Pastoral Helps
Showing 801–850 of 4114 results
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Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered
$30.99Add to cartBuilding from a behind-the-scenes case study of Kenya’s Nairobi Chapel and its “daughter” Mavuno Church, Wanjiru M. Gitau expands their story into a narrative that offers analysis of the rise, growth, and place of megachurches worldwide in the new millennium. In contexts experienced as deeply volatile, and in Africa reeling from the structural incoherence imposed by colonial times, megachurches provide a map of reality to navigate by, with the gospel as their primary compass. Gitau shows that recognizing the psychological, spiritual, and social destabilization of modernizing societies is the first step to valuing the place of megachurches in contemporary Christianity.
Through analysis of social demography, theology, philosophy of ministry, leadership development, and strategy, Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered makes integral sense of the historical and social forces that give megachurches their growth opportunity in ministry, and reclaims them as a subject of serious theological conversation.
This lively, engaging account centers on the role of millennials in responding to the need for “a home for new generations” amid the dislocating transitions of globalization and postmodernity in postcolonial Africa and around the world. Gitau gleans practical wisdom for postdenominational churches everywhere (mega- and otherwise) from the lessons learned in Kenya’s remarkable urban, evangelical renewal movement.
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Will Willimons Lectionary Sermon Resource Year C Part 2
$26.99Add to cartWill Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Year C Part 2 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary. Each week of sermon resources includes: 1. Readings 2. Theme title 3. Introduction to the Readings 4. Encountering the Text 5. Proclaiming the Text 6. Relating the Text
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Last Days Cycle C
$15.95Add to cartDo you serve people who feel like underdogs?
The story of Jesus’ last days on Earth, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, provide some of the New Testament’s most powerful inspiration for the “underdogs” among us.
Richard A. Hasler draws from a deep well of modern-era stories to illustrate Jesus’ words of comfort and hope to people who seemed foolish, destined to lose in life.
Learn how Albert Schweitzer “wasted” his gifts to become a missionary to equatorial Africa; how Feodor Dostoevsky depended on the grace of God to create beautiful work out of a broken life; how one young believer ministered to a woman living with a family of Satanists in an unlikely place; and more.
These 12 sermons included in The Last Days reminds us we have the strength to serve, persevere and trust in Jesus Christ, even when doing so looks foolish, because we follow the king of underdogs … until the last days and forevermore.
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Find Your Fit (Revised)
$18.00Add to cartGod made you unique and valuable, and he invites you into an incredible future. But it can be hard to think through what that means and what it should look like. How can you figure it all out in the middle of your responsibilities, expectations, and pressures?
Find Your Fit is an incredible resource to help you discover who you are. It assesses your interests, abilities, spiritual gifts, values, and personality so you can understand what makes you tick and how you can become all God designed you to be. But it’s not just a powerful tool–it’s also fun to understand yourself better than you ever have before.
The Find Your Fit Discovery Workbook is also available, and it includes self-assessments, questions for digging deeper, and group exercises. Set yourself free to dream big dreams about what your life can be. God loves you so much and wants you to join him to change the world!
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Overcomer Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn this six-session Bible study, bestselling author Dr. David Jeremiah turns his insights to one of the most quoted but least understood passages of the Bible: the apostle Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 6:10-18 to take up the whole armor of God. With his signature depth, wisdom, and compassion, Dr. Jeremiah explores the powerful relevance of spiritual armor as a critical tool in our daily living as we confront the challenges in our lives and of our time. He reveals how God has given us, his followers, the tools we need to live a life defined not by our trials but by our victories.
This study will serve as a practical guide for how we can live each day in the strength that God provides as we equip each piece of spiritual armor. Although we all live in a time of deep uncertainty, the Bible promises we can live the life of freedom that God intended-even in times when the world seems filled with darkness. We were created to be overcomers, conquering the greatest obstacles in our lives.It is time to find renewed strength and claim the promises of God’s Word to overcome life’s greatest threats. It is time to claim our victory in Christ an be an overcomer.
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Taste And See Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartFood has always been something that joins us to one another as we procure, prepare, and share meals. We gather around tables and enter the hallowed belonging and sacred union of fellowship. In this place, we reconnect with our true selves as reconciles and healers of the world who dine with justice and mercy, practice divine hospitality, and restore our bodies with God’s gift of provision. Scripture likens Jesus to bread, an edible and necessary source of life. The Holy Spirit is likened to oil and anointing. The process of produce growth and pruning and harvesting is all through God’s word.
This six-session Bible study (DVD/downloads sold separately) explores those metaphors focusing on a few select, but pointed examples that take us full-circle in the experience of harvesting a relationship with Christ.
Sessions include:
*Come to the Table
*Bread of Life
*Pressed and Anointed
*First Fruit Offerings
*Sacrifice
*Invite and ServeDesigned for use with the Taste and See Video Study (sold separately).
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Meeting God At The Mall Cycle C
$15.95Add to cartAmericans are mired in idolatry. This is perhaps at no time more evident than during the Christmas season.
What idols do we worship? We often point out the consumerism that eclipses the meaning of the holiday, but as Mary Austin points out, there are others that might escape our notice. Perfectionism, that belief that if we can host the perfect holiday party or keep a perfect house, for example;thesefalse gods, we often believe will offer us wholeness. Busy-ness, too, can give us a false sense of worth.
These sermons use the words and actions of Paul to call out these false gods, to reveal our idolatry and its cause: our longing for the true source of peace. Once we have determined the cause of our love/hate relationship with the Christmas season, we can begin to pursue the counter-cultural cure.
Meeting God at the Mallting God at the Mall shows us there is no obstacle too great to prevent us from finding our way back to the peace we can find only in our loving Savior.
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Unwanted : How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way To Healing
$17.99Add to cartUnwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing is a ground-breaking resource that explores the “why” behind self-destructive sexual choices. The book is based on research from over 3,800 men and women seeking freedom from unwanted sexual behavior, be that the use of pornography, an affair, or buying sex.
Jay Stringer’s (M.Div, MA, LMHC) original research found that unwanted sexual behavior can be both shaped by and predicted based on the parts of our story–past and present–that remain unaddressed. When we pay attention to our unwanted sexual desires and identify the unique reasons that trigger them, the path of healing is revealed.
Although many of us feel ashamed and unwanted after years of sexual brokenness, the book invites the reader to see that behavior as the very location God can most powerfully work in their lives. Counselors, pastors, and accountability partners of those who experience sexual shame will also find in this book the deep spiritual and psychological guidance they need to effectively minister to the sexually broken around them.
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Church Creation And The Common Good
$14.95Add to cart* A youth and adult study * Engages participants in how we should now live into this time of climate change crisis It is hard to be hopeful in the face of climate crisis. The problem is on a scale difficult for us to understand. Actions needed to address the crisis require a radical change in way of life. Does the Church have anything unique to offer? Is there something in our life of community, worship, and prayer that suggests a different way through this time? Church, Creation, and the Common Good is a program resource offering a hopeful answer to these challenges. Through scripture, tradition, and Christian practice, it guides church communities into deeper understanding of their role as the Church in the world and how they might be communities for the common good in this time. This curricular resource is sure to foster rich conversations and provide a path toward love of all creation and our particular places as we face the climate crisis together.
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Christianity And World Religions Leader Guide (Revised)
$14.99Add to cartPastor and best-selling author Adam Hamilton returns to one of his most popular topics, Christianity and world religions. This new, fully updated book and Bible study explores four major world religions-Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism-and compares the beliefs of each with those of Christianity.
He deals openly and honestly with questions people ask about other religions, such as: Why are there so many different religions?
How should Christians view other religions?
How is God at work in other religions?
What is the fate of those who earnestly pursue God through other religions?
In examining these major world religions and the beliefs of their followers, Hamilton urges us as Christians to build bridges with others so that we might grow in our faith, seek peace in our world, love our neighbors, and find positive ways to share the gospel. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. -
Christianity And World Religions (Revised)
$17.99Add to cartPastor and best-selling author Adam Hamilton returns to one of his most popular topics, Christianity and world religions. This new, fully updated book explores four major world religions-Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism-and compares the beliefs of each with those of Christianity.
He deals openly and honestly with questions people ask about other religions, such as: Why are there so many different religions?
How should Christians view other religions?
How is God at work in other religions?
What is the fate of those who earnestly pursue God through other religions?
In examining these major world religions and the beliefs of their followers, Hamilton urges us as Christians to build bridges with others so that we might grow in our faith, seek peace in our world, love our neighbors, and find positive ways to share the gospel. Additional components for a six-week study include a new Leader Guide to help facilitate each weekly session and a DVD featuring Hamilton in new 10-15 minute segments, each including an interview with followers from that tradition. -
Your Companion After Sexual Assault
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Sexual Assault edition features devotions from Emily Flemming, United Methodist clergywoman. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams.
Key Features:
Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically.
Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge.
The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time.
Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information.
Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care. -
End Of Preaching
$16.99Add to cartThe End of Preaching is equal parts instruction and inspiration, offering practical help for every preacher and seminarian, and providing a new way of thinking about the purpose and craft of preaching. Tom Troeger explores the end–or purpose–of preaching as prayer. He gently reveals layer after layer of meaning for the preacher and the practice of preaching, giving deep insight into the preacher’s approach, the task of preaching itself, and the impact of preaching on the hearers. This is a book to be studied and savored, a wonderful gift for one’s self or any preacher friend. Thomas Troeger delivered the 2016 Beecher Lectures, the nation’s most prestigious and influential series of lectures on the topic of preaching. The series was established at Yale University in 1871.
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4 Pages Of The Sermon (Revised)
$37.99Add to cartDoing justice to the complexity of the preaching task and the questions that underlie it, author Paul Scott Wilson organizes both the preparation and the content of the sermon around its “four pages.” Each “page” addresses a different theological and creative component of what happens in any sermon. Page One presents the trouble or conflict that takes place in or that underscores the biblical text itself. Page Two looks at similar conflict–sin or brokenness–in our own time. Page Three returns to the Bible to identify where God is at work in or behind the text–in other words, to discover the good news. Page Four points to God at work in our world, particularly in relation to the situations described in Page Two. This approach is about preaching the gospel in nearly any sermonic form. Wilson teaches the ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ of sermon construction, all rooted in a theology of the Word. This completely revised edition guides readers through the sermon process step by step, with the aim of composing sermons that challenge and provide hope, by focusing on God more closely than on humans. It has been largely rewritten to include an assessment of where preaching is today in light of propositional preaching, the New Homiletic, African American preaching, the effect of the internet, and use of technology. A chapter on exegesis has been added, plus new focus on the importance of preaching to a felt need, the need for proclamation in addition to teaching, and developing tools to ensure sermon excellence. New sermon examples have been added along with a section that responds to critics and looks to the future.
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Promise Of The Future Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe story of Jesus doesn’t begin in a manger in Bethlehem. Instead, it first begins hundreds of years before, when God’s prophets begin to preach about the coming of the Messiah who would redeem all of humanity. In this study, we will unpack that message of hope and anticipation as it’s found in the prophets of Isaiah and Micah and the redeeming story of Ruth A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Promise Of The Future Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartThe story of Jesus doesn’t begin in a manger in Bethlehem. Instead, it first begins hundreds of years before, when God’s prophets begin to preach about the coming of the Messiah who would redeem all of humanity. In this study, we will unpack that message of hope and anticipation as it’s found in the prophets of Isaiah and Micah and the redeeming story of Ruth A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Exile And Return Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis study turns its focus to the prophetic proclamations offered to the people of Israel while they were in exile in foreign lands. These four lessons based on passages found in Hosea, Esther, Ezra and more will explore what it means to be in exile, and how our lives are changed when we follow a God that reminds us that we are not alone and not forgotten and who promises to restore us. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Exile And Return Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartThis study turns its focus to the prophetic proclamations offered to the people of Israel while they were in exile in foreign lands. These four lessons based on passages found in Hosea, Esther, Ezra and more will explore what it means to be in exile, and how our lives are changed when we follow a God that reminds us that we are not alone and not forgotten and who promises to restore us. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Your Companion After Addiction
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Addiction edition, co-authored by Jim Hightower and Peter Ferguson, is appropriate for both individuals experiencing addiction and their family and friends. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams.
Key Features:
Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically.
Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge.
The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time.
Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information.
Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care. -
True Inclusion : Creating Communities Of Radical Embrace
$14.99Add to cartDiscover how to move your church beyond mere welcome to radical embrace.
So your church website says you’re welcoming, a rainbow flag flies out front, worship uses gender-inclusive language, and you make sure you greet the stranger next to you on Sunday mornings. But is all of that really enough? And what if those welcoming gestures actually keep visitors from returning and exclude dozens of other groups or people in your community?
In True Inclusion, public theologian and pastor Brandan Robertson shares how to move your church from mere welcome to radical embrace. Pointing to a clear biblical imperative for radical inclusivity in the sanctuary and in the public square, Robertson presents a paradigm-shifting vision of community, “where nothing is simple, nothing is easy, but everything is beautiful.” Learn practical, step-by-step approaches to becoming deeply, robustly, and richly inclusive of all people regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status.
Written for people and communities at every stage of the journey, True Inclusion will challenge and inspire you to embody a gospel of radical embrace for all.
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Return Of Jesus Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartThe second coming of Jesus has been a topic of fascination for both scholars and lay people for centuries. The accounts of Jesus’ return found throughout the Bible, especially in Revelation, are put forth with a cinematic quality that is both enrapturing and unnerving. In this study, we’ll explore apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible along with what it does and doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ return, and the key takeaways that these scriptures have for our faith. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Connections Year C Volume 1
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.
This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.
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Your Companion Through Chronic Illness
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Chronic Illnessedition is authored by Lauren Dunkle Dancey, a United Methodist chaplain and pastor who lives with chronic illness. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features:
Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically.
Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge.
The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time.
Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information.
Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care. -
Your Companion Through Depression And Anxiety
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Depression and Anxiety edition is authored by Jim Hightower and features insightful devotions by Harriet Bryan. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features: Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically. Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge. The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time. Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information. Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care.
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Return Of Jesus Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe second coming of Jesus has been a topic of fascination for both scholars and lay people for centuries. The accounts of Jesus’ return found throughout the Bible, especially in Revelation, are put forth with a cinematic quality that is both enrapturing and unnerving. In this study, we’ll explore apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible along with what it does and doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ return, and the key takeaways that these scriptures have for our faith. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Introduction To The New Testament
$70.00Add to cartThis New Testament introduction is different.Many introductions zero in on the historical contexts in which the New Testament literature was written. This introduction goes farther-to give particular attention to the social, cultural, and rhetorical contexts of the New Testament authors and their writings.Few introductions to the New Testament integrate instruction in exegetical and interpretive strategies with the customary considerations of authorship, dating, audience, and message. This introduction capitalizes on the opportunity, introducing students to a relevant facet of interpretation with each portion of New Testament literature.Rarely do introductions to the New Testament approach their task mindful of students preparing for ministry. This introduction is explicit in doing so, recognizing as it does that the New Testament itself-in its parts and as a whole-is a pastoral resource. Each chapter on the New Testament literature closes with a discussion of implications for ministry formation.These integrative features alone would distinguish this introduction from others. But in addition, its pages brim with maps, photos, points of interest, and aids to learning. Separate chapters explore the historical and cultural environment of the New Testament era, the nature of the Gospels and the quest for the historical Jesus, and the life of Paul.First published in 2004, David A. deSilva’s comprehensive and carefully crafted introduction to the New Testament has been long established as an authoritative textbook and resource for students. This beautiful, full-color second edition has been updated throughout with new scholarship and numerous images. It is the first choice for those convinced that a New Testament introduction should integrate scholarship and ministry.
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Surrendering My Ordination
$20.00Add to cartIn May 2017, after sixty years as an ordained United Methodist minister, Rev. J. Philip Wogaman surrendered his ordination, choosing to exit a community of clergy who will not allow an openly gay person to join. By surrendering his ordination, he chose to join the group of devoted Christians outside the clergy who welcomed gay and lesbian individuals.
Beginning with an examination of ordination and what is means theologically, ethically, and pastorally, Wogaman then describes the action itself and its aftermath. Surrendering My Ordination also explores how The United Methodist Church can move forward, beyond the polarized present situation found in many contemporary Christian churches.
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Names Of God (Workbook)
$16.99Add to cartDrawn from the books, Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus, this Bible study includes additional questions designed to help individuals and groups explore the most important of God’s names and titles as they are revealed in the Bible. Exploring his names and titles in both the Old and New Testaments allows study participants to begin to realize how utterly great, loving, and powerful God is. By studying such rich and varied names as Adonai, Yahweh, Abba, Yeshua, Lamb of God, and Prince of Peace, we understand more about who God is and how he loves us. Each week’s study provides background information to help readers understand the name, a key Scripture in which the name was either first or most significantly revealed, a series of questions for individual or group study, and a brief list of passages for further study.
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Gender : A Conversation Guide For Parents And Pastors
$6.99Add to cartPART 1:
Foundation 1: Preschool And Young Children
Foundation 2: Elementary (5-10)
Foundation 3: Middle School (11-13)
Foundation 4: Teens And Beyond (14+)
PART 2:
Toolbox Of Resources For Users
GlossaryAdditional Info
The world around us is changing quickly, and it’s difficult to keep up with the debates about some of life’s most important issues. Whether you are a parent, mentor, pastor, or friend, this book will help you get clarity in a world spinning in confusion.This book seeks to help families teach the Bible’s view clearly and consistently throughout a child’s life. It contains two major sections. Part one focuses on what is most critical during three major foundations, or stages, in a child’s life. Part two is a toolbox of resources to help you better understand and articulate various topics surrounding gender.
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Women Of The Bible
$16.99Add to cartBased on the bestselling book coauthored with Ann Spangler, Women of the Bible, this study edition includes an introduction to each woman, major Scripture passages, study materials, and cultural backgrounds. There are fifty-two studies, one for each week of the year. Newly gathered study aids include helpful charts as well as a complete listing of all women of the Bible, with pertinent Scripture references. Space is included to record your thoughts and insights.
Each timeless biblical story mirrors the challenges and changes today’s women face. Through understanding these women’s lives, this easy-to-use study resource will help you discover the God behind their stories-and yours.
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Honest Worship : From False Self To True Praise
$17.99Add to cartIntroduction: Falling On My Face
Part I: Worship On The Cutting Edge
1. Smoke Machines And Laser Lights
2. Golden Dreams, Golden Calves
3. The Consumer-Driven Life
4. The Culture Of NarcissismPart II: Pride And Humility
5. Pride On The Platform
6. The Nature Of Identity
7. Worship From The True Self
8. Soul WorshipPart III: Rediscovering Worship
9. The Church Gathered
10. The Rhythm Of Worship
11. The Other Six Days Of The Week
12. Compassion And Justice
13. The Deep End Of The PoolEpilogue: Still Falling
Acknowledgments
Discussion Guide
NotesAdditional Info
When asked by his son why some churches have smoke machines, worship pastor Manuel Luz found himself responding, “Well, technically, you need smoke machines to see the lasers.” But when you take down the smoke screen, what do you have left? Where do we encounter the Holy in the midst of all this? Where can we worship with our full selves-heart, soul, mind, and body-in Spirit and truth?Drawing from his own experience leading worship in a large congregation and feeling the pull of performance, Manuel Luz guides us on a journey through worship that takes us far beyond style and deep into our own souls. He calls us back to an honest worship that moves past facades and pulls us inward toward the true self that God is forming within each of us. Each chapter ends with a spiritual practice designed to help us set aside pretense and enter into the very presence of God. -
What Does It Mean To Be Welcoming
$18.99Add to cart“Welcoming?” (An Introduction)
Part One: The Complexity
1. Meanings, Motives, Regrets, And Hopes
2. A Difficult, Knotty, Potentially Thorny Conversation
Testimonial: My Son
Testimonial: Our Daughter
3. The Terrifying Beauty Of A Diverse Church Or DenominationPart Two: The Topic
4. The Affirming Position
Testimonial: A Lesbian Christian
5. The Traditional Position
6. What Does The Bible Say?Part Three: The Way Forward
7. What Options Does A Same-Sex Attracted Christian Have?
8. We Can’t Just Sing Kumbaya Forever
9. Welcoming But Not Affirming And Mutually Transforming
Testimonial: Called To Stay
Testimonial: Why We Left
10. What Can We Do?Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Appendix A: A Process
Appendix B: A Statement On Sexuality
Discussion Guide
Notes
For Further ReadingAdditional Info
Is your church wrestling with LGBT questions from membership to marriage? Travis Collins has been there. A pastor who has walked congregations through the complex issues surrounding gay Christians, he knows firsthand the confusion and hurt that often follow. He has also seen churches have these conversations with grace and understanding. In this practical resource, readers will gain insight into relevant biblical passages and hear from interpreters on both sides of the debate. They will consider the implications of their convictions for ministry practice, relationships, church policy, and more. They will hear testimonies from gay friends and family members about their experiences in the church. Collins calls readers to both grace and truth, with humility.What Does It Mean to Be Welcoming? considers how we might welcome everyone into the church while calling for all to be transformed. -
Struggle Is Real Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartThe Struggle Is Real Participant’s Guide is a six-session workbook designed for use with The Struggle Is Real DVD Experience (sold separately), based on the new book by popular speaker and Bible teacher Nicole Unice. A great resource for church groups, Bible studies, and anyone who’s ever felt life just shouldn’t be this hard!
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a day where everything that could go wrong does go wrong-you lock your keys in the car while it’s running, lose control with your kids, make a mistake at the office that results in hours’ more work. And just when you think not one more thing could possibly happen . . . well, fill in the blank.
The struggle is real, friends. It may not be major stuff. Lives are not on the line here. But it makes us feel awful . . . and then we feel guilty for stressing when other people have “real” problems that are so much more serious.
Yet the fact remains: We live in a world that often feels harder than we think it should be. And so it can be easy to believe the stories we tell ourselves-that we’re doing it wrong, that we’ll be stuck in this place forever, that God doesn’t love us. We struggle practice gratitude, to make godly choices, and to live our daily lives with confidence and contentment. So what can we do?
Join Nicole Unice to discover why the struggle is real . . . and what to do about it. In The Struggle Is Real Participant’s Guide Nicole offers practical tools to help you navigate the daily ups and downs, and ways to rewrite your struggle into a new, God-centered life story.
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Gods Plan For Christian Living (Workbook)
$29.95Add to cartEvery ESL Ministry Needs This Book!
God’s Plan for Christian Living, Book 2 in the ESL Ministry Series, is a practical, time-tested workbook with step-by-step activities that help ESL students move easily from learning English or reading more fluently to considering what it means to live as a disciple of Christ.
This ESL workbook is part of a series that is:
*Deliberately simple in design and vocabulary.
*Easy to follow with engaging and effective exercises.
*Suitable as a stand-alone resource or as a supplement to existing ESL courses.
*Designed to share the basic principles of Christian living in clear, concise lessons.
*Perfect for ESL teachers and ministries to use and adapt to a variety of contexts.God’s Plan for Christian Living is ideal for:
*People with limited English ability.
*Individuals with little or no previous Bible knowledge.
*People who may be reluctant to interact with the Bible because of its perceived complexity.For those looking to introduce the Good News of Christ into their ESL program, the first book in this ESL Ministry Series–God’s Plan of Love (ISBN: 978-1-61314-401-5)–is also available. Together, these easy-to-use materials will provide the tools to bridge the gap between ESL language teaching and sharing Christ and important biblical truths.
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Seeing Gray In A World Of Black And White Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartEveryone agrees that America is polarized, with ever-hardening positions held by people less and less willing to listen to one another. No one agrees on what to do about it. One solution that hasn’t yet been tried, says Adam Hamilton, is for thinking persons of faith to model for the rest of the country a richer, more thoughtful conversation on the political, moral, and religious issues that divide us. The Leader Guide includes session plans, discussion questions, and multiple format options.
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Affirm Student Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartAffirm is a 6 week discipleship refresh from confirmation. With an emphasis on following Jesus and spiritual practices Affirm is great for a youth group series, a small group study, or for a weekend retreat. Providing leaders with the tools to enlist the support of their church and parents to help students grow stronger and go deeper with their relationship with Christ.
The Affirm student guide is a devotional resource designed to support the ownership of your teens faith journey. We know teens are social. The devotional material is woven into the rest of the student material so their growth gets worked out with their peers, and is shareable. This connection with their small group will lead to better faith/life integration.
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Focus On Jesus Cycle C
$16.95Add to cartEvery time Rev. Derl G. Keefer preaches a Christmas sermon, he asks himself the same question. Why did Jesus come to earth?
It’s the question that Jesus’ earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, must have asked themselves over and over. They struggled to understand why, when he was 12 years old, he would leave their care to join the scholars of the temple.
His answer served to refocus his own parents on who he really was.”Did you not know,” he asked them, “that I must be about my Father’s business?”
The 15 sermons contained in Focus on Jesus will provide four answers to the question of why he came by revealing the nature of the Father’s business as described in the Gospel of Luke:
*Jesus came to be the fulfillment of prophecy.
*Jesus came to be our Messiah.
*Jesus came to be our Savior.
*Jesus came to be the human face of God.This Advent season, utilize Keefer’s clear, simple teaching style in Focus on Jesus to help those seeking Jesus understand who he is, and to reignite the passion that first brought members of your congregation into his arms.
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Learning Biblical Hebrew Workbook
$27.99Add to cartThe Learning Biblical Hebrew Workbook is an essential companion for students using Learning Biblical Hebrew: Reading for Comprehension.The workbook includes guided readings tailored to the growing knowledge of the student using the introductory grammar. After the opening chapters containing grammar exercises to reinforce basic concepts, students begin reading actual Hebrew text based on the Joseph story from Genesis 37a “50. The text has been abridged and modified to present students with a text that they can read with minimal help. The readings are accompanied with three types of annotations: the Hebrew root or lexical form, an English gloss, or grammatical and textual explanations. The notes are provided to facilitate reading comprehension by identifying unfamiliar words and concepts. As familiarity with vocabulary and grammar increases, the readings are modified less and less until students are essentially reading the standard Hebrew text used in most Hebrew Bibles today. After completing the beginning Biblical Hebrew reader based on the Joseph story, students move on to the intermediate Biblical Hebrew reader that includes the books of Ruth, Jonah, and Esther. The continuous practice of reading Biblical Hebrew text is an essential part of truly understanding and experiencing what you read. The Learning Biblical Hebrew Workbook provides that essential reading practice that will make your study of Biblical Hebrew come alive.
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Healing Our Broken Humanity
$24.99Add to cartForeword By Willie James Jennings
Introduction: Nine Practices That Heal Our Broken Humanity
1. Reimagine Church
2. Renew Lament
3. Repent Together
4. Relinquish Power
5. Restore Justice
6. Reactivate Hospitality
7. Reinforce Agency
8. Reconcile Relationships
9. Recover Life Together
Epilogue: A Benediction And Prayer
Acknowledgments
Appendix One: Questions For Discussion And Engagement
Appendix Two: The Nine Transforming Practices Accountability Form
Appendix Three: Resources For Healing Our Broken Humanity
Notes
IndexAdditional Info
We live in conflicted times. Our newsfeeds are filled with inequality, division, and fear. We want to make a difference and see justice restored because Jesus calls us to be a peacemaking and reconciling people. But how do we do this?Based on their work with diverse churches, colleges, and other organizations, Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Graham Hill offer Christian practices that can bring healing and hope to a broken world. They provide ten ways to transform society, from lament and repentance to relinquishing power, reinforcing agency, and more. Embodying these practices enables us to be the new humanity in Jesus Christ, so the church and world can experience reconciliation, justice, unity, peace, and love.
With small group activities, discussion questions, and exercises in each chapter, this book is ideal to read together in community. Discover here how to bring real change to a dehumanized world.
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Shouting Joy To The Storm Cycle C
$15.95Add to cartHow are we to respond when the violent storm of change rolls into our lives?
Should we hide from the storm? Hide in the status quo?
As this volume of sermons reminds us, that is not the way of the Christ.Followers of Jesus are called to believe that our greatest treasure ought not be found in the comfort of worldly life as we make it. The Lord calls us instead to step outside and face the coming storm, as he did.
When we do, we face all manner of fears in a world that does not like its order challenged. Mockery when we follow God; poverty when we stop worshipping money; grief when we are vulnerable enough to love the oppressed.
Shouting Joy to the Storm reminds us that, just as the Father partnered with the Son to bring him through the storm of Calvary, so he will bring us through our storms. We are not in this for a mere lifetime. We are in it for the long haul.
“They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid (Ezekiel 34:28, ESV).”
Sermons include:
*Long View – The Long Haul(Luke 13:31-35)
*What Is Truth? (John 18:1-19, 42)
*Death Shall Be No More (John 13:31-35, Revelation 21:1-6) -
Unshakable Hope Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartThe Unshakable Hope group Bible study provides groups of all sizes the opportunity to discuss and apply what they experience during the twelve-week Unshakable Hope church campaign.
In this 12-week study, bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado reveals how the heroes in the Bible came from all walks of life. They were rulers, servants, teachers, doctors. They were male, female, single, married. Yet one common denominator united them: they all put their faith in God’s promises. Because of God’s promises, Noah built an ark on dry land, Abraham went to a distant land, Joshua claimed the Promised Land, David became king, Peter preached the first sermon, and John caught a glimpse of the future.The stories of the men and women in Scripture were different, but the theme was the same: they were people of the Promise. Since the beginning of time, God’s relationship to humankind has been shaped by specific requirements and promises. These covenants were unchangeable decrees that defined the outflow of history. Some of the promises were positive, the assurance of blessings. Some of them were negative, the guarantee of consequence. But all the promises were binding.
This world has a tremble to it. There are things that seem unsteady in this life. But when we belong to God, it allows us to filter our problems through the promises of God. When crises arise, we can simply mutter, “But God said…” When struggles threaten, we can be seen flipping through the Bible, saying, “I know that God said something about this.” When we choose to be people of the promise, we choose to build our lives on promises of God not the circumstances of life.
It is through the great and precious promises that we participate in the divine nature of God. They sit like golden stones in the pathway to God’s world. They are strong boulders that form the bridge over which we walk from our sin to salvation. They aren’t just great, they are “very great”; and they aren’t just valuable, they are “precious.” To bind them around our neck is to adorn ourselves with the finest jewels of the universe. As Dwight Moody put it, “If you would spend a month feeding on the precious promises of God-you wouldn’t be going about complaining how poor you are. You would lift up your head and proclaim the riches of His Grace, because you couldn’t help doing it.”
Sessions include:
1. You Are Stamped with God’s Image
2. God Will Win the Victory
3. You Are an Heir of God
4. Your Prayers Have Power
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From The Study To The Pulpit
$24.99Add to cartMany pastors struggle with preaching the Old Testament. As a professor and pastor, Allan Moseley’s vast experience and knowledge go a long way in helping expositors enrich their pulpit ministry. The purpose of his book is to offer both exegetical and preaching help by means of a workable 8-step method. The author’s preaching model starts with the initial step of determining the genre and meaning of the text to doing word studies and discovering the main ideas of the text to applying the sermon in a life-changing and Christ-honoring manner. Some books on preaching from the Old Testament are written by authors who do not actually preach, or preach only occasionally. Pastors and budding preachers need a book written by someone who has knows what it is like to be a pastor and has prepared sermons every week for years. His book reflects his classroom teaching on the subjects of exposition and hermeneutics, and it provides helpful illustrations of expositional principles that rise from his own preaching ministry.
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Unexpected Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn Unexpected, a five-session video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), bestselling author Christine Caine shows that while most of us have been trained to fear the unexpected and want everything to be “under control,” God wants us to anticipate the unexpected with a faith-filled perspective rooted in trust. He has never been taken by surprise with the unexpected, and he wants us to move from a life filled fear, control, worry, anxiety, panic, and feeling stuck to one full of hope, walking in faith, and trusting in him. We can step into the destiny and adventure that God has for us by dealing with pain barriers, managing disappointment, strengthening our hearts, building our faith, and expanding our lives.
Life is an unpredictable journey full of unexpected twists and turns, mountaintops and valleys, joys and sorrows. The good news is that while we do not always know what is going to happen, we can always trust that God uses everything in our lives as an invitation to rely on him more deeply and completely. We can walk forward in faith and not fear because our God is good, does good, and works all things together for his glory. Unexpected will show that in an age of political, social, moral, ethical, environmental, and economic upheaval, we can still expect our God to be good and do good.
Sessions include:
*Move into the Unexpected
*Strengthen Your Heart
*Choose Your Destiny
*Press Through to Breakthrough
*Expect the UnexpectedDesigned for use with the Unexpected Video Study (sold separately).
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Family Ministry And The Church
$26.99Add to cart“Chris Shirley provides a guide to establish a theological and practical framework for family ministry both inside and outside the church. Ministry leaders will discover the role of the church and its leaders to strengthen families and equip them to make disciples in the home, the church, and throughout the world. This work illustrates how healthy family ministry depends on effective disciple making that brings people to a close relationship with Christ both in the church and the home. The author also delivers an excellent resource for college and seminary training in the field of family ministry”–
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Disabling Mission Enabling Witness
$24.99Add to cartIn recent decades churches have accommodated disabled people in various ways. Through access ramps and elevators and sign language, disabled persons are invited in to worship. But are they actually enfolded into the church’s mission? Have the able-bodied come to recognize and appreciate the potential contributions of people with disabilities in the ministry and witness of the church?Benjamin Conner wants to stimulate a new conversation between disability studies and Christian theology and missiology. How can we shape a new vision of the entire body of Christ sharing in the witness of the church? How would it look if we “disabled” Christian theology, discipleship, and theological education? Conner argues that it would in fact enable congregational witness. He has seen it happen and he shows us how.Imagine a church that fully incorporates persons with disabilities into its mission and witness. In this vision, people with disabilities contribute to the church’s pluriform witness, and the congregation embodies a robust hermeneutic of the gospel. Picture the entire body of Christ functioning beyond distinctions of dis/ability, promoting mutual flourishing and growing into fullness. Here is an enlargement of the church’s witness as a sign, agent, and foretaste of the kingdom of God.Here is a fresh and inspiring look at the mission of the church when it enfolds people with disabilities as full members.
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Loving And Leaving A Church
$26.00Add to cartBarbara Melosh’s story was a common one. A second-career seminarian, she arrived at her first pastorate brimming with enthusiasm and high hopes. The blue-collar congregation to which she’d been called had a glorious past but an uncertain future. Certain that she could turn around its slow yet undeniable slide into decline, Melosh inaugurated a number of church growth and outreach programs. Most of these efforts had little effect, and the ones that did seem to work soon suffered reverse outcomes and eventual demise. In the end, Melosh had to conclude that the members of the congregation liked their church the way it was and that she could not drag them into a future they did not want.
Yet while the congregation failed to change itself, Melosh notes, it succeeded in changing her. Simply put, it made her a pastor. At times heartbreaking and hilarious, Loving and Leaving a Church offers a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities of ministry in a mainline church.
