The Unchurched Next Door

The Unchurched Next Door
Author: Thom S. Rainer
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2009-05-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310315778

In a national survey conducted by author Thom Rainer and his staff, eight out of ten unchurched men and women said they would come to church—if only someone would invite them. When and how is the next big question. Rainer helps you figure out where your neighbors, friends, and coworkers are in their spiritual quest, and how you can know who among the unchurched people in your life are receptive to Christ.In this fascinating book, Rainer identifies five “faith stages” that represent your running buddy, your sister-in-law, or your hairdresser. “A discovery we made is that reaching lost and unchurched people is not always best accomplished with some cookie-cutter strategy,” Rainer writes. “The unchurched are different in how they respond to the gospel.” How different? You will be amazed at the variables that exist when it comes to how open people are to the Christian message. Open this book, and open your mind and heart to the powerful new possibilities of reaching The Unchurched Next Door.

Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them

Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them
Author: Thom S. Rainer
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2009-08-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310834104

We’ve read all the hot books on evangelism, we’ve attended scores of seminars—and still we’re not reaching the unchurched. Eighty to ninety percent of churchless Americans will never darken our culturally relevant, seeker-sensitive doors. What are we missing?Maybe we’ve been asking the wrong people. Instead of consulting the unchurched masses, it’s time we heard what the small but important minority who have recently begun attending a church have to say. What made the difference for them? What critical factors helped spark their faith in Jesus and drew them into the community of believers?Thom S. Rainer, dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth, shares the results and conclusions of his school’s groundbreaking survey of the formerly unchurched. At last, here are proven insights into what evangelistically effective churches are doing right. Flying in the face of much contemporary wisdom, the answers will surprise you.This is truly one of the most valuable resources you can own as a church leader. Filled with charts, graphs, and other visual aids, plus an abundance of true-life accounts, this book explodes common myths about the unchurched. You’ll discoverWhy pastors and doctrinal preaching are criticalThe enormous influence of family and relationships Which things matter more than we’d thought, and which matter lessWhat causes visitors to returnThe traits of unchurched-reaching leadersHow to preach effectively to the unchurchedHow to become a church for the unchurchedAnd much, much moreThis eye-opening compendium of information includes reproducible appendices that can help you fine-tune or even restructure your church. From one of the nations foremost authorities on evangelism and church growth, here are insights and tools that will change the way you think of and deal with--and win--unchurched men and women who long to connect with God.Photocopyable material includesUnchurched-Reaching Readiness InventoryChurch Health Survey

High Expectations

High Expectations
Author: Thom S. Rainer
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 205
Release: 1999-02-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433671891

For over a quarter of a century the problem of losing church members has progressively increased. Today the situation is so bad that less than one-third of the members in some churches attend worship services. Church leaders are crying for help.In an effort to help church leaders, the Billy Graham School of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary conducted a massive research project involving nearly 287 churches. The most revealing aspect of the study was that the higher expectations placed on members, the greater the likelihood that the members would stay and be involved with the church. Using the data gathered from this project, Thom Rainer presents the first-ever comprehensive study about 'closing the back door.' Rainer looks at why people are leaving the church and how church leaders can keep the members.

Strangers Next Door

Strangers Next Door
Author: J. D. Payne
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2012-08-02
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830863419

Christians in the West are living among some of the least-reached people groups in the world and have the unprecedented opportunity to share the gospel with them. Here J. D. Payne introduces the phenomenon of human migration to the West and discusses how the Western church ought to respond.

Stained

Stained
Author: Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2010-05-11
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 143911644X

Jocelyn has two boys in her life. And a priest. Gabe has shared fourteen years of growing up next door. He's "a golden boy, an all-star." Yet now, in the spring of 1975, he's missing, disappeared on the brink of senior year at Weaver High. The whole town is set to go searching for him. Benny has only been in New Hampshire since January, yet for Joss, he's the answer to a long-held prayer to be someone in somebody's eyes. She loves them both. Father Warren--hair turning white and "kind of cool in his black clothes"--is the link between the three of them. Or a wedge. Or a threat. For Joss, the priest holds the power over her sense of self; for Benny, power over his soul; for Gabe, so mysterious and alluring, he holds the power of destiny. In a story shot with suspense, these four characters, and the lives of others they've touched in their small town, intermingle with unforgettable force.

Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary

Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary
Author: Lee Strobel
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2010-08-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310872758

Who Are Unchurched Harry and Mary?He or she could be the neighbor who is perfectly happy without God.Or the coworker who scoffs at Christianity.Or the supervisor who uses Jesus’ name only as profanity.Or the family member who can’t understand why religion is so important.Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary isn’t a book of theory. It’s an action plan to help you relate the message of Christ to the people you work around, live with, and call your friends.Using personal experiences, humor, compelling stories, biblical illustrations, and the latest research, Lee Strobel helps you understand non-Christians and what motivates them. The book includes:* 15 key insights into why people steer clear of God and the church* A look at Christianity and its message through the eyes of a former atheist* Practical, inspirational strategies for building relationships with non-Christians* Firsthand advice on surviving marriage to an unbelieving spouse

Breakout Churches

Breakout Churches
Author: Thom S. Rainer
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2010-01-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310293472

"This is the story of thirteen churches and the leaders who moved them from stagnancy to growth and from mediocrity to greatness. Drawing on one of the most comprehensive studies ever on the church, this book reveals the process of becoming a "breakout" church and the factors that lead to this spiritual metamorphosis."--The Publisher description.

The Zondervan 2007 Pastor's Annual

The Zondervan 2007 Pastor's Annual
Author: T. T. Crabtree
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 401
Release: 2006
Genre: Preaching
ISBN: 0310243661

Countless preachers have turned to the Zondervan Pastor's Annual to save them time in sermon and service preparation. This tried-and-true resource makes your demanding job as a pastor a lot easier. Use its contents as is, or tailor them to fit your unique approach. The Zondervan 2007 Pastor's Annual supplies you with: Morning and Evening Services for Every Sunday of the Year Sermon Topics and Texts Fully Indexed Definitive and Usable Sermon Outlines Devotionals and Bible Studies for Midweek Services Fresh and Applicable Illustrations Appropriate Hymn Selections Special-Day Services for Church and Civil Calendars Meditations on Lord's Supper Observance Wedding Ceremonies and Themes Funeral Messages and Scriptures Basic Pastoral Ministry Helps Messages for Children and Young People Offertory Prayers

Essential Church?

Essential Church?
Author: Thom S. Rainer
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2010-10-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 080544937X

Why do so many young adults (18 to 22) leave the church, and what will it take to bring them back? This important question is examined and duly answered in Essential Church?, a follow-up to Thom S. Rainer’s best-selling Simple Church cowritten this time with his son, research expert Sam Rainer. The book is based on a study of one-thousand so-called "church dropouts" who were interviewed about why they left. Their answers are quite surprising, having less to do with "losing their religion" and more about the desire for a community that isn’t made stale by simply maintaining the status quo. In turn, the Rainers offer churches four concrete solutions toward making their worship community an essential part these young people’s lives again: Simplify - develop a clear structure and process for making disciples. Deepen - provide strong biblical teaching and preaching. Expect - let members know the need for commitment to the congregation. Multiply - emphasize evangelism, outward focus, and starting new churches.

The Bridger Generation

The Bridger Generation
Author: Thom S. Rainer
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2006-05
Genre: Children
ISBN: 9780805443813

Trade paperback conversion of popular book from leading church research author Thom S. Rainer.