Church Life
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When The Church Harms Gods People
$19.99Add to cartInternationally recognized psychologist Diane Langberg has come face to face with the crushing trauma of sexual abuse, trafficking, domestic abuse, and rape–and its cover-up.
Even more tragic, she has encountered it all within Christian communities and the church.
As a highly respected trauma scholar and psychologist working in the United States and around the world for more than 50 years, she envisions a better way.
In When the Church Harms God’s People, Langberg unveils what she has learned about how churches cause harm and why Christian communities often foster unhealthy leaders who end up hurting rather than protecting God’s people. She also offers hope for the future, describing how churches can reflect Christ not just in what they teach but also in how they care for themselves and others.
This book is an invaluable tool for leaders and laypeople alike who want to help the church resist abuses of power and become a safe place for survivors.
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When The Church Harms Gods People
$39.99Add to cartInternationally recognized psychologist Diane Langberg has come face to face with the crushing trauma of sexual abuse, trafficking, domestic abuse, and rape–and its cover-up.
Even more tragic, she has encountered it all within Christian communities and the church.
As a highly respected trauma scholar and psychologist working in the United States and around the world for more than 50 years, she envisions a better way.
In When the Church Harms God’s People, Langberg unveils what she has learned about how churches cause harm and why Christian communities often foster unhealthy leaders who end up hurting rather than protecting God’s people. She also offers hope for the future, describing how churches can reflect Christ not just in what they teach but also in how they care for themselves and others.
This book is an invaluable tool for leaders and laypeople alike who want to help the church resist abuses of power and become a safe place for survivors.
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What Is A Healthy Church
$14.99Add to cartKey Traits of a Healthy Church to Develop within the Local Body
What is an ideal church, and how can you tell? How does it look different from other churches? More importantly, how does it act differently, especially in society? Many of us aren’t sure how to answer those questions, even though we probably have some preconceived ideas. This book answers those questions and many more.
Author Mark Dever seeks to help believers recognize the key characteristics of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, and a right understanding of the gospel. Dever then calls us to develop those characteristics in our own churches. By following the example of New Testament authors and addressing all members of the church, pastors and laity alike, Dever challenges all believers to do their part in maintaining the local church. Part of the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series, What Is a Healthy Church? offers timeless truths and practical principles to help each of us fulfill our God-given roles in the body of Christ.
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Building Belonging : The Church’s Call To Build Community And House Our Nei
$25.00Add to cartJoin the church movement reshaping our neighborhoods-embracing love and creating community to house our neighbors and recognize our shared humanity.
In many neighborhoods, soaring housing costs have created an alarming wave of instability, leaving congregations situated at the heart of communities grappling with housing insecurity. Simultaneously, societal divisions across ideologies, racial lines, class disparities, and diverse perspectives have eroded the fabric of these communities, leaving a void in shared connections.
Churches, amid declining membership and dwindling engagement, have an opportunity to provide a key role in these changing landscapes. In Building Belonging, John Cleghorn, a pastor from Charlotte, North Carolina-a city where prosperity and poverty uncomfortably coexist-shows how numerous congregations across the United States are leading the charge, embracing innovative approaches to ministry that leverage their resources to become havens of both welcome and shelter.
By examining the theological and sociological dimensions propelling congregations toward a radical transformation of their material and relational landscapes, this book weaves together narratives, insights, and experiences from diverse congregations at the forefront of this movement. Readers will be inspired to look at the unfolding narrative of unaffordable housing in a new way and be inspired to shape their ministry to harness all available resources to foster access and justice by housing neighbors. Written from the heart of a pastor who is deeply engaged in a church’s yearslong housing journey, this book does not stop at simply showing these challenges. Cleghorn also provides a roadmap for communities to initiate transformative processes, leveraging their unique abilities and resources to tackle significant local issues.
Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Easter’s Home at Caldwell Presbyterian Church.
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Becoming A Future Ready Church
$22.99Add to cartAre Church Leaders Missing the Generational Handoff? There’s Still Hope.
*Are we building institutions that will meaningfully serve the next generation of believers and their leaders?
*How does a church thrive in a culture where we have to earn credibility?
*How do we create a sense of belonging to the body of Christ and a strong sense of identity for the next generation?
Becoming a Future-Ready Church is a blueprint to guide you through eight critical shifts to help lead your church into the future with wisdom and hope. It describes several major converging trends that will greatly impact the church in America over the next few decades: the Great Resignation of Boomer leaders from churches, the shrinking percentage of Christians in America, and the change in felt needs among rising generations shaped heavily by anxiety, skepticism, and fragmentation.
Missiologist and pastor Daniel Yang, religion journalist Adelle Banks, and church researcher Warren Bird have come together in Becoming a Future-Ready Church to help church leaders evaluate whether their ministries are entrenched in strategies that worked well in the past but need to be adapted for the future. By helping us ask better questions about the issues and needs facing the church, they reveal practical ways in which the next generation of church leaders can gain a sturdier foothold as they navigate into the future.
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Humility Illuminated : The Biblical Path Back To Christian Character
$22.99Add to cartThe modern church is immersed in a competitive, polarized, and status-driven society. It’s hard to have conversations about important issues when so many are defensive and unwilling to learn. Too often, Christians fall into these same traps. The health and witness of the church urgently depend on recovering an essential biblical virtue: humility.
New Testament scholar Dennis R. Edwards illuminates humility as a, if not the, distinctive identity marker of followers of Jesus. Tracing the theme throughout Scripture, he demonstrates how true humility is grounded in submission to God and becomes manifest in all areas of life. Edwards defuses common misconceptions about humility and explores its role in Christian community, conflict, leadership, suffering, worship, and stewardship.
As we learn from and honor the humble instead of the power-hungry, humility paradoxically empowers God’s people-including those who are often marginalized. Filled with stories from the author’s ministry experience, Humility Illuminated addresses common areas of leadership failure and how to avoid them, applies biblical texts on humility to multiethnic ministry and justice work, and issues a compelling challenge to the church.
Biblical humility is not a tactic, and it’s not just “being nice.” It’s a revolutionary path to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
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Grace To Grow
$19.99Add to cartMost pastors pray for a healthy and vibrant church, a prosperous organization and transformative change among those they disciple, but many find themselves frustrated because they lack direction and feel as though they are spinning their wheels. They struggle to correct unhealthy patterns or do not have fresh vision for their ministry.
John K. Jenkins can relate. The first church he attended is best described as a shack with a bell and a steeple. The restroom facilities? An outhouse. When he accepted his first senior pastoral role, he ministered to 35 people on a good Sunday.
Today, Pastor Jenkins welcomes more than 11,000 worshipers to Sunday services, and thousands more participate virtually. And he has learned what it takes to help an organization function wisely and efficiently, no matter its size.
Grace to Grow reveals the lessons Jenkins has learned along the way. It is a guide to help pastors move their ministries from merely surviving to fully thriving, despite the challenging road ahead. He gives insight into his own journey as a young pastor and identifies biblical principles, strategies, and techniques that made the difference in the life of his church and his personal discipleship for almost four decades.
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5 Congregational Personality Types
$18.99Add to cartCan churches in the 21st century stop, reverse, or prevent decline – and even become healthy, thriving congregations?
Missional innovator, pastor, and church renovator, Michael Beck, says they can.
But the old cookie cutter ways of doing church won’t cut it in today’s world. If churches are going to stop the shocking rates of pastoral burnout and exodus from the pews, they must understand that every church has a distinct personality type, which can keep it stuck or propel it into maturity, depending on how it’s used.
Now, for the first time in history, you can understand and leverage your congregation’s culture and personality using the groundbreaking 5 Congregational Personality Types(TM) model. Based on proven methods from psychology and ministry archetypes in Scripture, The Five Congregational Personality Types will help you unearth:
*Which of the five congregational personality types your church is
*Your congregation’s unique culture and how to nurture your church’s strengths
*The “shadow side,” or weak point, of your congregation’s personality type – and how you can transform this into a strength
*Your #1 strategy for growth and clear next steps to take
Get The Five Congregational Personality Types and discover exactly what to do next to grow your church in the 21st century.
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Offensive Church : Breaking The Cycle Of Ethnic Disunity
$22.99Add to cartCrises around race have put the church in a defensive posture, always reacting to racial conflicts in society. But Jesus wants more. He wants Christians to play offense by discipling people into a new humanity, where we push beyond mere diversity and into a biblical vision for ethnic unity.
Bryan Loritts calls Christians to proactively and intentionally live out the embodied reality of a people at one with one another. We play offense by practicing a robust gospel, preparing reliable leadership, and providing relational environments so that the church becomes the aroma of Christ to our culture and gains ground against the demonic foothold of racism in all its forms.
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Centering Discipleship : A Pathway For Multiplying Spectators Into Mature D
$20.99Add to cartDiscipleship without mission is discipleship without Christ.
The church often lacks maturity and missional impact because discipleship is at its periphery. In order to get discipleship to the center, leaders need a locally rooted, culturally contextual discipleship pathway to tether disciples who are disciplemakers to the neighborhood or network around them.
Pastor and discipler E. K. Strawser shows that when discipleship becomes central to your leadership and community, then discipleship becomes central to congregational mission and cultural renewal. Centering Discipleship is a gutsy practice-based guidebook for leaders who are doing the hard work of re-imagining and re-structuring their churches and communities to turn spectators into missional, mature followers of Jesus.
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Reconnect Your Church
$19.99Add to cartA practical, road-tested vision and process to equip church leaders to reinvigorate their church
How can churches stay healthy and dynamic over the long-term? What’s needed to avoid or reverse church stagnation and decline?
While some churches are vibrant and growing, many more are struggling, especially after Covid. The congregation might be declining and ageing, there’s little success in reaching out to with the gospel, and more time is spent on inward facing problems than loving God and loving others. But the potential that could be released is huge.
David Brown draws on his experience revitalising a church in central Paris to offer a vision and a process for church revitalisation, with a focus on UK and European contexts. Whether you are church planting, in a well-established and thriving church, or looking to turn around a church in decline, Brown provides biblically grounded wisdom along with change management principles for long-term health.
When we reapply God’s priorities to the church, we unleash new life and energy in following Christ in community.
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Churches Cultures And Leadership Second Edition
$30.99Add to cartWe live in a culturally diverse society.
As the church continues to heed Christ’s call to reflect the multiethnic character of his people, pastors and lay leaders need to gain skills and competencies to serve in multicultural contexts, both inside and beyond their congregations. With this book, Mark Lau Branson and Juan F. Martinez equip leaders to create environments that make God’s reconciling initiatives apparent in church life and in missional engagement with their neighborhoods and cities.
Drawing on courses they’ve taught at Fuller Theological Seminary, Branson and Martinez take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates biblical and theological study with sociology, cultural anthropology, leadership studies, and communications. The result is a rich blend of astute analysis and guidance for the practical implementation of a deeper intercultural life for the church.
Case studies, Bible studies, and exercises for personal and group reflection address real-life challenges and opportunities that arise in multiethnic contexts. Churches, Cultures, and Leadership offers not a static model but a praxis of paying attention, study, and discernment that can lead to genuine reconciliation and shared life empowered by the gospel.
This new edition is updated throughout to address current trends and sources, particularly emphasizing the continuing power of racism and how churches should respond.
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Becoming The Church
$18.99Add to cartMany today have given up on church. But God has not and does not give up on the church. The church is God’s idea. And once we truly understand what God has in mind for his people, we can become who he wants us to be.
Bishop Claude Alexander shows how the original Christians did not always understand what the church was supposed to be, but God worked in them anyway to become the community that he intended. After the resurrection of Jesus, his followers were transformed from disillusion and doubt to become a people of conviction and new life. The book of Acts describes the unfolding purposes, principles, and practices discovered by the apostles as they gave themselves to Christ’s call. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we too can be transformed by Jesus and model to the world what it means to know him-as the church.
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Vital Christian Community
$28.95Add to cartTwelve characteristics of healthy Christian communities and the congregational and personal practices that develop them.
Congregations have been the bedrock of mainline Christian life and practice for centuries but in recent years many have dwindled in energy and impact. Leaders conclude that change is needed, that they can’t keep applying the same models and practices that have served in the past but no longer seem to work.
At a time when all kinds of institutions are being buffeted by swift and strong cultural forces, Brochard and Newton believe the congregation to be a primary site for the transformation of individuals, communities, and the world and that the measures for congregational vitality begin with health, faithfulness, and effectiveness as local expressions of the Church.
The authors offer readers insights into developing a sense of purpose, building trust, encouraging curiosity, becoming more collaborative, appreciating productive conflict, and other vital skills.
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Anatomy Of A Revived Church
$14.99Add to cartThere is hope. God can save your church.
In this book, Thom Rainer reveals seven findings of revived churches. Through new research, he figuratively dissects hundreds of churches that were on the path toward death. But they turned around. They revitalized. They did so in the face of facts and naysayers who told them it could not be done. Today, three out of four churches are declining in our nation, and twenty percent of churches are close to death. What are the secrets of the churches who avoided this fate and experienced revival?
In Anatomy of a Revived Church, Thom will show you how these churches experienced renewal. He will cover everything from “expanding the scorecard” to “dealing with toxins” to “choosing meaningful membership.” When you finish reading this book, you will have the tools to strengthen, restore, and energize your church.
You can choose life for your church.
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When Narcissism Comes To Church
$18.99Add to cartWhy does narcissism seem to thrive in our churches? We’ve seen the news stories and heard the rumors. Maybe we ourselves have been hurt by a narcissistic church leader. It’s easy to throw the term around and diagnose others from afar. But what is narcissism, really? And how does it infiltrate the church? Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is. In When Narcissism Comes to Church, DeGroat takes a close look at narcissism, not only in ministry leaders but also in church systems. He offers compassion and hope for those affected by its destructive power and imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects. DeGroat also offers hope for narcissists themselves–not by any shortcut, but by the long, slow road of genuine recovery, possible only through repentance and trust in the humble gospel of Jesus.
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Next Worship : Glorifying God In A Diverse World
$20.99Add to cartWhat happens when a diverse church glorifies the global God?
We live in a time of unprecedented intercultural exchange, where our communities welcome people from around the world. Music and media from every culture are easily accessible, and our worship is infused with a rich variety of musical and liturgical influences. But leading worship in multicultural contexts can be a crosscultural experience for everybody. How do we help our congregations navigate the journey?
Innovative worship leader Sandra Maria Van Opstal is known for crafting worship that embodies the global, multiethnic body of Christ. Likening diverse worship to a sumptuous banquet, she shows how worship leaders can set the table and welcome worshipers from every tribe and tongue. Van Opstal provides biblical foundations for multiethnic worship, with practical tools and resources for planning services that reflect God’s invitation for all peoples to praise him.
When multiethnic worship is done well, the church models reconciliation and prophetic justice, heralding God’s good news for the world. Enter into the praise of our king, and let the nations rejoice!
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Church Of Us Vs Them
$20.00Add to cartWe are living in angry times. No matter where we go, what we watch, or how we communicate, our culture is rife with conflict. Unfortunately, Christians appear to be caught up in the same animosity as the culture at large. We are perceived as angry, judgmental, and defensive, fighting among ourselves in various media while the world looks on. How have we failed to be a people of reconciliation and renewal in the face of such tumult?
Claiming that the church has lost itself in the grip of an antagonistic culture, David Fitch takes a close look at what drives the vitriol in our congregations. He traces the enemy-making patterns in church history and diagnoses the divisiveness that marks the contemporary evangelical church. Fitch shows a way for the church to be true to itself, unwinding the antagonisms of our day and making space for Christ’s reconciling presence in our day-to-day lives. He offers new patterns and practices that move the church beyond making enemies to being the presence of Christ in the world, helping us free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division.
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Inalienable : How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save The American Ch
$18.99Add to cartWith our witness compromised, numbers down, and reputation sullied, the American church is at a critical crossroads. In order for the church to return to health, we must decenter ourselves from our American idols and be guided by global Christians and the poor, who offer hope from the margins, and the ancient church, refocusing on the kingdom, image, Word, and mission of God.
The American church is at a critical crossroads. Our witness has been compromised, our numbers are down, and our reputation has been sullied, due largely to our own faults and fears. The church’s ethnocentrism, consumerism, and syncretism have blurred the lines between discipleship and partisanship. Pastor Eric Costanzo, missiologist Daniel Yang, and nonprofit leader Matthew Soerens find that for the church to return to health, we must decenter ourselves from our American idols and recenter on the undeniable, inalienable core reality of the global, transcultural kingdom of God. Our guides in this process are global Christians and the poor, who offer hope from the margins, and the ancient church, which survived through the ages amid temptations of power and corruption. Their witness points us to refocus on the kingdom of God, the image of God, the Word of God, and the mission of God. The path to the future takes us away from ourselves in unlikely directions. By learning from the global church and marginalized voices, we can return to our roots of being kingdom-focused, loving our neighbor, and giving of ourselves in missional service to the world.
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Not In It To Win It
$22.99Add to cartPeople often use religion to justify their personal views–but Christianity isn’t a weapon we wield to win arguments. Sadly, many Christians today have confused what Jesus came to do and accomplish with political agendas and the latest round of the culture wars. But the message of Jesus transcends cultural skirmishes and political affiliations. It calls us to follow another king and to live by the ethics of another kingdom. Jesus never asked his followers to agree on everything, but he did command them to love their neighbors and exercise their faith for the benefit of others–not at the expense of others.
Not In It To Win It is a relatable and practical resource that guides readers by focusing on the priorities of Jesus, even as we are navigating the complicated and emotionally-charged terrain of today’s cultural divides and hot-button disagreements. Rather than viewing Christianity through the filter of partisanship, Andy challenges readers to evaluate all of life through the wide-angle lens of faith.
Jesus called his followers to obey a new command, to love others in the same way he has loved us. Instead of asserting our rights or fighting for power, we are to ask ourselves: what does love require of me? Don’t settle for winning a game that God isn’t playing. Instead seek to live in a way that your life makes a difference for others, showcasing the love of God to the world.
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Pastoral Ministry : How To Shepherd Biblically
$29.99Add to cartPastor John MacArthur combines his passion for the Bible with the training expertise of faculty members at The Master’s Seminary to guide seminary students and ministry leaders in developing their pastoral ministry skills.
Pastors today can easily become preoccupied with the many pitfalls of modern culture, buying into the idea of image and straying from Jesus’s call to shepherd leadership.
Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically presents a practical pastoral theology aimed at showing pastors and pastors-in-training the vital role God’s word plays in shaping the preparation and maintaining the priorities of pastoring.
The authors examine the biblical teaching about the high and demanding call to ministry required of any spiritual shepherd. You’ll learn how to pursue intentional growth through the stages of calling, training, and ministering to God’s church–along the way, uncovering answers to questions such as:
*How does the Bible establish a philosophy of pastoral ministry, and what is it?
*Who is personally qualified to be an undershepherd of God’s flock?
*What are the biblical preparations required of shepherd leaders?
*What priority does God’s word place on activities involved in pastoral ministry?United in affirming shepherd leadership as the biblical model for pastoral ministry, The Master’s Seminary faculty contributes a treasury of expertise alongside insights from well-known Bible teacher John MacArthur.
This book will inspire any pastor dedicated to serving God’s church in the pattern of Jesus Christ.
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Centered Set Church
$24.99Add to cartChristians can be adept at drawing lines, determining what it means to be a good Christian and judging those who stray out of bounds.
Other times they erase all the lines in favor of a vague and inoffensive faith. Both impulses can come from positive intentions, but either can lead to stunted spiritual life and harmful relationships. Is there another option? The late missionary anthropologist Paul Hiebert famously drew on mathematical theory to deploy the concepts of bounded, fuzzy, and centered sets to shed light on the nature of Christian community. Now, with Centered-Set Church, Mark D. Baker provides a unique manual for understanding and applying Hiebert’s vision. Drawing on his extensive experience in church, mission, parachurch, and higher education settings, along with interviews and stories gleaned from scores of firsthand interviews, Baker delivers practical guidance for any group that seeks to be truly centered on Jesus. Baker shows how Scripture presents an alternative to either obsessing over boundaries or simply erasing them. Centered churches are able to affirm their beliefs and live out their values without such bitter fruit as gracelessness, shame, and self-righteousness on the one hand, or aimless whateverism on the other. While addressing possible concerns and barriers to the centered approach, Baker invites leaders to imagine centered alternatives in such practical areas of ministry as discipleship, church membership, leadership requirements, and evangelism. Centered-Set Church charts new paths to grow in authentic freedom and dynamic movement toward the true center: Jesus himself.
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Color : God’s Intention For Diversity
$15.99Add to cartWhen we talk about color in the church, we are talking about so much more than race and ethnicity-yet at the same time we cannot leave race and ethnicity out of the conversation altogether.As a white woman and a black man, Carla Sunberg and Dany Gomis have coauthored a harmoniously blended collection of reflections comparing a bride adorned in luxurious colors for her groom to the bride of Christ. Explore what it would look like for the bride of Christ to discover and use a full array of hues, both biblically and culturally. More than a book about skin tone, Color challenges the church to rise above a monochromatic perspective to see the fresh beauty of interweaving threads to complete the church bride’s adornment for her bridegroom. With a friendly, collaborative style and questions for reflection at the end of each chapter, Sunberg and Gomis encourage us to celebrate the vibrancy and intensity of the Christian life the way God designed us to live it as filled with Color.
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Reawakened : How Your Congregation Can Spark Lasting Change
$16.99Add to cartDoes your church have gummed-up gears? Or are you activated for ministry?
Are you relevant in the community in which you serve? More and more people are moving away from the church–not because they lack faith in God, but because the church is no longer relevant to their lives. The church, not God, is the problem. There are eight keys to unlocking the power of relevance in your ministry. In the pages of [title], Glen Guyton, executive director of a Mennonite denomination, explores those keys and gives practical suggestions to churches for reaching out. Offering a biblical scaffold for the idea of the activated church and sharing stories from successful ministries that are actively engaging their communities, Reawakened helps Christians ask the big questions about God’s work in the world.
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Reawakened : Activate Your Congregation To Spark Lasting Change
$29.99Add to cartEvery church wants to make a lasting difference. Unlock the keys to how.
More and more people are moving away from the church-not because they lack faith in God but because the church is no longer relevant to their lives. The church, not God, is the problem. In Reawakened, Glen Guyton explores eight keys to developing the abilities of congregations to bring healing and hope to their communities. These eight keys give voice to the most urgent needs of a community and offer practical suggestions for how churches can spark holistic and lasting differences in their communities.
Built on a solid biblical framework, Rewakened positions churches as catalysts for transformative mission and change. Filled with stories from successful ministries that are actively engaging their communities, Reawakened helps Christians ask the big questions about God’s ongoing work in the world.
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Enneagram Goes To Church
$18.99Add to cartIf I had known the Enneagram earlier in my ministry, I would have been a much better pastor.
When this thought came to Todd Wilson, he had already served as a pastor in several churches for the better part of fifteen years and was successfully leading a large, historic, and diverse congregation. He’d started out in ministry with a strong education in everything from biblical exegesis and homiletics to organizational development and Christian education. However, at its root, pastoral ministry is about shepherding, serving, leading, and loving people, and Todd realized that what he lacked was wisdom about how people work. He says, “When it came to empathetically shepherding people and sensitively engaging their manifold personalities and diverse ways of seeing the world, I was an amateur.” Whether you are on a church staff or leading a small group, you will find that the insights from the Enneagram that have helped many grow in self-awareness can be applied to life in our faith communities. The Enneagram can help us to become better teachers. It can influence how we develop worship and Christian education. And it can guide us in building and leading teams. It’s time to take the Enneagram to church–and to allow it to shape our life together.
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1 Blood : Parting Words To The Church On Race And Love
$15.99Add to cartDr. Perkins’ final manifesto on race, faith, and reconciliation
We are living in historic times. Not since the civil rights movement of the 60s has our country been this vigorously engaged in the reconciliation conversation. There is a great opportunity right now for culture to change, to be a more perfect union. However, it cannot be done without the church, because the faith of the people is more powerful than any law government can enact.
The church is the heart and moral compass of a nation. To turn a country away from God, you must sideline the church. To turn a nation to God, the church must turn first. Racism won’t end in America until the church is reconciled first. Then-and only then-can it spiritually and morally lead the way.
Dr. John M. Perkins is a leading civil rights activist today. He grew up in a Mississippi sharecropping family, was an early pioneer of the civil rights movement, and has dedicated his life to the cause of racial equality. In this, his crowning work, Dr. Perkins speaks honestly to the church about reconciliation, discipleship, and justice… and what it really takes to live out biblical reconciliation.
He offers a call to repentance to both the white church and the black church. He explains how band-aid approaches of the past won’t do. And while applauding these starter efforts, he holds that true reconciliation won’t happen until we get more intentional and relational. True friendships must happen, and on every level. This will take the whole church, not just the pastors and staff.
The racial reconciliation of our churches and nation won’t be done with big campaigns or through mass media. It will come one loving, sacrificial relationship at a time. The gospel and all that it encompasses has always traveled best relationally. We have much to learn from each other and each have unique poverties that can only be filled by one another. The way forward is to become “wounded healers” who bandage each other up as we discover what the family of God really looks like. Real relationships, sacrificial love between actual people, is the way forward. Nothing less will do.
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Winsome Conviction : Disagreeing Without Dividing The Church
$20.99Add to cartIn today’s polarized context, Christians often have committed, biblical rationales for very different positions. How can Christians navigate disagreements with both truth and love? Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer provide lessons from conflict theory and church history on how to negotiate differing biblical convictions in order to move toward Christian unity.
We generally assume that those sitting around us in church share our beliefs. But when our personal convictions are contested by fellow Christians, everything changes. We feel attacked from behind. When other Christians doubt or deny our convictions, we don’t experience it as a mere difference of opinion, but as a violation of an unspoken agreement. Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer offer a guide to help Christians navigate disagreements with one another. In today’s polarized context, Christians often have committed, biblical rationales for very different positions. How do we discern between core biblical convictions and secondary issues? How do we cultivate better understanding and compassion for those we disagree with? Muehlhoff and Langer provide lessons from conflict theory and church history on how to avoid the dangers of groupthink and how to negotiate differing biblical convictions to avoid church splits and repair interpersonal ruptures. Christian unity is possible. Discover how we can navigate differences by speaking in both truth and love.
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Bigger Table Expanded Edition With Study Guide (Expanded)
$22.00Add to cartThis new edition includes a small-group study guide complete with ideas for exploring A Bigger Table in a congregation-wide sermon series and program along with a new foreword by Jacqui Lewis and new afterword by the author to explore the challenges of living out the bigger table when voices of hate and exclusion seem stronger and louder than ever.
A Bigger Table invites readers to envision a church that is big enough for everyone, by holding up a mirror to the modern church and speaking clearly on issues at the heart of the Christian community: LGBT inclusion, gender equality, racial tensions, global concerns, and theological shifts. John Pavlovitz shares moving personal stories, his careful observations as a pastor, and his understanding of the ancient stories of Jesus to set the table for a new, positive, more loving conversation on these and other important matters of faith. Though there are many who would remove chairs and whittle down the guest list, we can build the bigger table Jesus imagined, practicing radical hospitality, total authenticity, messy diversity, and agenda-free community.
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Volunteers : How To Get Them, How To Keep Them
$6.99Add to cartI have written this book out of my experience working in small to medium sized churches. I address the great challenges of finding, training, and keeping volunteers. There are some simple techniques that I learned to have happy and engaged volunteers who do not get burned out.
I also spend time describing how you can run a successful children’s ministry with a minimum of people and yet not overburdening any of them. I talk about ways to combine functions so that you still cover all the age levels but in an efficient and effective manner.
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Beautiful Community : Unity, Diversity, And The Church At Its Best
$17.99Add to cartThe church is at its best when it pursues the biblical value of unity in diversity. Our world has been torn asunder by racial, ethnic, and ideological differences. It is seen in our politics, felt in our families, and ingrained in our theology. Sadly, the church has often reinforced these ethnic and racial divides. To cast off the ugliness of disunity and heal our fractured humanity, we must cultivate spiritual practices that help us pursue beautiful community. In The Beautiful Community, pastor and theologian Irwyn Ince boldly unpacks the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation. God reveals himself to us in his trinitarian life as the perfection of beauty, and essential to this beauty is his work as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The gospel imperative to pursue the beautiful community-unity in diversity across lines of difference-is rooted in reflecting the beautiful community of our triune God. This book calls us into and provides tools for that pursuit.
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Everywhere You Look
$18.99Add to cartWhat’s the point of the church anyway? The emerging generation is opting out of the church in large numbers. They’re embarrassed at how the church is portrayed in the media and dismayed at what appears to be their options for participation. Is church really necessary anymore in our day? Is it even possible? Tim Soerens sees this unsettled state of affairs as an extraordinary opportunity: the church, he says, is on the edge of a new possibility at the very moment so much of it feels like it’s falling apart. In his extensive travels in all kinds of neighborhoods, Soerens has seen the beginnings of this movement firsthand. In Everywhere You Look, he lays out practical, actionable steps for building collaborative communities in any neighborhood. Here is a vision of the church grounded in a grassroots movement of ordinary people living out what it means to be the church in their everyday lives. Read this book-and join the movement.
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Rediscipling The White Church
$20.99Add to cart“Many white Christians across America are waking up to the fact that something is seriously wrong–but often this is where we get stuck.”
Confronted by the deep-rooted racial injustice in our society, many white Christians instinctively scramble to add diversity to their churches and ministries. But is diversity really the answer to the widespread racial dysfunction we see in the church? In this simple but powerful book, Pastor David Swanson contends that discipleship, not diversity, lies at the heart of our white churches’ racial brokenness. Before white churches can pursue diversity, he argues, we must first take steps to address the faulty discipleship that has led to our segregation in the first place. Drawing on the work of philosopher James K. A. Smith and others, Swanson proposes that we rethink our churches’ habits, or liturgies, and imagine together holistic, communal discipleship practices that can reform us as members of Christ’s diverse body.
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Adept Church : Navigating Between A Rock And A Hard Place
$15.99Add to cartA theologically grounded, yet practical, user-friendly guide for church leaders seeking to save their churches. A methodical, logical approach for strategic development and decision-making. A clear process for showing congregations how to define their reality, and a map showing the way to move forward.
Offers a clear process to help congregations understand their situation by taking an honest “look in the mirror.”
Helps congregations build a realistic roadmap for moving forward.
Illustrates how the status quo (institutionalism) is rewarded and that seeking transformation goes against institutionalism.
Outlines what it means to be an adept church, a church that can navigate between a rock and a hard place because it makes decisions based upon where it needs to go and not where it is currently.
Provides practical, first step for congregations to move forward.
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Gifted : Women In Leadership
$14.99Add to cartGifted – women in leadership. You would be mistaken if you thought this book was just for women. It looks at the history of women in church life and leadership, at egalitarianism and complementarism and says – women are leaders and so are men , what can we learn from each other ? It’s looks at different leadership styles, gifts and skills. And it’s also includes other women’s stories from Margaret Sentamu and Christy Wimber to a Vicky Thompson and Bev Murrill. There are other contributors.
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When Narcissism Comes To Church
$24.99Add to cartWhy does narcissism seem to thrive in our churches?
We’ve seen the news stories and heard the rumors. Maybe we ourselves have been hurt by a narcissistic church leader. It’s easy to throw the term around and diagnose others from afar. But what is narcissism, really? And how does it infiltrate the church? Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is. In When Narcissism Comes to Church, DeGroat takes a close look at narcissism, not only in ministry leaders but also in church systems. He offers compassion and hope for those affected by its destructive power and imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects. DeGroat also offers hope for narcissists themselves–not by any shortcut, but by the long, slow road of genuine recovery, possible only through repentance and trust in the humble gospel of Jesus.
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Our Witness To The World
$12.99Add to cartConcise Wisdom from a Seasoned Pastoral Veteran
The Kingdom Pastor’s Library is a new series of books that brings you a succinct, complete pastoral philosophy and training from Tony Evans.
Our Witness to the World teaches you how to equip every member of your church to go out into their neighborhoods and do effective outreach. It also demonstrates how important social impact is for the spreading of the gospel.
Faithful. Powerful. Practical. Become a Kingdom Pastor Today.
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We Were Spiritual Refugees
$32.99Add to cartGalileo Church is not a cool, hip, exotic breed; it’s just church, reimagined for a new day.
In We Were Spiritual Refugees, Katie Hays, planter-pastor of Galileo Church, shares the story of departing the traditional church (on good terms, though!) for the frontier of the spiritual-but-not-religious and building community with Jesus-loving (or at least Jesus-curious) outsiders. Now well-established, Galileo Church “seeks and shelters spiritual refugees” in the suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas; especially young adults, LGBTQ+ people, and all the people who love them.
Told in funny, poignant, and short vignettes, Galileo’s story is not one of how to be cool for Christ. Like its founder, Galileo is deeply uncool and deeply devout, and always straining ahead to see what God will do next. Hays says curiosity is her greatest virtue, and she recounts learning how to share the good news with people who are half her age and intensely skeptical.
Galileo both is and is not like the churches you have known. Every day of its existence has been an experiment in practical theology rehabilitated for a new context. It’s surprisingly orthodox but with peculiarities about life together that go beyond questions of style and aesthetic–peculiarities that are best communicated through story. And Katie has stories to tell. So if you are all-in with Jesus but have trust issues with church, We Were Spiritual Refugees will give you hope for finding a community-of-belonging to call home.
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Growing A Healthy Church (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cart19 Chapters
Additional Info
Sheep Swapping. Shuffling of the Saints. Whatever you call it, many churches are growing only because Christians transfer from one church to another. What’s more, many churches aren’t growing at all.The problem, according to authors Dann Spader and Gary Mayes, is that too many church calendars are filled with out-dated, mediocre programs that have become more of a burden than a blessing. That, coupled with the fact that these programs minister almost exclusively to Christians, leaves little for the non-Christian ‘seeker’ to get excited about.
Growing a Healthy Church is not a list of trendy new programs for your church agenda. It is a journey of rediscovery. Dann Spader and Gary Mayes look closely at the four stages of spiritual growth in relation to outreach. Using the innovative “M-level” system, these gifted men show how a church can minister to all individuals regardless of their levels of maturity in potential service. This helps eliminate the mistakes of forcing new Christians into service that may overwhelm them or may leave the mature Christian unchallenged.
Proven successful through SonLife and churches who have used this system, this resource will help you focus on the simplicity of Christ’s ministry, enabling you to build an effective discipline strategy for your church.
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Liquid Church : 6 Powerful Currents To Saturate Your City For Christ
$18.99Add to cartWhat’s the difference between a thriving Christ-centered church that’s saturating its city with the Gospel, and other churches that love the Lord, but are plateaued or declining? A key part of the answer lies in identifying new wineskins for ministry, ones that can earn a fresh hearing for the Gospel with spiritually thirsty generations.In a fluid, rapidly-changing world, every church struggles with finding fresh ways to win a hearing for Christ with the current generation. What worked 20, 10 or even 5 years ago too often loses its effectiveness as our world experiences a tsunami of cultural change, especially among the younger rising generations. Church leaders want to know not only how people are responsive today, but also why. They want to understand how leading churches are pouring the living water of Jesus Christ through new wineskins, and how some of the ideas, along with their underlying values, could work for them as well.Looking underneath Liquid Church’s phenomenal growth from a dozen people to more than 5,000 weekly attenders in 12 years, this book explains how this vibrant church has pioneered a number of ministry shifts that has resulted in strong cross-generational appeal. How does a church effectively saturate its community with the good news about Jesus without diluting the truth and power of the gospel? Lucas and Bird look at seven spiritual currents that churches can leverage to reposition themselves for community impact while holding fast to the timeless, unchanging truth of Christ. These shifts reflect national trends as well, and the authors include examples of how other churches are doing the same thing in different cultural contexts.
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Together For The City
$20.99Add to cartWe need a bigger vision for the city.
It’s not enough to plant individual churches in isolation from each other. The spiritual need and opportunity of our cities is too big for any one church to meet alone. Pastors Neil Powell and John James contend that to truly transform a city, the gospel compels us to create localized, collaborative church planting movements. They share lessons learned and principles discovered from their experiences leading a successful citywide movement. The more willing we are to collaborate across denominations and networks, the more effectively we will reach our communities–whatever their size–for Jesus. Come discover what God can do in our cities when we work together.
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Honest Guide To Church Planting
$17.99Add to cartChurch planting has become a cottage industry. National conferences, hip planting organizations, and all-in-one resource kits celebrate the thrill of pioneering a church and inspire visions of glorious victories. Yet few who respond to the call are warned what they’ll actually encounter: the relentless opposition they’ll endure; the eventual scattering of their entire core group; the failure of their tried-and-true, field-tested system.Here’s the dirty little secret of church planting: the roadside is strewn with casualties. Many have closed their churches. Some left ministry permanently. Others abandoned the faith altogether.Church planting is at once the greatest and most grueling ministry work on earth. This book is for those toiling in the trenches, those about to bail out, and those considering jumping in. It’s for the church planters laboring and struggling, seeing little movement, and wondering what they’re doing wrong or why God is failing them. It’s also for mother churches, planting organizations, and denominations, as a challenge to rethink and re-calibrate the way they approach and measure planting endeavors.The Honest Guide to Church Planting is a fresh and candid conversation about the challenges and joys of planting new churches. Tom Bennardo speaks the truth so that those involved in church planting can embrace a more accurate and realistic picture of what planting a church is really like; one that not only enables them to survive, but to thrive in this difficult work.
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Rooting For Rivals
$18.00Add to cartFaith-based organizations are sometimes known for what we’re against–and all too often that includes being against each other. But amid growing distrust of religious institutions, Christ-centered nonprofits have a unique opportunity to link arms and collectively pursue a calling higher than any one organization’s agenda.
Rooting for Rivals reveals how your ministry can multiply its impact by cooperating, rather than competing. Peter Greer and Chris Horst explore case studies illustrating the power of collaborative ministry. They also vulnerably share their own failures and successes in pursuing a kingdom mind-set. Discover the power of openhanded leadership to make a greater impact on the world
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Myth Of The Dying Church
$25.00Add to cartFalse news is not limited to politics. There is a pervasive myth circulating that says the church is dying. GLENN STANTON rebuts that fake news and paints a truly positive picture of America’s churches.Much has been made of the so-called “nones” – those who claim no spiritual affiliation. Media has spun the nones into a chicken-little the sky is falling narrative. The nones are an infamously difficult subsection to understand and there is a lot of false information on them. Glenn Stanton believes the nones story has become overblown and has become “a thing” due to curiosity and repetition of their supposed irreligiosity. THE MYTH OF THE DYING CHURCH digs deeply into the research concerning spirituality in America and reveals the hope and truth about the vitality and future of the church.
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Bridgebuilding : Making Peace With Conflict In The Church
$27.00Add to cartThere is a prevailing culture of ‘niceness’ within churches which can lead to conflict avoidance, suppression and denial. Consequently, ministers and church leaders often struggle to handle tensions, difference and competing demands within their congregations.
Drawing on practical theology, conflict theory, family systems theory and experience, Bridgebuilding will help church ministers and church members find more fruitful ways of engaging with tensions and conflicts in the life of the Church. It offers numerous practical tools for transforming conflict into opportunities for personal and corporate growth.
It complements the ‘Growing Bridgebuilders’ training course developed by Bridge Builders with CPAS.
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Connecting For A Change
$16.99Add to cartAt its simplest, Mission Strategy is about aligning the what, who, how and when with God’s why. Learn to implement Mission Strategy in your community of faith! Church and community relevance and vitality depends on leaders who see their situation through the lens of mission strategy. At its simplest, mission strategy is about aligning the what, who, how and when with God’s why. The authors have lived Mission Strategy in a variety of bold ways and have helped others do the same. In doing so, they have created vitality in existing congregations and in newly formed clusters of churches. They have helped create zones of innovation and new ministry development. The sky is the limit when pastors, church leaders and laity in local churches begin emphasizing mission strategy in their conferences, regions, neighborhoods and churches.
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How The Body Of Christ Talks
$19.00Add to cartIn today’s highly-charged social and political environment, we often don’t know how to talk well with others–especially people whose backgrounds differ from our own C. Christopher Smith, coauthor of the critically acclaimed and influential Slow Church, addresses why conversation has become such a challenge in the 21st century and argues that it is perhaps the most needed spiritual practice of our individualistic age.
Smith likens practicing conversation to the working of the human body. Bodies are wondrous symphonies of diverse, intricate parts striving for our health, and our health suffers when these parts fail to converse effectively. Likewise, we must learn to converse effectively with those who differ from us in the body of Christ so we can embody Christ together in the world. In community, we learn what it means to belong to others and to a story that is bigger than ourselves.
Smith shows how church communities can be training hubs where we learn to talk and listen to each other with kindness and compassion. The book explores how churches can initiate and sustain conversation, including working through seasons of conflict; suggests the contours of a spirituality that can foster conversation; and features stories from a diverse range of congregations that are learning to practice conversation.
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Re Membering God
$21.95Add to cart* Reflections on tradition and change for the twenty-first-century church * Something for both newcomers and those familiar with liturgy and spirituality Like the scribe and master of the household cited by Jesus in Matthew 13, Re-membering God “brings out of treasure what is new and what is old,” and empowers us to go and do likewise. As both critique and encouragement for the church in the early part of the twenty-first century, it seeks to reclaim the foundational riches of the church’s liturgy and spirituality in the face of cul-tural change. These resources, some lost or neglected and others under-utilized, can help rebuild the church, raising up what has been cast down and renewing what has grown old. This series of reflections explore with discernment what is “fashionable,” and acknowledge the deepest and most endur-ing human needs and hopes, which only God can answer. Re-membering God puts liturgical and spiritual practice into terms easily understood by both newcomers and seasoned devotees, for the benefit of this and future generations. Understanding the value of the past and with an eye to the future, this book will inform our next conversations about evangelism and church growth.
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Letters To The Church
$22.99Add to cartMillions are satisfied to sit through hour-long, weekly religious services. Millions more have left the church, brokenhearted and cynical. But God is waking up His people–people who will risk everything and sacrifice anything to become the dynamic, powerful Church seen in Scripture.
We Are Church calls Christ-followers, young and old, to hold fast to their biblical roots while seeking radical change. Scripture promises an exuberant and unstoppable Church. That wondrous early church of Acts can be our reality today–but not until we devote ourselves to her original priorities.
Read this book and be challenged, guided, and encouraged to passionately pursue God’s magnificent and beautiful vision for His Church. Come and claim your part in this body of believers that is not just possible–it’s promised.
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Becoming A Just Church
$17.99Add to cartForeword By Dennis Edwards
Introduction
Part 1: An Ecclesiology For Justice
1. Justice Isn’t An Outreach Strategy: A Way Of Life For The People Of God
2. Exiles In The Promised Land: The Church As Prophetic Alternative
3. Demonstrating Maana: The Church As A Parable Of God’s Intent
4. Gardeners Of Shalom: The Church For Flourishing And Transformation
Part 2: Justice In Our Congregational Life
5. Low Ground Church: Discerning Vision In A High Ground World
6. Recovering Kinship: Hospitality As Resistance
7. Discipling People Into Shalom Community
8. Worship: Questions That Drive How We Gather
Part 3: What’s Next?
9. Power: A Conversation With Juliet Liu And Brandon Green About The Lynchpin Of Justice
Epilogue: Commence Justice
Acknowledgments
NotesAdditional Info
Stop outsourcing justice!Many local churches don’t know what to do about justice. We tend to compartmentalize it as merely a strategy for outreach, and we often outsource it to parachurch justice ministries. While these organizations do good work, individual congregations are left disconnected from God’s just purposes in the world.
Adam Gustine calls the local church to be just and do justice. He provides a theological vision for our identity as a just people, where God’s character and the pursuit of shalom infuses every aspect of our congregational DNA. As we grow in becoming just, the church becomes a prophetic alternative to the broken systems of the world and a parable of God’s intentions for human flourishing and societal transformation. This renewed vision for the church leads us into cultivating a just life together-in community, discipleship, worship, and more-extending justice out into the world in concrete ways.
Let’s hold being and doing together, so we can become just, compassionate communities that restore shalom and bring hope to the world.
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Church And Foster Care
$16.99Add to cartWith roughly 500,000 children and growing in America’s foster care system, the new mission field for the church is clear. The Church & Foster Care shows how to simply engage in life-giving ministry to an underserved community. From real-life situations, foster care parent, educator, and advocate Dr. John DeGarmo lays out why God is calling the church to become involved. Sharing from the decades of support he received from his local church, this book is filled with practical and manageable suggestions on how to meet practical needs while planting seeds of faith.
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Glad Obedience : Why And What We Sing
$22.00Add to cartThe Christian practice of hymn singing, says renowned biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann, is a countercultural act. It marks the Christian community as different from an unforgiving and often ungrateful culture. It is also, he adds, an “absurd enterprise” in the midst of the hyper-busy, market-driven society that surrounds us. In this helpful and engaging volume, Brueggemann discusses both why we sing and what we sing. The first part of the book examines the Psalms and what they can teach us about the reasons that corporate song is a part of the Christian tradition. The second part looks at fifteen popular hymns, including classic and contemporary ones such as “Blest Be the Ties That Binds,” “God’s Eye Is on the Sparrow,” “Once to Every Man and Nation,” “Someone Asked the Question,” and “We Are Marching in the Light of God,” and the reasons why they have caught our imagination.
“To know why we sing,” Brueggemann writes, “may bring us to a deeper delight in our singing and a strengthened resolve to sing without calculation before the God ‘who is enthroned on the praises of Israel’ (Ps. 22:3).
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Healing Racial Divides
$19.99Add to cartCan the church help America emerge from its racist shadows empowered to heal racial divides? Church pastor and former police officer Terrell Carter says yes.
While our faith inarguably calls Christians to unity, the hard fact remains: we’re still tragically divided when it comes to race, even – and especially, many say — in our churches. Racism pervades our faith, our relationships, and our institutions in deep, often imperceptible ways. In Healing Racial Divides, Terrell Carter, a pastor, professor and former police officer takes us on a revelatory journey into the abyss of the racial divide and shows us how we’ve arrived at this divisive place. Understanding racism’s roots – and our place in it – we surface more committed and empowered to defeat racism once and for all.
Drawing from the Bible, scholarly research, and personal experience as a both a former police officer and a black pastor serving white congregations, Carter unpacks the deep roots of racism in America, how it continues to be perpetuated today, and practical strategies for racial reconciliation. Looking forward, he shapes a bold and faithful vision for healing racial division through multicultural communities focused on relationship, listening, and learning from each other.
With a pastor’s heart and an academic’s head, Carter invites us to look at where we’ve been-and where God calls us as spiritually mature Christians, seeking healing and true unity on earth.
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Neighborhood Church : Transforming Your Congregation Into A Powerhouse For
$22.00Add to cartHow can we embody the values of love, grace, and justice? As faith communities, how can our collective embodiment of these values shine even brighter? The answers to these questions must always unfold right here, right now, exactly where God has planted us. Neighborhood Churchacts as a resource to inspire churches to become a vibrant and engaging community partner with the families and neighborhoods living around them. The need for transformation is acute. Congregational decline continues across all mainline denominations. The abandonment of the church by the millennial generation is ubiquitous; no denomination is escaping it. This is, in part, a consequence of disconnection from our communities. Van Tatenhove and Mueller believe that, parish by parish, we can reverse this trend. They dare to have an audacious hope for local congregations not only as signs of God’s kingdom but as life-giving institutions that anchor their neighborhoods. Drawing on their combined sixty years of parish experience, wisdom from Asset-Based Community Development, and compelling case stories, Van Tatenhove and Mueller do more than just call us to incarnational ministry. They give practical, essential tools that lead to communal conversion, develop the DNA of listening, spur fruitful partnerships, promote integrated space, and sustain long-term visions. They believe these tools will spark true revival and unleash the power of incarnational ministry.
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Humilitas : A Lost Key To Life Love And Leadership
$24.99Add to cartHumility, or holding power loosely for the sake of others, is sorely lacking in today’s world. Without it, many people fail to develop their true leadership potential and miss out on genuine fulfillment in their lives and their relationships. Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love, and Leadership shows how the virtue of humility can turn your strengths into true greatness in all areas of life. Through the lessons of history, business, and the social sciences, author John Dickson shows that humility is not low self-esteem, groveling, or losing our distinct gifts. Instead, humility both recognizes our inherent worth and seeks to use whatever power we have at our disposal on behalf of others. Some of the world’s most inspiring and influential players have been people of immense humility. The more we learn about humility, the more we understand how essential it is to a satisfying career and personal life. By embracing this virtue, we will transform for good the unique contributions we each make to the world.
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Community Rules : An Episcopal Manual
$17.95Add to cart* Practical guide to church community life Taking the approach of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules, Community Rules seeks to distill the basics of “good church” into a set of memorable rules. Working with three sections, the authors draw on their years of combined experience in academic and church administration to identify the basic Christian principles that underpin Episcopal community and then apply them to actions and relationships. The book seeks to explicate the best personnel practices, as well as good governance and communal life together, alongside a framing within the Christian worldview. The goal is to provide a text that can serve as a guide for any and all members of a parish, most especially those who serve on vestries or as volunteers.
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99 Prayers Your Church Needs But Doesnt Know It Yet
$9.99Add to cartWhen the unexpected comes and you can’t find the words to pray, 99 Prayers Your Church Needs (But Doesn’t Know It Yet) will provide the starting point that will help lead you to the prayer your congregation or pastor needs. From prayers for a family who has lost a loved one to addiction, to a prayer for the new pastor in a new congregation, these 99 prayers will help you respond to a multitude of unexpected prayer requests? whether celebratory or grieving, or somewhere in between?in the course of your congregation’s life.
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Reciprocal Church : Becoming A Community Where Faith Flourishes Beyond High
$20.99Add to cartIntroduction: Reciprocal Church
Part 1: A Theological Vision For The Reciprocal Church
1. Eating Melon On Tuesdays: Young People And Faith
2. Galloping Mares: The Gospel Without Christ’s Church
3. A Vital Identity: God Gathers A People
4. A Vital Purpose: Christ Is Reconciling Relationships
5. A Vital Avenue: The Spirit Transforms You, Me, And UsPart 2: Values And Practices For Flourishing Communities
6. Tetherballs And Floodlights: Valuing Memory
7. The Oxpecker’s Gift: Valuing Mutuality
8. Seeing Beyond The Epidemic: Recognizing Potential
9. Moving Beyond The Epidemic: Valuing Contribution
10. Windmills Of Hope: Valuing MaturityEpilogue: Faith Flourishes With Practice
Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
NotesAdditional Info
The church faces an unprecedented loss of rising generations. Young adults who were active and engaged in the local church are leaving the community behind after high school. What can we do? Responding to these concerning statistics, Sharon Galgay Ketcham reflects theologically on the church community and its role in forming faith. She exposes problems in the way leaders conceive of and teach about the relationship between individual faith and the local church, and offers fresh solutions in the form of values and practices that can shape a community into a place where faith will flourish in those both young and old. -
Welcoming Justice : Gods Movement Toward Beloved Community (Expanded)
$18.99Add to cartWe have seen progress in recent decades toward Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of beloved community. But this is not only because of the activism and sacrifice of a generation of civil rights leaders. It happened because God was on the move.
Historian and theologian Charles Marsh partners with veteran activist John Perkins to chronicle God’s vision for a more equitable and just world. Perkins reflects on his long ministry and identifies key themes and lessons he has learned, and Marsh highlights the legacy of Perkins’s work in American society. Together they show how abandoned places are being restored, divisions are being reconciled, and what individuals and communities are now doing to welcome peace and justice.
Now updated with a new preface to reflect on current social realities, this book reveals ongoing lessons for the continuing struggle for a just society. Come, discover your part in the beloved community. There is unfinished work still to do.
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Church Forsaken : Practicing Presence In Neglected Neighborhoods
$22.99Add to cart“There are no God-forsaken places, just church-forsaken places.” -Jon Fuller, OMF International
Jonathan Brooks was raised in the Englewood neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. As soon as he was able, he left the community and moved as far away as he could. But through a remarkable turn of events, he reluctantly returned and found himself not only back in Englewood but also serving as a pastor (“Pastah J”) and community leader.
In Church Forsaken, Brooks challenges local churches to rediscover that loving our neighbors means loving our neighborhoods. Unpacking the themes of Jeremiah 29, he shows how Christians can be fully present in local communities, building homes and planting gardens for the common good. His holistic vision and practical work offers good news for forgotten people and places. And community stakeholders and civic leaders will rediscover that churches are viable partners in community transformation in ways that they may never have considered.
God has always been at work in neglected neighborhoods. Join Pastah J on this journey and discover new hope for your community.
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Ordinary Radicals : A Return To Christ Centered Discipleship
$15.99Add to cartChurch leadership must be focused on discipleship. If you have a leadership problem, you have a discipleship problem, and if you have a discipleship problem, you have a Great Commission problem. This book offers a step-by-step process for living out the Great Commission to revolutionize the world through the local church.
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8 Virtues Of Rapidly Growing Churches
$17.99Add to cartLeaders who are interested in planting or revitalizing congregations often feel discouraged and defeated after leadership conferences, or after reading about the ‘heroes’ of church planting and church growth. “They are amazing,” they say. “I can’t be that amazing.” But Jesus’ load is easy and his burden is light. When we examine the practices and characteristics of those ‘heroes’, we see striking trends and commonalities. Aspiring church leaders can learn the practices and develop the characteristics that will lead to successful churches. Instead of feeling defeated, new leaders should have a hope-filled sense of what new thing they can do. Authors Matt Miofsky and Jason Byasse carefully researched, interviewed, and profiled successful church-growers across the U.S., and identified 8 characteristics these leaders and their congregations have in common. These pastors are still learning, still figuring out how to do this work and how to faithfully live into God’s call. But for now, how are they doing what they do? What mistakes have they made & learned from? Where have they paid the stupid tax that others should avoid? Each of these ‘heroes’ is painfully ordinary and up front about their flaws. And each can see slightly farther than the rest of us. What do they see that we can learn from? Discover the 8 characteristics, and learn how to adapt them for your own congregation and calling.
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Seeing Jesus In East Harlem
$18.99Add to cartIntroduction
Part 1: Show Up
1. El Testimonio: Go And Show Yourself
2. The “Here I Ams” Of Life: Calling And Holy Disorientation
3. Incarnational: Tracing Our Presence Through Christ’s Body
4. Naming Whiteness: Discerning Space As Disciple MakingPart 2: Staying Put
5. Staying Public: Welcoming Home The Prophets
6. Remaining At Work: Becoming God’s Crowdsource In The Barrio
7. Staying Together: When Hope Became A HouseholdPart 3: See
8. Look Again: Generous Seeing As A Measure Of Discipleship
9. Curating Heaven: Dance And Dirge At Christ’s Table
10. El Culto: Marking Life’s Moments, Rescripting Trauma
11. Apocalypse: Church From A Different Vantage PointAcknowledgments
NotesAdditional Info
We are all located in different places. Some of us move from neighborhood to neighborhood or even state to state. And the way we grow as disciples and lead others in spiritual growth depends on our contexts. Pastor Jose Humphreys recognizes how deeply our faith is tied to our particular stories in our particular places. Grounded in his own deep faith and wisdom, he writes out of his experiences as a Puerto Rican pastor who has planted a multiethnic church in East Harlem. In this book, he offers a framework to help church leaders take discipleship seriously in their places, calling them to show up, stay put, and see what God is doing in their midst. Combining spiritual formation with activism, vivid narrative with exhortation, and realism with hopefulness, Humphreys offers pastors and church planters a thoughtful look at discipleship in a complex world. -
Placemaking And The Arts
$32.99Add to cartWe are, each one of us, situated in a particular place.As embodied creatures, as members of local communities and churches, as people who live in a specific location in the world, we all experience the importance of place. But what role does place play in the Christian life and how might our theology of place be cultivated?In this Studies in Theology and the Arts volume, Jennifer Allen Craft argues that the arts are a significant form of placemaking in the Christian life. The arts, she contends, place us in time, space, and community in ways that encourage us to be fully and imaginatively present in a variety of contexts: the natural world, our homes, our worshiping communities, and society. In so doing, the arts call us to pay attention to the world around us and invite us to engage in responsible practices in those places.Through this practical theology of the arts, Craft shows how the arts can help us by cultivating our theological imagination, giving shape to the Christian life, and forming us more and more into the image of Christ.
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Exploring Worship Third Edition
$20.00Add to cartEXPLORING WORSHIP is a 240-page textbook that gives worshipers a balanced theology of worship, and trains your worship team in the art of leading worship. This book covers all the bases, both devotional and practical. Equip them with one of the most comprehensive tools available today for worship leaders, musicians, songwriters, and singers.
First written in 1986, Bob completely rewrote the book in 2018, producing this THIRD EDITION. This new edition is stronger than ever and relevant for today’s changing worship landscape. Used as a text internationally, Exploring Worship is a “must read” for worshipers. It lays a scriptural foundation for understanding what praise and worship really is, and then provides a practical framework for implementing praise and worship in the local church. This is one of the foremost worship texts used today by Bible Schools, Universities, and local church worship ministries.
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Mapping Church Missions
$20.99Add to cartForeword By Paul Borthwick
Introduction: Charting Our Course
1. Good News And Good Deeds
2. Neighbors Near And Far
3. Crisis Response And Sustainable Development
4. Time And Money
5. Benefits And Drawbacks Of Short-Term Teams
6. Serving The Undiscipled And Discipling The Servant
7. Minimizing And Embracing Risk
Conclusion: Mobilizing Our Congregations
Acknowledgments
Appendix 1: Beyond Minute For Missions: Connecting Churches With Mission Partners
Appendix 2: Scenarios For Further Reflection
NotesAdditional Info
The terrain of church missions is often bewildering.Should we prioritize evangelism or works of service? Local ministries or overseas missions? What’s more important: giving our money or giving our time? Crisis relief or building sustainable, long-term ministries? And what about the often debated pros and cons of short-term missions trips?
In Mapping Church Missions, Sharon Hoover brings her years of experience in local church missions to bear on these and other thorny questions. Instead of taking a hardline stance on one end of the spectrum or the other, she approaches each question with nuance, adding helpful data, presenting new perspectives, and always pressing gently past surface questions to the heart of the matter.
Whether we’re fully aware of it or not, our churches come up against these questions whenever we consider how best to use our resources for the mission of God. Written by an experienced guide, this book maps the terrain of church missions in careful detail, helping us plot our church’s unique course as we seek to serve Christ’s kingdom.
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True Inclusion : Creating Communities Of Radical Embrace
$14.99Add to cartDiscover how to move your church beyond mere welcome to radical embrace.
So your church website says you’re welcoming, a rainbow flag flies out front, worship uses gender-inclusive language, and you make sure you greet the stranger next to you on Sunday mornings. But is all of that really enough? And what if those welcoming gestures actually keep visitors from returning and exclude dozens of other groups or people in your community?
In True Inclusion, public theologian and pastor Brandan Robertson shares how to move your church from mere welcome to radical embrace. Pointing to a clear biblical imperative for radical inclusivity in the sanctuary and in the public square, Robertson presents a paradigm-shifting vision of community, “where nothing is simple, nothing is easy, but everything is beautiful.” Learn practical, step-by-step approaches to becoming deeply, robustly, and richly inclusive of all people regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status.
Written for people and communities at every stage of the journey, True Inclusion will challenge and inspire you to embody a gospel of radical embrace for all.
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What Does It Mean To Be Welcoming
$18.99Add to cart“Welcoming?” (An Introduction)
Part One: The Complexity
1. Meanings, Motives, Regrets, And Hopes
2. A Difficult, Knotty, Potentially Thorny Conversation
Testimonial: My Son
Testimonial: Our Daughter
3. The Terrifying Beauty Of A Diverse Church Or DenominationPart Two: The Topic
4. The Affirming Position
Testimonial: A Lesbian Christian
5. The Traditional Position
6. What Does The Bible Say?Part Three: The Way Forward
7. What Options Does A Same-Sex Attracted Christian Have?
8. We Can’t Just Sing Kumbaya Forever
9. Welcoming But Not Affirming And Mutually Transforming
Testimonial: Called To Stay
Testimonial: Why We Left
10. What Can We Do?Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Appendix A: A Process
Appendix B: A Statement On Sexuality
Discussion Guide
Notes
For Further ReadingAdditional Info
Is your church wrestling with LGBT questions from membership to marriage? Travis Collins has been there. A pastor who has walked congregations through the complex issues surrounding gay Christians, he knows firsthand the confusion and hurt that often follow. He has also seen churches have these conversations with grace and understanding. In this practical resource, readers will gain insight into relevant biblical passages and hear from interpreters on both sides of the debate. They will consider the implications of their convictions for ministry practice, relationships, church policy, and more. They will hear testimonies from gay friends and family members about their experiences in the church. Collins calls readers to both grace and truth, with humility.What Does It Mean to Be Welcoming? considers how we might welcome everyone into the church while calling for all to be transformed. -
Loving And Leaving A Church
$26.00Add to cartBarbara Melosh’s story was a common one. A second-career seminarian, she arrived at her first pastorate brimming with enthusiasm and high hopes. The blue-collar congregation to which she’d been called had a glorious past but an uncertain future. Certain that she could turn around its slow yet undeniable slide into decline, Melosh inaugurated a number of church growth and outreach programs. Most of these efforts had little effect, and the ones that did seem to work soon suffered reverse outcomes and eventual demise. In the end, Melosh had to conclude that the members of the congregation liked their church the way it was and that she could not drag them into a future they did not want.
Yet while the congregation failed to change itself, Melosh notes, it succeeded in changing her. Simply put, it made her a pastor. At times heartbreaking and hilarious, Loving and Leaving a Church offers a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities of ministry in a mainline church.
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Welcoming The Stranger
$22.99Add to cartForeword By Leith Anderson
1. The Immigration Dilemma
2. “Aliens” Among You: Who Are Undocumented Immigrants?
3. Nation Of Immigrants: A Historical Perspective On Immigration To The United States
4. Immigrating The Legal Way: Our Immigration System Today
5. Thinking Biblically About Immigration
6. Concerns About Immigration
7. The Value Of Immigrants To The United States
8. Immigration Policies And Politics
9. Immigration And The Church Today
10. A Christian Response To The Immigration Dilemma
Acknowledgments
Appendix 1: Discussion Questions
Appendix 2: Evangelical Statement Of Principles For Immigration Reform
Appendix 3: Ministries And Organizations Serving Refugees And Other Immigrants In The United States
Appendix 4: Ministries And Organizations Addressing The Root Causes Of Immigration
Appendix 5: Selected Resources For Learning More About The Immigration Issue
Appendix 6: Tools For Political Advocacy
Notes
IndexAdditional Info
Immigration is one of the most complicated issues of our time. Voices on all sides argue strongly for action and change. Christians find themselves torn between the desire to uphold laws and the call to minister to the vulnerable.In this book World Relief immigration experts Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang move beyond the rhetoric to offer a Christian response to immigration. They put a human face on the issue and tell stories of immigrants’ experiences in and out of the system. With careful historical understanding and thoughtful policy analysis, they debunk myths and misconceptions about immigration and show the limitations of the current immigration system. Ultimately they point toward immigration reform that is compassionate, sensible, and just as they offer concrete ways for you and your church to welcome and minister to your immigrant neighbors.This revised edition includes new material on refugees and updates in light of changes in political realities. -
Disruptive Witness : Speaking Truth In A Distracted Age
$17.99Add to cartIntroduction
Part One: A Distracted, Secular Age
1. The Barrier Of Endless Distraction
2. The Barrier Of The Buffered Self
3. Searching For Visions Of FullnessPart Two: Bearing A Disruptive Witness
4. Disruptive Personal Habits
5. Disruptive Church Practices
6. Disruptive Cultural Participation
Conclusion: Large And Startling Figures
NotesAdditional Info
We live in a distracted, secular age.These two trends define life in Western society today. We are increasingly addicted to habits-and devices-that distract and “buffer” us from substantive reflection and deep engagement with the world. And we live in what Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor calls “a secular age”-an age in which all beliefs are equally viable and real transcendence is less and less plausible. Drawing on Taylor’s work, Alan Noble describes how these realities shape our thinking and affect our daily lives. Too often Christians have acquiesced to these trends, and the result has been a church that struggles to disrupt the ingrained patterns of people’s lives. But the gospel of Jesus is inherently disruptive: like a plow, it breaks up the hardened surface to expose the fertile earth below. In this book Noble lays out individual, ecclesial, and cultural practices that disrupt our society’s deep-rooted assumptions and point beyond them to the transcendent grace and beauty of Jesus.Disruptive Witness casts a new vision for the evangelical imagination, calling us away from abstraction and cliche to a more faithful embodiment of the gospel for our day. -
Serving God In Todays Cities
$19.99Add to cartWelcome to the world’s first urban century. How will you respond?
For the first time ever, more people now live in cities than outside them. Cities offer both big headaches and vast opportunities, and agencies that once focused on rural work are increasingly turning their attention to urban centers. Join veteran researcher and missiologist Patrick Johnstone as he explores the fastest growing cities and megacities in the world, showing how Christian workers are addressing people’s spiritual, physical, and social needs.
In 1962 Patrick Johnstone left England’s countryside to serve the bustling townships of apartheid-era South Africa. His pioneering of urban ministries changed his life. Journey with Patrick and Dean Merrill as they share God’s heart for the city and introduce pastors, missionaries, and community workers who are addressing urbanization’s key challenges.
God has a heart for today’s cities. See how you can join this urgent mission.
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Serving God In A Migrant Crisis
$19.99Add to cart“God has used migration for millennia to achieve his purposes for his people,” writes Patrick Johnstone. “He is doing so again in our time.”
Millions are on the move, driven by war, drought, terrorism, poverty, failed states, environmental catastrophes, disease, revolutions, and the desire for a better life. Christians have a unique perspective on the migrant crisis: after all, Jesus was a refugee. So were Abraham, Joseph, and Moses.
Today, some turn their backs on refugees. In Serving God in a Migrant Crisis, Patrick Johnstone and Dean Merrill help us understand what’s causing today’s refugee crisis, explore Christian theology and tradition on migration, and show us how Christian workers around the globe are opening their hearts to embrace these modern outcasts.
“The world has literally come to our doorstep,” they write. “Will we open the door?”
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Quit Church : Because Your Life Would Be Better If You Did (Reprinted)
$18.00Add to cartBased on research among congregations across the country, seasoned church coach and pastor Chris Sonksen reveals habits we need to simply let go, along with spiritual practices we need to relearn in order to thrive as individuals and produce growth in our churches.
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Who Is My Neighbour
$15.99Add to cartFollowing Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, and with increasing division, xenophobia, and confusion over future national and international relationships, this thought- and action-provoking book considers the crucial question: Who is my neighbor?
What does the Christian injunction to “love your neighbor as yourself” actually mean in practice today? Contributions by renowned theologians and practitioners reflect on this subject in relation to issues of poverty, ecology, immigration, fear, and discrimination, and the recent political upheavals both in Europe and the United States.
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Free At Last
$10.99Add to cartGods Life Publishing
What is one of the most stubborn problems permeating America churches today? Racism! It divides Christian’s brothers and sisters and hinders the spreading of the gospel. Free at Last! Is a concise, in-depth study that reveals the malignancy hampering the Body and gives a biblical antidote to address this spiritual hindrance.
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Organic Outreach For Churches (Expanded)
$16.99Add to cartNearly all churches and ministries consider themselves dedicated to evangelism, and many explicitly include outreach in their mission statements. But few are actually bearing fruit. Kevin Harney diagnoses this problem and offers guidance for multiplying the outreach impact of churches. Organic Outreach for Churches provides direction for local congregations to weave evangelism into the fabric of the church. Commitment to the Great Commission is not simply about sending money and prayers to missions or holding occasional events to reach out (although these things are good). Organic outreach happens when evangelistic vision and action become the domain of every ministry and the commitment of every person in the congregation. This will not happen accidentally. There is huge spiritual and practical resistance to such changes. But the only way evangelism will become an organic part of a church is when every leader and each member is gripped by a commitment to proclaiming the gospel. This book is a roadmap for pastors and leaders who wish to infuse evangelistic passion into every aspect of their church’s life.
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House United : How The Church Can Save The World
$27.99Add to cartIntroduction
1 The Divided States Of America
2 A Tale Of Two Prayers
3 Righteous Minds
4 The Perils Of Echo Chambers
5 The Dividends Of Difference
6 Meeting Through Mission
7 Christian Mingle
8 Courageous Conversations
9 Mission 4.0: How The Church Can Save The WorldAdditional Info
By entering the culture wars, churchgoers in the United States have ushered the Left and the Right to even greater extremes. Battles over moral issues like abortion rights and homosexuality have now widened to include taxation and size of government, so that specific church affiliation has become an accurate predictor of political party affiliation. The extremists in American politics rely on Christians to be the engine that pushes the culture farther right or left.Allen Hilton believes that religion isn’t inherently divisive, and he suggests a new role for Christianity. Jesus prayed that his disciples might all be one, and this book imagines a proper answer to that prayer in the context of American polarization.
Rather than asking people to leave their political and theological beliefs at the church door, Hilton promotes a Christianity that brings people together with their differences. Through God’s transforming work, he writes, we can create a house united that will help our nation come back together.
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Building Credibility In Leadership
$19.99Add to cartToday there is a lack of trust in leaders, notably those leading the church, potentially leading to a lack of trust in God Himself – the Leader. As secondary leaders we must help to build credibility in leadership by remembering that our service is “unto the Lord.” This book giving sound instructions on how to become the type of leader God has destined you to be.
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7 Practices For The Church On Mission
$16.99Add to cartPreface
1. The Lord’s Table
2. Reconciliation
3. Proclaiming The Gospel
4. Being With The “Least Of These”
5. Being With Children
6. The Fivefold Gifting
7. Kingdom Prayer
NotesAdditional Info
Jesus gave his followers seven key practices:The Lord’s Supper
Reconciliation
Proclaiming the gospel
Being with the “least of these”
Being with children
Fivefold ministry gifting
Kingdom prayerWhen we practice these disciplines, God becomes faithfully present to us, and we in turn become God’s faithful presence to the world. Pastor and professor David Fitch shows how these seven practices can revolutionize the church’s presence in our neighborhoods, transform our way of life in the world, and advance the kingdom.
Our communities can be changed when they see us practicing our faith. Go and do.
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Melodies Of A New Monasticism
$68.00Add to cartThe New Monastic Movement is a vibrant source of renewal for the church’s life and mission. Many involved in this movement have quoted Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s conviction that the church must recover ancient spiritual disciplines if it is to effectively engage “”the powers that be.”” Melodies of a New Monasticism adopts a musical metaphor of polyphony (the combination of two or more lines of music) to articulate the way that these early Christian virtues can be woven together in community. Creatively using this imagery, this book draws on the theological vision of Bonhoeffer and the contemporary witness of George MacLeod and the Iona Community to explore the interplay between discipleship, doctrine, and ethics. A recurring theme is the idea of Christ as the cantus firmus (the fixed song) around which people perform the diverse harmonies of God in church and world, including worship, ecumenism, healing, peace, justice, and ecology.
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Melodies Of A New Monasticism
$43.00Add to cartThe New Monastic Movement is a vibrant source of renewal for the church’s life and mission. Many involved in this movement have quoted Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s conviction that the church must recover ancient spiritual disciplines if it is to effectively engage “”the powers that be.”” Melodies of a New Monasticism adopts a musical metaphor of polyphony (the combination of two or more lines of music) to articulate the way that these early Christian virtues can be woven together in community. Creatively using this imagery, this book draws on the theological vision of Bonhoeffer and the contemporary witness of George MacLeod and the Iona Community to explore the interplay between discipleship, doctrine, and ethics. A recurring theme is the idea of Christ as the cantus firmus (the fixed song) around which people perform the diverse harmonies of God in church and world, including worship, ecumenism, healing, peace, justice, and ecology.
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Big Girls Do Cry
$17.99Add to cartMillions of people in the US have left the Church because of Church Hurt. This problem is at epidemic proportions, yet very few Church leaders are trying to find a cure for this epidemic.
Big Girls Do Cry tells the story of the deep Church hurt and the healing process of the author and proposes one possible cure for this epidemic: rebuild the Church on a complete foundation based on love.
When asked, most people will say that Jesus is the full foundation of the Church. That sounds very Biblical, but it is not. Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church, not the full foundation. Without a full foundation, the Church will collapse and hurt the people within its walls. This book examines what the rest of the Biblical foundation of the Church should be and gives some very practical ways to rebuild those foundations, so fewer people get hurt in the Church
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Kingdom Collaborators : Eight Signature Practices Of Leaders Who Turn The W
$18.99Add to cartIntroduction: Thy Kingdom Come
1. Pray With Eyes Wide Open
2. Foment Dissatisfaction With The Status Quo
3. Combine Social And Spiritual Entrepreneurship
4. Marry Vision And Action
5. Shape A People-Development Culture
6. Curry Leadership Curiosity
7. Call The Party
8. Maintain (a Pain-Tinged) Optimism
9. Accelerate Your Impact
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
For Further Reflection/Group Discussion
NotesAdditional Info
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too,” (Acts 17:6, NKJV).When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica, they changed the community. How? By collaborating with God to bring his kingdom on earth.
Will you collaborate on God’s kingdom work in your community? If you’re ready to see God move in all areas-business, education, media, arts, healthcare, spiritual growth, and more-this is the book for you. Leadership expert Reggie McNeal offers eight signature practices for leaders who want to partner with God and others for kingdom growth. Readers will gain practical advice to help people experience life as God intends.
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From Jerusalem To Timbuktu
$22.99Add to cartChristianity started in Jerusalem. For many centuries it was concentrated in the West, in Europe and North America. But in the past century the church expanded rapidly across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Thus Christianity’s geographic center of density is now in the West African country of Mali-in Timbuktu.
What led to the church’s vibrant growth throughout the Global South? Brian Stiller identifies five key factors that have shaped the church, from a renewed openness to the move of the Holy Spirit to the empowerment of indigenous leadership. While in some areas Christianity is embattled and threatened, in many places it is flourishing as never before.
Discover the surprising story of the global advance of the gospel. And be encouraged that Jesus’ witness continues to the ends of the earth.
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Pentecost Paradigm : Ten Strategies For Becoming A Multiracial Congregation
$18.00Add to cartHow do churches build immunity from racial and ethnic tensions that threaten to divide rather than unite congregations? Jacqui Lewis and John Janka believe that the answer lies in the development of multiracial, multicultural communities of faith.
Born of the authors’ work with The Middle Project, an institute that prepares ethical leaders for a more just society, Paradigm is a collection of wisdom and best practices. Here you will find lessons, questions for conversation, and spaces for journaling. Use the workbook with your planning team, board members, lay leaders, and staff.
Ten essential strategies are presented to help build communities that celebrate racial/ethnic and cultural diversity:
* Embracing Call and Commitment* Casting the vision * Managing Change and Resistance * Creating Congregational Identity * Building Capacity * Cultivating Community * Celebrating in Worship * Understanding Congregational Conflict * Communicating and Organizing * Collaborating in the Public SquareIn welcoming communities of faith where everyone is accepted just as they are, we can lead the way toward racial reconciliation and dismantle the prejudices that segregate our houses of worship.
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People Are The Mission
$17.99Add to cartWhen it comes to interacting with guests, churches typically gravitate towards one of two camps: over-the-top, shock-and-awe, let-us-entertain-you or oh-man,-some-people-just-showed-up, underwhelming experience. Each extreme has drawbacks: on one end, people become the center of the universe. On the other, hospitality is effectively ignored in deference to the “serious business” of worship.
People Are the Mission proposes a healthy middle, one where guests are esteemed but the gospel is the goal. Danny Franks, Connections Pastor at Summit Church, shows churches how to take a more balanced approach – a “third way” that is both guest-friendly and gospel-centric. He shows why honoring the stranger doesn’t stand in opposition to honoring the Savior. People are the mission that Christ has called us to, and if we focus on people we can better assist people to focus on the gospel.
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Rethinking Incarceration : Advocating For Justice That Restores
$18.99Add to cartIntroduction
Part I: The Roots And Evolution Of Mass Incarceration
1. The War On Drugs
2. How Did We Get Here? From Black Codes To Neoslavery
3. Beyond Law And Order
4. Three Overlooked Pipelines: Mental Health, Private Prisons, And Immigration
5. The School-to-Prison PipelinePart II: The Church’s Witness And Testimony
6. Protestant Reformers: Prophetic Activism, Nonviolence, And God’s Wrath
7. The Prisoner’s Pastor: Chaplaincy And Theology’s Institutional Impact
8. The Spirit Of Punishment: Atonement, Penal Substitution, And The Wrath Of God
9. Atonement And Sanctifying Retribution
10. Divine Justice Is Inherently Restorative
11. Holy Interruptions: Dismantling Mass Incarceration
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
IndexAdditional Info
The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated. We have more people locked up in jails, prisons, and detention centers than any other country in the history of the world. There are more jails and prisons than degree-granting colleges and universities, and in many places more people live behind bars than on college campuses. Mass incarceration has become a lucrative industry, and the criminal justice system is plagued with bias and unjust practices. And the church has unwittingly contributed to these problems.In Rethinking Incarceration Dominique Gilliard explores the history and foundation of mass incarceration, examining Christianity’s role in its evolution and expansion. He assesses our nation’s ethic of meritocratic justice in light of Scripture and exposes the theologies that embolden mass incarceration. Gilliard then shows how Christians can pursue justice that restores and reconciles, offering creative solutions and highlighting innovative interventions.
God’s justice is ultimately restorative, not just punitive. Discover how Christians can participate in the restoration and redemption of the incarceration system.
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Incarnational Mission : Being With The World
$28.99Add to cartA bold new way of thinking about Christian mission
“With,” says Samuel Wells, “is the most important word in the Christian faith.”
In this compelling follow-up to Incarnational Ministry: Being with the Church, Wells explores what it means for mission-minded Christians and churches to be with the world.
Drawing on the Gospels, Acts, and personal insights gleaned from his more than two decades in ministry, Wells elaborates on the concept of being with in eight dimensions: presence, atten-tion, mystery, delight, participation, partnership, enjoyment, and glory. His vivid narratives and wise reflections will help Christian readers better understand how to be with all kinds of people outside the church, both individually and collectively.
CONTENTS
Prologue: Not of This Fold
Introduction: The Mission of Being With
*1. Being with the Lapsed
*2. Being with Seekers
*3. Being with Those of No Professed Faith
*4. Being with Those of Other Faiths
*5. Being with the Hostile
*6. Being with Neighbors
*7. Being with Organizations
*8. Being with Institutions
*9. Being with Government
*10. Being with the Excluded
*Epilogue: Are You Hungry? -
Cure For Todays Dying Church
$16.99Add to cartThe church is in the desert today!! The arid conditions existing in the church leave the people parched, thirsty and longing for refreshing. Many church leaders do not know how to get the spiritual water for themselves and therefore they cannot lead God’s people into the Promised Land of true fellowship and discipleship. This sad state of the church causes many church buildings to stand empty because people are tired of church leaders committing gross indecencies and leading people astray with messages that “tickle their ears” or boring them to tears with sermons that contain no life-changing truths.
In The Wellspring of Life: Why the Church is Dying of Thirst, Dr. Meyer van Rensburg addresses the issue by pointing out many of the mistakes that have been made (from spraying people with “Doom” insecticide in Africa to church leaders refusing to be criticised because they see themselves as “little gods,” as well as the vacuous Sunday services that leave people in the same state that they came to church, instead of inspiring them and changing their lives). The church is dying of thirst in the desert and the condition can only be treated by discovering the living water to quench that thirst. Too many church leaders do not know how to hear the voice of God and therefore cannot lead people to the living water.
By following the listing of the well in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, this book demonstrates that the church needs the living water the Wellspring of Life provides. Each mention of the well is dealt with separately to show the significance of what is revealed there, to prove how these Scriptures were specifically put in this order to provide a systematic study of the importance of the well to the church and to point out the mistakes people in the church make. For instance, with Hagar, the fact that the well existed in the desert is first explored and then the fact that it had to be revealed for her to see it. Many people live next to the Well, but it has never been revealed to them that it can change their lives. Further revelations follow with each mention of the well: from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through to David and the prophets. This continues to the New Testament and the Book of Revelation to show how God will provide for us if we can but follow His instructions regarding the Wellspring of Life. The truths discovered are applied as lessons for the church today.
Pastors and ministry professionals will find this book illuminating as
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Missiological Research : Interdisciplinary Foundations Methods And Integrat
$32.99Add to cartThis volume is a key reference tool for all researchers delving into the various methods of missiological study. Five units focus on: foundations of missiological research, key aspects of biblical and theological methods, qualitative methods, quantitative and mixed methods for research, and integration of missiological research and the missionary life. Each chapter succinctly summarizes a method, suggests resources for more advanced interaction, and provides an exemplar journal article with abstract. The comprehensive reference volume brings together:
-14 veteran practitioner-scholars who provide clear and concise guidance to empirical research methodology, biblical-theological inquiry, and the integration of the two interdisciplinary approaches
-25 appendices to aid the researcher with resources.
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Small Church Checkup
$16.00Add to cartMany small membership churches today are faced with the sobering reality of attendance loss and overall decline. This resource provides a guide to help you find hope, alternatives, and the possibility of a new beginning. Included are tools to help you measure your church’s vitality, evaluate the results, and diagnose your church’s condition, along with several options for treatment plans as you seek to faithfully serve your community. Remember that we can choose our story. If we believe in our hearts there is another possibility, we can be faithful in choosing intentional pathways forward that honor God, the church founders, and generations to come. Follow the steps outlined in these pages to evaluate where you are and what the next steps on your journey need to be as you seek to be a “not yet big church,” “a stable, small church,” or a church that chooses to close and be repurposed for unexpected new life.
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New Copernicans : Understanding The Millennial Contribution To The Church
$16.99Add to cartIn The New Copernicans: Understanding the Millennial Contribution to the Church, author John Seel, PhD, provides a road map to this new millennial landscape, and an antidote to being drawn off course.
The millennial generation is steering the church in a new direction and is providing a missional opportunity for the church. The church will either follow their lead, or meander in a direction leading them further away from the ultimate path of making disciples.
Millennials are the carriers of a profound shift in the culture narrative, one that will reshape our understanding of human society in the coming years. Rather than being a problem for the church to lament, this shift represents an occasion to celebrate. Yet it demands being able to understand this direction to a more accurate assessment of human nature and reality.
In The New Copernicans: Understanding the Millennial Contribution to the Church, author John Seel, PhD, provides a road map to this new millennial landscape, and an antidote to being drawn off course. Rather than give the reader a formula for their local church, Recalculating will provide a lens though which to see the world in the light of the millennial frame. It addresses the “why” questions, empowering the reader to assess their own situation and apply the appropriate direction. It will not advocate “cookie cutter” programs, rather provide a refreshed vision with which to interact along side this important generation.
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American Church In Crisis
$24.99Add to cartGroundbreaking research based on a national database of over 200,000 churches shows that the overall United States population is growing faster than the church.
The director of the American Church Research Project, Dave Olson, has worked to analyze church attendance, showing that it is virtually unchanged from fifteen years ago while our population has grown by fifty-two million people. What does this mean for you, your church, and the future of Christianity in North America? The American Church in Crisis offers unprecedented access to data that helps you understand the state of the church today. “We live in a world that is post-Christian, postmodern, and multiethnic, whether we realize it or not,” says the author. This book not only gives a realistic picture that confirms hunches and explodes myths, but it provides insight into how the church must change to reach a new and changed world with the hope of the gospel. Readers will find a richly textured mosaic with optimistic and challenging stories. Charts, diagrams, and worksheets provide church leaders and motivated church members with a stimulating read that will provoke much discussion. Questions for discussion accompany the chapters.
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Power Of The 72
$17.99Add to cartForeword By Darrell Johnson
Introduction: Welcome To The 72Part I: Theology
1. Faith Comes First
2. Sent To The Poor
3. Wolves, Bears, And Crushing PressurePart II: Application
4. How People Become Christians
5. Earnest And Powerful Prayers
6. Friends: Secular To Sacred
7. Experience: Healing And Hearing
8. Conversion: Rejoice With MeEpilogue: A Final Benediction
Acknowledgments
NotesAdditional Info
They were not professionals. They were not celebrities. We don’t even know their names.We know very little about them, except that they were ordinary people who were drawn to Jesus. When Jesus asked them to join him in his mission, they stepped up, answered the call, and went out in his name. And amazing things happened as a result.
They were the 72. And God uses normal people like the 72 to bring good news to the world.
Pastor and evangelist John Teter explains how Jesus trains ordinary people to accomplish an extraordinary mission. He unpacks the story of the sending of the 72 to reveal how they were equipped in evangelism and discovered opportunities to herald God’s kingdom in concrete and tangible ways. Filled with vivid stories of Teter’s remarkable experiences in ministry and church planting, this book shows how we can live out God’s call and witness the transformation of those around us.
You too have been called by Jesus. Discover how God empowers you to play your part. Welcome to the 72.
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Infants And Children In The Church
$24.99Add to cartInfants and Children in the Church: Five Views on Theology and Ministry addresses an important, but often overlooked, theological and ministry issue facing the church today: How should churches receive and minister to the infants and children God has entrusted to their care?
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Divergent Church : The Bright Promise Of Alternative Faith Communities
$18.99Add to cartNew faith communities are appearing across the U.S.. Many of them bear little resemblance-on the surface-to ‘church’ in its conventional form. But when we look a little deeper we see striking continuity with the most deeply rooted practices of the Christian faith in community. What are those practices? What do these unconventional, alternative faith communities look like? How are they, perhaps, indicators of a hopeful new future for the church? And what can we learn from them? Authors Kara Brinkerhoff and Tim Shapiro spent more than a year researching and exploring these questions, closely examining the life of a dozen alternative faith communities across the country. They include new monastic communities, food-oriented communities, affinity group communities, house churches, hybrid churches and others. They are creative, ingenious, innovative, clever, dynamic and transformative. But they represent human expressions of activities that have always been part of human religious congregations: hospitality, learning, storytelling, care, leadership, worship and honoring place. This fascinating book goes beyond simply analyzing current trends. It reveals how innovative Christians are engaging in time-honored practices, creating new types of communities, which will shape the church to come. Further, it shows us how we too might innovate while holding true to the essential practices of our gathered faith. This is an instructive picture of Christian community, past, present and future.
