Showing results for "Christians" in Church & Church Leadership

The New Book of Christian Martyrs commemorates those modern-day heroes. In this update to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Johnnie Moore and Jerry Pattengale highlight key martyrs of past centuries and feature stories of contemporary martyrs around the world. Through tears, Johnnie and Jerry offer this compendium of heroes from the first century to the twenty-first century, from Europe to Africa and from Asia to the Americas, to inspire Christians around the globe.

Should we actually practice church discipline today? Is it unloving? Once an ordinary part of church life, churches gradually stopped practicing church discipline in the 20th century. But Jesus commands it. Paul practiced it. And churches benefit from it. Why practice church discipline? It shows love for the individual caught in sin, love for the whole church, love for non-Christian neighbors, and love for the glory of Christ.

In dark times, God can seem silent. We feel isolated, confused, and alone. Everyone experiences suffering - even the biblical writers express similar feelings in the Psalms. Through brief meditations on Psalms 88 and 89, Ligon Duncan points to hope in the midst of the pain of feeling abandoned by God. These examples of crying out to God show listeners how to respond to their own suffering, and assure them of our heavenly Father's mercy that sustains trust even in the darkest of circumstances. 

In thirty focused chapters, Pastor Bredenhof explores small moments of ministry that God uses for great impact. Celebrate small acts of faithfulness and be reminded of ways to make a difference...

In this audiobook, Charles Spurgeon gently urges those struggling with depression to cast their burdens upon the Lord, who will not forsake his people. Having battled depression and discouragement himself for most of his years in ministry, Spurgeon encourages the downtrodden to hold fast to the promises of God, for he is steadfast and will comfort his children as they walk faithfully with him.

With commentary and reflection questions provided by compiler W.L. Seaver, Prayer takes our understanding of prayer to new depths and helps us have a life that prays.

A woman marries a man, not his ministry. But all too often her husband’s calling complicates their life together. What if ministry life isn’t what she bargained for? What happens when her children make mistakes? How does she deal with church gossip, or even slander? As a pastor’s wife of almost 50 years, Jani Ortlund addresses these questions, along with many others, as she offers encouragement and guidance to ministry wives. Jani reminds listeners that God works out his delightfully good purposes in and through their sacrifices.

Discipleship lies at the center of Christian life and practice. It is a beautiful journey, in which each of us simultaneously attempt to become more like Christ and to help others do the same. It is our most important task on earth, but often it is neglected or misunderstood. A. W. Tozer, on the other hand, knew exactly what it meant to disciple and to be discipled. Discipleship: What It Truly Means to Be a Christian is a collection of Tozer’s powerful and passionate message on discipleship. 

This book demonstrates how two overlooked ministry models—base ecclesial communities of the Global South in the late twentieth century and hush harbors of the US Deep South during antebellum times—offer proven strategies for the twenty-first-century church. These ministry models provide insight into the creation and sustenance of vital Christian community, particularly for those seeking indigenous culturally-rooted models, and show how to and show how to integrate vibrant Christ-centered faith and mission with world-changing social justice and political action. 

Move over boomers, Xers, and millennials; there's a new generation - making up more than 25 percent of the US population - that represents a seismic cultural shift. Born approximately between 1993 and 2012, generation Z is the first truly post-Christian generation, and they are poised to challenge every church to rethink its role in light of a rapidly changing culture.

The history of the Western church is stained by injustice. The impulse to resist justice and look the other way has harmed the church and the people it aims to serve. But a different future is possible. In The Justice of Jesus, Joash Thomas surveys the history of injustice and colonization in the Global South at the hands of the Western church. He shows that in addition to harming colonized peoples, colonization has limited Western Christians' understanding of the gospel, leading us to devalue the pursuit of justice for our neighbors on the margins.

Many of us feel unsteady, disoriented, even crushed after an endless string of scandals within the walls of a place meant to offer compassion and safety. Others feel forced to draw back or distance ourselves from the church. All the while, our instincts tell us this is not what Jesus wanted for his people. But what did he intend? After four decades of ministry, Anglican bishop Todd Hunter is no stranger to betrayal and pain in the church. Still, he has hope. He believes more than ever that Jesus is who the world needs and that Jesus has plans for his followers.

You can be young, passionate about Jesus Christ, surrounded by diversity, engaged in a postmodern world, reared in evangelicalism and not be an emergent Christian. In fact, I want to argue that it would be better if you weren't. The Emergent Church is a strong voice in today's Christian community. And they're talking about good things: caring for the poor, peace for all men, loving Jesus.

Based on a study that was commissioned by the Leadership Network, this book reveals the best practices in church planting and uncovers the common threads among them. A much-needed resource, this book will inform, guide, and even catalyze today's many church planting leaders. The authors clearly show leaders how to plant churches that create a multiplication movement and offer inspiration for them to do so. The book addresses their questions about what to do next in their church planting strategies, in light of research on what's actually working best.

Walking the Way of the Wise is a profound exploration into the depths of biblical wisdom, seamlessly blending scholarly insight with practical guidance. In this latest addition to IVP Academic's Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT) series, Mitchell Chase invites listeners to rediscover wisdom as an essential thread woven throughout the tapestry of Scripture. Chase unveils wisdom not merely as knowledge or cleverness but as a life-giving path of joyful obedience to God's Word. 

Read by the author. Most people think a great life is built on big moments. It isn't. A great life is built on small decisions made consistently over time. A missed priority here. A neglected relationship there. Too much pressure. Too little margin. Over time, those small choices quietly shape...

Each day men and women diagnosed with mental disorders are told they need to pray more and turn from their sin. Mental illness is equated with demonic possession, weak faith, and generational sin. As both a church leader and a professor of psychology and behavioral sciences, Michael S. Stanford has seen far too many mentally ill brothers and sisters damaged by well-meaning believers who respond to them out of fear or misinformation rather than grace. Grace for the Afflicted educates Christians about mental illness from both biblical and scientific perspectives. 

What is the true nature and mission of the church? Is its proper Christian purpose to save souls, or to transform the social order? This question is especially fraught when the church is one built by an enslaved people and formed, from its beginning, at the center of an oppressed community's fight for personhood and freedom. Such is the central tension in the identity and mission of the Black church in the United States.

In The Art of Asking Better Questions, J. R. Briggs offers a thoughtful exploration of how intentional, well-crafted questions can transform relationships, leadership, and spiritual growth. Guided by the wisdom of Jesus as the ultimate question-asker, this book introduces four levels of questions designed to address different purposes and provide practical tools to improve your conversations.

In the Bible, God showed us what leadership looks like in his kingdom, and at first, a lot of it seems upside down. The first shall be last. The master shall be the servant. But how can we apply these counterintuitive truths in our own world today? The first step, it turns out, is to become a good follower - a disciple of Christ who always lets him take the lead. Rather than focusing on the nuts and bolts of management, Lead Like Christ looks closely at how leaders can better imitate the greatest leader of all.