties are not hidden but are approached with genuine answers and accumulated wisdom gathered by many who have trod this path with success.

Some of us have found help and inspiration from dipping into books written in the USA. It is exciting to be able to recommend a British-based book, rooted in British experience, written essentially for British readers, though any who read it will find inspiration.

I would add that those leading established churches should also read this very motivational book, because when you abandon an atmosphere of aggressive evangelism and commitment to growth you are actually signing up for stagnation and death. Every small group leader in an existing church would find fresh energy and provocation by reading it.