Adult Ministries
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5 Means Of Grace
$10.99Add to cartWesley showed us ways to reorder our lives through the “means of grace.” Recharge. Reboot. Reorder. Whatever you want to call it, we need a process that helps us continuously renew our relationship with God so that we don’t drift away from our faith. Based on The Wesley Covenant for Renewal, Five Means of Grace is a six-week, video-based study that will show you how to reorder your life through prayer, searching Scripture, receiving the Lord’s Supper, fasting, and conferencing (worshiping together). You’ll learn how to recognize and affirm the outward signs, words, and actions of an invisible divine grace, deepening your relationship with God and making your faith more complete. A Leader Guide and DVD are also available.
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Millenial Narrative: Participant Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartA good education will land you a good job, “Be an entrepreneur/Start something in a garage or dorm room” and even “Jesus saves” are narratives that collapsed for the millennial generation (born 1982-2002). These narratives, amongst many similar social and religious ones, have lost their meaning and power as millennials question all authorities and struggle to flourish in a world come of age. With their needs for community and success, a strong spirituality, and believing that their gifts should be recognized and can make a difference, millennials increasingly find meaning and purpose outside the church. As they face economic uncertainty, reduced career prospects, unceasing change, as well as civic, global, and ecological uncertainties, however, a large number of millennials are overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety and depression. Caught between hope and fear, millennials leave the church with their values of personal transformation, purpose, community, spirituality, social transformation and ecological awareness. Ironically the church often holds the same values. Reaching the Millennial Generation is written for pastoral leaders who want to welcome millennials, both inside and outside their congregation. The book draws on the wisdom of the prophetic Book of Joel as a narrative worth living into. Drawing on Joel’s three chapters, Reaching the Millennial Generation empowers pastoral leaders to: – Facilitate the work of mourning Millennials are facing; – Envision a spiritual community that can welcome millennials; – Introduce a compassionate God that restores and indwells as the Spirit; – Reflect on God’s judgment through the lens of accountability; and, – Support and encourage millennials to be a blessing to others.
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Millenial Narrative : Sharing A Good Life With The Next Generation
$20.99Add to cartA good education will land you a good job, “Be an entrepreneur/Start something in a garage or dorm room” and even “Jesus saves” are narratives that collapsed for the millennial generation (born 1982-2002). These narratives, amongst many similar social and religious ones, have lost their meaning and power as millennials question all authorities and struggle to flourish in a world come of age. With their needs for community and success, a strong spirituality, and believing that their gifts should be recognized and can make a difference, millennials increasingly find meaning and purpose outside the church. As they face economic uncertainty, reduced career prospects, unceasing change, as well as civic, global, and ecological uncertainties, however, a large number of millennials are overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety and depression. Caught between hope and fear, millennials leave the church with their values of personal transformation, purpose, community, spirituality, social transformation and ecological awareness. Ironically the church often holds the same values. Reaching the Millennial Generation is written for pastoral leaders who want to welcome millennials, both inside and outside their congregation. The book draws on the wisdom of the prophetic Book of Joel as a narrative worth living into. Drawing on Joel’s three chapters, Reaching the Millennial Generation empowers pastoral leaders to: – Facilitate the work of mourning Millennials are facing; – Envision a spiritual community that can welcome millennials; – Introduce a compassionate God that restores and indwells as the Spirit; – Reflect on God’s judgment through the lens of accountability; and, – Support and encourage millennials to be a blessing to others.
In addition, pastoral leaders will receive a sermon outline and material for adult education. -
Church Creation And The Common Good
$14.95Add to cart* A youth and adult study * Engages participants in how we should now live into this time of climate change crisis It is hard to be hopeful in the face of climate crisis. The problem is on a scale difficult for us to understand. Actions needed to address the crisis require a radical change in way of life. Does the Church have anything unique to offer? Is there something in our life of community, worship, and prayer that suggests a different way through this time? Church, Creation, and the Common Good is a program resource offering a hopeful answer to these challenges. Through scripture, tradition, and Christian practice, it guides church communities into deeper understanding of their role as the Church in the world and how they might be communities for the common good in this time. This curricular resource is sure to foster rich conversations and provide a path toward love of all creation and our particular places as we face the climate crisis together.
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Making Disciples Coordinators Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$18.99Add to cartMaking Disciples is a 13-session mentor-based confirmation program that pairs confirmands with adult mentors and guides them through a variety of learning experiences that will strengthen the student’s understanding of the faith while connecting him or her with the community of believers in a personal way. It can be used as a stand-alone program, or in conjunction with your current curriculum as a special experiential unit. This is a confirmation program that is more like a process and less like a reading assignment, more engaging and congruent with the nature of the Christian faith than existing programs. Using an “apprenticeship” approach to confirmation Will Willimon produced a series of learning experiences where adult mentors and confirmands are both teachers and learners at the same time. This time-tested approach has been extensively revised and updated for usage in today’s churches that take seriously Christ’s command to be engaged in disciple making. The Confirmand’s Journal is a place where an individual can write down highlights, memories, and details of their confirmation journey. This journal is a guided journal. Which means the confirmand will be given directions on things to do, and questions to reflect on, which will help them get started in their writing. Topics explore the basics of Christian faith: -God -Jesus -the Holy Spirit -worship -the Bible -gifts -ministry -baptism -spiritual life -death and resurrection -the church
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Disciples Path Leader Guide With Download (Teacher’s Guide)
$27.99Add to cartA Disciple’s Path is an engaging approach to discipleship from a distinctly Wesleyan perspective that is perfect for a new member class or other small group. The six-week program guides individuals to take the next step in discipleship and become dynamic followers of Jesus Christ and engaged, vital members of the local church. The study combines a Wesleyan understanding of our growth in God’s love and grace with the time-tested practices of spiritual discipline expressed in the membership vows to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Participants will develop spiritual practices, discover their unique gifts, and become engaged in ministry that brings transformation in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world. This Leader Guide provides group facilitators with helpful tips for leading a group, material for leading an introductory session or pastor’s coffee, and six ready-to-use session guides. Also included is a link to downloadable resources, along with previews of these online tools, including sample e-mails handouts, including customizable templates that can be modified for any congregation,and PowerPoint presentations.
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Disciples Path Daily Workbook (Workbook)
$15.99Add to cartA Disciple’s Path is an engaging approach to discipleship from a distinctly Wesleyan perspective that is perfect for a new member class or other small group. The six-week program guides individuals to take the next step in discipleship and become dynamic followers of Jesus Christ and engaged, vital members of the local church. The study combines a Wesleyan understanding of our growth in God’s love and grace with the time-tested practices of spiritual discipline expressed in the membership vows to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Participants will develop spiritual practices, discover their unique gifts, and become engaged in ministry that brings transformation in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world. This Daily Workbook contains six weeks of daily readings (five per week) that guide participants in learning and practicing seven essential spiritual disciplines: Prayer Scripture Corporate Worship Small-group Community Financial Generosity Gifts-based Service Invitational Evangelism Each day’s reading includes a Scripture, a message for the day, questions and prompts for personal reflection (with space provided for recording responses), and prayer. A special introductory section includes material on the history, beliefs, and structure of the church and answers to frequently asked questions. Whether you’re just setting out or are further along the path of discipleship, this excellent resource will help you to take the next step. – Roger Scholtz, Senior Pastor, Manning Road Methodist Church, Durban, South Africa A Disciple’s Path has the potential to revolutionize the way we view our participation in the church. Following this ‘path’ can transform us from wanderers into pilgrims. – Dr. Steve Harper, Professor of Spiritual Formation, Asbury Theological Seminary
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Age Of Opportunity
$18.00Add to cartA companion to the author’s earlier book Designing an Older Adult Ministry (Discipleship Resources, 1999), this book will provide new information and outline ways to develop and strengthen ministries by, with, and for older adults that can, and will, enhance the spiritual growth and well-being of people of all ages. The church is beginning to recognize that there are vast numbers of older people in its membership. It is becoming aware of its indebtedness to them for the leadership, support, service, and faith that has made the church of today possible. The church is uniquely positioned to help older adults respond to the challenges of aging; to see the tremendous potentialities in the lives of older adult for making the church and community better; and to assist older people as they experience new meaning and purpose in their later lives. Chapters include “Why Older-Adult Ministries?”; “Understanding the Aging Process”; “Aging and the Spiritual Journey”; “The New Seniors: Boomers?”; “Intentional Ministry by, with, and for Older Adults”; “Organizing for Intentional Ministry in the Local Church”; “Organizing for Intentional Ministry in the Conference”; “Congregational Care Ministry”; “Additional Ideas for Intentional Ministry”; and “Trends in Aging.” Appendixes include a “Facts about Aging” quiz, information on creating and using older adult surveys, and suggested resources for further reading and study.
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Grounded In Creed Participant And Leader Book (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartSession One: I Believe
Session Two: In God
Session Three: In Jesus
Session Four: In The Spirit
Session Five: In The Church
Session Six: In The PromiseAdditional Info
This offer to community groups (and small groups of any kind) is a six-session study based on the Apostles creed, which has served the church for nearly 1500 years as a basic summary statement about core Christian beliefs. This participant experience expands on the principle that “Growing People Change” their hearts and lives (a changed heart and life is the meaning of the New Testament concept metanoia, which in Elizabethan English is translated as “repentance”). This growth is accomplished by (1) understanding what changes in belief come through turning away from the practices that separate us from God (2) reflecting about our relationship to God while learning how to think theologically. -
New Playlist Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWhether we know it or not, we are living with a playlist. Caused by schedule overload and multiple distractions, it causes stress and anxiety. There is a playlist that causes us great anxiety. Schedule overload and many distractions play into it. The playlist sounds like this: You have to do everything. You have to say “yes” to everything. You are supposed to be in all places at all times. Jesus gives us a different playlist. It says: You are supposed to do two things: love God and love your neighbor. Saying no is often the best yes. You can only be one place at a time. This book addresses the anxiety, distraction addiction, and schedule overload that result from listening to the world’s playlist and gives us permission to hear and live by Jesus’ words. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Interrupting Silence : Gods Command To Speak Out (Student/Study Guide)
$17.00Add to cartSilence is a complex matter. It can refer to awe before unutterable holiness, but it can also refer to the coercion where some voices are silenced in the interest of control by the dominant voices. It is the latter silence that Walter Brueggemann explores, urging us to speak up in situations of injustice.
Interrupting Silence illustrates that the Bible is filled with stories where marginalized people break repressive silence and speak against it. Examining how maintaining silence allows the powerful to keep control, Brueggemann motivates readers to consider situations in their lives where they need to either interrupt silence or be part of the problem, convincing us that God is active and wanting us to act for justice.
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These Are Our Bodies Young Adult Leader Guide
$28.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for young adults on human sexuality * For use in congregational and campus ministry settings Our inherent value and worth comes from God’s love for us, but our modern world is filled with sexual expression that too often leads us away from the life of Christ. As Christians seeking to live a life worthy of our calling and desiring to pass along these values to our children and youth, these books (Leader Guide and Participant Book) offer session plans with activities for Young Adults (ages 18-30) to explore issues of sexuality in the context of our faith, building on the foundational book of the same name and as part of the These Are Our Bodies program resource. Session topics include: * Holiness * Intimacy * Covenant * Love * Biology * Communication * What is Sacred? * Power and Parity * Mind, Body, and Soul * Brokenness and Shame * Our Bodies: Currency and Creators
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Renovate Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartRenovating a house can be an exciting and rewarding experience. But the act of renovation can often leave the house in a state of disarray, causing stress and frustration. In the same way, God wants to renovate your life by altering the “old you” and creating a “new you” with an improved heart. It’s not going to be easy, and your life might experience some disarray, but renovating with God is the opportunity of a lifetime. Using the Book of Nehemiah, popular author and pastor Jacob Armstrong explores the physical and spiritual renovation experienced by the nation of Judah. Nehemiah knew that his plan for renovating the wall and gates of Jerusalem would be hard work. But equally hard would be the spiritual renovation of the Jewish people as they returned to their homeland. Thankfully, spiritual renovation is not a do-it-yourself project. We need God’s great power working through us to renovate our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Chapters include: Never Too Late for a Renovation It Starts with Tears What to Know Before You Build When Others Don’t Like Your Plans Inviting Others to Come Home The Big Reveal Additional components for a six-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Jacob Armstrong.
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5 Means Of Grace Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$13.99Add to cartJohn Wesley gave the Methodist movement (and all Christians in general) a discipleship pathway to follow. Wesley began with Three Simple Rules (or “General Rules”), and followed this instruction a year later with the Five Marks of a Methodist (or “Character of a Methodist”). Over the next decade, Wesley observed the need for continuous renewal of relationships with God and others, so he established a recurring annual process for God’s people to make One Faithful Promise: The Wesley Covenant for Renewal. Wesley confirmed the tendency in each of us for the love of God and others to grow cold, so that we drift away from the gift of God’s unmerited grace. So Wesley showed us ways to reorder our lives through the “means of grace.”
These means are the ordinary channels that God uses to draw us into a fruitful relationship. These five means or channels are:
1. Prayer
2. Searching Scripture
3. Receiving the Lord’s Supper
4. Fasting
5. Conferencing (worship together)This six-week, video-based study will help Christians (new and seasoned) to re-order their lives by recognizing and affirming the outward signs, words, and actions of an invisible divine grace. Through these “means” we receive God’s gifts together, and we experience the power of a spiritual relationship with God.
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Which Way Lord
$14.99Add to cartThe life and travels of the apostle Paul can help us find God’s purpose for our lives. God created every person with a desire for meaning and purpose. Most of us ask how and what do we do to live the purposeful life God intends for each of us? This 6-week church wide series is designed to help us intentionally consider the big question asked by everyone: “What is the purpose of my life?” It wasn’t the Damascus experience only that sent the apostle Paul into a life of evangelism, but the entirety of his life including his traditions, his education, his travels, and his challenges that shaped him for his ministry. Paul traveled a course covering roughly 10,000 miles to spread the Good News throughout the Mediterranean world. After years of prayer and discernment, Paul was certain of his purpose, but he had no idea how God’s plan for him would take shape. This series helps us unpack our life alongside Paul’s life, past and present, to find our purpose and passion. A perfect study series for back-to-school or the beginning of a new year, the series includes a book; DVD with video sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon helps; worship media; daily devotions; and more. Rediscover you are wonderfully made, created for purpose, and equipped to live a life of significance, despite the adversity and detours you will encounter along the way. Join us as we travel to find our purpose together. For more information, visit RobFuquay.com.
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Which Way Lord
$12.99Add to cartThe life and travels of the apostle Paul can help us find God’s purpose for our lives. God created every person with a desire for meaning and purpose. Most of us ask how and what do we do to live the purposeful life God intends for each of us? This 6-week church wide series is designed to help us intentionally consider the big question asked by everyone: “What is the purpose of my life?” It wasn’t the Damascus experience only that sent the apostle Paul into a life of evangelism, but the entirety of his life including his traditions, his education, his travels, and his challenges that shaped him for his ministry. Paul traveled a course covering roughly 10,000 miles to spread the Good News throughout the Mediterranean world. After years of prayer and discernment, Paul was certain of his purpose, but he had no idea how God’s plan for him would take shape. This series helps us unpack our life alongside Paul’s life, past and present, to find our purpose and passion. A perfect study series for back-to-school or the beginning of a new year, the series includes a book; DVD with video sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon helps; worship media; daily devotions; and more. Rediscover you are wonderfully made, created for purpose, and equipped to live a life of significance, despite the adversity and detours you will encounter along the way. Join us as we travel to find our purpose together. For more information, visit RobFuquay.com.
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Fear Of The Other Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$10.99Add to cartThis five-week DVD/video based small group study (DVD and Leader Guide) companion to the book, Fear of the Other: No Fear in Love invites readers to consider the Gospel command to love (and not merely tolerate) those considered to be “Other” or outside mainstream Christian culture. Rooted in the faith of Israel and the Christian story and vision, Willimon – in an onscreen conversation with Delia Catalina Ramirez, brings a non-technical, Wesleyan perspective to bear on what may be the hardest thing for people of faith to do: keeping and loving the Other as Other. Emphasizing the biblical mandate to receive Others in their particularity and difference as gifts and mysteries bearing the grace of God, this study also offers a strong critique of the privileged who all too often rush to language of reconciliation and evade the huge inequalities surrounding conversations and practices dealing with xenophobia and injustice. Rooted in the New Testament understanding of Gentile outsiders grafted into the covenant community, this study invites readers to an on-the ground faith that hearkens to a soliciting and revealing God – the God who comes to us again and again through so-called outsiders, strangers, immigrants, and those without status. The 5 video conversations between Will Willimon and Delia Ramirez focus on each of the five chapters of Fear of the Other: Session 1: Saved by the Other Session 2: The Other, My Enemy Session 3: Learning to Fear Like Christians Session 4: Loving the Other in Church Session 5: Jesus, the Other
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Boomer Spirituality : Seven Values For The Second Half Of Life
$18.00Add to cartIntroduction
Part One: Spiritual Roots
1. Brokenness
2. Loneliness
3. Rootlessness
4. Self-Seeking
Part Two: The Search For God
5. Godliness
6. Supernaturalism
7. Wholeness
NotesAdditional Info
As the boomer generation navigates dramatic change as it ages, it will be informed by a unique spirituality that was forged in the tumultuous years of the 1960s and 1970s. If you are a boomer, you are sure to be reminded of the events and experiences that had an impact on you when you were young. If you are the child of a boomer, this book will help you understand why your parents act the way they do. If you are creating ministry for this generation, this will be your guide to the way boomers view the world and look toward the future. -
Restored Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$12.99Add to cartOften we make a mess of our lives and wonder if there is any redemption. In this six-week study, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us see our mess through the eyes of Christ to find redemption and restoration. Using Scripture, devotional tools, and the writings of Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, St. Augustine, John Wesley, Evelyn Underhill, and others, Berlin encourages reflection and meditation through our own brokenness. Only then can we focus on the cross as the place where we truly surrender control, leave our mess, and find redemption. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the 6-week study for Lent, including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Restored : Finding Redemption In Our Mess
$15.99Add to cartOften we make a mess of our lives and wonder if there is any redemption. In this book, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us see our mess through the eyes of Christ to find redemption and restoration. Using Scripture, devotional tools, and the writings of Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, St. Augustine, John Wesley, Evelyn Underhill, and others, Berlin encourages reflection and meditation through our own brokenness. Only then can we focus on the cross as the place where we truly surrender control, leave our mess, and find redemption.
Chapters include:
This Is a Real Mess
Who Left This Mess?
Bless This Mess
No Messing Around
Address This Mess
The Message in the Mess -
Take The Flag (Large Type)
$14.99Add to cartThe purpose of this book is not to turn readers into race fans but to help them become stronger disciples of Jesus Christ by paying attention to the signals God gives us each day.
In this Bible -based, 7-week churchwide series, Fuquay uses the flags from auto racing as a way to discuss different aspects of our life of faith.
Green Flag (start) – How do we start our journey of faith?
Yellow Flag (caution) – The decisions we make can sometimes put us in danger. How do we learn to heed God’s caution?
Red Flag (delay) – Finishing well involves pit stops. How does God help us get the most our of these breaks?
Blue Flag (yield) – Each of us may run our own race, but we also need to respect others. How does God help us focus on others’ needs?
Black Flag (disqualification) – What happens when our own violations take us out of the race, and how does God help us get back in?
White Flag (final lap) – As we head toward the finish line, how do we steer according to God’s will?
Checkered Flag (victory) – If we persevere – navigating the hazards, managing the pit stops – then victory is ours. But how does God want us to experience victory?This book will captivate your congregation and engage them in an exciting adventure of spiritual growth.
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3 Simple Rules For Christian Living Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis small-group study by Jeanne Torrence Finley is based on Rueben P. Job’s book Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living. Six sessions provide extended reflection for adults on three principles of Christian life: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. Each rule has a session to help you understand the rule and a session to help you explore ways to practice the rule. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the 6-week study, including session plans, discussion questions, and other useful information for organizing, leading, and publicizing your study group.
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Redemption Of Scrooge Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIs redemption possible for Ebenezer Scrooge? Pastor and author Matt Rawle believes so as he discovers the teachings of Jesus in the words of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Rawle dives deep into the dark, sad, greedy world of Scrooge and discovers a man in dire need of a second chance. Along with Scrooge, we meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and in the process learn about living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. Rediscover and reinvigorate your Christian faith this Advent and Christmas season and look at this familiar classic through the lens of faith. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the 4-week study for Advent, making use of the book and videos. Guide includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. Sessions include: The Ghosts of Christmas Past The Life of Christmas Present The Resurrection of Christmas Future God Bless Us, Every One
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Wonder Of Christmas Devotions For The Season
$9.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. The Wonder of Christmas is a four-week all-church study for Advent with resources for all ages. The devotional is a beautiful companion volume that functions beautifully on its own or as part of the church-wide experience offers four weeks of daily devotions on four elements of the Christmas story that evoke wonder and inspiration for reflecting the light of Jesus. Each devotion includes Scripture and a reflection and prayer.
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Wonder Of Christmas Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. The Wonder of Christmas is a four-week all-church study for Advent with resources for all ages. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the study including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Wonder Of Christmas (Large Type)
$15.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. Chapters Include: The Wonder of a Name The Wonder of a Star The Wonder of a Manger The Wonder of a Promise The Wonder of Christmas is also perfect for an all-church study and includes resources for all ages, teaching video, worship ideas and visuals, and preaching guides, all areas of church life weave together for a wonder-filled Advent celebration. The adult study book is the centerpiece of the program, serving as the adult small group resource and the source of content for worship planners and leaders.
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Wonder Of Christmas
$14.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. Chapters Include: The Wonder of a Name The Wonder of a Star The Wonder of a Manger The Wonder of a Promise The Wonder of Christmas is also perfect for an all-church study and includes resources for all ages, teaching video, worship ideas and visuals, and preaching guides, all areas of church life weave together for a wonder-filled Advent celebration. The adult study book is the centerpiece of the program, serving as the adult small group resource and the source of content for worship planners and leaders.
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Redemption Of Scrooge
$15.99Add to cartIs redemption possible for Ebenezer Scrooge? Pastor and author Matt Rawle believes so as he discovers the teachings of Jesus in the words of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Rawle dives deep into the dark, sad, greedy world of Scrooge and discovers a man in dire need of a second chance. Along with Scrooge, we meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and in the process learn about living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. Rediscover and reinvigorate your Christian faith this Advent and Christmas season and look at this familiar classic through the lens of faith. Chapters include: The Ghosts of Christmas Past The Life of Christmas Present The Resurrection of Christmas Future God Bless Us, Every One
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So Great A Cloud Of Witnesses
$21.95Add to cartChapters Included In This Book:
The Supplanter: Jacob
My House Will Serve The Lord: Joshua
The Sword Of The Lord: Gideon
The Outsider: Ruth And Boaz
The Sweet Singer Of Israel: DavidAdditional Info
One of the insights of people of faith is that God is active in history as he seeks to bring creation into conformity with his purpose. There have been those in every age who have discovered something of God’s purpose and have attempted to pass it on. Sometimes, God’s activity has been reported in supernatural terms, but fully as often, the activity of God is revealed in the faithful actions of human beings. For that reason, the Old and New Testaments are filled with the experiences of individuals who have discovered God’s presence in their individual circumstances.David Rogne’s So Great A Cloud of Witnesses will give readers an appreciation for the people of faith who are presented, and humbly recognize the cost borne by so many to deliver the faith to us. They are a great cloud of witnesses. They have played their part in relaying the faith to subsequent generations, and they are now filling the stands in the heavenly arena, eager to see how we continue the race.
Witnesses have been chosen from varied backgrounds so that it may be seen that people from all walks of life are called to live faithfully and to witness to God’s truth. The entire known story of some of these individuals, such as Joseph, the husband of Mary, may be just a few verses of Scripture. Some, such as the Wiseman and the Emmaus disciple, are not even named. Nevertheless, their witness is important. Rogne attempts to give life to the testimony of these less-well-known witnesses by giving them names and employing a little imagination. In every case, the subjects tell their stories as they might have experienced them.
Chapters included in this book:
The Supplanter: Jacob
My House Will Serve the Lord: Joshua
The Sword of the Lord: Gideon
The Outsider: Ruth and Boaz
The Sweet Singer of Israel: David -
Gods Not Dead 2 Adult Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartThis four-week study guide by author Rice Broocks will help small group members answer one of the most important questions featured in the movie God’s Not Dead 2: “Who do you say I am?” Lead your groups to discover what they truly believe in, and give them a foundation to defend their faith even in the midst of opposition. For use with the God’s Not Dead 2 DVD-based Study.
The four weekly topics are:
Lesson 1: Searching for Answers
Lesson 2: Understanding the Evidence
Lesson 3: Passing the Test
Lesson 4: Spreading the NewsAbout the film, in theaters nationwide on April 1, 2016:
From the college classroom of GODS NOT DEAD to the public square in GODS NOT DEAD 2, the name of Jesus is welcomed less and less with each passing day. If Christians don’t take a stand today, will we even have a choice tomorrow?
When a Christian teacher is asked an honest question about Jesus, her reasoned response lands her in big trouble. As the principal and superintendent join forces with a zealous civil liberties group, an epic court case could expel God from the classroom and the public square once and for all!
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Faith Of A Mockingbird (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn The Faith of a Mockingbird, based on Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, pastor and author Matt Rawle uses Lee’s beloved characters to explore Christian faith, theology, and ethics. Join Scout, Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson in this four-week study considering God’s world and what it all means. A DVD featuring four sessions with the author, a full Leader Guide, and Worship Resource Flash Drive also are available for group study.
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Counterfeit Christianity : The Persistence Of Errors In The Church
$21.99Add to cartHistoric heresies didn’t die or fade away. Each generation boasts its own. Even while these counterfeit teachings remain outside the accepted bounds of Christianity, modern-day versions plague churches.So how does a church leader or pastor understand and deal with these age-old controversies when they pop up in the congregation? In this book, Roger Olson describes the curses but also gifts that heresies bring the Church. While heresies can occasionally correct a version of orthodoxy, they are not simple confusions or misunderstandings about impenetrable mysteries of divine revelation. Instead they undermine the faith and are dangerous distortions. The author describes major heresies and how the church dealt with them, the players, and what pastors can do to address these faith issues in order to educate congregations about Jesus, God, and salvation. Also included are questions for individual or group study.
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God Of Justice
$20.99Add to cartThe level of injustice in the world is staggering. The church needs to respond. International Justice Mission (IJM) has worked with thousands of churches to help them live out the mandate of Isaiah 1:17: to seek justice, rescue the oppressed and care for orphans and widows. Christians need to be equipped and mobilized to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are vulnerable and oppressed. The God of Justice is a twelve-sesson, discussion-based curriculum that explores the biblical narrative of justice throughout the whole of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. Through the participatory study of Scripture, Christians can explore God’s call to engage in bringing about justice on earth. Throughout the course of study, participants will come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of biblical justice and will draw personal application for the pursuit of justice ministry in their individual lives and the wider church. Prepare to have your heart and mind engaged, to be instructed by Scripture and challenged by real-life stories of people freed by the God of justice. This curriculum can help you and your church bring freedom, restoration and reconciliation to those in need. Discover how God reveals himself to those who join him on his justice journey!
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God For The Rest Of Us Pastors DVD Kit
$19.99Add to cartThe Pharisees called Jesus “a friend of sinners.” He took it as a compliment. Would you? In these resources, Pastor Vince Antonucci and his unusual church that reaches out to people on the Las Vegas Strip explore a powerful question: what if God is not just for the faithful, church-going, or holier-than-thou types – what if God is for the rest of us? This small group study expands viewpoints, overcomes stereotypes, and models how to really love people like Jesus does. The Pastor’s Kit includes everything needed to plan a six-week teaching series around the concepts presented in the Small Group Study. It includes:
Special video message for pastors
Video guide for implementing a church-wide program
Six sermon outlines
Six short video clips to accompany each week’s sermon
Six sermon bumpers (short video clips to introduce each week’s sermon)
Digital art files to use in creation of bulletins and other promo materials -
Coming Home : Ministry That Matters With Veterans And Military Families
$16.99Add to cartComing home from military service is a process of reconnection and reintegration that is best engaged within a compassionate community.
There are almost 20 million veterans and service members living in the United States, including more than one million Americans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. Post-war life can be challenging unless there are communities responding with compassion and hospitality. How churches welcome and respond will be critical to the well-being of our nation’s veterans, their families, our local communities, and our nation.
Zachary Moon, a commissioned military chaplain, has seen the unique challenges for those adjusting to post-war life. In this book, he prepares congregations to mobilize a receptive and restorative ministry with military service members and their families. Designed to be accessible to both clergy and laypersons, this is an ideal resource for individuals or small groups interested in addressing the opportunities and challenges facing veterans and their families. Discussion questions and other resources included will help support small-group dialogue and community building.
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Teaching Biblical Faith
$18.99Add to cartBiblical faith is a lens for viewing life, and Jack Seymour refreshingly illustrates how the reading of scripture is a resource for ongoing theological reflection connecting experience, vocation, daily life, and faith. Teaching has concrete consequences affecting the very ways people of faith view the world and make decisions for living. It matters; it makes a difference in how people think and act.
Written in an accessible style, the book provides a manageable way to inspire conversation about the many ways the Bible can be taught, the purposes and outcomes of each approach, and how biblical wisdom shapes personal and corporate decision-making. Useful strategies for leading group Bible study help congregations respond faithfully to the Biblical witness and cultivate a whole congregation approach to Bible study.
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Earn Save Give Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the small group study as part of the stewardship program. Includes session plans, discussion questions, and activities based on the book and DVD, as well as multiple format options.
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Earn Save Give Participant Book (Large Type)
$16.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
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Earn Save Give Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$15.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
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Who Is My Neighbor Teacher Manual (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWho Is My Neighbor? (Quien es mi vecino?) is a field-tested resource through which English speakers of any church and congregation can learn basic Spanish-speaking skills to be able to communicate and provide a welcoming atmosphere to the Hispanic communities surrounding them. The six-session resource developed by the Northern Illinois Conference covers basic conversational Spanish, and simple and easy to follow Spanish-language worship material. The program encourages openness toward Spanish-speaking neighbors, understanding of different cultures, and compassion for those who struggle to learn English. This resource is easily implemented by congregations of any size, and it results in a program of hospitality that will help include Hispanic communities in your church congregation.
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Team Ministry : Gifted To Serve
$14.99Add to cartHow Spiritual Gifts Can Unleash the Power of Your Team! This practical guide for pastors and church leaders is newly edited and revised to include one powerful handbook of the best Team Ministry resources. It provides * Tools to help pastors and church leaders activate members’ gifts * Methods for developing volunteers and leaders in your church * Ways to use your members’ spiritual gifts to help your church grow * Questions and tools for teaching the nine team gifts in a small group or Sunday school setting (or use in a seminar). Team Ministry: Gifted to Serve is the perfect companion for ministry leaders who want to take their churches to new heights for God’s Kingdom.
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Our Hands His Healing
$16.99Add to cartA practical guide to getting started in prayer ministry, as an individual or as a team. Prayer ministry offers us the opportunity to participate in the Holy Spirit’s healing work. Jeannie Morgan draws on her wide experience to offer advice on getting started in prayer ministry, ministering healing from past hurts, and pastoral prayer ministry (over four to six sessions). With spiritual tools, Scriptures, and vivid stories and illustrations of healing, she prepares us to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Highly practical, she also addresses many tricky questions. The book includes guidance notes for leaders and special resources for those receiving extended prayer ministry.
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6 Decisions That Will Change Your Life Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$9.99Add to cart1. The Decision To Follow
2. The Decision For A New Life
3. The Decision To Mature
4. The Decision To Respond
5. The Decision To Persevere
6. The Decision To SurrenderAdditional Info
This Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the book and DVD. It includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as format options. -
6 Decisions That Will Change Your Life Participant Book
$9.99Add to cart1. The Decision To Follow
2. The Decision For A New Life
3. The Decision To Mature
4. The Decision To Respond
5. The Decision To Persevere
6. The Decision To SurrenderAdditional Info
Our busy lives are filled with decisions, but are they the important decisions? In this simple, inspiring book, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us discern six key decisions in our walk with Christ. Includes Scripture, helpful quotations, and space for journaling. -
Embracing An Alternative Orthodoxy (Student/Study Guide)
$16.95Add to cart* 5- to 10-week study for adults and young adults with appealing video format that prompts engagement and response
* Each participant uses his/her own journal for study and reflection
* Newest installment in the successful Embracing series
Each program in this series features two components sold separately:
(1) A DVD with five 10-15 minute presentations (one per group), in this case showing Fr. Richard Rohr interacting with a small group of adults
(2) a participant workbook containing all the material needed by class participants as well as for the facilitator (one each).
In this edition, Richard Rohr explores five topics central to Franciscan theology and practice: * Atonement Theory
* Eco-Spirituality
* The Christ who Existed before Christianity
* Orthopraxy vs. Verbal Orthodoxy (Living Like Jesus)
* Mysticism over Moralism -
God Story Daily Readings
$9.99Add to cartDeveloped by Jacob Armstrong, founding pastor of Providence UMC in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, The God Story is a seven-week sermon series seeking to help congregants see the threads that run throughout the story of God’s people culminating in Jesus and the resurrection. The series uses classic components of story to help people see their place and role in God’s story. The devotional participant books allow individual church members to bring the sermon message home and provide additional insights and inspiration until the next Sunday sermon.
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Loving Large Daily Readings
$8.99Add to cartLoving Large is a four week series that seeks to move people to action in their Christian faith. In a world that seems to run on money, greed, oil, power, etc., what would our world look like if it ran on the love of God? How can we infuse this world-changing love into our community and world? The series gives real opportunities for people to serve God and love their neighbor. It could possibly culminate with a church-wide day of service to the community. The devotional participant books allow individual church members to bring the sermon message home and provide additional insights and inspiration until the next Sunday sermon.
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Embracing Spiritual Awakening (Student/Study Guide)
$16.95Add to cartQuick Guide To The Handbook
Beyond The “Quick Guide”
Pointers On Facilitation
Questions Of Awakening
Session 1: Waking Up
Session 2: Believing
Session 3: Behaving
Session 4: Belonging
Session 5: AwakeningAdditional Info
In this newest installment, Diana Butler Bass expands on the ideas she developed in her recent book, Christianity after Religion, exploring what Christianity may look like “beyond religion and beyond the church.” Segments include (1) Arriving, (2) Believing, (3) Behaving, (4) Belonging and (5) Awakening. -
1st Devotional : Putting God First In Living And Giving
$10.99Add to cartWhat happens when we truly put God first in all aspects of our lives?
In First: Putting God First in Living and Giving,pastor and author Mike Slaughter conducts a four-week all-church stewardship program to help participants reassess priorities and create a culture and a lifestyle of giving with a special emphasis on missions. To help parents educate and model generosity for their kids, First includes components for children and youth that help families explore financial decisions together. This book of devotional readings is a companion resource for program participants and is designed to draw families into closer fellowship with God as they explore financial decisions together. Includes short readings, Scripture, prayer, and stories.
