Pastoral Helps
Showing 401–500 of 2358 results
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Tending Soul Mind And Body
$28.00Add to cartThroughout his ministry, Jesus consistently demonstrated his concern and love for the whole person: soul, mind, and body.
That concern is carried forward today by pastors and church leaders, who are called to care for people in the midst of individual circumstances as well as seismic cultural shifts. How might that calling be informed by recent developments in psychology? How should the church attend to matters of mental health? How might psychology and counseling aid us in our spiritual formation? Based on the 2018 Center for Pastor Theologians conference, this volume brings together reflections by pastors, theologians, and psychologists who explore the relationships among three fields of study–theological anthropology, spiritual formation, and modern psychology. The result is a vibrant whole-person theology that can aid the church today in its centuries-old call to care for the soul, mind, and body.
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Beyond The Tyranny Of The Text
$25.99Add to cartPreachers and students of preaching need help communicating hope! They want their sermons to communicate the promises of scripture, so that people can envision a new world in which their lives will be transformed. Preachers want to experience a new sense of freedom in their preaching, and to extend liberation based on their reading and interpretation of the scripture.
James Henry Harris introduces interpretation theory and continental philosophy as a resource for preachers to resist and overcome interpretive oppression, and lays out a new theory of scriptural interpretation. He analyzes philosopher Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics as a helpful guide for modern preachers, and incorporates in his analysis of the lived experience of the Black church. Harris highlights the preaching of several 19th and 20th century Black women, including Jarena Lee, Maria Stewart, and Mary Evans.
Beyond the Tyranny of the Text develops a five-part method for preaching that stretches from preparation to proclamation, and demonstrates how this method for interpretational creativity emerges from fidelity to the text. Harris demonstrates his method with sermonic exegesis of the Book of Jonah. With this new process of reading, rereading, un-reading, writing, and un-writing the text, the author offers wisdom and tools for reflection and illumination.
At its core, Beyond the Tyranny of the Text challenges the field of homiletics and all preachers to un-write like Jesus Christ: to get in front of the text, to understand preparation and preaching as a creative and transformative enterprise.
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Lectionary Reflections Cycle A
$29.95Add to cartWith Lectionary Reflections, Cycle A, readers will delight in the process of preparing to preach from the lectionary. While it is academically informed and theologically sound, this volume is notable in how it engenders a sense of playful, holy curiosity.
Readers will get insightful commentary, ideas for a variety of ways to preach and teach the texts, and weekly questions and suggestions to get conversations going.
Duffield’s wit and palpable love for the Body of Christ will invigorate any pastor’s sermon writing process. If you’re preaching or teaching from the lectionary, this will be a go-to resource week after week.
Jill Duffield holds an M.Div. degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and a D.Min. degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. She has pastored congregations in North Carolina and South Carolina. Jill won the James Solheim Award for Editorial Courage and the Award of Merit in Bible Reference for “Looking Into the Lectionary.” She is the current editor and publisher of The Presbyterian Outlook and is married to Grant. They are the parents of three children.
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Why Easter Matters Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartAs believers in Christ, we all would like to say that we trust in God. We would all like to claim that we believe God has our best interests in mind and that obedience to him is the best pathway to finding joy, peace, contentment, and fulfillment in life. But the truth is that we often find ourselves actively resisting the very God in whom we say we trust. Our hearts and our consciences tell us what is right–and what we need to be doing–but for some reason we tend to find ourselves going the other way.
This was true of people even back in the days of first-century Israel when Jesus walked the earth. In this four-session study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), pastor Andy Stanley explores the lives of some of these individuals and reveals how the story of Easter became real to them when they found themselves caught up in the events of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. These characters include figures in the Gospels such as:
*Joseph Caiaphas, the powerful Jewish religious leader, who refused to embrace Jesus as the Messiah because it would have put an end to his influence and control.
*Judas Iscariot, who was more interested in his own personal gain than in truly following after God–and betrayed Jesus to the Jewish authorities as a result of his greed.
*The two criminals on the crosses next to Jesus, who found themselves in their last hours of life just twelve feet away from God-in-the-flesh.
*The disciples and other followers of Jesus, who found their world turned upside down when the one they believed to be the Messiah was first put to death . . . and then rose again.The stories of these men and women who were present in the greatest story ever known–the story of Easter–give us great insights into our own relationship toward God. They reveal the attitudes of our hearts and compel us to truly consider why Easter matters and the effect it has on our lives.
Sessions include:
1. The High Cost of Following Christ (John 12:25)
2. The Risk of Surrendering to God (Matthew 19:27)
3. The God Who Can Be Trusted (Luke 23:39-41)
4. The Foundation of Our Faith (Acts 1:8)Designed for use with the double disc Who Needs Christmas/Why Easter Matters Video Study (sold separately).
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Who Needs Christmas Study Guide
$10.99Add to cartThe details of the Christmas story are amazing . . . and can seem a bit unbelievable. There is the angelic announcement to Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah. The dream from God that convinces Joseph to take Jesus as his own son. The story of Zechariah, who lost his ability to speak for many months for doubting God’s word. The angelic host who announces Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. The wise men who visit Jesus and bring gifts. The madness of a king who tried to put an end to Jesus’ life.
The narrative of Jesus’ birth is both miraculous and incredible. But as pastor Andy Stanley explores in this four-session video study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), when you look at all the events in the Old Testament leading up to this point in time, the unbelievable story of Christmas becomes quite remarkable. For the story does not begin with angels announcing Jesus’ birth in the Gospels but with God making a promise to a man named Abraham in the book of Genesis–a promise that all peoples in the world would be blessed through him.
It was only “when the set time had fully come” that God sent Jesus into the world “that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4-5). God sent Jesus to do what laws and regulations, judges and prophets, and exile and punishment could not accomplish. He sent Jesus so that individual people could have a relationship with him. He sent Jesus, the author of life, to document his great love for his rebel race. He sent Jesus not merely to deliver us from the penalty and consequences of our sin, but to actually break the power of the enemy and free us from our slavery to sin.
Through Christmas, we are reminded God is active even when it seems like he is not. We are reminded that even when it seems God is silent, he is always working. And we are reminded that God sent Jesus not simply to be the Savior of the world but to be the Savior in our world. Through Christmas, we are reminded that God always keeps his promises to us.
Sessions include:
1. The Story Behind the Story (Genesis 12:3)
2. The Author of Life (Acts 3:15)
3. The Message of Christmas (Matthew 1:21)
4. Ready or Not . . . He Is Coming (Luke 1:37)Designed for use with the Who Needs Christmas/Why Easter Matters Video Study (sold separately).
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Everything You Need Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartMany Christians today feel unprepared and uncertain when it comes to living each day as followers of Christ. We often know what we are supposed to do, and even why we are supposed to do it. Yet when we lack confidence in ourselves and our spiritual development, we fail to live boldly as difference makers in our world.
As one of the world’s leading Bible teachers, Dr. David Jeremiah wants readers to know that this lack of confidence is both unnecessary and unhelpful. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that–in the same way skilled hikers pack all the necessary supplies before a journey–God Himself equips all believers with everything they need to walk and work with confidence as members of His kingdom.
Everything You Need continues Dr. Jeremiah’s focus on helping the church strive for spiritual victory through Christ. Using his signature depth, wisdom, and compassion, Dr. Jeremiah explores 2 Peter 1:5-10 to highlight seven critical tools God provides each of His people: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. When we use the equipment God provides, we can live confidently in the knowledge that we will never stumble.
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Jude Bible Study Book
$15.99Add to cartWhile often overlooked, the Book of Jude remains as relevant today as the time it was written. God has commanded His beloved church to do the necessary work of contending for the faith in a world of unbelief, and as we do, He will keep us from falling into the same deception.
In this 7-session study from Jackie Hill Perry, dive into themes of being called, loved, and kept, and learn how to point others to Jesus in grace and truth. We serve others well when we share the whole gospel with them, not just the parts deemed attractive by our culture.
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Fierce Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook (Workbook)
$17.99Add to cartLearn from the fierce women of God who changed the world.
The word fierce is trendy. It is used to describe women who are extreme athletes, high-level executives, or supermodels. Women at the top of their game. But what about the rest of us? Can we be fierce? Absolutely! In fact, women like us have been changing the world for thousands of years-many who received little fanfare yet lived fiercely anyway. In this six-week study we will look at lesser-known female characters in the Bible and the ways they changed the world by living into God’s calling, including:
*The midwives of Egypt (Shiphrah and Puah), who made hard decisions in the face of evil
*Deborah, who was an unlikely and powerful leader
*Naaman’s slave girl, who bravely points others to God’s healing power
*The Woman at the Well, who boldly repented and shared her faith
*Lois and Eunice, who parented with intentionality and effectiveness
*Dorcas, who showed kindness to those in need.As we explore their lives, we will discover how we too can live into our callings, honor the Lord, and even change the world through our courage, faithfulness, and obedience.
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Almost Christmas Devotions For The Season
$12.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
The devotional contains 28 daily devotions for the four weeks of Advent corresponding to the themes of Altogether Love, Altogether Hope, Altogether Joy, and Altogether Peace. Written by pastors and other leaders, the devotions celebrate and bring together the season of Advent and the best of our Wesleyan heritage.
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Almost Christmas Youth Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
This Youth Study Book takes the ideas presented in the book and interprets them for young people grades 6-12.
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Almost Christmas : A Wesleyan Advent Experience (Large Type)
$18.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
Chapters include:
*Altogether Love
*Altogether Hope
*Altogether Joy
*Altogether PeaceAdditional components for a four-week study include a DVD featuring Magrey deVega and the other writers and a comprehensive Leader Guide, as well as nativity hymns by Charles Wesley, litanies for lighting the Advent wreath, and prayers that can be incorporated into both worship and small group settings. A daily devotional and a youth study book are also available.
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How Happiness Happens Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Max Lucado looks at several “one another” statements in the Bible that reveal how the happiest people on earth aren’t those who have the most but those who are willing to give the most away. While everyone craves happiness, and everyone benefits from it, the sad reality is that fewer people today are finding it. We have more possessions than ever before, better access to education, and greater advancements in technology and medicine. Yet the majority of us can’t find an adequate reason to check the “yes” box on a happiness questionnaire.
Our culture tries to convince us there is one way to happiness: aspire, acquire, desire, retire. Happiness depends on what we hang in our closet, park in our garage, and deposit in our bank account. It’s a path that always fails to deliver. Instead, Jesus provides a better way: “It is better to give than receive” (Acts 22:35 nkjv). Intentional, altruistic acts of service are the most reliable sources of well-being. It is a principle Jesus lived out in his own life. While he was accused of much, he was never described as being grumpy or perpetually somber. Rather, he said, “I came to give life with joy and abundance” (John 10:10 vce).God wants to bring joy to the people of this generation, and in his Word, he has given us practical and applicable ways to quarry that joy by giving it away. In this study, group members will look at several key “one another” statements given in the New Testament and discover how to make happiness happen in their lives. They will discover that while the world can be a lonely and disappointing place, they can be God’s representatives to bring about a cascade of kindness. While we cannot solve every problem, we can bring a few smiles to a few faces. In this way, we might even initiate a quiet revolution of joy.
This study guide is designed for use with the How Happiness Happens Video Study (sold separately).
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Preachers Guide To Lectionary Sermon Series Volume 2
$47.00Add to cartBoth lectionary preachers and topical preachers will enjoy the best of both worlds with this second volume of sermon series ideas designed to frame consecutive weeks of lectionary texts into seasonal and short-term series. With contributors from seven denominations, this comprehensive resource offers new perspectives and fresh ideas for diving deep into biblical themes in ways that make congregants eager to come back for the next sermon and to invite others as well. Twenty-eight series plans include thematic overviews, sermon starters, and ideas for worship and outreach, honoring holy days and seasons and addressing typical patterns of church attendance to maximize visitor retention and member engagement.
Contributors include: Amy K. Butler, Kyle E. Brooks, Carol Cavin-Dillon, Magrey R. deVega, Brian Erickson, Mihee Kim-Kort, Jasper Peters, Tuhina Verma Rasche, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Brandan J. Robertson, Martha K. Spong, and Anthony J. Tang.
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Preachers Bible Handbook
$47.00Add to cartWhen it comes to understanding a passage in the Bible, context is everything. What historical events surround a book’s composition? What larger literary unit is a given passage part of? What central themes explored by the book touch on the verses in question? If we don’t know the answer to questions like these, we are ill-prepared to speak to-and especially preach about-a passage’s meaning. The Preacher’s Bible Handbook aims to meet this need for extra help in preparing the sermon. Essays on each of the biblical books introduce the most relevant historical, literary, and theological facts about the book. Each is designed to aid the preacher in setting the stage for a sermon on any passage in the Bible.
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Connections Year A Volume 1 Advent Through Epiphany
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each reading in the three-year lectionary cycle by viewing that reading through the lens of its connections to the rest of Scripture and then seeing the reading through the lenses of culture, film, fiction, ethics, and other aspects of contemporary life. Commentaries on the Psalms make connections to the other readings and to the congregation’s experience of worship.
Connections is published in partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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Story Of Reality Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartBiblical Christianity is more than just another private religious view. It’s more than just a personal relationship with God or a source of moral teaching.
Christianity is a picture of reality. It explains why the world is the way it is. When the pieces of this puzzle are properly assembled, we see the big picture clearly. Christianity is a true story of how the world began, why the world is the way it is, what role humans play in the drama, and how all the plotlines of the story are resolved in the end.
In The Story of Reality Study Guide, together with the accompanying Story of Reality and Story of Reality Video Study, bestselling author and host of Stand to Reason Gregory Koukl explains the words that form the narrative backbone of the Christian story. Each session identifies the most important things that happen in the story in the order they take place, beginning with an examination of reality, and God, and moving though man, Jesus, the cross, and resurrection.
If you are already a Christian, do you know and understand the biblical story? For those still seeking answers to the questions of life, this is an invitation to join a story that explains the world in a way nothing else will. Be a part of the story that can change your life forever.
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Defined Teen Guys And Young Men Bible Study Bible (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartWho Are You?
When you introduce yourself to someone for the first time, you may start with your name, where you go to school, a sport or instrument you play, or your future plans. Each of those may help our culture define us, but are they enough? There are bigger questions culture can’t answer: “Who am I?” and “Why do I matter?” But first, you must answer, “Who is God?”
Scripture teaches that we’re all made in the image of God. We don’t define ourselves-the Creator does. Once you begin to understand who God is and what it means to be created in His image, you’ll begin to discover all God has called you to be. This Bible study will examine spiritual truths from the Book of Ephesians to lead you into a closer relationship with God and a better understanding and appreciation of your God-given identity-which is fulfilled in Christ.
Defined Teen Guys’ Bible Study Book includes content for eight sessions, personal study between group sessions, applicable Scripture, “How to Use this Study,” tips for leading a group, and a leader guide.
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Mining For Gold
$14.99Add to cartThe stresses and burdens of Christian leadership leave many church leaders feeling discouraged, inadequate and broken. The expectations placed on them by the church, their congregations and by themselves can lead to ineffectiveness and burn out. The hierarchical, top-down form leadership paradigm that has been prevalent in culture and the church is now failing us. This needs to change. There is a global need for empowered and thriving leaders. There are many Christian leadership books, most of them emphasize a particular perspective or skill needed to be an effective leader. However, few leadership books tie together the foundation of identity with calling and empowerment. This book outlines a process and model that leaders can use to draw together identity, purpose, character and calling to become a healthy leader and to develop leaders around them. The book ties together biblical principles, God-given identity and ministry tools of coaching and mentoring to offer a fresh contribution and perspective for developing more and better leaders. As such this book will be especially helpful to the leader who feels stuck or lacks clarity, yet still longs to make a significant impact in their lives.
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Neighboring : Spiritual Practices For Building A Life Of Faith
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.Both the Old and New Testaments call the people of God to love God completely as well as love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus gave his followers this commandment as well. What if by loving your neighbor, Jesus literally meant the precious people who live in your neighborhoods? What if by loving your neighbors Jesus meant all your neighbors regardless of age, socioeconomics, education or any other potentially divisive status? This book first defines what is meant by “neighboring”; and then looks at some ways that you live into and out of that spiritual practice. It further helps you cultivate the habit of being neighboring Christ-followers and suggests ways your church can be neighboring churches.
This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.
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Prayer : Spiritual Practices For Building A Life Of Faith
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.
We know we should pray, and for many people prayer is as natural as breathing. Yet however comfortable you feel with prayer, it can always take you deeper into your lives with God. This book explores the purpose of prayer, why you need to pray, the nature of prayer, and the results of prayer. It leads you to be open to the transformations prayer can bring in your life, and helps you better understand how to pray both individually and with others.
This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.
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Worship : Spiritual Practices For Building A Life Of Faith
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.
Deepen your understanding of worship so that you can worship more fully. First by defining the practice of worship. To define it gives you clarity and richness. Along with defining worship you explore the concept of a Godward life, a life of turning toward God for guidance moment by moment, day by day. Such a life is fuel for genuine worship. Next you focus on the way worship shapes you. Look at your formation as a disciple of Jesus with Jesus’ primary focus, which was the kingdom of God. As you are being formed into Christlikeness, you point to God’s action in the world and you grow in desiring what God desires. Finally, you explore the idea that worship can happen in unexpected places. As worship breaks out, your life becomes an increasingly joyful walk with God.This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.
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Sustainable Young Adult Ministry
$22.00Add to cartYoung adult ministry scares us.
Young adults seem like the elusive Holy Grail demographic in Christian ministry. We often treat them like another species, with an inscrutable culture all their own. To have a thriving ministry to young adults, we’re told, we’ll need to be up-to-date on all the latest trends. We’ll need to change up our worship style. We’ll need to make programs. But what if young adult ministry isn’t actually as enigmatic as we’ve been led to believe? What if it actually looks an awful lot like . . . faithful Christian ministry? Scott Pontier and Mark DeVries know firsthand the challenges of young adult ministry. In Sustainable Young Adult Ministry, they explore six common mistakes churches make in their efforts to reach this demographic–mistakes they themselves have made–and offer six paradoxes that upend our presuppositions and return us to a simpler, more biblical ministry model. Full of practical advice and complete with a wealth of additional resources, this book offers a fresh perspective on young adult ministry that is grounded in long ministry experience and in the timeless gospel of Jesus.
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Romans Womens Bible Study Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$15.99Add to cartWe live in a world full of bad news. The media recounts stories of natural disasters, violence, and conflict. In the midst of all this heartbreak, we can’t lose sight of the fact that God has given us good news. We call it the gospel. It reminds us that God loves us and longs to redeem our suffering. He stepped out of eternity and into time to send us His one and only Son. The gospel truths shared with the early church at Rome echo into our day, reminding us that we still have good news to embrace personally and to share with others.
In this six-week study of the Book of Romans, we will be highlighting significant concepts regarding the good news about faith, grace, daily life, God’s plan, relationships, and eternity. Whatever bad news we may receive, in Romans we will find good news to encourage and transform us.
Join Melissa in taking a posture of listening and learning as we approach this powerful book packed with good news? Let’s ask God to do a mighty work in and through us as we study so that we might be inspired with a spiritual renewal that spreads to those around us!
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Defined Who God Says You Are Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartDefined: Who God Says You Are – Leader Guide is an 8-week Bible study guiding kids to find their identity in Christ, based on selected passages from Ephesians.
“Who am I?” is a question that many kids are being challenged to answer. To answer this question, we must first ask “Who does God say I am?” Beginning in Genesis, the Bible tells us that we are each made in God’s image, but that image has become distorted by sin. The only way to restore what was broken is through a relationship with Jesus.
Through Defined: Who God Says I Am, kids will discover who God created them to be and what is true about their identity because of their relationship with Jesus.
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Drawing From The Wells 2
$9.95Add to cartToday, many young ministers feel the need to minister to thousands of individuals to be successful. In truth, most of the churches within the United States have congregations of 125 parishioners or less. In the Church of God in Christ, ninety percent of congregations are less than one hundred members. In Drawing from the Well, author Bishop Nathaniel Wells offers a self-help guide on building a strong church and mega ministry, without mass numbers and in small communities.
Through scriptural examples and personal experiences, Wells discusses the key elements-for which Jesus has provided the insight and instructions-for creating a strong church foundation. He includes the importance of relying on the word of God, empowering parishioners, and keeping the personal and spiritual connection to people.
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Preaching With All Ages
$23.99Add to cartThe all-age talk is a task guaranteed to give preachers sleepless nights! Very few people feel they have a gift for it, and most lack confidence. This reflective and practical guide addresses these concerns, and aims to build a sure theological understanding, develop skills and grow confidence.
Twelve chapters explore different kinds of engagement – with the senses, with one another, with oneself, with scripture, with liturgy, with the church, with God, with challenging situations, and more to enable preachers make real connections with their listeners, whatever the age.
Each chapter is followed by a practical case study illustrating key principles and providing down-to-earth, tried and tested wisdom for all kinds of contexts and occasions.
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Traveling Home : Tracking Your Way Through The Spiritual Wilderness
$21.95Add to cartOffers readers a way to find their place in God’s story
A creative invitation to those who are on the margins of the church Recent research in the sociology of religion indicates that around one in five Americans are religiously “liminal,” that is, they are on the fence about affiliating with a faith or a congregation. Traveling Home is an invitation to those people who are standing on the edges or just coming into the Church. It makes a case for why Christianity can make a difference by taking the reader on a spiritual journey through the story and ancient wisdom of the Bible. It shows the reader how to find a place within this great cosmic adventure. Why Christianity at all? How do we understand where we fit into a bigger picture? Anyone asking these questions, including people exploring other liturgical traditions, will find this book of interest. It is also a tool for clergy teaching newcomer/inquirer classes.
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EveryWORD John : Scipture – Outline – Commentary
$39.99Add to cartFrom LMW, the publishers of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible comes everyWORD, a starting point for pastors, teachers, and students of the Bible who are seeking a better understanding of every Word of scripture. Outlined verse-by-verse in the popular ESV translation, and including a comprehensive, easy-to-understand commentary drawn from hundreds of sources, everyWORD equips you to preach your best.
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Romans Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook (Student/Study Guide)
$17.99Add to cartWe live in a world full of bad news. The media recounts stories of natural disasters, violence, and conflict. In the midst of all this heartbreak, we can’t lose sight of the fact that God has given us good news. We call it the gospel. It reminds us that God loves us and longs to redeem our suffering. He stepped out of eternity and into time to send us His one and only Son. The gospel truths shared with the early church at Rome echo into our day, reminding us that we still have good news to embrace personally and to share with others.
In this six-week study of the Book of Romans, we will be highlighting significant concepts regarding the good news about faith, grace, daily life, God’s plan, relationships, and eternity. Whatever bad news we may receive, in Romans we will find good news to encourage and transform us.
Join Melissa in taking a posture of listening and learning as we approach this powerful book packed with good news? Let’s ask God to do a mighty work in and through us as we study so that we might be inspired with a spiritual renewal that spreads to those around us!
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Defined Bible Study Book
$14.99Add to cartDefined Bible Study Book includes content for eight sessions, personal study between group sessions, applicable Scripture, “How to Use This Study,” tips for leading a group, a leader guide, and a family-discipleship page.
When you introduce yourself to someone for the first time, you have an opportunity to define yourself. You disclose your name, profession, and interests. These factors help our culture define us, but are those answers enough? People are struggling in ten thousand ways because of identity issues. They can’t help but ask, who am I? and why do I matter? Can our culture really provide meaningful answers to those questions, or do we need something deeper and more significant?
Before asking, who am I? we need to be able to answer, who is God? If we can’t answer the first question, we will never answer the second. The problem with our search for identity is that we are looking in all the wrong places. Scripture teaches that we are all made in the image of God. We do not define ourselves-the Creator does. We were all created to be known and loved by God. Once those answers are clear, we can move forward and discover all God has called us to be.
Session topics:
1. Uniquely Created by God
2. Uniquely Broken by Sin
3. Transformed by the Gospel
4. Who We Are in Christ
5. What We Have in Christ
6. Living Out Our Identity
7. Walking in the Spirit
8. Walking in Mission -
Love Talk Workbook For Women Newly Updated And Expanded (Workbook)
$12.99Add to cartWe set off to crack the code for meaningful conversation . . . a plan that would move our communication from good to great. And we found it. A deep and simple plan for everything a loving conversation has to offer. We call it Love Talk. –Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot
This women’s workbook will help you personalize the concepts you encounter in the Parrotts’ book Love Talk and put them to work in your relationships. Inside, you’ll find exercises, assessments, self-tests, tips, applications . . . all the tools and guidance you need to:
*Identify your personal communication style
*Understand how it interacts with that of your partner
*Talk your way to a healthier, stronger relationshipLove Talk is like no other communication book you’ve ever read. The fruit of years of research by two foremost relationship experts (who also happen to be husband and wife), this book forges a new path to the heart of loving conversation. You’ll begin by identifying your security need and determining your personal communication style. Then you’ll put together everything you discover to learn how the two of you can speak each other’s language like never before.
This very day, you can begin an adventure in communication that will draw the two of you closer, and closer, and closer . . . consistently, in a way that creates the depth and connection you long for in your relationship.
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Kingdom Single Group Video Experience Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartThis participant’s guide for the video-based group study explores the message in the book Kingdom Single. It encourages singles to see themselves as complete in Christ and free to serve Him, and empowers them to live as Kingdom men and women in a morally corrupt culture.
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Smart Stepfamily Participants Guide Revised And Updated (Student/Study Guide)
$11.00Add to cartGet the Most out of The Smart Stepfamily
Discover the key steps to building a healthy family with stepfamily expert Ron L. Deal. This interactive workbook is guaranteed to help you benefit from The Smart Stepfamily book and DVD. It includes:
– discussion questions for before and after each DVD session
– space to take notes
– bonus question and answer section
– group leader instructions
– guidelines for facilitating effective groupsThrough eight engaging sessions, you’ll learn useable solutions for everyday living and glean valuable insight and practical tips for becoming a smart stepfamily.
Ideal for small groups, premarital counseling, or personal study. Use with The Smart Stepfamily book (Revised and Expanded Edition) and Small-Group DVD Resource (Revised and Expanded Edition).
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Care Of Souls
$24.99Add to cartDrawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again.
Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful advicea”born out of his five decades as a pastora”that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.
In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.
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How To Pioneer Single Copy
$7.50Add to cartA Church House Publishing Title
This five-part group study booklet is designed to encourage and equip local church communities who are contemplating setting up a pioneering church community, but are unsure how to get going or what will be involved.
It opens up the wise insights and practical know-how of Dave Male’s book ‘How to Pioneer’ to the wider church, introducing the basics of pioneer ministry to PCCs and congregations while encouraging their supportive participation. The booklet consists of five group sessions based on chapters of the original book:
1. You can do this
2. Focusing on your mission
3. Adapting to your context
4. Creating Jesus-centred communities
5. Enabling disciples of JesusAll pioneer enterprises depend on the active support of the home church team. This booklet will help generate essential backing for local mission projects.
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Taking It To The Streets
$17.00Add to cartReverend Harry “OG Rev.” Williams from Oakland, California, is called to the streets: to the hungry, homeless, addicted, incarcerated, and vulnerable. Bringing us face-to-face with both the injustices that plague our cities and the gospel of compassion that offers hope to the downtrodden, this introduction to urban ministry will inspire and equip a new generation to bring the life-giving good news of Jesus to our cities.
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Connections Year C Three Volume Set
$155.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.
This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.
This set contains Year C, volumes 1, 2, and 3.
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Who Cares About HIV
$18.99Add to cartThis timely book gives a voice to those living with HIV who are too often ignored or misunderstood by the Church and other religious institutions – including those in positions of care who may have thought they were helping but have ended up doing more harm than good. The book exposes and challenges attitudes of institutional blindness and abuse and suggests some positive means of remedy, all of which have been formed and tested with the help of clients at the London HIV Chaplaincy. With its powerful combination of moving personal testimony and honest pastoral reflection, this book will encourage a more informed, sensitive and effective interaction with many who, for whatever reason, feel marginalized by our society and alienated by those who most want to help. As Rowan Williams says in his foreword, ‘This book is a proclaiming of the gospel as well as a call to judgement. It is necessary material for the self-examination and self-awareness of any Christian minister or community, if the Church’s claim to be what it is supposed to be is not to go on being so hollow for so many who need to hear that their agency and dignity are understood and honored.’
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Evidence That Demands A Verdict Study Guide
$12.99Add to cartFor more than forty years, Evidence That Demands a Verdict has encouraged and strengthened millions of people around the world. It has convinced skeptics of the Bible’s reliability, helped believers articulate their faith, and given them the vital facts they need to defend God’s Word and lead others to faith in Jesus. The book has now been revised and updated to include newly uncovered historical documentation, recent scholarship, and new and expanded chapters to address recent attacks on Christianity.
In this new eight-session video study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), Josh and his son, Sean, help believers in Christ understand how the books of the New Testament came into being, how they differ from “Gnostic” and non-biblical texts, and why they can be sure that the New Testament books are historically reliable. They also examine how believers can know that Jesus existed, why the claims he made about himself are true, how he fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about himself, and how believers can know the resurrection took place.
This study is for anyone who has ever been stumped by someone’s arguments against Christianity or the Bible-or has wondered for themselves if the Bible’s depiction of Jesus is true and not just a made-up fairy tale. It has been specifically created to help Christians know what they believe, why it is true, and how they communicate biblical truth to a skeptical world.
This study guide is designed for use with the Evidence That Demands a Verdict Video Study (sold separately).
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Creative Ideas For The Family Eucharist
$40.00Add to cartFind everything you need to lead a Family Eucharist in this comprehensive and versatile all-age resource. Building on the new Eucharistic Prayers for use in services with children, it balances formality and informality to help you create engaging worship for all. Easily adaptable for large and small all-age congregations, it offers ready-to-use worship ideas and service outlines for themed occasions throughout the year. Imaginatively-planned and well-structured Family Eucharists are a key part of growing churches, and this resource will give you both the structure and the confidence to lead all-age worship well.
It includes:
-advice on recruiting and training leaders
-ways of getting children involved
-a guide to creating a basic structure
-suggestions for using music and props creatively
-themed services for different seasons
-imaginative service outlines for a variety of occasions, including a baptism in the context of a Eucharist
-downloadable scripts and illustrations for use throughout the year -
Bridgebuilding : Making Peace With Conflict In The Church
$27.00Add to cartThere is a prevailing culture of ‘niceness’ within churches which can lead to conflict avoidance, suppression and denial. Consequently, ministers and church leaders often struggle to handle tensions, difference and competing demands within their congregations.
Drawing on practical theology, conflict theory, family systems theory and experience, Bridgebuilding will help church ministers and church members find more fruitful ways of engaging with tensions and conflicts in the life of the Church. It offers numerous practical tools for transforming conflict into opportunities for personal and corporate growth.
It complements the ‘Growing Bridgebuilders’ training course developed by Bridge Builders with CPAS.
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Pastoral Rule For Today
$25.00Add to cartHow can pastors thrive amid the demands of being preacher, therapist, administrator, and CEO? We need a contemporary pastoral rule: a pattern for ministry that encourages and enables pastors to focus on what is most important in their pastoral task. Written by three veteran pastors, this book gives examples of pastoral rules in communities throughout the church’s history, providing concrete advice on how pastors can develop and keep a pastoral rule today.
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Always On : Practicing Faith In A New Media Landscape
$29.99Add to cartMany of us are “always on”–scrolling through social media, checking email, or searching the web. New media spaces can be sites and instruments of God’s unconditional love, but they can also nurture harmful conditions and become a source of anxiety, jealousy, and despondency. Always On provides useful tools for helping students and congregants understand the world of social media and engage it faithfully, enabling Christian communities to address its use in constructive, pastoral ways. The book includes discussion questions and sample exercises for each chapter.
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Fruitful Boughs Broken
$23.99Add to cartResponding to failure in ministry is painful for all touched by it.
The journey toward failure is unchosen, undesired, and unplanned. When it occurs, we all ask ourselves this one question: why? The result of failure is the loss of many well-trained and adequately equipped men and women from churches. Often, they disappear into oblivion.
This has been true throughout history. It’s not a new problem. Witness the experiences of Abraham, David, Elijah, and Peter in Scripture. They served well, but they also failed, disappointing God and their associates. Modern pastors, too, become entrapped in situations of fear, loneliness, depression, and failure.
We must address ways to prevent failure and learn about possibilities for intervention in order to be the witnessing church that God intends us to be.
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Power Of Jesus Names (DVD)
$19.99Add to cartGet to Know Jesus Even More
In his insightful follow-up to the bestselling book, The Power of God’s Names, Dr. Tony Evans introduces you to Jesus in a new light. In this insightful DVD series based on the book The Power of Jesus’ Names, Dr. Evans uncovers what the different names of Jesus reveal about His character.
With the help of in-depth scriptural studies and relatable storytelling, you will go one-by-one through the names of Jesus–and get to know Him wholly and completely just as He is.
As you better know the one whose names you call upon, you will gain a more intimate understanding of who He is and what He came to do for–and in–your life.
Complete your DVD experience with The Power of Jesus’ Names Interactive Workbook.
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Power Of Jesus Names Interactive Workbook (Workbook)
$9.99Add to cartWhat’s in a Name?
His name holds the power to heal and lift up. It comforts the brokenhearted. Jesus is a powerful name, but it’s not the only one the Son of God is known by.
This companion to Dr. Tony Evan’s The Power of Jesus’ Names DVD introduces you to many new facets of Jesus and His nature that are revealed by each of His names. Full of in-depth scriptural research and enriched by Dr. Evan’s relatable storytelling and practical application, you’ll find valuable insights through…
*questions that promote reflection and conversation
*relevant Scripture passages for reflection and discussion
*activities for further personal study and growthWhether in a group or on your own, you will come to a more intimate understanding of who Jesus is and what He came to do for you as you journey through The Power of Jesus’ Names.
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Budgeting For A Healthy Church
$18.99Add to cartMany pastors conceive of the church budget as primarily a financial tool, but in fact it is primarily a pastoral tool. A church’s philosophy of ministry is locked into its budget, and so the budget will either stifle or accelerate any attempts to move a congregation toward a biblical model of church health. As such, the church budget is a far more potent pastoral tool than many church leaders realize. Budgeting for a Healthy Church examines each section of the budget in light of Biblical principles to show how a church budget can lock in healthy approaches to ministry. Whereas most books on church budgeting are “how” books, explaining how the budgeting process should work, this is a “what” book, helping church leaders determine the pastoral implications of what they choose to fund in their budgets.
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Contemplation And Counseling
$24.00Add to cartCan contemplative prayer be integrated into therapeutic work? Building an alliance between science, theology, and Christian contemplative thought, Gregg Blanton presents a new paradigm for integrating contemplative prayer with counseling practice. This practical resource offers eleven fundamental interventions to fit the needs of clients and a practical four-stage process for helping clients change.
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Raising Giant Killers Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$17.00Add to cartWith honesty, humor, and keen biblical insight, bestselling authors Bill and Beni Johnson help you discover the keys to successful parenting in God’s kingdom. “Parents, we rule for the purpose of protection, but we also serve with the purpose of empowering,” they write. “We want to release our children into their destiny–that’s the privilege of parenting.”
In these pages you will gain the wisdom, kingdom concepts, and practical tools you need to help raise your children to their best.
You’ll discover how to parent to their uniqueness, gifts, and strengths, as well as how you can demonstrate and reveal who God is to your kids. The authors also address pressing issues parents face today, including how to:
*be fully engaged in hearing what the Lord is saying over each child
*maintain relationship and discipline
*develop character
*train your children for worship
*fan the flame of what God has put in their hearts
*and moreNo matter what age your kids are, you have an incredible opportunity to shape their hearts, minds, and values. Here is everything you need to help your children walk into the destiny of their lives and see them become the awesome people they were created to be.
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Relaciones Emocionalmente Sana – (Spanish)
$15.99Add to cartPete y Geri Scazzero desarrollaron el Curso de Relaciones emocionalmente sanas durante un periodo de veintiun aos, en el que abordan de manera directa los principios biblicos centrales para guiarlo a una experiencia de discipulado que cambiara radicalmente su vida. En el Curso de Relaciones emocionalmente sanas, aprendera ocho habilidades practicas de las relaciones, para desarrollar relaciones maduras y amorosas con otras personas, tales como:
*Dejar de leer la mente de los demas y esclarecer sus expectativas
*Escuchar con empatia
*Subir la cuesta de la integridad
*Jugar limpioY como no se puede separar el amar a los demas y el amar a Dios, cada persona tambien crecera en su relacion personal con Jesus, incorporando la quietud, el silencio y las Escrituras como ritmos diarios.
Esta Guia de ejercicios incluye introducciones para cada sesion, preguntas de discusion grupal, pasos de accion personal y un estudio personal para realizar entre cada sesion. El mismo es parte del Curso de Relaciones emocionalmente sanas, que tambien incluye los videos y devocionales.
Unase a nosotros en un camino poderoso que lo llevara a atravesar una puerta que cambiara para siempre la manera en que ama a Dios, a los demas y a usted mismo.
Las sesiones incluyen:
*Tomar su temperatura comunitaria
*Dejar de leer la mente de los demas y esclarecer sus expectativas
*Trazar el arbol genealogico de su familia
*Explorar el iceberg
*Escuchar con empatia
*Subir la cuesta de la integridad
*Jugar limpio
*Desarrollar una “regla de vida” para implementar habilidades emocionalmente sanas
*Diseado para usar con el video-estudio de Relaciones emocionalmente sanas (se vende por separado). -
Re Membering God
$21.95Add to cart* Reflections on tradition and change for the twenty-first-century church * Something for both newcomers and those familiar with liturgy and spirituality Like the scribe and master of the household cited by Jesus in Matthew 13, Re-membering God “brings out of treasure what is new and what is old,” and empowers us to go and do likewise. As both critique and encouragement for the church in the early part of the twenty-first century, it seeks to reclaim the foundational riches of the church’s liturgy and spirituality in the face of cul-tural change. These resources, some lost or neglected and others under-utilized, can help rebuild the church, raising up what has been cast down and renewing what has grown old. This series of reflections explore with discernment what is “fashionable,” and acknowledge the deepest and most endur-ing human needs and hopes, which only God can answer. Re-membering God puts liturgical and spiritual practice into terms easily understood by both newcomers and seasoned devotees, for the benefit of this and future generations. Understanding the value of the past and with an eye to the future, this book will inform our next conversations about evangelism and church growth.
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Raising Giant Killers Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$18.99Add to cartWith honesty, humor, and keen biblical insight, bestselling authors Bill and Beni Johnson help you discover the keys to successful parenting in God’s kingdom. “Parents, we rule for the purpose of protection, but we also serve with the purpose of empowering,” they write. “We want to release our children into their destiny–that’s the privilege of parenting.”
In these pages you will gain the wisdom, kingdom concepts, and practical tools you need to help raise your children to their best.
You’ll discover how to parent to their uniqueness, gifts, and strengths, as well as how you can demonstrate and reveal who God is to your kids. The authors also address pressing issues parents face today, including how to:
*be fully engaged in hearing what the Lord is saying over each child
*maintain relationship and discipline
*develop character
*train your children for worship
*fan the flame of what God has put in their hearts
*and moreNo matter what age your kids are, you have an incredible opportunity to shape their hearts, minds, and values. Here is everything you need to help your children walk into the destiny of their lives and see them become the awesome people they were created to be.
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Connections Year C Volume 3 Season After Pentecost
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.
This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.
This volume covers Year C for the season after Pentecost.
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Healing The Wounds Of Sexual Abuse
$20.00Add to cartThis accessibly written book illuminates the good news of healing and liberation the Bible offers survivors of sexual abuse. As an expert in pastoral ministry and a survivor of abuse herself, Elaine Heath handles this sensitive topic with compassion and grace. The book is illustrated with stories and insights from survivors, and each chapter ends with reflection questions and recommended activities. Previously published as We Were the Least of These, this repackaged edition includes a new contextualized introduction that explores how the book speaks into a vital cultural conversation (#MeToo).
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Practicing The Preaching Life
$31.99Add to cartPreaching is a way of life that can be beautiful and good; however, It can also be anxious, self-focused, and destructive. Preachers and teachers of preaching need a holistic view of preaching that not only paints the way to good preaching, but also to good living. They need a comprehensive practical theology of preaching that combines the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ with the ‘how’ and ‘whom’ of preaching. Practicing the Preaching Life unites Christian practices, contextual virtues, and the best of homiletical pedagogy to pave the way to a beautiful preaching life. Preaching is best learned as a formative Christian practice embedded within a web of other Christian practices that form a way of life from which great sermons emerge. Therefore, preaching requires not only a way of speaking well, but also a way of living well. This embedded nature of preaching requires the enrollment of Christian practices in the formation of the preacher and the pursuit of contextual virtues for preaching that avoid cultural relativism on the one hand and cultural imperialism on the other. These requirements lead to a new vision for the preaching classroom, the rhythms of the preaching life, and the definition of what it means to be a good preacher.
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Written To Be Heard
$34.99Add to cartRecovers the lost messages of Mark, Matthew, Luke-Acts, and John for people today
The words of the gospels were meant to be heard. While we can still appreciate the construction and grasp some understanding when we read, we miss much of the message because we’re working in the wrong medium. In Written to Be Heard Paul Borgman and Kelly James Clark offer the keys to recovering the radical, relevant messages of each gospel as they were first heard.
The shaping of the gospels for oral performances, which would have been obvious to ancient (mostly preliterate) listeners, is lost on even the best contemporary reader. With careful analysis of the gospel writers’ particular voices within their own ancient literary context, Borgman and Clark equip readers to read as if hearing, focusing on overlapping patterns of hearing cues that shape each text and embed theological perspective.
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2 Steps Forward Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.00Add to cartThe women of Sensible Shoes encounter new adventures and roadblocks in their spiritual journeys in Two Steps Forward. With this study guide, you can explore your own next steps as you dive into the book’s spiritual formation themes along with Mara, Meg, Hannah, and Charissa. In this eight-week study guide you’ll find daily Scripture readings, reflection questions, and spiritual practices designed to help you be attentive to the invitations of the Holy Spirit. Each week concludes with discussion questions and suggested practices for reading groups to do together. Individually or with a group, you are invited to meet with God and find encouragement for the path ahead.
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Extra Mile Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.00Add to cartWhat next steps is God calling you to take? Join the characters of An Extra Mile, the final book in the Sensible Shoes series, as they journey through the seasons of Lent and Easter. In this eight-week study guide you’ll dive deeper into key spiritual practices from the book, using daily Scripture readings and reflection questions designed to help you be attentive to the invitations of the Holy Spirit. Each week concludes with discussion questions and suggested practices for groups to do together. This guide offers the perfect tools for individuals and groups to explore and apply the spiritual formation themes of An Extra Mile along with Mara, Hannah, Charissa, and Becca.
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Assessment For Counseling In Christian Perspective
$50.00Add to cartAssessment in counseling?like its biblical counterpart, discernment?is an ongoing and dynamic routine to encourage movement in a productive direction toward what is truly best. In Assessment for Counseling in Christian Perspective, Stephen P. Greggo equips counselors to put assessment techniques into practical use, particularly with clients who are looking to grow in their identity with Jesus Christ. As a Christian perspective on assessment, this book is designed to supplement standard resources and help counselors navigate challenges at the intersection of psychotherapy and Christian ministry. Greggo charts a course for care that brings best practices of the profession together with practices of Christian discipleship. Key topics include:
Does a Christian worldview offer distinguishing parameters for assessment practice?
Can clinical proficiency in assessment bring glory to God?
How can the crucial psychometric construct of validity be translated into our Christian faith?
In what ways can the inclusion of objective procedures be transformed into a message of hospitality and affirmation?
How can counselors maximize the benefits of a therapeutic alliance to attend to immediate concerns and foster spiritual formation?
How can formal personality measures add depth and substance to the counseling experience?
How can assessment contribute to client retention, treatment completion, and aftercare planning?With Assessment for Counseling in Christian Perspective, clinical and pastoral counselors can bring the best of assessment into counseling that reflects the essence of the Christian faith.
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Developing Female Leaders
$18.99Add to cartKadi Cole, world-class creative thinker and 30-year veteran in leadership and people development, offers a practical strategy to help church and organizational leaders intentionally craft work and volunteer cultures that facilitate the development of women leaders.
Christian leaders use only a small portion of their female volunteer potential for several reasons. Some don’t know how to intentionally and professionally develop and deploy women’s talents and abilities. Others don’t have the staff or resources. Then there are those who can’t get past unfortunate cultural traditions and organizational systems that commonly leave women with the choice to either limit their potential or go outside their church or volunteer organization for training and then invest their skills elsewhere. Developing Female Leaders by Kadi Cole is the book for leaders who face these challenges.
Using contemporary interviews with and about women in key church and organizational roles combined with more than 30 years of research on the development of professional women leaders, the author has created eight easy to implement “best practices” that help accelerate a woman’s organizational contribution. Thorough appendices and references make this book a one-of-kind publishing event.
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God Is : Meditations On The Mystery Of Life, The Purity Of Grace, The Bliss
$16.00Add to cartYour God is too small-way too small! What if God is not a human-like personal being but the God Beyond God of the Christian mystical traditions? What if God is the ultimate reality beyond all beings, including beyond all divine beings, indeed beyond all Being? It’s a mind-bending idea. Speaking of God as a human-like personal being is much easier but people who care about the deepest mystical understandings of God within our traditions need to make the effort to speak about the God Beyond God, despite the difficulties. This book makes the attempt to speak of the God Beyond God in the language of the sermon, using metaphor and potent imagery tuned to the existential intensities of human life. The God Beyond God is closer to us than our jugular veins, vividly present in every moment of our lives. These sermons are practical and moving, and they also resonate with the most rigorous theological understandings of ultimate reality. Their deconstruction of our convenient fantasies about a divine being make these sermons emotionally intense and perhaps not suitable for beginners in the journey of faith. But veteran believers can breathe deeply in the air of these meditations, relaxing into the bliss of engaging ultimate reality without delusions, without deflections, and without controlling the object of our worship.
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Millenial Narrative : Sharing A Good Life With The Next Generation
$20.99Add to cartA good education will land you a good job, “Be an entrepreneur/Start something in a garage or dorm room” and even “Jesus saves” are narratives that collapsed for the millennial generation (born 1982-2002). These narratives, amongst many similar social and religious ones, have lost their meaning and power as millennials question all authorities and struggle to flourish in a world come of age. With their needs for community and success, a strong spirituality, and believing that their gifts should be recognized and can make a difference, millennials increasingly find meaning and purpose outside the church. As they face economic uncertainty, reduced career prospects, unceasing change, as well as civic, global, and ecological uncertainties, however, a large number of millennials are overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety and depression. Caught between hope and fear, millennials leave the church with their values of personal transformation, purpose, community, spirituality, social transformation and ecological awareness. Ironically the church often holds the same values. Reaching the Millennial Generation is written for pastoral leaders who want to welcome millennials, both inside and outside their congregation. The book draws on the wisdom of the prophetic Book of Joel as a narrative worth living into. Drawing on Joel’s three chapters, Reaching the Millennial Generation empowers pastoral leaders to: – Facilitate the work of mourning Millennials are facing; – Envision a spiritual community that can welcome millennials; – Introduce a compassionate God that restores and indwells as the Spirit; – Reflect on God’s judgment through the lens of accountability; and, – Support and encourage millennials to be a blessing to others.
In addition, pastoral leaders will receive a sermon outline and material for adult education. -
Family Systems And Congregational Life
$29.99Add to cartExperienced pastor and seminary teacher R. Robert Creech helps pastoral leaders increase their effectiveness by applying family systems theory to congregational life and ministry. Creech introduces readers to the basic concepts of Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, applies family theory to the work of ministry in church settings, and connects systems thinking to the everyday aspects of congregational ministry, such as preaching, pastoral care, leadership, spiritual formation, and interpreting biblical texts. Each chapter contains discussion questions, and there are five helpful appendixes with supplemental information about Bowen theory. Professors and students in clinical pastoral education, family ministry, pastoral care, and family systems theory classes; pastors in local church ministry; and Christian counselors and therapists will all value this work.
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Wonder Of The Word
$12.99Add to cartEverything you need to know about Scripture
The Wonder of the Word gives you a complete survey of the Bible and shows you how Scripture produces power in someone’s life. It is the second book in the Kingdom Pastor’s Library from Tony Evans and will reinvigorate your love for Scripture. Dr. Evans explores the nature and benefits of God’s Word, as well as how to sow and grow the seed. It will also cover important topic such as:
*The revelation of Scripture
*The inspiration of Scripture
*The illumination of Scripture
*The interpretation of Scripture
*The canonicity of ScriptureLearn the essentials of Scripture from the gifted, veteran pastor, Tony Evans.
The Kingdom Pastor’s Library is a series of books that brings you a concise, complete pastoral philosophy and training from Tony Evans.
Faithful. Powerful. Practical. Become a Kingdom Pastor today.
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Preaching The New Testament Again
$19.00Add to cartThis book combines critical New Testament scholarship with homiletic concerns. Kim unravels complexities of the most prominent themes in the New Testament such as faith, freedom, and transformation, and brings them into dialogue with modern preaching contexts, ranging from personal identity to social justice to global issues. This book invites readers to reinterpret the most familiar themes that have not been thoroughly explored in scholarship and to make an informed choice about what to preach to whom in what context.
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Finding Your Way Through The Bible CEB
$9.99Add to cartThis self-instruction book was written to help middle and older elementary children become familiar with their Bibles and learn how to use them at their own speed. Finding Your Way Through the Bible is intended to be used with the Children’s Common English Bible at home or in the classroom. Students completing this book will be able to: -Find any book in the Old or New Testaments using the Table of Contents -Find any chapter in any book and any verse in any chapter -Find parts of verses when the Bible reference uses the letters a, b, and c with a verse number -Tell the difference between books with similar names such as 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel and John and 1 John -Recognize the additional helps in a Bible and be able to use them
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Free Of Me Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartOur me-centered culture affects every area of our lives–our friendships, our marriages, even our faith. The self-focused life robs our joy, shrinks our souls, and is the reason we never quite break free of insecurity.
Now churches and small groups can together heed the call to a bigger, Jesus-centered vision of life–one that restores our freedom and inspires us to live for more. Free of Me helps participants:
*identify the secret source of insecurity
*understand how self-focus sabotages seven areas of our lives
*learn four practical steps for focusing on God and others
*experience freedom from the burden of self-focusAnyone yearning for a purpose bigger than “project me” will cherish this paradigm-shifting message of true fulfillment.
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New Testament You Never Knew Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartThe New Testament You Never Knew Study Guide by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird is the definitive introduction to the New Testament.
In this 8-session video-based study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), leading New Testament scholars, N.T. Wright and Michael Bird, hope to take you on a tour of the New Testament Story, from Galilee to Golgotha, from Jerusalem to Rome. They will look at who Jesus is, the real meaning of his death and resurrection, the expansion of the church in the Greco-Roman world, examine the debates and setbacks that they had along the way, and show how Christians can live out the story of New Testament in their own lives today.
Sessions include:
*The Story of the New Testament
*The World of Jesus
*Life and Death of Jesus
*The Resurrection of Jesus
*The Apostle Paul
*The Early Christians
*The Mission of the Church
*How the NT Came to BeDesigned for use with The New Testament You Never Knew Video Study (sold separately).
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Power Of Preaching
$14.99Add to cartThe No-Nonsense Preaching Manual Every Pastor Needs
The first book in the Kingdom Pastor’s Library from Tony Evans, The Power of Preaching will help you be faithful to the Word of God and preach with power and conviction. From the practice of preparation to learning to choose subjects wisely, this book offers brings you a preaching education from one of the most trusted and effective voices in ministry. It also includes important lessons on:
*Bible study methods & expository preaching
*The development and use of illustrations
*The cadence of deliveryLearn the essentials of preaching a powerful message from the gifted, veteran pastor, Tony Evans.
The Kingdom Pastor’s Library is a series of books that brings you a concise, complete pastoral philosophy and training from Tony Evans.
Faithful. Powerful. Practical. Become a Kingdom Pastor today.
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Holy Roar Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this four-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead share a fresh perspective from the worship practices of the ancient world to show what it really means to praise God. They explain that in the Jewish culture, something extraordinary happened when God’s people gathered to worship him. It was more than just singing-it was a declaration, a proclamation, and a time for the people to fully embody praise to God for who he is and what he has done.
In the book of Psalms, the writers used seven distinct words that are translated into English as praise. However, as Chris and Darren point out in this study, each of these Hebrew words actually represents a different aspect of what it means to truly worship God:
*Yadah: to revere or worship with extended hands
*Halal: to boast, celebrate, and be clamorously foolish
*Zamar: to celebrate in song and in music
*Towdah: to give thanksgiving for things not yet received
*Barak: to kneel before God and bless him
*Tehillah: to sing a spontaneous song to God
*Shabach: to commend, glory, and triumphHoly Roar will provide insights and encouragement for group members to deepen their practice of praise and they learn about the deeper meanings of these words and put them into practice.
Sessions include:
1. The Shout of Praise
2. The Posture of Praise
3. The Music of Praise
4. The Expectation of Praise -
Irresistible Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartOnce upon a time there existed a version of our faith worth living and dying for, something the world found irresistible. Men and women pursued it at the risk of persecution, job loss, and eviction from their homes, temples, and society.
What if we actually followed their lead? Perhaps it would change how we read the Bible? Perhaps it would help us understand our own faith and what we believe? Perhaps we would change the world again?
In this six-session video study (DVD/video downloads sold separately), pastor and author Andy Stanley shows how Jesus’ arrival signaled that the Old Testament was fulfilled and its laws reduced to a single verb–love–to be applied to God, neighbor, and enemy. So, what is required if we want to follow Jesus’s example and radically love the people around us? We almost always know the answer. The hard part is actually doing what love requires.
Rather than working harder to make Christianity more interesting, we need to recover what once made faith in Jesus irresistible to the world.
Sessions include:
*Simply Resistible
*Brand New Agreement
*The Bible According to Jesus
*The Irresistible Ethic
*What Love Requires of Me
*A New ApproachDesigned for use with the Irresistible Video Study (9780310100515), sold separately.
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Neighborhood Church : Transforming Your Congregation Into A Powerhouse For
$22.00Add to cartHow can we embody the values of love, grace, and justice? As faith communities, how can our collective embodiment of these values shine even brighter? The answers to these questions must always unfold right here, right now, exactly where God has planted us. Neighborhood Churchacts as a resource to inspire churches to become a vibrant and engaging community partner with the families and neighborhoods living around them. The need for transformation is acute. Congregational decline continues across all mainline denominations. The abandonment of the church by the millennial generation is ubiquitous; no denomination is escaping it. This is, in part, a consequence of disconnection from our communities. Van Tatenhove and Mueller believe that, parish by parish, we can reverse this trend. They dare to have an audacious hope for local congregations not only as signs of God’s kingdom but as life-giving institutions that anchor their neighborhoods. Drawing on their combined sixty years of parish experience, wisdom from Asset-Based Community Development, and compelling case stories, Van Tatenhove and Mueller do more than just call us to incarnational ministry. They give practical, essential tools that lead to communal conversion, develop the DNA of listening, spur fruitful partnerships, promote integrated space, and sustain long-term visions. They believe these tools will spark true revival and unleash the power of incarnational ministry.
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Rahab Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartGood enough, as is. God redeems.
Women’s hearts are exposed and the truth of our nature is revealed as we explore the lives of women in the Bible who asked the same three questions every woman still asks today: How does everyone see me? How do I see myself? How does God see me?
Rahab was not the typical woman, but she displayed very typical female characteristics. She was nurturing and protective, vulnerable, and hopeful. Where we learn the most from Rahab is the one character trait she lacked: self-doubt. Rahab is our sister in Scripture who considered her worthiness in God against the cultural odds and standards then, and still today. Regardless of your personality, past, present, or position, there is a place in God’s plan for you. He doesn’t want your personality-He wants to redeem and use for His plan, just as you are.
Learn from Rahab in this four-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), the subtle and apparent differences between what we think of ourselves, what society projects on us, and what God’s final word about us says! This study will take you into the heart of Rahab as the everyday woman in modern culture through drama, expose the truth of our behaviors through strong Biblical psychoanalysis, and reveal the solid truth each of us longs for, to know that we are known by a God who considers us good enough, as is, and wants to redeem us!
Designed for use with the Known by Name: Rahab Video Study (sold separately).
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Politics Of Ministry
$24.00Add to cartForeword By Steven Garber
Introduction
1. Three Ministry Stories
2. The Four Dynamics Of Politics
3. Power In Ministry Politics
4. The Branches And Roots Of Interests
5. Personality Interests
6. Organizational Interests
7. Societal Interests
8. Negotiation With Power For Interests
9. Negotiation In Cell Four
10. Ethical Issues In The Politics Of Ministry
11. Tom Moves Into A Political Swamp
Postscript: How People Learn The Politics Of Ministry
Acknowledgments
Appendix 1: Emotions Checklist
Appendix 2: Constructing And Exploring A Family Diagram
NotesAdditional Info
We all need help navigating the politics of ministry.Politics is often considered a dirty word. It brings to mind lies and manipulation, accusations and scandals. But at its most basic level, politics is simply the everyday activity of getting things done with other people: understanding their interests, recognizing the power dynamics at play, and learning how to negotiate relationships and institutions to achieve a common goal.These realities are as true in ministry settings as anywhere else. In The Politics of Ministry, Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman, and Donald Guthrie combine their long ministry experience with sociological research on the topic. Filled with real-life stories taken from a variety of ministry settings, this book sets out wise principles and practices that help us see more clearly the political dynamics at play in our churches and parachurch ministries.
All ministry is political. As servants of Christ’s kingdom, we are called to navigate the politics of ministry with grace, wisdom, and charity. This book shows us how the gospel of Jesus changes the way we work with those around us toward our common goal.
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Connections Year C Volume 2 Lent Through Pentecost
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.
This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.
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Grandparenting : Strengthening Your Family And Passing On Your Faith
$16.00Add to cartMany powerful voices are influencing our grandchildren, from those at home and in their schools to those in the world of entertainment and media. What can you as a grandparent do to speak wisdom and godliness into their lives? Grandparenting gives you a biblical foundation for investing spiritually in your grandkids, walking you through the principles of influencing them for Christ–from sharing with unbelieving grandkids to discipling them into a mature faith. This book is perfect for individual use, small groups, or Sunday school classes. A Grandparenting DVD is available that features eight family ministry experts with over six hours of video content.
Two other resources are also available:
Biblical Grandparenting is a full-length leadership book that places grandparenting ministry on a firm scriptural foundation. It is ideal for pastors and church leaders as well as for use in the classroom at seminaries.Equipping Grandparents is a brief book to teach pastors how to begin a grandparenting ministry in their church.
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Your Church At Its Best
$14.99Add to cartBroken into four parts, Your Church at Its Best examines sixteen crucial components of a healthy church, along with best practices for keeping a ministry running smoothly. This comprehensive and practical resource helps leaders see that we are not victims of the past, of location, or of present conditions.
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Storyline The Parables Of Jesus The Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$30.00Add to cartA Soulwithaview Media Limited Title
Dotted throughout the complex storyline of Jesus lies a wealth of simple stories. Tales of lost sheep, praying widows and self-important Pharisees. To comprehend their meaning, you will require open eyes, listening ears and a heart ready to understand.
Storyline is a six-session teaching series, set out in the form of a menu with starters, main courses (divided into three spice levels) and a range of sides and desserts to explore. Due to the flexibility of the material, Storyline works as a whole church programme, content for a retreat, within small groups or as a youth series.
The session outlines are as follows:
Lub Dub – the condition of the heart
Jesus looked out at the expansive crowd gathered before Him. Why had they come to listen?
Each heart came with a different need, question, and willingness to listen. We will never know the backstory of the crowd that gathered there that day, or the impact the words of Jesus would have on their heart. Some would never think of Jesus again, others would dedicate their lives to Him. The only difference was the condition of their heart.
Blot – the power of grace and forgiveness
Holding on tightly to the jar of perfume, she made her way across the room to Jesus. She must have known what they thought of her. As her tears mingled with the expensive scent and she dried the feet of Jesus with her hair, she must have sensed the looks of disgust from Simon the Pharisee. He had barely offered Jesus a drink let alone washed His feet.
As she washed away the dirt from Jesus’ feet, her faith and His forgiveness blotted out every stain.
Kerching – the cost of discipleship
Surrounded by blueprints, bank statements and spreadsheets the entrepreneur scanned the plans for the biggest building project he had ever undertaken. Every possible calculation had been made and every financial option explored. Despite the meticulous planning this was going to take every single penny he had, but he knew it would be worth it.
A life of discipleship costs us everything but it leads to a lifelong investment in a building project that is beyond anything we could dream or imagine.
Tic Toc – the way we invest our time and talents.
The bags of silver had been handed out, the time had passed and now the three servants stood before their master. After a long and tiring trip, he was keen to see the return on his investment. God’s love for us is not dependent on the things w
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99 Prayers Your Church Needs But Doesnt Know It Yet
$9.99Add to cartWhen the unexpected comes and you can’t find the words to pray, 99 Prayers Your Church Needs (But Doesn’t Know It Yet) will provide the starting point that will help lead you to the prayer your congregation or pastor needs. From prayers for a family who has lost a loved one to addiction, to a prayer for the new pastor in a new congregation, these 99 prayers will help you respond to a multitude of unexpected prayer requests? whether celebratory or grieving, or somewhere in between?in the course of your congregation’s life.
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Lords Prayer
$55.00Add to cartC. Clifton Black provides a thorough analysis of the most famous prayer in the Christian church, the Lord’s Prayer. He begins with an impressionist painting of how the ancients prayed during Jesus’ time in order to set the context for understanding the prayer he taught his disciples. Throughout the book, Black systematically interprets the rich meanings of each part of the Lord’s prayer. Additionally, he includes an overview of Christian thought on the Lord’s Prayer from early church mothers and fathers like Tertullian and Teresa of Avila to modern theologians like Karl Barth. Uniquely, this book is an academic study of the Lord’s Prayer with a focus on the rhetorical culture from which it developed as well as the theological, literary, and historical meanings of the prayer itself.
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Reciprocal Church : Becoming A Community Where Faith Flourishes Beyond High
$20.00Add to cartIntroduction: Reciprocal Church
Part 1: A Theological Vision For The Reciprocal Church
1. Eating Melon On Tuesdays: Young People And Faith
2. Galloping Mares: The Gospel Without Christ’s Church
3. A Vital Identity: God Gathers A People
4. A Vital Purpose: Christ Is Reconciling Relationships
5. A Vital Avenue: The Spirit Transforms You, Me, And UsPart 2: Values And Practices For Flourishing Communities
6. Tetherballs And Floodlights: Valuing Memory
7. The Oxpecker’s Gift: Valuing Mutuality
8. Seeing Beyond The Epidemic: Recognizing Potential
9. Moving Beyond The Epidemic: Valuing Contribution
10. Windmills Of Hope: Valuing MaturityEpilogue: Faith Flourishes With Practice
Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
NotesAdditional Info
The church faces an unprecedented loss of rising generations. Young adults who were active and engaged in the local church are leaving the community behind after high school. What can we do? Responding to these concerning statistics, Sharon Galgay Ketcham reflects theologically on the church community and its role in forming faith. She exposes problems in the way leaders conceive of and teach about the relationship between individual faith and the local church, and offers fresh solutions in the form of values and practices that can shape a community into a place where faith will flourish in those both young and old. -
Case For Easter Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartIn his bestselling book The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel retraced his spiritual journey from atheism to faith by showing how the evidence he obtained from experts in the field of history, archaeology, and ancient manuscripts led him to the verdict that Jesus truly was the Son of God. Now, in this four-week study for Easter (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), Lee investigates the story surrounding the resurrection of Jesus-and how we can know that it is true.
In each session, he will explore the following aspects of the Easter story:
*What the Gospel accounts actually say about Jesus’ death and resurrection, how we can reconcile the discrepancies between the accounts, and how we can know the biblical accounts are accurate
*How we can use a technique known as “five minimal facts”-facts on which even skeptical scholars agree are true-and medical evidence to build a strong case for Jesus’ resurrection
*What the evidence in the Gospels reveals about the Jesus’ tomb being empty, why the Gospel writers are credible when they make this claim, and what this evidence leads us to conclude
*Who the Bible states witnessed Jesus being alive after the crucifixion, how early creeds emerged that stated Jesus was alive, and how it’s clear the early church carried on this teachingThe Case for Easter invites participants to examine the evidence for themselves and consider whether the story of Jesus’ resurrection makes sense. It will point them to the inescapable conclusion that led Lee from atheism to Christianity: Jesus was the Son of God who conquered the grave.
Designed for use with The Case for Christmas Video Study/The Case for Easter Video Study (sold separately). This DVD is a set of two videos to accompany The Case for Christmas Study Guide and The Case for Easter Study Guide (each guide sold separately).
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Curating Church : Strategies For Innovative Worship
$31.99Add to cartIf we are willing to shift our approach to church, we will better connect with increasingly heterogeneous cultures. This shifting requires curation. Church leaders must learn to be curators! Churches in modernity were set up to facilitate a particular kind of experience with God. Church was its own (protected) culture. In the wake of postmodernity, facilitated by new forms of (digital) communication, we are entering a new epoch in the history of the church. Curators manage the tasks of connection, preservation, and transformation, in their care for cultural artifacts and communities. When someone serves as a curator, they make connections between different elements in the culture, preserving the best of cultural traditions, and promoting fresh ways of thinking and being in the world. What might this work of curation mean for us? In Curating Church, readers learn how curation can reorient and sharpen the ways and work of the church. Curation can inform how we connect with cultures beyond the church, preserve what is best in the rich history of Christian thought and expression, and nurture spaces where contemporary persons may be transformed by the gospel. This book helps readers to understand with new richness the church and the world, and it equips them to become active in making those connections-as curators-with and for others.
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12 Disciples : Bible Study
$11.99Add to cartJesus called twelve ordinary men–and turned their weaknesses into strengths, their faults into testimonies, and their doubts into faith. Who were these men who walked with Jesus? What can we learn from their lives? Find out with The Twelve Disciples Visual Bible Study.
From John and Peter to Matthew and Mark, enjoy digging deeper into the lives of each of Jesus’ twelve disciples and learn more about:
*Their personalities
*Why Jesus called each of them
*How they served
*The lessons that we can learn from their mishaps and strengths
*And more!All-Inclusive Ready-to-Use Bible Study on the Twelve Disciples Can Be Led By Anyone!
This highly visual and informative introduction to the twelve disciples shows how Jesus called the Twelve individually–and uniquely–for life with him. See how Jesus entrusted them with authority despite all their mishaps and failures. Discover how these men’s lives were radically changed in the midst of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection; and celebrate the global effect they had for generations to come. Features include:
*6-session flexible Bible study
*Optional reading plan for people with more time who want to go deeper
*Leader’s guide is contained within each study guide, so no extra book purchase is required
*Discussion questions for each session and lots of space for writingMost Bible studies on the twelve disciples don’t include visuals. Imagine having one that does!
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Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered
$30.00Add to cartBuilding from a behind-the-scenes case study of Kenya’s Nairobi Chapel and its “daughter” Mavuno Church, Wanjiru M. Gitau expands their story into a narrative that offers analysis of the rise, growth, and place of megachurches worldwide in the new millennium. In contexts experienced as deeply volatile, and in Africa reeling from the structural incoherence imposed by colonial times, megachurches provide a map of reality to navigate by, with the gospel as their primary compass. Gitau shows that recognizing the psychological, spiritual, and social destabilization of modernizing societies is the first step to valuing the place of megachurches in contemporary Christianity.
Through analysis of social demography, theology, philosophy of ministry, leadership development, and strategy, Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered makes integral sense of the historical and social forces that give megachurches their growth opportunity in ministry, and reclaims them as a subject of serious theological conversation.
This lively, engaging account centers on the role of millennials in responding to the need for “a home for new generations” amid the dislocating transitions of globalization and postmodernity in postcolonial Africa and around the world. Gitau gleans practical wisdom for postdenominational churches everywhere (mega- and otherwise) from the lessons learned in Kenya’s remarkable urban, evangelical renewal movement.
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Will Willimons Lectionary Sermon Resource Year C Part 2
$26.99Add to cartWill Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Year C Part 2 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary. Each week of sermon resources includes: 1. Readings 2. Theme title 3. Introduction to the Readings 4. Encountering the Text 5. Proclaiming the Text 6. Relating the Text
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Last Days Cycle C
$15.95Add to cartDo you serve people who feel like underdogs?
The story of Jesus’ last days on Earth, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, provide some of the New Testament’s most powerful inspiration for the “underdogs” among us.
Richard A. Hasler draws from a deep well of modern-era stories to illustrate Jesus’ words of comfort and hope to people who seemed foolish, destined to lose in life.
Learn how Albert Schweitzer “wasted” his gifts to become a missionary to equatorial Africa; how Feodor Dostoevsky depended on the grace of God to create beautiful work out of a broken life; how one young believer ministered to a woman living with a family of Satanists in an unlikely place; and more.
These 12 sermons included in The Last Days reminds us we have the strength to serve, persevere and trust in Jesus Christ, even when doing so looks foolish, because we follow the king of underdogs … until the last days and forevermore.
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Find Your Fit (Revised)
$18.00Add to cartGod made you unique and valuable, and he invites you into an incredible future. But it can be hard to think through what that means and what it should look like. How can you figure it all out in the middle of your responsibilities, expectations, and pressures?
Find Your Fit is an incredible resource to help you discover who you are. It assesses your interests, abilities, spiritual gifts, values, and personality so you can understand what makes you tick and how you can become all God designed you to be. But it’s not just a powerful tool–it’s also fun to understand yourself better than you ever have before.
The Find Your Fit Discovery Workbook is also available, and it includes self-assessments, questions for digging deeper, and group exercises. Set yourself free to dream big dreams about what your life can be. God loves you so much and wants you to join him to change the world!
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Overcomer Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn this six-session Bible study, bestselling author Dr. David Jeremiah turns his insights to one of the most quoted but least understood passages of the Bible: the apostle Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 6:10-18 to take up the whole armor of God. With his signature depth, wisdom, and compassion, Dr. Jeremiah explores the powerful relevance of spiritual armor as a critical tool in our daily living as we confront the challenges in our lives and of our time. He reveals how God has given us, his followers, the tools we need to live a life defined not by our trials but by our victories.
This study will serve as a practical guide for how we can live each day in the strength that God provides as we equip each piece of spiritual armor. Although we all live in a time of deep uncertainty, the Bible promises we can live the life of freedom that God intended-even in times when the world seems filled with darkness. We were created to be overcomers, conquering the greatest obstacles in our lives.It is time to find renewed strength and claim the promises of God’s Word to overcome life’s greatest threats. It is time to claim our victory in Christ an be an overcomer.
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Taste And See Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartFood has always been something that joins us to one another as we procure, prepare, and share meals. We gather around tables and enter the hallowed belonging and sacred union of fellowship. In this place, we reconnect with our true selves as reconciles and healers of the world who dine with justice and mercy, practice divine hospitality, and restore our bodies with God’s gift of provision. Scripture likens Jesus to bread, an edible and necessary source of life. The Holy Spirit is likened to oil and anointing. The process of produce growth and pruning and harvesting is all through God’s word.
This six-session Bible study (DVD/downloads sold separately) explores those metaphors focusing on a few select, but pointed examples that take us full-circle in the experience of harvesting a relationship with Christ.
Sessions include:
*Come to the Table
*Bread of Life
*Pressed and Anointed
*First Fruit Offerings
*Sacrifice
*Invite and ServeDesigned for use with the Taste and See Video Study (sold separately).
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True Inclusion : Creating Communities Of Radical Embrace
$14.99Add to cartDiscover how to move your church beyond mere welcome to radical embrace.
So your church website says you’re welcoming, a rainbow flag flies out front, worship uses gender-inclusive language, and you make sure you greet the stranger next to you on Sunday mornings. But is all of that really enough? And what if those welcoming gestures actually keep visitors from returning and exclude dozens of other groups or people in your community?
In True Inclusion, public theologian and pastor Brandan Robertson shares how to move your church from mere welcome to radical embrace. Pointing to a clear biblical imperative for radical inclusivity in the sanctuary and in the public square, Robertson presents a paradigm-shifting vision of community, “where nothing is simple, nothing is easy, but everything is beautiful.” Learn practical, step-by-step approaches to becoming deeply, robustly, and richly inclusive of all people regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status.
Written for people and communities at every stage of the journey, True Inclusion will challenge and inspire you to embody a gospel of radical embrace for all.
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Return Of Jesus Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartThe second coming of Jesus has been a topic of fascination for both scholars and lay people for centuries. The accounts of Jesus’ return found throughout the Bible, especially in Revelation, are put forth with a cinematic quality that is both enrapturing and unnerving. In this study, we’ll explore apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible along with what it does and doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ return, and the key takeaways that these scriptures have for our faith. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Connections Year C Volume 1
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.
This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.
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Introduction To The New Testament
$70.00Add to cartThis New Testament introduction is different.Many introductions zero in on the historical contexts in which the New Testament literature was written. This introduction goes farther-to give particular attention to the social, cultural, and rhetorical contexts of the New Testament authors and their writings.Few introductions to the New Testament integrate instruction in exegetical and interpretive strategies with the customary considerations of authorship, dating, audience, and message. This introduction capitalizes on the opportunity, introducing students to a relevant facet of interpretation with each portion of New Testament literature.Rarely do introductions to the New Testament approach their task mindful of students preparing for ministry. This introduction is explicit in doing so, recognizing as it does that the New Testament itself-in its parts and as a whole-is a pastoral resource. Each chapter on the New Testament literature closes with a discussion of implications for ministry formation.These integrative features alone would distinguish this introduction from others. But in addition, its pages brim with maps, photos, points of interest, and aids to learning. Separate chapters explore the historical and cultural environment of the New Testament era, the nature of the Gospels and the quest for the historical Jesus, and the life of Paul.First published in 2004, David A. deSilva’s comprehensive and carefully crafted introduction to the New Testament has been long established as an authoritative textbook and resource for students. This beautiful, full-color second edition has been updated throughout with new scholarship and numerous images. It is the first choice for those convinced that a New Testament introduction should integrate scholarship and ministry.
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Faithful Bible Study Book
$18.95Add to cartBorrowing from best-selling studies by Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Lisa Harper, Kelly Minter, and Jennifer Rothschild, this 5-session study explores crucial moments in the lives of five Old Testament figures-Esther, Gideon, Malachi, Nehemiah, and Hosea. Through their stories, discover how God uses the lives of ordinary people for His glory and the good of His people. Strengthen your faith as you walk alongside these larger-than-life figures who all chose to obey God no matter the circumstances.
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Your Companion Through Chronic Illness
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Chronic Illnessedition is authored by Lauren Dunkle Dancey, a United Methodist chaplain and pastor who lives with chronic illness. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features:
Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically.
Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge.
The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time.
Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information.
Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care. -
Your Companion Through Depression And Anxiety
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Depression and Anxiety edition is authored by Jim Hightower and features insightful devotions by Harriet Bryan. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features: Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically. Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge. The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time. Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information. Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care.
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Return Of Jesus Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe second coming of Jesus has been a topic of fascination for both scholars and lay people for centuries. The accounts of Jesus’ return found throughout the Bible, especially in Revelation, are put forth with a cinematic quality that is both enrapturing and unnerving. In this study, we’ll explore apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible along with what it does and doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ return, and the key takeaways that these scriptures have for our faith. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
