Scattering Seeds

Cultivating Church Vitality

By (author) Stephen Chapin Garner With Jerry Thornell

Not available to order

Publication date:

27 January 2010

Length of book:

174 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781566996259

In Scattering Seeds: Cultivating Church Vitality, Stephen Chapin Garner and Jerry Thornell share the story of their home congregation, the United Church of Christ in Norwell, MA. This average congregation has approached congregational life in a not-so-average way. Each congregant is seen as a minister, bringing the good news of Christ to the community; the church has moved away from boards and committees, instead utilizing the people to form ministry teams; and they have revitalized the way they approach and practice worship and education. Garner and Thornell don't claim to have the secret to church growth and vitality, but in sharing the story of their simple church in New England, they give hope and innovative ideas to congregations in regions all over the country.
Scattering Seeds does a great job of offering a renewed way of doing church, one of which many churches (including ours) have followed and grown spiritually and numerically as a result. It follows a simple but profound idea: listen for and follow the Holy Spirit, and watch what God can do. This book, through stories and testimonials, leads us step-by-step through a process of wonderful transformative possibility.