Why Liberal Churches are Growing

Ian Markham is Dean of Hartford Seminary, Connecticut, USA Martyn Percy is Principal, Ripon College, Cuddesdon, UK.

• Foreword; Introduction; Defining Themes; Chapter 1 Community Organizing as Lived Faith; Chapter 2 Conversational Church Growth; Chapter 3 Reorganizing the Chairs on the Titanic; Case Studies; Chapter 4 The Lord is Here: The Nine o'Clock Service; Chapter 5 The Shape of Things to Come; Chapter 6 It's, Not All About Us; Macro Issues; Chapter 7 Paradox and Persuasion; Chapter 8 Social Justice and Church Court; Chapter 9 Open and Affirming of Growth; Chapter 10 Oldline Protestantism; Clergy and Growth; Chapter 11 Theological Match between Pastor and Congregations; Chapter 12 Two Conditions for a Growing Liberal Church; Chapter 13 A View from the Pew.

"Pete Ward's chapter on  youth work is particularly resonate.  He builds a convincing case that a commitment to building long-term relationships with young people and to encouraging them to develop as Christian leaders transformed the charismatic/evangelical movement within the Church of England from a small, "somewhat ineffectual" group in the 1930s into the thriving section of the church that it is today...Liberal congregations can flourish.  They can grow in authentic, healthy ways.  Mainline/liberal Christians bear an open, deeply spiritual faith that is passionately concerned with justice and vibrantly alive.   If we take up Ward's challenge make the nurture of youth and the development of young leaders our priority, we can reserve what Roozen calls a "continuing stream of decline," and the light of the open, just, living gospel of Christ will blaze into the future." —Martha Grace Reese, Christian Century, March 11, 2008