Recently, I served on the doctoral committee for Brian Frye, director of Collegiate Ministries for the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. I was so impressed with his research and dissertation on the multi-site movement that I asked him to consider being a guest blogger. Today is his first post in a series. He’ll be back in the near future with some more posts from his research.
He is not able to respond to your comments posted here. If you wish to contact Brian, you can reach him at bfrye@scbo.org. — J. D.
B
rian Frye here doing a little guest blogging for J.D. as he continues to pump out new books. Those of us close to him lovingly refer to J.D. as “Payne the Prolific.” 😉
Recently, I went through the doctoral defense (inquisition) process with J.D., Timothy K. Beougher, and Chuck Lawless in the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. My dissertation topic is multi-site churches (full title: “The Multi-site Church Phenomenon in North America: 1950-2010”), and since I’ve spent a few hours researching the topic, J.D. asked me to write a response to the following question: “What would you say are the most important books on the multi-site church concept?”
To honor the request of the “Prolific One,” here is my top ten list to understanding and appraising the multi-site church concept. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.
Frye’s Top Ten List of Books on the Multi-site Church Concept:
1. Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird. The Multi-Site Church Revolution: Being One Church in Many Locations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.
2. Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird. A Multi-site Church Roadtrip: Exploring the New Normal. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.
3. Scott McConnell. Multi-Site Churches: Guidance for the Movement’s Next Generation. Nashville: B&H, 2009.
4. Elmer L. Towns, 10 of Today’s Most Innovative Churches: What They Are Doing, How They Are Doing It & How You Can Apply Their Ideas in Your Church. Ventura, CA: Regal, 1990.
5. Lyle Schaller. Innovations in Ministry: Models for the 21st Century. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994.
6. Bill Easum and Dave Travis. Beyond the Box: Innovative Churches that Work. Loveland, CO: Group, 2003.
7. J. V. Thomas and J. Timothy Ahlen, One Church, Many Congregations: The Key Church Strategy. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999.
8. Randy Pope. The Prevailing Church: An Alternative Approach to Ministry. Chicago: Moody Press, 2002.
9. John N. Vaughan. The Large Church: A Twentieth-Century Expression of the First Century Church. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985.
10. Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.
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You are the second person I know of who has included my book, “One Church, Many Congregations,” in a list of books on Multi-site churches. I would be interested in hearing from you how you found this book applicable to Multi-site church planting as it is practiced by the vast majority of churches today.
Tim,
Thanks for writing. You will need to contact Brian Frye, at the email provided in this post, for an answer.
J. D.