Showing results for "Communities" in Spiritual Growth

Bill Willits and best-selling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly 8,000 adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta . Simply put, the five principles clearly described here have passed the test. This is not just another book about community; this is a book about strategy - strategy that builds a small group culture.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE ECPA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD The author of Get Out of Your Head offers practical solutions for creating true community, the kind that’s crucial to our mental and spiritual health. “My dear friend Jennie Allen shows us how to make true emotional...

When people live in community moved by the gospel and marked by the Spirit, great things happen. They commit to one another. They grieve together, sing together, eat, pray, and play together. They love, serve, honor, encourage, and provide for each other gladly. And they live on mission together. Hearts are healed, walls come down, and outsiders come in. No competition. No pretense. No vain conceit. Just full hearts breaking bread and giving freely.

Are you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of "Say no unless you have to say yes." Don't want that to be your church's legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is "Yes! How can we help?"

Seize the chance to be extraordinary. Who has made the biggest difference in your life? Whose words and actions have uplifted and motivated you to excel? Chances are it was someone like Fred the Postman -- so outstanding in his service that Mark Sanborn realized this mail carrier could be an...

Ask most anyone and they would say they desire honest, authentic, "real" relationships. Yet few of us experience the soul-level connection we long for with other human beings, let alone God. Fear and pride drive us to mask our truest selves, leaving us perpetually disconnected, hidden, and lonely. God made us for something profoundly better: an open-hearted, courageous honesty that liberates us from a life of guardedness and self-protection and has the power to radically transform our approach to Christian community.

In The Soul of Desire, psychiatrist Curt Thompson suggests that underneath all our longings is the desire to be known - and what's more, that this fundamental yearning manifests itself in our deep need to make things of beauty, revealing who we are to others. Weaving together neuroscience and spiritual formation to open up new horizons for thinking not only about the nature of the mind but about what it means to be human, The Soul of Desire is a mature, creative work.

Street Smarts From Proverbs reveals Solomon's steps to divine wisdom while providing tools to navigate out of conflict into community. Mitch Kruse learned the hard way that going to church three times a week while growing up did not answer the question: Have you ever thought about changing the...

Why does true Christian transformation seem fleeting? And why does church often feel lonely, Christian community shallow, and leaders untrustworthy? For many Christians, the delight of encountering Christ eventually dwindles - and disappointment sets in. Is lasting joy possible? These are some of the questions Michel Hendricks has considered both in his experience as a spiritual formation pastor and in his lifetime as a Christian.

We all know people in our world are struggling ―eating disorders, addictions, depression, sexual issues, marital problems―the list goes on and on. Can the church help or is that an outdated concept that no longer fits modern problems? In The Church as a Culture of Care, biblical counselor Dale Johnson explains that the church is still the primary place where those who struggle can receive lasting hope and healing.

Greg Books reveals time-honored principles to help us experience stronger, more satisfying relationships in our families, friendships, and faith communities. To experience stronger, more satisfying relationships with our friends, our families, and our faith communities, it's time to get back to our roots. Greg Books shows us the way.

Mandy Hale, the creator of The Single Woman, the social media movement that rewrote the rulebook about singleness, challenges every woman to see that she is sufficient, acceptable, and complete. After years of trying to prove she was enough in the world's eyes, even working alongside Oprah and...

Nearly all churches and ministries consider themselves dedicated to evangelism, and many explicitly include outreach in their mission statements. But few are actually bearing fruit. Kevin Harney diagnoses this problem and offers guidance for multiplying the outreach impact of churches. Organic...

Everyone wants to belong. But what does belonging—to God, ourselves, and each other—look like in the context of living within an empire and its ideologies? In Liturgies for Resisting Empire, Cuban American writer Kat Armas explores this question both for the New Testament church and for us today. Armas gives listeners a sense of hope and belonging in their daily lives—belonging to ourselves, God, each other, and the earth—in ways that resist the lies of empire. Each chapter begins with a brief liturgy.

A Bigger Table invites listeners to envision a church that is big enough for everyone, by holding up a mirror to the modern church and speaking clearly on issues at the heart of the Christian community: LGBT inclusion, gender equality, racial tensions, global concerns, and theological shifts. John Pavlovitz shares moving personal stories, his careful observations as a pastor, and his understanding of the ancient stories of Jesus to set the table for a new, positive, more loving conversation on these and other important matters of faith.

While many leadership books focus on the individual, Lifelong Leadership offers a comprehensive mentoring community model to support and develop Christian leaders, extending the work of God in and through ministry. This model was inspired by Leighton Ford as a way to inspire and support young leaders. MaryKate Morse is the inheritor of this leadership legacy. Her team has developed the mentoring community model, which is easy to replicate in a variety of settings.

Fighting, disagreements, hatred, dissension, and silence. These things seem common in the wider Christian community today. Politics, theology, and even personal preference create seemingly insurmountable rifts. It’s hard not to see ourselves as “at war” with each other. We’re not doomed to be stuck here, though. There is a twofold path out of this destructive war, out of seeing our brothers and sisters as enemies―and into a spacious place of loving each other even as we disagree.

Discover a boundless love for your Black Neighbor with this inspiring and actionable guide to moving toward racial healing. “Griffin’s work invites us to embark on a transformative journey toward a more inclusive and loving Christian community.”—J. W. Buck, PhD, author of Everyday...

Discipleship can feel like a meandering journey - we don’t know what we want, and none of the programs offered seem to get us anywhere. We need something to orient ourselves and something to direct our steps toward a clear destination. Simple Discipleship, with its companion assessment tool, offers a plan for discipleship that is tailored to your real life and your personality and clearly pointed in the way of Jesus.

This fresh, inspiring call to community and connection from an entrepreneur and leader is perfect for anyone feeling alone and ready to set off on a journey to true belonging. Many of us feel more alone than ever despite living in the most connected society in human history. We need to belong in...