Pastoral Helps
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Designing Effective Womens Ministries
$24.99Add to cart5 Parts
Additional Info
Do you have a vision for women’s ministry? Here’s how to make it a reality.For nearly 25 years, Elmbrook Church in Waukesha, Wisconsin, has supported a variety of ministries by and for women. Today their program stands as a model. Yet, as the authors of Designing Effective Women’s Ministries will tell you, it did not happen overnight, but through trial and error.
In this book, the authors share what worked for them and what didn’t. They explain how to start where you are, with what you have, and how to do what God wants you to do.
This book includes tips and techniques for establishing groups and programs that meet the needs of today’s women. The book shows how to develop programs that are specifically tailored to your church and your community.
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Peace : Christian Living In A Violent World
$6.99Add to cartDiscover the potential for peacemaking and peace in each day’s events and especially in the ways you touch one another’s lives. These are troubled times and violent times. Experience the power of God’s gift of peace as you probe ways to solve differences and pursue justice with faith and courage in daily life. Six lessons.
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Faith : Confidence And Doubt In Daily Life
$6.99Add to cartWhat does Christian faith have to do with our ordinary day-to-day life? This question is presented in personal ways for you and your small group. Explore faith in life-cycle experiences–moods and situations, joy and discouragement, confidence and doubt.
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Faithquakes
$26.99Add to cartIn this book Leonard Sweet invites the church to take more than a stand, but to begin to take an active role in compliance with the time we live in. With up-to-the-minute monitoring of changes and trends that affect our lives, Sweet provides refreshingly unconventional glimpses into the future that must be grasped by church leaders. We learn: how to pursue a more effective, “go and tell” evangelism that reaches the “cocooning” culture; how to rekindle Christian imagination through sensuality, virtual reality, and energized prayer, music, or spiritual experience; how the church can open house for all of God’s people, and more!
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Conflict Mediation Across Cultures
$32.00Add to cartAugsburger boldly suggests that we can even reach the point of enjoying differences once we learn how to understand the cultural, psychological and social background from which these emerge. Oh yes, the spiritual and religious issues are also a vital part of the total scenario which produces conflict.
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Hum : Call And Response In African America Preaching
$20.99Add to cartIn The Hum: Call and Response in African Preaching, Evans E. Crawford, with Thomas H. Troeger, relates his analysis of African American folk preaching by relying upon an indigenous scheme for evaluation. The call/response tension in black preaching (derived from a West African tradition) is what drives the musicality of speech in black churches. Crawford refers to this musicality as “hum thoughts” and one can imagine the choir responding with a low rumbling hum to the musical intonations of a motivated preacher.
Key features: a new volume in the Abingdon Preacher’s Library, edited by Thomas H. Troeger; a different approach to preaching, firmly rooted in the black experience; leads the reader to understand preaching as an oral event; uses the term “homiletical musicality” to describe the musical understanding of the way sermons are heard and the oral response they awaken in the listener; and, coins new phrases for describing the preaching event.
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Turnaround Strategies For The Small Church
$22.99Add to cartIn Turnaround Strategies for the Small Church, the author shows what kind of leadership, evangelism, and outreach will bring about a desirable turnaround. He provides specific actions that will develop the skills of those who minister in the life of a small church, and helps pastors and other church leaders evaluate their ministry objectively, thereby enhancing their daily practice of ministry.
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Godly Play : An Imaginative Approach To Religious Education
$19.00Add to cart1. Playing And Reality
2. An Adult At Play
3. Children At Play
4. The Spoken Lesson
5. The Unspoken Lesson
6. The Imagination And Godly Play
7. The Theology Of ChildhoodAdditional Info
Meaningful, lasting learning comes from childlike curiosity and play. The approach of this book is to make relgious instruction fun, spontaneous and deeply spiritual. Godly Play is a practical yet innovative approach to religious education–becoming childlike in order to teach children. -
Hiroshima And Nagasaki Memories And Questions
$12.95Add to cartOf all the anniversaries associated with the end of World War II-the liberation of the death camps, Hitler’s suicide, the forming of the United Nations organization, etc. — the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is the only event that engenders controversy among Americans.
This book of resources for the local church commemorated the tragic destruction of those two cities. Included is a chancel drama (dramatic dialogue) in which the pacifist Albert Einstein and the builder of the bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, debate its use. There is also an order of service which remembers the sufferings of those killed and injured without placing collective guilt and national recrimination. And there are several chapters of topics for discussion which canvass all viewpoints. All generations will find this material enlightening and fascinating.
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Diaconate
$54.95Add to cartHere is a highly readable, comprehensive, and definitive work on the diaconate. Drawing upon original sources., the book provides valuable insights into the development of the office of the deacon in the early church and situates it within the context of the church’s total ministry. The book ultimately proposes a restoration of the office to its original place as a full and equal order.
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Whispering The Lyrics Cycle A
$14.95Add to cartBased on texts from the Revised Common and Catholic lectionaries, Thomas Long provides inspirational messages to motivate and help preachers through their most difficult preaching time of the year, the seasons of Lent and Easter.
The road to Easter takes us through the most sacred stretch of the Gospel story, and the narratives simply overwhelm us … Congregations who blithely assume that their pastor eagerly relishes the chance to preach the passion and resurrection of Jesus are, for the most part, mistaken. To be sure the pews are more crowded as Easter approaches, the choirs are well-rehearsed and in full voice, and an electric charge courses through the sanctuary, but the preacher stands there with the obligation to proclaim the truths of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and it seems, at one and the same time, to be a set of claims too little to go on in a secular and cynical age and a range of mysteries too profound to speak. (from author’s foreword)
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Critique Of Modern Youth Ministry
$7.00Add to cartThe church today does not expect what it ought to from children and their parents, and this can be attributed in large part to a flawed concept of youth ministry. This booklet discusses the reasons behind this problem and presents biblical solutions.
The intent of this booklet is to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.
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Words For Worship
$18.99Add to cartThis collection by Arlene M. Mark is a ready resource for pastors and leaders to enrich and deepen worship together. When offered in bulletins, these words can become congregational statements that unify believers and nourish faith and discipleship. Responsive readings come from all ages of the church- our common Christian legacy.
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Wrinkled Wrappings
$12.95Add to cartWrinkled Wrappings is a series of pulpit messages for Advent and Christmas carved from the pen and emanating from the heart of a distinguished preacher whose messages inspire hope in the hearts of believers. Brokhoff is especially skilled at relating biblical stories to modern life. The flowing style of these sermons is peppered with gripping illustrations that catch us where we are and carry us along as he shines the light of God’s Word into our lives.
Sermons are based on texts from Mark, Luke, John, and Isaiah.
Sermon titles include:
You’re Going To Have A Baby
Good News For Bad Times
God With A Human Face
Happy Next Year? -
Who Me Do A Program 1
$17.95Add to cartThe title of this book is a cry often heard by leaders of organizations. This resource is a response to that cry. Designed to be a 12-month guide, there are programs for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, the Christmas season, Lent and more.
The programs are designed for easy implementation at women’s meetings, youth gatherings and congregational events. Leader’s helps are provided to indicate what props, songs and readers are needed. This collection of 15 programs is reflective, at times humorous, and includes skits, meditations and other suggestions to fit particular seasons.Programs for various months include:
* February — A Heart Filled With Love
* March — From Slavery To Sainthood
* May — A Humorous Look At Some Hopeful Women
* July — God’s Picnic Basket
* August — The Armor Of God
* October — In Pursuit Of The Right Spirit
* November — The Exodus Murmurs
* … and eight more -
Preaching The Parables Series 2 Cycle A
$20.95Add to cartParables provide insights and lessons which are timeless. When they are employed in preaching the hearer receives images which are easy to remember. Preaching the Parables provides a means of communicating the teachings of Jesus for modern Christians.
With each parable Keeney includes:
Scripture Text -so readers don’t have to refer to the Bible
Theme
Context:
of the church year
of the passage or verse
of the other lections for the day
of the scriptures
of the pericope
Contemplation
Homily Hints
“Point of Contact”
“Points to Ponder”
Illustrative Materials -
Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series 5 Cycle A
$42.95Add to cartBigger, stronger, better! Russell Anderson has taken the most original and successful lectionary resource in history and improved on it. He has kept all of the traditional features that have made it a classic, such as: overviews of each liturgical season, commentaries compatible with the Revised Common and Roman Catholic lectionaries (plus Lutheran and Episcopal lections for those gradually converting to the Revised Common Lectionary), an introduction to the featured Gospel narrator (Matthew, in Cycle A), theological reflections for exploring the relationships between the texts, wide margins for note-taking and a stay-flat binding.
Instead of stopping there, though, he has added: a 7″ x 10″ one-size-fits-all format, a suggested sermon title for each week, a Sermon Angle which briefly explicates the theological theme for the day (sometimes providing two or three of them) and two to four illustrative stories per chapter.
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Invitations To The Light Cycle A
$12.95Add to cartThe fascination of story telling is felt in these eleven sermons for the Pentecost season. Vibrantly illustrated, they powerfully communicate the good news of God’s love. Wolkenhauer writes, “The use of story in preaching can be a memorable way to proclaim the Gospel. In these sermons I have sought a variety of examples for the use of story in sermons.
Included here are sermons for the final third of the Season after Pentecost, Christ the King Sunday, All Saints’ Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Reformation Sunday.
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Good News For The Hard Of Hearing Cycle A
$12.95Add to cartJesus spoke to people whose “hearts have grown dull, and their ears hard of hearing” — like today’s churchgoers who think they know what the preacher is going to say before the sermon begins. These sermons use parable and paradox, narrative and humor, imagination and solid biblical scholarship to tell the good news people don’t expect to hear.
I hear best what I want to hear and I shut out the things I don’t want to hear. I hear, “Great sermon, Pastor!” better than I hear, “I notice your hair is getting thinner” … I have no problem at all hearing the good news that I am forgiven. I have a really hard time hearing a parable that tells me I will suffer the tortures of the damned until I forgive. These sermons have been influenced by preachers who have gotten through to me despite my spiritual hearing impairment. Craddock, Buechner and Lowry … David Buttrick … Harry Emerson Fosdick … (from author’s preface)
Sermons in this book are based on lections for the middle third of the Season after Pentecost.
Sermon titles include:
Prayer and Compassion Fatigue — Matthew 14:13-21
Love Without Limits — Matthew 15:10-28
Good News: Life Is Not Fair — Matthew 20:1-16
Why Do We Ignore Warning Signs? — Matthew 21:33-46 -
Veiled Glimpses Of Gods Glory
$12.95Add to cartThis volume makes clear why Robert Grilley has won awards and wide acclaim for his preaching. These messages bring the reality of God to contemporary life.
He listens as we sometimes speak of how difficult it is to find God and how we receive only veiled glimpses of His glory. These sermons allow us to discover that the Almighty is actually trying to find us … as the love of One searching for absent sheep, crying aloud through the night in a familiar voice and reaching down steep ravines with his shepherd’s crook. It is the love of One waiting wistfully at the gate where the road winds in from a far country, tenderly whispering a name through choked tears and hoping that some day the silhouette of a long lost child will again appear on the horizon. -
Tenders Of The Sacred Fire Cycle A
$12.95Add to cartThese sermons are based on First Lesson lectionary texts for the first third of the Season after Pentecost, Cycle A.
[Bob Cueni’s] preaching meets the unspoken criteria most pew residents bring to a church sanctuary: 1) biblically rooted, 2) easy to understand, 3) tells me something about myself that I feel God wants me to know, and 4) encourages me to believe that I can apply this truth to my life…. His communication style evokes the highest praise pulpit residents can give their peers: “That will preach!”
Herb Miller Lubbock, TexasSermon titles include:
The Risky Business Of Faith — Genesis 12:1-9
When Life Doesn’t Go According To Plan — Genesis 21:8-21
Don’t Sell Your Inheritance For Cabbage Soup — Genesis 25:19-34 -
Jesus Epilogue To The Sermon On The Mount
$12.95Add to cartCharles Link takes the unique approach that the Lord’s Prayer is a further interpretation of Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount, summarizing the major themes of his teachings and providing a means for “signing on” to their morally demanding and culture countering ethics.
Designed with two six-chapter sections, its frequent references to the Lord’s Prayer make this book a useful companion to the Lord’s Prayer sermon series, A New Hearing Of An Old Prayer, by Thomas C. Short (CSS Publishing Co. 1995). In the first half of the book Link explores the realm of God. In the second half he outlines our role in that realm. Readers will particularly enjoy the author’s questions and group participation suggestions to stimulate their learning and growth. This book will give the Lord’s Prayer new meaning.
Chapter titles include:
Jesus As Teacher Of The Realm Of God
Trusting Our Parent-God
Forgiven Forgivers
An “Amen” People -
Mothers Of The Bible
$12.95Add to cartWe often hear of the lack of and the need for, strong role models in our society. This worship service, about 10 biblical women who overcame seemingly impossible situations by being faithful to God, provides just such role models, The traumatic experiences and depths of faith of these women, though poignant, are rarely considered in today’s society.
These 10 women came from various levels of society and had different types of problems. Yet, they all knew God as their only hope and refuge. An excellent resource for Mother’s Day, it is also great for other special occasions.
Characters included are:
* Hagar
* Sarah
* Moses’ mother
* Rahab
* Deborah
* Naomi and Ruth
* Hannah
* Esther
* Elizabeth -
Regarding Children
$28.00Add to cartThis series examines major changes that occur in the life cycle of a family: leaving home, becoming married, raising children, recommitting to a relationship–or committing to a new one–and living alone. Books address the major tasks of the family; rituals that enable effective transitions as those tasks change; beliefs and values from the Christian tradition that shape and are shaped by those family tasks; and pastoral opportunities in response to family life-cycle generations.
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1001 Humorous Illustrations For Public Speaking
$24.99Add to cartYou have something important to say. Are you sure your audience is listening? Clocks start ticking in the minds of your listeners the minute you begin your presentation. These clocks measure the amount of time you have to interest them before their attention wanders elsewhere. Could be three minutes. Could be thirty seconds. But make your audience laugh and they forget about their clocks. They are too busy listening. Make them laugh and they will listen. Humor is one of your most powerful tools as a speaker, and 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking lets you wield it with power. Michael Hodgin has compiled hundreds of humorous anecdotes on dozens of topics and brought them together in one book. From “Ability” and “Accidents” to “Work” and “Worship,” Hodgin’s illustrations are arranged according to topic and indexed to help you quickly find the perfect anecdote. The book also provides space to record the times and places you use each illustration, so no one will hear you tell the same joke twice. Ideal for preachers, teachers, executives, and anyone else who speaks publicly, 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking will keep your audience laughing — and listening to every word you say.
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Spiritual Life : The Foundation For Preaching And Teaching
$26.00Add to cartJohn Westerhoff offers this resource to help preachers and teachers revitalize their lives and ministries. Noting that the health of our spiritual life is based on our image of God, he asks readers to open their imaginations to new ways of knowing. Recognizing that the spiritual life can be fostered in many ways, he helps readers recognize which types of spiritual formation are most compatible with particular personality types.
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Preaching That Connects
$14.99Add to cartMaster the craft of effective communication that grabs attention and wins hearts. Like everyone else, preachers long to be understood. Unfortunately the rules first learned in seminary, if misapplied, can quickly turn homiletic precision into listening boredom. To capture both hearts and minds, Mark Galli and Craig Larson suggest preachers turn to the lessons of journalism. In Preaching that Connects they show how the same key used to create effective, captivating communication in the media can transform a sermon. Amply illustrated from some of today’s best preachers, Preaching that Connects walks through the entire sermon, from the critical introduction, to the bridge, to the illustrations and final application. Key points include the five key techniques for generating creative ideas, your six options for illustrations, and the ten rules for great story-telling — and why the transition sentence is the hardest sentence you’ll write. Preaching that Connects is for all who seek to hone their craft to communicate the truth of the Gospel effectively.
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Healers Harmed And Harmful
$21.00Add to cart“At a time when clergy misconduct is broadly reported, Conrad Weiser offers a straightforward, theoretically orthodox, and practical way of both understanding and addressing the issues. Leadership, laity, and clergy would be served well by reading and reflecting on Weiser’s wisdom.”
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Educating Congregations : The Future Of Christian Education
$22.99Add to cartA leading Christian educator offers a practical guide for revisioning a church’s educational program. After identifying the weaknesses in current education programs, Charles Foster offers an alternative vision that is more cooperative, more attentive to the whole of the congregation’s life, and that helps people critically correlate the Bible and Christian tradition to their own experience.
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Reclaiming The Bible
$30.00Add to cartIn this series of messages based on scripture, the author demonstrates the vital applications of the Bible for our own times. He illuminates the great words of faith for contemporary use–words like love, grace, and reconciliation. He interprets characters from the Bible, sheding modern light on the events of Jesus’ life. He also addresses social issues such as sexuality and violence, showing that the message of God’s grace is relevant for our time.
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I Come Away Stronger A Print On Demand Title
$39.99Add to cartMillions of Americans are joining small groups. Among the religious, prayer fellowships, accountability groups, house churches, Bible-study groups, and covenant groups are being touted as the wave of the future. But are small groups delivering what they promise? Are members really finding the support, encouragement, and deepening spirituality they seek? Or are the answers ambiguous?
I Come Away Stronger, the complement to Robert Wuthnow’s Sharing the Journey, presents fourteen case studies of small groups – from a women’s Bible study, to a peace fellowship, to a group for senior citizens. What small groups are like nationally and how their members understand spirituality can be gauged from the results of a national survey presented in the appendix.
This survey is given life and flesh in the extended portraits of each of the groups. These portraits are powerful and highly personal because they tell the stories, both collective and personal, of each group, revealing agreement and dissension, closeness and alienation, growth and stagnation. The result is an intimate inside look at the dynamics of small groups.
In a concluding chapter, Wuthnow places the small group movement in the changing context of American religion and society, showing why is has emerged and where it is headed, raising crucial questions that religious leaders and group members need to ponder as the movement continues to grow.
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Guide To Retreat For All Gods Shepherds
$23.99Add to cartA Guide To Retreat is designed to assist you in a time of reflection, prayer, and renewal. The resources included are intended to help you turn more fully towards God, to drink more deeply of God, and to prepare you for faithful ministry.
The author examines facing the desert times in our lives, explores personal identity and its meaning in ministry, and much more. A book for conducting one’s own ministerial/spiritual retreat, facing such concerns as “When All I Hear is Silence,” “The Tension Between Doing and Being,” and “Who Really Calls and Sends?”
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Marriage Manual A Print On Demand Title
$23.99Add to cartThis book is divided into two parts: Part 1: Arranging the Wedding: Present day concerns and celebrations Ministry before and after the ceremony Making the service more personal Conducting the service Music and the wedding Guidelines for weddings and receptions This edition contains the newest liturgies available from a variety of denominations. Part 2: Model Services A Classical Service A Baptist Service An Episcopal Service A Lutheran Service A Presbyterian Service A United Methodist Service The Blessing of a Civil Marriage
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Funeral Manual
$25.99Add to cart1. The Christian Funeral Service
2. Planning The Service
3. Conducting The Service
4. Music And Other Resources
5. The Funeral Sermon
6. Developing A Church Policy On Funerals
7. A United Methodist Service
8. An Episcopal Service
9. A Presbyterian Service
10. A Unite DChurch Of Christ Service
11. A Baptist Service
12. A Lutheran Service
13. Service For The Burial Of A Child
14. A Free ServiceAdditional Info
This book seeks to furnish working pastors with a selection of funeral services and to guide them in planning and conducting the funeral service. The book also offers help in developing a funeral policy in a local church and resources for educating a congregation in death, dying, and the Christian funeral service. -
Hospital Visitation Manual
$24.99Add to cartThis book is written primarily to enable the working pastor to become more effective in giving spiritual care both at home and in the hospital. The first four chapters of this manual will help you get acquainted with the hospital community and learn steps in visiting the sick. It also explains the pastor’s role with the sick and the patient’s relationship to the illness. Part two of this manual offers guidelines on pastoral care for specific types of patients; Aids patient, Burn patient, Cancer patient, Coronary patient, etc. The last part deals with services, prayers, poems, hymns, and selected Scripture passages.
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Finneys Systematic Theology (Expanded)
$45.00Add to cartTrue to Scripture, true to reason, and true to life.
Discover why these writings have been the impetus for revivals around the world.
Students of revival agree that Charles Grandison Finney spearheaded one of America’s greatest revivals and influenced the course of history. Church rolls swelled in the wake of Finney’s revivals. He is often directly or indirectly credited with the conversions of around 500,000 people.
Finney’s theological convictions were born in the fires of revival and shaped by a keen lawyer’s mind committed to the full authority of the Bible. He gave his life to promote: “The return to and practice of Biblical Christianity in the power of the Holy Spirit for the sake of God’s kingdom and glory.” The distinctive truths that Finney preached brought such a deep conviction of sin that today’s church does well when it studies his position on the moral government of God, the nature of man, the atonement, sovereignty, attributes of love, unity of moral action and regeneration.
This expanded volume represents the complete 1878 edition, two lectures of truth from the earlier 1847 and 1851 editions, a comprehensive introduction from L.G. Parkhurst, Jr., plus appendixes, a glossary, and a scripture index.
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Giving Birth
$40.00Add to cartThe birth of a child is important in the lives of women, families, and communities. But as a metaphor for pastoral practice, it is a sadly underdeveloped theme in theology and ministry. The author offers a remedy for this lack with this unique work, urging the incorporation into worship of Scripture with allusions to birthing–which would enliven the church’s theology.
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Days Are Surely Coming Cycle C
$12.95Add to cartIn Bethlehem the rules are different. We get by giving. We win by losing. We live by dying. These are principles set forth by a God who comes to us, not under Herod’s golden crown, but Jesus’ thorny crown, not with legions of soldiers, but legions of angels, not in great Jerusalem, but in tiny Bethlehem. Let us begin our journey there. From the Advent 3 sermon
Robert A. Hausman writes that once again in Advent, we tell Israel’s story of hope against hope. We believe the promise of a shoot coming forth from a dead stump, of a king who executes justice.
“In faith we are ready to be called by the name, ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ We remember not only the promise, but also the fulfillment,” says the author.
The 17 sermons in this book are based on the First Lesson texts primarily from Isaiah and Jeremiah. The sermons follow the Revised Common Lectionary.
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Out Of The Cults And Into The Church
$20.99Add to cart10 Chapters
222 PagesAdditional Info
There are plenty of books that tell you what a particular cult believes. “Out Of The Cults And Into The Church” shows you the turmoil and adjustments that former cult members experience as they grow in Christian faith and come to terms with bilical truth. Drawing upon the composite experiences of former cult members from Mormonism, the Unification Church, Hare Krishnas, and her own experience, Janis Hutchinson provides a one-of-a-kind counseling tool for pastors, counselors, and friends seeking to understand and help both former cult members and active cult members who are “investigating” evangelical Christianity. “Out Of The Cults And Into The Church” answers the difficult questions faced by all who have left cults and those who counsel them. -
Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks
$22.99Add to cartYour search for lively, effective illustrations to spice up your youth talks is over. Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks is here! Veteran youth worker and nationally-known speaker Wayne Rice has carefully selected and crafted 100 of the best stories, parables and anecdotes available anywhere.
Rice has assembled this collection of illustrations from his personal files and from the files of some of youth ministry’s best speakers, including:
Tony Campolo, Ray Johnston, Les Christie, Rick Bundschuh, Chap Clark, Ken Kageler, Dewey Bertolini, Mike Yaconellie and many more.These illustrations cover the spectrum-some will make you laugh, some will make you cry, and all of them will make you think. What they all have in common is that they work with teenagers. They’re just the thing to give your youth talks that extra spark you’re looking for.
You’ll love what Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks will do for your youth talks. And your kids will love you for it!
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Creative Bible Lessons From The Life Of Christ
$22.99Add to cartDo you want to teach solid Biblical truth to your kids without their eyes glazing over as soon as you say “open your Bibles”? Now you can, with Creative Bible Lessons on the Life of Christ. Veteran youth worker and Bible teacher Doug Fields has crafted 12 lively, ready-to-use lessons that actually make it fun to dig into Scripture. Fields utilizes creative learning techniques to spark your kids’ interest and keep them actively involved in each lesson, including: – Learning games . . . – Hilarious handouts – Art projects anyone can do . . . Challenging simulations – Thought-provoking worksheets . . . – Skits and roleplays These techniques are built into clear, easy-to-use lessons that keep your kids active as they absorb the Biblical truth of each lesson. Fields also provides you with a brief teaching outline in each lesson that you can present to bring the message home. Best of all, these lessons are so complete, they require very little preparation time. You’ll be able to build quality, creative Bible teaching into your busy schedule — with Creative Bible Lessons on the Life of Christ
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Everyday Anytime Guide To Christian Leadership
$12.00Add to cartThe Everyday, Anytime Guide to Christian Leadership is a book for you regardless of when or where you find yoursef leading. It provides a wonderful oppurtunity to learn about the real character of leadership from someone who models what he teaches.
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Islam : An Introduction For Christians
$19.99Add to cartWhat do Muslims believe? How do Muslims pray and worship? What are the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam? These and many other questions are answered in this informative introduction to Islam. Christians of all denominations will find reliable and up to date information on Islam and its relationship to Christianity. The first part of the book surveys the faith and life of Islam, exploring the subjects of the Qur’an, Muhammad, beliefs about God, justice and the law, women and family, death and eternal life. Part 2 tells about Islam in North America, both its early history and the current situatuion. Part 3 describes various groups and movements within Islam. Part 4 looks at Islam and Christianity, their encounters in history, the Bible and the Qur’an, and how Jesus is regarded by Muslims. Part 5 presents a Christian evaluation of Islam.
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Teaching For Spiritual Growth
$24.99Add to cartTeaching for Spiritual Growth deals with two important questions: 1) What does it mean to be spiritually mature ? and 2) What can the church do to help people grow spiritually? These questions are explored from the perspectives of theology, developmental psychology, and educational learning theory. The book integrates the three perspectives into a unified view of the teaching-learning process based on a biblical view of persons: 1. Theology: the divine side of spiritual growth. What does the nature of God tell us about teaching spiritual maturity? 2. Psychology: how God has designed people to grow. How does human development affect the process of achieving spiritual maturity? 3. Education: the learning process that produces spiritual growth. What is the process people go through to achieve spiritual maturity? The goal is to help readers develop a philosophy of Christian education that will be applicable to a variety of ministry contexts.
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Using Scripture In Pastoral Counseling
$20.99Add to cartDrawing on narrative biblical criticism and the psychology of narrative, the book suggests a model for pastoral counseling using Scripture to explore and release human possiblities. Detailed case studies are presented to depict the way the Bible can be used with counselees. Particular attention is given to pastoral counseling with individuals, marital couples, and families who bring to pastoral counseling a history of employing Scripture to bring order and meaning to their lives. Often, however, the biblical story seems to be secondary in their lives, and a more dominant and unhealthy story is primary. The method of using Scripture suggested in this book illuminates how the Bible story challenges and transforms unhealthy dominant stories that people bring to counseling.
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Community Of Joy
$22.99Add to cartIf congregations are to reach new generations of people, they must explore new styles of worship. Timothy Wright stikes a balance between liturgical worhip and worship that seeks to meet the needs of the unchurched and those who have a “hi-tech”, baby-boomer mentality. Written by a pastor in a vital and growing congregation, A COMMUNITY OF JOY suggests practical, innovative, and nontraditional forms of worship, enabling churches to minister more effectively.
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African American Church Growth
$20.99Add to cartAfrican American Church Growth offers 12 principles for prophetic ministry. Stewart contends that it is precisely the prophetic consciousness which appeals to many blacks of the post-civil rights era, and that emphasis on the prophetic will help bring the black church out of the disillusionment of a “post-civil rights malaise.”
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Social Context Of Pastoral Care
$40.00Add to cartBecause their work focuses primarily on the fields of theology and psychology, pastoral caregivers have often neglected to take into account the social forces that affect both the careseeker and the caregiver. Furniss introduces sociology as a third discipline to draw upon in their work. Biographical notes about key figures in sociology and a glossary are included.
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Old Wine In New Skins 1
$16.95Add to cart“Worship must be directly connected to our daily lives,” writes George A. Nye. “It must address our fears, our hopes, even our indifferences.”
Old Wine In New Skins provides pastors many resources to make the connection. These include 66 calls to worship, 13 preparations for pastoral prayers and 52 reflections.
Calls to worship categories include:
With praise and celebration
Using traditional hymns and praise hymns
Relating to a story
With a commitment theme
Involving personal preparation
By seasonA preparation for pastoral prayer section helps pastors broaden a congregation’s understanding of how to approach God in prayer. Thirteen “preparations” are provided, including one for Advent-Christmas.
Fifty-two short reflections cover eight major themes for countless pastoral uses. These are easily adopted for mini-devotions, sermon illustrations, and newsletter meditations.
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Living The Easter Faith
$12.95Add to cartLiving The Easter Faith is a series of Easter season sermons based on themes from Jesus’ parables. The parables demonstrate in a concrete and specific way the very heart and mind of the God revealed in Jesus.
“The Resurrection Age invites a new way of thinking and living in God’s world,” writes Donald William Dotterer. “Being Christian means that we adopt an alternative lifestyle. The parables of Jesus provide us with direction and insight for living the Easter faith.”
Sermons cover Easter Sunday through Easter 7. Texts are from Matthew, Luke and John. Sermon titles include “The Return Of The Lost,” “Counting The Cost,” and “Surprised By Grace.”
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Matthew 1 KJV Teacher (Teacher’s Guide)
$17.99Add to cartEach volume of The Teacher’s Outline & Study Bible gives you meticulous detail of every passage and outlines the Bible verse by verse. Each subject contains commentary, illustrations, application suggestions, and questions for reflection, discussion, and personal journaling. There is also an extremely helpful alphabetical index which contains all the subjects included in the text. Includes the KJV text of Scripture.
This volume covers Matthew, chapters 1 through 7. Two plans are outlined for teaching these chapters as a 13 or 26 session curriculum. -
Sharing Faith With Children
$24.95Add to cartWhat kind language and images should we use to communicate faith to children? How can we translate theological abstractions into concrete realities that make sense to children? This book provides insight into the stages of children’s mental and spiritual development in order to enable us to share faith with them in appropriate ways. Juengst gives special attention to the meaning of worship and how children participate in it, the role and purpose of the children’s sermon, the psychological and theological development processes of young children, the use of language and symbolism with children, and the use of appropriate methodologies that help in efforts to share faith with children through sermon.
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Brief Pastoral Counseling
$26.00Add to cartMost pastoral counselors assume that truly effective counseling requires months or even years. Research suggests otherwise. Studies have provided two startling findings. First, most persons come in for four or fewer counseling sessions, whatever the counseling method employed. Second, the majority of any counseling’s effectiveness occurs in the opening few sessions. Howard W. Stone is professor of pastoral counseling, Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth.
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Becoming Married
$33.00Add to cartThis series examines major changes that occur in the life cycle of a family: leaving home, becoming married, raising children, recommitting to a relationship–or committing to a new one–and living alone. Books address the major tasks of the family; rituals that enable effective transitions as those tasks change; beliefs and values from the Christian tradition that shape and are shaped by those family tasks; and pastoral opportunities in response to family life-cycle generations.
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Spurgeons Sermons On The Cross Of Christ
$17.99Add to cart1. The Crown Of Thorns
2. Christ Made A Curse For Us
3. Christ Made A Sin
4. Christ Lifted Up
5. Christ Crucified
6. Christ Crucified
7. Christ Set Forth As A Propitiation
8. The Bitterness Of The Cross
9. Up From The Country And Pressed Into Service
10. Unparalleled Suffering
11. Christ’s Connection With Sinners
12. Christopathy
13. Cries From The Cross P. 155Additional Info
In this volume Kregel Publications has brought together a new collection of Spurgeon’s sermons on the Cross and its meaning, signifigance, and power in the life of the believer. These sermons represent Spurgeon at his best-expounding the Word of God with passion and evangelistic appeal. Pastors will find ample “seed thoughts” to help in their own sermon preparation, and Christian readers will appreciate the biblical insight and practical application of Spurgeon’s sermons. -
Shared Wisdom : A Guide To Case Study Reflection In Ministry
$22.99Add to cartUsing case study analysis, the authors evaluate events in ministry. They outline the case process – preparing, presenting, and discussing a case – and discuss the implications of the process. Each chapter offers a biblical image which connects the case process with the dynamic Christian tradition. Readers will learn techniques in writing case studies and how to use imagination and analogy to stimulate theological reflection.
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Dancing With Dinosaurs
$17.99Add to cart1. Bursting Wineskins And Munching Sheep
2. Caught In A Crack Of History
3. The Fringe People
4. Leading The Sheep Back To Pasture
5. The Demise Of The Program-Based Church
6. A Reformation In Worship
7. What Ever Happened To The Sunday Church?
8. Three Essential Ingredients Of Paradigm CommunitiesAdditional Info
Before long, many of our Christian congregations will be perceived as cuddly, sentimental creatures who are studied primarily as skeletons in the halls of a museum. The church is in danger of becoming a dinosaur, according to church consultant and provocative author, William Easum. We live in a secular or unchurched world, but the church continues to develop ministries as if the church were in charge of a churched society.If we continuously fail to prepare our message for an anti-Christian world, we will disappear like the dinosaurs. Easum argues that while the substance of the gospel will not be changed as we make this shift, we must change the way that we package and proclaim the substance of the gospel.
DANCING WITH DINOSAURS is for persons who are beginning to realize that much of their activity no longer works, and that what they have been taught about ministry no longer makes sense.
This book will help pastors and church leaders to
*plant culturally relevant congregations
*explore first-century Christian communities as the primary model for viable congregations in a hostile world.
*challenge complacent or arrogant assumptions of established church leaders. -
Unleashing The Scripture
$23.99Add to cartThis provocative critique of the uses and abuses of Scripture in the American church shows how liberal (historical-critical) and fundamentalist (literal) approaches to biblical scholarship have corrupted our use of the Bible. Hauerwas argues that the Bible can only be understood in the midst of a disciplined community of people, where the story is actually lived out by dedicated practitioners.
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Legal Issues And Religious Counseling
$29.95Add to cartThis much-needed book offers a current description of how religious counselors and clergy as well as their local and national religious organizations become legally vulnerable. It examines the three most litigated areas in clergy counseling: breaches of confidentiality, sexual misconduct, and the content and quality of counseling service. The authors provide clear and concise explanations of clauses in the U.S. Constitution pertaining to religion as well as up-to-date accounts of cases against clergy and their employers. The authors describe how counseling clergy can perform their own “legal audit,” and the book includes detailed listings of state-by-state statutes for referral.
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Preaching Through The Christian Year B
$59.95Add to cartPastors, here’s a new resource for you to use in writing and delivering your lectionary-based sermons. Craddock and company—the famous exegetical/expositional/theological/devotional team—discuss the topics that are pertinent to the average listener, summarizing vast amounts of research in a non-technical fashion. For each Sunday, there’s a Gospel reading along with readings from an epistle, Psalm, and the Old Testament. Final revisions to the Common Lectionary have also been incorporated.
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Read It In Greek A Print On Demand Title
$27.99Add to cartThe New Testament was originally written in Greek, and what better way to grasp the real meaning of Scripture than to read the original text. With this user-friendly, one-semester textbook, you’ll soon be reading the entire book of 1 John! An effective one-semester introduction to Greek and a very capable precursor to advanced studies in Greek.
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Integrative Family Therapy
$17.00Add to cartPastoral counselors, therapists – in – training, and clergy are usually introduced to one method of family assessment and treatment, which works better in some situations than in others. Integrative Family Therapy introduces the major schools of family therapy, proposes a tested model that integrates the various approaches, and illustrates how this model functions both for assessing and treating family problems.
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Inside The Mind Of Unchurched Harry And Mary
$22.99Add to cartInside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary isn’t a book of theory. It’s an action plan to help Christians relate the message of Christ to the people they work around, live with, and call their friends.
Using personal experiences, humor, compelling stories, biblical illustrations, and the latest research, Lee Strobel helps Christians understand unbelievers and what motivates them.
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Ministers Service Book For Pulpit And Parish
$29.99Add to cartPastor McNeil shares the forms, orders, prayers, and aids he’s relied on for more than 20 years, so you can depend on them now! Categories include public worship, the administration of sacraments, ministering to the sick, and more. Features practical suggestions for each category, and a lectionary for the Old and New Testaments. 249 pages, pocket-sized softcover from Eerdmans.
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56 Lectionary Stories For Preaching Cycle B
$14.95Add to cart“Emilio Lopez received a surprise phone call from his bishop one day. “Would you be interested in a call to a white congregation in a neighborhood that is becoming Hispanic? I think you’re just the kind of pastor they need in these days of transition.””
— from the Advent 1 story
Here are 56 short stories for use in preaching. Each is a contemporary adaptation of a biblical theme.
“56 Lectionary Stories for Preaching” offers one story for each Sunday in the church year plus stories for Christmas Eve/Day and Ash Wednesday.
The collection is based upon the Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle B. Authors represent clergy storytellers from five denominations from across the United States and Canada.
Most of the stories are based on gospel texts. Some stem from first or second lesson scriptures. The collection offers a well-rounded selection of themes. Stories often offer surprise endings that catch listeners’ attention. Stories in this collection strengthen believers’ faith. -
Lectionary Worship Aids Series 3 Cycle B
$16.95Add to cart“Hear the good news! The victory that defeats the world is our faith, for who is victor over evil, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Friends, believe the good news!”
— Declaration of God’s Forgiveness for Easter 2
“Lectionary Worship Aids,” Series III, Cycle B, follows in the CSS tradition of providing creative worship resources for congregations.
Series III is based on the Revised Common Lectionary and New Revised Standard Version.
Each Sunday offers:
– Listing of the four lectionary texts for the day
– Call to Worship
– Prayer of Confession
– Declaration of God’s Forgiveness
– Exhortation
– Prayer of the Day
– Prayer of Thanksgiving
– Prayer of Dedication
– Psalm (congregational reading) -
Welcome Speeches And More
$10.99Add to cartGeneral Welcome Speeches
Welcome For Church Anniversary
General Response Speeches
A Tribute
Pastor’s Anniversary Addresses
Usher Day Address
Installation Of Officers
Men’s Day Addresses
Women’s Day Address
Family Day Address
Sacrificial Love
Choir Day Address
The Five F’s Of Friendship
The Walk Of Faith
A Godly Woman
Nine Keys To God’s Resources
Stewardship
How To Know God
Two Blessings
A Plan Of Salvation
A Friend Loveth At All Times
God Will Provide
Redeeming Love
Borrowed
God’s Will For UsAdditional Info
WELCOME SPEECHES AND MORENow you have one resource that can help you plan for a variety of situations in your church. Author and bookseller Carole Cupples wrote this book in response to a need voiced by her own customers. A few of the occasions this book particularly addresses are welcoming guests to a program, honoring a pastor on an anniversary, and paying a memorial tribute. The speeches you find in this compilation reflect the ways we honor God in both celebration and meditation.
Not only do you find welcome speeches and responses, but also devotionals, tributes, installation services, skits, and poetry for special days in your church.
The author has been operating a Christian bookstore for sixteen years. During those years, many times customers have come in needing help with programs in their churches. As a result of her attempt and desire to meet those needs, she offers to you this book. Her prayer is that it will assist you in your ministry.
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Hidden Keys To A Loving Lasting Marriage
$19.99Add to cart28 Chapters
Additional Info
Fulfilling Marriages Don’t just happen.In fact, truly joyful marriages are a lot of work! In Hidden Keys of a Loving Lasting Marriage, best-selling author Gary Smalley shares the principles of strong marriages. He points out the common problems between husbands and wives. And he shows how to turn those troubles into teamwork.
Hidden Keys of a Loving, Lasting Marriage explores:
Two reasons why marriages fail
How to meet the needs of your spouse
How a husband’s lack of affection weakens a marriage
Crucial differences between men and women
How to motivate your spouse to listen to youThis book is a combination of Smalley’s earlier published works, If Only He Knew and For Better or For Best. The first half of the book discusses the husband’s part in building a successful relationship. The second half of the book shows how wives can nurture their marriages.
Good marriages don’t just happen. They take both husband and wife working together to understand, appreciate, and honor one another. This books shows couples how to do just that.
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PastorPower
$22.99Add to cartPower is a persistent topic of conversation in circles both sacred and secular. Yet, how are those who follow a crucified Christ, one “whose strength was made perfect in weakness,” to think about power?
Martha Ellen Stortz presents an important volume for all those who lead or would lead in the ministry of the church. She lays an ecumenical groundwork for understanding ministry and authority, then systematically examines the different dimensions of power inherent in both: power over — or coercive power; power within — or charismatic power; and power with — or coactive power. Through case studies and in-depth discussions, Stortz offers guidance for balancing these three dimensions of power in one’s own ministry, enabling readers to recognize their own gifts or liabilities and shape their leadership styles to reflect the image of Christ.
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Teaching The Bible To Adults And Youth (Revised)
$20.99Add to cartTeaching the Bible to Adults and Youth shows how to make the “transparent” – with God evident throughout. Dick Murray offers suggestions for teaching, provides different approaches and perspectives from which to teach and conduct activities for learning, and examines such Bible study series as Kerygma, Trinity, Bethel, and Disciple.
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How To Build An Exciting Singles Ministry
$19.99Add to cartSeventy million single adults make up the largest minority in the United States–almost 40% of the adult population. With these figures in mind, the need for single adult groups should go without saying. But the need for single adult ministry in our churches is often overlooked. Now, however, Don Davidson provides a thorough, practical guide to single adult ministry and how to establish an effective one in your church. Davidson outlines the necessary steps for creating a unique singles group for new college grads, career people, widowed or divorced persons.