A “pro” argument . . .
Dustin L. Slaton. Multisite Churches: Biblical Foundations and Practical Answers. 312p., $22.99, Kregel Ministry.
The multisite church model has been consistently challenged by those who deem it unbiblical and incompatible with God’s design for the local church, but does Scripture support this claim? In Multisite Churches, pastor and church vitalist Dustin Slaton posits that congregational polity is compatible with the multisite model, dismantling critiques with both urgency and care for the local church’s future. At a time when church fostering and church adoption are predicted to increase significantly, the multisite church model is a solution that can support the adoption of churches.
Bringing in personal experience and erudite research, Slaton heuristically demonstrates a methodological approach of ecclesiology with a theological framework for the multisite model, fairly addressing both critics and supporters. Faithful to the biblical examples provided, he evaluates the marks of a healthy church and how they can be applied to the multisite model. Attributes include, but are not limited to:
- Preaching and Teaching
- Leadership and Discipleship
- Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
- Stewardship Accountability
- Church Membership
- Evangelism and Missions
Multisite Churches is a resource for biblical ecclesiology with wide-ranging benefits for both clergy and congregant. Those prayerfully discerning whether they can transition to a multisite church in a biblical way and those who are interested in the topic will benefit from the guidance and insight provided in this timely resource.
Lay It Down 
Numbers
At the beginning of Numbers, the people of Israel are weeks away from the Promised Land. At the end of Numbers—40 years later—the people of Israel are weeks away from the Promised Land. What happened?
Joel Barker and Steven D. West. Numbers: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. 480p., $37.99, Kregel Ministry.
These two authors work together to explain the essential message for the original listeners or readers, unpack its timeless truth, and then provide a contemporary restatement and communication of insights for the key biblical concept. Every book is a resource designed and written with the real needs of the pastor and teacher always in sight, providing many ways to creatively express the principal thought in a biblical passage.
Based on the Big Idea preaching model, Kerux enhances the reader’s ability to deliver a message that is biblical, cohesive, and dynamic.
In Numbers, Joel Barker and Steven D. West illuminate the enduring importance of this notoriously difficult text for preachers. God’s commitment to both his people and his promises claims center stage in understanding this Old Testament record of the covenant people. Through the lens of an ancient time and faraway culture, Numbers emphasizes God’s overwhelming holiness and the proper human responses of worship and trust. Barker and West guide expositors in shepherding their congregations through the book of Numbers and its themes of worship; disobedience and grumbling; judgment and restoration; anticipating of promises; and even leadership, all of which relate to God’s people today.