Church growth models have often been long on promises and short on disciple-making. We continue to watch consistent church attendance shrink, and our desire to reach the lost is infected with a need for self-validation by growing our numbers at any cost. If we believe that God wants his church to grow, where do we go from here? What is the future of the church? Drawing from his 20 years and 15,000 hours of consulting, author Will Mancini shares with pastors and ministry leaders the single most important insight he has learned about church growth. With plenty of salient stories and based solidly on the disciple-making methods found in Scripture, Future Church exposes the church's greatest challenge today, and offers 7 transforming laws of real church growth so that we can faithfully and joyfully fulfill Jesus's Great Commission.

One of the world’s foremost religion journalists offers an unexpected and provocative look at where the Catholic Church is headed—and what the changes will mean for all of us. What will the Catholic Church be like in 100 years? Will there be a woman pope? Will dioceses throughout the United States and the rest of the world go bankrupt from years of scandal? In THE FUTURE CHURCH, John L. Allen puts forth the ten trends he believes will transform the Church into the twenty-second century. From the influence of Catholics in Africa, Asia, and Latin America on doctrine and practices to the impact of multinational organizations on local and ethical standards, Allen delves into the impact of globalization on the Roman Catholic Church and argues that it must rethink fundamental issues, policies, and ways of doing business. Allen shows that over the next century, the Church will have to respond to changes within the institution itself and in the world as a whole whether it is contending with biotechnical advances—including cloning and genetic enhancement—the aging Catholic population, or expanding the roles of the laity. Like Thomas Friedman’s The World Is Flat, THE FUTURE CHURCH establishes a new framework for meeting the challenges of a changing world.

If you're not reaching the future of the church, your church has no future. As much sting as that statement has, it's hard to argue with. Yet many churches have no idea how to attract and retain younger generations. If you want to understand how to reach, teach, and empower young adults in your church, Jonathan "JP" Pokluda is ready to show you how. Sharing stories of successes and failures during his years of ministering to Millennials, JP offers you transferable principles that will help you mobilize the next generation toward Jesus. He encourages and equips you to - be real - teach the whole truth - hold traditions loosely - find young leaders - give the ministry away - and so much more Tomorrow's church is out there, waiting for you to care, to reach out, to understand their struggles, and to show them why today's church needs, wants, and cherishes them.

Exiled on the island of Patmos, the apostle John found himself one day in the presence of the Son of God. As he fell down to worship, the apostle was commanded to write what he saw and heard, and to record and send messages to seven churches, encouraging them and challenging them in the way of the Lord. That was then; this is now. What might the Spirit say to our churches today? What might the Spirit be saying to you? Chris Lewis and the Epiphaneia Network put that question to their friends. This book includes some of the responses they got. With contributions from such significant voices as Andy Crouch Ron Sider Tim Challies Peter Rollins Sarah Lance Makoto Fujimura and others, Letters to a Future Church paints a portrait of the world as we have it and the mission we have in it. You may find your calling in this book; you may even find your own voice.

The 2013 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year in Global Outreach In The Future of the Global Church, Patrick Johnstone, author of six editions of the phenomenal prayer guide, Operation World, draws on his fifty years experience to challenge us with his bold vision of the global Christian church. The Future of the Global Church weaves together the strands of history, demographics and religion to present a breathtaking, full-color graphical and textual overview of the past, present and possible future of the church around the world. Through a thought-provoking glimpse into likely scenarios humankind may face in the next 40 years, The Future of the Global Church identifies significant trends that are rarely or never addressed by today's media. The Future of the Global Church highlights the impact of evangelical Christianity over the past two centuries, as well as the astonishing growth of Evangelicalism over the past half century. Johnstone focuses clearly on the unfinished task of world evangelization, with a special emphasis on the world's 12,000 people groups--especially those that have had least exposure to the gospel. Inside this work, you will find: Data and extrapolations that highlight likely scenarios for evangelical Christian ministry in the coming four decades Interpreted overviews of the worldwide impact of the first 20 centuries of Christianity Comparisons of the impact of Christianity with those of other world religions Summaries of the past, present and probable future contributions of the different streams of Christianity This book examines trends that will have a major impact on the course of world events for a generation to come. God is in control--He holds the future in His hands--yet invites us to be His coworkers. How effective are you and your church or your organization as participants in His plan for the peoples of the world?

By analyzing the present-day church and examining societal trends, Carl George presents a model that can mobilize your church for outreach.

The New York Times bestselling historian takes on a pressing question in modern religion—will Pope Francis embrace change? Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, offers a challenge to his church. Can he bring about significant change? Should he? Garry Wills, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, argues provocatively that, in fact, the history of the church throughout is a history of change. In this brilliant and incisive study, Wills describes the deep and serious changes that have taken place in the church or are in the process of occurring. These include the change from Latin, the growth and withering of the ecclesiastical monarchy, the abandonment of biblical literalism, the assertion and nonassertion of infallibility, and the erosion of church patriarchy. In such developments we see the living church adapting itself to the new historical circumstances. As Wills contends, it is only by examining the history of the church that we can understand Pope Francis's and the church's challenges.