Movements That Change the World

The folks over at Missional Press have informed me of a great new book that is near publication. The book is entitled, “Movements That Change the World,” by Steve Addison.

Steve Addison is a life-long student of movements that renew and expand the Christian faith. Steve distills the characteristics of dynamic movements and makes them available to leaders committed to the multiplication of healthy churches.

Steve began his research into Christian movements in the late 1980s while serving as a church planter in Melbourne, Australia. He carried that interest into his Doctor of Ministry with Fuller Seminary. Steve currently serves as Director of Church Resource Ministries (CRM) Australia, a member of the CRM global community. CRM empowers leaders for the church.

Steve¢â‚¬â„¢s calling is to empower godly leaders who strengthen and multiply churches, everywhere.

Steve has been married to Michelle for twenty-four years. Together they have four children and one dog and live in Melbourne. Steve loves to walk, read historical novels, see Shakespeare performed and support the Collingwood (Aussie rules) Football Club.

The book is how Jesus founded a missionary movement that now spans the globe. His followers are called to continue his mission in the power of the Holy Spirit.

A movement is a group of people pursuing a common cause. Movements are characterized by discontent, vision, and action. For good or for evil, movements change the world.

From biblical, historical, and contemporary case studies, we can identify five recurring characteristics of dynamic missionary movements.

1. White hot faith
2. Commitment to a cause
3. Contagious relationships
4. Rapid mobilization
5. Adaptive methods

Jesus calls us to participate in a missionary movement that will one day reach every tribe, every language, every people, and every nation. These five characteristics point the way to how we can obey his call.

The book has received some great endorsements as well:

Steve and I go a long way back. We were enrolled in seminary together and shared many of the same classes. It became clear early on that we shared a similar passion for the idea of movements and their relevance for the mission of the Church today. And as we met together regularly over the years, we have shared many ideas that we think are vital to recover in our day if we are going to reverse the decline of the Church at the dawn of the 21st Century. The net result has been one of the most theologically fertile friendships that I have ever had. Certainly we argued some, agreed mostly, and refined our thinking all the time, but definitely we mutually enriched each other’s views on this vital topic over the last twenty years. Speaking personally, I would have to say that Steve’s friendship has also been a kind of mentorship that has left me a much richer person than before and for which I am profoundly thankful. His influence can be found throughout my own writings on this topic.

Steve is a veritable gold mine of useful information. But even more than that, he brings a passionate love for God and his people to the task of writing. In reading Movements that Change the World you will discover a thoroughly readable description of the dynamics of missionary movements, as well as how to initiate, maintain, and extend them. Trust me, behind this unencumbered, non-technical portrayal of the examples of history and their ongoing witness to us lies is a lifetime of dense research that brings together disparate insights from theology, church history, sociology, business studies, change processes, missiology, leadership studies, spirituality, and anything in between. This book is indeed a labor of love that has taken decades of loving service to prepare.

Instructed as it is by the educative experiences of history, fueled by a missionary’s vision of what the world can be, and guided by deep commitment to orthodox, historic Christianity, Steve Addison’s book should be read by all who wish to rediscover what it means for Christianity to be a missional movement again in the West.

Alan Hirsch

Founding Director of Forge Mission Training Network and Shapevine.com
Author of The Forgotten Ways and co-author of The Shaping of Things to Come
www.theforgottenways.org

I had the privilege of meeting Steve for the first time in 2008 at a small global gathering of influential pastors who had all planted churches and were planting churches out of their churches. I’ve followed Steve’s blog and writings for years, and I’m delighted he has gathered his insights into book form. Studying church planting movements is challenging because of all the history, facts, and contexts – it isn’t easy work, and sometimes it is not easy work to read! That’s where Steve comes in!

Steve has done his homework and has all the academic qualifications necessary to identify the five core characteristics of a church planting movement – maybe any movement. The good news is he does it in a way that enables all of us, not just the academics, to understand it. After all, it’s going to be our “everyday disciples” that will make this happen. He then gives both historical and contemporary examples of how it works to illustrate.

The character and experiences of the book’s author are huge in terms of how much can you trust what’s written. That is another point where Steve really stands out. He lives this stuff. He has planted churches, been involved and is recognized as one of the top global leaders in training church planters, and is also a student and researcher of church planting and movements.

I not only endorse this book but also will require all of our interns, students, and residents to read it. Thanks, Steve, for a great gift to the body of Christ!

Bob Roberts, Jr.

Pastor, NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas
Author of Transformation; Glocalization; The Multiplying Church; and Real-Time Connections
www.glocal.net

“There are very few who have truly studied, dissected, and understood church multiplication movements at the core. My friend Steve Addison is one who has done his homework. I have anticipated this work for some time and am pleased to report it is better than I ever expected. In a single volume vast amounts of experience, wisdom, research, and testing have been synthesized into an easy-to-read book that all of us should be familiar with. Steve has put in the years of research, and now you and I can benefit from all of his hard work in a few hours of reading. It would be foolish to not take advantage of this resource.”

Neil Cole

Founder of Church Multiplication Associates and Awakening Chapels and author of Organic Church; Organic Leadership; Search & Rescue; and Cultivating a Life for God.
www.cole-slaw.blogspot.com

“I love this book! Every so often a book comes along that fuels the flame that was started in my heart years ago when I was a young and very passionate world changer. I love reading this type of book. I’m still a fanatical, passionate, fiercely focused, imbalanced, apostolic type guy. I’m older now, but more passionate than ever. If you’re looking for an intelligent and passionate book to stir you to dream big dreams, a dream of how a movement can begin through your life, and give you practical tools to help implement those dreams, then read Movements that Change the World!”

Floyd McClung

All Nations
Cape Town, South Africa
Author of You See Bones, I See an Army: Changing the Way We Do Church; The Father Heart of God; and Living on the Devil’s Doorstep.
www.floydandsally.org

“Steve has been tantalizing me with tales of this book for years. He has talked to me about the content on numerous occasions. The chapters are distilled from years of experience and thought, and the final product has not disappointed. Practitioners and thinkers with a passion for mission will want to read and re-read this book.”

Dr. Martin Robinson

Together in Mission, (UK based interchurch agency encouraging mission and church planting)
Author of Metavista: Bible Church and Mission in an Age of Imagination and Planting Mission Shaped Churches Today.
www.togetherinmission.org

An important book for our times- well-researched, well-written, and well thought-out. Steve puts his fingers on the essential qualities that have defined movements of the Spirit throughout the ages. And the stories he tells-biblical, historical, contemporary, and personal-give us hope for fresh movements of God in our day.

Dr. Robert E. Logan

CoachNet International Ministries
Author of Be Fruitful and Multiply

“As I read through your manuscript I felt that I had met a long lost brother. I had to read it through in a single sitting because it pulled me through from start to finish. Excellent work, brother! This will be a valuable contribution to our growing understanding of church-planting movements and their history, scope, and nature. I love the way you have woven together insights from sociology, history, Scripture, contemporary case studies, and even personal experience. I will be recommending this to everyone I know. Thank you for vividly reminding us that Jesus did not found a religion, but a movement!”

David Garrison

Global Strategist for Evangelical Advance,
International Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention
Author of Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World
www.churchplantingmovements.com

“Adaptive, innovative and consuming…” Those words characterize the movements Steve Addison describes and prescribes in his book. They also depict the book–pick it up and it won’t let go of you. I couldn’t put it down till it finished re-arranging my mind. This is a keeper!

Ralph Moore

Pastor: Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
Author: How To Multiply Your Church

If you would like to get a sample chapter of the book, simply fill in the information in this form and you can download the chapter as a pdf. In addition, the publisher will let you know when the book is available to purchase along with a coupon for a 20% discount off the recommended retail price.