Showing titles in Church & Church Leadership

The rates of decline in church attendance and the ticking demographic timebomb show that business as usual will lead to extinction. But out of these ashes there are countless reasons to hope. Signs and stories emerging from worshipping communities the world over can give us renewed confidence that, as always, God is doing a ‘new-old’ thing. The Church that is emerging amid times of uncertainty is growing, alive and demonstrating the qualities of the early church recorded in the New Testament, one that is more diverse, more spirit-filled, more confident in the Gospel.

Jesus told his followers, “Go and make disciples of every nation,” but a lot of us stop before we start―because we feel like we don’t have what it takes. But Jesus didn’t ask spiritual superstars to make disciples. He invited ordinary people into the adventure of following Him. Jessie Cruickshank learned how to be a disciplemaker in the wilderness. When she connected her training in outdoor adventure ministry with her Harvard degree in neuroeducation, God showed her a pathway for ordinary disciples of Jesus to experience profound spiritual growth.

Mark Meynell articulates a heart pain that most of us simply couldn't express. He connects strongly and immediately with fellow cave-dwellers.

What if the solution for the decline of today's church isn't more money, people, programs, innovation, or busyness? What if the answer is to stop and wait on God? In When Church Stops Working, ministry leaders Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand show how actively watching and listening for God can bring life out of death for churches in crisis today. Using clear steps and practices, they invite church leaders to stop the endless cycle of doing more and rather to simply "be" in God's presence.

Every church leader knows the qualifications for elders and deacons that are spelled out in the Bible, but actually finding other leaders who fulfill the biblical qualifications can be difficult. Thabiti Anyabwile writes from his expertise as a pastor and elder, showing how to identify and reproduce legitimate leaders and willing servants throughout the ranks of the local church.

Many churches are closed nowadays and given over to other purposes. Some have been converted into flats, but also into climbing gyms for young people and other uses. Many churchgoers are neither hot nor cold in their faith and need a revival.

Many Christians today long to become reacquainted with their ancient ancestors in the faith. They see a deeper worship and devotion in the prayers and hymns of the early church. And they believe that the writings of the early church can shed new light on their understanding of Scripture. But where and how do we begin? Our first encounter with the writings of the church fathers may seem like visiting a far country where the language, assumptions, concerns, and conclusions are completely unfamiliar to us. Author Christopher Hall helps us through this cultural confusion.

Czy Karol Wojtyła wiedział o pedofilii wśród księży, zanim został papieżem? Czy pomagał im uniknąć odpowiedzialności? Odpowiedź niestety brzmi: tak. Znał problem z czasów, kiedy był arcybiskupem krakowskim.

In The Art of Leading Change, author Mike Bonem asks: What is the primary distinction between the science and the art of change leadership? His answer: People! And leading people in churches and ministries is messy. The science of change leadership doesn't ignore the human element, but it tends to overlook the differences between people and the significant impact those differences have on how to best lead change. The art of leading change is all about people. We can't do the work God has called us to do without people, yet each individual—and each collection of individuals—is unique.

For perspective on our own times and how we got here, it helps to listen to wise guides from other eras. In An Infinite Fountain of Light, the renowned American historian George Marsden illuminates the landscape with wisdom from one such mentor: Jonathan Edwards. Drawing on his deep expertise on Edwards and American culture, Marsden explains where Edwards stood within his historical context and sets forth key points of his complex thought.

"For many years I struggled to lead in a difficult environment. My colleagues seemed to thrive on conflict. I sure didn't. I tried to be a servant, but I couldn't compete with their charisma and intensity." Whether you lead in a church or the marketplace, you probably relate to Tom Harper's desire to serve with strength. This book is the result of his three-year search through the Bible for wisdom on how to establish authority, overcome resistance, develop boldness, and manage conflict.

Fundraising can be one of the most stressful parts of ministry. Budget needs are daunting, prospects seem limited, and the cycle is unending. How do we get off of the treadmill of crisis-driven fundraising to more sustainable ministry funding? Professional fundraiser Brad Layland revolutionizes fundraising and transforms it into a relational process where donors truly become partners in ministry. With decades of expertise in leading multimillion-dollar capital campaigns and working with major donors, he offers a more strategic and personalized yet less labor-intensive approach.

Professor and former missionary Matthew Bennett inspects the American evangelical home. Perhaps, like him, you love evangelical doctrine, love the community in which you’ve been spiritually nurtured, and want to see it again become a thriving, hospitable environment for guests. But perhaps, also like Bennett, you think the home needs some touching up before this can be true. In this book, with insights from Lesslie Newbigin, Bennett helps listeners inspect the American evangelical house through the eyes of a missionary.

The first comprehensive history of modern American evangelicalism to appear in a generation, American Apocalypse shows how a group of radical Protestants, anticipating the end of the world, paradoxically transformed it.

Questo libretto, pubblicato per la prima volta in inglese nel 1932, e in italiano nel 1949, spiega con linguaggio semplice ma non per questo carente in completezza, ogni passo della Messa, sia nelle azioni del sacerdote che in quelle dei fedeli. Si dà anche molta importanza alle radici storiche e a come esse si sono trasmesse negli anni e all'etimologia delle parole usate.

Every Christian wants to grow into the person God made him to be. Every Christian has a healthier, more spiritually mature version of herself in mind. Every Christian looks upon the future's horizon and imagines a relationship with God ever-increasing in vibrancy and strength. Mason King expands your thinking beyond basic spiritual practices (which typically emphasize what you must do) into a more holistic picture of what a full and flourishing life with God can look like when it is cultivated well (focusing instead on who you might become).

Scripture warns believers of hypocrisy—called the "leaven of the Pharisees"—and its potential to spread quickly in the church. Outwardly appearing as devout religion, this legalism hides destructive pride, idolatry, and even apostasy. Unfortunately, pharisaism is still a problem among evangelicals today. How does Jesus instruct the church to recognize and defeat one of its deepest theological issues? In this clear, compelling call to spiritual reformation, Michael Reeves helps believers reject pharisaism and embrace gospel integrity.

The Age of Revolution has traditionally been understood as an era of secularization, giving the transition from monarchy to independent republics through democratic movements a genealogy that assumes hostility to Catholicism. By centering the story on Spanish and Latin American actors, Pamela Voekel argues that at the heart of this nineteenth-century transformation in Spanish America was a transatlantic Catholic civil war.

In our current culture, the church and prayer are often dismissed as irrelevant. But when believers gather and pray together, powerful things happen: the Spirit equips the saints for ministry, the helpless are met with help, and believers experience the joy of being led by the Spirit of Jesus. In this audiobook, Paul E. Miller, bestselling author of A Praying Life, casts a vision for a return to the simple yet life-changing practice of praying together. Through personal stories and biblical examples, Miller teaches the why, what, and how of praying together.

We know that in a fallen and broken world there will always be pain and poverty, sickness and sadness. Yet as followers of Christ, we are called to bring hope and healing to those who hurt. What, then, is our responsibility to alleviate human suffering this side of eternity? With so many needs everywhere we look, where do we start? The Least of These brings together a collection of respected Christian thought leaders to provide a multifaceted look at the body of Christ’s relationship and responsibility―both individual and corporate―to the marginalized of our society.