Paul Engle
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Understanding Four Views On The Lords Supper
$24.99Add to cartFour different ways Christians understand the Lord’s Supper-Baptist view (memorialism), Reformed (spiritual presence), Lutheran (consubstantiation), and Roman Catholic (transubstantiation)-are fairly represented and debated to provide readers with an opportunity to draw their own conclusion on this important Christian institution.
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Understanding Four Views On Baptism
$24.99Add to cartChristians have long differed with one another on both the meaning and the practice of water baptism. Using the classic Counterpoints forum of presentation-critique-response, this insightful book explores four prominent views of baptism held by different branches of Protestantism: Baptist, Christian Church/Church of Christ, Lutheran, and Reformed.
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Evaluating The Church Growth Movement
$26.99Add to cart“The church growth movement (CGM) has stirred debate ever since it was first introduced by Donald McGavran in the 1960s. By the 1980s it attracted enough attention to merit the publication of around 580 church growth books. Many churches experienced significant growth applying these principles. But during the 1990s critics questioned the movement and its theological underpinnings. Nevertheless, interest in the movement continues in the 21st century. It’s a movement that can’t be ignored. This Counterpoints Church Life book presents five viewpoints on the CGM from national church leaders from a diverse denominational, theological, and geographical representation. The five perspectives include: * Effective evangelism view: Church growth effectively confronts the culture (Elmer Towns) * Gospel in our culture view: Church growth does not effectively engage the culture (Craig Van Gelder) * Centrist view: Church growth has been culturally insightful but theologically superficial (Charles Van Engen) * Reformist view: Church growth has not developed a balanced intertwining of theological reflection, cultural analysis, historical perspective, and practical strategy (Gailyn Van Rheenan) * Renewal view: Church growth must come from the inside out being a community of faith focusing on kingdom issues (Howard Snyder) Not only do the five main contributors respond to each other’s positions, but another chapter gives the responses and views of three nationally known pastors for whom church growth is not an academic discipline but a matter of hands-on daily involvement. The book intends to make a valuable contribution to the church by bringing together conflicting views so all perspectives are heard and readers can make their own informed conclusions. The book’s introduction by Gary McIntosh shows why this is a movement that can’t be ignored. He gives a helpful brief overview of the history of this movement that celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in 2005. Each chapter includes discussion questions enabling readers to use this book in small group and classroom settings.”
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Who Runs The Church
$24.99Add to cart“Many Protestants, individually and denominationally, are divided by differences regarding the form of church government. While these differences are not necessarily as divisive as theological and doctrinal issues, they are significant to churches and church leaders and affect the way Christians do God’s work. This book in the highly acclaimed Counterpoints series offers insights and contrasts into four kinds of church government: (1) episcopalianism (hierarchical, with priests, bishops, and archbishops), (2) presbyterianism (a representative form at multiple levels-church, classis/presbytery, synod/general assembly), (3) single-elder congregationalism (pastor-led local autonomy), and (4) plural-elder congregationalism (another form of local autonomy). Each form of government is explored through (1) description, (2) historical development, (3) hermeneutical assumptions, (4) biblical and theological foundations, (5) an understanding of the nature, number, and relationship of church officers, (6) the practical implications. The contributors are Peter Toon of the Anglican Church (episcopalianism), L. Roy Taylor of the Presbyterian Church in America (presbyterianism), Paige Patterson of the Southern Baptist Convention (single-elder congregationalism), and Samuel E. Waldron of the Reformed Baptist Church (plural-elder congregationalism).” EDITOR: Cowan, Steven B.
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Exploring The Worship Spectrum
$24.99Add to cartA presentation and discussion of differing worship styles This book helps readers appreciate the richness of worship practiced in the six most prevalent models used in North American churches today: formal liturgical, traditional hymnbased, contemporary musicdriven, charismatic, blended, and emerging. Each model is presented by an advocate of that point of view and then is critiqued by authors from the other perspectives. The lively discussions sort through the tensions of past vs. present, Bible vs. culture, and permitted vs. forbidden. Churches often choose a style of worship for Sunday services that reflects the vision of the founders, matches a particular target audience they want to reach, or is most true to their understanding of the Bible. Thus there is great diversity in worship today_diversity that has often led to tension and even divisions between believers. This book is designed to help readers understand and evaluate different styles of worship, including strengths, weaknesses, blind spots, inconsistencies, and commonalities. This new volume in the Counterpoints: Church Life series is intended to be a forum for healthy dialogue among church members. Discussion and reflection questions for each chapter facilitate group use of this book. EDITOR: Paul Basden
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Serving In Your Church Nursery
$16.99Add to cartA well-run nursery is a tremendous asset to a church. The responsibilities are demanding, but with prayer, patience, and commitment, you can minimize the frustrations and maximize the difference you make in the lives of children three and under and their parents. Whether you’re leading your church’s nursery ministry, serving in it, or just thinking of getting involved, you will welcome the expert insights, encouragement, and resources this book offers.
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Serving In Your Church Prayer Ministry
$18.99Add to cartA compact prayer manual for both church staff and lay leaders Prayer is essential to the health and growth of the church, yet many churches fail to make prayer a priority. How can churches move beyond talk to action? How can prayer group members grow in their experience of prayer? This short, practical manual shows how to participate in a praying church. It is based on the premise that to have a praying church, the pastor needs to be a praying leader who is supported by a team of praying laypersons. Then the fire of prayer will spread throughout the congregation. Serving in Your Church Prayer Ministry is filled with stories and examples of churches that model effective prayer_everything from Charles Spurgeon9s Monday night prayer meetings at London9s Metropolitan Tabernacle in the 1800s to contemporary Tuesday night gatherings at the Brooklyn Tabernacle led by Jim Cymbala. Chapters include activity suggestions, charts, and discussion questions for both church staff and lay leaders for individual or group use.
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Serving In Church Visitation
$19.99Add to cartWhether visiting people in their homes, in the hospital, or in a restaurant over a cup of coffee, the simple act of connecting with others is filled with powerful possibilities. The act of friendship is an inroad to hearts and lives that creates trust, value, and incredible potential for ministry. This book helps you to find how the Bible models the importance of visitation, what kind of person makes a good visitor, what type of visits are possible, and much more.
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Serving In Your Church Music Ministry
$19.99Add to cartWorship is a slice of eternity that Christians can participate in on earth, and nothing can facilitate our experience of worship like music. This wise, concise guidebook will help you harness your God-given musical talent as a gift to the body of Christ, in a way that brings joy to both God’s heart and yours. This book discusses words of worship, planning for worship, serving with your voice, and much more.
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Serving As A Church Greeter
$7.99Add to cartGreeters are the welcoming arms that people long to find in a church. This practical guidebook will help you reach out to people who need to experience the warmth of belonging to a church family. This book sheds light on the ministry of church greeters, the need for warmhearted greeters, developing a user-friendly foyer, and much more.
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Serving As A Church Usher
$7.99Add to cartYour importance as an usher can’t be overstated. Your impact is enormous both in meeting the needs of people and in keeping the church service running smoothly.
Serving as a Church Usher sheds light on:The Ministry of Ushers
The Functions of an Usher
An Usher’s Standard of Excellence
The Authority and Responsibility of Ushers
Ushers as Greeters
Zondervan Practical Ministry Guides provide you with simple, practical insights for serving in today’s churches. Written by experienced pastors and church workers, these easy-to-read, to-the-point booklets address the fundamentals of different ministries as practiced effectively in real life. You’ll find biblical insight and wise, field-tested advice you can apply today, as well as discussion questions to help you think through and integrate what you read. -
Serving By Safeguarding Your Church
$18.99Add to cartChurch ought to be the safest place on earth. Here’s how to fulfill that goal in practical ways, from developing a security structure and team, to assessing interior and exterior building security, training ushers and greeters to be sensitive to security, forming an emergency reaction team, establishing financial accountability, and much more.