Zack Blair

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Rating 7.5/10

Sticky Church is great book for those interested in sermon-based small groups and church growth (numerically and spiritually). In Sticky Church, Larry Osbourne proposes that growing a thriving church should spend as much or more time focusing on “closing the back door” through sermon based small groups, rather than “opening the front door” through events; etc. In Larry’s words:

“When most of my focus was on getting more people through the front door, the inner workings and interpersonal relationships of the board seemed more like a nuisance than an important part of our ministry. But a sticky church needs a healthy leadership team composed of people who genuinely like one another, share the same vision, and pull in the same direction.”

This book gives fantastic detail to starting and maintaining small group ministry. My only negative comment is that this book (like so many others) was written in a way that the reader can feel, “If you’re not doing this, you’re not going to succeed.” I know Osbourne even referenced that wasn’t the case, but church growth cannot happen in San Diego, CA the same as it can in Pittsburgh, PA. The cultures and people are as different as the climates. Nonetheless, these principles have greatly lifted our understanding in so many ways of what people need to grow up spiritually and get “plugged in” long-term. Time will only tell if these principles work (with us).