Stealing sheep: the Church's hidden problems with transfer growth
When people join one church after leaving another, experts call it transfer growth. People in the pew call it church shopping. William Chadwick calls it one of the most dangerous trends to face the body of Christ in decades. He calls it sheep stealing. All around us churches are seeking better and m...
| Main Author: | |
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| Contributors: | |
| Format: | Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Subito Delivery Service: | Order now. |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| WorldCat: | WorldCat |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
Downers Grove, Ill.
InterVarsity Press
2001
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| In: | Year: 2001 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Church Growth School
/ Evangelization
B Church growth / Evangelical movement |
| Further subjects: | B
Church membership
Growth
B Church Growth B Choice of church |
| Online Access: |
Cover (Verlag) |
| Summary: | When people join one church after leaving another, experts call it transfer growth. People in the pew call it church shopping. William Chadwick calls it one of the most dangerous trends to face the body of Christ in decades. He calls it sheep stealing. All around us churches are seeking better and more creative ways to attract people--more dynamic preaching, better worship, more of the Spirit, better drama. Great effort is being expended, but few men and women are actually turning to Christ for the first time. Chadwick contends that even though intended to reach outward, popular church growth strategies mostly result in shifting people from one congregation to another. And many churches never question that growth. How widespread is this trend? Can the causes be pinpointed? How has the prevalence of sheep stealing actually hurt the growth of churches overall? What are the ethical issues that pastors need to face? How can our focus on true evangelism be increased? Can better understanding of what the church is really about help us move forward biblically? These are just a few of the many challenging questions that Chadwick boldly explores in this book. Stealing Sheep is "must reading" for every church that wants to grow. |
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| Item Description: | Includes bibliographical references (p. [175]-187) |
| Physical Description: | 187 S. |
| ISBN: | 0830822798 |