Michael B

“I admit, however, my surprise when, many years later, I found myself living a life that was neither safe nor secure. I was stunned when, despite what I considered to be a life of sacrificial obedience, I could point to very little in my ministry that was “effective.” There were simply no results to measure. And success was a word that I would have never used to describe what I had done.”
― Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected

“Prayer is the key to all church growth.”
― Ken Hemphill, Bonsai Theory of Church Growth

“Suffering is one of God’s ordained means for the growth of his church. He brought salvation to the world through Christ, our suffering Savior, and he now spreads salvation in the world through Christians as suffering saints. In the words of Paul, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Clearly, there is a sense in which the danger of our lives increases in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Christ.”
― Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected

“When we understand that the people on our rolls are persons for whom Jesus died, we will treasure any and every contact with them. When we prune them from our roll, we forfeit opportunities to touch their lives for the kingdom of God. Don’t prune them; go find them.”
― Ken Hemphill, Bonsai Theory of Church Growth