Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication

by Craig Ott, Gene Wilson

With nearly fifty years combined global church-planting experience, Craig Ott and Gene Wilson are well qualified to write a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for cross-cultural church planting. Combining substantive biblical principles and missiological understanding with practical insights, this book walks readers through the various models and development phases of church planting. Advocating methods that lead to church multiplication, the authors emphasize the role of the missionary church planter. They offer helpful reflection on current trends and provide best practices gathered from research and empirical findings around the globe. The book takes up a number of special issues not addressed in most church planting books, such as use of short-term teams, partnerships, and wise use of resources. Full of case studies and real examples from around the world, this practical text will benefit students, church planters, missionaries, and missional church readers.

Genres: Christian, Ecclesiology, Theology, Leadership, Church

464 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[Daniel Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best resources for church planting. The global perspective aids to both flatten out principles of multiplication and appreciating diverse practices.

This book is chock full of diagrams, principles, examples, and biblical exhortation for church planting. Different from Keller's stuff in that there is less on preaching and specifics of contextualization.

So, buy this, and make it a top resource in your church planting library.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid. I don’t know what I wanted to hear about church planting, but this book delivered. Would recommend.

The authors emphasized indigeneity—adapting the church to fit the culture it enters. Contextualize the church, they say. It’s interesting that we Anabaptists emphasize not to conform to the surrounding culture, but to hold on to Swiss-German ways of dress. I’m holding these two emphases in paradox in my mind.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, comprehensive resource. Ample (23 pages) bibliography. Good discussion and entry point for a number of subjects related to global church planting, including: poverty/development work; intercultural dynamics; challenges in urban contexts; team dynamics.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a challenge to read. It had a lot of great things to say and the authors said them often throughout the book. I enjoyed the last chapter the most concerning what now would be called social justice ministry or holistic ministry. Meeting the needs of the whole person, body and spirit. This was required reading before a conference I'm going to and I believe it prepared me well for it.

[Clement Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent book combining decades’ infield missionary & church-planting experiences, contemplation & reflection in the reality context, and visionary thinking accredited with biblical principles. It also includes some thoughts of Neil Cole, the active modern urban missiologist pushing for organic churches. A very good read for people serious about their Great Commission call.

[WH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really impressed with the breadth of research that went into the writing of this book. It was well written and organized. I think, though, it could have been half the length...I found it quite repetitive.

[Pen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful summary of so many factors related to church planting. While slow and overwhelming at times, it was also so meaty and gave me much to highlight and think about. I recommend taking the time to work through this book!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic for church planters. It has all kinds of ideas and methods for planting well. It is not intended for Western churches assisting church planters but does offer insight into aspects of church planting that should be considered.

[Micah Deegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful alternative perspective on global models for church planting - I remain unpersuaded by the strategy of appointing such new converts to positions of leadership, but still learned much that can be applied to the UK context and found it a refreshingly non-America-centric work!

[Joshua Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the detail and information this book provides for church planting1 What a great resource that I will come back to for years to come.

[Jesse Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful read as an introduction to Church planting and provides a thorough overview of common Church planting paradigms.

[Rebecca Adelle]

Henry -- a must-read for church planters

[Bledar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book written outside of North America about church planting makes it for "global" use. The principles in the book are written to reflect church-planting principles that can be found and applied to other contexts as well. The book is extensive and covers all the basis in your church planting efforts.