Pastoral Helps
Showing 2851–2900 of 4114 results
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Im More Than A Pastors Wife
$22.99Add to cartA serious yet good humored look at the unique challenges facing pastors9 wives in the 21st century. Pastor9s wives confront unique challenges, both as wives of a public figure and as members of the congregation. Lorna Dobson, whose husband, Ed, is senior pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, MI, speaks from experience. In this open and caring discussion she addresses the dynamics that pastors9 wives face in a church culture that is in transition to a new era in the 21st century. Dobson9s writing has been praised for its combination of good humor and serious advice and for its balance of scriptural basis, personal illustrations, honesty, and sincerity. In this revised edition she draws on fresh experiences and mature reflection. Here she delves further into the ways wives can support their husbands9 ministries, and she explores the dynamics of dealing with “problem people” and conflicts between pastor and congregation. “Although this book is an easy read, Dobson isn9t always easy on readers, using a tone of gentle exhortation .[She] is well read and includes great quotes from authors .This book will help any pastor9s wife wanting to fine-tune her role.” Bookstore Journal
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Preaching In Black And White
$22.99Add to cart12 Chapters
Additional Info
A noted black preacher and a white preacher interact on the dynamics of pulpit ministry Black preachers and white preachers have tended to minister in isolation within their separate communities. They have been unaware of what they might learn from each other as members of the same body of Christ. Yet as America becomes increasingly diverse, pastors need to become more sensitive to the needs of people from other cultural backgrounds. Preaching in Black and White is the first attempt to bring together a noted black preacher and white preacher to interact on the dynamics of pulpit ministry and what can be learned from each other. Readers are invited to pull up a chair and listen in to a conversation between the two authors as they discuss the context in which African-American preaching has developed, the similarities and differences in styles of preaching in the two communities, and how they go about preparing and delivering a sermon. Humor and stories punctuate the dialogue including the stories of Dr. Bailey9s receiving a beating from the police in California and how forgetting the second point in his sermon brought the house down with laughter. Features include: * Two illustrative sermons on the same text about Zacchaeus by a white preacher and a black preacher * Audio CD featuring signature sermon from E. K. Bailey, “Testing of a Tax Collector” * Annotated bibliography of preaching resources * Biographical section introducing noted black preachers * Black and white photographs -
Help Im Leading A Childrens Sermon 1
$14.00Add to cart1. Common Lectionary Year A
2. Common Lectionary Year B
3. Common Lectionary Year C
ApendixAdditional Info
Children are an important part of the worshipping community and need to have opportunities that create for them a sense of belonging. Children’s sermons provide this opportunity and should be events of proclamation. Help! I’m Leading a Children’s Sermon, Volume 1 contains a collection of children’s sermons designed to involve children creatively in worship and the proclamation of the Word. The collection contains two sermons for each Sunday with a key emphasis on Scripture, including key verses to be read within the sermon. The sermons invite the children to participate in corporate worship in a meaningful, creative way by asking questions and using hands-on activities to explain themes such as hope, forgiveness, repentance and God’s sovereignty. Help I’m Leading a Children’s Sermon, Volume 1 is an essential book for the collection of any worship leader -
Mission Trip Prep Kit Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartYou work hard planning mission trips. Now make mission trips work for you and your group. Headed to inner-city America? Appalachia? A border of Shantytown? Overseas? Wherever your destination, the MISSION TRIP PREP KIT contains all you need to prepare your students for an unforgettable cross-cultural experience _ and tools to debrief them after they9ve returned to their worlds. Use this kit- *To get on-site impact as well as long-term spiritual change in your kids. *Whether you9re a mission-trip novice or a savvy traveler outside your comfort zones. *Whether your group9s is geared toward reaching others with the gospel or to disciple your young missionaries. *In several sessions spread over a month or two _ or in an intensive, two-day training session or retreat. IN THIS LEADER9S GUIDE: You9ll receive not only the rationale, the how, and the logistics of planning and pulling off a missions trip, but _ and this is the genius of the leader9s guide _ 4 PRE-TRIP TEACHING SESSIONS that will help your students _ *Assess their EXPECTATIONS, their fears, their motivations. *Adjust their PERCEPTIONS of the culture they9ll be working in. *Improve their emotional and spiritual STAMINA for living for a week or a month in a very different world from their own. *Practice the skills and ATTITUDES (teamwork, servanthood, Christ-centeredness) they9ll need for a missions trip. And to make sure your trip9s goals are accomplished and the benefits stick around for a long haul, you9ll also receive 2 POST-TRIP SESSIONS that will help you DEBRIEF your students, ease them back into their own worlds, CELEBRATE with them, and make missions and ministry part of their EVERYDAY LIVES WITH JESUS. What9s more, in these pre- and post-trip teaching sessions are a variety of ACTIVITIES processing points creative PRAYER IDEAS take-home applications BIBLE STUDIES relevant to mission tripping TALK OUTLINES that both instruct and inspire and lots of sessions options you can tailor to your own HIGH SCHOOLERS OR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS.
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Teaching Todays Teachers To Teach (Revised)
$24.99Add to cartA revision of a standard resource for classes and seminary courses in Christian education. A revised edition of the best-selling Teaching Teachers to Teach (1974), this book is a basic, comprehensive manual offering practical guidance that helps teachers learn the art and practice of teaching. Throughout the book, Griggs identifies the basic elements of the teaching process and outlines the essential ingredients needed for effective teaching.
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Confessing Jesus Christ A Print On Demand Title
$32.99Add to cart264 Pages
Additional Info
Denying any realities beyond our own mental constructions, postmodernists relentlessly question the presuppositions of many disciplines—including homiletics. Confessing Jesus Christ: Preaching in a Postmodern World encourages pastors to treat sermons as public acts of “faith alone.” Offering a lively description of antifoundationalism—and its implications for Christianity—David Lose suggests concrete methods of countering the challenges it poses. Includes two sample sermons. -
Ministry Loves Company
$25.00Add to cartIn Ministry Loves Company John Galloway provides new and veteran pastors with insights on establishing and maintaining a vital parish ministry while remaining invigorated by the practice of ministry. Drawing on the image of a congregation as a family, Galloway uses anecdotes to describe the life of a congregation and the life of a pastor, who have both been called to be the body of Christ. Poignant, memorable, and often humorous, Galloway’s reflections derive from his own personal experiences as a pastor. Ministry Loves Company uniquely addresses the many challenges facing today’s pastors and serves as a practical guide for those veteran pastors who are seeking to remain courageous and excited about parish ministry.
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Boundaries With Kids Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartA video resource kit that helps parents bring control to their family and instill godly character in their children This ZondervanGroupware curriculum is a complete resource kit for helping parents put into practice the principles detailed in the book Boundaries with Kids. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend take parents through the ins and outs of establishing family boundaries and cultivating sound character in their children. The video features presentations by the authors as well as dramatic vignettes. The 8 sessions can be used in large or small groups and are presented in a new test-proven small group interactive format. The complete ZondervanGroupware kit includes one leader9s guide, one participant9s guide, one Boundaries with Kids softcover book, one VHS video, and one DVD. Each element except the videos is also sold separately. An 8-Session Focus on Boundaries and Kids
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17 Indisputable Laws Of Teamwork (Workbook)
$19.99Add to cartWhether leading in business, church, sports, or in your family, teamwork is essential. In this new book, John Maxwell walks readers through the various laws of leadership showing the importance of working together.
Everyone who works with people is realizing that the old autocratic method of leadership simply doesn’t work. The way to win is to build a great team.
John C. Maxwell has been teaching the benefits of leadership and team building for years. Now he tackles the importance of teamwork head on, writing about teamwork being necessary for every kind of leader, and showing how team building can improve every area of your life.Written in the style of the bestseller The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, this new book not only contains laws that you can count on when it comes to getting people to work together, but it tells them in such a way that you can start applying them to your own life today. And it’s illustrated with great stories of team leaders – and team breakers – from history, business, the church, and sports.
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Boundaries With Kids Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$29.99Add to cartA video resource kit that helps parents bring control to their family and instill godly character in their children This ZondervanGroupware curriculum is a complete resource kit for helping parents put into practice the principles detailed in the book Boundaries with Kids. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend take parents through the ins and outs of establishing family boundaries and cultivating sound character in their children. The video features presentations by the authors as well as dramatic vignettes. The 8 sessions can be used in large or small groups and are presented in a new test-proven small group interactive format. The complete ZondervanGroupware kit includes one leader9s guide, one participant9s guide, one Boundaries with Kids softcover book, one VHS video, and one DVD. Each element except the videos is also sold separately. An 8-Session Focus on Boundaries and Kids
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Lessons From A Dog Guide Cycle C
$10.95Add to cartDee Brauninger has a way with words that makes one’s heart sing and be open to learn andhear more. Gentle phrases leap out and make one think and wrestle with God and one’s self.(from the introduction)Margaret Slater, Inclusive Ministry CoordinatorLocal Church Ministries, United Church of ChristIn these meditations on the love and trust of the relationship between guide dog and person, readersfind themselves learning to love and to trust in other important ways. Brauninger speaksfrom experience, yet with care and respect for the reader’s own journey and conclusions about life.Mary Avidano, PastorAlbion United Church of ChristAlbion, NebraskaBrauninger has a gift for writing words that are truly inspired and inspiring. Her workwith guide dogs has given her a unique insight into spiritual life, and a very understandableway of presenting God’s message.Judy Campbell, Director of TrainingLeader Dogs for the BlindRochester, MichiganTheses superbly crafted meditations, focusing on messages of hope and the reality of God’spresence, introduce insights that speak to the heart. The meditations bear reading severaltimes, allowing one to savor the words and explore the meanings for one’s own life.Martha D. Walker, Counselor and Christian EducatorPottstown, PennsylvaniaUsing her own experiences with leader dogs as a metaphor for our dependence upon a caringGod, Brauninger creatively weaves together personal stories, fresh insights into biblical passages, and implications for people in the pews.Dosia Carlson, Pastor EmeritusChurch of the BeatitudesPhoenix, ArizonaThese messages are a real treasure! Told in a setting that includes a dog guide namedTreasure, the stories help relate our faith to our own daily situations. Treasure helps us gainsome insight and understanding into both our faith and our life.Bob Loffer, Associate Conference MinisterNebraska Conference, United Church of ChristThe images of our faith strengthen our spiritual growth. Dee Brauninger weaves the attributesof the divine so well as she captures the person with a disability living in unity with adog, or is it with God?David Denham, ConsultantUnited Church of Christ Disabilities MinistriesDallas A. Brauninger is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ andfull-time writer who has served churches in Colorado and Nebraska. She has been honoredby her denomination for outstanding ministry to persons with disabilities and theirfamilies, and she is the editor of That All May Worship And Serve, the
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If A Sermon Falls In The Forest
$23.95Add to cartThis fascinating volume looks at the scriptural texts concerning a pivotal New Testament theme — the resurrection of Jesus — and examines how they may be read in various interpretive communities. Shepherd analyzes each of the major New Testament writers — Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul — and places their distinctive accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in the broader context of their entire output. Through a careful study of the literary, historical, theological, anthropological, and sociological dimensions that color each writer’s picture of the resurrection, Shepherd helps readers understand the unique view each brought to bear on the life of Jesus and the faith of his followers.
But that is not all this book has to offer. Each section also includes one or more sample sermons illustrating how a preacher might treat these texts for an actual congregation. Each message is introduced with a description of its original setting and the homiletical and interpretive issues involved — so this is an excellent resource for pastors looking for stimulating Easter material or instructive preaching models.
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Alleluia : Messages For Children On Lent And Easter Themes
$12.95Add to cartElaine Ward passionately believes that it is vital for children to hear the good news of God’s love through the Lenten stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In this companion volume to An Idle Tale Becomes Good News (also available from CSS Publishing Company), Ward shares her gift for communicating with young people through twenty stories based on specific phrases or objects related to Jesus’ ministry in his final days or in his resurrection appearances. Each message tells a captivating tale in easily understood language, then invites children to enter the sacred story by connecting it with the scriptural narrative. Brief talking points and questions are included to help presenters clearly make the link for their young listeners.
Stories include:
* The Wasted Ointment
* The Warning Dream
* The Misdirected Tears
* The Torn Curtain
* The Idle Tale
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Idle Tale Becomes Good News
$15.95Add to cartEach chapter in this collection of twenty meditations considers a specific phrase or object related to Jesus’ ministry in his final days or in his resurrection appearances. In several cases, this is something intangible yet very distinct, such as Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, Pilate’s wife’s dream, or the astounding news of the resurrection which seemed like an “idle tale.” Other messages address objects that could have been seen and touched: the torn curtain in the Temple, ropes, scars, or the burial spices the women brought to the empty tomb. But whether tangible or intangible, each symbol reflects a significant event in the biblical narrative which Sheets explores to see what lessons can be drawn for today’s Christian living. This volume is excellent for adult Sunday school classes or other study groups, devotional reading during Lent and Easter, and as background for sermon preparation. A companion book of children’s sermons based on the same texts (Alleluia! by Elaine M. Ward) is also available from CSS Publishing Company.
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Journey Of Stones
$7.95Add to cartDrawing on the rich imagery of rocks and stones in scripture, these powerful messages center around the compelling metaphor of stones (and our willingness to throw them) as representative of our sins. As worshipers enter the sanctuary they are invited to pick up stones as a concrete symbol of each sermon’s theme; then as the message concludes the stones are placed at the foot of the cross. When the stones disappear on Easter (just like the stone sealing Jesus’ tomb), it’s a vivid illustration of how the Lord also removes our stones of sin. Each chapter includes several thought-provoking discussion questions to spur further reflection. With messages for Ash Wednesday, five weeks of Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, this is an excellent resource for Lenten midweek programming.
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Is Human Forgiveness Possible
$15.95Add to cartForgiving those closest to us who have hurt us is one of the most difficult things Christians are called to do. For pastoral counselors the forgiveness issue creates a particularly serious dilemma, because it places counselors in the position of telling clients to do something their emotions vehemently fight against.
Is Human Forgiveness Possible? offers an effective way out of this quandary by giving the forgiveness issue an entirely new focus.
John Patton begins by scrapping our past understanding of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not something we do, he asserts; it’s something we discover. To truly forgive someone, we must discover that “I am more like those who have hurt me than different from them. I am able to forgive when I discover that I am in no position to forgive.”
Patton presents case studies from his pastoral counseling practice that illustrate the difficulty of forgiving and actively demonstrate his new solution to the forgiveness problem.
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Getting The Word Out
$32.00Add to cartHigh quality publications and public relations will enhance a congregation’s overall ministry by promoting strong stewardship, effective evangelism, and exciting parish education. Getting the Word Out provides all the tools congregations need to create attention-grabbing, informative, and inspiring communications.
Frederick H. Gonnerman shows readers how to assess their audience and the competition for the audience’s attention; identify a publication’s purpose; and create useful, readable, and attractive publications-whether print or online, for the congregation or a broader community. One chapter deals with the role of publications in the celebration of special events.
Approaching the parish communications task as a team effort-one that might include pastors; a volunteer or paid editor; and secretaries, other paid staff, and lay leaders-Gonnerman shares the experience and expertise of professional journalists, graphic designers and artists, photographers, and public relations personnel. Getting the Word Out will teach every member of the team how to produce the most effective and highest quality publications possible. Foreword by Martin E. Marty.
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Get Up Off Your Knees
$14.95Add to cartGet Up Off Your Knees is a thoughtful and provocative collection of sermons by a group of preachers from across the international church spectrum who have been moved to theological reflection on the art and work of U2. This book will appeal to fans of U2, students of homiletics, and everyone interested in the intersection of art, popular culture, and religion.
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House Of Prayer For All Peoples
$28.00Add to cartContrary to the oft-repeated truism, there are churches in America where Sunday is not the “most segregated day of the week,” as Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook convincingly demonstrates in her compelling exploration of congregations tackling racial justice issues. Yet the truism continues to haunt many congregations, and Kujawa-Holbrook reveals, through story and thoughtful analysis, what it means to create and live out multiracial community.
Focusing on six congregations from different denominations, geographical regions, and settings, the author shows us the joys and struggles in their intentional pursuits of a more diverse and just community. The stories in A House of Prayer for All Peoples will inspire leaders to explore their congregation’s history, study their community’s demographics, and, most of all, search their souls for ways they can develop and celebrate the diversity in their midst. The book is capped by an extensive annotated resource list for readers who want to explore the topic further.
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Completing The Circle
$21.00Add to cartOn his second day as association minister for the United Church of Christ, David McMahill received three phone calls from lay leaders who were looking for resources on “how to evaluate our minister.” He knew of several churches in which a poorly constructed process for evaluating the ministers had spun out of control, however, and had gradually come to believe it is probably better for a church not to attempt an evaluation process at all than to do one carelessly or to naively use a design intended for a secular organization.
Based on the needs he saw, McMahill began to work with numerous congregations looking for ways to review both leaders and ministries and developed the feedback/reflection process he lays out in this book. Based on sound principles of effective communication, this simple system of asking for descriptive feedback about various aspects of a congregation’s life together takes into account the specific setting and the unique relationship between minister and congregation.
The results: a respectful, constructive, helpful review of leaders and ministries in a congregation, and the creation of a culture of healthy communication in the congregation. Foreword by Clyde J. Steckel.
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Leading To Easter
$12.95Add to cartAre you looking for fresh, thoughtful material for your congregation’s Lenten journey that prepares them to experience the marvelous joy of the risen Christ? Here’s an anthology of ready-to-use resources that you can build on to create memorable Ash Wednesday and Holy Week services. Included are:
* A Season In Purgatory, an Ash Wednesday service with a sermon examining the concept of purgatory and how we atone for our sin.
* Why I Am An Optimist, a service and message for Passion/Palm Sunday which reminds us why it is important to empty ourselves and experience the pain and despair of Holy Week. It is because only then can we truly participate in the optimism of God’s ultimate victory which we celebrate on Easter morning.
* As I Have Loved You, a moving Maundy Thursday program that recalls the scene in the Upper Room by combining the food and symbolism of a traditional Passover meal with elements of a tenebrae service. As the meal progresses, scripture passages are read and candles are extinguished, until as the service ends only one candle remains lit, reminding us that Christ is the light of the world.
* Through The Eyes Of Jesus, a Good Friday service that intersperses hymns, prayers, and scripture readings with brief meditations depicting the various groups of people Jesus saw at the crucifixion.
* Behold, I Show You A Mystery, a set of three choral readings that are especially appropriate for Easter sunrise services, but could be profitably used any time during the Easter season.
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Who Am I
$26.99Add to cartThe great British historian Arnold Toynbee emphasized that “God revealed himself through human history,” and he related that to leaders. That is true-God is calling his people for his kingdom and glory on the earth. When God called Abram, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, and Saul, they all obeyed him. Leaders are important. They determine the future and human history. Our society needs spiritual leaders because they teach us God’s will. In this complicated, immoral society, true leaders are essential for spiritual movement and cultural improvement. What is spirituality? It is not Plato’s dualism, which classifies the body and spirit. But it does include the total personality. Christian spirituality represents a deep relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ-a spiritual, deep, meaningful experience with God.
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Apostles : Spiritual Fathers To The Church
$13.49Add to cartDr. Michael Pangio presents a fresh look at the ministry of the apostle as a spiritual father. In this book you will discover biblical principles that are essential to releasing and receiving the blessing of God upon your life and ministry. As you examine the truths revealed in this book, you will learn about: Building God’s way Apostles: spiritual fathers to the body of Christ Biblical parenting principles, and the release of “the blessing” David and Solomon, the pattern for spiritual fathers and sons The lasting influence of the apostle Faithful to the house You may reach Dr. Pangio for ministry and leadership training by contacting him at: Phone: (724) 962-2232 E-mail: mikepangio@worldnet.att.net Or you may write to: Dr. Michael Pangio 6993 RonJoy Place Boardman, Ohio 44512 U.S.A
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Preparing The 21st Century Church
$20.99Add to cartPhenomenal power! Explosive growth! Genuine community! Can the church in America, twenty-one centuries later, really experience what we read about in the Book of Acts? Les Brickman shows you why the answer is a resounding, “Yes … if.” Whether a church planter just beginning, a seasoned pastor, or a church leader, you will be challenged to the core, both by the questions and the answers you hold in your hands. Are you willing to spend the necessary time to prepare a wineskin able to release your vision from God? Are you prepared to pay the price so you can embrace His destiny for your ministry and church? Journey with Dr. Brickman and come to understand what values, lifestyle, and activities will have to change for you to experience what they experienced, and beyond. “How to” books on church growth and cell ministry too often miss the critical preparation so vital to releasing God’s life through the Church. Informative and theological, yet practical and prophetic, Preparing the 21st Century Church will cause you to reconsider the whole way you “do church,” even “cell church.”
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Unexpected Journey : Reflections On Pastoral Ministry
$26.00Add to cartJ. Philip Wogaman offers candid reflections on his service as Senior Minister at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.- an unexpected journey that he began at the age of sixty – following a career as an ethics professor. Wogaman chronicles the task he faced as a new pastor, tasks with which every pastor deals-effective and faithful preaching, balancing pastoral and prophetic roles, presenting the church to the public media, dealing with prominent church members, and addressing stewardship. He also discusses the challenges of succeeding a long-loved pastor who departed under a cloud, the responsibilities of pasturing to a president, and his efforts to balance the roles of a pastor against such a dramatic backdrop. Identifying his own successes and mistakes, Wogaman provides fresh insights on parish ministry that are sure to become guideposts for all pastors.
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21 Positive Principles For A Powerful 21st Century Church
$15.49Add to cartThe author, Dr. Dennis Davis, builds the thesis of this book on the premise that there are irrefutable, undeniable laws, both moral and physical, that govern the universe. He contends that these God-establiched laws cannot be broken. They can be denied, but not broken, as the law will always remain intact. He also contends that God has established “laws” that guide the growth, success, and future of the Church, and that when one operates within the framework of these laws (principles), there will be a natural consequence of both numerical and spiritual growth.
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1 Bread One Body
$29.00Add to cartAs a troubadour for global music and an instigator of cross-cultural worship for more than 15 years in a variety of denominational settings, including congregational, national, and international venues, Michael Hawn has observed many faithful people who find that a taste of Pentecost in worship is refreshing and invigorating. In One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship, Hawn seeks to help bridge the gap between the human tendency to prefer ethnic and cultural homogeneity in worship and the church’s mandate to offer a more diverse and inclusive experience. He offers a rainbow vision of the universal church where young and old joyfully and thoughtfully respond to the movement of God’s Spirit in multicultural worship.
Hawn and four colleagues from Perkins School of Theology in Dallas formed a diverse team in ethnicity, gender, academic field of study, and denominational affiliation to study four United Methodist congregations in the Dallas area that are grappling with cross-cultural ministry. Their four case studies illustrate both the pain and the possibilities encountered in capturing the Spirit of Pentecost in worship. Hawn also offers a concise and practical theological framework as well as numerous strategies and an extensive bibliography for implementing “culturally conscious worship.” This book is invaluable for congregations that want to undertake the hard work of cross-cultural worship. Foreword by Justo Gonzalez.
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Projects That Matter
$26.00Add to cartProjects That Matter is a primer for project leaders and teams about basic project planning and evaluation. Intended for the nonexpert, the book introduces readers to the five basic elements of project design and describes in detail a six-step process for designing and implementing a project evaluation and for disseminating evaluation findings. Project leaders in congregations, colleges and seminaries, camps and other specialized ministries, and other religious settings will find Cahalan’s guidance clear and invaluable.
Cahalan presents evaluation as a form of collaborative inquiry and shows how leaders can use evaluation design to develop effective project plans and prepare case statements for donors or grant proposals for foundations. She introduces project planning and evaluation as mission-related practices and invites leaders to consider how their tradition’s particular mission and beliefs influence the way they plan and evaluate. In the final chapter, she makes explicit her own theological presuppositions-that the virtues of discernment, stewardship, and prudence are essential for good project planning and evaluation. Foreword by Craig Dykstra.
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Find A Niche And Scratch It
$26.00Add to cartJesus was uniquely adept in the art of “reading” people. He fit his approach to the precise needs and interests of the person with whom he was dealing, and he spoke the cultural language of that individual. In this book, Robert Perry takes what Jesus and others have done intuitively-niche marketing-and provides a framework for applying those principles in everyday practice.
Convinced that congregations can learn from the wisdom of secular disciplines and apply that wisdom to congregational life without damaging the integrity of the Christian faith, Perry offers a detailed process for using sound marketing principles to identify a congregation’s strengths and the needs of its community, and to develop strategies for effective ministry.
Perry’s plan: to create a common vocabulary that will bridge the communication gap between the disciplines of business marketing and congregational outreach strategizing. The key: to keep in mind the reason we are working to reach people-not to make money for shareholders, but to share the Good News that God loves us. The goal: to foster genuinely healthy, growing congregations! Foreword by Robert D. Dale.
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Our Structure : Carrying Out The Vision
$14.99Add to cartLeading effectively in a congregation begins with identifying a vision for the future and then carrying it out. This book shows a variety of ways to organize your congregation, promote hospitality, set boundaries, recruit volunteers, plan work, and build a team.
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Our Stewardship : Managing Our Assets
$14.99Add to cartGod gives resources or assets to each person and every congregation. Yours may include a church building, grounds, equipment, or credibility and trustworthiness. “Our Stewardship” looks at why your congregation has the gifts it has and how best to use them. Use this book on your own or with your congregation council in planning and management.
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Preaching
$20.99Add to cartAnyone who’s ever stepped into the pulpit knows that preaching is anything but easy. Speaking a word from God that is grounded in the biblical witness, theologically responsible, and true to contemporary experiences is one of the most difficult things one can do. Advice on how to do this is as old as preaching itself, and there are as many opinions on preaching as there are preachers. Where does a preacher begin? What basic understanding and practices are necessary? In the new addition to the Essential Guides series, Ronald Allen seeks to answer these basic questions about preaching. He does so through the use of an inductive method. Starting with a sample sermon, he uses that sermon to illustrate the process of moving from the first thoughts about what one will preach to the delivery of an actual sermon. Each chapter raises a question about the sample sermon that leads into a discussion of the practical and theoretical issues related to this particular aspect of the sermon.
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When Violence Is No Stranger
$21.00Add to cartThe paucity of resources for pastoral care of acquaintance-rape survivors highlights the invisibility of this growing crime and its largely uncharted pastoral challenges. In fact, more rape is by an acquaintance. Only 16 percent of such cases are reported; and because they are difficult to prosecute, only 5 percent of those reported result in guilt verdicts. Focusing on the psychospiritual effects of this sexualized violence, Kristen Leslie offers the psychological and theological tools to religious professionals for understanding the deep spiritual trauma of the survivor and how best to work with her to reconstruct a personal world of meaning, trust, and faith. Based on extensive interviews with survivors. Leslie explains the personal and theological issues they raise, what they found helpful from religious professionals, the images and metaphors most germane to their trauma and recovery, and how they coped with or healed from the experience of rape. An exemplary and important study in practical theology, Leslie’s volume will not only equip pastoral caregivers and counselors with specific guidelines. It will also enlighten them on the crucial role that theology can play in the re-construction of shattered lives
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Simple Sermons For Funeral Services (Reprinted)
$6.99Add to cartSimple Sermons for Funeral Services helps pastors give comfort to the bereaved and glory to God at a funeral for a Christian man, a Christian woman, an unsaved person, an elderly Christian, a baby or small child, or someone who faced a tragic death.
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Welcome Speeches For Special Days
$10.99Add to cartThis useful resource incorporates recitations, suggested scripture, prayers, poetry, speeches, and responses for celebrating a variety of special days in the African American church. Perfect as a worship planning tool for pastors and worship leaders, Welcome Speeches for Special Days is ideal for celebrating those special Sundays that congregations highlight throughout the year.
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Leading The Way
$18.99Add to cartIVP Print On Demand Title
As we enter a new millennium, there is a growing vacuum of leadership among the younger generation. The need is great for young men and women who will rise to the challenge-in the face of great opportunities and great obstacles-to be obedient to the call of leadership. This is the rallying call Paul Borthwick puts forth in Leading The Way. He asserts that leadership is not just reserved for those with the right education, abilities, status or background. Rather, God is calling all young Christians who have the vision and responsibility to persevere, to fill this growing leadership vacuum.
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Addiction
$21.99Add to cartChances are, no church is immune to the drug demographics in America. Pointing out that addiction is a pervasive problem in North American society, Lynn Dann provides pastors and other pastoral caregivers with crucial help in understanding the needs of the addicted, their families, and the congregations of which they are a part. He draws on years of experience as a pastor and a certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor to offer practical guidance on how to recognize the addicted and minister effectively to them.
Dann begins by outlining, in clear and accessible terms, the best contemporary thinking on the nature of addiction. From there he moves to a discussion of the particular resources that Christian churches can add to the treatment of addiction and the support of the addicted and their families. Finally, he includes tools for preaching and teaching on the nature of our drug-obsessed culture and biblical themes related to the care of the addicted. Those who are just beginning in pastoral ministry, as well as those who have engaged in it for many years, will find this an invaluable resource for knowing how to deal with this tragic and increasingly prevalent problem.
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Word Before The Powers
$40.00Add to cartIn this examination of the ethical significance of preaching, Charles Campbell provides both fresh insights into the relationship between preaching and ethics, and a challenging moral vision for the contemporary church. Moving beyond a narrow focus on moral decision-making or social-issues sermons. Campbell argues that a particular ethic–nonviolent resistance–is inherent in the practice of preaching and shapes the moral life of the church. In the face of the powers, the fundamental ethical task of preaching involves building up the church as a community of resistance. Employing three dimensions of character ethics–vision, practices, and virtues–Campbell demonstrates the concrete ways in which preachers may undertake this task.
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Voices Of This Calling
$20.00Add to cartPublished to mark the tenth anniversary of the ordination of women in the Anglican church, this work includes prominent clergy, both female and male, such as Lucy Winkett, Angela Tilby, Una Kroll, Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Rowan Williams. It tells women’s stories about the reality of life as a priest and reveals defining moments in their own personal journey. Influential men in the church also reflect upon the challenges and opportunities that women’s ministry has created for them.
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Perfect Illustrations For Every Topic And Occasion
$22.99Add to cartGood communicators are always on the lookout for fresh, relevant anecdotes and examples to drive home the point of their words. This handy reference contains 300 anecdotes and illustrations for pastors, writers, teachers, and other Christian communicators on a variety of topics. Each entry includes Scripture references, cross-references to related topics, an anecdote or illustration, and a citation of its source.
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Speaking Jesus : Homiletic Theology And The Sermon On The Mount
$36.00Add to cartOnce again, renowned homiletician David Buttrick has written a highly practical book that conveys and makes contagious his excitement for the theological task of preaching. In this book, he delineates the theological issues inherent in the Sermon on the Mount and presents a homiletical strategy for preaching its meaning an relevance. In Part One, Buttrick gives a general overview of the text and raises central theological issues imperative to its preaching, particularly the authenticity of Jesus’ words and the sermon’s relevance for today. In Part Two, he provides commentary on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, provides suggestions for preaching, and includes some of his own sermons as examples.
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On Purpose Leadership
$15.99Add to cart22 Chapters
Additional Info
After 20 books and three decades of developing innovative, need-meeting ministries, Galloway is recognized as one who trains the leaders of leaders of leaders. Now he offers the best of his best on multiplying your effectiveness through others. Building on Christ’s own model, he offers powerful insights for encouraging, equipping, and reproducing lay leadership. -
Pastor : A Reader For Ordained Ministry
$31.99Add to cartBrings together the finest wisdom from 20 centuries of church history focusing on the core concerns of preaching the Word, caring for souls, and celebrating the sacraments via the roles of priest, preacher, teacher, evangelist, counselor, prophet, and leader. Excerpts from major lights of the past.
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Preaching Biblical Wisdom In A Self Help Society
$25.99Add to cartThis book equips preachers to tap into the treasures of the biblical wisdom tradition to counter the claims of a self-help society. The wisdom books and genres of the Bible, long neglected, are now the subject of avid scrutiny by biblical scholars. They’ve turned up the shining insight that the Bible, both Old and New Testament, is brimming with materials that are the ancestors of contemporary slogans and self-help manuals. This is indeed good news! We have proverbs and instruction every bit as vivid and compelling as “Don’t sweat the small stuff”–and for more aware of the depth, complexity, and mystery of life in God’s world. McKenzie demonstrates how Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and other biblical wisdom can provide fruitful opportunities to preach to those who are hungry for wisdom, and often unaware of the richness and depth of the Bible’s wisdom tradition.
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Power In The Pulpit
$28.00Add to cartScholar and preacher Cleophus J. LaRue brings together the voices of twelve of America’s most influential African-American preachers. Each of these renowned preachers describes his or her method of sermon preparation and includes a sample sermon for illustration. An excellent how-to-manual for pastors and students, this book is both sage wisdom on the art of preaching and an inspiring look at some of the most prominent figures in the black church
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Art Of Spiritual Direction
$18.99Add to cartWe all need companions and guides on our spiritual journey. W. Paul Jones believes that spiritual direction is essential for every Christian. “Along each person’s pilgrimage are those who can make one’s journey accountable and whose hospitality makes it possible,” Jones says.
In The Art of Spiritual Direction, you’ll discover the answers to these questions and more:
What is spiritual direction?
What is the difference between spiritual direction and counseling?
How can you know if you are called to the ministry of spiritual direction?
What should happen in direction sessions?
The appendixes feature helpful tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a Theological Worlds Inventory, the Enneagram, and other resources. Whether you are a pastor, church leader, or a layperson, you will benefit from the wealth of information contained in this book.
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Money And The Kingdom Of God
$16.95Add to cartConventional wisdom would tell us that money and religion are mutually exclusive entities. It’s easy to understand why: there’s the popular maxim about money being the “root of all evil”, as well as Jesus’ admonitions about our inability to serve both God and Mammon or how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven. But Maurice Fetty disagrees – he notes that in Jesus’ view, money and the kingdom of God are intertwined. In these pages, Fetty stresses the importance of our being good stewards of God’s creation, and he points out that what we do with our money is indelibly linked with faithful living. When rightly done, Fetty concludes, the rich can be righteous, and the righteous can be rich. This book is excellent for spiritual growth reading or as a source for stewardship sermons.