Church Life
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Understanding Church Growth (Revised)
$34.99Add to cartAuthor Donald A. McGavran is considered a founder of the Church Growth Movement in America. In this 3rd edition of his standard work, McGavaran analyzes the causes, methods and strategies for successful church growth both in America and abroad.
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Pastors In Transition
$28.99Add to cartWhether they leave out of preference for another ministry or due to serious conflict, pastors who relinquish parish ministry face misunderstanding and even hostility. Pastors in Transition brings clarity to this little-examined aspect of the pastorate by examining the main reasons why pastors in five Protestant denominations have left parish ministry.
The fruit of careful sociological research, Pastors in Transition presents the findings of the largest-ever study of recently ended ministries. More than 900 ex-ministers, representing the Assemblies of God, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Methodist Church, were surveyed or interviewed. Besides gathering facts and figures, the book contains personal stories, forthright opinions, and concrete recommendations from former pastors for strengthening parish ministry in the future.
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Becoming Conversant With The Emerging Church
$24.99Add to cartA perceptive evaluation of the new “emerging church” movement showing how we must not only interact with a fast-changing culture but also have our vision and practice of ministry shaped by biblical theology with Scripture as the norm.
From the Back Cover
A careful and informed assessment of the “emerging church” by a respected author and scholar
The “emerging church” movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying?The time has come for a mature assessment. D. A. Carson not only gives those who may be unfamiliar with it a perceptive introduction to the emerging church movement, but also includes a skillful assessment of its theological views. Carson addresses some troubling weaknesses of the movement frankly and thoughtfully, while at the same time recognizing that it has important things to say to the rest of Christianity. The author strives to provide a perspective that is both honest and fair.
Anyone interested in the future of the church in a rapidly changing world will find this an informative and stimulating read.
D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God, and is general editor of Telling the Truth and Worship by the Book. He has served as a pastor and is an active guest lecturer in church and academic settings around the world.
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Change Of Pastors (Revised)
$23.00Add to cartRevised Edition Of Critical Moment Of Ministry: Change Of Pastors
Twenty years after Critical Moment of Ministry was first published, Loren Mead returns to his groundbreaking work on one of the most important times in a congregation’s life-the time between one pastor’s leaving and another’s arrival. In this revised edition, A Change of Pastors, Mead shares the wisdom he gained from 35 years of studying congregations, wisdom that he hopes will allow congregations to take full advantage of this “extraordinarily pregnant moment” during which incredible congregational change can happen.With the voice of an old friend and trusted counselor, Mead leads his readers through the challenges of forming committees, negotiating denominational relations, and managing the search process. He describes in detail the seven sequential steps congregations ought to take to ensure a smooth transition: termination, direction finding, self-study, search, decision/negotiation, installation, and start-up. Additionally, Mead devotes a chapter to nonsequential developmental tasks, tasks that should take place throughout the transition and into the congregation’s future: coming to terms with the past, discovering a new identity, allowing for needed leadership changes, rediscovering the denomination, and commitment to new directions in ministry. Performing these developmental tasks in concert with the seven sequential steps allows congregations to take full advantage of this fertile time for change in the congregation, this “critical moment of ministry.”
A revised text and introduction, an updated bibliography, and a new preface and afterword make A Change of Pastors crucial for any congregation undergoing or about to undergo a change of pastors. In the midst of this transition, there is no doubt that your congregation will find a new pastor. But this book will help you to do more than merely find a hired hand to manage the preaching and the worship. You will discover what God wants you to be and do. You will find a new commitment to ministry. And you will find the pastor who will help make that ministry happen.
Loren B. Mead is president emeritus of the Alban Institute, which he founded in 1974. Since his retirement in 1993, he has continued to consult with congregations, lecture, and write. He has written many books, including The Once and Future Church: Reinventing the Church for a New Mission Frontier (Alban, 1991).
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Postindustrial Promise : Vital Religious Community In The 21st Century
$30.00Add to cartTales of demise and decline have come to characterize news on the state of religion and congregations in America. In The Postindustrial Promise, author Anthony Healy finds that the changes in religious life and among congregations are being misunderstood. Instead of seeing the changes as the result of the presumed aspects of postmodern life-individualism, the collapse of social groups, and the scrapping of tradition-Healy sees what has occurred as a postindustrial transformation, in which an economy based on manufacturing has been replaced by one based on corporate and consumer services. This transformation has changed what we value and how we live, as well as how we work. It has also changed congregations and religious life, but not necessarily in the way that many people think.
Contrary to the stories of decline, Healy finds that in this time of postindustrial dislocation people are again putting down religious roots. Congregations are making it possible for people to reconnect with the stories and traditions of previous generations and have become the places in society where the reembodying of religious and cultural narratives is taking place. Different from the postmodern script, this postindustrial explanation leads us to fresh insights into the change that has occurred among religious bodies, their congregants, and their communities.
This book provides pastors, lay leaders, teachers, scholars, and seminarians with a solid grounding in the basic aspects of the postindustrial transformation and offers direction to help religious leaders develop responsive and viable places of ministry, mission, and program in this time of change
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Silent Words Loudly Spoken
$12.95Add to cartLike a miniature billboard, the church sign offers an unparalleled opportunity to promote God’s kingdom beyond the walls of the congregation. Thousands of cars pass each day with potential readers of its content, so the church sign has the potential to be a powerful pulpit from which silent words are loudly spoken, communicating brief but significant messages of God’s love to a spiritually thirsty world.
Silent Words Loudly Spoken provides a wealth of fresh and inspiring messages that will maximize the impact of your church sign. With more than 700 uplifting, thought-provoking statements conveniently formatted to easily fit most church signs, it contains enough material to last several years. A humorous but pithy “Ten Commandments for a Good Church Sign” offers plenty of specific nuts-and-bolts advice for making the most of this powerful but sometimes overlooked ministry tool:
* Phrases should be short enough and letters large enough for effortless drive-by reading.
* Messages should be changed regularly, especially date-specific ones.
* “In-house” announcements better suited for the church bulletin should not be wasted on a disinterested public.
* Give the gift of a positive, inspirational message; negative statements turn off those the church wants to attract.
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Evangelizing Church : A Lutheran Contribution
$24.00Add to cartForeword, Mark S. Hanson
Preface, David L. Tiede
Project Team Members1.A Lutheran Confession
2.The Gift Is A Call
3.Addressing Captives In Babylon
4.For The Sake Of The World
5.Called Out Of Our Comfort Zone
6.Navigating Difficult Questions
7.After The Death Of Evangelism – The Resurrection Of An Evangelizing ChurchEpilogue: A Lutheran Contribution To An Evangelizing Church
Study Guide
Annotated Bibliography
Notes
Index Of Topics
Index Of NamesAdditional Info
In a series of engaging essays and responses, the book explores how evangelism has functioned within Lutheranism historically and articulates a Lutheran theological perspective on evangelism within the broader developments in mission theology over the past several decades. It further helps to show how evangelism from a Lutheran perspective may be differentiated from other theologies of evangelism that are part of the Christian movement in our day.The book moves from theory to practice as it relates this theology of evangelism to the life of congregations that are seeking to proclaim the gospel in the emerging postmodern context, provides congregations with perspectives on how to utilize this theology in shaping the practice of evangelism within their church life. A study guide to encourage group discussion and reflection is included.
Other contributors:
*Wyvetta Bullock
*Kelly Fryer
*Craig Nessan
*J. Paul Rajashekar -
Building Sunday School By The Owners Design
$14.95Add to cartA strong Sunday school program is a key component of any flourishing church — and Building Sunday School By The Owner’s Design provides a comprehensive toolbox jam-packed with 100 ideas for improving every aspect of your religious education program. Building on the framework of his book Built By The Owner’s Design, Danny Von Kanel demonstrates how God’s Word offers a proven blueprint for effective outreach and growth — and he offers you a wide array of practical approaches for making Sunday school the vital centerpiece of a spiritually thriving ministry. Von Kanel discusses the strengths and shortcomings of both traditional and contemporary “church growth movement” approaches to Sunday school, then points out how following God’s design offers a better method for igniting exciting growth. Grounded in Von Kanel’s own experience in several growing ministries and a careful analysis of research in churches from a variety of denominations, these tools can be used by any congregation (most have little or no financial expense). Convenient “Tool Time” and “Tool Resource” sections offer specific steps for implementing these ideas in your church. Building Sunday School By The Owner’s Design is an essential resource for pastors, teachers, and other religious professionals — it offers everything you need to develop a life-changing Sunday school program that produces enthusiastic, deeply committed followers of Christ.
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Body Broken : Answering Gods Call To Love One Another
$10.99Add to cartFor those brave writers who attempt to dispense spiritual wisdom from their own experiences, each sentence can be fraught with peril. Those who traffic in their own experiences of God for a public audience run the risk of disclosing too much or too little-having too many answers to be convincing, or not enough to satisfy the hungry reader. What saves Episcopal layman and veteran spiritual writer Benson’s autobiographical musings from becoming routine is his willingness to share his struggles with a specific issue: why is the fellowship of believers broken into so many competing parties? Benson’s desire to understand, respect and honor the faith of other Christians is a powerful force here, animating that which otherwise might have seemed mundane. Reflecting on how difficult it is for even those bound by a mutual faith to seek a common scriptural understanding, Benson comments: “We are not called to explain the Christ; we called to follow the Christ. We are not called to build walls that keep his friends apart from each other; we are called to build the kingdom together.” Alternatively tender, sad, regretful and joyous, Benson offers his tales with the honesty of a man who doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. He brings to the topic a profound, if chastened, sense of God’s presence in his daily life and relationships. Benson’s passion will appeal to many readers seeking a well-crafted meditation on a topic that has persistently bemused Christians of all denominations.
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Church Conflict : From Contention To Collaboration
$22.99Add to cartYou love your work. You love the people–most of the time. They respect you, most of the time. You work together with colleagues, staff, and laity, with energy and enthusiasm, most of the time. But then something goes wrong: a word spoken in anger, a misunderstanding, and things turn sour. What do you do? How do you deal with conflict, whether it be long or short-term, low or high intensity?
Conflict is a part of the human predicament, yet it need not define or control your ministry. This book is designed to help the reader ask certain key questions about the nature and scope of the conflict they are experiencing and, based on the answers to those questions, move beyond conflict. The author lays out the variety of responses to conflict, running the gamut from avoidance to accommodation to compromise to collaboration.
Written with the real needs of congregations in mind, this book will serve as a reliable guide to all who wish to move through conflict into a more effective and authentic fulfillment of their calling.
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World Calling : The Churchs Witness In Politics And Society
$30.00Add to cartThomas Ogletree has devoted much of his career to exploring the significance of Ernst Troeltsch’s seminal work, The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches. The articles in The World Calling use a Troeltschian lens to explore fundamental issues underlying any Christian social witness in the context of American democratic institutions.
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Whats A Pastor To Do
$9.99Add to cartIt’s been said that pastors should be on the “endangered species” list.
As a pastor, you expected a life of sacrifice when you obeyed your call. But did you expect that staying mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy would ve such a challenge?
Ministry mixes the joy of serving with the frustration of leading.
In What’s a Pastor to Do?: The Good and Difficult Work of Ministry, Jeren Rowell addresses both the enjoyable and the disagreeable aspects of pasturing. Sections such as Pastoral Identity, Pastoral Health, and the Pastor as Priest will inspire you to renew your commitment and offer you spiritual refreshment and comfort.
The short chapters are perfect for daily devotions that uplift and instruct as you go about the good and difficult work of ministry.
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Thriving As An Artist In The Church
$24.99Add to cartA practical guide full of wisdom, encouragement, and pastoral guidance from the author of The Heart of the Artist (100,000 copies sold) It’s not easy being an artist in the church. In this sequel to The Heart of the Artist, Rory Noland encourages and equips Christian artists musicians, painters, actors, dancers, sound and lighting technicians not only to persevere in ministry, but also to thrive in a church setting. Combining scriptural principles with the author’s twenty-five years of experience, this book offers proven advice to help artists deal with the conflicts and issues that threaten to sabotage both art and ministry. Readers learn how to: Sustain passion amidst the rigors of weekly services Cope with rejection and failure Develop key relational skills *Cultivate confidence Resolve artistic differences Fall in love with their church and stay there An excellent resource for both individuals and arts ministry teams, the book includes slice-of-church-life scenarios, group discussion questions, and personal action steps. Drawing on a variety of artistic examples, it features literary quotes, four-color reproductions of fine art masterpieces, and devotional reflections that help artists experience as well as understand what it means to thrive in ministry.
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Evaluating The Church Growth Movement
$26.99Add to cart“The church growth movement (CGM) has stirred debate ever since it was first introduced by Donald McGavran in the 1960s. By the 1980s it attracted enough attention to merit the publication of around 580 church growth books. Many churches experienced significant growth applying these principles. But during the 1990s critics questioned the movement and its theological underpinnings. Nevertheless, interest in the movement continues in the 21st century. It’s a movement that can’t be ignored. This Counterpoints Church Life book presents five viewpoints on the CGM from national church leaders from a diverse denominational, theological, and geographical representation. The five perspectives include: * Effective evangelism view: Church growth effectively confronts the culture (Elmer Towns) * Gospel in our culture view: Church growth does not effectively engage the culture (Craig Van Gelder) * Centrist view: Church growth has been culturally insightful but theologically superficial (Charles Van Engen) * Reformist view: Church growth has not developed a balanced intertwining of theological reflection, cultural analysis, historical perspective, and practical strategy (Gailyn Van Rheenan) * Renewal view: Church growth must come from the inside out being a community of faith focusing on kingdom issues (Howard Snyder) Not only do the five main contributors respond to each other’s positions, but another chapter gives the responses and views of three nationally known pastors for whom church growth is not an academic discipline but a matter of hands-on daily involvement. The book intends to make a valuable contribution to the church by bringing together conflicting views so all perspectives are heard and readers can make their own informed conclusions. The book’s introduction by Gary McIntosh shows why this is a movement that can’t be ignored. He gives a helpful brief overview of the history of this movement that celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in 2005. Each chapter includes discussion questions enabling readers to use this book in small group and classroom settings.”
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Transform Your Church With Ministry Teams
$23.99Add to cartThe concept of “ministry teams” is rapidly taking hold in churches, but what are they and how do they work? This book outlines what effective ministry teams look like, describes what they have to offer local congregations, and gives concrete advice for making them happen. According to Stanley Ott, the power of ministry teams lies in their unique capacity to generate genuine Christian fellowship, grow disciples, develop leaders, and mobilize people for ministry. Where traditional church leadership organizations concentrate almost exclusively on task, policy, and program, ministry teams are designed to enhance faith development and, therefore, ministry effectiveness. Transform Your Church with Ministry Teams offers clear guidance for building the leadership of a mission or church into a true ministry team. The book enables readers to form ministry teams and, through them, to transform the life of their church or Christian organization.
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When Better Isnt Enough
$28.00Add to cartMany sociologists and a growing number of church scholars have noted that we live in a time of transition-from the modern era to the postmodern. Whenever a shift of this magnitude occurs, it leaves all of life, including the church, in flux. We instinctively strive to stabilize the situation by re-establishing what has worked in the past. Increasingly, however, congregations are finding that the same old things done harder or better don’t seem to make a difference.
Author Jill Hudson argues, “We must identify new criteria for success, and perhaps even for faithfulness, and hold ourselves accountable to them.” Approaching the postmodern era as a tremendous opportunity, Hudson identifies 12 characteristics by which we can measure effective ministry for the early 21st century.
Based on those 12 criteria, Hudson has created evaluation tools, “an early measuring stick” to help congregations evaluate their work in this new era. Not everything of the past is ineffective and best discarded, she says, nor will everything we try in the future be successful. But by faithfully listening for God’s guidance and carefully evaluating progress using Hudson’s tools, looking at the ministry of the whole people of God as well as that of the professional staff, congregations can improve their ministry, help members and staff grow in effectiveness, deepen a sense of partnership, and add new richness to the dialogue about the congregation’s future.
Jill Hudson makes us face the hard reality that the world has changed, but the church hasn’t. This gap can create a problem when assessing the effectiveness of church leadership. Practical and easy to read and understand, this book will prove an effective new tool in assisting pastors to lead today.-Mike Regele
Our kicking and screaming aside, the postmodern church beckons, and Jill Hudson provides guidance and information to equip us for this enormous ministry challenge.-The Rev. Christine Shiber
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Bring Em Back Alive
$16.99Add to cartEvery believer is a precious part of Christ’s body. When even one is missing, the church lacks power and is less than whole. Whether we’re victims, perpetrators, or innocent bystanders, we’re called by God to seek restoration. And when one of God’s sheep goes missing we have no choice. We must Bring ‘Em Back Alive
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Why Revival Tarries (Reprinted)
$16.99Add to cartLeonard Ravenhill’s call to revival is as timely now as it was when first published over forty years ago. The message is fearless and often radical as he expounds on the disparity between the New Testament church and the church today. This book contains the heart of his message, A.W. Tozer called Ravenhill “a man sent from God” who “appeared at (a) critical moment in history,” just as the Old Testament prophets did. Included are questions for group and individual study.
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Who Runs The Church
$24.99Add to cart“Many Protestants, individually and denominationally, are divided by differences regarding the form of church government. While these differences are not necessarily as divisive as theological and doctrinal issues, they are significant to churches and church leaders and affect the way Christians do God’s work. This book in the highly acclaimed Counterpoints series offers insights and contrasts into four kinds of church government: (1) episcopalianism (hierarchical, with priests, bishops, and archbishops), (2) presbyterianism (a representative form at multiple levels-church, classis/presbytery, synod/general assembly), (3) single-elder congregationalism (pastor-led local autonomy), and (4) plural-elder congregationalism (another form of local autonomy). Each form of government is explored through (1) description, (2) historical development, (3) hermeneutical assumptions, (4) biblical and theological foundations, (5) an understanding of the nature, number, and relationship of church officers, (6) the practical implications. The contributors are Peter Toon of the Anglican Church (episcopalianism), L. Roy Taylor of the Presbyterian Church in America (presbyterianism), Paige Patterson of the Southern Baptist Convention (single-elder congregationalism), and Samuel E. Waldron of the Reformed Baptist Church (plural-elder congregationalism).” EDITOR: Cowan, Steven B.
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Shaped By Gods Heart
$24.95Add to cartPreface: A Personal Letter To The Reader.
Acknowledgments.Introduction: Sending The Church Into The World.
PART ONE: The Church In A New And Changing World.
1. From Maintenance To Missional: The Church In A World Of Change.
2. Be Church And Be Changed: How Missional Churches Live Their Passion.
PART TWO: The Nine Essential Practices Of Missional Churches.
3. Missional Practice Number One: Have A High Threshold For Membership.
4. Missional Practice Number Two: Be Real, Not Real Religious.
5. Missional Practice Number Three: Teach To Obey Rather Than To Know.
6. Missional Practice Number Four: Rewrite Worship Every Week.
7. Missional Practice Number Five: Live Apostolically.
8. Missional Practice Number Six: Expect To Change The World.
9. Missional Practice Number Seven: Order Actions According To Purpose.
10. Missional Practice Number Eight: Measure Growth By Capacity To Release, Not Retain.
11. Missional Practice Number Nine: Place Kingdom Concerns First
PART THREE: Structures And Strategies For Becoming Missional.
12. They Run Rapids In Rubber Rafts: Church Structures That Can Survive The Rapids Of Cultural Change.
13. Seeing Beyond The Horizon: The Nature And Task Of Missional Leadership.
14. Moving To Missional: Becoming A New Kind Of Church.
Appendix: Missional Church Cultural Assessment.
Notes.
About Leadership Network.
The Author
Additional Info
Discover the tools to create a new kind of church and move from merely surviving to thriving. Drawing on an extensive two-year field study of 200 churches from a variety of denominations and geographic regions, Milfred Minatrea–a missiologist, urban strategist and practioner in minister–presents the best practices for re-energizing Christian spirituality in a congregational setting. He provides readers with the tools for assessing their congregation’s position on the continuum between maintenance and mission and for determining the actions that will move them toward becoming a missional community. He also outlines key strategies that successful churches have used to become relevant in a postmodern society without losing what is distinctly Christian in their spiritual practices.
Milfred Minatrea (Irving, TX) is Director of the Missional Church Center for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. -
Growth By Accident Death By Planning
$21.99Add to cartA congregation that had been growing in numbers and spiritual vitality reaches a plateau, and then begins to decline. What has happened? Whitesel explains where churches go wrong planning for growth and how they can correct themselves by looking at three related phenomena: the factors that cause initial growth; the erroneous decisions that lead to getting stuck on the plateau; and corrective steps they can take to regain growth and vitality.
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Ducking Spears Dancing Madly
$19.99Add to cartLeadership among God’s people is not a matter of easy answers or simple solutions. There is no foolproof list of character traits that one can acquire and develop in order to be a successful leader. Authentic leadership is a complex interaction of the leader’s gifts and calling, the people’s needs and response, the particular situation of the moment, and, above all, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Birch and Parks believe if we wish to understand the intricate and messy character of leadership in the church, the obvious place to start is Scripture. The Bible portrays leaders not as heroes placed on a pedestal, but rather as flawed and fallen human beings who nonetheless work with the people around them and with the situation at hand to move toward accomplishing the will of God.
Ducking Spears, Dancing Madly is a penetrating look at church leadership through the stories of Saul, David, and other central Old Testament figures. The authors demonstrate that those who have a clear and honest understanding of the triumphs and flaws of the individuals who lead God’s people in Scripture will be better prepared to lead God’s people today. In order to provide that understanding, they engage in a dialogue with the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, texts that portray the people of Israel in frequent social and political transition, and hence in need of effective leadership.
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Treasure In Clay Jars
$25.99Add to cartIf you saw a missional church, what would it look like? What patterns of behavior and practice would you find there? Building on the ground laid by the book Missional Church (Darrell Guder et al.), this volume centers on case studies of nine missional congregations from across North America that are diverse in their denominational affiliations, worship styles, political stances, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Treasure in Clay Jars explores eight concrete “patterns” common to these churches. Although the patterns may be different in each setting, they can be recognized in any congregation seeking to participate in God’s mission in the world. The congregations studied here are “clay jars,” but each carries in its respective witness a remarkable treasure that points to God’s power and purposes.
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Multicultural Ministry : Finding Your Churchs Unique Rhythm
$24.99Add to cartAn inspiring and practical guide for learning how to transition from a unicultural to multicultural church The changing ethnic face of America will increasingly require evangelicals to minister to people of a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including AfricanAmericans, Hispanics, Asians, and others. In Multicultural Ministry, author and pastor David Anderson provides practical ideas to show how both new and existing churches can embrace greater cultural diversity and discover their unique rhythm. Anderson shares many stories from his experiences in planting Bridgeway Community Church, a successful multicultural church that has grown to about 1,500 people, half of whom are AfricanAmerican, 30 percent are Caucasian, and about 15 percent are from other racial and ethnic groups. This book provides transferable principles and practical ideas adaptable for churches of any size and setting. Features include: *How to discover your church’s unique rhythm and identify where you are on the racial reconciliation continuum, and move forward along the continuum *How to move from stadiumlevel repentance to strategylevel realities *Scriptural basis for multicultural ministry *Inspiring stories, specific howto’s, and dangers to avoid
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Exploring The Worship Spectrum
$24.99Add to cartA presentation and discussion of differing worship styles This book helps readers appreciate the richness of worship practiced in the six most prevalent models used in North American churches today: formal liturgical, traditional hymnbased, contemporary musicdriven, charismatic, blended, and emerging. Each model is presented by an advocate of that point of view and then is critiqued by authors from the other perspectives. The lively discussions sort through the tensions of past vs. present, Bible vs. culture, and permitted vs. forbidden. Churches often choose a style of worship for Sunday services that reflects the vision of the founders, matches a particular target audience they want to reach, or is most true to their understanding of the Bible. Thus there is great diversity in worship today_diversity that has often led to tension and even divisions between believers. This book is designed to help readers understand and evaluate different styles of worship, including strengths, weaknesses, blind spots, inconsistencies, and commonalities. This new volume in the Counterpoints: Church Life series is intended to be a forum for healthy dialogue among church members. Discussion and reflection questions for each chapter facilitate group use of this book. EDITOR: Paul Basden
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Body Builders : Strengthening The Church Through Physical Emotional Mental
$14.99Add to cartHow are you treating God’s temple? Gluttony and its resulting effect, obesity, are literally killing Americans.We live lives of excess, proud of the fact that we are “fat and happy.” However, when we’re struggling with gluttony, laziness and obesity, our confidence and energy are stripped, our ministry is hindered, and our lives are cut short.Things must change! In Body Builders, Leslie Nease takes you on a personal journey through her life, while weaving important, encouraging scriptures throughout the text. In this moving story you will learn how to boldly face such issues as: Gluttony and obesity Confidence Laziness Procrastination Balance Food as fuel, not friend or foe Friendships Correction Listening to God’s voice Living a life of excess Aerobics Training with weights Body Builders offers scriptural advice, honest support and creative ideas to help you claim back the body God intended for you to have. It’s time for some “Cross”Training! “…Body Builders gave me a charge! It’s amazing how Leslie pulled together physical, mental, spiritual and emotional fitness with a Biblical foundation.” – Bob Blashke, 27-year missionary to West Africa and author of Quest for Power “What a great book! Body Builders shows you how to be completely fit through the power of the CROSS.” – Linda Smith, creator of Fit Praise and Reebok Aerobic Silver Medalist
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Lifetime Of Church
$30.99Add to cartA Lifetime of Church chronicles the author’s deep involvement in two very different churches. The church of his youth was maintained by a strict social order and a set of predominant customs and traditions. From his earliest memories the author recounts what it was like to grow up in this conservative context, while it brought misery to his mother and was the life passion of her father. A series of extraordinary events culminated in the author becoming a lay minister in this church as a young adult. At the same time, a personal Bible study brought about a new set of beliefs. Following a long and agonizing spiritual struggle, the author helped found an independent community Bible church. For thirteen years the author served this church as the senior pastor, reared his family, operated a community pharmacy, and learned a lot about faith and life.
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Healing Spiritual Amnesia
$22.99Add to cartThere is no end to cliches and easy assumptions about congregational health and vitality. It’s much easier to start a new church than turn around an old one; nondenominational churches are growing, while denominational churches are dying; small-membership churches are concerned only with survival; suburban churches care only about endless programming and “spiritual entertainment”; downtown churches are doomed to decay.
Whatever kernel of truth such analyses might contain, they miss the actual point. Churches stagnate, decline, and die for a number of reasons, but principally because they have forgotten who they are. They have forgotten their mission to reach out to those who do not know God in Christ. They have forgotten that we worship–not to feel comfortable and safe–but to come into the presence of a God who leads us out into the world. They have forgotten the “cloud of witnesses” who have gone before us in the Christian faith, providing models for how we can proclaim the message of the gospel in ways that new generations can hear it.
Paul Nixon calls this failure of memory “spiritual amnesia.” Concerned with institutional survival and personal comfort, congregations have forgotten what previous generations of Christians have learned time and again: that the church’s great challenge is to make the gospel available in new and compelling ways to those who need most to hear it. In a series of sweeping insights into congregational life and contemporary culture, Nixon maps a course that will help churches remember who they are and for whom they exist.
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Community Of The King (Revised)
$26.99Add to cartThe Church is the Community of the King. What on earth is the kingdom of God? Howard Snyder probes the relationship between the kingdom of God and the church as we know it in our daily life. The church is a part of God’s dramatic plan to reconcile all things to himself, “things in heaven and things on earth.” The New Testament calls this reconciling work the kingdom of God. Snyder pleads for a model of the church which emphasizes the God-given gifts of all members as he sets forth his theology of the church and gives practical guidelines for those concerned about church life and growth.
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Christian Assembly : Marks Of The Church In A Pluralistic Age
$24.00Add to cartWhat is church? What makes the church one? While these questions may seem innocuous, church has become conflicted territory, with internal factions, external pressures, and ecumenical turmoil all calling for a more positive, sturdy, more resilient notion of Christian community.
Wengert approaches the questions as a Reformation historian. He shows how the New Testament notion of ”marks” of the church was taken up by Martin Luther and developed by Phillip Melanchthon not as a descriptive tag but as a criterion for authenticity in Christian community. Lathrop, a liturgical theologian, shows concretely how those marks can stamp the worship life of a congregation as well as the evaluative work of congregations with their pastors, bishops, superintendents, and conference ministers. -
Global House Church Movement
$13.99Add to cartA major church shift is happening all around the world. God is once again bringing back the power and simplicity of New Testament style Christianity. The Lord is raising up the global house church movement. Do you want to reach your friends and your nation with an approach to church life and church planting that is biblical and effective? If so, read this book. “This is an excellent, scholarly and pastoral introduction into the fascinating phenomenon of the house church movement.”-Wolfgang Simson
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You Only Have To Die
$22.99Add to cartA moving testimony to how a church can experience rebirth by discerning its core mission.
The key to becoming a Spirit-energized, people-loving, life-giving, community-transforming congregation, says James A. Harnish, is really very simple. All you have to do is be willing to die. This book describes how God calls each congregation to a specific mission, how God grants discernment to understand what that mission is, and how God enables the congregation to die to its entrenched attitudes and behaviors in order to be resurrected to a new life of ministry and witness.
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Family Ministry Desk Reference
$30.00Add to cartIn groundbreaking fashion, physician and lay minister Pat Fosarelli provides this quick reference and how-to-manual for pastors and church groups charged with the care of families facing difficult situations. Each chapter in this one-of-a-kind resource opens with a vignette illustrating complex and prevalent problem facing families today and continues with a presentation of facts and figures about the problem and an outline of the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges that are posed for family members. Immediate, suitable responses to these problems are proposed for pastors, church boards, and individuals committed to the care of families. In addition to its user-friendly format, this book includes a listing of resources to obtain even more information and an area for readers to write the names of resources in their own communities.
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Season Of Ash And Fire
$20.99Add to cartIn addition to prayers and liturgies for Ash Wednesday through Ascension Day, this book includes suggested themes and symbols for the Sundays of Lent, daily Scripture readings for Lent and the fifty Days of Easter, household prayers for Lent and Easter, and an order for Lenten study groups. A Selected Scripture Index is included. This book has been designed for ease of use in both thematic and lectionary-based worship services.
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Get Ready Get Set Grow (Revised)
$17.95Add to cartEstimates are that as many as three-quarters of mainline Christian congregations are located in small towns or rural areas — and many of these areas are diminishing in population. So is it inevitable that small town and rural churches will decline in membership and close in the next few decades?
“Not necessarily!” says Gary Exman. During his years as the pastor of a small-town parish, his congregation reversed the trend and grew dramatically. By applying the principles of the “church growth” movement, Exman’s church revitalized a dying Sunday school, increased average worship attendance by 50 percent, and quadrupled church offerings.
Get Ready… Get Set… GROW! is a practical handbook that shows how you can achieve results like that in your congregation as well. Exman identifies the unique problems facing small town and rural churches, and in this book he offers proven strategies for conquering the cancer of declining membership and building stronger congregations.
There is untapped potential in the small towns and open country of our land — and Get Ready… Get Set… GROW! can help you discover it.
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Methodist And Radical
$38.99Add to cartContributors from diverse backgrounds in the United States and around the globe reflect on radical and liberation traditions in Methodism in their own context. In conversation with contemporary Methodism and the Wesleyan heritage, each chapter focuses on the question how radical and liberation traditions provide new visions for the present and future of the church. Contributions include: Ted Jennings Jr., John J. Vincent, Joerg Rieger, Josiah Young Jr., Andrew Sung Park, Mercy Amba Oduyoye, Stephen Hatcher, Jose Miguez Bonino, Harold Recinos, Rebecca Chopp, Cedric Mayson, Jong Chun Park, and Jione Havea.
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Beyond The Ordinary
$26.00Add to cart1. Strength One : Growing Spiritually
2. Strength Two : Meaningful Worship
3. Strength Three : Participating In The Congregation
4. Strength Four : Having A Sense Of Belonging
5. Strength Five : Caring For Children And Youth
6. Strength Six : Focusing On The Community
7. Strength Seven : Sharing Faith
8. Strength Eight : Welcoming New People
9. Strength Nine : Empowering Leadership
10. Strength 10 : Looking To The FutureAdditional Info
Results from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, the largest project of its type ever conducted in the United States, have prompted this second book from Westminster John Knox Press authors/ researchers Cynthis Woolever and Deborah Bruce. Their original work, A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations: Who’s Going Where and Why, explores the practices and activities of worshipers in more than 2,000 U.S. congregations, encompassing more than 300,000 worshipers across a representative sample of denominations and faith groups. This new book describes the qualities that are evident in strong congregations and develops congregational applications from those findings. Like the first book, it is helpfully illustrated with charts, graphs, and cartoons. -
Logic Of Renewal
$25.99Add to cartThe Western church is currently awash in a sea of renewal movements so much so that she is in danger of drowning. Across the church’s many denominations and great theological divisions there is a persistent quest for change, reflected in repeated calls for “revival,” “reform,” revitalization,” and “restoration.” We now have so much literature on the topic that one is hard-pressed to keep up with it, let alone evaluate it critically.
In “The Logic of Renewal” William Abraham helps church leaders and members get their bearings in the renewal debate by analyzing the most salient proposals for church renewal that have surfaced over the last fifty years. In successive chapters he pairs outspoken figures who (in all but one chapter) represent strongly contrasting convictions James T. Draper and Dennis Bennett, Lesslie Newbigin and John Shelby Spong, Rosemary Radford Ruether and Cardinal Ratzinger, Martin Luther King Jr. and Archbishop Romero, Alexander Schmemann and Gilbert Bilezikian, Don Cupitt and Edward Norman, C. Peter Wagner and R. R. Reno. Abraham gives special attention to the theological assumptions of each proposal, highlights its overall strengths and weaknesses, and develops his own proposals for church renewal through interaction with those under review.Articulate, bracing, and constructive, “The Logic of Renewal” will redefine the way Christians think about church life.
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Prophetic Song : Gateway To Glory
$15.49Add to cartGod is releasing a new sound in the church worldwide-prophetic song. Prophetic song is spontaneous, given fresh by the Holy Spirit. It is powerful, releasing an atmosphere of God’s presence in the church. It is intimate, drawing us into face-to-face and heart-to-heart encounters with God. This book is broken into four main parts. Part One centers on the sound of many waters, which is released when believers in the church mingle their voices in free worship. Part Two focuses on David and his legacy of prophetic song lyrics in the book of Psalms. Part Three deals with the gift of prophecy in song. And Part Four tells how to give prophetic song its place in the church. Prophetic Song: Gateway to Glory will help pastors, prophets, worshipers, and intercessors fulfill their roles in the new sound God is releasing worldwide in His church.
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StormFront : The Good News Of God
$23.99Add to cartHow does one authentically hear and live out the gospel in North America? This new book attempts to answer this question in a way that reveals much about the nature of Christian faith today and its relation to contemporary culture.
In keeping with the aims of the acclaimed Gospel and Our Culture series, “StormFront” investigates how the gospel intersects American culture and seeks to reorient the church to its full and proper missional vocation. Four authors noted for their understanding of modern church life offer a sober yet hopeful critique of American culture that focuses on consumerism and the privatization of religion, and they challenge the Christian church to embrace its corporate task to be salt and light to the world.
Amid the many books on the subject, this one is distinctive in its concern for application. By constrasting contemporary life with a thoroughgoing reading of the biblical narrative, the authors help American Christians discern how our cultural location makes it difficult to live out the transformative message of the gospel. Few readers will fail to be engaged by the lessons offered here.
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10 Commandments For Pastors New To A Congregation
$17.99Add to cartThe opening months of a new pastorate are decisive for how that ministry will unfold, so great care should be taken to begin wisely and well. Simply transplanting programs and habits that worked elsewhere, ignoring the specific dynamics of the new congregation and its people, making too few significant changes, or making too many insignificant changes will create problems for the new pastor that may never be overcome. “Ten Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation” offers specific, down-to-earth principles and guidance on how to make a good beginning, one that will lay the foundation for years of fruitful ministry.
Drawing on twenty-five years of parish ministry, during which he has mentored many new and transitioning pastors, Lawrence Farris here provides ten guidelines, illustrated with relevant examples, that identify potential pitfalls and show how to avoid them. Such areas as preaching, pastoral care, self-care, community and denominational commitments, and role clarity are addressed with an emphasis on practical approaches to ministry in a new setting. Farris also gives clear advice on how to learn the new congregation and its setting, how to set appropriate personal and professional boundaries, and how to stay focused on what matters most in a new ministry.Lively, practical, and brief enough for the new pastor to have time to actually read it, “Ten Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation” is a must-read both for pastors on the move and for individuals preparing for first-time ministry.
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Inspirations From Above
$16.99Add to cartYour church sign can be an awesome ministry in itself. Inspirations From Above gives instruction on how to make your sign ministry successful. The author shares his hands-on experience in the sign ministry, providing more than 1,200 proven “attention-getting” sayings that minister to the soul.
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Healing Bodies And Souls
$19.00Add to cartHale and Koenig, national leaders in health ministries, offer a practical and engaging primer on developing a variety of initiatives for pastors, parish nurses, lay leaders, and concerned parishioners. Their short volume mixes real-life congregational case studies with vital information to equip congregations in helping properly manage illness, navigate the healthcare labyrinth, manage or avoid disability, and even provide some life-saving and presentative medical services. While their case studies report on the many kinds of engagement congregations have taken on, each chapter also provides basic information on the most common healthcare challenges – diabetes, skin cancer, strokes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, breast cancer, prostate cancer, glaucoma, and depression – and what can be done in local congregations.
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Gods Armor Bearer 1-2 (Revised)
$15.99Add to cartLeaders in the Bible often chose loyal “armor bearers” to assist and protect them. Christian leaders today also need dedicated assistants to turn visions into reality. In this challenging 2-books-in-1 resource, Nance uses biblical examples of servant-hearted helpers to help you discover and develop the essential qualities of an integral team player!
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Your Church Can Thrive
$17.99Add to cartThe author describes the four main groups of people churches can reach with their ministries: those in the pews, those who walk in, friends and family of current members, and those who live in the neighborhood. He then provides short-term steps and long-term strategies for teaching out to these groups, drawing them into the church, and helping them grow into disciples of Jesus Christ. This book helps readers focus the development of the ministries and programs of the church on those whom the church is trying to reach.
