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Pastoral Helps

  • Fly In The Ointment

    $26.95

    An ecumenical resource that helps churches and church leaders begin to think about how to transform themselves into vital, flourishing organizations-transformation that requires deep, systemic change on the part of the bodies that are meant to help congregations live into their mission in the world.

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  • Together And Apart

    $21.95

    In an easy, conversational style, the author, a nun for over 40 years, gives readers the facts and fictions of the monastic life: how the choice is made; what lies behind the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; the nuts and bolts of monastic calling; what monks and nuns do all day; how they support themselves; and why they live as they do. Brushing away the stereotypes of sainthood, she provides an enlightening glimpse into a vibrant female subculture that is richly diverse, faith-filled, and often supremely rewarding.

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  • Downtime : Helping Teenagers To Pray

    $24.99

    A practical book for youth ministers, pastors, parents, and teachers who want to teach prayer to teenagers. The book will be written in short, meditative chapters that provide readers with the appropriate history, theology, pedagogy, and examples for introducing teens to the life of prayer.

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  • Aqua Church 2.0 (Revised)

    $14.99

    We live in a fast-paced, fluid world. A postmodern place where people are drifting, making mid-course corrections in every aspect of life, from careers, to relationships, to beliefs.

    Church leaders must continually reshape their ministries to reach a society adrift. They must move from being adaptive to being proactive, remaining flexible while delivering an uncompromising message.

    AquaChurch is a guide for developing responsive and relevant church leadership. Fusing biblical wisdom and modern-day insights, acclaimed author Leonard Sweet explores the essentials of leadership arts, including vision, creativity, and teamwork. Thus updated and revised edition will enable ministries to navigate today’s cultural currents, provide a beacon to their community, and connect with a postmodern world.

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  • Planting Churches That Reproduce

    $15.95

    The goal of Planting Churches that Reproduce Starting a Network of Simple Churches is to simplify the church planting process in order to start a network of simple, reproducing churches. This book will give invaluable information to those contemplating church planting or in the process of planting a church. Comiskey has been gathering material for this book for the past ten years. He has also planted three churches in a wide variety of settings. Planting Churches that Reproduce is the fruit of his research and personal experience. Comiskey uses the latest North American church planting statistics, but also extends the illustrations to include worldwide church planting. In the first section, Comiskey lays out the Biblical basis for church planting, including the all important question what is the church? In order to understand how to plant a network of reproducing churches, its essential to know how the New Testament defines Christs church (and the New Testament definition is a simple one). Paul the apostle was the first centurys model church planter and arguably the most effective church planter the world has ever known. The book goes into detail about how Paul planted churches and the important lessons that we can apply twenty centuries later. The book then moves from the Biblical basis to the contemporary scene. Comiskey answers the question of how in todays complicated society we can plant churches that reproduce and even start a network of simple churches. The book shows statistically why church planting is absolutely essential to keep up with the population growth. Many statistics are noted to demonstrate the grave need for continual church planting today. Then Comiskey tackles the question of the modern day church planter. What makes a modern day church planter successful? What are the key characteristics that todays church planters need to successfully plant a church in the 21st century? Comiskey provides indepth information from recent studies about the character qualities necessary to plant a church. Comiskey provides helpful information on church planting barriers. These barriers come from the fieldboth from those who have planted churches andor those who are currently doing so. The book reveals what church planters would do differently if they could do it over again. This information will help future church planters avoid similar mistakes. The second section goes into detail about the three main church planting strategies the celebrat

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  • Trekking Toward Wholeness

    $35.99

    IVP Print On Demand Title

    Stephen Greggo presents a resource for trained leaders of ministry care groups in a variety of church-related contexts. Its purpose is to assist group leaders in facilitating the development of healing, transforming relationships in the group setting.

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  • Sabbath In The City

    $24.00

    Drawing on their research involving urban pastors from across the United States, Bryan Stone and Claire Wolfteich identify and examine spiritual practices that foster excellence in urban ministry. After discussing the specific challenges facing urban pastors and presenting the kinds of excellence required of them, Stone and Wolfteich explore several practices that help sustain ministers working in urban contexts, such as cultivating holy friendships, practicing Sabbath, maintaining lives of prayer and study, and setting appropriate boundaries. Throughout, the authors weave together stories from urban pastors from a variety of denominations with insights from the history of Christian spirituality and theology to chart a theological course for the formation and renewal of pastors in diverse contemporary contexts.

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  • Celebration And Experience In Preaching

    $22.99

    Henry H. Mitchell’s great contribution to the study of preaching has been his insistence that the homiletical practices of the Black church are gifts to the whole church. Nowhere has he made this point more forcefully than in Celebration and Experience in Preaching. In this classic text he advocates a way of preaching that genuinely engages all aspects of the congregation’s attention, especially the ability to both understand and to feel the sermon’s message. In this revised edition Mitchell builds on this groundbreaking work by examining in greater depth the multiple ways in which we experience the preached word, by defining the different kinds of claim on the behavior of the hearer that biblical texts express, and by exploring various genres of sermon to discover the concrete manifestations of celebration and experience.

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  • Simple Small Groups (Reprinted)

    $18.00

    Over the past two decades, small groups have gone from spontaneous gatherings among friends to a major and elaborate phenomenon in the church. Many evangelical churches have some form of small groups ministry in place. But there’s just one problem, says Bill Search–what started as a simple get-together has become a complicated process, especially for small group leaders. They are often not sure what is expected of them or what to expect from their groups as a result of their efforts. In Simple Small Groups, Search lays out the three C’s of small groups–connecting, changing, and cultivating. This paradigm helps to simplify leading small groups in a way that is helpful, rewarding, and life changing. Unlike many other books geared toward small group leaders, Simple Small Groups does not require a church-wide adoption of an intricately designed system of assimilation, making it useful to any small group leader looking for guidance.

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  • Lives Entrusted : An Ethic Of Trust For Ministry

    $21.00

    An important new work on ministerial ethics in response to clergy misconduct.

    Relates to all practices of ministry in all settings and denominations.

    Grounds ministerial effectiveness in ethics and ethics in truth.

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  • Wedding Services

    $14.99

    Ready-to-use worship resources, planning tools, and meditations for a variety of wedding services.

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  • Growing Up Christian

    $16.00

    McGuffey’s Readers. Public school. Family prayers. In the 1800s, these were primary and successful strategies by which children learned to become Christians. Sunday school was developed to support what was already being done at home and in school. Today many churches still rely on the nineteenth-century model to encourage young people to become disciples of Christ. In Growing Up Christian, Dr. C. Ellis Nelson explores why these strategies are inadequate for the twenty-first century and offers practical, specific guidance for congregations who wish to nurture disciples of Christ more effectively. Part 1 describes the pattern of influences that form our images of God. Given the way culture and family influence the rising generation, Part 2 outlines a strategy for nurturing disciples that capitalizes on the persuasive power of the congregation in fellowship, worship, and instruction. A detailed discussion guide further assists congregations who wish to form a study group to assess and improve their Christian education.

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  • 1001 Illustrations That Connect

    $32.99

    Here are 1001 of the best illustrations assembled by the editors of Christianity Today’s PreachingToday.com. They’re contemporary, proven, memorable, and illuminating-these illustrations will preach! Furthermore, they’re carefully arranged and indexed so it’s easy to find the right one. An included CD-ROM makes getting the illustration into your sermon or lesson a breeze.

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  • Spiritual Direction : A Practical Introduction

    $36.99

    Spiritual direction has been an intrinsic part of the Christian tradition since the earliest days of the church when desert mothers and fathers were sought out for their wisdom and guidance. Today, the popularity of retreats and renewed interest in monastic spirituality has put spiritual direction in the spotlight. It is shedding its rather exotic, mystical associations and is increasingly regarded as a core component of Christian ministry. This guide aims to equip clergy and laity engaged in this task, or in training for it. It includes, Part One: What is spiritual direction? This is an exploration of biblical, historical and contemporary models of spiritual direction. What makes a good spiritual director? Part Two covers listening and responding to God, prayer, paying attention, discernment, interpreting religious experience, recognising God in the every day, journalling, and holy leisure. Part Three covers listening and responding to others, listening to stories and experience, looking for signs of grace, pain

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  • Shaping The Claim

    $19.00

    Provides a simple three-step process to discover the core claim of the sermon.

    Helps preacher to create sermons that engage head, heart, and hand.

    Keyed to online sermon samples and other Web-based features.

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  • Transforming Disciples

    $26.95

    Making disciples through Christian formation too often looks like a limited number of educational programs offered to child, teen, and adult “consumers” who move on if they don’t find what they want. How can we make the transition from consumer religion to participatory faith by building congregational relationships that nourish people spiritually and empower them to risk living, worshipping, learning, and serving God and each other in new and enlivening ways?

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  • Reimagine Evangelism : Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)

    $18.99

    A seven-session study guide that corresponds to the Reimagining Evangelism DVD.

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  • Unbinding The Gospel (Revised)

    $20.99

    Part One:
    1. Breaking The Curse
    2. Why Do Evangelism?
    3. If You Don’t Like Statistics, Skip This Chapter!

    Part Two:
    4. Unbinding The Gospel: Three Stories Of Victory
    5. Real Life
    6. What New Members Want – Transformed Lives

    Part Three:
    7. How’s Your Church Doing? Bandwidths, Barriers And Bridges
    8. The Holy And The Practical: Who Does What?
    9. Smart Sailing: Navigating Through Growing Pains, Conflict And Distractions
    10. Getting Started

    Part Four:
    Your 40-Day Prayer Journal
    Afterword By Brian McLaren
    Works Cited

    Additional Info
    After the transformation of thousands of congregations, your could be next! The Unbinding the Gospel Series presents the most effective way to help mainline churches want to do evangelism.

    After quickly becoming one of the top-selling religious books in the U.S., Unbinding the Gospel expanded into the creation of two more books – Unbinding Your Heart and Unbinding Your Church. Together, the three books give churches a yearlong, intensive faith and faith-sharing experience.

    Start by having your church leaders read Gospel, and work up to an all-church saturation study with Heart. Church will be used along the way to help guide your leaders through it all.

    The new 2nd edition of Gospel now includes an all-new, 40-day personal prayer journal!

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  • Skys The Limit

    $12.95

    Do you have the desire to create or expand your church s ministry to children, but don t know where to start? The Sky s the Limit offers valuable insight into how to create a kids club in your church where children can not only have fun, but also learn more about God and grow in their Christian faith. Although the idea of starting a children s ministry may seem overwhelming, The Sky s the Limit takes you step by step through the process to ensure a smooth transition for both children and teachers. Drawing from her own experience, Kathy DeGraw guides ministry leaders in every aspect of the creation of a kids club — from assembling a ministry team to choosing snack ideas to creating fun activities, and so on. According to DeGraw, having a kids club can be a powerful evangelistic outreach, because by reaching out to the children in your community, you are also reaching out to their entire families, drawing them not only into your church, but into a relationship with God. In taking this first step to establishing a children s ministry in your church, the sky truly is the limit on the impact you can have in your community!

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  • Scenes Of Glory

    $22.95

    Jesus was a master storyteller. He could weave timeless, eternal truths into the seemingly simplest of stories. His tales not only disarmed his listeners, but they also imparted powerful insights into the nature of God in familiar terms.
    In this same spirit, Scenes of Gloryis a collection of story sermons that communicate the truth of God’s word through familiar images like a vacation drive, two friends sitting under an apple tree, or football season. While each of the stories may take the reader into familiar territory, they may also offer a view of the gospel in a rather unfamiliar and thought-provoking way.

    Complete with study questions at the end of each chapter, this resource is great for personal Bible study and devotion as well as group studies. It is also valuable for pastors needing either sermon inspiration or simply an alternate view of a particular biblical text.

    Our life is a series of stories. Scenes of Gloryis an enriching addition to anyone’s personal story.

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  • African American Pastoral Care

    $20.99

    In this major revision of his classic book, Dr. Edward Wimberly updates his narrative methodology by examining current issues in African American pastoral care and counseling.

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  • Ministry Of Administrative Assistants

    $11.99

    This ministry guide has been written to provide information about how to provide support ministry to the people with whom you work. This guide is also for people who work in many different ministry settings, a church or denominational administrative office, a small or medium size church, a parachurch or missions focused organization, and large churches. It will assist them with how they look at their ministry, and the level of support that is needed for their particular setting.
    A call to ministry is an important thing to understand for an administrative assistant; your heart and the way you deal with people and tasks are different if you understand your position as a call to ministry rather than a job for a paycheck. If you understand that you represent not just your pastor and your church, but Christ to every person who calls, stops by, e-mails, etc., you approach your tasks and people differently. Working as the assistant to a pastor, or any person in ministry, you have to approach your tasks with an understanding of who you are serving, and you are serving Christ and his people.
    The position of Administrative Assistant is a vital part of the over-all ministry of your church and the congregation. You are the gate-keeper, bridge-builder, keeper of the “information”, soother of wounded feelings, and the deliverer of unwanted news. You are the person who has your finger on the pulse of your congregation and your community. You are the person people will come to for answers. You will handle thousands of details related to dozens of different projects and commitments for your pastor. You will help make your pastor’s ministry seamless.
    While all of these descriptions may make your head spin, this is a part of the ministry of being an assistant. You can look at each day as a challenge or an adventure. If you understand your job as a ministry and understand your call to this ministry you are ready for a great adventure. Begin each day with a prayer for wisdom and strength, surrender your mind and will to God, and prepare yourself to work with the heart of a servant.
    As Christ walks alongside you in your daily life,

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  • Aging And Ministry In The 21 Century

    $13.00

    Aging faithfully is a blessing and a challenge and Richard Gentzler is an expert on the subject. In his newest book on aging, Gentzler offers church leaders a structured approach to implementing strong ministries by, with, and for older adults. In addition to the practical issues of programming, the book takes on more difficult topics of aging including chronic conditions, depression, and death. He also recommends that churches pay special attention to the needs of the boomer generation, since they are now becoming the older adults who will determine the church’s path for years to come.

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  • Youth Work After Christendom

    $29.99

    Young people have been leaving the church for several decades and are largely absent from many of our congregations. Most young people have no desire to embrace a church perceived as old-fashioned but remain interested in spirituality. How can young people be empowered to follow Jesus in a relevant and new way that is responsive to the challenges of the current context? How can real hope and opportunity be realized so that the next generation will approach faith without a Christendom mindset?

    By examining the influences of the past, exploring the stories of those young people who have been partaking in church and by considering the views of those not connected to church, this book offers insights, theology, practical application and some hope for the future. Those charged with responsibility are encouraged to seriously consider
    passing on the baton to young people now for the sake of the future. Like it or not, the destiny of the church is in their hands.

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  • Fireproof Your Marriage Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)

    $8.95

    Fireproof Your Marriage will challenge you to love better, love first and love for a lifetime. This six-week study is founded on Biblical principles for strong, God-centered, lifelong marriages. The Fireproof Your Marriage study integrates movie clips from FIREPROOF, along with key Scriptures, thought-provoking questions and devotionals, including concepts from The Love Dare book. For use with the Fireproof Your Marriage Leader’s Kit or Couple’s Kit. Great for small groups or sunday school class. Fireproof Your Marriage includes these six sessions:
    He Said/She Said: appreciating the God-designed differences between men and women. He First Loved Us: God’s love for you and how it enables you to love others.
    Love for a Lifetime: marriage as a lifelong covenant.
    Breaking Free: freeing yourself from temptations that can destroy a marriage.
    Forgiveness: offering and receiving forgiveness.
    A Better Way of Loving: unconditional love

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  • Folk Like Me

    $37.95

    Lives of the Saints for kids are either too grisly for little kids or too saccharine for older ones. This collection appeals to both groups with a combination of gentle humor and frankness – battle-tested at the author’s weekly chapel services at the school where she teaches. It’s organized into two full school years, with each saint’s story falling on or near his or her special day, so that each story can be a springboard to a creative seasonal teaching unit or small festival. Saints represent a wide variety of ethic and geographic backgrounds, and a CD included will provide ancillary material including pictures and maps.

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  • Celebrations : All Age Worship

    $24.99

    This book is a ready to use resource for all age worship services on the theme of celebrations. Using a wide range of innovative teaching activities, users will be able to simply and easily put on family services. It includes drama, poetry,prayers, activity

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  • Unlearning Church

    $20.99

    How many things does your church do just because that’s the way it’s always been done? Does your congregation value tradition over passion and stability over creativity? If so, it’s time to unLearn. Leading congregations into a dynamic and prophetic future requires unLearning what you thought you knew about the church, leadership, and life. Pastor Michael Slaughter casts a vision for innovative and authentic congregations, and for the kind of leadership that can bring congregations to greater vitality and impact in today’s postmodern culture. Readers will be challenged to gaze boldly beyond franchised church models to a dynamic embodiment of God’s unique vision for each leader and each congregation. UnLearning congregations embrace new media and cultural trends, value transformation over information, and create a safe space for the tough and unanswerable questions of life. These are churches that lovingly dare to shoulder spiritual and prophetic leadership in our rapidly changing culture, re-articulating God’s ancient purposes to create high-tech, high-touch environments in which people can become radical followers of Jesus Christ.

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  • Preaching The Gospel Of Mark

    $44.00

    In this engaging treatment of the Gospel of Mark, Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm combines biblical scholarship with a close reading of the Gospel text to meet the needs of preachers today. Swift and purposeful, the Gospel of Mark proclaims Gods reign and urges the participation of all Gods people in the witness of the good news that God has transformed human reality through Jesus Christ. This insightful commentary helps that message come alive while providing pertinent suggestions about how preachers can proclaim this message to todays churchgoers.

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  • Teaching Preaching As A Christian Practice

    $40.00

    Preachings most able practitioners gather in this book to explore and explain the idea that preaching is a practice that can be taught and learned. Arguing that preaching is a living practice with a long tradition, an identifiable shape, and a broad set of norms and desired outcomes, these noted scholars propose that teachers initiate students into the larger practice of preaching, in ways somewhat like other students are initiated into the practice of medicine or law. The book concludes with designs for a basic preaching course and addresses the question of how preaching courses fit into the larger patterns of seminary curricula.

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  • When The Game Is Over It All Goes Back In The Box (Student/Study Guide)

    $10.99

    Using popular games as a metaphor for our temporal lives, this six-session DVD curriculum neatly sorts out what’s fleeting and what’s permanent in God’s kingdom. Being Master of the Board is not the point; being rich toward God is. Winning the game of life on Earth is a temporary victory; loving God and other people with all our hearts is an eternal one.

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  • Complete Guide To Godly Play 7

    $34.95

    Enrichment Sessions-19 new lessons with focus on the saints, created
    to integrate with the lessons in
    Volume 3. Including All Saint’s day, St. Nicholas, St. Francis and many more!

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  • Collected Sermons Of William Sloan Coffin 2

    $56.00

    Comprised of the sermons preached by William Sloane Coffin while he was senior minister at the prestigious Riverside Church in New York City (1977-1987), these two volumes capture the renowned preacher and social activist at work: ministering to American hostages in Iran, supporting AIDS awareness in the early years of the epidemic, rallying his audiences to battle poverty and fight for nuclear disarmament, celebrating marriages and baptisms, and mourning the loss of loved ones, including his own son, Alex. Every sermon constitutes a powerful reminder of his legacy-challenging the conscience of a nation.

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  • Unlocking Gods Freeing Truth About Women

    $19.49

    The original language wording of the Bible is wonderfully liberating for women, and Dr. Rocco brings to light what many have not heard. This book explains strong evidence for women in ministry roles. It untangles difficult passages pertaining to church and home life. Topics include: Elders Marriage Deacons Usage of “Head” Governing Authorities Unexpected Feminine Language Masculine Language Prohibitions about Speaking/Teaching Dr. Rocco is an adjunct professor in Biblical languages at Evangel Theological Seminary and serves on a church ministry team. The author has read through the entire Bible over 50 times in various translations and languages. Doctor of Ministry Master of Divinity Biblical Studies Diploma

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  • Experiencing The Truth

    $22.50

    Communicates the need of a vibrant, experiential, Reformed Christianity among African-American and all believers.

    The authors lay out the biblical basis for choosing and attending a church and demonstrate how the historic Reformed expression has been the most biblically accurate and experientially consistent expression of Christianity.

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  • Dog Training Fly Fishing And Sharing Christ In The 21st Century

    $18.99

    Ted Haggard presents a successful and tested model for a small group ministry here that can be implemented by a church of any size. By enabling members to embrace and capitalize on their own unique abilities, the diverse groups create an environment where people meet mentors that can disciple and guide them. This need-and interest based approach redefines the model for powerful church growth.

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  • Preaching The Story That Shapes Us

    $19.99

    Foreword
    Introduction
    Part 1: The Theology And Narrative Of Biography:
    The Calling And The Called
    1. Before I Had A Thumb To Suck
    2. The Love Of The Game
    3. The Call
    4. Spoking It
    5. A Vulnerable God
    6. Fleas In The Parsonage
    7. IWish She’d Learn To Cuss
    Part 2: The Bible: Where The Words Come From . . .
    and What They Do
    8. God Speaks
    9. The Written Word
    10. Reading . . . Or Being Read?
    11. Hearing
    12. Tribute To A Friend And Mentor
    13. Theological Assumptions
    Part 3: Getting Ready To Preach
    14. Sensing And Attending
    15. Inquisitiveness
    16. Looking For Trouble
    17. AWorld Of Images And Experiences
    18. Pausing To Let The Text Do Me Good
    19. Don Wardlaw Again
    20. Consulting With The Scholars
    21. Exegeting The Congregation
    Excursus 1: On A Corporate Vs. Individual Theology Of Worship-
    Invitation To The Dance
    Excursus 2: On The Use Of Power-Siding With Power
    22. The Shape Of The Sermon
    23. Public Speaking For Pastors
    24. Top 10 Don’ts
    25. The Worship Plot
    Part 4: Anthology Of Sermons
    New Eyes-Luke 24:13-35
    Touched-Luke 4:14-30
    Seeing Past The Labels-Luke 7:36-50
    Hollow Laughter, Holy Tears-Luke 6:17-26
    Divine Backing-Luke 9:28-43
    God’s Blog-Jeremiah 31:31-34
    Neb’s Nightmare-Daniel 4
    Deep In Our Bones-Exodus 2:1-25
    Eternal Optimism-Romans 8:18-30
    You Can’t Hide Family Resemblance-1 John 3:4-10
    Enemies-Psalm 109
    Dirty Hands, Pure Hearts-Matthew 5:8
    Notes
    Bibliography

    Additional Info
    In our world, stories matter. Methods and systems are beneficial because they provide structure and help keep us on the right road; but the motivation and courage to keep walking the road, come from the stories we hear and see and experience-stories that inspire hope and bring us face-to-face with God.

    For ministers, the call to preach is a call into a story that forms and shapes us. It’s about stumbling into revelation as life unwinds and scripture unfolds. It’s about listening to God’s voice and then sharing it with others. It’s about recognizing that when people gather to hear a sermon, God speaks. And it’s about understanding that when He speaks, He speaks through you.

    Preaching the Story That Shapes Us is more than a textbook on preaching. It’s an empowering call for preachers to present a picture of the kingdom of God already at work among us, recognizing that the work of preaching is not just about arranging words-it’s about people. With elegant prose and crafted reason, Dan Boone weaves together scripture, personal narrative, structure, and theological reflection to provide a satisfying, efficient guide to narrative preaching. From exploring the importance of biography to walking readers through creative processes that shape the sermon, Boone shows preachers how to awaken lives and share the stories of God that reveal who we are and lead us to who we will be.

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  • From Midterms To Ministry

    $35.99

    In this collection of essays, a seasoned group of ministers, scholars, and theological educators share reflections, born out of personal experience, on the transition from seminarian to minister. All the authors have worked with two assumptions. First, they acknowledge that the school experience, though related, is a different world from the ministry setting. Secondly, they point out that while these arenas share things in common they also differ in significant ways. The contributors speak in a very personal way to the ways these worlds operate under dissimilar sets of expectations and values, with different cultures and ways of life, and also with their own set of distinct challenges, objective, rewards, and focal points. Honest and full of wisdom, Midterms to Ministry will help students and ministers find help to travel on their own vocational path. Contributors: Wallace M. Alston, Ray S. Anderson, M. Craig Barnes, Elizabeth F. Caldwell, Allan Hugh Cole Jr., Pamela D. Couture, Kathy Dawson, Carrie Doehring, Michael Jinkins, L. Gregory Jones, Susan Pendleton Jones, James F. Kay, Cleophus J. LaRue, Thomas G. Long, Loren B. Mead, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Earl F. Palmer, Stephanie Paulsell, Anthony B. Robinson, Carol L. Schnabel Schweitzer, Theodore J. Wardlaw, Traci C. West, William H. Willamon, J. Philip Wogaman, Karen Marie Yust

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  • 10 Minute Talks

    $24.99

    Youth ministry regularly calls for moments where the “short talk” is the perfect solution. No three points and a poem, no long fancy outlines, just a ten minute talk that tells one point loud and clear through a powerful story. When you’ve only got ten minutes to make your point, give em’ something that they’ll remember.

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  • Church Treasurers Manual

    $49.99

    CONTENTS
    Introduction
    1 Responsibilities Of The Church Treasurer
    Separation Of Financial Responsibilities
    Guidelines For Handling Church Offerings
    Acknowledging And Reporting Charitable Gifts
    Quid Pro Quo Disclosure Requirements
    Suggested Steps In Handling Expenditures
    Should You Computerize Your Church’s
    Financial Records?
    2 Payroll, Employees, And Ministerial Compensation
    Who Is An Employee, And Who Is A Contractor?
    Employees
    Contractors, Employees, And Ministers
    Employees (Other Than Clergy)
    Clergy
    What If We Do Not Withhold And Report?
    What If We Are Not Sure Which Employment Relationship
    Exists?
    10 Steps To Preparing For Payroll Tax Obligations
    Ministerial Compensation
    IRS Regulations For Business Expense Reimbursements
    The Cost Of A Minister Vs. The Cost Of A Ministry
    Parsonage Or Housing Allowance?
    Pro Parsonage And Con Housing Allowance
    Pro Housing Allowance And Con Parsonage
    Tax Implications
    Another Alternative
    OK. We’ve Decided On The Housing Allowance
    Conflict Over Compensation Issues
    3 Taxes
    Tax And Reporting Procedures For Congregations
    Classification Of Employees
    How The Courts Have Ruled
    The Ministerial Employee
    The Lay Employee
    The Employer Identification Number
    What Is Taxable For Federal Income Tax Purposes?
    Income Tax Withholding
    Social Security/Medicare Tax Witholding
    Form W-4
    Deposit Of Withheld Amounts
    Form 941
    Form W-2
    Form W-3
    Form W-5
    Form 1099-MISC
    Records
    Short Checklist For Tax Procedures
    Checklist For Filling Out Box 1 Of Form W-2
    Minimizing Income Taxes For Church Employees
    Tax-Free Employee Benefits
    Business Transportation, Travel, And Related Expenses
    The Accountable Reimbursement Plan
    What The Church Could Do
    The Church-Owned Automobile
    Summary
    4 Budgeting, Reporting, And Financial Audits
    How Do You Determine The Annual Budget?
    The Chart Of Annual Accounts
    Financial Reports To The Congregation
    Balance Sheet
    Statement Of Revenue And Expense
    Statement Of Cash Flows
    Other Financial Reports
    Audits
    Why Have An Audit?
    External Audits
    Internal Audits
    Audit Procedures
    Works Cited
    Appendix 1 Where To Go For More Information
    Appendix 2 Financial Forms

    Additional Info
    Most of the time, members who accept the position of church treasurer have little or no background in accounting, especially in smaller churches; and even those with accounting experience may have trouble knowing what’s expected of them when they begin their duties.

    The Church Treasurer’s Manual is a practical tool that provides treasurers everything they need to know about handling church finances. From an overview of duties to helpful guidelines for completing tasks, new and veteran treasurers alike will learn practical tips and time-saving suggestions that will help them carry out their responsibilities in an effective and efficient manner.

    Resources include:
    an easy-to-understand overview of basic accounting principles
    an extensive explanation of tax regulations
    options for monthly and annual financial reporting
    a general job description for the church treasurer
    record keeping form for taxes, accounting ledgers, individual contribution records, budget worksheets, the offering, and more
    advice for handling payroll, housing allowances, and other compensations for the pastor and staff
    tips on communicating with the church board, the pastor, and the financial committee
    ethical guidelines for handling money

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  • Priesthood Pastors Bishops

    $19.00

    Retrieves the Reformation context and convictions about ministry.

    Traces the history of the idea of the priesthood of all believers.

    Clarifies the theological underpinnings of ministry in Reformation traditions.

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  • Feasting On The Word Year B 1

    $55.00

    This new lectionary commentary series offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes will cover all of the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with moveable occasions such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints Day.

    For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays on the exegetical, theological, pastoral, and homiletical challenges of the text, with freedom to begin where they choose. They may decide to focus on the Gospel text, for instance, by reading all four essays provided for that text. Or they may decide to look for connections between the Hebrew Bible, Psalm, Gospel, and Epistle texts by reading the theological essays on each one.

    Each lectionary year will consist of four volumes, one for the Advent and Christmas season, one for Lent and Easter, and one for each half of Ordinary Time.

    While the twelve volumes of the series will follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume will contain an index of biblical passages so that non-lectionary preachers may make use of its contents.

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  • Renewing The Face Of The Earth

    $21.00

    This important and timely study provides a much needed theological framework for considering and responding to the challenges of climate change. In a highly readable and clear style, it explores the spiritual questions being opened up by this issue: questions about human life and destiny, about our relationship to the planet and to each other, about altruism and selfishness, about the place of technology, about justice, our values and hopes. A practical exploration of these questions is set in the context of the biblical notions of covenant – God’s commitment to creation which David Atkinson sees as the ‘inner meaning’ of creation, and sabbath – regular times of rest and replenishment for humans and for the earth itself. Seeing climate changes in the light of these biblical concepts reveals a strong moral imperative to act in ways that are help to bring about the New Testament hope that the whole of creation will one day be renewed in Christ.

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  • Tough Calls : Game Winning Principles For Leaders Under Pressure

    $16.99

    In Tough Calls, pastor and high school football official Travis Collins offers encouragement and inspiration to Christian leaders. Travis selects famous and infamous moments from sports history to bring to life key principles of spiritual leadership. Written for both men and women, this easy-to-read book mixes stories and quotes from the sports world together with biblical wisdom and input from leadership experts to encourage and challenge all Christian leaders. The book addresses many crucial issues of spiritual leadership including: taking risks, maintaining poise under pressure, handling conflict, dealing with criticism, managing an organization through change, and confronting disruptive people. Written for Christians in any profession, Tough Calls includes a special word to pastors at the end of each chapter. Taking into account the unique challenges pastors face, these bonus sections will help ministers refocus and recharge. Tough Calls will be an invaluable resource for any Christian who must regularly make difficult decisions.

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  • Loves Pure Light

    $8.95

    Light is an integral symbol in the Christian faith, especially during Christmas. The light of a single candle can disperse the deepest darkness, bringing warmth, comfort, and illumination. The soft, warm candlelight at a Christmas Eve service creates an atmosphere of worship and reverence as congregations celebrate the arrival of the Light of the world.
    Love’s Pure Light is a collection of insightful Christmas sermons delivered at Susquehanna University between 1997 and 2006. This book offers pastors a valuable source of inspiration for Christmas sermon preparation. Love’s Pure Light also includes an order of service, providing congregations with a complete Christmas candlelight worship experience.
    Love’s Pure Light will be a welcome addition to congregations of any size, aiding them in perceiving the power of the Light of Christmas in a deeper and more dynamic way.

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  • Words Fitly Spoken

    $11.95

    For every minister, from the time they step out of the seminary doors to the last time they step behind the pulpit, preaching the word can be one of the most daunting tasks they face on a week-to-week basis. What can I say that has not already been said? How can I make the scriptures come alive in the minds of my congregation? How can I relate events that happened thousands of years ago to what my congregation faces in their daily lives?
    Illuminated by the scriptures themselves, Words Fitly Spoken explores in-depth the nuances of the homiletic craft. From the proper use of hyperbole and imagery to methods for how to elaborate imaginatively on the scriptures, this is a comprehensive resource for pastors struggling with delivering effective sermons. Sample sermons are included with each chapter, showing how each method can be applied in a typical Sunday morning service.
    Every pastor is charged with speaking words of life to his or her congregation. Words Fitly Spoken is a beneficial tool to help pastors of all denominations to more powerfully deliver the wonderful, life-changing message of the gospel.
    David von Schlichten is the pastor of St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church in Youngstown, Pennsylvania. He is currently an adjunct lecturer in history at St. Vincent College (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) as well as the book review editor for Lutheran Partners magazine. He was educated at Drew University (Madison, New Jersey) (B.A.), Kutztown University (Kutztown, Pennsylvania) (M.A.), Lutheran Theological Seminary (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) (M.Div.), and Lutheran Theological Seminary (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) (D.Min.).

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  • Me Myself And I

    $13.95

    Being a “tween” – it can be a very awkward time in anyone’s life. You’re not a full-fledged teenager with cars, dates, and high school, but you’re not a little child anymore, either. You can still feel pulls in both directions, wanting to be a child and have fun, yet wanting more responsibility as a teenager. It is definitely not easy being a “tween.”

    Me, Myself, and I was written for this group of people, guiding them through this time of transition through stories and Bible studies, reassuring them of God’s love and understanding. With study questions at the end of each chapter, this book can be read privately at home as a personal devotional or in group settings, such as Sunday school, children’s Bible studies, or through Christian-based organizations for young people.
    Going through the tween years can be a harrowing experience, but the wisdom offered in Me, Myself, and I can help make that journey a little easier with the reassurance that God is present every step of the way.

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  • Guide To Preaching And Leading Worship

    $24.00

    One of the world’s most admired preachers here offers his practical and sage advice for some of the most basic tasks of ministry: preparing, delivering, and evaluating sermons; planning, leading, and evaluating worship services; offering public prayers; and celebrating baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In addition, Willimon provides creative suggestions for involving laity in worship.

    Ideal for beginning ministers and seasoned veterans alike, A Guide to Preaching and Leading Worship will assuredly become a standard must-have for mainline Protestant clergy.

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  • Sermons On The Gospel Readings Series 3 Cycle B

    $37.95

    One life changed the course of history — and the accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection contained in the New Testament gospels provide stirring evidence of how God’s Son offers new birth to humanity. In this complete set of insightful and inspiring sermons for every Sunday and major celebration in the church year, an experienced group of five master preachers skillfully articulates the timeless truths embedded in the Cycle B gospel texts of the Revised Common Lectionary. Their eloquent messages weave together dynamic stories and illustrations that breathe fresh life into the scriptures, and share with readers an astute understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ message and ministry for contemporary living. Offering a vision of God’s unconditional love and the grace-filled life, this volume passionately proclaims the Good News, provides a wealth of sermon seeds, and revitalizes the faith of anyone who reads it.

    This essential resource is useful for:
    * Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
    * Inspiring preaching illustrations and sermon starters
    * Understanding scripture passages
    * Adult study and discussion groups
    * Personal devotions and Bible study

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  • Congratulations Youre Gifted

    $12.99

    Based on the popular S.H.A.P.E. book for adults, this teen version walks through the same process of discovery with students. Written by the bestselling author and pastor at Saddleback Church, Doug Fields, this book will help teenagers understand who they are, how they can serve, and why they serve.

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