The Ministry Multiplication Cycle

After harmonizing the four Gospels into one unified story, the author examines the ministry of Jesus to see what we can learn today for our own churches and ministries. As the story unfolds, one finds Jesus implementing four strategic ministry tactics, in this order: •Outsiders becoming new believers through evangelism •New believers becoming committed disciples through establishing •Committed disciples becoming effective workers through equipping •Effective workers becoming world Christians through missions mobilization Together these four tactics form the “ministry multiplication cycle.” To determine whether this strategy is truly a biblical strategy or not, an in-depth look is then taken into the book of Acts. There we find the apostles, the men whom Jesus trained, implementing these same four tactics in the exact same order, with the exact same results—powerful growth through multiplication. The question remains whether the ministry multiplication cycle can be replicated today in our own culture. The answer is a resounding “yes,” when we learn to think in terms of principles and not just practices. This book is a product of over thirty years of clarifying these principles in the classroom and implementing them around the world, the latter resulting in over two thousand churches being planted among unreached people groups.

After harmonizing the four Gospels into one unified story, the author examines the ministry of Jesus to see what we can learn today for our own churches and ministries. As the story unfolds, one finds Jesus implementing four strategic ministry tactics, in this order: -Outsiders becoming new believers through evangelism -New believers becoming committed disciples through establishing -Committed disciples becoming effective workers through equipping -Effective workers becoming world Christians through missions mobilization Together these four tactics form the "ministry multiplication cycle." To determine whether this strategy is truly a biblical strategy or not, an in-depth look is then taken into the book of Acts. There we find the apostles, the men whom Jesus trained, implementing these same four tactics in the exact same order, with the exact same results--powerful growth through multiplication. The question remains whether the ministry multiplication cycle can be replicated today in our own culture. The answer is a resounding "yes," when we learn to think in terms of principles and not just practices. This book is a product of over thirty years of clarifying these principles in the classroom and implementing them around the world, the latter resulting in over two thousand churches being planted among unreached people groups.

GOD DOESN'T DO DIVISION In more than twenty-five years of ministry, and as pastor of one of America's largest and fastest growing churches, Tommy Barnett has discovered the key biblical factors for multiplying your effectiveness. His forty factors will help you to multiply your potential--not simply add to it, subtract from it or divide it. For pastors and church leaders, Christian businessmen and anyone else interested in getting more effective results in their own ministry or marketplace, Multiplication will teach, inspire and motivate.

How does one make disciples and plant the church in a secular environment? Does it take technical production? Is a great venue or "mother" church necessary? Does it take a well-networked team? Tangible factors such as these are easily remedied by consulting seasoned, church planting experts. Yet, what if some obstacles to plant the church aren't tangible at all? The Spirit and the Secular examines the ways that Spirit-led Christians trust the Holy Spirit while church planting amidst a secular cultural backdrop. A review of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles traces a Spirit-led Christ and Spirit-led church as they make disciples. To better discern the challenge of what it means to be a contemporary church planter in Sweden, a historical review of Swedish culture reveals the rise of secularism alongside of the flourish of the Pentecostal church of the 1900s. What follows is a groundbreaking fieldwork study using a current, investigative interview method, Q-Methodology, measuring the perceptions of thirty church planters in Sweden who reveal their collective ideal and differing practices. The study wraps with a comprehensive analysis grounding the research in a theory of Spirit-led church planting.

Church planting is not just about gathering new communities of people who are already Christians. In the book of Acts, church plants begin with sharing the gospel. Planting churches flows naturally out of making disciples. Pastor J. D. Payne explains the process and stages of church planting, with biblical foundations and practical steps for planting teams. He provides a pathway for the multiplication of disciples, leaders and churches. Here are church planting strategies and activities that are simple, highly reproducible and can be implemented by ordinary team members, not just by charismatic leaders. This guide can be used for planting in contexts among any given people group, domestically or internationally. It is an ideal resource for teams to work through together as they follow God's call in their community.

Some time ago, Ralph Winter brilliantly identified three eras of modern missions: Era 1: William Carey focused on the coastlands; Era 2: Hudson Taylor focused on the inlands; Era 3: Donald McGavran and Cameron Townsend focused on unreached peoples. With all the fast and furious changes swirling around us today in twenty-first century missions, have we entered a Fourth Era? If so, who are the people primarily involved? How are they selected? How are they trained? How long do they serve? Has the Third Era ministry focus--reaching the unreached--changed? If so, to what? Are there any successful case studies out there? Have McGavran and Townsend passed the baton to a new leader(s)? If so, to whom? This book seeks to answer these and related questions. Contributors include: Dr. Ben BecknerÊ Dr. Monroe Brewer Dr.ÊDon Finley Mike Griffis Dr. Gary Hipp, MD Jerry Hogshead Kaikou MaisuÊ Judy Manna Ê Kenn OkeÊ Dr. A. Sue Russell Dr. Robert StraussÊ Peter SwannÊ Bryan Thomas Diane ThomasÊ Dr. Mike Wilson Dr. Sherwood G. Lingenfelter

With nearly fifty years combined global church-planting experience, Craig Ott and Gene Wilson are well qualified to write a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for cross-cultural church planting. Combining substantive biblical principles and missiological understanding with practical insights, this book walks readers through the various models and development phases of church planting. Advocating methods that lead to church multiplication, the authors emphasize the role of the missionary church planter. They offer helpful reflection on current trends and provide best practices gathered from research and empirical findings around the globe. The book takes up a number of special issues not addressed in most church planting books, such as use of short-term teams, partnerships, and wise use of resources. Full of case studies and real examples from around the world, this practical text will benefit students, church planters, missionaries, and missional church readers.