Church Transfusion: Changing Your Church Organically - From the Inside Out

ISBN-13: 9781118131282 / Angielski / Twarda / 2012 / 240 str.

Neil Cole; Phil Helfer

Opis

Just as our life is in our blood, the life for Christ's body is in His blood. Changing a church is more than a new goal or direction. Our churches need more than an organizational transition; we need a full transfusion of Jesus' blood, His life, within every disciple. Anything less than that will only perpetuate more of the dysfunction and unhealthy church practices that have already plagued us for too long. We are in desperate need of the internally transforming power of the gospel of grace and the presence of Christ so that our salvation is then worked out in a way the rest of the world will notice. It isn't enough that we believe in the facts contained in the gospel, we must allow the gospel itself to infect our souls and transform us from within. The DNA of Jesus' lifeblood is needed in our churches and nothing shy of a full transfusion that touches every cell will be sufficient. In this book Neil Cole (author of Organic Church, Church Transfusion and Journeys to Significance) and Phil Helfer, co-founders of Church Multiplication Associates, will first point out that change is possible with God, but only with God. In the second half of the book they will lay out some of the actual practical considerations to weigh if you want to release real organic health in your church. Using multiple examples of very different kinds of churches that have been through the process, the authors present ways that leadership and practices need to change in order to release organic church movements from their midst. Chapters cover:

• Leadershifts necessary
• Detoxification from dependence issues.
• How to ignite change virally.
• How to grandparent movements.
• How to measure success in movements.

This book (another in the Leadership Network series) applies organic life principles to established churches with practical help that is holistic and natural. The content in this book will be helpful whether you are pastor of an established church or wanting to revitalize a small organic church. Jesus didn't die and rise from the dead so that we can be like everyone else in the world. Our faith is more than just a better doctrine or a bigger goal with a capital giving campaign; it is a better life. Jesus is the difference, and what a difference he makes...don't be satisfied with less.

Spis treści

Foreword xi
Dave Ferguson

Preface xiii
Neil Cole

Acknowledgments xvii

Part One: Change Is Possible with God 1

1 So What s the Difference? 3

2 Basic Organic Principles That Work in All Contexts 13

3 No Longer Business as Usual 24

4 Churches in Transfusion 42

Part Two: Implementing Change from the Inside Out 65

5 Dying as if Your Life Depended on It 67

6 Detoxifying from Dependence 82

7 How Small People Cause Big Problems 101

8 Leadershifts 114

9 Disciples, Disciples, Disciples 129

10 Water the Green Spot 136

11 Healthy Reproduction 154

12 New Measures of Success 170

13 The Price of Transfusion 185

Conclusion: Equipping People for Ministry in the World 196

Notes 199

The Authors 205

Index 207

O autorze

Neil Cole is an experienced and innovative church planter and pastor. He is the cofounder and executive director of Church Multiplication Associates. He is the author of Church 3.0, Organic Church, and Journeys to Significance, all from Jossey–Bass.

Phil Helfer is the cofounder of Church Multiplication Associates and the pastor of Los Altos Grace Church. He is an expert on incorporating organic church principles into conventional churches.

ABOUT LEADERSHIP NETWORK The mission of Leadership Network identifies and connects innovative church leaders, providing them with resources in the form of new ideas, people, and tools. Contact Leadership Network at leadnet.org.

Blurb

Praise for Church Transfusion

"This looks like a book about how to change the church, but don′t be fooled. It′s actually about how to change the world! If churches would stick out their arm and submit to this kind of transfusion they would learn again to love Jesus, to do life together, and to demonstrate God′s holy righteousness and love to a broken world. This book is life–giving!"
Michael Frost, author, Road to Missional and The Shaping of Things to Come

"In Church Transfusion, organic church activists Neil and Phil turn their attention to helping cure the many ills and dysfunctions of the established church. They not only bring their remarkable organic sensibilities and perspectives to the task, but they provide us with a vital theology, a Jesus–based spirituality, and a working methodology of renewal in the process."
Alan Hirsch, coauthor, The Permanent Revolution, and author, The Forgotten Ways (www.alanhirsch.org)

"The Church faces challenges in the West like never before. People are looking for models and patterns that promise much, but what they find delivers little. The key is not a model, but a mindset, a DNA, core principles, that when applied change everything. Cole and Helfer provide all of that in this book. I loved it. You will have to think if you read this."
Bob Roberts, Jr, senior pastor, NorthWood Church; author, Real–Time Connections, Glocalization, Transformation, and The Multiplying Church

"Many churches today are struggling or even dying. These churches aren′t in need of transition, they need a transfusion and this book will show you how. I am grateful for Neil and Phil′s passion to see the local church make a comeback."
Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research; author, Comeback Churches, and coauthor, Viral Churches

"In a time when the church is under attack from forces inside and out, Neil masterfully combines absolute biblical truisms with bold, doable practices that any church can make a reality. Church Transfusion is both foundational and far–edge thinking."
Hugh Halter, author, The Tangible Kingdom and Sacrilege