Pastoral Helps
Showing 1601–1700 of 2236 results
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Gospel Telling : The Art And Theology Of Childrens Sermons
$16.95Add to cartWhen was the last time you took a moment to consider the purpose and effectiveness of your children’s sermons? After all, nothing is more important than sowing the seeds of faith early in life. In this comprehensive look at all aspects of preaching the gospel to young people, Richard Coleman challenges you to examine your approach with a critical eye and gives you plenty of practical guidance for developing simple, direct messages that help children form a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the first section of Gospel-Telling, Coleman discusses what constitutes meaningful children’s sermons, offering a thoughtful rationale for the idea that we must proclaim the gospel so youngsters experience God’s love. You’ll learn how you can mine your own experience for inspiration and proclaim gospel stories that flow from your specific circumstances. Then in the second portion of the book you’ll see this process at work, with over 30 examples illustrating several different types of children’s sermons.
Whether you’re a pastor, Christian educator, or engaged in the teaching ministry, you’re sure to profit from the practical advice and in-depth reflection in these pages. With Gospel-Telling, you’ll be equipped to share with young people the Good News — with creativity and theological integrity.
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Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
$20.95Add to cartIf you want to stimulate your creative juices and avoid dull, cliche-filled preaching, then you’ll love this collection of 150 imaginative “sermon starters.” Each idea consists of a clever title that’s sure to catch the interest of the person in the pew along with a purpose statement and a brief discussion of the topic (including appropriate scripture references). There are a variety of suggested approaches with striking imagery, providing you with plenty of seeds for developing interesting, thought-provoking messages. And with a convenient subject index included, Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees is certain to be a treasured addition to any pastor’s library. But this volume isn’t just for preachers — it’s also an excellent source of meditations for men’s, women’s, or youth groups as well as inspiring devotional reading.
Here’s a sample of some of the inventive entries:
* Daring To Be A Lion’s Breakfast!
* Is There A Lightning Bolt With Your Name On It?
* How Many Will Your Garbage Can Feed?
* We Have Met The Monster And It Is Us
* Will Your Bones Dance Again?
* Cain’s And Einstein’s Theory Of Relativity -
Old Wine In New Skins 2
$16.95Add to cartAcross the broad spectrum of the Christian faith, worship services are in transition. There is a richness of expression in traditional worship structures that needs to be maintained, yet there is a vitality and joy in contemporary praise celebrations that is an essential part of the Christian spirit. But whatever the style of service, whether it’s traditional, contemporary, or “blended,” meaningful worship that makes a powerful impact is directly connected to our daily lives, addressing our hopes and fears.
Like the first volume of Old Wine In New Skins, this comprehensive collection provides plenty of resources for strengthening and reinvigorating your worship services. There are two years’ worth (104) of calls to worship in a wide variety of styles that can be used in almost any setting. Each weaves together suggested hymns or praise songs with spoken material utilizing everyday language and images, creating a strong thematic thrust that truly prepares the congregation to stand before the Lord in praise and petition. There’s also a group of brief reflections that can be used as sermon illustrations, theme-setters for the service, or newsletter features.
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Preaching To Myself
$12.95Add to cartA compelling preacher shares her unique method for creating memorable sermons in this practical, down-to-earth manual that’s chock-full of excellent ideas for homiletical preparation. It’s an engaging look at what characterizes outstanding preaching as well as a humorous catalog of the hazards facing those who enter the pulpit. Schmitz relates numerous amusing and instructive anecdotes from her own preaching experience, and offers valuable advice on how to write and deliver messages with maximum impact. For example, Schmitz notes that compelling stories which resonate with hearers are a crucial ingredient of great sermons — and Preaching To Myself illustrates how to tap into this endlessly renewable resource. Simple, funny, field-tested in the trenches with real people — if you want to enjoy a chuckle while learning what makes top-notch sermons that change lives, then this is the book for you.
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Feasts Of The Kingdom
$21.95Add to cartFeasts and festivals are a central part of many cultures, and for Christians there is no more important “meal” than Holy Communion, in which we commemorate our liberation through the sacrificial death of Jesus. Yet there are many other occasions in the Bible where Jesus taught his friends and disciples as he ate and drank. In The Feasts Of The Kingdom, Maurice Fetty examines a wide variety of sacred meals in scripture, ranging from the Lord’s supper to banquets in the parables. He connects these occasions to our mealtimes today, where we can develop a sense of community and Christian fellowship that is emblematic of the spiritual feast at the heart of the Church’s worship. With 26 messages included for all seasons of the church year, this volume is an especially valuable source of preaching ideas. But most of all, Fetty’s insights provide sustenance for the soul!
Chapter titles include:
* Faith And Fast-Food Religion (John 6:67-68)
* The Hunger Pangs Of Success (Philippians 2:5-7)
* Breakfast On The Beach (John 21:9, 12)
* The Ultimate Wedding Reception (Revelation 19:9)
* Table Manners In A Hungry World (Luke 16:20-21)
… and many more! -
Teaching Prayer In The Classroom (Revised)
$19.99Add to cartIn this revised and expanded edition of Teaching Prayer in the Classroom, Delia Halverson provides children’s teachers and leaders with practical guidance for teaching the elusive, and often mystifying, topic of prayer to children and young people. As in the original volume, Teaching Prayer in the Classroom offers step-by-step activities that engage children in different prayer experiences, while also providing specific examples of age-appropriate prayers for preschoolers to twelve-year-olds. In addition, age-level understandings and experiences of prayer are presented, as well as guidance for integrating different prayers into existing Sunday school lessons and creating a variety of unique prayers. Along with a number of reproducible handouts that provide useful information for teachers and students, this volume offers guidance and suggestions to help parents use prayer with their children at home.
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Giant Book Of Childrens Sermons
$49.95Add to cartThe youngest members of your congregation have trooped up the aisle in their Sunday best. Be prepared with these 260 object lessons and simple visual aids such as crayons, scissors, and salt shakers! Features five years of 10-minute “sermonettes” that complement New Testament Scripture passages. Includes a companion CD-ROM.
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Preaching Marks Gospel
$18.95Add to cartIn a classic case of failing to see the forest for the trees, Jensen, a homiletics professor and author of two works on narrative preaching, says that preachers tend to analyze biblical books to glean the slightest bits of exegetical data, yet miss the thrust of the overarching story they try to convey. Jensen contends that preachers get too caught up in an analytical, left-brained mentality that obscures the power and meaning of the good news story.
In these pages Jensen helps us approach Mark’s gospel with eyes wide open rather than with microscope in hand. He treats Mark’s gospel as a narrative whole and challenges preachers to tell the gospel’s story to their congregations. In doing so, Jensen emphasizes the strength of biblical stories. He says that these stories are powerful in and of themselves, that they work without much explanatory help. The problem is that listeners never hear the entire story, because it’s always told to them in bits and pieces.
Jensen’s adaptation of what Robert Alter (author of The Art of Biblical Narrative) calls narrative analogy assumes that “… parallel acts or situations are used to comment on each other in biblical narrative.” In other words, if Mark told story “B” to flesh out the reality of story “A,” then perhaps preachers today can do the same thing in their preaching. Students of Jensen have enthusiastically embraced this approach: “This is great, we never get to hear them (stories) whole!” How did it ever occur to us that we could improve on the story of the Prodigal Son, for example, by reducing it to ideas?
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Preaching From The Soul
$22.99Add to cartCareful biblical interpretation; insights into contemporary life; polished delivery; humorous anecdotes; these are the building blocks of preaching that genuinely reach people. Right? Wrong, says Ellsworth Kalas. We have all encountered preachers who seem to know all the fine points of exegesis and inflection, yet whose sermons leave us surprisingly unmoved, aware that we were in the presence of good speaking, but not great preaching.
The difference, Kalas reminds us, lies in that hard-to-describe, yet essential quality known as soul. Soul is the collection of those perspectives and convictions that matter most to the preacher. Soul preaching means offering one’s particular ideas, attitudes, and convictions fully to the congregation. When one preaches with soul, one engages the biblical text with the core of one’s values and beliefs. Soul preaching is, in other words, simply giving the whole self to the task of proclamation. While the concept may sound simple, the reality is anything but.In the clear, insightful style for which he is known, Kalas takes readers on a path of discovery, introducing them to the unique gifts that they can bring to preaching, and the best way to engage those gifts in preparing and delivering the sermon.
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Tour Of The Nations
$16.99Add to cartTour of the Nations is a book designed to aid teachers in assisting their students to become more knowledgeable in foreign missions. It takes students on a one-year visit to the seven major continents of the world, introducing them to many cultural and spiritual adventures. It presents lesson material each week for approximately one year, and provides thorough lessons for each session. This book will serve as a great tool for missions training and Christian education for children from preschool through the elementary grades. The work of training children in the local church setting can be a great task, but one that is commanded of us by Christ. Tour of the Nations will help make that task easier, providing lessons and ideas for classroom teachers in introducing their students to foreign mission countries, hopefully igniting the embers that may be placed in young, tender hearts by the gifting power of the Holy Spirit.
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Pastors Guide To Effective Preaching
$14.99Add to cart12 Chapters
Additional Info
Pastors are judged by their preaching. How are you measuring up?
Every week, those 30 minutes you spend in front of the congregation impact their decisions about whether or not to attend your church.
Preaching changes lives when Christians answer the call to do what
God asks of them.
In The Pastors Guide To Effective Preaching, Billy Graham William Willimon, Eugene Peterson, and other well known church leaders will teach you to connect with the congregation through your preaching. Beyond the “how to’s” of preaching, The Pastors Guide provides a foundation for embodying God’s grace and holiness as a means of communicating His message.
You’ll learn to
Keep your congregation engaged in what you’re saying.
Plan an extended preaching schedule.
Relate the gospel to our secular and humanistic society
Understand the role of preaching in your overall ministry
Preach with authority and communicate the gospel with simplicity
And much more. -
Confessing Jesus Christ A Print On Demand Title
$32.99Add to cart264 Pages
Additional Info
Denying any realities beyond our own mental constructions, postmodernists relentlessly question the presuppositions of many disciplines—including homiletics. Confessing Jesus Christ: Preaching in a Postmodern World encourages pastors to treat sermons as public acts of “faith alone.” Offering a lively description of antifoundationalism—and its implications for Christianity—David Lose suggests concrete methods of countering the challenges it poses. Includes two sample sermons. -
Ministry Loves Company
$25.00Add to cartIn Ministry Loves Company John Galloway provides new and veteran pastors with insights on establishing and maintaining a vital parish ministry while remaining invigorated by the practice of ministry. Drawing on the image of a congregation as a family, Galloway uses anecdotes to describe the life of a congregation and the life of a pastor, who have both been called to be the body of Christ. Poignant, memorable, and often humorous, Galloway’s reflections derive from his own personal experiences as a pastor. Ministry Loves Company uniquely addresses the many challenges facing today’s pastors and serves as a practical guide for those veteran pastors who are seeking to remain courageous and excited about parish ministry.
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Boundaries With Kids Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartA video resource kit that helps parents bring control to their family and instill godly character in their children This ZondervanGroupware curriculum is a complete resource kit for helping parents put into practice the principles detailed in the book Boundaries with Kids. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend take parents through the ins and outs of establishing family boundaries and cultivating sound character in their children. The video features presentations by the authors as well as dramatic vignettes. The 8 sessions can be used in large or small groups and are presented in a new test-proven small group interactive format. The complete ZondervanGroupware kit includes one leader9s guide, one participant9s guide, one Boundaries with Kids softcover book, one VHS video, and one DVD. Each element except the videos is also sold separately. An 8-Session Focus on Boundaries and Kids
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17 Indisputable Laws Of Teamwork (Workbook)
$19.99Add to cartWhether leading in business, church, sports, or in your family, teamwork is essential. In this new book, John Maxwell walks readers through the various laws of leadership showing the importance of working together.
Everyone who works with people is realizing that the old autocratic method of leadership simply doesn’t work. The way to win is to build a great team.
John C. Maxwell has been teaching the benefits of leadership and team building for years. Now he tackles the importance of teamwork head on, writing about teamwork being necessary for every kind of leader, and showing how team building can improve every area of your life.Written in the style of the bestseller The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, this new book not only contains laws that you can count on when it comes to getting people to work together, but it tells them in such a way that you can start applying them to your own life today. And it’s illustrated with great stories of team leaders – and team breakers – from history, business, the church, and sports.
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Boundaries With Kids Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$29.99Add to cartA video resource kit that helps parents bring control to their family and instill godly character in their children This ZondervanGroupware curriculum is a complete resource kit for helping parents put into practice the principles detailed in the book Boundaries with Kids. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend take parents through the ins and outs of establishing family boundaries and cultivating sound character in their children. The video features presentations by the authors as well as dramatic vignettes. The 8 sessions can be used in large or small groups and are presented in a new test-proven small group interactive format. The complete ZondervanGroupware kit includes one leader9s guide, one participant9s guide, one Boundaries with Kids softcover book, one VHS video, and one DVD. Each element except the videos is also sold separately. An 8-Session Focus on Boundaries and Kids
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Attitude 101 : What Every Leader Needs To Know
$14.99Add to cartJohn Maxwell firmly points to attitude as the key in making or breaking a leader. Leadership has less to do with position than it does with disposition, because it will influence the way the followers think and feel. Great leaders understand that the right attitude will set the right atmosphere, which enables the right responses from others. Maxwell addresses what shapes a person9s attitude and whether or not attitude can be changed. He addresses the common feeling of failure and shows how to overcome obstacles. Understanding success as a journey rather than a destination, he explains, is the key to good leadership. He concludes Attitude 101 with practical ways readers can take their attitude to the next level.
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Who Am I
$26.99Add to cartThe great British historian Arnold Toynbee emphasized that “God revealed himself through human history,” and he related that to leaders. That is true-God is calling his people for his kingdom and glory on the earth. When God called Abram, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, and Saul, they all obeyed him. Leaders are important. They determine the future and human history. Our society needs spiritual leaders because they teach us God’s will. In this complicated, immoral society, true leaders are essential for spiritual movement and cultural improvement. What is spirituality? It is not Plato’s dualism, which classifies the body and spirit. But it does include the total personality. Christian spirituality represents a deep relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ-a spiritual, deep, meaningful experience with God.
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Apostles : Spiritual Fathers To The Church
$13.49Add to cartDr. Michael Pangio presents a fresh look at the ministry of the apostle as a spiritual father. In this book you will discover biblical principles that are essential to releasing and receiving the blessing of God upon your life and ministry. As you examine the truths revealed in this book, you will learn about: Building God’s way Apostles: spiritual fathers to the body of Christ Biblical parenting principles, and the release of “the blessing” David and Solomon, the pattern for spiritual fathers and sons The lasting influence of the apostle Faithful to the house You may reach Dr. Pangio for ministry and leadership training by contacting him at: Phone: (724) 962-2232 E-mail: mikepangio@worldnet.att.net Or you may write to: Dr. Michael Pangio 6993 RonJoy Place Boardman, Ohio 44512 U.S.A
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Preparing The 21st Century Church
$20.99Add to cartPhenomenal power! Explosive growth! Genuine community! Can the church in America, twenty-one centuries later, really experience what we read about in the Book of Acts? Les Brickman shows you why the answer is a resounding, “Yes … if.” Whether a church planter just beginning, a seasoned pastor, or a church leader, you will be challenged to the core, both by the questions and the answers you hold in your hands. Are you willing to spend the necessary time to prepare a wineskin able to release your vision from God? Are you prepared to pay the price so you can embrace His destiny for your ministry and church? Journey with Dr. Brickman and come to understand what values, lifestyle, and activities will have to change for you to experience what they experienced, and beyond. “How to” books on church growth and cell ministry too often miss the critical preparation so vital to releasing God’s life through the Church. Informative and theological, yet practical and prophetic, Preparing the 21st Century Church will cause you to reconsider the whole way you “do church,” even “cell church.”
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Get Up Off Your Knees
$14.95Add to cartGet Up Off Your Knees is a thoughtful and provocative collection of sermons by a group of preachers from across the international church spectrum who have been moved to theological reflection on the art and work of U2. This book will appeal to fans of U2, students of homiletics, and everyone interested in the intersection of art, popular culture, and religion.
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Unexpected Journey : Reflections On Pastoral Ministry
$26.00Add to cartJ. Philip Wogaman offers candid reflections on his service as Senior Minister at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.- an unexpected journey that he began at the age of sixty – following a career as an ethics professor. Wogaman chronicles the task he faced as a new pastor, tasks with which every pastor deals-effective and faithful preaching, balancing pastoral and prophetic roles, presenting the church to the public media, dealing with prominent church members, and addressing stewardship. He also discusses the challenges of succeeding a long-loved pastor who departed under a cloud, the responsibilities of pasturing to a president, and his efforts to balance the roles of a pastor against such a dramatic backdrop. Identifying his own successes and mistakes, Wogaman provides fresh insights on parish ministry that are sure to become guideposts for all pastors.
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21 Positive Principles For A Powerful 21st Century Church
$15.49Add to cartThe author, Dr. Dennis Davis, builds the thesis of this book on the premise that there are irrefutable, undeniable laws, both moral and physical, that govern the universe. He contends that these God-establiched laws cannot be broken. They can be denied, but not broken, as the law will always remain intact. He also contends that God has established “laws” that guide the growth, success, and future of the Church, and that when one operates within the framework of these laws (principles), there will be a natural consequence of both numerical and spiritual growth.
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1 Bread One Body
$29.00Add to cartAs a troubadour for global music and an instigator of cross-cultural worship for more than 15 years in a variety of denominational settings, including congregational, national, and international venues, Michael Hawn has observed many faithful people who find that a taste of Pentecost in worship is refreshing and invigorating. In One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship, Hawn seeks to help bridge the gap between the human tendency to prefer ethnic and cultural homogeneity in worship and the church’s mandate to offer a more diverse and inclusive experience. He offers a rainbow vision of the universal church where young and old joyfully and thoughtfully respond to the movement of God’s Spirit in multicultural worship.
Hawn and four colleagues from Perkins School of Theology in Dallas formed a diverse team in ethnicity, gender, academic field of study, and denominational affiliation to study four United Methodist congregations in the Dallas area that are grappling with cross-cultural ministry. Their four case studies illustrate both the pain and the possibilities encountered in capturing the Spirit of Pentecost in worship. Hawn also offers a concise and practical theological framework as well as numerous strategies and an extensive bibliography for implementing “culturally conscious worship.” This book is invaluable for congregations that want to undertake the hard work of cross-cultural worship. Foreword by Justo Gonzalez.
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Projects That Matter
$26.00Add to cartProjects That Matter is a primer for project leaders and teams about basic project planning and evaluation. Intended for the nonexpert, the book introduces readers to the five basic elements of project design and describes in detail a six-step process for designing and implementing a project evaluation and for disseminating evaluation findings. Project leaders in congregations, colleges and seminaries, camps and other specialized ministries, and other religious settings will find Cahalan’s guidance clear and invaluable.
Cahalan presents evaluation as a form of collaborative inquiry and shows how leaders can use evaluation design to develop effective project plans and prepare case statements for donors or grant proposals for foundations. She introduces project planning and evaluation as mission-related practices and invites leaders to consider how their tradition’s particular mission and beliefs influence the way they plan and evaluate. In the final chapter, she makes explicit her own theological presuppositions-that the virtues of discernment, stewardship, and prudence are essential for good project planning and evaluation. Foreword by Craig Dykstra.
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Find A Niche And Scratch It
$26.00Add to cartJesus was uniquely adept in the art of “reading” people. He fit his approach to the precise needs and interests of the person with whom he was dealing, and he spoke the cultural language of that individual. In this book, Robert Perry takes what Jesus and others have done intuitively-niche marketing-and provides a framework for applying those principles in everyday practice.
Convinced that congregations can learn from the wisdom of secular disciplines and apply that wisdom to congregational life without damaging the integrity of the Christian faith, Perry offers a detailed process for using sound marketing principles to identify a congregation’s strengths and the needs of its community, and to develop strategies for effective ministry.
Perry’s plan: to create a common vocabulary that will bridge the communication gap between the disciplines of business marketing and congregational outreach strategizing. The key: to keep in mind the reason we are working to reach people-not to make money for shareholders, but to share the Good News that God loves us. The goal: to foster genuinely healthy, growing congregations! Foreword by Robert D. Dale.
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Welcome Speeches For Special Days
$10.99Add to cartThis useful resource incorporates recitations, suggested scripture, prayers, poetry, speeches, and responses for celebrating a variety of special days in the African American church. Perfect as a worship planning tool for pastors and worship leaders, Welcome Speeches for Special Days is ideal for celebrating those special Sundays that congregations highlight throughout the year.
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Leading The Way
$18.00Add to cartIVP Print On Demand Title
As we enter a new millennium, there is a growing vacuum of leadership among the younger generation. The need is great for young men and women who will rise to the challenge-in the face of great opportunities and great obstacles-to be obedient to the call of leadership. This is the rallying call Paul Borthwick puts forth in Leading The Way. He asserts that leadership is not just reserved for those with the right education, abilities, status or background. Rather, God is calling all young Christians who have the vision and responsibility to persevere, to fill this growing leadership vacuum.
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Voices Of This Calling
$20.00Add to cartPublished to mark the tenth anniversary of the ordination of women in the Anglican church, this work includes prominent clergy, both female and male, such as Lucy Winkett, Angela Tilby, Una Kroll, Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Rowan Williams. It tells women’s stories about the reality of life as a priest and reveals defining moments in their own personal journey. Influential men in the church also reflect upon the challenges and opportunities that women’s ministry has created for them.
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Perfect Illustrations For Every Topic And Occasion
$22.99Add to cartGood communicators are always on the lookout for fresh, relevant anecdotes and examples to drive home the point of their words. This handy reference contains 300 anecdotes and illustrations for pastors, writers, teachers, and other Christian communicators on a variety of topics. Each entry includes Scripture references, cross-references to related topics, an anecdote or illustration, and a citation of its source.
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Speaking Jesus : Homiletic Theology And The Sermon On The Mount
$36.00Add to cartOnce again, renowned homiletician David Buttrick has written a highly practical book that conveys and makes contagious his excitement for the theological task of preaching. In this book, he delineates the theological issues inherent in the Sermon on the Mount and presents a homiletical strategy for preaching its meaning an relevance. In Part One, Buttrick gives a general overview of the text and raises central theological issues imperative to its preaching, particularly the authenticity of Jesus’ words and the sermon’s relevance for today. In Part Two, he provides commentary on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, provides suggestions for preaching, and includes some of his own sermons as examples.
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Art Of Spiritual Direction
$18.99Add to cartWe all need companions and guides on our spiritual journey. W. Paul Jones believes that spiritual direction is essential for every Christian. “Along each person’s pilgrimage are those who can make one’s journey accountable and whose hospitality makes it possible,” Jones says.
In The Art of Spiritual Direction, you’ll discover the answers to these questions and more:
What is spiritual direction?
What is the difference between spiritual direction and counseling?
How can you know if you are called to the ministry of spiritual direction?
What should happen in direction sessions?
The appendixes feature helpful tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a Theological Worlds Inventory, the Enneagram, and other resources. Whether you are a pastor, church leader, or a layperson, you will benefit from the wealth of information contained in this book.
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Money And The Kingdom Of God
$16.95Add to cartConventional wisdom would tell us that money and religion are mutually exclusive entities. It’s easy to understand why: there’s the popular maxim about money being the “root of all evil”, as well as Jesus’ admonitions about our inability to serve both God and Mammon or how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven. But Maurice Fetty disagrees – he notes that in Jesus’ view, money and the kingdom of God are intertwined. In these pages, Fetty stresses the importance of our being good stewards of God’s creation, and he points out that what we do with our money is indelibly linked with faithful living. When rightly done, Fetty concludes, the rich can be righteous, and the righteous can be rich. This book is excellent for spiritual growth reading or as a source for stewardship sermons.
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Leadership 101 : What Every Leader Needs To Know
$14.99Add to cartDrawing from John Maxwell’s bestsellers Developing the Leader Within You, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, and Becoming a Person of Influence, Leadership 101 explores the timeless principles that have become Dr. Maxwell’s trademark style. In a concise, straightforward style, Maxwell focuses on essential and time-tested qualities necessary for true leadership _influence, integrity, attitude, vision, problem-solving, and self-discipline _and guides readers through practical steps to develop true leadership in their lives and the lives of others.
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Growing Together : Spiritual Exercises For Church Committees (Revised)
$9.99Add to cartGrowing Together offers church committees a way to grow spiritually as individuals and together as a group. Each of the fifty exercises in this book includes an opening prayer, a personal sharing exercise, a Bible reading and discussion questions, and a closing prayer. The exercises are grouped according to the needs of church committees: First meetings, Discovering Gifts and Setting Goals, Discerning What God Asks of Us, Receiving God’s Guidance as We Work, Growing Closer to Each Other, Facing Challenges Together, Working Through Conflict, and Celebrating Accomplishmnents and Closure.
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Mystery
$9.99Add to cartThis book targets adult learners in their 20’s and 30’s. It will challenge you to examine the mystery of God and offers you the opportunity to delve into Christian mystery questions in order to experience the great mystery of Christian faith revealed in Jesus Christ. While God is ultimate mystery, no part of life is outside of God’s love and care.
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Redeveloping The Congregation
$26.00Add to cartWhat makes it possible for a church to reverse course from decline or stagnation into longlasting vitality? How can a church immigrate from a congealing present into a compelling future? What can a congregation do to experience continuous, deep change rather than just temporary, surface improvement? How does a person lead redevelopment?
The three authors of this book address these and other questions by building on an eight-step framework for lasting change developed by John P. Kotter, noted former professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School. His work on organizational change is heralded in the secular world as foundational, and Smith, Sellon, and Grossman have found that his findings hold true for congregations as well.
Each chapter in this book comprises three sections: mentor, companion and coach. The mentor section discusses principles and concepts to be addressed in each of the eight steps; the companion section gives readers a sense of what leading change is actually like for a congregational leader; and the coach section provides specific ways for leaders to develop the unique change processes that will be effective in their church. Foreword by Anthony G. Pappas.
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Tenets Of The Doctrine Of The Spirit Filled Church Vol 1
$13.99Add to cartI rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure (Psalm 119:162 NKJV). How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33). These Scriptures declare the awesome greatness of God; and to some born-again believers, they issue a challenge to search the scriptures (Acts 17:11), to Study to show thyself approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15), and to live and move and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28). It is a God-ordained desire and call for all people to find as much as they can about God and His perfect will for mankind.
With this divine emphasis on a born-again believer’s life, the Holy Spirit issued the call; and by His grace, the next few volumes titled Tenets of the Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church are a continuation of the first book, Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church.
Each tenet in these volumes is examined in greater detail and gives deeper insight into the spiritual meaning and its application. The examination also compares the original Apostolic Church of the first century to the current Spirit-filled church; and in so doing, references to the earliest writings from the ancient records help clarify the original church’s structure, as well as the doctrinal and theological understandings of that time, and how that structure has progressed until this day.
The one overriding constant in all these examinations and explanations is the fact that they are biblically based. If there is no Scripture to support the tenet’s explanation, then it is supposition, assumption, and speculation and thus unworthy of discussion. The plumb line (Amos 7:7 NKJV) is always the Word. The basis of every tenet is always the Holy Writ. The implementation of every tenet is always according to the Bible.
The church is traveling at lightning speed towards the soon return of Jesus Christ. The onslaught and evil outpouring of the diabolical, immoral, and total blasphemy against the Holy God has never been more vicious than it is today. The blatant evil and acceptance of anti-God living which is thrown into everyone’s face today, coupled with many nations’ corrupt laws legalizing people’s actions that are contrary to God’s holy instructions, have brought and will continue to bring many to a disastrous end.
While believers do not get distraught by the world’s actions (God said in His word it would happen.), they must keep their eyes steadfastly fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of [their] faith (Hebrews 12:2). To do this, be
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Called To Lead
$4.99Add to cartCalled to Lead contains basic information to help council members and committee chairs carry out their leadership roles: the biblical and theological foundations for leadership, how congregations function, the role of the larger church, strategies for effective leadership, the decision-making process, enlisting and encouraging volunteers, dealing with conflict, and maintaining spiritual foundations. The book includes a short course in small group communication.
Who might find it helpful
*Council presidents
*Council members
*Committee chairs -
Boundaries In Marriage (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartYou long for a marriage marked by lifelong love, intimacy, and growth. And it can be yours–if you set wise boundaries. Boundaries are the “property lines” that define and protect each of you as individuals. Get them in place and you can make a good marriage better and possibly even save a less-than-satisfying one.
By the time you’ve completed this Groupware, you will know yourself and your mate better than ever before. You’ll also understand and practice the ten laws of boundaries in ways that can make a real difference in your relationship. Step by step, the Boundaries in Marriage Groupware helps you apply the biblical principles discussed in the book Boundaries in Marriage so you can–
* Set and maintain your personal boundaries and respect those of your spouse
* Establish values that form a godly structure and architecture for you marriage
* Protect your marriage from different kinds of “intruders”
* Work with a spouse who understands and values boundaries–or work with one who doesn’t -
Childrens Sermons For Special Days
$13.95Add to cartChildren’s stories are important times for pastors and laypeople to relate to children in the context of worship. But resources that will hold their attention and help them learn about the Bible and the Christian faith are hard to find. Children’s Sermons For Special Days is both relevant and easy to use. The biblically based stories are told in a manner children can understand, and the pictures and activity sheets help to reinforce the learning experience. I highly recommend this book as a valuable tool for enhancing worship and learning for children.
Marvin Zehr
Conference Minister
Western District Mennonite ConferenceLooking for children’s material specifically tailored for holidays and other special, out-of-the-ordinary days? If so, then Julia Bland’s latest collection is a practical resource that you’ll draw on for fresh ideas throughout the year. Like all of her other popular titles, each children’s message in Children’s Sermons For Special Days is accompanied by a two-sided activity page — one side is a coloring page for younger children, while the other has a variety of puzzles and activities that emphasize the lesson’s key points for older children. Busy pastors and teachers who have little preparation time will love these scripturally sound and ready-to-use presentations — and better yet, so will your young people!
Lessons are included for:
* New Year’s Day
* Valentine’s Day
* Palm Sunday
* Easter Sunday
* Mother’s Day
* Father’s Day
* Independence Day
* Start of School
* First Day of Autumn
* Halloween
* Thanksgiving
* ChristmasDuring nearly 50 years as a pastor’s wife, Julia E. Bland has taught church groups of all ages from children through senior adults. She has been active in United Methodist Women and served as district chairperson of Global Concerns as well as Publicity and Public Relations. Bland’s award-winning oil, watercolor, and pen and ink artwork has appeared in private and public collections. Among her many CSS titles are Lessons We Can Learn From The Animals and Praises From The Psalms.
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Bethlehems Closet A Reunion Of Grace
$12.95Add to cartIf you want to try something different for Advent this year, Bethlehem’s Closet — A Reunion Of Grace is a great resource that provides congregations with an intriguing learning experience. It’s a unique series of five monologues telling the fascinating stories, warts and all, of the women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. Donald Neidigk believes that the embarrassing events in some of these women’s lives are important for us to know, since they demonstrate that Jesus was born into an imperfect family, with secrets in the closet, just like you and me. And that makes him a sympathetic Savior — exactly what we need. So even though the shepherds and wise men may be more typical of the season’s characters, Bethlehem’s Closet — A Reunion Of Grace offers a refreshing way to celebrate Christ’s birth. Each monologue comes with a children’s message (using easily obtained objects to reinforce the lesson) and a convenient order of worship.
The monologues examine these women:
* Tamar — A Wronged Widow
* Rahab — A Former Prostitute
* Ruth — A Moabite Convert
* Bathsheba — A Violated Wife
* Mary — A Young Mother -
Virtual Incarnation
$12.95Add to cartIn a time when spiritual hype is rampant and modern Pharisees sometimes seen to drown out all other voices, the quiet, reflective messages of William Kincaid offer a refreshing journey for the soul. His relaxed, conversational style will engage readers, and the insights of this master preacher into both scripture and modern life will leave them thirsting for more. Virtual Incarnation? is a superlative collection of sermons-it is don’t-miss reading not only for ministers and teachers, but also for personal worship and devotions.
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Soaring Where Christ Has Led
$30.95Add to cartBelieving that Christian worship should be both exciting and stimulating and respectful of God and worshipers and liturgical traditions, Dick Avery and Don Marsh have put their considerable talents together to bring you ideas and music that make worship soar. As you read these groundbreaking ideas tailored to the seasons of the church year, you’ll find yourself saying, “Yes! YES! YES!” — and you’ll be eager to put them in place with your congregation.
Everything Avery and Marsh describe in this remarkable volume has been done successfully in their congregation at the regular Sunday morning service of worship, so you will find no off-the-wall suggestions pushed for mere novelty’s sake or just to “shake things up.” Rather, every principle, every suggestion, every idea has a purpose and goal befitting the Gospel and designed to help worshipers tune in to the mighty Lord of All.
With all of this plus several samples of original Avery & Marsh music, written especially for Sunday morning worship, Soaring Where Christ Has Led is a resource you will use week after week in planning worship services that delight congregations, honor God with momentous expressions of joy, and teach the way of Christ in today’s world.
Nationally renowned for their creative worship celebrations, Richard Avery and Donald Marsh were colleagues in ministry for 40 years at the First Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis, New York, where Avery served as pastor and Marsh as choirmaster (directing 3 choirs) and director of arts (producing 83 major plays and working with educational projects). They have collaborated in composing hymns, songs, and anthems, of which more than 150 have been published. During the last 30 years they have led regional and national church assemblies, conferences, and workshops on worship, music, and drama for many denominations and in virtually all 50 states.
A native of California, Avery is a graduate of the University of Redlands and Union Theological Seminary in New York. Marsh has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Houston, and worked for 17 years in New York’s music and theater world as a composer, choreographer, pianist, and actor. Avery and Marsh continue their collaboration in composing for the church and in leading special liturgical and musical events while living in retirement in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Your First Two Years In Youth Ministry
$22.99Add to cartIn this sequel to his bestseller Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry, Fields offers 10 valuable steps to beginning a successful program. You’ll learn the importance of going before God, focusing on relationships, communicating your desires, identifying your personal values, developing and teaching your purpose, pursuing leaders, evaluating and creating programs, and more. Ideal for veterans or first-timers.
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Battle For The Soul
$17.99Add to cart“This book is extremely helpful in ministering to others. It will give you the information to get past the game playing, guessing, and excuses and get right to the bottom-line issues in a person’s life. Clear and simple. Best of all, the focus is total reliance on the Person of Jesus Christ and His being in every way, shape, and form, all in all, to each individual believer.” –Mrs. Janie Glover, Christian Worker, Nampa, ID “I am amazed at the deep level of inspiration and revelation in Battle for the Soul. God is using GSM to reveal truths and depth that He has entrusted with few others on the face of the earth. The completed book will be a must-have for any minister seeking to break enemy strongholds in others’ lives, and I highly recommend it to any Christian who is ready to stand up and fight the good fight, move to another level with God, and get serious about letting Christ control his or her life. I asked one co-worker what he thought of a certain passage, and this was his response: ‘Again, another bottom line–sounds like Watchman Nee or possibly Francis Schaffer.’ He had no idea where the passage originated.” –Crystal Garvin, Editor, Patrick AFB, FL “Chapter 5 quite frankly about blew my mind–about Adam needing to be transfigured. WHOA. Totally new concept here.” –Trent Glover, Data Warehouse Manager, Nampa, ID
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Help Our Church Is Growing
$14.00Add to cartIt’s the secret, unspeakable dream shared by every minister. After years of diligent work in an average-sized church, you glance up one Sunday and notice a new family. The next month you notice another. Soon it seems like somebody new arrives almost every week. Suddenly you are the leader of a living, breathing, growing church!
Like any roller coaster ride, this one begins with a long, slow ascent. Attendance climbs. Giving climbs. Expectations climb. Of course a few problems crop up along the way, because, as with every other roller coaster, this one has a long and often scary downside. Even as your church continues to climb in every measurable statistic, you, the spiritual leader, may well find yourself in a virtual free-fall as you struggle over how to manage the impact this change will have on your congregation.
What can you, as a minister in a growing church, do to survive the pitfalls that lie just around the corner? What do you do when the old ways no longer work?
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Starting A Non Profit At Your Church
$26.00Add to cartA large and growing number of congregations are setting up church-based nonprofit organizations in order to operate community development or educational programs. Once formed, the nonprofit structure allows for new opportunities for accessing additional funding and drawing new collaborative partners and volunteers into the ministry. Joy Skjegstad outlines the step-by-step procedures for setting up a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization connected to a congregation using simple, easy-to-understand terminology and plenty of examples from churches that have already taken on this task.
In addition to accessible and specific information on the legal aspects of a church-based nonprofit, topics include:
Why set up a nonprofit?
Advantages and disadvantages to setting up a nonprofit
Assessing readiness for the challenge
Defining the nonprofit’s mission and niche
Accountability and control
Establishing a board structure and defining board roles
Maintaining a positive relationship with the congregation
Personnel issues
Developing a fundraising plan
Ongoing evaluation
Whether a congregation is setting up new program or has an established nonprofit that needs to be restructured or redefined, congregations will find helpful guidance in this practical, experience-based book. Foreword by Mary Nelson, President, Bethel New Life, Inc., Chicago. -
Ending With Hope
$23.00Add to cart“Why is it we do funerals so well but often balk at even recognizing the death of a congregation? Couldn’t we do grief ministry and funerals as well for social groups as we do for individuals?” challenges Gilson Waldkoenig, in his seminary classes. Waldkoenig, associate professor of church in society at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, contributes his special insights on the subject of church endings, in this unique and important book.
Ending with Hope grows out of the understanding that although closing a congregation is in many ways about dying, it can also be about new life. Closing a congregation does not have to be about failure but can be about redirecting resources for new ministry.
Contributors represent eight denominations and include more than a dozen pastors, lay leaders, judicatory staff, and others who have “been there”-who have helped congregations through the painful closing process. Resources include models for assessing whether a congregation should close; reflections on members’ and pastors’ experiences during closing; case studies; guidance for deciding what to do with a building; suggestions for selecting and preserving documents and artifacts; rituals for healthy closings; a survey of historical trends regarding closings; and other helpful materials.
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Ministry And Money
$26.00Add to cartFrank, straightforward guidance for clergy seeking to develop a sound theology of money and skills for church administration, Ministry and Money also puts forth a new strategy for self-care, and a confident approach to managing both personal and congregational finances. Alban Senior Consultant and author Dan Hotchkiss wants to help clergy overcome their own anxieties about money matters so they can help others address the personal, social, and congregational aspects of this challenging and often difficult topic.
Hotchkiss observes that clergy are anxious about money for all the same reasons other people are and for some special reasons, as well:
Many people believe that what is “spiritual” excludes money and power.
Many clergy’s own finances are in difficulty.
Clergy depend on their congregations for their livelihood.
And in many congregations, clergy effectiveness may still be judged in financial terms.
Drawing on the full spectrum of American religious life, Hotchkiss addresses these important issues, offering practical assistance to clergy who wish to become more effective leaders by examining their own unique anxieties and convictions about money. -
12 Dynamic Shifts For Transforming Your Church
$18.99Add to cartThat today’s mainline churches are in crisis is apparent; a solution is less obvious. In this constructive new book E. Stanley Ott points a way ahead, describing twelve shifts in philosophy and practice that can help congregations build need-responsive, disciple-growing churches full of life and vigor.
Arguing that the weakness of the church today is a loss of personal spirituality and congregational vitality, Ott challenges local churches to discover how to adjust the style of their ministries to attract new people while encouraging current members. Ott examines the characteristics of “traditional” churches, extols the features of new, “transformational” churches, and lays out proposals to help established congregations make the transition.
Well balanced by an honest assessment of the church’s present and a positive vision for its future, this book is must reading for pastors, church leaders, and members of every congregation.
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Servants Manual : Christian Leadership For Tomorrow
$16.00Add to cartChristians and their institutions are stuck, says Michael Foss, stuck in the thinking and dilemmas of the past. This short volume is a plea for Christians to rethink their point and purpose in light of larger cultural changes and a crisis in leadership. Foss detects a crisis in leadership in declining rates of church participation, stagnant levels of students preparing for ministry, and burnout among clergy. To energize a new generation of leaders able to transcend yesterday’s thinking, Foss encourages a new style of ecclesial thinking. He first traces the larger cultural shifts that affect the church’s position in the world and styles of leadership. He then diagnoses church thinking as largely reproductive of past successes and ineffective in this new context. Advancing to productive thinking empowers Christians to leave behind the most important and frustrating dichotomies or polarities in today’s church: evangelism vs. social justice, control vs. freedom, growth vs. discipleship. Foss’s model of moving from issues into conversation and then into compassion is a blueprint for new leadership “equipped to think productively for the sake of the reign of our God in the world.” This book is aimed in part at bringing the key ideas and energy of Foss’s earlier book, Power Surge, to a wider audience of concerned Christians, potential leaders for the next generation.
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Preaching Workbook Series 1 Year 1
$31.95Add to cartProviding a fresh, timely reflection every week can be a daunting task. So when time or inspiration is flagging and you need the jump-start of creative ideas, the “Preaching Workbook” from CSS is just what the doctor ordered! Prominent pastor, former seminary president, and prolific author Jerry Schmalenberger draws upon the experiences of a lifetime in the ministry to help readers effectively share God’s word with crisply written insights. This outstanding set of practical aids explores many homiletical approaches and is sure to help preachers prepare more vital, incisive sermons.
Each chapter includes:
– a listing of and commentary on selected scripture texts
– a theme for the day’s service
– suggestions on preaching possibilities
– an outline of possible sermon moves
– additional illustrations to help flesh out the message -
Age Of The Reformation
$55.99Add to cartHughes Oliphant Old’s survey of preaching throughout the history of the Christian church has been heralded as a monumental achievement. This fourth volume of Old’s history brings the story of preaching up through the Protestant Reformation to the end of the seventeenth century.
This is the pivotal volume in Old’s project because it covers not only what the Reformers preached but also their reform of preaching itself. Luther made a clear break with the preaching traditions of the Middle Ages, while figures like Bucer and Calvin developed a strong expository approach to preaching. Old traces the main events and people involved in the development of distinctly Protestant forms of preaching, giving due attention to how and in what sense preaching was itself an act of worship.
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Spiritual Leaders Guide To Self Care
$32.00Add to cartThe Spiritual Leader’s Guide to Self-Care is an ideal companion for clergy, lay leaders, and others who would like guidance about how to make changes in their personal life and ministry but do not want to read a text-heavy book about self-care. The guide addresses seven themes:
Creating a Life Vision
Caring for Yourself at Work
Nurturing Your Relationships
Caring for Your Spirit and Body
Caring for Your Finances
Caring for Your Intellect
Sustaining a Life Vision
Readers may work through one of the 52 sections each week or adopt a more leisurely pace. The guide includes journalwriting suggestions, personal reflection questions and activities, guidance for sharing the discovery process with another person, an activity for the coming week, and suggested further resources, such as novels, videos, and Web sites. Foreword by Roy M. Oswald, Alban Institute Senior Consultant. -
Difficult But Indispensable Church
$19.00Add to cartWhy is it so difficult to be church today? Of course, Christian community is marked by ennobling worship, mutual care, and joyful celebration. But just as often it is marred by staid routine, insularity, and disagreement over leadership, budgets, ethical stances, or even the shape of congregational prayer itself. Alienation, blame, and power struggles ensue. Is church worth it? In this volume of fresh thinking about life in Christian community, twenty-one theologians from Wartburg Seminary strongly attest to Christ-centered community, offering new views of church as the indispensable site of radical Christian commitment and an essential healer for a hurting world. Reflective churchgoers will find here a virtual theological guide to church renewal. In part 1 the authors show how church can model an alternative vision of community, helping people achieve well-being and health, even as their differences are affirmed. Part 2 gets to the heart of Christian practice through creative discussions of belief, fellowship, encounters with Scripture, preaching, and moral deliberation. Part 3 finds the church in motion in new ways of understanding discipleship and mission near and far. Part 4 shows how a Christ-inspired openness can reveal new perspectives on tough issues of public policy, race and class, and ordination of gays and lesbians. Modeling what they espouse, the authors find unanimity in affirming the strengths of diversity, the unsuspected key to church renewal. Contributors include: James L. Bailey, Karen L. Bloomquist, Norma Cook Everist, Roger W. Fjeld, Ann L. Fritschel, Paul Hill, Peter L. Kjeseth, L. Shannon Jung, Duane H. Larson, Elizabeth A. Leeper, David J. Lull, Craig L. Nessan, James R. Nieman, Daniel L. Olson, Winston Persaud, Duane A. Priebe, Ralph W. Quere, David A. Ramse, Gwen B. Sayler, Thomas H. Schattauer, and H. S. Wilson.
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Too Deep For Words
$32.00Add to cartExploring fundamental ways in which verbal expression in worship relates to aesthetic expression, Clayton Schmit provides a vitally important book for all homiletics students and scholars. Worship isn’t just a sequence of “holy” words. Schmit reflects theologically on the relationship between verbal and aesthetic expression and the aesthetic responsibility of those who preach, pray, and lead in public worship.
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Preaching John
$25.00Add to cartThe Gospel of John and 1 John exhibit a peculiar Christian language and thought that need to be understood and employed in the preaching ministry. The preacher’s task involves penetrating the thick and often confusing language of the Gospel and comprehending its frequently paradoxical theology. The preacher can find new and powerful resources for preaching in Johannine language and thought, as well as its use of narrative and discourse. These discoveries facilitate preaching John in ways that are consistent with recent trends in homiletic theory. The method of this book is to combine the practical (how to preach John) with proposals for understanding the Gospel and 1 John. The author offers a variety of sermon ideas and designs throughout each chapter based on numerous passages selected from the Revised Common Lectionary.
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John Wesley On Christian Beliefs
$35.99Add to cartThis is the first volume of The Standard Sermons of John Wesley, transcribed into today’s English. The volumes in this series accurately transcribe Wesley’s eighteenth-century language into a form suitable for today’s readers. Volume 1, 1-20 contains the first twenty sermons, in which Wesley deals with theology. Appropriate for individual and small-group study.
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Pastors Guide To Effective Ministry
$14.99Add to cart12 Chapters
Additional Info
Systematic theology. . . Philosophy of religion. . . Old Testament exegesis. Just about every seminary-trained pastor is educated in these areas. But how about nurturing the congregation? Don’t forget administration of the church and pastoral counseling. And on a more personal note, they must keep their family life in shape, care for their own physical and emotional health, manage their finances, and maintain a pure life and witness.Larry Burkett, Dallas Willard, William Willimon, and Dale Galloway, along with other well-known church leaders, provide solid advice for the personal and professional development of pastors. This book will be a desktop companion for pastors who are in the trenches and facing the day-to-day challenges of ministry.
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New Tools For A New Century
$24.99Add to cartIs your church bewildered by the new technologies? Newell tours the most important options, keeping in mind the financial constraints of small- to medium-sized churches. Sane, careful explanations of how to set up a congregational website, use PowerPoint presentation software, and plenty more.
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Grace (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartHave you ever felt that you wanted to get closer to God but didn’t derserve even to try? This book explores God’s love for us and how it isn’t something we earn, but something that is; how that love leads us into relationship with God and with others; and how our hearts and lives are changed as we use the gifts God has given us to build community, growing toward perfect love.
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3 Months With Matthew (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartAvailable in English for the first time, Three Months with Matthew is popular author Juso Gonzalez’s study of the Gospel of Matthew. Eminently readable, the study uses the see-judge-act method to bring readers closer to the text and to inform and challenge the daily life of the Christian. These thirteen studies can be used for Sunday school, evening Bible study, home study meetings, retreats, or personal Bible study. It can easily be used as a daily Bible study, as each lesson is divided into seven parts.
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Fling Open The Doors
$26.99Add to cartThe temptation to focus only on their own internal problems and issues is powerful for congregations. Without realizing it, even churches that have a long tradition of outreach and social involvement become centered on issues of institutional survival and preservation. Worst of all are congregations that adopt a “fortress mentality,” addressing the larger community rarely, and only in the “language of Zion” when they do. In this book, Paul Nixon paints a picture of what community-based ministry is all about. Drawing on his experiences within a congregation that has seen twenty-five years of increased worship attendance, he lays out practical steps that churches can take to plant themselves firmly within the lives of the communities they serve. Written with an infectious sense of hope, this book will become a critical tool for church leaders seeking to transform their congregations into outward-looking.
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Preaching To A TV Generation
$13.95Add to cartThe gospel has always been conveyed primarily by speaking it to people. The problem is that in today’s world of television people listen and hear differently than they listened and heard in the past.
“When preachers understand the dynamics of this new world, then the gospel can ring with new vigor and life in our preaching,” writes the author.
Preaching To A TV Generation explores the changes brought to our society by television. It suggests what preachers can do in the face of these changes — in terms of language, structure, creativity and delivery.
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Speaking The Word
$12.95Add to cartWhat is the condition of the public reading of scripture in your church? If you are searching for new ways to present meaningful scripture reading in the worship setting, this book will help you.
The creating of a speaking choir is one way to elevate oral reading of scripture. This can be a small or large group, depending on the talents and size of your congregation.
Once a choir is formed, it needs direction and reading material. This book offers both. The author provides 30 choral readings and directions on making the choir an effective ministry in your congregation.
The readings are based on Old and New Testament scripture. Topics range from Christmas and Easter to Mother’s Day, praise, missions, and service.
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Leading Beyond The Walls
$27.99Add to cartGood pastoral leadership is not a “by the numbers” proposition. It is a matter of heart and soul, of devoting the whole self to the vision God gives for the congregation in which one serves. Yet neither is it purely intuitive; it requires hard, careful thinking about the directions and details of the path down which God calls. When Adam Hamilton became pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, its membership consisted of himself and his family. Ten years later the church averages between five and six thousand worshipers per weekend. Throughout this remarkable period, Hamilton learned many serious lessons about both the broad visions and the specific details of pastoral leadership. Bringing a depth of analytical skills often lacking in visionary leaders, in this book he goes beyond simply telling the story of Church of the Resurrection. He shares the questions that he learned to ask about the largely unchurched population to which Church of the Resurrection has reached out. Further, he demonstrates what he learned by listening to the answers to these questions, and how doing so has made possible a number of strategically crucial decisions the church has made. One of those crucial decisions was to make more traditional forms of worship and praise the center of the congregation’s life. The result is that the example of Church of the Resurrection offers pastors and church leaders (especially those in mainline denominations) the realization that they need not completely change their liturgical and theological identity in order to reach out to the unchurched. Drawing on his own experience, as well as the detailed research on the characteristics of highly successful congregations he undertook during a sabbatical leave, Hamilton offers pastors and other church leaders solid, substantive thinking on steps that congregations can take to become centers of vibrant outreach and mission.Also available in:Adobe Ebook 9780687026753Microsoft Ebook 9780687027491
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Proven Resources For Stewardship Promotion
$16.95Add to cartIt’s no secret that because stewardship is often viewed as little more than a euphemism for discussing money and budget matters, it’s an uncomfortable topic for many in the ministry. But Allan Weenink makes no apology for his zealous approach to stewardship — he believes that the spiritual dimension is just as important as the financial, and that cultivating the grace of generosity is vital for Christian ministry. Drawn from countless workshops and seminars conducted during Weenink’s years as a stewardship consultant, this book provides a wealth of proven “hands-on” material that will help you develop an effective stewardship model. It’s a practical ministry resource that will yield bountiful dividends!
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Learning From The Lizard
$10.95Add to cartThe Bible is filled with fascinating and intriguing references to birds, animals, and insects. This wonderfully illustrated resource discusses 25 of the most significant animals in the Bible using scriptural references and scientific research. Each message is attention-getting, inspiring, and enriching. Specific lessons for an animal are accompanied by a prayer and a detailed drawing. It’s a spiritual resource you’ll refer to again and again!
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Gospel Subplots
$14.95Add to cartIf over the centuries Christians have become used to sermons being a string of assertions, explanations, or exhortations — with a sprinkling of stories as illustrations — the sermons have not been preached in a manner consistent with how the Bible communicates reality. Most of the Bible is stories. Story sermons do today what Jesus did in his stories — they sneak up on people. Listeners can ward off moral exhortations, and they become resistant to three points, a poem, and a prayer. Intellectually they can parry with information doled out in a series of reasoned arguments. But stories win us over before we understand what is going on. Stories quietly tip the scale of our minds toward agreeing with God’s graciousness. (from the Introduction)
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Golf In The Real Kingdom
$12.95Add to cart‘ve never played a round of golf in my life, but after reading Robert Kopp’s insights, I’m almost persuaded to hit the links. One thing I am persuaded to do is recommend his book.
Michael Duduit, Editor
Preaching MagazineGood sermons are hard to come by — but Bob Kopp comes by them with uncanny regularity. Kopp understands our culture as few preachers do.
Tony Campolo, Professor of Sociology
Eastern College
St. Davids, PennsylvaniaThe Gospel is presented here not only as pertinent, but accessible; a perfect tool for reaching over to the next foursome, whose names may not be Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Paul G. Watermulder
First Presbyterian Church
Burlingame, California -
Turning Griping Into Gratitude
$20.95Add to cartRon Lavin provides an ideal resource for small groups who want to explore the Psalms, or for preachers who want to present an inspirational series of sermons. Discussion questions are provided at the end of each chapter, as well as a guide for leaders.
Says Lavin: “Griping is one of the most insidious and divisive things into which we easily fall, while gratitude is the most productive of attitudes. The Psalms are filled with the battle between griping and gratitude, a battle we all fight. The psalmists knew both attitudes, including the self-defeating nature of griping and the wonder and majesty of gratitude.”
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Backside Of God
$12.95Add to cartThe fifteen sermons in this volume will provide busy pastors with a resource for several occasions:
* A mini-series for summer – The Christian Journey
* Two sermons for weddings (or the wedding season)
* Two sermons for the beginning of school or the church program year
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Wheres Noah
$19.95Add to cartWhere’s Noah? features the classic biblical story of Noah, the flood, and God’s salvation in a worship format that engages all generations. This resource features monologues, brief pithy sermons, the exchange of animal tokens, crossword puzzles, an Easter Sunrise play, and other creative worship/learning experiences.
Worship leaders, clergy, and drama players will find this a refreshing series for congregational unity and growth.
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Artisans Of The Crucifixion
$7.95Add to cartThese dramatic monologues offer a unique perspective on Jesus’ crucifixion. Viewed through the eyes of a Blacksmith, Carpenter, Stone Mason, Tanner, and Basket Maker, the presentations introduce the congregation to those who crafted items used in the crucifixion. These monologues are flexible, and few if any props are necessary.
Use these dramatic monologues for a unique perspective on the events of Jesus’ crucifixion. Viewed through the eyes of a Blacksmith, Carpenter, Stone Mason, Tanner, and Basket Maker, the presentations introduce the congregation to those who crafted the whip, wove the crown of thorns, forged the nails, constructed the cross, and chiseled out the tomb.
Pastors can present these monologues themselves or assign them to church members. They have the flexibility of being performed very simply or quite elaborately. Few if any props are necessary.
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Gifts Of Lent
$12.95Add to cartThis book was written for busy pastors and lay leaders who want to provide their congregations with a biblical, informative, and motivational monologue series for the Lenten season. Each monologue features a Bible character who gave something to Jesus during Holy Week, and one who had nothing to give. A children’s sermon accompanies each monologue.
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Stay Out Of Court And Stay In Ministry
$12.95Add to cartStay Out Of Court And Stay In Ministry is written to help pastors prevent costly and career-ending lawsuits. It sets forth the most common legal claims asserted against religious organizations, and the defenses churches have successfully raised.
… We describe real-life legal claims against churches and analyze the outcomes, pro or con. We focus on the claims most frequently asserted against churches. Some of the trends defy conventional wisdom. For example, there are few suits for clergy malpractice, but many successful suits for slippery sidewalks. (from the Introduction)
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In The Carpenters Workshop 3
$12.95Add to cartThe creativity of preachers and worship leaders is vitally important in this day of competition with television, videos, and CD-ROMs. This third volume by Jerry Eckert is filled with scripts and suggestions for presenting the Gospel in a dramatic and exciting fashion. Using the style of presentation made famous by You Are There, some of these offerings are usable scripts for holiday special services. Unlike volumes one and two, this could be called a “play book.”
Eckert writes: Very early in my ministry I was told at a Mental Health Association Conference how important the church is in the prevention of mental illness. Over the years I saw how that was true not just for young people but for all ages … my sermons became not only more pastoral but brought in as much of the real lives of the Bible times as I could find.
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Preachers Edge
$17.95Add to cartThe Preacher’s Edge puts to work the basic principles of oratory and persuasive speaking with creative pulpit techniques. It is written to be used by preachers for a revival and renewal of their preaching.
From this book one can learn how to reach and hold the attention of this “channel surfing” generation of congregational members.
This book is a celebration and affirmation of the role of preaching as the church moves into the 21st century. Reading it will modify the way in which the preacher delivers his message. And it will improve the attention span of those who hear the Good News in new and exciting ways.
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Sermons On The Be Attitudes
$12.95Add to cartThis captivating sermon collection explores the many blessings that we receive from God in our lifetimes through our experiences of both sorrow and joy. Terry’s brilliantly illustrated sermons will empower those in need with the confidence to conquer their adversities through their faith in Christ. He provides a rich, insightful exploration into each of the timeless beatitudes.
The beatitudes are thought to be central among the words of Jesus that turned upside down the values of the common social order. Many view these words as a summary of Christ’s ethical teachings. Terry produces a rich, insightful exploration into each of the timeless Beatitudes. Many view the Beatitudes as a summary of Christ’s ethical teachings, yet Terry emphasizes that they are much more than a set of commandments. They are rather promises that will be fulfilled in God’s time. They are not the “do-attitudes” he writes, but the “be-attitudes.”
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In The Carpenters Workshop 2
$13.95Add to cartHave you ever wished you could find ways other than a monologue to express the Sunday sermon? This volume will help preachers who are seeking alternative forms for presenting the life transforming power of the Gospel. It will also be useful to Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, worship committees, and Bible study groups
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Behold The Man
$12.95Add to cartBehold The Man is a sermon/study series for Lent inspired by the words of Pontius Pilate about Jesus. The theme is carefully explored from the First Sunday in Lent through Easter Sunday.
For each Sunday a sermon, prayer, children’s sermon, order of worship and discussion questions are provided.
The purpose of these messages is to enable us to look at Jesus in the crucial times of his life and ministry. In beholding him as he was then we will be able to see him now.
Sections include:
* Behold the Man Who Was Tempted As We Are
* Behold the Man Who Takes Away Sin
* Behold the Man Who Taught By The Sea
* Behold the Man Who Trained Disciples
* Behold the Man Who Turned Toward Jerusalem
* Behold the Man Who Tried To Be King
* Behold the Man Who Took The Victory -
Open My Eyes
$13.95Add to cartHere are 52 unique messages for relating to children. They can be used by pastors on Sunday morning, by Sunday School teachers, or by mothers and fathers in the home.
Each Lesson Includes:
A statement of the purpose
The item of material used to illustrate the story
Possible times to use the story at home or church or special occasion
The scriptural reference or background of the lesson -
Keeping In Touch
$15.95Add to cartAnyone involved in a leadership role, at one point or another, encounters the need for “prayer handles” — prayers that can be used as written, or ones users can adapt for themselves. This collection of 377 prayers will give them plenty to “grab on to” for those occasions when plenty comes to mind, but little leaves the tongue.
These prayers are not necessarily designed to take the place of one’s own heartfelt prayers. Rather, they are intended to widen prayer horizons, spark prayer imagination, expand prayer language and enrich personal encounter through prayer.
Following each prayer is ample space for personal or pastoral notes. Also included is an exhaustive subject index.
Keeping In Touch is also perfect for:
Personal devotion
Preparation for special events
A special prayer with a “care note”
Newsletters and pastoral letters -
Turning Points
$12.95Add to cartIn these nine sermons preachers will find brilliant use of story to illustrate the Lenten message. Beringer focuses on different journeys throughout the New Testament and examines the “turning points” recorded there.
As is stated in the introduction, our Christian faith is a pilgrim faith. The author shows in modern parables how we are called by Christ to be a people on the move with him through time to eternity and the Kingdom of God. He shows that we are travelers on the road of faith, never quite arriving at our destination, but always growing and being transformed by each encounter with the living God.
Following each sermon is a set of discussion questions based on the preceding sermon and the scripture on which the sermon is based. These questions can be copied into the bulletin to help the congregation follow the sermon, used as small group discussion starters, distributed to worshipers as they leave church or be printed in weekly newsletters to reinforce the message given the previous Sunday.
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We Are The Church
$12.95Add to cartWe Are The Church offers 52 easy-to-use children’s object lessons for the entire church year. These lessons are based on New Revised Standard Version Second Lesson texts, mostly from Romans.
Each lesson offers clear directions:
Set in italic type, you’ll know when to “let the children answer, or give directions.”
Easy-to-find objects: A pile of play money, for example, for lesson number 18. This tells about being ransomed from futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold. (1 Peter 1:17-21)The table of contents lists the scripture passages used with each lesson title. All objects are easy to relate to with children and are fun to Use. For example, you may need a cowboy hat, toy building blocks, a microphone, a mask and a stuffed animal.
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Journeying Toward Renewal
$23.00Add to cartSabbatical leaves are becoming an increasingly common part of pastoral life, as both pastors and congregations recognize the renewed vitality that these times away can bring to their common ministry. Yet many pastors are still wary of seeking the opportunity for renewal leave, often due to a fear of the unknown-potential negative effects, an unexpected transformation of their call, anxiety of finding out they are not indispensable, or simply the uncertainty that comes ith “letting go.”
Melissa Bane Sevier has used her own sabbatical leave time to create a spiritually nourishing resource that helps to shepherd pastors through the unknowns of renewal leave. Drawing on her own journal entries and her own and others’ experiences of sabbatical, Journeying toward Renewal is a deeply personal guide that demonstrates powerful insight into the joys and stresses of pastoral ministry. Sevier provides not only engaging reflections on the experience of being on sabbatical, but also includes numerous thought-provoking exercises, activities, ideas, and other resources to help readers get the most out of their renewal leave. Foreword by William F. Brosend, Associate Director of the Louisville Institute.
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When Its Twilight Time
$14.95Add to cartThis book offers 30 meditations and complete orders of worship for use by clergy or lay persons at retirement centers. Each service includes and opening prayer, suggested scripture, hymns, easy-to-present meditations and appropriate closings. Along with 26 topically-based services, this volume features worship outlines for Easter, communion, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Worship themes include:
* If We Are Dreamers
* The Best Surprises
* The Larger Design For Living -
18 Special Worship Celebrations
$13.95Add to cartGod is constantly adding ingredients to our life of faith and creating a wonderful mixture of faith, hope and trust in Jesus. (from A Feast Of Worship)
As a quilt wraps us up in the warmth of its cover, we thank God and mothers for the warmth of their love. (from A Special Youth Service For Mother’s Day)
18 Special Worship Celebrations is a collection of worship resources that enhance the life of any congregation. It follows the style of The Weaving Of Hearts, the author’s popular first book of worship resources.
Themes include:
Morning devotional service
Memorial Day observance
Celebration of baptism
Installation of pastor
All Saints’ Day
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This New Life Together
$12.95Add to cartAs an anthology, this book fits many settings facing clergy. Included is a ceremony for an older and once widowed couple, a Protestant and Catholic wedding, an evening ceremony and a simple congregational vow for inclusion in a service. This anthology includes meditations from men and women clergy who are United Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Episcopal and Roman Catholic.
