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 discover Why pastors and doctrinal preaching are critical The enormous influence of family and relationships Which things matter more than we'd thought, and which matter less What causes visitors to return The traits of unchurched-reaching leaders How to preach effectively to the unchurched How to become a church for the unchurched And much, much more This 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 includes Unchurched-Reaching Readiness Inventory Church Health Survey

Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them

Religion & Spirituality

Rainer, Thom S.

Christian Books & Bibles

Zondervan

Following Jesus is a journey none of the people in this book ever expected to take. Why did they? What difference did it make? The book you’re holding is dangerous. If you read it, you’ll see that God is still active in saving even the most unexpected people: An atheist woman who viewed Christians as “idiots.” A married couple high in the leadership ranks of the Mormon church. An African-American man who became a Black Muslim out of hatred for white Christians. You’ll be amazed, moved, and encouraged as you read their compelling stories and the stories of nine others who made The Unexpected Journey from non-Christian beliefs to faith in Jesus Christ. You’ll rediscover the power of the gospel. You might even be emboldened to tell others about Christ yourself. Unexpected journeys beyond • Mormonism • Judaism • Hinduism • Atheism • Jehovah’s Witness • Agnosticism • Wiccan Paganism • Buddhism • Unitarianism • Astrology • Islam • Satanism

The Unexpected Journey: Conversations with People Who Turned from Other Beliefs to Jesus

Biographies & Memoirs

Leaders & Notable People

Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap

Breakout Churches Can Your Church Become One? 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. Eighty percent of the approximately 400,000 churches in the United States are either declining or at a plateau. Is there hope for the American church? Breakout Churches offers a resounding “yes!” and offers specific examples and principles to help you and your church become more effective.

Breakout Churches: Discover How To Make The Leap

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.

The Unchurched Next Door: Understanding Faith Stages as Keys to Sharing Your Faith

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Gardening & Landscape Design

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 enter 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 Rainer shares results and conclusions of this groundbreaking survey of the formerly unchurched. At last, here are proven insights into what evangelistically effective churches are doing right. Filled with charts, graphs, and other visual aids, plus an abundance of true-life accounts, this book explodes myths about the unchurched. You will discover: • Why pastors and doctrinal preaching are critical • The enormous influence of family and relationships • Which things matter more than we thought, and which matter less • The traits of unchurched-reaching leaders • How to become a church for the unchurched

Breakout Churches¬ … what does it take for your church to break out of mediocrity? In search of answers, Thom Rainer and his research team conducted a landmark study on the church. Unfolding the findings of that study, Breakout Churches furnishes both principles and examples to show how you as a pastor or church leader can help your church break out of the status quo into unprecedented fruitfulness. Of the thousands of churches examined in the study, thirteen met the criteria for a “breakout church.” All of them experienced both a period of struggle and a time of sustained breakout growth under the same pastor’s leadership. Transitioning from mediocrity to excellence over several years, they grew to have an impact on the entire community. Breakout Churches tells the story of these churches and their pastors. And, using a statistical approach, it identifies key patterns and characteristics common to churches that experienced turnarounds.

A growing church is a living church, but much of the attention in church growth today is focused on making big churches bigger. This encouraging new book shows members of small and medium-sized congregations how to revive and expand their ministries as well. Churches of every size tend to plateau in attendance and never break free of their self-imposed limitations or 'growth barriers'. This book gives detailed, practical instructions for breaking through those barriers to new levels of impact and service in the community. The EveryChurch Guide to Growth rallies church leaders and members to develop plans for strength and solid growth in the future.

The Everychurch Guide to Growth: How Any Plateaued Church Can Grow

Reference

Towns, Elmer L.

Wagner, C.Peter

Encyclopedias & Subject Guides

B&H Books

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.

The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles

History

Baptist Sunday School Board

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.

High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church

The Book of Church Growth

B&H Academic

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Rainer, Thom S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Rainer, Thom S.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Rainer, Thom S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them

The Unexpected Journey: Conversations with People Who Turned from Other Beliefs to Jesus

Breakout Churches: Discover How To Make The Leap

The Unchurched Next Door: Understanding Faith Stages as Keys to Sharing Your Faith

Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them

Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap

The Everychurch Guide to Growth: How Any Plateaued Church Can Grow

The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles

High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church

The Book of Church Growth