Pastoral Helps
Showing 3151–3200 of 4137 resultsSorted by latest
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And You Welcomed Me
$37.99This book presents a collection of early Christian texts regarding hospitality and its practices. The range of experts both in time and space shows just how central a role of hospitality played in Christian life throughout the early centuries. Yet this book is not a set of instructions for hospitality, nor does the word “hospitality” even appear in many of these excerpts, and this in itself is good cause for reflection for us today. The excerpts come from letters, diary accounts, instructions, sermons, travelogues, and community records and rules. They are windows into a world of early communities that saw it as their moral duty and also privilege to care for the sick, to safeguard the pilgrim, and to host the stranger. Abram and Sarai hosting the three angels at Oaks of Mamre, and Jesus and his disciples feeding the crowds are two familiar biblical examples, but this book also delves into lesser know texts that offer rich insight to those willing to read and then integrate the early fathers’ and mothers’ wisdom and hospitality into their own lives.
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Ministry Is A High Calling Aim Low
$22.00Kurt Schuermann writes with humor and grace about the everyday happenings in a pastor’s life. After being forced to purge his book collection by a move to a smaller office, Schuermann discovers a dark truth about himself: he is addicted to ten-step books. In this book he collects the things that he has found to be true since he threw away his collection of ten-step and how-to books. Topics of the fifty-two reflections include the minister’s call, church-growth seminars, and the local church.
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Life Injections 1
$15.95Written by a priest and hospital chaplain with many years of experience, this series of inspirational messages confronts a wide range of human emotions. Zajac not only connects scripture to the human experience, but he nudges the reader/listener to change his thinking or to alter her lifestyle. He injects hope and peace into lives wearied by pain and suffering and heartache. Heavy doses of captivating illustrations make this a book for inspiration and enjoyment.
This book will be a useful resource for …
the preacher who wishes to sensitively address difficult issues
the counselor who seeks to help the distressed
any individual who seeks answers and comfort and solaceTitles include:
Bad Habits
Tears
Antidotes For Perfectionism
One Day At A Time
Maalox Moments
What To Do About The Loss Of Someone SpecialAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Something Is About To Happen
$9.95Previously published under the title Shepherds and Bathrobes, this series of model sermons for Advent/Christmas includes such topics as John the Baptist’s preaching in the wilderness, the Word made flesh, and a sound and light show on the mountaintop.
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Angels We Have Heard
$7.95If you’re looking for a fresh new approach to telling the old, old story — what better way to celebrate the Christmas message than to do it from the viewpoint of the angels? From the promise to Abraham to its fulfillment in Bethlehem, angels are a vital part of the story. Angels We Have Heard is a beautiful service that combines many of the traditional elements of Christmas worship with brief dialogues between angels and a number of characters relating to the Christmas narrative. Along with candlelight, an optional communion celebration, and many of the favorite carols we all love to sing, the encounters described in the scriptures between angels and Abraham, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds are paraphrased. There’s also a short closing exchange between an angel and a contemporary person that sheds light on the meaning of Christ’s birth for our modern times.
This easy-to-use service is adaptable for any size congregation — while a number of speaking parts are specified, it’s easy to combine parts and use just two readers, allowing the participation of as many or as few as you wish. There’s also a convenient order of service for use in bulletin preparation. And while designed for worship use, the drama of the angels speaking with and to different people through the ages can be used in other settings such as youth meetings or church school. Very little (if any) rehearsal is required — this is a simple and versatile way to make the pageantry and drama of the biblical story come alive in your Christmas worship.
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Community Ministry : New Challenges Proven Steps To Faith Based Initiatives
$29.00In this era of “faith-based initiatives,” congregations increasingly find themselves in the business of establishing and supporting community ministries-daycare for infants and toddlers, respite care for elders, and programs for housing rehab and home repair, tutoring, and social justice advocacy. In this volume, Carl S. Dudley revises and updates his earlier book, Basic Steps toward Community Ministry, which Loren Mead called “the most valuable book on parish ministry I’ve seen in a decade.”
Once again, Dudley offers guidance for congregational leaders who need to create tools, get started, and take next steps to respond to God’s call to extraordinary ministry in their community. With thought-provoking discussions about congregations as learning organizations, the relationship between ongoing faith formation and social action, examples from outstanding new ministries, and an updated resource list, Dudley rounds out this essential, practical, and readable manual. Foreword by James P. Wind, President of the Alban Institute.
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Moving Beyond Church Growth
$18.00Are unrealistic expectations for church growth sapping your morale and putting you at risk of burnout? Do you sense dissension within your congregation? Issuing a clarion call to church leaders for bold new thinking, Olson envisions faith communities that are radically centered on God, profoundly compassionate and engaged, and sustained in relationship.
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Best Funeral Meditations
$10.95This collection of best funeral meditations provides a wide range of messages that address almost every death situation from the anticipated to the tragic. These classic meditations have been gathered from the writings and contributions of pastors, church leaders, and teachers of many denominations.
Among the situations addressed are:
For the nominal church member
For a little child
For a non-Christian
For the death of a child shortly after birth
For a college student killed in an auto accident
For a sixteen-year-old shot to death
For a woman who committed suicide
For a church member who served others
For a 40-year-old cancer patient
For a man who loved the outdoors
For a Sunday morning worship service following a death
and many more!Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Be All That You Can Be
$12.95Though the title sounds like a promotional campaign for the U.S. Army, that’s not its intent. Instead, what is contained in this book are road marks for the journey into a new and stronger sense of what it means to be fully alive. All people are created with inherent purpose, promise and potential. All are endowed with abilities to do more and be more than we sometimes dare imagine. Herein are sermons intended to help readers and listeners discover their own powers and possibilities, to own them, to cultivate them and to live within them.
The chapters do not form an exhaustive list of human potentials. They do, however, provide an important inventory of what we all were created to become and can become, if we choose.
Chapter titles include:
You Can Be Articulate — Based upon Mark 7:31-37
You Can Be Intelligent — Based upon 2 Chronicles 1-11
You Can Be Like Children — Based upon Mark 10:13-16
You Can Be Beautiful — Based upon Hosea 14:1-7
You Can Be Well Fed — Based upon 1 Corinthians
You Can Be Eternal — Based upon 2 CorinthiansReaders will sense their own calls to be more than they have been thus far and the extraordinary power of One who promises to make the journey with them.
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Chrismons They Point To Jesus
$8.95This book provides patterns, instructions and background information for twenty different Chrismons, or “monograms of Christ.” It also includes a church program for presenting and explaining the meanings of these Christian symbols. The program includes children and adults and incoorporates the singing of the Christmas hymns.
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Multigenerational Congregation : Meeting The Leadership Challenge
$26.00Congregations need to learn new cultural languages and practices in order to speak to and be heard by new generations of people. But how do congregations enter the wilderness of ministry with these new generations when many of those in the entourage do not appreciate the trip?
In contrast to many writers about church growth, Rendle works with three important observations:
Most congregations are not “pure markets,” discrete groups with uniform values and behaviors, that can be targeted to the exclusion of all other audiences;
Some of the differences and discomforts experienced in the congregation are based on the members’ tenure, or length of membership, rather than their age;
Leadership in congregations is not a matter of marketplace savvy but of spiritual authenticity in which we continue to shape our faith tradition to be heard and understood by a changing culture.
Rendle shows us how to talk with and really understand one generational cohort while another cohort is present “looking over one’s shoulder.” Foreword by Lovett H. Weems, Jr., President, Saint Paul School of Theology.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Faith Under Fire
$16.95Daniel Simundson shows how the Bible can speak to the universal human experience of suffering. He examines various biblical responses to suffering and explains what the New Testament can add to the thought of such classic works as the books of Job, Ecclesiastes, and the prophets.
This book, written for the general reader, is full of wisdom also for caregivers, including clergy, counselors, and laypersons.
Contents:
1.The Basic Biblical View of Suffering
2.The Power of Negative Thinking
3.Suffering for Others
4.God, Job, and the Counselors
5.Is There Any Hope?
6.What Is New in the New Testament?
7.Comfort and HopeAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Honey Bee Dance
$10.95Julia Bland’s children’s messages are popular with pastors, Sunday school teachers, and parents all across the country. That’s because children love them and learn from the stories, drawings, and activity pages. Her work has been translated into Spanish and used by churches in Mexico and South America. The six lessons in this booklet, all based on Ephesians 4:32-5:2a, provide a perfect series for Vacation Bible School, a retreat, or a summer series for children. Using the busy, productive life of a honey bee as a metaphor for the life of a Christian, Bland offers charming lessons.
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He Took A Towel
$8.95Appropriate for Maundy Thursday or any time throughout the year, this resource contains several sermons and a full-blown service of Holy Communion, Feetwashing, and Agape Meal (or Love Feast). Detailed bread recipes and instructions for all the preparations are included along with bulletin texts.
Examination Service And Feetwashing Service
Meditation: “Broken For You”
Service: The Lords Supper
Sermons Include:
“Seeing A Familiar Friend All Over Again For The First Time”
“Peter Asks A Question”
“No Forks Or Napkins”Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Raising The Roof
$26.00Pastoral-to-program size change is frequently described as the most challenging of growth transitions for congregations. Now Alban senior consultant Alice Mann, author of The In-Between Church: Navigating Size Transitions in Congregations, addresses the difficulties of that transition in this resource designed specifically for a congregational learning team.
Conceptualized and developed by Mann for an Alban on-line seminar program test event conducted with 12 congregations in transition, her newest book features a five-step process enabling the learning team to engage a wider circle of congregational leaders and members in study, discernment, and planning. Never-before published resources include discussion of a major new concept-passive barriers to growth-plus Mann’s “System Change Index” tool to help congregations measure their progress from pastoral-size to program-size ways of operating.
From preparing the congregation’s board and members, selecting the person to guide the learning process, and recruiting the learning team, to creating and celebrating a plan for congregational learning and action, Mann provides all the resources a congregation needs to address this significant size transition period.
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Literary Companion To The Lectionary
$29.00This beautiful book offers poems and literary pieces for Sundays and principal feasts throughout the liturgical year. Each selection relates to an aspect of the Scripture readings for the Eucharist in the Revised Common Lectionary, the Roman Catholic lectionary, and the Book of Common Prayer. Drawn from many centuries and many countries including Britain, Ireland, North America, Africa, and Australia, these readings bridging literature and liturgy can prompt private prayer or public worship through imaginative engagement. A short note before each passage connects with an idea, image, or story found in one of the biblical readings or the seasonal theme. From Robert Herrick to Brendan Kennelly, from Christina Rossetti to Emily Dickinson, from Dante to Monica Furlong, the poets, novelists, and playwrights gathered here bring an added dimension that graces the life of the church.
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Dont Forget The Child
$13.95Alex Gondola says that in our modern culture we sometimes “experience Christmas at its worst: overcommercialized, expensive, exhausting, nearly devoid of spiritual significance.” In this collection of twenty cogent and inspiring sermons for Advent and Christmas, he reminds us of the key to putting the season in its proper perspective — “Don’t forget the child!” For it is only when we are drawn nearer to the child of Bethlehem, celebrating the simple beauties of the stable, that we can escape from the rush of the season into the divine light of saving grace heralded by the birth of God’s Son. This volume is an exceptional source of inspiration for sermon preparation, but it’s also excellent for personal devotions exploring the meaning of Advent and Christmas. It’s a great Christmas gift!
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Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series 7 Cycle A (Workbook)
$41.95Providing a fresh, timely reflection every week on assigned scripture passages can be one of a pastor’s most daunting tasks. But when time or inspiration is flagging and you need the jump-start of creative ideas, the latest edition of the classic CSS resource Lectionary Preaching Workbook is just what the doctor ordered! Prominent pastor, former seminary president, and prolific author Jerry Schmalenberger draws upon the experiences of a lifetime in the ministry to help readers effectively share God’s Word with crisply written insights. He’s created an outstanding set of practical aids to help preachers with their weekly sermons. Each chapter includes a listing of the applicable Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal lectionary texts; a theme for the day’s service; commentary on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel lessons; suggestions on preaching possibilities; an outline of possible sermon moves; and additional illustrations to flesh out the message.
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Curious Commercials
$14.95Curious Commercials approaches the Christmas event from a different perspective. Daniel Weitner doesn’t treat the nativity as a kind of warm and fuzzy feeling of longing for universal peace that envelops the earth around the end of the year or as a sign pointing to something greater in our lives. In trenchant messages that are liberally sprinkled with contemporary illustrations, he reminds us that to know what Christmas is all about, we don’t have to look outside Bethlehem…beyond the manger…or past the baby Jesus. Instead we should focus on the birth of Jesus the Redeemer – it is the wonderful event!
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2 Tenebrae Readings And Services
$7.95Two Tenebrae Readings And Services provides pastors and congregations with dramatic ways to remember the Passion of the Lord.
Tenebrae I – 9 reading parts
Tenebrae II – 12 reading partsParts are simple enough for both young people and adults. They are creatively drawn from the Bible narratives and present realistic human responses from those who would be his disciples.
These resources require very little preparation. They were conducted in the author’s congregation by calling the readers together an hour before the service.
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Speaking With Signs
$7.95Speaking With Signs is a unique series of six object lessons for children during the Lenten season … making worship more meaningful for them (and for adults). Each lesson brings them a story from scripture by focusing upon a symbol related to the Easter story. Lessons are based on texts from Matthew and John.
Objects include:
a lantern
a rope
a crown of thorns
dice and a robe
a stepladder and sponge
a spear
a picture of an empty tombAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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God Sense : Reading The Bible For Preaching
$23.99Throughout the modern period, history has been the dominant lens through which preachers have viewed the biblical text. The historical-critical method, with its emphasis on the context of a scriptural text’s origins, has been the principal, or sole, tool with which preachers have approached the question of the text’s meaning. Preachers have been in danger of losing the Bible as revelation and with that losing the rich varieties of God-centered meanings that our ancient forebears understood were the purpose of Scripture. He then demonstrates how a critical and informed understanding of the “spiritual” meanings of the text, rather than importing meaning into the text, as is often claimed, opens new possibilities for a faithful proclamation of the biblical witness
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When Suffering Persists
$19.95The pain of loss may pass quickly, or suffering may go on and on. For people of faith, the resulting crisis may be deeper than the loss itself. We look for ways to comfort those who are hurting. But sometimes, in spite of our good intentions, the cliches and simplistic theology we offer only add to their pain and misery. In When Suffering Persists, Frederick W. Schmidt explores ways to understand suffering, and offers a theology that takes the devastating character of suffering seriously, one that truly allows us to help people in pain.
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Inside The Small Church
$30.00Even as so-called megachurches capture the attention of many church watchers, small congregations continue to dominate America’s religious landscape in both rural and urban settings. Although sometimes obscured by their larger siblings, these small churches play a prominent role and hold a unique place in both local and national cultures. How can leaders help to keep these often at-risk churches alive and to meet their potential for ministry?
Small-church expert Tony Pappas has gathered a cornucopia of essays into an indispensable book for anyone interested in the rich life of these small but significant congregations. Drawing on classic and updated articles by a variety of writers from his own small-church newsletter The Five Stones; from Alban journals Action Information and Congregations; and adding new pieces developed especially for this volume, Pappas provides timeless ideas on learning to value, pastor, develop, and lead the small church.
In addition to time-honored articles by the editor, other contributors to this volume include Sherry and Douglas Alan Walrath, Gary Farley, Lawrence W. Farris, Loren Mead, Caroline Westerhoff, Steven Burt, Carl Dudley, David Ray, James Lowery, and a host of others known for their work-and love-for the small church. Readers of Inside the Small Church will come away with a renewed love and appreciation for these vital congregations as well as with new skills for ministry.
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Pastoral Theology In The Classical Tradition
$28.00Modern pastoral care, Andrew Purves believes, has been overly influenced by psychological theory and too often uninformed by historical practice. The result is a pastoral practice that has diminished the reality of God. In this book, Purves aims to reclaim pastoral theology as a theological discipline. He does this by examining classical texts from the tradition, texts that have the, and he argues that a thoughtful reading of these works–by Gregory of Nazianus, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Great, Martin Bucer, and Richard Baxter–will force a reevaluation of many of the assumptions that shape contemporary pastoral work. He includes a brief biography of each author, introduces the major themes in each writer’s pastoral theology, and discusses the issues relevant to pastoral work today.
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This Book We Call The Bible
$21.00Neither a traditional study of specific books or sections of the Bible, nor a doctrinal study that concentrates on such issues as revelation and authority, This Book We Call the Bible helps lay people focus on the use of Scripture. By dealing with the Bible as a written work and its impact on our hearts, this study provides an increased sense of what the Bible actually is and how we can derive more benefit from reading and studying the Scriptures. Great for individuals and for small- or large-group settings, This Book We Call the Bible includes questions for reflection and discussion with each chapter.
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Giving Counsel : Ministers Guidebook
$34.99“Giving Counsel: A Minister’s Guidebook is conversational, engaging, and accessible. I have no hesitation enthusiastically recommending it to beginning students. Advanced students and experienced ministers may find it useful as a reminder of good practice.”
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Discovering A Sermon
$23.99“Discovering a Sermon is a treasure-chest of wisdom for preaching written by an academic pastoral theologian who loves to preach and who is keenly aware of how his own discipline of pastoral theology can speak a helpful word to those who teach and learn preaching. Dykstra is not only a scholar, but a self-reflective preacher, able to look deep into his own soul and draw forth insights that will help preachers avoid serious pitfalls, while pursuing what really matters.”
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Handbook For Multi Sensory Worship 2
$36.99Widely known for their innovative use of multimedia elements in worship, Kim Miller and worship team of Ginghamsburg Church provide more practical guidance for planning and conducting contemporary worship celebrations. Through the skillful blending of contemporary media such as music, film, and drama with the timeless truths and stories of the Bible, these celebrations help postmodern persons – particularly those who have little or no experience with the Christian faith – experience God’s love and become faithful followers. Included in this second volume are thirty new and complete worship celebrations, each organized around a central metaphor and theme designed to articulate the needs of and connect with the life experiences of the congregation.
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Escape From Church Inc
$22.99This book was born out of a passion for the church–and for you, one of its pastors. If you struggle with burnout and disillusionment, if something within you keeps insisting, “This isn’t what it’s supposed to be about!” then Pastor Glenn Wagner offers a model for pastoring that can radically reshape how you relate to your congregation. Wagner guides you into new vision, new values, and a new way of pastoring that begins not with doing, but with seeing and being. “I believe the one problem underlying all the others is that we have moved both pastors and churches from a community model to a corporation model,” says Wagner. “If we go back to the very beginning, back to the Lord’s bedrock idea for his people, what do we find? We find shepherds and sheep.” Escape from Church, Inc. offers hope to the weary and water to the thirsty. Find out for yourself, in both biblical and practical terms, how the model of the shepherd is best suited to growing a healthy, effective church — and discover deep satisfaction and joy in your role as pastor.
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Letting Go Of Worry And Anxiety
$13.99Attention, chronic worriers: it is possible to reduce the intensity, frequency, and duration of painful episodes of anxiety without medication. Licensed counselor Pam Vredvelt draws from twenty years of clinical experience, scientific research, and scriptural insight to offer the reader tools for living a more peaceful and tranquil life. While worrying is for many a deeply embedded habit, because it was learned, it can be “unlearned,” and with compassion and sound advice, Pam shows how.
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Letting Go Of Disappointments And Painful Losses
$13.99Professional counselor Pam Vredevelt constantly hears the question “How do I let go of the pain I feel?” Whether it’s a soured friendship or dissatisfying job, a wayward child, or unrealistic expectations, every person has to deal with lingering disappointment and its clouding effect on attitude and relationships. God does not intend that pain to cripple, distort, and consume his children. Getting “unstuck” is possible, Pam writes, through the use of a few simple and practical tools that lead to peace of mind and tranquility of heart. We’ve all heard the expression, “Let go and let God.” With compassion and warmth, Pam Vredevelt show how.
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Truths That Build
$17.99Truths That Build provides 14 foundational principles that Dick Everson calls the “Truths That Build A Premier Church.” Each principle explains what every Christian should focus on and gives practical insight to Christian living. These Truths That Build will encourage the reader who puts them into practice and ultimately strengthen the local church.
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Scope Of Our Art A Print On Demand Title
$31.99In The Scope of Our Art a diverse group of theological teachers explores the spiritual dimensions of their vocation as religious educators. Drawing on a rich array of resources, including Scripture, The Rule of St.Benedict, medieval women mystics, the Methodist theologian Georgia Harkness, and Simone Weil, as well as their own teaching experiences, the contributors discuss the vital relationships between academic and spiritual formation, religious commitments and teaching practices, and individual and institutional vocation.
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Preaching To Every Pew
$24.00The growing cultural diversity of American society is mirrored in the pews and parishes of mainline denominations and represents a dynamic challenge to the effective proclamation of the gospel on Sunday mornings. Preaching to Every Pew, based on extensive field research, takes on the challenge of preaching in such a context. The authors map an approach to culture from four signifigant perspectives: ethnicity, class, displacement, and religious beliefs. They describe the signifigant ways in which culture influences human beings, detail how cultural influences affect and complicate communication in general and preaching in particular, and then recommend practical strategies for improving communication in culturally diverse settings. Preaching to Every Pew is an invaluable aid to pastors and seminaries yearning for more effective ways to proclaim the gospel.
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More Childrens Sermons To Go
$18.99Ever wonder if anybody remembers your children’s sermons? This idea book is for you! Each of the 52 messages features a scripted talk about God, his love, and his Word; materials list; related Bible verse; and suggestions for inexpensive take-home tokens to help youngsters better understand and recall the lesson. Great for family devotions, too.
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When Your People Are Grieving
$17.99This book calls upon pastors to embrace their positions of leadership and to be a means of grace and mercy to grievers during trying times. Harold Ivan Smith provides insight into the grieving process, giving pastors a better understanding of what to expect as they minister.
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Preaching The Psalms
$20.99In recent years the church has rediscovered the Psalter as a source of inspiration and language for the praise of God in worship. Yet, in spite of this fact, the Psalms are often neglected in preparing for one of the central acts of worship:preaching. Even among those whose preaching follows the lectionary–with its weekly visit to the Psalter–many preachers assume that other texts will lend themselves better to the task of preaching. J. Clinton McCann and James C. Howell propose to address this perception by demonstrating that the Psalms offer the preacher broad and rich possibilities for the congregation’s engagement with Scripture in preaching. The book includes several sample sermons that will further clarify the author’s points regarding the Psalms as a source for Christian preaching.
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