This book is designed to provide assistance to pastors and church leaders on how to reclaim inactive church members. Actual real life illustrations are provided to show how some churches have made efforts to solve this problem.

In this study of church growth and membership retention, Smith argues that if a church is to survive, it must concentrate on keeping its present members as well as attracting new ones. Interviewing people from 600 churches of various sizes and reviewing the causes of membership decline and retention in those churches, Smith asserts that churches must meet members' needs in order to attract and keep them.

The author admits that the church has the highest unemployment rates. The church has been gifted by the Lord with many vital ministries that are available for the growth of the body of Christ. Sadly, the greater percentage of members are neither enrolled nor engaged in the work of the ministry. As a result, very few members keep the local church functioning, while the majority of the members (because of what the author calls, functional paralysis) have neither feeling nor desire to function. Too many congregants are a part of the membership but apart from the ministry. Too many are unaware or uncaring concerning the needs of the body and of the bodys genuine need for them in order to effectively function. What the author describes as paralysis in the pew is a grave yet growing spiritual condition within the local churches. As a physical impediment, paralysis has been drastically improved, even cured, with the aid of physical therapy, prescribed treatments, and personal trust and initiative. It is the authors contention that parallel treatmentswhen viewed spiritually and applied in the spiritual and physical realmcan drastically improve, even cure, paralysis in the pew.

Job descriptions are suggested in this manual for workers in the church and Sunday School. Duties in Christian living and service are provided.

The Church Growth Movement has divided devout Christians. Even though Rainer is an advocate, his aim here is to present an objective view of the movement--its history, the theology associated with it, and the principles which seem to separate churches that grow from those that don't.

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.

Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta was founded in 1886. The name Ebenezer means "rock or stone of help." From a small group of believers, many of whom were former slaves, in a boxlike structure on Airline Alley, Ebenezer has grown to an internationally known church with over 4,000 members. The Gothic architecture of the Heritage Sanctuary on Auburn Avenue, coupled with the influence of the African meetinghouse seen in the architecture of the Horizon Sanctuary across the street, reflects the diversity of outreach of Ebenezer's ministry. Ebenezer has been a beacon of racial pride and social consciousness. The love and cooperation between the members and the pastor have created a family atmosphere that has sustained the growth and expansion of the church.

Whether in the home or in the church or in a Christian school, the challenge of contemporary Christian educators is to meet the academic needs of students while remaining unswerving in adherence to biblical principles. Christian Education: Foundations for the Future introduces you to the basics of a healthy Christian education program, then takes you beyond, showing you how to develop a fresh, innovative Christian education program that will revitalize your church, home, or school.

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For: •Individual use •Group training Includes self-assessment and do’s and don’ts for various special-needs situations. Whether visiting people in their homes, in the hospital, or in a restaurant over a cup of coffee, the simple act of connecting with others is filled with powerful possibilities. The act of friendship is an inroad to hearts and lives that creates trust, value, and incredible potential for ministry. Serving in Church Visitation helps you to •Be Motivated: How Does the Bible Model the Importance of Visitation? •Be Prepared: What Kind of Person Makes a Good Visitor? •Be Informed: What Kind of Visits Are Possible? •Be Involved: What Kind of Inreach Visits Can Be Made? •Be Equipped: How Should Scripture and Prayer Be Used? Zondervan Practical Ministry Guides provide you with simple, practical insights for serving in today’s churches. Written by experienced pastors and church workers, these easy-to-read, to-the-point booklets address the fundamentals of different ministries as practiced effectively in real life. You’ll find biblical insight and wise, field-tested advice you can apply today, as well as discussion questions to help you think through and integrate what you read.