Learn the values of small group and house church dynamics with lots of field-tested practical insights. Today, the church is waking up to the simple and successful house-to-house strategy practiced by the New Testament church 2000 years ago. House to House documents how God led a small group of young believers in Pennsylvania to become an international house-to-house movement. Dove International transitioned from a small group-based mega church into a family of small group-based churches and house churches networking together throughout six continents of the world.

When Jesus thought about the church, what did he imagine? Most churches are small, and rightly so. With power being redistributed in our time, networks of smaller enterprises are both growing and thriving. The yearning for participation and empowerment has us all looking for versions of church that make room for everyone. Perhaps, after all our hand wringing and insecurity about the size of our churches, we have missed the point. Microchurches can be strong, beautiful, accessible, and potent portraits of just what Jesus had in mind, if not for all time, at least for ours.

Rev Prof Alexander Balmain Bruce (1831-1899) was a Scottish theologian and minister of the Free Church of Scotland. Published in 1871, The Training of the Twelve is an ambitious biography and classic study of Jesus' selection and training of his apostles. A chapter is dedicated to each of the 12 (Bruce includes sound arguments on the identity of the three unnamed apostles) in which the different traits and circumstances of each apostle is discussed.

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?

The most dramatic Church growth in history in ancient and in modern times has occurred where there were no church buildings - just believers multiplying from house to house. This book looks at the philosophy and practicality of “home church” for today.

Church planters generally are optimistic and enthusiastic about church planting for this generation. Many are launching or about to experiment with innovative approaches to plant churches that engage the marketplace. They are applying missional perspectives to reach this large mission field. This book documents and explores these innovative approaches to church planting.

Paul Yonggi Cho describes his church as both the smallest and the largest in the world. The plan of home cell groups developed there has brought about not only phenomenal growth, but also intimate fellowship and involvement. He details everything you need to know to make home cell groups work.

In Empowering Leadership author and leadership consultant Michael Fletcher says leaders can't simply be bought, nor can they be hired from someone else's leadership assembly line. To create an environment that attracts potential leaders, and to build better leaders faster, an organization needs more than a pipeline. It needs a culture that develops leaders organically.

Whether you are a pastor, a volunteer, or a church member, you want your church to grow well. After all, there’s no better place to experience God than in the loving, healthy community of a church. But what does an effective church look like? Is it possible to grow and be healthy at the same time? The Blessed Church, Pastor Morris brings you practical wisdom for cultivating real growth by nurturing true and Biblical health in your spiritual community.

Jesus’ command to “go make disciples” is the foundational precept of the Great Commission. Pastor Stan Gleason explores the church’s critical mandate to make disciples from biblical, theoretical, and practical viewpoints. An accomplished disciple maker himself, the author encourages every believer to make disciples.

Based on scriptural teachings and the author's personal experiences, this book discusses principles for church growth and provides practical examples and suggestions. The discussion applies to churches of various sizes, from daughter works and home-missions efforts to assemblies with a regular attendance of over 500.

Does following Jesus feel impossible? Are you trying hard to be a good Christian while secretly feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? Las Vegas pastor Vance Pitman spent almost a decade of his Christian journey trying hard to live the Christian life. For years, he tried - and for years he failed miserably. In Unburdened, Vance closely examines the life of Jesus in the Gospels to reveal the soul-awakening truths that have set him and many others free from the burden of religion.

In Fan the Flame, best-selling author and pastor Jim Cymbala looks at the pressing need for spiritual leadership by focusing our attention on Acts 20—Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian church. Along the way, Jim includes stories from his own experience at The Brooklyn Tabernacle, a church he has led for more than forty years.

All Christian disciples have one thing in common: As they carry the Gospel across the ocean and across the street, persecution will become the norm for those who choose to follow Jesus. How believers respond in the face of persecution reveals everything about their level of faith and obedience. The Insanity of Obedience is a bold challenge to global discipleship. Nik Ripken exposes the danger of safe Christianity and calls listeners to something greater.

Do you ever feel like a spectator in God’s kingdom? Perhaps you know there’s something you should be doing, but you just can’t pinpoint it. Most of us want to make a big impact with our lives but struggle with questions. In this profound audiobook, best-selling author John Bevere relies on a careful exploration of Scripture and uses powerful stories to help you think differently about your calling and why it’s so important to God. As you hear these words, you’ll be empowered to multiply your God-given gifts and step into your potential.

Whether you are a pastor, a volunteer, or a church member, you want your church to grow well. After all, there’s no better place to experience God than in the loving, healthy community of a church. But what does an effective church look like? Is it possible to grow and be healthy at the same time? The Blessed Church, Pastor Morris brings you practical wisdom for cultivating real growth by nurturing true and Biblical health in your spiritual community.

Real-Life Discipleship explains what should happen in the life of every Christian and in every small group so that the church becomes an army of believers dedicated to seeing the world saved. With the overriding goal to train disciples who know how to make more disciples, this book offers proven tools and strategies from Real Life Ministries, one of America’s fastest-growing churches. Discover what the Bible says about true and effective discipleship with these strategies and practices.

Every follower of Jesus Christ should be able to answer two simple questions: Who is investing in me?Whom am I investing in? God desires to pour an abundance of spiritual and emotional capital into your life - directly and through older and wiser believers. And he wants to use you to pour spiritual and emotional capital into the lives of others. Along the way, you’ll be changed. Others will change. God calls this process of spiritual investing "making disciples". It’s the heart of the Great Commission.

Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion; how to open a conversation about faith and belief; how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the great story of Jesus; how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship; and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.

Dann Spader is a disciple-maker who has spent his adult life exploring what it means to take someone from being a seeker to making disciples themselves. Over 750,000 people in 80 countries have been trained to make disciples through organizations he has led. Through studying the life of Christ and his disciple-making methods, Dann developed 4 Chair Discipling, a simple picture for others to follow. Jesus’ last words on earth had a few very specific instructions: Go, make disciples, baptize, and teach.

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, Brandon offers practical ideas for creating service-based, missional communities and explains how the organizational structure of a church can be created or restructured for mission in any context.

Do you ever feel like a spectator in God’s kingdom? Perhaps you know there’s something you should be doing, but you just can’t pinpoint it. Most of us want to make a big impact with our lives but struggle with questions. In this profound audiobook, best-selling author John Bevere relies on a careful exploration of Scripture and uses powerful stories to help you think differently about your calling and why it’s so important to God. As you hear these words, you’ll be empowered to multiply your God-given gifts and step into your potential.

In Strong Through the Storm, pastor and best-selling author Jim Cymbala speaks to every Christian who is concerned about the challenges the church is facing in America today. Using powerful stories of people who have been transformed by Christ, Cymbala offers hope, helping Christians to understand that a life surrendered to Christ will not be easily defeated, even in the midst of growing hostility toward Christians. No matter how much spiritual darkness encompasses the world, the light of the gospel cannot be suppressed.

In this vital, eye-opening book, best-selling author Ed Silvoso digs into Scripture, unearthing Jesus' true design for his church - his Ekklesia. He shows how the early church was a radical, countercultural force of people who transformed the hostile, pagan places in which they lived. Here Dr. Silvoso shows how we, in the midst of the social, economic, political, and moral chaos in our world today, can once again become the revolutionary, transformational, life-giving Ekklesia Jesus called us to be.

In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, best-selling author Pete Scazzero combines three decades of wisdom with hard lessons from his own ministry journey. He lays out what is required for church leaders to multiply deeply changed people who are growing in relationship with God, themselves, and others. Scazzero begins with four beneath-the-surface, systemic gaps that undermine serious discipleship. He provides a clear vision for a church culture that deeply changes lives and then practically unpacks the seven biblical marks of emotionally healthy discipleship.

In the mid-1980s, Dr. Shariat together with his wife, prayed, “Lord, use us to save Iran!” His passion for Muslims stems, in part, because of the murder of his brother, Hamraz, who was arrested in Iran at the age of 16 on a minor political charge. After two years in jail, he was executed by firing squad. God showed Hormoz the best way to respond to this tragedy was to dedicate his life to bring one million Muslims to salvation in Christ. Join Dr. Shariat on a journey out of bondage to Islam to freedom in Christ.

Discipling your family can feel like an intimidating task, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming or complicated. With a simple plan in place, discipleship is something every parent can do. Pastors Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin have made it their mission to help you develop a sustainable rhythm of gospel-centered discipleship focused in three key areas: time, moments, and milestones, as you raise your children in the love and fear of the Lord.

What to do when they say they’re Christian but don’t know Jesus. Whether it’s the Christmas and Easter Christians or the faithful church attenders whose hearts are cold toward the Lord, we’ve all encountered cultural Christians. They’d check the Christian box on a survey, they’re fine with church, but the truth is, they’re far from God. So how do we bring Jesus to this overlooked mission field? The Unsaved Christian equips you to confront cultural Christianity with honesty, compassion, and grace, whether you’re doing it from the pulpit or the pews.

A trustworthy and respected guide for pastors and church leadership in the post-quarantine world, providing hope and vision for the future of your congregation.

Bill Willits and best-selling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly 8,000 adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta . Simply put, the five principles clearly described here have passed the test. This is not just another book about community; this is a book about strategy - strategy that builds a small group culture.