Loren Mead, More Than Numbers: the Way Churches Grow. Alban Institute, 1993.
Referenced in: Congregational Renewal – Integrated Spiritual/Strategic
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This text on church development and renewal that has enjoyed wide use among both Evangelicals and Protestants. It is a healthy challenge to our obsession with numerical growth, and while respectful of that dimension, encourages a more holistic approach to assessing church effectiveness. This theme gets considerable attention in the current literature on church leadership, but Mead expressed it well enough almost twenty years ago that many of his statements are still quoted today.
From the Publisher
Mead explores what church growth and evangelism really mean in a time when it is mathematically impossible for every congregation to achieve significant numerical growth. He argues provocatively that spiritual, organizational, and missional growth are just as important as numerical growth, and that all four are needed for a truly healthy and growing church. Case studies and discussion questions are included.
About the Author
Loren B. Mead is president emeritus of the Alban Institute, which he founded in 1974. Since his retirement in 1993, he has continued to consult with congregations, lecture, and write. He has written many books, including The Once and Future Church: Reinventing the Church for a New Mission Frontier (Alban, 1991), and A Change of Pastors (Alban, 2005).
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