Unlocking the Growth

This book teaches the power of invitation. It may sound simple, but we are so caught up in our busy church lives that we have missed it. In 2004 Michael Harvey gave up a high-flying job in the City of London to teach church leaders to see new possibilities, using an approach that has quickly become established as Back to Church Sunday. Michael likes to challenge churches of all sizes to double their congregation in a day.

In 2009 at least 80,000 new people came to church in Britain through this approach, with around 10,000 becoming new believers. The basics are simple: invite your friends, and become an inviting church; develop a mind-set open to what God might do; work on creating a welcoming environment; learn from mistakes; and, help people to know God. "It takes a very brave person to walk into a church on their own nowadays", says Michael, "but God is still speaking to them and all they need is a gentle invitation".