Pastoral Helps
Showing 1401–1500 of 3961 resultsSorted by latest
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How To Shepherd Children In A World Full Of Wolves
$16.99Add to cartHow to Shepherd Children is chock-full of invaluable information for every children’s worker-whether pastor or layperson. This book will help you discover how to reach children for Christ at an early age and keep them genuinely interested while developing their roots of faith, so they are much less likely to give in to the beckon and attraction of the “wolves” of the world. This book explains why children’s ministry is so important, how God can use you to influence children for Him, how to help children live the life God intends, how to create an exciting and successful children’s ministry, how to properly visit the homes of children, how to be a better teacher, where to look for children’s curriculum, and more! 156 pages.
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Community In The Inventive Age
$18.99Add to cartThe Inventive Age (the cultural turning following the Agrarian, Industrial, and Information ages) provides opportunities for reshaping all institutions and communities. Doug Pagitt brings to life ten Inventive Age characteristics as they are experienced through the community of Solomon’s Porch – a holistic missional Christian community in Minneapolis. These ten characteristics of Inventive Age culture will serve as a guide for those creating new faith communities and making changes in existing ones.
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Evangelism In The Inventive Age
$18.99Add to cartWe live in changing times of significant cultural change. In the Inventive Age (the cultural turning following the Agrarian, Industrial, and Information ages) how people think has changed. This has created a new context for Evangelism. Previous methods not only do not work, they are often counterproductive. Evangelism in the Inventive Age is not a “next-level” resource for those who are already comfortable and confident evangelists, but is a book for the rest of us. For most Christians the issue of converting other people or sharing their faith is a troubled endeavor. Very few are in a comfortable place of natural invitation, faithful integration, and hopefulness in sharing faith. This book will create a new perspective on evangelism for the ordinary person who has extraordinary questions. Evangelism in the Inventive Age is for those who have deep questions about the validity of evangelism and for whom evangelism does not come naturally.
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Preaching In The Inventive Age
$18.99Add to cartWhat kind of communities are we forming? What story are we telling? How can we tell it more effectively? Pagitt takes on these questions and investigates the goals and roles of preaching in the Inventive Age. From the book: “I find myself wanting to live with the people of my community, where I can preach … but not allow that to become an act of speech making. Instead, I want it to be a living interaction of the story of God and the story of our community being connected by our truth telling, our vulnerability, and our open minds, ears, and eyes – all brought together by the active work of the Spirit of God….”
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Church In The Inventive Age
$18.99Add to cartMany books seek to predict the future of Christianity, but few help us grasp the opportunities of the current situation and equip us to navigate the present. Doug Pagitt, author, radio host, and pioneering leader, does just that, offering fresh, optimistic insights and practical suggestions. According to Pagitt, the last two centuries can be divided into four epochs: Idyllic, Industrial, Informational and now-Inventive. The Inventive Age – our currently reality – presents distinct opportunities for how faith communities think, what they value, and the tools they use. Pagitt offers leaders in Christian communities (and beyond) essential frameworks for participation in the Inventive Age.
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Episcopal Way
$16.95Add to cartUpdated content and approach, compared to earlier New Church’s Teachings
series, with emphasis on mission and applicability* Interactivity is emphasized throughout with robust study guides, links to a host of
web and video resources, and jargon-free languageThe New Church’s Teachings was one of the most recognizable and useful book
series in the Episcopal Church. The books were a mainstay on seminarian and clergy
bookshelves. With this launch of the Church’s Teachings for a Changing World series,
two visionary Episcopal thinkers and church leaders team up to revitalize the currency,
integrity, and scholarship of the original series with fresh new voices and style; concise
and clear enough for newcomers, yet grounded and thoughtful enough for seminarians
and leaders.In this foundational text for the Church’s Teachings for a Changing World, Law and
Spellers explore seismic shifts in American life and the opportunities and challenges
each presents to the church today. With a winning combination of passion, creativity,
and wisdom, the authors call for a return to Episcopal basics and insist that faithfully
engaging a changing world might be the most truly Anglican practice of all.For Episcopal newcomers, members, church leaders, clergy, and seminarians.
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Follow Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartLots of people think Christianity is all about doing what Jesus says. But what if doing what Jesus says isn’t what Jesus says to do at all? Jesus’ invitation is an invitation to relationship, and it begins with a simple request: follow me. Religion says ‘Change and you can join us.’ Jesus says, ‘Join us and you will change.’ There’s a huge difference. Jesus doesn’t expect people to be perfect. He just wants them to follow him. Being a sinner doesn’t disqualify anyone. Being an unbeliever doesn’t disqualify anyone. In fact, following almost always begins with a sinner and unbeliever taking one small step. In this eight-session video-based Bible study, Andy Stanley takes small groups on a journey through the Gospels as he traces Jesus’ teaching on what it means to follow.
Sessions include:
Jesus Says
Next Steps
Fearless
Follow
Wear
The Fine Print
What I Want to Want
Leading Great UnfollowersDesigned for use with Follow: A DVD Study (sold separately).
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Emotionally Healthy Woman Course Workbook (Workbook)
$12.99Add to cartGeri Scazzero knew there was something desperately wrong with her life. She felt like a single parent raising her four young daughters alone. She finally told her husband, “I quit,” and left the thriving church he pastored, beginning a journey that transformed her and her marriage for the better. In this eight-session video Bible study Geri provides you a way out of an inauthentic, superficial spirituality to genuine freedom in Christ. This study is for every woman who thinks, “I can’t keep pretending everything is fine!
” The journey to emotional health begins by quitting. Geri quit being afraid of what others think. She quit lying. She quit denying her anger and sadness. She quit living someone else’s life. When you quit those things that are damaging to your soul or the souls of others, you are freed up to choose other ways of being and relating that are rooted in love and lead to life. When you quit for the right reasons, at the right time, and in the right way, you’re on the path not only to emotional health, but also to the true purpose of your life. Sessions include:
Quit Being Afraid of What Others Think
Quit Lying
Quit Dying to the Wrong Things
Quit Denying Anger, Sadness and Fear
Quit Blaming
Quit Overfunctioning
Quit Faulty Thinking
Quit Living Someone Else’s Life -
Best Yes Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartNew York Times best-selling author Lysa TerKeurst leads small group participants to make wise decisions in the midst of endless demands.
Most of us spend a lot of our lives figuring out when to say yes and how to say no. But we don’t find space for our souls until we learn to step past the yes and no of daily decisions and seek out a third option: The Best Yes.The Best Yes is the choice that shapes all our other choices. It’s what allows us to play our necessary parts in God’s plan, to spend our energy and focus our passion on the assignments that really are ours. Too many of us confuse the command to love with the disease to please.In this six-session video-based Bible study Lysa TerKeurst shares how to make better use of the two most powerful words, yes and no.
Using Biblical teaching and practical insights this study will help you be more equipped to discern the best yes answers for your life.
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Augustines Theology Of Preaching
$36.00Add to cartContents:
Summary
Preface
Introduction
1. The Historical Context Of Augustine’s Preaching
2. Pagan Oratory
3. Training Preachers: De Doctrina Christiana
4. Interiority, Temporality & Scripture
5. Case Study: Riches & Money
6. Case Study: Death & Resurrection
7. Case Study: Relationships
8. Conclusion
BibliographyAdditional Info
Scholarship has painted many pictures of Augustine-the philosophical theologian, the refuter of heresy, or contributor to doctrines like Original Sin-but the picture of Augustine as preacher, says Sanlon, has been seriously neglected. When academics marginalize the Sermones ad Populum, the real Augustine is not presented accurately. In this study, Sanlon does more, however, than rehabilitate a neglected view of Augustine. How do the theological convictions that Augustine brought to his preaching challenge, sustain, or shape our work today? By presenting Augustine’s thought on preaching to contemporary readers Sanlon contributes a major new piece to the ongoing reconsideration of preaching in the modern day, a consideration that is relevant to all branches of the twenty-first century church. -
Fail : Finding Hope And Grace In The Midst Of Ministry Failure
$30.99Add to cartIntroduction: The F-Word
Part 1: Unlearning Success
1 Failure: The Trigger Of Our Biggest Fears
2 Success: The Golden Calf Of The American Church
3 Faithfulness: Redefining The Metric Of MinistryPart 2: Learning Failure
4 Shame: The Swampland Of The Soul
5 Loneliness: The Temptation To Wear Our Masks
6 Wounds: Shattered Dreams, Grief And MourningPart 3: Embracing Failure
7 Wilderness: Stumbling With Jesus In The Wasteland
8 Recovery: The Excruciating Process Of Letting Go
with Steve Burrell
9 Reentry: Learning To Reenter The Atmosphere
with Steve BurrellPart 4: The Way Forward
10 Acceptance: A Kiss From God On Our Bruises
11 Rhythms: Restorative Practices For The Way Forward
Epilogue: A Different F-Word: The Beautiful Mess Of FreedomAcknowledgments
Appendix 1: Recommended Resources
Appendix 2: Guiding Questions For Pastors And Leaders
Notes
BibliographyAdditional Info
Rejection. Betrayal. Shame. Failure. “I thought God had called me to plant this church. Why did we have to shut our doors after only three years?” “I was at my breaking point. Then I got the news that our nine-year-old daughter had leukemia. I would have quit ministry forever, but I had no other employable skills.” “False accusations were made against me and my family, wrecking our reputation permanently and forcing us to leave not only the church, but move out of the area.” “I’ve served my church for the past 27 years and I’ve grown that church from 150 to 24 people.” What do we do when we’ve failed? Some ministries are shipwrecked by moral failures like affairs or embezzlement. But for most of us, the sense of failure is more ordinary: disillusionment, inadequacy, declining budgets, poor decisions, opposition, depression, burnout. Many are deeply broken and wounded, and we come to doubt that God has any use for us. J.R. Briggs, founder of the Epic Fail Pastors Conference, knows what failure feels like. He has listened to pastors who were busted in a prostitution sting or found themselves homeless when ejected from ministry. With candid vulnerability, Briggs explores the landscape of failure, how it devastates us and how it transforms us. Without offering pat answers or quick fixes, he challenges our cultural expectations of success and gives us permission to grieve our losses. Somehow, in the midst of our pain, we are better positioned to receive the grace of healing and restoration. You are not alone. And God is not finished with you yet. Find here hope for the journey through the wildnerness. -
Church Money Manual
$18.99Add to cartThe Church Money Manual is the best resource available for churches seeking better ways to manage finances. Thoughtfully targeting multiple areas, the book features condensed chapters each focusing on a different subject. Subjects range from specific, detailed problems to perennially critical themes churches face in money management and stewardship.
Some examples of condensed chapters include: A focus on donors and contributors no longer blaming the economy as a hindrance in their giving. Help addressing how to handle a donor who says they will not give unless particular areas are addressed. Outlines some of the most frequent mistakes hindering giving. How to navigate the area when there is a neighboring Christian university or college. An understanding of why pastors need giving to be good spiritual doctors just as medical professionals need diagnostics to be good physical doctors. Spotlighting what churches should be doing to help giving at the end of the year.
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Thinking Listening Being
$19.99Add to cartThe tyranny of the urgent is a by-product of our fast-paced world. It affects many people, bu twhen it impacts pastors they are often tempted to ignore the critical needs of the pastoral disciplines that ensure the effectiveness of ministry. In Thinking, Listening, and Being: Wesleyan Pastoral Disciplines, Jeren Rowell offers theological reflections on what it means to live and work as a pastor. He examines different aspects of pastoral thinking, practice, and work, and challenges pastors to continually pursue prayer,the study of Scriptures, and theological reflection.’Working in this way,’ he writes, ‘could not only be a gift of love for the church but also an important model for parish pastors who are tempted to surrender first things to the urgencies and temptations of contemporary life.’
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Conflict Management For Faith Leaders
$14.99Add to cartIs conflict a dirty word? Does it bring to mind images of disagreement, fights, and shattered relationships? For ministry leaders, the likelihood of conflict comes with the job, but the result does not have to be destructive.Conflict Management for Faith Leaders is about handling conflict in a way that is positive and constructive. With this book readers will discover multiple techniques for assessing and managing conflict and learn guidelines for choosing which technique to use in a given situation.A practical resource for pastors and ministry leaders, Conflict Management for Faith Leaders acknowledges that leadership brings with it the risk of opposition. Packed with useful insights and stories based on the experiences of other faith leaders, this book is the ideal tool when the risk of opposition becomes reality.
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Discovering Christian Ministry
$34.99Add to cartWhat is the purpose of Christian ministry? Is itabout upholding traditional standards? Is it about meeting organizational goals? Or is it a mixtureof meanings and roles? With numerous ways of understanding ministry, getting a grasp on it canbe a difficult task.Discovering Christian Ministry not only gives a concise yet comprehensive definition of ministry but it also offers a ministerial vision that encompasses the personal, interpersonal and social spheres of your life.
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Conduct Gospel Centered Funerals (Revised)
$12.99Add to cartThe phone rings: ‘Pastor, can you do my mother’s funeral?’ Or, ‘Please help us—our baby just died.’ Death comes unexpectedly, giving you two to three days of time to prepare a sermon—in the midst of caring for a grieving family. This helpful book walks a pastor through the logistics of memorial services, burials, and working with funeral homes using the four P’s: Plan, Prepare, Preach, and Perform. It shows how to magnify Christ and the gospel in the midst of all the necessary details, demands, and the sorrow that surrounds the death of a loved one. The Practical Shepherding series of books provides pastors and ministry leaders with advice and practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals, experienced pastors Brian Croft and Phil A. Newton offer readers a concise guide to conducting funerals that glorify God and offer a timely message of hope.
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7 Laws Of Teaching (Reprinted)
$14.00Add to cartForeword
Introduction
1. The Law Of Teaching
2. The Law Of The Teacher
3. The Law Of The Learner
4. The Law Of The Language
5. The Law Of The Lesson
6. The Law Of The Teaching Process
7. The Law Of The Learning Process
8. The Law Of Review
Appendix A: The Seven Laws Of Teaching
Appendix B: Self-Assessment For Teachers
Appendix C: Sample Teacher Observation Form
Appendix D: Answers To Study Questions
Appendix E: Historical Endnotes
IndexAdditional Info
Foreword “The Seven Disciplines of Highly Effective Teachers” by Douglas Wilson
Evaluation Tools and Study Questions by Dr. Larry StephensonDon’t miss this vital book for teachers! For decades, John Milton Gregory’s The Seven Laws of Teaching has been an essential guide for classical educators everywhere, whether in schools, at home, in co-ops, or online.
You’ve never seen an edition like this: In 1954, Baker Book House published a revised edition of the text that “abridged” much of the Christian content and emphasis: we’ve restored The Seven Laws of Teaching to its original 1886 text. Not only does your Canon Press version give the unabridged first edition text, but we’ve also added a number of invaluable tools not available anywhere else:
A powerful forward by Douglas Wilson, “The Seven Disciplines of Highly Effective Teachers,”
Study Questions after each chapter by Dr. Larry Stephenson
and five helpful appendices:
Appendix A: List of the Seven Laws of Teaching.
Appendix B: Self-Assessment Tool for Teachers by Dr. Stephenson
Appendix C: Sample Teacher Observation Form by Dr. Stephenson
Appendix D: Answers to the Study Questions
Appendix E: Endnotes on Historical Figures -
Life Together In The United Methodist Connection
$10.00Add to cartLife Together in the United Methodist Connection is an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries that gives participants an overview of the structure and organization of The United Methodist Church. The course is arranged in five two-hour sessions with short devotionals at the beginning of each session intended to ground class instruction and discussion in scripture. Life Together in the United Methodist Connection is required for Lay Servants who wish to become certified Lay Speakers and an excellent resource for any small-group desiring a greater understanding of how United Methodists related to one another both at home and around the world.
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Visit The Sick
$12.99Add to cartOne of the marks of the ministry of Jesus was his compassionate care for the sick. Jesus brought healing and hope to individuals struggling with life-debilitating illnesses. Ministry to the sick should also be a mark of his followers, but in many churches today it is neglected or pushed to the periphery of ministry concerns. To counter our modern tendency to minimize or ignore sickness, pastor Brian Croft looks to paradigms of the past, at historical models of care that honor God, obey Scripture, and communicate loving care to those who are struggling with sickness and disease. Part of the Practical Shepherding series of resources, Visit the Sick provides pastors and ministry leaders with practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. Visit the Sick provides biblical, theological, pastoral, and practical tools that aid a pastor, church leader, or caregiver in navigating through the spiritual as well as physical care of the sick and dying.
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Psalm 1 KJV Preacher
$39.99Add to cartWe have just released PSALMS – Volume 1 from our best-selling commentary of all time, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. If you’ve been collecting the volumes in this breakthrough set, you know that the Psalms are the only remaining books to be released. This is the first of 3 volumes on the Psalms and it covers Psalms 1-41.
Wait until you see the beautiful outline and supporting study materials for the beloved 23rd Psalm. It’s no wonder The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible is the world’s #1 sermon outline tool, with over 1 million copies in print. Only the POSB gives you detailed sermon outlines for every Bible passage with outlined sub-points, supporting Scripture, commentary and practical applications. It has become a favorite for not only preachers, but students and Bible teachers too.
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Slow Church : Cultivating Community In The Patient Way Of Jesus
$22.99Add to cartFast food. Fast cars. Fast and furious. Fast forward. Fast . . . church? The church is often idealized (or demonized) as the last bastion of a bygone era, dragging our feet as we’re pulled into new moralities and new spiritualities. We guard our doctrine and our piety with great vigilance. But we often fail to notice how quickly we’re capitulating, in the structures and practices of our churches, to a culture of unreflective speed, dehumanizing efficiency and dis-integrating isolationism. In the beginning, the church ate together, traveled together and shared in all facets of life. Centered as they were on Jesus, these seemingly mundane activities took on their own significance in the mission of God. In Slow Church, Chris Smith and John Pattison invite us out of franchise faith and back into the ecology, economy and ethics of the kingdom of God, where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loved the church.
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Pastors At Risk
$30.95Add to cartNearly 1 in 4 pastors will experience a forced exit from ministry within their vocational tenure. “Pastors-At-Risk” will alert you to what attitudes and actions have put thousands of pastors at-risk of losing their position in the church. It includes testimonials, success stories and practical solutions for dealing with these issues. It offers a solution for restoration to those who have gone from a place of risk in the church to a transition in ministry.
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Pastors At Risk
$14.95Add to cartNearly 1 in 4 pastors will experience a forced exit from ministry within their vocational tenure. “Pastors-At-Risk” will alert you to what attitudes and actions have put thousands of pastors at-risk of losing their position in the church. It includes testimonials, success stories and practical solutions for dealing with these issues. It offers a solution for restoration to those who have gone from a place of risk in the church to a transition in ministry.
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Psalm 1 NIV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartWe have just released PSALMS – Volume 1 from our best-selling commentary of all time, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. If you’ve been collecting the volumes in this breakthrough set, you know that the Psalms are the only remaining books to be released. This is the first of 3 volumes on the Psalms and it covers Psalms 1-41.
Wait until you see the beautiful outline and supporting study materials for the beloved 23rd Psalm. It’s no wonder The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible is the world’s #1 sermon outline tool, with over 1 million copies in print. Only the POSB gives you detailed sermon outlines for every Bible passage with outlined sub-points, supporting Scripture, commentary and practical applications. It has become a favorite for not only preachers, but students and Bible teachers too.
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Food Foretelling Followers And Fulfillment Cycle B
$14.95Add to cartThe Sermon Titles Included In This Book Are:
Am I Eating Manna Or Bread From Heaven? (John 6:35, 41-51)
Who Do You Think He Is? (John 6:51-58)
Just Who Does This Guy Think He Is? (John 6:56-69)
Garbage In… Garbage Out Or You Are What You Eat (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)
Who Does Jesus Belong To Anyway? (Mark 7:24-37)
Six Days To Make A Decision For Christ (Mark 8:27-38)
Speaking Truth To Power And Hope To The Powerless (Mark 9:30-37)
Gouge-Your-Eye-Out Sunday (Mark 9:38-50)
And They Lived Happily Ever After… Or Did They? (Mark 10:2-16)Additional Info
Who is Jesus?
How do we care for the powerless?
Are we called to serve others?
Can we be redeemed from sin?Food, Foretelling, Followers, and Fulfillment: Jesus on His Way to Jerusalem revisits these daring ideas spoken by a man on his way to the cross. Jesus always challenged the presuppositions of those around him. He had come to transform the world in a way that no one had expected, and Jesus’ bold truths laid the foundations of the early church.
McCracken-Bennett sets out to answer those questions as he leads churches through the events of the middle of the season after Pentecost. The author exposes his conviction that a culture of discipleship can only be created through a careful understanding of Jesus’ character and mission. Through insightful dialogue, McCracken-Bennett considers the weight of Jesus’ words for anyone who claims to be a follower and challenges pastors and congregations to examine well-known scriptural truths in new and thought-provoking ways.
Whether one is looking for a sermon resource or simply pursuing a thoughtful reflection on scripture, Food, Foretelling, Followers, and Fulfillment: Jesus on His Way to Jerusalem expands our vision of Jesus by weaving a deep historical knowledge of scripture with present-day narratives and exposing the sustaining relevance of Jesus’ words in today’s culture.
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Freedom From Sinful Thoughts (Revised)
$8.00Add to cartIt’s one of those topics most of us would rather avoid in conversation — why would anyone want to reveal private jealousies, resentments, fantasies, temptations, or other weaknesses? Yet steady sales of this valuable little book attest that there are plenty of us who struggle with sinful thoughts — and desire help. For anyone who wavers at times between obeying the voice of the conscience and giving in to the lower nature, this book offers sage advice for coming through the struggle. Drawing on years of experience as a pastoral counselor, Arnold guides the reader from the throes of frustration and guilt to a life of freedom and joy.
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Star Book For Ministers (Revised)
$20.99Add to cartTwenty years have passed since the last revision of this best-selling resource for pastors. This third revised edition features everything ministers love about the classic, with some valuable updates for twenty-first century ministry.
Key features:
Restores the beloved Episcopal funeral service-back by popular demand!
Honors the familiar and indispensable wedding and funeral service materials.
Offers a rich selection of Scriptures from the beautiful King James Version for diverse occasions of pastoral care.
New additions feature a cremation service and a service for the interment of ashes.
Includes a new preface from Rev. Dr. Aidsand Wright-Riggins III, Executive Director of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies and CEO of Judson Press. -
Family (Reprinted)
$34.99Add to cartTwo respected senior professors in the marriage and family field cover every issue that affects family life, including marriage, parenting, sexuality, communication, social dynamics, and family life in modern society. This proven resource for studying the most established of human institutions has been in print for over twenty years, with over 80,000 copies sold. The fourth edition has been updated to address current family-related issues and refined to reflect teaching practices for the contemporary classroom, including updated references to online resources.
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6 Decisions That Will Change Your Life Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$9.99Add to cart1. The Decision To Follow
2. The Decision For A New Life
3. The Decision To Mature
4. The Decision To Respond
5. The Decision To Persevere
6. The Decision To SurrenderAdditional Info
This Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the book and DVD. It includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as format options. -
6 Decisions That Will Change Your Life Participant Book
$9.99Add to cart1. The Decision To Follow
2. The Decision For A New Life
3. The Decision To Mature
4. The Decision To Respond
5. The Decision To Persevere
6. The Decision To SurrenderAdditional Info
Our busy lives are filled with decisions, but are they the important decisions? In this simple, inspiring book, pastor and author Tom Berlin helps us discern six key decisions in our walk with Christ. Includes Scripture, helpful quotations, and space for journaling. -
Ordinary Time With Jesus Cycle B
$14.95Add to cartThe Sermons Included In This Book Are:
Jesus’ No-Nonsense Guide To Being Rich (Mark 10:17-31)
Jesus’ No-Nonsense Guide To Success (Mark 10:35-45)
Jesus’ No-Nonsense Guide To Discipleship (Mark 10:46-52)
Free Indeed! (John 8:31-36)
The Lazarus Experience (John 11:32-44)
A Cross-Shaped Life (Mark 12:28-34)
Why Bother? (Mark 12:38-44)
No, We’re Not There Yet (Mark 13:1-8)
Jesus: The Original Superhero? (John 18:33-37)
No Reason To Worry (Matthew 6:25-33)Additional Info
Nothing about Jesus was ordinary.
He defied the expectations of religious leaders.
He embraced the castaways.
He surrendered to a crude wooden cross.It is extraordinary, then, that more than 2,000 years beyond his death and resurrection, his words continue to transform — even in the most mundane moments of our lives. Inevitably, discouragement finds its way to our hearts. We get caught up in the demands of life, and we often forget that we can find Jesus in our everyday moments of work, play, and home.
Yamasaki’s Ordinary Time with Jesus presents ten sermons for the season after Pentecost (last third) that beautifully weave the gospel scriptures with our daily experiences. She reminds us to surrender our ideas, our hopes, and our expectations to Jesus as she closes each sermon with a simple prayer, emphasizing total dependence upon Christ.
Pastors can rely upon each sermon found within the pages of Ordinary Time with Jesus to challenge both themselves and their congregations to live a “cross-shaped life,” one that reaches up to God and out to others. Whether looking for a sermon resource, a private devotional, or a small-group study, readers will be refreshed by Yamasaki’s commitment to scriptural authority as it intersects with her relevant understanding of today’s culture. Throughout each sermon, Yamasaki invites readers to journey with her, confidently proclaiming the magnificence of an extraordinary God living and breathing in ordinary times.
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Christian Youth Work In Theory And Practice
$44.99Add to cartChristian Youth Work in Theory and Practice provides an introduction to and overview of some of the key areas of teaching and practice for Christian youth workers. It offers theoretical and theological perspectives as well as insights into different contexts of Christian youth work. The first section explores some important core concepts including defining the field and engaging with some of the wider debates in the field. The second section explores some of the important contexts where youth work happens including church, family, relationships, discipleship and ethical dilemmas. This is the first major introduction to Christian Youth Work from a UK perspective. Written by some of the leading practitioners in the field it will be an invaluable text for all Christian youth workers and students in the field.
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God Is Closer Than You Think Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn the six-session small group Bible study, God is Closer Than You Think, John Ortberg helps you to discover and enjoy a vibrant, moment-by-moment relationship with God the Father. Today you can see God in action. Today you can hear God speaking to you. Today you can connect with God heart-to-heart. Today! Intimacy with God can happen right now — a closeness you can feel, a reality you can experience for yourself. God is closer than you think, and connecting with him isn’t the exclusive domain of monks and ascetics. It’s for business people, high school students, busy moms, single men, single women…and most important, it’s for YOU! In God is Closer than You Think, Ortberg reveals the face of God waiting to be discovered in the complex mosaic of your life. This insightful and impactful small group study will help you: Find God where you least expect him Listen to God’s voice Identify which pathway of relationship you’re uniquely designed to travel Align yourself with the flow of the Holy Spirit Draw closer to God even when he seems absent This Participant Guide is designed for use together with the God Is Closer Than You Think 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: God’s Great Desire for People Where is God in My World? Partnering with God Today Listening to the Voice of God God Wants a Relationship with You Heaven Breaking Through
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Helping The Struggling Adolescent (Expanded)
$26.99Add to cartHelping the Struggling Adolescent is your first resource to turn to when a teen you know is in trouble. Whether you’re a youth worker, counselor, pastor, or teacher, this fast, ready reference is a compendium of insight on teen problems from abuse to violence and everything between. Help starts here for thirty-six common, critical concerns. Topics are arranged in alphabetical order. Each chapter gives you essential information for several vital questions: What does the specific struggle look like? Why did it happen? How can you help? When should you refer to another expert? Where can you find additional resources? Arranged in three sections, this book first gives you the basics of being an effective helper, Then it informs you on the different struggles of adolescents. The final section–a key component of this book–supplies more than forty rapid assessment tools for use with specific problems. Helping the Struggling Adolescent organizes and condenses biblical counseling issues for teens into one extremely useful volume. Keep it in arm’s reach for the answers you need, right when you need them.
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Sermons For Special Days
$16.95Add to cartDavid Rogne’s Sermons for Special Days presents a wonderful opportunity for pastors and congregations to connect faith to their everyday lives.
If all truth is God’s truth, then David Rogne has compiled a marvelous resource that reaffirms this fact. Rich with literary and historical reference, each sermon seeks to engage listeners as it recounts events and stories, beautifully weaving modern and applicable themes within scriptural truths. While Rogne has designed his sermons to be delivered on special days — New Year’s Day, Mission Sunday, and Father’s Day, to name a few — the power of each sermon extends well beyond those events as Rogne reminds us that in order to have a life well lived, we must constantly examine the life we are living. A life lived in submission to Christ requires an obedience to the Great Commission, carrying the salvation message into the darkest parts of our world with a clear understanding of God’s message and a deep respect for those who have gone before us.
The unique aspect of Rogne’s collection of sermons is that they are not confined to the pulpit, for each sermon can be used in a small group setting or in private devotionals. Rogne’s reliance upon history, literature, and scripture will enlighten any student of the word, and each sermon will encourage congregations to embrace a dig-deep approach toward God’s truth.
The titles included in this book are:
New Year’s Day — Taking Stock (Acts 24:24-27)
Mission Sunday — Reaching Out (Romans 10:1-15)
Heritage Sunday — Charles Wesley (Psalm 100)
Mother’s Day — Soul-Shaping (Ephesians 6:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:6-10)
Bible Sunday — Does God Have a Word for You! (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
Memorial Sunday — Heroes (Hebrews 11:1–12:2)
Music / Choir Recognition Sunday — Say It with Music (Ephesians 5:17-20)
Father’s Day — Good Foundations (Ephesians 5:25–6:4)
Independence Day — God’s Country (1 Peter 2:9-16)
Labor Sunday — More than Making a Living (Ecclesiates 2:18-23; John 5:17)
Stewardship Sunday — Increasing the Joy (2 Corinthians 8:1-15)
World Communion Sunday — Communion by the Sea (John 6:5-15, 25-35)
Reformation Sunday — Great Scot! (Malachi 3:1-4)
Thanksgiving Sunday — When the Good Times Roll (Deuteronomy 8:11-18)
Christmas Eve — Are You Ready for Christmas? (Titus 2:11-15)
Christmas — The Child with Four Names (Isaiah 9:1-7) -
Hearing Her Voice Revised Edition (Revised)
$16.99Add to cartBased on his study of a key word for ‘teaching’ in the New Testament—an activity often thought to be prohibited to women—and on various other kinds of public speaking in which women in Scripture clearly participated, scholar John Dickson builds a case for women preachers. Focused and purposefully limited in its conclusions, Dickson’s argument has potential to change minds and appeal to complementarians and egalitarians alike. The mediating and widely adoptable position in this original short work will appeal to pastors, Bible teachers, college and seminary students, professors, and lay leaders in the church with its fresh approach to the hot-button topic of women in ministry.
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New Parish : How Neighborhood Churches Are Transforming Mission Discipleshi
$22.99Add to cartWhen . . . faith communities begin connecting together, in and for the neighborhood, they learn to depend on God for strength to love, forgive and show grace like never before. . . . The gospel becomes so much more tangible and compelling when the local church is actually a part of the community, connected to the struggles of the people, and even the land itself. Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens and Dwight J. Friesen have seen–in cities, suburbs and small towns all over North America–how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy and culture. This is not a new idea–the concept of a parish is as old as Paul’s letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement, the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air, like a sign of new life.
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Attract Families To Your Church
$20.99Add to cartThis book will help church pastors and leaders navigate the changing tides in ministry to become the kind of church that families want to attend, where the church’s dynamic faith invites families who may then bring their friends. This means reaching out to all kinds of families, some with needs that only a church family can fulfill.
To grow and remain vital, churches need to attract families. But the cultural landscape has changed and any church may have two-parent families with children, blended families, boomerang families, adult children of divorce and their families or lack of families, single adults whose family is the church, grandparents parenting again, childless families, co-habitation families, and children with three legal parents. With practical helps and suggestions for ministries, worship, small groups, and even facilities, author and family expert Linda Ranson Jacobs will help you create a welcoming place for everyone.
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Christopraxis : A Practical Theology Of The Cross
$39.00Add to cartContents:
Part 1
1. A Theobiographical Starting Point
2. Setting The Terrain
3. Concrete Lived Cases Of Ministerial Encounters With Divine Action
4. Dominant Models Of Practical Theology
Part 2
5. A Christopraxis Practical Theology Of The Cross
6. Practical Theology Into Nothingness
7. The Concurring Of The Divine With The Human
Part 3
8. Critical Realism And Practical Theology
9. Human Action And Interdisciplinarity In Light Of A Critical RealistChristopraxis Practical TheologyAdditional Info
Finding practical theology not always able to present frameworks for understanding concrete and lived experience with divine action, Andrew Root seeks to reset the edifice of practical theology on a new foundation. While not minimizing its commitment to the lived and concrete, Root argues that practical theology has neglected deeper theological underpinnings.Christopraxis seeks to create a practical theology that is properly and fully theological, post-postmodern, post-Aristotelian, and that attends to doctrines such as divine action and justification.
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Resident Aliens : A Provocative Christian Assessment Of Culture And Ministr (Ann
$22.99Add to cartA vision of the Church as a colony, a holy people, a family standing for sharply focused values in a devalued world.Only when the Church enacts its scandalous Jesus-centered tradition, will it truly be the Body of Christ and transform the world. Twenty-five years after its first publishing, Resident Aliens remains a prophetic vision of how the Church can regain its vitality, battle its malaise, reclaim its capacity to nourish souls, and stand firmly against the illusions, pretensions, and eroding values of today’s world.
Resident Aliens discusses the nature of the church and its relationship to surrounding culture. It argues that churches should focus on developing Christian life and community rather than attempting to reform secular culture. Hauerwas and Willimon reject the idea that America is a Christian nation, instead Christians should see themselves as “residents aliens” in a foreign land. Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon maintain that, instead of attempting to transform government, the role of Christians is to live lives which model the love of Christ. Rather than trying to convince others to change their ethics, Christians should model a new set of ethics which are grounded in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
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Know The Heretics
$12.99Add to cartThere is a lot of talk about heresy these days. The frequency and volume of accusations suggest that some Christians have lost a sense of the gravity of the word. On the other hand, many believers have little to no familiarity with orthodox doctrine or the historic distortions of it. What’s needed is a strong dose of humility and restraint, and also a clear and informed definition of orthodoxy and heresy. Know the Heretics provides an accessible ‘travel guide’ to the most significant heresies throughout Christian history. As a part of the KNOW series, it is designed for personal study or classroom use, but also for small groups and Sunday schools wanting to more deeply understand the foundations of the faith. Each chapter covers a key statement of faith and includes a discussion of its historical context; a simple explanation of the unorthodox teaching, the orthodox response and a key defender; reflections of contemporary relevance; and discussion questions.
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Soul Keeping Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn Soul Keeping, John Ortberg helps Christians rediscover their soul—the best connection to God there is—and find out why it’s hurting and why neglecting it has set so many believers so far back spiritually. In this six-session, video-based small group Bible study, Ortberg shows that caring for your soul is necessary for your Christian life. John shows participants what your soul is, why it is important, how to assess your soul’s health, and how to care for it so that we can have a meaningful and beautiful life with God and others. When you nurture your soul your life in this world will come to make sense again; you can find your way back to God from hopelessness, depression, relationship struggles, and a lack of fulfillment. Your soul’s resting place is in God, and John Ortberg wants to take participants to that home. This study guide includes discussion questions, video notes, and in-between studies and is designed for use with the Soul Keeping DVD (sold separately).
Sessions include:
Filling the Hole in Your Soul
Why God Made You With a Soul
What’s Soul Got To Do With It
Finding Your Soul’s True Home
Empty Souls and Full Garages
Why We Have a Soul, Brothers and Sisters -
Give Me Jesus (Reprinted)
$18.00Add to cart100 years from now the only thing that will matter is a person’s relationship with Jesus Christ. The gospel is the good news that we can have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It’s the main thing. It’s the reason why we do ministry. It’s the reason why the church exists. It provides the hope that every child and every family needs.
What about your ministry? Is the gospel at the center of everything you do? How does that play out practically?
In Give Me Jesus, Ryan Frank and 10 ministry leaders share practical advice about keeping the Gospel at the center of Family and Children’s Ministry. It will change how you do ministry.
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In Season And Out Of Season
$32.00Add to cartA wise and practical guide to preaching in the Anglican tradition, illustrated with examples, that will inspire confidence and hone skills. It explores key aspects of preaching including: the importance of Scripture, the use of story, preaching at rites of passage, preaching through the liturgical year, and engagement with the wider world.
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Global Reformation : Transitioning The Church For Strategic Kingdom Advance
$15.99Add to cartDr. Munien’s book particularly stands out because of his extraordinary ability to impart with the greatest simplicity at the same time that he brings complete understanding to every reader from the Word of God. He examines the historical, cultural and scriptural foundations necessary to build the “Perfect Man” in the image of God’s pattern.
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Preaching The Farewell Discourse
$29.99Add to cartThrough the lens of John the Apostle’s Farewell Discourse found in John 13:31 – 17:26, seminary professor L. Scott Kellum provides a step-by-step illustration of how to produce an expository sermon series in Preaching the Farewell Discourse.
Kellum begins with foundational tools that will aid the journey from text to exposition and then describes how to employ discourse analysis to a hortatory document (like the Farewell Discourse) or an expository document.The latter part of the book finds Kellum implementing the theory on the Farewell Discourse of John’s Gospel, examining the process in three sections: analyzing the text, interpreting the text, and preaching the text.
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Quotable Wesley
$18.99Add to cartWhat did John Wesley think about alcohol, music, and popularity? What are his thoughts on education, free will, and joy? From ‘absolution’ to ‘zeal,’ Quotable Wesley is a treasury of quotations taken from Wesley’s letters, sermons, tracts, and journal entries on a variety of wide-ranging topics. Here is an essential resource for teachers, Christian leaders, pastors, and laypeople fascinated by the insights of this remarkable founder of the Methodist movement. Useful for sermon preparation, teaching, and individual reflection, this book is designed to supplement the library of anyone interested in Wesley and his work.
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Managing Stress In Ministry
$14.99Add to cartPastors are leaving ministry. Faced with pressures and stresses in their marriage and family, in their career and employment, in their personal sense of self-worth and success — all too often pastors leave ministry tired and discouraged. How can a pastor manage the stress that comes with ministry before the point of burn out? Managing Stress in Ministry will help pastors and spouses find fresh hope, discover new tools for coping with stress, and help them move forward to more effective life and ministry. Through real-life stories and clear application, authors David and Lisa Frisbie will help pastors identify key stressors that affect ministry and provide realistic ways to implement habits to lower stress level. Much-needed resource for anyone in ministry.
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Christianity And Psychoanalysis
$40.99Add to cart1 A New Conversation Earl D. Bland And Brad D. Strawn
2 Tradition-Based Integration Ron Wright, Paul Jones And Brad D. Strawn
3 Contemporary Freudian Psychoanalysis Brad D. Strawn
4 Ecumenical Spirituality, Catholic Theology And Object Relations Theory: A Threefold Cord Holding Sacred Space Theresa Tisdale
5 Self Psychology And Christian Experience Earl D. Bland
6 Intersubjective Systems Theory Mitchell W. Hicks
7 Relational Psychoanalysis Lowell W. Hoffman
8 Attachment-Based Psychoanalytic Therapy And Christianity: Being-in-Relation Todd W. Hall And Lauren E. Maltby
9 Psychoanalytic Couples Therapy: An Introduction And Integration Earl D. Bland
10 Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy Michael W. Mangis
11 Christianity And Psychoanalysis: Final Thoughts Brad D. Strawn And Earl D. Bland References
Author Index
Subject IndexAdditional Info
The past 30 years has seen a theoretical and clinical renaissance in psychoanalysis, as well as a flourishing of Christian engagement in the fields of psychology and anthropology. This volume of essays stages a new conversation between Christianity and psychoanalysis that opens up new ways of thinking about the rich mosaic of human experience.Unsurprisingly, given Sigmund Freud’s understanding of religion, the conversation between Christianity and psychoanalysis has long been marked by mutual suspicion. Psychoanalysis originated within a naturalist, post-Enlightenment context and sought to understand human functioning and pathology–focusing on phenomena such as the unconscious and object representation–on a strictly empirical basis. Given certain accounts of divine agency and human uniqueness, psychoanalytic work was often seen as competitive with a Christian understanding of the human person. The contributors to Christianity and Psychoanalysis seek to start a new conversation. Aided by the turn to relationality in theology, as well as by a noncompetitive conception of God’s transcendence and agency, this book presents a fresh integration of Christian thought and psychoanalytic theory. The immanent processes identified by psychoanalysis need not compete with Christian theology but can instead be the very means by which God is involved in human existence. The Christian study of psychoanalysis can thus serve the flourishing of God’s kingdom.
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Preaching In An Age Of Distraction
$18.99Add to cart1 Naming An Age
2 The Distracted Preacher
3 The Distracted Congregation
4 The Benefits Of Distraction
5 Excellence As A Counter Force
6 Creativity And Distraction
7 Packaging And Distraction
8 The Insistent Power Of Sermon Content
9 The Preacher’s Secret ResourcesAdditional Info
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. – Proverbs 4:25-26 Preaching is difficult enough under the best of circumstances. But what are we to do when it seems that all of us–hearers and preachers alike–are constantly distracted? Veteran preacher and homiletics professor J. Ellsworth Kalas offers wise insights for effective preaching in an age of distraction. He examines how people have been distracted in every era and explores how God yet can meet people precisely at the point of their distraction. Regardless of whatever new technologies come our way, this call to pastoral attentiveness, creativity and excellence provides avenues for connecting with congregations with a countercultural clarity of focus. Rediscover how the proclamation of the Word still speaks profoundly to distracted hearers. Invite your congregation to a renewed attention to the things of God. -
Abuse In The Church Healing The Body Of Christ
$17.49Add to cartIf you have been abused or you know someone who has, if you are in any way connected to this most heinous crime, if you want a roadmap to navigate your way back to sound emotional and spiritual health, if you want to understand the complexities of abusive situations, if you want guidance from an inspired Christian writer, then you should read this book. It is ideal both for the individual and for group participants. – Ken Hills, Retired Teacher and Clergy Abuse Survivor
This book is written with solid knowledge of scripture, deep spirituality, and a heartfelt reflection on the author’s life experience. I feel this work will be helpful, comforting, and energizing to many. – The Rev. Canon Allan Budzin, Anglican Diocese of Toronto
Written by a survivor of clergy abuse, this book provides biblical principles and practical tips for responding to various forms of abuse in the Church for:
Survivors of abuse
Church and business leaders responsible for abuse / harassment policies and procedures
Supporters of abused persons: Pastors, lawyers, therapists, friends, family members, lay members of church communities – all those who want to provide spiritual or emotional support to survivors
Also included – interviews with these other voices of healing from three countries and two continents, comprised of victim advocates, health care providers, and church leaders:
Bill Casey
Sr. Nuala Kenny, M.D.
Marion Kelly
Virginia Saldanha
Rev. Paul Scuse
Fr. Thomas M. Rosica, CSB
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Enriching Ministry : Pastoral Supervision In Practice Hospitality Theology
$44.99Add to cartEnriching Ministry offers a more detailed and wide-ranging overview of pastoral supervision and its relationship to other disciplines and fields of study. It describes an approach to supervision which is theologically rich, psychologically informed, contextually sensitive and praxis based. It is intended for those seeking support for their own ministries as well as for those who supervise in the areas of initial and continuing ministerial formation; healthcare; executive coaching, spiritual direction. The final chapters consider the professional development and training of supervisors. This book is aimed at those in local ministry seeking training in supervision in the UK [training incumbents; team rectors; superintendents etc..], healthcare chaplains who facilitate reflective practice or who offer in-house supervision [a requirement for UK based Band 6+ jobs]; spiritual directors for whom there is not as yet any unified approach to/training for pastoral supervision, theological educators trying to meet the requirements of supervised placements, Supervision Practitioners, supervision training providers, those in ministry seeking supervision, bishops and church leaders looking for ways of getting beyond appraisal to non-managerial ministerial and vocational reflection.
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God First Life Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cart‘When I discovered the simple and sustainable principle of The God-First Life,’ says pastor Stovall Weems, ‘it changed every area of my life.’ In this six-session, video-based small group Bible study, pastor Stovall Weems teaches how to let go of things you don’t have the answers for and trust Him enough to simply follow. In each of the six sessions, you and your group will experience how to follow God in the moment, no matter what baggage they carry or what spiritual milestones you’ve yet to conquer. Explore the powerful principles of God-first living that lead to an abundant life, and get the tools that will help you grow in your walk with God. Learn how to experience the strength of God-First living and start enjoying your walk with God by living Spirit-filled and being Spirit-led on a consistent basis. Use your unique gifts and talents by practically demonstrating the love of God to others. Having a rich spiritual life isn’t difficult. There is a much more vibrant way to live and act in faith, and it is much simpler than you would think. Discover your God-First Life. A companion DVD (sold separately) is also available.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year A 2
$42.00Add to cartBased on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 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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Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$12.00Add to cartThe Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course-Leader’s Guide is an introductory course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It can be used with adults and youth and is the foundational course for other leadership training courses.
This course covers the 3 three core categories of Lay Servant Ministries: Leading, Caring, and Communicating; it also emphasizes ministry in daily life and sharing faith stories. The plans in this Leader’s Guide are designed to be taught in 5 two-hour sessions. They can also be used over a weekend.
NOTE: This guide replaces the Lay Speaking Ministries Basic Course Leader’s Guide, DR551. If you have taught the Basic Course before, you will need to adjust your teaching plans to emphasize the core categories described above.
Session topics include
Ministry of the Baptized
priesthood of all believers
spiritual gifts
the need for a response to God’s call
the role of laity in ministryLeading
servant leadership
important roles in leadership
what it means to be a spiritual leader
Christian conferencingCaring
biblical basis for caring ministry
acts of compassion and justice
caring for creationCommunication
guidelines for respectful communication
listening skills
sharing faith storiesInto the World
understanding leaders’ role in fulfilling the Great Commission
importance of continued study and spiritual growth
role of hospitality
Appreciative Inquiry and Asset-Based Community DevelopmentAppendixes include two letters to participants (depending on whether the course is taught in 5 sessions or over a weekend), a sample format for Christian conferencing, evaluation forms for communication session, and resources (scripture, song, and meditation) for each session.
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Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Participants Book (Student/Study Guide)
$12.00Add to cart“God calls you to a life of servanthood as a disciple of Jesus Christ. . Lay Servant Ministries is the first step for many laypersons toward their faith journey as they strive for a closer relationship with the Lord,” the authors write in the introduction.
The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It explores
personal spiritual gifts
servant leadership
each leader’s role in developing future leaders
the importance of consistent spiritual practices
the core ministries of Leading, Caring, and Communicating
and much more.The Basic Course can be used for both adults and youth. Consisting of five two-hour sessions, it may serve as a short-term study for small groups, Sunday school classes, and new member classes.
NOTE: This book replaces the Lay Speaking Ministries Basic Course, DR551.
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Please Dont Tell
$20.99Add to cart“I’ve never told a soul, and you have to promise not to tell anybody.” “Pastor, I wanted you to know before we tell the kids, just in case they come to you.” “I’m so happy. Yes, finally, I’m pregnant. I just had to tell someone.” “Yes, it’s terrible, but am I going to explain it to our friends here at church?”
People need trusted persons as sounding boards and confidants. Not many weeks go by that someone does not confide a secret to a church leader, whether pastor, youth director, church secretary, choir director, or board member. While pastors have a unique role when it comes to confidentiality, listening to secrets is something that every church leader does. But there are both privileges and responsibilities in reporting, discerning the truth, and helping people bear the deep sins or temper the anger that threatens to overflow.
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Conflict : Causes And Cures
$19.49Add to cartConflict is serious and needs the church’s serious attention. Every eight hours a pastor is terminated. Every year over a thousand churches disband; often because of conflict.
Supported by over thirty years of academic research and based on real-life experiences in ministry, Conflict: Causes and Cures presents practical perspectives, solutions, and resources for dealing with conflicted churches.
Dr. Smith shares the top ten causes of conflict in a lively case study format and discusses three necessary approaches to conflict-education, mediation, and restoration.Complete with scripture references and biblical applications, Conflict: Causes and Cures is essential reading for those who are concerned about this critical problem that confronts our churches today.
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Teaching The Way Of Jesus
$34.99Add to cartChristian religious education provides the content, processes, and settings to empower the church’s mission in the world-a mission that includes health care, peace with justice, and disciple-making ministries. Today, the field Christian Education is clear about its tasks of helping form and nurture faith that is then embodied in faithful practices. Research studies on Christian faith practices show how that participating in Christian community under-girds and complements thoughtful living through one’s life.
With an emphasis on practices and mission, this book offers readers concrete ways to empower vital faith formation in congregations as it describes current trends, which include richer diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and interfaith dialog. This book will also help prepare students for leadership in the Church universal and in the field of Christian Education.
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Sailboat Church : Helping Your Church Rethink Its Mission And Practice
$20.00Add to cartIs your church a rowboat church or a sailboat church?
Rowboat churches depend largely on human effort. In a time of often shrinking budgets and membership, rowboat churches frantically row harder against a current, often frustrated and disappointed at their efforts. Sailboat churches, on the other hand, take up the oars, hoist sales, and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them.
Arguing that churches should be “sailboats,” author Joan S. Gray encourages readers to shift concern from the many daily, practical concerns of their local church to consider how new directions might be found by allowing the Holy Spirit to provide fresh ideas. The book includes 40 days of sailing prayers, quotes from Scripture, brief reflection questions, and an extensive bibliography that is arranged by theme. Perfect for groups to read together, this book will help leaders reframe their church’s mission and practice with the Holy Spirit as their guide.
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Power Of Gods Names Member Book (Student/Study Guide)
$20.99Add to cartThe Power of God’s Names – Member Book includes small-group experiences for six sessions, individual study and learning activities five days a week, Scriptures that reveal the meanings of God’s names, and DVD viewer guides. To fully grasp the significance and power of knowing God’s names, you first need to understand the context of names within biblical cultures. In Old Testament times a name was more than simply nomenclature. It was, rather, a replica and revelation of the individual or thing itself.
The study examines 11 names of God. The words translated as name show up over one thousand times in Scripture and routinely carry with them power, responsibility, purpose, and authority. A name not only expresses the essence and significance of what is being named but also-when duly authorized-accesses the capacity intrinsic within it. Because of God’s depth of character, He has a variety of names to reflect His different capacities of relating to humanity. For example, God is called Elohim when referenced as the all-powerful Creator. When you need provision, get to know the name Jehovah Jireh, which means God, the Provider. God has a name for any and every situation you can find yourself in. Get to know the names of God because it is in knowing His character and His capacity that you will rest and discover both peace and power in His covenant care.
Features:
Guidance for six group experiences
Six weeks of daily lessons and learning activities for individual study five days a weekBenefits:
Offers biblically rooted content on the meaning and power of God’s names
Helps believers discover and appreciate God’s multifaceted nature and character by focusing on a variety of His names in Scripture
Encourages believers to call on God through the names that speak to their needs
Fosters spiritual growth through individual and group study
Provides guidance for six group experiences -
Childrens Dramas For The Church Year
$12.99Add to cartThis reproducible resource consists of very simple Easter dramas that can be performed by kids of all ages-the younger children can participate in rhymes and recitations that require very little or no speaking, while older children will enjoy the speaking and narration parts. Short poems are also included for use in programs.
Selections take no more than 10 minutes to perform and the number of children can vary as needed by the size of the church. Props and scenery are minimal and selections can be performed with little rehearsal.
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Servants Heart : Tips For The Associate Minister
$15.49Add to cartIf you are a minister serving under a senior pastor or a lay leader in the church contemplating greater service in the Kingdom, you may be facing frustration about the direction of the ministry God has given you. You know that God has placed something within you, but you are having trouble finding out exactly how to openly express this inward passion. Well, this book will help you find the direction you need.
In A Servant’s Heart, Pastor Kenneth Kemp explores the ways an associate minister-one who serves under a senior pastor-can be effective in the role of a subordinate leader. Having served many years in this role himself, Pastor Kemp sees the role of the associate minister as being integrally important to the ministry of the church, rather than just a temporary position to occupy until something better comes along. He prepares the associate minister with practical advice from the basics of accepting the Master’s call to speaking to social issues to dealing with frustration. Each chapter presents a review of an important ministerial development concept, followed by a sermonic presentation to illustrate that concept. You will be a better preacher, leader, member, and servant if you read and adhere to these practical tips for the associate minister
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Its A God Thing
$14.99Add to cartHe who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise (Luke 3:11 NKJV).
A bold leader decided to follow Jesus’ teachings, resulting in a powerful ministry that has his entire congregation serving the desolate, the hungry, and the sick. Through this obedience to Scripture, his church grew from a small 250-member congregation to a thriving, life-filled body of Christ-followers that is active in an astounding seventy ministries today.
Learn how your church can follow Jesus today, no matter your budget or how stale your current ministry “programs,” and in spite of opposition. Dr. Roesel overcame the overwhelming odds and proved that Jesus’ teachings are still valid today.
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Saved From Silence
$16.99Add to cartLucas Park Books
In this postmodern age, women preachers are finding their “voice” a distinctive way of proclamation. This book looks at the metaphor of voice, how women are moving to voice from silence, and how individuals can make themselves heard by those who don’t … -
People Pleasing Pastors
$18.99Add to cartPastors and church leaders often fall into the trap of people-pleasing. Charles Stones research on thousands of pastors and ministry leaders demonstrates the dangers of approval-motivated leadership. Bringing together biblical insights and neuroscience findings, Stone shows why we fall into people-pleasing patterns and what we can do to overcome these tendencies. With practical tools for individuals and teams, Stone offers concrete resources to help you and your leadership minimize people-pleasing and have more effective ministry.
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Loveology Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartIn the beginning, God created Adam. Then he made Eve.
And ever since we’ve been trying to figure out what to do next.
What did God intend in the Garden? How does God redeem the fallout in a post-Genesis 3 world? What is right and what is wrong in male/female relationships?
Loveology is just that—a theology of love that begins at marriage and works backward, dealing with marriage, love, sexuality, romance and dating, singleness, masculinity, and femininity.
The Loveology video study is an exploration of what the Bible says about sex and relationships for those who are tired of Hollywood’s message (sex is God), and the church’s message (sex is sin), and know there has to be an ‘Option C’. Portland pastor John Mark Comer asks the why questions, and offers intelligent, biblical, grace-and-truth answers.
This study guide is designed for use with Loveology: A DVD Study (sold separately) and contains video notes, individual or group reflection questions, and between session personal applications enhancing your journey through the video study.
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Mediating Faith : Faith Formation In A Trans Media Era
$29.00Add to cartThe church struggles with media. Whether it is a denomination negotiating the 24-hour news cycle or a church evaluating how Facebook or online games are influencing the youth group, media is raising questions and placing demands on communities of faith in ways that could not have been imagined just 20 years ago. Thus the importance of understanding media for the church has never been greater.
In Mediating Faith, church leaders of all kinds will find Clint Schnekloth an engaging and insightful guide to this new and sometimes wondrous world. In doing so he offers an evaluation and theological response to the trans-media era that highlights its potential to transform our work and world.Far from frightening, Schnekloth highlights the opportunities and the riches of this fascinating time.
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Embracing An Alternative Orthodoxy (Student/Study Guide)
$16.95Add to cart* 5- to 10-week study for adults and young adults with appealing video format that prompts engagement and response
* Each participant uses his/her own journal for study and reflection
* Newest installment in the successful Embracing series
Each program in this series features two components sold separately:
(1) A DVD with five 10-15 minute presentations (one per group), in this case showing Fr. Richard Rohr interacting with a small group of adults
(2) a participant workbook containing all the material needed by class participants as well as for the facilitator (one each).
In this edition, Richard Rohr explores five topics central to Franciscan theology and practice: * Atonement Theory
* Eco-Spirituality
* The Christ who Existed before Christianity
* Orthopraxy vs. Verbal Orthodoxy (Living Like Jesus)
* Mysticism over Moralism -
Restless Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn “Restless,” an 8-session, video-based small group Bible study, Bible study teacher and author Jennie Allen helps you discover a practical plan to identify the threads of your life and how to intentionally weave them together for God’s glory and purposes.
“Restless” explores this important question: “Do I matter?” And Jennie asks, “We livewith lots of things, lots of people…but do we live for something?”
Using the story of Joseph, Jennie explains how his suffering, gifts, story, and relationships fit into the greater story of God-and how our stories can do the same. Then she also introduces Threads-a tool to help you see your own personal story and to uncover and understand the raw materials God has given you to use for his glory and purpose while on this planet.
The lessons in this study guide are engaging and interactive, offering in-depth Bible study, personal stories, and projects enabling the teaching to move off the page and into your life.
Sessions include: IntroductionGod’s StoryGiftsScarsPlacePeoplePassionHoly Spirit
Designed for use with Restless: A DVD Study.
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Art Of Leadership
$18.00Add to cartThe call to ministry is a call to leadership. Once again with an easy going and down-to-earth approach, Dr. Heward-Mills expounds on principles that have made him an outstanding Christian leader. The truths revealed here will inspire many to the art of leadership.
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Art Of Hearing
$12.00Add to cartThere is no topic more important than being in the perfect will of God. The one thing that will distinguish ministers of the gospel is their ability to hear the voice of God accurately. How important it is to follow the Holy Spirit into the perfect will of God. When you are in the perfect will of God, you will flourish and achieve all that you desire for God. This outstanding work by Dag Heward-Mills will have a great impact on your life and ministry.
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Living In The Conversation
$13.95Add to cartToday’s world teaches that bigger is better. We measure success by the square feet of our homes and by the size of our bank accounts. But what if we’ve gotten it wrong? What if there’s quality in smallness?
With 45 years of church leadership experience, James Killen came to believe that some of the biggest God moments can happen in the smallest of churches. Throughout the pages of Living in the Conversation, Killen looks back through biblical history to remind us that God calls us to love Him with our hearts, minds, and souls. Ultimately, Killen convinces us that preaching and worship should always lead to a people connected to their God.
Living in the Conversation beckons the reader to abandon all presuppositions about what makes a church work, pointing back to God’s commands to walk in love and share the truth of redemption. This is how a big faith is developed, and Killen calls even the smallest of churches to anticipate a holy revelation. When we expect a God encounter, we can then begin to live out the intangibles of the kingdom — loving fellowship, vital worship, and a genuine and transformative relationship with a big and living God.
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Lectionary Stories For Preaching And Teaching Cycle A
$12.95Add to cartEveryone loves a good story. Storytellers who excel at their craft have the ability to draw readers or listeners into the worlds they create, using characters and situations to entertain and enlighten us. Jesus, the Master Storyteller, often spoke using parables — short stories that conveyed a spiritual truth. By drawing his listeners into his story, he unlocked their minds and hearts to hear the truth he was trying to relate to them.
This compilation of stories for the Lent and Easter Seasons taken from StoryShare follows in that same tradition. StoryShare, a part of SermonSuite.com, is written by various authors brought together to meditate on scriptures in the Revised Common Lectionary for Cycle A and create stories that flesh out these passages, allowing readers to see these words in a new way. These stories can be whimsical and light-hearted or poignant and reflective, even tragic. But they all strive to bring us to a deeper understanding of the scriptures and the God who inspired them. Some of the stories are even based on actual events experienced by the authors, events that influenced their perspective on Christianity.
Useful as sermon illustrations, stand alone sermons, teaching aides, personal devotions, or even just for entertaining reading, Stories for Teaching and Preaching will draw you into new worlds with vibrant and engaging images, deepening your relationship with God in the process.
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Navigating The Sermon Cycle A
$17.95Add to cartIn this special edition for the Sundays in Lent and Easter of Cycle A, the writers and editors of “Charting the Course,” an integral part of Emphasis: A Lectionary Preaching Journal from CSS Publishing Company, delve into the heart of the lectionary readings, providing you, the pastor with in-depth lectionary-based commentary; relating several fresh, solid ideas — based squarely on the lectionary texts — for creating sermons that speak powerfully to your audience. The team of writers looks for overall topics for the seasons of Lent and Easter in the Cycle A church year that hold the readings together. Then, they zero in on the theme and the specific scripture links, suggesting directions for the sermon and worship service. Since a single application for each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, Navigating the Sermon in most cases suggests several ideas, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.
This book is like having a dedicated, thoroughly versed sermon research and sermon resource team right in your own study to help you create riveting sermons that are truly yours and that speak powerfully to your audience.
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Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series 9 Cycle A
$19.95Add to cartWhen it comes to preaching from a lectionary, it can often be a daunting task to create new ways of preaching about a passage that has been around for thousands of years. It would seem that, after a while, there would be no new ways of looking at a scripture passage. A different perspective, however, can be most beneficial in finding a new way to help your congregation see each of the readings.
This is the inspiration behind the Lectionary Preaching Workbook series and this special edition for Lent and Easter. By providing new insights into each of the readings in the Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal Lectionaries, Mark Ellingsen has given pastors everywhere the tools they need to effectively relate the heart of the scriptures to their congregations, combining the best of scholarly techniques with pastoral experience. Each of these illustrations and thematic explorations provide the perfect jumping point for pastors to take a text and create thought-provoking, inspirational messages. Its easy-to-use format and illuminating commentary make the Lectionary Preaching Workbook an essential addition to any pastor’s library.
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Handles : An Encouragement And Resource For Bible Teachers
$15.99Add to cartThis resource is more than a “how to” manual. It is an invitation to make a greater difference in human lives. Those who teach the Bible are not being told herein to “be real” but rather are invited into the private convictions and routine disciplines valued by the author, who himself is being altered by the patient handiwork of our Master teacher, Jesus.
Sometimes a Bible teacher will have great knowledge of the subject matter, even great passion, but simply not know how to effectively transfer it to an audience. Even when it is transferred, it may not be readily retained, or engender a desire in the recipients to use it, and pass it along to others.
Can this skill be learned?
Handles provides a practical strategy and plentiful examples of how to develop more effective lessons. It will be considered a learning resource and encouragement for new teachers as well as veterans. Whether you are assuming the responsible role of Bible teacher, leading a discipleship group, homeschooling, or investing quality time in any life-changing ministry as an instructor, Handles will become a desirable field manual.
Handles presents educated, entertaining and meaningful discussions with advice on how Bible study teachers can reach their students in the trenches of life through effective material and lesson strategy. The author’s own extensive background as a Bible study leader and his lessons for different age groups will demonstrate to readers the effectiveness of the book’s content.
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Ministerial Ethics
$7.00Add to cartIn this outstanding work, Dag Heward-Mills examines real-life situations in ministry today. He addresses practical issues like finances, politics, relating with the opposite sex and ministerial interactions. A commonsense guide to the principled practice of your calling, this book is a must for every Christian leader. It is highly recommended for Bible schools and the clergy in general.
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Problems Of Christian Leadership
$8.99Add to cartChristian leaders face challenges. But God works with us and through us to accomplish his purposes. Available here for the first time in English is John Stott’s practical wisdom for younger leaders. Speaking personally from his own experience, Stott addresses issues of discouragement, self-discipline, relationships and youth.
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Violent Takers 1
$15.99Add to cartThe biblical concept of faith has remained incomprehensible to many Christians, yet the concept and the practice of it is fundamental to a successful Christian life. Faith is the single most important weapon that God has given believers to overcome life challenges. When we know it and use it, we make God happy. In other words, God wants us to overcome life challenges and has provided us with faith as a tool to do that.
The Violent Takers uses real life stories to teach faith, perseverance and taking of bold actions towards obtaining any good thing that one desires. It teaches believing in oneself through believing in God. It encourages one to exploit the abilities, gifts, talents, ideas and opportunities at one’s disposal and use such to break out of the box and change whatever undesirable circumstance there may be in one’s life. This book does not teach or encourage violence or violent behaviors. It is, rather, intended to inspire the readers to emulate the characters in the stories by taking Godly bold actions that can forever change
their circumstances and the world. -
Kingdom Woman Group Video Experience Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartWhen a Kingdom Woman retires for the evening, a frustrated and worn out devil ought to be saying, “We messed with the wrong woman today.” This study guide is a companion resource to the video small-group study based on the book Kingdom Woman, which instructs every Christ-following woman on how to tap into the power of God as she finds and fulfills the purpose for which God has fashioned her.
A Kingdom Woman embraces a simple premise: unless a Kingdom rests firmly under the authority of the ruler, anarchy reigns. That’s why a Kingdom Woman always seeks to align herself and operate under the authority of God-in every area of life. With practical insights and applications from coauthor Chrystal Evans Hurst, Tony Evans explains how that process can unleash new purpose, power, and possibilities-in both the lives of Kingdom Women and those they love. This curriculum can be covered in about six weeks.
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Invasion Of The Dead
$27.00Add to cartOur world and our churches are neither sinful nor lost, they are dead. This dead world is the one that God engages and into which Jesus invaded with a radically different vision of life.
In this groundbreaking work, based on his 211 Yale Beecher lectures, Brian K. Blount helps preachers effectively proclaim resurrection in a world consumed by death. Recognizing that both popular culture and popular Christianity are mesmerized by death and dying, Blount offers an alternative apocalyptic vision for our time–one that starts with a clear vision of life that obliterates death and reveals life’s essence. Blount explores the portrait and meaning of resurrection through the New Testament (the Book of Revelation, the letters of Paul, and the Gospel of Mark) and explores how to biblically and theologically reconfigure apocalyptic preaching for today. With three illustrative sermons, this book is an ideal resource to help preachers proclaim the power of resurrection.
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Leading Worship : Learning And Leading
$10.00Add to cartThis advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries focuses on the ministry of the Lay Servant who either regularly or occasionally leads a group, class, organization, or the congregation in worship. The course is grounded in the classic patterns of Christian worship and the practices of leading worship. Participants will come to understand more about Christian worship in order to lead worship with more confidence. They will practice leading worship in a variety of formats throughout the course.
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Love Does Study Guide
$12.99Add to cartIn “Love Does,” a five-session, video-based small group study, you will discover the whimsy of “New York Times” best-selling author Bob Goff through a sometimes humorous, thought-provoking, meaningful lesson that makes faith in God simple and real.
You will discover the paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world’s most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it’s not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob’s love takes action, just like Jesus did. Bob believes “Love Does.”
When “Love Does,” life gets interesting. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob’s life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible too.
This companion study guide is designed for use with “Love Does” A DVD Study and will lead you and your group deeper into the video content (sold separately) with video notes, group discussion questions, and between session personal reflections and actions to enhance the group experience.
Sessions include:
1.I’m With You
2.Not Defined by Our Failures
3.God’s Audacious Love
4.The Story
5.That’s What Love Does -
Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl Participants Guide (Student/Study Gui
$14.99Add to cartJoin bestselling author Lysa TerKuerst for Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl, a six-session small group Bible study that helps you figure out how to trade in going through the motions for the spiritual healthy and vibrant life for which you long.
‘I really want to know God, personally and intimately.’
Do those words resonate with you? You’re tired of just going through the motions of being a Christian: Go to church. Pray. Be nice. That spiritual to-do list just doesn’t cut it. But what does? How do you step out of the drudger of religious duty to experience a living, moment-by-moment, deeply intimate relationship with God? Join Lysa in six small group sessions that will transform your walk with Go from lackluster theory to vibrant reality!
The most invigorating and rewarding journey of your life awaits you as you discover how to: *Build personal, two-way conversations with God.
*Study the Bible and experience life change for yourself.
*Cultivate great authenticity and depth in your relationships.
*Make disappointments work for you, not against you.
*Find incredible joy as you live out your faith in everyday circumstances.This Participant Guide is filled with helpful discussion starters, video overviews, space for writing thoughts, a helpful Leader’s Guide and much more. It’s designed to be used with the companion Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl DVD (sold separately) which features six 10-15 minute teaching sessions.
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Reading For Preaching
$20.99Add to cartIn Reading for Preaching Neal Plantinga makes a singular claim: preachers who read fine writing will likely become deeper and defter preachers. In his own winsome writing style Plantinga shows how a general reading program benefits preachers. First, he says, good reading generates delight, and the preacher who enters the world of delight goes with God. Good reading can also help tune the preacher’s ear for language — his or her primary tool. General reading can enlarge the preacher’s sympathies for people and situations that she or he had previously known nothing about. And, above all, the preacher who reads widely has the chance to become wise.
Though aimed especially at preachers, this beautifully written book will benefit anyone interested in the wisdom to be derived from reading.
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Ministering To Problem People In Your Church
$18.00Add to cartHelp for Pastors Who Minister under All-Too-Common Destructive Conditions–
from the Editor of Leadership JournalEvery pastor faces hostility, resistance, and interference from often well-meaning (but difficult) people in the church. Using real-life stories of battle-scarred veterans, Shelley, editor of Leadership Journal, presents a clear picture of God’s love for those on both sides of the problem. He offers tested strategies to communicate love and turn dissidents into disciples. This newly updated book will not only help pastors and church leaders preserve their sanity (and maybe their jobs), it will help them minister more effectively–even to those who make their lives difficult.
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Evidence Based Practices For Christian Counseling And Psychotherapy
$40.99Add to cartAre Christian treatments as effective as secular treatments? What is the evidence to support its success? Christians engaged in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy and counseling are living in a unique moment. Over the last couple decades, these fields have grown more and more open to religious belief and religion-accommodative therapies. At the same time, Christian counselors and psychotherapists encounter pressure (for example, from insurance companies) to demonstrate that their accommodative therapies are as beneficial as secular therapies. This raises the need for evidence to support Christian practices and treatments. The essays gathered in this volume explore evidence-based Christian treatments, practices, factors and principles. The authors mine the relevant research and literature to update practicing psychotherapists, clinical researchers, students, teachers and educated laypersons about the efficacy of certain Christian-accommodative therapies. Topics covered in the book include: devotional meditationcognitive-behavior therapypsychodynamic and process-experiential therapiescouples, marriage and family therapygroup intervention The book concludes with a review of the evidence for the various treatments discussed in the chapters, a guide for conducting clinical trials that is essential reading for current or aspiring researchers, and reflections by the editors about the future of evidence-based Christian practices. As the editors say, “more research is necessary.” To that end, this volume is a major contribution to a field of inquiry that, while still in its infancy, promises to have enormous implications for future work in Christian counseling and psychotherapy.
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Making Disciples In The 21st Century Church
$14.95Add to cartMore than a decade ago, Bill Hull wrote The Disciple Making Pastor. Hull criticized America’s Sunday attendance strategies as being totally inadequate and emphasized the need to make disciples. I resisted Hull’s teaching, thinking he lacked church growth insight. At that time, I primarily judged church growth success by how many were seated in a church in the worship service.
Yet now I applaud the concept of growing a church from the inside out and measuring success by disciples made and sent forth. The only command, in fact, of Christ’s great commission was to make disciples. The rest of the verbs in Matthew 28:18-20 are not in the command form but are actually participles. Jesus literally said, “having gone, make disciples.” (Matt. 28:18).
We know that the goal of the Christian life is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. While this is God’s ultimate plan, does he have a particular purpose for the cell-based church? I’ve been wrestling with this question for the past twenty-two years. This question confronts me every time I coach a pastor or pastors. In preparation for coaching, I ask myself, “What is my principal objective in helping this pastor?” “Where am I guiding this church?” “What am I trying to do?”
This book answers these questions.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the primary goal of cell ministry is to make disciples who make disciples. Christ’s last command to his disciples was for them to repeat the process and to reproduce new disciples. But how were they supposed to do that?
We in North America and the Western world often project our own cultural bias into Christ’s great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Most discipleship books, in fact, assume that discipleship is an individualistic endeavor–between me and God. And yes, there is an important individual aspect (e.g., personal devotions, etc.). Yet in Matthew 28, Jesus was talking to a group of disciples. He wanted them to follow his example by making disciples in a group. Jesus molded twelve disciples in a group and then sent them house to house.
The early church followed Christ’s pattern by making disciples through the house churches that periodically celebrated together in public worship. In 2 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul tells Timothy to continue the discipleship process by passing on the pure gospel message to faithful men and women. Even though the term “disciple” is later replaced by words such as “brothers/sisters,” “Christians,” and “saints,” the concept remain
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Childrens Ministry In The Way Of Jesus
$24.99Add to cartAttract kids to church, the logic often goes, and you get parents in the pews. All that’s left is to get the kids out of the way. Here children’s ministers David Csinos and Ivy Beckwith draw on research in human development and spiritual formation to show how children become disciples and churches become centers of lifelong discipleship.
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Transforming Congregations Through Community
$28.00Add to cartIn this helpful book, Boyung Lee offers an encouraging vision of the mainline church’s future. Lee grapples with some of the greatest challenges facing the mainline church, offering compelling responses to recurring questions: What does faithfulness to the gospel look like in this changing world? What is our distinctive voice in the larger society? How does theological education have to change if it is to serve the needs of a new century?
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Foundations For Youth Ministry
$34.00Add to cartDean Borgman, a nationally known youth ministry expert, offers a new edition of his influential classic. Reaching a broadly ecumenical audience, this book challenges readers to think about the theological nature of youth ministry. Questions for discussion and reflection are included. This thoroughly updated edition was previously published as When Kumbaya Is Not Enough.
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Sound Doctrine : Teaching That Leads To True Fear Of The Lord
$17.98Add to cartAccording to the Bible, sound doctrine creates true fear of the Lord. If this fear of the Lord is missing in our churches, as it seems to be, it must be a sign that we do not preach the true Word of God and sound doctrine. Teaching sound doctrine should cause us to see a need to surrender everything to God and to live in the light. There is no darkness, no sin, when we are walking in the light ( 1 John 1:7). True godliness and holiness is required to walk with God. In this prophetic word to the Church, Torben brings us back to the Bible where sound doctrine is found, including how to address sin in the church and in the individual. Has the church been teaching sound doctrine? Has it become soft on sin? Can the church expect its prayers to be answered if there is sin in the camp? Is the church accursed because it has allowed sin to thrive unchallenged? Can a person truly be born again and continue in conscious sin? Have we been teaching a grace that tramples the blood of Jesus? These are serious questions that must be addressed if we expect God to hear our prayers. His word to the church: REPENT!
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Sermon Workbook : Excercises In The Art And Craft Of Preaching (Workbook)
$27.99Add to cartBoth experienced and novice preachers need a new approach for sermon development skill-building. A Sermon Workbook offers a unique and flexible resource that is instantly accessible and useful for anyone tasked with the proclamation of the Word. The workbook format can be used in a linear fashion, beginning to end. Or readers can pick and choose the chapters to tailor-fit their own needs. In either case, readers build skill upon skill, working through inventive and engaging exercises first developed and taught at Yale Divinity School. The book addresses the skills and arts that are essential for effective preaching in our multi-tasking, multi-ethnic, sound-byte society. It offers theological clarity about why we preach, and what matters most. The creative, collaborative, and charming authors present the principles as they do in their classroom: in two voices-one male and one female–with the two complementing and supporting one another.
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Christ Centered Sermons
$29.00Add to cartHighly regarded preacher and teacher Bryan Chapell shows readers how he has prepared expository sermons according to the principles he developed in his bestselling Christ-Centered Preaching. This companion volume provides concrete examples of how a redemptive approach to Scripture is fleshed out in various types of sermons and various genres of the Bible. The example sermons not only demonstrate different approaches but also are analyzed for pedagogical purposes, helping readers move from theory to practice. In essence, the book allows students and preachers to look over Chapell’s shoulder as he prepares these messages to learn how to construct their own expository sermons that communicate grace and truth from both the Old and New Testaments.
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Missional Quest : Becoming A Church Of The Long Run
$17.99Add to cartIntroduction: Before The First Step
Part I: Fostering A Missional Mindset
1. The Starting LinePart II: Fostering A Missional Posture
2. Stop And Go
3. AD 30 All Over Again
4. Won’t You Be My Neighbor
5. Home, Work And God’s Mission
6. Where Everybody Knows Your Name
7. Launching Pads
8. Follow The Follower
9. Have A Great Trip
Appendix
EndnotesAdditional Info
When Christ calls people, he invites them on a journey-a journey taken together in community. We have reached a point in history, however, when we think of the church as a fixed place where isolated individuals show up, consume a Christian message, drink some coffee, and get on with their lives. The times demand, and the gospel proclaims, that we recover our identity as a church that is a people on a quest for the kingdom of heaven, formed intimately by a loving God and called onto a long journey for the sake of our neighbors and our world. In The Missional Quest you’ll learn how to take your church on a long run, and how to sustain yourselves and one another along the way, through the power of God for the sake of the world.
