Here are the 20 books that shaped us the most by contributing to our thinking in new ways. I have them in the order of release (as best I can remember) and categorized...

Foundational Works:

1. Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? by Roland Allen
2. The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church: and the Causes Which Hinder It by Roland Allen
3. Perspectives on the World Christian Movement ed by Ralph Winter and Stephen Hawthorne
4. Church Multiplication Guide by George Patterson
5. Paul's Idea of Community by Robert Banks
6. Radical Renewal: The Problem of Wineskins by Howard Snyder
7. A Theology of Church Leadership by Lawrence O. Richards and Clyde Hoeldtke

Breakthroughs:

8. Cultivating a Life for God by Neil Cole
9. Houses That Change the World by Wolfgang Simson
10. The Shaping of Things to Come by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost
11. The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
12. Organic Church by Neil Cole
13. Church Planting Movements by David Garrison
14. The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch
15. The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom

Continued Understanding and Contributions:

16. Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna
17. Search & Rescue by Neil Cole
18. Nexus:The World House Church Movement Reader edited by Rad Zdero

Anticipated Works:

19. Organic Leadership by Neil Cole
20. Primal Fire by Alan Hirsch, Neil Cole and Wolfgang Simson (In Proces)

I would also add that we have learned much from these four historical movements:

1. The first century church
2. The Moravians
3. The Methodists
4. The Chinese House Church Movement

© August 2008 by Neil Cole

See also the article Personal Intimacy With Jesus by Rich Hagler

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