Impacting Eternity

Robert M. Reach

Description

Growing from 4 to 400 Generations

We’ve heard stories about disciple-making movements that are sweeping the globe, transforming the way people are coming to Christ in places like Asia, western Africa, and South America. We’ve learned specific principles and strategies to encourage such movements. If only we had a book that combined empirical research with established missiological practice. Now we do. 

Impacting Eternity builds on multi-dimensional research performed over a period of years. Its findings have been refined in practice within three different movements that the author helped to facilitate. Robert Reach gives seven concrete, root principles that bear kingdom fruit. This is not merely information that might work; it has proven effective in the trenches of movement life resulting in miraculous growth. Reach has found that his 5-5-5 methodology is very effective, but instead of promoting it, he helps readers think about the underlying leadership dynamics that spark and sustain a movement. 

We cannot see the Spirit, but we see his work in our lives. In the same way, the visible leaves and fruit of a movement have many hidden roots. And so, we must pay attention. This book can help you learn to recognize and follow God’s Spirit as he accomplishes his purposes among the nations. 

Foreword by Curtis Sergeant 

Preface 

Chapter 1: A Look Inside Jesus Movements 

Chapter 2: A New Testament Jesus Movement 

Chapter 3: Roland Allen: A Prophet of Modern Jesus Movements 

Chapter 4: Donald McGavran: A Father of Modern Movements 

Chapter 5: Understanding How Movements Work 

Chapter 6: The Root Principles 

Chapter 7: Leadership Best Practice #1: Depend upon the Presence and Power of the Spirit

Chapter 8: Leadership Best Practice #2: Catalyze a Decentralized Movement 

Chapter 9: Leadership Best Practice #3: Learning Communities Develop New Leaders

Chapter 10: Leadership Best Practice #4: Foster Obedience-Based Discipleship 

Chapter 11: Leadership Best Practice #5: Empower God’s Saints for Works of Service 

Chapter 12: Leadership Best Practice #6: Foster a Self-Supporting System 

Chapter 13: Leadership Best Practice #7: Develop Patterns That Are Reproducible 

Chapter 14: Next Steps 

Bibliography

Appendix: A Comprehensive Listing of References to Jesus (‘Isa) in the Qur’an 

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Discipleship
• Christian Ministry
• Philosophie et théologie
• Minister (Christianity)
• Disciple (Christianity)
• Growth
• Christian Church
• Evangelism

Informations

• Publié par: William Carey Publishing
• Date de parution: 13 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781645084891
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Impacting Eternity: A Practitioner s Guide for Sustained Movement Expansion
2023 by Robert M. Reach. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise-without prior written permission from the publisher, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers. For permission, email [e-mail] . For corrections, email [e-mail] .
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com . The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NASB New American Bible , Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org .
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation- Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
Published by William Carey Publishing
10 W. Dry Creek Cir
Littleton, CO 80120 | www.missionbooks.org
William Carey Publishing is a ministry of Frontier Ventures
Pasadena, CA | www.frontierventures.org
Cover and Interior Designer: Mike Riester
ISBNs: 978-1-64508-487-7 (paperback)
978-1-64508-489-1 (epub)
Digital eBook Release 2023
Library of Congress data on file with the publisher.
Contents
Foreword by Curtis Sergeant
Preface
Chapter 1: A Look Inside Jesus Movements
Chapter 2: A New Testament Jesus Movement
Chapter 3: Roland Allen: A Prophet of Modern Jesus Movements
Chapter 4: Donald McGavran: A Father of Modern Movements
Chapter 5: Understanding How Movements Work
Chapter 6: The Root Principles
Chapter 7: Leadership Best Practice #1: Depend upon the Presence and Power of the Spirit
Chapter 8: Leadership Best Practice #2: Catalyze a Decentralized Movement
Chapter 9: Leadership Best Practice #3: Learning Communities Develop New Leaders
Chapter 10: Leadership Best Practice #4: Foster Obedience-Based Discipleship
Chapter 11: Leadership Best Practice #5: Empower God s Saints for Works of Service
Chapter 12: Leadership Best Practice #6: Foster a Self-Supporting System
Chapter 13: Leadership Best Practice #7: Develop Patterns That Are Reproducible
Chapter 14: Next Steps
Bibliography
Appendix: A Comprehensive Listing of References to Jesus ( Isa) in the Qur an
Foreword
Robert Reach s life is a constant encouragement to me. He is a rare example of a missions researcher and consultant from a very traditional background who became an extremely fruitful and effective practitioner of kingdom-movement approaches. He was intrigued by seemingly incredible reports from early practitioners in such movements and decided to look into them in an up close and personal way.
After hundreds of interviews in various countries and among various movements, Robert analyzed the results with statistical rigor and identified a number of factors that were common among movements and that set them apart from more traditional approaches. He became convinced that the effectiveness of the approaches was not dependent upon people who had outstanding gifts or unusual skill sets. He desperately wanted to experience the kind of fruitfulness he had observed in his research.
Robert decided to attempt to replicate what he had observed in a large, unreached, predominantly Muslim nation with very few Christians and yet with significant persecution. I believe his choice of targets was fortuitous, because in many ways his choice presented more of a blank slate, which avoided some of the common barriers that often arise in cultures with more of a historically Christian background.
The outcome has been remarkable. The result has been what is very likely the largest single movement among Muslims anywhere and one of the top ten movements among any type of population in any nation. Robert has since begun to replicate these results among other people groups in other nations.
I have known Robert since the days of his initial interest in movements. I appreciated his focus and passion and dedication, but I was mildly concerned that he might be perceiving movements from a bit too much of a clinical, sociological perspective. If there were any hints of that in his early work, however, they are gone now. While it was the quantitative advantages of movement approaches that first drew Robert s attention, he now clearly recognizes that the qualitative advantages are more significant. Better and stronger disciples tend to result from these approaches. This is clear in any conversation with him today, and that conviction comes through in this volume.
This book makes helpful contributions to the literature on movements. To begin with, it is written by a successful practitioner. I personally value this characteristic. Many movement books are written by those who have tagged along and participated in the work of others and written about it. There is nothing wrong with that, but there is an added dimension to books written by the primary catalyst of a movement.
Another important contribution is the fact that Robert addresses structural issues. Many people within the movement world seem to be allergic to structure. They view the organic nature of movements to be incompatible with structure, and they see the two as diametrically opposed. This is absolutely incorrect. Certain types or expressions of structure may be in tension with movement principles, but the natural world is full of structure. Structure need not hinder organic growth; and it can, in fact, enable such growth to scale to larger sizes.
An additional aspect of structure that sometimes offends some people in the movement world is that they view structure as being opposed to following the leadership of the Holy Spirit at the individual and corporate levels. Of course, this could be true if one applied structure inappropriately, but this need not be the case. In fact, it is clear that God works through structure in his church and among his people-in addition to guiding them moment by moment both individually and corporately. Robert helps illustrate what this can look like in actual practice.
The final contribution of this book that I will mention is the fact that it clearly addresses issues related to finances in movements. This is an issue that is rarely addressed in any depth in most movement books and which I myself have not addressed nearly enough. Nearly everyone recognizes that the minimal overhead expenses in movements allows them to be far more efficient in their use of funds. Robert unpacks some of that topic.
I pray that many who read this book will be sparked to begin a journey similar to Robert s. Even if you are not called to seek to catalyze a new movement, I pray that the Lord will draw you into applying these principles in your own context and supporting others who are doing so. May the result be that we all become more and more effective in making disciples who multiply.
- C URTIS S ERGEANT
Preface
Welcome to Impacting Eternity: A Practitioner s Guide for Sustained Movement Expansion . This book is a culmination of my years of experience working in the field of movement growth, having facilitated three large movements, as well as my passion for empowering others to make a lasting impact on the world.
As a practitioner in the field, I have seen firsthand the transformative power of the 5-5-5 methodology and sustained movement expansion practices. It is not just about short-term growth or success, but rather about building a foundation for lasting impact that can continue for generations to come.
This book is written for anyone who desires to make a significant impact on the world and is willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen. Whether you are a movement practitioner, a pastor, a missionary, a community leader, or simply someone with a heart for making a difference, this book will provide you with practical strategies and insights for achieving sustained movement expansion.
Throughout this book, I will share with you the key principles and practices that have helped me and others to make a lasting impact on the world. I will discuss topics such as the seven Root Principles that create the hidden dynamics that fuel massive growth and also the seven leadership best practices that sustain the growth over multiple generations.
I want to thank my life partner, Linda, for her loving support and extensive travel with me over these past decades to see this prayer for impact become a reality. She has been, and is, a rock in my life and that of our three daughters and seven grandchildren.
I could not have written this book without the help of M. Scott Boren. Scott has worked hard on crafting the book, doing background research on the historical mission thinkers I have written about and helped shape the whole book. Thank you, Scott!
These massive movements and this book are a result of three things: The final command of Christ to make disciple makers, the prayer for help to fulfill that command, and the passion to obey. Hundreds of thousands exhibit this life and are seeing God transform lives. All glory to our gracious and loving Father!
My hope is that this book will inspire and empower you to take action and make a lasting impact on the world around you. Whether you are just starting out on your journey or are looking for ways to take your impact to the next level, Impacting E