Getting more people to come to your church is something that is important to a lot of people. However, does an increased attendance mean that the church is actually growing? Wouldn’t the number of lives changed be a better indicator of growth? Nathan Lorick discusses how church leaders need to consider how much we lose in trying to gain members in Dying to Grow.

Beginning with the popular concept that church growth is all about getting people in the doors, Lorick explains that we shouldn’t fall into that trap. Church growth is better addressed as spiritual growth. Evangelism should be a primary focus, if not the main focus, of the programs and activities that churches host. Filling pews is not as important as filling the void in people’s hearts.

Going through different aspects of how evangelism should be viewed, and what can happen when it is put at the forefront, he tells what he has observed during his time as a pastor. He admits that it won’t always be easy, and some will complain, but we have still been giving a commission to carry out.

Written mainly for pastors and other church leaders, Dying to Grow, gives ideas to help them put evangelism back at the center of church life. Even people who are not leaders can gain an understanding of how important reaching others is through reading this book.

It is easy to read, and can be finished fairly quickly, so you don’t get bogged down with trying to read it. I found it enjoyable and informative. After the main content, Lorick gives some ideas to try to help your church reach out to those in the community, and some models that can still work.

I received a free copy of this book from BookCrash as part of their review program.