Neil Cole and Phil Helfer, Church Transfusion: Changing Your Church Organically, from the Inside Out. Jossey-Bass, 2012.
Prequels:
Referenced in: Missional Communities – Organic
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Neil Cole’s Organic Church model has spawned a significant movement worldwide. For those who understand the organic model and have discerned its suitability to their ministry contexts, this is an important resource. It is part of series by Cole beginning with Organic Church, which lays out the essential philosophy of the organic model. Next is Church 3.0, a next-step guide for facilitating organic church communities. The third is Organic Leadership, which answers questions about developing mature leaders in organic churches. Follow the prequel links above for summaries. Church Transfusion is fourth in the series, and addresses how to take a church of any orientation and transition it into functioning more organically.
Those who appreciate Neil Cole may also be interested in similar material by Frank Viola that are listed in the resource guide to Organic Churches.
Publisher’s Description
Just as our life is in our blood, the life for Christ’s body is in His blood. Changing a church is more than a new goal or direction. Our churches need more than an organizational transition; we need a full transfusion of Jesus’ blood, His life, within every disciple. Anything less than that will only perpetuate more of the dysfunction and unhealthy church practices that have already plagued us for too long. We are in desperate need of the internally transforming power of the gospel of grace and the presence of Christ so that our salvation is then worked out in a way the rest of the world will notice. It isn’t enough that we believe in the facts contained in the gospel, we must allow the gospel itself to infect our souls and transform us from within. The DNA of Jesus’ lifeblood is needed in our churches and nothing shy of a full transfusion that touches every cell will be sufficient.
In this book Neil Cole (author of Organic Church, Church Transfusion and Journeys to Significance) and Phil Helfer, co-founders of Church Multiplication Associates, will first point out that change is possible with God, but only with God. In the second half of the book they will lay out some of the actual practical considerations to weigh if you want to release real organic health in your church.
Using multiple examples of very different kinds of churches that have been through the process, the authors present ways that leadership and practices need to change in order to release organic church movements from their midst. Chapters cover:
- Leadershifts necessary
- Detoxification from dependence issues.
- How to ignite change virally.
- How to grandparent movements.
- How to measure success in movements.
This book (another in the Leadership Network series) applies organic life principles to established churches with practical help that is holistic and natural. The content in this book will be helpful whether you are pastor of an established church or wanting to revitalize a small organic church.
Jesus didn’t die and rise from the dead so that we can be like everyone else in the world. Our faith is more than just a better doctrine or a bigger goal with a capital giving campaign; it is a better life. Jesus is the difference, and what a difference he makes…don’t be satisfied with less.
About the Author
Neil Cole is an experienced and innovative church planter and pastor. He is the cofounder and executive director of Church Multiplication Associates. He is the author of Church 3.0, Organic Church, and Journeys to Significance, all from Jossey-Bass.
Phil Helfer is the cofounder of Church Multiplication Associates and the pastor of Los Altos Grace Church. He is an expert on incorporating organic church principles into conventional churches.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top for resource guides on related topics.***
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