A groundbreaking guide for multiplying the impact of church plants

Based on a study that was commissioned by the Leadership Network, this book reveals the best practices in church planting and uncovers the common threads among them. A much-needed resource, this book will inform, guide, and even catalyze today's many church planting leaders. The authors clearly show leaders how to plant churches that create a multiplication movement and offer inspiration for them to do so. The book addresses their questions about what to do next in their church planting strategies, in light of research on what's actually working best.

Offers a definitive guide for church planting and the burgeoning movement it is part of.

ED STETZER, PH.D., is president of LifeWay Research, visiting professor of research and missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, visiting research professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a contributing editor for Christianity Today, and a columnist for Outreach Magazine and Catalyst Monthly. He has been a church planter and has trained pastors and church planters on five continents. His books include Planting Missional Churches.

WARREN BIRD, PH.D., directs the research division at Leadership Network, teaches atAlliance Theological Seminary, and regularly contributes to several magazines. An ordained minister, he has been involved in five church plants. Bird has coauthored twenty-one books includingStarting a New Church.

About Leadership Network ix

Foreword xiRick Warren

1 Introduction 1

2 Church Planting: The New Evangelism 11

3 Growth by Multiplication: Big Contrast to Addition 31

4 New Players: Aggressive Local Churches and Church Planting Networks 49

5 Kingdom Cooperation: Church Planters Learning Together 67

6 Predictors of Success: Recruitment, Assessment, and Deployment 83

7 Thriving: New Church Survival Rates 101

8 House Churches: Separating Reality from Fiction 115

9 Multisite Strategy: A Fast-Growing Trend That Affects Planting 129

10 Rapid Growth: Still Not Reproduction 139

11 Funding: Partnerships Matter 149

12 The New Scorecard: Measuring a Church Multiplication Movement 161

13 Obstacles to Missional Replication: What Holds Us Back 185

14 Conclusion: Solving the Toughest Challenges 195

Acknowledgments 209

Appendix: List of Churches and Networks Cited 211

Notes 215

Annotated Bibliography for Church Multiplication 225

The Authors 233

Index 237

Scripture Index 244