Book identifies growing churches

Surprising Insights From the Unchurched Thom S. Rainer. Zondervan Publishing House.

Ninety percent of unchurched people choose a church because of the pastor and his preaching. This information and other insights are provided from a new scientific study of people who are non-churchgoers who become committed to the church. Surprising Insights From the Unchurched provides significant practical guidelines to help your church become more effective in reaching the unchurched. Rainer is the Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His study identifies churches that are growing evangelistically. Next he studies the reasons unchurched became members of the church, and, in doing so, he asks them what made them come to their church and join it. These 353 people who have come into church membership in the last 12 months prior to the study from a non-church background are compared to a group of people who have transferred from other churches.

This book is a must read for elders and pastors who are interested in moving an effective church to have a more impacting ministry and for churches that have plateaued, to change direction and start growing.

It is interesting to learn that the most important personal relationship that leads a person to come to church is a family member in 42% of the cases and in that case it was the wife who in 35% of the instances was the key relative while parents are used in 9% of the time. Next to the pastor as being a key influence on people coming to a church, strong doctrine was also noted by the unchurched in 88% of the cases, worship style counted in 11% of the cases. Effective pastors spend 22 hours a week on sermon preparation, pastors of non-effective churches spend 4 hours a week. This and other information can help your church become a cutting-edge, growing congregation.

Michael D.E. Brown is pastor of New Hope Christian Church, Delta, B.C.