Study Guide: Social Structure and Church Growth
Chapter 12 of Understanding Church Growth
1. What are the seven elements of social structure that McGavran discusses in chapter 12?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
2. What was a past factor in developing the rugged individualism of Americans? What factors does McGavran list as influencing their regimented mentality?
3. When is it that a homogeneous unit of society is said to have people consciousness?
4. What causes those with high people consciousness to resist the gospel?
5. What kind of decision to become a Christian will make for slow growth?
6. What does marriage influence that affects the spread of the gospel?
7. What five elements does McGavran list as determining who belongs to the power structure of a community?
8. What happens when members the elite among a segment of society become Christians?
9. How does geographic location and land ownership affect church growth?
10. What two major problems of sexual mores, as illustrated by Jamaica and Africa, keep people from being baptized?
11. What does McGavran call the language of the heart?
12. What language do educated church leaders think that church services should be held in? What does McGavran say this is subordinating discipling to?
13. Where does McGavran believe that a team of workers should be assigned?
14. Why did the Baptists and Methodists grow within different social strata in Jamaica?
