Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication - Paperback

by Craig Ott (Author), Gene Wilson (Author), Rick Warren (Foreword by)

With nearly fifty years combined global church-planting experience, Craig Ott and Gene Wilson are well qualified to write a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for cross-cultural church planting. Combining substantive biblical principles and missiological understanding with practical insights, this book walks readers through the various models and development phases of church planting. Advocating methods that lead to church multiplication, the authors emphasize the role of the missionary church planter. They offer helpful reflection on current trends and provide best practices gathered from research and empirical findings around the globe. The book takes up a number of special issues not addressed in most church planting books, such as use of short-term teams, partnerships, and wise use of resources. Full of case studies and real examples from around the world, this practical text will benefit students, church planters, missionaries, and missional church readers.

Back Jacket

Global Church Planting offers a comprehensive, biblical foundation for starting new churches, but it also gets down to the nitty-gritty of finding funding, developing a sense of the local culture, and pulling together the team that best meets the specific needs of growing a congregation in the community where the church is being planted. . . . It should be read by anyone thinking about planting a church, but I think it should also be read by anyone in church leadership.--Rick Warren, Saddleback Church (from the foreword)

"A masterful foundation for what is quite simply 'the most urgent business of humankind.' Thoroughly researched, carefully examined, biblically anchored, and skillfully presented, Global Church Planting provides an excellent introduction for anyone who yearns to see the kingdom expand."--David Garrison, author, Church Planting Movements

"With over fifty years of international church-planting experience between the authors, readers would expect to find in Ott and Wilson's book an excellent grasp of the literature, some new models and strategies created out of research and their vast ministry experiences, practical ways to apply these strategies, and case studies to demonstrate them. This is exactly what you will get in Global Church Planting."--Tom Steffen, School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University

"Ott and Wilson have delivered a massive resource with scriptural insights, timely stories, and practical guidance that will help anyone interested in church planting."--Ed Stetzer, coauthor, Transformational Church

"For too long the mission world has sent out church planters without thinking deeply enough about the nature of the church. Ott and Wilson have gone a long way toward correcting this shortcoming and demonstrating how church planting is the nexus between the church and mission. I heartily recommend this book for all those who love the church and want to see it grow and reproduce around the globe."--Charlie Davis, The Evangelical Alliance Mission

"A church planting text that is at once well researched, well written, amazingly comprehensive, and decidedly practical. Mission CEOs, seminary and college professors, practitioners at home and overseas--anyone and everyone committed to church-planting mission--should make sure that they have ready access to Global Church Planting."--David J. Hesselgrave, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Author Biography

Craig Ott (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of mission and intercultural studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, where he occupies the ReachGlobal Chair of Mission. He is the coauthor of Encountering Theology of Mission and coeditor of Globalizing Theology. Gene Wilson (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is church planting director for ReachGlobal, the international mission of the Evangelical Free Church of America, and director of their annual Cross-Cultural Church Planting School. He served as a church planter in Canada for eighteen years and a church planting trainer and coach in Latin America and the Caribbean for eight years.