Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests Into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church

Creating an environment that both embraces our newcomers and excites them enough to return does not happen by chance. We must be prepared to be effective stewards of those God brings us. Why should the Church not be the epitome of service at its best, as modeled by the greatest server of all time? Fusion offers a step-by-step, biblically grounded, tested, and proven plan for establishing a relationship with newcomers that ultimately prompts them to become fully developing members of our congregations. This innovative, practical guide is full of how-to information, testimonials from the recently assimilated and from participating church leaders, examples of the assimilation materials used, and check points to make sure the reader is on track. Engaging, informative, and immediately applicable, here is help for setting newcomers on the path toward true life transformation and spiritual maturity.

Nelson Searcy is the founding and lead pastor of The Journey Church. Started in 2002 in New York City, this groundbreaking church sees the majority of its growth coming from new believers and currently meets in locations in Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, as well as additional locations in San Francisco and Boca Raton. Nelson is the recipient of the prestigious 2013 Donald A. McGavran Award for Outstanding Leadership in Great Commission Research. He is the author of more than seventy-five church growth resources and twelve books, including The Generosity Ladder, Maximize, Connect, and Ignite. Nelson is also an experienced church planter, coach, and church-growth strategist. Before founding The Journey, he served as the director of the Purpose Driven Community at Saddleback Church. He is also the founder of ChurchLeaderInsights.com and the Renegade Pastors Network.

Jennifer Dykes Henson is a freelance writer based in New York City. She has served as a writer/producer and ministry consultant to organizations across the East Coast. Jennifer also worked with Dr. Charles Stanley as the manager of marketing communications for In Touch Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.