Denominational Concerns
Showing 601–650 of 853 results
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Leading Beyond The Walls
$27.99Add to cartGood pastoral leadership is not a “by the numbers” proposition. It is a matter of heart and soul, of devoting the whole self to the vision God gives for the congregation in which one serves. Yet neither is it purely intuitive; it requires hard, careful thinking about the directions and details of the path down which God calls. When Adam Hamilton became pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, its membership consisted of himself and his family. Ten years later the church averages between five and six thousand worshipers per weekend. Throughout this remarkable period, Hamilton learned many serious lessons about both the broad visions and the specific details of pastoral leadership. Bringing a depth of analytical skills often lacking in visionary leaders, in this book he goes beyond simply telling the story of Church of the Resurrection. He shares the questions that he learned to ask about the largely unchurched population to which Church of the Resurrection has reached out. Further, he demonstrates what he learned by listening to the answers to these questions, and how doing so has made possible a number of strategically crucial decisions the church has made. One of those crucial decisions was to make more traditional forms of worship and praise the center of the congregation’s life. The result is that the example of Church of the Resurrection offers pastors and church leaders (especially those in mainline denominations) the realization that they need not completely change their liturgical and theological identity in order to reach out to the unchurched. Drawing on his own experience, as well as the detailed research on the characteristics of highly successful congregations he undertook during a sabbatical leave, Hamilton offers pastors and other church leaders solid, substantive thinking on steps that congregations can take to become centers of vibrant outreach and mission.Also available in:Adobe Ebook 9780687026753Microsoft Ebook 9780687027491
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Politics In The Order Of Salvation
$45.99Add to cartWhere should John Wesley be located on the political spectrum? As a fanatical Tory, politically conservative in his fidelity to the British monarchy, advocation of taxation without representation, and opposition to the American Revolution or as an emerging proponent of political liberalism in his condemnation of slavery, defense of individual rights and liberties, and support of government aid to combat social problems like poverty and hunger? Weber argues for a much more nuanced reading of Wesley’s political thought, which labels Wesley as an “organic constitutionalist,” standing in the same political tradition as Richard Hooker and Edmund Burke. Weber’s historical and theological study also turns constructive, as he challenges Wesley’s antidemocratic and antirepublican sentiments by employing Wesley’s “political image of God” within the larger context of the ordo salutis (order of salvation). A superb contribution to Wesleyan studies, with implications reaching into the fields of theology, political theory, and social ethics. Weber is Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Candler School of Theology, Emory University.
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Womans Place : Leadership In The Church
$17.99Add to cart“Women have achieved relative parity with men in virtually every area of society–except the church,” writes C.S. Cowles, challenging the long-held practice and belief that a Christian woman’s place is in the pew but not in the pulpit, lectern, boardroom, or other places of leadership. Through a careful study of key biblical texts, Cowles refutes what he terms the church’s “institutional discrimination against women” and calls for it to open leadership positions to “whomever the Holy Spirit should call and whomever evidences gifts for public ministry, without regard to race, social class, or gender.” “It is time for the church to discover the richness, beauty, and spiritual power that can be released only through the full expression of women’s unique gifts and special sensitivities.”
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John Wesleys Life And Ethics
$31.99Add to cartThis book analyses John Wesley’s personal and social ethical thought by placing him in social location and examining his ethics biographically. Stone argues that in the case of John Wesley, the Christian traditions provide a biblically informed, deontological ethic of love. This ethic is grounded in Christian community to form the individual, and in social reform to transform the nation within the limits of Christian realism concerning human nature and social order. In broad strokes, the book covers the ethical reflection and teaching of Wesley and at appropriate points places it in comparative perspective with other eighteenth-century contributors to ethics and social thought. Ethical topics addressed in the volume include: abolition, vocation, family, money, the social nature of humanity, politics, economics, imperial relations, and war and peace.
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8 Life Enriching Practices Of United Methodists
$9.99Add to cartThis resource is a summary study of the eight life-enriching practices that are part of the series–prayer, Bible study, evangelism, community, worship and the sacraments, outreach, justice and others. Questions for discussion are included with each chapter.
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Fire And Wind
$24.00Add to cartA collection of essays and sermons by prominent Presbyterian theologians and leaders on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and its application for the faithful today. This is a companion piece to Confessing the Faith Today (both are collections of presentations made at convocations on important topics).
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There We Stood Here We Stand
$15.54Add to cartNearly 500 years after Martin Luther nailed his 95-theses to the church door at Wittenberg, the Lutheran Church has split again and again. What went wrong?
These thought-provoking testimonies by eleven former Lutherans reveal how far the Lutheran Church has strayed from Luther. They include moving stories from four former female pastors, three former pastors, and others. Their intensely personal stories address the differences between Lutheranism and Catholicism – differences so profound that they have led many into the Catholic Church.
Whether you are Lutheran or Catholic you’ll come away from this book with a new, and perhaps life-changing perspective.
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Focus On Matthew (Student/Study Guide)
$21.95Add to cartWhen adults commit to study an entire book of the Bible, they open themselves to profound spiritual growth and deeper faith. Combining scripture text with informative commentary, the Focus Bible Study Series is the perfect guide for in-depth scripture study. Each book features: * Thought-provoking study questions with space for written responses * A wealth of ideas to promote prayer and journal meditations that build faith and understanding of the scriptures * Numberous suggestions for activities that promote experiential learning and meaningful discussion to encourage spiritual growth.
Use the Focus Bible Study Series as part of Sunday sessions, for midweek Bible study groups, or for individual study
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Discovering Hope : Building Vitality In Rural Congregations
$17.99Add to cartGod’s Spirit is breathing new vitality into rural congregations! Hear what 26 effective rural congregations have to say about God’s activity in and through them. In these stories, you can explore the best practices for vital ministry and identify action steps for your own setting.
Use Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Rural Congregations on your own, in a group, or at learning events involving many congregations. For a “virtual visit” of the three congregations highlighted in chapter 1, see the companion video, Stories of Hope in Rural Congregations .
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Conversion In The Wesleyan Tradition
$36.99Add to cartThis collection seeks to re-invoke the notion of conversation as an identifiable experience in a Christian’s life in opposition to gradualist soteriologies that now predominate, in the opinion of the contributors, among Methodists. The notion of conversion is explored by a diverse body of scholars from various Methodist traditions and fields of study–bible, history, theology and practical.
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Preaching From Luke Acts
$17.99Add to cartThe context for this book is rooted in the life of the local church. We desire to integrate biblical scholarship and homiletical theory with the task of preaching Luke/Acts. Our prayer is that the responsible integration of these resources will increase the ability of the Holy Spirit to empower preachers for faithful proclamation of God’s word. To that end we give God the glory
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Beyond Colonial Anglicanism
$38.95Add to cartProvocative writings by a cadre of international authors examine the nature and shape of the Communion today; the colonial legacy, economic tensions and international debt; sexuality and justice; the ecological crisis, violence and healing in South Africa; persecution and religious fundamentalism; and more.
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Excellent Protestant Congregations
$34.00Add to cart1. Lutheran Ministries Of Southwest Oklahoma
2. Seekers Church
3. Mountain Top Community Church
4. All Saints Episcopal Church
5. Riverside Baptist Church
6. First United Methodist Church
7. Chinese Christian Union Church
8. Full Gospel Church Of God In Christ
9. Warehouse 242Additional Info
Though it is popular for individuals to seek a variety of spiritual practices and approaches, the local congregation still remains the place where most Christians turn for religious education, nurture, ritual, and a sense of community. With the influx of new faces in the pews, many congregations are struggling to respond to their spiritual needs. In Excellent Protestant Congregations, respected religion journalist Paul Wilkes profiles nine dynamic, geographically and denominationally diverse congregations that have the ability to create a vibrant community of workshop. Wilkes draws out the “points of excellence” that lie beneath each congregation’s success and vitality. From hosting luncheons after funerals to organizing powerful life-changing retreats, from developing a capital campaign to getting volunteers to cheerfully do work for the church, Excellent Protestant Congregations provides real-world insights that are both inspiring and applicable in a local congregation. The geographic listing of over 300 excellent Protestant congregations and an index guiding readers to specific topics, such as stewardship, bereavement, and how to reach Gen Xers, make Excellent Protestant Congregations an invaluable resource for church life. -
Blueprints For Worship
$23.99Add to cart165 Pages
Additional Info
This book is intended to provide practical assistance for pastors, musicians, and others who plan and lead worship in local congregations. Based upon the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal, the 1992 United Methodist Book of Worship, and the 1992 Revised Common Lectionary, this book will enable you to create, design, build, and lead effective worship experiences in your local congregation. Through a worksheet format that culls information and references from the sources mentioned above, you’ll be able to more effectively integrate preaching, music, movement, and environment. -
GodViews : The Convictions That Drive Us And Divide Us
$22.00Add to cartGodViews is a provocative and insightful look at the divisions within the church. The author is a notable conservative Presbyterian whose thinking and writing style has many fans on the liberal end as well. Here, Jack Haberer discusses five different concerns of Christians: preservation of truth, promotion of intimacy with God, unity in the church, caring for victims, and welcoming the marginalized.
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Deacons Heart : The New United Methodist Diaconate
$22.99Add to cartA Deacon’s Heart is a significant gift not only to The United Methodist Church but also to the larger ecumenical community. The diaconate is growing at a tremendous pace in many denominations around the world. In all communions that have chosen to establish a permanent diaconate, emphasis has been exerted in interpreting the meaning and influence of the new orders and offices to the total ministry of the Church. This book will take its place as an interpretive resource on the new deacon in The United Methodist Church. It will assist in understanding not only the vision of the deacon, but how the very nature of the diaconate can lead the Church in renewal.
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What It Means To Be Human
$18.00Add to cart1. On Being Human
2. Human Being In The Image Of God
3. Conflict, Sin, And Grace
4. God Reaches Out To Us
5. Goodness Outside The Garden
6. Living In The Imago DeiAdditional Info
In this short, clear volume, Bartel tackles the question, “What does it mean to be human?” Human beings are created by God and defined by relationships — both with God and with each other. As Christians, we believe that people are created by God. But what does it mean to be created by God? What is it that God has created?Bartel encourages readers to think about what they are asking and what they hope to get from exploring the issues surrounding this age-old question. Even if we believe that we understand these concepts, how do they affect our day-to-day life as Christians? Commissioned by the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA), this book provides a brief but complete approach to the Christian doctrine of humanity.
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Searching For Truth
$18.00Add to cart1. Confessing Christ As An Act Of Love
2. Loving Our Enemies: Faith’s Difficult Questions
3. The Arrogance Of Modesty And The End Of Autonomy
4. Trinitarian Life
5. Telling The Truth As An Act Of Faith
6. Other Voices, Other Claims: The Gospel And Other Religions
7. Feeling Uncomforatable At Home: The Gospel’s Encounter With North American Paganism
8. The Language Of Love: Confessing Christ Before An Indifferent Or Hostile Culture
9. The Hope That Is Within UsAdditional Info
How can we speak the truth as truth, yet speak it in love? How can we confess Jesus Christ without that confession being merely a rock we throw at a culture we are only too ready to dismiss or, worse, without reducing its gospel truth to something we find manageable and, finally, harmless? How can we avoid the temptations either to think that we alone possess the truth or to trim the truth to make it less offensive to the world? These are the questions that this cleary written book will attempt to answer, quesitons about the challenge of claiming and trusting the truthfulness of gospel in a time when all such truth claims are suspect. -
Introducing The Reformed Faith
$35.00Add to cartMcKim examines Reformed beliefs on sixteen theological topics (e.g., scripture, the Trinity, sin, salvation, the person of Jesus; Baptism) and discusses distinctive emphases of the Reformed faith. He shows how Reformed beliefs relate to the broader ecumenical family of Christian teachings.
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Belief Matters : United Methodisms Doctrinal Standards
$13.99Add to cart144 Pages
Additional Info
Belief matters! This book is written for two purposes. The first is to reminds us that what we believe does matter. The second is to explain the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church–matters of our belief. Intended for use by both laypersons and clergy, this book describes and exposits the four official Doctrinal Standards of The United Methodist Church. The standards will be explored in the following order: Explanatory Notes, Sermons, Articles of Religion, Confession of Faith. The book also includes a study guide, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. -
Roman Catholics And Evangelicals (Reprinted)
$47.00Add to cart1. Revelation
2. God
3. Human Beings
4. Christ
5. Salvation
6. The Church
7. Ethics
8. Last Things
9. Apocrypha
10. Scripture
11. Infallibility
12. Justification
13. Sacramentalism
14. Ecciesiology
15. Mariology
16. Purgatory
17. Social Action
18. Educational Goals
19. Spiritual Heritage
20. Evangelism544 Pages
Additional Info
Protestants and Roman Catholics find they are not as separated thelogically as they may have thought in this comparative study of beliefs. -
Breaking Barriers : An African American Family And The Methodist Story
$17.99Add to cartThis is the life story of Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly, the first African American woman elected bishop in a mainline denomination. Told by her daughter, the story also recounts the history of a black family and its longtime passion for and involvement with the church. Like an intricately woven tapestry Breaking Barriers illustrates how historical church, societal and world events and milestones shaped and influenced the lives of countless individuals, families, and communities.
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Reformations Rib : Remembering Katherine Von Bora
$7.95Add to cartReformation’s Rib is a chancel drama detailing the life of Katherine von Bora (Martin Luther’s wife). The historical script gives an insightful look into the husband and wife relationship that helped shape the writings of the founder of the Lutheran church. Originally written to celebrate the 500th anniversary of von Bora’s birth, this easy-to-stage presentation calls for a cast of three: Katherine von Bora (Katie Luther), Martin Luther, and a narrator.
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Prayer And Devotional Life Of United Methodists
$14.99Add to cartThis volume in the United Methodist Studies series challenges United Methodist to engage in life-transforming practices. The author explains a theme and underscores major emphases within the United Methodist denomination. This adult study is divided into four sections with suggestions for groug discussion, and can be completed in 4 to 8 sessions. No leaders guide is needed.
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Big Book Of Presbyterian Stewardship
$36.00Add to cartThe Big Book of Presbyterian Stewardship deals in practical, clear, easy-to-understand manner with the full extent of financial issues that face a church. With a comprehensive scope, this book offers a fresh perspective and fun ideas for people who may not have and financial background or experience.
Each chapter suggests a creative way to handle a significant money or stewardship matter in the life of a local congregation, such as “Giving Styles in the Church,” “Annual Giving,” “Capital Campaigns,” “Endowment Funds,” and “Long-Range Planning.” Most chapters feature questions for discussion that make The Big Book of Presbyterian Stewardship useful for study by stewardship committees or as a planning guide for stewardship campaigns. The final section, called “The Toolbox,” is a helpful collection of inventories, charts, sample plans, and other practical resources.
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Searching For A Pastor The Presbyterian Way
$24.00Add to cart1. What Lies Ahead?
2. “Decently And In Order”: Calling Pastoral Leadership The Presbyterian Way
3. Getting Organized
4. Remebering Your Story
5. Going Fishing: Net-Working For Candidates
6. It’s Time To Talk: Insights On Interviewing
7. The Big Decision
8. ClosureAdditional Info
When a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation searches for a new pastor or associate pastor, there are many official guidelines to follow. This step-by-step guide for nominating committees not only makes these procedures clear and understandable, but it goes behind the rules and regulations to the deeper theological and practical concerns. Foose explains how to get organized, how to compose the Congregational Information materials, how to compile a list of good candidates, what kinds of questions to ask in an interview, and other essential tips and tactics to call a suitable pastor. Drawing upon years of experience working with pastors, candidates, and congregations, Foose tells the “inside story” on how to find just the right pastor and how to allow the search process to be a time of spiritual discernment and growth in faith. -
Liturgy For Living (Revised)
$30.95Add to cartFirst published in 1979 as part of Seabury’s Church Teaching series, this classic explores the historical, theological, and spiritual dimensions of Anglican liturgy, then focuses specifically on baptism, confirmation, the daily office, holy eucharist, and various pastoral offices. A plethora of insights.
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Making Disciples : Faith Formation In The Wesleyan Tradition
$24.99Add to cartMatthaei examines the elements of John Wesley’s theology and ministry that contributed to a Wesleyan ecology of faith formation, an interconnecting network of the relationships, structures and practices that created an environment for nuturing and sustaining a holy life in communion with God and others. Insights gained from this research into John Wesley’s total educational enterprise can then provide the impetus for faithful and imaginative approaches to Christian faith formation today. This is a practical and lively book that will be informative for academics and Christian educators in local churches alike.
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Piety Of John Witherspoon
$50.00Add to cart1. Holy Dispositions
2. Pious And Useful Actions
3. Real Religion For A Minister
4. Piety And Learning/From Proof To Promise
5. Providence
6. Practical ImprovementAdditional Info
Presbyterian minister John Witherspoon was a key figure, politically and religiously, in the formative years of the United States. Having come to New Jersey from Scotland to become president of the College of new Jersey (now Princeton University), Witherspoon was caught up in the political currents of the time and ended up as a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Through his preaching, writing, and leadership, Witherspoon made his influence felt well beyond the walls of Princeton.In this fresh account of Witherspoon’s thought, Gordon Tait focuses on Witherspoon’s piety – the way Witherspoon believed that the Christian faith should take visible and practical form in ministry, politics, and everyday obedience and devotion. The Piety of John Witherspoon is filled with photographs from Witherspoon’s life, and Tait’s comprehensive treatment of the piety issue makes a significant contribution to the understanding of Witherspoon’s impact on church, education, and society.
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Methodist Experience In America 2
$54.99Add to cartAcknowledgments
Preface
The Documents
MEA I: 1760-1815
MEA II: 1816-1865
MEA III: 1866-1883
MEA IV: 1884-1939
MEA V: 1940-1967
MEA VI: 1968-1998Additional Info
This volume, part of a two-volume set, contains documents from between the 1760 and 1998 pertaining to movements constitutive of American United Methodism. The editors identify more than two hundred documents by date, primary agent, and central theme or important action. The documents are organized on a strictly chronological basis, by the date of the significant action in the excerpt. Charts, graphs, timelines, and graphics are also included. This sourcebook has been constructed to be used witht he narrative volume. There the interpretation of individual documents, discussions of context, details about events and individuals, and treatment of the large developments can be found. This book focuses on United Methodism and its predecessor movements, with primary attention to its United States expression. Some of American Methodism’s global interest are represented by letters, reports, or journal excerpts, but only those original aimed at a North American reader. Developments that resulted in the formation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church or the Wesleyan Methodists or the Free Methodists are followed only to the poinht of the fracturing of the denomination. The documents do attend the various parties and groups within American United Methodism–particularly the ethnic groups and caucuses through which much of the vitality of contemporary United Methodism comes to expression–while aware that the entire United Methodist experience or the wider Methodist family is not entirely represented here. -
Trinity
$17.00Add to cartThis short, readable book discusses the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity for contemporary faith. In clear, understandable language, it explores the development of the doctrine of the Trinity in church history, discusses modern issues and developments, and speaks practically about the significance of this doctrine for the Christian life.
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Christian Worship : Glorifying And Enjoying God
$18.00Add to cart1. What’s The Point?
2. The Shape Of Christian Worship
3. What God Has United, One Must Not Divide!
4. Baptism – The Church’s Front Door
5. Heavenly Food: The Lord’s Supper
6. Sacrament: Am I Missing Something?
7. Where Are We Headed?Additional Info
Christian Worship deals with the importance of the Word and sacrament in a time when congregations are questioning the form and relevance of worship. Does it matter what happens in worship? What is the motivation for worship? Can more than one generation worship together? Commissioned by the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA), this volume suggests that the answers to these and other questions have always been available in the rich treasury of the Church’s theology. That treasury need only be reexamined in light of contemporary faith to provide renewal and a sense of vitality to worship. -
Preaching Through The Year Of Luke
$21.95Add to cartPreaching Through The Year of Luke is the ninth book in a series devoted to presenting examples of preaching excellance. These sermons, collected from the 1999 Preaching Excellance Program and from clergy nationwide, explore bibical passages for the liturgical year C, which focuses on the Gospel of Luke. Sermons for the major holy days, as well as a selection of Sundays throughout the year, will be helpful to pastors preparing to preach and lay people seeking a better understanding of the lectionary passages from year C.
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Glimpses Of Glory
$21.95Add to cartGlimpses of Glory is the second in a three-volume collection of prayers and other resources based on the new Common Worship Lectionary used widely around the world. Written in the Celtic style for which the author is well-known, and linked to the Sunday readings, these prayers and intercessions may be used by congregations for the Prayers of the People, as well as by individuals seeking to supplement their personal devotions.
“Holy God open our ears to your call our eyes to your presence, our hearts to your love. Give us the courage to say, ‘Here I am Lord, send me.’ Strengthen our faith that we may be willing at all times to heed your call. We pray for all who are called to proclaim your glory, all who seek out the lost, uplift the fallen and comfort the wounded. We pray for the outreach of the church to which we belong. Lord as you have called us Make us worthy of our calling.” -
To A Thousand Generations
$10.00Add to cartThe issue of baptism operates against the backdrop of the divine promises to Christian parents. Only after we understand parenthood can we properly turn to a discussion of baptism. This book aims to offer a fresh approach.
In a doctrinal matter of this importance, the standards of evidence are high. In arguing for biblical infant baptism, it is not sufficient for us to say that infant baptism is merely consistent with the Scriptures, or that a biblical case can be made for it. In order for us to be satisfied that we are being biblical Christians, we must be content with nothing less than a clear biblical case requiring infant baptism.
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Worlds Within A Congregation
$30.99Add to cartIn Worlds Within a Congregation, W. Paul Jones follows up on his previous work, Theological Worlds, in a most practical way. He argues that many congregations are composed of sub- congregations, not in a divisive way, but simply as a congregant’s preferred way of worshiping, interacting, being engaged in service projects, and so forth. Jones suggests that this struggle with theological diversity in congregations is something to be understood and embraced, rather than fled from as a grounds of division, and show how, by understanding the different variations in a congregation, one can better minister with and to the congregation.
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I Will With Gods Help Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$26.95Add to cartA comprehensive 6-12 week program that invites confirmands to explore their own faith experience in the context of the larger faith community. Materials are flexible enough to be used in a wide variety of parish settings. Interactive journals are available for youth and adult candidates.
