Pastoral Helps
Showing 1851–1900 of 2696 resultsSorted by latest
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3 Months With Revelation (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Available in English for the first time, Three Months with Revelation is popular author Justo Gonzalez’ study of Revelation. Eminently readable, the study uses the see-judge-act method to bring readers closer to the text and informs and challenges the daily life of the Christian. These thirteen studies can be used for Sunday school, for evening Bible study, for home study meetings, for faith communities, for retreats, and for personal Bible study. In addition, Three Months with Revelation can easily be used as a daily Bible study, as each lesson is divided into seven parts. This is the third Gonzalez title to be translated from the Spanish
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Family (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99What, exactly, is a family? Is it a married couple with 2.3 children, a dog, and a minivan? Couples without children? Single adults? Friends> Church groups? Colleagues? The notion of “family” encompasses these forms and more. In this study, family is shaped and nurtured by our relationship with God, a relationship that encourages mutual growth in love of God, self, and neighbor through our interactions with those whom we identify as “family.” This resource helps users explore their questions about family with insights, images, and stories from Scripture. Each session delves into specific issues about family and contains suggestions about how an individual or group can use the session ot look at family form a Christian perspective.
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On Being A Priest Today
$24.21This important book on priestly identity embraces the many contemporary and denominational varieties of priestly ministry; male and female, paid and unpaid, parish and work-based, catholic, evangelical, charismatic. Examining the “root,” the “shape,” and the “fruit” of priestly identity, On Being a Priest Today is essential reading for priests, priests in training, and everyone considering the ministry. Part One “roots” a priest’s human and church life in the theological convictions derived from the Christian understanding of God as being for and with others. Part Two explores the “shape” of priestly life in relation to worship, word, and prayer, each supported by the three key virtues of love, faith, and hope. Part Three examines the “fruit” of priestly life by focusing on three fundamental features of priestly identity: holiness, reconciliation, and blessing.
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Do I Know What The Bible Says
$21.99Your youth group is like no other-so a cookie-cutter curriculum just won’t do. With a single book you have the basics for 15 complete sessions-and you can put it all together in a way that works for you. Each topic has been developed by ministry experts to be teen-relevant and spiritually enriching. Each five-session book also includes a 14-point plan for customizing your program, a selection of ice breakers, thought provokers, reproducible handouts, and an encouraging how-to article from well-known youth ministry experts!
Do I Know What the Bible Says?
In the Beginning…What?–The Bible Talks about Creation (Fresh approach to the topic of creation. Kids will explore issues like beginning of creativity, significance of divine rest, introduction of God’s plan for humankind.)
O.T Speedway–A Zip Through the Old Testament (Takes kids on a whirlwind tour of O.T. Along with creation, covenants, and colorful characters, they’ll see the big picture–that God takes an interest in them and wants to help them make some history of their own.)
N.T. Speedway–A Zip through the New Testament (Fast-track tour of the N.T. Explore the miracles and parables of Jesus, exciting adventures of early believers. Kids will discover the truths of Christianity are as relevant today as they were 2000 years ago.)
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Ministry Of Childrens Education
$36.66This highly anticipated resource establishes the importance of children’s education to the life of today’s faith communities. A very readable textbook, The Ministry of Children’s Education presents foundations for education in the faith, explores contexts in which contemporary faith is nurtured, and suggests practical helps for creating programs that work in congregations.
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Educating For Shalom
$30.99In addition to his notable work as a premier Christian philosopher, Nicholas Wolterstorff has become a leading voice on faith-based higher education. This volume gathers the best of Wolterstorff’s essays from the past twenty-five years dealing collectively with the purpose of Christian higher education and the nature of academic learning.
Integrated throughout by the biblical idea of shalom, these nineteen essays present a robust framework for thinking about education that combines a Reformed confessional perspective with a radical social conscience and an increasingly progressivist pedagogy. Wolterstorff develops his ideas in relation to an astonishing variety of thinkers ranging from Calvin, Kuyper, and Jellema to Augustine, Aquinas, and Kant to Weber, Habermas, and MacIntyre. In the process, he critiques various models of education, classic foundationalism, modernization theory, liberal arts, and academic freedom.
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Help Im Leading A Childrens Sermon 2
$16.761. Common Lectionary Year A
2. Common Lectionary Year B
3. Common Lectionary Year C
ApendixAdditional Info
Children are an important part of the worshiping community and need to have opportunities that create for them a sense of belonging. Children’s sermons provide this opportunity and should be events of proclamation. Help! I’m Leading a Children’s Sermon, Volume 2 continues a collection of children’s sermons designed to involve children creatively in worship and in the proclamation of the Word.Like the first volume, this collection contains two sermons for each Sunday with an emphasis on Scripture, including key verses to be read within the sermon. The sermons invite children to participate in corporate worship in a meaningful, creative way by asking questions and using hands-on activities to explain themes such as grace, discipleship, repentance and miracles. Help! I’m Leading a Children’s Sermon, Volume 2 is an essential book for any worship leader
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Ordination : Celebrating The Gift Of Ministry
$34.99For graduating seminary students, Stephen Sprinkle has written a practical theological guide for preparing for ordination in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), United Church of Christ, American Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and other closely related denominations. He provides a theology of what ordination is and what it means to the person being ordained, to the life of the church at large, and to the congregation gathered for the celebration. Sprinkle includes “hands-on” practical guidance on how to plan the service, plus samples of ordination services from each of the four traditions.
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Preaching Hebrews
$26.58The Rochester College Sermon Seminar and the series of books it has inspired have been built on the conviction that Christian preaching today needs revision. Such reforming begins with a close and faithful reading of Scripture, an engagement so serious that the world of Scripture ultimately sets agendas and invents expectations for meaningful life…In this present volume, too, we wish to grant the book of Hebrews the opportunity to pull all of us into the world it envisions, allowing it the power to judge, convict, and form us into a community God desires. This is not an easy task for several reasons, most notably the fact that the world of Hebrews is quite alien from our own…Like previous volumes in the Rochester Lectures on Preaching, the current work is divided into two parts. The first is a collection of four related essays meant to orient the reader to the world clearly conceived in Hebrews. The second half appropriates this orientation with sermons for particular Christian congregations.
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Preaching As Prophetic Calling
$21.95Preaching as Prophetic Calling is the twelfth in a series of books devoted to presenting examples of preaching excellence from parishes throughout the Episcopal Church. This volume addresses the difficult and essential area of preaching a prophetic word. What does a prophetic sermon look like without being shrill, and without being filled with “musts,” “oughts,” and “shoulds”? This collection of sermons includes examples of prophetic preaching that are visionary and that speak in ways that offer radical comfort as well as radical challenge.
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Practicing Passion : Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church
$30.99Focusing on the theological resonance between the Passion of Christ and adolescents’ experience of passion, the author develops a framework for youth ministry that draws on the historic practices of the Christian community as a “curriculum of passion”.
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Short Term Spiritual Guidance
$31.65A significant departure from other treatments, this unique resource combines deep appreciation for the great classic discipline of spiritual guidance with a very practical focus on meeting the specific needs of the person seeking direction. Through case studies, sample dialogues, and practical tips for the spiritual director, Bidwell’s lucid work shows what directors can learn from the short-term therapy model, enabling people briefly but effectively to listen for God’s presence and to formulate authentic responses. He also shows how such techniques can be helpfully applied not only to individual direction but to group settings, vocational discernment, and family counseling.
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Christian Counsel Manual
$29.98It has been estimated by many that 80 percent of believers have little or no knowledge of what is in their Bibles. Could this be because we “don’t see the trees because of the forest”? Can it be that we lose the beauty of each Scripture verse (tree) because of the totality of the Bible (forest)? This Manual strives to bring out the beauty of each “tree” (God’s Word) so it becomes alive in the spirit of answer-seeking believers. It is hoped that this work has served God’s purpose. Since many believers do not know many of the 7,500 promises that God has provided for us in His Word, how can they stand fast in faith on them? This Manual seeks to open up more scriptural answers to believers who are seeking peace, contentment, and victory in their walk with the Lord. Luke 17:5: “Increase our faith.”
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Worship Resources For Special Sundays
$16.18Here’s a practical collection of thoughtful material to help you celebrate several special occasions during the fall and winter months: Rally Day, Reformation Sunday, All Saints’ Day, Thanksgiving, Advent, and Youth Sunday. Included are:
* The Saga Of Bobby Wildgoose, a service and sermon specifically tailored for the fall kick-off of Sunday school and commissioning of new Sunday school teachers. The message relates the inspirational story of the beginnings of the Sunday school movement, illustrating the difference that one person can make in the lives of young people.
* Facing The 21st Century With A 16th Century Faith, a message and service for Reformation Sunday that examines what motivated Martin Luther in his disagreements with the established church and suggests that Luther’s ideas about the authority of the Bible, the priesthood of all believers, and justification by faith alone remain the durable bedrock of our Christian faith today.
* Running With The Cloud, a stirring All Saints’ Day sermon and service reminding us that we who are living are only a small segment of the church universal, and noting that we can draw great strength from the lives of the “saints” who have gone before us.
* A Solid Place To Stand, a Thanksgiving message and service that explores how the Bible’s promise of God’s presence with us gives us a firm foundation to base our lives on.
* The Measure Of A Man, A Heart Prepared, Night Watch, and Tidings, a set of four first-person monologue sermons for Advent that tell the old, old story with a twist. We see the birth of the Christ child unfold through the eyes of Joseph, the innkeeper’s wife, a shepherd, and an angel. Key Advent themes such as watching, preparation, and righteous action are raised as each character struggles to make sense of extraordinary events.
* A Youth Sunday worship service with a charming children’s story honoring the presence and participation of the church’s young people. The service celebrates their fresh vision and courage in risking, praying, and creating the future.
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Heroes Of The Faith Speak
$16.18Learn the fascinating stories of seven historical and biblical personages in this wide-ranging collection of first-person monologue sermons from the pen of popular CSS author Stephen Crotts. Perfect for presentation from the pulpit, these delightfully creative pieces are excellent for varying routine preaching fare or covering pastoral vacations. And the concise biographical portraits also make informative programming for men’s, women’s, or youth groups, as well as inspiring devotional reading.
Characters profiled include:
* William Bradford
* Christopher Columbus
* Martin Luther
* Saint Patrick
* Saint Nicholas
* Paul
* The Tenth Leper (from the parable in Luke 17:11-19)Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Sermons On The Second Readings Series 1 Cycle C
$52.43Wherever you are in your walk with Christ, this anthology offers practical, scripture-based wisdom as well as delightfully serendipitous surprises on every page. Three outstanding preachers from diverse denominations provide a complete set of sermons for each Sunday and major celebration throughout the Christian year based on the Second Reading from Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Weaving together illustrations that enlighten the mind and warm the heart with fresh insight into New Testament epistle texts, these creative messages invite you to experience God’s presence anew. Each biblically grounded sermon draws on a deep understanding of the human condition, reaffirming the hope that is ours through Jesus Christ and challenging you to a more intense faith relationship with the Almighty.
This is an essential resource that’s useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Preaching illustrations
* A clearer understanding of scripture passages
* Adult study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and Bible study on each Sunday’s readingsAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Sermons On The Gospel Readings Series 1 Cycle C
$48.68Full of gripping illustrations that bring the scriptures to life, this anthology of sermons for the entire church year offers readers a treasure trove of spiritual guidance. Five distinguished preachers representing a variety of denominations and ministry settings contribute messages based on gospel texts for each Sunday and major celebration in Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Their thoughtful meditations proclaim the Good News for today’s world and exemplify the transforming power of God’s Word in our lives. Unforgettable in their power and biblical witness, these sermons provide readers with strength, support, and a Christ-centered vision.
This is an essential resource that’s useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Preaching illustrations
* A clearer understanding of scripture passages
* Adult study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and Bible study on each Sunday’s readingsAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Sermons On The First Readings Series 1 Cycle C
$53.68Filled with wit, insight, and inspiration, this anthology includes sermons for every Sunday and major celebration throughout the Christian year based on the First Readings from Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Three outstanding preachers from diverse denominational backgrounds interpret texts from the Old Testament and Acts in fresh ways that proclaim the Good News for the 21st century. Their powerful messages remind us that the Hebrew scriptures are much more than just ancient history and explore what they mean for us today. Proclaiming timeless themes of justice and righteousness, as well as God’s faithful covenant and enduring forgiveness, these imaginative homilies call us to lead better, more God-centered lives.
This is an essential resource that’s useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Preaching illustrations
* A clearer understanding of scripture passages
* Adult study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and Bible study on each Sunday’s textsAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Ordinary Words Extraordinary Deeds Cycle C
$16.18The stories of Jesus’ miracles can be challenging to modern sensibilities, conditioned as we are to believe that there must be a logical explanation for water being turned into wine or nets suddenly overflowing with fish. But John Wurster suggests that for contemporary preachers and their listeners, the most important question raised by these remarkable accounts is not “How did they happen?” but rather “What do they mean?”
Ordinary Words, Extraordinary Deeds helps answer that question by exploring the theological significance of the nine miracle stories appearing in Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Each chapter includes the biblical text along with interpretive reflections that set the passage in its literary context and connect it to major themes of the gospel writer. There’s also a section investigating a variety of preaching possibilities and offering brief thoughts about what these texts tell us about the sacraments, since (like the miracles) the sacraments make grace evident in ways we can touch and feel.
Specifically geared for the busy pastor with limited time, this is an excellent volume packed with valuable idea starters and rich material for sermon development. But it’s also stimulating reading for anyone who wants greater insight into these marvelous stories of God’s power at work.
Chapter titles include:
* The Star (Matthew 2:1-12)
* Wedding At Cana (John 2:1-11)
* Jesus Transfigured (Luke 9:28-36)
* The Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
… and five more!Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Preaching The Parables Series 3 Cycle C
$28.68Jesus used his parables to teach ordinary persons with mundane concerns about the kingdom of God; and because these simple stories contain universal truth that transcends time and culture, they still strike a powerful chord with us nearly two millennia later. Preaching The Parables provides a gold mine of background material on each of the eighteen parables appearing in Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Dallas Brauninger brings a fresh, imaginative approach to these familiar texts, probing them to reveal what they tell us about God and inviting further reflection on what they mean for us today.
Preaching The Parables is more than just a sermon preparation resource; it’s also stimulating reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how God speaks to us through the parables. Modeled on the format of Brauninger’s popular Preaching The Miracles series, each chapter in Preaching The Parables includes five sections:
* Text — the entire parable text is reproduced, eliminating the need to flip back and forth to a Bible
* What’s Happening? — a synopsis of points of action within the story, defining its movement, conflict, and change or resolution
* Spadework — significant terms are examined through a survey of Hebrew and New Testament writings
* Parallel Scripture — similarities and differences with parallel stories in the other Gospels are highlighted; where the story is unique, parallel words and concepts are examined
* Chat Room — readers are creatively engaged in a variety of imaginary online exchanges, ranging from interviews with parable characters to browsing ideas to self-driven conversations.
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Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit Series 4 Cycle C
$19.93If you’re looking for imaginative reflections that take you right to the heart of the scriptures, the newest edition of CSS’ popular Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit series is the perfect resource for you. Timothy Merrill offers 65 thought-provoking contemplations on Cycle C lectionary passages that draw out the biblical theme by relating it to aspects of modern life we have all experienced. This book is not only great for preaching illustrations and “sermon starters” — it’s also a wonderful source for inspiring devotional reading.
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Preaching And Reading The Old Testament Lessons Cycle C
$26.18Prominent author and biblical scholar Elizabeth Achtemeier provides an outstanding preaching and study resource with this collection of brief expositions on all of the First Lesson texts contained in Cycle C of the Revised Common and Lutheran Lectionaries. Infused with her customary insight into the Hebrew scriptures, this compendium of Achtemeier’s stimulating contributions to the preaching journal Emphasis furnishes a plethora of fruitful starting points for preparing sermons solidly rooted in the Bible yet connected to modern life. But as the book’s title suggests, this volume isn’t just for preachers and homiletics students — it’s also a powerful commentary for study groups and personal devotional reading. Achtemeier’s unrelenting focus on the promises of God appearing in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament, combined with her outstanding scholarship, make these faith-filled essays an enriching resource for anyone who wants a clearer understanding of God’s Word contained in the scriptures.
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Pray Like This
$11.18Prayer is a powerful force — in Tennyson’s oft-quoted phrase, “more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” But the Lord’s Prayer is so familiar that we often take it for granted, reciting it by rote and missing its deeper meaning. Pray Like This… is an informative volume that helps you rediscover the simplicity and strength of the prayer that Jesus taught us. Alex Gondola carefully analyzes each of the prayer’s ten petitions, and explores how it is Christ’s template for communicating with God. Suitable for personal devotions, adult study groups, sermon preparation, or gift-giving, Pray Like This… is a versatile resource that will unclog your spiritual arteries and open new pathways in your own prayer life.
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Seasons Of Faith
$19.99Building on the success of Symbols of Faith, Marcia Stoner has written a follow-up volume, Seasons of Faith. Based on the seasons of the Christian Year, the activities in this new volume may be used for short-term studies for older children, preteens, youth, and even adults. This book includes photocopiable patterns and charts that will enhance ease of use, an Advent worship booklet for church and/or home use, a Lenten study, All Saints’ Eve activities, and multicultural activities for Christmas, Pentecost, and World Communion Sunday. The author includes a brief history of each season.
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Places You Go
$23.99To be effective, pastors must minister in a variety of settings, each of which brings its own unique challenges. Each setting–hospital room, jail, nursing home, pastor’s study–has its own dilemmas and resources. Here Urias Beverly offers concrete steps to minister artfully in a variety of contexts encountered Monday through Saturday.
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Voicing The Vision
$26.95For more than a decade popular homiletics professor Linda Clader has been helping her students become attentive to how the Holy Spirit is speaking to them, and eventually through them to the congregation. In Voicing the Vision she shares her ideas about what preachers can do to be open and receptive to the Spirit once the exegesis is done.
Clader’s approach to inspired and prophetic preaching is a holistic one, filled with suggestions about how the preacher’s spiritual life and practice affect openness to the Spirit, as well as how various creative exercises can create spaces in which the Spirit can flourish. Her careful analysis of the biblical texts that illuminate how the Spirit works in those texts is supplemented by practical suggestions for noticing how the Spirit also works in the everyday life of preacher and congregation.
This book will be a welcome companion for the seminarian who is just learning to preach, as well as the seasoned preacher who is looking for new inspiration
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Preaching And Reading The Old Testament Lessons Cycle A
$29.93Prominent author and biblical scholar Elizabeth Achtemeier provides an outstanding preaching and study resource with this collection of brief expositions on all of the First Lesson texts contained in Cycle A of the Revised Common and Lutheran Lectionaries. Infused with her customary insight into the Hebrew scriptures, this compendium of Achtemeier’s stimulating contributions to the preaching journal Emphasis furnishes a plethora of fruitful starting points for preparing sermons solidly rooted in the Bible yet connected to modern life. But as the book’s title suggests, this volume isn’t just for preachers and homiletics students — it’s also a powerful commentary for study groups and personal devotional reading. Achtemeier’s unrelenting focus on the promises of God appearing in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament, combined with her outstanding scholarship, make these faith-filled essays an enriching resource for anyone who wants a clearer understanding of God’s Word contained in the scriptures.
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Preaching The Parables Series 3 Cycle A
$24.93Jesus used his parables to teach ordinary persons with ordinary quandaries; yet because these simple stories contain universal truths that transcend time and culture, they still provide us with powerful lessons. Preaching The Parables provides a gold mine of background material on each of the fourteen parables appearing in Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Dallas Brauninger brings a fresh, imaginative approach to these familiar texts, probing them to reveal what they tell us about God and inviting further reflection on what they mean for modern living.
Much more than just a sermon preparation resource, Preaching The Parables explores questions like:
* What dimension of the soul that needs tending does the parable address?
* What is the parable’s surprise?
* What moves us into hope?
* How does its point become obvious?
* How do its characters relate to us today?Brauninger identifies points of action, examines significant terms, and engages in imaginary exchanges with a variety of characters. The complete text of each parable is also included, along with an analysis highlighting similarities and differences in parallel passages. Modeled on the format of Brauninger’s popular Preaching The Miracles series, each chapter includes five sections:
* Text
* What’s Happening?
* Spadework
* Parallel Scripture
* Chat RoomAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Big Book On Small Groups (Revised)
$26.99Small groups can make a BIG difference by encouraging individual growth, strengthening the church, and involving the community! In this revised bestseller, Arnold explores the basics of “Body Life” and explains how to start a group, develop relationships, train leaders, launch outreach programs, and more. Includes a “small-group starter kit” and training resources.
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Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series 3 Cycle C
$47.43Practical preaching strategies to help the over-burdened parish pastor communicate God’s Word in vital, meaningful ways.
This is the third volume in CSS’s third series of popular preaching workbooks — Designed to help you get the most out of every moment you spend in sermon preparation.
Special Features Include:
Commentary on Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Common Lectionary texts
Sermon Starters for First Lesson, Second Lesson, and Gospel texts for every Sunday in Cycle C
“Theological Clues” to help you explore the relationships among all the texts for each Sunday
Wide Margins and Stay-flat binding for ease of use
Overviews of preaching challenges and possibilities for each liturgical season
Extensive Bibliography of exegetical and homiletic resources for Cycle C preaching
And All-new Insights from one of CSS’s most well-respected and successful authorsThis workbook is an exercise in liturgical, as well as lectionary preaching. It springs from the rationale that most lectionary helps ignore the liturgical setting of the lessons assigned to the various Sundays. It is this author’s contention that the exegetical/homiletical process begins with the church year. The year, cycles, seasons, Sundays, and festivals establish the themes and provide theological clues for worship and, particularly, preaching, especially in the first half of the church year. This approach is the outgrowth of the author’s doctoral dissertation and four of his books, The Renewal Of Liturgical Preaching, The Song And The Story, and Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A and Cycle B. Each deals with preaching from the lectionary texts in the context of the worship, work, and lives of the people of God.
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Get Ready Get Set Grow (Revised)
$22.43Estimates 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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Training Ministry Teams
$19.99Provides practical instruction to help pastors and congregational leaders bring clarity and purpose to the role of elders or deacons, and to help deacons or elders learn and refine their ministry. Each of the nine sessions in Training Ministry Teams reflects on Jesus’ method of training leaders and works toward a specific outcome. Topics include: working as a ministry team, decision-making, mediating conflict, visitation, partnering with the pastor, and more. Sessions conclude with group assignments designed to move participants from theory to action. Also included are resources to help in calling, commissioning, and nurturing elders and deacons.
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Holidays Are Holy Days
$26.18Almost every month in the year has a secular holiday — and on those “special” Sundays, preachers need to balance honoring the occasion with maintaining their focus on the proclamation of God’s Word. It can be a challenging task, but it also presents a great opportunity to uncover the religious significance of our civic celebrations. In this extensive volume of inspiring messages, Alex Gondola draws on the rich variety of American culture and scriptural insight to remind us that holidays truly are holy days. Great for personal reading, adult study groups, or fresh sermon ideas, Holidays Are Holy Days is a versatile resource that you’ll draw on throughout the year.
Sermons are included for:
* New Year’s Day
* Martin Luther King Day
* Super Bowl Sunday
* Valentine’s Day
* Presidents’ Day
* St. Patrick’s Day
* April Fool’s Day
* Earth Day
* Mother’s Day
* Memorial Day
* Father’s Day
* Independence Day
* Labor Day
* Grandparent’s Day
* Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day
* Halloween/All Saints’ Day
* Reformation Sunday
* Veterans’ Day
* Thanksgiving Sunday
* ChristmasAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Lectionary Preaching Workbook Cycle A (Revised)
$58.68One of the most comprehensive lectionary preaching resources available, the Lectionary Preaching Workbook is the one tool you will want to have close at hand to help you get the most out of every minute you spend preparing your Sunday sermon. This completely revised and updated volume provides you with a host of practical aids for effectively proclaiming God’s Word. In addition to theological reflections on the three lessons for each Sunday, each chapter also explores a theme for the day (including a prayer and a suggested hymn) and outlines numerous preaching options. You’ll also find a handy, easy-to-use Sermon Planner template to facilitate the process of building your sermon.
Special features include:
* an introduction to Matthew’s gospel
* overviews for each liturgical season that pinpoint preaching goals and possible sermon series — and examine the season’s customs, history, meaning, and message
* a listing of applicable Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal lectionary texts
* commentary on each Sunday’s Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel lessons
* theological reflections to help you explore the relationships among all the texts
* a variety of preaching options, complete with suggested outlines
* available in either paperback or 3-ring binder formats, with wide margins for convenient, easy useAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Sermons On The Second Readings Series 1 Cycle A
$47.43This superb collection of biblically sound sermons based on the Second Readings from Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary covers every Sunday and major celebration of the church year. Five outstanding preachers from diverse denominations combine imaginative insights into the New Testament epistle texts with fresh, inspiring illustrations that enlighten the mind and warm the heart. By reliving the journey of Jesus through the prism of the early church’s practical and moral concerns, these messages offer valuable lessons for Christian living in the modern world.
This essential resource is useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Preaching illustrations
* Understanding scripture passages
* Adult study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and Bible studyAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Sermons On The Gospel Readings Series 1 Cycle A
$46.18Filled with insight, imagination, and inspiration, this anthology offers a treasure trove of spiritual guidance for living in today’s materialistic world. Five distinguished preachers from a variety of denominations and ministry settings contribute compelling messages based on the Gospel texts for each Sunday and major celebration in Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Weaving the story of Jesus’ ministry into the dynamic tapestry of our contemporary human condition, these sermons proclaim the Good News with strength and vision, and they provide abundant witness to the transforming power of God’s Word.
This essential resource is useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Preaching illustrations
* Understanding scripture passages
* Adult study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and Bible studyAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit Series 4 Cycle A
$21.18Jesus considered stories to be an essential teaching tool — his preaching was filled with stories, and he used parables because he knew that people could relate to them. So if you’re looking for a well-told, imaginative, and inspirational story that will take you right to the heart of the scriptures, the newest edition of CSS’ popular Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit series is just the resource you need. Gregory Tolle draws on his gift of storytelling to illustrate Cycle A lectionary texts with thought-provoking, modern parables. This book is not only great for memorable preaching illustrations and “sermon starters” — it’s also a wonderful source for uplifting devotional reading.
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Bucket Full Of Miracles Cycle A
$4.95The stories of Jesus’ miracles challenge our jaded modern sensibilities — with today’s wealth of scientific and technological knowledge, the wonders of our world rarely amaze us anymore. It can be difficult for us to grasp the astounding effect of these events in Jesus’ time, especially when we are sidetracked in a search for logical explanations, but Jeff Wedge maintains that the key to fully understanding the miracles is recapturing our child-like sense of wonder about them. Underlying these familiar stories is the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world in which we live.
Packed with valuable idea starters and rich material for sermon development, A Bucket Full Of Miracles helps evoke that sense of wonder with a detailed exploration of the nine miracle stories appearing in Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Each chapter includes the biblical text and examines the words, the people, and the action of the lesson, as well as providing several illustrations and possible preaching approaches. This volume provides plenty of homiletic material for the busy pastor with limited time — but it’s also stimulating reading for anyone who wants greater insight into these marvelous accounts of God’s power at work.
Chapter titles include:
* Nativity (Matthew 1:18-25)
* The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41)
* Spirit’s Coming (Acts 2:1-21)
* Walking On Water (Matthew 14:22-33)
* The Demon-Possessed Girl (Matthew 15:21-28)
… and four more!Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Sustained To Serve
$12.43The inspiring prayers in Sustained To Serve open a window into the presence of the living Christ in our ordinary daily activities. Originally created for use during the communion and offering parts of worship services, these heartfelt petitions share deep feelings of awe and wonder at Christ’s sacrificial love and offer thanksgiving for God’s infinite gifts. With material for a variety of seasons and circumstances, this book is much more than just a collection of worship aids — it’s also perfect for devotional reading or just to help bring you closer to the Almighty amidst the bustle of everyday life.
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Christmas Treasures : A Collection Of Congregational Resources For Advent C
$32.43This anthology provides an ample selection of seasonal worship, drama, and children’s resources by popular authors from a variety of denominations. Whatever your congregation’s size or worship style, you’re sure to find something in Christmas Treasures to help you create memorable Advent and Christmas services. Copying privileges are included for all segments.
Litany For Advent And Christmas Candle Lighting provides brief responsive prayers and creative congregational activities for the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas Eve, and Epiphany. It’s excellent for worship services or as a Sunday school opener.
Christmas Treasures offers three sets of short readings and prayers for the candle lighting portion of Advent and Christmas Eve services. Each 2-3 minute narrative links aspects of the nativity with events in our modern lives, both global and personal, and challenges worshipers to reflect on current issues and respond in ways that glorify the Lord.
Six Christmas Testimonies depicts the Christmas events and their meaning from the viewpoint of John the Baptist, a magus, the innkeeper, Joseph, a shepherd, and Mary. Especially powerful when read in sequence, these concise dramatic readings are an excellent way to have members participate in Advent or Christmas Eve worship services.
The Christmas Gift utilizes a creative approach to the seasonal children’s program — a “talent show” is cleverly included as part of a simple yet powerful play based on Luke’s Christmas scripture. It’s a practical presentation for any size congregation — many of the speaking roles have only a few lines, and some parts can be combined. A prop list, set diagram, and sample rehearsal schedule are included to aid novice directors. Performance time is approximately 15 minutes (plus talent show time).
Who Are You In Bethlehem? and The Promise are two dramatic presentations for the entire congregation with roles that can be performed by any age. Each combines the reading of scripture and singing of familiar hymns with brief narrations to telling the Bethlehem story, focusing on how we respond to the Savior — asking us if we have truly welcomed the babe into our hearts. These inspirational services are flexible enough to be performed by as many participants as are available without requiring extensive memorization.
Revelations Of Jesus, Given From Heaven/Received On Earth, Nativity, and If It Happened Today are four flexible, Bible-based plays with parts for young peopl
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Preaching The Miracles Series 2 Cycle C
$22.43While this book offers information for the sermon writer, the design of its contents provides more than the ho-hum. It avoids presenting a ready-made cloak of words for a morning sermon. Instead it invites preachers and their audiences to explore the gap between the “back then” and the “now.” It not only helps answer questions, it generates them- a crucial element in understanding the miracles of Jesus.
Five sections are devoted to each of the nine miracles in cycle C:
Text — For Easy access the entire lectionary text is provided, preventing the need to flip back and forth to a Bible.
What’s Happening? — A synopsis of points of action within each miracle story. By reviewing the story action, readers define its movement, the conflict and the change or resolution.
Connecting Points -Conversations — This section offers the central material of each chapter. Here Brauninger engages the preacher in an imaginary exchange before the text is given its usual preparatory attention. Visits with main characters and an occasional bystander nudge the reader toward stepping into their sandals. This section invites the preacher and the listening audience to ask questions relevant for them, thus expanding their questioning, and therefore their understanding
Words — Here significant words are examined. While this work is not intended as a scholarly study, it assists in placing things in proper context.
Gospel Parallels — This section highlights similarities and differences among parallel stories in the other gospels.There is also a helpful bibliography included.
This new series from Brauninger promises to be a favorite among preachers. Through it audiences will become aware of how God speaks to them through the miracle stories and will enable them to hear their inner voice and more clearly understand it and themselves.
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Songs For A Savior
$16.18This comprehensive resource of five sermons with complete worship services provides a solid, thematically integrated worship and preaching program for Advent and Christmas Eve. It celebrates the deep songs of faith which result from personal encounters with Jesus Christ. The four Advent messages examine biblical personalities, revealing in their experiences real struggles as well as profound joy. You’ll explore how Zechariah wrestled to believe what the angel told him concerning the birth of his son; how the prophets searched for God’s Word of hope in times of personal and social ferment; how Mary was willing to sacrifice her life for God’s purpose; and how the birth of Jesus, heralded by the angels and confirmed by the shepherds, combined fear and joy with divine music.
In the final sermon (for Christmas Eve), Oliver links those accounts with our contemporary lives by asking what our personal response will be to the birth of the Savior. Will we allow a song of faith to arise in our lives, in our families, churches, and community?
Illustrated with poignant stories and anecdotes, the sermons in Songs For A Savior invite us to hear again the truly Good News — that our song of faith is not so much what we create for God, as how we respond to meeting the Savior and receiving God’s gift of salvation through Jesus.
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Word Of The Lord Authorized For Use In The Church Of Ireland
$40.00As the Church of Ireland prepares for its new Prayer Book due to be published simultaneously with this volume, parishes will welcome this liturgical resource which sets out the Principal Service readings in full for all three years of the cycle.
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