Book: Author/Book Recommend by Ed

High Impact African-American Churches

http://www.amazon.com/Impact-African-American-Churches-George-Barna/dp/0830732659/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266104057&sr=8-1

This book is packed with twenty-first-century lessons and practices, highlighting real-life success stories from the African-American church experience. Here the strengths of the African-American church are celebrated, and its best practices explored through the study of large and small churches alike. Half of the chapters in High Impact African-American Churches feature African-American history from the inception of slavery to present day, revealing the influences that have shaped these churches. Readers from any church, in any culture, will learn specific steps they can take and apply to their own churches, achieving successes similar to those found in the African-American Church.

About the Author

GEORGE BARNA is the directing leader of the Barna Research Group, Ltd., a full-service marketing company in Ventura, California, that specializes in research for Christian ministries. George is the best-selling author of books such as Real Teens, The Frog in the Kettle, Boiling Point and The Habits of Highly Effective Churches. HARRY JACKSON, JR., is senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Washington, D.C. This large multicultural ministry includes a Bible college and an active mission ministry that sends worship and teaching teams to numerous nations. Jackson, who earned his MBA from Harvard, is one of the foremost African-American leaders in the nation. He is the author of In-Laws, Outlaws and the Functional Family.

St. Aug's lending library might have the book.

the author/group's website is: http://www.barna.org/

they do a lot of marketing research and studies of faith organizations.

Same author has a few other interesting book titles:

• The Habits of Highly Effective Churches: Being Strategic in Your God Given Ministry
• George Barna reveals nine critical habits proven to make a church an effective local body. This book dispels popular myths and wrong beliefs as to what constitutes a thriving church in today's society and is an excellent resource for ministry leaders who are seeking or willing to reevaluate and restructure a church.
• Grow Your Church from the Outside in: Understanding the Unchurched and How to Reach Them
• George Barna reveals that America has more unchurched people than the entire population of all but 11 of the world's 194 nations! Based on research among several thousand unchurched people, the book discusses their values, attitudes, beliefs, religious practices, demographics, life goals, and spiritual expectations. Using additional research conducted among churches that have had great success in attracting and retaining unchurched people, Barna sets forth new perspectives and effective strategies for churches that wish to reach those who avoid church. By understanding what makes the unchurched tick, we have a better chance of relating to them in meaningful ways.