Church Project: A Biblical, Simple, and Relevant Pursuit of Church

by Jason Shepperd

In a church culture becoming increasingly focused on “cultural relevance,” how can leaders guide their church in a way that returns to the Bible and honors God? Throughout his years of ministry, this was a question Jason Shepperd continued to ask. Many churches around him were focusing their resources internally instead of making disciples and meeting needs, and Jason knew God wanted more for the Church and for his people. In 2010, God led Jason and a small group of rebels to found Church Project. Through praying and searching Scripture, they knew God was leading their church into these simple core And, they would structure the church according to the three key divisions of the biblical early Within 6 years, without marketing strategies or typical growth models, the church would grow to over 3,500 people, help plant 16 churches, and would work up to giving away millions of dollars and 50% of their yearly budget. In Church Project , Jason shares how God led them to structure the church and return to biblical church planting. He explains how their church has stayed committed to their core principles and helped their congregation to live out these values. Jason’s desire is to share the lessons God has taught him over the years, and to guide church leaders seeking to return their churches to God’s true plan for his people.

Genres: Christian

102 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2017

Reviews

[Michelle Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin? In my 50 year journey to meet God, I never could quite find a place to call home. The rules. The legalism. The cliques. The hidden agendas. Then we stumbled upon Church Project. Literally. And in a moment, I knew that I had found the place that would answer the questions that had continually burned in my heart, even after I found my way to Christ a year earlier. We travel extensively and I tell everyone I meet about our church. And yes. They roll their eyes and pat my head like a puppy. It won't last they say. You need a big building. A big budget for staff. A marketing campaign. You need to follow the plan of every other church or you are doomed to fail. And to that I say that they don't know Jason Shepperd and the people of Church Project. Every pastor that feels that call to do something more for God, that hears that little voice saying "You are meant to do more for me", needs this book.
This is a step by step journey of how to step outside the box and create a simple, biblical, relevant Church filled with community, joyful giving, and a passion for helping. While there are three pillars of Church Project as discussed in the book (Sunday Gatherings, House Church, Ministry Partnership), by far the House Church component is what drives the success of this church in my opinion. Read this book. Give this book to every pastor you know. Give this book to every church planter who is just waiting to find the right moment to fling open the door and say "I am ready God. Use me". After just under 7 years with the people who call Church Project home, I can truly say that this model is as close to scripture as a church can get. From the first whispers of the call to ministry to the the moment the dream begins to take shape, Church Project by Jason Shepperd will guide anyone who hears the call to start a church, or change the path of a current one. As with everything Jason does, the book is short and to the point, yet found within it's pages is a powerful plan to bring people into a relationship with Jesus, which is all any Church should do.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Jason's book to see how he came to the idea of house churches. I don't think he made his case. That's not to say that the house church concept is wrong or a bad idea. I think a better case could be made for the church in the city concept which in today's environment is impractical. One thing I noticed is that Jason points to the church in Acts as an example but ignores (seemingly) the fact that the Acts church lived, at least for a time, a communist (small "c") economy. My understanding is that the Pilgrims attempted that type of church and it utterly failed. We see the beginning of failure in Acts when Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive Peter. Another point, and I could be wrong about this, is that I don't see anywhere in the New Testament where there was more than one house church in one city. Again, I don't say the house church concept is wrong. My perspective is that the early Christians did what was practical at the time and we also have to do what is practical for our time and house churches are certainly practical.

[Nick Di Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Shepperd has a clear passion and plan for ministry that he and his church pursue in Scriptural simplicity. I love what he’s laid out here and think all pastors should read this short book and consider it. I have a few questions I’d love to ask the author after reading this: partly because I’ve been challenged and partly because I’m not 100% at the place where he has arrived. Even so, this may be the most practically biblical ecclesiology I have read.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to start rethinking what church could look like

What would church look like if you built it based on the commands of Jesus and the actions of the early church in scripture? Probably not like most churches you’ve been to. This book provides a compelling look at a biblical model of church that seeks to follow Christ more than tradition and culture. Worth a read!

[Neil Chelliah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, practical advice

It’s the best book I’ve read so far on planting house churches. It’s confirmed some ideas I’ve had and introduced me to new ones. Easy to read, practical to apply. Highly recommend.

[Rob Steinbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great short read about a "church project." Like Jason I love the church and deeply believe in her. I'm thankful for this church and what Jesus is doing through them!

[Jeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, simple outline of a church model is shared, but I still have a lot of logistical questions! I think I could have used more content; maybe a FAQ would have been helpful.