Pastoral Helps
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Book Of Catechisms
$40.00Add to cartThis is a handy and attractive collection of important catechisms for the Presbyterian Church. Designed to be a companion to the Book of Confessions: Study Edition, the Book of Catechisms has all three versions of the Study Catechism (Belonging to God, Confirmation Version, and Full Version) with full scriptural citations, study questions, and answers. For comparison and study, the Book of Catechisms also contains the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms, along with a helpful cross-reference index to all five catechisms.
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Preaching Like Paul
$28.00Add to cart1. Paul As The Model For Preaching
2. Paul’s Evangelistic And Pastoral Preaching
3. The Shape Of Paul’s Preaching
4. What Is Pastoral Preaching
5. Explaining Ourselves: Preaching And Theology
6. Preaching As RememberingAdditional Info
In contrast with the widely popular interest in narrative styles, Thompson shows that Paul’s letters offer a different model for preaching today. He demonstrates how the manner of preaching used in the pre-Christian culture of Paul is valid and effective in our contempororary post-Christian culture. Unlike most books on preaching, this volume focuses not on technique, but on the goal of preaching-a needed missing component in contemporary homiletic discussion. -
Exploring Luthers Small Catechism (Teacher’s Guide)
$24.99Add to cartThis classic resource helps students learn:
*Questions and answers from Luther’s Small Catechism
*Bible verses that support Scriptural doctrines
*Bible narratives that support doctrine
*Questions and answers from the 1991 Explanation of the Small CatechsimEach lesson in this one-year course has multiple choice, true-false and fill-in-the-blank exercises. 40 sessions.
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Still Listening : New Horizons In Spiritual Direction
$30.95Add to cartInterest in the practice of spiritual direction has grown in recent years. With the increased number of people seeking direction have come a number of new issues confronting spiritual directors. This volume of essays by seasoned spiritual directors form a variety of faith traditions addresses issues of concern to directors today such as direction with: abused persons, the poor, church drop-outs, and gays and lesbians. Other essays look at spiritual direction in new contexts, such as the congregational setting, the corporate arena, spiritual direction and genera- tional issues, and direction at the turn of the century. The final section of the book addresses some specific circumstances: working with the addicted, with those who are dying, using art in spiritual direction, and direction and social justice.
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Resurrecting The Person
$25.99Add to cartIn Resurrecting The Person, John Swinton argues that while mental illnesses are often biological and genetic in orgin, the real handicap experienced by individuals is imposed by the types of reactions, values, and attitudes which are typical of contemporary western society. In other words, how a mental illness is experienced has much to do with how it is socially constructed.
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Gods Plan Unfolds The Church From Nazareth To Nicaea (Teacher’s Guide)
$22.49Add to cartSKU (ISBN): 9780570045205ISBN10: 0570045207Andrew Bailey | Ronald Schlegel | Ronald StelzerBinding: UnknownPublished: October 2000Lutheran High School ReligionPublisher: Concordia Publishing House Print On Demand Product
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Culturally Conscious Worship
$23.99Add to cartBlack uses shared stories, blended music, and the arts to enliven worship in culturally and linguistically diverse congregations. She provides biblical and theological foundations and practical methods and models for creating culturally-conscious worship.
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Calling And Character
$23.99Add to cartOne of the casualties in our culture wars over shifting definitions of ethical behavior ahs been the ability to think clearly about the relation of one’s character to the performance of one’s job. This has been especially the case in recent debates over clergy misconduct, where much has been said on what point they should do so. Yet, as William H. Willimon points out, a far more fundamental set of questions goes unasked. When, at ordination, clergy commit themselves to live an exemplary Christian life,what particular perspective and habits must they develop if this commitment is to survive the strain of a lifetime of ministry? Waht are the expectations they must have regarding the consequences of failure to live up to their commitments? Willimon lays out a clear and compelling picture of the pastorial life, one that will inform both those embarking on ordained ministry and those who have been in it for many years. He lays our specific habits such as study, collegiality, and humor as the day-to-day means of following the difficult and dangerous, yet deeply rewarding, calling of pastor.
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Apostles And Prophets
$13.00Add to cartJesus revealed Himself to be the cornerstone of the church. But He has built His church, and continues to build it, through apostles and prophets, people who are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Now a leader of the New Apostolic Reformation gives us new insights into how the people called to crucial roles in the church–apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor and teachers–must work together to fulfill their divine purpose. For the first time since the Early Church, God is harnessing apostles and prophets to fulfill the promises of His divine plan. Prepare to play your part!
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Nuts And Bolts Of Christian Education
$25.99Add to cartYou’ve agreed to teach your first Sunday school class. Now what do you do? Grab this A-to-Z guide! From “advisory boards” to “zany tunes,” you’ll get answers to the most frequently asked questions, as well as ready access to the practical wisdom and helpful tips of experienced teachers. Includes reproducible charts and handouts, and a topical index.
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Talking The Walk
$24.99Add to cartHere are 31 small-group meetings about well, small groups. After all, the kind of honest sharing, perspective silence, compassionate boldness, and mutual growth that are the marks of an effective and attractive small group don’t always come naturally. With the complete sessions in Talking the Walk all of them customized precisely for small groups you can lead your small group of teenagers from getting comfortable with kids they don’t usually hang with, to talking honestly, listening carefully, and understanding themselves with each other. The first five meetings are a gradual, gentle introduction to the idea of communication, confidences, and listening skills, the mechanics and heart of small group dynamics then on to more than two dozen topical meetings about issues that matter most to adolescents: how to face life’s tensions, self-esteem, change, sexuality, giving and receiving love, clarifying future goals, friends, family, forgiveness, diversity, conflict, moods, priorities – and more, all of them based in Bible passages – appropriate for mixed groups of churched and unchurched kids – and each session with more than enough creative and quirky ideas, so you can select those that best fit your style and your small group’s temperament. Perfect for outreach and evangelism groups, discipleship groups, Sunday school, midweek cell groups – any time you want small groups of your student to grow together in community, intimacy, in faith.
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Creative Bible Lessons In Psalms
$24.99Add to cartThe ever-popular Creative Bible Lessons series from Youth Specialties brings you Creative Bible Lessons in Psalms, written for real teenagers who live very real lives. The Psalms, in all their glory – and anguish – are brought to life for your students through 12 spirited and interactive lessons on themes like:
* Struggles and persecution
* Thanksgiving and worship
* Thirsting for God
* Holiness
* Joy bursting through despair
* Forgiveness and renewal
To help you teach each lesson are clips from easy-to-get videos . . . games for mixing and games with a purpose . . . in-depth, ready-to-use questions for small-group discussions . . . original role plays, scripts, and spontaneous melodramas – plus a lot of other activities to choose from that give your students not only an occasional laugh, but also a taste of prayer as an opportunity to be honest, and true, and personal in our communication with God -
Ethics And Spiritual Care
$23.99Add to cartEthics and Spiritual Care responds to three phenomena of increasing importance. (1) Although spiritual care is at the heart of ordained ministry, there is no text in professional ethics for clergy that focuses specifically on spiritual care. What ethical guidelines are needed to ensure that spiritual care in ministry is appropriate? (2) Many people in our world do not consider themselves “religious,” but use the term “spiritual.” The burgeoning interest in “spirituality” is an invitation to people with little training to set themselves up as “spiritual directors.” Guidelines are needed not simply for the ethical practice of parish ministry, but for specific practices of spiritual direction. (3) Allegations of “spiritual abuse” have been made both in practice and in the literature: the term is being used with some frequency. The development of the term and its implications requires some scrutiny and response as “sexual abuse” is not a good model for understanding spiritual abuse.
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Word In Our Time
$23.99Add to cartAn essential handbook for preachers and a lively, informed devotional companion for those who prepare for worship by reading the Scriptures, this commentary on the Principal Service readings for Year C offers: Variations in interpretation Background history Links between passages Theological significance Language sources Illustrative quotes
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Creative Styles Of Preaching
$26.00Add to cart1. Narrative Preaching
2. African American Preaching
3. Evangelistic Preaching
4. Topical Preaching
5. The Four Pages Of The Sermon
6. Preaching The Literary Forms Of The Bible
7. Pastoral Praching
8. Biblical Preaching
9. Imaginative PreachingAdditional Info
This useful book on newer preaching styles is designed for students and experienced clergy alike. It consists of nine chapters, each treating a different contemporary approach to preaching, such as Narrative, Evangelistic, African American, Topical, Pastoral, Biblical, Literary, and Imaginative styles. Each chapter is illustrated by sermons from well-known preachers including Tony Campolo, Barbara Brown Taylor, Sam Proctor, Fred Craddock, William Willimon, Ronald Allen, and others. This book will prove to be an invaluable travel guide to the homiletical landscape, and it will aid pastors who want to keep their sermons fresh, invigorating, and relevant to the life experiences of their congregations. -
Preaching Through The Year Of Luke
$21.95Add to cartPreaching Through The Year of Luke is the ninth book in a series devoted to presenting examples of preaching excellance. These sermons, collected from the 1999 Preaching Excellance Program and from clergy nationwide, explore bibical passages for the liturgical year C, which focuses on the Gospel of Luke. Sermons for the major holy days, as well as a selection of Sundays throughout the year, will be helpful to pastors preparing to preach and lay people seeking a better understanding of the lectionary passages from year C.
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7 Ways Of Teaching The Bible To Adults
$18.99Add to cartBarbara Bruce helps teachers and learners understand seven different learning styles, or “intelligences,” and how these learning styles can be used to bring the Word of God alive for adult students. Chapters include suggestions of activities to incorporate a specific intelligence into lessons, questions for the teacher on his or her own preference for the particular intelligence, a lesson focusing on the intelligence and a prayer demonstrating the intelligence. In addition, the book contains suggestions for teacher training, bibliographies, a glossary, and a self-discovery sheet.
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Trauma And Evil
$22.00Add to cart1. Evil In A Larger Context
2. Unveiling Evil: Obstacles And Indicators
3. The Nature Of The Self, Its Development, And Its Continuing Vulnerability
4. Trauma And The Self
5. Evil’s Attack On The Self And Soul
6. A Call To Pastoral Care: Walking Through The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death
7. Wrestling With The Angel Until Blessed
8. Grieving: A Bridge Between Suffering And Hope
9. A Call To Prophetic Response: No Friend Of Evil
10. God And The Devil: The Ultimate Example Of Splitting
11. Revisiting “The Wounded Healer”Additional Info
This book helps those who provide care to victims of abuse and violence add to their knowledge base an understanding of evil_and how it works to destroy. Arguing that “the worst forms of trauma are the human intentional type,” or trauma perpetrated consciously and intentionally, the authors define radical evil as trauma-inducing acts engaged in consciously and unapologetically.This understanding of evil helps caregivers move toward the moral, ethical, and faith dimensions of life. The book integrates victims’ experiences and those who seek to help them with a socio-cultural and theological understanding of evil, a psychological understanding of trauma, and the resources of Christian faith.
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Clergy Renewal : The Alban Guide To Sabbatical Planning (Revised)
$23.00Add to cartPlanned time away from the parish for study, rest, and spiritual renewal can be beneficial-and often necessary-for any pastor, as well as for the congregation. In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of Alban’s popular Sabbatical Planning for Clergy and Congregations, Bullock and Bruesehoff provide the definitive guide to putting together refreshing pastoral sabbaticals that can help keep ministry vital and growing for the long term. Foreword by Roy M. Oswald.
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Making The Church Work (Revised)
$12.00Add to cartIn the first edition of Making the Church Work, Hammett wrote that the church is not only in need of change, but also in need of a conversion. Now his conviction is stronger than ever. In this second edition, he addresses the issues of changing values–values about what leaders and their congregations are doing as a church and the effectiveness of their techniques. Hammett is convinced that until church leaders change their values, healthy, relevant, and effective churches are not likely to appear.
Unique features of this book include:* Overview of trends and issues impacting the church’s ineffectiveness
* Opportunities for individual readers and small groups, and congregations to reflect on their journey in light of these trends and issues
Practical guidance for addressing some problems and for equipping the church for more effective ministry in the 21st century
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Pastoral Liturgy New Handbook
$34.99Add to cartA guide to liturgy and worship in the Church of England within the framework of ‘Common Worship’, which combines theory, theology and history with a strong sense of the realities of parish life and pastoral practice. It explores the way in which liturgy can reflect the life of the church and the wider world, and the new opportunities for churches at a local level to own and shape the liturgy they use. This book is essential reading for anyone involved in worship in the Church of England, and who wants the worship of their church to be the best they can offer, based on clear liturgical principles. It is also practical and detailed – Michael Perham covers clothing and colours, children’s role in worship, the cycle of the Christian year, the timing of services, the use of church space and other elements that go to make up the feel of an individual church. The book has its roots in two of Michael Perham’s earlier works, ‘Liturgy Pastoral and Parochial’ and ‘Lively Sacrifice’, though much of the material is quite new, and fills its role as key texts for anyone interested in the liturgy of the Church of England.
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Congregational Fitness : Healthy Practices For Layfolk
$23.00Add to cartWhen serious conflict surfaces in a congregation, lay people are usually stunned. They feel frightened, angry, and helpless. Congregational Fitness explores why congregations are prone to conflict and describes healthy behaviors lay people can practice to manage conflict constructively. Goodman argues that since it is members of the congregation who carry on from one pastor to another, it is important for them to know and practice positive behaviors continually, rather than reacting out of emotion and anxiety to an unexpected situation. Designed for use by individuals, study groups, and retreat participants. Foreword by Hugh F. Halverstadt.
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Leading And Managing A Growing Church
$22.99Add to cartNot all pastors are natural-born managers—but they can learn! In this practical volume, Hunter gathers insights from the best leadership and management experts, then shows pastors how to apply proven-effective principles to the service of the church. Learn to be a dynamic supervisor, a skilled steward of church resources, and more!
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Listening For The Soul
$25.00Add to cart1. Soul Inquiry: Evocative Listening For The Soul
2. Contemplative Living: A Preventative And Restorative Approach
3. The Soul’s Rhythm: Death And Resurrection
4. Credible Caregivers: Sustaining Spiritual Practices
5. Soul Companions: Listening For The Soul In Daily Life And Work
6. Children’s Spirituality: Listening For The Soul Of The Child
7. Toward Complementarity: Pastoral Care And Spiritual DirectionAdditional Info
This book explores the relationship between the practices of pastoral care and the practices of spiritual direction with the aim of enabling pastoral caregivers to draw upon the guiding principles, resources, and techniques of spiritual direction within the Christian tradition. With an emphasis on both “practice” and “presence,” the book reclaims the tradition of “soul care” for the pastoral ministry, thereby complementing the medical, or crisis intervention, model of pastoral care with a wellness/growth model of pastoral care.Listening for the Soul:
_Challenges clergy to take seriously the relationship between pastoral care and spiritual direction.
_Integrates theological and psychological insights with issues of spiritual life and formation.
_Includes a chapter on the spiritual formation of children.
_Provides practical guidance for integrating spiritual direction with pastoral care.
_Tends to the pastoral caregivers own needs for spiritual deepening.
_Includes reflection questions and case studies to enable the text to function on both the individual reader and classroom levels. -
Growth Into Manhood
$15.99Add to cartWhat happens when a boy grows physically into an adult male but misses some of the experiences and relationships that help form complete manhood? Many such boys will grow up with homosexual attractions; others may be heterosexual but will lack a true sense of their manhood. Alan Medinger writes for such men and for those who care about them.
Within the context of his own release from homosexuality and his growth into “confident and comfortable” manhood, Medinger offers hope to others. For homosexually oriented men, such growth is an essential but often overlooked step in the process of healing. This ground-breaking study could well change many lives. -
Ask And You Shall Receive (Teacher’s Guide)
$25.00Add to cartFundraising expert Kim Klein has trained thousands of groups and individuals to cultivate assets that make good works possible. The Ask and You Shall Receive training package is a do-it-yourself, start-to-finish program on jumpstarting fundraising efforts. A peer-led program designed for use with its companion Participant Manual, the Ask and You Shall Receive Leader Manual walks you through the most common fundraising scenarios with dependable information, methods, prompts, and preparation guidelines. Realistic time allowances keep the training within reach of busy volunteers.
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I Will With Gods Help Adult Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$11.95Add to cartAn interactive journal for adults that complements the comprehensive 6-12 week confirmation program. Invites confirmands to explore their own faith experiences in the context of the larger faith community. Includes lots of room for recording thoughts and reflections on the confirmation process.
If you are ordering a quantity of 30 or more, please call 1-800-824-1813 to receive your volume discount.
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Feeding And Leading (Reprinted)
$33.00Add to cartEvery church and Christian organization has a leadership and administrative team. But how well is that team functioning? Feeding and Leading, now available in paperback, addresses this key component to effective ministry.
Kenneth O. Gangel begins with the foundations of the administrative process and then focuses on the vocational Christian leader–pastor, president, principal, mission executive–targeting such issues as spiritual leadership, style, organization of work, goal setting, and long-range planning. The book also covers topics such as:– recruiting and training volunteers
– motivating workers
– delegating responsibility
– making decisions
– building good working relationships
– communicating
– chairing business meetings
Feeding and Leading contains over forty figures that illustrate the practical principles outlined by the author. Self-evaluation questions, sample job descriptions, and other helpful tools for Christian administrators are also included.
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Power Surge : Six Marks Of Discipleship For A Changing Church
$26.00Add to cartDrawing on his experience at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Foss makes the case for transforming congregations from a membership model to a discipleship model of church affiliation. The book begins with a careful analysis of recent patterns in church membership/demographics which argue for this paradigm shift. Subsequent chapters detail the unique leadership and organizational needs of a discipleship model; explore the building and maintaining of fundamental trust–in God and in His people–as the cornerstone of the model; and provide practical helps for assessing the present and strategies for moving into the future.
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I Will With Gods Help Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$26.95Add to cartA comprehensive 6-12 week program that invites confirmands to explore their own faith experience in the context of the larger faith community. Materials are flexible enough to be used in a wide variety of parish settings. Interactive journals are available for youth and adult candidates.
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I Will With Gods Help Youth Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$11.95Add to cartAn interactive journal for youth that complements the comprehensive 6-12 week confirmation program. Invites confirmands to explore their own faith experiences in the context of the larger faith community. Includes lots of room for recording thoughts and reflections on the confirmation process.
If you are ordering a quantity of 30 or more, please call 1-800-824-1813 to receive your volume discount.
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Repairing The Ruins
$19.00Add to cartAs parents, it is easy for us to look back and see the shortcomings of our own education. Since many of us were taught in public schools, we often have a pretty good idea of what we don’t want our children to learn. But what exactly should we give them instead?
The authors of Repairing the Ruins, a group of experienced teachers and school administrators, faced this same question when they first embarked on the journey of education. And they found a tried and true answer in classical Christian education. Here they explain what makes classical Christian education different from modern methods and why it offers a distinctly Christian alternative. Building upon this foundation, the authors provide parents with the “Whys and Hows” of the Trivium, tips on planning curriculum, wisdom in designing education to serve the heart as well as the mind, and advice on starting up schools.
For all who have ever wondered where to begin with their children’s education, Repairing the Ruins comes alongside with words of comfort and direction.
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Preaching The Whole Bible As Christian Scripture
$32.99Add to cartWhile strong, gospel-centered preaching abounds, many Christian pastors and lay preachers find it difficult to preach meaningfully from the Old Testament. This practical handbook offers help. Graeme Goldsworthy teaches the basics of preaching the whole Bible in a consistently Christ-centered way.
Goldsworthy first examines the Bible, biblical theology, and preaching and shows how they relate in the preparation of Christ-centered sermons. He then applies the biblical-theological method to the various types of literature found in the Bible, drawing out their contributions to expository preaching focused on the person and work of Christ.
Clear, complete, and immediately applicable, this volume will become a fundamental text for teachers, pastors, and students preparing for ministry.
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Be Still : Designing And Leading Contemplative Retreats
$23.00Add to cartMany people long for a deeper relationship with God, yearning for silence in a noisy world and a respite from busyness. Written for lay and ordained leaders who wish to bring the gift of space and silence to members who feel called to the contemplative journey, the book introduces the purpose of retreats, provides a theological and biblical understanding of the model, and offers guidance for designing and leading these gatherings. Sample retreats, a design for home retreats, and suggested resources are included.
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Worship Centered Youth Ministry
$14.99Add to cartWorship. What images come to your mind as you see this word? Some envision believers singing praise songs and lifting their hands. Others see people bowed in fervent prayer or sitting quietly meditating on Scripture. While these images may represent expressions of worship, they do not convey a complete picture of the biblical concept of worship. What is authentic worship? As youth ministers in today’s culture, how close to the mark of true worship are we leading our teens? In this book, Jon Middendorf tackles these tough questions and more. Beyond the typical ideas of worship, Middendorf explores the biblical definition and challenges the reader to move to a deeper understanding. Through describing a typical youth ministry program and offering principles for a worship-centered lifestyle, he directs youth workers on a journey toward a worship-centered youth ministry–a journey that will lead both the workers and their teens into a deeper, richer walk with Christ.
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Parables Of Jesus Cycle C
$27.95Add to cartThe parable is the most well-known literary form presented in the Gospels. And since narrative or story sermons are such a prominent element in the contemporary pulpit, pastors are preaching on the parable texts more frequently than ever.
Richard Gribble thoroughly examines each of the parables appearing in Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. Each analysis includes:
discussion of the theme
spiritual food for the journey
application of the parable to contemporary life
openings for preaching
points of challenge and questions to ponder
exegesis and explanation of the parable
context of the parableThese studies will be a classic resource for preaching…or useful for Bible study and inspiration.
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Learning While Leading
$23.00Add to cartAs the world changes, so do people’s expectations of their faith community and clergy. This book uses three case studies to speak to religious professionals about the challenges they face, to provide readers with specific, user-friendly techniques to become more aware of how they function, and to learn new ways to lead. Clergy will find real-life examples of how more effective leadership enhances the life of the community and promotes the deepening of members’ faith. Foreword by Chris Argyris
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Transforming The Mainline Church
$22.00Add to cart1. New Beginnings: Facing The Challenge Of Change
2. Building And Battling
3. Transforming The Church For A New MillenniumAdditional Info
When Robert Chesnut became pastor in 1988, East Liberty Presbyterian Church was a declining and graying congregation. Over the next ten years, Chesnut sparked a remarkable – and often controversial – turnaround in membership, ministry, and finances. “Transforming The Mainline Church” gives the inside story of that renewal, and also provides valuable lessons for other beleaguered congragations. This dramatic account urges all congregations to be more open to diversity; to emphasize the arts and a broad range of music; to support aggressive, entrepreneurial leadership; and to move beyond narrow denominational concerns in favor of an approach that responds to the religious hungers of a new generation. -
Leading From The Inside Out
$27.00Add to cart1. Why Self-Leadership?
2. Articulating And Embracing Our Life’s Values
3. Connecting With Our Life’s Calling
4. Laying Out Our Life’s Goals
5. Measuring Our Life’s Motivation
6. Exercising Spiritual Self-Leadership: Personal Soul Care
7. Exercising Physical Self-Leadership: Personal Resource Management
8. Emotional Self-Leadership: Mastering Our Moods
9. Intellectual Self-Leadership: Personal Life-Long Learning256 Pages
Additional Info
Too many stories have been told of successful leaders who fail in their private lives and consequently neutralize their vocational achievements. Leadership expert Sam Rima believes the time has come for leaders to exercise the same skill and degree of leadership in their personal lives as they do in their organizations.Despite strong advances in organizational leadership, a key growth area is still lacking for many: self-leadership. Addressing this evident need, Rima offers practical implementation of essential leadership principles and discusses the emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual aspects of self-leadership.
Pastors, church leaders, and all Christians who serve in positions of leadership or authority will benefit from Rima’s insights. Leading from the Inside Out is also a useful tool for leadership classes, as well as church boards and denominational leaders who want to help those they oversee prevent personal failures. The book includes a study guide and a Self-Leadership Workshop at the end of each chapter.
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Very Large Church
$27.99Add to cartAmerican institutions such as schools and businesses have all become larger—what does this mean for our congregations? Schaller believes the organizational structure of the church must change, too, in order to minister effectively—and here’s where the transformation begins. Let this organizational expert help turn your body into a megachurch, while retaining Christian integrity!
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101 Great Games For Kids
$21.99Add to cartChildren learn best when they hear the rich stories from Scripture over and over again. Just sitting and listening, however, can become boring. This volume, a collection of 101 active games for Christian education programs suitable for chldren ages 3-12, will help dispel any boredom. This is a book that mainline professionals and lay leaders can turn to for a quick idea or when they are creating lesson plans. Each of the 101 games are presented in ways that adults can use immediately.
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10 Hits One Run Nine Errors Cycle C
$8.95Add to cartJohn Berger’s lively and invigorating messages tell us that the path to true happiness is through God. From the man who remembered to thank Jesus for being healed of leprosy to the persistent widow, from the penitent tax collector to the forgiven thief on the cross … all these characters and more were happier when they did things God’s way. Berger brings us face-to-face with the people in Gospel passages from the Revised Common Lectionary. Contrary to his whimsical title, readers will discover that Berger does far better than score one run in ten trips to the plate — his sermons consistently knock the ball out of the park!
Titles include:
Ten Hits, One Run, Nine Errors — Luke 17:11-19
Don’t Hang Up On God — Luke 18:1-8
God, The Ultimate Professional — Luke 20:27-38
Golden Rule Saints — Luke 6:20-31
For What God Has Given — John 6:25-35 -
Apologetic Preaching : Proclaiming Christ To A Postmodern World
$26.99Add to cartWhile dealing with apologetic issues about relativism and faith was once reserved for non-Christians, today even regular churchgoers have questions that need to be addressed. But not only do the have questions, they often seem to have a totally different mindset of skepticism and doubt that resists authoritative presentations of spiritual truth.
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Next Steps In Community Ministry
$29.00Add to cartDudley and a research team go back to 24 ministries still in existence five years after the Church and Community Project’s completion. They discovered:
how the myths and expectations of funding, lay/clergy leadership, and church/society partnerships were shattered by what is doable;
how the often Herculean efforts frustrated and tired participants, who were then uplifted and sustained by making a difference;
how faith was the foundation for action, and how, through action, the poor, the homeless, and others in need became real people and not statistics.
Perhaps most important is the discovery that community ministry takes shape in ways unique to local issues of theology, church size, social location, and cultural composition. -
Changing Life Patterns (Expanded)
$27.99Add to cart“This splendid text has served well as a dependable guide for defining spirituality, connecting it with developmental thought, and placing both in the congregational context. All who are concerned with the necessary spiritual disciplines and spiritual formation of persons who will be living and serving in the complex worlds of our new millennium will be guided, challenged, and graced by its profound insights.”
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Glory Of It All
$11.95Add to cartBring Jesus’ message and ministry to life with this set of inspiring and thought-provoking sermons. Donald Lacy offers a treasure trove of creative homiletic ideas and practical, scripture-based wisdom in these messages based on these Gospel texts. In The Glory of it All!, Lacy weaves 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.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
Some of the captivating sermons in this collection are:
The Hard Sell
Testing Time
No Intimidation
More Time
The Two Prodigals
Holy Extravagance
History Hangs In The Balance
A Frightening Friday -
Pastoral Care Emergencies
$29.00Add to cartDrawing from 40 years of pastoral experience, Switzer discusses the attitude and act of caregiving, covering hospital calls, the dying and bereaved, suicide, divorce, domestic violence, psychiatric disorders, and more. The crucial question of when and how to refer is also addressed. Highly practical, yet sensitive to theological issues. You’ll reach for this book often!
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Feed All My Sheep
$19.95Add to cart1. Guidebook
2. Church Words: A Curriculum
3. Music For Church WordsAdditional Info
All congregations should have this book, a lovingly and competently composed curriculum for teaching aults and older youth with disabilities about the church. Doris Clark offers much-needed, experienced guidance for setting up church classes geared to the requirements of adults with special needs. She also provides comprehensive advice about how to integrate adults with special needs into the church community.This book grew out of Clark’s search for an appropriate church school class for her son, who has Down syndrome. Clark, an experienced teacher, soon came to several realizations;
*There is a great need for classes for adults with developmental disabilities within the neighborhoods served by most churches.
*Regular adult classes do not provide religious education on a level conducive to learning for most adults with special needs.
*There was no literature available giving guidance to churches wanting to start this type of ministry.
*Many programs provide a class for the developmentally disabled but offer no inclusion into the church community.Clark ultimately develped Joy Class at First Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, and wrote this step-by-step guide to help other churches set up similar classes. It includes everything from locating students and finding teachers to presenting a curriculum. Included are job descriptions for a coordinator, teachers, and Class Buddies, as well as a thiry-four-lesson curriculum, Church Words.
The curriculum is designed for ease of teaching for the Christian leader and maximum learning for the student. Church Words was developed to help students understand some of the terminology and theology of the church through Bible study, discussion, and hand-on activities. Participation in the programs of the church and interaction with church members is highlighted, with an emphasis on self-worth and building relationships.
Original music by Kinley Lange is included for use in the classes. The book also has an appendix of sample letters that can be used to solicit support.
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Mainline To The Future
$24.00Add to cartWhile others lament the declining attendance of mainline churches and blame it on a stodgy and out of date tradition, Jackson W. Carroll offers a more hopeful perspective. According to Carroll, the key to the future health and vitality of mainline churches can be found in that same tradition. In Mainline to the Future: Congregations for the 21st Century, Carroll states that tension between change and tradition has always been part of the Protestant heritage. He believes that when older practices are challenged by change, tradition can no longer be accepted at face value and must be adapted. In this spirit, Carroll calls mainline churches to “go forward, remembering.”
Neither change nor tradition supercedes the other. Both are gifts of divine grace that enable churches to live faithfully in the world. When churches no longer accept tradition as unchangeable, they are free to engage in dialogue with the secular culture and are able to retrieve and reinterpret selective aspects of their tradition in ways that are meaningful for today’s congregations. True to the Protestant tradition itself, the ability to adapt allows the authority of tradition to shift from being “out there” to being “in here.” Thus does the church reclaim its interpretive power to make the Gospel relevant to every time and place.
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Preaching The Gospel Of Luke
$36.00Add to cart1. Birth And Infancy Stories
2. Preparation For Public Ministry
3. Ministry In Galilee
4. Journey To Jerusalem
5. Ministry In Jerusalem
6. Tragedy And TriumphAdditional Info
Blending the latest in Lukan scholarship with the practical needs of the weekly preacher, renowned New Testament scholar Keith Nickle provides clear, interesting, and instructive comments on the thied Gospel. But Preaching the Gospel of Luke offers more than mere exposition. After each passage,three to five possibilities are proposed for how to preach every text creative and pertinent suggestions that can help preachers apply the words of the biblical narrative to the lives of today’s churchgoers. Proclaiming the royal rule of God is the theme of Luke, and this insightful commentary helps that message come alive in the preaching moment. -
Quotable Spurgeon : Topical Illustrations
$16.99Add to cartQuotable and Findable Charles Spurgeon!
Charles Spurgeon has been widely esteemed as the ultimate pulpiteer in the English language. His mastery of the Scriptures, theology, and pulpit oratory combined to make his London church one of the largest and most influential in nineteenth-century Britain.
Today Spurgeon lives on as the most widely published figure in English language. His books yield a treasure trove of apt citations, examples, object lessons, and witty illustrations of the truth. But finding the Spurgeon illumination for a passage has not been easy for modern speakers and readers. Where did Mr. Spurgeon illustrate Galatians 2:20 or Isaiah 55? The Quotable Spurgeon will locate hundreds of usable quotations from this sacred orator quickly and efficiently. Archaic language has been updated to make the Victorian voice clear to modern ears.
The Quotable Spurgeon has been arranged with keys to the Bible as well as to current topics. Using the helpful index of biblical passages, you will find Spurgeon’s sonorous eloquence a graceful addition to your other sources for speeches, sermons, and devotional reading.
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In Her Own Time
$29.00Add to cartA woman’s life is filled with possibilities and challenges at every age and stage. In this illuminating collection, leading women theologians explore themes, passages, and issues women face as they journey from pre-adolescence to the end of life. Their fresh analysis provides a much needed framework for the pastoral care of women.
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You Can Start A Bible Study (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartHave you taken a good look at your neighborhood, church, office, or dorm, and wondered whether God wants you there for a specific purpose? Maybe you’ve been involved in Bible studies before. Now it’s your turn to reach out and get a Bible discussion group goint. “But where do I start, and how do I keep it goint?” you ask. Drawing on personal experiences and her own insight, Gladys Hunt shares how you can start and lead an inductive Bible study group. Whether you are a beginner who needs to know the basics or an experienced leader who wants fresh motivation and ideas, you’ll find what you need in this “how-to” book for Bible study leaders.
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Can Our Church Live
$26.00Add to cartNothing on earth lives forever-not even congregations. Alban Institute senior consultant Alice Mann explains how the natural life cycle of a congregation, as well as other internal and external factors, can produce a congregation that is in real trouble. She then offers hope for congregations that want to change. Practical options for congregations, leadership challenges for laity and clergy, and ways to work with denominations are detailed and engaging discussion questions provide a basis for congregational planning. Foreword by Anthony G. Pappas.
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Solitary Sorrow : Finding Healing And Wholeness After Abortion
$14.99Add to cartDespite the growing frequency of abortions, most women feel intensely isolated, guilty, and angry afterward. Co-authored by a family therapist and a physician, this book addresses the questions women have about Post-Abortion Syndrome and how to deal with feelings of loss, guilt, and anger. The Reissers have counseled hundreds of post-abortion women.
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Wedding Sermons And Marriage Ceremonies
$12.95Add to cartMarriage ceremonies don’t have to fall into a routine of just doing and saying the same old things. This creative resource provides pastors with several unique marriage liturgies, including ceremonies for a traditional wedding, a wedding of an older couple, a second marriage with children, a marriage combined with communion, and more. They’re guaranteed to put meaning into one of the most important days of a couple’s life.
This is a wonderful resource for those who want to be sensitive to the needs of couples from all backgrounds.
Tom Barnard, Vice President
Eastern Nazarene College
Quincy, MassachusettsThis collection also contains 14 five-minute wedding homilies which addresses a variety of situations. Blending images from scripture and the practical realities of modern life, these succinct messages reveal the connection between faith in God and the promises of marriage. Included are meditations for a marriage when both parties have been divorced; a widowed, mature couple; a wedding in an outdoor setting; a formal wedding; and the marriage of a couple with a baby…and more!
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Speaking Parables : A Homiletic Guide
$36.00Add to cart1. The Parables Of Jesus
2. The Mysterious Kingdom Of God
3. Preaching Parables
4. Parables In Mark
5. Parables In Matthew
6. Parables In Thomas
7. Parables From Q In Matthew And Luke
8. Parables In LukeAdditional Info
From beginning to end these pages ask preachers to broaden and revise their understandings of parables and to abandon the ways they have proclaimed the parables. The preacher and congregation together can expect to find a mysterious God that will not be domesticated and a vision of a changed world that will both indict and inspire. Buttrick had developed a way of helping a preacher move from parable scenario to sermon. -
Unfinished Sentences : 450 Tantalizing Unfinished Sentences To Get Teenager
$19.99Add to cartIn the best-selling footsteps of Would You Rather . . . ?, What If . . . ?, and Have You Ever . . . ? comes Unfinished Sentences – another collection of sometimes lighthearted, sometimes poignant, and always provocative discussion starters guaranteed to get teenagers talking, thinking, debating. Get the discussion ball rolling with 450 incomplete sentences that can be used anytime, anywhere for breaking the ice, stimulating discussions, building community, getting kids to wrestle with spiritual issues — or use them just for fun! The convenient size makes Unfinished sentences easy to stick in your pocket or in the glove box — a resource you won’t want your library or your youth ministry team to be without!
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Boundaries In Marriage Workbook (Workbook)
$19.99Add to cart1. What’s A Boundary, Anyway?
2. Applying The Ten Laws Of Boundaries To Marriage
3. Setting Boundaries With Yourself
4. It Takes Two To Make One
5. What You Value Is What You’ll Have
6. Value One
7. Value Two
8. Value Three
9. Value Four
10. Value Five
11. Value Six
12. Three’s A Crowd
13. Six Kinds Of Conflict
14. Resolving Conflict With A Boundary-Loving Spouse
15. Resolving Conflict With A Boundary-Resistant Spouse
16. Avoiding The Misuse Of Boundaries In Marriage
208 PagesAdditional Info
1. What’s A Boundary, Anyway?
2. Applying The Ten Laws Of Boundaries To Marriage
3. Setting Boundaries With Yourself
4. It Takes Two To Make One
5. What You Value Is What You’ll Have
6. Value One
7. Value Two
8. Value Three
9. Value Four
10. Value Five
11. Value Six
12. Three’s A Crowd
13. Six Kinds Of Conflict
14. Resolving Conflict With A Boundary-Loving Spouse
15. Resolving Conflict With A Boundary-Resistant Spouse
16. Avoiding The Misuse Of Boundaries In Marriage
208 Pages -
Faithful Living Faithful Dying
$21.95Add to cartWhat do faithful living and faithful dying mean as we near life’s end? With all the technology and choices available to us today, making decisions about the end of life grows ever more difficult. As a result of all the theological and ethnical issues that have arisen around the dying process in recent years, the 72nd General Convention of the Episcopal Church created a task force to study and responds to the broad range of theological, ethical, pastoral and policy issues that are generated by the need to provide loving and fitting care at the end of life.
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Foundations For A Practical Theology Of Ministry
$25.99Add to cartThe pastoral ministry is in danger of losing its focus, say the authors of this perceptive and timely study. Specialization in preaching, counseling, evangelism, administration, and education has diffused the impact of practical theology. And because of competing ideas as to what now is central, the very image of ministry may be breaking down. Foundations for a Practical Theology of Ministry responds to the problem by introducing a specific method for doing practical theology which will be welcomed by concerned church leaders everywhere.
Presenting a realistic, workable answer to those who call for a revival of this vital discipline, Drs. James N. Poling and Donald E. Miller propose that the unifying image for ministry becomes the formation of the community of faith. After developing this as the most appropriate base for the practice of theology, they carefully outline their method and show how it will work by demonstrating its success in the actual experiences of typical congregations.
For Christian leaders who seek to renew the integrity of ministry and restore the character of pastoral leadership, this significant book will provide a solid foundation. And for individuals interested or involved in education for the future of the church, this important resource will prove invaluable.
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To Understand Each Other
$18.00Add to cart“Most couples enter into conjugal life with a high ideal for marriage,” states Paul Tournier. “How many of them can say, a dozen years later, that their home has become what they expected of it? All too few!”
This is the problem Dr. Tournier considers in To Understand Each Other. His concern is for marriages that have become the quiet failures.
“When we talk of marriage counseling we think immediately of the extreme cases, of threats to seek divorce, of couples in violent disputes who frequently come to blows,” he says. But there are many other couples whose marriages are no less failure. “They live side by side, without hurting one another, but poles apart, because of no real understanding of one another.” -
Life Worth Living Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$7.99Add to cartNew Heart
New Purpose
New Attitude
New Responsibilities
New Friendships
New Confidence
New Ambitions
New Resources
New GenerosityAdditional Info
Manual
A manual designed to assist leaders and helpers in running the A Life Worth Living course. Contains sample discussion questions for each session of the course. (See related A Life Worth Living DVD set, book and manual.) -
Why Do Christians Shoot Their Wounded
$20.99Add to cartPreface
PART I: HOW AND WHY WE SHOOT THE WOUNDED
1 Don’t Shoot! I’m Already Wounded!
2 Why We Wound
3 Can A Spirit-Filled Christian Have Emotional Problems?
PART 11: WHAT CAUSES EMOTIONAL ILLNESS?
4 Ws Not Necessarily “All In Your Mind”
5 It’s Not Necessarily “All In Your Mind,” Continued
6 How Childhood Experiences And Stress Cause
Emotional Illness
7 What About Personal Choice?
8 Putting It All Together
PART III: HOW SHALL THE WOUNDED BE MENDED?
9 The Church: Business, School Or Hospital?
10 How The Strong Can Help-Not Shoot-the Wounded
11 What The Wounded Can Do While The Bullets Are Flying
Appendix: Are Drugs Of The Devil Or Tools For Heating.?Additional Info
Thousands of Christians suffer real emotional pain-such as depression, anxiety, obsessiveness. Many other Christians, including prominent leaders, believe emotional problems are the result of sin or bad choices. These attitudes often only add to the suffering of those who hurt.
