Pastoral Helps
Showing 1201–1250 of 4114 results
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He Chose The Nails Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartEvery gift from God reveals his love. But no gift reveals his love more than the gifts of the cross. They came not wrapped in paper, but in passion. Not placed around a tree, but a cross. Not covered with ribbons, but sprinkled with blood.
Much has been said about the gift of the cross itself, but what of the other gifts? What of the nails, the crown of thorns? The garments taken by the soldiers? The garments given for the burial? Have we taken time to open these gifts? Jesus didn’t have to give them, you know. The only act required for our salvation was the shedding of blood. Yet he did so much more.
The hill of the cross is rich with God’s gifts. So let’s examine them. Let’s unwrap the gifts of grace as if—or perhaps, indeed—for the first time. And as we touch them—as we feel the timber of the cross and trace the braid of the crown and finger the point of the spike—we need to pause and listen. Perchance we will hear him whisper: “I did it just for you.”
Sessions include:
*He Chose to Be One of Us (Crown of Thorns)
*He Chose to Forgive Us (Nails)
*He Chose to Love Us Forever (Cross)
*He Chose to Give Us Victory (Empty Tomb) -
Flipping Church : How Successful Church Planters Are Turning Conventional W
$18.00Add to cartAn innovative anthology written by successful church planters who have consistently and successfully challenged prevailing assumptions about healthy church development and “best practices.” This informative book gives insight into how they broke the mold of church planting. Includes chapters written by Michael Baughman, Olu Brown, Doug Cunningham, Kenda Creasy Dean, Mark DeVries, Amanda Garber, Trey Hall, Diane Harrison, Elaine Heath, Jerry Herships, Derek Jacobs, Matt Miofsky, David Rangel, and Owen Ross.
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Rethinking Celebration : From Rhetoric To Praise In African American Preach
$28.00Add to cart“This book is a clarion call for African American preachers to think more deeply about the aims and ends of their preaching-namely to stop putting so much emphasis on celebratory endings to our sermons and focus more on the substantive content in our sermons. Our so-called celebratory preaching, designed to excite the congregation into action through a highly emotional closing of the sermon, has had the opposite effect. Rather than inducing action, it has lulled generations of black congregants to sleep. While we are jumping up and down, shouting, and waving our hands in the air every Sunday during the worship hour, we seem not to notice the growing number of churched and unchurched alike who are becoming powerfully alienated from any form of institutional religion.”
-from the introduction“Celebration” is a term that has long been used to describe African American preaching, characterized by content that affirms the goodness and powerful intervention of God as well as style that builds from quiet beginnings to an emotionally rich crescendo in conclusion. Cleophus J. LaRue argues that while celebration is one of African American preaching’s greatest gifts to the larger church, too many black preachers have become content with the form of celebration-volume, vocabulary, pitch, speed, rhythm, and the like-to the neglect of its essence-the proclamation of the mighty acts of God in the lives of their congregations and communities. This kind of preaching, LaRue contends, fails to address the ongoing problems of the African American community and is powerless to prevent the growing disaffection of black America with the black church. In words both prophetic and practical, LaRue suggests ways to improve black preaching that honor both the form and the power of the African American homiletical practice of celebration. Preachers will learn how to use celebration more selectively and as part of a fully formed preaching practice rather than as a means of distracting the congregation from pressing social and theological questions. The book includes six illustrative sermons from LaRue as well as Paschal Sampson Wilkinson Sr., Brian K. Blount, and Claudette Anderson Copeland.
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Fellowship Of Differents
$22.99Add to cartIn this compelling book, Scot McKnight shares his personal experience in the church as well as his study of the Apostle Paul to answer this significant question: What is the church supposed to be?
For most of us the church is a place we go to on Sunday to hear a sermon or to participate in worship or to partake in communion or to fellowship with other Christians. Church is all contained within one or two hours on Sunday morning.
The church the Apostle Paul talks about is designed by God to be a fellowship of difference-how people differ socially-and differents-how people differ culturally. God did not design the church to be a two-hour experience on Sunday but a mixture of people from all across the map and spectrum: men and women, rich and poor, Caucasians or African Americans, and Mexican Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, and Indian Americans, and a mixture of people with varying personalities and tastes. The church McKnight grew up in was a fellowship of sames and likes. There was almost no variety in his church. White folks, same beliefs about everything, same tastes in music and worship and sermons and lifestyle. Because of his experience, he writes incisively and compellingly.
The church is God’s world-changing social experiment of bringing unlikes and differents to the table to share life with one another as a new kind of family. When this happens we show to the world what love, justice, peace, reconciliation, and life together is designed by God to be. The church is God’s show-and-tell for the world to see how God wants us to live as a family. -
Teaching Outside The Box
$19.99Add to cartRather than tweaking the ways youth ministers communicate the gospel, Teaching Outside the Box, explores five distinct approaches to forming youth in the faith-approaches that open youth to experiencing the implications of the gospel in new ways. We’ll start by providing a new take on the instructional approach, and then introduce four additional approaches that are likely new to readers: community of faith, interpretive, liberation, and contemplative.
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Story Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe Story group Bible study provides groups of all sizes the opportunity to discuss and apply what they experience during the 31-week The Story church campaign.
To understand the Bible, says Frazee, you need bifocal lenses, because two perspectives are involved. The Lower Story, our story, is actually many stories of men and women interacting with God in the daily course of life.
The Upper Story is God’s story, the tale of his great, overarching purpose that puts the individual stories together like panels in one unified mural.
In 31 sessions, The Story video-based group study opens your eyes to God’s master plan unfolding in the lives of the Bible’s characters and in your own life.
Discover the heart of God’s Upper Story, and the joy that comes as you align your story with God’s. The Story Study Guide and DVD (sold separately) are designed for use by groups of all sizes, including small groups and Sunday school and adult education classes.
Designed for use with The Story Adult Curriculum Study DVD (9780310329527) sold separately.
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Small Church Youth And Family Ministry
$19.99Add to cartSmall Church Youth Ministry highlights the big impact small churches can have on the faith journey of their young people. It is designed to encourage and help small churches start, build and lead effective disciple making youth ministry. Topics include a biblical foundation, practical helps, tools and activities.
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Blessed To Be A Blessing
$30.00Add to cartBlessed to be a Blessing: Sacred Circle Time for Young Children is designed specifically for young children using a simple-but-effective model that will move them beyond “learning about God” to “experiencing God” through ritual, wonder, story, prayer, and blessing. Dr. Leanne Hadley provides all the leadership tools as well as ideas for resources that all congregations have already on hand.
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Psalm 3 KJV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartThis eagerly anticipated volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) covers chapters 107-150 of the Psalms and is part three of a three-part series.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) is much more than a commentary – it’s a comprehensive resource for expository and topical preaching.
Each volume organizes key points of Scripture passages in a systematic outline form, along with content synthesized from 200+ Bible commentaries, language sources, and reference works.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) includes inspirational sermon points, practical life applications and dozens of supporting scriptures in every section.
This volume includes Psalms chapters 107-150 and contains Scripture printed in King James Version (KJV).
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Ministry Proverbs : Lessons Learned For Leading Congregations
$20.95Add to cartBiblical and cultural proverbs have been cherished throughout the ages. One reason for their enduring influence is that they reveal deeper wisdom through easy-to-grasp phrases. They form our lives by offering wisdom we can hold onto and use in life’s most complex situations. In the increasingly complex world of modern ministry, it has become harder for pastors and church leaders to act wisely when the models for ministry keep changing. Ministry Proverbs is a collection of 60 proverbs that the Rev. Dr. Graham Standish has developed over the years to guide his own ministry. These are proverbs such as “We are only responsible for our efforts. God is responsible for the results. So be responsible for your part, and let God be responsible for God’s part. Wisdom comes in learning to tell the difference.” Each proverb is followed by 4-6 paragraphs of reflection that take the reader deeper into the ramifications and applications of the proverb. The reflections are intended to help readers to apply the proverbs in their own ministries, and to remember them so that when they face a difficult or uncertain situation, they can tap into the wisdom.
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Exodus
$27.00Add to cartFocused Biblical Scholarship to Teach the Text Effectively
To craft informed sermons, pastors scour commentaries that often deal more with minutia than the main point. Or they turn to devotional commentaries, which may contain exegetical weaknesses. The Teach the Text Commentary Series bridges this gap by utilizing the best of biblical scholarship and providing the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. By concentrating each carefully selected preaching unit into six pages of focused commentary, each volume in this series allows pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage; sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text; and full-color illustrations, maps, and photos.
The newest release in this innovative commentary series is T. Desmond Alexander’s treatment of Exodus.
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So Great A Cloud Of Witnesses
$21.95Add to cartChapters Included In This Book:
The Supplanter: Jacob
My House Will Serve The Lord: Joshua
The Sword Of The Lord: Gideon
The Outsider: Ruth And Boaz
The Sweet Singer Of Israel: DavidAdditional Info
One of the insights of people of faith is that God is active in history as he seeks to bring creation into conformity with his purpose. There have been those in every age who have discovered something of God’s purpose and have attempted to pass it on. Sometimes, God’s activity has been reported in supernatural terms, but fully as often, the activity of God is revealed in the faithful actions of human beings. For that reason, the Old and New Testaments are filled with the experiences of individuals who have discovered God’s presence in their individual circumstances.David Rogne’s So Great A Cloud of Witnesses will give readers an appreciation for the people of faith who are presented, and humbly recognize the cost borne by so many to deliver the faith to us. They are a great cloud of witnesses. They have played their part in relaying the faith to subsequent generations, and they are now filling the stands in the heavenly arena, eager to see how we continue the race.
Witnesses have been chosen from varied backgrounds so that it may be seen that people from all walks of life are called to live faithfully and to witness to God’s truth. The entire known story of some of these individuals, such as Joseph, the husband of Mary, may be just a few verses of Scripture. Some, such as the Wiseman and the Emmaus disciple, are not even named. Nevertheless, their witness is important. Rogne attempts to give life to the testimony of these less-well-known witnesses by giving them names and employing a little imagination. In every case, the subjects tell their stories as they might have experienced them.
Chapters included in this book:
The Supplanter: Jacob
My House Will Serve the Lord: Joshua
The Sword of the Lord: Gideon
The Outsider: Ruth and Boaz
The Sweet Singer of Israel: David -
Present Over Perfect Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn a culture that values speed, efficiency, image, and busyness, some of us are aching for another way to live: more intentional, more connected. Simpler, slower, richer. Many of us have believed the myth that achievement and success bring us contentment, only to find it’s actually things like connection and meaning, not success and achievement, that provide true peace and genuine happiness.
Present Over Perfect is bestselling author Shauna Niequist’s motto for how to live a rich, engaged, and loving life in the midst of what often feels terribly messy and imperfect.
As a wife, mother, friend, and writer, Shauna shares with vulnerability and transparency about the reality of living wholly present in our relationships with our families and the others we love. These five sessions will inspire participants to discover their own path to this more fulfilling way to do life.
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Everyday Disciples : Covenant Discipleship With Youth
$14.00Add to cartEveryday Disciples: Covenant Discipleship With Youth by Chris Wilterdink resources pastors, youth leaders, and youth groups with information and planning materials related to Covenant Discipleship and accountability practices. Covenant Discipleship encourages youth to connect with Christ and one another through mutual accountability. It also encourages a networked support structure for living in the world as Christ followers.
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Growing Everyday Disciples
$12.00Add to cartGrowing Everyday Disciples: Covenant Discipleship With Children is a formational resource by Melanie C. Gordon, Susan Groseclose, and Gayle Quay that equips adults who serve in ministry with children ages 8-11 to guide children towards a mature faith through everyday acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Covenant Discipleship helps connect children with Jesus Christ and one another through ongoing mutual accountability and support for living in the world as Christ followers. The resource offers leaders in ministry with children suggestions for forming covenants, exploring accountability, evaluations, and a choice of plans to organize, maintain, and evaluate Covenant Discipleship groups with children. This resource also provides a brief background on discipleship, covenants, and society meetings of the Methodist Movement, and can be used as preparation for confirmation.
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Pilgrim Church And Kingdom
$11.95Add to cartCourse 8: Church & Kingdom: What does it mean to live as a child of the kingdom of God and follow in the way of Christ each day as a member of his church? How does it affect our life at work as well as at home? How does it affect what we do with the gifts we have been given, especially those gifts of time and talents, passions, resources, and money? How is the Christian faith changing us and shaping us so that we become more like Jesus? The importance of prayer, living out our faith, celebrating Sabbath, and reflecting generosity is explored. We look at how faith in the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit shapes and changes all our relationships
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Intercessory Prayer Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartYour Prayers Are PowerfulI, God is all-powerful, why does He need us to pray? If we pray and nothing happens, does this mean that God isn’t listening? If you’ve ever felt that your prayers don’t count, Intercessory Prayer will show you just how vital your prayers are. In this book, pastor and teacher Dutch Sheets explains the nuts and bolts of prayer with wisdom, gentleness, and humor. This book will inspire you, give you the courage to pray for the “impossible,” and help you find the persistence to see your prayers to completion. Discover your role as a prayer warrior–it can mean the difference between heaven and hell for someone you know!
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Pilgrim The Eucharist
$11.95Add to cartCourse 6: The Eucharist: How do Christians know and worship God? The six sessions of Course 6 reveal reasons why the Eucharist is celebrated as a memorial of Christ’s saving passion and stands at the very heart of Christian worship. Session 1 looks at worship as communion with God. Session 2 explores the Eucharist as the pattern of all Christian worship. Session 3 looks at the intimacy we have with God in Holy Communion and how we are transformed by the encounter. Sessions 4 – 6 look at worship as a sign and foretaste of heaven, shaping our whole life, and how the whole of life is sacramental.
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Plan To Protect US Edition
$59.99Add to cartA protection plan for children and youth;
A protection plan for those who work with them.Plan to Protect (TM) is not about what we need to do to run programs and activities, and it is not about placing a hardship on your staff and volunteers. Abuse prevention and protection of children and young people is not something we have to do, but something we have the privilege of doing. It is a privilege to create a safe environment in order to have our communities trust us with their family members.
As you implement Plan to Protect (TM) your efforts are a ministry in itself to:protect children
protect young people
demonstrate your care for your staff and volunteers
demonstrate care to parents and family members
empower and nurture the healing of victim-survivors
demonstrate grace, restoration and welcome to the offender that comes into your church
demonstrate accountability and integrity and
bring Glory to God
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Face Of Forgiveness
$27.99Add to cartAcknowledgments
1. Whatever Happened To The Forgiveness Of Sins?
2. Covering Our Nakedness: Healing Through Therapy
3. Guilt And Shame
4. Opened Eyes And Downturned Faces
5. The Shame Of The Cross
6. “As One From Whom Others Hide Their Faces . . .”
7. Living Before Christ’s Face
Epilogue: Answer To Jane
Notes
Bibliography
General Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
The struggle to offer and receive forgiveness is not helped by theologies that focus solely on guilt and a therapeutic environment focused on human agency. Philip Jamieson argues that Christians need to think about the way Christ takes on human shame and restores our ability to face God and each other as redeemed persons. -
Music Architect : Blueprints For Engaging Worshipers In Song
$30.00Add to cartGuidance for Leaders Seeking a Richer Way to Employ Worship Music
Worship expert Constance Cherry offers comprehensive guidance to Christian leaders seeking a deeper, richer way to employ worship music in engaging ways for twenty-first-century worshipers. Following Cherry’s successful book “The Worship Architect,” this work helps Christian leaders think theologically and act pastorally about worship music in their churches. It addresses larger issues beyond the surface struggles of musical styles and provides tools to critically evaluate worship songs. The book is applicable to all Christian traditions and worship styles and is well suited to both the classroom and the local church. Each chapter concludes with suggested practical exercises, recommended reading, and basic vocabulary terms. -
Instant Bible Dramas
$19.99Add to cartThis resource is designed to be used by children’s ministry leaders in introducing scripture stories to elementary children. Each drama is designed to allow children the opportunity to participate in the telling of the story with no rehearsal or planning. The narrator expresses the story and the children provide the action. With 56 dramas the major Bible stories are told in a way that will have the elementary children engaged immediately
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Mission Of Jesus Discovery Guide
$18.99Add to cartJoin renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he guides you through the land of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in Israel, the That the World May Know DVD series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus.
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RelatAble Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartLet’s face it: relationships are tricky. We have problems in our relationships with friends. We have conflicts with our parents. We have unresolved issues in some relationships and wonder if reconciliation is even possible. We want to make our relationships healthier, more meaningful, and more fulfilling, but we don’t know where to start. The good news is that because God put us on this planet to interact with others, we know that he has a plan for how we can build stronger relationships. He has given us a model in Christ for how we can become the kind of people who move through life with the ability to connect with others. He can do something within our hearts to shape us into the kind of people that others want to be around. But we have to be willing to change our ways and adopt the mindset of Christ. In this six-session video-based study, pastor and author Louie Giglio explores the fundamental questions of what makes us relatable to others. He reveals that the degree to which we are able to share our lives, love others, and extend mercy in all situations is determined by the degree to which we are able to receive the gift of grace that God has extended to us. He shows how God can change our perspective on relationships, bring us peace in the midst of conflict, and help us restore relationships that seem broken beyond repair.
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Exodus For You (Student/Study Guide)
$19.99Add to cart1. A People And A Land
2. What’s In A Name?
3. When Life Gets Harder, Not Better
4. God Vs Pharaoh
5. Liberated For Service
6. To The Eastern Shore
7. Grumbling Or Gratitude?
8. Father-in-law: Mission And Wisdom
9. Meeting At The Mountain Of God
10. The Law Of God And Life In Christ
11. Finding Our Way Home
12. The Priestly Wardrobe
13. The Golden Calf And The God Of Mercy
14. Show Me Your Glory
15. A Taste Of God’s GloryAdditional Info
Without Exodus, we have an impoverished understanding of the nature of God, the achievement of the cross, the triumph of the resurrection and the identity of God’s people.With his trademark Christ-centered clarity, Tim Chester walks readers through Exodus, making its great themes thrillingly clear to those new to the book, and unearthing wonderful new surprises for those familiar with it.
You can read through this book as a normal book… work through it as part of your daily Bible-reading routine using the questions for reflection at the end of each chapter… or use it to help you teach this letter, whether in small groups or from the pulpit.
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Living Out The Message Of Christ Participants Guide 8 (Student/Study Guide)
$7.99Add to cartA Program for Implementing a Christ-Centered Recovery Ministry in Your Church
Alcoholism – Divorce – Sexual Abuse – Codependency – Domestic Violence – Drug Addiction – Sexual Addiction – Food Addiction – Gambling Addiction and others.There is a way the church can help the hurting move beyond their wounds to experience the healing and forgiveness of Christ. Since 1991, more than 200,000 people have participated in the Celebrate Recovery programs offered at more than 3,500 churches, prisons, and rescue missions.
Drawn from the Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery helps people resolve painful problems in the context of the church as a whole.
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Moving Forward In Gods Grace The Journey Continues Participants Guide 5
$7.99Add to cartA Program for Implementing a Christ-Centered Recovery Ministry in Your Church
Alcoholism – Divorce – Sexual Abuse – Codependency – Domestic Violence – Drug Addiction – Sexual Addiction – Food Addiction – Gambling Addiction and others.
There is a way the church can help the hurting move beyond their wounds to experience the healing and forgiveness of Christ. Since 1991, more than 200,000 people have participated in the Celebrate Recovery programs offered at more than 3,500 churches, prisons, and rescue missions.
Drawn from the Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery helps people resolve painful problems in the context of the church as a whole.
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Exodus For You
$19.99Add to cart15 Chapters
Additional Info
Without Exodus, we have an impoverished understanding of the nature of God, the achievement of the cross, the triumph of the resurrection and the identity of God’s people.With his trademark Christ-centered clarity, Tim Chester walks readers through Exodus, making its great themes thrillingly clear to those new to the book, and unearthing wonderful new surprises for those familiar with it.
You can read through this book as a normal book… work through it as part of your daily Bible-reading routine using the questions for reflection at the end of each chapter… or use it to help you teach this letter, whether in small groups or from the pulpit.
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Missionary Mindset : What Church Leaders Need To Know To Reach Their Commun
$17.00Add to cartDoug Ruffle writes A Missionary Mindset using the timeless principles of E. Stanley Jones and transfers them for use today. Teaching us to approach the mission field as if we were from a different country and learning a new culture, a new way of communicating, and a new way to connect people to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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1st Things First
$13.99Add to cartAs the young Ken Kamau devoured books on leadership, he became increasingly aware that they were written by and for people who were way ahead of where he was in his life and ministry. He needed to know how one begins to be a leader, not how one continues to lead a large and successful ministry. He has now written the book he would have wanted to read as a young pastor. His key thesis is that if you want to be a blessing to the kingdom, you have to get the basics right. Before you step into the spotlight of ministry life, you need to work on the backstage of your life. So he writes about learning from mistakes and from successes, learning how to be led as well as how to lead, and building and safeguarding a strong marriage. He also deals with the practical issues involved in building and nurturing a strong support team, even in a small church with few resources. The book is infused with humour and practical wisdom acquired the hard way, and also with a passion to fulfil the Great Commission. It thus speaks even to those who are not pastors, for we too are called to serve God faithfully, listen to his word, and use the lessons God has been teaching us to reach out to those who need to hear the message of God’s love. We too need to live out that message with integrity in our day-to-day lives.
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More To Your Story Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartJoin bestselling author Max Lucado on a journey through the promises of the New Testament and discover your place in God’s plan. Everything changes when you see how your story fits within God’s. Designed for use with the 6-session DVD study.
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Longevity In Leadership
$15.99Add to cartEverybody knows that leading is challenging. Leaders are out front, showing people and organizations new places where they can and should go. They have to inspire people to challenge themselves to do more things or to increase their abilities in order to achieve specific goals.
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Preachers Guide To Lectionary Sermon Series Volume One
$47.00Add to cartPreachers get the best of lectionary and topical series preaching with this comprehensive manual of sermon series ideas based on the Revised Common Lectionary. Designed to frame consecutive weeks of lectionary texts into seasonal and short-term series, a diverse group of twelve preachers outline multiple thematic series plans for each lectionary year. Each series plan provides a series overview, chart that outlines each segment of the series, tips and ideas, scriptural references, and a brief sermon starter. The series honors holy days and seasons and responds to typical patterns of church attendance, maximizing visitor retention and member engagement. Pastors can honor their commitment to lectionary preaching while taking advantage of the benefits series preaching can offer with this truly unique resource.
Contributors include:
Theresa Cho, Pastor of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, California
Bob Dannals, Rector of St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas, Texas
Magrey R. DeVega, Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa, Florida
Brian Erickson, Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
Mihee Kim-Kort, Presbyterian Minister and Campus Ministry Leader at University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana
Jessica LaGrone, Dean of Chapel at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky
Cleophus J. LaRue, Professor of Homiletics, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey
Jacqueline J. Lewis, Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church, New York City, New York
Katherine Willis Pershey, Pastor of First Congregational Church, Western Springs, Illinois
Paul Rock, Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, Kansas
Martin Thielen, Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Cookeville, Tennessee
Winnie Varghese, Priest and Director of Community Outreach at Trinity Wall Street, New York, New York -
Equipping Church : Serving Together To Transform Lives
$22.99Add to cartPicture your church as a place where the priesthood of believers finds its expression in creative and powerful ways. Picture leaders and staff equipping and unleashing people to minister in ways consistent with how God designed them. Think of the effectiveness, vitality, and contentment that come when the body of Christ nurtures itself through the healthy give-and-take of each member. In The Equipping Church, Sue Mallory describes the benefits, the structure, and the culture of an equipping church and shows how your congregation can become one. This book is about limitless possibilities. Think “vision.”
What might your church look like if its members became vital, fully empowered partners in ministry? How can you help them discover and release their full potential? How would their roles change–and yours?
AN EQUIPPING CHURCH IS A CHURCH WHERE:
* pastors and leaders enable church members to share in ministry
* people’s gifts, talents, and life callings are matched with areas of service
* ministry opportunities are recognized and developed
* the culture encourages the growth of a broad array of ministries
*a well-designed system addresses needs of every kind, both individual and corporate *the pastor doesn’t have to be all things to all peopleUnpacking insights and principles uncovered by Leadership Training Network over the last several years, Mallory helps you customize an equipping system and culture in your church. You’ll proceed from preparation (what you need to know), to foundations (what you need to change), to construction (what you need to do). In the process, Mallory takes you inside the story of her own church, Brentwood Presbyterian, to observe the different stages of their trial-and-error journey and how it has transformed their approach to “doing church.” See how they dealt with various concerns that arose along the way, and meet men and women whose lives have been changed because Brentwood took the ministry road less traveled. Each chapter includes a section of “Equipping Principles,” questions for discussion and reflection, and a summary of different equipping churches from around the country. With the accompanying Equipping Church Guidebook, this book will be a mile marker in your church–and the gateway to a more effective and biblical approach to ministry.
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Generous Church : A Guide For Pastors
$18.99Add to cartOur possessions can create unbearable weight and affect our ability to serve and thrive. How do we defy gravity and find freedom? In this 4-week small group study and stewardship campaign, pastor and author Tom Berlin explores what is required to sustain a vibrant life, what we need versus what we want, and what we can do to avoid being pulled into the orbit of materialism. The Pastor Guide helps the pastor and leadership team think strategically about financial planning and giving beyond the annual campaign vision. Tom Berlin believes and teaches that the church, in order to inspire generosity in individuals, needs to be seen and understood as generous. People will embrace giving if they see the ways their gifts are used in the community and the world. Generous church… generous people. Sermon helps and fresh illustrations will be included, broken down into four segments: Think About It – How do I think through the key aspects of our church’s financial reality and plan? Communicate It – How do we tell our story so the whole congregation shares a vision who we are, what we do, and what changes we can make in the world with our people and resources. Plan It – What’s the short-term campaign plan, the annual plan, and our long-term plan for the financial and spiritual life of our congregation? – Manage It – How do we set up processes, reports, goals, and metrics to stay true to our plan?
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Little Handbook For Preachers
$22.99Add to cartNo function of the pastor is as visible and stress inducing as preaching. Being a good preacher requires learning the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical skills needed to effectively share God’s word with a congregation. It demands a commitment to the craft of preaching. But few pastors feel adequately prepared for this high-stakes responsibility when they begin their ministries. Mary Hulst knows what it takes to preach well. Forged by her experiences as a pastor, preaching professor and college chaplain, she recognizes the challenges of the pulpit. In this uniquely practical book, Hulst provides foundational concepts and tips that all pastors can use, whether they are ministry newcomers or seasoned professionals. Preaching can bring both you and your congregation great joy and satisfaction, week after week. And A Little Handbook for Preachers can help you deliver a better sermon by Sunday.
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Story : The Power Of Narrative For Christian Leaders
$17.99Add to cartLet me tell you a story.
Humans exist by story. Through it we cope, survive, and thrive. From daily stories to life stories, narrative is part of who we are and who God intended us to be. In Story, Jay Martinson uses a variety of narrative examples to demonstrate the power stories can wield when told in timely, relevant, and clever ways. The tips and instructions found in Story will be useful to Christian leaders who hope to evangelize, instruct, or mentor others for the sake of the gospel.
Each chapter ends with questions for discussion or reflection to help readers engage the text and learn to apply the book s principles to their individual contexts. So what are you waiting for? Start telling your stories.
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Fresh From The Word
$31.99Add to cartFresh From the Word gathers together Rosalind Brown’s acclaimed reflections on the Sunday Lectionary readings which appeared in the Church Times every week for three years. Now expanded and arranged for use in any liturgical year, and with an additional section for saints’ days and festivals, this comprehensive preaching companion provides an inspiring resource for worship throughout the year.
Noted for their insightful, distilled wisdom and practical focus, these scripture reflections draw on the breadth of the Christian spiritual tradition to illuminate the Lectionary readings and open up their meaning for Christian living today, offering a trusted guide for all who share in the ministry of the word.
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History Of Preaching 2
$54.99Add to cartA History of Preaching brings together narrative history and primary sources to provide the most comprehensive guide available to the story of the church’s ministry of proclamation. Bringing together an impressive array of familiar and lesser-known figures, Edwards paints a detailed, compelling picture of what it has meant to preach the gospel. Pastors, scholars, and students of homiletics will find here many opportunities to enrich their understanding and practice of preaching. Ecumenical in scope, fair-minded in presentation, appreciative of the contributions that all the branches of the church have made to the story of what it means to develop, deliver, and listen to a sermon, A History of Preaching will be the definitive resource for anyone who wishes to preach or to understand preaching’s role in living out the gospel.
Volume 2 contains primary source material on preaching drawn from the entire scope of the church’s twenty centuries. The author has written an introduction to each selection, placing it in its historical context and pointing to its particular contribution. Each chapter in Volume 2 is geared to its companion chapter in Volume 1’s narrative history. Volume 1, available separately as 9781501833779, contains Edwards’s magisterial retelling of the story of Christian preaching’s development from its Hellenistic and Jewish roots in the New Testament, through the late-twentieth century’s discontent with outdated forms and emphasis on new modes of preaching such as narrative. Along the way the author introduces us to the complexities and contributions of preachers, both with whom we are already acquainted, and to whom we will be introduced here for the first time. Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Bernard, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Edwards, Rauschenbusch, Barth; all of their distinctive contributions receive careful attention. Yet lesser-known figures and developments also appear, from the ninth-century reform of preaching championed by Hrabanus Maurus, to the reference books developed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by the mendicant orders to assist their members’ preaching, to Howell Harris and Daniel Rowlands, preachers of the eighteenth-century Welsh revival, to Helen Kenyon, speaking as a layperson at the 1950 Yale Beecher lectures about the view of preaching from the pew. “…’This work is expected to be the standard text on preaching for the next 30 years,’ says Ann K. Riggs, who staffs the NCC’s Faith and Order C
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History Of Preaching 1
$65.99Add to cartA History of Preaching brings together narrative history and primary sources to provide the most comprehensive guide available to the story of the church’s ministry of proclamation. Bringing together an impressive array of familiar and lesser-known figures, Edwards paints a detailed, compelling picture of what it has meant to preach the gospel. Pastors, scholars, and students of homiletics will find here many opportunities to enrich their understanding and practice of preaching. Volume 1 contains Edwards’s magisterial retelling of the story of Christian preaching’s development from its Hellenistic and Jewish roots in the New Testament, through the late-twentieth century’s discontent with outdated forms and emphasis on new modes of preaching such as narrative. Along the way the author introduces us to the complexities and contributions of preachers, both with whom we are already acquainted, and to whom we will be introduced here for the first time. Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Bernard, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Edwards, Rauschenbusch, Barth; all of their distinctive contributions receive careful attention. Yet lesser-known figures and developments also appear, from the ninth-century reform of preaching championed by Hrabanus Maurus, to the reference books developed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by the mendicant orders to assist their members’ preaching, to Howell Harris and Daniel Rowlands, preachers of the eighteenth-century Welsh revival, to Helen Kenyon, speaking as a layperson at the 1950 Yale Beecher lectures about the view of preaching from the pew. Volume 2, available separately as 9781501833786, contains primary source material on preaching drawn from the entire scope of the church’s twenty centuries. The author has written an introduction to each selection, placing it in its historical context and pointing to its particular contribution. Each chapter in Volume 2 is geared to its companion chapter in Volume 1’s narrative history. Ecumenical in scope, fair-minded in presentation, appreciative of the contributions that all the branches of the church have made to the story of what it means to develop, deliver, and listen to a sermon, A History of Preaching will be the definitive resource for anyone who wishes to preach or to understand preaching’s role in living out the gospel. “…’This work is expected to be the standard text on preaching for the next 30 years,’ says Ann K. Riggs, who staffs the NCC’s Faith and Order Commis
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Seeking Allah Finding Jesus Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartBuilding on the powerful story and arguments he shared in Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi and co-author Kevin Harney take viewers deeper into apologetics and evangelism among Muslims with this complete study course. In eight lessons coordinated to be used alongside the Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Video Study, Qureshi and Harney explore Muslim culture, the most common Muslim objections to Christianity, and the core doctrines upon which Islam stands or falls. Compassionate and clear, the Seeking Allah Finding Jesus Study Guide will be a useful training tool for pastors, outreach leaders, and any believers wanting to winsomely engage Muslims in spiritual conversations. The Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Study Guide develops in further detail the objections to Islam and case for Christianity that Qureshi introduced in Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. When studied with the accompanying Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Video Study, this accessible course is perfect for adult classes, small groups, segments in college or seminary courses, and motivated independent learners alike.
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How To Preach And Teach The Old Testament For All Its Worth
$18.99Add to cartMany preachers ignore preaching from the Old Testament because they feel it is outdated in light of the New Testament and difficult to expound. On the other hand, some preachers will preach from the Old Testament frequently but fail to handle it correctly, turning it into moralistic rules or symbolic lessons for our spiritual life. In How to Preach and Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth, Christopher J. H. Wright proclaims that preachers must not ignore the Old Testament. It is the Word of God! The Old Testament lays the foundation for our faith and it was the Bible that Jesus read and used. Looking first at why we should preach from the Old Testament, the author moves on to show the reader how they can be preach from it. Covering the History, Law, Prophets, Psalms, and Wisdom Literature, interspersed with practical checklists, exercises, and sermons, he provides an essential guide on how to handle the Old Testament responsibly.
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Live Smart : Preparing For The Future God Wants For You (Reprinted)
$14.00Add to cartA Guide to Living Wisely While You’re Young
As a professor and youth director, author Dan Dumas has seen that young people have high expectations for themselves. They want their lives to matter, and there’s no reason our expectations for them should be any different.This book presents practical tools and biblical advice to middle school and high school-aged readers so they can make the most of their youth. It covers everything from making the right friendships to how to think about education and how to invest in their relationships with God. The habits a person forms when they’re young can last a lifetime–now’s the time to make it count.This book is ideal for parents and youth pastors to give to young people to read on their own or study in groups. -
Stepping Aside Moving Ahead
$18.99Add to cartHenri Nouwen’s statement that too many clergy are “lonely ministers practicing lonely ministry” can be amplified in the years leading up to and immediately following retirement. Although there are books about retirement in general, clergy have unique personal and professional dimensions to retiring. Stepping Aside, Moving Ahead provides a clergy-oriented context. The author begins with letters from clergy nearing retirement about the issues they are facing and structures the book in the following way: Opening Letters from clergy Foundations (the formative dynamics that create a good retirement) Movements (the formative transitions that lead to a good retirement) Actions (the specific behaviors that produce a good retirement) Outcomes (the attitudes which emerge from a good retirement)
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Changeover Zone : Successful Pastoral Transitions
$17.99Add to cartUtilizing the metaphor of a relay race, The Changeover Zone provides step-by-step, hands-on application of techniques and principles that bring about successful pastoral transitions-passing the baton from one pastor to her/his successor. While the concepts apply to any type of pastoral transition, the techniques are specifically designed to improve the transitions when new churches are going through their first pastoral change and when churches are receiving a new pastor following a long-tenured pastor. The first section teaches the key action steps for each party involved in a transition; the second section focuses specifically on new churches going through their first pastoral transition and; the third section focuses more on long-tenured pastorates and draws the distinctions and similarities between existing churches and new churches going through a pastoral change. Drawing on years of experience the authors introduce the reader to best practices that any church, pastor, or denominational office can implement.
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Talking God : Preaching To Contemporary Congregations
$19.95Add to cartToday’s church has a digital dilemma: We live in an age where “new media” is inescapable, yet many still perceive these new forms of communication as either an unmanageable challenge or at odds with the mission of the church. Clergy and lay leaders alike can be at a loss as to what methodologies, practices, and adjustments are necessary to engage today’s congregations. How can we effectively meet the challenges of our present context?In Talking God, Fr. Cutie, whose wide following spans both traditional and new media, starts where preaching the gospel has always started, with a preacher and an audience, and examines the challenges digital communications pose to all involved in the craft of preaching, including the way contemporary audiences receive and listen to the message preached. Is the 21st century church responding to this evolution by seeking to understand the present-day “listening context” and the often overwhelming “media culture” in which it is called to preach? Must preachers and teachers of the Word of God evolve in style and practice to continue being effective communicators of the gospel? Has the world changing around us changed our methodology or even our message?
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Ways Of The Word
$37.00Add to cartPreaching, and the discipline of preaching, is at a crossroads. The changing realities of church and theological education, the diversity of our classrooms, and our increasingly complex community contexts leave us in search of tools to help train a rising generation of preachers for a future whose contours are far from clear. The questions are immense: How to support preachers in contexts that are diverse religiously, culturally, and ethnically, both inside and outside the church? How to help students take varied contexts seriously as they are formed as leaders?
In Ways of the Word, a dynamic team of master preachers brings much-needed help. Different in race, gender, age, and tradition, both Sally A. Brown and Luke A. Powery speak with one voice their belief that preaching is an Spirit-empowered event: an embodied, vocalized, actively received, here-and-now witness to the ongoing work of God in the world.
They aspire to help students and preachers alike to reflect on a journey of learning by doing. They aim to help preachers to become more attuned to the Spirit, more adept in preaching’s component skills, and more self-aware about all that is at stake in proclaiming the redemptive work of God in specific contexts.
