Pastoral Helps
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Path To The Cross Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, The Path to the Cross, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume eleven of the 12-part Faith Lessons filmed-on-location DVD and Discovery Guide series. In The Path to the Cross, God’s story continues with the intense devotion of his people. Discover how their passionate faith prepares the way for Jesus and his ultimate act of obedience and sacrifice at the cross. Then, be challenged in your life to live as they did – by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD was filmed on location in Qumran, Machaerus, En Gedi, Jerusalem and Gethsemane. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with The Path to the Cross DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*The Way of the Essenes – Filmed in Quamran
*The Way of John the Baptist – Filmed in Machaerus
*Into the Desert to Be Tested – Filmed in En Gedi
*The Last Passover – Filmed in Jerusalem
*The Fifth Cup: Our Way of Hope – Filmed at Gethsemane -
With All Your Heart Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis six-session small group Bible study, With All Your Heart, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume ten of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. Do you remember where your blessing comes from? In Exodus, God warned Israel to remember him when they left the dry desert and reached the fertile fields of the Promised Land. But in this tenth volume of Faith Lessons, you’ll discover how quickly they forgot God and began to rely on themselves. Find out what it means to remember the Lord in your own life on this one-of-a-kind spiritual pilgrimage. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for With All Your Heart was filmed on location in Timnah, Negev, and Jerusalem. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study. This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the With All Your Heart DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*Build Me a Sanctuary – Filmed in Timnah
*Making Space for God – Filmed in Timnah
*He Led Them Like a Shepherd – Filmed in Negev
*By Every Word – Striking the Rock – Filmed in Negev
*With All Your Might: The Final Test – Filmed in Jerusalem
*A Well-Watered Garden – Filmed in Jerusalem -
God Heard Their Cry Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$18.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, God Heard Their Cry, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume eight of the 12-part Faith Lessons filmed-on-location DVD and Discovery Guide series. Vander Laan illustrates how, in ancient times, nothing was bigger than Egypt… powerful pharaohs, strong armies, and a multitude of gods. God’s people were no match against the Egyptians. In this volume of Faith Lessons, discover how God answers the cry of his persecuted people and proclaims himself Lord to them and their oppressors. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for God Heard Their Cry was filmed on location in Luxor, Egypt; Deir al Medina, Ramesseum, and the Red Sea. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study. This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the God Heard Their Cry DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*How Big Is our God? – Filmed in Luxor, Egypt
*Israel in Bondage: God Heard Their Cry – Filmed at Dier al Medina
*Finger of God: The Plagues – Filmed at Ramesseum
*Watch with Me: Israel Leaves Egypt – Filmed at the Red Sea
*The Lord Reigns: The Red Sea – Filmed at the Red Sea -
Walk As Jesus Walked Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session, video-based small group bible study, Walked As Jesus Walked, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume seven of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In this volume, Vander Laan helps you experience how the disciples translated Jesus’ call to passionate discipleship into language and imagery the Roman culture already understood. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for Walked As Jesus Walked was filmed on location in Aphrodisias, Antioch Pisidia, Lystra, and Cappadocia. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study. This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Walk As Jesus Walked DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*Run! The Passion of Elijah – Filmed in Aphrodisias
*Learning to Walk Like Jesus – Filmed in Antioch Pisidia
*An Unlikely Disciple – Filmed in Lystra
*Why Christians Suffer: The Weight of Gesthemane – filmed in Cappadocia
*Don’t Forget Us – filmed on location in Cappadocia -
In The Dust Of The Rabbi Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, In the Dust of the Rabbi, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume six of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In this volume, Vander Laan helps you experience Jesus’ life up close and personal.
Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
The In the Dust of the Rabbi Discovery Guide includes five sessions.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for In the Dust of the Rabbi was filmed on location in Galilee, Priene, and Didyma.
These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the In the Dust of the Rabbi DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*When the Rabbi Says, “Come” – Filmed in Galilee
*When the Rabbi Says, “Go” – Filmed in Galilee
*The Presence of God: A Countercultural Community – Filmed in Priene
*Living Stones – Filmed in Priene
*The Very Words of God – Filmed in Didyma -
Meaning Of Marriage Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartModern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that marriage does not mean ’til death do us part, but merely for as long as my needs are being met; and that when serious differences arise, divorce is the best solution.
According to the Bible, all of these modern-day assumptions miss what marriage is all about. In The Meaning of Marriage-a six-session video-based Bible study-Timothy Keller, along with Kathy, his wife of forty years, draws a profound portrait of marriage from the pages of Scripture that neither idealizes nor rejects the institution but points us back to the relationship between God and man. The result is a vision for marriage that is refreshingly frank and unsentimental, yet hopeful and beautiful. This six-session video Bible study is for anyone from singles to couples considering marriage to those who have been married recently or for a long time.
The six sessions are:
*The Secret of Marriage
*The Essence of Marriage
*The Mission of Marriage
*Embracing the Other
*Singleness and Marriage
*Sex and Marriage -
Voices From The Hospice
$27.00Add to cartHospice chaplain Bob Whorton takes us deep into the human experience of suffering and waiting. Framed as a train journey, we are invited to travel through various stations and stop for a while in many different station waiting rooms. The counter-cultural message is that there are difficult situations in our lives which we cannot escape from and must be lived; there are no short-cuts, and the stations must be travelled through one by one. However, in following this path we will find a new orientation to life, and we will find ourselves mirroring the way of Christ. In these pages we listen to the voices of patients and family members in a hospice; they become our teachers. And we listen also to the ancient voice of the psalmist who was well versed in the ways of suffering love.
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Pauls Theology Of Preaching
$44.99Add to cartList Of Excurses
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part One: Greco-Roman Rhetoric
1 The Beginnings
2 The Goal Of Rhetoric
3 The Power Of Rhetoric
4 The Reach Of Rhetoric
5 The Genius Of Rhetoric
6 The Appraisal Of Rhetoric
7 The Hazards Of Rhetoric
8 The Rewards Of Rhetoric
9 The Grand Equation Of RhetoricPart Two: 1 Corinthians 1-4
10 Paul And Rhetoric In Corinth
11 The Setting Of 1 Corinthians 1-4
12 Paul’s Argument Introduced: 1 Corinthians 1:1-17
13 Paul’s Argument Begun: 1 Corinthians 1:17-20
14 Paul’s Argument Encapsulated: 1 Corinthians 1:21
15 Paul’s Argument Continued: 1 Corinthians 1:22-2:5
16 Paul’s Argument Completed: 1 Corinthians 2:6-4:21Part Three: Summary And Analysis
17 Paul’s Ministry Model
18 Final Questions
19 Appropriate StrategiesConclusion: The Pauline Model
Appendix One: Paul, Apollos And Philo
Appendix Two: The Book Of Acts
Appendix Three: Paul’s Epistemology
Appendix Four: Implications For Preaching
Appendix Five: Broader Implications
Works Cited
Author Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
Duane Litfin, former president of Wheaton College, explores how Paul’s theology of preaching can inform the church’s preaching today. Through a detailed study of 1 Corinthians 1-4, Litfin shows how Paul’s method of proclamation differed from Greco-Roman rhetoric and how Pauline preaching can be a model for the contemporary preaching task. -
Volunteer Church : Mobilizing Your Congregation For Growth And Effectivenes
$24.99Add to cartWorking with volunteers can be a rewarding and exciting experience-for them as well as for those who recruit, train, and maintain their services. However, if church leaders are honest, they know there are times that it can be frustrating. They know that volunteers are essential, vital to creating growth and new ministries, and are the key to introducing youth and children to Jesus Christ. They have the welcoming smiles at the door, they serve the food, pray for needs, stuff bulletins, organize missions trips, and on and on. If they want to see their church grow, it must be a volunteering church, a church that runs on volunteers. The Volunteer Church was developed out of the ministry of Leith Anderson at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where a vital and vibrant volunteer program boasting 4,000 participants grew under the leadership of Jill Fox. The principles and training have been applied in churches of all sizes and denominations in seminar settings across the country as well as at Wooddale Church. In The Volunteer Church, leaders will Learn how to effectively recruit and train volunteers Discover how to build sustainable, long-lasting ministries led by volunteers Find methods for encouraging and maintaining your volunteers for success Know how to build teams of volunteers Understand how to find the right service that fits a willing volunteer If you lead a church and are exhausted by the lack of volunteer help, or if you are a volunteer and dream of adding numbers to your team, this book is for you. If you are on a church staff and know that a new ministry is needed but volunteers and training are required to make it happen, here you will find the resources to recruit, inspire, train, and maintain the church’s most vital workforce.
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Ferguson And Faith
$19.99Add to cart1. Just Protest This By Prayer!
2. Praying With Their Feet
3. Not Looking Away
4. Jesus Is In The Streets!
5. Where Have All The Leaders Gone?
6. This Is What Theology Looks Like
7. Why Are Your Doors Open To Us?
8. There Is A Ferguson Near You
9. Standing On The Side Of Love
10. #staywokeAdditional Info
The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, reignited a long-smoldering movement for justice, with many St. Louis-area clergy stepping up to support the emerging young leaders of today’s Civil Rights Movement. Seminary professor Leah Gunning Francis was among the activists, and her interviews with more than two dozen faith leaders and with the new movement’s organizers take us behind the scenes of the continuing protests. Ferguson and Faith demonstrates that being called to lead a faithful life can take us to places we never expected to go, with people who never expected us to join hands with them. Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community is the first book from the partnership of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) and Chalice Press. -
Focusing Your Church Board
$11.99Add to cartChurch boards are often the scene of confusion, conflict, and chaos. What’s the job of a board? What’s the role of the pastor in relation to the board? Should there be an elder board and an administrative board? Ted Hull’s use of illustrations and analogies bring these questions-and answers-into focus.
Ted first looks at the foundation of governance, both from a biblical and historic perspective. Then he introduces Policy Governance(R), often referred to as the Carver model, and confronts questions regarding whether this secular model can work in the church, or if it should even be allowed. He even argues for why a church board may not want to use Policy Governance.
When you’re done reading, you’ll never look at the role of a church board in the same way again. In fact, whether you’re a member of your church board or the board of any charity, you’ll find yourself reaching for this book more than once.
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Youth Ministry In The 21st Century (Reprinted)
$25.00Add to cartThere are many philosophies and strategies that drive today’s youth ministry. To most people, they are variations on a single goal: to make faithful disciples of young people. However, digging deeper into various programs, books, and concepts reveals substantive differences among approaches.
Bestselling author Chap Clark is one of the leading voices in youth ministry today. In this multiview work, he brings together a diverse group of leaders to present major views on youth ministry. Chapters are written in essay/response fashion by Fernando Arzola Jr., Greg Stier, Ron Hunter Jr., Brian Cosby, and Chap Clark. As the contributors present their views and respond to each of the other views, they discuss their task and calling, giving readers the resources they need to develop their own approach to youth ministry. Offering a model of critical thinking and respectful dialogue, this volume provides a balanced, irenic approach to a topic with which every church wrestles.
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God Of Justice
$20.99Add to cartThe level of injustice in the world is staggering. The church needs to respond. International Justice Mission (IJM) has worked with thousands of churches to help them live out the mandate of Isaiah 1:17: to seek justice, rescue the oppressed and care for orphans and widows. Christians need to be equipped and mobilized to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are vulnerable and oppressed. The God of Justice is a twelve-sesson, discussion-based curriculum that explores the biblical narrative of justice throughout the whole of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. Through the participatory study of Scripture, Christians can explore God’s call to engage in bringing about justice on earth. Throughout the course of study, participants will come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of biblical justice and will draw personal application for the pursuit of justice ministry in their individual lives and the wider church. Prepare to have your heart and mind engaged, to be instructed by Scripture and challenged by real-life stories of people freed by the God of justice. This curriculum can help you and your church bring freedom, restoration and reconciliation to those in need. Discover how God reveals himself to those who join him on his justice journey!
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Psalm 2 KJV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartThis eagerly anticipated volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) covers chapters 42-106 of the Psalms and is part two of a three-part series.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) is much more than a commentary – it’s a comprehensive resource for expository and topical preaching.
Each volume organizes key points of Scripture passages in a systematic outline form, along with content synthesized from 200+ Bible commentaries, language sources, and reference works.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) includes inspirational sermon points, practical life applications and dozens of supporting scriptures in every section.
This volume includes Psalms chapters 42-106 and contains Scripture printed in King James Version (KJV).
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Sacred Marriage Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn this six-session small group Bible study, Sacred Marriage, writer and speaker Gary Thomas invites you to see how God can use marriage as a discipline and a motivation to reflect more of the character of Jesus.
Your marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. Sacred Marriage shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God.
Everything about your marriage-from the history you and your spouse create, to the love you share, to the forgiveness you both offer and seek by turn-is filled with the capacity to help you grow in Christ’s character.
In addition to life-changing insights, you’ll find a wealth of discussion questions in this Participant’s Guide that will spark meaningful conversation in your group, between you and your spouse, or to simply ponder by yourself. You’ll also find self-assessments, activities, and highlights all created to help you engage deeply and prayerfully with the content of this study. Designed for use with the Sacred Marriage DVD (sold separately).
Sessions include:
*God’s Purpose for Marriage
*The Refining Power of Marriage
*The God-Centered Spouse
*Sacred History
*Sexual Saints
*Marriage: The Love Laboratory -
Spent Matches : Igniting The Signal Fire For The Spiritually Dissatisfied
$22.99Add to cartSpent Matches explores the possibility that a few small paradigm shifts within the church might make the difference between extinction and effectiveness. In fact, taking a clue from the automobile industry, the church might be able to not only halt the rapid decay in attendance but also become an effective tool in achieving Jesus’ final command. For instance, the Hybrid car has become the answer to Detroit’s environmental and oil crisis issues. Finding the synergy between two technologies, gas and electric has created a new day for the auto industry. Likewise, Spent Matchesexplores how the church can find synergy between two seemingly competing thoughts: an invitation to come and a command to go. The Hybrid metaphor brings energy to the church’s mission and an explanation to the age-old argument of Missional versus Attractional methods.
Features include:
*Innovative ideas for growing the church
*Methods to reach those who may never have attended church
*Scripture passages that touch on the subject of church growth -
Understanding Gender Dysphoria
$25.99Add to cartIntroduction
1 Gender Identity, Gender Dysphoria And Appreciating Complexity
2 A Christian Perspective On Gender Dysphoria
3 What Causes Gender Dysphoria?
4 Phenomenology And Prevalence
5 Prevention And Treatment Of Gender Dysphoria
6 Toward A Christian Response: At The Level Of The Individual
7 Toward A Christian Response: At The Level Of The Institution
Notes
Author Index
Subject IndexAdditional Info
Few topics are more contested today than gender identity. In the fog of the culture war, complex issues like gender dysphoria are reduced to slogans and sound bites. And while the war rages over language, institutions and political allegiances, transgender individuals are the ones who end up being the casualties. Mark Yarhouse, an expert in sexual identity and therapy, challenges the church to rise above the political hostilities and listen to people’s stories. In Understanding Gender Dysphoria, Yarhouse offers a Christian perspective on transgender issues that eschews simplistic answers and appreciates the psychological and theological complexity. The result is a book that engages the latest research while remaining pastorally sensitive to the experiences of each person. In the midst of a tense political climate, Yarhouse calls Christians to come alongside those on the margins and stand with them as they resolve their questions and concerns about gender identity. Understanding Gender Dysphoria is the book we need to navigate these stormy cultural waters. -
What Makes Churches Grow
$27.00Add to cartExplores a variety of growing churches to identify what is making the difference between them and churches which are static or declining. In addition to numerical growth, it asks how we measure spiritual growth and identifies the signs of spiritual vitality, laying a practical and theological foundation for continued growth into the future.
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Israels Mission Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartJoin renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he travels through the land of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in Israel, the That the World May Know DVD series transforms participants’ understanding of God and challenges them to be a true follower of Jesus.
The That the World May Know video Bible study series is ideal for use by pastors and small group leaders, as well as anyone interested in deeper, biblical learning.
The Israel’s Mission Study Guide is designed for use with the Israel’s Mission DVD (sold separately).
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4 Portraits One Jesus Workbook (Workbook)
$19.99Add to cartThis workbook accompanies Mark L. Strauss’s Four Portraits, One Jesus. Following the textbook’s structure, it offers readings from the Gospels, activities, and exercises designed to support the students’ learning experience and enhance their comprehension of what can be known from the Gospels about the central defining subject of Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth. Four Portraits, One Jesus is a thorough yet accessible introduction to the four biblical Gospels and their subject, the life and person of Jesus. Like different artists rendering the same subject using different styles and points of view, the Gospels paint four highly distinctive portraits of the same remarkable Jesus. With clarity and insight, Mark Strauss illuminates these four books, first addressing their nature, origin, methods for study, and historical, religious, and cultural backgrounds. He then moves on to closer study of each narrative and its contribution to our understanding of Jesus, investigating things such as plot, characters, and theme. Finally, he pulls it all together with a detailed examination of what the Gospels teach about Jesus’ ministry, message, death, and resurrection, with excursions into the quest for the historical Jesus and the historical reliability of the Gospels.
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Psalm 2 NIV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartThis volume is part two of a three-volume series. Psalms Vol. 3 (ch. 107-150) is currently in progress and will be available late 2016.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) is much more than a commentary – it’s a comprehensive resource for expository and topical preaching.
Each volume organizes key points of Scripture passages in a systematic outline form, along with content synthesized from 200+ Bible commentaries, language sources, and reference works.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) includes inspirational sermon points, practical life applications and dozens of supporting scriptures in every section.
This volume includes Psalms chapters 42-106 and contains Scripture printed in New International Version (NIV).
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Circle Maker Student Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartPray Circles Around Your Greatest Dreams and Biggest Fears
Prayer can sometimes be a frightening thing-how do you approach the maker of the world, and what exactly can you pray for? In this student adaptation of The Circle Maker, Pastor Mark Batterson uses the true legend of Honi the circle maker, a first-century Jewish sage whose bold prayer saved a generation, to uncover the boldness God asks of us at times, and what powerful prayer can mean in your life. Drawing inspiration from his own experiences as a circle maker, as well as sharing stories of young people who have experienced God’s blessings, Batterson explores how you can approach God in a new way by drawing prayer circles around your dreams, your problems, and, most importantly, God’s promises. In the process, you’ll discover this simple yet life-changing truth: God honors bold prayers; bold prayers honor God. And you’re never too young for God to use you for amazing things.
Updated with discussion questions that tie to the Circle Maker video curriculum.
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Disaster Ministry Handbook
$30.99Add to cartWhen disasters happen, people turn to local churches as centers for response and assistance. When floods or tornadoes devastate an area, or when shootings and violence shock a community, knowing what to do can be the difference between calm and chaos, courage and fear, life and death. But few churches plan in advance for what they should do – until the storm hits.
Don’t get caught unprepared. If a natural disaster or human tragedy strikes your community, your church can minister to the hurting. Jamie Aten and David Boan, codirectors of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, provide a practical guide for disaster preparedness. Disaster ministry is a critically important work of the church, preparing for the unthinkable, providing relief to survivors, caring for the vulnerable, helping communities recover. Filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management, this book provides best practices for local congregations. By taking action in advance, your church can help prevent harm and save lives during a disaster.
The time to plan is now. Be prepared.
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Making Disciples Across Cultures
$24.99Add to cartCulture affects how we make disciples. We often unconsciously bring our own cultural assumptions into ministry and mission, not realizing that how we think and operate is not necessarily the best or only way to do things. In today’s global environment, disciplemaking requires the cultural humility and flexibility to adapt between different cultural approaches.
Charles Davis, former director of TEAM, provides a framework for missional disciplemaking across diverse cultural contexts. He shows how we can recalibrate our ministry efforts, like adjusting sound levels on a mixer board, to accommodate different cultural assumptions. With on-the-ground stories from a lifetime of mission experience, Davis navigates such tensions as knowledge and behavior, individualism and collectivism, and truth and works to help Christian workers minister more effectively.
Ministry teams, church planters, pastors and missionaries working interculturally at home or overseas can be part of God’s movement of making disciples. Discover how the body of Christ grows in the unity and diversity of the global church.
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Envisioning The Congregation Practicing The Gospel
$26.99Add to cartThis accessible and instructive book is designed to equip lay leaders of Protestant churches to better envision and practice gospel-driven ministry and mission in contemporary society.Seasoned pastor and practical theologian John Stewart presents and explains five biblically mandated, foundational practices for being and nurturing the church: fellowship, discipleship, witness, service, and worship. Stewart argues that these five practices are normative, indispensable, and doable for congregations that seek to remain faithful to their risen Lord, and he offers memorable, achievable models of ways they are already being used in current mainline congregations.
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Just Mission : Practical Politics For Local Churches
$35.99Add to cartThe last decade has seen a resurgence of the social action of the local church -responses to social need have included street pastors, cold weather shelters, debt advice centres and latterly food banks. The last decade has also seen a greater experimentation in forms of evangelism, most prominently in the fresh expressions movement. The intention has been to bring the Church into contact with people who would not otherwise cross its threshold. All these changes have led to new pastoral relationships being formed and a greater awareness of how social change affects real people’s lives. Just Mission draws upon the increased activism of local churches and links it to effective use of democratic processes to achieve justice for the people with whom they have a pastoral relationship. It seeks to explain in a straight forward and theologically-based way, how they can undertake that task based upon the pastoral work that arises from their social action and evangelism. Helen Cameron introduces the political and public theology that is currently being produced to local church leaders so they can see that theology has a genuine interest in the dilemmas they currently face.
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Leading In DisOrienting Times
$26.99Add to cartJack Mezirow, a leader in education theory, suggests that all transformative learning begins with a ‘disorienting dilemma’: an idea or experience that challenges or shifts fundamental values and assumptions. Gary Nelson and Peter Dickens, pastors and teachers with vast experience working with congregations and organizations, believe it is time for Christian leaders to be ‘disoriented,’ for the fundamental values and assumptions of Christian leadership to be reframed and broken down so they can see the leadership task in new ways. Blending current literature from both Christian and secular scholarship with individual and organizational examples, Leading in DisOrienting Times provides support for the concept of servant leadership that may be initially disorienting, but is ultimately liberating.
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Preaching In Pictures
$20.99Add to cartHow often do poets, advertisers, and movie makers influence Sunday sermons? Perhaps these image experts have much to offer pastors. Author Peter Jonker looks to these professionals as he examines the importance of having a controlling, vivid, dominant image that repeats throughout sermons. In Preaching in Pictures, Jonker details how a controlling image helps to unify the sermon and to communicate the sermon’s central thought. The best sermons center around a compelling image that embodies either the trouble present in the Biblical text, or the trouble destroying grace of God that the text proclaims. Jonker offers exercises designed to help pastors find strong, controlling images for their sermons. Preaching in Pictures is the third book in the Artistry of Preaching Series.
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Coming Home : Ministry That Matters With Veterans And Military Families
$16.99Add to cartComing home from military service is a process of reconnection and reintegration that is best engaged within a compassionate community.
There are almost 20 million veterans and service members living in the United States, including more than one million Americans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. Post-war life can be challenging unless there are communities responding with compassion and hospitality. How churches welcome and respond will be critical to the well-being of our nation’s veterans, their families, our local communities, and our nation.
Zachary Moon, a commissioned military chaplain, has seen the unique challenges for those adjusting to post-war life. In this book, he prepares congregations to mobilize a receptive and restorative ministry with military service members and their families. Designed to be accessible to both clergy and laypersons, this is an ideal resource for individuals or small groups interested in addressing the opportunities and challenges facing veterans and their families. Discussion questions and other resources included will help support small-group dialogue and community building.
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Life Youve Always Wanted Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn the six-session small group Bible study, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg guides you and your group through the spiritual disciplines and teaches you how they can transform your spiritual life. What does true spiritual life really look like? And what keeps you from living it? What can you do to pursue it? If you’re tired of the status quo-if you suspect there’s more to Christianity than what you’ve experienced-John Ortberg invites you to join him on a road to transformation and spiritual vigor that anyone can take. Cultivate new intimacy and confidence in prayer. Discover the freedom of secrecy. Taste the benefits of slowing life’s frenetic pace. Learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit – and much more. As in a marathon, the secret lies not in trying hard, but in training consistently. Proven by followers of Jesus over the centuries, the spiritual disciplines are exercises that strengthen your endurance race on the road to growth. This study guide is designed for use with The Life You’ve Always Wanted: A DVD Study (sold separately). When used together, they provide you with a practical tool that can grow your faith.
Sessions include:
*It’s Morphing
*Time Slowing Down and Celebrating
*Praying and Confessing
*Meditating on Scripture and Seeking Guidance
*Practicing Servanthood, Finding Freedom
*Going the Distance with a Well-Ordered Heart -
Earn Save Give Participant Book (Large Type)
$16.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
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Earn Save Give Childrens Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$18.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
The Children’s Leader Guide contains session ideas for younger and older children, including reproducible handouts. Consists of four sessions as part of the churchwide stewardship program.
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Earn Save Give Youth Study (Teacher’s Guide)
$10.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
Everything needed to conduct a 4-week youth study for ages 13-18, as part of the churchwide stewardship program. The Youth Study Book includes participant content as well as leader helps.
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Teaching Biblical Faith
$18.99Add to cartBiblical faith is a lens for viewing life, and Jack Seymour refreshingly illustrates how the reading of scripture is a resource for ongoing theological reflection connecting experience, vocation, daily life, and faith. Teaching has concrete consequences affecting the very ways people of faith view the world and make decisions for living. It matters; it makes a difference in how people think and act.
Written in an accessible style, the book provides a manageable way to inspire conversation about the many ways the Bible can be taught, the purposes and outcomes of each approach, and how biblical wisdom shapes personal and corporate decision-making. Useful strategies for leading group Bible study help congregations respond faithfully to the Biblical witness and cultivate a whole congregation approach to Bible study.
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Time Management For The Christian Leader
$17.99Add to cartGod gives each of us the same 168 hours a week. Why is it that some of us seem to spend our time more effectively and more efficiently than others? Our time is too short and our ministries too important for us to waste any of the hours God has entrusted to us.
Author Ken Willard outlines some best practices, time wasters to avoid, and examples designed to apply in your life and ministry. How do we plan for the long-term, the short-term, and the daily? What are the connections between our tasks and our goals? Is there space between your load and your limit?
Time Management for Christian Leaders challenges readers to identify why they are interested in improving their time management skills, where they currently struggle, and where they want to spend more time.
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Earn Save Give Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the small group study as part of the stewardship program. Includes session plans, discussion questions, and activities based on the book and DVD, as well as multiple format options.
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Earn Save Give Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$15.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
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Sermon Sucking Black Hole
$16.99Add to cartVery little communication takes place between most pastors/priests and their congregants regarding the weekly sermon/homily. This lack of constructive dialogue has resulted in Sunday messages that are not only out-of-touch with where parishioners are living, but for the most part what’s said isn’t remembered much beyond the church parking lot.
Dr. Mains contends that people in the pew can best judge when a sermon is helpful to them and when it isn’t. So why not include them in the process of both preparing and evaluating sermons? Not preaching the sermons. . . . .but again, preparing and evaluating them. He makes these changes sound so simple and practical that you can’t help but wonder, “Why weren’t these ideas implemented years ago?”
Most people in the pew don’t realize how integral they are to finding a solution to this problem. But the pulpit/pew combination can be an incredibly powerful team, so let’s begin to work together to help solve this mystery of what’s happening to sermons.
This is not a negative book or one that only points out problems. Instead, it’s a positive, practical and encouraging read that should fill you with hope for not only your local congregation, but churches everywhere.
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Brain Savvy Leaders
$27.99Add to cartLeadership is tough. Church leadership can be even tougher. Leadership demands constant reframing and reappraisal of the situation, focus, objectivity, honest appraisal of yourself and others, and astute evaluation of available resources. Church leadership is all that and more. To be an effective church leader, you also have to love and have others’ best interest at heart. You have to align yourself and your church with God’s desire to transform lives for the better, both within and beyond your reach.
Using up-to-date research from brain science in easy-to-understand language, author Charles Stone will help you increase your personal productivity, handle stress and your emotions in constructive ways, create and sustain collaborative teams, and manage change in your church. Using illustrations and acronyms, Dr. Stone will show you how brain science can complement and reinforce what the Bible says about life and leadership. He will show you how basic brain processes affect leadership and your team’s ability to follow while becoming more cohesive and collaborative.
Each chapter gives practical tips and actionable steps to help leaders improve personal and organizational skills.
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Preaching The Gospels Without Blaming The Jews
$44.00Add to cartRonald Allen and Clark Williamson provide a commentary on the Revised Common Lectionary Gospel readings, demonstrating how the lections are continuous with the theology, values, and practices of Judaism and also identifying and reflecting on points at which the lections caricature Jewish people, practices, and institutions.
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2nd Intercessions Handbook
$16.99Add to cartContaining completely new material, this user-friendly sequel to the bestselling Intercessions Handbook is for individuals and groups involved in the vital task of leading prayers in public worship. Easy to adapt to particular situations and with a wealth of creative suggestions for enlivening the prayers, The Second Intercessions Handbook covers:* mainstream public worship* festivals and special events. informal worship and worship for small groups. intercessions with children and young people . personal intercession
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Discussing Mere Christianity Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this 8-session video group study, you will discover why Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is one of the most read and beloved Christian books of all time. But seventy years later from when it was first delivered on radio, what relevance does it have to our world today? Host Eric Metaxas and a variety of Christian leaders (e.g. N.T. Wright, Tim Keller, Lauren Winner, Devin Brown, Paul McCusker, Douglas Gresham) help us understand the timeless message of C.S. Lewis in fresh ways for a new generation. The first purpose of this video study is to explore the positive ideas that C.S. Lewis has so eloquently written about in Mere Christianity for those who already call themselves Christian. The second purpose is to explain in an engaging, winsome and non-threatening way the basic tenants of the Christian faith as illustrated by C.S. Lewis to those who do not claim to be Christian. This study aims to fulfill the vision of C.S. Lewis of reaching people from all faith backgrounds.
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Who Is My Neighbor Teacher Manual (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWho Is My Neighbor? (Quien es mi vecino?) is a field-tested resource through which English speakers of any church and congregation can learn basic Spanish-speaking skills to be able to communicate and provide a welcoming atmosphere to the Hispanic communities surrounding them. The six-session resource developed by the Northern Illinois Conference covers basic conversational Spanish, and simple and easy to follow Spanish-language worship material. The program encourages openness toward Spanish-speaking neighbors, understanding of different cultures, and compassion for those who struggle to learn English. This resource is easily implemented by congregations of any size, and it results in a program of hospitality that will help include Hispanic communities in your church congregation.
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Minister As Entrepreneur
$20.99Add to cartBuilding on his own experiences as a priest and an entrepreneur, Volland argues that the concept of entrepreneurship offers churches a helpful lens through which to view Christian ministry and mission, and an understanding and approach to ministry that is well fitted for the mission task in a rapidly changing world. He shows how an entrepreneurial approach is consistent with understandings of leadership in the major denominations and in the new churches. He also argues that such an approach is consistent both with the nature of God and with human collaboration with God’s activity in the world. “To be a minister is to face the everyday challenge of finding new ways to express the faith, and to refresh the life of the Church. This is the call to be an entrepreneur. Michael Volland sets out the case for the minister as an agent of change and as the one who looks for new ways to do things . . . This is an important and a timely book which will help us to see entrepreneurship as gift of God and a delight for the Church.’Pete Ward, Professorial Fellow in Ecclesiology and Ethnography, Durham University
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God With Skin On
$16.95Add to cartIn these nineteen Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany gospel sermons, pastors can find ways to help expose to their congregations the truth that can transform the world: living a life that serves as light and hope.
Rev. Andrews says “it is a privilege and joy to reveal a God with skin on — a fleshy word that gets up off the pages of the Bible and walks into our lives.”
God With Skin On for Cycle C by Susan Andrews will help any pastor looking
for:
* fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* preaching illustrations
* a clearer understanding of scripture passages
* adult study and discussion groups
* personal devotions and Bible study on each Sunday’s readings.Some of the sermon titles in this book are:
* The Future Present (Luke 1:39-45 [46-55])
* How Intelligent Is God’s Design? (Matthew 2:1-12)
* Holy Happiness (Luke 6:17-26) -
Life Is Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartSimple Truths to Find Love, Enjoyment, Trust, and Peace with GodWhat is life? What are we here for? What is truly important? What will bring authentic satisfaction and lasting happiness? We all ask these questions, and we all have a right to come to our own conclusions. In this follow-up to his New York Times and USA Today bestseller Jesus Is ____, Judah completes this sentence as to what “life is,” revealing how it is to be loved and to love, to enjoy God to the fullest, to trust God in every moment, and to be at peace with God, others, and ourselves. Judah writes as a friend, welcoming to the discussion new believers, lifelong followers of Jesus, and even the merely curious. In Life Is _____, Judah shows us the irrational love of God and the life that he intends for us to have in the here and now. With excitement and humor, he looks at the stories in the Bible from a different angle and shows how life is all about loving God and loving others. This study guide is designed for use with Life Is _____: A DVD Study (sold separately) and includes leader helps, discussion questions, conversation starters, and between-session activities to enhance application of Judah’s teaching.
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Collected Sermons Of Walter Brueggemann 2
$44.00Add to cartThis collection presents over fifty powerful sermons from one of the most trusted preachers today, Walter Brueggemann. In it, Brueggemann continues his task of making the biblical text available to the church. He sees preaching as a performance of God’s good rule that, in an act of utterance and receptive listening, mediates the truthful, joyous reality of that rule. The sermons are organized according to the church year, starting with sermons for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany and followed by sermons for Lent and Easter and then Pentecost and Ordinary Time. Sermons for other occasions, such as ordinations, weddings, and graduations, are also included, along with a Scripture index. Whether a pastor or a person in the pew, the reader will find inspiration, reflection, and wisdom in Brueggemann’s powerful words.
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Me To We
$20.99Add to cartChurches with front doors that open up mission fields rather than buildings.When Christians answer the clarion call to be missional, too often it is primarily to feel good or to grow in their own faith. But ultimately we remain unsatisfied because, in the end, it’s still about “me”-my church, my faith, my salvation. Then sometimes inspiration dries up.
We forget that Jesus is the head of the Church, which exists at God’s pleasure and disposal. God is birthing a new Social Gospel, meant to reclaim mission and justice ministries as prime directives for the Church, and not with the naive thinking of the 19th or 20th centuries.
What are the characteristics of this new Social Gospel? There is an expectation that mission is “with” and not “for” others. There is an acknowledgement that tolerance is not a dirty word and we have to find a peaceable way to live in our intercultural world. It carries the Wesleyan impulse to change the world by working to build God’s kingdom in this world. It offers the grace and salvation of Christ to those in need, believing that none are free unless all are free. It means that we feed the hungry, educate to poor, and equip the powerless in tangible ways.
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Pastors Ministry : Biblical Priorities For Faithful Shepherds
$24.99Add to cartEvery pastor struggles with demands for his time, and how to determine priorities in ministry. Some choose to respond to the most urgent needs, while others seek a more balanced and intentional approach. But what determines these priorities? Where should a busy pastor look for wisdom in making decisions?
In the Pastor’s Ministry, pastor and author Brian Croft looks to the Scriptures to determine the top ten priorities for a faithful pastoral ministry. These biblically rooted responsibilities help pastors determine how to spend their time and with greater discernment respond to the demands of the church. Each of these priorities is rooted in a direct command of God’s Word, including:
*Guarding the Truth
*Preaching and Teaching the Word
*Praying for the Flock
*Setting an Example
*Visiting the Sick
*Comforting the Grieving
*Caring for Widows
*Confronting Sin
*Encouraging the Faint-Hearted
*Identifying and Training Other LeadersTo be successful and faithful in pastoral ministry, every pastor needs to understand these core callings and make them part of his regular practice. These ten responsibilities guide how a pastor schedules his time, helping him to lay the foundation for a biblically faithful ministry in his church.
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Embracing The Passion
$35.99Add to cartConvention suggests it is best not to talk about faith and politics: this book talks about both! It argues that Jesus was a political figure who championed the rights of the marginalised, the oppressed and voiceless. In this challenging and accessible book, Nigel Pimlott argues young people are often marginalised, oppressed and rarely heard in a world favouring the rich and powerful. Young people are opinionated, passionate about what they think is right and wrong, and are concerned about the world they live in. Yet research indicates young people are disengaged from mainstream political processes where they can express their views – young adults have stopped voting in elections in unprecedented numbers. This is something of a paradox.
Nigel contends that by more effectively equipping Christian youth workers and ministers to do politicking, they will be able to better equip and disciple young people to be more politically engaged in their own contexts. This unique research-based book provides a concise overview of how youth workers might best help young people flourish and realise the common good. It engages those interested in politics – and more importantly – encourages those not interested to get interested and make a difference in the world!
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Gods Word My Voice
$63.95Add to cartFor congregations who are trying to engage their kids in God’s Word in worship
* For clergy who don’t have a knack for creative children’s liturgy, but the deep
desire to connect with kids* For use in additional settings, including Christian day schools, children’s
chapels, family liturgiesWant the children in your congregation to leave with God’s Word on their lips and
in their hearts? This collection of The Revised Common Lectionary readings (Old
Testament, Psalm, New Testament, and Gospel), are paraphrased for children to be
read aloud in Sunday morning worship, will help kids easily read and understand
the word God has for their lives. This collection of lectionary paraphrases is written
in a child’s speaking voice, NOT as an adult telling a story to the children. The
psalms include a refrain for the entire congregation that closely parallels to the
Book of Common Prayer’s version.For clergy, school chaplains, Christian educators, worship leaders, home-schoolers.
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Supremacy Of God In Preaching (Expanded)
$20.00Add to cartAccording to Warren Wiersbe, The Supremacy of God in Preaching “calls us back to a biblical standard for preaching, a standard exemplified by many of the pulpit giants of the past, especially Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon.” This newly revised and expanded edition is an essential guide for preachers who want to stir the embers of revival. Piper has added valuable new material reflecting on his thirty-three years of preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church, offering a glimpse of what a lifetime of putting God first has done for the faith of the hundreds of thousands who have heard him preach over the years.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year B 2
$42.00Add to cartThis is the sixth and final volume in the Feasting on the Word Worship Companion series, which provides liturgical pieces used in preparing for worship. It offers a multitude of poetic prayers and responsive readings for all parts of worship for churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary. In addition, the weekly entries include questions for reflection and household prayers for morning and evening that are drawn from the lectionary, allowing churches to include them in their bulletin for parishioners to use throughout the week.
During times of the year when two different tracks of Old Testament texts are offered by the Revised Common Lectionary, this resource offers an entire set of materials for both tracks. Also, a CD-ROM is included with each volume that enables planners to easily cut and paste relevant readings, prayers, and questions into worship bulletins.
Liturgy writers include:
Kimberly L. Clayton, Director of Contextual Education, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology and Worship, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, Kentucky; Presbyterian Church(U.S.A.)
Daniel M. Geslin, Pastor, Union Congregational Church of Hancock, Hancock, Maine; United Church of Christ
Kimberly Bracken Long, Associate Professor of Worship, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
L. Edward Phillips, Associate Professor of Worship and Liturgical Theology, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, Georgia; United Methodist Church
Melinda Quivik, Liturgical Scholar, Houghton, Michigan; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Carol L. Wade, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington, Kentucky; Episcopal Church -
Inhale Comfort Exhale Hope
$12.95Add to cartDeath rarely comes with simple answers, for its arrival is always a bold reminder that we live in an imperfect world. Yet there is hope found in the Savior, and in his promise we can be certain that the limitations of this world cannot shackle the power of God.
In the ten funeral homilies of Inhale Comfort, Exhale Hope! Mark Powell exposes the secrets of a broken world, reminding us that in the midst of the mess and the chaos, God’s presence delivers a redeeming hope. Powell doesn’t believe that the funeral homily should ever be an attempt to lecture or evangelize; rather, he asserts it’s a time to remind the brokenhearted to rely on solid scriptural truths found in the words of Jesus:
We will not be left orphaned. Death has no victory. We will be with the Lord forever.
The homilies in this volume will aid the pastor in preparation of funerals for:
* an unexpected death
* an elderly Christian
* the death of someone unknown to the pastor
* a suicide
* a child
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Mission Drift : The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders Charities And Churches (Repri
$17.99Add to cartIs your organization in danger of Mission Drift?Without careful attention, faith-based organizations drift from their founding mission. It’s that simple. It will happen. Slowly, silently, and with little fanfare, organizations routinely drift from their purpose, and many never return to their original intent. Harvard and the YMCA are among those that no longer embrace the Christian principles on which they were founded. But they didn’t drift off course overnight. Drift often happens in small and subtle ways. Left unchecked, it eventually becomes significant. Yet Mission Drift is not inevitable. Organizations such as Compassion International and InterVarsity have exhibited intentional, long-term commitment to Christ.Why do so many organizations–including churches–wander from their mission, while others remain Mission True? Can drift be prevented? In Mission Drift, HOPE International executives Peter Greer and Chris Horst tackle these questions. They show how to determine whether your organization is in danger of drift, and they share the results of their research into Mission True and Mission Untrue organizations. Even if your organization is Mission True now, it’s wise to look for ways to inoculate yourself against drift. You’ll discover what you can do to prevent drift or get back on track and how to protect what matters most.
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Are You Ready
$21.99Add to cartThis ‘prequel’ to the confirmation gift book Living your Confirmation (SPCK, 2012) contains 19 ready-to-use, interactive sessions to use with young people who are preparing for confirmation. The first part of the book focuses on the promises made in the confirmation service and relates to the topics covered in Living your Confirmation, including prayer, Holy Communion, going to church and social action. The second part includes sessions on sex, alcohol, image, exams, science, pornography and suffering. An introduction considers the point of confirmation and its role in a young person’s faith journey. The book also includes a full programme for a pre-confirmation retreat and a liturgy for the enrolment of confirmands.
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Practice Of Pastoral Care (Expanded)
$35.00Add to cartThe Practice of Pastoral Care has become a popular seminary textbook for courses in pastoral care and a manual for clinical pastoral education. In it, Doehring encourages counselors to view their ministry through a trifocal lens that incorporates premodern, modern, and postmodern approaches to religious and psychological knowledge. Doehring describes the basic ingredients of a caregiving relationship, shows how to use the caregiver’s life experience as a source of authority, and demonstrates how to develop the skill of listening and establishing the actual relationship. This new edition elaborates on and expands the author’s previous work, adding an intercultural perspective that gives more attention to religious pluralism in the pastoral care setting. It offers a road map for using a step-by-step narrative, relational, embodied approach to spiritual care that respects the unique ways people live out their values and beliefs, especially in coping with stress, loss, and violence. Readers will be able to confidently and professionally offer pastoral care and counseling to members of their congregations or other places of ministry.
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Comfort The Grieving
$12.99Add to cartUntil the end of time, when the curse of sin is finally removed, suffering will be a large part of the human experience and a large part of that suffering will be walking through the painful reality of death. ‘Death,’ writes Paul Tautges, ‘provides a natural opportunity not only for ministry to others, but also for personal growth in ministers.’ Those who shepherd others through the pain and loss that accompanies death should seek to offer wise and biblical counsel on these precious and painful occasions.
This book is a treasure chest of pastoral theology that will equip you to reach out to those who grieve with the Christ-centered comfort of God rooted in the gospel. The theological foundation espoused here, as well as the numerous practical helps that are included, will help any servant of the Lord to point the hearts and minds of the bereaved to the ‘man of sorrows’ who is ‘acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:3).
The Practical Shepherding series of booklets provides pastors and ministry leaders with advice and practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Comfort Those Who Grieve, experienced pastor Paul Tautges offers readers a guide to comforting those dealing with death through the hope of the gospel.
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God Gave The Growth
$34.95Add to cartThe Episcopal Church has recognized that planting new churches is a high priority through the Mission Enterprise Zones initiative, which provides grant funding for new worshiping communities, in partnership with dioceses. While there is significant literature and training available for church planters in evangelical contexts, very little is available for planters in the Episcopal/mainline context. This book addresses how to rise up and train leaders for the difficult task of planting new churches in the twenty-first century. It answers the essential questions, such as why should we plant churches, what models of church planting are most successful, what kinds of leaders are necessary, and what problems can be expected. Through the author’s personal experience and interviews with diocesan experts and leaders in mainline denominations, it provides strategies, approaches, and problem-solving techniques.
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Raising Kingdom Kids Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Read moreThis Participant’s Guide is a companion resource to the six-week DVD-based curriculum Raising Kingdom Kids with teaching by Dr. Tony Evans.
Recommended for every participant, this Participant’s Guide helps parents tackle the critical assignment of raising children who are spiritually strong and prepared to take on the assignments God has for their lives.
The six sessions included in Raising Kingdom Kids Group Video Experience provide practical examples and illustrations to help parents grow kids’ faith, with specific instruction in the power of prayer, wisdom, love of God’s Word, getting through trials, controlling the tongue, developing patience, and the surrender of service. One sample Participant’s Guide is included in the Group Video Experience, and an additional copy is recommended for each group member.
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Keep It Shut Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartFrom Bible times to modern times women have struggled with their words: what to say and how to say it. What not to say. When it is best to remain silent. Or what to do when you’ve said something you wish you could now take back. Beyond just a “How not to gossip” study, Karen will teach what the Bible says about the many ways we are to use our words and the times when we are to remain silent. Using our speech to interact with friends, co-workers, family and strangers will be covered along with the many places we use our words such as in private, in public, online and in prayer. Even the words we say silently to ourselves. Unsolicited opinion-slinging, speaking the truth in love, not saying words just to people-please and dealing with our verbal anger are sub-topics that will also be addressed. Each session will feature a different character from the Bible, using them either as an example of someone to emulate or whose verbal actions we should avoid replicating.
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School Of The Prophets (Reprinted)
$19.00Add to cartMining from years on the frontlines of prophetic ministry and overseeing Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, bestselling author Kris Vallotton takes you deep into the heart of one of the most crucial, compelling, and controversial gifts: prophecy. In this essential guide, he reveals often-ignored foundational truths and provides critical advanced training, including how to
* discern your calling and grow in your gift
* define your divinely appointed sphere of influence and depth of authority
* prepare for the common, but dangerous, spiritual attacks prophets face
* navigate potential relational difficulties as you step into your gifting
* see what true prophetic ministry looks like inside–and outside–the churchAlso available is a new, in-depth curriculum kit that expounds on the book’s vital teachings. Each kit contains a DVD with eight dynamic, 20-minute teaching sessions from Vallotton, a leader’s guide for facilitating groups, a participant’s workbook, and a copy of School of the Prophets. Ideal for small groups, church classes, and independent Bible studies.
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Feasting On The Word Guide To Childrens Sermons
$24.00Add to cartFeasting on the Word Guide to Children’s Sermons equips church leaders and children’s ministry volunteers to deliver children’s sermons that are free of gimmicks and simplistic conclusions, that welcome children into the family of faith, and that give a foundation in God’s good news for all people. This volume will address the common questions pastors have about the children’s sermon, steps on avoiding common pitfalls, suggestions on how to use the children’s time in a church following the lectionary, and sample Bible stories for use in the children’s time.
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Missing An Urgent Call For The Church To Rescue Kids
$12.99Add to cartThey’ve been called the 4/14 window-the largest unreached people group in the world. They live in your neighborhood. They speak your language. They even attend your church. They are the children between 4 and 14 years of age who-unless they come to faith within the first decade and a half of their lives-will likely never have a relationship with God. Drawing from her experience as a children’s minister and her research on Millennials, Melissa J. MacDonald challenges readers to embrace the task of reaching this crucial generation with the gospel before it’s too late. Melissa’s style is fresh and engaging as she encourages parents, pastors and church leaders with practical, biblically-sound insight into capturing kids’ hearts without dumbing down the truth. Melissa draws on mistakes she’s made and lessons she’s learned with transparency and humor, and you’ll have a hard time not catching her contagious enthusiasm for sharing the love of Jesus with a missing generation. The daughter of a pastor and the oldest sister of three, Melissa J. MacDonald grew up doing ministry with her family. Melissa herself has been a children’s pastor and missionary. Passionate about the church and about kids, she travels extensively speaking, training, coaching and consulting. She currently serves as the national Children’s Disciplemaking Specialist for the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. She’s been to over 30 countries and seeks out the best ethnic food in every city she visits.
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Exploring Theology
$24.00Add to cartContents:
Introduction
What Is Theology?
How Do We Do Theology?
Theological Doctrines
ConclusionsAdditional Info
Fortress Press’s Foundations for Learning series prepares students for academic success through compelling resources that kick-start their educational journey into professional Christian ministry.In Exploring Theology, Elaine A. Robinson introduces readers to the study of theology as a central task of all Christians and one that deserves careful and consistent attention. Following a lively examination of what theology is and how we do it, Robinson provides a basic map of the major doctrines of the faith and asks readers to consider their own beliefs at this important point in their journey. She invites readers to think of theology as a stream into which we enter and which carries us deeper into the vast ocean which is the fullness of God.
Designed for those who are beginning a more serious study of theology, Exploring Theology helps readers navigate what might, at first glance, appear as a confusing or abstract subject. Navigational aids include an introduction to theological vocabulary, the sources and methods of theology, and tips for reading primary sources as a spiritual discipline. As a result of this journey, readers will be excited to delve more deeply into theology and will recognize the many ways that theology shapes how we live out the Christian faith in the world.
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Exploring Practices Of Ministry
$22.00Add to cartContents:
Introduction: Welcome To The Journey!: Foundations For Practices Of Ministry
1. A Map For The Journey: Theological Foundations For Practice
2. Agents Of Grace On The Move: The Practice Of Leading Worship
3. Heralds Of Truth And Transformation: The Practice Of Proclamation
4. Tour Guides For Fellow Travelers: The Practice Of Teaching
5. Companions In Healing: The Practice Of Pastoral Care
6. Navigators Into Uncharted Terrain: The Practice Of Leadership
Conclusion: On Our Way To Emmaus: Formation, Friendship, And FaithAdditional Info
Fortress Press’s Foundations for Learning series prepares students for academic success through compelling resources that kick-start their educational journey into professional Christian ministry. In Exploring Practices of Ministry, Pamela Cooper-White and Michael Cooper-White share insights from their extensive experience as parish ministers, church agency executives, and seminary educators in diverse multicultural and international contexts. Pamela, an Episcopal priest who teaches pastoral theology, care, and counseling, is also a pastoral psychotherapist with an extensive clinical background. Michael, a Lutheran pastor and seminary president, is also a pilot and flight instructor and has served as a chaplain with the Civil Air Patrol.The authors share their wisdom with seminarians and other readers seeking to deepen theological reflection and expand skills as ministry practitioners. While not all readers are preparing to be ordained ministers, most will engage in many of the practices described in the book: preaching and public speaking, teaching, leading liturgies, conducting ceremonies, counseling and offering pastoral support for persons undergoing life transitions, and serving as organizational leaders in congregations, chaplaincies, social ministries, and in the public arena. This book is a companion journal for pilgrims on the way to becoming confident practitioners of ministry.
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Exploring The Life And Calling
$19.00Add to cartContents:
1. The Calling Of A Professional Minister Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ
2. Defining Our Praxis
3. Praxis One: The Spiritual Life
4. Praxis Two: A Life Of Meditation And Contemplation
5. Praxis Three: An Embodied Faith
6. Praxis Four: Life Together In The Flock Of The Good Shepherd
7. Praxis Five: Leaders As Apprentices To Jesus
8. Forging AheadAdditional Info
Fortress Press’s Foundations for Learning series prepares students for academic success through compelling resources that kick-start their educational journey into professional Christian ministry.In this introductory volume for the series, Black asserts that while the primary subjects of seminary and professional church work training may dominate the interests of students, students must engage in the principal pursuit of understanding, then applying, Christian theology. Black argues that the thread of theology must be distinctly woven through each of the other disciplines of biblical exegesis, ministerial leadership, spiritual formation, counseling, preaching, and worship.
The following books in this series provide insight into these other key components of the minister’s duties. Black, however, leads off by honoring ministers as leaders who follow in the footsteps of Christ. Just as Jesus was an expert in the issues of his day, demonstrated authority to speak on the matters he engaged, mentored other leaders in like manner, was emulated by his followers who witnessed the life he lead, and, therefore, initiated a revolution that has changed the course of human history, Black is convinced that ministers of the gospel have no less a calling on their lives today
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Exploring Church History
$19.00Add to cartContents:
Part I: Why We Study Church History-Purpose
1. The Church Strives To Be One Family
2. The Church Strives To Be A Holy People
3. The Church Strives To Be A Catholic Body
4. The Church Strives To Be An Apostolic Church
Part II: How We Study Church History-Method
5. A Church In Syria Illumines The History Of Christianity In The Middle East
6. A Stele In China Illumines The History Of Christianity In Asia
7. A Cave In Egypt Illumines The History Of Christianity In Africa
8. A Grave In Italy Illumines The History Of Christianity In Europe
9. A Fabric In Mexico Illumines The History Of Christianity In The Americas
10. A Battlefield In Fiji Illumines The History Of Christianity In OceaniaAdditional Info
Fortress Press’s Foundations for Learning series prepares students for academic success through compelling resources that kick-start their educational journey into professional Christian ministry.In Exploring Church History, Derek Cooper invites readers to consider the purpose and significance of church history in the lives of individuals and communities today. Rather than offering an exploration of bygone eras and outdated events, Cooper brings history to life by emphasizing how past events, individuals, and movements shape how we understand the world around us.
Exploring Church History is divided into three convenient sections to aid those approaching the field of church history for the first time. While the first and second sections offer theoretical reasons why and how we study church history, the third section puts theory into practice by introducing readers to the major contours of world Christian history.
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House To House
$15.99Add to cartA MANUAL TO HELP YOU EXPERIENCE HEALTHY SMALL GROUPS AND HOUSE CHURCHES
Updated! House to House documents how God transformed a small fellowship of young believers into a worldwide movement. DOVE International(R) grew from 25 people to a cell church of over 2300 and then transitioned into a family of small group churches and house churches networking together throughout six continents.Larry Kreider draws from thirty years of victories and defeats to provide an overall paradigm with which to “do” church, where every believer becomes a minister. To embrace this paradigm, the very core of what drives and moves the church is changed. It is not about being clergy run, but rather, church leadership exists to equip and release the believers to become the ministers through small groups and house churches and fulfill their God-given call.
The book’s view of small groups and house churches, based firmly on the scriptures, from their purpose of reaching people for Christ to making disciples to their impact on today’s world, will inspire believers, Christian leaders, and churches, traditional or contemporary, in years to come…transforming them from individual congregations, large and small, into church planting movements.
Includes study and discussion questions after each chapter. Use it as a handbook for small group and house church dynamics as well as an invaluable tool to train leaders.
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Who Is This Man Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartIn this five-session DVD-based small group bible study, Who Is This Man?, John Ortberg reveals how Jesus made an inescapable influence on our world and you will learn how you can make one too! Jesus is history’s most familiar figure. His impact on the world is immense and non-accidental. From the Dark Ages to Post-Modernity he is the man who won’t go away And yet – He did not brashly defend his movement in the spirit of a rising political or military leader. He did not lay out a case that history would judge superior in all future books. He did not start by telling his disciples, ‘Here are proofs of my divinity; affirm them and I’ll accept you.’ Who Is This Man? illustrates how Jesus’ influence has swept over history, bringing his inspiration to the evolution of art, science, government, medicine, and education. And how his vision for us to lead lives of dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope continues to inspire and challenge humanity today Sessions include: The Man Who Won’t Go Away A Revolution of Humanity The Power of Forgiveness Why It’s a Small World After All Three Days That Changed the World
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Our Hands His Healing
$16.99Add to cartA practical guide to getting started in prayer ministry, as an individual or as a team. Prayer ministry offers us the opportunity to participate in the Holy Spirit’s healing work. Jeannie Morgan draws on her wide experience to offer advice on getting started in prayer ministry, ministering healing from past hurts, and pastoral prayer ministry (over four to six sessions). With spiritual tools, Scriptures, and vivid stories and illustrations of healing, she prepares us to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Highly practical, she also addresses many tricky questions. The book includes guidance notes for leaders and special resources for those receiving extended prayer ministry.
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Vanishing Grace Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWhy does the church stir up such negative feelings? Philip Yancey has been asking this all his life as a journalist. His perennial question is more relevant now than ever: research shows that favorable opinions of Christianity have plummeted drastically—and opinions of Evangelicals have taken even deeper dives. Yet while opinions about Christianity are dropping, interest in spirituality is rising. Why the disconnect? Why are so many asking, “What’s so good about the Good News?” In Vanishing Grace, Yancey shows the desperate need our world has for grace, and how Christians can truly make the gospel good news again. In this video-based small group Bible study, participants will explore what kind of news is good to a culture that thinks it has rejected the Christian version. Wading deep into the transformative power of grace, they will hear illuminating stories of how faith can be expressed in ways that disarm even the most cynical. This participant guide is designed for use with the 6-session Vanishing Grace DVD (sold separately).
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Conviction To Lead (Reprinted)
$16.99Add to cartCultures and organizations do not change without strong leadership. While many leadership books focus on management or administration, the central focus of The Conviction to Lead is on changing minds.
Dr. Mohler was the driving force behind the transformation of Southern Seminary from a liberal institution of waning influence to a thriving evangelical seminary at the heart of the Southern Baptist Convention. Since then he has been one of the most prominent voices in evangelicalism, fighting for Christian principles and challenging secular culture.
Using his own experiences and examples from history, Dr. Mohler demonstrates that real leadership is a transferring of conviction to others, affecting their actions, motivations, intuition, and commitment. This practical guide walks the reader through what a leader needs to know, do, and be in order to affect change.
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Me I Want To Be Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartIn this five-session small group Bible study, The Me I Want to Be, John Ortberg reveals how you can become the unique, fully alive person God intended you to be. There is a me each of one of us wants to be- someone who’s more kind and generous, patient, and loving. But there is a gap between the me I am and the me I want to be. Oftentimes we find it easy to trust God to bridge the gap between and us and him, but we struggle to really live by grace and trust God to close the gap between the me I am and the me I want to be. Becoming God’s best version of you is both God’s desire and the greatest task of your life. And here’s the good news- he’s already working on it. Your life is God’s project, not yours. The Me I Want to Be small group Bible study is a powerful look at becoming the unique, fully alive, flourishing person God intended. Pastor and author John Ortberg teaches through fives sessions how you can move toward becoming God’s best version of you in four specific areas: your mind, your time, your relationships, and your experiences. Spiritual growth can seem difficult or intimidating, but John Ortberg’s humor and innovative thinking in The Me I Want to Be will leave you challenged, inspired, and hopeful about true spiritual growth happening in you and your small group. This Participant Guide is designed for use with The Me I Want to Be DVD (sold separately) and includes discussion questions for individuals and groups. When used together they provide you with a practical tool than can transform your faith.
Sessions include:
Discovering the Spirit
Renewing My Mind
Redeeming My Time
Deeping My Relationships
Transforming My Experience -
Actuality : Real Life Stories For Sermons That Matter
$20.99Add to cartStories have a limit, but your reach doesn’t have to.During seminary, stories from dorm life or a former part-time job might manage to suffice for illustrative sermon material, but once a consistent preaching ministry begins, pastors run dry on stories in a hurry. Within a breathtakingly short span of time, most preachers blow through their personal stories and relevant antidotes.
Of course, what preachers need are not canned Internet illustrations, but true-to-life stories inside in which listeners will be able to locate themselves, thus opening them up to receive into their lives the grace of God that alone proffers hope and joy. This book teaches preacher how to cultivate personal habits of becoming consumers of art, journalism, and literature while letting the Word of God shine with a reality that is aptly fitting of a Gospel designed to save the real world.
Of course, what preachers need are not canned Internet illustrations, but true-to-life stories inside in which listeners will be able to locate themselves, thus opening them up to receive into their lives the grace of God that alone proffers hope and joy. Preachers need the insights of skilled novelists, who in fresh ways reveal the sad dynamics inside dysfunctional families. They need the wisdom skilled journalists bring to profiles of poverty and desperation. They need the storytelling skills of filmmakers, whose art is pure narrative.
But to get to these riches, preachers need to be inspired to read and to watch and how to keep track of it all so they can fruitfully bring forward the right amount of insight in a perfectly timed sermon.
This book teaches the preacher how to cultivate personal habits of becoming consumers of art, journalism, and literature while letting the Word of God shine with a reality that is aptly fitting of a Gospel designed to save the real world.
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Understanding Bible By Design
$24.00Add to cartToday’s seminary and religious-education instructors are expected to design and redesign their courses more nimbly than in the past. We have to adapt our courses to novel learning environments, for more diverse learners, toward more diverse vocations. At the same time, institutional rewards for time invested in course design are fewer than ever. Understanding Bible by Design introduces the reader to Understanding by Design: an approach to course design that is proven time-efficient and grounded in the instructor’s most closely-held convictions about her subject matter’s “big ideas and essential questions.” This book’s contributors (one in Old Testament, one in New Testament, and one in Jewish Studies) demonstrate the value of Understanding Bible by Design for the Biblical Studies instructor, whether at seminary or university, face-to-face or online, from the intimate seminar to the massive MOOC.
Lester’s synopsis of course design and suggested action is followed by a collaborative dialogue with Jane S. Webster and Christopher M. Jones. Webster and Jones provide practical commentary regarding the successful implementation of Lester’s proposed approaches. As a group, Lester, Webster, and Jones create a text that extends pedagogical innovation in inspiring but practical ways.
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Effective Social Learning
$24.00Add to cartThe ground of higher education is shifting, but learning ecosystems around the world have much more space than MOOCs and trendy online platforms can fill, and Loewen shows how professors have an indisputable pedagogical edge that gives them a crucial role to play in higher education. By adopting the collaborative pedagogical process in this book, professors can create effective social learning experiences that connect students to peers and professional colleagues in real-time.
Loewen moves beyond surface questions about technology in the classroom to a problem best addressed by educators in bricks-and-mortar institutions: if students are social learners, how do we teach in a way that promotes actual dialogue for learning? Designing learning experiences that develop intercultural competencies puts the test to students’ social inclinations, and engagement with course material increases when it’s used to dig deeper into the specificities of their identity and social location. Loewen’s approach to inter-institutional collaborative teaching will be explored with examples and working templates for collaborative design of effective social learning experiences. This is done by collaborative dialogue with G. Brooke Lester and Christopher Duncanson-Hales. As a group, Loewen, Lester, and Duncanson-Hales create a text that extends pedagogical innovation in inspiring but practical wa
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Bonhoeffer As Youth Worker (Reprinted)
$26.00Add to cartThe youth ministry focus of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life is often forgotten or overlooked, even though he did much work with young people and wrote a number of papers, sermons, and addresses about or for the youth of the church. However, youth ministry expert Andrew Root explains that this focus is central to Bonhoeffer’s story and thought. Root presents Bonhoeffer as the forefather and model of the growing theological turn in youth ministry. By linking contemporary youth workers with this epic theologian, the author shows the depth of youth ministry work and underscores its importance in the church. He also shows how Bonhoeffer’s life and thought impact present-day youth ministry practice.
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Celebrate Advent : Worship And Learning Resources
$18.25Add to cartPreface
“People, Look East”
AcknowledgmentsChapter 1. Preparing For Advent
Understanding The Season
Introducing The Season
Adapting The Services
The Four Sundays Of AdventChapter 2. Orders Of Worship
The First Sunday Of Advent
The Second Sunday Of Advent
The Third Sunday Of Advent
The Fourth Sunday Of AdventChapter 3. Sermons
Children
The First Sunday Of Advent
The Second Sunday Of Advent
The Third Sunday Of Advent
The Fourth Sunday Of Advent
Adults
The First Sunday Of Advent
The Second Sunday Of Advent
The Third Sunday Of Advent
The Fourth Sunday Of AdventChapter 4. Educational Activities
Older Children
The First Sunday Of Advent
The Second Sunday Of Advent
The Third Sunday Of Advent
The Fourth Sunday Of Advent
Youth
The First Sunday Of Advent
The Second Sunday Of Advent
The Third Sunday Of Advent
The Fourth Sunday Of Advent
Adult
The First Sunday Of Advent
The Second Sunday Of Advent
The Third Sunday Of Advent
The Fourth Sunday Of Advent
Intergenerational
The First Sunday Of Advent
The Second Sunday Of Advent
The Third Sunday Of Advent
The Fourth Sunday Of Advent
BibliographyAdditional Info
Imagine the excitement of coordinating every aspect of a church’s life during the Advent season. Older children, youth and adults study coordinated Sunday School lessons. The Sunday morning worship experience continues the theme. Intergenerational activities further unpack the theme on Wednesday or Sunday evenings.Celebrate Advent offers this sort of comprehensive church-wide experience for a church. The emphasis draws from a wonderful old Christmas carol, “People, Look East”. Here’s the first of verse from this carol:
People, look east.
The time is near of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able.
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east: Love the guest is on the way.Other verses play out other aspects of the season, each ending with a new variation:
Love the rose is on the way.
Love the bird is on the way.
Love the star is on the way.Each Sunday, the theme is drawn from a verse in this carol. The included Sunday school lessons offer a Bible study for older children, youth and adults. Fully developed worship outlines are also provided, complete with prayers, litanies, children’s sermons, and even a sample sermon for each Sunday. Then, instructions for a intergenerational Bible studies and gatherings are offered for use on Wednesday or Sunday nights,.
Celebrate Freedom provides a warm and wonderful way to draw your congregation together during this meaningful season.
Materials included:
1. 4 fully developed worship outlines, including prayers and litanies
2. 4 children’s sermons
3. 4 sermons
4. 4 Sunday School lessons for older children
5. 4 Sunday School lessons for youth
6. 4 Sunday School lessons for adults
7. 4 Plans for intergenerational gatherings & studies -
Breaking Bread Breaking Beats
$29.00Add to cartContents:
Getting Started
1. Moments In The History Of Black Churches And Hip-Hop
2. Black Churches, Hip-Hop, And The Body
3. Black Churches, Hip-Hop, Race, And Ethnicity
4. Black Churches, Hip-Hop, And Poverty
5. Black Churches, Hip-Hop, And Gender
6. Black Churches, Hip-Hop, And Sexuality
7. Black Churches, Hip-Hop, And Ethics
8. Black Churches, Hip-Hop, And Globalization
9. A Relationship Between Black Churches And Hip-Hop?
10. The Cipher
The CERCL Writing Collective Members
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
NotesAdditional Info
What is hip-hop, and how does it impact the Black Church? How does the Black Church integrate hip-hop? How do black churches think about hip-hop? How do these different, yet deeply interrelated communities think about the key topics of modern life-be it gender, sex, race, or globalization?These questions and more are the concern of the CERCL Writing Collective, under the mentorship of Anthony Pinn. In this innovative project, ten individuals write as one voice to illuminate the ways that hip-hop and the Black Church agree, disagree, and inform each other on key topics.
This book grows out of the popular religion and Hip-Hop course, soon to be offered as an open enrollment online course, at Rice University by Anthony B. Pinn and Bernard ‘Bun B’ Freeman. Like the course, the book offers engaging insights into one of today’s most important musical genres and reflects on its broad cultural impact.
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Gospel Centered Counseling
$29.99Add to cartEveryone talks about the personal ministry of the Word, but how do we make one-another ministry truly biblical? Gospel-Centered Counseling equips readers to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. It does so by examining life’s seven ultimate questions and then guiding readers on a journey that explores the biblical, gospel-centered narrative of: The Word: “What is truth?” “Where can I find answers?” The Trinity: “Who is God?” “Can I know Him personally?” Creation: “Who am I?” “What makes people tick?” Fall: “What went wrong?” “Why do we do the things we do?” Redemption: “Can I change?” “How do people change?” Glorification: “Where am I headed?” “How does our future destiny impact our present reality?” Sanctification: “How can I help?” “How can I change lives?’ Bob Kellemen builds on the foundation of the written Word and provides a gospel-centered resource for understanding people, diagnosing problems, and prescribing biblically-based solutions. Gospel-Centered Counseling is the first volume in The Equipping Christian Counselors Series, a comprehensive relational training curriculum for the local church that provides a model for equipping God’s people to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. This two-volume series weaves together comprehensive biblical insight with compassionate Christian engagement.
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Re Vision : The Key To Transforming Your Church (Reprinted)
$23.00Add to cartPastors around the country continue to look for the program, the book, or the sermon series that will turn their plateaued or declining churches around. But what if the answer to revitalizing the church was closer to home? According to trusted church leadership expert Aubrey Malphurs and veteran pastor Gordon E. Penfold, it is. They believe that pastors themselves are the key. In a time when many pastors are jumping from church to church every two or three years as they search for the “right fit” where they can “make a difference,” churches are suffering from a lack of sustained leadership from pastors with a viable vision for ministry.
In Re:Vision, Malphurs and Penfold take pastors through a process of discovery and self-evaluation designed to help them re-envision their role, create a culture for positive change, and recruit people to come alongside them as helpers and encouragers. Multiple appendices offer self-diagnostic tools and surveys to help pastors assess their strengths and weaknesses for more effective ministry.
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Before Amen Study Guide
$12.99Add to cartSome people excel in prayer. They inhale heaven and exhale God. They are the Seal Team Six of intercession. But for Max Lucado, a self-professed “recovering prayer wimp,” spending even a few minutes each day with God often seemed like a monumental task.
In Before Amen, Max reveals his struggles with prayer and how he discovered that it is not a privilege for the pious or the art of a chosen few but a simple tool everyone has been given to have a conversation with God. Through the use of a simple, easy-to-remember, pocket-sized prayer that he distilled from the prayers in the Bible, he shows how everyone can build a prayer life that is stronger, better and deeper.God wants to talk with you. Even now He taps at the door. Connecting with Him each day can mean all the difference in your life and how you experience God. God will change you through such moments! This study guide includes discussion questions, video notes, and in-between studies and is designed for use with Before Amen: A DVD Study (sold separately).
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Holy Rebellion : Redefining Excellence In Pastoral Ministry
$17.95Add to cartCan rebellion be holy? Certainly, as long as we rebel against things that God abhors. Built around seven powerful expressions of love, Holy Rebellion draws lessons from real-life ministry encounters. Wedged tightly into each story is the most powerful lesson a pastor could ever learn-the message of love. From cover to cover, Holy Rebellion takes the reader on a vivid journey through the most glorious victories and embarrassing blunders in pastoral ministry. From being compared to a primate and proof of Darwin’s theory of evolution, to falsely congratulating a woman on her pregnancy, the reader comes face to face with awkward and hilarious moments in ministry. This book also explores the imperfection of pastors who at times fail miserably. Books that gloss over the painful times in ministry that were self-induced do little to edify pastors who struggle with the consequences of their mistakes. Holy Rebellion is fresh, honest, and compelling.
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Grave Robber Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.00Add to cartDo we believe that God still does miracles? Do we expect him to move in miraculous ways in our day-in and day-out lives? Maybe we’d like to see miracles, but it’s hard to see past our problems. All that is about to change, like water into wine.
“There are miracles all around us all the time,” says Mark Batterson, “but you won’t see them if you don’t know how to look for them.”
Now the bestselling author of The Circle Maker reveals the incredible power of the seven miraculous signs of Jesus found in the Gospel of John. Batterson shows how they were not simply something Jesus did in the past, but something he wants to do now, in the present. He shares true stories of people today who are experiencing miracles in their lives. And he brings to light countless miracles, big and small, that we take for granted every day that point us toward the One who healed the sick, calmed the storm, and yes, even raised the dead.
But this is more than a book about miracles. It’s a book about the only One who can perform them. Batterson cautions readers, “Don’t just seek miracles. Seek Jesus. And if you seek Jesus, miracles will find you.”
Nothing has changed since Jesus called Lazarus out of his tomb four days after his funeral. Our impossible situations still double as God’s greatest opportunity to reveal his glory. No matter how big the problem is, God is bigger still. Anyone who longs to see God work in miraculous ways today will love Batterson’s faith-building, life-giving message.
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Feasting On The Word Advent Companion
$34.00Add to cartThis new volume in the Feasting on the Word series provides an all-in-one pastor’s companion for Advent, including worship materials as well as sermon preparation tools. A complete order of service is provided for each of the four Sundays in Advent, plus Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hymn suggestions, sermon illustrations, and children’s sermon suggestions make this an invaluable resource for the Advent season.
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From This Day Forward Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartIs it possible to have a great marriage? Yes, but it is not likely if you treat marriage like everybody else does! In this five-session, video-based small group study, New York Times bestselling author and pastor Craig Groeschel gives you five commitments to make in order to fail-proof your marriage. You know the stats, and they are horrifying. 50% of marriages don’t make it. What other area of your life are you satisfied with 50% odds against you? The choices you make each and every day determine not only your relationship with God but also the quality of your marriage. The decisions you make today will determine the marriage you will have tomorrow. In this five-session study, you will discover five commitments that will absolutely fail-proof your marriage. If you make these commitments, you can and will have the marriage God wants you to experience. Sessions include: Seek God Fight Fair Have Fun Stay Pure Never Give Up If you and your spouse will earnestly choose to do all five of these things, you’ll discover a richer, deeper, more authentic relationship and a more rewarding, more passionate love life than you could have ever imagined. Don’t be a statistic. Don’t be average. Let’s get you that marriage that you always wanted. Starting right now—from this day forward.
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Breathe Bible Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$14.00Add to cartThe Breathe Study Journal includes 5 sessions of teaching by Priscilla Shirer with 4 weeks of homework in a reflective, journaling format. One of the greatest challenges among women in our culture is taking time to stop and cease from all the activities and busyness and just breathe. We are in bondage to busyness. We constantly strive to complete the limitless to-do lists that hinder us from experiencing all that God has for us. We miss the moments because we rush ahead to the next thing. By neglecting time for tranquility, serenity, and repose, we limit our Christlikeness and miss out on some of God’s greatest gifts. It is time for us to breathe and build margin into our lives for God. In the Old Testament, God instituted principles and laws that would transform the Israelites’ mindset. He didn’t just want them legally free; He wanted them to be able to walk in the freedom and enjoy it. So God gave them many gifts, including boundaries in which to enjoy those gifts. Sabbath was intended as a gift, and it is still a gift to us today. If you are weary, worn out, and exhausted the concept of Sabbath will change your life.
Week 1 – The Freedom of Sabbath
Week 2 – Stops Along the Sabbath Journey
Week 3 – Double-Portion Friday
Week 4 – Coming Into Focus
Week 5 – Sabbath MarginFeatures:
Biblically-rooted and gospel-centered teaching
Leader material (guides to questions and discussion with small group)
5-session Study Journal with group components, personal components, and leader helps
Personal study segments include 4 weeks of homework in a study journal for reflection and to help the learner spend time alone with God and ScriptureBenefits:
Biblical truth that’s reliable
Can be used in a variety of ways and has a lot of flexibility. It can be used by a group of any size in a church or another setting, small group in a home, or a weekend away as an individual or with a small group of women.
An opportunity to explore the concept of Sabbath in both the Old and New Testaments
Great study for personal growth and reflection on an individual basis
For the weary, worn out, and exhausted this study could be life-changing as they acknowledge their bondage to busyness and learn that Sabbath was created by God before the fall
Sets boundaries for those who believe they must always be “doing” something for God -
Building Faith Brick By Brick
$32.00Add to cartBuilding Faith Brick by Brick offers a culturally relevant, hands-on way to explore faith stories with a broad range of ages. It grew out of one congregation’s realization that there was a large group of first-grade boys who needed to engage in a new way of interacting with the biblical story. Knowing how much Lego bricks continue to be popular with children, the author dug deep into the well of creativity and an enormous bin of little plastic building bricks to meld together a new way of teaching the stories of God. This book offers the methodology as well as 30 Old Testament and 24 New Testament stories with lesson plans. Can be used in all settings and gatherings Includes take-home sheets for family study and conversation Engages children with multiple learning styles and a familiar medium
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Ministry Of The Word
$21.00Add to cartFew preachers will lay down this book without an unhappy feeling oldie cheapness of their own preaching; but equally, few preachers will lay it down without a new sense of the mystery and the splendour of the gospel which they preach. This will inevitably never he one of the popular hooks online preaching; it makes too many mental and spiritual demands on the reader for that; but it will remain one of the great books on preaching’ (The Expository Times).
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More With Less Church
$19.00Add to cartIn our challenging economic times, it is no surprise that churches must get creative with their resources. But the authors of The More-with-Less Church believe pastors, leadership teams, and planning committees should look on times such as these not as hurdles to overcome but as opportunities to reconsider entrenched but inefficient ministry practices that are siphoning time, money, and energy from their churches. Drawn from time- and field-tested strategies, this practical resource helps church leaders avoid costly mistakes and maximize the return on their investment in four areas of church life–ministries, staffing, facilities, and finances.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year B 1
$42.00Add to cartBased on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year B, Volume 1 provides liturgical pieces used in preparing for worship. Written and compiled by an ecumenical team of 11 seasoned liturgy writers, this resource offers a multitude of poetic prayers and responsive readings for all parts of worship and is meant to complement existing denominational resources. In addition, the weekly entries include questions for reflection and household prayers for morning and evening that are drawn from the lectionary, allowing churches to include them in their bulletin for parishioners to use throughout the week.
During times of the year when two different tracks of Old Testament texts are offered by the RCL, this resource offers an entire set of materials for each track. Also, a CD-ROM is included with each volume that enables planners to easily cut and paste relevant readings, prayers, and questions into worship bulletins.
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Making Of A Man Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWhat Does It Take to Be a Godly Man? Every young boy dreams about what he wants to be when he grows up. Some have goals of becoming an astronaut, or a fireman, or a professional athlete. But what does it take to be a man? How does a young person get there?
In this six-session video-based curriculum, NFL All-Pro, sports analyst, and businessman Tim Brown uses experiences from his life to teach men the principles and priorities he has learned for leading a life that honors God. Through his stories of struggling with God, overcoming temptations, and discovering what it takes to be a good husband and father, he shares what true manhood is all about and what guys must do to attain it. These principles have helped Tim lead a life of honor and integrity that has made him one of the most respected men in the world of sports.
The Making of a Man will not only inspire men of all ages but also challenge them to measure their lives and success by a higher standard.Designed for use with The Making of a Man: A Video-based Study (978-0529-11308-5)
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Good Shepherd : A Picture Book For Children Leaders And Parents
$19.95Add to cartParable of the Good Shepherd is a visual retelling of the biblical lesson as taken from The Complete Guide to Godly Play and told with revised text and original art. The book recreates the experience of hearing this core and possibly best-loved, best-known Bible story as a supplement to Godly Play or as a stand-alone bedside reader. For Christian educators, Christian schools, vacation Bible schools, parents, grandparents, godparents – anyone who desires to engage in sharing faith and biblical stories in any setting, especially all those in the Godly Play community: trainers, storytellers, teachers, parents, and children.
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Blessed Are The Crazy
$17.99Add to cart1. Learning To Testify
2. Entrusting My Father To God’s Beloved Community
3. Caring For My Brother – How Would Jesus Do It?
4. Seeking The Holy Spirit On Death Row
5. Feeling Pain In God’s Presence
6. Blessed Are The CrazyAdditional Info
When do you learn that normal doesn’t include lots of yelling, lots of sleep, lots of beating? In Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family, and Church, Sarah Griffith Lund looks back at her father’s battle with bipolar disorder, and the helpless sense of deja vu as her brother and cousin endure mental illness, as well. She seeks answers in her faith communities, from feeling pain in God’s presence, through seeing the Holy Spirit on Death Row as she witnesses her cousin’s execution.With a small group study guide and “Ten Steps for Developing a Mental Health Ministry in Your Congregation,” Blessed Are the Crazy is more than memoir – it s a resource for churches and other faith-based groups to provide healing and comfort. As Sarah writes, “This testimony is for anybody who has ever wondered how God can use craziness to teach us about the depths of human and divine love.”
Part of The Young Clergy Women Project.
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Shrink : Faithful Ministry In A Church Growth Culture
$24.99Add to cartAmong followers of Jesus, great is often the enemy of good. The drive to be great—to be a success by the standards of the world—often crowds out the qualities of goodness, virtue, and faithfulness that should define the central focus of Christian leadership. In the culture of today’s church, successful leadership is often judged by what works, while persistent faithfulness takes a back seat. If a ministry doesn’t produce results, it is dropped. If people don’t respond, we move on. This pursuit of ‘greatness’ exerts a crushing pressure on the local church and creates a consuming anxiety in its leaders. In their pursuit of this warped vision of greatness, church leaders end up embracing a leadership narrative that runs counter to the sacrificial call of the gospel story. When church leaders focus on faithfulness to God and the gospel, however, it’s always a kingdom-win—regardless of the visible results of their ministry. John the Baptist modeled this kind of leadership. As John’s disciples crossed the Jordan River to follow after Jesus, John freely released them to a greater calling than following him. Speaking of Jesus, John said: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’ Joyfully satisfied to have been faithful to his calling, John knew that the size and scope of his ministry would be determined by the will of the Father, not his own will. Following the example of John the Baptist and with a careful look at the teaching of Scripture, Tim Suttle dares church leaders to risk failure by chasing the vision God has given them—no matter how small it might seem—instead of pursuing the broad path of pragmatism that leads to fame and numerical success.
