Exponential Series – serie

Imagine an organizational model for church leadership that enables the entire team to unleash their full potential. The joy and vigor coming from a collective strength, intelligence, and skill in the community of leaders not only brings greater potency but better yields for your ministry. What would it be like to see this kind of healthy leadership reproduced into the second, third, and fourth generation, on multiple strands?Leveraging the metaphor Ori Brafman popularized in his NYT best-selling book, The Starfish and the Spider, Rob Wegner, Lance Ford, and Alan Hirsch show:How to take a close look at your church's organizational structure and how to adapt instead of simply adopt a certain kind of structural approach.How churches can function without a rigid central authority, making them nimbler in reacting to external forces.How seeding starfish networks inside today's churches will prepare the church of tomorrow to be agile while maintaining the accountability to be effective.The Starfish and the Spirit is about creating a culture where church leaders view themselves as curators of a community on a mission, not the source of certainty for every question and project. It's about creating a team of humble leaders "in the middle" of the church, not at the top--leaders who naturally reproduce multiple generations of leaders, from the middle out.

A vision of church partnerships that will elevate churches to greater gospel fruitfulness and enable them to thrive.Networked churches are the primary church planting force in evangelicalism today—but what makes them so effective, why do they remain so under-appreciated, and what are the common pitfalls that can ensnare them?In Stronger Together, veteran church planter and pastor Dave Harvey draws from his experiences and study of networks to walk Christian institutions, church leaders, and planters through tested strategies for starting and sustaining healthy and biblical church partnerships.By focusing on key virtues and shedding light on the pitfalls that oppose them, Harvey unpacks seven dichotomies that offer a practical roadmap to healthy patterns:Conviction vs. consumerismGifted leadership vs. isolationismCollaboration vs. radical individualismRenewal dynamics vs. institutionalismA kingdom mindset vs. tribalismHumility vs. egotismModesty vs. triumphalismWhen churches are vitally connected to other churches, they thrive, multiply, and last longer. Scripture exemplifies this, and research proves it. Stronger Together—part of the Exponential series on ministry growth and discipleship—will teach you exactly how to pursue biblical collaboration that will allow your church to flourish and your ministry to grow.

Expanding the mission of Jesus isn't a short-term sprint--it's a marathon. If you don't lead with health, you won't last.So how do healthy leaders start and grow movements? They multiply.Multiplication isn't about burning out in a flurry of activity. It's about leading in a way that is sustainable, healthy, and lasts for the next 10, 20, or even 50 years.There is an unstoppable force inside you, a movement waiting to be unleashed. Multiplier is your roadmap for playing the long game of Kingdom impact, ensuring you don't just start strong but finish well.In this book, you’ll discover how to:Make disciple-makersBuild healthy spiritual communitiesMobilize leaders in the coming generationsLaunch churches and organizations with strong foundationsMonitor your relational, physical, mental, and spiritual health to strength over the long haulIf you're ready to lead in a way that doesn't just grow your ministry, but sparks sustainable movements for decades to come, Multiplier is your guide.Don't just lead. Multiply.

Expanding the mission of Jesus isn't a short-term sprint--it's a marathon. If you don't lead with health, you won't last.So how do healthy leaders start and grow movements? They multiply.Multiplication isn't about burning out in a flurry of activity. It's about leading in a way that is sustainable, healthy, and lasts for the next 10, 20, or even 50 years.There is an unstoppable force inside you, a movement waiting to be unleashed. Multiplier is your roadmap for playing the long game of Kingdom impact, ensuring you don't just start strong but finish well.In this book, you’ll discover how to:Make disciple-makersBuild healthy spiritual communitiesMobilize leaders in the coming generationsLaunch churches and organizations with strong foundationsMonitor your relational, physical, mental, and spiritual health to strength over the long haulIf you're ready to lead in a way that doesn't just grow your ministry, but sparks sustainable movements for decades to come, Multiplier is your guide.Don't just lead. Multiply.

The modern church is facing a discipleship crisis. Research shows that only one-third of Christians in America are actively engaged in making disciples--leaving a massive gap in the mission Jesus gave us. Without a clear strategy, many churches struggle to move believers from passive attendance to active participation in the work of the Gospel.In Discipology, Jones challenges pastors, church leaders, and ministry teams to return to the original model of discipleship that Jesus demonstrated. Rather than relying on programs or events, Jesus focused on three essential elements that formed the foundation of lasting disciple-making: Time, Teaching, and Tactics.Through intentional time spent with a small group of followers, consistent teaching rooted in Scripture, and practical tactics for engaging in mission, Jesus set a clear and reproducible pattern for spiritual multiplication. Discipology unpacks each of these elements in detail, offering leaders a practical, biblical framework that takes the mystery out of discipleship and provides a clear path for mobilizing their people.This book is written specifically for pastors, church leaders, and ministry workers who long to see real spiritual growth in their communities. It's designed to help you build a disciple-making culture that empowers ordinary believers to live out their faith in everyday life. Alongside the book, an accompanying journal is available for your congregation, volunteers, small groups, and ministry teams--equipping them to walk through the principles of Discipology in a hands-on, personal way.The mission of the Church has always been disciple-making. It's time to return to the way of Jesus--and to lead the next generation into it.

Discipleship was never meant to be complicated. The earliest followers of Jesus learned to think like Him, live like Him, and lead others to do the same. Now it's your turn.Journey to Disciple Making is a practical, hands-on guide following the biblical framework in Peyton Jones's Discipology textbook. This journal is designed specifically for everyday believers, small group members, and anyone ready to move from passive attendance to active participation in God's mission.Rooted in the simple but powerful model Jesus used, this journal walks you through three essential movements of discipleship:Learn how to spend intentional Time with Jesus and with othersAbsorb the Teaching that shapes your heart, mind, and lifePractice the Tactics that turn belief into bold actionMore than a workbook, Journey to Disciple Making is a transformational journey that invites you to step into the time-tested, biblical pathways of disciple-making that Jesus Himself modeled.

It's time to stop asking the old questions about how to do church better and instead ask how churches can more effectively participate in and grow God's kingdom. AND helps Christian leaders recognize the best in different church models and see how to incorporate these values into a cohesive church movement.By the numbers, the American church enjoys the resources to profoundly impact the Kingdom. But despite the rapid growth of these evangelical movements, the church in the West is in decline. A growing schism has emerged between the movement with a strong emphasis on attracting people and the more missional communities that focus on releasing people into ministry.Church resource specialists Hugh Halter and Matt Smay have been observing these different church models, and they challenge the idea that churches have to choose between them—between the attractional and missional approaches to ministry.With professional insight and practical advice, Halter and Smay dial in on how to bring together the very best of the attractional AND missional models for church ministry by exploring:The balance between gathering a community together AND scattering them into the world.The harmony between centralization AND decentralization in church structure.The mindset necessary to invest in both the traditional AND the innovative.The drive to maintain both a vision for the future AND a depth of community for the present.As churches begin to develop these ANDs, they will be better positioned to influence the world according to the design of God instead of the whims of the people or the pride associated with production.

Transformation lays the groundwork for what church and Christian community can become in this new century. Author and pastor Bob Roberts Jr. is one of the architects of this unique approach to Christianity—based on biblical and missional discipleship—that he calls T-Life (transformed life), which leads to a T-World (transformed world).Ever since Jesus' commission to make disciples in his name, Christianity has transformed lives and the world at large. To those watching, it must have looked like an upstart religion led by a group of men, most of whom were martyred for their beliefs. The voice of secular culture today is no louder and no more indulgent than it was in those days. And yet much of the Western church has settled for becoming just another mass media market that's adding to the noise, instead of a movement that continues to turn the world upside down.Drawing inspiration from early church history and the emerging church in the developing world, Roberts envisions a new way of engaging the local church to achieve common goals. He calls for:Building a church culture rather than a church program.Empowering the local church to invest in the global missions field.Consistently reestablishing our relationship with Jesus Christ in order to experience true transformation.In fact, all this begins with a growing, interactive relationship with God that includes personal and corporate worship. This, in turn, results in community. As community serves others, transformation has both a global and local impact and creates transformation in the world.Transformation redefines the focus and practice of the church, not from external bells and whistles, but from the internal transformation of the very character of its people.

A tried-and-true classic in dynamic ministry growth, church building, and discipleship momentum. From professional church-planters Dave and Jon Ferguson comes the anchor book in the Exponential Series—envisioning new and practical methods of building churches, communities, and organizations on the cornerstone of Christ.Many of today's Christians consider the missional challenge of Jesus—feed the hungry, comfort the lonely, bring people to God's Word—as inspirational but not something achievable. Or they've heard the challenge of Jesus and are frustrated with how little they've done. Jesus gave his followers this mission because he wants them to hear it, be inspired, and then actually do it. And it is possible.Exponential lays out a concise and effective reproducing strategy, giving practical steps and case studies as you follow the growth of a church movement through four mains stages:The initial navigation of ministry image, set-up, and gradual growth.The gathering of a community around a cause and the conversations that take place at this point.The reproduction of communities into multisite growth and wider impact.The infrastructure and networking of large missional movements and how to stay focused on the bedrock of the Gospel.Weaved throughout this book is the amazing story of Community Christian Church, which was started by five friends who used these reproducing strategies to grow one of the most influential churches in the U.S. and develop a network of reproducing churches.Exponential is designed to help Christian leaders, groups, teams, churches, and networks experience rapid and spiritually healthy growth.

There's got to be more to church than this.People around the world are seeking a community that focuses more on others than on themselves. Yet most don't know where to start.Drawing from his own journey, Brandon Hatmaker reminds us that serving the least is not a trendy act of benevolence but a lifestyle of authentic community and spiritual transformation. In Barefoot Church, he explains:Practical ideas for creating service-based, missional communitiesHow the organizational structure of a church can be created or restructured for mission in any contextHow any church can truly be a catalyst for individual, collective, and social renewalWhether you are a leader or a layperson, this book is meant to renew your passion for the church and inspire you to take your affections off yourself, place them on people who have nothing to offer you, and lead others to do the same.

Question: What is the God-given purpose of the local church? Answer: Relational discipleship. DiscipleShift walks you through five key "shifts" that churches must make to refocus on the fundamental biblical mission of discipleship. These intentional changes will attract the world and empower your church members to be salt and light in their communities.Over the last thirty years, many influential church leaders and church planters in America have adopted various models for reaching unchurched people. While many of these approaches have merit, something is still missing, something even more fundamental to the mission of the church: discipleship.Making disciples—helping people to trust and follow Jesus—is the church's God-given mandate. Devoted disciples attract people outside the church because of the change others see in their Christ-like lives. And discipleship empowers Christians to be more like Christ as they intentionally develop relationships with non-believers.Through biblical and professional insights, Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington discuss the transformational effectiveness of making disciples and just how to do so, in practical terms. You’ll learn:The specific roles of a disciple-making pastor.The components of person-to-person discipleship.How each ministry in your church leads to discipleship.How to implement discipleship in your church.Disciple-making leaders will not produce perfect churches, but they will create effective churches.

Planting and leading churches is a difficult calling. It can put strain on your mental and physical health, on your relationships with others, and even your relationship with God. Sifted offers practical guidance and hope for anyone going through a tough time in ministry or pastoral work.Founding pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii Wayne Cordeiro speaks the truth in love, offering wisdom and insight to walk alongside leaders as they face the challenges and hardships of planting and leading churches, while providing encouragement and inspiration for the journey.A seasoned church leader, Wayne shares the things he wishes he'd known when he was starting a new church.With additional stories from Francis Chan and Larry Osborne, each chapter includes a thought-provoking challenge question to develop a heart that is surrendered to God, focused on "being and becoming" versus "doing and accomplishing."Wayne will walk you through how to develop a healthy balance of personal care and spiritual leadership. But instead of a "how to" book on models and methods from men who have it all figured out, Sifted will help you process your journey in a way that:Challenges leaders' common scorecards of success.Encourages leaders to realize that they are not alone in what they are experiencing.Provides wisdom for the long haul to position younger leaders for a life of ministry.You many find yourself in a season of sifting. If you respond correctly, this season can be every bit as important as the time of harvest. Sifting builds the muscle of faith, giving us what we need for what lies just around the corner.

A challenging and encouraging manual for day-to-day life in ministry written specifically for couples who want to do more than survive the process of church planting and leadership—who want to actually thrive and grow in faith together as a family.Though we may feel like we can't show it, every aspect of planting a church is personal. Church planters and those in ministry leadership roles give so much to starting and growing healthy, thriving churches that when some people inevitably criticize the church, or leave altogether, it's hard not to take it personally.Brian and Amy Bloye know firsthand the emotional and relational toll that planting churches can take. In It's Personal—part of the Exponential series, inspiring and equipping next-generation church planters—the Bloye's get personal about finding the right balance of family and ministry. Planting a church is more than a ministry—it's a calling that touches every aspect of your life in very personal ways. With intimacy and wisdom, Brian and Amy discuss topics like:How to protect your marriage while planting a church.How to respond to growth and change.How to lead well while still maintaining space and time for family.How to know when it’s becoming too personal.With a forward by Andy Stanley, It's Personal will challenge and encourage you to avoid some of the pitfalls of planting a church and be equipped to build both strong and prevailing ministries, and healthy marriages and families.Each chapter includes interviews with church-planting couples who share their personal joys and struggles, giving you authentic insight into the issues families face when planting a church.

From saved souls to saved wholes, from transactional to transformational, this book describes fifteen paradigm shifts in how gospel-driven Christian leaders are thinking about churches and ministry in today's world. The church was never designed to be a fortress for the righteous, but a flood of revolutionaries, bringing the Good News of the Kingdom to broken lives and broken communities in a broken world. Today, millions of Christians are awakening to the holism, or wholeness, of the gospel call, expanding their understanding of church from an institution to a movement.Recognizing the Church's past missteps and re-envisioning its role in modern society, Missional Moves, will fundamentally alter your understanding of the church and how its mission is lived out.Rob Wegner and Jack Magruder are church founders and Christian thought-leaders who will walk you through three distinct categories of changes that today’s churches have to understand in order to have the greatest, positive impact:The paradigm shift of our missional imagination.The centralized shift of our local church mission field.The decentralized shift of the global family of Christ.If this calling toward movement and transformation is to be realized, it will require some earth-shaking shifts in our concept of the evangelistic mission: "Missional Moves." This book provides a plan of action for your church that will empower you to unleash each member on a mission, both locally and globally.

Children have always been close to Jesus' heart. As his followers, it's our responsibility to protect, nurture, and pass our faith to children. In Small Matters: Why Children Are Such a Big Deal, authors Greg Nettle and Jimmy Mellado offer a model of discipleship that encourages parents to raise up the next generation to be deeply committed to and in love with Jesus.Ministry pioneer D. L. Moody once said that if he could relive his life, he would devote his entire ministry to reaching children for God. What Moody understood was that, by investing in them, the potential for effective change in a child's life is huge. When we awaken to the fact that children between the ages of four and fourteen are the most likely to make a decision to follow Jesus, and that the discipleship that children receive forms their future, it may give you an idea of the importance of ministering the young.Greg and Jimmy challenge the typical church models of youth discipleship and offer ways to shift into a more effective and more biblical method that begins by empowering parents in their homes and works outward:Discipling children in the home.Discipling children in the church.Discipling children in the community.Now more than ever churches have to invest in the cause of children through advocacy, sponsorship, and children's ministries—all of which need to be committed to holistic child development. Small Matters will transform the way we view children, invest in them, reach out to them, teach them and, ultimately, empower them to be disciples of Jesus."This is a book about small matters, which are really large matters... God has used the small things of this world to do his work, and he continues to do this today. In Jesus' kingdom, the first are last and the least are the greatest, the servants are the heroes and the small are the biggest winners of all." John Ortberg, author and pastor.

People are leaving the church J.D. Greear pastors. Big givers. Key volunteers. Some of his best leaders and friends. And that’s exactly how he wants it to be.When Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission, he revealed that the key for reaching the world with the gospel is found in sending, not gathering. Though many churches focus time and energy on attracting people and counting numbers, the real mission of the church isn’t how many people you can gather. It’s about training up disciples and then sending them out. The true measure of success for a church should be its sending capacity, not its seating capacity.But there is a cost to this. To see ministry multiply, we must release the seeds God has placed in our hands. And to do that, we must ask ourselves whether we are concerned more with building our kingdom or God’s.In Gaining By Losing, J.D. Greear unpacks ten plumb lines that you can use to reorient your church’s priorities around God’s mission to reach a lost world. The good news is that you don’t need to choose between gathering or sending. Effective churches can, and must, do both.

The first comprehensive textbook on effective church planting from a veteran church planter.The Apostle Paul was a veteran church planter who "laid a foundation like a wise and master builder" and there is much we can learn from his example. Paul indicated that there were basic skills and experiences required to successfully plant a church. Church Plantology examines the wide variety of church planting methods and ideologies in contemporary pastoral practice and outlines a biblical model based on the New Testament.During his time in prison, Paul spent much of his time writing to Titus, Timothy, and others who'd served alongside him in the trenches to complete their training as church plantings. We can continue to apply these time-tested, proven methods, following the pioneering example of the early church.Today, the casualty rate in is high. What if we could reduce the odds of failing? Church Plantology by Peyton Jones is a robust guide to planting that will help planters to provide the foundation necessary to survive beyond the initial first years so that they don't end up a walking statistic.

In Hero Maker, you will learn how to bring real change to your church and community by developing the practical skills to help others reach their leadership potential.Drawing on five powerful practices found in the ministry of Jesus, Hero Maker presents the key steps of apprenticeship that will build up other leaders and provide strategies for how you can:activate the gifts of those around youhelp others take ownership of their missiondevelop a simple scorecard for measuring your kingdom-building progressWith rich insights from the Gospels, Hero Maker is packed with real-life ministry stories ranging from paid staff to volunteer leaders--from established churches to new church plants.Whether you lead ten people or ten thousand, Hero Maker will not only help you maximize your leadership impact; but, in doing so, you will also help shift today's church culture to a model of reproduction and multiplication.Chicago pastor and church planter Dave Ferguson and award-winning writer Warren Bird make a compelling case that God's power and purpose are best revealed when we train and release others to further advance the Kingdom of God.By becoming a hero maker and investing in others, you can join a movement of influencers that are impacting thousands of people around the world.Everybody wants to be a hero, but few understand the power of being a hero maker.

What If the Church Truly Empowered People to Engage in God's Mission?Something extraordinary has been happening in Tampa, Florida. A new expression of the church has been quietly growing. It's something of an experiment, but over the last ten years the church has been validating its ideas with sustained and growing results. At The Underground, being the church is not focused around a weekly gathering or church programs. It's about empowering individuals to respond to God's call to ministry and mission, especially to the poor and disadvantaged in our midst.While many churches talk about discerning calling and engaging in mission, very few are structured to make this their ministry focus. Underground Church is a new vision for the church rooted in its biblical mission to share the love of God and serve the poor. Sanders explores how to make structural changes, how to think about leadership, how to fund ministries, and how to truly engage people in God's mission. Filled with creative insights, he explains what it means to center the mission of the church around the callings of individuals to outward ministry - whether that involves leading Bible studies in the workplace, feeding the homeless, or working to free women and children from sex trafficking.This book will both tell the inspiring story of a church that is rethinking what church looks like while also outlining and uncovering the principles that transfer for every church and Christian community that hopes for more. It's the true story of a 10-year experiment that unpacks the possibilities of a church structured and streamlined for mission.