Pastoral Helps
Showing 1751–1800 of 4114 results
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Fresh Expressions And The Kingdom Of God
$27.00Add to cartMission Shaped Church, the groundbreaking report which has sold over 20,000 copies has transformed understandings of mission in the UK. Fresh Expressions, which sprang into being in its wake, is an established presence in Britain, the USA and Canada. This important book poses a challenging question: what are the aims of mission and are they being achieved through Fresh Expressions? This book argues that mission is equally about social transformation or, in biblical terms, building the kingdom of God, as well as building the church. Theological reflection and stories from front line practitioners in churches in the sacramental traditions (with their heritage of service in poor communities) combine to create a unique, timely and valuable resource which includes contributions from leading names in the study and practice of mission today.
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Church Planting For Reproduction
$16.49Add to cartThe task of church planting requires the wisdom of a practitioner and the logic of a strategist. With his years of experience planting churches, and his extensive research on the subject, the author displays these two requisites on every page of his fruitful study.
“As a missionary and missiologist,” writes J. Ronald Blue of Dallas Theological Seminary, “the author gives a new perspective to church planting that extends beyond the immediate and sometimes shallow goal of a newly installed fellowship of believers. This book will be an invaluable aid to church planters and missionaries. This is a church planting guide that puts it all together.”
The author emphasizes that the primary goal of missions constitutes planting churches, which in turn are able to reproduce themselves. By using the proven management method Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), the author outlines each step needed to accomplish that goal. Over sixty charts illustrate his principles and directives.
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Grief Relief : Scriptural Guide Book To Recovery After The Death Of A Child
$15.99Add to cartBorn in 1961, Rebecca, whose nickname is Becky, was born into the most dire of circumstances. The fifth child of poor parents; whose marriage was already at the point of collapse. Becky was critically premature; her mother Barbara’s most difficult delivery; and only breach birth. In all, her mother would go on to have seven children. Barbara struggled while working for seventy-five cents an hour, at a nearby dry cleaners. Her father Loyd worked less and less as the years went by, due to the most extreme form of chronic alcoholism.
While living in the ghetto and enduring the harshest depravation imaginable, God sent His messengers with The Good News of Jesus Christ. Becky faithfully rode the church bus with her elder siblings, starting at around the age of two years old while carrying her own spare diaper, in a brown paper bag. Her mother would instruct, “Don’t dirty your diaper while you’re gone.” The story is told that she never did! Becky refused to be left behind, and grew up cherishing the Bible stories she was taught at “The First Church of the Nazarene,” in Rock Island, Illinois. Becky also attended regularly at Grant Elementary; her public grade school, a Bible study that was held after hours in the school cafeteria. The truth is, Becky never fully perceived until now, what God had indeed predestined for her, and that is why He saw to it that she knew His Holy Word from the start. She readily acknowledges, that if she hadn’t experienced the steadfast love of God early on, that He would have never been able to do the miraculous for her in 1990, when her doctor crudely informed, “The top of your babies head is missing!” The cataclysmic discovery that her baby was suffering from the disease of “anencephaly,” was rendered just two weeks before she was due to give birth for the first time at the age of twenty-nine.
Indeed, God’s hand has been upon Becky her entire life, but was never more providential than that fateful day on May 12, 1990, when her precious Melissa Ann was born, and returned straight back to heaven from whence she was sent. Melissa beat the odds by being born alive, and lived for three rapturous hours and eighteen glorious minutes upon this earth, cradled all the while in her parent’s adoring arms.
Afterwards, Becky spent vast hours alone in her prayer closet seeking God’s divine help and guidance. She needed to know what He had to say about all that was happening to her, as many more complications and obstacles were involved a
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Chained No More
$16.95Add to cartChained No More is a program that will minister healing and hope to anyone who has been touched by the pain of divorce. Robyn Besemann has developed biblically based materials that provide a framework for personal growth, a tool for helping others, and a step-by-step grid that produces transformational results.
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Lectionary Worship Aids Series 9 Cycle C
$12.95Add to cartThe Revised Common Lectionary is not just to provide a guide to scripture reading during the church year. It can help shape the entirety of our worship. The themes for each Sunday service, as created by the lectionary, can be further explored and appreciated through Reed’s poetic prayers and responsories, as well as through musical selection suggestions. By involving all of the senses in worship, congregations can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the various themes highlighted in the lectionary, themes such as grace, mercy, justice, and others.
This special edition for Lent and Easter, Cycle C of the popular” Lectionary Worship Aids” allows ministers and worship leaders to tie the entire worship experience together for their congregations. Reed’s insights will prove invaluable in leading congregations into the presence of God not only on Sunday but also on holidays and other special occasions.
Topics covered in this resource include:
– Calls to Worship
– Suggested Hymns
– Collects for the Day
– Prayers of Confession -
Navigating The Sermon Cycle C
$17.95Add to cartIn this special edition for the Sundays in Lent and Easter of Cycle C, the writers and editors of “Charting the Course,” an integral part of Emphasis: A Lectionary Preaching Journal from CSS Publishing Company, delve into the heart of the lectionary readings, providing you, the pastor with in-depth lectionary-based commentary; relating several fresh, solid ideas — based squarely on the lectionary texts — for creating sermons that speak powerfully to your audience. The team of writers looks for overall topics for the seasons of Lent and Easter in the Cycle C church year that hold the readings together. Then, they zero in on the theme and the specific scripture links, suggesting directions for the sermon and worship service. Since a single application for each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, “Navigating the Sermon” in most cases suggests several ideas, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.
This book is like having a dedicated, thoroughly versed sermon research and sermon resource team right in your own study to help you create riveting sermons that are truly yours and that speak powerfully to your audience. -
Lectionary Stories For Preaching And Teaching Cycle C
$19.95Add to cartEveryone loves a good story. Storytellers who excel at their craft have the ability to draw readers or listeners into the worlds they create, using characters and situations to both entertain and enlighten us. Jesus, the Master Storyteller, often spoke using parables — short stories that conveyed a spiritual truth. By drawing his listeners into his story, he unlocked their minds and hearts to hear the truth he was trying to relate to them.
This compilation of stories for the entire church year taken from StoryShare follows in that same tradition. StoryShare, a part of SermonSuite.com, is written by various authors brought together to meditate on scriptures in the Revised Common Lectionary for Cycle B and create stories that flesh out these passages, allowing readers to see these words in a new way. These stories can be whimsical and light-hearted or poignant and reflective, even tragic. But they all strive to bring us to a deeper understanding of both the scriptures and the God who inspired them. Some of the stories are even based on actual events experienced by the authors, events that influenced their perspective on Christianity.
Useful as sermon illustrations, stand alone sermons, teaching aides, personal devotions, or even just for entertaining reading, Lectionary Tales will draw you into new worlds with vibrant and engaging images, deepening your relationship with God in the process.
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Lectionary Worship Aids Series 9 Cycle C
$28.95Add to cartThe Revised Common Lectionary is not just to provide a guide to scripture reading during the church year. It can help shape the entirety of our worship. The themes for each Sunday service, as created by the lectionary, can be further explored and appreciated through Reed’s poetic prayers and responsories, as well as through musical selection suggestions. By involving all of the senses in worship, congregations can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the various themes highlighted in the lectionary, themes such as grace, mercy, justice, and others.
Lectionary Worship Aids allows ministers and worship leaders to tie the entire worship experience together for their congregations. Reed’s insights will prove invaluable in leading congregations into the presence of God not only on Sunday but also on holidays and other special occasions.
Topics covered in this resource include:
Calls to Worship
Suggested Hymns
Collects for the Day
Prayers of Confession
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Lectionary Scripture Notes Cycle C
$26.95Add to cartThis book provides guidelines and resources for homilies and sermons, worship planning, and Scripture study based on the texts in Year C (Cycle C) in The Revised Common Lectionary: Consultation on Common Texts (Nashville: Abingdon, 1992). It is a thoroughly revised and updated replacement for Norman A. Beck, Scripture Notes for Series C (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing, 1985). Leaders in worship and worship planning and other members of Christian congregations and communities will find this book to be helpful for use as individuals and in study groups as they prepare for more meaningful worship services each weekend.
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Amplifying Our Witness
$19.99Add to cartNearly twenty percent of adolescents have developmental disabilities, yet far too often they are marginalized within churches. Amplifying Our Witness challenges congregations to adopt a new, practice-centered approach to congregational ministry — one that includes and amplifies the witness of adolescents with developmental disabilities.
Replete with stories taken from Benjamin Conner’s own extensive experience with befriending and discipling adolescents with developmental disabilities, Amplifying Our Witness:
*Shows how churches exclude the mentally disabled in various structural and even theological ways
*Stresses the intrinsic value of kids with developmental disabilities
*Reconceptualizes evangelism to adolescents with developmental disabilities, emphasizing hospitality and friendship. -
Lectionary Stories For Preaching And Teaching Cycle C
$12.95Add to cartEveryone loves a good story. Storytellers who excel at their craft have the ability to draw readers or listeners into the worlds they create, using characters and situations to entertain and enlighten us. Jesus, the Master Storyteller, often spoke using parables — short stories that conveyed a spiritual truth. By drawing his listeners into his story, he unlocked their minds and hearts to hear the truth he was trying to relate to them.
This compilation of stories for the seasons of Lent and Easter taken from StoryShare follows in that same tradition. StoryShare, a part of SermonSuite.com, is written by various authors brought together to meditate on scriptures in the Revised Common Lectionary for Cycle C and create stories that flesh out these passages, allowing readers to see these words in a new way. These stories can be whimsical and light-hearted or poignant and reflective, even tragic. But they all strive to bring us to a deeper understanding of the scriptures and the God who inspired them. Some of the stories are even based on actual events experienced by the authors, events that influenced their perspective on Christianity.
Useful as sermon illustrations, stand alone sermons, teaching aides, personal devotions, or even just for entertaining reading, “Stories for Teaching and Preaching “will draw you into new worlds with vibrant and engaging images, deepening your relationship with God in the process.
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Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series 9 Cycle C
$19.95Add to cart“I am very impressed with the way Dr. Ellingsen outlines this” Lectionary Preaching Workbook… “Here is a splendid workbook. It is rich in detail and theological insight. Ellingsen writes clearly, is sensitive to context, and widens [our] horizons… This book should be required reading for all pastors, seminary students, and other lay people who are involved in ministry with adults and youth. It should be regarded as a textbook to enhance one’s knowledge about the meaning of the seasons or major festivals of the [church] year.”
Reverend Jesse Averett Jr.
Presiding Elder, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
“If a preacher is looking for quick and easy sermons, this tool is not what s/he is seeking. But if a preacher is looking for solid biblical scholarship, thoughtful exegesis, a possible preaching theme for each of the appointed lessons for each Sunday in the lectionary year accompanied by a variety of ideas for how that theme might be developed, then CSS’ latest “Lectionary Preaching Workbook” will be a valuable resource. Built around the Revised Common Lectionary and the Christian church year, Pr. Mark Ellingsen has put together a highly useful resource.
Ellingsen’s passion for justice and equality as applied to the social issues of the day comes through clearly in some of his “sermon moves” as well as the socio-economic and political illustrative connections he offers. Incorporating insights and quotations from a variety of sources — everything from modern brain research to Luther, Calvin, Liberation Theology, Bonhoeffer, Pascal, and Barth — Ellingsen strives to connect God’s word to our world in ways that the preacher will find stimulating and inspirational.”
Glenn L. Simmons
Assistant to the Bishop
Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
When it comes to preaching from a lectionary, it can often be a daunting task to create new ways of preaching about a passage that has been around for thousands of years. It would seem that, after a while, there would be no new ways of looking at a scripture passage. A different perspective, however, can be most beneficial in finding a new way to help your congregation see each of the readings.
This is the inspiration behind the “Lectionary Preaching Workbook “series and this special edition for Lent and Easter. By providing new insights into each of the readings in the Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal Lectionaries, Mark Ellingsen has given pastors everywher -
Navigating The Sermon Cycle C
$34.95Add to cartFor each Sunday in Cycle C, the writers and editors of “Charting the Course,” an integral part of Emphasis: A Lectionary Preaching Journal from CSS Publishing Company, delve into the heart of the lectionary readings, providing you, the pastor with in-depth lectionary-based commentary; relating several fresh, solid ideas — based squarely on the lectionary texts — for creating sermons that speak powerfully to your audience. The team of Navigating the Sermon looks for overall topics for the entire Cycle C church year that hold the readings together. Then, they zero in on the theme and the specific scripture links, suggesting directions for the sermon and worship service. Since a single application for each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, Navigating the Sermon in most cases suggests several ideas, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.
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Why Not Now Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$9.99Add to cartLike most of the rest of us, Christian students tend to set the bar too low for themselves, especially when it comes to actively following Jesus. This 6-week Bible study curriculum and correlated-but-stand-alone daily devotional will challenge students to accept the mission to live like Jesus now, not later, by telling the stories of adolescents from the Bible and in modern life who did — and are doing — significant and amazing things in the world and for the God who saves. In a society where cultural adolescence is lingering into the 30s, its no wonder Christian students often fail to confront the call to act meaningfully on their faith in Christ. It’s easy to package that commitment with big ideas like picking a college, a spouse, and a career — and then to never quite get around to it.
God, however, posts no minimum age on discipleship, and his book contains several examples of younger people both willing and able — in his power — to do extraordinarily difficult and necessary things with their lives for him. Why Not Now? will mine stories from the young lives of Miriam, Joseph, David, Solomon, Daniel, and Mary to find why and how they said yes to God before they would have been old enough to rent a car in our modern society. All six of these people believed God could use their lives to do something that mattered. What is holding us back?
To bolster the argument and generate interest in the books, Why Not Now? will also seek contributions from living examples of people who are doing or have done things we just don’t expect students to do these days. Abby Sunderland, for instance, generated worldwide controversy for attempting to sail around the world solo simply because she was 16 at the time. How dare she? How cold her parents allow that? Another 16-year-old, cheerleader Kealey Oliver, recently made news for courageously tackling a shoplifter at the local mall rather that letting him escape. She saw it as her responsibility to stand for justice. And 17-year-old Steven Ortiz made headlines by demonstrating the practical wisdom of bartering his way from an old cell phone to a convertible Porsche.
Why Not Now? will use stories like theirs — and those from Scripture — to equip youth leaders to challenge students to use their unique gifts, skills, and opportunities right now to do bigger things with their lives for God’s glory. The curriculum will include teaching outlines, commentary, group activities, discussion questions, a
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Faith Under Fire Participants Guide
$14.99Add to cartFour-session DVD small group curriculum based on Lee Strobel’s popular PAX-TV program. Using video clips from the popular PAX-TV program Faith Under Fire, this cutting-edge curriculum features spirited discussions between well-respected Christians, people of other faiths, or people with no faith at all on important spiritual and social issues. Host Lee Strobel, bestselling author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, provides additional comments to guide small group discussion. Guests include: Rick Warren, Joni Eareckson Tada, Randy Alcorn, William Lane Craig, J. P. Moreland, Hugh Hewitt, David Limbaugh, Tony Campolo, Richard Land, and more.
Faith Under Fire 1: Faith and Jesus Four sessions on Jesus, the resurrection, universalism, and the supernatural
Faith Under Fire 2: Faith and Facts Four sessions on the Bible, heaven, hell, and science Faith Under Fire 3: Tough Faith Questions Four sessions on forgiveness, pain and suffering, the Trinity, and Islam
Faith Under Fire 4: A New Kind of Faith Four sessions on the relevance of Christianity -
People Of The Way
$23.95Add to cartThere is a renewed conversation about identity and mission in American Anglicanism today, based on the recognition that the church’s context in the U.S. has dramatically changed. The legacies of establishment, benefactor approaches to mission, and the ‘national church’ ideal are no longer adequate for the challenges and opportunities facing the 21st century church.
But if the Episcopal Church is no longer the Church of the Establishment and the benefactor model of church is dead, what is the heart of Episcopal mission and identity?
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Genesis
$19.99Add to cartStudying the Bible can be a daunting prospect, with each passage revealing new truths at every reading. The Studies on the Go series is designed to help keep your youth group focused and exciting, exploring the rich depths in every book of the bible.
In Genesis, Laurie Polich-Short delivers a set of 30 in-depth study sessions to unlock the potential in the first book of the Bible. Every chapter is examined with care and matched with questions to promote discussion in a group study setting. These segments also include tips to help your students apply what they learn in their everyday lives.
The Studies on the Go series has provided invaluable resources for small group leaders, and Genesis is a title in that same tradition. Structured study questions and varied discussion topics promise a rich experience and deeper understanding of God’s word for your small group.
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High School TalkSheets Old Testament Epic Bible Stories
$19.99Add to cartIn just four short years, high school students develop friendships and habits that affect them for the rest of their lives. They need to be inspired through strong role models who embody Christian values. Where better to look for these influences than in the godly heroes of the Bible? The Talksheets series returns with another year of thought-provoking stories from the Old Testament to discuss with your youth group or bible studies. David Lynn shares discussion topics and questions written specifically with high school students in mind, promoting meaningful and thought-provoking conversations. The stories in these pages highlight pure moral principles and practices for teenagers to learn about and emulate. Each of the 52 epic bible stories is easy to use and fit to your lesson plan, including hints and tips to facilitate conversation. These lessons also include optional activities, giving teenagers to actively participate and have fun while they learn.
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Middle School TalkSheets Epic Old Testament Stories
$19.99Add to cartMiddle school students are exposed to a lot of outside influences they don’t necessarily understand. It’s important to establish moral guidelines and role models early on, so they can grow with a strong understanding of Christian values. Where better to look for these role models than in the godly heroes of the Bible?
The Talksheets series returns with another year of thought-provoking stories from the Old Testament to discuss with your youth group or bible studies. David Lynn shares discussion topics and questions written specifically with middle school students in mind, promoting meaningful and thought-provoking conversations. The stories in these pages highlight pure moral principles and practices for teenagers to learn about and emulate. Each of the 52 epic bible stories is easy to use and fit to your lesson plan, including hints and tips to facilitate conversation. These lessons also include optional activities, giving teenagers the opportunity to actively participate and have fun while they learn.
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Prayers For Advent And Christmas
$14.99Add to cartThis collection is ideal for the Sundays of Advent, as well as Christmas Eve services. It includes:
Invocations
Opening Prayers
Prayers of Confession
Pastoral PrayersDrawn from a variety of traditions, the prayers in this collection will aid any congregation as it worships throughout the journey of Advent.
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When The One You Love Is Gone
$11.99Add to cartWhen a loved one dies, you don’t get over it, but you can move on.
The bad news is that we never fully “get over” the loss of those we hold most dear; we bear those scars to the grave. The good news is that God is at work in us turning our loss and pain into something beautiful. God can take the scars and the mess and the heartache of our lives– yours and mine– and use it to give new life, new life to us and new life to others.
God is not in the business of zapping our loved ones and stealing them away from us. But in a world where death waits for every person, God stands ready. God stands ready to receive our beloved dead as they cross over; and God stands ready to guide us through the saddest days, to walk with us through our grief, and to take us into places we never could have imagined places of hope and renewal. If God could take a cross and broken body and make of them redemption, God can take your pain and heartache and fashion them into new life.
This book is composed of the reflections that point to broader lessons that will help those who find themselves passing through grief, as well as the pastors, counselors, and friends whose job is to accompany the traveler.
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6 Deadly Sins Of Preaching
$17.99Add to cartThis ethics of preaching text identifies vices of irresponsible preaching practices. Preachers who fail to develop deep respect for their listeners or drift into a lack faithfulness to the Gospel can end up becoming:
* The Pretender (The Problem of In-authenticity)
* The Egoist (The Problem of Self-absorption)
* The Manipulator (The Problem of Greediness)
* The Panderer (The Problem of Trendiness)
* The Crusader (The Problem of Exploitation)
* The Demagogue (The Problem of Self-righteousness)Just as the church historically derived its Seven Holy Virtues (chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, & humility) by naming Seven Deadly Sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, & pride), Reid and Hogan call preachers to turn away from pulpit vices and strive to realize the homiletic virtues of becoming:
* Authentic (The Call to Be Genuine)
* Altruistic (The Call to Be Selfless)
* Careful (The Call to Exercise Self-Control)
* Passionate (The Call to Be Honest to God)
* Courteous (The Call to Woo a Reasoned Reception)
* A ‘Namer’ of God (The Call to Reveal an Ineffable God)The Six Deadly Sins of Preaching explores the difference between the irresponsible practices, unfortunate missteps, and mere unthinking mistakes in preaching. A chapter is devoted to Preaching Missteps (problems that do not rise to the level of being irresponsible) that includes:
* Short Changing the Process
* Waving a Red Flag
* Thou Shall Not Bore the Congregation
* Through the Looking Glass Darkly
* The Mumbler
* TMI-Too Much Information
* Your Cup Do Runneth Over
* Where’s This Sermon Going, Anyway? -
Real Conversations Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartFor many teenagers, sharing their faith in Jesus to their friends is an overwhelming and scary prospect. Outreach is inviting their friends to a fun event once a year. In this entertaining DVD training, Jonathan McKee ignites the passion of Christian teenagers to live authentic lives and gives them tools to reach out to their friends in ways that won’t give them cold sweats! The message is simple: an authentic faith creates opportunities to talk about Jesus. In this dynamic DVD training, students will discover the secret to sharing the reason for the hope that’s within them.
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40 Days Of Community Devotional
$10.99Add to cart40 Days of Community Devotional is a dynamic individual or small-group devotional journal that will help you learn how to fulfill God’s five purposes for your life. It includes the biblical support behind each purpose, the ways it applies to you and your circle of influence, and how you can use this knowledge to benefit God’s kingdom. According to Warren, from the beginning, God planned for Christians to fulfill his purposes in community with each other in our church families, small groups, and in the world as a whole. Why did God plan it this way? Because we’re better together! This 40 Days of Community Devotional will deepen your understanding of how God uses community for your own good and growth, as well as help you cultivate deeper relationships with those around you. Learn to fulfill God’s purposes … discover how we are better together. This devotional journal is designed for use with the 40 Days of Community DVD and 40 Days of Community Study Guide.
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40 Days Of Community Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cart40 Days of Community Study Guide—part of the Living with Purpose series by Rick Warren—is a dynamic individual or small group study guide that will help you learn how to fulfill God’s five purposes for your life. It includes the biblical support behind each purpose, the ways it applies to you and your circle of influence, and how you can use this knowledge to benefit God’s kingdom. From the beginning, God planned for Christians to fulfill his purposes in community with each other in our church families, small groups, and in the world as a whole. Why did God plan it this way? Because we’re better together! 40 Daysandnbsp;of Community Study Guide will deepen your understanding of how God uses community for your own good and growth, as well as help you cultivate deeper relationships with those around you. Learn to fulfill God’s purposes … discover how we are better together. This study guide is designed for use with theandnbsp;40 Days of Community DVD and 40 Days of Community Devotional Journal.
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Making Your Small Group Work Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartWhether you’re a new or seasoned group leader, or whether your group is well-established or just getting started, the Making Your Small Group Work DVD and participant’s guide (sold seperately) will lead you and your group together to a remarkable new closeness and effectiveness. Designed to foster healthy group interaction and facilitate maximum growth, this innovative approach equips both group leaders and members with essential skills and values for creating and sustaining truly life-changing small groups. Created by three group life experts, the two DVDs in this kit include:
* Four sixty-minute sessions on the foundations of small groups that include teaching by the authors, creative segments, and activities and discussion time.
* Thirteen five-minute coaching segments on topics such as active listening, personal sharing, giving and receiving feedback, prayer, calling out the best in others, and more.Formerly titled ReGroup.
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Leading Life Changing Small Groups
$16.99Add to cartLike nothing else, small groups have the power to change lives. They’re the ideal route to discipleship-a place where the rubber of biblical truth meets the road of human relationships.
This updated and revised third edition of the bestselling Leading Life-Changing Small Groups handbook helps small group leaders learn the basics of leading a successful small group. Regardless of whether a person is leading for the first time or has been for years, this resource will help a small group leader more effectively facilitate group discussion and encourage and support group members in a way that leads to authentic and lasting life change.
The unique, ready-reference format highlights the requirements and responsibilities of a small group leader, gives helpful insight into the process of group formation and answers practical questions about meeting preparation and how to encourage group participation. It includes a model for discipleship within a small group and suggestions for dealing with some of the common roadblocks and struggles that most groups encounter.
This workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource to train coaches or partnered with the eight-session training videos taught by the author, available on the Equipping Life-Changing Small Groups DVD (sold separately). For those who want to lead small groups with excellence and truly witness life change in their small groups, this go-to guide offers practical answers and inspiring examples.
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10 Temptations Of Church
$17.99Add to cartChurch after church faces eventual death while helplessly lamenting its fate. What perversity is at work that causes those who sincerely love the church to become obstacles to growth? Like the apostle Paul, churches don’t always do the things they want, but instead they do the very thing they hate. Why? While the theological answer is sin at work in us, the organizational answer may just be that members of dying churches unconsciously find a payoff in the church’s decline. They are tempted by church.
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Contagious Generosity : Creating A Culture Of Giving In Your Church
$22.99Add to cartWhat does it look like when pastors cultivate a culture of generosity in the church by actively teaching and mentoring people in the spiritual act of giving? It’s generosity that’s contagious.
A growing number of leaders are beginning to discover that there are key factors that make some churches thrive with abundant resources while others struggle with shrinking budgets.
Jim Sheppard and Chris Willard have spent years consulting with church leaders across a broad spectrum of church settings and have gathered their observations into this resource, part of the Leadership Network Innovations Series.
Contagious Generosity highlights the best practices gleaned from real-life church leadership situations and shows how church leaders can effectively cultivate a culture of generous giving in the local church. It explains why some churches are experiencing unexplainable ministry growth and unprecedented church funding … even in the midst of tough economic times.
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Calling On The Spirit In Unsettling Times
$19.95Add to cartBased upon addresses given to Anglican audiences in North America and Australia, Bill Countryman directly confronts the challenges that face Anglicans and other Western Christians at a time of internal division and increasing indifference to religion on the part of educated elites. He regards these challenges as a work of the Holy Spirit, who is clearing the ground for a new era of building, and help readers start thinking about what kind of future the Spirit is leading us toward.
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Beyond The Broken Heart
$5.99Add to cartGrief is not a crisis of faith; it is a crisis of the heart. This affordable and pocket-sized book is the perfect gift for anyone who has experienced a recent loss or is grieving. Using excerpts from Beyond the Broken Heart, an eight-week support and grief ministry program, readers will find comfort and both spiritual and practical guidance during their grief journey.
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Its Personal : Surviving And Thriving On The Journey Of Church Planting
$18.99Add to cartIt’s Personal is about the personal side of planting a new church and the impact that launching a new ministry has on church planters and their families. Brian and Amy Bloye—a husband and wife team of seasoned church planters, dive headfirst into the challenges of keeping a marriage healthy, raising children, and finding the right balance between family and ministry. They talk candidly about the reality of spiritual warfare, the common difficulties of leading a new church, and the problems that planters face in staffing, dealing with criticism, building friendships, and maintaining spiritual vitality and authenticity.
This helpful and encouraging resource warns couples of the most common pitfalls to avoid when planting a church and offers a unique perspective on building a strong, prevailing ministry while also having a healthy family life.
Each chapter includes intimate interviews with church planting couples who share some of their personal joys and struggles, giving you practical, authentic insight into the real-life issues that families face when planting a church.
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Equip : A Youth Workers Guide To Developing Student Leaders
$14.99Add to cartMost any endeavor of significance is going to require someone to be a leader. One of the main points Equip makes is that only youth workers (excuse us, youth leaders) who reflect on their own journeys can develop the personal leadership skills necessary to equip other leaders specifically students, in this case to mature and lead their peers. Simply put: Developing leaders develop leaders.
In Equip: A Youth Worker’s Guide to Developing Student Leaders, Tim Milburn challenges youth leaders to create environments where student leadership development will thrive. Rather than step-by-step program (which he explains why he does not provide), Milburn uses anecdotal evidence as well as alliterative tips to get you started in recognizing how to apply the principles in your own context. Then he sets you free with an encouragement to implement in your own way, at your own pace, and in whatever methods work for you and the group of leaders you are developing. May Equip guide your leadership development philosophies, programs (or non-programs), and processes.
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Leading Gods People
$21.99Add to cartWritten by an acclaimed patristics scholar with firsthand parish experience, this book presents the key principles of church leadership as they were taught by some of the great pastor-theologians of the early church. Over the centuries, countless leaders from all church traditions – Eastern and Western, Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox – have turned to the classic works on pastoral ministry for inspiration and guidance. Here Christopher A. Beeley draws on the wise teachings of early Christian leaders as he offers warmhearted pastoral advice to fellow ministers and candidates for ministry. Topics covered include the nature of Christian service, pastoral authority, spirituality for leaders, pastoral care and healing, Scripture and theology as resources for ministry, and the transformative power of word and sacrament.
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Faith And The Future Of The Countryside
$40.00Add to cartFaith and the Future of the Countryside is a practical and theological handbook for rural ministry today, offers up to date resources for theological reflection, preaching and practical action in response to issues affecting rural congregations and whole communities in the 21st century. Practitioners in a variety of Christian denominations address the concerns of rural communities today, helping you to understand key issues in the context of mission and respond both pastorally and prophetically. Topics included are the changing profile of rural communities, health and wellbeing, the politics of food production, the rural economy, the local effects of climate change, the pastoral mission of the rural church, spirituality and the countryside and more.
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Church Actually : Rediscovering The Brillance Of God’s Plan
$13.99Add to cartAn exploration of the challenges of ‘being church’ in the 21st century.
Church attendance in the west has declined in recent years, but decline has been accompanied by growth in spiritual exploration, a desire for spirituality, faith, even Jesus – all without the church. Experience, history and the New Testament suggest this desire is ill-founded. It is through the church, the Bible suggests, that the Kingdom comes. How can we find a wider vision of the Kingdom and the church’s role? Kelly explores four of the ‘brilliant ideas’ inherent in God’s design of the church. God works through his people, and the church trains and equips; the church is Spirit-driven, and spiritual formation is central to God’s mission; the church’s task force transforms the world through acts of love and service; the church is the rainbow-clothed Bride of Christ, one global family, a reconciling model for the world. Can we break out of the greyness of our church experience to discover the riot of colour God intended? Is there a route back to the brilliance of God’s plan?
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Am I Called
$16.99Add to cartAn experienced pastor helps men explore their calling to plant or lead a church.
Many men have the skills to lead a church, but only some are called. Dave Harvey helps men considering pastoral ministry to see God’s active role in the process of discerning their calling.God’s Word offers a clear framework for evaluating one’s call, especially within the context of community. Harvey offers six diagnostic questions to help prospective pastors process their calling, and what they should be doing now if they aren’t sure. Illustrated with personal and historical stories, Harvey explores biblical and practical principles for determining the pastoral call.
Over the past twenty-four years of ministry, Harvey has enjoyed assisting many men in discerning whether they are called into ministry. This book will guide you through that all-important process with wisdom and confidence in God’s faithfulness in your life.
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Variegated Tapestries Of Ministry
$17.99Add to cartAmidst the postmodern technological explosion and the vexing complexities of our time, the church and its affiliate learning facilities need men and women thoroughly informed in theology, and well grounded in ministry to keep them afloat and make them the channels of hope, comfort, direction and leadership to a blind and dying world.In Variegated Tapestry of Ministry, P. Myles-Aikins puts into the hands of the clergy and seminary academics a premium text, and a profound lifelong material in ministry with a solid theological cornerstone to enhance the theological education and ministerial excellence.
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Episcopal Etiquette And Ethics
$21.95Add to cartWhat is the appropriate attire for an Episcopal priest at the events associated with the service in the Book of Common Prayer, the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage? What does it mean to be an icon of Christ at a cocktail party? How does one live with sensitive confidential information from a parishioner? These questions might seem almost trivial yet are deeply serious. The Episcopal Church is a distinctive culture: effective ministry needs an understanding of the distinctive Episcopal culture. At one level, this is a book that introduces and explains the Episcopal faith to a potential priest who wants to be effective in this world. At another level, this book is a reflection on the meaning and nature of the holy mystery of priesthood. Drawing upon his rich parish experience in the Episcopal Church, Hawkins distils a wealth of practical experience and tips to enhance the training of seminarians and the ministries of established priests. Hawkins takes the reader through the pastoral offices with theological reflection and vignettes in order to encourage good priestly habits. Ideal reading for anyone wishing to serve the Episcopal Church in an ordained capacity.
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Creative Bible Lessons On The Trinity
$16.99Add to cartThe Trinity can be one of the most difficult ideas in the Bible to understand. How can our God be made up of three different people? Andrew Hedges answers this question in Creative Bible Lessons on the Trinity, an in-depth guide perfect for small groups and student discussions.
Divided into three sections, one for each aspect of the Trinity, this book presents students with a clear understanding of the role each part plays. Biblical evidence is supplemented with discussion questions so your small group can talk about how they see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in their own lives.
Creative Bible Lessons on the Trinity also includes a guide to identifying and working with different learning styles, so you can connect effectively with each of the students in your small group. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to effectively teach your students to incorporate what they learn about the Trinity into their day-to-day lives.
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Becoming A Grand Champion Church
$11.95Add to cartThere are many ideas about how to increase the size of a church. But what if our vision is upside down? What if God’s desire is that we focus on being a quality church instead of simply a large church? The Bible envisions the church as a spotless bride, a vision of quality. Today’s church seems far from God’s vision of perfection, but that does not change the goals God has for His flock. Using Psalm 23 as a blueprint, Becoming a Grand Champion Church explores how Christ is shepherding His church toward maturity.
A gap exists between this age’s knowledge of sheep and shepherding that makes it difficult to grasp the fullness of Christ’s shepherding work in the church. The author seeks to fill that gap with homespun remembrances of raising sheep to be shown at the county fair. He then ties the shepherd’s duties with practical suggestions of how the whole body can work alongside the Good Shepherd toward Christ’s vision for His bride. The result of following God’s plan is a Grand Champion Church that reflects the qualities of Christ to the world.
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Preaching With A Plan
$18.00Add to cartEvery pastor wants the sermon to be an important tool for maturing those listening in the pews. Having a preaching plan is an essential part of this process. If a preacher’s messages are scattered, unrelated to one another, or haphazardly prepared, it can be difficult for those in the congregation to make connections to aid their spiritual growth. Preaching with a Plan encourages and equips pastors to develop a cohesive preaching plan to guide their choice of Scripture, topics, and concepts on which to expound on Sunday mornings.
It answers four critical questions for pastors, including: Who plans preaching? Why should I plan my preaching? What kinds of preaching plans are available? How do I put together a preaching plan? Moving quickly from theory to practice, Preaching with a Plan helps pastors develop an entire year’s worth of sermons designed to educate, enrich, and nurture mature believers.
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Theological Reflection For Human Flourishing
$35.00Add to cartThis book is aimed at those training for ministry, those in ministry and lay people wishing to reflect upon their work. It seeks to enable those in pastoral ministry to reflect upon their institutional encounters and to enable lay people who work in institutions as professionals or managers to reflect upon their pastoral encounters. By generating shared encounters of theological reflection between these two groups the authors identify points of solidarity and tension between them.The book seeks to address the commonly voiced concern that clergy and laity talk past each other and don’t engage on the issues that they find perplexing. Readers of the book will gain an increased confidence in reflecting upon their own practice and engaging with others in theological reflection.
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Fresh : An Introduction To Fresh Expressions Of Church And Pioneer Ministry
$35.99Add to cartFresh ! offers a strong rationale for fresh expressions and pioneer ministries rooted in scripture and in the breath of the Christian tradition. This is tested against the realities of contemporary British culture and critiques of the notion of Fresh Expressions. It offers practical guidance for starting and sustaining such ministries in the long term. It provides a survey of best practice within Fresh Expressions and pioneer ministry.Fresh ! comes out of the mature reflection of church leaders and theologians who have been active in such ministries over a number of years, showing how such ministries are integral to the work of the church both now and over the long term.This is combined with valuable practical advice – the best kind of practical theology.
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Heart And Soul
$24.99Add to cartFighting crime by helping criminals and their families.
Read five true stories of criminals who are Heart and Soul Survivors. The best way to fight crime is to improve the community. The quality of a community is seen in how it treats its marginalized people. Statistics show that the percentage of marginalized adults in custody is considerably higher than the percentage of their representation in the overall population. Marginalized people include the poor, the mentally ill, the learning disabled, and drug addicts. Warehousing these people is a community’s shame. This book is urging a ministry involving volunteers working with criminals and their families. It will provide you with the tools necessary to help some people and thereby reduce crime. Chaplain Elsey writes from his experience and the knowledge gained working with hundreds of these families.
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Healthy Community : Moving Your Church Beyond Tunnel Vision
$15.99Add to cartChurches in America are dying. It s a sad reality, but statistics show that some 3,000 churches close their doors permanently every year. What does it take for a church today to remain healthy? How can pastors lead their churches into the future as strong, thriving communities?
In The Healthy Community, church leaders will be able to diagnose the problems that may exist in their own church and understand what it looks like when a church is lacking healthy essentials such as a doctrinal statement, grace, a mission, pastoral leadership, and discipled believers.
This book is an important first step for pastors who want to lead their churches towards health, and avoid becoming another statistic.
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Pornography Trap : A Resource For Ministry Leaders
$15.99Add to cartFresh material, in an updated 2nd edition!
Leaders both within the church and outside of it can deal with a sexual sin epidemic that is sweeping across churches today via the Internet and other venues. According to a Leadership Journal survey, almost two-thirds of all pastors struggle with Internet pornography. Men everywhere are living in bondage and fear of exposure.
The Pornography Trap, 2nd Edition, is for Pastors, leaders and those that may be flirting with this devastating addiction, or even those who counsel others who have already crossed the line. Mark Laaser & Ralph Earle Jr. helps one understand the core issues related to sexual sin and give insight into developing a biblical view of healthy sexuality. -
Missional House Churches
$26.99Add to cartMissional House Churches examines the impact and effect that house churches are having in the United States in evangelizing, discipling, and church planting in local communities. Based on the author’s first-hand research and interviews with over thirty missional house churches as well as his own experiences, this insightful work offers an inside look at, and analysis of the workings of the missional house church.
Topics addressed include the recent growth in the popularity of house churches in the United States, what defines church, various characteristics of the house churches, methods of evangelism and leadership development which lead to growth, use of financial resources for missions and benevolence, future of house churches in North America and the relationship of church planting movements and house churches. The appendices describe the research methodology and surveys used in the study as well as characteristics of church planting movements.
This book will be of interest to church leaders, mission-minded thinkers, and students who wish to explore, understand, and participate in this phenomenon of the missional house church movement.
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Shaping The Journey Of Emerging Adults
$20.99Add to cartBetween adolescence and adulthood is a new stage of life: emerging adulthood.
Those in their twenties and early thirties find themselves in transition. This “provisional adulthood” is a time of identity exploration and instability in which one’s vocation, purpose, relationships and spirituality are all being renegotiated. Many emerging adults lose sight of God and experience significant confusion and brokenness. Others unexpectedly reconnect with the Christian faith and seek deeper discipleship, yet lack helpful mentoring and direction.
Veteran disciplemakers Rick Dunn and Jana Sundene offer concrete guidance for those who shepherd and care for emerging adults. Some traditional models of disciplemaking focus on a set curriculum to be transferred from the discipler to the disciplee. Dunn and Sundene instead emphasize relational rhythms of discernment, intentionality and reflection to meet emerging adults where they are at and then to walk with them further into the Christlife.
Whether you’re an older adult ministering to the next generation or a younger adult with a heart for your peers, this book is an accessible, hopeful guide for effective ministry to emerging adults
