Contact: Pam Sparks, .W Publishing, 719-481-4408, publishing@wholelifeoffering.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Oct. 25, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- What is the best way for American Christians to impact their country?

According to one pastor, the answer is to go underground.

Rev. Eric Foley is pastor of .W Evangelical Church in Colorado, Korea, and China and author of Church is for Amateurs, a book that draws on North Korean underground church discipleship strategies to teach American Christians how to plant underground churches in their own neighborhoods.

"Going underground is the opposite of hunkering down and keeping quiet about your faith," says Foley. "It's about training families, not institutions, to be the center of church life -- equipping them to be 'Living Bibles' in their neighborhoods, with the church relying on them to take on for their sphere of influence all the functions of church life that churches usually reserve for pastors."

Foley created a structured discipleship training program that trains families to grow to fullness in Christ. Part of that is internalizing, without external aids, what he calls the "bookshelf" of the faith: The Nicene Creed and one Bible passage and one classic hymn weekly, which he says is how most Christians around the world through history have learned and retained theology.

"People say, 'Oh, you're a house church that memorizes Bible verses,' but that's not accurate," says Foley. "We work a lot with small groups in traditional churches as well. What distinguishes us is outcome-based structured discipleship training strategies. Jesus says hearing the word is only half the learning. Doing the word is fully 50% of what Christianity is all about."

What does going underground look like for a traditional church? Foley says it's about investing 100% of the church functions in members where they live, not clergy in church buildings, and revamping services "to have church wherever those in your sphere of influence congregate. Then, instead of having to attract people to some special location, you hear and do the word right where they have no choice but to see it."

The booklet detailing that method, Church is For Amateurs, is available at www.seoulusa.org/resources. Foley's weekly podcast, YouTube video, and blog posts can be accessed for free at www.ericfoley.com. .W offers a one-year training program through Sunday evening classes in Colorado Springs and via DVD curriculum.