| Statement of the problem and purpose. Between 1985 and 1990 over 3,000 new churches have been started with the Phone's For You method of telemarketing. Presently, little information is known as to why some Phone's For You churches experienced numerical growth while others declined.; In response to this problem, the purpose of this study was to use descriptive research to compare five successful (Stellar Growth) churches with five unsuccessful (No Growth) churches two years or older regarding the following two research questions: (1) How do assimilation factors compare in successful and unsuccessful churches? (2) How do characteristics of pastors compare in successful and unsuccessful churches?; Procedure. Ten churches, located in Southern California, were investigated. An interview guide was developed based on a review of the literature. A panel of experts was used to validate the research instrument. The interviews consisted of the senior pastor and two lay members from each church. An inter-rater reliability test found the research to be reliable.; Findings and recommendations. The primary result of this study was revealed when comparing the scores obtained during the interviews, of successful and unsuccessful churches in thirty different categories. The findings validate elements of the assimilation process and characteristics of the pastor that are necessary for the growing of new churches started by Phone's For You. |
