J.D. Greear - Gaining by losing : why the future belongs to churches that send

Gaining by Losing is a call and challenge to return to what matters most as Christiansto go and make disciples. Whether a church or marketplace leader, sending and planting is in our job description as followers of Jesus. And J.D. is calling us to a higher standard and level of commitment. This is a challenge to leaders everywhere to take up the flag and mantle of going and doing, not just staying and sitting. Many of us need to be shocked from our comfortable church recliners and out into our neighborhoods, communities, and cities. Come on! Movements are about moving, and we are each part of the movement of God, the church, to scatter and be sent. Im fired up after reading this book! And you will be too!

BRAD LOMENICK, Speaker, leadership advisor; author of The Catalyst Leader and H3 Leadership; former president and key visionary, Catalyst and Catalyst Conferences

Faithfulness to the Great Commission means a commitment to church plantingboth locally and globally. J.D. Greear understands this well. His new book, Gaining by Losing, argues on clear biblical grounds that healthy churches plant other churches, even at great cost to themselves and their resources. Church leaders who care about fidelity to Christs commission to his church will be encouraged and equipped by this book.

R. ALBERT MOHLER JR., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Gaining by Losing is a challenging and essential message for the church.

LOUIE GIGLIO, Passion City Church/Passion Conferences, Atlanta, GA

J.D. Greear is my friend. I respect him, and I love the ministry of Summit Church. Hes done us all a huge favor by writing Gaining by Losing. Like J.D., this book is a theological, gospel-driven, Great Commission-shaped jewel. I cant wait for you to read this book!

DERWIN L. GRAY, Lead Pastor of Transformation Church, South Carolina; author of The High Definition Leader

With raw and compelling honesty, J.D. Greear shares with us his story of coming to terms with what Jesus considers successnamely, our sending capacity, not our seating capacity. He then helpfully walks us through the risky business of keeping our individual and corporate lives centered on discipleship, planting, and sending. Yes, it is a risky business, but its Gods business into which he invites us, and its a business that will produce a harvest for the fame of Christ and the good of our churches and our souls. Get it. Read it. Do it!

STEVE TIMMIS, Executive Director of Acts 29

Wow! I rarely finish a book and feel like it took my breath away, but Gaining by Losing by J.D. Greear is nothing short of incredible. Healthy churches are sending churches. Healthy Christians are going Christians. I truly believe that all the concerns about the health of our churches could be alleviated if we practice the biblical truths in this book. Its just that powerful.

THOM S. RAINER, President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, www.ThomRainer.com

Christians are often tempted to forget that the greatest call we have upon our lives is to lose those lives for the sake of the gospel. In Gaining by Losing, J.D. Greear challenges us to remember that those who wish to truly live should be willing to lose; those who truly want to gain should start by giving away. This book is a timely and convicting reminder for us all.

ED STETZER, Conference and seminar leader, prolific author, www.edstetzer.com

For the church in North America to fulfill its calling to reach our continent and the nations with the gospel, we need tens of thousands of new congregationsand the leaders to start them. To do that, we need churches to take the challenge that J.D. lays before them in this book, to generously send out their best to start new churches elsewhere. I urge pastors throughout North America to read this book, internalize its message, and let it become a guide for their churches disciple-making efforts.

KEVIN EZELL, President, North American Mission Board, SBC

If every pastor could allow these truths to take root in their hearts and capture their ministries, the church just might begin to win again.

SHAWN LOVEJOY, Lead Pastor, Mountain Lake Church, Georgia; author of Be Mean: Relentlessly Protecting the Vision

This is a book that inspires and informsinspiring to pastors who want to see gospel-centrality spill over into Great Commission passion, informative to leaders who want to know how to create a sending culture in their churches. Gaining by Losing is a game changer.

TREVIN WAX, Managing Editor of The Gospel Project; author of Gospel-Centered Teaching and Clear Winter Nights

This year Northwood celebrates twenty years of working in Vietnam. During that time we have mobilized 2,500 members, raised millions of dollars, hosted over 100 exchange students, and literally impacted millions of lives. Northwood went out into the world to change the world, not realizing how much we would be changed and transformed as a church. What we have experienced there changed us here. Some of the things that Ive learned and come to believe I find in this book. Im excited that J.D. has written about them. How I long for a new generation that not only sees the Western church through different eyes, but can see the world through fresh eyes. J.D. gives so many practical things and fresh ways of thinking about how we engage the world.... Now do it!

BOB ROBERTS JR., Senior Pastor and Chief Missionary of Northwood Church, Texas; author of Bold as Love

J.D. offers a challenging and thoroughly biblical vision for the church of how we actually gain by losing. It is truly exciting to think about what could happen in the global church if this message is taken seriously by Christians.

MATT CARTER, Pastor of Preaching, Austin Stone Community Church, Texas; coauthor of The Real Win

J.D. Greear casts great vision for becoming a sending church and then shows us how it is done! In Gaining by Losing, the vision challenges each follower of Jesus to understand they are sent and asks every church to see them as a sending agent for new churches. If you long for the church to become the commissioned people of God, you need to read this book!

DAVE FERGUSON, Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church, Naperville, IL; author of Finding Your Way Back to God

This book desperately needed to be written, and Im so glad that my friend, J.D. Greear, took on the challenge to write it. Gaining by Losing will challenge you to the core to change the scorecard for how you gauge success in ministry. It takes us back to the emphasis of the New Testament. We are called to make disciples and send them out to expand Gods kingdom, rather than capture them, count them, and keep them in their seats. Read this book slowly. Soak it in, and let it reshape the way you measure faithfulness in Gods kingdom.

BRIAN BLOYE, Pastor of West Ridge Church, Atlanta, GA; coauthor of Its Personal

Warning! J.D.s transparency in Gaining by Losing will cause you to look in the mirror of Scripture to identify and surrender the hidden idols of your heart! J.D. preaches here what he practices and does well in allowing the reader into the inner corridors of his heart. Glean from his timely wisdom. This book is a MUST have!

D. A. HORTON, Executive Director of ReachLife Ministries

I encourage you to read and share this new book by J.D. Greear. It is a modern-day, pragmatic application of the revolutionary teachings of our Lord Jesus that encourages us to live selfless lives, on mission for him. The principles that J.D. outlines could revolutionize our understanding of mission work, domestically and internationally, and provide resources to see the Great Commission accomplished in our lifetime.