The JESUS Model is a unique guide to church planting based upon the ways and teachings of Jesus. It is written for those who want both a biblical foundation and practical help in starting new churches.

The JESUS Model is also a training manual for disciples at four levels: discipling, coaching, leading a ministry area and leading a church plant. The author's radical vision is for this sort of training to be a constantly self-replicating cycle in churches. Each member is discipling and being discipled to be most effective, according to his or her gifts, in the church's task of multiplication by planting new churches. The goal of all training is 'doing' - disciples demonstrate that they have learnt by 'putting it into practice'. Dietrich shows that this kind of discipleship is the fruit of a real and intimate relationship with Jesus, and that a trusting, mutually accountable small group helps us to maintain that relationship. He also shares from his own life how he has practised the principles that he encourages others to follow.

Dietrich Schindler holds a DMin from Fuller Seminary in the USA. Born and raised in the US by German immigrant parents, he subsequently returned to Germany, where he has since planted and pastored five new churches. Since 2008 he heads up the Church Planting department of the Evangelical Free Church of Germany. He has taught church planting at four seminaries in Germany, and has been invited to speak about church planting at conferences in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. This book first appeared in German in 2010 under the title Das Jesus-Modell: Gemenden gründen wie Jesus. Dietrich is married to Jan Carla and they have three grown-up children.