The Gospel-Driven Church
Uniting Church Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace
- 224 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Many evangelical churches face the problem of the open "back door"--even as new people arrive, older members are leaving, looking for something else. Combined with this problem is the discipleship deficit, the difficult truth that most evangelicals are not reaching the unchurched at the rates they think they are. In fact, many of the metrics that we often "count" in the church to highlight success really don't tell us the full story of a church's spiritual state. Things like attendance, decisions, dollars, and experiences can tell us something about a church, but not everything.
To cultivate a spiritually healthy church we need a shift in our metrics--a "grace-shift" that prioritizes the work of God in the lives of people over numbers and dollars. Are people growing in their esteem for Jesus? Is there a dogged devotion to the Bible as the ultimate authority for life? Is there a growing interest in theology and doctrine? A discernible spirit of repentance? And perhaps most importantly, is there evident love for God and for our neighbors in the congregation?
Leading a church culture to shift from numerical success to the metrics of grace can be costly, but leaders who have conviction, courage, and commitment can lead while avoiding some of the landmines that often destroy churches. Wilson includes diagnostic questions that will help leaders measure--and lead team transparency in measuring as a group--the relative spiritual health of their church, as well as a practical prescriptive plan for implementing this metric-measuring strategy without becoming legalistic.
Most attractional church models can lean heavily on making changes to the weekend worship gatherings. And while some of these changes can be good, thriving grace-focused churches are driven by a commitment to the gospel, allowing the gospel to inform and shape the worship service and the various ministries of the church.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Meet LifePoint Church
- 1. The Dilemma: What If It’s Not Working?
- 2. The Metrics That Don’t Tell Us Everything: Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
- 3. The Five Metrics That Matter Most: Going Deeper Than Bodies and Budgets
- 4. Putting the Gospel In the Driver’s Seat: Repurposing Your Church Around Spiritual Power
- 5. Steering from the Stage: Changing the Message Changes the Movement
- 6. Building Your Service Around Beholding: Designing the Gathering for Real Transformation
- 7. Pressing the Gospel Reset On Church Community: Fostering a Discipleship Culture In Your Church
- 8. Moving Toward Mission: Turning the Corner from “Come and See” to “Go and Tell”
- 9. The Three Things You Will Need: Your Model Is Only As Strong As Your Mentality
- 10. Leading Change In a Gracious Way: How to Do All This Without Blowing Up Your Church
- Appendix 1: Summary of Principles
- Appendix 2: Gospel-Centered Troubleshooting
- Recommended Resources
- Acknowledgments
- Notes