Pastoral Helps
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Grace And Peace Cycle A
$17.95Add to cartEaster may be the highest holy day in the life of the church but in American culture that honor goes to Christmas. Christians often find themselves trying to straddle the divide between Christmas as “Christ Mass” and Christmas as a family gathering and a retail extravaganza. In Grace and Peace, Dean Feldmeyer’s latest collection of sermons for Cycle A, the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are celebrated by acknowledging the secular, cultural parts of the season and, at the same time, they are first and foremost celebrations of God’s incarnation in the living Christ.
Sermon titles included
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! (Matthew 24:36-44)
Less Fear; More Fruit (Matthew 3:1-12)
Preparing the Way (Matthew 11:2-11)
The New Moses (Matthew 1:18-25)
Jesus Incognito (Matthew 25:31-46) -
Beyond Fairness Cycle A
$12.95Add to cartThe stories of Jesus continue to challenge listeners toward new and better ways of living. The sermons of Beyond Fairness: The Stories Of Jesus express these stories, with joyful seriousness, in the hope they will encourage faithful discipleship. Preachers, teachers, and all who want to engage the stories of Jesus, will find these sermons to be bread for their journey beyond fairness toward grace for all.
Beyond Fairness includes sermons for Pentecost (middle third). These sermons could also be used by adult forums and small group Bible studies for helpful conversation.
Some sermon titles included in Beyond Fairness:
You Feed the Hungry (Matthew 14:13-21)
Stepping into Liminal Space (Matthew 14:22-33)
Who Are You Following (Matthew 16:21-28)
One Feisty Woman (Matthew 15:21-28)
What Are We Protecting? (Matthew 21:33-46)
The Stop and Think Chair (Matthew: 18:15-20 -
Prodigal Son Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartNearly two thousand years ago, Jesus told a simple parable about a father and his two sons. It was a story of rebellion, repentance, and unfathomable grace. This parable of the prodigal son stands out because it presents, in clear and inspiring terms, our struggle with sin, our need for repentance, and the Father’s inexhaustible mercy and love for us. Even those who know next to nothing else about the Bible know something about this tale. In this study, John MacArthur provides fascinating new insights into this parable and explores why so many of us recognize ourselves in its narrative. For believers, the prodigal son is a humbling reminder of who we are and how much we owe to God’s grace. For those who are conscious of their guilt but unrepentant, the prodigal’s life is a searing reminder of the wages of sin, the duty of the sinner to repent, and the goodness of God. For sinners coming to repentance, the father’s eager welcome and costly generosities are reminders that God’s grace and goodness are inexhaustible. For all of us, the elder brother’s attitude is a powerful warning that reveals how easily unbelief can masquerade as faithfulness. This five-session video-based study includes re-enacted vignettes from the parable with accompanying teaching from John MacArthur. With this study, experienced and new group leaders alike will be equipped to lead a life-changing study for their group members.
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Crossing Cultures In Scripture
$30.99Add to cartCrosscultural Mission from Eden to Eternity From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is a crosscultural book. Scripture is filled with narratives of God’s people crossing cultures in pursuit of God’s mission. Biblical texts shed light on mission dynamics: Sarah and Hagar functioning in an honor/shame culture, Moses as a multicultural leader, Ruth as a crosscultural conversion, David and Uriah illustrating power distance, the Queen of Sheba as an international truth-seeker, Daniel as a transnational student, Jesus’ crosscultural encounters as communication across worldviews, Paul in Athens as a model of contextualization, and much more. Missionary and missions professor Marvin Newell provides a biblical theology of culture and mission, mining the depths of Scripture to tease out missiological insights and crosscultural perspectives. Unlike other books that are organized topically, this text is organized canonically, revealing how the whole of Scripture speaks to contemporary mission realities. Comprehensive in scope, filled with biblical insight and missional expertise, this book is an essential resource for students and practitioners of crosscultual ministry and mission.
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Church As Movement
$30.99Add to cartForeword
Introduction
Prologue
Part I: Distributing
1. Movement Mentality
2. Polycentric LeadershipPart II: Discipleship
3. Being Disciples
4. Making DisciplesPart III: Designing
5. Missional Theology
6. Ecclesial ArchitecturePart IV: Doing
7. Community Formation
8. Incarnational PracticeEpilogue
Additional Info
A training resource to help readers plant missional-incarnational churches, written by leading thinkers and practitioners in the area of church planting and missional living. This book is a thorough, comprehensive manual to help those on the long and challenging journey of church planting to survive and thrive. -
Modern Psychopathologies : A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal (Revised)
$60.00Add to cart14 Chapters
Additional Info
Modern Psychopathologies is addressed to students and mental health professionals who want to sort through contemporary secular understandings of psychopathology in relation to a Christian worldview. Written by well-known and respected scholars, the book, in nine core chapters, provides an introduction to a set of disorders along with overviews of current research on etiology, treatment and prevention. Prior chapters give a context for the integration of Christianity and the scientific study of psychopathology, and articulate integrative themes discussed throughout the book, providing a foundation for the concluding vision for Christian health professionals and the church. This is a unique and valuable resource for Christians studying psychology and counseling, or providing counseling services, pastoral care, Christian healing ministries or spiritual direction. Though fully capable of standing on its own, it is also a useful companion volume to Modern Psychotherapies by Stanton L. Jones and Richard E. Butman. -
Lectionary Stories For Preaching And Teaching Series 2 Cycle A
$19.95Add to cartho doesn’t love a good story? Storytellers who excel at their craft have the ability to draw readers or listeners into the worlds they create, using characters and situations to entertain and enlighten us. Jesus, the Master Storyteller, often spoke using parables — short stories that conveyed spiritual truths. By drawing his listeners into his stories, he unlocked their minds and hearts to hear the truth he was relating to them.
This compilation of stories for the entire church year, written by Peter Andrew Smith, follows in that same tradition. The stories within CSS Publishing’s latest Lectionary Stories for Preaching and Teaching, Series II, Cycle A are inspired by the source gospel passages and serve to highlight and illustrate the gospel Jesus taught through his words and life. They can serve as a companion when studying the scripture, as illustrations for sermons, and as devotional material for personal or group use. Smith offers thought-provoking contemplations on Cycle A lectionary passages that draw out the biblical theme by relating it to aspects of modern life we have all experienced.
Some chapters included in this volume
Always Room for Another
Starting A New Life
Preparing for Temptation
The Taste of Cold Water
Because I Love You -
Feed My Lambs
$23.95Add to cartFeed My Lambs is a collection of 103 children’s object lessons, written in script form, so that those who desire to give fun and effective sermons will be able to easily prepare the message.
I hope to encourage people who might pick up Feed My Lambs to give children’s sermons a try. I think about how I went about it years back. I walked into a Christian bookstore, asked where the children’s sermon book section was, picked up a few books, and wondered if I were biting off more than I could chew. I want people to know they can. God will certainly bless them and all the little ones they are trying to help. Jesus said, “Feed My Lambs.”
*Included in Feed My Lambs
*Index of Seasonal Themes
*Notes to the Reader
*Index of Bible references
*Liturgical calendar suggestions
*Chapter-by-Chapter synopsis
*Some of the chapter titles in this book are:
*Having a Right Relationship with God
*Trust in the Lord and His Perfect Plan
*Our Sins and Jesus’ Forgiveness
*Talking with God
*Holidays -
DNA Of Pioneer Ministry
$35.99Add to cartSorted is a successful Fresh Expression of church based in Bradford, which has now sent out pioneers using the lessons learnt to begin planting a fresh expression in Thamesmead, London and begin a pioneering project in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Fresh Expressions story has been well-told, but there have been relatively few attempts to relate the experiences and methodologies the author and his team have learnt over 10 years of pioneering Sorted (3 fresh expressions of church), so that pioneers, missionaries and the wider Church may be better equipped and informed when pioneering fresh expressions, mission communities and church plants in a whole range of different contexts. Relevant and timely, this book aims to share these lessons and methodologies using the Sorted story. -
Ministerio Con Proposito Para – (Spanish)
$14.99Add to cartMuchos ministerios de ninos son un frenesi de actividad, dirigidos por dedicados voluntarios y personal que emplean largas horas y duro trabajo para el bien de los ninos y los padres a quienes sirven. Sin embargo, a pesar de las buenas intenciones, muchos ministerios de ninos actualmente no son eficaces. Carecen de proposito e intencionalidad. Un veterano por veinticinco anos del ministerio de ninos en la iglesia local, el pastor Steve Adams, ha ministrado a familias en multiples iglesias, desde congregaciones diminutas hasta su actual posicion en la iglesia Saddleback. En este libro, Steve aplica las revolucionarias perspectivas de Una iglesia con proposito al ministerio de ninos y guia a los lectores en un viaje de descubrimiento y alteracion, mostrandoles como desarrollar un proceso ministerial intencional que dirija a los ninos hacia la salud espiritual a la vez que edifica un ambiente ministerial saludable para quienes trabajan con ninos. Aprenderas como hacer y responder cinco preguntas sencillas pero poderosas: * Por que estamos en este viaje? * Que necesitamos para cumplir nuestra mision? * A quienes intentamos alcanzar? * Como movilizaremos a nuestros ninos hacia la salud espiritual? * Donde estamos ahora y hacia donde vamos? No hay una clave unica para un ministerio de ninos exitoso ni tampoco hay un solo camino que funcione para todo el mundo. Pero hay un proceso demostrado que se puede seguir, y Steve muestra como ministerios infantiles en todo el mundo estan alcanzando el potencial que Dios les ha dado al descubrir su proposito biblico, evitando las trampas de la frustracion y el agotamiento.
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Spiritual Leadership Today
$16.99Add to cart“If you are in a position of positive influence, if you exercise leadership in any way, your faith in God gives you a power-a hidden power-that will allow you to make an enduring difference in the lives of other people and organizations. But how does that power work?” So says Mel Lawrenz in this fresh look at leadership which offers practical and biblical guidance to believers who want to have a deep influence and who want to know: What is the proper use of authority and power? Where do good ideas come from? How can we deal with failure? What does God expect of us? Drawing from more than thirty years of experience in pastoral ministry, Lawrenz writes for Christians in any position of influence. This book provides a new baseline for 21st century Christian leadership, addressing issues such as: – building integrity – seizing opportunities – exploring new horizons – speaking into crises – receiving power – accepting authority – promoting truth – managing expectations – dealing with criticism Using real-life examples, key Scripture passages, and history, Lawrenz shows that when believers align their responsibility to lead with the teaching of Jesus and the work of God’s Spirit, their spiritual influence will have integrity and enduring effectiveness. “Lawrenz gives us hope that the leadership pendulum which has swung from ‘over- spiritualized’ to ‘de-spiritualized’ in recent generations may have finally come to rest where it always belonged-upon Jesus Christ.” – Skye Jethani, Senior Editor, Leadership Journal, from the foreword “It is exciting to think about believers at every level of society rising to a new call to exercise powerful spiritual influence. In his newest book Mel Lawrenz has given us all a new baseline for leadership that is personal, wise, and spiritual. It spans the generations and reaches across cultures. Just think what will happen if believers in positions of influence tie into the wisdom and the power that comes from God in order to bring restoration in our broken world!” – Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor, National Community Church in Washington, D.C.
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Leading With Story
$19.99Add to cartEighty percent of the world’s people-including seventy percent of Americans-are storycentric communicators; that is, they prefer to learn and are most likely to be influenced through stories, pictures, drama, and music rather than through reading and writing. Yet more than ninety percent of Christian workers communicate through a highly literacy-based approach. This disconnect overlooks a primary method of Jesus himself in the preparation of leaders and impedes the effective cultivation of leaders in the growing global church. Through engaging stories, biblical insights, leadership research, field-tested methods, and practical models of effective leadership development, Leading with Story offers unique solutions that will inspire and challenge any who want to raise up or to be raised up as Christ-centered leaders in this storycentric generation.
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Stop Wandering The Corridors Of Your Mind
$12.99Add to cartOne man’s personal journey of a life set free by Jesus Christ from the prison he had constructed in his mind. An engaging, brutally honest, and often funny account of the construction of a mental prison based on shame, embarrassment, twisted self-worth, and the results of real sin.
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Way : Walking In The Footsteps Of Jesus (Large Type)
$19.99Add to cartExpanded Large Print Edition
Travel with Adam Hamilton as he retraces the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Once again, Hamilton approaches his subject matter with thoughtfulness and wisdom, just as he did with Jesus’ crucifixion in 24 Hours That Changed the World and with Jesus’ birth in The Journey. Read The Way on your own or, for a more in-depth study, enjoy it with a small group or part of a 40-day church-wide emphasis during Lent and Easter or anytime of the year. Using historical information, archaeological data, and stories of the faith, Hamilton follows in the footsteps of Jesus from his baptism to the temptations to the heart of his ministry, including the people he loved, the parables he taught, the enemies he made, and the healing he brought. This 40-day focus will help you and your group grow deeper in their faith, learn more about the life of Christ, spend time daily reading and reflecting upon the Scriptures, and invite families, through the children’s and youth studies, to grow together in their faith. This new large print edition includes devotions for each chapter and photos from Adam’s trip to the Holy Lands. Additional resources include a DVD, devotional, youth and children editions, and a worship download to help with sermon planning.
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24 Hours That Changed The World (Large Type)
$19.99Add to cartExpanded Large Print Edition
Adam Hamilton guides us, step by step, through the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life in his popular, heartbreaking, and inspiring book. No single event in human history has received more attention than the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. In this book, Hamilton will help you experience and understand the significance of Jesus’ suffering and death like never before. He retraces the day that changed human history in his usual straightforward yet easy, conversational style that speaks to both long-time Christians and those who are simply curious about the story of Christ’s crucifixion. This new large print edition includes devotions for each chapter and travel notes from Adam’s trip to the Holy Lands. Support materials include Leader Guide, a DVD, materials for all ages of Youth and Children’s Ministries, plus many more resources. Adam Hamilton combines biblical story, historical detail, theological analysis, spiritual insight, and pastoral warmth to retell the narrative of Jesus’ last and greatest hours. – Leith Anderson, author of The Jesus Revolution Adam Hamilton’s 24 Hours That Changed the World delivers solid scholarship describing how the day of Christ’s crucifixion unfolded. It also suggests that our response to Christ’s work – when it appears evil has the upper hand – can be one of courageous hope and great courage. Read this book! – Mark Beeson, Lead Pastor of Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana Adam Hamilton is, in my opinion, a national treasure. He embodies the kind of generous orthodoxy so many of us have been dreaming of and praying for. – Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian
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Redemption Of Scrooge Youth Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIs redemption possible for Ebenezer Scrooge? Pastor and author Matt Rawle believes so as he discovers the teachings of Jesus in the words of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Rawle dives deep into the dark, sad, greedy world of Scrooge and discovers a man in dire need of a second chance. Along with Scrooge, we meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and in the process learn about living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. Rediscover and reinvigorate your Christian faith this Advent and Christmas season and look at this familiar classic through the lens of faith. The Youth Study Book interprets Scrooge, his struggles, and his redemption in a way that youth can relate to and understand, using humor, down-to-earth discussion, and examples from contemporary culture. For young people grades 6-12. Can be used with the adult-level DVD. Sessions include: The Ghosts of Christmas Past The Life of Christmas Present The Resurrection of Christmas Future God Bless Us, Every One
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Redemption Of Scrooge Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIs redemption possible for Ebenezer Scrooge? Pastor and author Matt Rawle believes so as he discovers the teachings of Jesus in the words of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Rawle dives deep into the dark, sad, greedy world of Scrooge and discovers a man in dire need of a second chance. Along with Scrooge, we meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and in the process learn about living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. Rediscover and reinvigorate your Christian faith this Advent and Christmas season and look at this familiar classic through the lens of faith. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the 4-week study for Advent, making use of the book and videos. Guide includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. Sessions include: The Ghosts of Christmas Past The Life of Christmas Present The Resurrection of Christmas Future God Bless Us, Every One
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Questions Preachers Ask
$32.00Add to cart“How do we preach in a way that affirms Christian theology while also honoring the insights of other faith traditions?” “How do we preach about and help create genuine Christian community in a social networking culture?”
Questions Preachers Ask examines many questions that are on the minds of preachers today, questions that focus on how to preach the gospel in a culture where biblical knowledge cannot be presumed and where the Bible is often viewed as untrustworthy. Well-known preachers, scholars, and authors, including Barbara Brown Taylor, Gail O’Day, Anna Carter Florence, Richard Lischer, Cleo LaRue, and Thomas Lynch, provide the answers.
This book, compiled to honor writer, preacher, teacher, and scholar Thomas G. Long at the end of his teaching career, addresses practical questions such as “How do we proclaim the good news to young adults who are on the margins of church or have left it?” and “How do we preach to faith communities that are highly diverse?” Perfect for preachers at any stage of their ministry, these essays offer hope and guidance for handling the difficult task of preaching in today’s congregations.
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Feasting On The Word Childrens Sermons For Year A
$24.00Add to cartMany pastors are confused about what to say during children’s time in churches. Feasting on the Word Children’s Sermons for Year A offers practical suggestions for preparing and delivering the children’s sermon. After explaining the purpose of the children’s sermon, noted Christian educator Carol Wehrheim provides a story for each Sunday of the church year based on the Revised Common Lectionary. In addition, she provides a few stories for special moments in the church’s life, such as when a mission group is commissioned, church leaders are ordained, or a death occurs. This resource provides pastors and other church leaders with fresh, engaging stories that children will understand and enjoy.
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Finding Your Way In Seminary
$25.00Add to cartThose considering seminary, those in seminary, and those preparing to graduate from seminary need help. They need help discerning their call, moving into the bewildering world of theological study, and balancing the competing claims of school, work, and family. This book proposes to offer that help, and more, because the seminary experience is evolving more rapidly than at any time in its history.
This book is an ideal textbook for introductory seminary or spiritual formation courses that the majority of seminaries now require of first-year students. The three sections of this book provide information and guidance to those who are discerning a call to ministry and considering theological education; introduces new seminarians to thinking theologically, forming supportive relationships, integrating what they are learning in school with their spiritual lives, and practical guidance on such matters is serving a local congregation while one is in seminary; and offers advice on negotiating the ordination process in different denominational traditions and making the transition from study to full-time ministry.
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Wonder Of Christmas Childrens Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$18.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. The Wonder of Christmas is a four-week all-church study for Advent with resources for all ages. The Children’s Leader Guide contains session ideas for younger and older children, including games, activities, craft ideas, and reproducible handouts.
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Wonder Of Christmas Youth Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. The Wonder of Christmas is a four-week all-church study for Advent with resources for all ages. The Youth Study Book includes everything needed to conduct a four-session study including current examples that have meaning to young people grades 6-12. Can be used with the adult-level DVD.
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Wonder Of Christmas Devotions For The Season
$9.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. The Wonder of Christmas is a four-week all-church study for Advent with resources for all ages. The devotional is a beautiful companion volume that functions beautifully on its own or as part of the church-wide experience offers four weeks of daily devotions on four elements of the Christmas story that evoke wonder and inspiration for reflecting the light of Jesus. Each devotion includes Scripture and a reflection and prayer.
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Wonder Of Christmas Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. The Wonder of Christmas is a four-week all-church study for Advent with resources for all ages. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the study including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Wonder Of Christmas (Large Type)
$15.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. Chapters Include: The Wonder of a Name The Wonder of a Star The Wonder of a Manger The Wonder of a Promise The Wonder of Christmas is also perfect for an all-church study and includes resources for all ages, teaching video, worship ideas and visuals, and preaching guides, all areas of church life weave together for a wonder-filled Advent celebration. The adult study book is the centerpiece of the program, serving as the adult small group resource and the source of content for worship planners and leaders.
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Wonder Of Christmas
$14.99Add to cartNo other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby’s cry that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. This year, rediscover the true wonder of Christmas by sharing the love of Christ with others. Each chapter centers on one element of the Christmas story, looking to the Christmas story and the stories of real people today to offer inspiration and ideas for reflecting the light of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. Chapters Include: The Wonder of a Name The Wonder of a Star The Wonder of a Manger The Wonder of a Promise The Wonder of Christmas is also perfect for an all-church study and includes resources for all ages, teaching video, worship ideas and visuals, and preaching guides, all areas of church life weave together for a wonder-filled Advent celebration. The adult study book is the centerpiece of the program, serving as the adult small group resource and the source of content for worship planners and leaders.
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Redemption Of Scrooge
$15.99Add to cartIs redemption possible for Ebenezer Scrooge? Pastor and author Matt Rawle believes so as he discovers the teachings of Jesus in the words of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Rawle dives deep into the dark, sad, greedy world of Scrooge and discovers a man in dire need of a second chance. Along with Scrooge, we meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and in the process learn about living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. Rediscover and reinvigorate your Christian faith this Advent and Christmas season and look at this familiar classic through the lens of faith. Chapters include: The Ghosts of Christmas Past The Life of Christmas Present The Resurrection of Christmas Future God Bless Us, Every One
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Because Of Bethlehem Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartEach year, the Christmas season compels people to ask the Christmas questions. What’s the big deal about the baby in the manger? Who was he? What does his birth have to do with me? Of all the responses to these questions, there is one that stands out from the rest: Because of Bethlehem, God knows what it is like to be a human. When we talk to God about our challenges, our struggles, and our tough times, he understands, because he’s been there. He’s been here.
Because of Bethlehem, we have a friend in heaven. We have a Savior in heaven. Christmas begins what Easter celebrates. The child in the cradle became the king on the cross. Because he did, there are no marks on our record, just grace. Because of Bethlehem, we have the promise God is always near us. Always for us. Always in us. We may forget him, but he never forgets us.
No day is accidental or incidental. No acts are random or wasted. Just look at the Bethlehem birth. A king levies a tax. Joseph is forced to travel. Mary, as round as a ladybug, bounces on a donkey’s back. The hotel is full. The hour is late. The event is one big hassle. Yet out of the hassle, hope was born. Christmas reminds us that “everything works together for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28). And long after the Christmas guests have left, the carolers have gone home, and the lights have come down, that promise endures.
Sessions include:
*God Has a Face (chapters 2, 4)
*Worship Works Wonders (chapters 5, 6)
*God Guides the Wise (chapters 7, 8)
*Every Heart Is a Manger (chapters 11, 12) -
Way : Walking In The Footsteps Of Jesus (Expanded)
$14.99Add to cartNewly released in paperback, travel with Adam Hamilton as he retraces the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Once again, Hamilton approaches his subject matter with thoughtfulness and wisdom, just as he did with Jesus’ crucifixion in 24 Hours That Changed the World and with Jesus’ birth in The Journey. Read The Way on your own or, for a more in-depth study, enjoy it with a small group or part of a 40-day church-wide emphasis during Lent and Easter or anytime of the year. Using historical information, archaeological data, and stories of the faith, Hamilton follows in the footsteps of Jesus from his baptism to the temptations to the heart of his ministry, including the people he loved, the parables he taught, the enemies he made, and the healing he brought. This 40-day focus will help you and your group grow deeper in their faith, learn more about the life of Christ, spend time daily reading and reflecting upon the Scriptures, and invite families, through the children’s and youth studies, to grow together in their faith. This new edition includes devotions for each chapter and photos from Adam’s trip to the Holy Lands. Additional resources include a DVD, devotional, youth and children editions, and a worship download to help with sermon planning.
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24 Hours That Changed The World (Expanded)
$14.99Add to cartNewly released in paperback, Adam Hamilton guides us, step by step, through the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life in his popular, heartbreaking, and inspiring book. No single event in human history has received more attention than the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. In this book, Hamilton will help you experience and understand the significance of Jesus’ suffering and death like never before. He retraces the day that changed human history in his usual straightforward yet easy, conversational style that speaks to both long-time Christians and those who are simply curious about the story of Christ’s crucifixion. This new edition includes devotions for each chapter and travel notes from Adam’s trip to the Holy Lands. Support materials include Leader Guide, a DVD, materials for all ages of Youth and Children’s Ministries, plus many more resources. Adam Hamilton combines biblical story, historical detail, theological analysis, spiritual insight, and pastoral warmth to retell the narrative of Jesus’ last and greatest hours. – Leith Anderson, author of The Jesus Revolution Adam Hamilton’s 24 Hours That Changed the World delivers solid scholarship describing how the day of Christ’s crucifixion unfolded. It also suggests that our response to Christ’s work – when it appears evil has the upper hand – can be one of courageous hope and great courage. Read this book! – Mark Beeson, Lead Pastor of Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana Adam Hamilton is, in my opinion, a national treasure. He embodies the kind of generous orthodoxy so many of us have been dreaming of and praying for. – Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian
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Grab Gather And Grow
$15.99Add to cartJim and Jen Cowart, authors of Start This, Stop That, offer a fresh strategy for developing community groups for your whole church and beyond. Harvest Church (www.harvestchurch4u.org), a young United Methodist congregation twenty miles southwest of Macon, met for seven years (on Sundays) on the move in a rented theatre. They learned about adaptive systems, digital tools, and flexible overhead. Since building a multipurpose facility on 43 acres near Warner Robins, Georgia in 2007, Harvest Church applied what they learned about mobility and sustained rapid growth to 2700 in worship attendance, with seven weekend services. They dispensed with a typical education wing (at significant cost savings) and classrooms in favor of four multipurpose rooms. They adapted a community groups strategy, which meets primarily in homes. Over 18 months they have expanded from 76 community groups to over 250 community groups. In this leadership book, Jen and Jim offer a five-part method for transforming a congregation through launching community groups. Community groups become a multiplication strategy because they nurture an urgent expectation outside the congregation to share the good news with persons not yet professing faith, while creating a well defined path for growth in discipleship. The book will include the following themes: Group Explosion – New Strategy for 100% plus group participation Overcoming Obstacles – Structuring for Maximum Growth vs Control – Crowd to Core Group Growth The Power of the Pulpit – This system is driven from the stage Living the 5 through Group Life – How the CG lives into Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, Evangelism, and Worship Creating Infrastructure for Facilitators
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Transforming Discipleship : Making Disciples A Few At A Time (Expanded)
$22.99Add to cartIntroduction: A Story Of Transformation
Part I: The Discipleship Deficit: What Went Wrong And Why
1. The Discipleship Gap: Where Have All The Disciples Gone?
2. The Discipleship Malaise: Getting To The Root CausesPart II: Doing The Lord’s Work In The Lord’s Way: The Bible As A Method Book
3. Why Jesus Invested In A Few
4. Jesus’ Preparatory Empowerment Model
5. Paul’s Empowerment Model: Spiritual ParentingPart III: Multiplying Reproducing Discipleship Groups: Church-Based Strategy For Disciple Making
6. Life Investment: It’s All About Relationships
7. Multiplication: Through The Generations
8. Transformation: The Four Necessary Ingredients
9. Practicalities Of Disciple Making
10. The Role Of Preaching In Making DisciplesAcknowledgments
Appendix 1: Frequently Asked Questions
Appendix 2: Critical Considerations For Growing A Reproducing Disciple-Making Ministry
Appendix 3: The Importance Of Curriculum
NotesAdditional Info
Many church leaders, yearning for church growth, look to the latest evangelistic strategies or seeker-targeted worship services. But lack of growth might not be due to lack of concern for new people-it may be because we are not effectively discipling the people we already have.Greg Ogden address the need for discipleship in the local church and recovers Jesus’ method of accomplishing life change by investing in just a few people at a time. Ogden sets forth his vision for transforming both the individual disciple and discipleship itself, showing how discipleship can become a self-replicating process with ongoing impact from generation to generation.
This revised and updated edition includes a new chapter on discipleship and preaching.
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Skills For Effective Counseling
$55.00Add to cartEffective counseling depends on mastering basic relationship skills. In this integrative text, Elisabeth Nesbit-Sbanotto, Heather Davediuk Gingrich and Fred Gingrich break these skills into manageable microskills and connect them to insights and practices from Scripture, theology and spiritual formation.
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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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Predicacion Que Aviva – (Spanish)
$17.99Add to cartEl Reverendo Klassen esta en una situacion excelente para proveer esta introduccion acerca de Edwards y la predicacion que aviva, especialmente a pastores y lideres religiosos del mundo de habla hispana. Como misionero de larga trayectoria, predicador, y pastor en Sudamerica, Canada y Espana, Ernie aporta su propio llamamiento y experiencia para esta tarea. Tambien aporta una profunda apreciacion acerca de Edwards dirigida a traves de la lectura independiente de sus escritos y de su asistencia a series de cursos estivales.
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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.
