Charles Lawless, Membership Matters: Insights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and Assimilation. Zondervan, 2005.
Referenced in: Welcoming and New Member Ministry
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Based on extensive research of over fifty effective evangelistic churches, Lawless presents the most comprehensive discussion of best practices relative to new member classes. It is full of sound advice with sixteen appendices of sample forms and outlines.
From the Publisher
Insights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and Assimilation Findings from a national study to improve membership classes and to motivate current members into active ministry How do churches move members—-both old and new—- into ministry? Many church staff and lay leaders know they need to start new member classes as a point of entry into their churches but don’t know how. This book is based on a national study of effective churches and shows how growing churches implement new member classes and motivate their members into ministry. Membership Matters is designed to be a guide for church leaders wanting to start or improve a membership class. It includes models for classes and examples of resources such as church covenants, class schedules, and lesson outlines. It also gives direction on motivating uninvolved members to participate in ministry. One chapter chronicles an ongoing discussion among pastors of growing churches that are effectively motivating members to do ministry.
About the Author
Chuck Lawless is professor and senior associate dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served as a pastor for almost twenty years, and is the author of Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Truth for Victory, Discipled Warriors: Healthy Churches Winning Spiritual Warfare, Making Disciples through Mentoring, Serving in Your Church’s Prayer Ministry, and Eating the Elephant. Dr. Lawless speaks extensively around the country.
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