Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit

Description

There is a lost and hurting world next door, down the street, and across oceans. As churches and Christ-followers, we are mandated to reach those who are lost with the Good News of Jesus.

Unfortunately, too often, churches and individuals rely on business techniques, charismatic leadership, or other human endeavors.

Is something crucial missing from your congregation’s programs?

Beneath the surface of churches’ programs and activities lies the more fundamental question of how leaders and churches can be enabled to discern and obediently cooperate with the guidance and empowering of the Holy Spirit.

Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit offers a practical guide for nurturing  churches in the dynamic cooperative process, drawing on a breadth of experience from around the world.

Since the Kingdom of God is an active expression of His reign on earth, it is extended and realized as individuals and churches seek and submit to His will and purposes.

Many leaders overlook the necessary precondition of discerning and cooperating with the empowering will of the Holy Spirit before putting their plans into action.

But how is this to be accomplished?

Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit gives seven principles to pastors and church leaders on how to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than outside influences, to grow Christ’s church.  This book offers a biblical basis and practical approach for nurturing a dynamic cooperative process within churches, drawing on experience from around the world.  Learn these dynamics and practice them, renewal and transformation will come to your congregation.

This book which gathers up the practical teaching on the Holy Spirit and makes direct application to the local congregation. This is for pastors, church leaders and all who love the church and want her to be the body of Jesus Christ.

Here are comments from two pastors whose congregations serve as examples in the book because they are applying the principles that we describe.

“Every congregational leader should read Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit ! What the reader will not find is another magical programmatic formula. What the reader will find is a refreshing balanced biblical understanding of the very heart of God’s plan to grow His Kingdom. The two foundations and seven dynamics expounded in the book are biblical elements tested in the crucible of everyday ministry. We started our church on these foundations and dynamics and we have the joy of watching God reap His bountiful harvest through us! The Body of Christ will be enriched, deepened, and expanded by implementing the dynamics taught in this book.”

-The Rev. Dr. Peyton Johnson, Founding Pastor of Lakeview Community Church
Tarpon Springs, Florida

“So many church growth books assume know-how on the part of leaders with regard to praying and hearing from the Lord, but the crying need of leaders is to learn how to hear and grow strong in cooperating with the Holy Spirit before jumping into the vast array of strategic planning models. Growing the Church should serve as a basic 101 course for leaders seeking to dance with the Holy Spirit, that is, to discern the leading and to move with the Holy Spirit in the mission of the local church.

-The Rev. Dr. Richard White, Senior pastor, Montreat Presbyterian Church
Montreat, North Carolina

As these dynamics combine together, facilitated by the leadership yet made real by the Holy Spirit, we experience a complex reality that evidences Jesus’ reign as head of His body, the church. These are:

• Dynamic # 1 – Divine Love Drawing Us into Participation
• Dynamic # 2 – Intercessory Prayer: Inviting God’s Engagement
• Dynamic #3 – The Gift of Faith: Opening the Door to God’s Activity
• Dynamic # 4 – Spiritual Discernment: Making Obedience Safe
• Dynamic # 5 – Receiving Divine Guidance for Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
• Dynamic # 6 – Welcoming the Gifts and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit
• Dynamic # 7 – Seeing and Responding to “Kairos” Moments

The focus is not on church structures, activities or styles of worship, but on the deeper issue of allowing the Lord to direct the life of His church. Examples from case studies provide insights into the leadership practicalities of introducing these dynamics into the life of local congregations. There are unique advantages when planting new churches,but the book focuses especially on the task of transforming the attitudes, understanding, ethos, and practices of existing congregations for cooperation with the Holy Spirit.