Growing God's Kingdom
New release examines church growth from a sociological perspective
Pastor Makes His Debut with Book on Growing God's Church
New release examines church growth from a sociological perspective
2008-03-25
LONGWOOD, FL-When it comes to proactively growing God's church, we don't have the liberty of choice; all who consider themselves Christians are under a biblical mandate to promote church growth because, as author E. Ken Harmon, Sr., says, "People make churchesÉperiod!" In his book, Growing God's Kingdom: According to His Word (paperback, 978-1-60477-972-1), the author examines the Acts 2 church from a sociological perspective, not a theological one, and demonstrates that God has a process that assures his church grows.
Many are under the mistaken belief that GodÕs church is an exclusive "social club" comprised of only professing Christians, but what they don't realize is that by leaving the unsaved outside of their church, it will become stagnant. But, says Harmon, "Don't settle for mediocrity in your church by leaving the unsaved outside of [it]. Don't be fooled into believing God has ordained some churches to grow and others to remain stagnant."
What makes Harmon's approach to church growth studies unique is the fact that his focus is not on church itself, but on the human aspect of building relationships that is often lost in church as a religious institution. That is the niche his book seeks to fill. "Many books on church growth remind you of biblical mandates to grow. Most of us accept this. Their approach, however, is usually deeply theological or intensely structural. This book addresses growth from a cultural perspective because culture assures many minds on one accord, with one purpose, and one agenda: to grow God's church," he says.