I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was SO good and much needed! Every church member should read this, especially if they desire growth in themselves AND in the local church.

I highly recommend The Thriving Church:The True Measure of Growth by Dean Taylor. I am part of a small country church and we are exploring ways to grow and share love. The Thriving Church: The True Measure of Growth supports our belief that the growth of our church is everyone's responsibility, not only that of our pastor or the deacons.
In this study of Paul's message to the body of Christ in Ephesians 4:1-16, Dean Taylor explains how it also applies to our present-day churches and church members.

This well organized book based on scripture with built-in prayers and discussion questions would be great for small group study or individual study.

***Special thanks to the author Dean Taylor for writing The Thriving Church:The True Measure of Growth. Thanks also to JourneyForth Books, BJU Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

#TheThrivingChurch
#NetGalley

Posted on GoodReads, NetGalley, Savvy Reader, Twitter

We all want to be apart of a church that is thriving right?
We pray for it. We teach and preach about it but unfortunately there are things that stop this from happening.
This book steps through the key items that often keep our churches from thriving. From disunity to not equipping leaders. This would make for a good leadership study with a small group and/or board team.
The only requirement is to want to see your church thrive for Christ!

Thanks to the vendor for supplying a free ebook for me to review this book.
In no way was I required to rate this book a specific way.

In his new book, The Thriving Church: The True Measure of Church Growth, Dean Taylor provides a great read for those who are seeking authentic church growth. It's well organized and all of his points are biblically-based, which is always a plus for me. Covering such issues as cultivating unity, love, equipping the body, spiritual gifts, and the pattern of grace and truth. It's a down-to-earth book so that those of us who are "normal" people can understand it without having to have a background in theology. And again, Taylor roots all of his points in Scripture, so it's hard to go wrong there! Whether you've been in church a long time or you're new to church, you're still likely to learn a lot. In fact, this would make for a great individual study or small group study with built-in prayer points and discussion questions along the way.

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Thriving Church by Dean H. Taylor.

Practical Church Growth Lessons from the New Testament

With so many books being written each year about church growth, it is refreshing to read one that is more based on scriptural wisdom rather than business systems. Dean Taylor effectively interprets the Apostle Paul’s great words to the church in Ephesus, so that they can be applied in this post-modern age when many congregations are struggling.

The book is based on Ephesians 4:1-16 and the author cleverly uses the words of Paul to encourage other ministers and churches to get back to the basics of New Testament Church growth. Dean’s substantial research and knowledge of this passage are easily read, pondered, and applied. The whole book would make a great study for pastors and elders together, especially if they are trying to find a new vision for a congregation that has plateaued or is declining. Pastors could also use the book for a series of sermons based on the insights and applications that Taylor presents. In fact, the best two chapters of the whole book can be found together – 6: Every Pastor Equipping and 7: Every Member Ministering.

At the end of each chapter, there are a number of questions that can be shared and discussed at church classes, board meetings, or staff groups in order to engender a new and hopeful vision for local congregations.

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book for the publisher via Net Galley. I am now looking forward to sharing some of its contents with the congregation that I presently serve.