Pastoral Helps
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Sermons On The First Readings Series 2 Cycle A
$37.95Add to cartModern life presents many difficult and challenging situations — but as the Hebrew scriptures tell us in rich detail, that’s nothing new for God’s people. Indeed, the Bible shares the epic story of how God’s faithful followers were formed and shaped through centuries of trial by fire. In this inspiring collection of powerful messages based on the First Readings from Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary, five master practitioners of the homiletic craft explore passages from the Old Testament and the Book of Acts, and show how the wisdom contained in those ancient texts offers vital moral and spiritual guidance for contemporary living. Building on stories in which God moves ordinary people to extraordinary heights, these sermons for each Sunday and major celebration throughout the entire church year passionately proclaim the good news of God’s continuing presence — and the possibilities that offers for our lives, our churches, and the world.
This essential resource is useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Inspiring preaching illustrations and sermon starters
* Understanding scripture passages
* Bible study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and inspirational reading -
101 More Great Games For Kids
$21.99Add to cartIdeal for lesson planning and children’s ministry programming, this book features upbeat, easy-to-use activities and is divided into four sections: activities for ages 3-5 years; grades K-3 (ages 5-9); grades 4-6 (ages 9-12), and groups of mixed-age children. Includes Scripture and topical idexes.
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Vision That Works
$15.50Add to cartVision That Works: Turning your Church’s Vision into Action If your church seems to be “stuck,” this is a book you need to bring to your next leadership meeting. Vision That Works follows the journey of a pastor of a plateaued church as he struggles with stagnation and discovers the importance of his churches “mission, vision and values” and their ultimate impact on church health and relationship to planning. In the course of the story the reader is introduced to a 5-step process that has revolutionized this church and has the potential to change your church from a vision into action.
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Preaching The Sermon On The Mount
$15.99Add to cartThis collection of essays and sermons challenges us to consider the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus’ serious proposal for an alternative society, a speech of resistance to the forces and institutions that dominate the world.
This two-part volume brings together the thoughts of biblical scholars and storytellers, theologians and historians, and evangelical and mainline scholars. Eighteen writers tackle Jesus’ landmark sermon, as timely in today’s discussions of empire, occupation, poverty, and wars as ever. They demonstrate that the Sermon on the Mount puts before us not an impossible ideal, but a vision of what God’s people can be when they choose by God’s grace to live in God’s Kingdom.
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Religious Education In The African American Tradition
$27.99Add to cartThis book is a comprehensive survey of African American Christian Religious Education (AACRE). It addresses historical, theological, and ministerial issues. The book defines concepts and explores history, considers the diverse voices that are addressing AACRE, and then focuses on educational theory and practice. Religious Education in the African American Tradition considers a diversity of voices, including those in evangelical, Pentecostal, liberation, and womanist theologians.
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Burn Up Or Splash Down
$25.99Add to cartJust like a space shuttle struggles and strains to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere, so those returning from living overseas can find themselves confused and in a state of panic at coming home. While people anticipate that going overseas will require major changes in their lifestyles and thinking, few anticipate the difficulties they will face upon return. Intended to aid the re-entry process, this encouraging, and insightful book deals with these important subjects: adapting to the passport cultureidentifying areas of potential struggledealing with the emotional challengesfinding a new job, a new place to live, learning the social moresreturning is not coming home it is leaving homefacilitating a smooth transition for those on the receiving end Expatriates, missionaries, mission executives, mission pastors, mission communities, and supporters interested in easing the re-entry experience will benefit greatly from this book.
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Worshiping Artist : Equipping You And Your Ministry Team To Lead Others In
$24.99Add to cartWhether you serve as a vocalist, instrumentalist, technician, dancer, actor, or in some other role, you know what a blessing it is to serve on your church’s worship team. But you also know that some days you’re more technically prepared than you are spiritually prepared for the ministry of leading others in worship. In the midst of rehearsals, setup, and myriad distractions, not to mention the busyness of daily life, it’s easy to miss the forest for the trees. How can you and your fellow team members be prepared to worship in spirit and truth as well as lead others in worship with integrity?
With thirty years of experience in worship leading, Rory Noland knows the issues-in both the private life of the worship team member and the public ministry of a worship team. In this readable book, he offers practical insights on how to * Grow as a private worshiper * Encounter the character of God during worship * Respond to the character of God during worship * Be transformed by the character of God * Learn from ancient worship leaders … and more.
So relevant you’ll think the author was eavesdropping on your last church service, The Worshiping Artist is ideal to read either by yourself or as a team.
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Telling Gods Story
$26.99Add to cartTable Of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction1. Homiletics As Biblical Hermeneutics
2. Eclipsing The Biblical Narrative: The Narrative Contours Of North American Christianity
3. Weaving The Story: The Biblical Narrative And A Homiletic Rhetoric Of Turning
4. Weaving The Story: Sermonic Exhibits
5. Weaving The Story And The Rhetoric Of Pastoral Care
Conclusion
IndexAdditional Info
Presents a new model of preaching that aims to connect the biblical text with a congregation so that they are formed into a true Christian community. Wright critically surveys current theories of preaching and the variety of hermeneutical practices, providing clear guidance and practical direction for faithful preaching. -
Disciple Making Church (Expanded)
$16.99Add to cartNewly updated and revised for 2007 with new Foreword by E. Stanley Ott, President of Vital Churches Institute. New cover design, resource list and index.
Christianity Today says “The Disciple Making Church is a call to evalutate the way we live and minister.”
The Christian Century magazine calls The Disciple Making Church “An excellent resource for pastors and congregations seeking to reclaim formation and discipleship as central to their life and purpose.”
This modern day classic helps congregations to transform program-oriented churches into disciple making churches.
The story of the transformation of a large suburban congregation from one relying on the latest and greatest new programming to a ministry dedicated to making disciples of Jesus.
Glenn McDonald was the busy pastor of a large and growing congregation in the suburbs of Indianapolis when, late one night, a single question launched a journey that changed every facet of life at Zionsville Presbyterian Church. As a lengthy board meeting was about to wrap up, a board member asked, “How long would it take for someone who visits our church to learn about his or her need for Jesus and to find out what to do about it?”
After a long and hollow silence, a profound transformation began. All “canned programs” for ministry???along with a focus on the “ABCs” of attendance, building and cash???went by the boards as everything about the church was examined in the light of Christ’s charge to “go forth and make disciples.”
The Disciple Making Church divides the transformation in two parts: Six Discipling Relationships and The Six Marks of a Disciple. McDonald weaves vivid scriptural insights and the wisdom of scholars with the experiences of his own congregation and others, and distills it all into one helpful, valuable, enjoyable book. His enthusiasm for the “exhilarating freedom” of the disciple’s life is infectious.
If you’ve ever wondered if the “busy-ness” of many of today’s churches isn’t what Christ was talking about, this book will have a lasting impact on you and your walk with the Lord.
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Crisis Manual For Christian Schools And Youth Workers
$14.99Add to cartThe suicide of a youth group member. The drowning of a teen on a summer missions trip. A school shooting. These are frightening scenarios that Christian school staff members and youth workers sometimes face. One of their biggest fears is facing a tragedy and not knowing what to do. Most Christian school personnel receive inadequate instruction on what critical steps to take to prevent their school from being paralyzed by tragedy, and few youth workers receive the training needed to counsel their teens after a crisis. As a high school counselor who was on the scene at Columbine, Sandy Austin has faced tragedy. Sandy Austin knows how important it is to already have a crisis plan in place in order to minimize the panic or chaos that often occurs during and after a tragic situation. In the Crisis Manual for Christian Schools and Youth Workers, Austin uses her experience and expertise to give youth workers step-by-step instruction on how to plan ahead and handle tragedy should the need arise. Having this peace of mind is highly important when it comes to dealing with the lives and well-being of young people. Step-by-step processes include: * Formulating a Crisis Team * Prevention and intervention strategies * Communication through the crisis * Helping the families of impacted youth * Conducting funerals and memorial services * Debriefing * Education regarding residual effects of the tragedy
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In Other Words
$25.99Add to cartIn recent years, popular new forms of Bible translation have emerged “The Message, The Book of God, The Living Bible” proving many modern biblical seekers are looking for a kind of Scripture-to-English guidebook. This exceptional book offers a similar avenue to pastors wanting to reach their congregations in a fresh way. Rather than discussing preaching in general or even a specific approach to preaching, In Other Words focuses on a way of engaging the biblical text for preaching. Cosgrove and Edgerton combine critical acumen, creative imagination, and pastoral discernment to form contemporizing restatements of scripture, speaking timeless truths in modern speech. Describing their “incarnational translation,” the authors invite readers to imagine what the text might have looked like if produced in the preacher’s own culture, time, and place. Drawing on translation theory, genre studies, and recent hermeneutical theory, they offer a comprehensive theory of incarnational translation and a set of specific guidelines and examples for carrying it out. In Other Words is not a new method of preaching, but a new way of engaging and presenting the biblical text in preaching, one that is well suited to contemporary approaches and trends.
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Speaking To Silence
$26.00Add to cartPresents a variety of healing and comforting rituals that can be used in situations that are likely to be encountered in congregations but yet are not typlically treated in standard liturgies. Offers reflections on the significance of rituals and discusses new rituals.
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Beyond The Myths
$17.00Add to cartAuthor and professor Daniel Bagby’s latest book, Beyond The Myths: The Journey To Adulthood, addresses some of the unique challenges confronting today’s emerging young adult. Exploring that gray area between adolescence and adulthood, the book identifies their unique struggles in regard to personal identity, sexuality, intimacy, vocation, personal choice, and spiritual definition. The book further explores pastoral care options for ?would-be adults? as they experience the challenges of confusing options, unclear identities, dysfunctional family messages, vocational choices, and spiritual winters on their way to full adulthood.
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Anglican Spiritual Direction
$24.95Add to cartGrowing interest in spiritual direction, retreats, and deepening of personal faith
New edition of Mowbray classic (Journey Into Truth), with new chapter on providing spiritual direction in the U.S.
New addition to the Spiritual Directors International Series
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Epic Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$2.99Add to cartIn Epic, a retelling of the gospel in four acts, John Eldredge invites us to revisit the drama of life, viewing God not only as the author but also as the lead actor, exploring His motives and His heart. Eldredge examines the power of story, the universal longing for a “plot” that makes sense deep inside us, our desire for a meaningful role to play, our love of books and movies, and how all of this points us to the gospel itself.
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Hand Me Another Brick Bible Companion
$9.99Add to cartMost of us could benefit from wise advice on how to be a more effective leader at work and at home. In Hand Me Another Brick Bible Companion, Charles Swindoll delves deep into the life of Nehemiah to show how to handle the issues of motivation, discouragement, and adversity with integrity. Features include: Perfect for small group study or individual study alike Questions for reflection Helpful and insightful discussion of Scripture Discussion questions to facilitate group study
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Advent Services
$14.99Add to cart1. 1st Sunday Of Advent – Emmanuel
2. 2nd Sunday Of Advent – Son Of Man
3. 3rd Sunday Of Advent – Example
4. 4th Sunday Of Advent – Lord
5. Christmas Eve – Son Of God
6. Christmas Day – Word Of GodAdditional Info
Includes biblically based sermons, suggested Scriptures, hymns, and prayers as well as litanies for lighting the Advent wreath. These services offer a compelling message of hope during this important church season, when people often visit a church for the first time. Each service focuses on a different aspect of the theme “The Ways We Know Jesus” -
Not The Same Old Done It Before Youth Meetings
$32.99Add to cartSeveral youth are on the way to your church anticipating an evening with friends. They seek direction from their youth leaders, which will engage them in activities that bring them together. Whether five, fifteen or fifty are in the group, “Not the Same Old, Done-it-before Youth Meeting” has ideas for you. From the simulated court dramas of “The Jury Speaks” to the interactive “Trust Exercises” youth will find fun, friends and faith. The “Olympics” describes seven weeks of events which equally challenge athletic and intellectual skills. “Flashlight Sing” will get the most introverted youth singing while “Walking on Water” brings them into the presence of Jesus, himself. The structure and indexes of the book make it easy to find just the right activity for your youth group meeting. The book gives youth leaders the tools to creatively plan events, which meet each group’s unique needs while having fun, making new friends and enhancing the faith of all participants.
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Not The Same Old Done It Before Youth Meetings
$21.99Add to cartSeveral youth are on the way to your church anticipating an evening with friends. They seek direction from their youth leaders, which will engage them in activities that bring them together. Whether five, fifteen or fifty are in the group, “Not the Same Old, Done-it-before Youth Meeting” has ideas for you. From the simulated court dramas of “The Jury Speaks” to the interactive “Trust Exercises” youth will find fun, friends and faith. The “Olympics” describes seven weeks of events which equally challenge athletic and intellectual skills. “Flashlight Sing” will get the most introverted youth singing while “Walking on Water” brings them into the presence of Jesus, himself. The structure and indexes of the book make it easy to find just the right activity for your youth group meeting. The book gives youth leaders the tools to creatively plan events, which meet each group’s unique needs while having fun, making new friends and enhancing the faith of all participants.
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Evangelism In The Small Membership Church
$17.99Add to cartSpeidel explores how evangelism not only concerns introducing people to Jesus, but also helping them grow in Christ. Making disciples is a call from God for all churches whether that church is in a declining rural community, in a teeming inner city, or a sprawling suburb. In fact, small-membership congregations are often more effective in evangelism than their sister megachurches.
This book helps pastors focus on visualizing goals; worship; creating a loving environment; passion and commitment; prayer; witness; time management; leadership recruitment; hospitality; assimilation of new members; and managing change and conflict. -
Triangular Teaching
$12.99Add to cartThe book is a training manual that elaborates and illustrates Bruce’s methods of “triangular teaching,” an integrated approach involving multiple intelligence theory, brain research, and creative and critical thinking.
Stating that the purpose of this book is “to help teachers and leaders to engage their adult students into immersion in the Scripture so that it becomes life-changing,” Bruce encourages teachers and leaders to learn and use her methods as they lead Sunday school classes and Bible study groups, or as they train teachers to lead groups.Includes an appendix with reproducible worksheets.
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Serving From The Heart For Youth (Workbook)
$12.99Add to cartIs adapted from Church of the Resurrection’s Serving From The Heart spiritual-gifts program for adults. The adult program has helped more than 40,000 people find their gifts, purpose, and passion to serve God through the church. When believers find their gifts and God-given passion and give them to the service of the church, ministries thrive.
Young people who go through this study will learn about spiritual gifts and what they mean for the church, discover their gifts, and find ways to offer their gifts to further God’s work through the church.
Eight engaging sessions/A spiritual gifts inventory and assessment/An optional retreat module -
Big Idea : Aligning The Ministries Of Your Church Through Creative Collabor
$22.99Add to cartNothing is more dangerous than a single compelling idea that is lived out and nothing is more harmless than lots of little ideas never applied. By creatively communicating one Big Idea every week your church will transform people into genuine Christ followers who live out the mission of Jesus. Less is more!
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Understanding Four Views On Baptism
$24.99Add to cartChristians have long differed with one another on both the meaning and the practice of water baptism. Using the classic Counterpoints forum of presentation-critique-response, this insightful book explores four prominent views of baptism held by different branches of Protestantism: Baptist, Christian Church/Church of Christ, Lutheran, and Reformed.
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Can These Bones Live
$17.99Add to cartHarding refuses to accept “But we’re just a small church” as an excuse for not doing effective ministry. Since his 1998 arrival at Dellrose United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas, membership has grown from 25 to more than 600. The church has matured spiritually and financial as well. Harding attributes the growth to dynamic teaching, fellowship, praise and worship, and the fact everyone can feel the love of God, find the joy of Christ, and experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Dellrose has also been able to develop relevant and meaningful ministries: a youth center that includes a tutoring and mentoring program; a counseling center; and sermons and studies that address the needs of a multi-ethnic, blue-collar working community.
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Stewardship Services
$14.99Add to cartThemes Include:
Make A Difference Be The Body Of Christ
Counting The Cost Means Quality Not Quantity
Why God Doesn’t Want Your Money
Hold Nothing Back
Who Do You Really Want To Be
Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
But It’s Not What I Signed Up For
Give Me More Than Possessions
Getting What We Pay For Or Not
Joy Fully Serving
Be Empowered And GiftedAdditional Info
Biblically based materials for 24 services, each of which includes suggested liturgies, prayers, Scripture passages, and sermon briefs. Helps pastors preach with sensitivity to address the spiritual needs of the congregation. -
Funeral Services
$14.99Add to cartCircumstances Include:
Miscarriage
Infant Death Due To Mistreatment
Child Death By Drowning
Youth Murder
Youth Suicide
Youth Death From Hazing
Adult Who Dies In Prison
Adult Death Due To Work Accident
Older Adult Who Dies In Nursing Home
Older Adult Who Dies AloneAdditional Info
The pain of loss comes to all ages and life situations. Funeral Services helps pastors prepare for especially difficult funerals. Services are included for infants, children, youth, younger adults, adults, and elderly persons in a wide variety of tragic circumstances.
Each service is set in a ministry context and includes a sample sermon, Scripture text, and prayers. -
Christian Counseling : An Introduction
$23.99Add to cartChristians who counsel, counselors who are Christian – what is the difference? What makes Christian counseling distinctive from secular counseling approaches? Malony and Augsburger introduce the substance and method, including family systems methodology, of Christian counseling as a major voice. The book also includes how to do a faith assessment; how to collaborate, consult, and refer; the centrality of Christ in the counseling process; how to address issues of sexual and cultural diversity with sensitivity; and the destiny of Christian counseling.
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God Of Justice
$12.95Add to cartWith the Ten Commandments such an integral part of today’s “culture wars,” it would seem to be a safe assumption that most people are familiar with what the commandments actually say. Yet many surveys indicate otherwise — and even when people can name all of the commandments, they often misinterpret their meaning.
For example:
* “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain” has nothing to do with avoiding getting one’s mouth washed out with soap;
* “Remember the sabbath day” is not about going to church;
* “Honor your father and mother” is not a way to get recalcitrant kids to clean up their rooms;
* and despite what most folks think, “You shall not commit adultery” is not primarily about sex!In God of Justice, David Leininger sets the record straight with a new look at this ancient document. He examines the commandments in the context of today’s social, cultural, and political environment — and he concludes that rather than the traditional view of them as ironclad laws, the commandments are actually God’s policy statements about what is the bedrock of a good, decent, and just society. When properly understood, the commandments offer God’s guidance in establishing a healthy way of life that is rewarding for everyone. With discussion questions included for each chapter, God of Justice is an excellent study resource for adult classes — and clear and accessible reading that will be stimulating and rewarding for any thoughtful Christian.
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Great Omission
$27.95Add to cartIf Jesus were still alive and preaching in the United States today, would he be building a huge church structure? Would he be talking about the “trigger” issues, the hot topics that seem to dominate our pulpits? Would he be marching in the streets — either against or in favor of — abortion, gay rights, or repealing the death penalty? It is Robert Blair’s contention that Jesus Christ would not be politically active or trying to overtly influence the government. He believes Jesus would simply be preaching the same simple gospel that he preached 2,000 years ago. Should not his followers be doing what he would do? Should not it be our primary objective to preach the good news to every person on the planet? By doing that, and by personally assisting the poor, Reverend Blair believes that the followers of Christ would best glorify God.
Hoping that every minister in the United States will “read and heed” this book, Blair believes that laypersons will also benefit from reading The Great Omission. Too often laypersons are wishing to honor God but they receive garbled signals from the church leadership about the church’s main purpose. This book will become a lightning rod for change in returning our churches to the biblical message, and suggesting the right methods to tell it.
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Color Blinded Church
$12.95Add to cartA Color-Blind Church by David E. Leininger is a book about moral ethics and understanding racial integration. Touched upon topics include:
– understanding racial integration
– racial integration
– racial discrimination
– racism
– civil rights
– anti-discrimination
– discrimination laws
– ethics
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Traveling Calvarys Road
$21.95Add to cartThis anthology provides an abundance of services, dramas, monologues, and sermons for use from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Using such things as newspapers and candles, these services will leave a lasting impression. Easy to stage and perform, these programs use varying numbers of people, and flexible hymns. Copy privileges are granted.
Traveling Calvary’s Road includes:
Ash Wednesday Services:
Into The Wilderness by Anne W. Anderson
We Are But Ashes by William LuomaPalm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion Services:
Your King Comes by Janice Bennett Wyatt
Crown Him Lord of All! by William LuomaMaundy Thursday Services:
Like a Rose by Lynne Cragg
A Table, A Garden, And A Courtroom by Leonard V. KalkwarfGood Friday Services:
It Seems Like Just Yesterday! by Pamela D. Williams
Faces by Michelle Griep
Extinguished A Tenebrae Service by Anne W. AndersonEaster Sunrise Services:
Sing To The Lord A New Song by Howard Eshbaugh
He Is Risen Indeed! by William LuomaEaster Monologue
The Big Secret by Michelle Griep -
Mandate To Difference
$30.00Add to cartThis book sets forth a new vision of the Christian church in today’s world. Based on recent speaking engagements surrounding the author’s critical passion and conviction – that the church in this moment must set itself in tension with the rest of the world – the essays here call the church to courageously defy political polarization, consumerism, and militarism.
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Preaching As Testimony
$38.00Add to cartBy exploring the historical, theoretical, and practical elements of the tradition of testimony, Anna Carter Florence seeks in this much-anticipated book to establish the historical and contemporary validity of women’s preaching and to introduce testimony to a new generation of preachers and teachers.
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Shining Through The Darkness
$9.95Add to cartWith their recurrent themes of “waiting” and “traveling on a journey,” these 12 imaginative messages are especially appropriate for the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons — yet their ecumenically oriented expressions of Christian faith, hope, and love also make them relevant for any time of the year. Wuchter’s keen eye for the telling detail and his ability to connect scripture with familiar things in our lives make Shining Through the Darkness compelling reading for anyone who wants a deeper appreciation of God’s grace and the Gospel of Christ.
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When Gods People Pray Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis participant’s guide accompanies a six-session small group DVD curriculum, in which award-winning author Jim Cymbala shows what the Holy Spirit can do when believers get serious about prayer and the Gospel. Cymbala tells how God moves in life-chan
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Ants Work Best Together
$12.95Add to cartHave you ever been on a picnic and wondered why God created ants? Instead of looking at insects as pests, we can learn spiritual lessons from them — and then share those lessons with the children we know! Every Sunday school or children’s church program leader will be thrilled with the way their classes respond to these tried and true lessons from nature. From very young preschoolers through late elementary age, all children are interested in learning more about the world of creepy-crawlies — so these lessons are guaranteed interest grabbers.
With a minimal amount of pre-planning and effort, you can share lessons about ants, butterflies, frogs, worms, crayfish, millipedes, and yes — even grass! By simply reading these short lessons a few at a time, you will be ready for the next week’s session. This book will make your involvement as a teacher, whether in children’s church, Sunday school, pre-school, or elementary school, much less of a headache and more of a joy. Watch the children’s faces as they realize that God has a definite plan for everything he created. Does it not automatically follow, then, that he has a perfect plan for them?
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By Design Or Default
$22.99Add to cartYou can be intentional about creating the right God-given culture for your church. This book is intended to help both pastors and members engage in the never-ending process of creating a purposeful church culture that flows with the synergy of their vision for reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can create a culture that supports and champions the message you want to communicate to your city.
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Women And The Word
$9.95Add to cartWomen and the Word uses first person narratives to engage people with various texts of scripture. The book can be used in small group studies, confirmation groups, retreats, or Sunday school. Whether the narratives are performed, read, or studied, Women and the Word will bring new meaning to the well-loved stories of:
Mary, Joseph’s Betrothed — A Promised Word
A Woman of the City — A Forgiving Word
Martha, Lazarus, and Mary’s Sister — A Clarifying Word
The Crippled Woman — A Transforming Word
A Woman Leper — A Grateful Word
The Woman at the Well — A Refreshing Word
Mary, Lazarus, and Martha’s Sister — A Living Word
The Mother who Begged Jesus to Heal her Daughter — A Hopeful Word -
Finding The Story
$19.95Add to cartIn Finding the Story, James Ayers examines the art of narrative preaching and shows how storytelling can help people in the pews hear God speaking to their hearts through scripture. Ayers analyzes ways to illuminate texts that are difficult to preach, and provides a wealth of creative approaches for making them accessible ? such as looking at Psalm 137 through the eyes of a slave who watched his child dashed against the rocks, or seeing Matthew and Luke’s Christmas narratives through the eyes of a bitter man whose only son was killed in Vietnam. Finding the Story offers a dynamic avenue into some of the very thorniest texts and topics of the Bible ? enabling readers to find and share unique opportunities for encounters with God!
Finding the Story is a must-have tool for all ministers who:
? long to connect with their congregations on a deeper level;
? struggle with how to preach doctrinally heavy passages without putting listeners to sleep;
? wonder how to relate the imprecatory psalms to modern-day situations; and
? want their people to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit rather than the droning of a shepherd who feels the same things they feel, but sometimes finds it difficult to share those feelings -
Christian Counseling 3rd Edition
$39.99Add to cartThis proven “course” in pastoral counseling has been extensively expanded and revised by the author to include recent developments and research, new resources, and attention to newly urgent needs such as AIDS and eating disorders. Written with clarity and warmth, this volume builds on biblical foundations and reflects the author’s practical experiences.
–This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Gimme Five : 500 More Ways To Get Your Students Talking
$10.99Add to cartGimme Five is the tool to have when you want to get your group talking on a ministry night, retreat, road trip, in their small groups, or at your home. These provocative and charming lists will get kids talking, laughing, debating, and thinking anytime, anywhere. A great tool for volunteer youth workers who need something to get conversation going!
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Reaching Single Adults (Reprinted)
$19.00Add to cartAlthough 44 percent of all adults are unmarried, most churches are focused on marriage and families–and so miss many opportunities to reach out as well as to benefit from all that singles can offer to the church. Here at last is an up-to-date, comprehensive handbook to single adult ministry. Based on his over twenty-five years of experience, Dennis Franck offers church leaders guidance on all aspects of this often-overlooked ministry, including: -understanding singles’ diverse life situations and needs -developing a biblical philosophy of ministry -the practical aspects of building a ministry Pastors and lay leaders will gratefully welcome this new in-depth resource to guide their ministry to, for, and through single adults
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Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit Series 6 Cycle A
$18.95Add to cartWhether you pick up this book as relaxed devotional reading or are searching for a last-minute sermon illustration, you’ll be delighted with the imaginative and inspirational stories in the newest installment in CSS’ popular Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit series. David Leininger takes you right to the heart of the scriptures with a rich variety of captivating material illustrating Cycle A lectionary texts. His thought-provoking reflections are certain to enrich your spiritual life — and point out the myriad ways in which God is at work in our daily lives. This volume is sure to become a favorite resource for pastors and laypersons alike.
Some of the intriguing chapters are:
* The Quintessential Evangelist
* What Boggles Your Mind?
* Who Woulda Thunk It?
* The Blame Game
* Under the Rainbow
* How Not To Be the Father of the Year
* The Bush Is Still Burning
* Leaping Lepers
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Forgiveness The Jesus Way
$15.95Add to cartFinding the Story, James Ayers examines the art of narrative preaching and shows how storytelling can help people in the pews hear God speaking to their hearts through scripture. Ayers analyzes ways to illuminate texts that are difficult to preach, and provides a wealth of creative approaches for making them accessible — such as looking at Psalm 137 through the eyes of a slave who watched his child dashed against the rocks, or seeing Matthew and Luke’s Christmas narratives through the eyes of a bitter man whose only son was killed in Vietnam. Finding the Story offers a dynamic avenue into some of the very thorniest texts and topics of the bible — enabling readers to find and share unique opportunities for encounters with God!
Finding the Story is a must-have tool for all ministers who:
long to connect with their congregations on a deeper level;
struggle with how to preach doctrinally heavy passages without putting listeners to sleep;
wonder how to relate the imprecatory psalms to modern-day situations; and
want their people to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit rather than the droning of a shepherd i 1/2 one who feels the same things they feel, but who sometimes finds it difficult to share those feelings. -
Hands On Bible Explorations
$14.95Add to cart“Hands-On Bible Explorations” is a terrific collection of 52 activities and crafts for kids–one for each week of the year. The book includes favorite stories and parables from the Old and New Testaments, chapters on important Christian Values, and fun projects that make the lessons of the Bible entertaining and easy to understand. You’ll learn about the Ten Commandments, the Christmas story, the boy with loaves and fish, the greatest gift, the importance of friendship, and many more parts of the Bible as you do the fun activities.
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John
$19.99Add to cartTake your hands off the keyboard, there’s no need to rewrite these questions for your students. What you’re holding in your hands are 25 studies covering all of John, ready to roll. Grab a group of students, a Bible, and this book and you’re sure to have a great small group meeting.
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Creative Bible Lessons In Genesis
$24.99Add to cartIn the book of Genesis–the first communique from the Creator to creation–God demonstrates an unchanging commitment to us, engaging with us personally. This book takes that rock-solid truth from there, providing material to challenge your students’ faith as they discover what it means to be made in God’s image and understand their original connection to God–and each other.
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New Kind Of Youth Ministry
$19.99Add to cartThis book guides you on the way to discovering, developing and practicing a new youth ministry design. As your youth ministry’s principal architect, you have the opportunity to realize a rhythm of disciple-making that more effectively engages youth with God, through Jesus, as they journey toward a life of continual spiritual finding and evolution. This resource will provide you with a ministry design that more influentially encourages students to live, lead, and love in the way of Jesus.
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Leading Intercessions : Prayers For Sundays Holy Days And Festivals Years A
$27.49Add to cartThis tried and test collection is a must for anyone leading intercessions in the Church of England. It provides prayers for every Sunday, Holy Day and Festival, Years A, B and C that can be easily adapted to local contexts. The prayers reflect the Bible readings of the day, creating a more integrated act of worship. This expanded edition also contains forms of intercession for numerous extra occasions:
o Principal Feasts u e.g. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, the Transfiguration
o Other Holy Days u e.g. The Birth of John the Baptist, Holy Cross Day
o Red Letter Saints Days
o Pastoral occasions in the context of a Eucharist u baptism, confirmation, marriage, funeral, healing service, Remembrance
o Installation of a new incumbentA trusted liturgical resource for many years, regularly used in hundreds of parishes, this continues to be the essential handbook for Lectionary-based intercessions.
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Healthy Congregations : A Systems Approach
$30.00Add to cartIn this sequel to How Your Church Family Works, Steinke takes readers into a deeper exploration of the congregation as an emotional system. Learn ten principles of health, how congregations can adopt new ways of dealing with stress and anxiety, how spiritually and emotionally healthy leaders influence the emotional system, factors that could put your congregation at risk, and more.
The same content you’ve come to rely on in an exciting new format.
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Preaching To The Choir
$19.95Add to cartSirota delves deeply into the reasons church musicians do their jobs in the face of poor pay and limited opportunities for advancement, offering the reader a pastoral understanding with-out avoiding the challenging questions every sacred musician must consider. She has an uncanny ability to name that which lies at the heart of the sacred artist’s craft.
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Pulpit Crimes : The Criminal Mishandling Of Gods Word
$18.00Add to cartIn Pulpit Crimes, James White brings his clarity to the issue of the vague and ambiguous preaching. He addresses the crimes that are being committed and seeks to revive courage and committed to the truth. Timely reading, Pulpit Crimes is must reading for the homiletics student and the seasoned preacher.
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How Your Church Family Works
$29.00Add to cartDrawing on the work of Bowen, Friedman, and his own many years’ counseling experience, Steinke shows how to recognize and deal with the emotional roots of such issues as church conflict, leadership roles, congregational change, irresponsible behavior, and the effects of family of origin on current relationships. Discover why working relationships may be “stuck” in certain behaviors. Psychologically sound, theologically grounded, and practically illustrated with case studies. Seminary professors will find a helpful treatment of the emotional systems into which their students will move.
The same content you’ve come to rely on in an exciting new format.
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Stilling The Storm
$30.00Add to cartWhen congregations go through difficult times, worship will both reflect and influence those difficulties. The practice of worship itself can be a key part of the congregation’s healing process. Teacher and consultant Kathleen Smith successfully demonstrates this truth in Stilling the Storm, a book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the ways that worship intertwines with the life and health of a congregation.
There are three main types of difficulty congregations can face: times of crisis, transition, and conflict. Smith considers their differences, similarities, and implications for worship, and explains the congregational dynamics that accompany such times and the roles that leaders play. She reviews basic principles of worship and the ways that unique moments and regular habits of worship shape the congregation. For each type of difficulty she suggests important themes for congregations and their worship planners.
Smith explores the wide range of liturgical resources available for congregations going through difficult times and how those resources can best be shaped to fit the specific situation they are experiencing. A perceptive guide to the worship we offer to God in all times and situations, Stilling the Storm is an important resource for congregations of all worship traditions.
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Becoming : Meditations For The Ministry Minded
$15.99Add to cartMae Williams shares her insights into thoughts that must be deeply owned by aspiring, new, and experienced ministers. Known as a teaching minister, Williams urges ministers to stay intimately connected to God even during their busiest and most trying times. Beginning with short narratives and poetry expressing questions of the heart, the book presents aspects of our lives as Christians, interspersed with prayers for greater realization of God’s care for His ministers. Through personal stories and those of biblical characters, Williams illustrates such themes as self-talk, spiritual comfort zones, preparation for launch, and mind pain.
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Leadership Essentials : Practical Tools For Leading In The Church (Student/Study
$18.99Add to cart12 Chapters
Additional Info
There is a real need for practical, experiential training in leadership skills for Christian leaders. Churches across the country are searching for leaders to guide and direct the ministries within their congregations. This new and potential leaders are hungry for tools to equip them to provide excellent leadership.Leadership Essentials offers practical skills, help and practice in important areas including recruiting and motivating volunteers, setting a vision for a team, planning effective meetings, managing time, mentoring, leading through change and conflict management.
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Childrens Ministry : Abingdon Press And Church Of The Resurrection Ministry
$11.99Add to cartThe inaugural volume in a brand new series designed to serve all areas of specialized church ministry.
Recognizing that volunteers are exceptionally busy people who often risk being stretched thin, the book will be the first place to turn to help children’s workers feel empowered, prepare quickly, and get up and running with confidence and creativity. The guide employs eye-catching icons and features that help the reader move directly to practical, fun, inexpensive, yet effective solutions.
Volunteers and church leaders will receive practical, easy-to-use, clear, and supportive advice on participating in their church’s children’s ministry.
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Thank God Its Friday
$18.99Add to cartChrist’s seven last words from the cross have long been a source of reflection, challenge, and soul-searching. These simple phrases contain the full range of human emotions and divine self-revelation – grief, compassion, despair, forgiveness, physical need, the promise of redemption. Written with the clarity, depth, and insight that are Willimon’s trademark, this book offers readers a chance to encounter, in compelling new ways, the words that contain the core of the gospel.
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Tend My Flock
$27.00Add to cart“Tend My Flock is a companion and guide for ordained and lay ministers seeking to live their pastoral ministry well, amid all the complexities and pressures of contemporary society. Much pastoral care is exercised with integrity and sensitivity and yet there are many potential hazards. “”Tend My Flock”” addresses issues which often remain unspoken, inviting dialogue, reflection, honest self-examination and the courage to share struggles and dilemmas with colleagues, friends in ministry and family members. It offers practical, tried and tested guidance in key areas including: confidentiality and trust; power, authority and vulnerability; setting and maintaining boundaries; safeguarding health and well-being; maintaining positive personal relationships; and, transition, loss and bereavement.”
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Palm Sunday And Holy Week Services
$13.99Add to cartReady-to-use lectionary-based worship and preaching resources for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Includes three options for Palm Sunday services including procession suggestions with special emphasis on participation by children. Also includes two suggested services for each lectionary year (A, B, and C), six services for Holy Thursday and three services for Good Friday.
Includes ready-to-use Palm Sunday and Holy Week services for worship with multiple worship options for each lectionary year scripture. Gives suggested liturgies for each services including those related to Taize.
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Suicide : Pastoral Responses
$20.99Add to cartGives pastors strategies to effectively respond to persons at possible risk for suicide and families of suicide victims.
No one can ever be prepared enough to deal with suicide; but one can identify special risks and be aware of short and long-term effects on survivors and family members. In Suicide: Pastoral Responses, Dr. Townsend defines patterns and issues that surround suicide. This book will help ministers identify particular markers and give steps for pastoral intervention and suicide prevention.
The Pastoral Responses series is designed to help pastors and other pastoral caregivers deal with crises or significant difficulties. Called upon to offer advice, guidance, and comfort to parishioners, their families, and the congregation on a myriad of medical, mental health, social, legal, and theological issues, these books offer concrete, practical suggestions for the situations that pastors face in the parish today.
“Dr. Townsend approaches the potentially suicidal individual and the bereaved person with the heart of a pastor and the experience of a counselor. Integrating basic and effective techniques and spiritual approaches, the author provides a sound framework and presents a wide scope of information to help pastors.”
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Direct Hit : Aiming Real Leaders At The Mission Field
$22.99Add to cartThe second Abingdon publication by Paul Borden, whose first book, Hit the Bullseye has sold 11,000 copies.
A new pastor sees himself or herself as a leader who anticipates a better for the congregation. However, the congregation tends to perceive the new pastor as someone who ministers who their needs and fulfills a chaplain-type role. The pastor must therefore lead the congregation through systemic change if new life is to be brought into the culture of the congregation.
Three teams must be created: TEAM ONE is the prayer team that prays regularly for change and reproduction. TEAM TWO is the dream team that helps the pastor communicate urgency. TEAM THREE consists of leaders who recruit and train other leaders who are committed to urgent change.
I. Chapter One – Introduction and Overview
II. Chapter Two – Essentials for Leaders
(It is important to note that this book assumes a pastor is new to a congregation which like many congregations, is on a plateau or in decline. This pastor sees himself or herself as a leader who anticipates a better future for this congregation. However, the congregation sees the role of the new pastor as someone who will minister to their needs and fulfill the traditional chaplain role that is typical for most pastors and most congregations. Therefore this pastor is going to need to take three to five years to lead the congregation through systemic change (change the culture of the congregation). The book is how the pastor and key lay leaders develop the communication strategies required to lead such change.III. Chapter Three – Developing a Vision and a Communication Strategy for its Implementation
A. The basic assumptions about the congregation and the pastor’s role are discussed.
B. The pastor must first spend time developing vision.
C. The pastor must then begin to develop a communication strategy that will be employed over the next three to five years to prepare the congregation for changeIV. Chapter Four – Creating and Communicating Urgency
A. Creating and communicating urgency is as crucial as casting vision
B. The pastors’ responsibility is to determine the urgency for which the vision is an answer.
C. The pastor must now develop a communication strategy to create urgency in the congregation over the next three to five years in order to provide motivation for embracing the vision.V. Chapter Five – Developing Key Teams in Preparing for Change
A. While the pastor is working on visi -
Skits That Teach
$24.99Add to cartIf you’re looking for fun and creative ways to involve your students in learning, you can stop looking. Skits That Teach provides you and your students everything you need to act out funny and compelling skits with confidence. Search by topic or by group size to find the perfect comedic or dramatic sketch to help illustrate a point or just start a dialogue. The Skit Guys, Eddie James and Tommy Woodard, have tested these skits on teenagers around the country, and they’ve brought some of the best together for this great resource. Plus they give you everything you need for each skit-overview, characters, location, Scripture reference, props, direction pointers, and a complete script.
The Skit Guys avoid the cheesy dialogues and scenes typically found in Christian dramas and instead bring fun characters, witty dialogue, and
entertaining situations to their skits, all categorized for you by:
* Skits for Idiots (it would take an idiot not to be able to do them right!) * Monologues * Duets/Ensembles * Comedy * Drama * Scripture Readings
You will want to have this book around for those energetic, creative students who are always looking for ways to help.
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Living Fully Dying Well Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$31.99Add to cartOur best decisions about life’s important events are seldom made in a time of crisis. Living Fully and Dying Well is a resource designed to assist us in making careful, wise and prayerful preparation for meeting life’s most important moments. In this study, participants will learn how to face openly and unafraid the benefits and limitations of aging and end of life decisions.
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Living Fully Dying Well Participants Book (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartOur best decisions about life’s important events are seldom made in a time of crisis. Living Fully and Dying Well is a resource designed to assist us in making careful, wise and prayerful preparation for meeting life’s most important moments. In this study, participants will learn how to face openly and unafraid the benefits and limitations of aging and end of life decisions.
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Foundations Of Pastoral Care
$44.99Add to cartPastoral Ministry Professor Bruce L. Peterson explains that 21th century pastoral care involves more than just those who take the title “Pastor”. Laity and small groups need to have a hand in the care of soul as well, if the church is to be healthy. The roles of shepherding, counseling, and collaboration are clarified. The pastor’s presence in conflict resolution, crisis, through suffering, and death is also dealt with.
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Encounter God In The City
$26.99Add to cartIVP Print On Demand Title
God is at work in the city. And he invites his people to join him. But the city is not merely a mission field for Christians to target. The city is also the environment where Christians are discipled and lives are forged into the image of Jesus.
Urban ministry veteran Randy White shows how God transforms you when you answer God’s call to the city. Urban life peels away your sin and self-deception and challenges your unexamined assumptions about privilege, race, class and power. Experiential discipleship moves you from abstract theory to hands-on learning and on-the-ground action, revolutionizing your perspective and making a difference in local neighborhoods and beyond.
Passionate and practical, White’s vivid narratives of experiencing God in the city show you how your spiritual health is intertwined with the health of the metropolis. Seek the welfare of the city, and both you and the city will be transformed.
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Go Big : Lead Your Church To Explosive Growth
$20.99Add to cartBill Easum and Bil Cornelius are two strikingly different, yet surprisingly similar pastors. One undertook to revitalize a moribund mainline church; the other, to plant a new nondenominational congregation. Coming from different generations, their ministries took place under dissimilar circumstances. Yet both have experienced substantial, even explosive, growth in congregational mission and membership. Along the way they learned some important lessons, such as the centrality of strong pastoral leadership, the need for an unhesitant pursuit of excellence in all areas of the church’s ministry, and the requirement that you picture an audacious vision for your church and live into that vision.
Regardless of the current size of your church, you will find here inspiring, ready-to-implement ideas to help your church go BIG.
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Baptism Services Sermons And Prayers
$14.99Add to cartThis is a resource for pastors and worship leaders who take Christian baptism seriously and who recognize their own role in creatively shaping these traditional practices. Provides worship resources for a variety of pastoral and congregational settings, several teaching sermons on baptism, and a section of prayers of thanksgiving over the water of baptism.
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Graceful Speech : An Invitation To Preaching
$35.00Add to cartIn this introductory text, Lucy Lind Hogan helps the reader understand the theological task of becoming a preacher, the craft of writing the sermon, and the importance of communicating the gospel in the present world. In doing so, she creates a book that is more holistic than any other homiletics text currently on the market.
Hogan begins with a theological rationale for preaching, which serves as a basis for understanding the identity of the preacher. She then explores the context for preaching, showing how to interpret a scriptural text, design a sermon, and use illustrations and examples. She also discusses preaching for special occasions, the use of different technologies in preaching, and the importance of delivery. The book includes questions for reflection.
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Choosing To Preach
$24.99Add to cartTraditional forms of ministry-including the sermon- are being scrutinized and challenged, leaving pastors confused over how best to communicate to today’s listeners. This forward-looking textbook delivers a strong call to ministers to indeed choose to preach biblical sermons. But while preaching itself is non-negotiable, the exact form it takes can be much more flexible. Several models of sermon preparation are provided, using questions to guide the way. As you discern your message from the Bible, will you begin with the text (deductive) or with the listener (inductive)? Will you focus on the idea (cognitive) or the image (affective)? The choices you make lead to five possible sermon structures (declarative, pragmatic, narrative, visionary, and integrative), each of which is described in detail and related to well-known contemporary preachers, including John MacArthur, Rick Warren, Eugene Lowry, and Rob Bell. Includes discussion questions, practical exercises, and accompanying CD-ROM.
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Pastoral Prayers For The Hospital Visit
$14.99Add to cartOffering prayer is one of the most important parts of a pastor’s hospital ministry. These prayers connect persons with the power of God, remind persons who they are as children of God, and sometimes put into words deep experiences of suffering, grief, and pain. These prayers are offered especially for difficult times when you may not be sure how to pray or what to pray for. Also related Bible verses are printed in full.
The Just in Time! Series offers brief, practical resources of immediate help for pastors at an affordable price.
Included are prayers related to illness or surgery
Persons facing surgery, post surgery that was successful, post surgery that was not successful, anticipating bad news, diagnosed with a serious progressive illness, recovering from heart surgery, suffering from a stroke, dealing with cancer, coping with breast cancer, undergoing chemotherapy, suffering from addiction, unable to be diagnosed with the source of illness, needing a transplant and waiting for an organ, in chronic pain
Prayers related to children and youth:
Celebrating the birth of a child, mourning a miscarriage, grieving the loss of a baby near birth, mother choosing adoption for her newborn, adoptive parents receiving their child, pre-mature infant, baby who is hospitalized, child who is hospitalized, youth hospitalized for drug treatment afraid to face parents, youth who most likely will not recover
Prayers related to dying and death:
For someone longing to die, prognosis that is not positive, does not have long to live, when death is imminent, prayer over a stillborn infant, for family members who were unable to say goodbye to loved, one before death, for surviving family who lost loved ones in the same accident, for family whose loss was due to suicide
Prayers related to accident or violence:
Injured due to street violence, injured due to natural disaster, rape victim, victim of domestic violence, injury due to war
Prayers related to:
New immigrant who has fallen ill, recent refugee, college student, suffering depression, patient who also has Alzheimer’s, enduring painful rehabilitation, facing a long recovery, farmer anxious about crops and/or animals, hospitalized while incarcerated, someone unconscious, developmentally disabled patient, attempted suicide (prayer with family present), psychotic patient, worrying over child deployed in the military, worried about paying for the hospital bill, wanting to go home but canno
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Hearing Beyond The Words
$20.99Add to cartOnly when pastors hear beyond the words, can they care-fully minister. Pastors listen all the time. Or do they? Listening is more than a developed skill; it is an awesome gift of hospitality offered to others. According to Dr. Emma Justes, hearing beyond the words signifies an intimate relationship characterize by humility, thoughtful availability, vulnerability, and mutuality. Listening requires focused attention and openness. To help the reader learn this essential skill, the author includes exercises at the end of each chapter to build needed competency for this healing ministry.
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3 Months With Paul (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartAvailable in English for the first time, Three Months with Paul is popular author Justo Gonzalez’ study of the Gospel of Paul. Eminently readable, the study uses the “see-judge-act” method to bring readers closer to the text, informing and challenging them to apply the biblical material to their own lives.
These thirteen studies can be used for Sunday school, for evening Bible study, for home study meetings, for faith communities, for retreats, and for personal Bible study. In addition, Three Months with Paul can easily be used as a daily Bible study, as each lesson is divided into seven parts.
This is the fifth Gonzalez title to be translated from the Spanish. Previous titles include: Three Months with Matthew (published Spring 2002), Three Months with the Spirit (Spring 2003), Three Months with Revelation (Spring 2004), and Three Months With John (Spring 2005).
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Jesus Christ For Youth Student (Student/Study Guide)
$8.99Add to cartMore than 100,000 youth have deepened their relationship with Jesus Christ through this far-reaching classic, now updated. Youth leaders and workers can give teens an opportunity to meet Jesus face to face.
The student edition gives youth a comprehensive picture of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Its workbook format engages youth, helping them encounter Jesus as a living presence and guide for their lives and faith. -
Fully Alive Preacher
$28.00Add to cartMike Graves begins this book with the question “If preaching is intended to enliven the church, why is it killing so many ministers?” His answer? Because it has become divorced from the vitality and diversity of the preacher’s daily life. He invites preachers to discover how preaching can be renewing rather than draining.
Graves includes four valuable sections on sermon preparation but also provides brief lessons, exercises, questions for reflection, and invitations to do such things as walk, read, and nap. In the end, the cure for homiletical burnout is life itself, especially the ordinary pleasures often ignored or pushed aside by the complicated job of ministry. This is a perfect book for both new graduates and experienced preachers.
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Uplifting Christ Through Autumn
$9.95Add to cartUplifting Christ Through Autumn gathers together 12 imaginative sermons from a remarkably gifted parish pastor and campus minister, covering a variety of important occasions, such as:
* World Communion Day
* Stewardship Sunday
* Homecoming/Fall Festival
* Reformation Sunday
* All Saints Day
* Holy Cross Day
* ThanksgivingHowever, the ecumenically oriented expressions of Christian faith, hope, and love in these messages make them relevant for any time of the year. Plus, Wuchter’s keen eye for the telling detail, exemplified by his observation that “the refrigerator is the household religious shrine that reveals the ethical heartbeat and spiritual faith of a family,” means they’re readable and appealing for everyone.
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Communicating For A Change
$19.99Add to cartSpeakers and preachers—follow this instructive parable to keep your message alive and your audience alert! By knowing your destination before you leave (identifying the major premise you want to communicate), using your turn signals (transition ahead!), and employing five other practical points, you’ll be on the road to success—and drive your message home!
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Sermons On The Gospel Readings Series 2 Cycle C
$40.95Add to cartBring Jesus? message and ministry to life with this complete set of inspiring and thought-provoking sermons for every Sunday and major celebration in the Church year. Six notable preachers from across the denominational spectrum offer a treasure trove of creative homiletic ideas and practical, scripture-based wisdom in messages based on Gospel texts from Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Weaving together insightful illustrations with keen insight into contemporary life, these sermons passionately proclaim the Good News and powerfully remind us of God’s limitless love. Each riveting message is certain to enlighten the mind and warm the heart.
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From Cooperation To Competition
$25.99Add to cartCongregational life has changed in so many ways in recent years, not least among them the transition from cooperation to competition as the central model of how churches relate to one another. Simply put, congregations that don’t learn to compete in this new “economy” will have few chances to thrive.
This change can be scary, because it forces us out of established patterns of behavior and thinking. This is why trying to lead a congregation in these changing times seems so often to lead to conflict. Yet that conflict is not inevitable, says Lyle Schaller. We can’t stop the change that has led to higher levels of competition, but we can manage that change in a variety of ways, such as making certain that we accompany it with an increase in the number of choices a congregation experiences, and by allowing change to lead to healthy competition.
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Whatever Happened To Delight
$25.00Add to cartPreaching is an art, Barrie Shepherd argues, and the sermon is an art form, an exercise in creativity and imagination. But all too often preaching suffers from a lack of imagination and a loss of the joy, wonder, and delight that attracted the crowds to Jesus’ words two thousand years ago.
In this book, based on his 2003 Beecher Lectures at Yale Divinity School, Shepherd hopes to encourage the preacher toward a more creative vision for the sermon. His approach is spontaneous, eclectic, intuitive, and daring. Shepherd’s purpose is to encourage the preacher to think of life as filled with God’s presence, to search for the presence, and to use images and words to unveil that presence. The end result is a sermon that is full of joy, wonder, astonishment, and delight.
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Teenage Guys : Exploring Issues Adolescent Guys Face And Strategies To Help
$22.99Add to cartYouth workers need to fully understand the inner workings and development of adolescents in order to really meet their needs. In Teenage Guys, Dr. Steve Gerali presents the stages of development that adolescent guys go through, providing stories from his own experiences in ministry and counseling as well as practical research findings to equip youth workers (both male and female) to more effectively minister to teenage guys. With advice from counselors and veteran youth workers, you’ll find helpful suggestions on how to minister to teenage guys and their families. Each chapter includes discussion questions to help you and other youth workers process the issues your own students face and learn how you can help them and mentor them through this tumultuous time. In addition to concepts like mentoring and rites of passage, Dr. Gerali also walks readers through the seven areas of development young guys go through. You’ll understand more about: Cognitive development – Identity formation – Social development – Emotional development – Physiological development – Sexological maturation – Faith formation
