Church Life
Showing 351–400 of 1064 resultsSorted by latest
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Wide Welcome : How The Unsettling Presence Of Newcomers Can Save The Church
$36.66While most churches offer ‘new member classes’ and genuinely seek to welcome visitors, too often the end result is a rush to assimilate the newcomer into formal membership and all of the invitations to participation in committees, choirs, or fellowship groups that go along with it.
In Wide Welcome, Jessicah Krey Duckworth presents the stark differences between the established congregation, which cares for current members and congregational identity, and the disestablished one, intentionally equipped to facilitate the encounter between new and established members. By intentionally extending the time of newcomer inquiry and allowing their questions, insights, and experiences to reverberate through the entire congregation both they and the church are changed. Wide Welcome does far more than point out the faults and weaknesses in current practice. Duckworth intentionally lays out possible designs for newcomer welcome that are local and particular.
At a time when only nine percent of North American Mainline congregations actively and intentionally facilitate newcomer faith formation, Wide Welcome is an essential and timely book.
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People For His Name
$23.51In world missions, the author proposes, the local church is the biblical sending body through which missionaries serve. The author places emphasis upon the practical outworking of the mission responsibilities of the local church as well as its relationship to mission agencies, missionary personnel, and Christian schools.
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Come And See
$21.16The mission of the Church is to introduce the person of Christ to individual human beings who by faith enter into communion with God. This does not involve adapting information to a particular context, but rather establishing the context prescribed by God for the presence of Christ wherever we happen to be among the peoples of the world. Contextualization, then, creates a new invitational core context which is host to the presence of the divine person. This is defined with the help of the gifts of ecclesial Tradition, which enables conditions that facilitate communion, and which thus helps us engage the world.
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Expectations And Burnout
$19.98Missionary women have high expectations when they respond to God’s call; of themselves, their mission agencies, host cultures, churches, co-workers, and even of God. These expectations are often times impossible to fulfill and can lead to mental and physical exhaustion. Eighty percent of missionary women feel they have come close to burnout, whether they were married or single, traditional or tent making, new or experienced. In Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission, Sue provides research and surveys from the field while Robynn lends her own personal experiences to demonstrate how burnout can happen and how God can bring life from ashes. Join them as they explore how to develop realistic expectations and yet maintain faith in our sovereign God who continues to accomplish the impossible.
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Rethinking Hindu Ministry
$16.45Hindu traditions are diverse and complex. Simple summaries of Hindu beliefs and practices lack appreciation for the allure which captivates Hindus themselves. This collection of papers from seasoned practitioners observes Hindu traditions and Hindu ministry from new angles, introducing new perspectives on ministry in Christ’s name that are relevant far beyond the Hindu world. Broad conceptual pictures are presented along with detailed practical advice and introductions to remarkable Hindus who surrendered to Christ and wrestled with the meaning of following Him in their Hindu families. This is the first book to turn to for pointers on sharing Christ with Hindus.
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Profiles Of African American Missionaries
$35.28In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau shows that there are 42 million people who identify themselves as African-Americans. Of the 42 million, there are an estimated 20million who self-identify as Christians. Of this number, very few leave the United States and go to other countries as missionaries. The reasons for the absence of African-American missionaries are varied and in some respects understandable, yet we are all called to be engaged in the Great Commission.
Profiles of African-American Missionaries features the few who have answered the call. This collection of stories shares the lives and contributions of several African-American missionary pioneers dedicated to reaching the lost for the sake of Christ. Readers will be inspired by the commitment of these missionaries who devoted their lives to the foreign fields, with the full knowledge that God would be with them always as Christ promised. You will be challenged to take a look at your own life and consider a response to our Lord’s command to make disciples.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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5 Things You Can Do To Understand The Bible Better
$14.98The Bible may be the best-selling book of all time, but for all its sales, its content remains widely unknown. According to polls only about half of adults in the United States can name one of the four
Gospels, or knew that Genesis was the first book of the Bible.
Many people feel intimidated by the idea of reading the Bible with understanding that feeds and stregthens faith. Zach McIntosh provides basic knowledge of the purposes and themes of the Bible, and reminds us that the easiest way to understand the Bible better is to read it.
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Get Their Name Workbook
$15.99Power-boost your team’s capacity to share faith without anxiety!
Most churches and Christians target the wrong people with “evangelism” efforts. The model we use no longer works because it is passive, too polite, and focused in the wrong direction. We are not making new disciples, not adding significantly to Christ’s transformation of the world. But there is hope and practical help for churches who are ready to take a new approach. Get Their Name by Bob Farr, Kay Kotan, and Doug Anderson outlines that hope and help.The Get Their Name Workbook provides the critical next step. Church leaders can use this resource with their teams, small groups, and staff to power-boost the book’s ideas in their own church context. The workbook is formatted to function as an individual study, too.
The Get Their Name Workbook:
-Creates conversation starters for group discussion or personal reflection
-Poses powerful questions, which can lead to honest and authentic reflection and evaluation
-Encourages group participants to process the information together, increasing understanding and commitment
-Stimulates calls to action, increasing the likelihood of real and sustainable change in the congregationAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Elephant In The Church
$19.99A church can be a dangerous place. The perils may be so obvious, they become “elephants” standing in the fellowship hall, lurking in the sanctuary, ready to spring into the pastor’s study, and tromp out of the choir room. The word “elephant” stands for an obvious truth or issue that is ignored or unnamed-a blind spot. Yet we allow elephants to occupy a large amount of space in the minds and hearts of those that tiptoe around them. Discussing common blind-spots of congregations and church leaders, the authors provide examples and illustrations for how to stop these “elephants” from ruining a ministry.
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Literacy Bible Reading And Church Growth
$22.34The story of Christianity from apostolic times to the present reveals that in virtually every country of the world a Bible-reading laity was an important factor in the growth of the church, both numerically and spiritually. The importance of the Bible in actual history is a challenge to the church today.
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I Am A Church Member
$14.99Best-selling author and ministry leader Thom S. Rainer drew an exceptional response when he posted a 500-word declaration about church membership to his daily blog. “I Am a Church Member” started a conversation about the attitudes and responsibilities of church members — rather than the functional and theological issues — that previous new member primers all but ignored.
Thoughtfully expanded to book form, I Am a Church Member begins to remedy the outbreak of inactive or barely committed church members, addressing without apology what is expected of those who join a body of believers. When a person’s attitude is consistently biblical and healthy, matters of giving, serving, and so forth will fall into place more naturally.
Six intentional chapters with study questions guide this rising discussion:
1. I Will Be a Unifying Church Member
2. I Will Not Let the Church Be About My Preferences and Desires
3. I Will Pray for My Church Leaders
4. I Will Lead My Family to Be Healthy Church Members
5. I Will Be a Functioning Member
6. I Will Treasure Church Membership as a GiftAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Life Changing Leadership (Reprinted)
$15.99Discover the keys to unlocking success in life and ministry. Everyone is looking for that edge, the key that will unlock success in life and ministry. The “edge” is Christ and he has given us keys that will open doors to divine encounters and strategies leading to successful leadership. Amply supported by Scripture and lessons from other successful leaders, this book closely outlines what it takes to be a successful leader in a lukewarm, confused, compromising, religious atmosphere. It defines the functions and responsibilities of leadership teams and offers insight into different leadership styles, as well as the unique temptations and challenges that face a ministry leader. Leaders will discover how Scriptures establish the necessity of God as the head of church government. They will learn how to choose qualified leaders and learn practical ways to train them. Life-Changing Leadership will help strengthen leaders and give them strategies for building and motivating teams by setting and executing team goals that support creativity and faithfulness.
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Who Is The Church
$43.33Many congregations today are beset by fears, whether over loss of members and money, or of irrelevancy in an increasingly pluralistic society. To counter this, many congregations focus on strategy and purpose-what churches “do”-but Cheryl Peterson submits that mainline churches need to focus instead on “what” or “who” they are-to reclaim a theological, rather than sociological, understanding of themselves.
To do this, she places the questions of the church’s identity and mission into a conversation with the primary ecclesiological paradigms of the past century: the neo-Reformation concept of the church as a “word event” and the ecumenical paradigms of the church as “communion.” She argues that these two paradigms assume a context of cultural Christendom that no longer exists-focused on the church that is gathered-rather than the missional church that is sent out.
Peterson suggests instead that we understand the church as a people created by the Spirit to be a community, and that we must claim a narrative method to explore the church’s identity-specifically, the story of the church’s origin in the Acts of the Apostles. Finally, here is a way of thinking of church that reconciles the best of competing models of church for the future of mainline Protestant theology.
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Dear Children : A Letter From God To The Church Through The Scriptures
$33.26What is the “best” church? And which contemporary church leader is the most correct? If God’s Word does not change, does this mean that our faith should also remain unchanged from generation to generation? How should Christians feel about non-believers and-more importantly-how should we respond to the world’s direction when it appears to be against Scripture? Does God even talk to the church anymore? This book is a letter from God. It is addressed to His people-God’s Church-and it is not founded on “traditional” Christianity. It is founded upon God’s Word, the Scriptures. We know that judgment begins at the house of God, and this letter is written for the purpose of allowing God’s people to begin preparing for the judgment that is coming, and for the new age, an age that has already begun.
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Troubled Minds : Mental Illness And The Churchs Mission
$22.991. My Family’s Story
2. Mental Illness Is Mainstream
3. Suffering People
4. Coping
5. Church Life
6. Ministry Life
7. Persistent Stigma
8. What Churches Can Do
9. What God Does
Resources For Ministry To The Mentally IllAdditional Info
Mental illness is the sort of thing we dont like to talk about. It doesnt reduce nicely to simple solutions and happy outcomes. So instead, too often we reduce people who are mentally ill to caricatures and ghosts, and simply pretend they dont exist. They do exist, howeverstatistics suggest that one in four people suffer from some kind of mental illness. And then theres their friends and family members, who bear their own scars and anxious thoughts, and who see no safe place to talk about the impact of mental illness on their lives and their loved ones. Many of these people are sitting in churches week after week, suffering in stigmatized silence. In Troubled Minds Amy Simpson, whose family knows the trauma and bewilderment of mental abuse, reminds us that people with mental illness are our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and she shows us the path to loving them well and becoming a church that loves God with whole hearts and whole souls, with the strength we have and with minds that are whole as well as minds that are troubled.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Church Worth Getting Up For
$18.99A growing number of people seem to be answering this question with, “No, your church isn’t worthy my time or effort!” While research identifies a disturbing exodus from church life by all age groups and young people in particular, many churches continue to maintain the status quo. Can we do no better? Are we too afraid to confront the realities of living in today’s world? Have we failed? This book will help you create a church worth getting up for.
In the book Chuck Gutenson helps us hear from eight church leaders including: Deb Hirsch, Al Hirsch, Mike Slaughter, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Chris Seay, Greg Boyd, Olu Brown, and Doug Pagitt. Each has a “successful” church. Learn what characteristics they have in common.
We all want to be a part of something meaningful-something or someone who will change our lives for the better. The Church has to find new ways to encourage, nurture, guide, inspire, and motivate people to find their true source in Jesus Christ. Jesus is worth getting up for. Help people find in your church a means to experience the source of their deepest desires.
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Relational Pastor : Sharing In Christ By Sharing Ourselves
$20.99When is the last time you asked yourself hard questions about why you were pursuing certain relationships in your ministry? Could it be that the end game for many of us is not relationship per se but loyalty, adherence, even submission? The sheep in our flock become the means to our end: pastoring becomes less about the people of God and more about maintenance of the status quo-and, if we are willing to recognize it, the elevation of our pastoral status. Here practical theologian Andy Root dissects relational ministry as we have come to understand it and searches for the seed of a more wholesome, more pastoral understanding of the relationships for which God has prepared the church: the place where, when two or more are gathered in his name, Christ is present.
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Me Perdieron – (Spanish)
$15.99David Kinnaman trains his researcher’s eye on these young believers and reveals the factors that contribute to the dropout problem. You Lost Me shows why Christians ages 18 to 29 are leaving the church and rethinking their commitment to the faith. Based on new research conducted by the Barna Group, You Lost Me exposes ways the Christian community has failed to equip young adults to live ‘in but not of’ the world–to follow Christ in the midst of profound cultural change. This wide-ranging study debunks persistent myths about young dropouts and examines the likely consequences for young adults and for the church if we maintain the status quo. The faith journeys of the next generation are a challenge to the established church, but they can also be a source of hope for the community of faith. Kinnaman, with the help of contributors from across the Christian spectrum, offers ideas for pastors, youth leaders, parents, and educators to pass on a vibrant, lasting faith, and ideas for young adults to find themselves in wholehearted pursuit of Christ.
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Job 41 : The Leviathan Spirit Of Pride
$18.11Have you ever wondered why your ministry is not flourishing the way God promised you? Have you ever wondered why you are working in the ministry, but not operating in your calling? Has there been an inference that you were just a servant and your job was to support “the ministry inside the four walls,” while undermining the calling to extend beyond the four walls? God compels us to go and make disciples of men and women, and there should be no debate or pushback to advance the Kingdom of God. There is a spirit that has masked itself in the church of today as a spiritual mentor or covering, or one who provides spiritual guidance to you. This spirit that is exposed in the Book of Job is real and has stifled many parishioners, especially leaders, from walking in the ordained gifts of God. I have heard sermon after sermon on the story of Job, but never anything relating to Chapter 41. God allows certain messages to be released at a time when they will be heard and fully understood. This is a universal message for the church of today.
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Ive Been Raped By A Church
$13.95Are you attending a church you used to love, but you’ve lost your zeal for God? Do you feel coerced, manipulated and even raped-as if others have stolen your freedom, your passion and even your joy?
In her landmark new book, I’ve Been Raped by the Church, A Recovery Guide for the Wounded, Co-Pastor and Evangelist Vicky Lynch shares a shocking truth-not all churches are safe places, even for believers. Everyday people are wounded by pastors who are supposed to be lovingly shepherding their flocks, but instead are wounding and killing them. Some are so good at it that their people wonder if they are delusional or if the church is out-of-order. How can these things be?
Well, even Old Testament Scripture addresses these issues. This problem is not a new one, but it has always broken the heart of God, who wants pastors to reflect His unconditional love and help His people find their destinies. Vicky shares insights that will equip you to identify church abuse and offers options on dealing with it. If you’ve been victimized by church abuse, she offers hope and healing for you and others you know who struggle.
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DiscipleShift : Five Steps That Help Your Church To Make Disciples Who Make
$18.99Over the last thirty years, many influential church leaders and church planters in America have adopted various models for reaching unchurched people. An ‘attractional’ model will seek to attract people to a local church. Younger leaders may advocate a more ‘missional’ approach, in which believers live and work among unchurched people and intentionally seek to serve like Christ. While each of these approaches have merit, something is still missing, something even more fundamental to the mission of the church: discipleship. Making disciples—helping people to trust and follow Jesus—is the church’s God-given mandate. Devoted disciples attract people outside the church because of the change others see in their Christ-like lives. And discipleship empowers Christians to be more like Christ as they intentionally develop relationship with non-believers.
DiscipleShift walks you through five key ‘shifts’ that churches must make to refocus on the biblical mission of discipleship. These intentional changes will attract the world and empower your church members to be salt and light in their communities.
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Church Coup : A Cautionary Tale Of Congregational Conflict
$22.48Conflict in churches has reached epidemic levels. With 1,500 pastors leaving ministry every month – many being forced out involuntarily – Jesus’ church is increasingly losing trained, impactful leaders. Such clashes damage pastors, their families, and congregations alike. While many Christian leaders are aware of this issue, most have chosen to maintain silence rather than combat this problem. Church Coup is the firsthand account of a seasoned pastor who experienced a devastating conflict. He exposes why such struggles occur while suggesting biblical, concrete solutions for their resolution. “This book should be read by every pastor and church board member and every lay leader. The story is compelling, and the lessons are critical.” Dave Rolph, senior pastor, Calvary Chapel Pacific Hills, Aliso Viejo, California and teacher on the nationally-syndicated radio program The Balanced Word “With candor and balance, Jim outlines a godly approach to handling the heartbreak of a ministry divided. A must read for anyone who is in the midst of considering letting a pastor go.” Kathi Lipp, author and speaker “Jim has been willing to be transparent about his experience so that others in the work of the church will read this, learn from it, and act differently.” Dale Frimodt, founder and director of Barnabas Ministries, Omaha, Nebraska “I encourage you to read the book carefully and to recommend it to other ministers as well as key church leaders who can make a difference.” Charles H. Chandler, executive director, Ministering to Ministers Foundation, Inc., Richmond, Viriginia A pastor for more than 35 years, Jim is the founder of Restoring Kingdom Builders, a 501(c)(3) organization designed to prevent and resolve church conflict biblically. A graduate of Biola University (B.A.), Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.) and Fuller Seminary (D.Min.), Jim and his wife Kim live in Southern California.
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Christianity After Religion
$16.99Diana Butler Bass, one of contemporary Christianity’s leading trend-spotters, exposes how the failings of the church today are giving rise to a new “spiritual but not religious” movement. Using evidence from the latest national polls and from her own cutting-edge research, Bass, the visionary author of A People’s History of Christianity, continues the conversation began in books like Brian D. McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity and Harvey Cox’s The Future of Faith, examining the connections-and the divisions-between theology, practice, and community that Christians experience today. Bass’s clearly worded, powerful, and probing Christianity After Religion is required reading for anyone invested in the future of Christianity.
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Faithful Generations : Effective Ministry Across Generational Lines
$28.95Faithful Generations provides a hopeful and helpful guide to the different adult generations alive today, discussing the events that formed them and the issues important to them. Most importantly, it describes their spiritual distinctions-the particular needs, gifts and concerns that drive these different generations. With a basic understanding of how other generations think and what drives them spiritually, ministers and congregations can not only avoid conflict, but also put those distinctions to work in order to minister more effectively and create harmony in our religious communities.
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Insourcing : Bringing Discipleship Back To The Local Church
$22.99Too many of today’s pastors and leaders mistakenly think that thriving programs, lively worship services, and relevant preaching are adequate for developing people into the spiritual dynamos God desires. In many churches, the primary objective of the church—discipleship of people into mature followers of Jesus—has been ‘outsourced’ to programs and large-scale efforts to train and teach. But is that happening? Are people growing in spiritual depth and missional determination?
Twenty-five years ago, the leaders of Randy Pope’s rapidly growing church took serious stock of their own spiritual development and realized all of them had benefitted from a personal discipleship relationship that had helped them grow in their faith and discover where God was calling them to service. As a church, they decided to make personal discipleship their do-or-die aim: applying one person’s real life to another’s to accomplish something far bigger than that single life. Perimeter calls their approach ‘life-on-life missional discipleship’ and Insourcing tells their story.
Randy Pope writes for church leaders who recognize the value of discipleship and need practical ideas for reorienting church ministries around personal discipleship. Readers will be encouraged that a wide scale personal discipleship program is attainable for any church.
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Connecting Church 2.0
$24.99The development of meaningful relationships, where every member carries a significant sense of belonging, is central to what it means to be the church. So why do many Christians feel disappointed and disillusioned with their efforts to experience authentic community? Despite the best efforts of pastors, small group leaders and faithful lay persons, church is too often a place of loneliness rather than connection. In this revised and updated version of his bestselling book, Randy Frazee shows us how church can be so much…better-more intimate and alive.
The answer may seem radical today, but it was a central component of life in the early church. First-century Christians knew what it meant to live in vital community with one another, relating with a depth and commitment that made “the body of Christ” a perfect metaphor for the church. What would it take to reclaim that kind of love, joy, support, and dynamic spiritual growth? Read this book and find out.
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Parenting In The Pew (Revised)
$18.99Foreword By Ruth Bell Graham
Preface To The 3rd Edition (2013)
Preface To The Expanded Edition (2001)
Thank You
1. Daddy, I’d Like You To Meet My Children
2. Worship B.C. And A.D.
3. Praise And Puppies
4. Sunday Morning Starts Saturday Night
5. Counting Bricks Or Encountering God
6. Make A Joyful Noise
7. Prayer, Confession And Canned Goods
8. Just How Long Was That Sermon?
9. Saving Up For Something Special
10. The Holy Hug
Discussion Questions And Reflections
Appendix A: Parenting In A Wiggly Pew, The Challenge Of An Overactive Child
Appendix B: Childrens Worship For Seeker Churches
Appendix C: Guidelines And Ideas For The “Children’s Sermon” In Worship
Appendix D: Developing An Intergenerational Approach To MinistryAdditional Info
Daddy, I’d like you to meet my children. That’s Robbie Castleman’s attitude about taking her children to church. She believes that Sunday morning isn’t a success if she has only managed to keep the kids quiet. And she knows there’s more to church for kids than trying out their new coloring books. Children are at church for the same reason as their parents: for the privilege of worshiping God. Worship, Castleman writes, is “the most important thing you can ever train your child to do.” So with infectious passion, nitty-gritty advice and a touch of humor, she shows you how to help your children (from toddlers to teenagers) enter into worship. In this significantly revised and updated third edition Castleman includes a new preface and two new appendices that provide new perspectives on children’s sermon and intergenerational community. She also provides a study guide for personal reflection or group discussion. More than ever, Parenting in the Pew is essential reading for parents and worship leaders who want to help children make joyful noises unto the Lord.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Come On Church Wake Up
$10.99Are You Awake?
Believers around the world are being deceived. Many walk in unrepentant sin, lulled into a misguided sense of security by false doctrine. It is time for the church to take a stand and preach the truth: Jesus is coming soon, and His bride, the church, must be free from sin when He returns.
In Come On Church! Wake Up! author Michele Neal shares the God-inspired message that drove her to action. She calls believers to wake from their state of complacency, repent, and begin to serve God wholeheartedly before it is too late.Time is short! We must open our eyes and change our attitude toward sin. Come On Church! Wake Up! will stir you to action, encouraging you to reconsider what it means to be a true follower of Christ on the path to heaven.
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Plantador De Iglesias – (Spanish)
$15.99Darrin Patrick, vice president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, looks at what Scripture teaches about this man’s character, his teaching, and the aim of his church. Offering guidance and wisdom from years of experience, Patrick reminds us that ultimately no church will succeed apart from a man with a message who leads a church on a mission. This book is for every Christian leader. Church Planter is an essential resource for those considering planting a church or already in such a plant, and maybe even more important for those leading an established church. It has wide-ranging application for elders and leadership teams seeking to better understand how the gospel must take root in their church. Avoiding an over-emphasis on particular models or methods, Patrick lays out biblical principles and sound wisdom as he urges the church to return to biblical criteria for determining the man, the message, and the mission God uses to build his church. ‘ less… more ‘
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Small Groups With Purpose (Reprinted)
$22.35This practical book walks church leadership through the questions they need to answer to develop their own intentional small group strategy. Built around the most commonly asked questions, it outlines the step-by-step process of creating a successful small group ministry. Because it is built upon principles and not methods, this plan can be implemented in any size church. Each chapter ends with a list of questions for leaders to answer to help them assess their current situation and their desires for the future.
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Church As Moral Community
$49.98In this work, Michael O’Neil investigates Karl Barth’s theology in the turbulent and dynamic years of his nascent career, between 1915 and 1922. It focuses on the manner in which this great theologian construed Christian and ecclesial existence. The author argues that Karl Barth developed his theology with an explicit ecclesial and ethical motive in a deliberate attempt to shape the ethical life of the church in the troublesome context within which he lived and worked.
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Western Christians In Global Mission
$22.99Preface: An Invitation To A Journey
Introduction: Questions For The Journey
Part 1: Where Are We Now?
1. The State Of The World
2. An Appraisal Of The North American Church
3. An Appraisal Of The Majority World ChurchPart 2: Moving Forward
4. Biblical Continuity
5. Posture Of Humility
6. Purposeful Reciprocity
7. Sacrifice–Not Just Generosity
8. Partnership Equality
9. Listening To Our Non-Western Brothers And Sisters
10. United Together–So That The World Might KnowConclusion: Responding To The Invitation
Bibliography
Appendix: Letters To The North American ChurchAdditional Info
The world has changed. A century ago, Christianity was still primarily centered in North America and Europe. By the dawn of the twenty-first century, Christianity had become a truly global faith, with Christians in Asia, Africa and Latin America outpacing those in the rest of the world. There are now more Christians in China than in all of Europe, more Pentecostals in Brazil than in the United States, and more Anglicans in Kenya than in Great Britain, Canada and the United States combined. Countries that were once destinations for western missionaries are now sending their own missionaries to North America. Given these changes, some think the day of the Western missionary is over. Some are wary that American mission efforts may perpetuate an imperialistic colonialism. Some say that global outreach is best left to indigenous leaders. Others simply feel that resources should be focused on the home front. Is there an ongoing role for the North American church in global mission? Missions specialist Paul Borthwick brings an urgent report on how the Western church can best continue in global mission. He provides a current analysis of the state of the world and how Majority World leaders perceive North American Christians’ place. Borthwick offers concrete advice for how Western Christians can be involved without being paternalistic or creating dependency. Using their human and material resources with wise and strategic stewardship, North Americans can join forces with the Majority World in new, interdependent ways to answer Gods call to global involvement. In this critical age, the global body of Christ needs one another more than ever. Discover how the Western church can contribute to a new era of mission marked by mutuality, reciprocity and humility.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Biblical Foundations For The Cell Based Church
$18.68Why cell church? Is it because David Cho’s church, the largest church in the history of Christianity, is a cell church? Is it because someone said the number twelve will bring blessings and growth? Is it because cell church is the strategy that many “great” churches are using?
Ralph Neighbour repeatedly says, “Theology must breed methodology.” I’ve arrived at the same conclusion. This book sets forth the biblical theology for cell based ministry. Without biblical truth, we don’t have a firm under-pinning upon which we can hang our ministry and philosophy. On the other hand, we can plod through most anything when we know that God is stirring us to behave biblically.
Cell church is not the latest, greatest church growth strategy. If it were, it would simply be a passing fad until the next hotter, more relevant strategy comes along. In fact, in many places around the world, cell church transforms the church through a purification process. Church growth is slow but cell church helps Christ’s church go deeper.
I’ve been studying the cell church movement since 1991, and the more I travel on this cell church journey, the more I see that the cell church strategy doesn’t produce rapid growth in itself. God reserves growth for himself. He wants to receive the glory for all church growth.
The first section of this book will bring out what the Bible says about small groups. I will start in the Old Testament with the Trinity, family, and how the nation Israel divided into groups of ten. Then I’ll explore how Jesus started house churches and gathered together his own small group of twelve. I will cover extensively how the early church met in homes and then gathered those house churches together. We’ll look at the images of the church and how New Testament leadership naturally developed through the house church process.
In the second section I’ll cover what I believe is the main reason for small groups: to make disciples who make disciples. God has ordained small groups to develop followers of Jesus. Cell groups are leader breeders. They prepare future disciples to be more like God, and He uses the small group atmosphere in the following areas:
Community: Our God is a social God. He’s in constant unity with the other members of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not an individualist. Jesus demonstrated this same unity while on earth. He never did anything that wasn’t perfectly pleasing to the Father and Spirit (John 5:19-30). He then
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Why You Need Not Fear Death
$15.61In the process of our lifetime and commitment to Christ, we are taught what was then thought to be the “full gospel truth,” but in fact wasn’t as complete as it could have been. You will be surprised at what we missed.
Previous works: Redeemed? Say So! Harper & Row 1977 Divorce & the Christian. Tyndale House Publishers 1980 Who is Jesus Christ & What is Christianity? Joint Heirs Pub 1998 Bridge to Eternity (Thai Language) Bible League Bangkok 1989 Hard cover Divorce & Christian Joint Heirs Publishers 1997 Why Jesus? Joint Heirs Pub 2001. Theologians who endorsed one or more of Dr. Plekker’s works in the past William Hendriksen, Author, New Testament Commentary. Richard Halverson. Pastor, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Washington D.C. Rev M.S. Jorritsma First Christian Reformed Church Seattle Washington. Dr. Harold Ockenga. President, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr. Tim LaHaye Pastor, Scott Memorial Baptist Church El Cajon, California. Robert Schuller, Garden Grove Community Church. Dr. James A De Jong, President emeritus Calvin Theological Seminary. William Stoddard. Author, First Light Multnomah-Portland, Oregon. Luder G Witlock, Jr President, Reformed Theological Seminary; Ben Haden. Speaker, Changed lives. Richard Mouw, President, Fuller theological Seminary; A Kenneth Curtis. Gateway Films-AM. Baptist Convention. Edwin Y Bernard, World Missions and Evangelism, Moody Bible Institute; Harold Lindsell. Editor emeritus Christianity Today.
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Missional God Missional Church
$33.99Introduction
1. The Greatest Commission
2. Breaking Free … Through Discerning Inculturation
3. Breaking Free … Of The Entrapment Of Indiscriminate Enculturation
4. Greatest Co-mmission: The Missional TrinityPart One: Discovering Shalom
5. Communities Of Christ’s Risen Presence
6. Mission Of Incarnation And Resurrection
7. Communities Of Christ’s Crucified Presence … Beautiful Scars
8. Mission About The Cross, Mission Under The CrossPart Two: Disseminating Shalom …
9. Communities Of The Triune Missional God: Mission The Mother Of Theology, Theology The Mother Of Mission
10. Mission In Participation With The Son By The Spirit: The Spirituality Of Mission As Theosis 11. Communities Of The Spirit: Gathered And Scattered
12. Communities Of Forgiveness: Mission Of Absolution And FreedomAdditional Info
Pastor, teacher and theologian Ross Hastings addresses the fear and frustration that often accompany talk about the churchs missional vocation. There is an antidote to the “locked door” syndrome that affects us now as it did that band of apostles in the upper room. Hastings directs us to the foundation of hope in the trinitarian commission of John 20 where Jesus grants them his peace by breathing on them his Spirit. He formed them into his community of shalom. Leaving that place of isolation, these “sent ones” went out to participate in Gods own ongoing mission to the world. Hastings tackles the dual challenges of isolation from and accommodation to the surrounding culture. In doing so he opens up a theological vista on the missional character of our trinitarian God and the missional identity of his church. Building on the works of David Bosch, Lesslie Newbigin, Christopher Wright and Darrell Guder, the author corrects numerous dichotomies that hinder the church. In the power of the Spirit the gathered church is spiritually transformed and also scattered as it proclaims Gods forgiveness and freedom Hastings presents here a comprehensive theology of mission. In doing so he confronts the fears and pessimism that erode our faithful effort to join in Christs mission to the world.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Start This Stop That
$18.99We need less conventional wisdom and more creative leadership.
Not all of the advice church leaders have heard on church growth works. Judging by declining membership in many mainstream denominations, most doesn’t. It’s time to reevaluate the standard thinking on how to grow a church, especially considering the number of new voices questioning the worth of church growth.
The Cowarts have an amazing story to tell. Harvest Church has grown from a church plant of four – Jim and Jennifer and their two children – to a thriving community of more than 2,200 disciples of Jesus. Harvest Church is changing the world and having an awesome time doing it.
Learn why conventional church thinking such as pastoral care, long-term planning, stewardship campaigns, committees, and even staff appointments can actually inhibit church growth.
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Intergenerational Christian Formation
$30.99Acknowledgments
Venturing Into Intergenerationality: Our Stories
Introduction
Part One: Generational Realities
1. What Is The Problem?
2. How Did We Get Here? Why Churches Tended To Separate The Generations
3. Why Bring The Generations Back Together? The Benefits Of Intergenerationality
4. What Shall We Name This Approach?
Part Two: Biblical, Theological, And Theoretical Support
5. Feasts, Jehoshaphat And House Churches: Biblical Foundations
6. Growing Each Other Up: Theoretical Foundations
7. Midwives, Tailors And Communities Of Practice: Learning Theory
8. The Trinity, Koinonia And The Body: Theological Foundations
Part Three: Support From The Social Sciences
9. Becoming Christian In Community: “Religious Socialization”
10. The Very Old And The Very Young: Contributions From Gerontology
11. Millennials, Xers, Boomers And Silents: Generational Theory
12. By The Numbers: Empirical Research
Part Four: Intergenerational Christian Formation Practices
13. Creating A Culture Of Intergenerationality
14. Intergenerational Worship
15. Intergenerational Learning Experiences
16. Intergenerationality And Story Sharing
17. Intergenerational Service And Missions
18. Intergenerational Small Groups
19. Cross-Generational Relationships In Multicultural Churches
20. Intergenerationality And Megachurches
Conclusion
Appendix A: Forty Intergenerational Ideas
Appendix B: Intergenerational Resources
Appendix C: Biblical Passages That Reflect An Intergenerational OutlookAdditional Info
One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4 Most churches and faith communities segment their ministries by age and generation. The kids go to childrens church, the teens go to youth group. Worship services are geared toward different generational preferences, and small groups gather people at the same life stage, whether singles, young marrieds, parents or empty nesters. In some congregations, people may never interact with those of other ages. But it was not always so. Throughout biblical tradition and the majority of history, communities of faith included people of all ages together in corporate worship, education and ministry. The church was not just multigenerational; it was intergenerational, with the whole church together as one family and people of all ages learning from one another in common life. In this comprehensive text, Holly Allen and Christine Ross offer a complete framework for intentional intergenerational Christian formation. They provide the theoretical foundations for intergenerationality, showing how learning and spiritual formation are better accomplished through intergenerational contexts. It is not just elders teaching youth; learning also takes place when adults discover fresh insights from children. Then the authors give concrete guidance for intergenerational praxis on how worship, learning, community and service can all be achieved intergenerationally. Case studies of intergenerational congregations provide models for how a culture of intergenerationality can be created in local churches. This volume serves as an essential guide for all preparing for and involved in congregational ministry and formation. Discover the riches of intergenerational ministry, and let all generations commend the works of God to one another.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Teaming Church : Ministry In The Age Of Collaboration
$18.99Create a successful team culture.
Great teams live and serve in light of the Divine Team-the Trinity, and to be truly effective they need: a deeply challenging goal, a creatively empowering leader, and a willingness to collaborate and honor the Bible.
Author Robert C. Crosby provides innovative ways in which biblical teams reflect the workings and nature of the image of God. Revealing what he calls “The Four C’s of Great Teams” : The Character, The Carrot, The Coach, and The Contex. Crosby shows how successful teams reach their goals more effectively. Conversely, he also addresses the “Four Fatal Teaming Errors” and how to avoid unnecessary, time-consuming missteps.
This book provides biblical motivations, vivid examples, and practical approaches for creating a teaming culture in any faith community. Crosby, a leader who has built teams as a senior pastor, youth leader, and university administrator, is now training and mentoring a new generation of pastors and leaders.
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Restart Your Church
$18.99Recognize
Realize
Restore
Review
Reform
Resensitize
Release
Reinvigorate
Reemphasize
RebirthAdditional Info
As a result of the near-death experiences of many congregations today, denominational leaders are looking for ways to revitalize churches. The act of revitalization often starts with the assumption that what was once vital can be vital again, if church leaders simply do the same better. So congregations increase programs, budgets, and formulas. They look back in time, trying to recapture a period when the church’s role in society was vital. A church seeking revitalization typically does more of the same, but faster.However, the central story of faith is the story of both death and resurrection. Followers of Christ like to live out the resurrection part of their faith, but they often aren’t very comfortable dealing with what must come before resurrection – death. The church must be willing to live out its entire story, from beginning to end.
The church needs to trust the idea that God brings to life what God wants to. This book suggests shifting away from the language of revitalization toward the story of death and resurrection. Escobedo-Frank focuses on ten specific “re-” words to outline a strategy for dying and resurrecting again – for restarting the church.
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Strategic Church : A Life Changing Church In An Ever Changing Culture (Reprinted
$26.25Today’s church world is complex, with an array of church and leadership models that can cause confusion rather than bring clarity. It’s no wonder that some leaders can lose sight of the church they is commissioned to build. Strategic Church will help pastors and leaders refocus on visioning and building a faith community that is biblically based and spiritually transformative, helping people become fruitful disciples of Christ. Readers will uncover principles from the church Jesus built and find out how to apply these strategies to their local context. Strategic Church offers road-tested tools and proven principles for building a life-changing church in a complex culture.
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Joy Together : Spiritual Practices For Your Congregation
$22.00Guidance and examples for Christian leaders as they seek ways to involve their congregations or small groups in spiritual practices
Although interest in spiritual practices has grown in recent years, most of the books available address individuals who wish to try Christian disciplines such as fasting or fixed-hour prayer. This book, by contrast, offers guidance and examples to Christian leaders as they seek ways to involve their congregations or small groups in spiritual practices.
In Joy Together, Lynne M. Baab describes six spiritual practices that congregations can attempt together: thankfulness, fasting, contemplative prayer, lectio divina, hospitality, and Sabbath keeping. She goes on to explore how these practices can help with congregational life and discernment and provides practical instructions for communicating with group members. Discussion questions are included at the end of each chapter so groups can delve into the topics more fully
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Missional Moves : 15 Tectonic Shifts That Transform Churches Communities An
$22.99The church was never designed to be a fortress for the righteous, but a flood of revolutionaries, bringing the Good News of the Kingdom to broken lives and broken communities. Today, millions of Christians are awakening to the holism of the gospel call, expanding their understanding of mission beyond just touching individual lives to impacting and transforming entire communities with the message of God’s grace. If this calling toward movement and transformation is to be realized, it will require some earth-shaking shifts—‘Missional Moves’—that fundamentally alter our understanding of the church and how its mission is lived out. This book provides a plan of action for your church that will empower you to unleash each member on a mission, both locally and globally.
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Discerning Gods Will Together (Revised)
$51.66Bible study, research, and fieldwork merge in this book of practical principles for decision making by spiritual discernment. The step-by-step approach can be used to help any size group learn a new way to make decisions–a way that is interactive, spiritual, and rooted in faith practices and community. Small groups, committees, church boards, church leaders at all levels, and seminary professors will find this book valuable.
This is a revised and updated version of the book, originally published in 1997. This new version includes revised and updated material, as well as a new introduction by Charles Olsen.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Will The Real Church Please Stand Up
$16.95In this challenging and thought-provoking book, author James David Montgomery points out that although churches dot almost every street corner in America, many have strayed from God’s original design. He believes too many churches today stand in stark contrast to the first century church that turned the world upside down. Rev. Montgomery calls on Christians of every denomination to return to their roots and rediscover what made the early church great. He reminds us of the building-shaking, great-grace, fear-of-God-preaching, Pharisee-defying, souls-added-to-the-church-daily explosions of God’s glory in the book of Acts.
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Church Planting For Reproduction
$20.61The task of church planting requires the wisdom of a practitioner and the logic of a strategist. With his years of experience planting churches, and his extensive research on the subject, the author displays these two requisites on every page of his fruitful study.
“As a missionary and missiologist,” writes J. Ronald Blue of Dallas Theological Seminary, “the author gives a new perspective to church planting that extends beyond the immediate and sometimes shallow goal of a newly installed fellowship of believers. This book will be an invaluable aid to church planters and missionaries. This is a church planting guide that puts it all together.”
The author emphasizes that the primary goal of missions constitutes planting churches, which in turn are able to reproduce themselves. By using the proven management method Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), the author outlines each step needed to accomplish that goal. Over sixty charts illustrate his principles and directives.
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Developing Healthy Churches
$23.99Church House Publishing
Developing Healthy Churches is an utterly practical and realistic guide for any leader seeking to revitalize and grow their church.The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Healthy Churches’ Handbook, this new volume will help you implement tried and tested approaches for healthy church growth in your parish.
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Fresh Expressions And The Kingdom Of God
$27.00Mission Shaped Church, the groundbreaking report which has sold over 20,000 copies has transformed understandings of mission in the UK. Fresh Expressions, which sprang into being in its wake, is an established presence in Britain, the USA and Canada. This important book poses a challenging question: what are the aims of mission and are they being achieved through Fresh Expressions? This book argues that mission is equally about social transformation or, in biblical terms, building the kingdom of God, as well as building the church. Theological reflection and stories from front line practitioners in churches in the sacramental traditions (with their heritage of service in poor communities) combine to create a unique, timely and valuable resource which includes contributions from leading names in the study and practice of mission today.
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Peculiar Goings On
$14.49Dave Walker, cartoonist, web editor and former church and community youth worker has become the UK’S leading cartoon commentator on the state of the Church (from what the biscuits you’re offered there say about it, to insider knowledge of synod workings). His uniquely styled Guide to the Church cartoons appear weekly in the Church Times, and on the paper’s daily blog, and many more can be found on Dave’s website, www.cartoonchurch.com. This is his fourth collection of cartoons and his books alone have sold 13,500 copies so far. His many fans will love this further collection with its numerical table of churchgoing types, its at-a-glance guide to going on a retreat, its explanation of what actually happens to all those yogurt pots collected for the holiday club, and its startling revelation of what people are really thinking about during the prayers, and a great deal more hilarity on every page.
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Messy Church
$15.99When God created the church, He didn’t build a corporation. He created a family.
We are not called to be consumers who ask what the church can offer us. Instead, we are called to be a family, loving deeply, fighting fairly, and bringing hope to a new generation. A true family is where we are known, loved, accepted, and ultimately, where our deepest needs are met.
Our culture is dying for the kind of community that only the church can provide-if we are living as the family God intended-protecting one another, extending grace, and loving unconditionally.
In Messy Church, Pastor Ross Parsley shares his compelling vision for a better way of life. It’s called church-and it’s a place where no one gets left behind.
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Welcoming Congregation : Roots And Fruits Of Christian Hospitality
$24.00This practical book by pastor and writer Henry G. Brinton studies the biblical basis for Christian hospitality and how it is practiced in congregations today.
“Every time people sit down to eat and drink together, there is the possibility that community will grow and people will be reconciled to one another. This is good news for a fractured and polarized world, and a strong sign of the importance of being a welcoming congregation that embraces all people with God’s love and grace.” from the introduction
This practical book by pastor and writer Henry G. Brinton studies the biblical basis for Christian hospitality and how it is practiced in congregations today. While recognizing the challenges for embracing all people in the life of the church, Brinton offers a helpful guide for creating a hospitable congregation and welcoming others through spiritual formation, reconciliation, and outreach. He includes discussion questions and an action plan in each chapter.
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