Pastoral Helps
Showing 1001–1050 of 4114 results
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All Things New Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartAll Things New is a revolutionary four-session video Bible study built on a simple idea: heaven is not the eternal church service in the sky. It is, in fact, not religious at all. Jesus referred to the next chapter of our story as “the renewal of all things” (Matthew 19:28). This means, literally, the renewal of the earth we love in all its beauty, the renewal of our own being, and the renewal of all those things that make for a rich life-music, art, food, laughter. All that we hold dear shall be renewed.
Most Christians (and most people, for that matter) do not really look forward to their future because their views of heaven are vague, religious, and appallingly boring. Our hope begins to surge when we understand that for the believer nothing is lost. Heaven is not a life in the clouds; it is not unending worship services with singing. Rather, the life we long for-the paradise Adam and Eve knew-is precisely the life that is coming to us. And coming soon.
This study begins with a reframing of what “heaven” actually looks like. God does not say, “I am making all new things,” He says, “Behold-I am making all things new!” (Revelation 21:5). Familiar religious conceptions of heaven are gently dismantled, and the participant is invited into a new way of conceiving of their after-life. Imagery from fairy tales, books, and famous movies such as The Lord of the Rings is used to illustrate what “happily ever after” means in tangible, accessible, and-most important-desirable terms.As C.S. Lewis said, “We can only hope for what we desire.” The life we have been longing for is actually the very life that is about to be ours. The imminence of the coming kingdom of God is also clarified; living with an eager expectation of Christ’s return is the practical power of the Christian life.
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MultiChurch : Exploring The Future Of Multisite
$24.99Add to cartIs it time for your church to go multisite? It seems everybody is doing it these days, so how do you know if it is the right solution for your congregation? MultiChurch brings clarity to the multisite movement and assembles the lessons it has learned over the past fifteen years. It explores the opportunities presented by the various forms of multi-site church, identifies areas of concern, and concludes that multisite is not only a biblically sound ecclesiological model, but also a model that provides a compelling solution to contemporary reductionism in the church.
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Tears In The Desert
$13.95Add to cartAre you interested in Christian service or studying for the Christian ministry? This book is uniquely designed to help you prepare for the challenges ahead and is endorsed by a pastor who served his church for thirty-eight years and the presidents of two seminaries who will recommend it to their students.
Karl Heller’s new book, Tears in the Desert: Lessons from the Joys and Sorrows of God’s Call, provides an up-close and personal account from the frontline of pastoral ministry. This is a refreshingly candid account of why pastoral ministry is so very challenging and at the same time so very important. By recounting the triumphs and tragedies of his own ministry, Dr. Heller is an able and wise guide, especially for seminarians preparing for pastoral ministry.
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Imagine Church : Releasing Dynamic Everyday Disciples
$14.99Add to cartJesus Christ has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for two millennia, and his birth the pivot of our calendar. He is the focus of Scripture and the heart of mission, the message that countless Christians cross land and sea, continents and cultures, to deliver.In masterly surveys, John Stott looks at the New Testament witness, at the way the church has portrayed Christ down through the centuries, and at the influence Christ has had on individuals over the last two millennia. Finally, turning to the book of Revelation, he asks what Jesus Christ should mean to us today. Here is the fruit of a lifetime of biblical study, rigorous Christian thought and devotion to the person of Jesus Christ.
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Ready Steady Grow
$15.99Add to cartDo you love your church and want to see it thrive?Are you keen to learn from someone whose own church has grown and started others too?Are you ready for the downsides as well as the inevitable joys?Ray Evans takes us on an interesting and exciting journey. He looks at the barriers to growth, as well as the hurdles of reorganization and structural changes that growing churches face. His findings are anchored in the Bible and the real world which we all inhabit.’Many have learned how to lead what they have,’ says Ray, ‘but they don’t know how to take it forward. You don’t see the glass ceilings until you crash into them, and the splinters bring pain everywhere.’In Ray, you will find a humble, wise and warm-hearted guide. This book will not only equip your church to grow, but will help prevent unnecessary disasters.
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Faithful : Christmas Through The Eyes Of Joseph (Large Type)
$20.99Add to cartFrom his beginnings as a humble carpenter to his all-important role as the earthly father of Jesus Christ, Joseph’s place in the nativity story is sometimes overlooked but contains valuable lessons for all of us. Join Adam Hamilton as he examines Christmas through the eyes of Joseph. Absent from much of the biblical narrative, Joseph never spoke a word, but his courageous actions were crucial to the birth of Christ and God’s salvation plan for humanity. As you read this book, you will understand how Joseph’s story is much like our own. In life, we encounter circumstances that we would never have chosen for ourselves. At times it can be tempting just to walk away. Joseph provides us a great example of humbly obeying God even when we don’t understand and faithfully moving forward in the strength that God provides. Exchange your doubt for courage this Advent and Christmas season. Learn to accept and glorify God’s will even when circumstances make it difficult to do so. Additional components for a four-week adult study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Adam Hamilton. Chapter topics include: A Carpenter Named Joseph Engaged to a Virgin Named Mary A Dreamer of Dreams The Journey to Bethlehem The Birth of Joseph’s Boy The Flight to Egypt
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Leading A Multicultural Church
$18.99Add to cartOver the last 60 years the ethnic diversity of the western world has changed dramatically as a result of successive waves of immigration. The impact of this on the church is evident in the growing number of congregations that are now multicultural to a greater or lesser extent. This presents challenges as well as opportunities to those leading these congregations. This book aims to explore this within the context of both Scripture and society. It will also consider competencies and skills that may help leaders of churches and other Christian organisations unlock the potential that this diversity offers.Malcolm Patten has been a Baptist Minister for over twenty years and this book combines his congregational sociological research and his years of experience as a Pastor in multicultural churches. He will also be interviewing others who are involved in working with multicultural churches across the denominations (Anglican, Methodist, URC) as well as drawing in expertise from BME networks, the Evangelical Alliance, Churches Together and Independent churches with multicultural congregations such as Kensington Temple, Westminster Chapel and Emmanuel Church, Westminster.
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Faith Generation : Retaining Young People And Growing The Church
$20.99Add to cartThe recent Church Growth Research (see www.churchgrowthresearch.org.uk) identifies that the successful transmission of faith to children and young people is a key factor in stemming decline and promoting growth. This book explores the cultural and theological reasons as to why this is the case and makes research-based recommendations for the faith formation of children and young people. The central argument is that church communities need to engage in deliberate strategies that help foster “intentional Christian Communities’ within which children and young people can form and sustain Christian identity.
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Online Mission And Ministry
$14.99Add to cartMany clergy and churches are now taking to the internet and social media to promote their churches or ministries, but few have thought through some of the difficult pastoral and theological issues that may arise.’Virtual vicar’ Revd Pam Smith guides both new and experienced practitioners through setting up online ministries and considers some of the issues that may arise, such as:Are relationships online as valid as those offline? Is it possible to participate in a ‘virtual’ communion service? How do you deal with ‘trolls’ in a Christian way? What is it appropriate for a clergyperson to say on social media?
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Wrestling With The Word
$18.99Add to cartMany biblical texts seem almost impossible to preach. They may be violent or terrifying or strange or abrasive. They may deal with matters simply beyond human experience. The preacher could well be tempted to choose an easier text on offer! But leaving taxing passages untouched means the Bible is effectively silenced. In Wrestling with the Word, well-known and accomplished preachers grapple with a range of notoriously difficult biblical Old and New Testament texts. As well as providing sample sermons – in an exhilarating variety of structural styles and voices – they offer ideas to help in the planning process of interpreting and applying such passages. ‘A well-constructed and delivered sermon has the potential to inspire people as few other experiences can.’The Rt Revd John Pritchard, from the Foreword
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What Clergy Do
$18.99Add to cartClergy have a pivotal role in creating and nurturing church communities in which all people can grow up into Christ. This book explores the nature of that role by considering key similarities with the essential but often conflicting demands of motherhood. Like mothers, clergy need to preserve and hold people faithfully, while encouraging them to grow, take initiatives and become more confident and self-supporting. This book will help clergy to think about how this is achieved through the myriad of ‘small’ things they do from day to day, highlighting skills such as comforting, cherishing and multi-attending – skills that are centrally important but often unarticulated and undervalued.
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Economics Of Neighborly Love
$20.99Add to cart13 Chapters
Additional Info
What does the good news of Jesus mean for economics?Too often, Christian teaching and ministry have focused only on the gospel’s spiritual significance and ignored its physical, real-world ramifications. But loving our neighbor well has direct economic implications, and in our diverse and stratified society we need to grapple with them now more than ever.
In The Economics of Neighborly Love pastor Tom Nelson sets out to address this problem. Marrying biblical study, economic theory, and practical advice, he presents a vision for church ministry that works toward the flourishing of the local community, beginning with its poorest and most marginalized members. Nelson resists oversimplification and pushes us toward more complex and nuanced understandings of wealth and poverty. If we confess the gospel of Jesus, he insists, we must contend anew with its implications for the well-being of our local communities. Together we can grow in both compassion and capacity.
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Messy Church : Fresh Ideas For Building A Christ Centered Community
$20.99Add to cartWe like the idea of community, but where do we start? The Messy Church series provides resources to help your church bring together people of all ages and stages of faith, allowing them to experience a creative and fun-filled Christian community. Messy Church, the first book in the series, offers your church a tool to create a unique, come-as-you-are experience built on:
creativity-allowing space for all to play and create
celebration-worshiping God and his redeeming work in Jesus
hospitality-sharing a meal where all are welcomeThis complete resource helps you share the love of God and his people with families in your community, creating an opportunity for connection and learning in a fun and welcoming environment. With instructions for starting a program at your church, Messy Church includes fifteen sessions for use throughout the year. Let’s get messy!
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Anxious For Nothing Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartAccording the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are reaching epidemic proportions. In a given year, 17% of Americans will feel the effects of a panic attack. Anxiety-related issues are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Between 1997 and 2004, Americans more than doubled their spending on anti-anxiety medications from $900 million to $2.1 billion.
We are tense. Why? Change is one reason. Sociologists speculate the world has changed more in the last thirty years than it has in the last three hundred! Every day seems to bring new change and threats. We also face personal challenges-job loss, cancer, divorce, addiction, bankruptcy. Add to personal challenges those of a global nature imported into our lives every few seconds thanks to smart phones, TVs, and computer screens. In our parents’ day, the nightly news caught them up on world events. Now it is a matter of minutes.
Anxiety just comes with life. However, as God’s Word reveals, it doesn’t have to dominate life. In this six-session video-based Bible study, bestselling author Max Lucado looks at seven admonitions from the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4-8 that lead to one wonderful promise: “The peace of God which surpasses all understanding.” As he unpacks each verse, he shows how God is ready to give comfort to help us face the calamities in life, view bad news through the lens of sovereignty, discern the lies of Satan, and tell ourselves the truth. We can be anxious for nothing, and discover true peace from God that surpasses all human understanding.
Sessions include:
1. Rejoice in the Lord Always
2. Let Your Gentleness Be Known to All
3. In Everything by Prayer… with Thanksgiving
4. The Peace of God… Will Guard Your Hearts
5. Meditate on These Things -
Lay Servants As Christian Transformation Leaders Participants Book (Student/Stud
$18.00Add to cartBuilding on the previous Lay Servant course “Does Your Church Have a Prayer?”, this Participant’s Book will guide Lay Servants seeking to be more empowered to lead their congregations toward vitality. Written with two distinct purposes, “Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders” will first define the three types of Christian transformational leadership and the four qualities of Christian transformational leaders. Then the course will focus on congregational vitality, organizational life cycles, assessing current realities, and leading transformational change. The accompanying Leader’s Guide is in PDF form and is also available for downloading here.
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Grace For The Afflicted
$25.99Add to cartWhy has the church struggled in ministering to those with mental illnesses? Each day men and women diagnosed with mental disorders are told they need to pray more and turn from their sin. Mental illness is equated with demonic possession, weak faith, and generational sin. As both a church leader and a professor of psychology and behavioral sciences, Michael S. Stanford has seen far too many mentally ill brothers and sisters damaged by well-meaning believers who respond to them out of fear or misinformation rather than grace. Grace for the Afflicted is written to educate Christians about mental illness from both biblical and scientific perspectives. Stanford presents insights into our physical and spiritual nature and discusses the appropriate role of psychology and psychiatry in the life of the believer. Describing common mental disorders, Stanford probes what science says and what the Bible says about each illness. Consistent with DSM-5 diagnoses, this revised and expanded edition is thoroughly updated with new material throughout, including eight new chapters that cover bipolar disorderstrauma- and stressor-related disordersdementiacerebrovascular accidents (stroke)traumatic brain injurysuicidea holistic approach to recoverymental health and the church
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Family Therapies : A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal (Revised)
$60.00Add to cartPreface
Part 1: Foundational Considerations
1. A Christian Understanding For Family Therapy
2. Historical Foundations Of Family TherapyPart 2: Models Of Family Therapy
3. Bowenian Family Therapy
4. Strategic Family Therapy
5. Structural Family Therapy
6. Psychodynamic Family Therapy
7. Contextual Family Therapy
8. Experiential Family Therapy
9.. Solution-Focused Family Therapy
10. Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy
11. Narrative Family Therapy
12. Toward An Integrative Christian Family TherapyPart 3: Integration Of Family Theory With Critical Issues In Psychotherapy
13. Crisis And Trauma
14. Attending To Marital Conflict
15. Separation, Divorce And Remarriage
16. Individual Psychopathology
17. Substance Abuse
18. Gender, Culture, Economic Class And Race
19. Sexual IdentityPart 4: Casting A Vision
20. Casting A Vision For Christian Family Therapy
Author Index
Subject IndexAdditional Info
Christian therapists doing family therapy have never had a resource to help them navigate the various family therapy theories from a Christian perspective–until now. In this book Mark A. Yarhouse and James N. Sells survey the major approaches to family therapy and treat, within a Christian framework, significant psychotherapeutic issues. The wide array of issues covered includes crisis and traumamarital conflictseparation, divorce and blended familiesindividual psychopathologysubstance abuse and addictionsgender, culture, economic class and racesexual identity Calling for an integrated approach of “responsible eclecticism,” they conclude with a vision for Christian family therapy. A landmark work providing critical Christian engagement with existing models of family therapy, this volume was written for those studying counseling, social work, psychology or family therapy. Family Therapies will also serve as an indispensable resource for those in the mental health professions, including counselors, psychologists, family therapists, social workers and pastors. -
Brief Guide To Ministry With LGBTQIA Youth
$20.00Add to cartDespite our best efforts to create welcoming and affirming congregations, the reality is that church can still be a harmful place to LGBTQIA youth.
Inside A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth, author Cody J. Sanders challenges pastors and church leaders to reflect on the various trials that adolescence brings for LGBTQIA youth. Designed for congregations that currently have a theologically and biblically affirming stance toward the LGBTQIA community, this unique resource provides insight and practical advice for tough questions like:
How does an affirming stance toward LGBTQIA people affect the day-to-day experience of teenagers in a church setting?
In what ways can a church’s youth ministry have a positive impact on the lives of LGBTQIA youth who want to fully live out their Christian faith and their gender identity?
How can a pastor, youth minister, or youth ministry volunteer embrace, nurture, and provide skillful care for LGBTQIA youth in a congregation or community?A glossary of terms to use when talking about LGBTQIA issues and a list of national and location resources that can be used to support LGBTQIA youth are included.
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Sharing Gods Blessing
$15.99Add to cartA tried-and-tested resource for the renewal of the local church. Faced with the unsustainability of many inherited patterns of church, the temptation may be to fall into despondency rather than seeking to regenerate patterns of mission and ministry. This book is the result of a two-year research project aimed at enabling local churches to regain a sense of confidence through exploring God’s blessing and how that might be shared with the communities they serve. In Part One, Robin explores the meaning of blessing and the power of face-to-face group conversations to transform church congregations. Part Two of the book contains outlines for five guided conversations for change on the theme of blessing. Part Three contains case study material of how this material has been used in different contexts, including for Mission Action Planning (MAP).
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Being A Chaplain
$16.99Add to cartChaplaincy – a place for those who have sold out, can’t hack church ministry and don’t believe in mission? Against the negative stereotypes, this book argues that chaplains are a valuable resource to the Church. Embedded in places as diverse as prisons, hospitals, educational establishments and the armed forces, chaplains often encounter social trends well in advance of the institutional churches. Their experiences and expertise can be very helpful for thinking about ministry, ecclesiology and the engagement with contemporary society. The first five parts of this book gather together stories of 22 chaplains working in a wide variety of contexts and from a range of Christian churches. The final part consists of four essays on key themes: multi-faith issues; the core skills needed by a chaplain; models of chaplaincy; and tensions that can arise in the work. This book is for chaplains, students, clergy and all those who are considering becoming a chaplain or have dealings with people in the role. It will be of considerable interest to anyone who wonders what exactly chaplains do, how and why they do it and what the churches can learn from their experiences.
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Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God And Other Sermons Enlarged And Expande
$14.99Add to cart“Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open,” and He stands crying out to all to accept His call. Delivered more than 250 years ago, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards remains the most famous sermon ever preached in American history. He presents a clear picture of the predicament of every sinner and lukewarm Christian, while showing how we can know we have God’s favor, avoid the tricks of the devil, and find our reward in heaven. With compelling words and now-classic imagery, Edwards describes the shaky position of those who do not follow Christ and God’s urgent call to receive His love and forgiveness today. This new, updated edition includes two other sermons that demonstrate the great mercy of God as well as Edwards’ own pastoral heart: “Pardon for the Greatest of Sinners” and “Many Mansions.”
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Because Of Gracia Theme 3 A Film And Faith Leaders Guide
$5.99Add to cartA Film and Faith Leader’s Guide: Theme 3 Voicing Faith equips youth pastors and small group leaders to explore the key theme of Voicing Faith in public as presented in the award-winning film. This three-week guide inspires participants to confront fear and complacency even when faced with opposition from the world around them.
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Because Of Gracia A Film And Faith Conversation Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe Because of Gracia Film and Faith Conversation Guide is a different kind of resource from most movie discussion guides, and it’s different from most bible studies. It’s a 45-day experience to spark conversations on the challenges students face every day as Christians. Based on the themes of Because of Gracia, each week’s conversation has info on group activities and then follows up with five days of devotional reflections for a student and his or her conversation partner. Topics and conversations include Practicing Friendship (teen dating and relationships), Choosing Life (pro-life values and ministering to those facing teen pregnancy), and Voicing Faith (defense of one’s faith in public). These Because of Gracia conversations will help students know how to handle the life-altering choices they face everyday– friendships and relationships, dating and falling in love, how to choose life and support those facing teen pregnancy, and how to confidently voicing your faith and beliefs in public. So let this film and faith conversation be a part of their faith journey, and get real with these real-life questions on God, friendship, and love.
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Unboxed : Uncovering New Paradigms For Tomorrow’s Church
$18.99Add to cartWhy live like an artificial when you were designed to be an original? That’s the theme ministry leader entrepreneur Martijn van Tilborgh unpacks as he delivers this challenge for us to become “unboxed.” His premise? God is waiting to empower you to shed the shackles of personal limitations so you can become an authentic change-agent in this world.
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That Deacon Book
$14.99Add to cartIn many churches today, finding true, faithful servants to the church can feel like hunting for unicorns. Lots of people say they want to be like Jesus, but too few are willing to serve like him. “That Deacon Book” was written for pastors, staff, and lay leaders in mind. It can be handed to literally anyone in the church to great benefit.
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Jeremiah-Lamentations NIV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartWhat if you could study Jeremiah & Lamentations with your favorite Bible scholars from across the ages? With The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible, you can! This unique resource is designed to empower pastors and leaders to effectively preach and teach God’s Word. This is much more than a commentary – it takes the best scholarly works available and combines them in a single resource. Inside each volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible, you’ll find: A verse-by-verse outline alongside each passage of Scripture that draws out key concepts. In-depth commentary synthesized from hundreds of trusted sources, including Matthew Henry, John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon…and many more. Thoughts designed to provide practical application of Scripture for your congregation. Deeper studies that expand on original Greek sources, provide historical background, and explain key points. An Outline & Subject Index designed for topical study – perfect for quickly creating messages on a particular theme. There’s a volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible series for nearly any sermon you can imagine. Explore the full series on our website at lmw.org
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These Are Our Bodies Primary Parent Book
$11.95Add to cartFaith formation resource for children on human sexuality – For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: – We are Wonderfully Made – We are Complex – We are Changing – We are Knowledgeable – We are Equipped – We are Called – We are Growing Up
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Lectionary Stories For Preaching And Teaching Series 2 Cycle B
$19.95Add to cart“A good story of faith … allows us to better see ourselves and our relationships while offering to us an opportunity to consider and know God. We enter into the story and emerge a different person.” – Peter Andrew Smith
Restaurant workers closing up for the night do their duty to prepare the store for the morning crew, despite their impatience to leave. An elderly man finds hope and encouragement in a congregation where he never quite felt like he belonged.
These are the simple, quiet vignettes Smith offers in his third collection of stories.Lectionary Stories for Preaching and Teaching: Series II, Cycle Bis inspired by the details Jesus draws from everyday life in the Gospel of Mark. Likewise, Smith delves into the ordinary to explore the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit alive from moment to moment today.
Lectionary Stories for Preaching and Teaching is an accessible collection of stories ideal for inviting both experienced disciples and those young in the Christian faith alike to discover the Lord yet at work where and when we least expect Him.
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Like A Phoenix Cycle B
$16.95Add to cartThe season after Pentecost has had several different names over the years. It has been called “Ordinary Time,” which meant that the Sundays were numbered, not that they were common or mundane. It has been called “Kingdomtide” as the celebration of the imminent nature of God’s Kingdom breaking forth in the world as both present and future reality. And it has sometimes just been called “The Time after Pentecost.” Whatever we choose to call it, it is often felt as a slow-down, or a sag in the enthusiasm and energy of the church. Rarely does anything new begin in the summer. It’s a time of waiting for vacations to end and school to begin again so we can get back to the business of doing ministry. The sermons in Like A Phoenix offer the goal of bringing new vigor and vitality into the life of the church even in the hot months of the year when everything and everyone is calling us to slow down and take it easy.
Since the season after Pentecost is drawn out it may be more difficult to come up with sermon ideas. This book will help ease the burden. A busy pastor will have more time to focus things other than sermon preparation, especially during the summer, with vacation time in full-swing.This book may be used for:
Sermon preparation
Independent or group study
Inspirational readingSome Sermon Titles Include:
Together in One Place (Acts 2:1-21)
Meeting Jesus (John 3:1-17)
Meet the Rose Family (Mark 3:20-35)
Little Start, Big Finish (Mark 4:26-34)
A Non-anxious Presence (Mark 4:35-41) -
Hearers To Kneelers To Chosen Cycle B
$12.95Add to cartCSS author, Ron Love’s Hearers to Kneelers to Chosen: The Transformed Life provides Second Lesson sermons for Cycle B for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. These sermons are filled with spiritual guidance and will help you serve your own congregation with fresh ideas.
Some sermon titles include:
“Cathedra” (1 Corinthians 1:3–9)
Wavering Notes by an Uncertain Trumpet (1 Corinthians 1:3–9)
Standing in the Forecastle (1 Thessalonians 5:16–24)
Soli Deo Gloria (Romans 16:25–27)
Abba! Father! (Galatians 4:4–7)
Our Magic Mirror (1 Corinthians 6:12–20) -
Saints Alive : Claiming The Saints For Protestant Preaching
$12.95Add to cartOver 20,000 visit the unincorporated farming community of Maria Stein, Ohio every year to visit the National Shrine of the Holy Relics, which displays around a thousand relics of Roman Catholic saints. Rev. Dr. Alex A. Gondola, Jr. would often visit this peaceful setting and, as he watched devotees come to honor these figures and pray, he realized he didn’t quite “get it.” Could there be spiritual enrichment for him, a Protestant, in a place like this?
Discover the answer for yourself in Saints Alive: Claiming the Saints for Protestant Teaching, sermons from a year Rev. Gondola devoted to preaching on one saint per month. He offers this volume as a companion for pastors and group leaders prepared to take a deep dive into matters of faith, calling and the hope Christ offers the world through his humblest of servants, from St. Augustine to Mother Teresa.
Seasonal sermons include:
St. Patrick: “Christ in All Things” for Lent
Nicholas of Myra: “An Advent Saint” for Advent
You and I: “Called to Be Saints” for Year End/New Year’s Day -
Journeying With Mark
$22.00Add to cartJourneying with Mark offers a brief and accessible guide to the Gospel of Mark. Perfect for personal reflection and sermon preparation, this inspiring resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary. Each chapter corresponds to a season of the liturgical year and the Gospel passages read during that season. The reader will find an introduction to the biblical text that looks at historical and literary themes; imaginative new ways to encounter Mark in preaching and study, including poetry; and reflections on the text’s meaning for contemporary Christian life. Each chapter ends with an action item, reflection questions, and a prayer.
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These Are Our Bodies Preschool Parent Book
$11.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: * We are Wonderfully Made * We are Complex * We are Changing * We are Knowledgeable * We are Equipped * We are Called * We are Growing Up
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Gods Country : Faith Hope And The Future Of The Rural Church
$29.99Add to cartWith the poetic force of Kathleen Norris and the pastoral warmth of Eugene Peterson, Kansas pastor Roth sets forth a vision for vibrant rural churches, for ministry in congregations that bear a profound sense of both loss and possibility, and for harvesting fruits of transformation and renewal. Rooted in stories from Scripture, his own ministry, and interviews with rural church leaders, Roth offers a sturdy theological and practical alternative to church-growth strategies that rely on success stories and flashy metrics.
Reclaiming God’s vision for the rural church, Roth writes, means learning how to praise, abide, watch, pray, grow, work the edges, die, befriend, and dream. In God’s Country, rediscover the stunning abundance of God’s presence in rural communities. Name the ways that the rural church testifies to God’s glory and goodness. Learn to live and love and minister right where you are, no matter how small or unassuming it may seem.
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Renovate Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartRenovating a house can be an exciting and rewarding experience. But the act of renovation can often leave the house in a state of disarray, causing stress and frustration. In the same way, God wants to renovate your life by altering the “old you” and creating a “new you” with an improved heart. It’s not going to be easy, and your life might experience some disarray, but renovating with God is the opportunity of a lifetime. Using the Book of Nehemiah, popular author and pastor Jacob Armstrong explores the physical and spiritual renovation experienced by the nation of Judah. Nehemiah knew that his plan for renovating the wall and gates of Jerusalem would be hard work. But equally hard would be the spiritual renovation of the Jewish people as they returned to their homeland. Thankfully, spiritual renovation is not a do-it-yourself project. We need God’s great power working through us to renovate our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Chapters include: Never Too Late for a Renovation It Starts with Tears What to Know Before You Build When Others Don’t Like Your Plans Inviting Others to Come Home The Big Reveal Additional components for a six-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Jacob Armstrong.
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5 Means Of Grace Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$13.99Add to cartJohn Wesley gave the Methodist movement (and all Christians in general) a discipleship pathway to follow. Wesley began with Three Simple Rules (or “General Rules”), and followed this instruction a year later with the Five Marks of a Methodist (or “Character of a Methodist”). Over the next decade, Wesley observed the need for continuous renewal of relationships with God and others, so he established a recurring annual process for God’s people to make One Faithful Promise: The Wesley Covenant for Renewal. Wesley confirmed the tendency in each of us for the love of God and others to grow cold, so that we drift away from the gift of God’s unmerited grace. So Wesley showed us ways to reorder our lives through the “means of grace.”
These means are the ordinary channels that God uses to draw us into a fruitful relationship. These five means or channels are:
1. Prayer
2. Searching Scripture
3. Receiving the Lord’s Supper
4. Fasting
5. Conferencing (worship together)This six-week, video-based study will help Christians (new and seasoned) to re-order their lives by recognizing and affirming the outward signs, words, and actions of an invisible divine grace. Through these “means” we receive God’s gifts together, and we experience the power of a spiritual relationship with God.
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Which Way Lord
$14.99Add to cartThe life and travels of the apostle Paul can help us find God’s purpose for our lives. God created every person with a desire for meaning and purpose. Most of us ask how and what do we do to live the purposeful life God intends for each of us? This 6-week church wide series is designed to help us intentionally consider the big question asked by everyone: “What is the purpose of my life?” It wasn’t the Damascus experience only that sent the apostle Paul into a life of evangelism, but the entirety of his life including his traditions, his education, his travels, and his challenges that shaped him for his ministry. Paul traveled a course covering roughly 10,000 miles to spread the Good News throughout the Mediterranean world. After years of prayer and discernment, Paul was certain of his purpose, but he had no idea how God’s plan for him would take shape. This series helps us unpack our life alongside Paul’s life, past and present, to find our purpose and passion. A perfect study series for back-to-school or the beginning of a new year, the series includes a book; DVD with video sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon helps; worship media; daily devotions; and more. Rediscover you are wonderfully made, created for purpose, and equipped to live a life of significance, despite the adversity and detours you will encounter along the way. Join us as we travel to find our purpose together. For more information, visit RobFuquay.com.
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Which Way Lord
$12.99Add to cartThe life and travels of the apostle Paul can help us find God’s purpose for our lives. God created every person with a desire for meaning and purpose. Most of us ask how and what do we do to live the purposeful life God intends for each of us? This 6-week church wide series is designed to help us intentionally consider the big question asked by everyone: “What is the purpose of my life?” It wasn’t the Damascus experience only that sent the apostle Paul into a life of evangelism, but the entirety of his life including his traditions, his education, his travels, and his challenges that shaped him for his ministry. Paul traveled a course covering roughly 10,000 miles to spread the Good News throughout the Mediterranean world. After years of prayer and discernment, Paul was certain of his purpose, but he had no idea how God’s plan for him would take shape. This series helps us unpack our life alongside Paul’s life, past and present, to find our purpose and passion. A perfect study series for back-to-school or the beginning of a new year, the series includes a book; DVD with video sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon helps; worship media; daily devotions; and more. Rediscover you are wonderfully made, created for purpose, and equipped to live a life of significance, despite the adversity and detours you will encounter along the way. Join us as we travel to find our purpose together. For more information, visit RobFuquay.com.
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Good Arguments : Making Your Case In Writing And Public Speaking
$22.00Add to cartThis brief introduction to making effective arguments helps readers to understand the basics of sound reasoning and to learn how to use it to persuade others. Practical, inexpensive, and easy-to-read, the book enables students in a wide variety of courses to improve the clarity of their writing and public speaking. It equips readers to formulate firmly grounded, clearly articulated, and logically arranged arguments, avoid fallacious thinking, and discover how to reason well. This supplemental text is especially suitable for use in Christian colleges and seminaries and includes classroom discussion questions.
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Will Willimons Lectionary Sermon Resource Year B Part 1
$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 B, Part 1 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 -
Mythical Leader : The Seven Myths Of Leadership
$19.99Add to cartPastor and popular blogger, Ron Edmondson exposes some of the common misunderstandings of leadership through stories from his own experiences, helping leaders develop healthier patterns of individual leadership.
Being a leader involves much more than holding a title. And simply having a leader doesn’t ensure success. This reality has never been more prevalent in the church than now, when so many churches are considered to be plateaued or dying.
Pastor and popular blogger, Ron Edmondson believes this is due to a misunderstanding of what leadership is and what it isn’t. In his work with hundreds of pastors and churches, the most common need he encounters is the need for more effective leadership in the local church. Seminaries may prepare pastors to preach, just as colleges may prepare teachers to teach, but who prepares pastors to lead?
Simply stated: The church needs better leadership.
In The Mythical Leader, Edmondson exposes some of the most common misunderstandings of leadership, shares stories from his own experiences, and will help church leaders develop healthier patterns to improve their individual leadership.
While most people may have a preliminary understanding of many of these myths, they often are not lived out with a great degree of depth in the life of the church leader. Don’t fall prey to these myths! If gone untreated they can be the very thing that prevents a good leader from leading well.
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Introverts In The Church (Expanded)
$20.99Add to cartIntroduction: Can Introverts Thrive In The Church?
1 The Extroverted Church
2 The Introverted Difference
3 Finding Healing
4 Introverted Spirituality
5 Introverted Community And Relationships
6 The Ability To Lead
7 Leading As Ourselves
8 Introverted Evangelism
9 Introverts In Church
Epilogue: Finding Our Place
Questions For Reflection And Discussion
Further Reading
NotesAdditional Info
Introverts are called and gifted by God. But many churches tend to be extroverted places where introverts are marginalized. Some Christians end up feeling like it’s not as faithful to be an introvert. Adam McHugh shows how introverts can live and minister in ways consistent with their personalities. He explains how introverts and extroverts process information and approach relationships differently and how introverts can practice Christian spirituality in ways that fit who they are. With practical illustrations from church and parachurch contexts, McHugh offers ways for introverts to serve, lead, worship and even evangelize effectively. Introverts in the Church is essential reading for any introvert who has ever felt out of place, as well as for church leaders who want to make their churches more welcoming to introverts. This expanded edition has been revised throughout and includes new research on how introverts lead and material for parenting and encouraging introverted children. Discover God’s call and empowerment to thrive as an introvert, for the sake of the church and kingdom. -
These Are Our Bodies Primary Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$11.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: * We are Wonderfully Made * We are Complex * We are Changing * We are Knowledgeable * We are Equipped * We are Called * We are Growing Up
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Fear Of The Other Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$10.99Add to cartThis five-week DVD/video based small group study (DVD and Leader Guide) companion to the book, Fear of the Other: No Fear in Love invites readers to consider the Gospel command to love (and not merely tolerate) those considered to be “Other” or outside mainstream Christian culture. Rooted in the faith of Israel and the Christian story and vision, Willimon – in an onscreen conversation with Delia Catalina Ramirez, brings a non-technical, Wesleyan perspective to bear on what may be the hardest thing for people of faith to do: keeping and loving the Other as Other. Emphasizing the biblical mandate to receive Others in their particularity and difference as gifts and mysteries bearing the grace of God, this study also offers a strong critique of the privileged who all too often rush to language of reconciliation and evade the huge inequalities surrounding conversations and practices dealing with xenophobia and injustice. Rooted in the New Testament understanding of Gentile outsiders grafted into the covenant community, this study invites readers to an on-the ground faith that hearkens to a soliciting and revealing God – the God who comes to us again and again through so-called outsiders, strangers, immigrants, and those without status. The 5 video conversations between Will Willimon and Delia Ramirez focus on each of the five chapters of Fear of the Other: Session 1: Saved by the Other Session 2: The Other, My Enemy Session 3: Learning to Fear Like Christians Session 4: Loving the Other in Church Session 5: Jesus, the Other
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Beyond The Offering Plate
$26.00Add to cartEveryone knows that stewardship is more than money and finances. Nevertheless, seldom do we give time to explore the profound concept of stewardship in its many dimensions, including stewardship of time, work, body, mind, spirit, community, technology, and more. Beyond the Offering Plate does just that.
Written by ten engaging pastors, seminary professors, and church leaders, this unique resource offers a diverse and holistic approach to stewardship. In ten accessible chapters, readers will learn how they can faithfully and practically discuss and engage with stewardship on a regular basis. Ideal for church leaders, seminary students, and pastors, this book includes questions for reflection and applications for life together at the end of each chapter. Copeland adds a special section with biblical references and preaching themes at the end of the book.
Featured contributors include:
Margaret P. Aymer, Associate Professor of New Testament at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas
Kathleen A. Cahalan, Professor of Theology at Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota
MaryAnn McKibben Dana, author of Sabbath in the Suburbs
David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
David P. King, Karen Lake Buttrey Director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving and Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana
Neal D. Presa, pastor and former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Ellie Roscher, Director of Youth and Story Development at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities in Minneapolis and author of How Coffee Saved My Life
Mary Hinkle Shore, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Brevard, North Carolina
John W. Vest, Visiting Assistant Professor of Evangelism at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia -
Because Of Gracia Theme 2 A Film And Faith Leaders Guide
$5.99Add to cartA Film and Faith Leader’s Guide: Theme 2 Choosing life equips youth pastors and small group leaders to explore the key theme of Choosing life as presented in the award-winning film.This three-session study guide empowers students to address the issues of unplanned and teen pregnancy with confidence, faith, and love.
