Pastoral Helps
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Attending Parishioners Spiritual Growth
$23.00Add to cartIn this clarion call to tend to spiritual growth, Williamsen provides a much-needed resource for clergy. Discover how to assist parishioners in their prayer and spiritual life. Learn how individual spiritual growth can flow back into the congregation’s growth as a community. Explore new ideas and practical approaches to using Christian education, worship, retreats, devotional guides, and church meetings as tools to achieve spiritual growth. Learn about spirituality gender differences; the importance of your own spiritual life; spiritually grounding lay leaders; encouraging spiritual friendships and study groups. For clergy interested in developing spirituality at the individual level; seminary professors who want to help their students explore this aspect of parish ministry; and judicatory executives who wish to encourage their clergy in this area.
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Faith
$9.99Add to cartYou may have faith, but may also realize that it can mean many things. Is it belief or trust or waiting or moral behavior or something else? Or is it all those things? This resource targets adult learners in their 20’s and 30’s. It challenges you to examine a powerful biblical image that defines and shapes your life, and includes these helpful features: Bible background on the particular image: faith. Articles on group leadership, organizing a study group, using small Break-Out groups, and choosing teaching options. Case studies throughout the text and in the appendix to use as discussion starters or as a bridge to your own experiences. Seven easy-to-lead sessions with clear teaching helps on every page. Options for service projects.
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Once And Future Pastor
$25.00Add to cartHobgood examines new pressures on clergy that are emerging in the “post-Christendom era:” financial stresses; the effects of a conflicted and confrontational culture; the needs of an increasing number of people living broken or dependent lives; dysfunctional behavior on the part of pastors and parishioners; questions regarding clergy respect and job satisfaction. How is ministry being affected by these changes? What skills will clergy need as they enter the new century? An invaluable resource thoroughly grounded in research and full of practical observations for clergy, judicatory executives, seminary professors, and long-range planners.
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Embracing Diversity : Leadership In Multicultural Congregations
$20.00Add to cartExplore a variety of approaches congregations have taken to embrace differences; identify leadership issues diversity creates in congregations; and discover programmatic suggestions drawn from the experience of multicultural congregations to address these issues. This book helps readers to understand their own experience with racial and cultural differences and is a guide for gathering diverse people into the life and mission of the congregation
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User Friendly Evaluation
$23.00Add to cartEach congregation must evaluate itself in light of its own mix of gifts, backgrounds, talents, and opportunities. Presenting the best of evaluation theory past and present, Woods shows clergy and lay leaders how to engage in mutual evaluation-not judgment-of ministry, mission, and community as a shared responsibility. The goal is building up the congregation. A special chapter provides commentary from church evaluation experts Roy Oswald (Alban), Paul Light (ABUSA denominational staff), and Jill Hudson (PCUSA judicatory executive) on dilemmas congregations face in evaluation
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Small Groups In The Church
$20.00Add to cartThis planning and leader training handbook offers a distinctive broad-based, small-group approach to building community. From the Jewish havurot to Christian koinonia, you will gain a thorough understanding of community, learn how to plan an effective small-group ministry, how to select and train leaders for all kinds of small groups, and how to start small groups that are a part of and not apart from their congregations. Appendices provide an overview of the sociological, psychological, and biblical theological literature on community and a wealth of presentation and leader training resources.
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Pastoral Visitation
$19.00Add to cartThis book integrates the theory and practice of pastoral visitation to increase the effectiveness of pastors and trained laity for an intentional, proactive program of pastoral visitation in the local church. In order to increase pastoral visitor’s positive experiences of effectiveness, the author presents basic “how to” information in a straightforward manner characterized by vivid illustrations and case studies. The book provides a theological basis for pastoral visitation.
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Making A Good Move
$20.99Add to cartIf you’re thinking of applying for a position in another church, you’ll appreciate the sensible guidance Coyner offers on transitioning from one pastorate to another! Discover how to establish working relationships with church members, move smoothly out of the “honeymoon” phase, and more. A valuable resource for new and seasoned pastors.
Michael Coyner argues that though the early months and years of a new pastorate can be stressful and difficult, they can also be particularly fruitful. These new beginnings can be among the most rewarding times of a pastor’s career, especially if the minister seizes opportunities for establishing and strengthening relationships with church members and plans carefully for the transition out of the initial “honeymoon” period. Drawing on years of experience as a pastor of local congregations as well as extensive work supervising pastors, Coyner provides solid, sensible guidance on making a good move into a successful ministry. Written in consultation with pastors from both “call” and “appointment” systems, this book will be of value to those who are starting a new ministry placement, whether they be fresh out of seminary or long-time seasoned veterans.
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Teaching Children Bible Basics
$21.99Add to cartHelp the 8- to 10-year-olds in your Sunday school learn to use the Bible! Children gain a working knowledge of the Bible’s structure, organization, and significance. The interactive 30-minute lessons stimulate creativity and critical thinking; each includes a lesson focus, Scripture text, materials list, learning activities, discussion questions, and closing prayer. A practical guide for teachers!
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Pilgrim Road
$28.00Add to cartChristian faith and life are not static; in fact, they can be viewed as a journey. Preeminent theologian B.A. Gerrish uses the motif of the journey of Christian life to present the cardinal Christian themes-such as God, faith, sin, forgiveness, evil, and moral action-as well as to address important related contempory questions.
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Never Call Them Jerks
$26.00Add to cartNo church is immune to the problems that can arise when parishioners behave in difficult ways. Responding to such situations with self-awareness and in a manner true to one’s faith tradition makes the difference between peace and disaster. In this must-read book, Boers shows how a better understanding of difficult behavior can help congregational leaders avoid the trap of labeling such parishioners and exercise self-care when the going gets rough. Foreword by David W. Augsburger, author of Conflict Mediation across Cultures.
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Heart Of Black Preaching
$45.00Add to cartCleophus LaRue argues that the extraordinary character of black preaching derives from a distinctive biblical hermeneutic that views God as involved in practical ways in the lives of African Americans. This hermeneutic, he believes, has remained constant since the days of slavery.
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Preaching In The New Creation
$30.00Add to cartMost preachers have little fondness for apocalyptic texts because of their scathing language, surrealistic plots, and enigmatic symbols. David Jacobsen not only helps preachers move past these barriers, but offers a three-part approach for preaching these texts today.
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Fun Activities For Bible Learning
$22.95Add to cartDo you ever have trouble keeping the attention of the children in your Sunday school classroom? Do you find that the young people get restless? Would you like some help in getting kids interested in the Bible? Then use one of the activities in this book!
Stimulate your youngsters’ interest and a spirit of positive competition with these …
Puzzles
Paper and pencil games
Memory work activities
Bible drill games
Board games
Action games that teach Bible truths and spiritual valuesAll this while providing fun ways to use their pent-up energy! These activities are perfect for Sunday school classes, children’s church, Bible clubs, Christian and home schools, Christian camps, or for home family times.
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They Came Together In Bethlehem
$12.95Add to cartThis book provides a complete worship resource for busy pastors …
Sermons for Advent, Christmas Eve, and the Sunday after Christmas
Advent candle readings with scripture verses
Pastoral prayers
Children’s object lessons
Dramatic monologues which can be presented by the pastor or a lay personAssign the materials … schedule the sermon titles … then relax and enjoy the season with your family as you employ these inspiring materials in your congregation.
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Culture Of Disbelief Cycle B
$12.95Add to cartThrough fascinating anecdotes and narrative stories, Donna Schaper relates these ancient texts to contemporary situations. She skillfully applies the Gospel of life and hope to circumstances of suffering and death.
Chapters include:
Letting Death Go — Mark 8:31-38
Paying Attention To The Modern Light — John 3:14-21
Junk Food And Holy Tables — John 18:1-19
Being Spiritually Odd — John 20:19-31
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Out Of The Whirlwind Cycle B
$12.95Add to cartWriting on the lectionary texts from Job, Stroman deals with extremely contemporary issues. We discover in these messages that Job’s struggles are the same as ours. The texts from Ruth and 1 Samuel introduce us to four important Old Testament women: Naomi, Orpah, Ruth, and Hannah. They all play an important role in the biblical narrative, as well as providing insight into vital current issues.
Chapters include:
*Taking The Good With The Bad — (Job 1:1; 2:1-10)
*Making Our Feelings Known — (Job 23:1-9, 16-17)
*The Tale of Three Women — (Ruth 1:1-8)
*God Remembers — (1 Samuel 1:4-20)
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Parables Of Jesus Cycle B
$12.95Add 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.
This book provides a thorough and complete examination of each of the parables in Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary. Each parable study 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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Defining Moments Cycle B
$14.95Add to cartThe Old Testament readings in the lectionary are often neglected during the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons in favor of the more direct and easier-to-preach New Testament passages. William Self brings his creative imagination to these scriptural passages and gives them new life for the preacher.
The sermons of this veteran preacher are written with the pew in mind. They are for people who hurt, for people who wait, for people who face defining moments, and for churches that struggle to proclaim the Gospel. Amply illustrated from life and literature, these sermons can be read for inspiration by lay persons and clergy alike.
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Ashes To Ascension Cycle B
$12.95Add to cartThese sermons lift up the themes of suffering, reconciliation, and the unmerited goodness of God extended to all through Jesus Christ. Stroman never loses sight of the kerygma in his tightly packed messages. He addresses a world where hatred and violence prevail with the message of divine love, which has enriched souls and kindled faith throughout the centuries.
Titles include:
Beginning The Journey To Calvary — 2 Corinthians 5:20b
Once And For All — 1 Peter 3:18a
Promises — Promises — Romans 4:21
The Right Person For The Job — Hebrews 5:5-10
Life – And Then Some — 1 John 5:9-13
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Partners In Ministry
$21.99Add to cartCould you use a partner in your ministry? Utilize the laity! Writing from the standpoint that ministry is the fundamental vocation of all Christians, the authors provide practical guidance on how the work of clergy and laity complements and strengthens each other; understanding of the functions of each; and direction on building ministry teams.
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New Beginning For Pastors And Congregations
$29.00Add to cartThis wise and practical guide provides clear insight for both pastors and congregations on how to begin a healthy, productive new pastorate or make a fresh start in an ongoing ministry. Author Kennon L. Callahan, today’s most sought-after church consultant, has conferred with thousands of pastors and congregations, helping them discover their strengths and gifts and showing them how to work together in service to their community and mission. Here he offers fresh suggestions on how pastors and congregations can ensure a solid future together, whether they are newly beginning or beginning again.
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Connecting With The Congregation
$20.99Add to cartWhether you know it or not, the timeless principles of rhetoric are at work in your preaching. When you take time to master this ancient art form, you’ll learn to consider not only what you’re saying but where, how, and to whom you’re saying it. You’ll soon get your message across with new power!
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Videos That Teach
$22.99Add to cartWith Videos That Teach you can use clips from 75 of the best recent movies on video — already collected and organized by topic and Bible reference, complete with start and stop times — to illustrate your lessons and launch provocative discussions among your students. Discussions that get kids talking about themselves and life, about God and the Bible. Browse the book to find the movie clip you like, or use one of the Quick Clip Locators (by topic of Bible reference) to quickly find the perfect reinforcement for your lesson. Or build an entire lesson from a clip–with each clip are summaries of the movie and the clip, start and stop times, Bible references, and discussion starting questions. And given the breadth of movies in Videos That Teach you’re almost guaranteed to find what you want for a topic to teach of a discussion to lead — Forrest Gump, The Spitfire Grill, Michael, City Slickers, Romeo and Juliet (1996), Grand Canyon, Mrs. Doubtfire, Naked Fun, Fried Green Tomatoes, Mr. Holland’s Opus. And lots more. Whether you’re a youth worker, Bible study or small-group leader, or Sunday school teacher, with Videos That Teach you’ll get your students thinking biblically instead of merely absorbing passively.
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Modern Preacher And The Ancient Text
$38.99Add to cartHow to choose and isolate a coherent section of Scripture, outline the main points, decide on a universal principle, choose alternate ways to preach the material (e.g., didactive, narrative, or textual), and deliver it in a creative, imaginative fashion.
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Feminist And Womanist Pastoral Theology
$29.99Add to cartIn the last decade, the focus of pastoral theology has shifted dramatically from care defined as counseling to care understood within a wider social, political, and religious context. Feminist and womanist theory as well as feminist and womanist faith convictions have played a key role in this development. This collection of essays identifies the many changes occurring in definitions of pastoral theology, care, and counseling; defines and develops new methods and approaches; and attends to the implications of these changes for congregational care and theological education
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Creative Bible Lessons In 1-2 Corinthians
$24.99Add to cartChristian adolescents in the 21st century face pretty much the same situations as the first-century Christians in Corinth did — an indulgent, profligate, choose-your-own-god society. The latest in the Creative Bible Lessons series, Creative Bible Lessons in 1 & 2 Corinthians is a 12-lesson curriculum with an issues-oriented spin on living one’s faith in the real world. It lets teenagers wrestle with the tension between biblical instruction and cultural realities. These 12 studies about the not-so-easily-tamed people of Corinth and their founding pastor Paul of Tarsus pave the way for youth workers and Sunday school teachers to teach high schoolers about conversion, transformation, failure, leadership, authority, and God’s constant saving love even in the midst of people making a mess of things. Here are some of the not-so-ancient issues you’ll explore in this study: Give Me Liberty or Give Me Love, Friends Don’t Let Friends Go Unforgiven, Those Pesky STDs (Sexually Tough Decisions), Love Is . . ., No Easy Answers, Show Me the Money, and Ouch! Of course, there’s lots of what the Creative bible Lessons series is known for: provocative and relevant discussion starters, to-the-point scripts, high-energy games, reproducible pages of interactive activities — all in the context of hard-core Bible study
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Wild Truth Journal Pictures Of God
$22.99Add to cartWe can’t “see” our invisible God. Fortunately, Scripture uses lots of metaphors, providing us “pictures” of his nature. By picturing God as an artist, baby, lion, dad, and more, your junior highers will discover God’s character traits, what he does, and how it changes their own thoughts and behavior. Features 50 journaling devotions.
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Reenvisioning Theological Education A Print On Demand Title
$29.99Add to cartThe future of the church in North America must include the recovery of its missional identity. Robert Banks does a masterful job of taking the fact seriously and bringing it to bear on the way we do seminary education. His analysis is thoroughly grounded inthe ferment of recent decades about the character of theological education. Based on that, he dares to open up a spacious vision for the reformantion of church ministry and seminary education along lines that a missional model wourl require. All of us in the seminary establishment will have to engage the issue he raises and give serious consideration to what a missional understanding of the church implies about training for pastoral leadership.
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Medieval Church
$60.99Add to cartFervently committed to God, gifted preachers have left us a priceless legacy in their proclamation of the Word. Old explores a thousand years of medieval preaching, from sixth-century Byzantium to Renaissance Italy. His in-depth analyses of medieval sermons illuminate the rich diversity of faith in this golden age of church history.
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Reclaiming Your Story
$24.00Add to cart“Healing you inner child” is common cliche for one of the imperatives of popular psychology: overcoming childhood patterns of relationship and self-understanding in order to become an independent, mature adult. Taking this thinking deeper, Jordan argues that we must examine the dynamics in our families of origin in order to rid our psyches of hurtful assumptions about our spiritual selves and about the nature of God’s love for us.
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32 Ways To Become A Great Sunday School Teacher
$25.99Add to cartSo you finally volunteered to teach Sunday school. Don’t panic! This resource will teach you how to effectively study a Bible passage, use questions in teaching, create a positive classroom atmosphere, and much more. Whether you’re a first-time teacher or a seasoned veteran, this invaluable guide will help you find your way!
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Imagining A Church In The Spirit A Print On Demand Title
$23.99Add to cartEveryone has an opinion about why mainline churches are declining, but few provide concrete, workable ideas to help stem the tide. As an academic, Johnson effectively couples his suggestions with McDonald’s pastoral experience. Together, they seek to re-energize the body of Christ with new vision.
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1 Church Many Congregations
$22.99Add to cartDoes your church struggle to reach your surrounding neighborhoods because of social boundaries? The Key Church Strategy presents the Christian message in a way that respects the indigenous concerns of different cultural groups. Discover how 300 churches in 27 states have used this outreach plan to link traditional and nontraditional congregations under a single sponsoring church!.
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Gods Wisdom
$33.00Add to cartAn understanding of the educational process in theological terms. Hodgson argues that God’s Wisdom, which is incarnate in paradigmatic teachers like Jesus, forms and transforms humans by evoking critical thinking, heightened imagination, and liberating practice. Sheds new light on liberal education.
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How To Meet In Homes
$11.95Add to cartThis book is an invitation to revolution!
Warning: Do not read this book if you enjoy Sunday morning church services!
This book is for those believers, be they Catholic, Protestant, Conservatives, Fundamentalists, or Pentecostal/Charismatics who want to utterly abandon it all, from top to bottom, and start over in a way that is a revolutionary, radical departure from all present-day church practices. -
Practical Theology A Print On Demand Title
$48.99Add to cartThough the field of practical theology has developed rapidly in recent years, little work has been done to build a solid theoretical foundation for the discipline. This erudite work by a leading international figure in the field offers one of the first attempts to formulate a complete theory of practical theology for scholars, teachers, students, and those directly involved in pastoral ministry.
Designed to serve as a reference tool, this volume provides the necessary theoretical discussion for work in the entire discipline of practical theology. Gerben Heitink first surveys the historical development of practical theology from the thought of Schleiermacher to the present. He then outlines the theoretical aspects of practical theology, looking especially at the hermeneutical, empirical, and strategical points of view. Finally Heitink discusses the various contexts in which practical theology takes place.
Conversant with ministerial practices worldwide and sensitive to all church traditions, Heitink’s Practical Theology is the best one-volume work available on the subject.
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Waking To Gods Dream
$20.99Add to cartBone-weary pastors can easily slip into survival mode, leading to spiritual stagnation for themselves and their flock. Relating his own brush with burnout, Wills shares how his large church went from decline to dynamic growth. Learn how the personal commitment of his leaders—more than mere innovation—helped infect the congregation with a vision for outreach.
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4 Pages Of The Sermon
$30.99Add to cartDiscover a new method of organizing both the preparation and content of your sermons! Wilson focuses on what he calls the “four pages” of a sermon, each addressing a different theological and creative component. Amply illustrated with examples from contemporary sermons, this guide provides a fresh approach to the sustained discipline of sermon preparation..
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Uncommon Minister 1
$5.00Add to cart“Power Principles for Hitting Your Target for Success in Ministry”
Volume 1When God wants to touch a nation, He raises up a preacher.It is uncommon men and Women of God who have driven back the darkness and shielded the unlearned and rebellious from devastation by satanic forces. An Uncommon Minister is prepared through season of pain, encounters with God, and mentors. Having sat at the feet of uncommon mentors his entire life, Dr. Murdock shares practical but personal keys to increase the excellence and productivity of your ministry “The Uncommon Minister” is handy, convenient and easy to read. Your load will be lighter, your journey happier,and your effectiveness increased in “doing the will of the Father”.
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Stewardship Scrapbook
$24.00Add to cartThis remarkable book represents the very best of William Phillippe’s lifelong stewardship files: materials he has used in four decades of training, talks, and sermons about giving to the church. It includes biblical texts, sermons, sermon ideas, inspiring stories, quotations, and other miscellaneous suggestions and aids for ministers, lay leaders, and others interested in the many facets of stewardship.
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Praising God : The Trinity In Christian Worship
$26.00Add to cartExplores ways to enrich the language of Christian worship while remaining faithful to the church’s affirmation of God as Trinity. The authors encourage gender-inclusive language for the Trinity, and offer pastoral and theological suggestions about trinitarian language in the worship service.
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Seeing Through Our Tears
$16.00Add to cartHere is a book that will enlighten and encourage all who struggle to understand and come to terms with their own tears-as well as those people who care for them. In a style that is at once engaging, psychologiclaly sound, and wonderfully faith-filled, Bagby presents a journey to understanding and wholeness.
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5 Star Church (Reprinted)
$18.00Add to cartEver wonder how a restaurant or hotel earns a five-star rating? Is it the people? The location? The service? In most cases, it is all of this and more. Why should your church be any different? The Five Star Church reveals how you can pursue Christian excellence and uphold the Lord’s command to “honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). It contains tips, tools, and the inspiration you need to build a top-quality church that people will flock to and participate in. Now matter how small your ministry or budget, God can use your church effectively to make everyone there feel welcome and cared for–the marks of a five-star church!
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1 Bible Many Voices
$30.50Add to cartNo single approach to reading the Bible can do justice to its complex history and content. Gillingham, provides one of the most accessible and helpful introductions to the Bible. This volume clearly outlines the main issues in understanding Scripture and demonstrates, using Psalm 8 as an example, the best method for reading the Bible today.
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Preaching While The Church Is Under Reconstruction
$22.99Add to cartIn this book the author constructs a framework for how to preach in this time of transition and failing certainties. He demonstrtes that, enlivened by the work of God’s Spirit, it is possible to preach with vision and insight, and help God’s people perceive their place in the world which God is creating anew
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Pastor As Moral Guide
$25.00Add to cartAdultery, divorce, racism, teen pregnancy, white-collar crime, living wills — these are among the many complex moral issues that Christians face and for which they often seek guidance from their pastors. This book is designed to assist pastors in developing their skills in providing moral guidance to their parishioners in a culture characterized by both ethical confusion and increasingly complex moral choices. Rebekah Miles, a gifted thinker and writer, guides the reader through the landscape of the moral life and offers a simple but profound map of the moral terrain along with practical tools to enable pastoral caregivers to serve more effectively as moral guides.
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52 Arrival Activities For Childrens Choirs
$15.99Add to cartA collection of reproducible activities designed for use by children’s choir directors in the pre-rehearsal time when chilren are coming into choir rehearsal. Includes paper-and-pencil activities such as music word searches, music mazes, “find the picture,” musical symbols matching games, and other similar activities.
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Nailing Down A Board
$15.99Add to cartBased on his many years of experience serving on boards of churches, ministries, and charities, noted theologian Charles Ryrie offers practical advice applicable to a wide variety of organizations and ministries. Learn how to secure board members, train others to serve effectively, and make the most of meeting times
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Leading The Team Based Church
$36.00Add to cartTHE BIBLICAL CASE FOR TEAM-BASED MINISTRY: REFLECTING THE GOD WE SERVE.
Learning The Circle Dance Of God.Building On A Receptive Cultural Environment.
THE DANCE OF LEADERSHIP: BUILDING GRACEFUL MINISTRY TEAMS.
The Covenanting Team.
The Visionary Team.
The Culture-Creating Team.
The Collaborative Team.
The Trusting Team.
The Empowering Team.
The Learning Team.
Epilogue: A Word Of Encouragement.
Resource: Two Examples Of Staff Covenants.
References.
Index.
Additional Info
In Leading the Team-Based Church, George Cladis issues a clarion call for ministry teams to embrace a fresh leadership model that is not based on hierarchy, but on a process of collaboration that mirrors the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He reminds us that today’s cultural environment–where authority has basis in trust, innovation reaps rewards, and spirituality takes root in life and work–has matured past the need for the hierarchy of traditional church leadership where the pastor had the final say. Through down-to-earth stories from his own experience and those of clergy in both mainline and evangelical churches, Cladis offers an exciting alternative to the traditional forms of church leadership, enabling pastors, congregational leaders, and staff to breathe new life into their ministries and unleash the full potential of the entire ministry team.Cladis, pastor of a fast-growing mainline congregation, demonstrates how cultural changes affecting all our institutions–not just the church–are making it easier to adopt this new model of leadership. Cladis’s practical advice will enable ministry teams to work together in ways that both embody the Christian message and call forth the full creativity and love of the entire team.
“Just when it seems that all that can be said has been said on the subject of ‘teams’, just when one has tired of the gumming of the label ‘team’ on everything in sight, along comes perhaps the most significant religious book on teams yet published. Cladis juxtaposes the theological and cultural context for team-based ministry in a model presentation of what a conversation between Bible, theology, and culture should look like.”–Leonard Sweet, dean, The Theological School and vice president, Drew University
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Beyond Silence And Denial
$38.00Add to cartIn the past two decades, most of the literature on death and dying has been written from the perspective of psychology or New Age spirituality. This comparative silence on the part of Christian writers has meant that a renewed awareness of the “naturalness” of death has not brought with it a deepened appreciation of the place of death in biblical faith. Bregman re-connects these strands of thought by bringing a biblically informed mode of spiritual refection into conversation with the current literature on grieving, loss, and suffering.
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Pastoral Counseling
$32.00Add to cartIn this invaluable resource for pastors and seminars, James Dittes offers answers to some of a minister’s most basic counseling questions: How do I guide counseling conversations yet empower those who feel helpless? How do I negotiate relationships with people who I may counsel on one day and from whom I must seek housing allowance on the next? Can I be psychologically adept while remaining theologically faithful?
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Jesus And Personality Theory
$32.99Add to cartIn recent years researchers in human personality have come to a rarely achieved near unanimous conclusion: human personality is structured around a very few major traits, probably five in number, namely: openess to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. How does this Five-Factor Model fit with a Christian understanding of human nature? How does it compare or contrast with the way Jesus lived, taught and counseled? James Beck looks at prominent themes in the teaching and ministry of Jesus and how they relate to the five personality factors. Here is a study of the Christian implications of the new model – a study that will offer fresh insights for students, pastors and therapists alike.
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Standing On The Rock
$17.99Add to cart1. A Place To Stand
2. The Way God Speaks
3. Positive Evidence For The Bible
4. Underdstanding God’s Book
5. Alleged Problems In The Bible
6. The Most Useful Thing In The World
7. The Sufficiency Of Scripture
195 PagesAdditional Info
Do we have reason to believe, not only that the Bible is God’s Word, but that it it God’s unique revelation, without error and sufficient in every way for our salvation? Can we understand the Bible and defend it against the attacks of critics and skeptics?
Dr. James Montgomery Boice answers these questions with a resounding “Yes!” and presents overwhelming evidence that, not only has God spoken through His Word, but He has communicated a trustworthy and authoritative message. And it is a message that we can understand.
Throughout the ages, the Bible has stood as a rock of refuge for God’s people. This practical book will help readers discover anew the spiritual blessing of standing on the Rock. -
Drama Skits And Sketches 2
$24.99Add to cartHere are 62 brand-new, youth-group-tested scripts you can use to introduce a topic with flair . . . To retell a Bible story with humor . . . To apply your lessons with poignancy. And they’re flexible, too — have fun with them as informal, no-prep reader’s theater, or rehearse them seriously for polished performances. – Scripture Sketches . . . Don’t despair if your students can’t tell the difference between Beelzebub and Barnabas — the Bible will be brought to life for them as they act out scriptural episodes, stories, and passages. (And on page 6 is an index to all this book’s scripts by Bible reference. Teaching the Prodigal Son? 1 Corinthians? Exodus? We’ve got a script for you!) – Contemporary Sketches . . . Off with the togas, on with the tank tops. Here are right-now, real-life scripts for everything from event announcements (that you can tailor to your own events) to dealing with emotional scars. Thanks to the topical index on page 7, you can zip right to the script that fits your meeting. – TV Takeoffs . . . In a TV world of talk shows and sitcoms, sketches based on TV shows always kick off lively discussions. Since all these scripts are also humorous, they’re great as openers at camps and conferences, too. – Monologues . . . Does your youth group’s dramatic talent reside in only one or two students? Or do you want to raise interest in starting a drama ministry? A monologue is your ticket — one-person scripts that require little or no costumes or props, yet can be as powerful as a three-act play. – To the Tune of CCM (And More) . . . Take the music many of your students listen to, and use it for dramatic purposes! These scripts each use a song by a Christian artist (or a song whose lyrics encourage or challenge Christians).
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Breaking Free : Understanding Sexual Addiction And The Healing Power
$22.99Add to cartThe world is awash in sex. When this ever-present temptation mixes with human weaknesses and unmet needs, many get pulled into addiction to sexually sinful behavior. Is there any hope? Willingham speaks from his own experience and that of the many men he has counseled. His answer is, “Yes! There is hope.” True stories show how the principles in this book can be put into action. The essentials are spelled out in practical steps that can help people begin to break free. The author deals with such issues as: what all addicts have in common, the hunt of the malnourished heart, wrestling with shame and grace, and the healing effect of radical honesty.
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Dying For A Drink
$12.50Add to cartThis book recounts the powerful story of how a pastor successfully recovered from the disease of alcoholism. Alexander DeJohn talks openly about his long onetime struggle with alcoholism-his descent into heavy drinking, his shame and his fears of discovery, and his growing understanding of the disease through his family’s support group therapy, and the care of a Christian physician. More than just a moving story, this book also offers hope as it helps readers understand the social, medical, and psychological elements of this widespread disease.
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Pastoral Care Of Gays Lesbians And Their Families
$20.00Add to cartAdvisory: Some of the views put forth in this book challenge the traditionally accepted teachings on the issue of homosexuality and the Christian faith. Fills a gap in the Creative Pastoral Care and Counseling series, addresses the needs of both gays and lesbians and their families, and involves congregations in the pastoral ministry to gays, lesbians, and their families.
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When A Baby Dies
$9.99Add to cart“Is my baby with God now?” What does the Bible say to such a question? What hope does it offer parents grieving the loss of a precious child? The answers are merciful. However, the implications are not simple. Is God a Universalist? Is there salvation after death? What is the role of infant baptism? And what about the doctrine of depravity? If a baby is born into sin, then what? What happens to the unborn — to the miscarried and the aborted? For pastors looking for biblical grounds to offer comfort and assurance, and for parents seeking solace for their grief, When a Baby Dies offers insights that are rich in hope and grounded solidly in Scripture.
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Boyds Recititation And Dialogue
$9.99Add to cartPlays and programs for special days, including Bible Day, Children’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Valentine’s Day. Also includes welcomes and responses. Every church has those significant days and special events which relate to its history and its ongoing opportunities to celebrate pivotal events in society.
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Still More Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks
$22.99Add to cartA captivating, skillfully chosen illustration communicates more, is remembered longer, and has greater impact than thousands of words that offer abstract truth but tell no story. Jesus knew the value of story. He consistently sprinkled his talks with parables, stories, and illustrations to drive home the point He was making. In the best-selling tradition of Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks and More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks, comes a third volume of lively, effective illustrations, stories, parables, and anecdotes, compiled by veteran youth worker Wayne Rice. Some will make listeners laugh, some will make them cry, and all of them will make kids think. This all-new collection of illustrations comes from the personal files of many of today’s most popular youth speakers. Guaranteed teenager friendly, Still More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks will give a youth minister fresh ways to help kids understand and apply important truths for their lives.
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Premarital Guidance
$23.00Add to cartHere’s the authoritative source for counseling couples who plan to wed. Taylor discusses the four aspects of premarital care; skills for couple care; counseling session components and topics; common couple tasks; the teaching of Scripture; and wedding preparation. He also helps you establish church policies for counseling and the wedding service itself.
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Ephphatha Open Up
$17.95Add to cartThis series of thirteen lessons will help children learn to respect persons with disabilities and treat them with compassion. Stories, skits, games, and role-playing will teach them that God loves each person individually, no matter how different they may be from one another.
Ephphatha! Open Up! is a series of thirteen lessons to help children accept persons with disabilities and treat them with compassion. Stories, skits, games, and role-playing enhance students’ understanding of those with physical handicaps, including blindness and hearing impairment, and those with learning disabilities.
Each lesson can be used individually or in random order for Sunday school classes, retreats, kids’ clubs, or fellowship gatherings with intergenerational settings.
The goal of this curriculum is to challenge young people to understand, accept, and value the special gifts given to us as children of God. Both children and adults will benefit from these presentations as they become aware that God loves each person individually, no matter how different they may be from one another.
The lessons for this series were prepared by The Disabilities In Ministries Committee of the North Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church, and includes the following contributors: Carol and David Black, Galveston; Rev. Sherrie Drake, Muncie; Rev. Robert Jarboe, Huntington; Dr. Ralph Karstedt, Bremen; Verna Neigigh, Bremen; Rev. Tim Powers, Morocco; Dr. Joe Smith, Kentland; and Betty Stewart (Chairperson), Plymouth.
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Bright Intervals
$14.95Add to cartThese services with meditations are appropriate for any setting or occasion, but are especially useful for worship services in health care centers, retirement homes, and hospitals. Themes will have special meaning for older adults, while humor and narrative stories enliven the message.
These brief worship services with pastoral meditations are appropriate for any informal setting or special occasion. They will be particularly helpful for those who plan worship services for health care centers, retirement homes, hospitals, and nursing homes.
The selected theme of each meditation and service are of broad interest to a wide age spectrum, but will have special meaning for older adults. Beringer uses both humor and narrative stories to enliven the message.
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Patterns Of Preaching
$29.99Add to cartThirty-four different ways of creating sermons with chapters introduced by and examples given from princes of the modern pulpit: Long, Mitchell, Craddock, Buttrick, Lowrie, Troeger, etc. “A good reference for anyone wanting to cultivate a more diverse homiletical repertoire,”
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Professors Who Believe
$30.99Add to cartIVP Print On Demand Title
Is academia as hostile to Christianity as some would have us believe? Here are 22 outstanding tales of Christian faculty in various disciplines who have wrestled with faith and intellect: David Lyle Jeffrey, Glenn Tinder, Edwin Yamauchi, Marvin Olasky . . . A wonderful gift for the college-bound
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Living On The Border Of The Holy
$30.95Add to cartThere is a lot of tension in churches today about whose ministry is primary – that of the laity or of the clergy. Living on the Border of the Holy offers a way of understanding the priesthood of the whole people of God and the priesthood of the ordained by showing how both are rooted in the fundamental priestly nature of human life. After an exploration of the ministries of laity and ordained, Countryman examines the implications of this view of priesthood for churches and for education those studying for ordination.
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Competency Based Counseling
$19.00Add to cartPastoral caregivers will find in this book a counseling method that builds positively on the client’s strengths – a method that elicits resiliency, personal and community assets, and successful experiences from the client’s past in order to foster positive change in the present.
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Childrens Sermons To Go
$16.99Add to cartIt offers pastors and children’s worship leaders a year’s worth of sermons that help children learn about God and the Bible. Each lesson highlights a specific Bible verse and provides a insightful related children’s message complete with suggestions for easy to find visual props.
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What To Expect In Seminary
$28.99Add to cartMake the best of your seminary years instead of letting them frustrate you! Through the lens of spiritual formation, Cetuk examines your call, classroom learning, community life, field education, financial realities, and time management, stressing both the challenges and opportunities.
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Care Of Souls
$26.00Add to cart11 Chapters
Additional Info
For most of its history, one of the primary functions of the church was to provide spiritual guidance and advice for daily living. With the rise of professional psychology, however, Christian counseling began to adapt to the ways of this “science of the soul,” which has all too frequently ignored the spiritual element of human life.In Care of Souls, David Benner offers a timely reminder of the benefits of recapturing the place of the spiritual in psychological work. Among the many benefits for individuals who receive a combination of the best of modern therapy and biblical guidance are an increased feeling of personal value and a willingness to put God’s priorities above their own.
Benner’s account of Christianity’s historical practices of soul care and his comprehensive guide to providing authentic soul care today will be essential reading for Christian mental health professionals, pastors, and college and seminary students.
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Pastoral Care Of Older Adults
$17.99Add to cartBy the year 2000 more than half of mainline Protestants will be over the age of sixty. Older adults have special needs to which many pastors are not adequately prepared to minister. Pastoral Care of Older Adults addresses such problems, many of which were identified in an extensive survey of clergy. The book provides practical guidance for parish pastors, and other counselors, to deal with such issues as Alzheimer’s disease, the chronically ill, relocation, health crises, grief, depression, anxiety, gender differences, poverty, and the issues faced by the children of older adults.
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Dictionary Of Biblical Imagery
$70.00Add to cartThis unique reference offers an encyclopedic exploration of topics not found in ordinary Bible dictionaries—like the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors, and literary patterns of the Bible. With its right-brain (rather than left-brain) approach, this warm and creative study resource examines the artistic expressions that fascinate and puzzle Christians.
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Tending The Flock
$40.00Add to cartMany churches are unprepared to face the challanges inherent in family life today. Others, though, have developed innovative and exciting responses. In this book, case studies provide insights and stategies to help develop a practical theological perspective on family ministry. This new perspective represents a fresh and powerful witness to the place of families within contemporary communities of faith.
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Letters Of Paul (Large Type)
$33.00Add to cartThis resource is intended to help people who are reading through Paul’s letters for the first time or are reading them again for a new look. It is designed to give the context of these letters, enabling readers to better interpret them. It is also designed to assist the non-specialist work through these sometimes difficult epistles. This 4th edition contains an expansion of the chapter, “Currents and Crosscurrents”, additions to the bibliography, as well as changes to the language and references in each chapter, bringing up to date this valuable resource.
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Planning Blended Worship
$24.99Add to cartPlanning Blended Worship: The Creative Mixture of Old and New is a guide to planning creative worship for congregathat follow the traditional fourfold pattern of worship (gathering, word, table, and dismissal), as well as for those who prefer a free-church, evangelical style or more contemporary or blended approaches to worship. Robert Webber designed this volume to show pastors, music directorand other worship leaders the practical, structural, and theological steps for designing worship services characterized by biblical depth, historical awareness, and contemporarelevance. The author includes charts and forms at the end of each chapter that clearly show how music and other arts can be integrated with liturgical texts.
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Remembered Voices : Reclaiming The Legacy Of Neo Orthodoxy
$33.00Add to cartHall demonstrates the continuing relevance of several of this century’s greatest theologians–Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, H. Richard Niebuhr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Emil Brunner, and Suzanne de Dietrich – suggesting that their neo-orthodox roots have much more in common than is traditionally acknowledged. Suitable for classroom use and individual study, Remembered Voices is a highly accessible introduction to twentieth century theologians.
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Pastor As Spiritual Guide
$18.99Add to cartDiscover a fresh approach to pastoring that can help you avoid burnout, approach your leadership responsibilities with more imagination and understanding, and measure ministerial “success” in new ways. Rice presents spiritual guidance as the principal paradigm for ministry, providing a unique treatment of the task of pastor in all aspects of church life.
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Exploring The New Testament World
$26.99Add to cartThe timeless message of the New Testament applies to people of every culture and generation. Yet there is great value in understanding the world in which that message was first revealed – its social manners, politics, religious customs, and culture. Exploring the New Testament World, written by classics and Bible scholar Dr. Albert A. Bell, Jr., illuminates the living context of the New Testament, immersing its readers in the intriguing world of Jesus and the early church. An authority on ancient Greek and Roman language, culture, and history, Dr. Bell writes in a readable style that is accessible and enjoyable to any reader – an uncommon accomplishment among New Testament scholars today. Surveying Jewish factions of the era, the social and political structure of the Roman Empire, and the philosophies and religions that surrounded the early church, Dr. Bell helps his readers learn to think like first-century Jews, Greeks, and Romans, illuminating puzzling New Testament passages for clear understanding. Comprehensive Scripture and Subject Indexes make this volume even more useful as a “manners and customs” Bible companion. This authoritative guide receives high praise from college professors and Sunday school teachers alike, proving its appeal to both popular and academic audiences. A “must-have” reference for every pastor and an indispensable resource to any Bible reader.
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Performing The Word
$22.99Add to cartWhether they like it or not, actors and preachers have a great deal in common. Many churchgoers see the truth in the old saying that links preachers and frustrated actors, though few preachers seem anxious to acknowledge the family resemblance. Performing the Word destigmatizes the performance-based approach to preaching and shows how the experience, skills, and modi operandi of actors and performance artists may be applied to preaching. This volume is ideal for seminary students and preachers who wish to enrich their delivery and creativity skills.
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Church Communications Handbook
$22.99Add to cartPrint on Demand Title
An experienced speaker and author on communication issues, Wanda Vassallo provides a comprehensive look at structuring all forms of communication in the local church. She stresses the importance of and shows how to develop an overall communications plan. She discusses issues such as how to advertise, how to talk with the media to get out your message, how to communicate effectively with church members, and how best to utilize technology.
This new resource incorporates the developments of recent technology into a practical reference tool for pastors, parachurch ministry heads, church secrectaries, and other church staff members. Helpful forms, checklists for planning and tracking progress, and examples of materials from cutting-edge churches make this an invaluable addition to your library. -
Revolution In Leadership
$25.99Add to cartEquipping God’s people for the ministry to which they are called can no longer be the responsibility solely of professional clergy. Increasingly we see that a new team of leaders, drawn from the membership of each congregation or its community, is arising to meet the challenges that ministry in the third millenium will present. Yet where, and how, will these leaders be trained?
