Movimientos de Plantacion de Iglesias: Como Dios Esta Redimiendo al Mundo Perdido

by David Garrison

Esta antigua profecia cumpliendo hoy en maneras que nunca antes creimos posibles. Dios esta alcanzando a millones para que tengan un vida nueva en Jesucristo a traves de los movimientos de plantacion de iglesias.

Genres: Church, Christian, Nonfiction, Ecclesiology, Evangelism, Spirituality

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

For 25 years David Garrison has served as a missionary with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. His assignments have included Associate Vice President for Global Strategy, Regional Leader for South Asia, Interim Regional Leader for Central and Eastern Europe, and Interim Regional Leader for Northern Africa and the Middle East. Prior to that, Garrison directed the work of the International Mission Board’s Cooperative Services International program which opened new work among 40 previously unengaged people groups. Garrison’s quest to understand and join God’s global mission has led him to study a dozen languages and visit more than 80 countries, serving as a missionary in Hong Kong, Germany, France, England, Egypt, Tunisia, and India.

Garrison has degrees from Ouachita Baptist University (B.A., 1979), Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.,1982), the University of Chicago Divinity School (Ph.D., 1988).

Garrison has taught at Hong Kong Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Seminary, and Columbia Biblical Seminary, in addition to leading seminars and workshops internationally. His books include The Nonresidential Missionary (MARC, 1990), Something New Under the Sun (IMB, 1998), the booklet Church Planting Movements (IMB, 2000), The Camel Workshop: A Practical Guide to Muslim Evangelism (WIGTake Resources, 2009), and Church Planting Movements: How God Is Redeeming a Lost World (WIGTake Resources, 2004). Dr. Garrison currently lives with his wife of 30 years, Sonia, and two of their four children in Colorado where he serves as the International Mission Board’s Global Strategist for Evangelical Advance.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be honest, I was not expecting to like this book coming into it, as I have listened to several podcasts and have read many articles and books that critique it. However, I fear that my concerns coming into this book were either confirmed or further confused.

David Garrison is extremely passionate about seeing the whole world reached with the gospel, and you can see his emotion clearly in his writing. He has also seen some amazing things that the Lord has done across the globe for His name's sake. One thing that I did appreciate was his emphasis on prayer. We need more prayer among global workers and churches for the unreached! For that I praise the Lord!

Sadly though, his book was like a sales-pitch to his "God-approved" method of church planting. He provided characteristics of his method as well as things that prevent his method from working; however, a good bit of them were pretty flawed and nuanced. When using Scripture to back up his claims, most of them were taken out of context and mis-prescribed. Lastly, there was a huge neglect of the sovereignty of God, through the ordinary means of grace, to bring about revival, and what that created was indeed revivalism.

May we seek His will through the Scriptures, being faithful to present a lovely Bride to our Lord.

Rating 2.25

[Paul, · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked reading about what God is doing across the world. I like a lot of the basic premises in the book. Raising up indigenous leaders, house churches, preventing dependence on foreign funds, intentional reproduction, lay leadership, etc are all great concepts. On the flip side, the book came off a little too ... prescriptive. A little too interested in "Strategy Coordinators" and "Church Planting Movements". A least that is my opinion. If you took those two words out of the book, and just looked at the different elements that are appearing in healthy, reproducing churches across the world, I think you would have a great (not to mention inspiring) book. But when the book starts getting prescriptive, the relatively astute theologian starts getting uncomfortable with its mechanistic tendencies, "if you do A, then B must happen". It is fair to say that the authors explicitly deny that there is a formula for reproductive churches, but their denial falls a little flat after reading the book as a whole and seeing all the formulas. Worth reading at least the first half of this book for Christians just to see what God is doing!

[C.J. Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

In general, I’m thankful that legitimate church planting movements have taken place. We should observe that work and give thanks for the blessing of fruit (in cases where healthy disciples and churches were made). Nearly half of the book is Garrison’s tracking of where movements have taken place, though I’m skeptical of some of his claims from church history. The rest of the book gives definitions, as well as universal and common elements of movements. He also provides elements of our work that will prevent movements.

The book’s most glaring weakness is the promise throughout that what he’s saying isn’t prescriptive as he goes on to prescribe what one should and should not do (to “cooperate with God”) in making church planting movements take off. I’d also say there’s a general tone of hubris throughout—that this is THE WAY the Great Commission will be fulfilled, so we should get on board unless we want to oppose God’s clear purposes.

More could be said—Goodreads just doesn’t feel like the place to say it.

[Michael Abraham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Garrison examines several Church Planting Movements (CPM) in Southeast Asia, North Africa, China, Latin America, Central Asia, Western Europe, and Ethiopia. He identifies their universal characteristics, examines common obstacles, analyzes case studies, and provides practical application to begin and nurture CPMs. Garrison defines a CPM as “a rapid and multiplicative increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group or population segment” (Garrison, 7). According to Garrison, rapid increase is a key component to a CPM. He admits that heresy might be a problem of CPMs but argues that CPMs present the “greatest potential for the largest number of lost individuals glorifying God…”.

There are numerous problems with Garrison’s methodology but the primary problem is his lack of a biblical ecclesiology. While Garrison provides the definition for a CPM, he offers no definition for a local church. This omission reveals the potential for cracks at the foundation of Garrison’s argument. How can one assess all these planted churches without a definition of the church?

Garrison also shows confusion on the doctrine of conversion, as he describes discipling non-Christians into the Christian faith and only baptizing people along with their household. Though this idea of "belonging before believing" is popular in evangelicalism today, it is contrary to Scripture and blurs the lines of clean/unclean, in/out, holy/unholy, church/world.

Praise God for the salvation of many through CPMs. But we must do God's work in God's ways. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Garrison delivers a fairly riveting account of the way Church Planting Movements are happening around the world. After a while all the numbers and figures made my eyes gloss over, but they are impressive nonetheless. I got more out of the theories and ideas for the ways God is moving in churches around the world. The most important piece I think is that each culture has it's own way of worshipping God and that missionaries can't assume they know how God is going to interact with the people of that particular area. Gotta love how wild and creative God is.

[Evan Cruse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too long. And some of the stats didn't add up, or could have used some citations. But it's always enjoyable to read about God winning the nations.

Edit: I decided to drop down my rating due to the Q&A section. The answers feel entirely disconnected from the early church as laid out in Scripture, and apparently discredits men such as William Carey who led one person to Christ in his first seven years on the mission field.

[Brian C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been around awhile, but even reading it again now, I find it extremely relevant. The descriptions of what a CPM is are still spot on, the Biblical theological study of why CPMs are Biblical is very solid, plus the 10 universal elements and other evaluation tools I find to still be practical and useful. If you are involved in church planting you must read and own this book.

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 4 out of 5]

So encouraging! Here's a model for international mission that's really working. More to the point, this book is full of great stories of God building the church throughout the world today!

[Ánder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Inspiring and direct. It reflects the experience of the author and his commitment to the evangelization of the world.

[Daniel Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanta el libro y mucho!
Pero hablando en palabras serías; la primera parte del libro es fascinante, la cantidad de testimonios de lo que Dios haces a través de cristianos fieles en medio de contextos difíciles; siendo observadores a los relatos se pueden observar principios prácticos y la aplicación de principios bíblicos que Jesús enseño en referencia a la divulgación del evangelio, sin embargo, estos principios se observan aplicados a la plantación de Iglesias en casas en contexto de persecución y no persecución.

Este libro lo he usado como parte de una clase, y aunque no es la barra de medir en la plantación de Iglesias, ha servido para conocer en la teoría sobre el movimiento de plantación de Iglesias.

La segunda parte del libro consta de un análisis de la primera parte, analizando los movimientos que se presentan en el libro... Aunque el libro provee un análisis, algunas veces parece indicar cuál es el camino en la plantación y sugerir que las estrategias que se muestran en el libro son las más indicadas y efectivas para el trabajo de plantación.

El libro me gusta, pero las sugerencias directas del libro para el trabajo de plantación de Iglesias me hacen restar puntos al libro y esto es debido a que el libro debe de proveer un análisis de los movimientos pero no promover o sugerir como hacer el trabajo al lector. Por lo demás, el libro te enseñara a ver principios bíblicos aplicados en el campo y a redefinir cierto concepto entorno a la iglesia.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"God welcomes our participation in his mighty acts, but we must participate on his terms. We should never deceive ourselves into thinking we can ignore the ways he is at work and still expect his blessings."
Great overview of church planting movements as of publication 2004. Practical chapters on biblical basis, common characteristics, pitfalls to avoid, etc.
Would love to see an update, especially now with the work being done among refugee/ displaced populations the world over.

[Ray Bremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for every believer to be trained by

I have had this book recommended to me a long time ago.
However because I am easily distracted. Y being busy I had not made time to read it.
It explains examples of planting churches and how it can be done. Predominantly by lay people.

Now for me to put into action what I have read

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks at church planting movements around the world to see what commonalities they have. He says there are 10 essentials. 10 commonalities and 7 deadly sins that get in the way. All are helpful if you want to start a church planting Movement.

[Jevans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never do anything alone

[Luke Roscoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so encouraging! It also has very practical methods and identifiers for church planting! God was moving then and is still moving now!

[Ben Smitthimedhin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh, what a book. Extremely practical and a must-read for every Christian. David Garrison goes through how God is changing the world by using simple people who start communities in their homes that would multiply and become house churches that would later reach millions of unbelievers across the nations. Garrison then takes a closer look at these "church planting movements" and gives us some practical steps as to how we could join God in this movement, raising the bar for modern Christians to become church planters from their homes rather than simple church attenders.

When Christians think "church planter" many will automatically shut that idea off because that role is only for pastors and paid ministers of the Word. What I love about this book is because Garrison challenges that idea by showing us how church works in the rest of the world besides the United States and trust me it is COMPLETELY different. These church planters are unpaid, brand new believers with barely any training. ANYONE can and should become a church planter by simply just inviting people to your homes to study the Word, living life alongside them (discipleship), and training them to evangelize while also telling them to start these movements in their homes.

Seriously, read this book!

[Juna · Rating 5 out of 5]

when johann h. bavinck speaks in his book of the non-believing heart 'housing' God even while still ignorant to God, that transformed, redeemed pagans can hear of the gospel and '..a veil is lifted, revealing the Christ which was already there..', i dont think that anything could have been more foreign or extraordinary to me. but reading garrison's survey on worldwide church planting movements is like seeing bavinck's notion exponentially expanded. very cool stuff! thy kingdom come..and let it come soon.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not done yet - but it's been mind-blowingly encouraging so far. Read this book.

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and effective movement to plant churches in cross-cultural context.

[Connor Davey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Real real bad