- Paperback: 206 pages
- Publisher: CCS Publishers (14 Sep 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0979067960
- ISBN-13: 978-0979067969
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,178,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Planting Churches that Reproduce
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Comiskey’s thesis is that reproduction or church multiplication is critical to all effective church planting. Thus, church planting must be simple enough to keep the process going. The first section lays out the Biblical basis for church planting. The book moves from the Biblical basis to the contemporary scene, showing why church planting is absolutely essential to keep up with the population growth. Comiskey also highlights the characteristics which make a modern day church planter successful. Comiskey draws from practical experiences to help those who are in the battle or are considering church planting. The second section goes into detail about church planting strategies, namely the cell church strategy and house church planting. The reader is not just given information about different church planting approaches but is also shown how to use them. Comiskey’s book is a must-read book for those interested in establishing Christ-honoring, multiplying churches.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
Joel Comiskey's book "Planting Churches that Reproduce: Staring a Network of Simple Churches" is 204 pages long and is divided into 10 chapters and 6 appendices. Its main focus is on giving practical guidelines for starting a network of cells or house churches.
It has several strengths. First, it is written by an experienced missionary, pastor, and church planter with a doctoral degree and an international cell church coaching ministry. He knows what he is talking about from first-hand experience. Second, it is written in a lively and easy-to-read style that makes it accessible to a wider audience. Third, it is immensely practical, dealing with such issues like church planter finances, qualifications, husband and wife teams, mentors for church planters, etc. Fourth, it sprinkles stories throughout the book which brings into reality some of the principles being discussed. Fifth, a differentiation is made between cell churches and house church networks, which is important to note, since some people confuse the two. Finally, plenty of footnotes are offered for the diligent reader who wants to follow up on some of the themes in more detail.
A few drawbacks should be noted. I found the writing style a bit choppy at times, with subheadings given for topics that are only very briefly discussed. It almost felt like the author was jumping from one topic to the next without any thought given to flow. Although a chapter was dedicated to laying some biblical foundations for the form and function of the early church and Scriptures are sprinkled here and there throughout the book, nothing like a comprehensive biblical ecclesiology or biblical missiology is offered in the book. I realize this was not the main purpose of the book, therefore, readers should refer to other works and make sure their church planting efforts are solidly biblical rather than merely pragmatic or simply "the way things have always been done."
Overall, this is a wonderful resource that touches on many practical issues that church planters will be sure to face.
RAD ZDERO, author of LETTERS TO THE HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT and THE GLOBAL HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT
It has several strengths. First, it is written by an experienced missionary, pastor, and church planter with a doctoral degree and an international cell church coaching ministry. He knows what he is talking about from first-hand experience. Second, it is written in a lively and easy-to-read style that makes it accessible to a wider audience. Third, it is immensely practical, dealing with such issues like church planter finances, qualifications, husband and wife teams, mentors for church planters, etc. Fourth, it sprinkles stories throughout the book which brings into reality some of the principles being discussed. Fifth, a differentiation is made between cell churches and house church networks, which is important to note, since some people confuse the two. Finally, plenty of footnotes are offered for the diligent reader who wants to follow up on some of the themes in more detail.
A few drawbacks should be noted. I found the writing style a bit choppy at times, with subheadings given for topics that are only very briefly discussed. It almost felt like the author was jumping from one topic to the next without any thought given to flow. Although a chapter was dedicated to laying some biblical foundations for the form and function of the early church and Scriptures are sprinkled here and there throughout the book, nothing like a comprehensive biblical ecclesiology or biblical missiology is offered in the book. I realize this was not the main purpose of the book, therefore, readers should refer to other works and make sure their church planting efforts are solidly biblical rather than merely pragmatic or simply "the way things have always been done."
Overall, this is a wonderful resource that touches on many practical issues that church planters will be sure to face.
RAD ZDERO, author of LETTERS TO THE HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT and THE GLOBAL HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
11 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Inspiring
28 Sep 2010
Format:Paperback
I'm not a church planter, and I'm not familiar with the world of model-based church planting approaches. However, when Planting Churches that Reproduce showed up unexpectedly in my review pile I decided to read it in any case. Some of the terms appealed to me - simple church, house church etc. Having been a part of fulfilling fellowships that operated in homes I was eager to hear what the author had to say about these approaches to body-life.
So, while Comiskey is writing to an audience somewhat different than what I represent, I still found his book to be interesting and inspiring in terms of the potential for small, cell and home based methods of fellowship. Sometimes the language was more model-heavy and aptitude-heavy than it was Christ-centric, but Comiskey does make it clear that without Christ nothing is going to go well, and there are always exceptions to models and aptitude tests.
Comiskey draws upon his personal experiences as a church planter, as well as the successes and mistakes of others to explore some best practices for establishing reproducing fellowships. This is a very well referenced title that - while brief - covers all of the basics and provides a great deal of material for further study in the appendixes and bibliography for further research.
Anyone called to plant smaller churches that aren't so much program based, as they are people based will find much here to help them get a solid start. The cell and celebration model (or networked house churches) is one that my husband has expressed when envisioning an ideal church, so I was excited to read that this model is actually being practiced elsewhere.
So, while Comiskey is writing to an audience somewhat different than what I represent, I still found his book to be interesting and inspiring in terms of the potential for small, cell and home based methods of fellowship. Sometimes the language was more model-heavy and aptitude-heavy than it was Christ-centric, but Comiskey does make it clear that without Christ nothing is going to go well, and there are always exceptions to models and aptitude tests.
Comiskey draws upon his personal experiences as a church planter, as well as the successes and mistakes of others to explore some best practices for establishing reproducing fellowships. This is a very well referenced title that - while brief - covers all of the basics and provides a great deal of material for further study in the appendixes and bibliography for further research.
Anyone called to plant smaller churches that aren't so much program based, as they are people based will find much here to help them get a solid start. The cell and celebration model (or networked house churches) is one that my husband has expressed when envisioning an ideal church, so I was excited to read that this model is actually being practiced elsewhere.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Praxis authority
15 Oct 2009
Format:Paperback
The book comes with praxis authority that combines practice, theory, and reflection from a veteran church planter with a wealth of experience, knowledge and a humble heart for the Lord. We are using the book in our church in Spain to cast a vision for the multiplication of cell groups and a church planting movement of Jesus communities that are networked together. The book points not to a fad or simply a model, but what I believe is a contextual and practical application for our day of timeless truths of Christ and His word. I am a church planter, pastor and help coordinate publications for Alpha Spain.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Church Planting Principles For Anyone
16 Jan 2009
Format:Paperback
Joel Comiskey has come up with a book that is based upon transferable, universal principles that will allow you to grow a healthy church organically and naturally. This is a must read book for anyone who is interested in how a cell-driven church can not only survive but thrive in a North American Western context. His advice in this book comes from field experience both internationally as well as his experience putting these principles into practice in the United States. I would highly recommend this book to those who are interested in how to plant a church from scratch with nobody to help, no budget and no building. You'll be amazed at how simple it is to reproduce disciples, small groups and churches through the reproducible cross-cultural principles outlined this this book.
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