Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church - Hardcover

Cole, Neil

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470529458 ISBN 13: 9780470529454

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2010

Synopsis

An expert practitioner answers to questions about the burgeoning organic church movement

Neil Cole's best-selling book Organic Church described the fastest growing segment of contemporary Christianity-the so-called organic church. Now in this next-step book, he answers questions about how to deal with theological and organizational issues that come up. He talks about issues such has what to do with finances, children, heresy, leader training, and rituals and ordinances. Without the top-down structure of a denomination, even people who are proponents of this small, house-church model worry that they are not doing it right.

• Offers an important resource for anyone involved with or thinking of starting an organic or house church
• Addresses practical issues of theology, rituals, doctrinal heresy, how to handle children, finances, and other important questions
• Written by an acknowledged expert who is now and has been for over twenty years an organic church planter and practitioner
• A new Leadership Network title and follow-up to Organic Church

Church 3.0 offers solid information about organic churches based on Cole's extensive experience in starting, nurturing, and mentoring in the organic church movement.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"In this comprehensive labor of love, Neil brings his wonderfully unique, home-grown, and organic insights to bear on what it means to reawaken a movement ethos in the twenty-first century church. Nothing less than the spontaneous expansion of the church is being considered here. This is perhaps the book that Neil was born to write." -Alan Hirsch, author, The Forgotten Ways, and coauthor, Untamed, The Shaping of Things to Come, reJesus, and The Forgotten Ways Handbook

"Church 3.0 is an all-in-one compass, survival manual, tool kit, leadership agenda, and imagineering workshop. It is a treasure trove that distributes the wealth of Neil Cole's rich experience and insight. I cannot imagine trying to navigate ? without it."-Reggie McNeal, author, Missional Renaissance

"Neil Cole is one of only a handful of people in the West uniquely qualified to write about church multiplication movements from an insider perspective. His extensive, hands-on experience in reproducing movements of healthy disciples, leaders, and churches has enabled him to not only ask the right questions, but also to develop and field test the principles that cause these organic movements to occur. Essential reading for anyone with a passion for extending God's Kingdom beyond the confines of the church walls."-Felicity Dale, member, board of directors, House2House; author, An Army of Ordinary People; and coauthor, The Rabbit and the Elephant

"Neil has done it again. Church 3.0 is the first book focused on the big picture of releasing healthy church movements. In my work in this season of life, I am committed to releasing the body of Christ to be the Church, and Neil's book will serve as a strong guide to assist leaders in getting there."-Bob Buford, founder, Leadership Network, and author, Halftime and Finishing Well Neil Cole is the real deal. We've all known his passion for church multiplication. In Church 3.0, he moves from passion to practice, laying out a vision that is challenging, and compelling. He will challenge everyone who loves the church and its mission."Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research

From the Inside Flap:

When Neil Cole's best-selling book Organic Church was first published, it described one of the fastest growing and most innovative segments of contemporary Christianity.

In Church 3.0, Cole makes the argument that Christianity needs more than new programs, buildings, or worship formats. It needs a complete upgrade to a new operating system. The early church shifted to a more institutional form in 300 ad and has been stuck in the 2.0 operating system ever since. We are overdue for the next upgrade. Church 3.0 discusses issues such as how to deal with heresy, how to handle finances, what to do with children, and what to do with worship, rituals, and ordinances. Even the most enthusiastic proponents and practitioners of organic churches often wonder how to handle such matters in a faithful way.

Organic churches demand a shift from a program-driven and clergy-led institutionalized approach to one that is relational, simple, intimate, and viral in the way it spreads. Instead of seeing church as something that serves its people, church becomes people who serve God, one another, and a hurting world. Church is no longer an event to be at, but a family to be part of. Church is not a program to reach out to the world, but a people that bring God with them to the world.

Based on Cole's extensive experience in starting, nurturing, and mentoring thousands of churches, Church 3.0 offers insight and information about how to make this shift to a more organic form of church. Church 3.0 is an insider's look at the important considerations necessary to release spontaneous church multiplication movements in a Western context.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0470529458
• ISBN 13: 9780470529454
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304