The following books offer insights regarding church success, church growth, and personal success and failure. Not all of the books agree. Some define success in strict, biblical terms; others use measures from both Scripture and culture.
Banks, Robert. Paul’s Idea of Community, The Early House Churches. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980. A study of the differences between the priorities of Paul’s churches and modern-day churches.
Campolo, Anthony. The Success Fantasy. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1980. A Christian sociological study of the success syndrome in the United States culture.
Chaney, Charles and Lewis, Ron. Design for Church Growth. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1977. Outlines principles for growth as well as diagnostic factors by which the healthiness of growth can be measured.
Church Growth: America. A bimonthly publication of American Church Growth, 150 South Los Robles, Suite 600, Pasadena, California 91101. Published by Win Arn, this is the best resource for staying current on the church growth movement nationally.
Dubose, Francis. How Churches Grow In An Urban World. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1978. A study of the history, theology, and strategy of church growth in various types of churches in urban areas.
Eller, Vernard. The Outward Bound: Caravaning as the Style of the Church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980. Concentrates on the New Testament model and calling of the church, and critiques the contemporary church growth movement.
Getz, Gene. The Measure of a Church. Glendale, California: Regal Books, 1975. A different measure of growth and success is presented by evaluating the church according to love, faith, and hope.
Getz, Gene. Sharpening the Focus of the Church. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974. An integration of biblical principles, historical factors, and cultural influences to define what the church should be.
Glen, J. Stanley. Justification By Success. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1979. Examines the way modern business and political techniques have affected the church’s definition of success.
Global Church Growth Bulletin. A bimonthly publication of O. C . Ministries, Box 66, Santa Clara, California 95052. The worldwide report on the church growth movement, edited by Donald McGavran.
Hudnut, Robert. Church Growth Is Not The Point. New York: Harper & Row, 1975. The author identifies false measures of church growth and then points to the key issue-is the church being true to the gospel?
Kelley, Dean. Why Conservative Churches Are Growing. New York: Harper & Row, 1977. Probably the most talked about religious book of the seventies. It discusses the function churches have in society.
McGavran, Donald. Understanding Church Growth. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970. The classic, fundamental work of the church growth movement.
McGavran, Donald and Arn, Win. Ten Steps For Church Growth. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1977. Basic principles from the church. growth movement which define how to create an atmosphere in a church so that growth happens. Good lists of resources.
McGavran, Donald and Arn, Win. How To Grow A Church. Glendale: Regal Books, 1973. In a question and answer format, the authors set forth thoughts on American church growth.
McGavran, Donald and Hunter, George. Church Growth: Strategies That Work. Nashville: Abingdon, 1980. An introduction to the church growth movement with tips on motivating people for growth.
McQuilkin, J. Robertson. How Biblical is the Church Growth Movement? Chicago: Moody Press, 1973. Lectures that call into question church growth standards and principles.
Mylander, Charles. Secrets For Growing Churches. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979. A brief work designed to help church leaders and churches grow by biblical standards.
Navone, John. A Theology of Failure. New York: Paulist Press, 1974.
Helpful for the person who needs to experience the reality of Christ in the midst of personal and/ or church failure.
Raines, Robert. Success Is A Moving Target. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1975. Biblical perspectives on success. The best section concerns the success of the Christian individual.
Rischin, Moses. The American Gospel of Success. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1965. An anthology of American writers and speakers who have shaped the definition of success. This is a helpful tool in distinguishing godly success from worldly success.
Schaller, Lyle. Assimilating New Members. Nashville: Abingdon, 1978. Schaller works for the Yokefellow Institute and also does independent church consulting.
Schaller, Lyle. Effective Church Planning. Nashville: Abingdon, 1979. All of Schaller’s books are relevant to church growth. Here he discusses the goal setting process.
Schaller, Lyle. Survival Tactics In The Parish. Nashville: Abingdon, 1977. Schaller came to the church consulting business from city planning.
Schuller, Robert. Your Church Has Real Possibilities. Glendale: Regal Books, 1974. Outlines the basic content of the Schuller Institute for Successful Church Leadership.
Tippett, Alan. Church Growth and the Word of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970. Specifically attempts to relate church growth thinking to biblical material.
Tournier, Paul. The Strong and the Weak. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1963. Helps leaders understand their own performances and their needs for success and achievement.
Wagner, C. Peter. Your Church Can Be Healthy. Nashville: Abingdon, 1979. An analysis of the causes and symptoms of eight common growth-inhibiting diseases of American churches.
Wagner, C. Peter. Your Church Can Grow: Seven Vital Signs of a Healthy Church. Glendale: Regal Books, 1976. Wagner’s first book on church growth has become a basic document in the field.
Copyright © 1981 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.
