What they are saying:
Plant Like Jesus gives sixty different brilliant pictures of how Jesus engaged, organized and developed people to catalyze a movement….a masterful job of combining scripture, meditation and a prayer to help you as a leader ground everything you do in imitating the life of Jesus.
Dave Ferguson. Exponential president; Visionary Leader New Thing Network.
The truth is that church planters are a breed of their own. They face distinctive problems related to the missional nature of their work. They also have distinct spiritual needs and perspectives. Plant Like Jesus offers the busy church planter valuable daily reflections and insights from scripture and life. A worthy read.
Alan Hirsch. Author, Forgotten Ways and 5Q
Effective church planters seek to engage with God as they apply biblical principles in their ministry context. Plant Like Jesus provides soulful and strategic insights to encourage the heart and to guide the new church developer in their planting process. I recommend this valuable resource.
Robert E. Logan. Author of The Church Planting Journey and The Discipleship Difference
Plant Like Jesus is an indispensable tool for church planters and their teams. It will focus, encourage and inspire you through every season of church planting. It is like having a biblically grounded and practical based coaching session every day.
Junius B. Dotson, General Secretary/CEO Discipleship Ministries The United Methodist Church
Plant Like Jesus is bound to help move planters in the direction of real personal growth… sound, Biblical perspective in his series of readings plus exercises that stimulate both reflection and application. Really helpful, challenging and necessary!
Linda Bergquist, Planting Catalyst, North American Mission Board.
A great resource to help church planters remain grounded on the remarkable practices of Jesus. The strength of the book derives from the fact that Ben is a reflective practitioner; he has planted churches, has led church planting movements and has been training church planters across North America for many years.
Eddy Aleman, General Secretary, Reformed Church in America
“These devotionals bring together rich biblical reflection and hard-won wisdom from the field in helping church planters ground their work in God’s reconciliation of the world in Christ. They will inspire, enrich, and refocus anyone called to this vital ministry.”
Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation and Associate Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN
This book is a gift to the church! I can’t wait to get my hands on many copies. Every church planter will be edified by the “best practices” of the world’s best leader, Jesus.
Tim Vink Senior Catalyst for Church Multiplication Reformed Church in America
One of the most neglected areas in church planting can be a planter’s own spiritual life. Plant Like Jesus is a practical guide to resource planters or any spiritual entrepreneur in their spiritual journey.
Rosario Picardo Dean of The Chapel &Director of The Pohly Center for Supervision and Leadership Formation-United Theological Seminary
Plant Like Jesus is a unique creation, a delight, emerging from the author’s own passion and incredible experience. This book is a must-read for church planters, to keep their feet in the Scripture, in the ways of our Founder’s (Jesus’) vision for the Church.
Jebasingh Jebamony Planter, Multi-cultural Community Church
Spiritual food for the soul of anyone planting a new church, starting a new ministry, or contemplating what it looks like to reclaim a missional imagination as a faith leader.
Betsy Miller Moravian Church Northern Province
A highly useful guide to keep planters rooted in God and moving forward in their calling. I highly recommend it.
Larry Doornbos Director, Vibrant Congregations Reformed Church in America/Christian Reformed Church in North America
Plant Like Jesus redirects planters back to the One who is building his church, encouraging them to calibrate their efforts to his ways and purposes, providing an essential foundation every emerging church deeply needs. I highly recommend this resource.”
Steve Pike President, Urban Islands Project
Plant Like Jesus is a book that I know will hit home for a lot of church planters. It did with me! This book of devotionals for the church planter puts the focus back where it needs to be and should have been all along: on Jesus.
Adam Weber, lead pastor & founder, Embrace Church, author of Talking With God
“In all the flurry of church planting activity––trainings, conferences, books, seminars, webinars, thought leaders, strategies, assessments––have we ever stopped and asked the question, ‘How could we plant a church like Jesus?’ That is at the heart of Plant Like Jesus.
Sean Benesh, Senior Editor of the International Journal of Urban Transformation
Amidst all the tools outlining the best practices, models and strategies of church planting, one essential resource has been missing. Plant Like Jesus fills that gap.
Randy Weener Director of Church Multiplication, Reformed Church in America
In church planting, a common mistake is to focus too much on strategy and technique and not enough on the spiritual readiness of the leaders called to the task. This book is for you and your leaders. While you are developing budgets, creating those fancy websites, and organizing events – read this book so that you can prepare your hearts.
Matt Miofsky, Lead Pastor and founder, The Gathering St. Louis MO
As a wise, experienced church planting leader, Ben provides a helpful resource to help planters abide in Christ as their first and most important task. I plan to provide a copy to every one of our planters!
Amy R. Schenkel, Great Lakes Regional Mission Leader Resonate Global Mission
What a gift this collection is for pioneers navigating leadership and disciple-making in the Fresh Expressions movement of church. It inspires and encourages the soul while hitting on all of the important aspects of contextual church planting. Thank you!
Heather Evans, Pastor of Fresh Expressions, Grace Church; Cape Coral, Florida
The practical and insightful studies will allow a planter to navigate the planting journey while refueling spiritually. This will be a required resource for our church planters.
Lance Hurley, Executive Director, Ignite Church Planting: Chicagoland
Ben brings years of experience as a church planter and a leader of church planters to this book. From this, he candidly acknowledges the myriad experiences church planters face reminding planters that there is grace, guidance, and peace for them in the life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Mark Teasdale, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary Chicago
This helpful resource not only nourishes the soul of the planter but also helps the church planter and planting teams to think Biblically about their work. I am recommending it to the planters in our network.
Jim Lankheet Executive Director and President Coram Deo Association of Churches
Church planting is not easy; it is impossible! Each reading invites the reader to walk with Jesus and follow His missional and organizational model for starting faith communities.
Eliseo A. Mejia-Leiva Fresh Expressions Director and Pastor of First Paris UMC.
“Plant Like Jesus” will be an essential resource for planters and agents of change as these leaders move forward in the lonely and challenging terrain of church planting.
Brad Aycock Director New Church Development West Ohio Conference
