Tag: Church Growth
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Looking for a Big Church in a Small Town: A Survey of Large Format Venues Complementary to Unificationist Family Churches in Non-metropolitan Areas
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 10, 2009 – Pages 33-50 In a previous article,[1] the author presented observations and predicted trends based on a case study of a Unificationist Family Church in a non-metropolitan area. A central premise of the article was that a non-metropolitan family church by necessity is a standalone institution for spiritual…
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An Alternative Unificationist Family Church Model: Where, Why and How It Works
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 9, 2008 – Pages 1-14 During the past year, the Unification Movement in the United States has conducted a series of focus groups, called “Witnessing Summits,” in order to study best practices and to brainstorm about ways in which the movement might become more effective in its outreach. Out of…
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Problems and Possibilities of Church Growth: Towards a Unification Critique
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 8, 2007 – Pages 25-40 Since the beginning of the Church Growth movement in the mid-1950s, many successful practitioners have significantly grown their churches. Church Growth was pioneered by Donald McGavran (1897-1990), whose Bridges of God (1955) is considered to have launched the movement. McGavran is credited with coining the…
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Church Growth through Start-Ups and Satellites
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 5, 2003 – Pages 17-42 The primary theological text of the Unification Church, the Divine Principle, sets forth dual prophecies about the future of Christianity. On the one hand, it states that Christianity is dying. On the other hand, it teaches that Christianity is the central religion that will create…
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Unificationism in America: Models of Success
Journal of Unification Studies Vol. 3, 1999-2000 – Pages 57-72 “If you have been in the Unification Church for decades and you do not have any spiritual children, then you are parasites, robbers!” Rev. Sun Myung Moon, 1994.5.10 If the Unification Family Church cannot grow in membership, enabling members to gain spiritual children, then it…