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Unreasonable Churches: 10 Churches Who Zagged When Others Zigged and Saw More Impact Because of It

by Rich Birch
Paperback |English |1537669540 | 9781537669540

Unreasonable Churches: 10 Churches Who Zagged When Others Zigged and Saw More Impact Because of It

by Rich Birch
Paperback |English |1537669540 | 9781537669540
Overview
In an era when 94% of churches are losing ground against the growth of the communities they serve, there is a new breed of churches who buck the trend. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES tells to stories of 10 churches who stopped copying the models of other churches and tried something new. You'll be inspired to consider how your church could see great impact by blazing new trails! ARE YOU READY TO BE UNREASONABLE? What others are saying about UNREASONABLE CHURCHES: "If you know Rich Birch and the unSeminary, you know he delivers fresh, relevant, and practical recourses for everyday leaders like you and me. In his book UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich keeps true to his track record by providing real examples of innovative ideas that work in local churches along with the encouragement to help you know you can do it too! It's an insider's look into some of the best practices to help any church reach its full potential." - Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone(R) Church "Many times we try to put God in a box to figure out how He grows churches and forms ministry strategies, but the reality is that God cannot be contained. He works uniquely in each church and in each community, and I am thrilled that Rich has captured these insightful stories of brave church leaders who have followed God's promptings and seen incredible results." - Heather Larson, Executive Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "Rich has an incredible gift for bringing practical insight and wisdom to the churches' most unique and often overwhelming challenges. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES is a great resource to take your next steps in improving your ministry." - Frank Bealer, Family Pastor, Elevation Church "One thing I've learned in two decades of church leadership is that many leaders would rather make excuses than make progress. The truth is, you can make excuses or you can make progress but you can't make both. If you want to keep making excuses, don't read this book. If you want to make progress, prepare to become unreasonable." - Carey Nieuwhof, Founding and Teaching Pastor, Connexus Church, www.careynieuwhof.com "UNREASONABLE CHURCHES challenges church leaders to think daringly about 'the way things have always been done.' Rich challenges the Church to take risks on trying new approaches to ministry including giving leadership training, follow up, and more. The case studies of churches innovating and reaching uncharted territory, along with takeaway questions, are inspiring and worth every penny spent on the book!" - Tim Stevens, Vanderbloemen Search Group "Rich has done the church an epic favor by writing this book. He's a master storyteller, and he knows what he's talking about! I'm excited for you to read this valuable resource." - Derwin L. Gray, Lead Pastor Transformation Church, Author of The High Definition Leader: Leading Multiethnic Churches in a Multiethnic World "Having served as an executive pastor for nearly 12 years, I understand the temptation to mimic the success of other churches. In UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich has gathered an inspiring collection of stories about leaders who are passionately pursuing the ministry God has for their church. It's an important reminder that each call is unique and radically different. I know you'll be encouraged to seek God for a better understanding of the influence of your church." - Jenni Catron, Founder of The 4Sight Group and author of The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership SEE INSIDE FOR MORE ENDORSEMENTS
ISBN: 1537669540
ISBN13: 9781537669540
Author: Rich Birch
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format: Paperback
PublicationDate: 2016-10-08
Language: English
Edition: 1
PageCount: 172
Dimensions: 5.0 x 0.39 x 8.0 inches
Weight: 6.24 ounces
In an era when 94% of churches are losing ground against the growth of the communities they serve, there is a new breed of churches who buck the trend. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES tells to stories of 10 churches who stopped copying the models of other churches and tried something new. You'll be inspired to consider how your church could see great impact by blazing new trails! ARE YOU READY TO BE UNREASONABLE? What others are saying about UNREASONABLE CHURCHES: "If you know Rich Birch and the unSeminary, you know he delivers fresh, relevant, and practical recourses for everyday leaders like you and me. In his book UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich keeps true to his track record by providing real examples of innovative ideas that work in local churches along with the encouragement to help you know you can do it too! It's an insider's look into some of the best practices to help any church reach its full potential." - Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone(R) Church "Many times we try to put God in a box to figure out how He grows churches and forms ministry strategies, but the reality is that God cannot be contained. He works uniquely in each church and in each community, and I am thrilled that Rich has captured these insightful stories of brave church leaders who have followed God's promptings and seen incredible results." - Heather Larson, Executive Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "Rich has an incredible gift for bringing practical insight and wisdom to the churches' most unique and often overwhelming challenges. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES is a great resource to take your next steps in improving your ministry." - Frank Bealer, Family Pastor, Elevation Church "One thing I've learned in two decades of church leadership is that many leaders would rather make excuses than make progress. The truth is, you can make excuses or you can make progress but you can't make both. If you want to keep making excuses, don't read this book. If you want to make progress, prepare to become unreasonable." - Carey Nieuwhof, Founding and Teaching Pastor, Connexus Church, www.careynieuwhof.com "UNREASONABLE CHURCHES challenges church leaders to think daringly about 'the way things have always been done.' Rich challenges the Church to take risks on trying new approaches to ministry including giving leadership training, follow up, and more. The case studies of churches innovating and reaching uncharted territory, along with takeaway questions, are inspiring and worth every penny spent on the book!" - Tim Stevens, Vanderbloemen Search Group "Rich has done the church an epic favor by writing this book. He's a master storyteller, and he knows what he's talking about! I'm excited for you to read this valuable resource." - Derwin L. Gray, Lead Pastor Transformation Church, Author of The High Definition Leader: Leading Multiethnic Churches in a Multiethnic World "Having served as an executive pastor for nearly 12 years, I understand the temptation to mimic the success of other churches. In UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich has gathered an inspiring collection of stories about leaders who are passionately pursuing the ministry God has for their church. It's an important reminder that each call is unique and radically different. I know you'll be encouraged to seek God for a better understanding of the influence of your church." - Jenni Catron, Founder of The 4Sight Group and author of The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership SEE INSIDE FOR MORE ENDORSEMENTS


I've been involved in church leadership for over 20 years. Early on I had the privilege of leading in one of the very first multisite churches in North America. I led the charge in helping The Meeting House in Toronto to become the leading multi-site church in Canada with over 4,500 people in 6 locations. (Today they are 17 locations with somewhere over 6,000 people attending.) In addition, I served on the leadership team of Connexus Community Church in Ontario, a North Point Community Church Strategic Partner. For seven years I served as a part of the four member Lead Team at Liquid Church in the Manhattan facing communities of New Jersey. In my time with the church we grew from 1 campus to 6 ... and our attendance grew to over 3,500 people. (That's actual numbers not "Pastor Inflated Numbers!") At Liquid I oversaw communications, weekend service programming, campus expansion and special projects.
I have a dual vocational background that uniquely positions me for serving churches to multiply impact. While in the marketplace, I founded a dot-com with two partners in the late 90's that worked to increase value for media firms and internet service providers.
I speak at conferences like Orange, WFX and various regional multisite church events. I'm a featured writer on Auxano's Vision Room, ChurchLeaders.com and MinistryBriefing.
I'm married to Christine and together we parent two wonderful teens, Haley and Hunter. Collectively we try to keep our dog, Rory, from chewing everything that lands on the floor.

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Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

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If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

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  • Downloadable software products
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Overview
In an era when 94% of churches are losing ground against the growth of the communities they serve, there is a new breed of churches who buck the trend. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES tells to stories of 10 churches who stopped copying the models of other churches and tried something new. You'll be inspired to consider how your church could see great impact by blazing new trails! ARE YOU READY TO BE UNREASONABLE? What others are saying about UNREASONABLE CHURCHES: "If you know Rich Birch and the unSeminary, you know he delivers fresh, relevant, and practical recourses for everyday leaders like you and me. In his book UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich keeps true to his track record by providing real examples of innovative ideas that work in local churches along with the encouragement to help you know you can do it too! It's an insider's look into some of the best practices to help any church reach its full potential." - Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone(R) Church "Many times we try to put God in a box to figure out how He grows churches and forms ministry strategies, but the reality is that God cannot be contained. He works uniquely in each church and in each community, and I am thrilled that Rich has captured these insightful stories of brave church leaders who have followed God's promptings and seen incredible results." - Heather Larson, Executive Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "Rich has an incredible gift for bringing practical insight and wisdom to the churches' most unique and often overwhelming challenges. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES is a great resource to take your next steps in improving your ministry." - Frank Bealer, Family Pastor, Elevation Church "One thing I've learned in two decades of church leadership is that many leaders would rather make excuses than make progress. The truth is, you can make excuses or you can make progress but you can't make both. If you want to keep making excuses, don't read this book. If you want to make progress, prepare to become unreasonable." - Carey Nieuwhof, Founding and Teaching Pastor, Connexus Church, www.careynieuwhof.com "UNREASONABLE CHURCHES challenges church leaders to think daringly about 'the way things have always been done.' Rich challenges the Church to take risks on trying new approaches to ministry including giving leadership training, follow up, and more. The case studies of churches innovating and reaching uncharted territory, along with takeaway questions, are inspiring and worth every penny spent on the book!" - Tim Stevens, Vanderbloemen Search Group "Rich has done the church an epic favor by writing this book. He's a master storyteller, and he knows what he's talking about! I'm excited for you to read this valuable resource." - Derwin L. Gray, Lead Pastor Transformation Church, Author of The High Definition Leader: Leading Multiethnic Churches in a Multiethnic World "Having served as an executive pastor for nearly 12 years, I understand the temptation to mimic the success of other churches. In UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich has gathered an inspiring collection of stories about leaders who are passionately pursuing the ministry God has for their church. It's an important reminder that each call is unique and radically different. I know you'll be encouraged to seek God for a better understanding of the influence of your church." - Jenni Catron, Founder of The 4Sight Group and author of The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership SEE INSIDE FOR MORE ENDORSEMENTS
ISBN: 1537669540
ISBN13: 9781537669540
Author: Rich Birch
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format: Paperback
PublicationDate: 2016-10-08
Language: English
Edition: 1
PageCount: 172
Dimensions: 5.0 x 0.39 x 8.0 inches
Weight: 6.24 ounces
In an era when 94% of churches are losing ground against the growth of the communities they serve, there is a new breed of churches who buck the trend. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES tells to stories of 10 churches who stopped copying the models of other churches and tried something new. You'll be inspired to consider how your church could see great impact by blazing new trails! ARE YOU READY TO BE UNREASONABLE? What others are saying about UNREASONABLE CHURCHES: "If you know Rich Birch and the unSeminary, you know he delivers fresh, relevant, and practical recourses for everyday leaders like you and me. In his book UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich keeps true to his track record by providing real examples of innovative ideas that work in local churches along with the encouragement to help you know you can do it too! It's an insider's look into some of the best practices to help any church reach its full potential." - Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone(R) Church "Many times we try to put God in a box to figure out how He grows churches and forms ministry strategies, but the reality is that God cannot be contained. He works uniquely in each church and in each community, and I am thrilled that Rich has captured these insightful stories of brave church leaders who have followed God's promptings and seen incredible results." - Heather Larson, Executive Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "Rich has an incredible gift for bringing practical insight and wisdom to the churches' most unique and often overwhelming challenges. UNREASONABLE CHURCHES is a great resource to take your next steps in improving your ministry." - Frank Bealer, Family Pastor, Elevation Church "One thing I've learned in two decades of church leadership is that many leaders would rather make excuses than make progress. The truth is, you can make excuses or you can make progress but you can't make both. If you want to keep making excuses, don't read this book. If you want to make progress, prepare to become unreasonable." - Carey Nieuwhof, Founding and Teaching Pastor, Connexus Church, www.careynieuwhof.com "UNREASONABLE CHURCHES challenges church leaders to think daringly about 'the way things have always been done.' Rich challenges the Church to take risks on trying new approaches to ministry including giving leadership training, follow up, and more. The case studies of churches innovating and reaching uncharted territory, along with takeaway questions, are inspiring and worth every penny spent on the book!" - Tim Stevens, Vanderbloemen Search Group "Rich has done the church an epic favor by writing this book. He's a master storyteller, and he knows what he's talking about! I'm excited for you to read this valuable resource." - Derwin L. Gray, Lead Pastor Transformation Church, Author of The High Definition Leader: Leading Multiethnic Churches in a Multiethnic World "Having served as an executive pastor for nearly 12 years, I understand the temptation to mimic the success of other churches. In UNREASONABLE CHURCHES, Rich has gathered an inspiring collection of stories about leaders who are passionately pursuing the ministry God has for their church. It's an important reminder that each call is unique and radically different. I know you'll be encouraged to seek God for a better understanding of the influence of your church." - Jenni Catron, Founder of The 4Sight Group and author of The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership SEE INSIDE FOR MORE ENDORSEMENTS


I've been involved in church leadership for over 20 years. Early on I had the privilege of leading in one of the very first multisite churches in North America. I led the charge in helping The Meeting House in Toronto to become the leading multi-site church in Canada with over 4,500 people in 6 locations. (Today they are 17 locations with somewhere over 6,000 people attending.) In addition, I served on the leadership team of Connexus Community Church in Ontario, a North Point Community Church Strategic Partner. For seven years I served as a part of the four member Lead Team at Liquid Church in the Manhattan facing communities of New Jersey. In my time with the church we grew from 1 campus to 6 ... and our attendance grew to over 3,500 people. (That's actual numbers not "Pastor Inflated Numbers!") At Liquid I oversaw communications, weekend service programming, campus expansion and special projects.
I have a dual vocational background that uniquely positions me for serving churches to multiply impact. While in the marketplace, I founded a dot-com with two partners in the late 90's that worked to increase value for media firms and internet service providers.
I speak at conferences like Orange, WFX and various regional multisite church events. I'm a featured writer on Auxano's Vision Room, ChurchLeaders.com and MinistryBriefing.
I'm married to Christine and together we parent two wonderful teens, Haley and Hunter. Collectively we try to keep our dog, Rory, from chewing everything that lands on the floor.

Books - New and Used

The following guidelines apply to books:

  • New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
  • Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
  • Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.

Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.

Shipping Fees

  • Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
  • Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
  • No additional fees and charges.

Delivery Times

The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.

Estimated delivery times:

  • Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
  • Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days

Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times. 

Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.). 

If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items:

  • Gift cards
  • Downloadable software products
  • Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)

  • Book with obvious signs of use
  • CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
  • Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
  • Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.

Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.

If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:

  • Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
  • Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
  • Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.


Shipping Cost


We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

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