Church Administration, Pastoral Resources, Ministry & Evangelism, Religion & Spirituality 

As a response to the unique challenges facing the twenty-first-century American church, church planting has become a popular topic. But at a time when churches that spread the seed of the Word through preaching, the sacraments, and prayer are greatly needed, much of the focus has been on planting churches that adapt pop culture to meet consumer demand. In Planting, Watering, Growing the authors of this collection of essays weave together theological wisdom, personal experiences, and practical suggestions, guiding readers through the foundations and methods of planting confessional churches that uphold the Word of God. Table of Contents: Foreword: Was the Reformation Missions-Minded? Michael S. Horton Introduction Daniel R. Hyde and Shane Lems Part 1: The Foundation of Planting Churches 1. The Fruitful Grain of Wheat - Brian Vos 2. The Sovereign Spirit of Missions: Thoughts on Acts 16:6-10 and Church Planting - Daniel R. Hyde 3. The Reformed Confessions and Missions - Wes Bredenhof 4. No Church, No Problem? - Michael S. Horton Part 2: The Methods of Planting Churches 5. Church Planting Principles from the Book of Acts -Daniel R. Hyde 6. Heart Preparation in Church Planting - Paul T. Murphy 7. Church Planting: A Covenantal and Organic Approach - Paul T. Murphy 8. Planning the Plant: Some Thoughts on Preparing to Plant a New Church - Kim Riddlebarger Part 3: The Work of Planting Churches 9. On Being a Church Planter - Daniel R. Hyde 10. Being a Welcoming Church Plant - Kevin Efflandt 11. Flock and Family: A Biblical Balance - Shane Lems 12. Declare His Praise among the Nations: Public Worship as the Heart of Evangelism - Daniel R. Hyde 13. 'How's the Food?' The Church Plant's Most Important Ingredient - Michael G. Brown 14. Church Membership and the Church Plant -Michael G. Brown 15. Shepherding Toward Maturity, Part 1: The Authority in Church Planting - Spencer Aalsburg 16. Shepherding Toward Maturity, Part 2: Identifying a Mature Church Plant - Spencer Aalsburg 17. Motivation: The Planting Church and the Planted Church - Eric Tuininga Part 4: The Context of Planting Churches 18. Church Planting in a Melting Pot - Shane Lems 19. The Cultural Factor in Church Planting - Mitchell Persaud 20. Growing Contextually Reformed Churches: Oxymoron or Opportunity? - Phil Grotenhuis 21. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - Michael S. Horton Epilogue - Daniel R. Hyde and Shane Lems Appendix A: Church-Plant Timeline: A Big and Brief Picture of a Plant - Daniel R. Hyde and Shane Lems Appendix B: The Steering Committee - Spencer Aalsburg Appendix C: Guidelines for the Steering Committee -Spencer Aalsburg - from Amzon