Word of Hope Blog
Read the latest thoughts from Ralph Moore, a veteran practitioner in disciple making and church multiplication.
Was it Really a Mistake?
“A mistake is not something to be determined after the fact, but in the light of the information until that point.” The above quote if from Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb. He’s the guy who first came up with the black swan concept—everyone in Europe knew that there were no black swans until somebody…
Learning Church Multiplication from India and Asia—Guest Nick Klinkenberg
Nick Klinkenberg is a church multiplier in New Zealand. The view from outside our own culture is often clearer as it is unclouded by tradition and politics. An occasional look abroad is good for anyone. Several years ago, I first met Dr. R. (Bobby) Gupta at a church planting forum in London. I remember the…
Leading from the Back of the Bus
I recently finished reading the book, “Leaders Eat Last. Good stuff! Whether you are into church planting or leading an older church, the message is for you. Put your people forward and good things will happen. Pull all the kudos toward yourself and the world won’t be such a nice place. Sure, there are leaders…
The Rise and Fall of Movements–An interview with Steve Addison
What’s the story behind The Rise and Fall of Movements? You’ve written others, why this particular book? I’ve been studying movements for over thirty years. I soon noticed that dynamic movements have certain characteristics. I also noticed that movements don’t stand still. Movements rise and they fall and they can be turned around. I wanted…
Church Planting news from Japan
After years of church-shrinking, Japan is becoming alert to church multiplication. After attending a couple of Exponential Conferences, my friends launched “Hero Makers Japan.” Two weeks ago they hosted a seminar, expecting just 35 pastors to show up–more than 150 did. And, over half were under age 30 (a very big deal where the average…
Consumers as Content Providers… in Your Church
I’ve always been intrigued by the “house to house” element in the church immediately after Pentecost. My question, “How could the ‘apostles teaching’ have been paramount when there were only a dozen apostles available to 300+ home meetings?” In churches I pastored we approached this with strong Bible-centric teaching on the weekend followed by highly…
Why Waste The Time Writing A Church Planter’s Blog?
A friend asked me why I “waste time” writing a church planting blog. Good question, I’m supposed to be retired but travel at least 13 weeks a year teaching disciplemaking and church multiplication. On top of that I try (often not successfully) to post something new and interesting each week. The answer is that I…
Church Planters Defeating Anxiety
Church planters often struggle with anxiety. There are financial snags, disagreeable people and governmental obstacles that feel like they were sent from hell just to keep you feeling jittery and unsettled. The good news is that help is available. I even wrote about it in a book I about my personal struggles with both chronic…
How Much Ministry Autonomy is Too Much?
I just heard of a veteran microchurch planter bounced from a mission he had planted because someone in authority thought he “wasn’t trained.” This person had just come off of a self-funded mission to bring clothing and hygiene to people in a very poor city. While there he, and a couple of others, ran workshops…
Becoming 5ive Church Multiplication Study
Sadly, we know that the last four decades emphasis on church growth produced a net decline in church attendance in America—we need a change in strategy and a new scorecard for success. Some Very Good News The good news is that the efforts of the past few years to measure church reproduction and multiplication are…