Pastoral Helps
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Reframing Hope : Vital Ministry In A New Generation
$31.00Add to cartMuch has been written about the changing landscape the church finds itself in, and even more about the church’s waning influence in our culture. From her vantage point as an under-40 pastor, Carol Howard Merritt, author of Tribal Church, moves away from the handwringing toward a discovery of what ministry in, with, and by a new generation might look like. What does the substance of hope look like right now? What does hope look like when it is framed in a new generation? Motivated by these questions, Merritt writes Reframing Hope with the understanding that we are not creating from nothing the vital ministry of the next generation. Instead, we are working through what we have, sorting out the best parts, acknowledging and healing from the worst, and reframing it all.
She explores the spirit of collaboration that has grown up in our culture as the diffusion of authority continues to move toward a network of sharing resources and information. She shares the spiritual longing she sees in those of her generation and acknowledges that people will no longer settle for one-way preaching and entertaining services-they want their worship to become meaningful; they want their spirituality to lead to action. Merritt believes that if we can manage to navigate many of these important shifts, the years ahead are full of hope, but only if we recognize and welcome the changes that will come and open ourselves to what new adaptations will bring to us.
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To The Cross And Beyond
$14.95Add to cartIn each of Sunday’s assigned lectionary readings — the First, Second, and Gospel lessons — we are invited to view the glorious narrative of scripture through three different, yet harmonious, perspectives. In the gospel lesson, we return to the fountainhead, bringing the congregation back to where Christianity began. Like the first disciples, we walk with Jesus, hearing his words and witnessing his miracles as we journey to the Cross.
To the Cross and Beyond takes us through Jesus’ final days on earth as recounted in the Sundays of Lent and Easter. David O. Bales explores some of the gospel’s best-known moments as Jesus journeys to Jerusalem and, ultimately, to the Cross and then the empty tomb.
This collection of sermons is a valuable resource for:
Sermon starters and illuminating illustrations
Gaining a new homiletical perspective to the lectionary
Offering a newer, deeper understanding and appreciation of scripture
Using as a starter for adult Bible study groups or personal devotionsThis insightful collection of sermons includes:
Looking Down on God
Putting the World Back Together
Jesus’ Prayer: The Pause in the Battle
… and many more! -
Show And Tell Cycle A
$14.95Add to cartIn each of Sunday’s assigned lectionary readings — The First, Second, and Gospel lessons — we are invited to view the glorious narrative of scripture through three different, yet harmonious, perspectives. In the first reading, the congregation returns to the heritage of our faith as described in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testament book of Acts. We travel with the children of Israel as they take their first steps in faith, reliving the highs and lows of that journey with them. Through studying this part of scripture, we can see our own journey of faith played out by an entire nation.
Show-and-Tell guides us through some of the earliest accounts in the Bible in Genesis and Exodus, as well as the prophetic words of Isaiah and Ezekiel. During the Easter season, the first readings also explore the beginnings of Christianity as recounted in Acts. By taking us back to the beginning, Dr. Everett offers insight and encouragement into how we can live out our faith today.
This collection of sermons is a valuable resource for:
Sermon starters and illuminating illustrations
Gaining a new homiletical perspective to the lectionary
Offering a newer, deeper understanding and appreciation of scripture
Using as a starter for adult Bible study groups or personal devotionsSermons in this volume include:
Will This Be on the Test?
A Breath of Fresh Air
Stuck in Park
… and many more! -
Korean Lay Training Manual Deacon – (Other Language)
$19.99Add to cartThis deacon training manual is the first-level book in a leadership training program endorsed and conducted by the Korean United Methodist Caucus. This training program (consisting of three levels, or books) provides Korean UM church leaders with a better understanding of the United Methodist Church (its history and structure), the Bible, and church leadership dynamics.
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Liderazgo Con Proposito – (Spanish)
$15.99Add to cartIn these twelve chapters about leadership, Pastor Rick Warren examines the life and ministry of Nehemiah. In his book, Rick uses analogies and important points of view about what well-rounded success of difficult tasks looks like. These lessons and Biblical principles will help leaders achieve success while maintaining their integrity and accomplishing God’s plan for their lives.
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So You Think You Dont Know One
$23.95Add to cartUnpacking a common, but rarely addressed problem-from the theological dimensions of codependency to treatment of the minister and congregation-clergy experts Platt and Knudsen cite real-life experiences with clergy addiction and congregations in crisis in this ecumenical approach to recovery.
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Equipping Laypeople For Transformational Workplace Ministry
$15.99Add to cartEquipping Laypeople Many Christians fail to see their places of work as their most logical mission field, missing opportunities for both workplace ministry and evangelism. Those who do see their places of work as a mission field are making a tremendous difference where they work. Given the amount of hours typically spent working, the personal trials and dysfunctions many carry with them to work, as well as the poor working conditions of many American workers, there is a tremendous need for Christians to transform their places of work. Even though many pastors tell their church members to go out and reach people, they are not providing them with the necessary training to reach those in the workplace. There is a great need for laypeople to be built up, to be creative, and to live out their faith at work. Pastors have been given the ultimate privilege of equipping God’s people for service. Churches must be intentional about providing laypersons with the theological tools and practical information necessary to understand and effectively exercise workplace ministry. We must begin by accepting that all God’s people are placed in workplace ministry, and seek to know God’s original plan for work, as well as how to integrate work and faith. In EQUIPPING LAYPEOPLE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL WORKPLACE MINISTRY, Caroloretta Tucker offers her Doctorate’s thesis research results to pastors and churches as a firm foundation for this effort.
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Crucified Church : Leading Your Church Through Death & Rebirth
$15.99Add to cartWarning: The Church is Dying…and She Should! The Church is losing ground in America. In The Crucified Church: Leading Your Church through Death & Rebirth, seasoned pastor and church planting expert, Joel Rissinger insightfully and candidly shows that revival or renewal of an impotent, biblically deprived church are simply not enough. With great love for the Bride of Christ, Rissinger shows why the death of a church is often its biblical pathway to life. In The Crucified Church! you will be equipped to: * Explore the biblical foundation for church death and rebirth * Crucify unbiblical doctrine, to ensure our gospel is everything Jesus is, was, taught, lived, did, and will do in the future. * Crucify church structure, to ensure our churches are led more as a theocracy than a democracy. * Crucify church vision, to ensure it is based on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. * Crucify missions, to ensure they center on church planting and multiplication. And much more!
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Staying In Bounds
$19.99Add to cartBoundaries are healthy and necessary parts of life and ministry. Staying in Bounds provides straight-talk guidance to ministers and other leaders of churches and faith-based organizations on the what, why, and how of relational boundaries. Provides guidance on identifying, implementing, and enforcing healthy boundaries, with a special focus on ministry settings.
The author develops the concept of boundaries from psychological and theological perspectives, discusses the benefits of boundaries, and then explains the importance of healthy boundaries in the church.
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Concise Dictionary Of Pastoral Care And Counseling
$49.99Add to cart1. Definitions
2. History And Biography
3. Issues Of Power And Difference
4. Interfaith Issues And Methods
5. Clinical Method
6. Pastoral Theological MethodAdditional Info
The Concise Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling is a condensed version of the Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling, first published in 1990, with new and updated articles. This book provides classic and key articles that explain current theories, trends, and practices in the field of Pastoral Care and Counseling. -
Discerning Life Transitions
$28.95Add to cartEvery one of us will experience several major life changes over the course of adulthood. Each of these transitions will be marked by external changes, such as change of location, career changes, promotions, or job losses, plus changes in family circumstances, including births, marriage, and death. These transitions may also be marked by inner change, since most of us readily examine our faith life and relationship with God during such periods.
This new book helps people examine both the outward and the inward dimensions of major life changes. This blend of interior examination and attention to practical issues is shown in the questions that set the stage for the discernment process:
* What theme or themes do you bring to this process of discernment?
* What details would be necessary to know in order to discern an outcome?
* What are the financial implications?
* What are the implications for family members or others close to you?
* What information do you need to start gathering? -
Out Of Babylon
$17.99Add to cartIt was the center of learning, commerce, wealth, and religion. Devoted to materialism, extravagance, luxury, and the pursuit of sensual pleasure, it was a privileged society. But, there was also injustice, poverty, oppression. It was the great and ancient Babylon-the center of the universe. And now we now find Babylon redux today in Western society. Consumer capitalism, a never-ending cycle of working and buying, a sea of choices produced with little regard to life or resources, societal violence, marginalized and excluded people, a world headed toward climactic calamity. Where are the prophets-the Jeremiah-to lead the way out of the gated communities of overindulgence, the high rises of environmental disaster, and the darkness at the core of an apostate consumer society?
Walter Brueggemann-a scholar, a preacher, a prophetic voice in our own time-challenges us again to examine our culture, turn from the idols of abundance and abuse, and turn to lives of meaning and substance.
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Whose Offering Plate Is It
$18.99Add to cartIn Not Your Parents Offering Plate, Clif Christopher challenged churches and pastors to take a lesson from the leaders of not-for-profit organizations: if you want people to give to your church, first offer them a compelling vision of the good that their giving will accomplish. The book encouraged an entire culture change for many in the Christian community in how they viewed the offering plate. It also unleashed a barrage of questions on specifically now one goes about creating this new culture while maintaining the foundations of their faith tradition and essence of their mission.
In this sequel Christopher responds to these questions in the same forthright manner that he originally laid forth his propositions. He offers simple, strategic advise on such difficult questions as:
$ “Exactly how to I go about gaining access to the donor records when my church has prohibited it for a hundred years?”
$ “How do I explain a meeting with just those who are strong givers without alienating those who are not?”
$ “How can we advocate online giving without encouraging some to abuse their credit cards?”
$ “What should letters to different giving constituencies look like?” -
Word Militant : Preaching A Decentering Word
$24.00Add to cartAgainst the easy assurance of a too-enculturated religion, Walter Brueggemann refocuses the preaching task around the decentering, destabilizing, always risky Word that confronts us in Scripture – if we have the courage to hear. These powerful essays, previously available only in journals, are here combined with a newly composed preface and introduction. Includes a foreword from the Reverend William H. Willimon.
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Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You
$16.00Add to cartEarl Blackburn has served the Lord in the Church since December 27th, 1976. He has served seven years in Utah, twenty-two years in California, and now four years in Louisiana. Over the past several years brother Earl has battled with cancer which has caused him to appreciate the church more than ever. This book is written by a man who has a burning passion for the Church of Christ, and who desires to stir up the hearts of people all over the world to love the Church Christ loved enough to lay down his life for her.
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Sacred Parenting Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this six-session participant’s guide, designed for use with Sacred Parenting DVD, Gary Thomas helps you and your group look at parenting from a different perspective: not about successfully raising perfect children, but about you becoming more holy.
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Reason For God Discussion Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartCaptured live and unscripted, pastor and author Timothy Keller meets with a group of skeptics to address their doubts and questions about Christianity. This course will train you on how to deal with six of the most common questions from skeptics as well as give you the resources to meet with your own group.
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Journey In The Wilderness
$18.99Add to cartThe last forty years have seen transitions in mainline churches that feel, for many, like a journey into the wilderness. Yet God is calling us in this moment, not to grieve over the changes we have experienced, but to hear the call to a new mission, and a new faithfulness. Gil Rendle draws on decades as a pastor and church consultant to point a way into a hopeful future. The key to embracing the wilderness is to learn new skills in leading change, to reach beyond a position of privilege and power to become churches that serve God’s hurting people.
Empowers readers to minister more faithfully, and joyfully, in a situation of congregational and denominational transition
A careful analysis of the changes that have taken place in mainline Protestant churches over the last decades.
Thorough review of the lessons learned, both inside and beyond the church, about leading organizations during times of social upheaval.
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Leading The Congregation (Revised)
$34.99Add to cartLeading the Congregation is a complete and definitive guide to the practice of church leadership. The book describes essential paradigms for the leader that integrate spiritual integrity and service within a “systems” view of the congregation and its ministry.
This revised and updated version focuses on the challenges of congregational leadership in a culture that has fewer ties to Christian faith. The authors lay out the dual contexts in which church leaders must function-within the congregation, and as the congregation’s representative to the community-and they explain the very different skill sets required to flourish in each. Underlying the revised edition is an insistence on the congregational leader’s call from God, and cultivation of her or his relationship with God. Leadership is not the same thing as charisma, they explain; it is rather a set of attitudes and practices that each of us can and must master if we are to be worthy servants of Christ.
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Maximize (Reprinted)
$16.00Add to cartMaximize is the ultimate how-to book for pastors and church leaders who long for their churches to be fully resourced to carry out ministry initiatives without financial strain. Pastor Nelson Searcy provides an innovative, step-by-step plan for turning first-time givers into extravagant stewards of God’s resources. Shining a light on the often taboo subject of money, Maximize will explore what causes someone to give for the first time and what leaders can do to systemize and maximize these gifts while growing strong disciples.
Readers will learn how to:
cultivate first-time givers
motivate people to tithe
develop an ongoing stewardship system
follow up with givers the right way
develop multiple giving options
shepherd the five types of givers in the church
educate people to grow in the grace of givingStewardship is an essential part of discipleship. This revolutionary yet biblically based guide will chase the money discussion out of the darkness and bring it the attention it deserves. Every pastor needs a copy of Maximize!
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Grounded In The Living Word
$28.99Add to cartGrounded in the Living Word responds to the disconnect between pastoral care and biblical interpretation in a unique – and much-needed – manner. In this cross-disciplinary conversation Denise Dombkowski Hopkins and Michael S. Koppel engage the intersections between biblical stories and human stories in order to assist care practitioners and Bible interpreters in the transformative work of healing pastors, communities, and ultimately, creation.
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Life Of Jesus (Student/Study Guide)
$22.99Add to cartIncludes Video Discussion Guide / Six Sessions
Join historian John Dickson on this journey through the life of Jesus. This book, which features a self-contained discussion guide and is designed for use with the Life of Jesus DVD, will help you and your group dig deeper into what is known about Jesus’ life and why it matters. -
Soul Of Supervision
$29.95Add to cartWith national and international concern around issues of abuse, burnout, meaninglessness, and spiritual bankruptcy in every profession, supervision is becoming increasingly necessary for people who desire life-giving care and understanding in their work and ministry. This new book provides a framework of theory and experience to develop the strengths and address the challenges of professional supervision with particular focus on developing spiritual sensitivity and competency.
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Real Life Discipleship (Student/Study Guide)
$19.99Add to cartReal-Life Discipleship explains what should happen in the life of every Christian and in every small group so that the church becomes an army of believers dedicated to seeing the world saved. With the overriding goal to train disciples who know how to make more disciples, this book offers proven tools and strategies from Real Life Ministries, one of America’s fastest-growing churches. Discover what the Bible says about true and effective discipleship with these strategies and practices.
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Magnificent Obsession Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartFollow author Anne Graham Lotz in this seven-session participant’s guide, designed for use with The Magnificent Obsession DVD, and learn to embrace a God-filled life. Is your heart yearning to know if there’s something more to this life? Anne has found answers to her heart’s yearning through studying the life of Abraham.
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Integrating Faith And Psychology
$28.99Add to cartForeword ByGary Collins
Acknowledgments1 Introduction: Catching Integration
by Glendon L. Moriarty2 Surprised By Grace: God?s Faithfulness In Developing A Christian Psychologist
by Everett L. Worthington Jr.3 A Search For Belonging
by L. Rebecca Propst4 My Integration Journey: Reflections Of A Christian Psychologist And Pastor
by Siang-Yang Tan5 Journeying Toward Home
by Mark R. McMinn6 Confessions Of A Tortoise: Slow Steps On The Integration Journey
by M. Elizabeth L. Hall7 Practicing Convicted Civility
by Mark A. Yarhouse8 Living The Legacy
by Jennifer S. Ripley9 Honoring My Tradition
by Alvin C. Dueck10 Reluctant Integration
by J. Derek McNeil11 Faithful Skepticism/Curious Faith
by William L. Hathaway12 Setting One’s Face Toward Jerusalem
by Linda M. Wagener13 Integration And The Christian Imagination,
by Cameron LeeAdditional Info
The tensions often cited between psychology and Christianity are well known. Much worthwhile work has been done to construct theories and frameworks for integrating the two. But how do Christians in psychology actually weave together these strands of their lives and their work. What are their stories? Here Glendon Moriarty brings together twelve of the foremost clinicians and academics in the field of Christian integration to share their stories. Coming from different perspectives and experiences, reflecting gender and ethnic diversity, these prominent psychologists tell about their spiritual, personal and professional journeys of interrelating their faith and profession. In this book we hear about the developmental issues, the sense of calling and the early career insights that shaped their paths. They recount the importance that significant relationships had on their understanding of Christian integration, especially noting the influence of mentors. Struggles and doubts are common human experiences, and the contributors openly share the stresses they encountered to encourage others with similar issues. On a day-to-day basis, we see how spiritual disciplines and the Christian community assist them in their work and in their understanding. Finally, each writer offers a personal note with lessons learned and hard-won wisdom gained. Randall Sorenson once said, “The integration of psychology and Christianity is caught, not taught.” In these stories is a unique opportunity to catch sight of twelve who have already traveled that challenging path. -
Mobilizing Men For One On One Ministry
$19.00Add to cartA Dynamic New Approach to Men’s Ministry
Men’s breakfasts, golf outings, and other events still have a place in men’s ministry. But Steve Sonderman is finding that the most effective ministry is relational rather than programmatic. Drawing from the successes at his church and others, Sonderman shows leaders how to motivate and mobilize their men to minister to each other. Readers learn what men are looking for today, how men grow spiritually, and how to develop a leadership pipeline in their church.
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Coming To Peace With Psychology
$30.99Add to cartAcknowledgments
IntroductionPart I: The Relationship Of Psychological Science To Theology
1 Interesting Things About People
2 A Tale Of Two Cities
3 What Information Can I Trust?
4 Why You Might Not Believe What You Don?t Already Believe
5 The Methods Of Disciplines
6 A Relational Model
7 Understanding The Relational Partners
8 Dealing With Some ChallengesPart II: What Psychological Science Has To Offer Theology
9 Psychological Science Provides A New Tool
10 Psychological Science Is Limited
11 Psychological Science Strengthens Theological Claims
12 Psychological Science Adds New Ideas To Theology
13 Psychological Science Addresses Theological Controversies
14 Psychological Science Addresses Theologically Hot Social Controversie
15 Psychological Science Helps Us Understand Virtuous Living
16 Psychological Science Helps Us Live More Virtuously
17 Can Psychological Science Help Us Know God Better?Additional Info
Religion and science have often been at odds. In particular, Christianity and psychology have not always gotten along. Some Christians are still suspicious of psychological findings. But researcher Everett Worthington argues that Christians can know people better–and even know God better–through psychological science. Worthington suggests that the relationship between psychological science and Christianity is less like a war or mere dialogue and more like an emerging marriage. In this relational model of psychology and Christianity, there may be marital spats at times but also great potential for an intimate, mutually fulfilling relationship. Worthington demonstrates how the tools of experimental psychology shed light on human nature and the nature of God. Because people bear the image of God, the findings of psychological science help us understand both people and God more clearly. Psychological science provides new perspectives on theology and can help us address theological controversies and hot topics. Worthington gives recent examples of illuminating psychological findings, examines the distortions of the image of God through the effects of sin and points to ways that psychology assists Christians in living more virtuously. Psychology can contribute to the Christian life, because all of us, psychologists and non-psychologists alike, are human and can benefit from better understanding our fellow humankind. Beyond integrating Christian and psychological truths, this book uncovers new relationships between science and religion, demonstrates psychologys benefits to theology, and helps Christians live a redeemed life that is pleasing to God. -
Multicultural Ministry Handbook
$24.99Add to cart1. The Building Blocks Of A Multicultural Ministry
David Anderson
2. Relational Training For A Multicultural Church
Frank Eastham
3. Lessons Learned By A White Pastor In A Multicultural Church
Dave Michener
4. Pastoral Care And Education
Dan Taylor
5. Creative Arts And Multicultural Ministry
Rich Becker
6. Multicultural Worship
Nikki Lerner
7. Multicultural Prayer Ministry
K. C. Whang
8. Multicultural Children’s Ministry
Karen Eastham
9. Multicultural Student Ministry
Jared Sorber
10. Community Outreach
Dave Michener
11. Going Further
Margarita CabellonContributors
About Bridgeway Community ChurchAdditional Info
The world is becoming increasingly diverse. More and more of our neighbors are from a variety of cultures, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. But most churches are still culturally homogenous and do not represent every tribe and tongue. What can we do to minister more effectively to our multicultural society? David Anderson and Margarita Cabellon bring together an experienced team of practitioners to share best practices for multicultural ministry. First they lay out the biblical rationale for multicultural community as God’s vision for his people. Then key leaders share personal journeys and practical ideas for multicultural leadership development, worship, children’s ministry, outreach and much more. Drawing on the pioneering expertise of Bridgeway Community Church and BridgeLeader Network, the contributors present a holistic and multifaceted portrait of what a dynamic, grace-filled and diverse ministry can look like. Our tribalized world is crying out for healing. Discover how you can minister to others as agents of God’s reconciliation and hope. -
Me I Want To Be Teen Edition Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartEvery aspect of a teen’s life is growing and changing; their bodies, their minds, and their faith. But helping a teen really grow spiritually and understand how to live into the life that God desires for them can be a challenge. This book will help teens discover what it can look like when they’re fully alive. They’ll see that God has a perfect vision for their lives, and that they can live their best life. In this five session study, teens learn to be thriving and flourishing Christ-followers as they explore:
Your Mind
Your Time
Your Experience
Your Relationships
The World -
Head To Soul Makeover Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$19.99Add to cartTeen girls often struggle with stubbornness, insecurity, anxiety, stress, irritability, and envy – which can be crippling at this critical stage in their lives when they’re forming their adult identities. Through the lens of culturally relevant television reality shows and magazine-type self-quizzes, this 10-week small group study will guide teen girls through an upbeat curriculum to transform their lives from head to soul. By exploring eight Christ-like character qualities, the study helps girls put discipleship into practice with a weekly “Makeover Challenge,” and then wraps it all up with a “Big Reveal” party. The leader’s guide includes guidelines for facilitating a group, the complete text of the participant’s guide, helpful hints for the group exercises and discussion questions, and handout pages to copy.
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When God Changes A Church
$17.49Add to cartWhen God changes a church, He begins with the leader. He changes him from the inside out. That person is known to us as the pastor. This role is pivotal to any real redemptive work that God will ultimately do in the life of a particular congregation. In this book, we will see how God changed a particular African American Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The pastor chronicles how God inspired a vision that changed a traditional church with traditional values into an outward focused ministry with real worldwide reaching possibilities.
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Ministerio La Planificacion De – (Spanish)
$14.99Add to cartA practical Spanish-language guide for anyone involved in Christian education
In a practical and easy-to-understand manner, Fernando A. Cascante introduces the reader to the world of Christian education within the Hispanic/Latino community.
Enriches future ministries of Spanish-speaking seminary students
Ideal for Latino pastors who need practical help in the area of Christian education
Quick help and reading on an important aspect in Latino ministry
Written in Spanish by an expert in the field of Christian education -
For The Parish
$35.99Add to cartFresh Expressions of Church are most significant development in the Church of England in recent decades. Many have called for a thorough theological engagement with the movement. The Church of England is engaging in radical new departures when the ecclesiological thinking for such experiments is far from complete. Parishes are the mainstay of the ‘inherited church’. Frequently they are belittled and cast as either unhelpful or irrelevant. The authors argue for the vitality of the parish, both for mission and for discipleship. The authors argue that the forms of the church are to be an embodiment of her faith. They should therefore be more determined by our theological traditions than by the surrounding culture. They show that the traditions of the parish church represent ways in which time, space, community are ordered in relation to God and the gospel.
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Future Of Preaching
$35.00Add to cartPreaching remains a central feature of almost all Christian worship. There are thousands of men and women in the UK who preach on a regular basis, clergy of all denominations, Readers, Local Preachers, Lay Preachers, Chaplains etc. This book, edited and contributed to by some of the leading authors in this field, seeks to make a substantial and authoritative contribution to the teaching and learning of preaching. The contributors offer reflections on subjects such as Preaching in a Communications Culture, Preaching and the Bible, Preaching and Personality Types, the Life of the Preacher and Educating Future Preachers.
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Real Life Discipleship Training Manual (Teacher’s Guide)
$19.99Add to cartWhat’s the most effective way to make disciples? By following this step-by-step game plan! Designed to equip small groups to multiply followers of Christ, this 12-week course helps you assess spiritual maturity, understand what it means to be an intentional leader, learn how Jesus used relationships purposefully, discover how the training process works, and more.
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Preaching The Gospel Of Matthew
$44.00Add to cartThis commentary for preaching Matthew, a companion to WJK’s successful Preaching the Gospel of Luke, Preaching the Gospel of John, and Preaching the Gospel of Mark, works through every passage of Matthew’s Gospel with exegetical insight and a keen sensitivity to the demands of preaching.
Saunders’s commentary follows the biblical text, divided into passages. After each passage, a number of possibilities are presented for how to preach that text. He includes a wealth of creative and pertinent tips to help preachers apply Matthew’s narrative to the lives of today’s churchgoers. -
Quick Reference Guide To Counseling Teenagers (Reprinted)
$30.00Add to cartYouth culture changes rapidly, so those in the position to counsel teens often find themselves ill-informed and ill-prepared to deal with the issues that teens routinely encounter today. The Quick-Reference Guide to Counseling Teenagers provides the answers. It is an A-Z guide for assisting people-helpers–pastors, professional counselors, youth workers, and everyday believers–to easily access a full array of information to aid them in (formal and informal) counseling situations. Each of the 40 topics covered follows a helpful eight-part outline and identifies: (1) typical symptoms and patterns, (2) definitions and key thoughts, (3) questions to ask, (4) directions for the conversation, (5) action steps, (6) biblical insights, (7) prayer starters, and (8) recommended resources.
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Christmas : The Good The Bad And The Ugly An Advent Study For Adults
$13.99Add to cartFocuses on many characters from the story of Christ’s birth
Four sessions, one for each Sunday of Advent
Each session features a Scripture reference, a personal reading, questions for personal reflection or group study, a closing prayer, and a focus for the coming week.
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Canon And Creed
$38.00Add to cartWhat is the relationship between Scripture and historic church confessions? Jenson reveals how canon and creed interact, asserting that neither is able to influence Christian faith without the help of the other. Focusing on the Apostles’ Creed, he provides a guide through the theological questions engendered by this powerful statement and its acceptance by the church.
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Ministerio Juvenil 3.0 – (Spanish)
$13.99Add to cartThis book should be in the personal library of any youth minister who values the ministry. This book will help the leader to see where we came from, why we do what we do, and where we should be heading to produce the results that God and this generation expect from us.
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Practical Skills For Ministry
$32.00Add to cartThe SCM Studyguide: Practical Skills for Ministry offers a practical introduction for those who are training for ministry, both lay and ordained, within the church. The book answers the questions asked by those preparing for ministry and by those who have recently started and found gaps in the way they have been prepared. The author uses real examples drawn from his experience of over 20 years of pastoral ministry, together with work in chaplaincy and broadcasting and the shared experience of others. The book covers all those aspects of ministry required within the more practical contextual areas of the course of preparation for ministry in use by mainstream denominations, such as baptisms, weddings, working with others, communication, meetings and funerals. It provides practical guidance which is soundly theologically and pastorally based.
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Diagramming The Scriptures
$24.99Add to cartIn Diagramming the Scriptures. . . the curriculum starts with the simple sentence, adds precept upon precept until the learner is able to master complex sentences. . . As each concept is introduced, the student has plenty of practice, followed by quizzes, and later a cumulative test over the entire text. As an educator, a homeschool parent, and a tutor I see this curriculum as an excellent choice for a homeschool, a Christian school classroom, or for an individual of any age who is interested in studying grammar or God’s Word, word by word.
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Rhythms Of Grace 1
$38.95Add to cartRhythms of Grace is a unique and innovative program resource designed to meet the spiritual needs of children and families living with autismspectrum disorders. Participant families gather monthly with program leaders and volunteers for sessions that are a hybrid of worship and faith formation. Rhythms of Grace helps children and their families feel at the center of a worship/formation experience that is specific to their needs and circumstances, rather than merely at the margins of a more conventionally “inclusive” program of worship or faith formation.
The Rhythms of Grace curriculum consists of a 3-year syllabus of distinct scripture-based session plans, as well as the background material needed to establish a successful program. Each year of the program includes 12 monthly sessions (Sept. to Aug.) and 6 feast sessions. Volume 1 contains a single year’s worth of session plans (18 sessions total), plus background material.
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Psychology And Christianity (Revised)
$35.99Add to cart1. A History Of Christians In Psychology – Eric L. Johnson
2. A Levels-of-Explanation View – David G. Myers
An Integration Response
A Christian Psychology Response
A Biblical Counseling Response
A Transformational Psychology Response3. An Integration View – Stanton L. Jones
A Levels-of-Explanation Response
A Christian Psychology Response
A Biblical Counseling Response
A Transformational Psychology Response4. A Christian Psychology View – Robert C. Roberts And Paul J. Watson
A Levels-of-Explanation Response
An Integration Response
A Biblical Counseling Response
A Transformational Psychology Response5. A Biblical Counseling View – David Powlinson
A Levels-of-Explanation Response
An Integration Response
A Christian Psychology Response
A Transformational Psychology Response6. A Transformational Psychology View — John H. Coe And Todd W. Hall
A Levels-of-Explanation Response
An Integration Response
A Christian Psychology Response
A Biblical Counseling Response7. Finding One Truth In Five Views – Eric L. Johnson
Name Index
Subject IndexAdditional Info
How are Christians to understand and undertake the discipline of psychology? This question has been of keen interest (and sometimes concern) to Christians because of the importance we place on a correct understanding of human nature. Psychology can sometimes seem disconnected from, if not antithetical to, Christian perspectives on life. How are we to understand our Christian beliefs about persons in relation to secular psychological beliefs? This book presents four models for understanding the relationship between psychology and Christianity. David Powlison (Westminster Theological Seminary) offers the biblical counseling model. The levels-of-explanation model is advanced by David G. Myers (Hope College), while Stanton L. Jones (Wheaton College) introduces the integration model. The Christian psychology model is put forth by Robert C. Roberts (Baylor University). Each of the contributors responds to the other essayists, noting points of agreement as well as problems they see. This second edition includes an entirely new chapter by Stanton L. Jones presenting the integration model, along with new responses from the other contributors. It also includes a revised introduction by Eric L. Johnson, describing the history of Christians and psychology, as well as a conclusion that considers what might unite the four views and how a reader might evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each view. Psychology and Christianity: Four Views has become a standard introductory textbook for students and professors of Christian psychology. This revision promises to keep it so. -
Lectionary Scripture Notes Cycle A
$24.95Add to cartThis book provides guidelines and resources for homilies and sermons, worship planning, and Scripture study based on the texts in Year A (Cycle A) in The Revised Common Lectionary: Consultation on Common Texts (Nashville: Abingdon, 1992). It is a thoroughly revised and updated replacement for Norman A. Beck, Scripture Notes for Series A (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing, 1986). Leaders in worship and worship planning and other members of Christian congregations and communities will find this book to be helpful for use as individuals and in study groups as they prepare for more meaningful worship services each weekend.
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What Can We Believe Cycle A
$12.95Add to cartIn each of Sunday’s assigned lectionary readings — the First, Second, and Gospel lessons — we are invited to view the glorious narrative of scripture through three different, yet harmonious, perspectives. In the second lesson, we become witnesses to the growth and development of the early church as described in the epistles of Paul and the other apostles. As the early Christians take their first steps in their faith, we too learn how to travel on our own journey with Christ.
As part of the Sermons on the Second Readings, Series III, Cycle A series, What Can We Believe? guides us through the last third of the season of Pentecost as James L. Killen Jr. explores the second lessons from Proper 23 through Thanksgiving, bringing the lectionary cycle year to its conclusion.
This collection of sermons is a valuable resource for:
* Sermon starters and illuminating illustrations
* Gaining a new homiletical perspective to the lectionary
* Offering a newer, deeper understanding and appreciation of scripture
* Using as a starter for adult Bible study groups or personal devotions
This insightful collection of sermons includes:
What Can We Believe about the Christian Life?
What Can We Believe about the Reign of Christ?
What Can We Believe about Stuff?
… and many more!
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Strategically Small Church (Reprinted)
$16.00Add to cartBrandon O’Brien helps pastors and church leaders understand that a smaller church is sometimes better than a big one. He demonstrates the strengths of small congregations, including that today’s church “shoppers” want services that are local, personal, and intimate. Also, small churches provide space to nurture close relationships across age and lifestyle barriers, and they facilitate a higher level of commitment from laypeople. And small church budgets are often more effective because of greater efficiency. The Strategically Small Church will encourage small-church pastors in their ministries and challenge them to play to their strengths.
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Prophetic Preaching : A Pastoral Approach
$28.00Add to cartWhere have all the prophets gone? And why do preachers seem to shy away from prophetic witness?
Astute preacher Leonora Tisdale considers these vexing questions while providing guidance and encouragement to pastors who want to recommit themselves to the task of prophetic witness. With a keen sensitivity to pastoral contexts, Tisdale’s work is full of helpful suggestions and examples to help pastors structure and preach prophetic sermons, considered by many to be one of the most difficult tasks pastors are called to undertake. -
Spirit And Art Of Conflict Transformation
$25.00Add to cartTransforming conflict into a positive rather than a negative force is a spiritual pursuit and needs to be grounded in biblical principles: love of God, neighbor, and self. This book is a resource for seminary professors, leaders, ministers, mediators, facilitators, and conflict transformation consultants who want to approach their work in this way. Part 1 explains how we can prepare ourselves for the work of engaging conflict, and Part 2 explores how we engage others in conflict transformation, outlining specific processes. This book articulates the vision and practice of conflict transformation developed by the JustPeace organization.
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I Will With Gods Help Mentor Guide
$12.95Add to cartSession 1: Baptismal Covenant.
Session 2: Teaching And Fellowship, Bread And Prayers.
Session 3: Resist, Repent, And Return .
Session 4: Word And Example.
Session 5: Seek And Serve.
Session 6: Into The World In WitnessAdditional Info
This important component to the I Will with God’s Help confirmation program is a simple yet effective guide for confirmation mentors, offering suggested scripture readings, discussion questions/topics and prayers for time spent with confirmation students. This Episcopal confirmation encourages youth and adults to enter into a uniquely Episcopal – yet profoundly Christian – faith journey. The easily adaptable format works for a traditional 6-12-week program, at a contemporary Confirmation retreat or conference, or as a sacramental supplement to other larger programs. I Will with God’s help is built entirely on the Baptismal Covenant from The Book of Common Prayer and offers youth and adults as solid reflection of Episcopal heritage and belief, together with the riches of Episcopal liturgy and prayers. -
Feasting On The Word Year A 1
$55.00Add to cartWith the twelve-volume series Feasting on the Word, Westminster John Knox Press offers one of the most extensive and well-respected resources for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes will cover all of the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with moveable occasions.
The page layout is truly unique. For each lectionary text, preachers will find brief essays–one each on the exegetical, theological, pastoral, and homiletical challenges of the text. Each volume will also contain an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers may make use of its contents. -
Even Me : Master Can You Use Me
$14.99Add to cartThis book, “Even Me, Master Can You Use Me?” is designed to help Christians get to the highest level job on earth, the call to minister.
Ten essential steps are outlined to assist in finding God’s purpose for your life. An added bonus is ten powerful testimonies of people who have been used by the Master.
They include: Bishop Philip Coleman, Sr., Bishop D. Rayford Bell, Minister Wanda Stallworth-Davis, Sister Gwendolyn Faye Fortson, Deacon Herman Wilson, Bishop William L. Bonner, Deacon Larry Joe Lindsey, Deacon Henry Terry, Pastor Richard Heard and Sister Leola Blossom. All of these individuals are ordinary people who became extraordinary after serving the Master.
After reading this book, you too, will be able to answer this question, “Can God Use Someone Like Me?”
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10 Power Principles For Christian Service (Reprinted)
$15.00Add to cartIn a church culture that is rapidly losing its unique, intergenerational make-up in favor of small groups and even entire churches designed to target specific age groups, it can be difficult for ministers to relate to those who are not in their own demographic. But Warren and David Wiersbe, representing two generations, believe that generational differences should not keep ministers from relating to their congregations. In this thoughtful and practical book, they offer ten principles for Christian service that always work, at all times and in all places, inviting ministers to get back to the basics of serving others. New and seasoned pastors alike will find this a welcome source of inspiration and instruction on how they can relate and minister to people of all ages.
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Bible Fun For Tweens
$18.99Add to cartMore than just busy work, these puzzles are a great way to introduce the session and spark discussion.
Features:
2 reproducible puzzles per week.
Can be used to supplement the Bible stories
Fun ways to set the stage for the heart of the session.Benefits:
Can be used in other settings such as children’s Bible study groups.
Provides additional opportunities for kids to learn Bible verses, and discover meanings in the Bible. -
Creative Retreat Ideas
$39.99Add to cartTime apart to listen to God is an essential component of the Christian life. This wide ranging practical resource offers complete programme ideas – from short spiritual breaks for those who can only manage a couple of hours from their work or family responsibilities, to a range of ideas for whole day and full weekend retreats. aaExperienced retreat conductor Sue Pickering explores the elements that are commonly used in retreats:silence, journalling, using craft materials, reflection, lectio divina, imaginative prayer, music and movement, and more. aaOut of these building blocks, unlimited retreat programmes can be created. Part two offers themed retreat programme outlines complete with handouts which are downloadable from the accompanying CD Rom. These include Quiet Breakfasts, A Prayer Walk, A Garden Retreat and much more.
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Connecting Like Jesus
$21.95Add to cartNumerous opportunities for introspection, study, and practice in developing “holy habits” that foster Christ-like communication are presented in this well-organized and accessible guide. Coauthors Campolo and Darling (The God of Intimacy and Action) offer combined expertise in preaching, public speaking and spiritual direction, resulting in a thought-provoking, valuable resource for Christians seeking to engage in “spiritually charged communication.” They draw insights from the writing of John Wesley as well as from interviews conducted with contemporary Christian figures Brian McLaren, Mindy Caliguire, and Shane Claiborne to illuminate ways that Jesus’ ministry explicitly models how today’s Christians can live in “dynamic communion with God, ourselves, others and the world.” The authors apply a Christian lens to familiar communication techniques such as empathic listening, practicing forgiveness, and knowing one’s audience. For example, in noting the importance of self-awareness for loving communication, they quote Jesus’ admonition, “First take the log out of your own eye,” and then suggest several spiritual practices to help Christians identify personal strengths and weaknesses. This book’s blend of kindly spiritual insights and practical wisdom may well appeal to those beyond the target Christian audience.
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You Can Double Your Class In Two Years Or Less
$19.99Add to cartYou Can Double Your Class in Two Years or Less is a revolutionary concept based on tried and true principles of church growth. Hunt shows us that Sunday school isn’t dinosaur headed for extinction, but a dynamic tool that can be used to reach many people for Christ. Contents include: Section One THE VISION – A Worthy Goal An Attainable Goal Who Owns This Class Anyway You Can Do It! Section Two THE MEANS —-TIGER Teach a halfway decent lesson each and every week – nothing less will do: Growth Principle #1 Quality is More Important than Quantity The Importance of a Halfway Decent Lesson 10 Marks of Great Teaching Honesty Smart People Listen Good Questions! Why Asking Questions Is the Best Way to Teach Creating Tension in Class. Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month: Growth Principle #2 Principle #1 is Just Barely True Ice Cream and Evangelism The Anatomy of a Party The Most Receptive People in Town Zone Offence The Law of Large Numbers What 623 Phone Calls Taught Me. Give Friday Nights to Jesus: Giving Friday Nights to Jesus Group Life: Get Serious About Having Fun People Love to Turn You Down – Let Them. Encourage the Group to Ministry: Recruit to a Dream, Not to a Job Teamwork Election Day. Reproduce New Groups: What if it Works? Groups of Groups. Section Three GETTING THE JOB DONE: Passion How to Get Things Done Laziness, Ignorance, Failure, and Thievery “Apart from Me you can do Nothing” The Other Side of Success What’s It all About Anyway? It all begins with prayer! Relationships – That is the way to reach people for Chirst and the Church and Josh Hunt tells how to do it. This book breathes excitement and passion. The purpose of doubling a class in not just numbers or to have a bigger Sunday school. Hunt appeals to the NT purpose of evangelism and outreach.
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Foundations Of Church Administration
$34.99Add to cartChurch leadership is a demanding and challenging role. There are many responsibilities involved in leading a church, which can be difficult to maneuver without the proper tools and resources.
Written with Bible-based truths and helpful insights, Foundations of Church Administration is both an exploration of those responsibilities and a practical guide to navigating through them. Each chapter is authored by a notable expert in the field who, with sound experience and effective steps, helps church leaders efficiently succeed in the many facets of their responsibilities.
In this honest exploration, church leaders will find a new perspective on church administration that will help them dig deeper and develop a long-lasting and effective practice of leading and administrating a church.
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Soul Shaping Small Groups
$23.99Add to cartInterVarsity Press Publication
Kim Engelmann was bored with her small group, but wondered, is it small groups that are the problem or the way we do small groups? In this book she shares her answers, offering a new format for groups that gives authentic spiritual community a chance. She challenges the compartmentalization of Bible study, prayer and even fun (only laugh during icebreaker time!), and offers creative, practical suggestions that can serve to integrate these aspects into an experiential framework. A must-read for anyone who leads or participates in a small group!
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Redeeming The Wounded
$16.99Add to cartIn this book Redeeming the Wounded you will hear from a chaplain who ministered to prisoners and to crime victims who have experienced the homicide of a loved one. Crime hurts us all and this book reveals there are spiritual and practical ways to enable the process of healing the wounds and repairing the harm.
_______________________________________________________________________Rev. Dr. B. Bruce Cook has been the inspiration behind substantive victim’s rights legislation in Georgia for the last twenty- five years.
He enlightens the world with his vision of a restored segment of American society – that of victims of crime. He exposes the gap between criminal justice and victim justice.
This book will be an invaluable resource for support groups, victim advocates and organizations that provide training for those entering the field of victim services.
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Got A Minute Pastor
$15.49Add to cartDo average Christians know what their pastors’ lives are really like? In this collection of vignettes from forty years as a Christian minister, the author reveals, with insight and humor, the joys and heartaches of ministry.
This volume touches on matters of faith and life common to us all-issues of doubt and trust, death and life, distress and healing, and of a host of moral choices we may face along life’s way.
But most of all, this book is about the faithfulness of a patient, loving and gracious God who loves each of us, and expresses that love in and through the family of faith.
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Preaching : 25th Anniversary Edition (Anniversary)
$27.99Add to cartA standard textbook on the art and craft of preaching. Craddock weaves history, theology, and hermeneutics into an exhaustive text on sermon preparation and preaching.
Painstakingly prepared for seminary students and clergy, this book answers the fundamental question: How does one prepare and deliver a sermon? Craddock’s approach is practical, but also allows for concentrated study of any particular dimension of the process.
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Preaching Christ From Ecclesiastes (Reprinted)
$33.99Add to cartAs Sidney Greidanus points out here, Ecclesiastes is especially relevant for our culture – the Teacher confronts enticements like materialism, secularism, hedonism, human autonomy, and self-sufficiency. But how can preachers convey these important teachings to their congregations in a helpful way? / Sidney Greidanus here does preachers a great service by providing the foundations for one or more series of expository sermons on Ecclesiastes. He breaks the book down in several ways, including: the boundaries of each preaching text, the text’s theme and goal, various ways to move to Christ in the New Testament, detailed exposition of the fifteen literary units, and application for today
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Asuntos Internos – (Spanish)
$13.99Add to cartTwo of the most influential leaders in today’s church share secrets never before told regarding leadership and the mission that God has given them. Dante Gebel and Lucas Leys have collaborated here for the first time to produce a book that speaks directly about real leadership, opening their hearts to reveal intimate experiences and to share their ideas about what leadership should be in the future. This book is full of gems and treasures that will help you to be honest with yourself and to rediscover the purpose that should be motivating your leadership and the responsibilities that God has given all of us to influence the next generation.
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101 Preguntas Y 101 Respuestas – (Spanish)
$12.99Add to cartHow many times have the questions arising in our minds seemed to remain unanswerable? How often have we repeated these questions to people who also did not know the answers? And how many times have they asked us questions that we also cannot answer? Lucas Leys presents 101 difficult questions along with direct answers for each one. He offers answers that are well reasoned and balanced from a biblical and spiritual perspective so that young people can deepen their faith. Whether you are a youth leader who needs to the right answers to give or a teenager in search of satisfactory answers, this book is for you.
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Discipulado E Interpretacion – (Spanish)
$17.49Add to cart“Discipulado e interpretacion” es un llamado a realizar la gran comision de nuestro Seor Jesucristo: “id y haced discipulos”. Pero hacer discipulos requiere que todo cristiano tenga un esquema hermeneutico para entender el texto escrito de la tradicion cristiana. Si entendemos bien, podremos ensear bien y asi formar discipulos buenos que se reproduzcan en otros discipulos, y estos en otros, y estos en otros. Pero si nos desviamos, estaremos propensos a perder el gozo de nuestra mision.
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10 Things Every 10th Grade Girl Should Know
$16.99Add to cartTenth grade is a lot like that last emergency drill before life taps you on the shoulder and says, “It’s time.” Although you are still a minor, the next two years will require you to take on more responsibility and to make bigger decisions. Now is the time to mentally prepare yourself for the whirlwind ahead because after tenth grade, things begin moving very quickly. Between now and your senior year, several hallmark events await you, such as taking senior pictures, getting your class ring, going to prom, ordering your cap and gown, and finding a way to pay for it all. Before you know it, you will be eighteen, graduating, and embarking on a whole new level of life. If you are not prepared, your final years of high school will leave you dazed, confused, and wondering what just happened (not to mention broke).
“10 Things Every 10th-Grade Girl Should Know” discusses the top ten things that affect the lives of young women ages 15-17 from a Biblical perspective without hiding behind political correctness. It is real talk for real times. Use it as a guide to avoid the common mistakes that many teen girls tend to make during this particular season of life. You may not be able to completely avoid having emotional baggage when you are done reading, but you can at least have a 2-carry-on limit.
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Preaching In An Age Of Globalization
$34.00Add to cartThere are many books on the market that address how culture, race, gender, or economic status affect the way preachers preach and congregations hear sermons. This is the first book to address preaching that promotes solidarity across these differences.
Preaching needs to be targeted to specific contexts. But how can a preacher handle specific contexts when we live in a globalized world? What does local context mean and who defines it? Kim develops the concept of “trans-contextual preaching” to show how preachers can respect diversity and global connections. She develops a new theology of preaching, examines the modes of biblical interpretation appropriate for trans-contextual preaching, and explores designs for sermons. Sample sermons from the author provide excellent illustrations. -
24 Hours That Changed The World Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$11.99Add to cartCHAPTER TITLES
The Last Supper
Agony Is Not Defeat
Condemned By The “Righteous” Jesus, Barabbas, And Pontius Pilate
The Torture And Humiliation Of The King
The Crucifixion
Easter: V Is For VictoriousAdditional Info
This is the same leader’s guide found in Adam Hamilton’s 24 Hours That Changed the World: Video Journey. Adam Hamilton is pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, one of the fastest growing, most highly visible churches in the country. Named by PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly as one of the top “Ten People to Watch,” Hamilton is the author of Confronting the Controversies, Making Love Last a Lifetime, Unleashing the Word, Leading Beyond the Walls, Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic, and Christianity and World Religions, all published by Abingdon Press. -
Externally Focused Quest
$26.95Add to cartTwo highly respected missional experts distill years of wisdom in this practical step-by-step guide to making your church all God wants it to be. They identify and explain how to work through nine critically important areas: focus, purpose, scope, missions, partnering, evangelism, systems, creativity, and outcomes. 261 pages, hardcover. Jossey-Bass.
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Heroes Of The Bible For Preschool Children
$14.99Add to cartAll-in-One Bible Fun is the perfect children’s program for teachers on a budget or looking for a simpler approach. Each book is a collection of 13 Bible lessons for children containing a plan with opening, story, activity, and craft. The material is undated so teachers can use throughout the year.
Heroes of the Bible lessons include:
Daniel
Jonah
Esther
Paul, and more -
Advent Christmas And Epiphany Services
$14.99Add to cartJesus: God’s Unlikely Revelation
Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Services includes biblically-based sermons, suggested scriptures, children’s time, hymn and prayers, as well as litanies for lighting the Advent wreath. Also included are suggestions for seasonal funerals. These services offer a completing message of hope during this important church season, when people often visit a church for the first time.
Each service focuses on and celebrates a different aspect of the theme: Jesus: God’s Unlikely Revelation
1. First Sunday of Advent-
Jesus: The Unlikely Image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Colossians 1:15-17)
2. Second Sunday in Advent
Jesus: The Unlikely Gift from God (Isaiah 55:1-9)
3. Third Sunday of Advent
Jesus: The Unlikely Story of God with Us (Matthew 1:18-25)
4. Fourth Sunday of Advent
Jesus: The Unlikely Messiah (John 7:25-31)
5. Christmas Eve
Jesus: An Unlikely Peacemaker (Luke 2:8-20)
6. Christmas Day
An Unlikely Christmas Card (Matthew 2:13-23)
7. Epiphany
John the Baptizer: Jesus’ Unlikely Herald (John 1:1-14)Seasonal Funerals
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Biblical Preaching And Teaching 2
$25.99Add to cartOne objective of this book is to set forth an interest in the significance of the Book of Psalms in the lives of God’s people. Fifteen psalms were chosen in order to address the “then” as well as the “now.” In this study, the Egyptian Hallel Psalms (113-118) are included since Jesus and His disciples sang these psalms during the Passover Meal. Psalm 114 (Chapters 4 and 5) explores the philosophy of atheism versus biblical theism. Four chapters (16-19) are devoted to the Book of Revelation. These chapters deal with foundational studies, which in-depth studies are essential to a correct interpretation of this book. For instance: (1) the date of the Book of Revelation, (2) the identity and character of the beast, (3) a new heaven and a new earth, and (4) the last days. Finally, the last four chapters focus upon two abused texts. Chapters 20-22 study the Greek text of Hebrews 13:17 in order to pinpoint more clearly the meaning of the author. The final chapter examines the phrase “if we deliberately keep on sinning.”
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Nature Of Love
$27.99Add to cartThe themes of love – love from and for God and love for others as oneself – are central to Christian piety and scripture. But most Christian theologians have not systematically placed love and its implications at theology’s core. Thomas Oord argues that love should be the essence of Christian theology. He further concludes that God gives from a nature of love, and this overcomes a host of traditional theological problems (e.g., the problem of evil).
Written for pastors, undergraduates, and others interested in theology The Nature of Love offers new insights into God’s love for all and contends that the phrase “God is love” stands as the touchstone to good theology and life abundant.
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Sticky Teams : Keeping Your Leadership Team And Staff On The Same Page
$19.99Add to cartLarry Osborne exposes the hidden roadblocks, structures, and goofy thinking that all too often sabotage the health and harmony of even the best intentioned ministry teams. Then with practical and seasoned advice he shows what it takes to get a leadership board, ministry team, and an entire congregation headed in the same direction, sticking together, unified and healthy for the long haul.
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I Declare War
$16.49Add to cartFrom I Declare War…
“Deliverance Ministry is a very complex ministry and one that it is very real. The world has
led even the Church into the mindset that deliverance is about theatrics and gimmicks. The
image of a monstrous, behorned, red-eyed animal figure attacking Christians is not
consistent with the clear teachings of the Bible. This book (based on the author’s research)
will serve as a reference that reveals the truth against various myths about deliverance that
are widespread in the Church. It will help those who are called to Deliverance Ministry
understand what can be done to stop the activities of the devil in the lives of God’s people.
This work is not hypothetical in its nature; it is actuality confirmed by the truth of the Word
of God. Scripture contains many references to deliverance.
“The Church must be open to discussing these passages and applying their truth. There is
no excuse for ignorance in the Body of Christ concerning spiritual matters. One of the gains
and benefits of this research is to free the mind of preconceived notions about the spirit
realm and encourage the Church to seek ‘freedom’ for the people of God. Legitimate
Deliverance Ministry has been harmed by many who have intentionally incited fear and
paranoia in people to render the Church powerless. Knowledge is power, however, and
spiritual truths should be taught and practiced from the inception of Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior in the Church. This gives the Body of Christ an accurate picture of the victory that
Jesus won on the cross.” -
Uncommon Decency : Christian Civility In An Uncivil World (Expanded)
$22.99Add to cartIn these wild and diverse times, prolifers square off against pro-choicers, gay liberationist confront champions of the traditional family, husbands and wives face each other in court, artist attack legislators, and “politically correct” intellectuals abhor crusading fundamentalists. Philosopher and ethicist Mouw is concerned that, too often, Christians seem to be contributing more to the problem than to the solution. But he recognizes – from his own personal struggle – that it’s not easy to hold to Christian convictions and treat sometimes vindictive opponents with civility and decency.
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Viral Churches : Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers
$24.95Add to cartBased on a national, cross-denominational study commissioned by Leadership Network, Viral Churches outlines the best practices in church multiplication movements and reveals the common threads among them. A hands-on resource, Viral Churches offers the fresh vision and critical perspectives essential as a catalyst fortoday’s church planting leaders. Throughout the book, Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird advocate the core belief that “Church planting is good. A vision for a church multiplication movement is better.
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Preaching The Incarnation
$32.00Add to cartPreaching the Incarnation, a follow-up to the authors’ Preaching the Atonement, offers a theological discussion of ten important Bible passages connected with the doctrine of incarnation, bringing historical and literary questions about the text into dialogue with Christian tradition, drawing out the implications of the passage for preaching. In each chapter a sermon is presented, followed by a commentary that sets the sermon in context and highlights the rhetorical strategy of the preacher. Well-known preachers William Willimon, Thomas Long, Rowan Williams, and Anna Carter Florence each contribute sermons to the book, as do the authors.
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Love And War Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe Love & War Participant’s Guide-designed for use with the Love & War eight-session DVD group video study-will help you take your marriage to new levels through deeper intimacy by stepping into the great adventure God has waiting for you and your spouse … together. What Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, the Love & War Participant’s Guide and DVD will do for married couples everywhere.
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Grief : Contemporary Theory And The Practice Of Ministry
$26.00Add to cartThe experience of grief has been a source of intrigue and curiosity throughout history, and it continues to stimulate thought and theory in various fields of study. Unfortunately, these fields tend to function in isolation from each other. The result is a substantial disconnect between grief research, theory, and care?which has evolved greatly over the last two decades?and ministerial practice.
Using a metaphor of grief as a mosaic, Melissa Kelley presents contemporary grief theory and research, integrated with important theological, religious, and ministerial perspectives. Written in an accessible way for ministers, ministers-in-training, and all pastoral and spiritual caregivers, this book provides the most up-to-date theory and research in grief to help inform their care of others. Through exploration of critical topics including attachment to God, meaning making, and religious coping in grief, readers are brought right to the heart of a contemporary understanding of grief.
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Divine Conspiracy Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartRenowned teacher and writer of the acclaimed The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard is one of today’s most brilliant Christian thinkers and has forever changed the way thousands of Christians experience their faith. In this new six-session DVD study and participant’s guide-The Divine Conspiracy-Willard offers a timely and challenging call back to the true meaning of Christian discipleship.
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Transforming Preaching
$25.95Add to cartAt once a “travel guide” and a vision for the future, this series is good news for the Episcopal Church at a time of fast and furious demographic and social change. It analyzes our present plight, sketch a positive way forward, and point to the seeds of change – those transformative practices already at work renewing the church. What church models can help point us toward transformation? What are the essential tools? What will give us strength, direction, and purpose to the journey?
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Leadership Ellipse : Shaping How We Lead By Who We Are
$18.99Add to cartThe Leadership Ellipse by Bob Fryling is designed to help Christian leaders embrace both halves of the tension of being in leadership–our internal relationship with God and our external relationship with others–to find a truly authentic, integrated way to lead.
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Gospel In Life Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn the Gospel in Life Study Guide, join author and pastor Timothy Keller in an eight-week study of the gospel and the ways to live it out in your everyday life. From exploring the world you live in now to preparing for the world that is to come, you will learn how the gospel can change your heart, your community, and how you live in the world. Designed for use with the Gospel in Life DVD.
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No Stones : Women Redeemed From Sexual Addiction
$28.99Add to cartIn this book Marnie C. Ferree offers a unique resource for women struggling with sexual addiction. Written by a counselor who understands the condition from the inside out, No Stones offers practical help for those battling sexual addiction and those who want to come alongside women as they seek help. Important for pastors and church leaders, this book will also be a much sought-after resource for Christian counselors and therapists counseling women who grapple with this type of addiction.
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Holy Conversation : Spirituality For Worship
$20.00Add to cartDespite widespread interest in spirituality, its most common corporate form, congregational worship, is rarely discussed in those terms. This book explores liturgical spirituality as a holy conversation between God and us.
Linking the themes of spirituality and worship and giving each needed focus in ways that are biblically and theologically rich and consistent with ecumenical traditions, this book specifically explores the relationship of sacred reading (lectio divina) to worship. Linman sees this practice as one element in the larger liturgical action of Gathering, Word, Meal, and Sending. Our “spiritual worship” (cf. Rom 12:1), he argues, is the holy conversation between worshipers and the triune God who leads us to greater participation in Christ and to transformation through Christ’s presence.
Raising important issues for worship renewal and interspersed with practical insights and suggestions, this book serves as a primer for those who want to more fully learn how to worship, and, through the power of the Spirit, to deepen their awareness of the encounter with Christ made known in Word and Sacrament.
