Grace to Grow - by John K Jenkins Sr (Paperback)

About the Book

Most pastors pray for a healthy, vibrant church and transformative change among those they disciple. But many aren't sure how to best tend their ministries at different stages in a church's growth cycle. Grace to Grow encourages and equips churches with healthy strategies to confront an unhealthy world and take their churches to the next level.

Book Synopsis

Most pastors pray for a healthy and vibrant church, a prosperous organization and transformative change among those they disciple, but many find themselves frustrated because they lack direction and feel as though they are spinning their wheels. They struggle to correct unhealthy patterns or do not have fresh vision for their ministry.

John K. Jenkins can relate. The first church he attended is best described as a shack with a bell and a steeple. The restroom facilities? An outhouse. When he accepted his first senior pastoral role, he ministered to 35 people on a good Sunday.

Today, Pastor Jenkins welcomes more than 11,000 worshipers to Sunday services, and thousands more participate virtually. And he has learned what it takes to help an organization function wisely and efficiently, no matter its size.

Grace to Grow reveals the lessons Jenkins has learned along the way. It is a guide to help pastors move their ministries from merely surviving to fully thriving, despite the challenging road ahead. He gives insight into his own journey as a young pastor and identifies biblical principles, strategies, and techniques that made the difference in the life of his church and his personal discipleship for almost four decades.

Review Quotes

'Grace to Grow captures powerful, practical, biblically based lessons utilized by one of the nation's most successful pastors and churches for those seeking to grow impactful ministries. From his amazing pastoral leadership journey, Pastor John Jenkins provides a compelling must-read for pastors seeking to make church relevant in a culture and generation turned off to church but hungry for Christ's saving grace and love.'-- Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, president of Skinner Leadership Institute, co-convener of the National African American Clergy Network, author of Leadership Led by God

'Having worked with over 500 of the finest leaders of our generation, I can confidently say Pastor Jenkins is one of the wisest men I have ever met. In this book he generously shares some of his wisdom to help you grow into your full potential as a Christian leader! I have already ordered twelve copies to share his wisdom with my friends!'-- Bobb Biehl, life coach, consultant, executive mentor

'If anyone is interested in a healthy church, biblical tools on growing a church, and grace to grow, Pastor John K. Jenkins is a must-read. From learning humility, to the value of vision and mission statements, to establishing integrity, this book will equip, empower, and encourage every church planter, every senior or lead pastor, and anyone who is seeking a model on how to set up your church to grow gracefully.'-- Dr. Jasmin Sculark, lead pastor, Victory Grace Center

'If you want to know what it takes to grow a large and healthy church, this is the book for you. Pastor John Jenkins offers seasoned, practical, biblical, and values-driven advice that will help any church leader lead better. I encourage you to let him guide you and your team into a better understanding of the nuts and bolts of a real-life ministry. Doing so will impact both individual lives and communities for God's glory.'-- Dr. Larry Osborne, author of Lead Like a Shepherd, pastor of North Coast Church

'In an unhealthy culture there is a desperate need for biblically centered healthy churches. My good friend John Jenkins has given us an informative practical tool in his book Grace to Grow to help churches and their leaders to build and sustain ministry that God can use to bring kingdom healing to a sick society.'-- Dr. Tony Evans, president of the Urban Alternative, senior pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

'John Jenkins is the real deal! Having grown up in church, having served in a small church, and then having grown a small church into one of the largest churches in the country, John Jenkins has earned the right to share with great authority how other pastors might grow their churches as well. Built on a foundation of grace and humility and loaded with personal stories of both success and failure, John directs us not only in how to grow a church but also in how to lead people to spiritual maturity. For any pastor who desires to move his church forward, Grace to Grow serves as a great blueprint to follow.'-- David N. Ashcraft, president and CEO, Global Leadership Network

'Pain has purpose. My friend Pastor John Jenkins isn't wasting his experiences in the often painful crucible of ministry. In Grace to Grow, he shares the highs and lows with gripping candor and refreshing transparency. You will learn, grow, and share this pragmatic resource with all ministry leaders you know.'-- Sam Chand, leadership strategist, author of Leadership Pain

'Powerful, practical, and personal--listen and learn from the words of a highly effective church statesman. John Jenkins invites us to the gold standard of church excellence.'-- Leith Anderson, author, president emeritus of the National Association of Evangelicals, founder's chair of World Vision International

'Reading books on growing churches is a big part of my job. I love people who love to grow churches. Yet it's unusual to get a book like this--written by a pastor who has led a church to be one of the largest and most influential churches in the country. I'm grateful that pastor Jenkins distilled his wisdom into this book to help pastors and others navigate the many challenges and opportunities facing the church. This is not theory, but a lived, practical guide for the church today. Read it with your whole team!'-- Ed Stetzer, PhD, dean, Talbot School of Theology

'This book carries the sacred weight and wisdom of a man who has modeled its message for four decades. The personal and public life of Pastor John K. Jenkins is steeped in a humility, grace, and integrity that reflects the depths of his relationship with Christ, his deep love for the church, and his desire to invest in its leaders. In these pages, you'll find insights that will sharpen your leadership, recalibrate your priorities, and reignite your passion for your calling. Pastor Jenkins's personal and ministerial reflections in each chapter are priceless, and they will serve as a guide to the reader for years to come. Gratefully, I have been a personal beneficiary of his generosity and counsel. And now, through this book, you can be too.'-- Priscilla Shirer, Bible teacher and author

'When we see a magician perform amazing tricks, we always want to know how he did them. But magicians rarely reveal their secrets. When we see a church that has grown and grown for more than thirty years, we want to understand how that's possible--especially when many churches are struggling to stay afloat. Grace to Grow is a how-to manual for church growth written by Rev. John Jenkins, someone I have come to know as a 'master pastor.' This book lays out the solid ministry principles that ultimately lead to a growing and healthy church. Every church leader in America should read this book. It's that good.'-- Richard Stearns, president emeritus of World Vision US, author of The Hole in Our Gospel and Lead Like It Matters to God