After decades of net decline, more churches are now being started each year in the US (4,000) than are closing (3,500), according to Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird in Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers. Although some of the church planting activity (around 12%) is coming from denominations, and some from individual churches, most is coming from networks of church-planting churches.
Churches which operate amongst ethnic groups are finding strong responsiveness to the gospel. Churches involved in planting are among the healthiest churches because of their emphasis on recruiting and training leaders. A church which sponsors a new church typically experiences increased worship attendance and giving over the following five years. Planter assessment, training and coaching are key predictors of planting success. Four years after planting, 68% of new churches have survived, 62% have achieved financial independence, and average attendance is 84.
Unlike other books which highlight just one style of church planting, this book seeks to cover them all, providing a wealth of reliable information gained from various research projects. It is probably not the first book I would choose for inspiration, as I found some of the chapters heavy going, but it does provide a very useful overview of what is really going on in the church planting world. This makes it essential reading for church leaders who are concerned about fulfilling the Great Commission.