Pastoral Helps
Showing 701–800 of 2244 results
-
I Wonder : Engaging A Childs Curosity About The Bible
$21.99Add to cartHow can anyone completely answer the difficult questions that children ask: Who created God? Will there be another flood? Is the Bible true? But then, we adults have questions too: With so many options and Bible translations, where can I go for help? What is the best Bible for my child? How do we talk about miracle stories, healing stories, and the creation stories? What about violence? When kids ask about the relevancy of the Bible for today, what do we say? How we read and interpret the Bible with children may mean the difference between whether or not it will continue to be an important source for their faith development as they become young adults. Written by an expert in children’s ministry, I Wonder is a resource for adults who want to explore ways to help children read, engage, wrestle, and grow into deeper understanding of the Bible. It is for those who come to the Bible with souls open to be fed and who want their children to seek faith and wisdom. It will also help readers address timeless questions and issues including recent biblical scholarship, literary analysis, reading the Bible from their social location and reading the Bible in a multi-faith world.
-
Viral Multiplication In Hispanic Churches
$18.99Add to cartReverend Iosmar Alvarez created this book to teach church planting leaders how to plant new, healthy, vital, and vibrant churches with multiplication DNA. Using scripture-grounded values, principles, and the author’s own testimony, this book will help reach both new and diverse Hispanic/Latino people, as well as other cultures and contexts.
-
Help Me Help Others
$12.99Add to cart“Help Me Help Others” was written for compassionate individuals who are looking for biblically-based, relational truths to use as they help those in distress. Dr. Wagner’s use of real-life examples, end-of-chapter contemplations, and easy-to-follow diagrams increase the ease with which these concepts can be understood and applied.
-
Ministry Training Academies
$28.95Add to cartMinistry Training Academies are dynamic ministries that train and release children to do ministry. They provide children with a unique opportunity to learn ministry through hands-on experience.
Ministry Training Academies also help to fulfill the purpose of the local church. Given that children make up approximately 25% of the church population, it would be unlikely for a church to fulfill what God has called it to do unless children are engaged in helping fulfill that purpose.
Can you imagine if every evangelical church equipped and released their children in ministry? Not only would there be radical changes in the church of Jesus Christ, there would be changes in homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Children who walk in newness of Christ as a believer AND partner with Him in ministry, will have a profound impact in their world.
Let’s stop doing ministry to our children and begin a chapter in church history where we begin doing ministry WITH children.
-
Necessary Nine : Things Effective Pastors Do Differently
$16.99Add to cartConventional wisdom is that leaders are born, not made. In reality, that is one small piece of the leadership puzzle. The fact is, approximately 10% of church leaders are naturally-gifted leaders who actually don’t need any help. Another 10% of church leaders do not have the capacity to lead nor learn to lead with the skill set needed for the 21st century church. This means approximately 80% of church leaders have the possibility of becoming a more effective church leader. This book is for them. The Necessary Nine contains nine simple axioms for effective pastoral and lay leadership for the church. These axioms have the greatest potential for fruitful ministry. These strategies are straightforward and easy to use. The reader will have “that’s true” moments and learn to put those insights into regular practice. It will help the reader with the simple leadership strategies that, if practiced over and over and over, will change the effectiveness of their leadership, the church and the world.
-
She : Five Keys To Unlock The Power Of Women In Ministry
$22.99Add to cartWe are not all the same. The time has come for us to honestly name the ways we are different and similar so that we can serve together in unity, grace and trust. Women in ministry experience unique challenges in their church settings which continue to hinder their vocational, professional, and personal success. Women in ministry need a trusted and comprehensive resource not only to be able to survive but to thrive in their places of call. She provides theoretical, theological, and practical frameworks and strategies for flourishing as woman in ministry and engages critical reflection on the practice of ministry in light of current feminist theory, biblical interpretation, and experience. Covering everything from biblical arguments for and against women in the church to what not to wear, this book offers background information and tools for negotiating the many and varied issues that woman in ministry face, including leadership, the authority and office of the clergy, and structures and power in the church. A trusted and comprehensive resource for women in ministry, equipping them to thrive in their places of call, and for the men who serve alongside them.
-
How Youth Ministry Can Change Theological Education If We Let It
$33.99Add to cartSince 1993, forty-nine theological seminaries have created opportunities for high school students to participate in on-campus High School Theology Programs (HSTPs) that invite them to engage in serious biblical and theological study. Many of the young people who take part in these programs go on to become pastoral or lay leaders in their churches. What has made these programs so successful – especially given the well-documented “crisis of faith” among young people today?
In this book thirteen contributors – many of whom have created or led one of these innovative theology programs – investigate answers to this question. They examine the pedagogical practices the HSTPs have in common and explore how they are contributing to the leadership of the church. They then show how the lessons gleaned from these successful programs can help churches, denominations, and seminaries reimagine both theological education and youth ministry.
-
Glocalization : How Followers Of Jesus Engage A Flat World
$24.99Add to cartIf you want to know where and how the church is going to grow, think local and global. Think glocal. Glocal is Bob Roberts’ term for the seamless connectedness between the local and global. That connection is affecting the church in ways that never could have been imagined in the first-century church, or even the twentieth-century church. And it’s creating unprecedented opportunities for individuals and churches-for you and your church-to live out their faith in real time across the world. Glocalization offers a vision of the unprecedented changes of our times and how they are impacting the church. Discover how these changes will transform the way churches define their mission and how Christians relate to one another and to the world. This provocative book turns the traditional mission-agency model upside down and shows how transformed people and churches can make a glocal (global and local) impact. Glocalization offers an exciting vision for churches and individuals who want to reach this changing world for Christ.
-
Membership Matters : Insights From Effective Churches On New Member Classes
$22.99Add to cartInsights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and Assimilation Findings from a national study to improve membership classes and to motivate current members into active ministry How do churches move members-both old and new- into ministry? Many church staff and lay leaders know they need to start new member classes as a point of entry into their churches but don’t know how. This book is based on a national study of effective churches and shows how growing churches implement new member classes and motivate their members into ministry. Membership Matters is designed to be a guide for church leaders wanting to start or improve a membership class. It includes models for classes and examples of resources such as church covenants, class schedules, and lesson outlines. It also gives direction on motivating uninvolved members to participate in ministry. One chapter chronicles an ongoing discussion among pastors of growing churches that are effectively motivating members to do ministry.
-
Bible Lessons For Children
$11.95Add to cartChildren’s Church Sermons for Worship Service offers adult leaders and teachers a complete year’s worth of scripts for presenting the truths of the Christian faith to children from four to eight years old. Drawing upon long experience, including more than two decades teaching children in the public schools and nineteen years leading children’s worship, author Sunday Burger offers season-specific messages crafted to encourage children to explore their developing faith.
Building upon the foundation of research into the ways children in this age group learn, this collection offers lessons field-tested in worship with children. Each week’s script highlights a passage from the Scriptures, presents a central Christian truth, suggests a visual aid, outlines a message for an adult to share with children, and ends with an invitation for the children to join the leader in a prayer. Depending upon children’s inquisitiveness, the scripts encourage them to explore the message’s theme by connecting the visual aid with the Bible’s message and by answering questions along the way.
If your ministry involves working with children between the ages of four and eight, then this guide can equip you to share the truths of the Christian faith in the main worship service, Sunday school classes, children’s church, Bible school, or whenever young children gather. Through these lessons, the Holy Spirit can use encounters with God’s Word to prepare children to live by faith, lead the Church, and extend the Kingdom of God.
-
Bible Lessons For Children
$28.95Add to cartChildren’s Church Sermons for Worship Service offers adult leaders and teachers a complete year’s worth of scripts for presenting the truths of the Christian faith to children from four to eight years old. Drawing upon long experience, including more than two decades teaching children in the public schools and nineteen years leading children’s worship, author Sunday Burger offers season-specific messages crafted to encourage children to explore their developing faith.
Building upon the foundation of research into the ways children in this age group learn, this collection offers lessons field-tested in worship with children. Each week’s script highlights a passage from the Scriptures, presents a central Christian truth, suggests a visual aid, outlines a message for an adult to share with children, and ends with an invitation for the children to join the leader in a prayer. Depending upon children’s inquisitiveness, the scripts encourage them to explore the message’s theme by connecting the visual aid with the Bible’s message and by answering questions along the way.
If your ministry involves working with children between the ages of four and eight, then this guide can equip you to share the truths of the Christian faith in the main worship service, Sunday school classes, children’s church, Bible school, or whenever young children gather. Through these lessons, the Holy Spirit can use encounters with God’s Word to prepare children to live by faith, lead the Church, and extend the Kingdom of God.
-
Pastor : The Theology And Practice Of Ordained Ministry (Revised)
$34.99Add to cartOrdained ministry, says Willimon, is a gift of God to the church–but that doesn’t mean that it is easy. Always a difficult vocation, changes in society and the church in recent years have made the ordained life all the more complex and challenging. Is the pastor primarily a preacher, a professional caregiver, an administrator? Given the call of all Christians to be ministers to the world, what is the distinctive ministry of the ordained? When does one’s ministry take on the character of prophet, and when does it become that of priest? What are the special ethical obligations and disciplines of the ordained? In this book, Willimon explores these and other central questions about the vocation of ordained ministry. He begins with a discussion of who pastors are, asking about the theological underpinnings of ordained ministry, and then moves on to what pastors do, looking at the distinctive roles the pastor must fulfill. The book also draws on great teachers of the Christian tradition to demonstrate that, while much about Christian ministry has changed, its core concerns–preaching the word, the care of souls, the sacramental life of congregations–remains the same. Ordained ministry is a vocation to which we are called, not a profession that we choose. To answer that call is to open oneself to heartache and sometimes hardship; yet, given the one who calls, it is to make oneself available to deep and profound joy as well.
-
Easter Programs Dramas And Skits For Youth
$8.99Add to cartA compilation of programs written for youth 10-16. A new author collection writing in contemporary and tradition formats and style for churches of all sizes and selected small groups. This program book also contains poems, quotes and reading to add to the enjoyment and inspiration during this special time in the church.
-
Leading Healthy Growing Multiplying Small Groups
$17.99Add to cartLiberty University Press
In “Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups,” Rod Dempsey and Dave Earley make the process of forming your own small group attainable. They demonstrate the necessity of small groups, and then teach their readers how to structure a new group. Dempsey and Earley share their passion for discipleship and Christ-centered community, and show others how they can further the Great Commission in their own lives. From local churches to neighbors and extended families, Dempsey and Earley encourage their readers to reach out to those around them. “Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups” provides the wisdom and tools to transform your community. -
Along The Way
$19.99Add to cartConversations about children and faith draw us close to the heart of God, and the authors of Along the Way lead everyone in the church–parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, ministers, and leaders–into a careful, honest dialogue about nurturing children spiritually. Along the way, readers will rediscover how each child’s walk with God is a unique journey of discovery. Readers will also realize that sharing these paths with children can change and bless not simply the children, but their own lives as well.
-
Core Study 2 All In Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$9.99Add to cartCORE (Connect, Own, Reveal, Empower) is a resource designed to help teenagers discover their true identity, value and worth as God’s children and empower them to reach their potential in faithfully following Christ with others. All In is a four session study for groups of all sizes. When used alongside Dig In, All In is a powerful tool to help you help your group take the next step of living their newfound commitment to their God-given identity with confidence. Responsibility Reveal Empower True Identity The CORE All In Leader Guide contains helps for using the study with your teens along with plans that include engaging material for both large-group and small group discussions. Featured in each session is a short and powerful video introducing the topic.
-
Core Study 1 Dig In Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$9.99Add to cartCORE (Connect, Own, Reveal, Empower) is a resource designed to help teenagers discover their true identity, value and worth as God’s children and empower them to reach their potential in faithfully following Christ with others. Dig In is a four session study for groups of all sizes that takes teens on the journey of addressing the obstacles they’ve experienced in understanding who they are in Christ toward connecting with God and others in new and healthy ways. Who I’m Not:Identity Theft Delete the Spam Connect with the Holy Spirit Connect with Others The CORE Dig In Leader Guide contains helps for using the study with your teens along with plans that include engaging material for both large-group and small group discussions. Featured in each session is a short and powerful video introducing the topic.
-
Groove School Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartNearly all youth are involved in school and educational pursuits for a majority of their day. Even if they are not attending a traditional school, there are ways to encourage them to live out their faith as they follow Jesus and at the same time grow in their academic knowledge. School is designed to help teenagers consider how their faith affects their lives at school. From the lessons studied each week, combined with the daily devotions found in the Groove: School Student Journal, teens will be encouraged to pause and reflectively engage as their academic and spiritual lives collide. Over the course of the series, youth will be encouraged to make a place of belonging for everyone in their school, to set and keep priorities that reflect their faith in Jesus, to find joy even at school, and to know that our worth ultimately lies in who Jesus is and what he has done for us. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats. The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.
-
Groove I Am Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartDiscovering and embracing one’s identity has proven to be a long, lonely, rough, and at times, dangerous road for today’s teenagers. It’s likely you’ve chosen this study to use with your youth group because you care deeply and want the teenagers within your sphere of influence to find the answers to their identity questions in Jesus Christ. The I Am study is not a quick fix for your teenagers’ needs. It is a handcrafted tool that, when used by compassionate, caring, and committed adults, will ignite their imagination and excitement for whom their Creator says they are and the purpose for which they were designed. I Am will likely raise more questions than it answers, and that’s intentional. Don’t feel the need to make sure all the loose ends are tied up at the conclusion of your youth gathering. Allow your teens the opportunity to leave with ideas and truths on which to reflect and wrestle as they use the daily devotionals provided in the Groove: I Am Student Journal. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats. The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.
-
Groove The Basics Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartToday’s faith and biblical illiteracy in general and among those who attend church and claim to be Christian is staggering. Some alarmists are claiming that the Christian faith is in danger of becoming extinct. We can no longer rely on culture to support the passing on of faith in Jesus Christ to the coming generations. The Basics study is not a quick fix to this situation. It is a handcrafted tool that when used by compassionate, caring, and committed adults, will ignite their imagination for God, the Scripture, the faith community, and living a transformed life. The Basics will likely raise more questions than it answers, and that’s intentional. Don’t feel the need to make sure all the loose ends are tied up at the conclusion of your youth gathering. Allow your teens the opportunity to leave with ideas and truths on which to reflect and wrestle as they use the daily devotionals provided in the Groove: The Basics Student Journal. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats.The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.
-
Core Study 2 All In Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartCORE (Connect, Own, Reveal, Empower) is a resource designed to help teenagers discover their true identity, value and worth as God’s children and empower them to reach their potential in faithfully following Christ with others. All In is a four session study for groups of all sizes. When used alongside Dig In, All In is a powerful tool to help you help your group take the next step of living their newfound commitment to their God-given identity with confidence. Responsibility Reveal Empower True Identity The student journal is a resource for the journey providing the opportunity for teens to explore what they are learning on a personal level.
-
Core Study 1 Dig In Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartCORE (Connect, Own, Reveal, Empower) is a resource designed to help teenagers discover their true identity, value and worth as God’s children and empower them to reach their potential in faithfully following Christ with others. Dig In is a four session study for groups of all sizes that takes teens on the journey of addressing the obstacles they’ve experienced in understanding who they are in Christ toward connecting with God and others in new and healthy ways. Who I’m Not:Identity Theft Delete the Spam Connect with the Holy Spirit Connect with Others The student journal is a resource for the journey providing the opportunity for teens to explore what they are learning on a personal level.
-
Groove Character Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWhen beliefs, attitudes, and values line up with actions there is character. Helping teenagers grow in Christ-like character is no easy task. How do we help teenagers follow Jesus and take on his character? It takes practice and the commitment of their church family to support, encourage, and celebrate the “wins” with them along this exciting journey of growth. Character is a four-week Bible study designed to help teens develop Christ-like behavior in their daily lives. Teenagers will consider the ideas of truth, how they use their words, how they view their possessions, and what it is to be a person of integrity. The study is reinforced with daily devotions and exercises found in the Groove: Character Student Journal. Helping youth embrace character and the practice of growing their spiritual lives independent from group study can be a powerful combination. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats. The leader guide contains everything needed to lead teens through a Groove study, including teaching outlines, leader notes, Bible background, reflections, and parent communication.
-
Groove School Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartNearly all youth are involved in school and educational pursuits for a majority of their day. Even if they are not attending a traditional school, there are ways to encourage them to live out their faith as they follow Jesus and at the same time grow in their academic knowledge. School is designed to help teenagers consider how their faith affects their lives at school. From the lessons studied each week, combined with the daily devotions found in the Groove: School Student Journal, teens will be encouraged to pause and reflectively engage as their academic and spiritual lives collide. Over the course of the series, youth will be encouraged to make a place of belonging for everyone in their school, to set and keep priorities that reflect their faith in Jesus, to find joy even at school, and to know that our worth ultimately lies in who Jesus is and what he has done for us. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats. The leader guide contains everything needed to lead teens through a Groove study, including teaching outlines, leader notes, Bible background, reflections, and parent communication.
-
Groove Dilemmas Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartEvery day, youth are called to navigate a world full of challenging decisions-from the simple choices about everyday life to the much more serious ethical dilemmas that can make being a teenager a complicated experience. Some of those dilemmas include: What does it mean to be a person with established morals and ethics? How does the commandment to love others affect our lives in a tangible way? What happens when we make choices that have consequences that greatly affect our lives and the lives of those around us? Dilemmas isn’t designed to provide simple answers to complicated questions, but rather help teens understand how to make inspired, smart choices that reflect both who they are and who they are striving to be. The Groove: Dilemmas Student Journal will challenge youth to be deliberate, thoughtful, and faithful as they attempt to make choices that are consistent with their character and their faith. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats.The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.
-
Groove The Basics Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartToday’s faith and biblical illiteracy in general and among those who attend church and claim to be Christian is staggering. Some alarmists are claiming that the Christian faith is in danger of becoming extinct. We can no longer rely on culture to support the passing on of faith in Jesus Christ to the coming generations. The Basics study is not a quick fix to this situation. It is a handcrafted tool that when used by compassionate, caring, and committed adults, will ignite their imagination for God, the Scripture, the faith community, and living a transformed life. The Basics will likely raise more questions than it answers, and that’s intentional. Don’t feel the need to make sure all the loose ends are tied up at the conclusion of your youth gathering. Allow your teens the opportunity to leave with ideas and truths on which to reflect and wrestle as they use the daily devotionals provided in the Groove: The Basics Student Journal. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats. The leader guide contains everything needed to lead teens through a Groove study, including teaching outlines, leader notes, Bible background, reflections, and parent communication.
-
Pioneering Movements : Leadership That Multiplies Disciples And Churches
$20.00Add to cartGod’s mission needs movement leaders. Jesus pioneered something completely new in human history?a dynamic missionary movement intent on reaching the world. His mission is as clear and as relevant today as in the days of the early church: to make disciples everywhere, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded. But the potential of the church remains untapped. What does it take to lead movements that successfully carry out this mission? In Pioneering Movements, Steve Addison identifies what it takes to follow Jesus’ example. Building on his previous books Movements That Changed the World and What Jesus Started, he reveals the apostolic qualities and behaviors of biblical, historical, and contemporary pioneers who can guide church and ministry leaders today. This is a book for those who are called to embrace the mission-driven work that Jesus and his disciples began?making disciples of all nations, in all places.
-
Christian Mission In The Modern World
$24.00Add to cartJesus sends us into the world just as the Father sent him. And yet thousands of years later Christians continue to disagree on what this involves. Some believe that the focus of Christian mission is evangelizing and “saving souls.” Others emphasize global justice issues or relief and development work. Is either view correct on its own? John Stott’s classic book presents an enduring and holistic view of Christian mission that is just as needed today. Newly updated and expanded by Christopher J. H. Wright, Christian Mission in the Modern World provides a biblically based approach to mission that addresses both spiritual and physical needs. With his trademark and unparalleled clarity and conviction, Stott illuminates how the Great Commission itself not only assumes the proclamation that makes disciples, but also teaches obedience to the Great Commandment of love and service. Wright has expertly updated the original book and demonstrates the continuing relevance of Stott’s prescient thinking. This balanced approach to mission offers timeless guidance for current and future Christians to embrace Jesus’ unconflicted and holistic model of ministry.
-
Beyond The Local Church
$18.00Add to cartForeword
Introduction
1. The Power Of A Balanced Anatomy
The Biblical Genius And Design For Apostolic Structures And Movements
2. Limping Or Leaping Through Time
The Encouragement Of Apostolic Missionality In History
3. Mother Teresa Wasn’t A “Para-Catholic”!
Why “parachurch” Is A Dirty Word
4. So What Is “Apostolic”?
The Oft-neglected Essential To Authentic Missionality
5. Holy Discontent And Sanctified Ambition
The Apostolic Imperative Of Ephesians
6. Setting Visionaries Free
Pioneering As A Second Decision Entrepreneur
7. Finding Second Decision People
How To Engage And Release Apostolic Leaders
8. Running Together!
The Exponential Leverage Of Interdependence
9. Movements Of God
The Extraordinary Results Of Apostolic Gifting Lived Out In Apostolic Structures
10. The Momentum Of Movements
To Kill Or To Multiply, That Is The Question
Conclusion: Be A History Shaper
AcknowledgmentsAdditional Info
Many people have given up on the church. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve given up on God or Christianity. In many cases, it was merely that local church congregations were not the best context for missional people to live out their sense of God’s call.The good news is that God is raising up vibrant movements of Christians in a vast array of vocations around the world: disciple-making ministries, missions, relief and development, social activism, advocacy and much more. These are all strategic ways to live for the kingdom-in venues beyond the local church.
Wherever movements of the gospel have occurred, visionary people and apostolic structures have been essential. Mission leader Sam Metcalf shows how God has always worked through entrepreneurial individuals and organizations that launched out in fresh ways. He gives biblical and missiological foundations for missional movements, showing that what has often been called “parachurch” is an equally valid manifestation of the church. Affirming the strengths of apostolic personalities, Metcalf shows how they can be deployed to cross cultural barriers, renew secular societies and transform the nations with the power of the gospel.
God may be inviting you to join what he is doing around the world. Answer the call and discover how God can use you beyond your imagination.
-
Apostolic Church Planting
$18.00Add to cartPreface
Introduction
1. What Is Church Planting?
2. How’s Your Ecclesiology?
3. Practices Of Team Members
4. Pathway To Planting
5. Stages Of Planting
6. Planned Role Changes
7. Church Multiplication Cycle
8. Methods
9. Where To Begin?
10. Pastoral Development
11. Strategy Development
12. Ethical Guidelines
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
About The AuthorAdditional Info
Church planting is not just about gathering new communities of people who are already Christians. In the book of Acts, church plants begin with sharing the gospel. Planting churches flows naturally out of making disciples.Missionary church planter J. D. Payne explains the process and stages of church planting, with biblical foundations and practical steps for planting teams. He provides a pathway for the multiplication of disciples, leaders and churches. Here are church planting strategies and activities that are simple, highly reproducible and can be implemented by ordinary team members, not just by charismatic leaders.
This guide can be used for planting in contexts among any given people group, domestically or internationally. It is an ideal resource for teams to work through together as they follow God’s call in their community.
Read more: http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=4124#ixzz3ZOJH0pFd
-
Vulnerable Pastor : How Human Limitations Empower Our Ministry
$22.00Add to cartForeword
Introduction: God Is An Odd LeaderPart I: Getting Over Ourselves: Vulnerability With God
1. Filled With Emptiness
2. What Makes Us Feel Weak. And What Doesn’t: A Confession
3. Save Me! Vulnerability And Salvation
4. Feeling Exposed: How Vulnerable Pastors Handle Emotions
5. I Need You! How Vulnerable Pastors Pray
6. Letting The Bible Read Us: How Vulnerable Pastors Read The BiblePart II: Being True To Ourselves: Vulnerability Behind The Scenes
7. Learning To Like The Mess: How Vulnerable Pastors Create Culture
8. Changing The Mold: How Vulnerable Pastors Recognize And Develop Leaders
9. Taking Our Own Sweet Time: How Vulnerable Pastors Use Their Time And Energy
10. Thriving For Others: How Vulnerable Pastors Measure SuccessPart III: Practicing In Public: Vulnerability With An Audience
11. Welcome To The Process: How Vulnerable Pastors Teach And Preach
12. The Right Kind Of Desperate: How Vulnerable Pastors Engage With The WorldEpilogue: Unfading Treasure In Jars Of Clay
Discussion Guide
Acknowledgments
NotesAdditional Info
Often pastors feel like we need to project strength and competency in order to minister effectively. That’s why we go to conferences and emulate the latest superstars. But we know we can never live up to those images. Deep down, we know our own limitations, our weaknesses, our faults. We fear that if people knew who we really are, we’d be disqualified from ministry. Not so. Mandy Smith unpacks the biblical paradox that God’s strength is revealed through our human weakness. Transparently describing her pastoral journey, Smith shows how vulnerability shapes ministry, through our spiritual practices and relationships, influencing our preaching, teaching and even the nuts and bolts of the daily schedule. Understanding our human constraints makes our ministry more sustainable and guards us against disillusionment and burnout. We don’t have to have it all together. Recognizing our weakness makes us rely on God, so our weakness can become a ministry resource. God has called you to lead not as a demigod, but as a human, so the world can see that the church is a place for humans like them. -
Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts Workbook For Women Updated (Workboo
$12.99Add to cartComplete with twenty-eight self-tests-two of them brand-new-and a new group discussion guide, the expanded and updated Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts workbooks for men and women will help couples uncover and understand the unique shaping factors they bring into their second marriage both as men and women and as individuals.
Exercises and assignments will help couples identify and meld their love styles, face the myths of remarriage honestly, become soul mates, identify each person’s “hot topics,” and much more.The discussion guide in each workbook integrates with the Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts DVD (sold separately and includes seven pre-marriage sessions plus two additional sessions specifically designed to help prepare couples for remarriage) to facilitate lively and eye-opening interaction. Each session links with the workbook exercises and concludes with exercises each couple can do together between each lesson.
-
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook For Men Updated (Student/Study Gu
$14.99Add to cartThe Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook for Men will help you uncover and understand the unique shaping factors you bring into your marriage both as a woman/man and as an individual. Prepare for some surprising and helpful insights, for honest, intimate, and enjoyable relationship-strengthening conversations with you and your fiance, and for engaging discussions with a small group.
EXERCISES AND ASSESSMENTS
Twenty-four exercises will shed amazing new light on the way you are put together, how that affects specific aspects of how you and your loved one relate, and how you can improve those areas to build a better relationship. You will gain unprecedented insights into – your personal “Ten Commandments” – making your roles conscious – getting your sex life off to a great start – identifying your “hot topics” – your spiritual journey … and much, much more
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Les and Leslie will help both of you enjoy lively and eye-opening interaction through seven sessions and bonus sessions on the DVD. For small groups, individual couples, and pastors and marriage counselors, each session links with the workbook exercises and concludes with an exercise each couple can do together over the next week. -
Arts Camp : A Creative Customizable Alternative To Vacation Bible School An
$34.95Add to cartLess packaged, more theologically and pedagogically appropriate, thoughtful, and community-based alternative toVacation Bible School
* A way for churches to conduct an artful exploration of faithArts Camp provides practical, concrete instruction that a church needs to plan, organize, staff, and conduct an annual five-day Arts Camp, including guidance on logistics, funding, finding art instructors (within both the local church and the broader community), ideas for structuring and scheduling the five days of camp, and a celebration on the Sunday following camp. Each chapter includes details on art projects, programming, music, drama, games, and resources.
For Episcopal and other mainline churches looking for alternatives to pre-packaged VBS programs, directors of Christian education and children’s ministry, camps and retreat centers
-
Sermon Without End
$29.99Add to cartThe relationship between preaching and the public sphere has long been debated. Three different theological approaches tend to dominate the discussion. In different ways, these approaches take into account the movement from the modern mindset of the mid-to-late 20th century to the emerging postmodern worldview. In The Sermon without End authors Allen & Allen thoughtfully offer a fourth option, one that in their view has not received much attention, but which offers a distinct and especially helpful perspective. It is a new and dynamic conversational model, reaching beyond the earlier work of Tillich and Tracy. In this homiletical framework, conversation takes place in multiple directions between the text or tradition and the world today. It is preaching in conversation, not just toward but with voices from the public sphere. The book provides a solid foundation for understanding this post-apologetic approach, but it importantly goes on to offer practical, real-pulpit guidance for implementation in a preaching ministry. It is a book for both scholars and practicing preachers who wish to reach people in meaningful and significant ways, and in ways that make sense for today.
-
Servants And Fools
$22.99Add to cartLeadership is much discussed these days in politics, media, films, and church. Yet many are unclear about what leadership actually means, and there is too little careful reflection on whether Christian leadership has its own distinctive shape and character. Arthur Boers reveals the peculiar reversals of Christian leadership and ministry, and shows how in our tendency to focus on big bold heroes we often miss the point. Leadership modeled after Jesus practices service and sacrifice, is cautious about power and hierarchies, and prioritizes the vulnerable. In other words, it reverses what many expect of leadership. Servants and Fools explores leadership as we see it lived out in the biblical narrative, and gives the reader a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian leader. This book will redefine leadership for many Christians, in a most helpful way.
-
New Pastors Handbook (Reprinted)
$16.00Add to cartMost seminary graduates will begin their ministries with plenty of important head knowledge to share–but with a deficit of some of the most practical aspects of doing ministry, such as:
*which ministry role most suits them
*how to start out strong at a new church
*persevering during difficult seasons of ministry
*leading meetings and delegating tasks
*safeguarding their family
*fighting discouragement, pastor envy, and a lack of contentment
*navigating special ministry needs, such as hospitals, weddings, and funerals
*and much moreThrough his hard-won wisdom, Jason Helopoulos comes alongside new pastors as a trusted friend and mentor, ready to guide them through their first years of ministry with intelligence and compassion.
-
Rock Solid Childrens Ministry
$16.00Add to cartIn this follow-up to Rock-Solid Kids, Fowler helps ministry leaders, workers, and parents discover effective ways to target the hearts of children. You’ll learn seven biblical principles that can transform your ministry.
“I love this book. . . . [It is] one of the best practical training tools I’ve ever seen.”–from the foreword by Jim Wideman, children’s ministry pioneer
Discussion guide is included.
-
Prophetic Lament : A Call For Justice In Troubled Times
$22.00Add to cartWhen Soong-Chan Rah planted an urban church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his first full sermon series was a six-week exposition of the book of Lamentations. Preaching on an obscure, depressing Old Testament book was probably not the most seeker-sensitive way to launch a church. But it shaped their community with a radically countercultural perspective. The American church avoids lament. But lament is a missing, essential component of Christian faith. Lament recognizes struggles and suffering, that the world is not as it ought to be. Lament challenges the status quo and cries out for justice against existing injustices. Soong-Chan Rah’s prophetic exposition of the book of Lamentations provides a biblical and theological lens for examining the church’s relationship with a suffering world. It critiques our success-centered triumphalism and calls us to repent of our hubris. And it opens up new ways to encounter the other. Hear the prophet’s lament as the necessary corrective for Christianity’s future. The Resonate series recovers the ancient wisdom of Scripture and helps us understand how it resonates with our complex world. The stories and insights of a book of the Bible are brought into conversation with contemporary voices of hope and lament–the cultural messages we interact with on a daily basis. The Scriptures become a meeting ground where God speaks to the pressing concerns of our day, and we are confronted in turn with a fresh experience of God’s truth.
-
Pastoral Theology For Public Ministry
$20.95Add to cartFor seminaries, those involved in lay and ordained ministries
* Part of a growing conversation about the roles of ordained ministry
* Taps into an increasing interest in the Church’s public presence in ministries like Ashes to GoWhat does it mean to be engaged in Christian ministry in a shifting spiritual and religious landscape? Stephen Burns invites readers to think anew about the distinctiveness of public practices of pastoral presence. Rather than narrowly defining pastoral care and pastoral theology (pastoral counseling, preaching, youth groups, visits to elders, etc.) and theological academic categories (history, pastoral theology, liturgy, ethics, and contemporary sociology), he argues for a new imagination and practice of pastoral presence – a presence that is representative, public, integrated, and expansive.
For seminary introductory pastoral care and pastoral theology courses; those practicing Christian ministry; those seeking to understand more about what clergy and lay ministers do
-
If Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartIf is a powerful little word. Some people are stuck in “if only,” trudging through lives marked with regret. But God wants us to live lives marked with possibilities, with the “what if” attitude that looks forward to the future with confidence. Why? Because the answer to “If God is for us, who can be against us?” is “No one.” God is always on our side. Every day, in every way.
With his trademark enthusiasm and contagious joy, Mark Batterson helps readers overcome feelings of guilt, fear, and doubt because in Christ there is no condemnation. Unpacking the promises of Romans 8, he shows readers that they are more than conquerors–right now and forever. And because of that, the possibilities for their lives are limitless.
-
Walking With God In The Desert Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$18.99Add to cartThis seven-session small group Bible study, Walking with God in the Desert, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume twelve of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. Are you going through a difficult period of life? The loss of a loved one? Unemployment? A crisis of faith? During these desert times, it’s easy to think God has disappeared. In Walking with God in the Desert you’ll discover that it’s only when we are totally dependent on him that we find God is closer than ever and can experience his amazing grace and provision. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for Walking with God in the Desert was filmed on location in the Sinai Desert, Wadi Nasb, Judea Wilderness, Mount Sinai, Negev and En Gedi. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study. This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Walking with God in the Desert DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*Join the Journey – Filmed in the Sinai Desert
*It’s Hot Here and There’s No Way Out – Filmed in Wabi Nasb
*Help is Here – Filmed in Wadi Nasb
*When Your Heart Cries Out – Filmed in the Judea Wilderness
*They Were Not Wandering – Filmed on Mount Sinai
*Ears to Hear – Filmed in Negev
*There’s Hope in the Desert – Filmed in En Gedi -
Faith Of A Mockingbird (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn The Faith of a Mockingbird, based on Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, pastor and author Matt Rawle uses Lee’s beloved characters to explore Christian faith, theology, and ethics. Join Scout, Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson in this four-week study considering God’s world and what it all means. A DVD featuring four sessions with the author, a full Leader Guide, and Worship Resource Flash Drive also are available for group study.
-
Fire On The Mountain Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$18.99Add to cartThis six-session small group Bible study, Fire On The Mountain, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume nine of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. When the Israelites left Egypt, they were finally free. Free from persecution, free from oppression, and free to worship their God. But with that freedom comes a new challenge – learning how to live together the way God intends. In this ninth volume of Faith Lessons, discover how God teaches the Israelites what it means to be part of a community that loves him and what that means for us today. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for Fire On The Mountain was filmed on location at the Red Sea, Sinai, Serabit al Khadim, and Jebel Katarina. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Fire On The Mountain DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*The Lord Who Heals You – Filmed at the Red Sea and Sinai
*Not By Bread Alone – Filmed in Sinai
*Their Blood Cried Out – Filmed at Serabit al Khadim
*The Mountain of God – Filmed at Jebel Katarina
*I Led You Like a Bride – Filmed at Jebel Katarina
*The Whisper of God – Filmed at Jebel Katarina -
Death And Resurrection Of The Messiah Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$18.99Add to cartThis ten-session small group Bible study, Death and Resurrection of the Messiah, from noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume four of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In it, Vander Laan illustrates how Jesus’ call to follow him turned the world upside down, and learn how confronting evil can be loudly proclaiming the name of Jesus or quietly caring for someone in need.
Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
The Death and Resurrection of the Messiah (336 pages) includes ten sessions. Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 30 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Death and Resurrection of the Messiah DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*When Storms Come – Sea of Galilee
*Piercing the Darkness – Kursi
*Gates of Hell- Caesarea Philippi
*City of the Great King Part 1 – The Temple
*City of the Great King Part 1 – Jerusalem
*The Lamb of God – Mount of Olives
*The Weight of the World – Capernaum/Gethsemane
*Roll Away the Stone – Garden Tomb
*Power to the People – Southern Stairs
*Total Commitment – Caesarea -
Life And Ministry Of The Messiah Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis eight-session small group Bible study, Life & Ministry of the Messiah, from noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume three of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In it, Vander Laan illustrates how Jesus’ call to follow him turned the world upside down.
Journey back to the time of Jesus. Marvel at the magnificence of Herod’s palace. Scramble among the ruins of Qumran. And wonder at the simplicity and wisdom of Jesus’ parables. In the Life & Ministry of the Messiah, you and your group will discover how the events of Jesus’ day impacted his life, ministry and communication…and then you’ll learn how it affects yours.
Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
The Life & Ministry of the Messiah Discovery Guide (296 pages) includes eight sessions. Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 30 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Life & Ministry of the Messiah DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*In the Shadow of Herod – Herodion
*My Rock and My Fortress – Masada
*The Time Had Fully Come – Filmed in Qumran
*No Greater Love – Filmed in Korazin/Mount of Beatitudes
*The Rabbi – Filmed in Gamla
*Language of Culture – Filmed in Sepphoris
*Misguided Faith – Filmed in Belvoir
*Living Water – Filmed in En Gedi -
Promised Land Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, Promised Land, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume one of the 12-part Faith Lessons series.
In Promised Land, Vander Laan illustrates how God guided his people to a specific place – the Promised Land – to impact the world both in ancient times and today. Just like the time and place of our birth shapes our journey, so the land and culture of the Hebrew people shaped their story. Promised Land provides wonderful context to the stories of that time.
Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.This Discovery Guide includes five sessions. Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Include 30 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Faith Lessons Promised Land DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*Standing at the Crossroads -Tel Gezer
*Wet Feet – Jordan River
*First Fruits – Tel Jericho Confronting Evil – Tel Beth Shemesh
*Iron of Culture – Tel Azekah -
Early Church Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, Early Church, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume five of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In this volume, Vander Laan uncovers the passion and commitment early believers displayed as they claimed Jesus in the face of fierce consequences and powerful adversaries.
Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
The sessions on this DVD were filmed on location in Caesarea Philippi, Sardis, Pergamum, Ephesus, and Laodicea.
These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Early Church DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*Everything to Lose, Nothing to Gain – Filmed in Caesarea Philippi
*The Salt of the Earth – Filmed in Sardis
*Where Satan Lives – Filmed in Pergamum
*The Mark of the Beast – Filmed in Ephesus
*Hot or Cold – Filmed in Laodicea -
You Lost Me (Reprinted)
$17.99Add to cartClose to 60 percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out after high school. Now the bestselling author of unChristian trains his researcher’s eye on these young believers. Where Kinnaman’s first book unChristian showed the world what outsiders aged 16-29 think of Christianity, You Lost Me shows why younger Christians aged 16-29 are leaving the church and rethinking their faith.Based on new research, You Lost Me shows pastors, church leaders, and parents how we have failed to equip young people to live “in but not of” the world and how this has serious long-term consequences. More importantly, Kinnaman offers ideas on how to help young people develop and maintain a vibrant faith that they embrace over a lifetime.
-
High Definition Leader
$19.99Add to cartThe United States is know as the “Great Melting Pot,” yet a survey of our churches on Sunday Morning would reveal a noticeably different portrait of our ethnic make-up. Every facet of American culture is multi-ethnic. Yet, the Church is not. The church is segregated. Drawing from scripture, Derwin shows how the modern church is suffering from being homogenous and how we are not fulfilling our calling as effectively as we should be.
The High-Definition Leader is a call for churches and their leaders to grow out of ignorance, class-ism, racism, and greed into a flourishing and vibrant community of believers united in their devotion to serving God and sharing His love with the world.
-
Prayer Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartPrayer is more than just telling God what we think, feel, and want. It is also about hearing what God has to say to us. Prayer: Sharing Intimate Space with God explores the many dimensions of prayer and how we can incorporate those into our everyday lives.
In this study small groups will gain hope and inspiration for communing with our Heavenly Father in prayer.
Topics in this 7-week study include:
Session 1: Prayer Expresses Relationship
Session 2: Prayer Expresses God’s Character and Mission
Session 3: Prayer Expresses All of Our Life
Session 4: A Model Prayer
Session 5: Prayer Involves Listening
Session 6: Prayer Involves Speaking
Session 7: Prayer Involves DifficultiesThe Dialog Series offers topical and biblical small group studies that generate meaningful conversations. Each 7-week study explores a subject significant to the Church and to the story of God. Dialog creates community. So let’s talk.
-
Path To The Cross Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, The Path to the Cross, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume eleven of the 12-part Faith Lessons filmed-on-location DVD and Discovery Guide series. In The Path to the Cross, God’s story continues with the intense devotion of his people. Discover how their passionate faith prepares the way for Jesus and his ultimate act of obedience and sacrifice at the cross. Then, be challenged in your life to live as they did – by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD was filmed on location in Qumran, Machaerus, En Gedi, Jerusalem and Gethsemane. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with The Path to the Cross DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*The Way of the Essenes – Filmed in Quamran
*The Way of John the Baptist – Filmed in Machaerus
*Into the Desert to Be Tested – Filmed in En Gedi
*The Last Passover – Filmed in Jerusalem
*The Fifth Cup: Our Way of Hope – Filmed at Gethsemane -
With All Your Heart Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis six-session small group Bible study, With All Your Heart, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume ten of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. Do you remember where your blessing comes from? In Exodus, God warned Israel to remember him when they left the dry desert and reached the fertile fields of the Promised Land. But in this tenth volume of Faith Lessons, you’ll discover how quickly they forgot God and began to rely on themselves. Find out what it means to remember the Lord in your own life on this one-of-a-kind spiritual pilgrimage. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for With All Your Heart was filmed on location in Timnah, Negev, and Jerusalem. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study. This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the With All Your Heart DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*Build Me a Sanctuary – Filmed in Timnah
*Making Space for God – Filmed in Timnah
*He Led Them Like a Shepherd – Filmed in Negev
*By Every Word – Striking the Rock – Filmed in Negev
*With All Your Might: The Final Test – Filmed in Jerusalem
*A Well-Watered Garden – Filmed in Jerusalem -
God Heard Their Cry Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$18.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, God Heard Their Cry, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume eight of the 12-part Faith Lessons filmed-on-location DVD and Discovery Guide series. Vander Laan illustrates how, in ancient times, nothing was bigger than Egypt… powerful pharaohs, strong armies, and a multitude of gods. God’s people were no match against the Egyptians. In this volume of Faith Lessons, discover how God answers the cry of his persecuted people and proclaims himself Lord to them and their oppressors. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for God Heard Their Cry was filmed on location in Luxor, Egypt; Deir al Medina, Ramesseum, and the Red Sea. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study. This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the God Heard Their Cry DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*How Big Is our God? – Filmed in Luxor, Egypt
*Israel in Bondage: God Heard Their Cry – Filmed at Dier al Medina
*Finger of God: The Plagues – Filmed at Ramesseum
*Watch with Me: Israel Leaves Egypt – Filmed at the Red Sea
*The Lord Reigns: The Red Sea – Filmed at the Red Sea -
Walk As Jesus Walked Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session, video-based small group bible study, Walked As Jesus Walked, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume seven of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In this volume, Vander Laan helps you experience how the disciples translated Jesus’ call to passionate discipleship into language and imagery the Roman culture already understood. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for Walked As Jesus Walked was filmed on location in Aphrodisias, Antioch Pisidia, Lystra, and Cappadocia. These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study. This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Walk As Jesus Walked DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*Run! The Passion of Elijah – Filmed in Aphrodisias
*Learning to Walk Like Jesus – Filmed in Antioch Pisidia
*An Unlikely Disciple – Filmed in Lystra
*Why Christians Suffer: The Weight of Gesthemane – filmed in Cappadocia
*Don’t Forget Us – filmed on location in Cappadocia -
In The Dust Of The Rabbi Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis five-session small group Bible study, In the Dust of the Rabbi, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume six of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In this volume, Vander Laan helps you experience Jesus’ life up close and personal.
Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures’ significance for modern believers.
The In the Dust of the Rabbi Discovery Guide includes five sessions.
Each lesson:
*Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD
*Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study tools
*Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection
*Includes 25 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.The companion DVD for In the Dust of the Rabbi was filmed on location in Galilee, Priene, and Didyma.
These illuminating “faith lessons” afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.
This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the In the Dust of the Rabbi DVD (sold separately).
Lessons include:
*When the Rabbi Says, “Come” – Filmed in Galilee
*When the Rabbi Says, “Go” – Filmed in Galilee
*The Presence of God: A Countercultural Community – Filmed in Priene
*Living Stones – Filmed in Priene
*The Very Words of God – Filmed in Didyma -
Meaning Of Marriage Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartModern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that marriage does not mean ’til death do us part, but merely for as long as my needs are being met; and that when serious differences arise, divorce is the best solution.
According to the Bible, all of these modern-day assumptions miss what marriage is all about. In The Meaning of Marriage-a six-session video-based Bible study-Timothy Keller, along with Kathy, his wife of forty years, draws a profound portrait of marriage from the pages of Scripture that neither idealizes nor rejects the institution but points us back to the relationship between God and man. The result is a vision for marriage that is refreshingly frank and unsentimental, yet hopeful and beautiful. This six-session video Bible study is for anyone from singles to couples considering marriage to those who have been married recently or for a long time.
The six sessions are:
*The Secret of Marriage
*The Essence of Marriage
*The Mission of Marriage
*Embracing the Other
*Singleness and Marriage
*Sex and Marriage -
Why In The World Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartIn this four-session video Bible study, bestselling author and pastor Andy Stanley takes a closer look at one of the unique things Christians believe: God became one of us. Why in the world would God do that?
Why would God leave the comfort and recognition of heaven to live on this ball of dirt in a time before morphine and indoor plumbing when the best of conditions barely paralleled the worst of modern-day conditions? Why?
We think we know why He died. But what compelled him to live as one of us?
-
Armor Of God Bible Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$24.99Add to cartAll day, every day, an invisible war rages around you – unseen, unheard, yet felt throughout every aspect of your life. A devoted, devilish enemy seeks to wreak havoc on everything that matters to you: your heart, your mind, your marriage, your children, your relationships, your resilience, your dreams, your destiny. But his battle plan depends on catching you unaware and unarmed. If you’re tired of being pushed around and caught with your guard down, this study is for you.
The Enemy always fails miserably when he meets a woman dressed for the occasion. The Armor of God, more than merely a biblical description of the believer’s inventory, is an action plan for putting it on and developing a personalized strategy to secure victory. (7 Sessions)
Features:
Bible Study Book includes 6 weeks of homework that can be completed between 7 group sessions
Includes leader helps and perforated prayer cards that can be used to develop a prayer strategy
Leader material (guides to questions and discussion with small group)Benefits:
Equip women to get serious, specific, and strategic in their discipline of prayer
Turn challenges and discouragement into opportunities for prayer
Grow spiritually as you dig deeper into Scripture and expand your understanding of prayer
Develop and implement practical, purposeful prayer strategies
Appropriate for new or inexperienced Bible study students as well as those well-versed in Scriptures
Leaders can be assured of a trusted teacher in every group
Opportunity for multiple leaders or facilitators -
Ferguson And Faith
$19.99Add to cart1. Just Protest This By Prayer!
2. Praying With Their Feet
3. Not Looking Away
4. Jesus Is In The Streets!
5. Where Have All The Leaders Gone?
6. This Is What Theology Looks Like
7. Why Are Your Doors Open To Us?
8. There Is A Ferguson Near You
9. Standing On The Side Of Love
10. #staywokeAdditional Info
The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, reignited a long-smoldering movement for justice, with many St. Louis-area clergy stepping up to support the emerging young leaders of today’s Civil Rights Movement. Seminary professor Leah Gunning Francis was among the activists, and her interviews with more than two dozen faith leaders and with the new movement’s organizers take us behind the scenes of the continuing protests. Ferguson and Faith demonstrates that being called to lead a faithful life can take us to places we never expected to go, with people who never expected us to join hands with them. Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community is the first book from the partnership of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) and Chalice Press. -
Counterfeit Christianity : The Persistence Of Errors In The Church
$21.99Add to cartHistoric heresies didn’t die or fade away. Each generation boasts its own. Even while these counterfeit teachings remain outside the accepted bounds of Christianity, modern-day versions plague churches.So how does a church leader or pastor understand and deal with these age-old controversies when they pop up in the congregation? In this book, Roger Olson describes the curses but also gifts that heresies bring the Church. While heresies can occasionally correct a version of orthodoxy, they are not simple confusions or misunderstandings about impenetrable mysteries of divine revelation. Instead they undermine the faith and are dangerous distortions. The author describes major heresies and how the church dealt with them, the players, and what pastors can do to address these faith issues in order to educate congregations about Jesus, God, and salvation. Also included are questions for individual or group study.
-
Youth Ministry In The 21st Century (Reprinted)
$22.99Add to cartThere are many philosophies and strategies that drive today’s youth ministry. To most people, they are variations on a single goal: to make faithful disciples of young people. However, digging deeper into various programs, books, and concepts reveals substantive differences among approaches.
Bestselling author Chap Clark is one of the leading voices in youth ministry today. In this multiview work, he brings together a diverse group of leaders to present major views on youth ministry. Chapters are written in essay/response fashion by Fernando Arzola Jr., Greg Stier, Ron Hunter Jr., Brian Cosby, and Chap Clark. As the contributors present their views and respond to each of the other views, they discuss their task and calling, giving readers the resources they need to develop their own approach to youth ministry. Offering a model of critical thinking and respectful dialogue, this volume provides a balanced, irenic approach to a topic with which every church wrestles.
-
God Of Justice
$20.00Add to cartThe level of injustice in the world is staggering. The church needs to respond. International Justice Mission (IJM) has worked with thousands of churches to help them live out the mandate of Isaiah 1:17: to seek justice, rescue the oppressed and care for orphans and widows. Christians need to be equipped and mobilized to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are vulnerable and oppressed. The God of Justice is a twelve-sesson, discussion-based curriculum that explores the biblical narrative of justice throughout the whole of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. Through the participatory study of Scripture, Christians can explore God’s call to engage in bringing about justice on earth. Throughout the course of study, participants will come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of biblical justice and will draw personal application for the pursuit of justice ministry in their individual lives and the wider church. Prepare to have your heart and mind engaged, to be instructed by Scripture and challenged by real-life stories of people freed by the God of justice. This curriculum can help you and your church bring freedom, restoration and reconciliation to those in need. Discover how God reveals himself to those who join him on his justice journey!
-
Psalm 2 KJV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartThis eagerly anticipated volume of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) covers chapters 42-106 of the Psalms and is part two of a three-part series.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) is much more than a commentary – it’s a comprehensive resource for expository and topical preaching.
Each volume organizes key points of Scripture passages in a systematic outline form, along with content synthesized from 200+ Bible commentaries, language sources, and reference works.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) includes inspirational sermon points, practical life applications and dozens of supporting scriptures in every section.
This volume includes Psalms chapters 42-106 and contains Scripture printed in King James Version (KJV).
-
Sacred Marriage Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn this six-session small group Bible study, Sacred Marriage, writer and speaker Gary Thomas invites you to see how God can use marriage as a discipline and a motivation to reflect more of the character of Jesus.
Your marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. Sacred Marriage shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God.
Everything about your marriage-from the history you and your spouse create, to the love you share, to the forgiveness you both offer and seek by turn-is filled with the capacity to help you grow in Christ’s character.
In addition to life-changing insights, you’ll find a wealth of discussion questions in this Participant’s Guide that will spark meaningful conversation in your group, between you and your spouse, or to simply ponder by yourself. You’ll also find self-assessments, activities, and highlights all created to help you engage deeply and prayerfully with the content of this study. Designed for use with the Sacred Marriage DVD (sold separately).
Sessions include:
*God’s Purpose for Marriage
*The Refining Power of Marriage
*The God-Centered Spouse
*Sacred History
*Sexual Saints
*Marriage: The Love Laboratory -
Children Worship
$24.00Add to cartChildren Worship! offers planned experiences that help children understand what is expected in worship, how to participate, and what our words and actions mean. This thirteen-session worship education resource helps congregations incorporate young children into the worshiping community. Sessions focus on the six actions of worship and cover the following topics: Gathering, Giving, Praise and Thanks, Praying, Proclaiming, Responding, and Sending.
-
Spent Matches : Igniting The Signal Fire For The Spiritually Dissatisfied
$22.99Add to cartSpent Matches explores the possibility that a few small paradigm shifts within the church might make the difference between extinction and effectiveness. In fact, taking a clue from the automobile industry, the church might be able to not only halt the rapid decay in attendance but also become an effective tool in achieving Jesus’ final command. For instance, the Hybrid car has become the answer to Detroit’s environmental and oil crisis issues. Finding the synergy between two technologies, gas and electric has created a new day for the auto industry. Likewise, Spent Matchesexplores how the church can find synergy between two seemingly competing thoughts: an invitation to come and a command to go. The Hybrid metaphor brings energy to the church’s mission and an explanation to the age-old argument of Missional versus Attractional methods.
Features include:
*Innovative ideas for growing the church
*Methods to reach those who may never have attended church
*Scripture passages that touch on the subject of church growth -
Understanding Gender Dysphoria
$25.00Add to cartIntroduction
1 Gender Identity, Gender Dysphoria And Appreciating Complexity
2 A Christian Perspective On Gender Dysphoria
3 What Causes Gender Dysphoria?
4 Phenomenology And Prevalence
5 Prevention And Treatment Of Gender Dysphoria
6 Toward A Christian Response: At The Level Of The Individual
7 Toward A Christian Response: At The Level Of The Institution
Notes
Author Index
Subject IndexAdditional Info
Few topics are more contested today than gender identity. In the fog of the culture war, complex issues like gender dysphoria are reduced to slogans and sound bites. And while the war rages over language, institutions and political allegiances, transgender individuals are the ones who end up being the casualties. Mark Yarhouse, an expert in sexual identity and therapy, challenges the church to rise above the political hostilities and listen to people’s stories. In Understanding Gender Dysphoria, Yarhouse offers a Christian perspective on transgender issues that eschews simplistic answers and appreciates the psychological and theological complexity. The result is a book that engages the latest research while remaining pastorally sensitive to the experiences of each person. In the midst of a tense political climate, Yarhouse calls Christians to come alongside those on the margins and stand with them as they resolve their questions and concerns about gender identity. Understanding Gender Dysphoria is the book we need to navigate these stormy cultural waters. -
Emotionally Healthy Leader
$24.99Add to cartThere is an immense difference between a Christian and a secular leader. Secular leaders learn best practices and strategies from the most successful global leaders and then do their best to implement them. They are secular in that they manage to lead without God. While we can, and should, learn from best secular leadership practices, Christian leadership is different. Christian leaders lead from an interior life with Jesus Christ. Our lives are defined by Jesus who calls us to follow Him, and do His will. We lead from a position of dependence and communion with Him. Moreover, our vision is more than earthly measures of success. Christian leaders lead people to Jesus so that their lives might be powerfully transformed by Him. Yet we cannot give what we do not possess. We must be increasingly transformed first. The first half of The Emotionally Healthy Leader looks at four foundational areas often overlooked in developing leaders: facing our shadow, leading out of our marriage or singleness, slowing down for loving union with Jesus, and practicing Sabbath delight. Who we are, our “being”, is primary, impacting all our exterior activity. Scazzero then examines the intersection of our inner lives with the practical, everyday “doing” of leadership – planning and decision-making, culture and team buildings, community and dual relationships, and endings and new beginnings. Forged out of hard lessons learned in 26 years of leading a large, growing, complex, missional, multiracial church in New York City, The Emotionally Healthy Leader offers a unique integration of how who we are profoundly impacts what we do as leaders. It looks at how all our decisions and activities each day flow out of our inner walk with Christ. The Emotionally Healthy Leader goes beyond a quick fix or a new technique to core, beneath-the-surface issues of uniquely Christian leadership. This book is more than a book you will read; it is a resource you will come back to over and over again.
-
Concordias Bible History Teacher Book (Teacher’s Guide)
$19.99Add to cartProvides a comprehensive review of 143 Bible stories to help students understand God’s plan of Salvation.
For use with the comprehensive Bible overview, Concordia’s Bible History and its accompanying student workbook, this teacher book includes answers to the student workbook questions, reproducible tests, and answers for each unit’s discussion questions. -
Trinity : The God We Dont Know
$15.99Add to cartMost people assume they know what they mean when they use the word “God.” They mean a powerful old guy in the sky ready to obliterate us if we do wrong but basically benevolent, if a little senile.
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity shows us God is vastly more interesting. God is actually fleshed among us in Jesus, poured out on us in the Holy Spirit’s intoxication of the church. God is three divine persons in perfect harmony and beauty-and God invites us into that unimaginable intimacy. We don’t know this God, but we should.
Trinity uses scripture, the Early Church tradition, and some modern theology to argue that God is weirder than we ever thought. God is a mystery whom we can’t understand but who can shape our misunderstanding to allow for faithful living and holy love of God and neighbor.
-
Psalm 2 NIV Preacher Edition
$39.99Add to cartThis volume is part two of a three-volume series. Psalms Vol. 3 (ch. 107-150) is currently in progress and will be available late 2016.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) is much more than a commentary – it’s a comprehensive resource for expository and topical preaching.
Each volume organizes key points of Scripture passages in a systematic outline form, along with content synthesized from 200+ Bible commentaries, language sources, and reference works.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible(R) includes inspirational sermon points, practical life applications and dozens of supporting scriptures in every section.
This volume includes Psalms chapters 42-106 and contains Scripture printed in New International Version (NIV).
-
Circle Maker Student Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartPray Circles Around Your Greatest Dreams and Biggest Fears
Prayer can sometimes be a frightening thing-how do you approach the maker of the world, and what exactly can you pray for? In this student adaptation of The Circle Maker, Pastor Mark Batterson uses the true legend of Honi the circle maker, a first-century Jewish sage whose bold prayer saved a generation, to uncover the boldness God asks of us at times, and what powerful prayer can mean in your life. Drawing inspiration from his own experiences as a circle maker, as well as sharing stories of young people who have experienced God’s blessings, Batterson explores how you can approach God in a new way by drawing prayer circles around your dreams, your problems, and, most importantly, God’s promises. In the process, you’ll discover this simple yet life-changing truth: God honors bold prayers; bold prayers honor God. And you’re never too young for God to use you for amazing things.
Updated with discussion questions that tie to the Circle Maker video curriculum.
-
Disaster Ministry Handbook
$30.00Add to cartWhen disasters happen, people turn to local churches as centers for response and assistance. When floods or tornadoes devastate an area, or when shootings and violence shock a community, knowing what to do can be the difference between calm and chaos, courage and fear, life and death. But few churches plan in advance for what they should do – until the storm hits.
Don’t get caught unprepared. If a natural disaster or human tragedy strikes your community, your church can minister to the hurting. Jamie Aten and David Boan, codirectors of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, provide a practical guide for disaster preparedness. Disaster ministry is a critically important work of the church, preparing for the unthinkable, providing relief to survivors, caring for the vulnerable, helping communities recover. Filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management, this book provides best practices for local congregations. By taking action in advance, your church can help prevent harm and save lives during a disaster.
The time to plan is now. Be prepared.
-
Making Disciples Across Cultures
$24.00Add to cartCulture affects how we make disciples. We often unconsciously bring our own cultural assumptions into ministry and mission, not realizing that how we think and operate is not necessarily the best or only way to do things. In today’s global environment, disciplemaking requires the cultural humility and flexibility to adapt between different cultural approaches.
Charles Davis, former director of TEAM, provides a framework for missional disciplemaking across diverse cultural contexts. He shows how we can recalibrate our ministry efforts, like adjusting sound levels on a mixer board, to accommodate different cultural assumptions. With on-the-ground stories from a lifetime of mission experience, Davis navigates such tensions as knowledge and behavior, individualism and collectivism, and truth and works to help Christian workers minister more effectively.
Ministry teams, church planters, pastors and missionaries working interculturally at home or overseas can be part of God’s movement of making disciples. Discover how the body of Christ grows in the unity and diversity of the global church.
-
Envisioning The Congregation Practicing The Gospel
$26.99Add to cartThis accessible and instructive book is designed to equip lay leaders of Protestant churches to better envision and practice gospel-driven ministry and mission in contemporary society.Seasoned pastor and practical theologian John Stewart presents and explains five biblically mandated, foundational practices for being and nurturing the church: fellowship, discipleship, witness, service, and worship. Stewart argues that these five practices are normative, indispensable, and doable for congregations that seek to remain faithful to their risen Lord, and he offers memorable, achievable models of ways they are already being used in current mainline congregations.
-
Call Participant Book (Large Type)
$20.99Add to cartWalk Beside the Great Apostle
With Adam Hamilton, we have traced the life of Jesus from his birth The Journey, through his ministry The Way, to his death and resurrection 24 Hours That Changed the World. What happened next?
Follow the journeys of Paul, beginning with his dramatic conversion, as he spread the Gospel through modern-day Greece and Turkey. Travel to the early church sites and explore Paul’s conversations with the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. In this six-week study, you are invited to experience faith through Christ’s greatest teacher and missionary.
-
Life Youve Always Wanted Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn the six-session small group Bible study, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg guides you and your group through the spiritual disciplines and teaches you how they can transform your spiritual life. What does true spiritual life really look like? And what keeps you from living it? What can you do to pursue it? If you’re tired of the status quo-if you suspect there’s more to Christianity than what you’ve experienced-John Ortberg invites you to join him on a road to transformation and spiritual vigor that anyone can take. Cultivate new intimacy and confidence in prayer. Discover the freedom of secrecy. Taste the benefits of slowing life’s frenetic pace. Learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit – and much more. As in a marathon, the secret lies not in trying hard, but in training consistently. Proven by followers of Jesus over the centuries, the spiritual disciplines are exercises that strengthen your endurance race on the road to growth. This study guide is designed for use with The Life You’ve Always Wanted: A DVD Study (sold separately). When used together, they provide you with a practical tool that can grow your faith.
Sessions include:
*It’s Morphing
*Time Slowing Down and Celebrating
*Praying and Confessing
*Meditating on Scripture and Seeking Guidance
*Practicing Servanthood, Finding Freedom
*Going the Distance with a Well-Ordered Heart -
Earn Save Give Participant Book (Large Type)
$16.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
-
Earn Save Give Childrens Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$18.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
The Children’s Leader Guide contains session ideas for younger and older children, including reproducible handouts. Consists of four sessions as part of the churchwide stewardship program.
-
Earn Save Give Youth Study (Teacher’s Guide)
$10.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
Everything needed to conduct a 4-week youth study for ages 13-18, as part of the churchwide stewardship program. The Youth Study Book includes participant content as well as leader helps.
-
Teaching Biblical Faith
$18.99Add to cartBiblical faith is a lens for viewing life, and Jack Seymour refreshingly illustrates how the reading of scripture is a resource for ongoing theological reflection connecting experience, vocation, daily life, and faith. Teaching has concrete consequences affecting the very ways people of faith view the world and make decisions for living. It matters; it makes a difference in how people think and act.
Written in an accessible style, the book provides a manageable way to inspire conversation about the many ways the Bible can be taught, the purposes and outcomes of each approach, and how biblical wisdom shapes personal and corporate decision-making. Useful strategies for leading group Bible study help congregations respond faithfully to the Biblical witness and cultivate a whole congregation approach to Bible study.
-
Time Management For The Christian Leader
$17.99Add to cartGod gives each of us the same 168 hours a week. Why is it that some of us seem to spend our time more effectively and more efficiently than others? Our time is too short and our ministries too important for us to waste any of the hours God has entrusted to us.
Author Ken Willard outlines some best practices, time wasters to avoid, and examples designed to apply in your life and ministry. How do we plan for the long-term, the short-term, and the daily? What are the connections between our tasks and our goals? Is there space between your load and your limit?
Time Management for Christian Leaders challenges readers to identify why they are interested in improving their time management skills, where they currently struggle, and where they want to spend more time.
-
Earn Save Give Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the small group study as part of the stewardship program. Includes session plans, discussion questions, and activities based on the book and DVD, as well as multiple format options.
-
Earn Save Give Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$15.99Add to cartJohn Wesley believed money was important as a way of expressing and living out Christian faith. To Wesley, the task was simple: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. In this essential little book, pastor and author James A. Harnish presents Wesley’s concepts and beliefs in plain, useful language, suitable for individuals to grapple with and groups to discuss and act upon.
The four chapters of this book form the basis for a four-week churchwide stewardship program, along with the DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book, Children’s Leader Guide, and the Program Guide on flash drive.
-
Sermon Sucking Black Hole
$16.99Add to cartVery little communication takes place between most pastors/priests and their congregants regarding the weekly sermon/homily. This lack of constructive dialogue has resulted in Sunday messages that are not only out-of-touch with where parishioners are living, but for the most part what’s said isn’t remembered much beyond the church parking lot.
Dr. Mains contends that people in the pew can best judge when a sermon is helpful to them and when it isn’t. So why not include them in the process of both preparing and evaluating sermons? Not preaching the sermons. . . . .but again, preparing and evaluating them. He makes these changes sound so simple and practical that you can’t help but wonder, “Why weren’t these ideas implemented years ago?”
Most people in the pew don’t realize how integral they are to finding a solution to this problem. But the pulpit/pew combination can be an incredibly powerful team, so let’s begin to work together to help solve this mystery of what’s happening to sermons.
This is not a negative book or one that only points out problems. Instead, it’s a positive, practical and encouraging read that should fill you with hope for not only your local congregation, but churches everywhere.
-
Brain Savvy Leaders
$27.99Add to cartLeadership is tough. Church leadership can be even tougher. Leadership demands constant reframing and reappraisal of the situation, focus, objectivity, honest appraisal of yourself and others, and astute evaluation of available resources. Church leadership is all that and more. To be an effective church leader, you also have to love and have others’ best interest at heart. You have to align yourself and your church with God’s desire to transform lives for the better, both within and beyond your reach.
Using up-to-date research from brain science in easy-to-understand language, author Charles Stone will help you increase your personal productivity, handle stress and your emotions in constructive ways, create and sustain collaborative teams, and manage change in your church. Using illustrations and acronyms, Dr. Stone will show you how brain science can complement and reinforce what the Bible says about life and leadership. He will show you how basic brain processes affect leadership and your team’s ability to follow while becoming more cohesive and collaborative.
Each chapter gives practical tips and actionable steps to help leaders improve personal and organizational skills.
-
Preaching The Gospels Without Blaming The Jews
$44.00Add to cartRonald Allen and Clark Williamson provide a commentary on the Revised Common Lectionary Gospel readings, demonstrating how the lections are continuous with the theology, values, and practices of Judaism and also identifying and reflecting on points at which the lections caricature Jewish people, practices, and institutions.
-
2nd Intercessions Handbook
$16.99Add to cartContaining completely new material, this user-friendly sequel to the bestselling Intercessions Handbook is for individuals and groups involved in the vital task of leading prayers in public worship. Easy to adapt to particular situations and with a wealth of creative suggestions for enlivening the prayers, The Second Intercessions Handbook covers:* mainstream public worship* festivals and special events. informal worship and worship for small groups. intercessions with children and young people . personal intercession
-
New Adapters : Shaping Ideas To Fit Your Congregation
$17.99Add to cartJacob Armstrong shares time-tested principles for church pastors and leaders with a brief introduction at the beginning of each chapter from mega-church pastors Adam Hamilton and Michael Slaughter. Armstrong demonstrates how classic principles are being translated in a variety of new contexts, by a new generation of leaders. The book provides guidance for pastors and leaders on how to translate ideas and practices for their own context and reflects the sense of opportunity and hope that is beginning to flourish in some mainline churches today. These principles are adaptable for any size congregations across denominations.
-
10 Prescriptions For A Healthy Church
$18.99Add to cartIn 10 Prescriptions for a Healthy Church, authors Bob Farr and Kay Kotan offer the Top Ten prescriptions for issues seen during church consultations. Farr and Kotan share their expertise from working with churches to detail the most common concerns and obstacles found when consulting with congregations.
In their conversational style, Farr and Kotan offer a practical approach to fixing common problems, offering strategies sure to help congregations achieve success in specific areas of ministry. Proven success stories offer application, hope, and practicalities from benefiting congregations.
-
Worship Together In Your Church As In Heaven
$25.99Add to cartIf we hope to share the message of Christ with people in this changed world, we must examine and reshape our worship. Our communities and our neighborhoods are becoming increasingly multicultural. Is the same thing true at your church? Is the worship at your church reflective of heaven?
The Bible is clear that one day people from every tribe, language, and nation will gather together to worship Jesus together in heaven. More often than not, however, our worship here on earth is segregated, preferential, one-dimensional, and united around a musical style rather than the person of Jesus Christ. This kind of worship is not only incomplete, but it is dangerous, leading us farther and farther away from the kind of worship that heaven is about. Multicultural worship doesn’t just happen. The church is in need of pastors, worship leaders, and worshipers who, with their hearts fixed on heaven, will not settle for the separate but equal mentality in worship.
-
Finding Their Voices
$19.99Add to cartFinding Their Voices is more than a book of sermons. It seeks to honor a generation of women who stand at the headwaters of a stream of change in Churches of Christ in regards to women in ministry. It records history in the making and preserves the words spoken by 29 women from pulpits across the U.S. and Canada. It also recognizes the churches and institutions that welcomed these women and provided space for their voices to be heard.
-
Who Is My Neighbor Teacher Manual (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWho Is My Neighbor? (Quien es mi vecino?) is a field-tested resource through which English speakers of any church and congregation can learn basic Spanish-speaking skills to be able to communicate and provide a welcoming atmosphere to the Hispanic communities surrounding them. The six-session resource developed by the Northern Illinois Conference covers basic conversational Spanish, and simple and easy to follow Spanish-language worship material. The program encourages openness toward Spanish-speaking neighbors, understanding of different cultures, and compassion for those who struggle to learn English. This resource is easily implemented by congregations of any size, and it results in a program of hospitality that will help include Hispanic communities in your church congregation.
-
Discussing Mere Christianity Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this 8-session video group study, you will discover why Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is one of the most read and beloved Christian books of all time. But seventy years later from when it was first delivered on radio, what relevance does it have to our world today? Host Eric Metaxas and a variety of Christian leaders (e.g. N.T. Wright, Tim Keller, Lauren Winner, Devin Brown, Paul McCusker, Douglas Gresham) help us understand the timeless message of C.S. Lewis in fresh ways for a new generation. The first purpose of this video study is to explore the positive ideas that C.S. Lewis has so eloquently written about in Mere Christianity for those who already call themselves Christian. The second purpose is to explain in an engaging, winsome and non-threatening way the basic tenants of the Christian faith as illustrated by C.S. Lewis to those who do not claim to be Christian. This study aims to fulfill the vision of C.S. Lewis of reaching people from all faith backgrounds.
-
Minister As Entrepreneur
$20.99Add to cartBuilding on his own experiences as a priest and an entrepreneur, Volland argues that the concept of entrepreneurship offers churches a helpful lens through which to view Christian ministry and mission, and an understanding and approach to ministry that is well fitted for the mission task in a rapidly changing world. He shows how an entrepreneurial approach is consistent with understandings of leadership in the major denominations and in the new churches. He also argues that such an approach is consistent both with the nature of God and with human collaboration with God’s activity in the world. “To be a minister is to face the everyday challenge of finding new ways to express the faith, and to refresh the life of the Church. This is the call to be an entrepreneur. Michael Volland sets out the case for the minister as an agent of change and as the one who looks for new ways to do things . . . This is an important and a timely book which will help us to see entrepreneurship as gift of God and a delight for the Church.’Pete Ward, Professorial Fellow in Ecclesiology and Ethnography, Durham University
