Down-to-earth Book Born of Hard Knocks May Change Forever How Church Planters Do Their Work

CHURCH IN THE MAKING
A new book by one of Christianity’s creative lights, Ben Arment, from B&H Publishing Group

The majority of all new churches fail, which leaves thousands of dazed and discouraged church planters wondering what hit them. Ben Arment felt like he’d talked to half of them, and he identified with and anguished over their plight. Church in the Making is the result of Arment’s search for answers.

After eight years as a church planter and his research of scores of church stories, Arment identifies three conditions that make for a successful church plant even before it gets off the ground. “The truth is that we can’t plant a successful church on our own initiative,” Arment says. “God must bring together the critical factors long before we arrive. Our job is to identify where there’s already a church in the making.”

Arment adds: “Great faith is not enough. Clear vision is not enough. Passion and money aren't enough. There's a mysterious X-factor that eludes most church planters... and I'm convinced this is it.”

The “X factor” in Church in the Making includes:

• We must gauge the spiritual fertility of our community before we can plant a church. If they’re not open to the Gospel, our job is not to plant a church, but to cultivate people’s hearts.

• If God truly builds his church, then our job is not to initiate the work of God, but rather to identify where he’s already bringing a new church together.

• Whenever there’s a church in the making, God provides a group of leaders who can fulfill the mission. Lone planters have a slim chance of succeeding, let alone surviving.

Released by B&H Publishing Group April, Church in the Making has been written primarily for church planters, denominational and church planting leaders, strategy-minded ministers, and established pastors who want to reproduce their own churches.

Ben Arment is an innovator in the often sterile field of church planting who seems to spawn a new idea every day. After a stint as innovation and experience director at Catalyst, the largest community of next generation church leaders in the world, Arment has now launched three new projects: Dream Year, a year-long personal coaching program; The Whiteboard Sessions, a roll-up-your sleeves one-day session about ideas in ministry; and STORY, a boutique conference with a focus on creatively telling the greatest story ever told--the gospel.

Media Notes: Ben Arment is available for interviews beginning in April. To schedule an interview, please email Jim Jewell at jjewell03@msn.com, or call (678) 458-9837. Additional media materials are available.