Book Review: Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century

There can be no denying that Aubrey Malphurs is passionate for the church and wants to see it grow and succeed. He has contributed a lot of paper and ink to the topic of the church, and this book contains a lot of that material—425 pages worth to be exact. Anyone reading this book will appreciate the enthusiasm with which Malphurs approaches the subject. After all, he is not only a seminary professor but a pastor as well.

I am not sure, however, that the contents of the book live up to the passion of the author. This book was recommended to me because of Malphurs' expertise in church planting, and with the title of the book I assumed it would have much to suggest to one who is involved in the planting of a new church. But as others have pointed out, the book is not entirely for new church startups. Indeed the subtitle of the book is A Comprehensive Guide for New Churches and Those Desiring Renewal. And not everything that applies to churches seeking renewal is immediately helpful to churches just starting out, or vice-versa.

The book is divided into four sections, nicely (annoyingly?) alliterated. Part 1 is entitled “The Preparation for Church Planting.” Here the author deals with such basics as why there is a need for church planting and how a church plant can be supported. Part 2, “The Personnel of Church Planting,” consists of two chapters dealing with the assessment of a prospective church planter. In Part 3, “The Principles of Church Planting,” the reader will find discussion regarding the traditional aspects of church life such as lay involvement, worship, evangelism, and small groups. Part 4 is dedicated to “The Process of Church Planting.” Here we find what we would expect to see in a book with this title—practical advice for each stage of the church planting process.

There are two reasons that I found this book to be a disappointment. First, it took me 250 pages before I got to the most helpful section of the book (Part 4). I suppose that if one knew absolutely nothing about the church or vocational ministry he might find the first three sections to be informative. But such persons are not likely to pick up this book anyway. The whole assessment process described with much ink in Part 2 is tiring and overdone, again unless you have never been through any type of assessment process. I did not find much new advice in Part 3 either. I wish I had just read Part 4 and skipped the rest. One might wish the book came in an “abridged” version for just such a purpose!

Second, Malphurs' philosophy of church planting seems dated. He appears to be heavily influenced by the Church Growth movement. I lost track of how many times he referenced Willow Creek or Saddleback as examples to emulate. Many of us are frustrated with where such ideology has led the church regardless of how many numbers megachurches like these two can report. It would be nice to hear about a fresh approach to church planting and not one that depends upon high-powered programs to bring unbelievers to our events so trained professionals can “seal the deal.”

Again, one cannot deny that Malphurs has put a lot of the modern thought on church planting in writing and so this book has value so far as that approach can contribute to this activity. I'm sure there are many who might profit from the chapter questions and worksheets that are provided which are intended to help one think through specifics of the task. But for me, there just does not seem to be enough fresh thinking in this book to warrant much attention to it. I was quite disappointed with this one and can only give it 2 ½ stars.

Book Review: Starting a New Church

If you are looking for a book on church planting packed with ideas and not just sage advice, you will do well to read Ralph Moore’s Starting a New Church. Recently I met Ed Stetzer from Lifeway Research and we talked at length about church planting. This was the first book he recommended I read on the subject. I can see why.

One thing I’m discovering is that every church plant is unique, so finding a book that is relevant to your particular church planting situation is not always that easy. While there are now plenty of books to choose from, it can be difficult to find books that are mostly filled with helpful information rather than antiquated ideas and methods.

Ralph Moore certainly knows church planting. This book comes from the pen of one who has done it on several occasions. So the four parts to this book provide a logical progression of stages that seemingly apply to anyone who is planting a church. I will summarize each of these four parts.

First, Moore encourages the reader to think through the church plant. In this section he speaks personally to the church planter. Is this truly a calling from God? Are you really ready to do this? Do you know where you want to go with this effort? Do you know where to get help? (Because you will certainly need it.) One great emphasis that Moore makes is the necessity of a church planter having the support of his local church. It does not have to be financial support. But Moore insists that no one should attempt a church plant without clear backing from his own home church.

In Part Two, Moore even discusses a procedure for making the proposal of a new church plant to the home church. This section on designing the new church covers such practical areas such as the new church’s values, developing a core team, and funding the new church. When considering funding Moore makes the helpful comment that you need two budgets: an operation budget for covering recurring expenses; and an opportunity budget for those larger expenses that come along at unpredictable times. I note this advice because it is part of a larger philosophy that Moore communicates throughout the book. The goal is not to build an organization that merely “makes budget” every year. The goal is an effective church plant. You do not want to become “a tiny pod of operational expenses and a few people” (p. 92). He advises new churches to keep operational expenses at a minimum so that more can be spent on opportunities. Office space and even meeting facilities are operational costs that most people think of when discussing “church.” Technology and missional opportunities are better places to spend your money, Moore advises.

Of course there are many more great ideas in this book that I cannot take time to recount. But in Part Three Moore discusses the actual planting of the new church. It is important to plant a church with a flexible church structure to facilitate growth, and Moore supports the rapid multiplication of churches as the best growth strategy. Thus in Part Four, “Anticipating the Future,” he concludes the book by explaining how every new church should begin their new life as a reproducing church.

What I found most refreshing about this book was that it was full of practical advice without giving the impression that Moore was interested in creating businesses. His passion for church planting was clear. But he did not seem to be corrupted by the temptation to seek power in starting a new church.

An easy read, yet one that provides a wealth of practical advice, I give this one 4 1/2 stars.

Urban Church Planting, the SBC, and Tim Keller

My friend sent me this link, which tells about the influence Tim Keller is having on the move to plant churches in urban areas, even within the Southern Baptist Convention.

One of the changes I have seen in recent church revitalization and church planting is the move to the cities. Southern Baptist churches have predominantly been located in rural areas, although the megachurch movement eventually led churches to start in booming suburban populations. Yet it is a relatively new emphasis and change to see more and more Southern Baptist churches go back to urban population centers and plant their outpost in the heart of the city. Much of this new emphasis can be attributed to the efforts and writing of Tim Keller who pastors Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.

Count me as one of those so influenced. It was this message by Keller that got me to thinking about planting a church in downtown Oklahoma City.