Recently the Gospel Coalition asked their contributors what 3 books every church planter should read. You can find that article here.

We asked all of our Church Planting Strategists the same question. Here is what Tim Wicker had to recommend.

KINGDOM FIRST  by Jeff Christopherson & Mac Lake

Kingdom First is the most comprehensive book on church planting that I’ve read. It gives a great overview of all the major aspects of what it means to plant. The kingdom mindset that it provides planters is essential to their early development. Christopherson forces us to think differently about church as not just being about a weekend worship service.

TRADECRAFT  by Larry E. McCrary, Caleb Crider, Wade Stephens, & Rodney Calfee

This book is a strong choice for church planters because it was written by missionaries. Planters must think like missionaries in our post-Christian America. I also love how ministry minded this book is. It’s got the best explanation of the person of peace that I’ve ever read.

THE SHAPING OF THINGS TO COME by Alan Hirsch & Michael Frost

Game changer. That's the word that comes to mind when I think about this book. It really changes the paradigm of church and that has great ramifications on church planting. The idea of communitas (shared community) is so helpful for planters. Hirsch’s idea of “living sent” is crucial as well. APEST is a lost element in many church plants.

Honorable mentions: Organic Church, Church Planting for a Greater Harvest, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

 

Tim Wicker serves as the Team Leader of the Church Planting Team at the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. He has served as a pastor with churches in New Hampshire, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Before joining the Church Planting Team, Tim and his family served 10 years with the International Mission Board in Russia. Tim did his undergraduate work at Criswell College in Dallas, TX. He received a MDiv from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN.

Tim and his wife Lisa both claim North Arkansas as home and now live in Benton. They have four children, Sarah (married to a youth pastor in Camden, AR), Caleb (recently engaged and living the dream in So. Cal.), Rachel (a Senior at Ouachita Baptist University) and Tessa (a Junior at Williams Baptist College).  Tim and Lisa have 4 of the most precious grandchildren on the planet – pictures available on request!