Pastoral Helps
Showing 1901–2000 of 3814 resultsSorted by latest
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Words Made Flesh
$52.99Add to cartWords Made Flesh draws together a number of Elaine Grahams shorter writings and essays and thereby maps out the work of a pioneer theological thinker and the development of pastoral and practical theology in the last twenty years.aElaine Graham considers the theological significance of topics as diverse as nativity plays, science fiction, gender, consumerism, cyberspace and urban regeneration. They all share a concern with the way the sources and norms of the Christian tradition can enter into a creative and critical conversation with contemporary experience in order to generate the practical wisdom by which the life of the Church can be directed. They reflect Elaine Grahams fundamental conviction that theology as talk about God-in-the-world is always practical and public u and that it begins and ends in the complexities of the human condition: where words become flesh.
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Easter Experience Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartPaint yourself into the story and transform Easter into a truly life-changing experience. Once you experience the story of Easter, absolutely everything in your life changes. The Easter Experience is a unique, DVD-driven study which brings the passion and resurrection of Jesus to life through dramatic storytelling and challenging teaching. This companion to The Easter Experience small group DVD follows the six 20-minute episodes, providing additional information, discovery questions, and tips for helping your small group grow spiritually and bond with each other as well as with the eternal message of Easter. Also available are the Easter Experience Church Program and the Easter Experience Ministry Devotional.
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Alphabet Of Grace
$16.99Add to cartWith characteristic eloquence and insight, Buechner presents a three-part series of reflections that probe, through the course of one day, the innermost mysteries of life. Blending an artist’s eye for natureal beauty, the true meaning of human encounters, and the significance of occurances (momentous or seemly trival), with a wealth of personal, literacy, biblical, and spiritual insights, he offers a matchless opportunity for readers to discover the hidden wisdom that can be gleaned through a heightened experience of daily life.
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Leaders Who Last
$23.95Add to cartIs helping others overrated? Is ministry a recipe for burnout? How can pastors last the course? Author and pastor Margaret Marcuson introduces the notion of “sustainable ministry,” which trains and empowers pastors to focus on their inner resources for proactive leadership, instead of trying harder to help, fix or change others.
Leaders Who Last draws upon the author’s own pastoral experience and leadership, plus a significant analysis of leadership in both families and churches over generations. Interviews with current church leaders punctuate chapters on stress, spiritual practice, church triangles, relationships, selfawareness, money, and creating a climate where true change can take place.
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Preaching From Memory To Hope
$27.00Add to cartIn this compelling and hard-hitting book, respected preacher and teacher Tom Long identifies and responds to the most substantive theological forces and challenges facing preaching today. The issues, he says, are fourfold: the decline in the quality of narrative preaching and the need for its reinvigoration; the tendency of preachers to ignore Gods action and presence in our midst; the return of the churchs old nemesis, Gnosticism, evidenced in todays new spirituality; and the absence of eschatology in the pulpit.
Long once again has his finger on the pulse of American preaching, demonstrated by his creative responses to these challenges. Whether he is calling for theologically smarter and more ethically discerning preaching, providing a method of interpretation that will allow pastors to recover the emphasis on God in our midst, or encouraging a kind of interfaith dialogue with gnosticism, he demonstrates why he has long been considered one of the most thoughtful and intelligent preachers in America today.
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Lay Pastoral Care Giving
$18.00Add to cartA distinguished historian, academic and occasional evangelist I know was hushed by his stunned wife after he said to a friend he was visiting in the hospital, “I hope you don’t die.” A sentiment appreciated but oh-so-awkward.
Expressing care to someone in need – whether within the community of faith or beyond – may seem the most natural thing in the world. For some, it is; for others, it’s less so. All can improve.
Learn to reach out with God’s love and care for others as outlined in this practical book. Farabaugh offers a systemic path for pastoral care using the gifts of the laity in the church.
“At a district Council on Ministries’ meeting, our conversation focused on the realization that most of the clergy had no assistance in the area of pastoral care and felt overwhelmed by their many, sometimes conflicting, responsibilities,” writes Farabaugh. “Most of the churches did not train anyone in caring ministries. Today it is time for clergy and laity to partner in caring for one another.”
Unique to this course is the ongoing training and accountability meetings outlined for those in this invaluable ministry. During the monthly meetings, participants report on what they have learned and also learn about aspects of caring for situations and conditions of life, such as illness, suffering, grief and loss.
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Does Your Church Have A Prayer Participants Workbook (Student/Study Guide)
$9.00Add to cartCongregations seeking revitalization can take heart. Jesus has already prayed for their unity so that they may share his love with the world! The Does Your Church Have a Prayer? Participant’s Guide consists of a six week plan of Bible studies that, along with sermons and worship, will help generate congregation feedback critical to establishing a twenty-four month action plan for the congregation. Each week’s study offers a prayer to open the time together, questions to encourage scriptural reflection, and questions to facilitate thought and input as the congregation makes intentional decisions regarding its mission and ministry.
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Does Your Church Have A Prayer Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$16.00Add to cartCongregations seeking revitalization can take heart. Jesus has already prayed for their unity so that they may share his love with the world! The Does Your Church Have a Prayer? Participant’s Guide consists of a six week plan of Bible studies that, along with sermons and worship, will help generate congregation feedback critical to establishing a twenty-four month action plan for the congregation. Each week’s study offers a prayer to open the time together, questions to encourage scriptural reflection, and questions to facilitate thought and input as the congregation makes intentional decisions regarding its mission and ministry.
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Intentional Ministry In A Not So Mega Church
$13.99Add to cartChange is rapidly occurring in almost every area of our society. However, the one notable exception to this is often found in the church, especially in smaller churches. Instead of responding to the changes around them, these churches have adopted a maintenance mentality, which is primarily interested in survival and risk-free ministries that are inwardly focused and fail to meet the needs of those outside their church community. If our churches are going to have an impact on today’s culture, we have to move from a maintenance mindset to a missional one.
Intentional Ministry in a Not-So-Mega Church is designed to help leaders of smaller churches guide their people in making their primary focus ministering to and meeting the needs of those outside their church. Drawing from more than twenty years of experience as a small-church pastor, Dennis Bickers explores the qualities of transformational leadership and explains what it takes for leaders to create a climate in their churches that promotes and facilitates necessary change. From willingness and vision to risk-taking and commitment, Bickers challenges leaders to become the agents of change their churches need as they seek to answer and act on the question: Who are we here for?
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Deliberate Simplicity : How The Church Does More By Doing Less
$18.99Add to cartLearn how a “less is more” approach to church can equip believers for eternal influence. Church innovator Dave Browning unpacks the six elements of a new equation for church development. These concepts-minimality, intentionality, reality, multility, velocity, and scalability-provide a realistic plan for streamlining church while maximizing impact.
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Cultural Intelligence : Improving Your CQ To Engage Our Multicultural World (Rep
$29.99Add to cartAs twenty-first-century society grows increasingly complex, pluralistic, and multicultural, it behooves Christians to communicate effectively between and among diverse populations. Research indicates that missions often fail because of cultural collision and lack of empathy and understanding between different peoples. David Livermore proposes a meta model–based on sound research principles and social science methodology–for helping Christians intelligently navigate the multicultural maze in Cultural Intelligence. The much-needed skill of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) both at home and abroad is the ability to work effectively across national, ethnic, and even organizational cultures. Livermore explains that CQ is not simply learning how to externally modify behavior but is based on inward transformation. His work is replete with assessment tools, simulations, case studies, and reflective exercises. Professors and students of missiology, practical theology, ministry leadership, intercultural studies, and sociology in Christian colleges, seminaries, and lay training programs will glean needed knowledge to become culturally sensitive, aware, and intelligent. This addition to the Youth, Family, and Culture series will help individuals and organizations share the Christian message with those of different backgrounds.
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Missional Renaissance : Changing The Scorecard For The Church
$28.00Add to cartReggie McNeal’s bestseller The Present Future is the definitive work on the “missional movement,” i.e., the widespread movement among Protestant churches to be less inwardly focused and more oriented toward the culture and community around them. In that book he asked the tough questions that churches needed to entertain to begin to think about who they are and what they are doing; in Missional Renaissance, he shows them the three significant shifts in their thinking and behavior that they need to make that will allow leaders to chart a course toward being missional: (1) from an internal to an external focus, ending the church as exclusive social club model; (2) from running programs and ministries to developing people as its core activity; and (3) from professional leadership to leadership that is shared by everyone in the community. With in-depth discussions of the “what” and the “how” of transitioning to being a missional church, readers will be equipped to move into what McNeal sees as the most viable future for Christianity. For all those thousands of churches who are asking about what to do next after reading The Present Future, Missional Renaissance will provide the answer.
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Pastoral Care In Times Of Death And Dying
$13.99Add to cartCounseling someone who is dying or consoling a family who has suffered a death is one of the hardest parts of ministry. In times like these it’s important for pastors to know what to say and how best to offer their support.
Pastoral Care in Times of Death and Dying is a practical guide that offers step-by-step direction and solid advice for handling the difficult responsibility of ministering to others in situations surrounding death. From visiting and shepherding the terminally ill to overseeing funeral arrangements and comforting grieving families, Danny Goddard helps pastors, chaplains, and lay leaders understand their roles and bereavement responsibilities so they ll know the best way to offer compassion, love, and support to those who need it most.
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Tony Evans Book Of Illustrations
$19.99Add to cartPicture this: it’s Saturday afternoon and you’re putting the finishing touches on tomorrow’s sermon. You’ve been thinking, researching, and praying about this message all week, and, thankfully, feel pretty prepared. That is, except for one small detail-you aren’t sure how to begin. For over thirty years, Tony has been connecting to audiences around the world. Now his tools are available for you. Don’t leave your listeners to connect the dots. Let Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations help you illustrate your point in a way they can’t forget.
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Childrens Spirituality : What It Is And Why It Matters
$16.99Add to cartChurch House Publishing
This concise guide is an ideal introduction to the increasingly popular topic of children’s spirituality. Mixing theory with tips on ‘good practice’, leading expert Rebecca Nye shows how choices made in churches and homes can stimulate or stifle a child’s spiritual development. Mixing theoretical background and good practice tips, she focuses on: Childhood as a natural source of spirituality Ways to help children value and express their spirituality The role of Christian nurture and worship in early spiritual development
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Ethical Leadership : The Quest For Character Civility And Community
$29.00Add to cartWe live in a leadership crisis. “In an age when incompatible worlds collide and when scandals rock formerly stable institutions,” says Walter Fluker, “what counts most is ethical leadership and the qualities of personal integrity, spiritual discipline, intellectual openness, and moral anchoring.” Fluker finds these characteristics exemplified in the work and thought of black-church giants Martin Luther King Jr. and Howard Thurman.
This volume, for leaders and emergent leaders in religious and other settings, sets forth the context and principles for ethical leadership, particularly for ministries and other professions whose mission directly advances the common good. Fluker’s volume grounds leadership in story, the appropriation of one’s roots, as a basis for personal and social transformation. He then explores the key values of character, civility, and community for ethical action on the personal, public, and spiritual realms. From these considerations he develops a model of the specific virtues that embody each realm of ethical leadership before applying them to the practical aspects of leadership and decisionmaking.
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Middle School Talksheets
$22.99Add to cartThis book provides youth workers with 50 lessons, using the “talksheets” format, that focus students’ attention and interest on the life of Christ. Each lesson attempts to connect students to the story and its biblical and practical implications. The lessons are in approximate chronological order, but each talksheet is self-standing and can be used independently or linked with two or three others to create short series.
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High School Talksheets
$22.99Add to cartThis book provides youth workers with 50 lessons, using the “talksheets” format, that focus students’ attention and interest on the life of Christ. Each lesson attempts to connect students to the story and its biblical and practical implications. The lessons are in approximate chronological order, but each talksheet is self-standing and can be used independently or linked with two or three others to create short series.
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Strategic Leadership For A Change
$31.00Add to cartMany congregations are experiencing significant change both within and beyond their walls, and both members and leaders feel a sense of loss in the midst of these changes. In the midst of change, loss, and grief, congregations yearn for leadership-typically with differing expectations of what constitutes effective leadership in response to their needs, hopes, and priorities. At the same time, congregations resist leadership. After all, leadership assumes those who follow will be open to more change.
Strategic Leadership for a Change provides congregational leaders with new insights and tools for understanding the relationships among change, attachment, loss, and grief. It also helps to facilitate the process of grieving, comprehend the centrality of vision, and demonstrate theological reflection in the midst of change, loss, grief, and attaching anew. All this occurs as the congregation aligns its vision with God’s and understands processes of change as processes of fulfillment.
Drawing on attachment theory, leadership studies, and biblical and theological resources, McFayden’s work is invaluable for leaders whose congregations face change, experience loss, wonder about their future, and yearn for leadership.
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Write Stuff : Crafting Sermons That Capture And Convince
$28.00Add to cartIn this book, gifted preacher Sondra Willobee shows how to enliven sermons by using the techniques of great writers. With clarity and wit, Willobee explores the joyful process of crafting effective sermons. The book includes three sections: (1) hook, how good sermons begin with something that grabs listeners attention; (2) book, how to shape a sermon with narrative pulse and ascending emotional intensity so that listeners experience the gospel; and (3) stone, how good sermons use specific, concrete language. By explaining these techniques, offering many examples, and reflecting on her own successes and failures, Willobee has provided a resource that will rekindle the creativity of experienced preachers and help new preachers develop their own compelling voices.
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Strategic Disciple Making
$18.00Add to cartFor many people, church is there to meet their needs–with programs designed with them in mind. Strategic Disciple Making teaches these churchgoers to develop a servant’s heart. Readers will discover that they control the destiny of their church. If they seek personal contentment, they must grow as disciples, and church expert Aubrey Malphurs explains the true meaning of the word.
This refreshing resource offers a radical “how-to” for renewing faltering faith. It is perfect for burned-out ministers and downcast church leaders who want a more authentic discipleship experience.
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3 Simple Rules For Following Jesus (Teacher’s Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIdeal for showing children how to be effective stewards of the world around them
This leader’s resource helps plan six sesions that will help children
* Learn what it means to care for the world and God’s people
* Consider the ways to do good things for their families, their church, their community, and the world
* Discover the value of spiritual disciplines and how to practice themThe three simple rules of “Do No Harm”, “Do Good”, and “Stay in Love with God” are easy enough for children to understand and profound enough to begin a lifelong journey of faith.
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Good Sex 2.0 Leaders Guide
$18.99Add to cartWhether you’re a youth worker, associate pastor, CE director, or volunteer, this book is an upfront, truthful, process-centered resource that invites students to consider and understand their sexuality in light of the God who loves them and who made them sexual beings.
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New Intrepreters Handbook Of Preaching
$73.99Add to cartThe New Interpreter’s Handbook of Preaching is a major reference tool for preaching, with articles on every facet of Christian sermon preparation and delivery. This resource is both scholarly and practical. It focuses on the most distinctive feature and greatest strength of homiletics as a discipline: It is rooted in interdisciplinary scholarship and it develops theory geared to practice. Its theory arises out of the study of both excellent preaching past and present and actual sermon preparation and composition. When theory and practice critique each other, it is possible to produce guidelines that assist greater excellence and economy in preaching the gospel. Excellence in standards is an area in which homiletics needs to grow, and this project will be both a means to encourage and develop it. A guiding question throughout will be, Will it preach? The answers will be offered in the sense that “here is something that works well,” rather than “here is something to try.”
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Sustainable Youth Ministry
$22.99Add to cartOne of the big problems in youth ministry is the constant turnover of youth ministers. Mark DeVries addresses the problem with a systematic answer: churches need to take corporate responsibility for establishing a vision and structure for effective ministry, rather than leaving it all up to the youth minister.
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Chasing Chariots
$10.95Add to cartBecause the New Testament speaks directly to us as Christians, it can be tempting to focus more of our attention there at the expense of the Old Testament. However, the Hebrew scriptures still have relevance even for 21st-century Christians. Chasing Chariots is an exploration of 11 scripture passages featuring the chariot, an ancient symbol of power and strength. In each account, K. D. Weaver draws out ancient wisdom that still speak to our contemporary lives concerning faith, judgment, healing, and destiny.
Some of the lessons included in this collection are:
Deal with Change
Execute Your Exodus
Seize What God Has for You
Mature in ChristThis collection is perfect for sermon inspiration, small group Bible study, or personal reflection. Each of the accounts explored in Chasing Chariots fosters spiritual maturity and draws us closer to the God of both the Old and New Testaments.
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Preparing For Ministry
$24.99Add to cartMost seminaries now require their students to get real world training by way of supervised theological field education. This volume presents the wide array of issues that must be understood in order to integrate theological education and practical ministry, including the importance of theological field education, its purpose and challenges, the need for flexibility in meeting different students’ needs, and the resources available to create a meaningful and educational experience.
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Performance In Preaching
$30.00Add to cartWhile there are no shortage of texts offering advice on the writing and delivery of sermons, most of them adopt a fairly traditional approach to the subject. This volume takes a unique approach by examining the role of performance in preaching.
The contributors, who teach in seminaries and divinity schools across the nation, bring a variety of theological and denominational perspectives to the subject. They are united, however, in their concern for the importance of the performance of the sermon-not in a shallow or theatrical sense but as an essential aspect of bringing God’s word to life for the congregation. To that end, they offer wide-ranging studies that examine theological, artistic, and musical aspects of a compelling performance.
This volume inaugurates the Engaging Worship series from Fuller Theological Seminary’s Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts. It offers an innovative approach and alternative perspectives to the subject of preaching that will engage and challenge clergy who are already in the pulpit as well as students in seminary classes. The volume comes with a 90-minute companion DVD that complements the text, covering practical subjects that range from warm-up exercises to the mechanics of oral presentation.
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Creative Ideas For Quiet Days
$36.99Add to cartGoing a day retreat or quiet day is a regular activity for many local churches. During the preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent, they are especially popular. While many retreat houses and religious communities offer a program for such days, many groups prefer a do-it yourself approach. aaThis resource contains twelve complete day-long programs that are focused around different themes and are appropriate for use at varying times of the Christian year. It is suitable for all ages and assorted pastoral contexts. It also gives step-by-step instructions on creating your own program from scratch. aaEach session includes: opening worship, short talk 1, reflection exercise, short talk 2, second reflection exercise, prayers and blessings. Additionally there are leaders’ notes on all practical aspects of planning and conducting such a day, from booking the venue to handout templates. This new edition comes with download able worship and reflection materials to enrich your program.
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Courage To Carry On
$8.95Add to cartUsing the Hebrew scriptures and the book of Acts as a guide, David Webb journeys through the First Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Lent and Easter seasons. The Courage to Carry On not only draws people into a deeper appreciation and understanding of the meaning of Lent and Easter, it also offers insight into living the Christian life in today’s world. Ideal for sermon inspiration and preparation as well as small group Bible study and personal reflection and meditation, The Courage to Carry On is a valuable addition to any library.
Some of the sermons included in this collection are:
* Relentless Grace
* A Precious Gift
* Salvation Is Coming
* The Church’s DNA
* Confident Faith -
Christian Weddings : Resources To Make Your Ceremony Unique (Revised)
$18.99Add to cartThis exciting resource will help engaged couples design a unique and meaningful wedding service. With guidance from their pastor, the couple can select the different elements of their wedding liturgy from a menu of choices in ceremonies from over twenty denominational traditions from around the world.
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Fly In The Ointment
$25.95Add to cartAn ecumenical resource that helps churches and church leaders begin to think about how to transform themselves into vital, flourishing organizations-transformation that requires deep, systemic change on the part of the bodies that are meant to help congregations live into their mission in the world.
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Together And Apart
$20.95Add to cartIn an easy, conversational style, the author, a nun for over 40 years, gives readers the facts and fictions of the monastic life: how the choice is made; what lies behind the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; the nuts and bolts of monastic calling; what monks and nuns do all day; how they support themselves; and why they live as they do. Brushing away the stereotypes of sainthood, she provides an enlightening glimpse into a vibrant female subculture that is richly diverse, faith-filled, and often supremely rewarding.
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Downtime : Helping Teenagers To Pray
$24.99Add to cartA practical book for youth ministers, pastors, parents, and teachers who want to teach prayer to teenagers. The book will be written in short, meditative chapters that provide readers with the appropriate history, theology, pedagogy, and examples for introducing teens to the life of prayer.
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Aqua Church 2.0 (Revised)
$14.99Add to cartWe live in a fast-paced, fluid world. A postmodern place where people are drifting, making mid-course corrections in every aspect of life, from careers, to relationships, to beliefs.
Church leaders must continually reshape their ministries to reach a society adrift. They must move from being adaptive to being proactive, remaining flexible while delivering an uncompromising message.
AquaChurch is a guide for developing responsive and relevant church leadership. Fusing biblical wisdom and modern-day insights, acclaimed author Leonard Sweet explores the essentials of leadership arts, including vision, creativity, and teamwork. Thus updated and revised edition will enable ministries to navigate today’s cultural currents, provide a beacon to their community, and connect with a postmodern world.
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Planting Churches That Reproduce
$15.95Add to cartThe goal of Planting Churches that Reproduce Starting a Network of Simple Churches is to simplify the church planting process in order to start a network of simple, reproducing churches. This book will give invaluable information to those contemplating church planting or in the process of planting a church. Comiskey has been gathering material for this book for the past ten years. He has also planted three churches in a wide variety of settings. Planting Churches that Reproduce is the fruit of his research and personal experience. Comiskey uses the latest North American church planting statistics, but also extends the illustrations to include worldwide church planting. In the first section, Comiskey lays out the Biblical basis for church planting, including the all important question what is the church? In order to understand how to plant a network of reproducing churches, its essential to know how the New Testament defines Christs church (and the New Testament definition is a simple one). Paul the apostle was the first centurys model church planter and arguably the most effective church planter the world has ever known. The book goes into detail about how Paul planted churches and the important lessons that we can apply twenty centuries later. The book then moves from the Biblical basis to the contemporary scene. Comiskey answers the question of how in todays complicated society we can plant churches that reproduce and even start a network of simple churches. The book shows statistically why church planting is absolutely essential to keep up with the population growth. Many statistics are noted to demonstrate the grave need for continual church planting today. Then Comiskey tackles the question of the modern day church planter. What makes a modern day church planter successful? What are the key characteristics that todays church planters need to successfully plant a church in the 21st century? Comiskey provides indepth information from recent studies about the character qualities necessary to plant a church. Comiskey provides helpful information on church planting barriers. These barriers come from the fieldboth from those who have planted churches andor those who are currently doing so. The book reveals what church planters would do differently if they could do it over again. This information will help future church planters avoid similar mistakes. The second section goes into detail about the three main church planting strategies the celebrat
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Trekking Toward Wholeness
$35.99Add to cartIVP Print On Demand Title
Stephen Greggo presents a resource for trained leaders of ministry care groups in a variety of church-related contexts. Its purpose is to assist group leaders in facilitating the development of healing, transforming relationships in the group setting.
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Sabbath In The City
$24.00Add to cartDrawing on their research involving urban pastors from across the United States, Bryan Stone and Claire Wolfteich identify and examine spiritual practices that foster excellence in urban ministry. After discussing the specific challenges facing urban pastors and presenting the kinds of excellence required of them, Stone and Wolfteich explore several practices that help sustain ministers working in urban contexts, such as cultivating holy friendships, practicing Sabbath, maintaining lives of prayer and study, and setting appropriate boundaries. Throughout, the authors weave together stories from urban pastors from a variety of denominations with insights from the history of Christian spirituality and theology to chart a theological course for the formation and renewal of pastors in diverse contemporary contexts.
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Sticky Church
$18.99Add to cartThe greatest challenge facing most churches today isn’t getting people through the front door-it’s keeping them from leaving through the back door. In his new book, Larry Osborne reveals what it takes to cultivate a “sticky” church and reveals the strategy of sermon-based small groups to retain members while leading your church into even deeper levels of discipleship.
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Celebration And Experience In Preaching
$22.99Add to cartHenry H. Mitchell’s great contribution to the study of preaching has been his insistence that the homiletical practices of the Black church are gifts to the whole church. Nowhere has he made this point more forcefully than in Celebration and Experience in Preaching. In this classic text he advocates a way of preaching that genuinely engages all aspects of the congregation’s attention, especially the ability to both understand and to feel the sermon’s message. In this revised edition Mitchell builds on this groundbreaking work by examining in greater depth the multiple ways in which we experience the preached word, by defining the different kinds of claim on the behavior of the hearer that biblical texts express, and by exploring various genres of sermon to discover the concrete manifestations of celebration and experience.
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Simple Small Groups (Reprinted)
$13.99Add to cartOver the past two decades, small groups have gone from spontaneous gatherings among friends to a major and elaborate phenomenon in the church. Many evangelical churches have some form of small groups ministry in place. But there’s just one problem, says Bill Search–what started as a simple get-together has become a complicated process, especially for small group leaders. They are often not sure what is expected of them or what to expect from their groups as a result of their efforts. In Simple Small Groups, Search lays out the three C’s of small groups–connecting, changing, and cultivating. This paradigm helps to simplify leading small groups in a way that is helpful, rewarding, and life changing. Unlike many other books geared toward small group leaders, Simple Small Groups does not require a church-wide adoption of an intricately designed system of assimilation, making it useful to any small group leader looking for guidance.
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Growing Up Christian
$16.00Add to cartMcGuffey’s Readers. Public school. Family prayers. In the 1800s, these were primary and successful strategies by which children learned to become Christians. Sunday school was developed to support what was already being done at home and in school. Today many churches still rely on the nineteenth-century model to encourage young people to become disciples of Christ. In Growing Up Christian, Dr. C. Ellis Nelson explores why these strategies are inadequate for the twenty-first century and offers practical, specific guidance for congregations who wish to nurture disciples of Christ more effectively. Part 1 describes the pattern of influences that form our images of God. Given the way culture and family influence the rising generation, Part 2 outlines a strategy for nurturing disciples that capitalizes on the persuasive power of the congregation in fellowship, worship, and instruction. A detailed discussion guide further assists congregations who wish to form a study group to assess and improve their Christian education.
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1001 Illustrations That Connect
$32.99Add to cartHere are 1001 of the best illustrations assembled by the editors of Christianity Today’s PreachingToday.com. They’re contemporary, proven, memorable, and illuminating-these illustrations will preach! Furthermore, they’re carefully arranged and indexed so it’s easy to find the right one. An included CD-ROM makes getting the illustration into your sermon or lesson a breeze.
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Spiritual Direction : A Practical Introduction
$36.99Add to cartSpiritual direction has been an intrinsic part of the Christian tradition since the earliest days of the church when desert mothers and fathers were sought out for their wisdom and guidance. Today, the popularity of retreats and renewed interest in monastic spirituality has put spiritual direction in the spotlight. It is shedding its rather exotic, mystical associations and is increasingly regarded as a core component of Christian ministry. This guide aims to equip clergy and laity engaged in this task, or in training for it. It includes, Part One: What is spiritual direction? This is an exploration of biblical, historical and contemporary models of spiritual direction. What makes a good spiritual director? Part Two covers listening and responding to God, prayer, paying attention, discernment, interpreting religious experience, recognising God in the every day, journalling, and holy leisure. Part Three covers listening and responding to others, listening to stories and experience, looking for signs of grace, pain
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Transforming Disciples
$26.95Add to cartMaking disciples through Christian formation too often looks like a limited number of educational programs offered to child, teen, and adult “consumers” who move on if they don’t find what they want. How can we make the transition from consumer religion to participatory faith by building congregational relationships that nourish people spiritually and empower them to risk living, worshipping, learning, and serving God and each other in new and enlivening ways?
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Unbinding The Gospel (Revised)
$20.99Add to cartPart One:
1. Breaking The Curse
2. Why Do Evangelism?
3. If You Don’t Like Statistics, Skip This Chapter!Part Two:
4. Unbinding The Gospel: Three Stories Of Victory
5. Real Life
6. What New Members Want – Transformed LivesPart Three:
7. How’s Your Church Doing? Bandwidths, Barriers And Bridges
8. The Holy And The Practical: Who Does What?
9. Smart Sailing: Navigating Through Growing Pains, Conflict And Distractions
10. Getting StartedPart Four:
Your 40-Day Prayer Journal
Afterword By Brian McLaren
Works CitedAdditional Info
After the transformation of thousands of congregations, your could be next! The Unbinding the Gospel Series presents the most effective way to help mainline churches want to do evangelism.After quickly becoming one of the top-selling religious books in the U.S., Unbinding the Gospel expanded into the creation of two more books – Unbinding Your Heart and Unbinding Your Church. Together, the three books give churches a yearlong, intensive faith and faith-sharing experience.
Start by having your church leaders read Gospel, and work up to an all-church saturation study with Heart. Church will be used along the way to help guide your leaders through it all.
The new 2nd edition of Gospel now includes an all-new, 40-day personal prayer journal!
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Skys The Limit
$12.95Add to cartDo you have the desire to create or expand your church s ministry to children, but don t know where to start? The Sky s the Limit offers valuable insight into how to create a kids club in your church where children can not only have fun, but also learn more about God and grow in their Christian faith. Although the idea of starting a children s ministry may seem overwhelming, The Sky s the Limit takes you step by step through the process to ensure a smooth transition for both children and teachers. Drawing from her own experience, Kathy DeGraw guides ministry leaders in every aspect of the creation of a kids club — from assembling a ministry team to choosing snack ideas to creating fun activities, and so on. According to DeGraw, having a kids club can be a powerful evangelistic outreach, because by reaching out to the children in your community, you are also reaching out to their entire families, drawing them not only into your church, but into a relationship with God. In taking this first step to establishing a children s ministry in your church, the sky truly is the limit on the impact you can have in your community!
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Scenes Of Glory
$22.95Add to cartJesus was a master storyteller. He could weave timeless, eternal truths into the seemingly simplest of stories. His tales not only disarmed his listeners, but they also imparted powerful insights into the nature of God in familiar terms.
In this same spirit, Scenes of Gloryis a collection of story sermons that communicate the truth of God’s word through familiar images like a vacation drive, two friends sitting under an apple tree, or football season. While each of the stories may take the reader into familiar territory, they may also offer a view of the gospel in a rather unfamiliar and thought-provoking way.Complete with study questions at the end of each chapter, this resource is great for personal Bible study and devotion as well as group studies. It is also valuable for pastors needing either sermon inspiration or simply an alternate view of a particular biblical text.
Our life is a series of stories. Scenes of Gloryis an enriching addition to anyone’s personal story.
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Youth Work After Christendom
$29.99Add to cartYoung people have been leaving the church for several decades and are largely absent from many of our congregations. Most young people have no desire to embrace a church perceived as old-fashioned but remain interested in spirituality. How can young people be empowered to follow Jesus in a relevant and new way that is responsive to the challenges of the current context? How can real hope and opportunity be realized so that the next generation will approach faith without a Christendom mindset?
By examining the influences of the past, exploring the stories of those young people who have been partaking in church and by considering the views of those not connected to church, this book offers insights, theology, practical application and some hope for the future. Those charged with responsibility are encouraged to seriously consider
passing on the baton to young people now for the sake of the future. Like it or not, the destiny of the church is in their hands. -
Fireproof Your Marriage Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$8.95Add to cartFireproof Your Marriage will challenge you to love better, love first and love for a lifetime. This six-week study is founded on Biblical principles for strong, God-centered, lifelong marriages. The Fireproof Your Marriage study integrates movie clips from FIREPROOF, along with key Scriptures, thought-provoking questions and devotionals, including concepts from The Love Dare book. For use with the Fireproof Your Marriage Leader’s Kit or Couple’s Kit. Great for small groups or sunday school class. Fireproof Your Marriage includes these six sessions:
He Said/She Said: appreciating the God-designed differences between men and women. He First Loved Us: God’s love for you and how it enables you to love others.
Love for a Lifetime: marriage as a lifelong covenant.
Breaking Free: freeing yourself from temptations that can destroy a marriage.
Forgiveness: offering and receiving forgiveness.
A Better Way of Loving: unconditional love -
Folk Like Me
$37.95Add to cartLives of the Saints for kids are either too grisly for little kids or too saccharine for older ones. This collection appeals to both groups with a combination of gentle humor and frankness – battle-tested at the author’s weekly chapel services at the school where she teaches. It’s organized into two full school years, with each saint’s story falling on or near his or her special day, so that each story can be a springboard to a creative seasonal teaching unit or small festival. Saints represent a wide variety of ethic and geographic backgrounds, and a CD included will provide ancillary material including pictures and maps.
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Celebrations : All Age Worship
$24.99Add to cartThis book is a ready to use resource for all age worship services on the theme of celebrations. Using a wide range of innovative teaching activities, users will be able to simply and easily put on family services. It includes drama, poetry,prayers, activity
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Unlearning Church
$20.99Add to cartHow many things does your church do just because that’s the way it’s always been done? Does your congregation value tradition over passion and stability over creativity? If so, it’s time to unLearn. Leading congregations into a dynamic and prophetic future requires unLearning what you thought you knew about the church, leadership, and life. Pastor Michael Slaughter casts a vision for innovative and authentic congregations, and for the kind of leadership that can bring congregations to greater vitality and impact in today’s postmodern culture. Readers will be challenged to gaze boldly beyond franchised church models to a dynamic embodiment of God’s unique vision for each leader and each congregation. UnLearning congregations embrace new media and cultural trends, value transformation over information, and create a safe space for the tough and unanswerable questions of life. These are churches that lovingly dare to shoulder spiritual and prophetic leadership in our rapidly changing culture, re-articulating God’s ancient purposes to create high-tech, high-touch environments in which people can become radical followers of Jesus Christ.
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Preaching The Gospel Of Mark
$44.00Add to cartIn this engaging treatment of the Gospel of Mark, Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm combines biblical scholarship with a close reading of the Gospel text to meet the needs of preachers today. Swift and purposeful, the Gospel of Mark proclaims Gods reign and urges the participation of all Gods people in the witness of the good news that God has transformed human reality through Jesus Christ. This insightful commentary helps that message come alive while providing pertinent suggestions about how preachers can proclaim this message to todays churchgoers.
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Teaching Preaching As A Christian Practice
$40.00Add to cartPreachings most able practitioners gather in this book to explore and explain the idea that preaching is a practice that can be taught and learned. Arguing that preaching is a living practice with a long tradition, an identifiable shape, and a broad set of norms and desired outcomes, these noted scholars propose that teachers initiate students into the larger practice of preaching, in ways somewhat like other students are initiated into the practice of medicine or law. The book concludes with designs for a basic preaching course and addresses the question of how preaching courses fit into the larger patterns of seminary curricula.
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When The Game Is Over It All Goes Back In The Box (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartUsing popular games as a metaphor for our temporal lives, this six-session DVD curriculum neatly sorts out what’s fleeting and what’s permanent in God’s kingdom. Being Master of the Board is not the point; being rich toward God is. Winning the game of life on Earth is a temporary victory; loving God and other people with all our hearts is an eternal one.
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Collected Sermons Of William Sloan Coffin 2
$56.00Add to cartComprised of the sermons preached by William Sloane Coffin while he was senior minister at the prestigious Riverside Church in New York City (1977-1987), these two volumes capture the renowned preacher and social activist at work: ministering to American hostages in Iran, supporting AIDS awareness in the early years of the epidemic, rallying his audiences to battle poverty and fight for nuclear disarmament, celebrating marriages and baptisms, and mourning the loss of loved ones, including his own son, Alex. Every sermon constitutes a powerful reminder of his legacy-challenging the conscience of a nation.
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Dog Training Fly Fishing And Sharing Christ In The 21st Century
$18.99Add to cartTed Haggard presents a successful and tested model for a small group ministry here that can be implemented by a church of any size. By enabling members to embrace and capitalize on their own unique abilities, the diverse groups create an environment where people meet mentors that can disciple and guide them. This need-and interest based approach redefines the model for powerful church growth.
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Unlocking Gods Freeing Truth About Women
$19.49Add to cartThe original language wording of the Bible is wonderfully liberating for women, and Dr. Rocco brings to light what many have not heard. This book explains strong evidence for women in ministry roles. It untangles difficult passages pertaining to church and home life. Topics include: Elders Marriage Deacons Usage of “Head” Governing Authorities Unexpected Feminine Language Masculine Language Prohibitions about Speaking/Teaching Dr. Rocco is an adjunct professor in Biblical languages at Evangel Theological Seminary and serves on a church ministry team. The author has read through the entire Bible over 50 times in various translations and languages. Doctor of Ministry Master of Divinity Biblical Studies Diploma
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Experiencing The Truth
$22.50Add to cartCommunicates the need of a vibrant, experiential, Reformed Christianity among African-American and all believers.
The authors lay out the biblical basis for choosing and attending a church and demonstrate how the historic Reformed expression has been the most biblically accurate and experientially consistent expression of Christianity.
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Preaching The Story That Shapes Us
$19.99Add to cartForeword
Introduction
Part 1: The Theology And Narrative Of Biography:
The Calling And The Called
1. Before I Had A Thumb To Suck
2. The Love Of The Game
3. The Call
4. Spoking It
5. A Vulnerable God
6. Fleas In The Parsonage
7. IWish She’d Learn To Cuss
Part 2: The Bible: Where The Words Come From . . .
and What They Do
8. God Speaks
9. The Written Word
10. Reading . . . Or Being Read?
11. Hearing
12. Tribute To A Friend And Mentor
13. Theological Assumptions
Part 3: Getting Ready To Preach
14. Sensing And Attending
15. Inquisitiveness
16. Looking For Trouble
17. AWorld Of Images And Experiences
18. Pausing To Let The Text Do Me Good
19. Don Wardlaw Again
20. Consulting With The Scholars
21. Exegeting The Congregation
Excursus 1: On A Corporate Vs. Individual Theology Of Worship-
Invitation To The Dance
Excursus 2: On The Use Of Power-Siding With Power
22. The Shape Of The Sermon
23. Public Speaking For Pastors
24. Top 10 Don’ts
25. The Worship Plot
Part 4: Anthology Of Sermons
New Eyes-Luke 24:13-35
Touched-Luke 4:14-30
Seeing Past The Labels-Luke 7:36-50
Hollow Laughter, Holy Tears-Luke 6:17-26
Divine Backing-Luke 9:28-43
God’s Blog-Jeremiah 31:31-34
Neb’s Nightmare-Daniel 4
Deep In Our Bones-Exodus 2:1-25
Eternal Optimism-Romans 8:18-30
You Can’t Hide Family Resemblance-1 John 3:4-10
Enemies-Psalm 109
Dirty Hands, Pure Hearts-Matthew 5:8
Notes
BibliographyAdditional Info
In our world, stories matter. Methods and systems are beneficial because they provide structure and help keep us on the right road; but the motivation and courage to keep walking the road, come from the stories we hear and see and experience-stories that inspire hope and bring us face-to-face with God.For ministers, the call to preach is a call into a story that forms and shapes us. It’s about stumbling into revelation as life unwinds and scripture unfolds. It’s about listening to God’s voice and then sharing it with others. It’s about recognizing that when people gather to hear a sermon, God speaks. And it’s about understanding that when He speaks, He speaks through you.
Preaching the Story That Shapes Us is more than a textbook on preaching. It’s an empowering call for preachers to present a picture of the kingdom of God already at work among us, recognizing that the work of preaching is not just about arranging words-it’s about people. With elegant prose and crafted reason, Dan Boone weaves together scripture, personal narrative, structure, and theological reflection to provide a satisfying, efficient guide to narrative preaching. From exploring the importance of biography to walking readers through creative processes that shape the sermon, Boone shows preachers how to awaken lives and share the stories of God that reveal who we are and lead us to who we will be.
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From Midterms To Ministry
$35.99Add to cartIn this collection of essays, a seasoned group of ministers, scholars, and theological educators share reflections, born out of personal experience, on the transition from seminarian to minister. All the authors have worked with two assumptions. First, they acknowledge that the school experience, though related, is a different world from the ministry setting. Secondly, they point out that while these arenas share things in common they also differ in significant ways. The contributors speak in a very personal way to the ways these worlds operate under dissimilar sets of expectations and values, with different cultures and ways of life, and also with their own set of distinct challenges, objective, rewards, and focal points. Honest and full of wisdom, Midterms to Ministry will help students and ministers find help to travel on their own vocational path. Contributors: Wallace M. Alston, Ray S. Anderson, M. Craig Barnes, Elizabeth F. Caldwell, Allan Hugh Cole Jr., Pamela D. Couture, Kathy Dawson, Carrie Doehring, Michael Jinkins, L. Gregory Jones, Susan Pendleton Jones, James F. Kay, Cleophus J. LaRue, Thomas G. Long, Loren B. Mead, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Earl F. Palmer, Stephanie Paulsell, Anthony B. Robinson, Carol L. Schnabel Schweitzer, Theodore J. Wardlaw, Traci C. West, William H. Willamon, J. Philip Wogaman, Karen Marie Yust
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10 Minute Talks
$24.99Add to cartYouth ministry regularly calls for moments where the “short talk” is the perfect solution. No three points and a poem, no long fancy outlines, just a ten minute talk that tells one point loud and clear through a powerful story. When you’ve only got ten minutes to make your point, give em’ something that they’ll remember.
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Church Treasurers Manual
$49.99Add to cartCONTENTS
Introduction
1 Responsibilities Of The Church Treasurer
Separation Of Financial Responsibilities
Guidelines For Handling Church Offerings
Acknowledging And Reporting Charitable Gifts
Quid Pro Quo Disclosure Requirements
Suggested Steps In Handling Expenditures
Should You Computerize Your Church’s
Financial Records?
2 Payroll, Employees, And Ministerial Compensation
Who Is An Employee, And Who Is A Contractor?
Employees
Contractors, Employees, And Ministers
Employees (Other Than Clergy)
Clergy
What If We Do Not Withhold And Report?
What If We Are Not Sure Which Employment Relationship
Exists?
10 Steps To Preparing For Payroll Tax Obligations
Ministerial Compensation
IRS Regulations For Business Expense Reimbursements
The Cost Of A Minister Vs. The Cost Of A Ministry
Parsonage Or Housing Allowance?
Pro Parsonage And Con Housing Allowance
Pro Housing Allowance And Con Parsonage
Tax Implications
Another Alternative
OK. We’ve Decided On The Housing Allowance
Conflict Over Compensation Issues
3 Taxes
Tax And Reporting Procedures For Congregations
Classification Of Employees
How The Courts Have Ruled
The Ministerial Employee
The Lay Employee
The Employer Identification Number
What Is Taxable For Federal Income Tax Purposes?
Income Tax Withholding
Social Security/Medicare Tax Witholding
Form W-4
Deposit Of Withheld Amounts
Form 941
Form W-2
Form W-3
Form W-5
Form 1099-MISC
Records
Short Checklist For Tax Procedures
Checklist For Filling Out Box 1 Of Form W-2
Minimizing Income Taxes For Church Employees
Tax-Free Employee Benefits
Business Transportation, Travel, And Related Expenses
The Accountable Reimbursement Plan
What The Church Could Do
The Church-Owned Automobile
Summary
4 Budgeting, Reporting, And Financial Audits
How Do You Determine The Annual Budget?
The Chart Of Annual Accounts
Financial Reports To The Congregation
Balance Sheet
Statement Of Revenue And Expense
Statement Of Cash Flows
Other Financial Reports
Audits
Why Have An Audit?
External Audits
Internal Audits
Audit Procedures
Works Cited
Appendix 1 Where To Go For More Information
Appendix 2 Financial FormsAdditional Info
Most of the time, members who accept the position of church treasurer have little or no background in accounting, especially in smaller churches; and even those with accounting experience may have trouble knowing what’s expected of them when they begin their duties.The Church Treasurer’s Manual is a practical tool that provides treasurers everything they need to know about handling church finances. From an overview of duties to helpful guidelines for completing tasks, new and veteran treasurers alike will learn practical tips and time-saving suggestions that will help them carry out their responsibilities in an effective and efficient manner.
Resources include:
an easy-to-understand overview of basic accounting principles
an extensive explanation of tax regulations
options for monthly and annual financial reporting
a general job description for the church treasurer
record keeping form for taxes, accounting ledgers, individual contribution records, budget worksheets, the offering, and more
advice for handling payroll, housing allowances, and other compensations for the pastor and staff
tips on communicating with the church board, the pastor, and the financial committee
ethical guidelines for handling money -
Feasting On The Word Year B 1
$55.00Add to cartThis new lectionary commentary series offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes will cover all of the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with moveable occasions such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays on the exegetical, theological, pastoral, and homiletical challenges of the text, with freedom to begin where they choose. They may decide to focus on the Gospel text, for instance, by reading all four essays provided for that text. Or they may decide to look for connections between the Hebrew Bible, Psalm, Gospel, and Epistle texts by reading the theological essays on each one.
Each lectionary year will consist of four volumes, one for the Advent and Christmas season, one for Lent and Easter, and one for each half of Ordinary Time.
While the twelve volumes of the series will follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume will contain an index of biblical passages so that non-lectionary preachers may make use of its contents.
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Renewing The Face Of The Earth
$21.00Add to cartThis important and timely study provides a much needed theological framework for considering and responding to the challenges of climate change. In a highly readable and clear style, it explores the spiritual questions being opened up by this issue: questions about human life and destiny, about our relationship to the planet and to each other, about altruism and selfishness, about the place of technology, about justice, our values and hopes. A practical exploration of these questions is set in the context of the biblical notions of covenant – God’s commitment to creation which David Atkinson sees as the ‘inner meaning’ of creation, and sabbath – regular times of rest and replenishment for humans and for the earth itself. Seeing climate changes in the light of these biblical concepts reveals a strong moral imperative to act in ways that are help to bring about the New Testament hope that the whole of creation will one day be renewed in Christ.
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Tough Calls : Game Winning Principles For Leaders Under Pressure
$16.99Add to cartIn Tough Calls, pastor and high school football official Travis Collins offers encouragement and inspiration to Christian leaders. Travis selects famous and infamous moments from sports history to bring to life key principles of spiritual leadership. Written for both men and women, this easy-to-read book mixes stories and quotes from the sports world together with biblical wisdom and input from leadership experts to encourage and challenge all Christian leaders. The book addresses many crucial issues of spiritual leadership including: taking risks, maintaining poise under pressure, handling conflict, dealing with criticism, managing an organization through change, and confronting disruptive people. Written for Christians in any profession, Tough Calls includes a special word to pastors at the end of each chapter. Taking into account the unique challenges pastors face, these bonus sections will help ministers refocus and recharge. Tough Calls will be an invaluable resource for any Christian who must regularly make difficult decisions.
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Loves Pure Light
$8.95Add to cartLight is an integral symbol in the Christian faith, especially during Christmas. The light of a single candle can disperse the deepest darkness, bringing warmth, comfort, and illumination. The soft, warm candlelight at a Christmas Eve service creates an atmosphere of worship and reverence as congregations celebrate the arrival of the Light of the world.
Love’s Pure Light is a collection of insightful Christmas sermons delivered at Susquehanna University between 1997 and 2006. This book offers pastors a valuable source of inspiration for Christmas sermon preparation. Love’s Pure Light also includes an order of service, providing congregations with a complete Christmas candlelight worship experience.
Love’s Pure Light will be a welcome addition to congregations of any size, aiding them in perceiving the power of the Light of Christmas in a deeper and more dynamic way. -
Words Fitly Spoken
$11.95Add to cartFor every minister, from the time they step out of the seminary doors to the last time they step behind the pulpit, preaching the word can be one of the most daunting tasks they face on a week-to-week basis. What can I say that has not already been said? How can I make the scriptures come alive in the minds of my congregation? How can I relate events that happened thousands of years ago to what my congregation faces in their daily lives?
Illuminated by the scriptures themselves, Words Fitly Spoken explores in-depth the nuances of the homiletic craft. From the proper use of hyperbole and imagery to methods for how to elaborate imaginatively on the scriptures, this is a comprehensive resource for pastors struggling with delivering effective sermons. Sample sermons are included with each chapter, showing how each method can be applied in a typical Sunday morning service.
Every pastor is charged with speaking words of life to his or her congregation. Words Fitly Spoken is a beneficial tool to help pastors of all denominations to more powerfully deliver the wonderful, life-changing message of the gospel.
David von Schlichten is the pastor of St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church in Youngstown, Pennsylvania. He is currently an adjunct lecturer in history at St. Vincent College (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) as well as the book review editor for Lutheran Partners magazine. He was educated at Drew University (Madison, New Jersey) (B.A.), Kutztown University (Kutztown, Pennsylvania) (M.A.), Lutheran Theological Seminary (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) (M.Div.), and Lutheran Theological Seminary (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) (D.Min.). -
Sermons On The Gospel Readings Series 3 Cycle B
$37.95Add to cartOne life changed the course of history — and the accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection contained in the New Testament gospels provide stirring evidence of how God’s Son offers new birth to humanity. In this complete set of insightful and inspiring sermons for every Sunday and major celebration in the church year, an experienced group of five master preachers skillfully articulates the timeless truths embedded in the Cycle B gospel texts of the Revised Common Lectionary. Their eloquent messages weave together dynamic stories and illustrations that breathe fresh life into the scriptures, and share with readers an astute understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ message and ministry for contemporary living. Offering a vision of God’s unconditional love and the grace-filled life, this volume passionately proclaims the Good News, provides a wealth of sermon seeds, and revitalizes the faith of anyone who reads it.
This essential resource is useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Inspiring preaching illustrations and sermon starters
* Understanding scripture passages
* Adult study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and Bible study -
Congratulations Youre Gifted
$12.99Add to cartBased on the popular S.H.A.P.E. book for adults, this teen version walks through the same process of discovery with students. Written by the bestselling author and pastor at Saddleback Church, Doug Fields, this book will help teenagers understand who they are, how they can serve, and why they serve.
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Courageous Leadership Workbook (Workbook)
$17.99Add to cartCourageous Leadership Workbook will help both you and your leadership team become the exceptional leaders that God has called you to be. Now more than ever, the world is looking for great leaders. Biblical leadership goes beyond mere ability and personality. Consider your church staff, small group members, or colleagues: Are they leading as effectively as they could? Are they maximizing their own potential? Are they effectively cultivating the talents and gifts within those they influence? The Courageous Leadership Workbook serves as a “how to” guide for every leader.
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Knowing The Context
$18.00Add to cartWhile everyone might affirm that preaching needs to engage its listeners deeply, the initial move for novice preachers is to think this can be attained by livelier content and delivery of the sermon. All too quickly, however, one learns that there are many factors beyond what a preacher says and how she or he may say it that affect whether proclamation can actually be heard. Effective preaching requires the complex work of knowing the context in which preaching occurs, while avoiding the twin dangers of pandering to a situation’s particulars or generalizing them into stereotypes. Knowing the Context reveals how to engage contexts for preaching, especially ways to examine contexts more responsibly, so that the sermon might more amply bring the word of Scripture to bear on the worlds and lives of listeners.
In one of the initial titles in the Elements of Preaching series, James Nieman shows how preaching is oriented to specific locales, cultural situations, audiences, and occasions. Unlike other books that tell preachers how to preach to specific audiences, Knowing the Context helps readers analyze the situations in which they find themselves and shows how text and context are in a continuing dialogue and how to tailor sermons to their context. Keyed to online sermon samples and other Web-based features to enhance teaching.
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Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series 5 Cycle B (Revised)
$49.95Add to cartBigger, stronger, better! This newly revised edition of Russell Anderson’s best-selling Lectionary Preaching Workbook retains all of the great features that have made it an indispensable tool for busy pastors who need a helping hand with their weekly homiletic research and want to make the most of their limited preparation time. Combining concise but insightful textual notes with a wide range of creative preaching ideas, each chapter provides plenty of starting points for developing stimulating sermons that make the scriptures come alive for the people in the pews. In addition to a convenient sermon planning template plus overviews of Mark (the featured Gospel narrator in Cycle B) and each liturgical season, every week’s material includes:
* a listing of applicable Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal lectionary texts
* a theme for the day
* brief commentary on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel lessons
* a prayer for the day
* theological reflections exploring the relationships between the texts
* several possible preaching approaches, each with a suggested title and “sermon angle”
* additional illustrations to assist in fleshing out the message -
Prophets Handbook : A Guide To Prophecy And Its Operation
$19.99Add to cartDiscover God’s divine plan for the prophetic gifts and how they are meant to benefit the body of Christ. This handbook details the role and duties of the prophetic in the church, clearly explaining its necessity. No church leader should be without this indispensable reference. Dr. Paula Price’s years of research and ministry have yielded the ultimate guide to prophecy in the local church. You will learn how God awakens and prepares excellent prophets, understand the difference between prophets and psychics, and recognize and train budding prophets. Don’t let lack of knowledge keep you from utilizing one of God’s extraordinary gifts to the church.
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In The Beginning Was The Word Cycle B
$17.95Add to cartIn the Beginning Was the Word provides a powerful tool for encouraging more people to play a role in weekly services. For each Sunday and major celebration in the church year, Dallas Brauninger takes one assigned scripture passage from Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary and turns it into a dramatic choral reading – allowing anyone (of whatever age) who can read and speak to become a leader in worship. The texts are drawn from the New Revised Standard Version, and also included are practical tips for effective performance, as well as a handy pronunciation guide, scripture index, and listing of the required number of participants for each week’s reading.
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Tangible Kingdom : Creating Incarnational Community
$24.95Add to cartWritten for those who are trying to nurture authentic faith communities and for those who have struggled to retain their faith, The Tangible Kingdom offers theological answers and real-life stories that demonstrate how the best ancient church practices can re-emerge in todayOs culture, through any church of any size. In this remarkable book, Hugh Halter and Matt Smaytwo missional leaders and church plantersoutline an innovative model for creating thriving grass-roots faith communities.
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Eastern Path To Heaven
$19.95Add to cartGeshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally have, for the last ten years, explored together the ancient cities, rare manuscripts, and oral traditions of India and Tibet which bear witness to teachings of Thomas – the disciple that Jesus sent to the east. The Eastern Path to Heaven presents the great ideas that came to those lands through Thomas, and describes how we can use authentic Christian teachings of ancient Asia to achieve six goals of life: physical health; financial security; love; happiness; freedom from aging and death; and fulfilment in the service of others. Brief, accessible, chapters each open with a quotation by Jesus from the New Testament that speaks to achieving the six goals according to the wisdom of the Eastern side of the Christian family. Brief historical summaries show how the teachings of Jesus entered India with Thomas, traveling along the routes pioneered by Alexander the Great, and then reached Tibet. These sketches utilize information from Syrian, Coptic, Greek, Tibetan, and Sanskrit manuscripts, often translated by the authors for the first time.
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Can Christianity Cure Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
$24.00Add to cart1. Introduction
2. Renaissance Anxieties
3. Martin Luther: A Monk Crucified By His Thoughts
4. John Bunyan: The Pilgrim’s Fears Of Hellfire
5. Saint Therese: The Obsessions Of The Little Flower
6. What Causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
7. Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
8. Transferring Responsibility To God: The Cure Of Luther, Bunyan, And Therese
9. A Therapy Of Trust: Practical UseAdditional Info
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a relentless condition, the primary symptom being the occurrence of terrifying ideas, images, and urges that jump into a person’s mind and return again and again, despite the individual’s attempt to remove them. Christians who suffer from OCD may grapple with additional guilt, as the undesired thoughts are frequently of a spiritual nature.Many might be surprised to learn that some of the greatest leaders in Christian history may have also struggled with this malady and that this struggle may have contributed to Christian beliefs and practices. Psychiatrist Ian Osborn shares the personal accounts of Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and Saint Therese of Lisieux, revealing what they experienced, how they coped, whether they were able to overcome their tormenting and often violent obsessions, and where God fit into the picture. He also shares his own story as he explores how faith can play an important role in bringing relief to OCD sufferers.
Can Christianity Cure Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? offers a proven and effective method for coping with OCD, providing hope for patients, families, and Christian pastors and counselors.
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Hope And Healing For Kids Who Cut
$9.99Add to cartCutting. It’s become a buzzword lately, but very few books address it from the perspective of a youth worker or concerned friend. Marv Penner has lived in this world for the past few years, talking with teenagers online and meeting with them to understand what drives them and why they self-injure. In this timely and helpful book, youth workers, coaches, teachers, and others will get the information they need to begin to understand and help (or point to help) kids who cut.
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Ancient Future Worship (Reprinted)
$23.00Add to cartWith the many models of worship available, choosing a style to worship God can be a bit overwhelming. Is it better to go with traditional or contemporary models? Christians may find themselves asking how early believers worshiped and whether they can provide insight into how we should praise God today.
Rooted in historical models and patristic church studies, Ancient-Future Worship examines how early Christian worship models can be applied to the postmodern church. Pastors and church leaders, as well as younger evangelical and emerging church groups, will find this last book in the respected Ancient-Future series an invaluable resource for authentic worship.
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Reweaving The Sacred
$19.95Add to cartIdeal growth and development tool for small congregations in all mainline denominations
Simple, clear exercises and techniques to help leaders and members pinpoint problems and claim and identify gifts and values of their shared history, in order to engage in a ministry of renewal, welcome, and growth
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Churchly Joy : Orthodox Devotions For The Church Year
$20.99Add to cartThe orations in Sergius Bulgakov’s “Churchly Joy” are rooted firmly in the Orthodox tradition of preaching. Here the preacher is, like John the Divine, a seer of mysteries and a mystical visionary. Bulgakov strives to place before us the great mysteries of the Orthodox Church as reflected in her major feasts – celebrations of the Annunciation, the Birth of Christ, the Epiphany, the Transfiguration, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and Easter – and a few more general topics.
These orations – especially those on the use of liturgy and prayer – function very much as building blocks for Bulgakov’s theological doctrines. Indeed, scholars and ministers familiar with his theological works of the Paris period will find here a foundation for understanding his theology more clearly. Yet lay readers will also find much to enrich their own spiritual journey.
One of the very few works of Orthodox spirituality and devotional theology available in English, “Churchly Joy” reflects Bulgakov’s own transcendent visions for the church.
