Pastoral Helps
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Saints Alive : Claiming The Saints For Protestant Preaching
$12.95Add to cartOver 20,000 visit the unincorporated farming community of Maria Stein, Ohio every year to visit the National Shrine of the Holy Relics, which displays around a thousand relics of Roman Catholic saints. Rev. Dr. Alex A. Gondola, Jr. would often visit this peaceful setting and, as he watched devotees come to honor these figures and pray, he realized he didn’t quite “get it.” Could there be spiritual enrichment for him, a Protestant, in a place like this?
Discover the answer for yourself in Saints Alive: Claiming the Saints for Protestant Teaching, sermons from a year Rev. Gondola devoted to preaching on one saint per month. He offers this volume as a companion for pastors and group leaders prepared to take a deep dive into matters of faith, calling and the hope Christ offers the world through his humblest of servants, from St. Augustine to Mother Teresa.
Seasonal sermons include:
St. Patrick: “Christ in All Things” for Lent
Nicholas of Myra: “An Advent Saint” for Advent
You and I: “Called to Be Saints” for Year End/New Year’s Day -
Because Of Gracia A Film And Faith Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$9.99Add to cartBecause of Gracia: A Film and Faith Leader’s Guide equips youth pastors and small group leaders to explore the key themes in this award-winning film through a life-changing discipleship curriculum. The nine-week guide contains three weeks of “Conversations” on three core topics from the film, Practicing Friendship (God’s Design for Relationships), Choosing Life (Teen Pregnancy and the Sanctity of Life), and Voicing Faith (Defending Christianity in Public). The Because of Gracia Leader’s Guide is designed for use with the related Because of Gracia Film and Faith Conversation Guide for students, a unique hybrid experience that offers complementary material for small group sessions, as well as daily reflections for students to use throughout the week in “conversation partner” pairs. The resulting 45-day experience allows young Christians to pursue discipleship with others, while helping them to wrestle with the difficult issues they’re facing today. The Because of Gracia curriculum was created to affirm that with God’s amazing and empowering grace, young people CAN live in a new way.
Take your students on a spiritual journey alongside Gracia, Chase, and the rest of Eastglenn High as they face life-altering decisions, learning that grace is both the gift of mercy when we fail and our empowerment to live in truth and light.
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Because Of Gracia A Film And Faith Conversation Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe Because of Gracia Film and Faith Conversation Guide is a different kind of resource from most movie discussion guides, and it’s different from most bible studies. It’s a 45-day experience to spark conversations on the challenges students face every day as Christians. Based on the themes of Because of Gracia, each week’s conversation has info on group activities and then follows up with five days of devotional reflections for a student and his or her conversation partner. Topics and conversations include Practicing Friendship (teen dating and relationships), Choosing Life (pro-life values and ministering to those facing teen pregnancy), and Voicing Faith (defense of one’s faith in public). These Because of Gracia conversations will help students know how to handle the life-altering choices they face everyday– friendships and relationships, dating and falling in love, how to choose life and support those facing teen pregnancy, and how to confidently voicing your faith and beliefs in public. So let this film and faith conversation be a part of their faith journey, and get real with these real-life questions on God, friendship, and love.
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Unboxed : Uncovering New Paradigms For Tomorrow’s Church
$18.99Add to cartWhy live like an artificial when you were designed to be an original? That’s the theme ministry leader entrepreneur Martijn van Tilborgh unpacks as he delivers this challenge for us to become “unboxed.” His premise? God is waiting to empower you to shed the shackles of personal limitations so you can become an authentic change-agent in this world.
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Lectionary Stories For Preaching And Teaching Series 2 Cycle B
$19.95Add to cart“A good story of faith … allows us to better see ourselves and our relationships while offering to us an opportunity to consider and know God. We enter into the story and emerge a different person.” – Peter Andrew Smith
Restaurant workers closing up for the night do their duty to prepare the store for the morning crew, despite their impatience to leave. An elderly man finds hope and encouragement in a congregation where he never quite felt like he belonged.
These are the simple, quiet vignettes Smith offers in his third collection of stories.Lectionary Stories for Preaching and Teaching: Series II, Cycle Bis inspired by the details Jesus draws from everyday life in the Gospel of Mark. Likewise, Smith delves into the ordinary to explore the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit alive from moment to moment today.
Lectionary Stories for Preaching and Teaching is an accessible collection of stories ideal for inviting both experienced disciples and those young in the Christian faith alike to discover the Lord yet at work where and when we least expect Him.
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That Deacon Book
$14.99Add to cartIn many churches today, finding true, faithful servants to the church can feel like hunting for unicorns. Lots of people say they want to be like Jesus, but too few are willing to serve like him. “That Deacon Book” was written for pastors, staff, and lay leaders in mind. It can be handed to literally anyone in the church to great benefit.
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Journeying With Mark
$22.00Add to cartJourneying with Mark offers a brief and accessible guide to the Gospel of Mark. Perfect for personal reflection and sermon preparation, this inspiring resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary. Each chapter corresponds to a season of the liturgical year and the Gospel passages read during that season. The reader will find an introduction to the biblical text that looks at historical and literary themes; imaginative new ways to encounter Mark in preaching and study, including poetry; and reflections on the text’s meaning for contemporary Christian life. Each chapter ends with an action item, reflection questions, and a prayer.
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These Are Our Bodies Preschool Parent Book
$11.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: * We are Wonderfully Made * We are Complex * We are Changing * We are Knowledgeable * We are Equipped * We are Called * We are Growing Up
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Gods Country : Faith Hope And The Future Of The Rural Church
$29.99Add to cartWith the poetic force of Kathleen Norris and the pastoral warmth of Eugene Peterson, Kansas pastor Roth sets forth a vision for vibrant rural churches, for ministry in congregations that bear a profound sense of both loss and possibility, and for harvesting fruits of transformation and renewal. Rooted in stories from Scripture, his own ministry, and interviews with rural church leaders, Roth offers a sturdy theological and practical alternative to church-growth strategies that rely on success stories and flashy metrics.
Reclaiming God’s vision for the rural church, Roth writes, means learning how to praise, abide, watch, pray, grow, work the edges, die, befriend, and dream. In God’s Country, rediscover the stunning abundance of God’s presence in rural communities. Name the ways that the rural church testifies to God’s glory and goodness. Learn to live and love and minister right where you are, no matter how small or unassuming it may seem.
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Going Deep And Wide
$14.99Add to cartEvery Sunday people walk onto your church campus and decide if they will return the following week before the preacher even opens his mouth. Many of those people don’t know what to make of Jesus. They’re hesitant to be in a church. They’re not sure they belong. But over and over in the pages of the gospels, we see something extraordinary.
People who were nothing like Jesus liked Jesus.
Shouldn’t that be true of his church as well?
In Going Deep & Wide, Andy Stanley lays out a blueprint for becoming that kind of church. Going Deep & Wide offers practical steps to help church leaders create irresistible environments, define ministry goals, and communicate more effectively with unbelievers. Each section includes discussion materials that walk you more deeply into the content of Deep & Wide and invites conversations about how to apply what you’ve learned.
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Renovate Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartRenovating a house can be an exciting and rewarding experience. But the act of renovation can often leave the house in a state of disarray, causing stress and frustration. In the same way, God wants to renovate your life by altering the “old you” and creating a “new you” with an improved heart. It’s not going to be easy, and your life might experience some disarray, but renovating with God is the opportunity of a lifetime. Using the Book of Nehemiah, popular author and pastor Jacob Armstrong explores the physical and spiritual renovation experienced by the nation of Judah. Nehemiah knew that his plan for renovating the wall and gates of Jerusalem would be hard work. But equally hard would be the spiritual renovation of the Jewish people as they returned to their homeland. Thankfully, spiritual renovation is not a do-it-yourself project. We need God’s great power working through us to renovate our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Chapters include: Never Too Late for a Renovation It Starts with Tears What to Know Before You Build When Others Don’t Like Your Plans Inviting Others to Come Home The Big Reveal Additional components for a six-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Jacob Armstrong.
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5 Means Of Grace Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$13.99Add to cartJohn Wesley gave the Methodist movement (and all Christians in general) a discipleship pathway to follow. Wesley began with Three Simple Rules (or “General Rules”), and followed this instruction a year later with the Five Marks of a Methodist (or “Character of a Methodist”). Over the next decade, Wesley observed the need for continuous renewal of relationships with God and others, so he established a recurring annual process for God’s people to make One Faithful Promise: The Wesley Covenant for Renewal. Wesley confirmed the tendency in each of us for the love of God and others to grow cold, so that we drift away from the gift of God’s unmerited grace. So Wesley showed us ways to reorder our lives through the “means of grace.”
These means are the ordinary channels that God uses to draw us into a fruitful relationship. These five means or channels are:
1. Prayer
2. Searching Scripture
3. Receiving the Lord’s Supper
4. Fasting
5. Conferencing (worship together)This six-week, video-based study will help Christians (new and seasoned) to re-order their lives by recognizing and affirming the outward signs, words, and actions of an invisible divine grace. Through these “means” we receive God’s gifts together, and we experience the power of a spiritual relationship with God.
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Which Way Lord
$14.99Add to cartThe life and travels of the apostle Paul can help us find God’s purpose for our lives. God created every person with a desire for meaning and purpose. Most of us ask how and what do we do to live the purposeful life God intends for each of us? This 6-week church wide series is designed to help us intentionally consider the big question asked by everyone: “What is the purpose of my life?” It wasn’t the Damascus experience only that sent the apostle Paul into a life of evangelism, but the entirety of his life including his traditions, his education, his travels, and his challenges that shaped him for his ministry. Paul traveled a course covering roughly 10,000 miles to spread the Good News throughout the Mediterranean world. After years of prayer and discernment, Paul was certain of his purpose, but he had no idea how God’s plan for him would take shape. This series helps us unpack our life alongside Paul’s life, past and present, to find our purpose and passion. A perfect study series for back-to-school or the beginning of a new year, the series includes a book; DVD with video sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon helps; worship media; daily devotions; and more. Rediscover you are wonderfully made, created for purpose, and equipped to live a life of significance, despite the adversity and detours you will encounter along the way. Join us as we travel to find our purpose together. For more information, visit RobFuquay.com.
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Which Way Lord
$12.99Add to cartThe life and travels of the apostle Paul can help us find God’s purpose for our lives. God created every person with a desire for meaning and purpose. Most of us ask how and what do we do to live the purposeful life God intends for each of us? This 6-week church wide series is designed to help us intentionally consider the big question asked by everyone: “What is the purpose of my life?” It wasn’t the Damascus experience only that sent the apostle Paul into a life of evangelism, but the entirety of his life including his traditions, his education, his travels, and his challenges that shaped him for his ministry. Paul traveled a course covering roughly 10,000 miles to spread the Good News throughout the Mediterranean world. After years of prayer and discernment, Paul was certain of his purpose, but he had no idea how God’s plan for him would take shape. This series helps us unpack our life alongside Paul’s life, past and present, to find our purpose and passion. A perfect study series for back-to-school or the beginning of a new year, the series includes a book; DVD with video sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon helps; worship media; daily devotions; and more. Rediscover you are wonderfully made, created for purpose, and equipped to live a life of significance, despite the adversity and detours you will encounter along the way. Join us as we travel to find our purpose together. For more information, visit RobFuquay.com.
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Good Arguments : Making Your Case In Writing And Public Speaking
$22.00Add to cartThis brief introduction to making effective arguments helps readers to understand the basics of sound reasoning and to learn how to use it to persuade others. Practical, inexpensive, and easy-to-read, the book enables students in a wide variety of courses to improve the clarity of their writing and public speaking. It equips readers to formulate firmly grounded, clearly articulated, and logically arranged arguments, avoid fallacious thinking, and discover how to reason well. This supplemental text is especially suitable for use in Christian colleges and seminaries and includes classroom discussion questions.
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Will Willimons Lectionary Sermon Resource Year B Part 1
$26.99Add to cartWill Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?”
Year B, Part 1 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Each week of sermon resources includes:
1. Readings
2. Theme title
3. Introduction to the Readings
4. Encountering the Text
5. Proclaiming the Text
6. Relating the Text -
Mythical Leader : The Seven Myths Of Leadership
$19.99Add to cartPastor and popular blogger, Ron Edmondson exposes some of the common misunderstandings of leadership through stories from his own experiences, helping leaders develop healthier patterns of individual leadership.
Being a leader involves much more than holding a title. And simply having a leader doesn’t ensure success. This reality has never been more prevalent in the church than now, when so many churches are considered to be plateaued or dying.
Pastor and popular blogger, Ron Edmondson believes this is due to a misunderstanding of what leadership is and what it isn’t. In his work with hundreds of pastors and churches, the most common need he encounters is the need for more effective leadership in the local church. Seminaries may prepare pastors to preach, just as colleges may prepare teachers to teach, but who prepares pastors to lead?
Simply stated: The church needs better leadership.
In The Mythical Leader, Edmondson exposes some of the most common misunderstandings of leadership, shares stories from his own experiences, and will help church leaders develop healthier patterns to improve their individual leadership.
While most people may have a preliminary understanding of many of these myths, they often are not lived out with a great degree of depth in the life of the church leader. Don’t fall prey to these myths! If gone untreated they can be the very thing that prevents a good leader from leading well.
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Introverts In The Church (Expanded)
$20.99Add to cartIntroduction: Can Introverts Thrive In The Church?
1 The Extroverted Church
2 The Introverted Difference
3 Finding Healing
4 Introverted Spirituality
5 Introverted Community And Relationships
6 The Ability To Lead
7 Leading As Ourselves
8 Introverted Evangelism
9 Introverts In Church
Epilogue: Finding Our Place
Questions For Reflection And Discussion
Further Reading
NotesAdditional Info
Introverts are called and gifted by God. But many churches tend to be extroverted places where introverts are marginalized. Some Christians end up feeling like it’s not as faithful to be an introvert. Adam McHugh shows how introverts can live and minister in ways consistent with their personalities. He explains how introverts and extroverts process information and approach relationships differently and how introverts can practice Christian spirituality in ways that fit who they are. With practical illustrations from church and parachurch contexts, McHugh offers ways for introverts to serve, lead, worship and even evangelize effectively. Introverts in the Church is essential reading for any introvert who has ever felt out of place, as well as for church leaders who want to make their churches more welcoming to introverts. This expanded edition has been revised throughout and includes new research on how introverts lead and material for parenting and encouraging introverted children. Discover God’s call and empowerment to thrive as an introvert, for the sake of the church and kingdom. -
These Are Our Bodies Primary Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$11.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: * We are Wonderfully Made * We are Complex * We are Changing * We are Knowledgeable * We are Equipped * We are Called * We are Growing Up
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Fear Of The Other Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$10.99Add to cartThis five-week DVD/video based small group study (DVD and Leader Guide) companion to the book, Fear of the Other: No Fear in Love invites readers to consider the Gospel command to love (and not merely tolerate) those considered to be “Other” or outside mainstream Christian culture. Rooted in the faith of Israel and the Christian story and vision, Willimon – in an onscreen conversation with Delia Catalina Ramirez, brings a non-technical, Wesleyan perspective to bear on what may be the hardest thing for people of faith to do: keeping and loving the Other as Other. Emphasizing the biblical mandate to receive Others in their particularity and difference as gifts and mysteries bearing the grace of God, this study also offers a strong critique of the privileged who all too often rush to language of reconciliation and evade the huge inequalities surrounding conversations and practices dealing with xenophobia and injustice. Rooted in the New Testament understanding of Gentile outsiders grafted into the covenant community, this study invites readers to an on-the ground faith that hearkens to a soliciting and revealing God – the God who comes to us again and again through so-called outsiders, strangers, immigrants, and those without status. The 5 video conversations between Will Willimon and Delia Ramirez focus on each of the five chapters of Fear of the Other: Session 1: Saved by the Other Session 2: The Other, My Enemy Session 3: Learning to Fear Like Christians Session 4: Loving the Other in Church Session 5: Jesus, the Other
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Beyond The Offering Plate
$26.00Add to cartEveryone knows that stewardship is more than money and finances. Nevertheless, seldom do we give time to explore the profound concept of stewardship in its many dimensions, including stewardship of time, work, body, mind, spirit, community, technology, and more. Beyond the Offering Plate does just that.
Written by ten engaging pastors, seminary professors, and church leaders, this unique resource offers a diverse and holistic approach to stewardship. In ten accessible chapters, readers will learn how they can faithfully and practically discuss and engage with stewardship on a regular basis. Ideal for church leaders, seminary students, and pastors, this book includes questions for reflection and applications for life together at the end of each chapter. Copeland adds a special section with biblical references and preaching themes at the end of the book.
Featured contributors include:
Margaret P. Aymer, Associate Professor of New Testament at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas
Kathleen A. Cahalan, Professor of Theology at Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota
MaryAnn McKibben Dana, author of Sabbath in the Suburbs
David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
David P. King, Karen Lake Buttrey Director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving and Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana
Neal D. Presa, pastor and former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Ellie Roscher, Director of Youth and Story Development at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities in Minneapolis and author of How Coffee Saved My Life
Mary Hinkle Shore, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Brevard, North Carolina
John W. Vest, Visiting Assistant Professor of Evangelism at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia -
Because Of Gracia Theme 2 A Film And Faith Leaders Guide
$5.99Add to cartA Film and Faith Leader’s Guide: Theme 2 Choosing life equips youth pastors and small group leaders to explore the key theme of Choosing life as presented in the award-winning film.This three-session study guide empowers students to address the issues of unplanned and teen pregnancy with confidence, faith, and love.
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Science Of Virtue
$22.00Add to cartThe church and science have drifted apart over the past century. Today the church is often deemed irrelevant by those who trust science, and science is often deemed irrelevant by those whose primary loyalties are to the church. However, this book shows that the new science of virtue–the field of positive psychology–can serve as a bridge point between science and the church and can help renew meaningful conversation.
In essence, positive psychology examines how ordinary people can become happier and more fulfilled. Mark McMinn clarifies how positive psychology can complement Christian faith and promote happiness and personal flourishing. In addition, he shows how the church can help strengthen positive psychology. McMinn brings the church’s experience and wisdom on six virtues–humility, forgiveness, gratitude, grace, hope, and wisdom–into conversation with intriguing scientific findings from positive psychology. Each chapter includes a section addressing Christian counselors who seek to promote happiness and fulfillment in others.
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Mark His Word Cycle B
$15.95Add to cartJesus told his apostles to “count the cost” of following him. For the twelve, it meant leaving their jobs, their homes and families. It meant literally taking up a new life and leaving the old one behind.
What is the cost of following Jesus today?
Frank Ramirez challenges the modern Church as he explores that question in Mark His Word: Cycle B Sermons for Proper 16 through Thanksgiving Based on the Gospel Texts. Using analogies from the space race to a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov to the diary of a Civil War-era abolitionist preacher, Ramirez paints a variety of pictures of what it looks like to act in allegiance to the cause of Christ, to answer the call of the Holy Spirit no matter the consequences.
The pastor who utilizes Mark His Word will see a church reinvigorated in time for Advent, prepared to step forth courageously into the world to live and speak truth to a world dying to know it.
Lessons Include:
“No Turning Back” (John 6:56-69)
“For Us or Against Us?” (Mark 9:38-50)
“Give Thanks for What?” (Matthew 6:25-33) -
Developing A Powerful Praying Church
$8.95Add to cartBlackaby Ministries International
Today’s church faces challenges and crises it can only overcome through prayer. In their latest book, Blackaby and Fisher focus on the adjustments pastors and church leaders must make in their prayer life in order to see a rebirth of God-honoring, world-impacting …
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Feasting On The Word Childrens Sermons For Year B
$24.00Add to cartMany pastors are confused about what to say during children’s time in churches. Feasting on the Word Children’s Sermons for Year B offers practical suggestions for preparing and delivering the children’s sermon. After explaining the importance and purpose of the children’s sermon, noted Christian educator Carol Wehrheim provides a retelling of each Sunday’s Bible story- based on the Revised Common Lectionary-for the entire church year. In addition, she provides a few stories for special Sundays, including the Jewish Celebration of Purim, the Jewish Celebration of Passover, and Thanksgiving Day. This resource provides pastors and other church leaders with fresh, engaging stories that children will understand and enjoy.
Also available: Feasting on the Word Children’s Sermons for Year A and Feasting on the Word Children’s Sermons for Year C.
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Financial Management For Episcopal Parishes (Revised)
$38.95Add to cart* Written by CPA working exclusively with parishes of various denominations * Updated to reflect changes in tax law * What to do and how to do it for parishes of all sizes * Real-life examples Experience shows that open and transparent churches engender a greater feeling of trust and willingness on the part of the donor. The policies and processes in Financial Management for Episcopal Parishes, which can be implemented by any size church, allow clergy, vestry, and parishioners to establish and document procedures that enable a financially transparent organization. The book defines the roles of the clergy, staff, vestry, and congregation and outlines what needs to be done by them to design and implement a system of checks and balances for financial oversight and stewardship, in order to protect donations and assets. Throughout the book, real-life examples of processes and procedures that did not work (and why) make for enjoyable reading of an otherwise business-like subject. Every reader will recognize some of them in their own church life.
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It Has Not Yet Appeared What We Shall Be
$49.99Add to cart1. The Problem And Its Setting
2. Literature Review
3. Exegesis Of Pertinent Passages
4. A Reconsideration Of The Imago Dei
5. Implications And Practical ApplicationsAdditional Info
The doctrine of the imago Dei has been criticized for technically excluding people who suffer from severe cognitive disabilities. With such people in mind, Hammond reexamines the doctrine and sets forth a more accurate and inclusive understanding. This work concludes with implications and practical applications to help seminary professors, pastors, and church members include, embrace, and welcome people with severe intellectual disabilities and their families. -
Healing For Our Soul Gardens
$16.99Add to cartOne out of three to four women is sexually abused within her lifetime. Though we are all created to flourish and grow, sexual abuse leaves us broken, in pain, and bound by fear and anxiety. Self-blame and shame keeps the secret hidden.
But no one is too damaged to be restored. There is hope.
Kristin Clouse, a sexual abuse survivor, shares her story, and her professional experience as a licensed mental health counselor, to walk with women through the healing and restoration process. Includes study questions, moments of reflection, and creative activities. For use by individuals, counselors, or in a small group setting.
Understand how the abuse of your past relates to your life issues today.
Discover why your life feels chaotic, out of control, or anxiety driven.
Learn healthy ways to address a negative thought process and shame-led thoughts.
Develop new coping skills.
Restore your self-image to what God designed you to be. -
Imagining The Gospels Cycle B
$13.95Add to cartImagining the Gospels: Cycle B Sermons for Lent and Easter Based on the Gospel Texts is the latest from Rev. Timothy W. Ayers. As a pastor who writes his messages while also writing novels, children’s books, and short dramas, Rev. Ayers found himself working hard to visually create the picture of what was hap-pening in the gospel accounts. Why? These were people lis-tening to Jesus. They would have had emotions about the topics. They would have had little things they recognized when Jesus spoke about lambs, shepherds, and vines. Much like our congregants, there would be nods of recognition toward experiences in their lives. His goal was to get the listener to imagine themselves, with their feelings, and their rea-sons for being in church, to better use their cognitive skills, inside the stories.
At other times, Ayers sought to take them on a week by week journey through the Easter season. He didn’t assume they have a relationship with Christ. He didn’t assume they are vibrant, serving members of the congregation. He only assumed that the listener is seeking something they do not have. He was attempting to take them one step further on a journey from week to week.
At times Rev. Ayers brings humor to the scene in order to lighten the mood of the listener. The body relaxes when we laugh and that helps us to hear the message. Imagining the Gospels hopefully will achieve this.
This book will make life easier for any busy pastor during the Lent and Easter season, by providing a sermon for each and every Sunday, when attendance is likely to be at its highest.
This book has several intended uses:
Sermon ideas
Inspirational reading
Bible study with individuals or groupsSome Sermon Titles Include:
Beginning The Lenten Journey (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)
Tearing The Sky To Get To You (Mark 1:9-15)
Did I Say That Out Loud? (Mark 8:31-38, Mark 9:2-9)
The Road To The Passover (John 2:13-22)
A Nod Of Recognition (John 3:14-21) -
Redemption To Transformation The Journey Of Lent And Easter Cycle B
$13.95Add to cartIf the Lenten journey is traversed successfully, then we can fully enter into the celebratory time of Easter. Yet, even as we observe these events we must acknowledge that the challenges of the Christian life are ever present. We should never forget British writer G.K. Chesterton’s admonition in What’s Wrong with the World (1910), “The Christian life has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” The Easter season reminds us that despite the triumph of Christ there will always be challenges to our belief. We seemingly cannot believe unless we see; yet we know that faith often is beyond proof and, thus, beyond sight as well. We are also challenged to discover ways of transforming problematic situations and what appears to be defeat into triumph through the grace of God. Additionally, this great season of grace teaches us that we must continually evaluate what we do and keep our eyes fixed on Christ and his mission and message. Finally, as Jesus ascends to the Father, we come to realize that the Lord’s work in not complete and, therefore, each day presents us with the opportunity to do something to complete the master’s work.
The cycle B second lesson sermons of Reverend Richard Gribble’s Redemption to Transformation: The Journey of Lent and Easter represent an understanding of the challenges presented us through this highly significant and very special journey. The church in its wisdom gives us this opportunity annually to review where we are and, after ascertaining our present position, the challenge to move to higher realms that are more consistent with our common Christian call to holiness. It is hoped that these reflections will be helpful to you as together we travel the path from Lent to Easter, and eventually to Christ and eternal life.
Redemption to Transformation: The Journey of Lent and Easter provides a second lesson sermon for every Sunday of cycle B, which will provide the following advantages:To give busy pastors ideas for their sermon creation
To make the day-to-day life of being a pastor easier
To free up time for counseling, visitation, or just your own leisureSome Sermon Titles Include:
Suffering Leads to Victory (1 Peter 3:18-21)
Enduring the Trails of Faith (Romans 4:13-25)
The Cost of Discipleship (Philippians 2:5-11)
Sacrifice Leads to Life (Hebrews 10:16-25)
Rising to New Life (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) -
Womens Voices And The Practice Of Preaching
$23.99Add to cartExpert, practical help for women who preach or lead worship
Many women preachers and worship leaders have trouble speaking; they struggle to fully use their physical voices. Maintaining that there is often a disconnect between the woman’s self-understanding as a preacher and her own body, Nancy Lammers Gross presents not only techniques but also a theologically empowering paradigm shift to help women fully embody their God-given preaching vocations.
Grounding her work in the biblical story of Miriam, Gross begins with a discussion of how women are instrumental in the work of God. She then tells stories, including her own, of women’s experiences in losing connection to their bodies and their physical voices. Finally, Gross presents a constructive resolution with exercises for discovering and developing a full-body voice.
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Clash Of Kingdoms Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartLike the Roman Empire, today’s governments or organizations can become centered on power and believe their messages are the “good news.” As Christians, we’re called to proclaim God’s name in all the earth (1 Chronicles 16:8), but how do we to do that in the midst of false gospels?
In this fifteenth volume of That The World May Know , discover how Paul communicated the Good News of Christ to Philippi, a Roman colony that worshipped false gods. Can you live the message as Paul did while he encouraged the church in Philippi to consider itself a colony of heaven, not Rome? Consider your citizenship-and the message you convey to the world-as Ray Vander Lann takes you deeper into the culture of ancient Philippi.
Experience the Bible in historical context, as you walk in the footsteps of the second missionary tour of the Apostle Paul in Greece-in locations like Philippi, Thessaloniki, and Delphi.
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Confident Identity : Christian Strategies To Forget Who You Aren’t And Disc
$21.95Add to cartA Christian counselor walks readers through the steps to find emotional healing when they feel insignificant or not good enough. Multiple assessments and exercises help people discover exactly who God made them to be.
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Grieving A Suicide (Expanded)
$18.99Add to cartIntroduction: For Survivors-the Other Victims Of Suicide
Part I: When Suicide Strikes
1. Shock
2. Turmoil
3. Lament
4. Relinquishment
5. RemembrancePart II: The Lingering Questions
6. Why Did This Happen?
7. Is Suicide The Unforgivable Sin?
8. Where Is God When It Hurts?Part III: Life After Suicide
9. The Spirituality Of God
10. The Healing Community
11. The Lessons Of SuicideEpilogue: Going On
Acknowledgments
Appendix: Resources For Suicide Survivors And Suicide Prevention
Questions For Reflection And Discussion
A Single-Session Discussion Guide For Suicide Survivor Groups
Notes
IndexAdditional Info
A 2003 Finalist in the United Kingdom Christian Book Awards! “Albert,” the neighbor said, “your mom needs you to come home.” That’s how it began for Albert Hsu when his father died. Anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide experiences tremendous shock and trauma. What follows is a confusing mix of emotions-anger, guilt, grief, and despair. Suicide raises heartrending questions: Why did this happen? Why didn’t we see it coming? Could we have done anything to prevent it? How can we go on? Many also wonder if those who choose suicide are doomed to an eternity separated from God and their loved ones. Some may even start asking whether life is worth living at all. After his father’s death, Hsu wrestled with the intense emotional and theological questions surrounding suicide. While acknowledging that there are no easy answers, he draws on the resources of the Christian faith to point suicide survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. For those who have lost a loved one to suicide and for their counselors and pastors, this book is an essential companion for the journey toward healing. This revised edition incorporates the latest statistics, has expanded resources for suicide prevention and mental health ministry, and now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups. -
Isaiah 2 NIV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartWhat if you could study Isaiah with your favorite Bible scholars from across the ages? With The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (NIV), you can! This unique resource is designed to empower pastors and leaders to effectively preach and teach God’s Word. This is much more than a commentary – it takes the best scholarly works available and combines them in a single resource. Inside each volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible, you’ll find: – A verse-by-verse outline alongside each passage of Scripture that draws out key concepts. – In-depth commentary synthesized from hundreds of trusted sources, including Matthew Henry, John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon…and many more. – Thoughts designed to provide practical application of Scripture for your congregation. – Deeper studies that expand on original Greek sources, provide historical background, and explain key points. – An Outline & Subject Index designed for topical study – perfect for quickly creating messages on a particular theme. There’s a volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible series for nearly any sermon you can imagine. Explore the full series on our website at outlinebible.org
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World According To Jesus Cycle B
$12.95Add to cartJesus is the embodiment of what God means for our world. The gospel writers who penned the first four books of the Christian scriptures have given us a variety of insights into who Jesus was and is, and why he matters for contemporary humankind. Every thoughtful person defines the world according to him- or her-self. This series of sermons aims to present ‘the world according to Jesus.’
It is hoped that clergy tasked with proclaiming the good news of Jesus, and who follow the three-year lectionary cycle of gospel texts, will find the cycle B gospel sermons of The World According to Jesus: Twelve Sermons for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany as useful starting points for creative preaching. This will easily lighten the load for any pastor on the go during the busy season of Advent, when the holidays are in full-swing.
Uses for this book:
Sermon ideas or sermon starters
Inspirational reading
Independent and group Bible studySome Sermon Titles Include:
Stay Awake! (Mark 13:24-37)
Don’t Get Stuck! (Mark 1:1-8)
Get Out of the Jungle! (John 1:6-8, 19-28)
Jesus Matters (Luke 1:26-38)
Don’t Miss This (Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)) -
So That You May Believe
$15.95Add to cartThe sermons in this book employ a variety of homiletic strategies and form. They are theologically sound, engaging, and instructive for exploring various sermon constructions and preaching approaches. Teachers of homiletics and biblical interpretation can use these sermons as examples of unique strategies for interpreting and teaching the gospel.
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Freedom And Interim Ministry
$13.00Add to cartI have been both an interim minister and what is called a regular, installed minister. Without a doubt in my mind, I say that the interim minister has much more freedom than the regular, installed minister. In Freedom and Interim Ministry: 12 Freedoms of the Interim, I show how the interim minister has more freedom than the regular minister.
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Romans 1 KJV Teacher (Teacher’s Guide)
$17.99Add to cartThe Teacher’s Outline & Study Bible is perfect for use with a Sunday School class, small group Bible study, or any discipleship class, bringing God’s Word to life in an easy to understand format. Thorough research includes historical context, word studies, outline, and commentary designed to make your study and teaching preparation easy. Includes life applications, subjects for deeper study and compelling discussion questions. The gospel is for everyone. This unique study makes God’s Word clear, accessible, and teachable. “After 40 years of teaching the Bible, this tool is the best I have ever used, bar none!” -Charlie Chambers, Hot Springs, AR “The TOSB has really helped me and my discipleship class grow in the Lord Jesus Christ.” -Pastor Rick Rossilli, Traverse City, MI
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Tales For The Masses
$16.95Add to cartThe word “homily” comes from the Greek word meaning conversation. The stories in Tales For The Masses: Stories Connecting Scripture To Everyday Life largely contain dialogue – realistic conversations between family members, co-workers and neighbors of all ages. Here is a new collection of previously unpublished stories that connect Scripture to contemporary, everyday life. Tim writes for the parishioner who’s wondering “Why should I listen to you?” by imparting stories to which the parishioner can easily relate. Someone may ask you, “Who told you about me, anyway?” after hearing a homily or sermon with one of these stories in it. In this way, the Scripture message can be seen as relevant to all generations. In this book, author Tim Healy provides homilists and educators material they can use for their own reflection, to help people connect Scripture with what goes on in normal life, and to get people excited about worship because its relevance has been made transparent.
Just a few of the chapters included:
Murphy the Grump
Katie and the Spirit
Brother Dave
The Trophy
Hatred
Are You Going to Be Saved? -
Complete Guide To Godly Play 2 (Expanded)
$34.95Add to cart* Incorporates the latest in Godly Play(R) theory and practice. * Revised lessons throughout, plus one brand-new lesson. Godly Play(R) is an imaginative approach to working with children, an approach that supports, challenges, nourishes, and guides their spiritual quest. It is more akin to spiritual direction guidance than to what we generally think of as religious education. Revised and updated, The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 2 offers new concepts, new terminology, new illustrations, and a new structure that stem from more than 10 years of using Godly Play with children across the world. 30 to 40 percent of the text is new or revised, including a new lesson, revised Introduction, and a new full Appendix.
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Failing Boldly : How Falling Down In Ministry Can Be The Start Of Rising Up
$20.00Add to cartThis book is a must-read for anyone who has ever tried to energize or grow a ministry. Christian Coon takes us through his own missteps and mistakes as the co-founder of the Urban Village Church–as well as those of others working to do the same–and shows how failure can serve as a springboard to new possibilities and even a closer connection to God and what leadership means. Woven together with honesty, humility, and humor, we learn to look on failure as an actual gift that can be the gateway to a deeper journey.
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These Are Our Bodies High School Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$11.95Add to cartThis book is the high school participant’s guide to use during each session of the These Are Our Bodies program. It is filled with prayers, scripture, and reflection questions designed to help the participant see the connection between their sexuality and their faith. With lots of space for journaling, a glossary of important terms and words are included, as well as appropriate websites for further learning or help.* An easily accessible, theologically progressive, mainline Christian Ed resource on human sexuality * A High School program resource to engage youth in connecting faith and sexuality in grades 9-12
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These Are Our Bodies High School Parent Book
$11.95Add to cartA resource for parents or caregivers, this book will keep the parent informed about each session. In each chapter they will read about what their high schoolers is learning as well as journal questions that will help them connect faith with sexuality and with parenting. The adult reader will have an opportunity to reflect on the same scripture that their child has reflected upon so that all involved will learn new was to think about sexuality and how faith is relevant to understanding the complexities of sexuality and the responsibilities involved. In this program both participants and parents learn and grow together.* An easily accessible, theologically progressive, mainline Christian Ed resource on human sexuality * A High School program resource to engage youth in connecting faith and sexuality in grades 9-12
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Psalm 3 NIV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartWhat if you could study the Psalms with your favorite Bible scholars from across the ages? With The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible, you can! This unique resource is designed to empower pastors and leaders to effectively preach and teach God’s Word. This is much more than a commentary — it takes the best scholarly works available and combines them in a single resource. Inside each volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible you’ll find: A verse by verse outline alongside each passage of Scripture that draws out key concepts. In depth commentary synthesized from hundreds of trusted sources, including Matthew Henry, John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon…and many more. Thoughts designed to provide practical application of Scripture for your congregation. Deeper studies that expand on original Greek sources, provide historical background, and explain key points. An Outline & Subject Index designed for topical study — perfect for quickly creating messages on a particular theme. There’s a volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible series for nearly any sermon you can imagine. Explore the full series on our website at: www.outlinebible.org
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Teaching Faith With Harry Potter
$25.95Add to cartJ. K. Rowling was less obvious than C. S. Lewis or J. R. R. Tolkien in her grounding of the Harry Potter series in deeply held Christian convictions, leaving many with a strong sense that these stories are spiritual lessons but not sure how to flesh out these theological ideas for teaching, parenting, mentoring, and forming faith. The Harry Potter series stands as one compelling narrative, rooted in Rowling’s Anglican convictions of the communion of saints, the power of sacraments, the redemption of sacrificial love, and the defeat of death in the resurrection through grace.
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Shoulders And Shadows
$9.99Add to cartWe often follow a successful leader, and it is said we are “filling our predecessor’s shoes,” or we are “continuing a lasting legacy.” However, the truth is that although we are standing on their shoulders, we are often operating in their shadow. Shoulders and Shadows: Following Legendary Leaders helps new leaders succeed at succession.
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Disciple Making Encounters
$16.99Add to cartTeacher preparation for Sunday School can become monotonous and routine. But when you open God’s Word and encounter Him in personal Bible study, your life as a teacher will be radically changed.
That first encounter with God prepares you and transforms your presentation from a predictable lesson to a facilitator-led, revolutionary, classroom encounter with God. Your purpose and your passion will focus on directing those in your group to meet God and be inspired by an encounter with Him in His Word.
Walk with me on a journey with simple but transformational steps and make a revolutionary change in your Sunday School preparation and presentation.
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Thatll Preach : 5 Simple Steps To Your Best Sermon Ever
$13.99Add to cartExperienced preacher, teacher and author, Charley Reeb, gives readers a 5-step plan for writing and delivering a sermon that can transform lives for Christ. He covers preparation, sermon structure, storytelling, and how to ‘preach with presence’. He examines lectionary and topical preaching models, and shows the reader how to determine which model to use; he further instructs the reader to use the 5-step plan for each model. Finally, That’ll Preach! offers sermon outlines and full sermons, as examples to illustrate the book’s teaching. The entire book stems from the author’s view that sermons must be engaging in order to be effective. This laser focus results in a book that is powerful and immediately useful, concise and purposeful. It is a book for every preacher.
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New Day In The City
$20.99Add to cartFrederich Buechner once wrote, “Dreams of fame and fortune die hard, if they ever die at all.” Many mainline urban congregations remember the days of fame and fortune-days when their prominence downtown mattered. Population shifts, the decline of mainline congregations, and demographic changes have robbed many downtown churches of these dreams – but not all churches. Many congregations struggle to survive while others are positioned to thrive. These churches have learned to let go of nostalgic dreams and tired habits, to walk with God into a new day of vibrancy, mission, and ministry. Authors Donna Claycomb Sokol and Roger Owens have pastored urban congregations that have managed to grow again, reversing decades of decline. In A New Day in the City they share the stories of the churches they’ve served, and the lessons they’ve learned from other successful urban churches and pastors. Their aim is to help others join God in the deep and wide mission of embodying the Kingdom. Along the way, they challenge some cliches about church leadership, offering a fresh perspective on what congregational renewal can look like and how it can become a reality. The book does not offer easy answers, because churches can’t simply replicate what someone else has done. Rather, the book offers the framework for crucial conversations urban churches need to have in order to find their own way to renewal. The end of each chapter features a set of practical guidelines for leading a congregation to address the questions that matter most.
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Beauty For Truths Sake (Reprinted)
$23.00Add to cartMuch of the confusion and meaninglessness of the twenty-first century stems from the fragmentation of knowledge. Our postmodern times cry out for a return to wholeness. Enter Stratford Caldecott, who calls for renewal in education in Beauty for Truth’s Sake. By reclaiming the classic liberal arts and viewing disciplines such as science and mathematics through a poetic lens, the author explains that unity is present within diversity. Ultimately, God is behind all truth.This book will benefit parents, homeschoolers, lifelong learners, and readers interested in the history of ideas. It is appropriate for Christian college and university students and will play an especially important role in curriculum development.
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Christmas Plays And Biblical Skits
$28.95Add to cartWill Maudine ever stop being so bossy? Should Aunt Vera get a hearing aid for Christmas? Does Richard really miss his pink flamingo? Can John say anything other than uh-huh and huh-uh? Find the answers to these questions when you join Aunt Vera and her friends as they prepare for their Christmas pageants. Follow them as they find themselves in various situations involving lighthearted rivalry, mystery, and good-natured humor.
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Christmas Plays And Biblical Skits
$13.95Add to cartWill Maudine ever stop being so bossy? Should Aunt Vera get a hearing aid for Christmas? Does Richard really miss his pink flamingo? Can John say anything other than uh-huh and huh-uh? Find the answers to these questions when you join Aunt Vera and her friends as they prepare for their Christmas pageants. Follow them as they find themselves in various situations involving lighthearted rivalry, mystery, and good-natured humor.
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Preaching In The Era Of Trump
$14.99Add to cartNow more than ever, it’s time to preach.
The election of Donald Trump left countless faith leaders across the country speechless. Now that he is president, silence must give way to prophetic preaching.
Christians have long debated whether politics should be addressed from the pulpit. Following Donald Trump’s controversial, divisive rise to power and the sweeping changes his fledgling administration has already proposed, that s no longer a question political preaching will be the order of the day, even for pastors who try to steer clear of controversy. It s up to preachers to make the church great again by leading it to embrace and embody God s concern for those whose lives are at stake in a Trump administration. Veteran teacher, preacher, and author Wes Allen offers a blueprint for addressing current events through a Gospel lens, persuasively and pastorally without engaging in divisive, antagonistic rhetoric.
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Unstuck Church : Equipping Churches To Experience Sustained Health
$16.99Add to cartAcclaimed church leader, blogger, founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan unpacks the lifecycle of a typical church, identifies characteristics of each phase, and provides practical next steps a church can take to move towards sustained health.
Think about your church for a moment. Is it growing? Is it diminishing? Is it somewhere in between? Acclaimed church leader, blogger, and founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan has identified the seven stages of a church’s lifecycle that range from the hopeful and optimistic days of launch, to the stagnating last stages of life support.
Regardless of the stage in which you find your church, it carries with it the world’s greatest mission-to “go and make disciples of all the nations . . .” With eternity at stake the Church should be doing most everything within its power to see lives changed forever. The Church should strive for the pinnacle of the lifecycle, where they are continually making new disciples and experiencing what Morgan refers to as “sustained health.”
In The Unstuck Church, Morgan unpacks each phase of the church lifecycle, and offers specific and strategic next steps the church leader can take to find it’s way to sustained health . . . and finally become unstuck.
The Unstuck Church is a call for honest an assessment of where your church sits on the lifecycle, and a challenge to move beyond it.
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Good Book Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$8.25Add to cartThis 8-week companion to The Good Book and The Good Book DVD encourages small-group members to dig deeper into the Bible’s biggest ideas.
With questions for reflection and discussion that follow the trade book, The Good Book Participant’s Guide will foster group discussion among small groups and Sunday School members, helping them understand the Bible’s most prominent themes in a way that applies to their own lives.
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Surviving And Thriving In Seminary
$17.99Add to cartSeminary can give you a great foundation for future success in ministry, but it can also come with its share of challenges. Without proper preparation, it is possible to struggle in your studies or maintain a healthy personal and spiritual life. Surviving and Thriving in Seminary is designed to prepare current and future seminary students for what’s ahead. In it, two seminary professors (and former seminary students) tell you what they tell their students, and what they wish they’d known. This book aims to teach you skills that will help you thrive in the areas of your personal life, time management, and study practices. While seminary is always a rigorous experience, you don’t have to struggle through it. You can thrive.
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Foundations Of Pastoral Counseling
$44.99Add to cartFoundations of Pastoral Counselling offers a completely new approach to its subject, through an integration of philosophical ideas, theological thought, and psychotherapeutic psychology. Using the work of philosophers including Martin Buber, Simone Weil and Soren Kierkegaard to begin the conversation in each chapter the author then draws on relevant theologians and psychotherapeutic thinkers to enrich the dialogue. The result is a rich, multi-faceted, and often surprising round-table discussion about the fundamental issues in pastoral counselling.
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Know Why You Believe
$14.99Add to cartThe Christian life depends upon faith, but there are good reasons for that faith. In Know Why You Believe professor and author K. Scott Oliphint answers the “why” questions both Christians and non-Christians often ask, laying out a simple and convincing case for the core teachings of Christianity.
As part of the KNOW series, Know Why You Believe is designed for personal study or classroom use, but also for small groups and Sunday schools wanting to better understand the traditional defenses of Christian belief. Each chapter covers a foundational teaching and includes a rationale for that teaching, responses to common objections, reflection questions to prompt further consideration, and suggested readings for readers wanting to dig deeper.
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Shared Understanding Of Church Leadership (Revised)
$12.99Add to cartHow does your church work with leadership issues? How do you make decisions about calling church leaders? Are your models of leadership consistent with Anabaptist Mennonite belief and practice? A Shared Understanding of Ministerial Leadership, a revision of an earlier book, A Mennonite Polity for Ministerial Leadership, provides a common understanding of how the church approaches leadership. It is an effort to build lasting relationships of respect and integrity between congregations, area conferences, and their credentialed leaders. For use by pastors and congregational leaders, this book can also be used for leadership training, churchwide discussion, and study in seminary courses.
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Reset : Living A Grace Paced Life In A Burnout Culture
$14.99Add to cartLargely due to overwork and the stresses of modern life, men in work and ministry are increasingly run-down, anxious, and depressed. But is this level of physical and spiritual weariness inevitable? Just as a car needs to be regularly refueled, retuned, and repaired in order to keep running, a balanced life can be sustained only when a man takes proper steps to stay on track. In this hopeful book, experienced pastor and counselor David Murray shares stories from his own life and the lives of friends, offering gospel-centered advice for avoiding, assessing, and recovering from burnout. With chapters on rest, relationships, routines, and more, this book lays out a host of practical remedies men can use to reset their lives on a more sustainable course-resulting in renewed energy, joy, and purpose.
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Answers For Beginners And Teachers
$17.95Add to cartAnswers for Beginners and Teachers is filled with interesting Bible scriptures and the author’s comments on them. Ladonna shares her personal experiences, God’s audible voice, spiritual dreams, and visions, how she was healed of cancer, and two out-of-body experiences.
Teachers can use this book as a guide for Bible-study groups and sermons. Or it can be read through like a book.
It is written for new Christians and others who are thirsting for God’s Word. Expect to have your memory refreshed on the deeper things of God and find answers to questions you may have that are similar to those the author had for many years.
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Proliferate : Church Planting Strategy For Everyday Churches
$13.99Add to cartThe tendency is to think churches with less than 200 people in weekly attendance are ordinary or everyday-conventional wisdom says that bigger is better and Everyday Churches can have only a limited impact. However, Jesus compared the Kingdom to a mustard seed-the smallest of seeds, but with the potential to change the landscape.
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Are You In The Game Or In The Way
$14.99Add to cartA men’s ministry reality check: What is standing in the way of a vital men’s ministry in your church? The guy who should be at the forefront is often in the way of the program getting off the ground.
Are you, as pastor, the main obstacle to the growth of a vital men’s ministry?
Are you the guy who wants to start a men’s ministry in your church but don’t know how?
Is fear or a sense of inadequacy keeping you from starting such a ministry?
Pastor Ross Holtz tells his personal story of how he became a catalyst for growth, instead of an impediment will inspire pastors and men’s ministry leaders.What works, what doesn’t, and what is required in forming a vital men’s ministry. Practical and honest teaching filled with relevant and tested examples from recognizing the problem to finding the fix.
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Whole Life Worship
$14.99Add to cartThis book is a continuation of the LICC series begun by Neil Hudson’s Imagine ChurchWhole-Life Worship will demonstrate that the contemporary Western Church has reached a point where our “gathered” worship is separated from our “scattered” lives outside of church. This is detrimental to the congregation’s spiritual development and their effectiveness on their “frontlines”. Church worship should be inspired and informed by our everyday experiences. It should empower and send the congregation out to continue worshipping. The book will provide patterns and resources to better connect gathered worship with the lives of the congregation beyond church meetings.The book will unpack a biblical grounding for both gathered and scattered worship. It will then identify patterns within our gathered services which help us re-make these connections. It will provide practical resources such as songs, prayers and activities which can help churches connect Sunday to the rest of the week. It will draw examples and stories from other church streams and traditions, to demonstrate how different kinds of Christian spirituality engage worshipfully with everyday life. In the second half of the book is a practical resource looking specifically at different aspects of a gathered service, and how each one can have an “outward” dimension.
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Self Aware Leader
$20.99Add to cartIntroduction
1. Seeing The Race Before Us
2. Seeing Your Self
3. Seeing Your Past
4. Seeing Your Temptations
5. Seeing Your Emotions
6. Seeing Your Pressures
7. Seeing Your Conflicts
8. Seeing Your Margins
9. Seeing Your Best
Acknowledgments
NotesAdditional Info
Effective ministry begins here. You’ve studied what you think you need to know before entering a career in ministry. Is there anything that is more important than knowing about hermeneutics, homiletics, theology, exegesis, and everything else you have likely learned in seminary and church ministry so far? Yes, there is. How well do you know yourself? You need to build your ministry career on the right foundation of an objective understanding of self. If you don’t comprehend your strengths and weaknesses, then you won’t be fully prepared to enter the crucible of ministry. Serving as a pastor is one of the toughest calls there is. But it can also be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding, especially if you have taken the time to examine both your gifts and vulnerabilities. The church needs leaders who have the clear-eyed courage to pursue the hardest part of the ministry journey: seeing yourself. The Self-Aware Leader will help you to do just that. -
Right Thinking In A Church Gone Astray
$16.99Add to cartKeeping the Church on Track in a Secular World
One of the greatest challenges to Christianity today is the pervasive influence popular culture has on the church. When Christians embrace a secular worldview, it causes division within the church and greatly diminishes its impact.
Right Thinking in a Church Gone Astray offers responses from trusted evangelical voices on 20 timely issues. With a careful look at God’s Word, you’ll gain wisdom and insights on highly relevant topics such as…
*countering the church’s celebrity culture
*ministering to the “Me Generation”
*discovering where science meets Scripture
*responding appropriately to homosexuality
*reclaiming the essentials of the Christian faithWith biblical guidance on these and other controversial matters, this resource provides much-needed clarity for today’s church.
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Organizing Church : Grassroots Practices For Embodying Change In Your Congr
$24.99Add to cartWhat if congregations embraced community organizing? While many theories exist on how to plant or how to renew a church and its leadership, Organizing Church offers a unique perspective that brings together the tools of community organizing and a robust ecclesiology to suggest a new way forward for revitalizing and empowering churches. This book is a helpful field guide for pastors and other church leaders trying to build healthy congregations, create a deep culture of discipleship in their community, and to respond to the challenges presented by the global culture of the 21st century.
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Boomer Spirituality : Seven Values For The Second Half Of Life
$18.00Add to cartIntroduction
Part One: Spiritual Roots
1. Brokenness
2. Loneliness
3. Rootlessness
4. Self-Seeking
Part Two: The Search For God
5. Godliness
6. Supernaturalism
7. Wholeness
NotesAdditional Info
As the boomer generation navigates dramatic change as it ages, it will be informed by a unique spirituality that was forged in the tumultuous years of the 1960s and 1970s. If you are a boomer, you are sure to be reminded of the events and experiences that had an impact on you when you were young. If you are the child of a boomer, this book will help you understand why your parents act the way they do. If you are creating ministry for this generation, this will be your guide to the way boomers view the world and look toward the future. -
Marriage Preparation Workbook (Workbook)
$9.95Add to cartLife is filled with choices, but one of the most significant choices a person will ever make is the decision to marry someone. The questions in this marriage preparation workbook are designed to help you explore a number of issues that couples face as they contemplate life together.
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Recovering From Un Natural Disasters
$25.00Add to cartRecovering from Un-Natural Disasters is a must-read handbook for pastors and church leaders of communities who could or perhaps already have experienced an un-natural disaster, such as gun violence, suicides, or sexual abuse.
Unlike natural disasters, un-natural disasters deal with the concept of sin and require a different recovery strategy. In this book, readers will explore the four phases of human-caused disaster – Devastation and Heroism, Disillusionment, Reforming, and Wisdom – and receive step-by-step suggestions to use with their faith community during the recovery process. Example worship resources, including prayers, music suggestions, and sermons that are appropriate to use during periods of trauma and recovery, are included.
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Preaching The Women Of The Old Testament
$28.00Add to cartTake an in-depth look at over twenty fierce, faithful, and strong women featured in the Old Testament with Preaching the Women of the Old Testament. Inside this unique resource author Lynn Japinga interprets the stories of various biblical women, including Eve, Rebekah, Dinah, Tamar, Miriam, Deborah, Jael, Abigail, Bathsheba, and Vashti. Along with providing an interpretation, Japinga demonstrates how the character’s story has been read in Christian tradition and offers sermon ideas that connect contemporary issues to each story. This book is ideal for pastors who want to know more about the many women of the Old Testament and learn how to better incorporate them into their sermons.
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12 Women Of The Bible Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn this 12-session small group Bible study, Twelve Women of the Bible, Lysa TerKuerst, Elisa Morgan, Jeanne Stevens and other leaders look at the spiritual lessons learned from twelve biblical women and what they mean for your life today.
You’ll learn about the triumphs and failures of Mary Magdalene, Rebekah, Hannah, and nine other women, studying their lives and learning how to:
*Apply biblical lessons to their own modern-day struggles
*Live through their failures as well as successes
*Draw near to God in a world filled with trials
*Find lasting contentment
*Overcome rejection and insecurity and much moreEach of the 12 sessions focuses on one biblical character. You’ll also discover lessons from each of these women that will help you persevere through the circumstances you are facing today.
This Study Guide features discussion questions, background information on each character, space to write down thoughts, a helpful Leader’s Guide, and much more. It is designed for use with the Twelve Women of the Bible DVD (sold separately).
Sessions include:
1. Eve: Finding Lasting Contentment in the Truth (Lysa TerKeurst)
2. Rebekah: Breaking Free of Feminine Stereotypes (Jonalyn Fincher)
3. Leah: Overcoming Rejection and Insecurity (Naomi Zacharias)
4. Hannah: Surrendering in Waiting (Amena Brown)
5. Abigail: Dealing with Confrontation in Relationships
6. Gomer: Learning to Accept Unconditional Love (Jeanne Stevens)
7. Mary, Mother of Jesus: Moving from Comfort to Courage (Jeanne Stevens)
8. Mary Magdalene: Transforming from Outcast to Follower (Jonalyn Fincher)
9. Mary of Bethany: Putting Our Faith into Action (Elisa Morgan)
10. Martha: Finding Our Identity in Jesus (Amena Brown)
11. The Woman at the Well: Turning Our Messes into Messages (Lysa TerKuerst)
12. The Syrophoenician Woman: Approaching God with Persistency and Boldness (Naomi Zacharias) -
Discipleship Is A Journey
$15.00Add to cartAutumn Light Publications
Christian Discipleship is the outward expression of the relationship which baptism has restored. It is the deep, abiding friendship between God and one who has chosen to accept His gift of salvation. In practice, discipleship is the earnest attempt to become like Christ, doing everything possible to LEARN what Christ wants His followers to do AND then trying to DO it. Discipleship is a Journey is an activity-based study guide created to help young believers to understand what is meant by discipleship and what they should do to grow in their new relationship with Jesus. The book can be used independently by the young person to have fun as he learns more about being a disciple or it can be used as a tool in a church’s mentoring plan for their young believers. The content is broken into five sections, focusing on: understanding the new role as a Christian, understanding and using resources that God provides, understanding the role of worship in a Christian’s life, understanding the role of service in a Christian’s life, and understanding that discipleship is a lifelong journey.
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What The Bible Says To The Minister (Student/Study Guide)
$34.99Add to cartGod has called you into ministry…now what? The Bible is full of wisdom, instruction, and sage advice for the minister on every topic, including: Your Calling, Your Purpose, Your Mission, Security In Christ, Your Family and Relationships, Your Daily Walk, Preaching and Teaching, Your Reward, and over 100 other topics! What the Bible Says to the Minister is a cherished resource for pastors and ministers all over the world. Available in 12 languages, this handbook is one that pastors return to over and over again as they seek to fulfill their call to serve God.
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Who Lynched Willie Earle
$19.99Add to cartPastors and leaders long to speak an effective biblical word into the contemporary social crisis of racial violence and black pain. They need a no-nonsense strategy rooted in actual ecclesial life, illuminated in this fine book by a trustworthy guide, Will Willimon, who uses the true story of pastor Hawley Lynn’s March of 1947 sermon, “Who Lynched Willie Earle?” as an opportunity to respond to the last lynching in Greenville, South Carolina and its implications for a more faithful proclamation of the Gospel today. By hearing black pain, naming white complicity, critiquing American exceptionalism/civil religion, inviting/challenging the church to respond, and attending to the voices of African American pastors and leaders, this book helps pastors of white, mainline Protestant churches preach effectively in situations of racial violence and dis-ease.
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Integrative Psychotherapy : Toward A Comprehensive Christian Approach
$45.99Add to cart12 Chapters
Additional Info
Mark McMinn and Clark Campbell present an integrative model of psychotherapy that is grounded in Christian biblical and theological teaching and in a critical and constructive engagement with contemporary psychology.Now in paperback, this foundational work integrates behavioral, cognitive, and interpersonal models of therapy within a Christian theological framework. Not only do the authors integrate Christian faith and spirituality with the latest thinking in behavioral science at a theoretical level, they also integrate the theoretical and academic with the pastoral and clinical, offering a practical guide for the practitioner.
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Journey To The Pulpit
$13.95Add to cartMy parents love their pastor, but they rarely get much from his sermons. Sound familiar?
Why live with word salad, rabbit trails and bouncing around like a ball in a pin ball machine when you can work smarter, not harder.Frank pastors a country church. His positive attitude and effective preaching create an air of expectation for something great each week. As a multi-vocational pastor he rarely experiences the Saturday night panic and arrives at the pulpit ready to preach.
George, a loner, also pastors a country church. The services are lack luster, he is approaching burn out and he questions his call to a pulpit ministry. George just toughs it out thinking it to be more godly. Saturday night is repetitively panic time and Sunday often brings excuses. George does not understand that he might need more preparation than does his sermons.
What makes the difference?Frank recognized his need for help, and found a mentor. He learned to establish the purpose of the sermon first, match it with divine inspiration and have others help gather materials. This reduced preparation time, balanced his work schedule, family time, self-care and sermon preparation. By working on his illustrations and delivery, he could take a lesser quality sermon and turn it into a great event.
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Holding Up Your Corner
$17.99Add to cartHolding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community, equips pastors to respond with confidence when crises occur, lower their own inhibitions about addressing this topic, and reclaim their authority as prophetic witnesses and leaders in order to transform their communities Pastors and other church leaders see, to varying degrees, racially rooted injustice in their communities. Most of them understand an imperative, as part of their calling from God, to lead their congregations to address and reverse this injustice. For instance, preachers want to be preaching prophetically on this topic. But the problems seem irreversible, intractable, overwhelming, and pastors often feel their individual efforts will be futile. Additionally, they realize that there is a lot of risk involved, including the possibility that their actions may offend and even push some members away from the church. They do not know what to do or how to begin. And so, even during times of crisis, pastors and other church leaders typically do less than they know they could and should. This book provides practical, foundational guidance, showing pastors how to live into their calling to address injustice, and how to lead others to do the same. Holding Up Your Corner prompts readers to observe, identify and name the complex causes of violence and hatred in the reader’s particular community, including racial prejudice, entrenched poverty and exploitation, segregation, the loss of local education and employment, the ravages of addiction, and so on. The book walks the church leader through a self-directed process of determining what role to play in the leader’s particular location. Readers will learn to use testimony and other narrative devices, proclamation, guided group conversations, and other tactics in order to achieve the following: Open eyes to the realities in the reader’s community-where God’s reign/kingdom is not yet overcoming selfishness, injustice, inequality, or the forces of evil. Own the calling and responsibility we have as Christians, and learn how to advocate hope for God’s kingdom in the reader’s community. Organize interventions and activate mission teams to address the specific injustices in the reader’s community.
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Serving Local Schools
$22.99Add to cartThe heartbeat of every local community is found in its local schools. Yet many churches have little to no connection with school leaders, much less an active ministry presence. But if the church wants to effectively reach its community, it must take the time to invest in school administrators, teachers, and families. Not having a relationship just isn’t an option.
Thankfully, there are new opportunities where schools and churches can work together for the common good of students and the community. Many schools today are facing budget crises’ and financial shortfalls or declining enrollment. Few church leaders know how to walk through the doors of their local school and partner in a sustainable way. Some are worried about crossing the line of separation between church and state, while others just aren’t sure what they have to offer.
This book tells the story of churches that have overcome these barriers, providing biblical support and practical resources to equip churches to meet the needs of local schools while faithfully witnessing to the good news found in Jesus Christ.
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Ethics In Christian Ministry
$16.99Add to cartPastoring is packed with unexpected challenges-both good and bad. Improvising in the face of the unforeseen is often the norm. But like talented athletes and great jazz musicians, improvisation for pastors only comes by first knowing and practicing the basics. Ethics in Christian Ministry is about preparing for the highs and lows of ministry by internalizing and rehearsing the ethical essentials of Christ-centered pastoring. Here is a resource designed to equip pastors with the tools needed to make healthy and theologically sound ethical decisions in the areas of communication, relationships, preaching, counseling, and finances. With such preparation in hand, responding to the unexpected becomes about well-grounded decision-making that leads to the best in pastoral practices.
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What Makes You Happy Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartEverybody wants to be happy. Everybody is on a happiness quest. For many, happiness is measured in moments. Experiences. It’s elusive. Unsustainable. What about you? What makes you happy?
Something comes to mind for each of us.
In this six-session video Bible study, pastor Andy Stanley examines the ways in which we tend to define happiness and explains how that definition influences the way we pursue it. He reveals that happiness is about who, not what, and that happy people are at peace with God, with others, and with themselves. He also shows how sin undermines peace because it separates us from God, others, and ourselves by substituting pleasure for fulfillment, things for people, images for intimacy, and self-expression for self-control. We are often tempted to believe that happiness comes from acquiring things, but happiness is actually an outcome of what we sow in our lives. We can’t acquire, consume, or exercise our way to happiness, but we may be able to serve and volunteer our way there. In the end, we find that if we live as if it’s all about us, we will never be happy.
Sessions include:
*Nothing
*Plan for It
*Peace with God
*Happy
*Money
*Shoes You’re Not EnoughDesigned for use with the What Makes You Happy DVD (sold separately).
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Cherish Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartMost married couples survive by gritting their teeth and holding on. But what if husbands sought to truly cherish their wives? What if in social settings they did their best to make sure she was heard? What if they supported her goals so she could work in her gifts? What if they bought the things she needed to open up her home and put the beauty of her hospitality on display? And what if wives adopted the same attitude? What if she made sure her husband knew she was his strongest supporter? What if she were willing to support him, stabilize him, bind up his wounds-spiritual and emotional-and turn him so his strongest side was always showing? What if she helped him risk failure out in the world because she made it known to him that he would always be her courageous champion? What would that do to him? For the relationship? In the Cherish Him, Cherish Her video-based study, bestselling author Gary Thomas shows how marriages can not only survive but also thrive when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another. How we can go from neglect and disrespect to cherish and adore. How we can send our marriages into a different dimension. How we can recalibrate our marriages when needed so we don’t suffer from apathy, indifference, and gradual drift. None of us want marriages where we grit our teeth and just tolerate each other because God’s Word says we don’t qualify for divorce. We don’t want marriages where our spouses really don’t like us, much less respect us. We want to be married to someone we cherish and who cherishes us, and it is possible to get to that point.
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Keeping Faith In Fundraising
$21.99Add to cartA biblically grounded call for Christians to engage in fundraising as ministry
Fundraising has always been an essential element of the Christian life-churches, schools, and many other organizations rely on it to function. But it is a risky enterprise, fraught with questions and challenges. How can Christians raise funds with integrity?
In this book Peter Harris and Rod Wilson, experienced fund-raisers themselves, bring fundraising within the scope of normal Christian life and work. After first laying a biblical foundation by discussing 2 Corinthians 8-9, Harris and Wilson develop seven themes central to the giving and receiving of money. They offer valuable insights based on their many years of fundraising as Christians.
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Restored Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$12.99Add to cartOften we make a mess of our lives and wonder if there is any redemption. In this six-week study, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us see our mess through the eyes of Christ to find redemption and restoration. Using Scripture, devotional tools, and the writings of Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, St. Augustine, John Wesley, Evelyn Underhill, and others, Berlin encourages reflection and meditation through our own brokenness. Only then can we focus on the cross as the place where we truly surrender control, leave our mess, and find redemption. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the 6-week study for Lent, including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Restored : Finding Redemption In Our Mess
$15.99Add to cartOften we make a mess of our lives and wonder if there is any redemption. In this book, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us see our mess through the eyes of Christ to find redemption and restoration. Using Scripture, devotional tools, and the writings of Ignatius of Loyola, John of the Cross, St. Augustine, John Wesley, Evelyn Underhill, and others, Berlin encourages reflection and meditation through our own brokenness. Only then can we focus on the cross as the place where we truly surrender control, leave our mess, and find redemption.
Chapters include:
This Is a Real Mess
Who Left This Mess?
Bless This Mess
No Messing Around
Address This Mess
The Message in the Mess -
Creed Youth Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWe’re all searching. Sometimes the search is easy: simply type a question and the answer pops up. But sometimes our questions are complicated, and the answers are difficult to see and harder to articulate. How do we discover and examine the truths that give meaning and purpose to life? Adam Hamilton believes that some powerful answers are contained in the Apostles’ Creed, an early statement of foundational Christian beliefs. In this six-week study for Lent, Easter, and beyond, Hamilton considers important questions of life, reality, and truth. He explores not only what Christians believe, but also why they believe it and why it matters. This Youth Study Book takes the ideas presented in Adam Hamilton’s book and interprets them for young people grades 6-12. Can be used with the adult-level DVD.
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Creed Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWe’re all searching. Sometimes the search is easy: simply type a question and the answer pops up. But sometimes our questions are complicated, and the answers are difficult to see and harder to articulate. How do we discover and examine the truths that give meaning and purpose to life? Adam Hamilton believes that some powerful answers are contained in the Apostles’ Creed, an early statement of foundational Christian beliefs. In this six-week study for Lent, Easter, and beyond, Hamilton considers important questions of life, reality, and truth. He explores not only what Christians believe, but also why they believe it and why it matters. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the 6-week study for Lent and Easter, including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
