My friend, Bob Harrington, recommended this book to me. The American Church In Crisis by David Olson is a very important read.

Here are some of Olson’s conclusions:

*77% of Americans do not have a consistent, life-giving connection with a local church.

*Large churches are the 2nd leading growth factor in the American church (new church plants are the leading growth factor).

*The higher the percentage of females in the membership of a church, the faster the church is likely to decline in attendance.

*For the American church to keep up with population growth, 2,900 additional new churches need to be started each year.

*The best way for pastors to leave a spiritual legacy that will last for generations is for their present church to plant new churches.

If you have any interest in the state of the church . . . I strongly recommend this one!