Donald mcgavran's 1955 book the bridges of god

The goal is not one single conglomerate church in a city or a region or among a people group. Missionary specialist donald mcgavrans 1955 book the bridges of god introduced evangelicals to churchgrowth strategy. Donald anderson mcgavran december 15, 1897 july 10, 1990 was a missiologist and founding dean of the school of world mission at fuller theological seminary in pasadena, california, and is known for his work related to evangelism and religious conversion. The church growth movement began around the publication of donald mcgavrans book, the bridges of god in 1955 wikipedia. The twentyfirst century relevance of donald mcgavran. Other features of this edition include an additional chapter on divine healing and an expanded, updated, and annotated reading list. The rest of the book tells the story of how this kind of unencumbered evangelization takes place. In 1980 the church growth movement celebrated its twentyfifth anniversary. Distributed in the united states by friendship press, new. Nonetheless, understanding church growth depicts the core of mcgavrans view on the growth of the church of christ jesus, and it sets the pivotal foundation for the church growth movement. In his book the purpose driven church, warren comments that donald mcgavran brilliantly challenged the conventional wisdom of his day about what made churches grow.

The bridges of god a study in the strategy of missions by donald anderson mcgavran london world dominion press 1957 world dominion press 59 bryanston street, marble arch, london, w. The iniquity of church growth caging the kingdom it is clear that emphasizing the growth of the churches divides the camp. The inception of this movement has been tied directly to mcgavrans seminal work, the bridges of god 1955. Peter wagner, retains the book s original aim and essence while modernizing the language and streamlining the flow of ideas, reducing the book s bulk by 35 percent. Mcgavran showed us that god is definitely at work among people around the globe and that the harvest should be reaped at all cost. Mar 04, 2015 here is a downloadable version of donald mcgavrans seminal article on the bridges of god. His 1970 book, in understanding church growth, became the standard work in the field.

Peter wagner has modernized the language and streamlined the flow of ideas, reducing the book s bulk by 35%. Mcgavran, church growth movements, people movements. Those people are donald mcgavran and robert schuller. Donald mcgavran, the father of the church growth movement, wrote the bridges of godin 1955.

I chose to have this book in my kindle because it is one of my reference books for more than thirty years. Donald mcgavran donald mcgavran the father of the modernday church growth movement by nelson searcy accept the fact that god wants his lost children found, brought into the fold and fed. One of the major developments in the church of the twentieth century has been the rise of the modern church growth movement. The modern church growth movement mcs edition donald mcgavran and the church growth movement for ministry, church and society howard culbertson southern nazarene university donald mcgavran father of the church growth movement born in india in 1897 parents and grandparents were missionaries to india as a student at butler university. I believe that the book was such a breakthrough in missiological thinking and practice. Many advocates and critics of what is now commonly called the church growth movement credit this book with providing the movement its first and primary theoretical foundation. Here is a downloadable version of donald mcgavrans seminal article on the bridges of god. He does so, not individually, butin mcgavrans phraseaccording to the homogeneous unit. Published first in 1970, this book by donald mcgavran examines the research he conducted and the insights he discovered that look at how and why church growth can be achieved. While a harvest may indeed not occur in a major way, mcgavran. How segregation fueled the evangelical megachurch movement. I believe that the book was such a breakthrough in missiological thinking and practice because of the crucial question that it asks. Sep 20, 2018 winter wrote this article in honor of donald mcgavran, in the october 1990 mission frontiers issue, the passing of a giant. I believe that the book was such a breakthrough in.

Distributed in the united states by friendship press, new york. Papers of donald anderson and mary elizabeth mcgavran. May 29, 2015 here are mcgavran s 7 principles of a people movement approach. There is, indeed, much of value in mcgavrans 1955 classic, the bridges of god, among other writings. In 1955, donald mcgavrans book the bridges of god launched what we know today as the church growth movement. Bridges of god importance of familyfriendship networks hint of homogeneous unit principle people like to become christians without feeling they have to cross racial, linguistic, social or class boundaries. Megachurches, as they have come to be known, like willow creek chicago area and saddleback california, helped us populate the term seeker friendly back in the 1990s. In his 1955 book, the bridges of god, mcgavran wrote the one sentence for which he became most famous, or, in the minds of some, infamous. This book resulted in the beginning of the church growth movement. Mcgavran award for outstanding leadership in church growth.

The fields j are unto harvest baptist theological seminary. To date ive written two hundred pages of his biography and plan to finish it this year. Mar 28, 2018 the church growth movement began around the publication of donald mcgavrans book, the bridges of god in 1955 wikipedia. The key figure of this movement was donald mcgavran, considered by most authorities to be its founding father.

Disciples of christ missionary, donald anderson mcgavran, upon his return from evangelistic work in india, wrote and published in 1955 a book entitled the bridges of god. I would love to hear a current missionarys take on this book. Mcgavran claims that whereas the latter approach was necessary and useful in the. From the bridges of god revised edition by donald anderson mcgavran. They may get only that, but that must never be the goal. This study in the strategy of missions was written and published in 1955 to encourage christians in how to reach others and grow the church of god. It became the most read book on mission theory in 1956 and has played a. The historical even now regarded as the beginning of the movement was donald mcgavrans publication of the bridges of god in 1955. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. To ask other readers questions about bridges of god, please sign up. This attitude continues western hegemony over mission works instead of focusing on turning over all the work to the people. The bridges of god appeared in 1954, and it has since become known as the.

He rewrote sections of his book, and it was eventually published in 1955 under the title the bridges of god mcgavran 1955. Oct 31, 2015 the rest of the book tells the story of how this kind of unencumbered evangelization takes place. A conversation with deborah jian lee, author of rescuing. Here are mcgavrans 7 principles of a people movement approach. With these resources in hand, the author situates mcgavran within the sociocultural changes. Mcgavrans ideas on urban church planting and social ministry. Sep 20, 2018 i first encountered mcgavrans force of personality at the time his bridges of god was published in 1955. Some correspondence with publishers of donald mcgavrans books and. Published in the united kingdom by world dominion press, 1955. I first encountered mcgavrans force of personality at the time his bridges of god was published in 1955.

In seven nations he saw twenty missions and hundreds of churches. Feb 03, 2014 one of the major developments in the church of the twentieth century has been the rise of the modern church growth movement. Reviews of the book lauded mcgavranss courageous thinking. Donald mcgavran grew up in india and worked there for 30 years as a missionary.

In 1955, donald mcgavran, in his groundbreaking book the bridges of god, laid out many of the fundamental principles of what would later come to be known as the church growth movement. Along with the bridges of god, this book is a must for those who want to understand the classic theory of such an important area of ecclesiological and missiological studies. In 1955, mcgavran published a book entitled the bridges of god. Without a doubt, the homogeneous unit principle is the most controversial of all church growth principles.

Missionary specialist donald mcgavran introduced this principle in his 1955 book the bridges of god. In 1955, mcgavran published his bridges of god, which expands on picketts thesis. Peter wagner claims that this book, launched the church growth movement. How running a campaign is like building a megachurch. The church growth movement southern nazarene university. In 1955, this inter est led to the publication of mcgavrans seminal book, the bridges of god, and moved him into global significance in. It was written by donald mcgavran and published in 1955. The book lays the foundational concepts for what would become known as the church growth movement, a pivotal evangelical expansion strategy that succeeded as a result of segregating the church by race and socioeconomic status. Rainer, president of lifeway christian resources, was honored nov. It is of the utmost importance that the church understand. Bridges of god 1955, how churches grow 1959, church. Mcgavran wrote bridges of god in the hope that it will shed light on the process of how peoples become christian, and help direct the attention of those who love the lord to the highways of the spirit along which his redemptive church can advance. This book has been labeled the magna carta of the church growth movement. Mcgavran, the founder of the church growth movement, began to write on the hup in 1936 and elaborated it into a fully detailed principle in his book the bridges of god, published in 1955.

A study in the strategy of missions mcgavran, donald on. The phrase church growth was not as prominent then as the concept of the people movement. It was an expansion of an earlier work, church growth and group conversion 1936 and explained the principles he had been developing while a missionary in india. Bridges of god, the magna carta of the church growth. How do peoples, not just individuals, but clans, tribes, and castes, become christian. A biblical evaluation of the homogeneous unit principle, part. Oct 23, 2012 it is my delight to talk to you tonight about donald mcgavrans relevance in the twentyfirst century. Understanding church growth, 3rd ed donald mcgavran, c. Mar 16, 2015 in seven nations he saw twenty missions and hundreds of churches. Mcgavrans 7 people movement principles frontier ventures. How strange when all are presumably disciples of the lord. Mission frontiers what does rome have to do with pasadena. Peter wagner, church growth and the whole gospel, new york.

Mcgavrans bridges of god, together with his 1970 book, understanding church growth revised in 1980 and 1990, ix. Donald anderson mcgavran december 15, 1897 july 10, 1990 came from a family of missionaries, and served. As many of you know, i have spent the last twelve years doing research for a biography on mcgavrans life and ministry. Donald mcgavran and the church growth movement helwys. Winter wrote this article in honor of donald mcgavran, in the october 1990 mission frontiers issue, the passing of a giant.