Search Results for: Church
Showing 376–450 of 674 results
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Mega Church : How To Make Your Church Grow
$12.00Add to cart“.Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in. THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED.” Luke 14:23. The heartcry of God is for the world to be saved, and for His house -the church- to be filled! From this revelation was born this book, “The Megachurch” by Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, pastor of one of the largest churches in Ghana. Your church and ministry will never be the same again after reading this stimulating book!
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For The Communion Of The Churches
$33.99Add to cartEncourages Christians to work toward greater unity and fellowship
Founded by Abbe Paul Couturier in 1937, the Groupe des Dombes is a Protestant-Catholic coalition in French-speaking Europe uniting Reformed, Lutheran, and Catholic scholars in a common spirit of prayer, dialogue, and discernment; their pioneering work has influenced many other official ecumenical dialogues.
*Brings together an anthology of statements produced by the Group des Dombes from 1971 to 1991, appearing here together in English translation for the first time
*Expresses the Groupe’s keen insights into the renewal of theology and church life necessary for progress toward full ecclesial unity
*Invites churches today to strive for more fruitful dialogue and greater harmony -
Global Church Planting (Reprinted)
$38.00Add to cartPrologue: The Parable Of The Apple Trees
Part 1: Biblical Foundation
Part 2: Strategic Considerations
Part 3: Development Phases
Part 4: Critical FactorsAdditional Info
With over forty years combined global church-planting experience, Craig Ott and Gene Wilson are well qualified to write a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for cross-cultural church planting. Combining substantive biblical principles and missiological understanding with practical insights, this book walks readers through the various models and development phases of church planting. Advocating methods that lead to church multiplication, the authors emphasize the role of the missionary church planter. They offer helpful reflection on current trends and provide best practices gathered from research and empirical findings around the globe. The book takes up a number of special issues not addressed in most church planting books, such as use of short-term teams, partnerships, and wise use of resources. Full of case studies and real examples from around the world, this practical text will benefit students, church planters, missionaries, and missional church readers. -
New Monasticism As Fresh Expression Of Church
$27.00Add to cartThe combination of Fresh Expressions and the explosion of interest in monastic spirituality is resulting in the emergence of new monastic communities inspired by historic patterns of religious life, but reframed for the contemporary world. This worldwide movement is seen as a radical expression of ecclesial community and was named in Mission Shaped Church as one of the leading new forms of church that would help people reconnect with Christianity. aaA new monastic community may be a dispersed group of families and individuals meeting to share meals and worship, it might be a group connected virtually; it might be a youth group exploring monastic spirituality. In this book, leaders of traditional religious communities and emerging ‘new monastic’ communities tell their stories and reflect on how an ancient expression of being church is inspiring and shaping a very new one.aaIncluded are many well-known contributors: Graham Cray, Tom Sine, Shane Claiborne, Ray Simpson, Abbot Stuart Burns and others exploring intentional liv
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Crucified Church : Leading Your Church Through Death & Rebirth
$15.99Add to cartWarning: The Church is Dying…and She Should! The Church is losing ground in America. In The Crucified Church: Leading Your Church through Death & Rebirth, seasoned pastor and church planting expert, Joel Rissinger insightfully and candidly shows that revival or renewal of an impotent, biblically deprived church are simply not enough. With great love for the Bride of Christ, Rissinger shows why the death of a church is often its biblical pathway to life. In The Crucified Church! you will be equipped to: * Explore the biblical foundation for church death and rebirth * Crucify unbiblical doctrine, to ensure our gospel is everything Jesus is, was, taught, lived, did, and will do in the future. * Crucify church structure, to ensure our churches are led more as a theocracy than a democracy. * Crucify church vision, to ensure it is based on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. * Crucify missions, to ensure they center on church planting and multiplication. And much more!
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When God Changes A Church
$17.49Add to cartWhen God changes a church, He begins with the leader. He changes him from the inside out. That person is known to us as the pastor. This role is pivotal to any real redemptive work that God will ultimately do in the life of a particular congregation. In this book, we will see how God changed a particular African American Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The pastor chronicles how God inspired a vision that changed a traditional church with traditional values into an outward focused ministry with real worldwide reaching possibilities.
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Church And Countryside
$35.00Add to cart“While in recent years much attention among theologians has been focused on the city and on what makes a good city, much of (church) life in Britain takes place in the context of rural communities. In the context of their daily work, clergy find themselves confronted with complex ethical, political and social issues. “”Church and Countryside”” maps out a rural theology that addresses some of the concerns faced by Britain’s rural population and those who minister to them. While other books in this field focus on practical (mission-orientated) aspects of ministry in the countryside, Tim Gibson offers a discussion of some of the relevant issues from the point of view of Christian ethics. An accessibly written and thoroughly researched piece of contextual theology that should become core reading for mission and ministry courses in theological colleges and ministry training courses.”
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Mastering Church Management
$22.99Add to cartThe Mastering Ministry Series covers the various challenges of a ministry encounters and teaches how to deal with them-one subject at a time. Mastering Ministry is a perfect “survival guide” for today’s pastor addressing relevant topics such as worship, preaching, controversies, evangelism, church management, pastoral care, fundraising and personal growth.
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Transformation : Discipleship That Turns Lives Churches And The World Upsid
$18.99Add to cartThe message that will change the world is only as strong as the transformation that has first taken place within believers. “Glocal” churches create disciples who, transformed by the Holy Spirit, are infiltrating today’s culture on a global and local scale with the undeniable message of a changed life.
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Strategically Small Church (Reprinted)
$15.99Add to cartBrandon O’Brien helps pastors and church leaders understand that a smaller church is sometimes better than a big one. He demonstrates the strengths of small congregations, including that today’s church “shoppers” want services that are local, personal, and intimate. Also, small churches provide space to nurture close relationships across age and lifestyle barriers, and they facilitate a higher level of commitment from laypeople. And small church budgets are often more effective because of greater efficiency. The Strategically Small Church will encourage small-church pastors in their ministries and challenge them to play to their strengths.
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Exciting World Of Churchgoing
$14.49Add to cartDave Walker, a thirty-something cartoonist, web editor and former church and community youth worker has become the UK’S leading cartoon commentator on the state of the Church (local and national). His Guide to the Church cartoons appear weekly in the Church Times, and on the paper’s daily blog, and many more can be found on Dave’s website, www.cartoonchurch.com This is his third collection of cartoons. His first cartoon collection reprinted within three months and is now in its third printing. His second collection is in its second printing. His many fans will love this third volume with its Tweeting bishops, its sociological study of the average Lent group, its handy guide to weighing up the respective merits of going to a church service vs. an Alpha course, and a great deal more.
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Imagine : Creating Memorable Characters For Kids Church
$13.49Add to cartMarty Martin has been a children’s pastor for eighteen years and worked as a volunteer with children before that. His mother always worked with children at church and in a daycare center, eventually starting a daycare in her home. Marty first started interacting with children in this setting and creating goofy characters to entertain them. Now he is a dad and has five boys of his own who are the best audience to try his silly acts on!
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Church Hurts Can Make You Bitter Workbook (Workbook)
$10.99Add to cartI dedicate this workbook to those who do not know how to move on from the hurt, and pain they have experienced in life. Hurt is common to us all, and if we do not deal with it properly, it can paralyze us to the point of leaving us helpless and stagnated.
This self-help study book will provide you with an opportunity to eliminate your hurts by, focusing on some major areas that can keep you bound: relationships, forgiveness, the tension between God’s will and yours, self-inventory, prayer and deliverance, and healing. The questions and Scriptures dealing with these areas will help you identify various issues in your life, using the Bible as a reference for answers. Focus on God’s will for you, as you work hard throughout this workbook to become whole and complete.
Many people do not understand how to get out of the hurt cycle. I admonish you to read the book Church Hurts Can Make You Bitter or Better: You Choose!, which will show you how to triumph over hurts, regardless of their source, and then you can use this corresponding workbook to address your issues.
Many of you can confess that now is the time to move on from where you are to where you need to be. No matter who offended you or what kind of hurt you suffered, you must move on. No longer, allow the enemy of your soul to keep you in this holding pattern. Pray, acknowledge, forgive, apologize, and say goodbye. The time to move on is now!
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Church Must Die
$19.99Add to cartFor My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns-broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Jeremiah 2:13The modern church, to its very core, is wrong. It is not what it was supposed to be.
Today church is a “thing”…it’s an organization, a building, an institution…something never intended by Christ.
In the early church the power of the Holy Spirit operated in abundance and the world was changed. Over the 2000 years since, we have traded the glory of God for an institution, traded His power for our own, and traded His church for a sad counterfeit.
It’s time to wake up and see ourselves for what we’ve become. This is not a revolution, not even a revival. This is a breaking. This is death to all we have become, that we might return to what is real.
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Loving The Church
$14.99Add to cartLoving the Church reminds us how glorious God’s family really is, and the countless ways that you can flourish within it. In recent years the family has experienced a revival within Christian culture, but with this increased emphasis on the importance of the family, less value has been placed on God’s family, the church. Loving the Church explains the importance of God’s family and explores the beauty and joy of being a member of the household of God.
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Viral Churches : Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers
$24.95Add to cartBased on a national, cross-denominational study commissioned by Leadership Network, Viral Churches outlines the best practices in church multiplication movements and reveals the common threads among them. A hands-on resource, Viral Churches offers the fresh vision and critical perspectives essential as a catalyst fortoday’s church planting leaders. Throughout the book, Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird advocate the core belief that “Church planting is good. A vision for a church multiplication movement is better.
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Mustard Seed Church
$20.99Add to cartThe Christian church has fallen away from Christ’s New Testament model of faith. The church desperately needs change and reform today. This generation has several objections to Christianity. It perceives the church as hypocritical, judgmental, delusional, pushy, bigoted, and overly political. Younger church members also recognize Christendom’s image problem today. Fulfillment of church mission and destiny requires the church to remove obstacles and dispel objections hindering completion of the Great Commission these latter days. What is happening to the church today? Why are so many people abandoning Christianity or reluctant to embrace the faith? What kind of spiritual attack is hindering Christian mission and destiny? Where is the church going prophetically? What can change Christianity’s image?
The Church is under malevolent attack that continually hinders Christian mission and destiny. Church reform begins within each member of the church. Church attrition and backsliding are evidence of the expanding apostasy within Christendom. False doctrine and systemic bondage are destroying the spiritual fiber of the church. We must also recognize the moral failure reflecting Christendom’s overall inadequacy. The church must repent before able to reach the present generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This book is a call to church mission and reform. Church repentance will initiate a new wave of change, reform, and evangelism throughout Christendom.
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Proclaiming The Great Ends Of The Church
$28.00Add to cartProminent Presbyterian pastors and leaders address each of the Great Ends of the Church in sermons that both challenge and uplift readers.
For decades the Great Ends of the Church, a historic listing of ways Presbyterians have understood the role of the church, has helped to establish church directions in mission and ministry. The Great Ends of the Church are (1) the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; (2) the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; (3) the maintenance of divine worship; (4) the preservation of the truth; (5) the promotion of social righteousness; and (6) the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.These sermons focus the church’s understandings of its purpose and inspire us to dedicate ourselves to the church’s work in the world. This is a book that every Presbyterian should know and is ideal for study by church groups and sessions.
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Saving Jesus From The Church
$14.99Add to cartThe marriage of bad theology and hypocritical behavior by the church has eroded our spiritual lives. Taking the best of biblical scholarship, Meyers recasts core Christian concepts in an effort to save Christianity from its obsession with personal salvation. Not a plea to try something brand new, but rather the recovery of something very old, Saving Jesus from the Church shows us what it means to follow Jesus’s teachings today.
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Repo : The Church In Foreclosure
$15.49Add to cartRepo is a wake-up call to pastors with a growing sense of isolation and irrelevance; silently maintaining their sanctuaries, trapped in the industry of church, they simply wait retirement or hope for Christ’s return. The USA is gripped by a recession unlike any since the ’30s, its financial and political institutions guilty of enabling unsustainable debt while its pulpits proclaim prosperity. Could we be living in the era referenced in Revelation 5:5-14, the Lamb soon to “repo” His church?
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Racial Justice And The Catholic Church
$26.00Add to cartA leading black Catholic moral theologian addresses the thorny issue of racial justice past and present.
Confronting racism is difficult but essential work if we are to heal the brokenness in our society and our church. In the author’s words, “We all are wounded by the sin of racism. . . . How can we struggle together against an evil that harms us all?” Racial Justice and the Catholic Church examines the presence of racism in this country from its early history through the Civil Rights Movement and the election of Barack Obama. It also explores how Catholic social teaching has been used-and not used-to promote reconciliation and justice.
Massingale writes from an abiding conviction that the Catholic faith and the black experience make essential contributions in the continuing struggle against racial injustice that is the work of all people. His book is essential reading for all those concerned with justice and healing in our world.
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Organization Of The United Methodist Church
$18.99Add to cartAn indispensable guide for all United Methodists-especially pastors, lay leaders, church council members, confirmation and new member candidates and their instructors, and seminarians-this book is presented in a practical, down-to-earth manner for easy use by both individuals and classes, clergy and lay. It highlights the functions and connectional relationships within the organization, beginning with the local church and continuing through connectional organs in districts, annual conferences and their agencies, jurisdictional conferences and their agencies, the General Conference, the general agencies of the Church, and the Judicial Council.
Bishop Tuell discusses the Church’s unique polity and gives a frank assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. At the same time he paints the image of a worldwide connectional communion that is organized to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and to bear witness to its Wesleyan heritage. -
Lets Have Church
$29.95Add to cartLet’s Have Church!!! is a hilarious party game by Church Folks for Church Folks and anyone else that enjoys having a good time! Players enjoy 3 rounds of action packed play while laughing all the way. LOL at outrageous Sunday morning jokes strait from pulpits across America – then get up and act them out! Ages 13 to Adult. 4 or more players. Game contents: (1) 77-second Church Music Timer; (3) card decks with 600 quotes, sayings and challenges; (1) dry erase board and marker; (1) rules of play booklet with special bonus questions! WARNING! Playing Let’s Have Church!!! with friends and family all week doesn’t get you out of Church on Sunday! Makes a great gift!
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Introducing The Missional Church (Reprinted)
$22.00Add to cartMany pastors and church leaders have heard the term “missional” but have only a vague idea of what it means, let alone why it might be important to them. But what does it actually mean? What does a missional church look like and how does it function? Two leading voices in the missional movement here provide an accessible introduction, showing readers how the movement developed, why it’s important, and how churches can become more missional.
Introducing the Missional Church demonstrates that ours is a post-Christian culture, making it necessary for church leaders to think like missionaries right here at home. Focusing on a process that allows a church to discern its unique way of being missional, it guides readers on a journey that will lead them to implement a new set of missional practices in their churches. The authors demonstrate that living missionally is about discerning and joining God’s work in the world in order to be a witness to God’s kingdom on earth. -
We Believe In One Holy Catholic And Apostolic Church
$60.00Add to cartThis volume offers patristic comment on the second half of the third article of the Nicene Creed. Readers will gain insight into the history and substance of what the early church believed about the nature of the church and the consummation of all things.
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Worshiping With The Church Fathers
$27.00Add to cartChristopher Hall invites us to accompany the church fathers as they enter the sanctuary for worship and the chapel for prayer. He also takes us to the wilderness, where we learn from the early monastics as they draw close to God in their solitary discipline. Readers will enjoy a rich and rare schooling in developing their spiritual life in this unique survey of the life of worship from the perspective of the early Church.
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Church Event : Call And Challenge Of A Church Protestant
$26.00Add to cartNoted theologian Vitor Westhelle urges an emphatic no and traces the church crisis to an “ecclesiological deficit,” a lack of serious reflection on the real role of church as an ideal community and an institutional reality. He finds real consensus among the Reformers on what church should mean, and he traces the competing historical notions of church, their relations to the sources of Protestant religious conviction, and the gradual erosion of a sense for what it is the church actually “represents.”
Westhelle advances a new model of church, grounded in Trinitarian thought, social anthropology, and biblical reflection. He then shows how this notion of church well positions Christian communities to deal with the public sphere, religious pluralism, globalization, and communal prayer. In doing so, Westhelle claims a space for Protestant Christianity in today’s world.
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Ignite : How To Spark Immediate Growth In Your Church (Reprinted)
$16.00Add to cartIgnite is the ultimate how-to book for church leaders who want to reach more people for Jesus Christ. Pastor and founder of Church Leader Insights, Nelson Searcy, will provide practical, inventive guidelines for bringing first-time guests through the doors.
This book sets forth a step-by-step, biblically grounded, proven plan for creating immediate church growth by utilizing a “Big Day” to mobilize the church for evangelism. This user-friendly guide will show church leaders what they need to do to reach the unchurched in their communities and break through the debilitating growth barriers that are holding them back.
Through the inspiration of testimonies and stories, combined with the down-to-earth, applicable teaching that Searcy readers have come to expect and appreciate, Ignite will give church leaders the tools they desperately need to reach and keep modern-minded, unchurched people to create and sustain growth momentum.
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Introducing The Lessons Of The Church Year (Revised)
$35.95Add to cart3rd edition of a known and trusted guide to Scripture for pastors, deacons, and lay people.
Thoroughly revised and updated to the Revised Common Lectionary by an Episcopal and Lutheran scholar and church leader, author of many books.
A one-volume resource with multiple uses: sermon preparation, public reading of scripture, sermon discussion groups, lectionary Bible study, Christian education planning, bulletins, and web sites.
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Prayers For An Inclusive Church
$22.95Add to cartThe author has prepared a special American edition of his book, first published in the UK, to conform to the calendar of the Episcopal Church.
Prayers are appropriate to conclude the Prayers of the People in the Eucharist
Includes a scriptural index keyed to the lectionary readings
Includes 3 Eucharistic prayers, Eucharistic preface, general confession, and post-communion prayer for each season in the church year.
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Taking Your Church To The Next Level (Reprinted)
$20.00Add to cartAll local churches experience a predictable life cycle of growth and decline. But if a church is on a downward trend, how can it turn around? Taking Your Church to the Next Level explains the impact of age and size on churches and outlines the improvements that must be made at each point for a church to remain fruitful and faithful to its mission. McIntosh deftly describes the cycles of fruitfulness and the importance of continual improvement to diminish destructive forces that keep a congregation from its mission. Church leaders, pastors, and all who care about the church and desire to see it experience biblical growth will benefit from the sage wisdom offered in these pages.
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Fathers Of The Church
$21.99Add to cartBetween March 2007 and June 2008, Pope Benedict XVI devoted thirty-six catecheses at his Wednesday audiences to the Fathers of the Church, from St. Clement of Rome to St. Augustine of Hippo. He devoted talks not only to the saints of the church, but also to writers not venerated – one subject, Tertullian, even died outside the Catholic communion.
Pope Benedict’s catecheses often begin with some historical information about his subject, setting the writer in the context of his time. He pays attention to the teaching of the Father, but often in unexpected ways – his concern is not only with Christian doctrine, but also with care for the poor and with the relation of the Church to the state. He sometimes applies the teaching of his subject to some contemporary situation. Finally at the end of several catecheses, he quotes a prayer written by his subject.
These catecheses are distinctive. The Pope is not giving academic lectures, nor is he giving sermons. Rather, he is instructing those who are coming to the Church and those who want to have their faith confirmed and strengthened. Pope Benedict clearly believes that the Fathers of the Church speak to Christians today, and he presents the Fathers in a way that makes them accessible to every reader. That accessibility often makes that reader eager to look further into the writings of these great early Christians.
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Church Hurts Can Make You Bitter
$12.49Add to cartMy prayer is that every hurt you have encountered throughout your life will be released from you as you go through the various chapters. Like a person who sets a goal to lose weight, you will set a goal in your mind and heart today, and you will begin working hard to lose hurts that have been keeping you from your destiny and the land of promise. Many of you think because you are walking in the newness of life everyone else is traveling the same road. The mind you now have is the mind of Christ, and your sole purpose is to please God. You do not expect to deal with drama in the church. You expect to see a noticeable difference between the unsaved and those who profess salvation. The dreadful cycle of hurt has damaged, wounded, and killed many people in the church. No matter how hard you try to camouflage the pain inside, it is not hidden. You can cover bruises, scars, and cuts, but hurt to the heart shows in various forms that are noticeable.
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Discovering Church Planting
$40.00Add to cartIn Discovering Church Planting, J. D. Payne explores the biblical, historical and missiological principles of global church planting as well as unfolding practical strategies for confronting contemporary challenges to our vital task in reaching a lost world.
This comprehensive introduction to church planting shows the reader how to apply effective, international church planting practices to specific contexts. J. D. speaks from personal experience, research and training and focuses on crucial issues every planter should consider. His well researched and easy to understand concepts are crucial for anyone who takes seriously the call of Scripture to Declare His glory among the nations and His marvelous deeds to all peoples.
CONTENTS
Section I: Discovering Biblical and Theological Foundations
Section II: Discovering Missiological Principles
Section III: Discovering Historical Paradigms
Section IV: Discovering Contemporary Issues -
Naked Gospel : The Truth You May Never Hear In Church
$19.99Add to cartSpiritual growth doesn’t result from church activity. And that’s just the first of the things we need to unlearn. This unapologetic book will challenge your mind and stir you to re-examine everything you thought you already knew.
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ChurchMorph
$24.00Add to cartIt is estimated that 80 percent of churches across the theological spectrum are either stalled or in decline. In ChurchMorph, internationally respected church observer Eddie Gibbs goes beyond an analysis of the causes to show how many churches and faith communities are actually breaking the downward trend. He expertly maps current converging church movements–emerging and missional churches, mainline renewal groups, megachurches, urban mission, new monasticism, alternative worship, and expanding networks–and offers a positive assessment of the reshaping of today’s church.
Gibbs argues that more is required of Western churches than adopting new programs if they are to missionally engage within their context. The church must re-image itself, resulting in its reconfiguration and a comprehensive change in its self-understanding; it must morph in order to be defined by its mission in the world. Gibbs identifies trends that provide signs of the kingdom, reflecting on how different ecclesial communities are working out what it means to be “church” in a post-Christendom environment. He provides a range of examples from North America and the United Kingdom to offer encouragement and assurance that God has by no means abandoned his church.
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Team Jesus : Planting Churches The Master’s Way
$14.99Add to cartChurch planting is best taught by church planters and Paul Kim is one of the best. Over the last thirty years, he has led the churches of which he has been pastor to start twenty-five churches in the United States, Korea, Japan, Central Asia, and East Asia. Of the twenty-five, twenty-two are still alive and well, an almost unheard of survival rate in church planting annuals. Kim attributes this success to planting churches the “Jesus way,” using teams composed of “homegrown workers” who are trained and mentored by the mother church to plant daughter churches. While his primary focus has been on multicultural church planting, the principles Kim has learned both from his experience and from his study of how the Master began the first church are applicable in any church planting endeavor. For Kim, church planting is not theory but a divine mandate. This book reveals his heart and clearly spells out the Master’s plan for church planting.
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Sanctorum Communio : A Theological Study Of The Sociology Of The Church
$32.00Add to cartNow in an affordable paper edition, Sanctorum Communio is more readily usable for teaching and scholarship. The work, available in this series for the first time in its entirety in English, includes all material omitted from the original 1930 German publication. Bonhoeffer’s doctoral dissertation sets out the theology of sociality that informed all his work, engaging social philosophy and sociology to interpret the church as “Christ existing as church-community.” Here are the roots of his commitment to the Confessing church and the ecumenical movement, and of his actions in the resistance movement for the sake of peace and Germany’s future.
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Creation Under Fire From Within The Church
$20.99Add to cartThis book picks up where the Creation vs. Evolution debate leaves off for the Christian. Without rehashing the debates, this book moves forward with what the Bible says and what it does not say about the subject of creation! This book will equip you in answering today’s pressing questions, with the simplicity of God’s Word. This book also sounds the alarm to the Body of Christ on one of Satan’s most successful lies ever perpetrated on humanity by exposing a dreadful theory called “uniformitarianism” and how it has infected the Body of Christ. Why does what we believe about origins matter? This book brings answers to tons of tough questions and sets the story straight. We invite you to see these answers uncovered from the Bible alone!
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We Believe In God And In Christ Not In The Church
$30.00Add to cartThis English translation from the Dutch volume is a study of a quotation by St. Augustine as it was understood in the late medieval period. De Kroon focuses on how this quotation was interpreted by two theologians: Wessel Gansforth (d. 1489), the Northern humanist and theologian connected to the devotio moderna and the Brethren of the Common Life, and Martin Bucer (d. 1551), the Protestant reformer who further developed Gansforth’s ideas. This study is accompanied by a series of shorter texts, all showing the reception of Augustine’s phrase in late medieval theology and contrasting it with Gansforth’s understanding of it, which Bucer was to adopt. With his commented edition of sourcetexts, de Kroon throws a new light on the links between late medieval and Reformation thought, demonstrating how a fully fledged reformer like Bucer used the works of medieval theologians. In fact, this is the first work to point to a concrete case of Gansforth’s influence on the Reformation.
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Hybrid Church In The City
$45.00Add to cartThere has been a growing interest in the rapidly evolving nature of cities in the past 10-15 years, but especially in the last 5 years, and the profound impact this is having upon our understanding of community, belonging and church. This book shows that theology in an urban context has developed way beyond the inner-city nostaligia. It is a challenging, critical and constructive study of the role of the church in cities.
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Next Evangelicalism : Freeing The Church From Western Cultural Captivity
$24.00Add to cartTable Of Contents
Introduction
Part I: The Western, White Cultural Captivity Of The Church
1: Individualism: The Heartbeat Of Western, White Cultural Captivity
2: Consumerism And Materialism: The Soul Of Western, White Cultural Captivity
3: Racism: The Residue Of Western, White Cultural CaptivityPart II: The Pervasiveness Of The White Captivity Of The Church
4: The Church Growth Movement And Megachurches
5: The Emergent Church?s Captivity To Western, White Culture
6: The Cultural Imperialism Of The White Captivity Of The ChurchPart III: Freedom From The White Captivity Of The Church
7: Suffering And Celebration: Learning From The African American And Native American Communities
8: Holistic Evangelism: Learning From The Immigrant Church
9: A Multicultural Worldview: Learning From The Second GenerationConclusion
Additional Info
Soong-Chan Rah calls the North American church to escape its Western cultural captivity and to embody a next evangelicalism that is diverse and multiethnic. This prophetic minority report casts a vision for a dynamic evangelicalism that fully embodies the cultural realities of the twenty-first century. -
Trinitarian Theology For The Church
$34.00Add to cartTable Of Contents
IntroductionPart One: Scripture: The Bible And The Triune Economy
1.Triune Discourse: Theological Reflections On The Claim That God Speaks, Part 1
Kevin J. Vanhoozer
2.Triune Discourse: Theological Reflections On The Claim That God Speaks, Part 2
Kevin J. Vanhoozer
3. The Gift Of The Father: Looking At Salvation History Upside Down
Edith M. HumphreyPart Two: Community: The Trinity And Society?
4. God Is Love: The Social Trinity And The Mission Of God
John R. Franke
5. The Trinity Is Not Our Social Program: Volf, Gregory Of Nyssa And Barth
Mark Husbands
6. Does The Doctrine Of The Trinity Hold The Key To A Christian Theology Of Religions?
Keith E. Johnson
7. Trinity And Missions: Theological Priority In Missionary Nomenclature
Robert K. Lang?atPart Three: Worship: Church Practices And The Triune Mission
8. The Sacraments And The Embodiment Of Our Trinitarian Faith
Gordon T. Smith
9. Preaching As A Trinitarian Event
Philip W. Butin
10. The Church?s Proclamation As A Participation In God?s Mission
Leanne Van Dyk
11. What To Do With Our Renewed Trinitarian Enthusiasm: Forming Trinitarian Piety And Imagination Through Worship And Catechesis
John D. WitvlietAdditional Info
These select essays, brought together from the 2008 Wheaton College Theology Conference by editors Daniel J. Treier and David Lauber, show both the substance and the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity for our worship, our reading of Scripture and the mission of the church. -
Church Go To Hell Please
$19.99Add to cartThe powerful soul-winner and founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth, was once asked, “Do you think you have the best training program to teach people how to witness for Jesus Christ and win souls to Jesus?” William Booth replied, “No, I don’t think my methods are the best methods. I think the best method of giving people a burden for lost souls would be to take them to the devil’s hell and allow them to experience what it is to be lost in hell, separated from God for an eternity in the fire that could never be quenched. Then I believe men would truly have a burden and know what it is to be soul-winners because they would see what it is to be lost.” The purpose of this book is to give people that experience. Time is getting short for the church to do what the Lord has called us to do. It’s time for the Church to realize that Hell is real and eternal for those we do not reach. It’s time the church quit playing games. Though The Church that has been purchased by the blood of Christ can never experience Hell in its fullness, it is imperative that the church be able to see and feel the eternalness of the torments of Hell. That we wake up, “Be Revived”, and get busy about the Father’s work. Luke sixteen tells us of activities that are now taking place in Hell, activities that need to be taking place in our churches. Please, allow your church and yourself to “Go To Hell” so that those who the Lord and you love will never have to go to Hell. The Trape at Our Feet
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Preaching In The Small Membership Church
$17.99Add to cartStep into the pulpit in a small membership church, and you’ll sometimes find your fair share of challenges, but you’ll almost always find more than your share of blessings as well. Those blessings, and the chance for authentic, life-transforming preaching, are what preaching in the small membership church are all about. Lewis Parks knows those blessings well. For nearly 40 years he has preached in small membership churches and taught others who serve in them. In this book he lays out the distinct roles that preaching in the small membership church calls on us to fill, and offers down-to-earth, substantive guidance on how to be the best preacher you can be in these most numerous, and most important, outposts of Christ’s church.
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Faithful Disagreement : Wrestling With Scripture In The Midst Of Church Con (Stu
$21.00Add to cartConflict is all too common in the church today. But as Frances Taylor Gench reminds us in this book, conflict over scriptural interpretation has been with the church since its earliest days. Gench reflects on those early experiences of conflict, presenting substantive studies of biblical texts showing that discord (e.g., Rom. 1415; Matt. 14; Jer. 28; 1 Cor. 1214; John 1317) and drawing lessons from each about how it informs current conflicts in the church. In the process, she provides a constructive resource to help Christians wrestle with Scripture when they disagree.
This innovative book can be used by individuals and in groups. Numerous helpful study questions conclude each chapter.
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Believers Authority : What You Didnt Learn In Church
$16.99Add to cartThe controversial subject of the spiritual authority of the believer in Christ is widely discussed in the church today. Now, Andrew Wommack, host of the #1 fastest growing ministry on television, gives us a new perspective that may challenge everything we’ve been taught including:
If believers have been given authority, then when, how, and toward what should it be exercised? Discover the true battleground and learn how to recognize the real enemy.Most people believe God created our enemy, Satan, but did He? Understanding the answer will set you free to exercise your authority as a believer.
Is spiritual warfare, as taught in many churches today, valid? Can believers use their authority to fight the devil and his demons in the air, or is the real battle in the mind?
Digging into the Scriptures, Andrew reveals the spiritual significance of choices, words, and actions and how they affect a believer’s ability to stand against the attacks of Satan and to receive God’s best. Discover how the enemy works through your thoughts, interjecting his negative influence on a consistent basis. The devil can’t control you outside of your will, but he can use the power of fear, jealousy, envy, bitterness, self-pity and more. A believer’s lack of awareness and understanding of the battle only works to the enemy’s advantage. By believing God’s Word and recognizing what’s happening in the spirit realm, you can begin to take the proper action to improve your situation. Learn to release God’s power of blessing instead of yielding to Satan’s power of sin and death.
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Missional Renaissance : Changing The Scorecard For The Church
$28.00Add to cartReggie McNeal’s bestseller The Present Future is the definitive work on the “missional movement,” i.e., the widespread movement among Protestant churches to be less inwardly focused and more oriented toward the culture and community around them. In that book he asked the tough questions that churches needed to entertain to begin to think about who they are and what they are doing; in Missional Renaissance, he shows them the three significant shifts in their thinking and behavior that they need to make that will allow leaders to chart a course toward being missional: (1) from an internal to an external focus, ending the church as exclusive social club model; (2) from running programs and ministries to developing people as its core activity; and (3) from professional leadership to leadership that is shared by everyone in the community. With in-depth discussions of the “what” and the “how” of transitioning to being a missional church, readers will be equipped to move into what McNeal sees as the most viable future for Christianity. For all those thousands of churches who are asking about what to do next after reading The Present Future, Missional Renaissance will provide the answer.
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Emotions : The Controlling Factor In The Church
$17.49Add to cartEmotions are the controlling factor in our society today. Have you ever wondered where your emotions come from? Are you able to recognize when your emotions are controlling you? Do you wonder why they have such a great impact on your daily decision-making? So many of the influences affecting us have targeted our emotions. If you want to be like Jesus, this practical, encouraging and challenging biblical insight will help you to use your emotions the way Jesus Christ used His. Whether it is a poor self image, medicating one’s pain, fighting for your rights or dealing with people who justify their actions and manipulate others, God can help you discern how to live your life in control of your emotions. Either you control your emotions or your emotions will control you.
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Planting Churches That Reproduce
$15.95Add to cartThe goal of Planting Churches that Reproduce Starting a Network of Simple Churches is to simplify the church planting process in order to start a network of simple, reproducing churches. This book will give invaluable information to those contemplating church planting or in the process of planting a church. Comiskey has been gathering material for this book for the past ten years. He has also planted three churches in a wide variety of settings. Planting Churches that Reproduce is the fruit of his research and personal experience. Comiskey uses the latest North American church planting statistics, but also extends the illustrations to include worldwide church planting. In the first section, Comiskey lays out the Biblical basis for church planting, including the all important question what is the church? In order to understand how to plant a network of reproducing churches, its essential to know how the New Testament defines Christs church (and the New Testament definition is a simple one). Paul the apostle was the first centurys model church planter and arguably the most effective church planter the world has ever known. The book goes into detail about how Paul planted churches and the important lessons that we can apply twenty centuries later. The book then moves from the Biblical basis to the contemporary scene. Comiskey answers the question of how in todays complicated society we can plant churches that reproduce and even start a network of simple churches. The book shows statistically why church planting is absolutely essential to keep up with the population growth. Many statistics are noted to demonstrate the grave need for continual church planting today. Then Comiskey tackles the question of the modern day church planter. What makes a modern day church planter successful? What are the key characteristics that todays church planters need to successfully plant a church in the 21st century? Comiskey provides indepth information from recent studies about the character qualities necessary to plant a church. Comiskey provides helpful information on church planting barriers. These barriers come from the fieldboth from those who have planted churches andor those who are currently doing so. The book reveals what church planters would do differently if they could do it over again. This information will help future church planters avoid similar mistakes. The second section goes into detail about the three main church planting strategies the celebrat
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Aqua Church 2.0 (Revised)
$14.99Add to cartWe live in a fast-paced, fluid world. A postmodern place where people are drifting, making mid-course corrections in every aspect of life, from careers, to relationships, to beliefs.
Church leaders must continually reshape their ministries to reach a society adrift. They must move from being adaptive to being proactive, remaining flexible while delivering an uncompromising message.
AquaChurch is a guide for developing responsive and relevant church leadership. Fusing biblical wisdom and modern-day insights, acclaimed author Leonard Sweet explores the essentials of leadership arts, including vision, creativity, and teamwork. Thus updated and revised edition will enable ministries to navigate today’s cultural currents, provide a beacon to their community, and connect with a postmodern world.
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Safe Sanctuaries : Reducing The Risk Of Abuse In The Church For Children An (Ann
$25.00Add to cartThis ten year anniversary edition of the best-selling Safe Sanctuaries series brings together in one volume the transformative and foundational information found in the Melton’s previous two volumes. Today it is still the only resource of its kind to offer the tools necessary to train leaders of the church, so that the next generation of leaders is safe. This new volume is updated and includes valuable information on keeping children and youth safe from predators who approach them via the internet.
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Churchs Guide For Reading Paul
$31.99Add to cartHere Brevard Childs turns his sharp scholarly gaze from the Old Testament scholarship he is known for to the works of the apostle Paul. He offers an unusual argument: the New Testament was canonically shaped, its formation a hermeneutical exercise in which its anonymous apostles and postapostolic editors collected, preserved, and theologically shaped the material in order for the evangelical traditions to serve successive generations of Christians. Childs contends that within the New Testament the Pauline corpus stands as a unit bookended by Romans and the Pastoral Epistles. He assigns an introductory role to Romans, examining how it puts the contingencies of Paul’s earlier letters into context without sacrificing their particularity. At the other end, the Pastoral Epistles serve as a concluding valorization of Paul as the church’s doctrinal model. By considering Paul’s works as a whole, Childs offers a way to gain a fuller understanding of the individual letters.
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Naked Illusion : Gods End Time Church Is About To Explode On Planet Earth I
$14.99Add to cartNaked Illusion Laying Bare The Truth This provocative and hard-hitting book strips bare some of the most alarming trends and ungodly thinking that have invaded the church today. The enemy has been allowed to run rampant. Far too many in the church are living a life which is not leading them to the portals of heaven as they suppose, but rather, has them rushing headlong into the bowels of hell. The days of ignorance have passed and the days of reformation are here. We have run out of excuses and we are running out of time. The finishing generation must arise NOW with the truth that will expose every illusion and crush the head of the serpent. The army is being assembled. Your name is being called. What will you do?
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Reverse Mentoring : How Young Leaders Can Transform The Church And Why We S
$24.95Add to cartEarl Creps is known for his work in connecting the younger generation of postmoderns with their Boomer predecessors. The author of Off-Road Disciplines, Creps, in this new book, takes up the topic of how older church leaders can learn from younger leaders who are more conversant with culture, technology, and social context. In addition to making the benefits of what he calls “reverse mentoring” apparent, he also makes it accessible by offering practical steps to implement this discipline at both personal and organizational levels, particularly in communication, evangelism, and leadership.
Creps’ new book is a topic of interest both inside and outside the church as older leaders realize that they’re not “getting it” when it comes to technologies (iPod, IM, blogging) or cultural issues such as the fact that younger people see the world in an entirely different way. Creps has been personally involved in reverse mentoring for several years and has spoken and written on the subject extensively. He has pastored three churches (one Boomer, one Builder, on X’er) and is currently a church planter in Berkeley, California. He has also served as a consultant and and a seminary professor and administrator, holding a PhD in Communication Studies and a D.Min. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. -
Liturgy For The Whole Church
$28.95Add to cartThis fresh collection of group readings and simple dramas based on stories from scripture, together with meditations, story-telling methodology, and an instructed Eucharist, helps church leaders design liturgy for children and adults who worship together. Includes seasonal introductions, congregational readings, meditations, simple dramas, stories, simple sermons, and tableaux vivants.
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Unlearning Church
$20.99Add to cartHow many things does your church do just because that’s the way it’s always been done? Does your congregation value tradition over passion and stability over creativity? If so, it’s time to unLearn. Leading congregations into a dynamic and prophetic future requires unLearning what you thought you knew about the church, leadership, and life. Pastor Michael Slaughter casts a vision for innovative and authentic congregations, and for the kind of leadership that can bring congregations to greater vitality and impact in today’s postmodern culture. Readers will be challenged to gaze boldly beyond franchised church models to a dynamic embodiment of God’s unique vision for each leader and each congregation. UnLearning congregations embrace new media and cultural trends, value transformation over information, and create a safe space for the tough and unanswerable questions of life. These are churches that lovingly dare to shoulder spiritual and prophetic leadership in our rapidly changing culture, re-articulating God’s ancient purposes to create high-tech, high-touch environments in which people can become radical followers of Jesus Christ.
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Mystery And Destiny Of The Church
$17.95Add to cartThe history of salvation revealed. This remarkable book explores the reality of God’s loving intervention in creation and illuminates His millennia-long plan for redeeming it. Sister Rosena Marie takes the Church’s founding and structure, its sacraments and its teachings, and the evangelistic mission it carries out unto this day, and explains the part they play in God’s plan for our salvation.
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Church Membership In The Bible
$6.99Add to cartChrist has designed a ‘home’ or family for his people, described in these pages as an accomplishment of divine genius. This is a magnificent subject, vital to spiritual growth and blessing and also to our service for the Saviour.
This book answers many questions about churches and church membership in New Testament times. Next to having a real walk with Christ and knowing the doctrines of the faith, membership of a good church has a powerful formative influence on the believer’s life.
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Sabbath Breaker : The Church Jesus Christ Will Not Rapture
$17.99Add to cartIs there something missing in your Church life? This book reveals what may be missing. The Sabbath Breaker is a message to the Sunday worshiping churches. The author experienced the transition from Sunday to Sabbath worship and its blessings! So, we journey in faith and confidence under God’s righteousness and will, taking this message to God’s people. Millions are in churches. Some are homeless, living under viaducts, and bars unknowingly looking for Jesus. Some are caught up in drugs and prostitution. Some are educators, corporate executives and politicians. Others are performers, athletes, atheists, and agnostics. Millions are in false religions, and prison cells. Some are in colleges and universities and don’t know Jesus Christ. Millions are at home, lost, and fed up with church. These people want to know God! May the Lord bless you exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever hope for in the blessings of the Sabbath.
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Polity Practice And Mission Of The United Methodist Church (Revised) – (Other La
$31.99Add to cartThis revised edition addresses ways in which historical developments have shaped–and continue to shape–the organization of the church. Incorporating the actions of The United Methodist General Conference, 2004, the book discusses continuing reforms of the church’s plan for baptism and church membership, as well as the emergence of deacon’s orders and other changes to ordained ministry procedures. The text is now cross-referenced to the 2004 Book of Discipline, including the revised order of disciplinary chapters and paragraph numbering. Denominational statistics are updated, along with references to recent works on The United Methodist Church and American religious life.
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Sabbath Breaker : The Church Jesus Christ Will Not Rapture
$27.99Add to cartIs there something missing in your Church life? This book reveals what may be missing. The Sabbath Breaker is a message to the Sunday worshiping churches. The author experienced the transition from Sunday to Sabbath worship and its blessings! So, we journey in faith and confidence under God’s righteousness and will, taking this message to God’s people. Millions are in churches. Some are homeless, living under viaducts, and bars unknowingly looking for Jesus. Some are caught up in drugs and prostitution. Some are educators, corporate executives and politicians. Others are performers, athletes, atheists, and agnostics. Millions are in false religions, and prison cells. Some are in colleges and universities and don’t know Jesus Christ. Millions are at home, lost, and fed up with church. These people want to know God! May the Lord bless you exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever hope for in the blessings of the Sabbath.
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Churches Without Walls
$13.49Add to cart“Is this not the fast that I have chosen…?” How often have you read this scripture from Isaiah 58:6? It doesn’t stop at the giving of food or “bringing the homeless poor into the house.” It’s about YOU being a vessel of God’s anointing – that anointing, which breaks every yoke and sets every captive free, being released through you. The real cry of Isaiah 58 is for everyone to be a bridge into the hearts of those in need. Church, are you ready to obey God’s Mandate to get outside your four walls and be that body of love and power to a mass of humanity that is in desperate need of a shepherd – to experience the Jesus of Nazareth who, some 2,000 years ago on the Judean Hillside, told His disciples, “FEED MY PEOPLE”? Don’t just read this book – study it! It opens up God’s heart!
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Churches Without Walls
$21.99Add to cart“Is this not the fast that I have chosen…?” How often have you read this scripture from Isaiah 58:6? It doesn’t stop at the giving of food or “bringing the homeless poor into the house.” It’s about YOU being a vessel of God’s anointing – that anointing, which breaks every yoke and sets every captive free, being released through you. The real cry of Isaiah 58 is for everyone to be a bridge into the hearts of those in need. Church, are you ready to obey God’s Mandate to get outside your four walls and be that body of love and power to a mass of humanity that is in desperate need of a shepherd – to experience the Jesus of Nazareth who, some 2,000 years ago on the Judean Hillside, told His disciples, “FEED MY PEOPLE”? Don’t just read this book – study it! It opens up God’s heart!
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Responsibility Of The Church For Society
$35.00Add to cartThis collection of essays from one of America’s great theological minds explores the nature and meaning of Christian community. First published between 1945 and 1960, these essays make clear for the first time H. Richard Niebuhr’s moral theology of the church. Understanding Christianity itself as a movement-and not an institution-Niebuhr argues that, at their best, Christian communities should express and move forward with the ongoing, transforming relation of God and the world.
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Suburban Church
$28.00Add to cartOver half of all North Americans live in the suburbs. In The Suburban Church, retired pastor Arthur DeKruyter encourages Christians to “go where the people congregate” and illustrates how to plant, grow, and renew suburban congregations.
Throughout this book, DeKruyter relies on forty-five-plus years of pastoral ministry experience in which his own congregation grew from five families to more than five thousand members. He demonstrates how to minister successfully, dispels myths about suburbia, and explains how to recruit and support volunteers and how to connect international missions to local church growth, and more.
Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion, making the book ideal for pastors and church committees.
Foreword by Leith Anderson
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Discovering Church Life Student Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$15.99Add to cartDiscovering Church Life is a 24-lesson series designed to teach believers the foundational truths concerning life in the local church, the corporate church, and the Kingdom of God. This series, based on biblical principles, covers the major events in the believer’s life, from initial repentance, grace and baptism to progressive spiritual growth and finding God’s will through scriptural truths. This study book will assist believers in building community with a spirit of harmony and commitment toward a local church. It can be used as a church membership course, a new believer’s series, or a small group study.
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Church Of The Perfect Storm
$19.99Add to cartAn array of cultural forces is coming together to present the church with unprecedented challenge and unequaled opportunity. Such “category 5” realities as postmodernism, postChristendom attacks on belief in God, and the threat of global warming have coalesced to make a “perfect storm” that will leave people uncertain of their place in the world, and all they have previously believed in. Like the disciples when Jesus calmed the storm, the church can cower and cry out for relief. Or, when everything is spinning and whirling in the wind, the church can go out to meet the storm, embrace the gale, . . . and pass out kites.
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Canonical Theism : A Proposal For Theology And The Church
$39.99Add to cartCanonical Theism is a post-Protestant vision for the renewal of both theology and church. The editors call for the retrieval and redeployment of the full range of materials, persons, and practices that make up the canonical heritage of the church, including scripture, doctrine, sacred image, saints, sacraments, and more. The central thesis of the work is that the good and life-giving Holy Spirit has equipped the church with not only a canon of scripture but also with a rich canonical heritage of materials, persons, and practices. However, much of the latter has been ignored or cast aside. This unplumbed resource of canonical heritage waits for the church to rediscover its wealth. With a bold set of thirty theses, the authors chart and defend that mine of opportunity. They then invite the entire church to explore the benefits of their discoveries. This ambitious book offers insights to be integrated into the church body, renewing the faith that nourished converts, created saints, and upheld martyrs across the years.
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Discovering Church Life Teacher Edition (Teacher’s Guide)
$19.99Add to cartDiscovering Church Life is a 24-lesson series designed to teach believers the foundational truths concerning life in the local church, the corporate church, and the Kingdom of God. This teacher edition of the study series shows the group leader how to assist believers in building community with a spirit of harmony and commitment toward a local church. Along with the student edition, it can be used as a church membership course, a new believer’s series, or a small group study.
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7 Strategic Changes Every Church Must Make
$15.99Add to cartAuthor Mark Conner reveals seven strategic changes that every church must make to remain relevant and progressive in today’s culture. These shifts – from inreach to outreach, from events to relationships, from consumers to contributors, from local to kingdom – will transform your church into a powerful force in the 21st Century.
