Pastoral Helps
Showing 2201–2250 of 3208 resultsSorted by latest
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Silent Words Loudly Spoken
$16.18Like a miniature billboard, the church sign offers an unparalleled opportunity to promote God’s kingdom beyond the walls of the congregation. Thousands of cars pass each day with potential readers of its content, so the church sign has the potential to be a powerful pulpit from which silent words are loudly spoken, communicating brief but significant messages of God’s love to a spiritually thirsty world.
Silent Words Loudly Spoken provides a wealth of fresh and inspiring messages that will maximize the impact of your church sign. With more than 700 uplifting, thought-provoking statements conveniently formatted to easily fit most church signs, it contains enough material to last several years. A humorous but pithy “Ten Commandments for a Good Church Sign” offers plenty of specific nuts-and-bolts advice for making the most of this powerful but sometimes overlooked ministry tool:
* Phrases should be short enough and letters large enough for effortless drive-by reading.
* Messages should be changed regularly, especially date-specific ones.
* “In-house” announcements better suited for the church bulletin should not be wasted on a disinterested public.
* Give the gift of a positive, inspirational message; negative statements turn off those the church wants to attract.
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Lions And Cows Dining Together
$28.68Stimulate your creativity with 112 imaginative “sermon starters” in this companion volume to Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees… Each idea consists of a clever title that’s sure to pique the interest of the people in the pews, along with a purpose statement and a brief discussion of the subject (including outline points and scripture references). Full of striking imagery, Lions And Cows Dining Together provides plenty of seeds for developing riveting, thought-provoking messages on a wide variety of critical topics. This homiletic “do-it-yourself” kit will be a treasured addition to any pastor’s library – combined with the material in its companion volume, there are over five years’ worth of pump-priming ideas for weekly sermons that apply Jesus’ teachings to contemporary living. But Lions And Cows Dining Together isn’t just for preachers – it’s also an excellent source of meditations for men’s, women’s, or youth groups as well as inspiring devotional reading.
Here’s a sample of some of the inventive entries:
* God Always Wins At Hide And Seek
* Worship Is More Than Just Staying Awake
* Can Pagan Objects Be Sanitized?
* You Can Learn To Like Spinach, Liver, And Theology
* Hell: But It’s A Dry Heat
* Will Reverend Tortoise Ever Catch Doctor Hare?
* Pearly Gates Entrance Exam
* Pilgrim Or Tourist?Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Help Im A Pastor
$30.00Richard Armstrong and Kirk Morledge present this practical guide for pastoral ministry, offering counsel about a wide range of topics related to a pastor’s professional ministry and personal life. Topics include beginning a new ministry, balancing one’s personal life and ministry, wrestling with conflict, worrying about church finances, and preaching. This introduction to ministry can function as a textbook as well as an invaluable handbook or desk reference for pastors in the midst of congregational ministry.
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Homiletic Of All Believers
$32.00Preaching, says professor and author O. Wesley Allen Jr., should be considered as a form of conversation. The church, after all, is a community of conversation that exists in part to interpret God’s purposes for the world and to participate in those purposes. The idea of the sermon as a conversation, then, is not simply a style or form of preaching but an integral expression of the nature and purpose of the church. Allen proposes that the sermon should take on the character of a conversation with the congregation. The preacher does this by incorporating an exploration of a text, doctrine, or situation with the give-and-take among different voices that marks genuine conversation. Through attentive listening to multiple voices in the Bible, Christian tradition, congregation, and beyond, the preacher seeks to help the congregation come to the most adequate interpretation of God’s presence and purposes. Allen also proposes that sermons themselves, over weeks and months, can and should be in conversation with each other, thereby having a cumulative effect over time. Allen not only proposes this new concept of preaching but also carefully demonstrates its practical application. This helpful book for clergy and seminary students includes sample sermons.
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Lament : Reclaiming Practices In Pulpit Pew And Public Square
$34.00Part 1: Reclaiming Lament In Christian Prayer And Proclamation
Part 2: Loss And Lament, Human And Divine
Part 3: Reclaiming The Public Voice Of LamentAdditional Info
Lament, so prominent in the Christian canon, is neglected in the public worship and witness of most North American congregations. These essays by Princeton Theological Seminary faculty attest to the diverse ways in which lament is understood and practiced, and they invite their recovery in all elements of the church’s ministry.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Questions You Cant Ask Mama Sex
$14.27Not the birds and the bees, guys’ plumbing vs. girls’ plumbing, how-it-all-works talk. Let’s talk about sexuality; your sexuality and the sexuality of others. Let’s talk about what is and isn’t okay to look at, do, and think about.
Questions You Can’t Ask Your Mama About Sex is exactly that – questions too uncomfortable to talk about with your parents. This collection of discussions is drawn from real questions asked of the folks at XXXchurch.com. No topic is off limits – masturbation, pre-marital sex, technical virginity, pornography, homosexuality, sex toys, sex addiction.Not for the squeamish, these issues focus on the culture and commerce of sex to tell you what God has to say about keeping your clothes on. If you have questions about “doin’ it” that are burning a hole in the back of your head (or somewhere else on your body), look no further than this book.
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Living Together : A Guide To Counseling Unmarried Couples
$20.99Offers a biblical perspective on the explosive and growing social phenomena of couples moving in together instead of marrying-a common trend even among Christian couples. Biblical, practical, and competent help for those who counsel and minister to unwed couples.
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Preaching Parables To Postmoderns
$33.33Preface
1.Postmodernity
The Nature Of Change
The Premodern And Modern Ages
The Postmodern Experiment
Characteristics Of Postmodernity
2.Parables: A Window Of Truth For Postmoderns
Definition Of Parable
Relationship Of Jesus’ Parables To The Hebrew Tradition
The Purpose Of The Parable
Characteristics Of The Parables Of Jesus
Interpreting The Parables For Preaching
Steps In Developing The Homiletical Text
Preaching Parables To A Postmodern Age
3.A Study Of Parables For Sermon Preparation
Parable One: The Sower (Matthew 13:1-23)
Parable Two: The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)
Parable Three: Laborers In The Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
Parable Four: Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
Parable Five: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
Parable Six: The Friend At Midnight (Luke 11:1-13)
Parable Seven: The Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-14)
Parable Eight: The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-32)
Parable Nine: The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)
Parable Ten: The Pharisee And The Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)
Conclusion
4.Four Sermons
Sermon One: The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)
Sermon Two: Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) Sermon Three: The Good Samritan (Luke 10:25-37)
Sermon Four: The Prodigal Son (Luke 15-11-32)Notes
Bibliography
IndexAdditional Info
Stiller argues that Jesus’ parables, through their narrative, personal, and oral dimensions and reversal of expectations, provide unique access to Christianity for those whose experience and hopes we label “postmodern.”Aligning contemporary scholarship with today’s cultural assumptions, Stiller offers preachers a working knowledge of postmodern sensibilities, an understanding of the parable genre, an analysis of ten parables, and a sample of how one might preach them effectively.
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Pause Before The Pulpit Cycle B
$29.93Today’s busy pastors must cope with a diverse range of physically and emotionally draining tasks. Yet as they balance the many competing demands on their time, the essential element for maintaining a vital and successful ministry is carving out time for their own spiritual regeneration. Before pastors can effectively proclaim the Good News to the people in the pews, they must attend to their ongoing relationship with the God whom they serve.
Based on each Sunday’s epistle and gospel texts from Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary, this collection of prayerful reflections specifically addresses the spiritual needs of the clergy. Rather than a primer on how to preach the text, these devotions explore what the scripture passages have to say about the personal lives of pastors and their public ministry. It’s an ideal resource to begin weekly sermon preparation with, as each thoughtful contemplation prepares the heart for faithful preaching of God’s Word. But Pause Before The Pulpit isn’t just for pastors — these devotions will also strengthen and spiritually encourage anyone actively involved in lay ministry.
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Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series 8 Cycle B
$62.43The challenge of creating a fresh, incisive sermon every Sunday can sometimes seem overwhelming — but if you have the all-new edition of CSS’ acclaimed Lectionary Preaching Workbook at your fingertips, you’ll never feel that way again! With penetrating reflections on Cycle B lectionary passages and a thorough discussion of preaching themes plus a treasure trove of supporting illustrations, this comprehensive volume is the perfect starting point for your weekly homiletic research. Carlos Wilton combines a scholar’s deep insight into the biblical texts with a pastor’s practical understanding of how to make them come alive for the people in your pews, and his astute commentary is sure to stimulate your thought process and provide plenty of seeds for developing messages with maximum impact. A handy, easy-to-use sermon planning template is also included to facilitate the process of building your sermon. The Lectionary Preaching Workbook is an indispensable tool that helps you to powerfully proclaim God’s Word while getting the most out of your limited preparation time.
Each Sunday’s material includes:
? a listing of applicable Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal lectionary texts
? a theme for the day
? commentary on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel lessons
? possible preaching approaches
? a pastoral prayer
? numerous illustrations to flesh out the message
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Sermons On The Second Readings Series 2 Cycle B
$52.43The New Testament epistles are a marvelous guidebook full of practical wisdom on living the Christian faith. Providing much more than just a glimpse of the specific issues facing the early church, the pastoral letters contain a multitude of timeless lessons for contemporary spiritual pilgrims who seek to grow in their daily walk with the Lord. In this extensive anthology of outstanding sermons based on the Second Readings from Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary, five distinguished preachers from diverse denominations apply the epistles’ nourishing teachings to today’s complex challenges. With messages for every Sunday and major celebration throughout the entire church year, there’s a wealth of creative ideas and illustrations helpful for preaching, teaching, and meditation. These biblically grounded sermons shine the light of Christ on our often confusing world and proclaim the richness of God’s truth, offering readers comfort and hope while challenging them to a more intense faith relationship with the Almighty.
This essential resource is useful for:
? Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
? Preaching illustrations
? Understanding scripture passages
? Adult study and discussion groups
? Personal devotions and Bible studyAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Preaching The Parables Series 3 Cycle B
$23.68esus used his parables to teach ordinary people with common problems; yet because these simple stories contain universal truths that transcend time and culture, they still strike a powerful chord and provide us with important lessons about God’s kingdom. Preaching The Parables offers a gold mine of informative background material on each of the seven parables appearing in Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary. Dallas Brauninger probes these familiar texts with a fresh, imaginative viewpoint, revealing what they tell us about God and inviting further reflection on what they mean for modern living.
Preaching The Parables is much more than just a sermon preparation resource — it’s also an excellent bible study tool, exploring questions like:
? What dimension of the soul that needs tending does the parable address?
? What is the parable’s surprise?
? What moves us into hope?
? How does its point become obvious?
? How do its characters relate to us today?
Brauninger identifies points of action, examines significant terms, and engages in imaginary exchanges with a variety of characters. The complete text of each parable is also included, along with an analysis highlighting similarities and differences in parallel passages. And there’s a convenient “word study” index for locating key concepts from parables in all three lectionary cycles.
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Building Sunday School By The Owners Design
$18.68A strong Sunday school program is a key component of any flourishing church — and Building Sunday School By The Owner’s Design provides a comprehensive toolbox jam-packed with 100 ideas for improving every aspect of your religious education program. Building on the framework of his book Built By The Owner’s Design, Danny Von Kanel demonstrates how God’s Word offers a proven blueprint for effective outreach and growth — and he offers you a wide array of practical approaches for making Sunday school the vital centerpiece of a spiritually thriving ministry. Von Kanel discusses the strengths and shortcomings of both traditional and contemporary “church growth movement” approaches to Sunday school, then points out how following God’s design offers a better method for igniting exciting growth. Grounded in Von Kanel’s own experience in several growing ministries and a careful analysis of research in churches from a variety of denominations, these tools can be used by any congregation (most have little or no financial expense). Convenient “Tool Time” and “Tool Resource” sections offer specific steps for implementing these ideas in your church. Building Sunday School By The Owner’s Design is an essential resource for pastors, teachers, and other religious professionals — it offers everything you need to develop a life-changing Sunday school program that produces enthusiastic, deeply committed followers of Christ.
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Hey Joseph
$16.18Create stimulating, family-oriented Lenten worship that captivates the imagination with this engaging “dramily” series. Six humorous sketches, interwoven with brief homilies highlighting key points, update the familiar Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers for contemporary audiences ? providing an instructive and entertaining resource for midweek programs. Additional messages and dramas for Holy Week and Easter Sunday shift the focus to Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.
By touching on such universal experiences as family squabbles, sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, jealousy, hatred, false accusations, reconciliation, trust, and healing, Hey Joseph! is certain to resonate with the people in the pews. It offers pastors, worship leaders, and drama groups a thematically unified total package that’s flexible and easy to adapt for any size church. A complete list of simple props is included, along with helpful illustrations for constructing “Joseph’s Granary,” which may be stocked with food donations for local pantries.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Church Safety And Security
$18.68(with John M. Edie, Dennis K. Lewis, Edward L. Spain & Donna M. Washburn)
The church has always been regarded as a safe haven – a spiritual sanctuary where people can come to worship God free from worries about violence or unethical behavior by those involved in church ministry. But our culture is changing, and church leaders can no longer assume that “it won’t happen in my church.” Like the rest of society, churches need to ensure the safety and security of their facility, staff, and worshipers.
This book provides a wealth of practical information on preparing for and responding to the challenges of a dangerous world. Robert Cirtin draws on more than two decades of law enforcement and investigative experience, and with his team of professionals outlines a “how-to” approach full of specific proactive steps churches can take to protect themselves and reduce the risk of costly lawsuits. Church Safety And Security is a must-have resource for anyone participating in or preparing for church leadership.
Topics covered include:
? Utilizing background screening to protect your congregation
? Safety and security issues for church-run preschool and day care programs
? Preparing for and responding to medical emergencies
? How to deal with issues pertaining to child abuse
? Legally mandated responsibilities of church staff members
? How to utilize security/surveillance cameras in the church facility
? Organizing a church security officer program
? Effectively coping with intruders
? Responding to violent acts when they occur
? How to conduct a thorough investigationAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Celebrating Holy Week In A Post Holocaust World
$28.00An ongoing issue for clergy as well as Christians in general is how to approach New Testament narratives about the crucifixion of Jesus in relation to Jews, Judaism, and the horrific events of the Holocaust. The popular movie “The Passion of the Christ” has brought one aspect of this problem into widespread public attention. The events of Holy Week pose particular challenges for clergy and congregations. In this book Henry Knight helps us deal with Holy Week texts in light of our post-Holocaust world and provides practical examples of prayers, liturgies, and resource material to help pastors prepare for and lead worship and teach during this important time in the life of a congregation.
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Small Group Strategies
$19.99With Small Group Strategies, you can effectively guide students in your small group toward the most important relationship they will ever have -a lifelong relationship with Christ. Respected authors Laurie Polich and Charley Scandlyn offer 30-plus years of collective youth ministry experience to these proven ideas, which offer: a strategic approach to small group ministry, hundreds of ideas to reach students at every level, and practical applications that foster spiritual growth. Meet your students where they are in life. You have the heart, you have the vision. Here are the ideas you need to make it happen.
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Fitting End : Making The Most Of A Funeral
$24.99This very practical resource offers a well-informed guide to an aspect of ministry that every single priest or minister will encounter. It is one of the most difficult tasks, yet many embark on it with very little theological or practical training. They will encounter a wide range of beliefs about death and the afterlife in today’s secular society, such as can be seen in the death notices of local newspapers – grandma goes to sleep, is reunited with grandpa, becomes an angel or a star in heaven. They need a resource that equips them to deal sensitively and wisely with the variety of demands that will be made of them in the planning and conduct of funerals and in helping the bereaved to understand that resurrection is God’s response to death’s terrible finality.
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Guarding The Local Church
$14.99We are living in a day and age when the church is under attack. Dick Iverson speaks to us from his own experience about the dangers that face overseers of the church. He shares stories from his own life, and chronicles some of the failures and successes of his early years of ministry. He also details how to discern between ministers who truly love the church and those who are ministering for their own gain.
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Can We Do That
$14.99Andy Stanley and Ed Young–two of America’s most innovative church leaders–put their minds and hearts together to deliver one of the most dynamic tools for ministry this year. In this book you will find twenty-four exciting practices to help your church communicate Christ to the world–without compromising who and what God has called you to be. In this practical book you’ll learn things like how to partner with current church attenders to reach the unchurched, how to create a place where kids can take their parents to learn, how to provide real community through small groups, and much more.
Not only will this book tell you what has worked in North Point Community and Fellowship Church, but will inspire you to identify and create the best practices for your own ministry as you reach out to those in your community and church who are searching for solid answers to the most important questions of life. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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More Profound Alleluia
$23.99Two questions lie at the heart of this rich, suggestive book: What are the theological implications of worship? and What are the liturgical implications of theology? Convinced that worship and theology are integrally related, the authors of A More Profound Alleluia show in practical terms how liturgy and doctrine fruitfully illuminate each other.
Each chapter pairs an element of the worship service with related Christian teachings, clearly demonstrating how the great doctrines of the faith find their natural expression in the drama of worship and how the liturgy in turn finds its corollary in doctrine. The interrelation of theology and worship is illustrated with anecdotes from congregational life, resources drawn from church history, and themes from novels and films. Each chapter also includes two hymn texts that exemplify orthodox doctrine communicated through song.
A More Profound Alleluia will be a valuable text for courses in theology or worship, will help worship leaders to plan services with greater theological depth, and will enhance worship for Christian believers generally.
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Becoming A Healthier Pastor
$40.00In this sequel to Creating a Healthier Church, Richardson employs the same methodology to address the roots of personal issues that may hinder pastors’ ability to function effectively as leaders within their congregations, and may in fact cause them deep difficulties. He especially addresses pastors’ own families of origin, a major but often hidden component in how they function emotionally in their congregations. When anxiety arises, unresolved familial issues and old family patterns return, often unhelpfully. Richardson explores these patterns, how they operate in church situations, and how pastors can do their own family-of-origin assessment. His volume will become a standard tool for analysis of patterns in ministerial behavior and developing strong personal effectiveness.
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Do They Run When They See You Coming
$22.99Acknowledgements
Foreword By Chap Clark
Chapter 1: Youth Ministry In One Word
Chapter 2: I Thought I Already Had Compassion
Looking At “the Unchurched” Through Diff Erent Eyes
Chapter 3: In The Minds Of Unchurched Students
Why They Think What They Think
Chapter 4: A Rude Awakening
How I Fi Nally Realized That “sharing My Faith” Starts With MY Faith
Chapter 5: Do They Run When They See You Coming?
How To NEVER Reach Students
Chapter 6: Reaching…Not Repelling
Developing A Relational Approach
Chapter 7: Finding Frames
Communicating In A Language They Understand
Chapter 8: Building Bridges
Moving Beyond Everyday Conversations To Sharing The Gospel
Chapter 9: Door-Opening Questions
Nothing Sparks Interest Better Than Well-placed Questions
Chapter 10: Focus On Christ (It’s More Than A Tract)
Sharing Jesus’ Story Simply, Clearly, And Memorably
Chapter 11: The Key To Follow-Up
Getting Them Plugged In
Chapter 12: Outreach In Action: What It Looks Like
Additional Info
Reaching Out to Unchurched TeenagersFive facts about the unchurched:1. They believe all religions have value.2. They are spiritual, not religious.3. They don’t know what Christianity really is.4. They don’t know what they believe.5. They are looking for something that works.If you want to make an impact on this generation, these are five basic rules you must understand. Author Jonathan McKee writes that by taking the time to learn students’ unique situations you show you care about them as people, not as mission projects.Informative and full of real-life examples, Do They Run When They See You Coming? provides vital information you need to better understand students outside your youth group. Yet this book isn’t a sociological or marketing survey; the tangible guidelines and methods inside help you get into the mind of unchurched students–so you can get to know their hearts. Because, as every youth worker knows, real ministry is always about getting to the heart.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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101 Things Every Pastor Should Know
$22.48It’s one thing to pastor, but quite another thing to know how to pastor effectively! In addressing this issue, 101 Things Every Pastor Should Know yields a wealth of ideas and practical application gleaned from the author’s fifty years of ministry experience. Practically every question a pastor could ask is discussed-from how to prepare sermons to how to deal with offenses to how to avoid burnout. Relevant, timely, and practical, this little book will instill confidence that you can fulfill the call of God on your life to take care of His sheep. The lessons extracted will not only make you a better pastor but will also encourage you to share with other pastors the “101 things every pastor should know.”
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Siblings By Choice
$34.99How is it possible for women, men, and children from different cultural and spiritual backgrounds to come together and struggle against common forms of oppression? How can we create relationships and make connections as teachers and practitioners of pastoral care and counseling while we acknowledge and find value in differences? Archie Smith Jr. and Ursula Riedel-Pfaefflin turn to Mark 3:33, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” and Mark 3:35, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother,” to propose a vision for living creatively within the realities of an intercultural world.
Exploring the historical, social, political, economic, and ecological dynamics that shape who we are and how we relate to one another, Smith and Riedel-Pfaefflin uncover the many layers and complexities of race, gender, class, and violence that make change difficult to achieve and sustain, and discuss the significance of an intercultural sibling metaphor for the teaching and training of pastoral care and counseling. They incorporate art, myth, history, social sciences, and scripture to demonstrate how the concepts of intercultural realities, systemic thinking, and narrative agency help us to understand historical processes that still have an influence on today’s problems of violence between cultures, races, gender, and religions. Smith and Riedel-Pfaefflin offer their own life experiences, enlightenment from theological giants, teaching tools, group exercises, and case studies to build more culturally competent counseling and teaching and to enhance personal and social transformation.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Comunion Y Comunidad Introducc – (Spanish)
$22.99“La vida en comunidad es lo mas esencial de la espiritualidad cristiana, y es la esencia misma del reino de Dios… La espiritualidad cristiana consiste en un nuevo modo de relacionarnos en amor, pues es precisamente esto lo que claramente distingue a la comunidad creyente de cualquier otra comunidad humana”. Al definir asi la espiritualidad cristiana, el Dr. Cassese derriba el obsoleto paradigma que intentaba buscar la perfecta relacion con Dios a traves del aislamiento, de la pura relacion personal e individual con Dios. En particular porque en realidad es en la comunidad donde la espiritualidad se realiza, se prueba, se evalua, crece y se perfecciona. Este libro, por lo tanto, nos ayudara a comprender y vivir la espiritualidad desde la vida cotidiana en comunidad, desde la inter-relacion e inter-accion con nuestros hermanos y hermanas, desde la inmersion profunda en la vida misma.
ENDOSO AL LIBRO COMUNION Y COMUNIDAD
Por Roberto Amparo Rivera, PhD
La iglesia como institucion tradicionalmente ha reflejado en la practica las tendencias y valores de la sociedad en que se desenvuelven. Por eso no es de maravillarse encontrar hoy dia creyentes individualistas y congregaciones que son mas grupos de individuos que comunidades integradas. A pesar de que el amor de Dios, que supuestamente distingue la comunidad, “no busca lo suyo”, los miembros de estas iglesias se preocupan mas de sus propios intereses que del bienestar comunitario. En este estado de cosas, el libro Comunion y comunidad, de Giacomo Cassese, es un grito de alerta y una invitacion a recobrar el sentido comunitario de la fe cristiana.
Hay una opinion generalizada de que la cultura occidental es cada vez mas espiritualista. En este contexto, la espiritualidad se mide en terminos de practicas esotericas de meditacion, ayuno, contemplacion de la naturaleza y lecturas de documentos misteriosos de religiones orientales. La contraparte cristiana percibe la espritualidad solo en su dimension vertical; “el alma en relacion con Dios”, mientras que el resto de la vida no hace ninguna aplicacion a las relaciones diarias con los semejantes.
En marcado contraste, Cassese define espiritualidad como un estilo de relacionarse y de vivir en comunidad. Para los cristianos, afirma el autor, espiritualidad conlleva vivir la vida en su plenitud y con proposito. Solo en la comunion con Cristo nos entendemos como personas de comunidad. Y es a partir de la persona de Crist
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Many Servants : An Introduction To Deacons (Revised)
$25.64In this newly updated and revised introduction to the permanent diaconate, Plater includes a history of deacons in the early church, a survey of deacons from the Reformation to the present, stories of modern diaconal ministries, including first-hand accounts, and a discussion of the formation, training, and deployment of deacons. A basic, essential text for discernment committees and commissions on ministry, and a comprehensive look at a vital ministry in the church today.
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Whats A Pastor To Do
$9.99It’s been said that pastors should be on the “endangered species” list.
As a pastor, you expected a life of sacrifice when you obeyed your call. But did you expect that staying mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy would ve such a challenge?
Ministry mixes the joy of serving with the frustration of leading.
In What’s a Pastor to Do?: The Good and Difficult Work of Ministry, Jeren Rowell addresses both the enjoyable and the disagreeable aspects of pasturing. Sections such as Pastoral Identity, Pastoral Health, and the Pastor as Priest will inspire you to renew your commitment and offer you spiritual refreshment and comfort.
The short chapters are perfect for daily devotions that uplift and instruct as you go about the good and difficult work of ministry.
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Work Of The Usher
$15.99This book is a complete guide, simply and clearly written, suitable for individual or group study, and durably bound in a convenient size. It has been written by a minister whose four pastorates have convinced him of the significance of effective ushering as a form of Christian witness. Prepared on the premise that the usher is one who represents the warm welcome of the church at its best, this manual thus becomes an aid in Christian outreach as well as effective administration.
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Sermons On The First Readings Series 1 Cycle A
$46.18Bring the Old Testament to life with this inspiring and thought-provoking collection of sermons for each Sunday and major celebration in the Church year. Based on the First Readings from Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary, these powerful messages by five exceptional preachers from diverse denominations explore the meaning of the Hebrew scriptures for today’s Christian living. Abundant insights into vital current issues are woven together with powerful proclamation of timeless themes of justice and righteousness — and these imaginative homilies are full of compelling examples of how a loving God uses us to further his divine plan.
This essential resource is useful for:
* Fresh homiletical approaches to the lectionary texts
* Preaching illustrations
* Understanding scripture passages
* Adult study and discussion groups
* Personal devotions and Bible studyAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Work Of The Church Trustee
$15.991. Who Make The Best Trustees?
2. It’s A Big Job
3. Your Board Should Be The Best
4. The Money In Your Hand
5. Buried Treasure For The Kingdom
6. Working With The Professional Team
7. Trustees In A Changing World
8. You Learn Through Others
9. Trustees Are Ministers, Too
AppendixesAdditional Info
There is more to serving as a trustee than counting money or arranging to repair the church plumbing! Beginning with the biblical and theological basis of service, Orlando Tibbetts has prepared a very comprehensive guide to deepen and broaden the trustee’s sense of ministry and mission in his/her service to the church. An excellent tool for new or experienced board members, this book covers every facet of the trustee’s responsibility as a steward of the community’s concerns and as a servant of the Lord. It is both practical and inspiring.Add to cart2 in stock
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Hidden Lives Of Congregations
$42.85Faced with crisis, lack of direction, or just plain “stuckness,” many congregations and their leaders are content to deal only with surface issues and symptoms-only to discover that the same problems keep recurring, often in different, and more serious, ways. In The Hidden Lives of Congregations, Christian educator and consultant Israel Galindo takes leaders below the surface of congregational life to provide a comprehensive, holistic look at the corporate nature of church relationships and the invisible dynamics at play.
Informed by family systems theory and grounded in a wide-ranging ecclesiological understanding, Galindo unpacks clearly the factors of congregational lifespan, size, spirituality, and identity and shows how these work together to form the congregation’s hidden life. He provides useful tools for diagnosing and understanding how one’s congregation fits into the various categories he names and suggests what leadership skills are necessary to get beyond the impasse of surface issues and help the congregation achieve its mission.
The Hidden Lives of Congregations provides one of the most far-reaching looks into the invisible nature of faith communities written in recent years. For seminaries and divinity schools, it provides a standard text for getting a solid start in congregational practices; for experienced pastors, it provides support for renewing ministry; for lay leaders and committees, it offers insight to deepening mutual ministry. Israel Galindo has written an indispensable manual that leaders will return to repeatedly for new wisdom and guidance on the unseen mechanisms that drive congregational life.
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Practicing Congregation : Imagining A New Old Church
$41.42Diana Butler Bass’ groundbreaking project to explore encouraging signs of vitality among mainline Protestant churches is now gaining the momentum of a movement. The author’s cover story in Sojourners magazine offers a compelling overview of what characterizes these healthy, vital, and inspiring congregations. The Practicing Congregation is a central text on the road to envisioning a new way of being a church. From Nomads to Pilgrims, its follow-up companion book, contains reflections on practices by the pastors of some of the vibrant congregations that were studied in the writing of The Practicing Congregation.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The conventional wisdom about mainline Protestantism maintains that it is a dying tradition, irrelevant to a postmodern society, unresponsive to change, and increasingly disconnected from its core faith tenets. In her provocative new book, historian and researcher Diana Butler Bass argues that there are signs that mainline Protestant churches are indeed changing, finding a new vitality intentionally grounded in Christian practices and laying the groundwork for a new type of congregation.
The Practicing Congregation tracks these changes by looking at the overall history of American congregations, noting the cultural trends that have sparked change, and providing evidence of how mainline churches are reappropriating traditional Christian practices. The signs of life that Butler Bass identifies lead the reader beyond the crumbling “liberal vs. conservative” dualities to a more nuanced and fluid understanding of the shape of contemporary ecclesiology and faithfulness. In so doing, she helps readers understand tradition in new ways and creates an alternative path through the culture wars that today arrest the energies of most denominations.
Invigorated by stories from Bass’s own experience, The Practicing Congregation provides a hopeful and exciting vision of “the once and future church” that Alban founder Loren Mead first named over 10 years ago. The imaginative “retraditioning” the author identifies and celebrates will guide pastors and other leaders on this “pilgrimage of creating church,” and convincingly counter the naysayers that long ago gave up on the viability of the mainline church.
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Power Of Asset Mapping
$42.85Asset mapping isn’t a new system or theory. It’s a way of thinking, a doorway into an “open-sum” perspective rooted in the Bible and common experience. The Power of Asset Mapping, by long-time community developer Luther K. Snow, shows congregational leaders how to help a group recognize its assets and the abundance of God’s gifts and to act on them in ministry and mission.
Congregations will find the book easy to read and immediately useful. Leaders can begin with the tested Quick and Simple Asset Mapping Experience to strengthen and inspire any group in the congregation in as little as an hour. Futher tips, techniques, stories, and lessons drawn from the experience of diverse congregations will help readers discover how asset mapping works. Finally, Snow provides lessons about why asset mapping strengthens faith and community.
With Snow’s guidance, readers will find new, positive energy to break out of the negative cycles of need, dependency, and inaction that sometimes trap congregations. As they experience asset mapping, they will learn how God empowers us. Snow shows us how to turn over control and open ourselves to the unexpected and amazing gifts of God. Foreword by John McKnight and Jody Kretzmann
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Becoming Barnabas : The Ministry Of Encouragement
$40.00Western culture has made a cult of success, and the church has accepted the larger culture’s definition, focusing on success as growth in membership and budget, rather growth in faithfulness as disciples of Jesus. When we do not measure up, we become discouraged, disillusioned, and perhaps even envious.
Paul Moots offers a welcome antidote: a vision for the ministry of encouragement. Based on his study of the book of Acts, Moots has identified five incidents from the ministry of Barnabas, an easily overlooked character, that provide a starting point to explore encouragement and how it can work in a congregation. Moots then examines five components of this ministry: partnership, hospitality, courage, reconciliation, and authenticity.
Moots details numerous examples to show how the ministry of encouragement offers a workable, effective pattern for church leadership. “I am convinced,” he writes, “that accepting Barnabas as my model has changed my ministry for the better and that Barnabas’s example can benefit any pastor and congregation who take his lessons seriously.”
Barnabas and his ministry of encouragement offer us a focus for the vital, messy, and exhilarating work required of us as faith communities. Foreword by Robert Reber
“At last! Here is a leadership book that provides practical help for congregations of every size and setting and pastors with a variety of gifts. Drawing from his own experience as a pastor, Moots shares a model of faithful ministry that is within the reach of every pastor, layperson, and congregation.”-Rueben P. Job
“In an age when so many pastors and leaders are discouraged, no work of the Spirit is more needed or more welcome than encouragement. Moots’s book moves beyond diagnosis and actually shows readers how to ‘become Barnabas’ in ministries of partnership, hospitality, courage, and reconciliation.”-Donna Duensing
Paul Moots has served as pastor in a variety of settings in his 22 years of ministry: associate pastor, campus ministry, pastor of an urban congregation, and his current position in the village church of First United Methodist in Mount Sterling, Ohio.
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When Better Isnt Enough
$40.00Many sociologists and a growing number of church scholars have noted that we live in a time of transition-from the modern era to the postmodern. Whenever a shift of this magnitude occurs, it leaves all of life, including the church, in flux. We instinctively strive to stabilize the situation by re-establishing what has worked in the past. Increasingly, however, congregations are finding that the same old things done harder or better don’t seem to make a difference.
Author Jill Hudson argues, “We must identify new criteria for success, and perhaps even for faithfulness, and hold ourselves accountable to them.” Approaching the postmodern era as a tremendous opportunity, Hudson identifies 12 characteristics by which we can measure effective ministry for the early 21st century.
Based on those 12 criteria, Hudson has created evaluation tools, “an early measuring stick” to help congregations evaluate their work in this new era. Not everything of the past is ineffective and best discarded, she says, nor will everything we try in the future be successful. But by faithfully listening for God’s guidance and carefully evaluating progress using Hudson’s tools, looking at the ministry of the whole people of God as well as that of the professional staff, congregations can improve their ministry, help members and staff grow in effectiveness, deepen a sense of partnership, and add new richness to the dialogue about the congregation’s future.
Jill Hudson makes us face the hard reality that the world has changed, but the church hasn’t. This gap can create a problem when assessing the effectiveness of church leadership. Practical and easy to read and understand, this book will prove an effective new tool in assisting pastors to lead today.-Mike Regele
Our kicking and screaming aside, the postmodern church beckons, and Jill Hudson provides guidance and information to equip us for this enormous ministry challenge.-The Rev. Christine Shiber
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On Earth As It Is In Heaven Matthew Year A
$29.95With a goal of transcendent awareness, John Shea presents this commentary on the Sunday Gospel readings for those who are drawn to the spiritual wisdom of the Gospels. Ideal for Christian preachers and teachers, and Christians who meditate on the Gospels, Shea’s book takes a literary-spiritual approach. He analyzes the mindsets of characters and how Jesus complimented, critiqued, praised these mindsets, to inspire meditation, reflection, and spiritual development. On Earth as It Is in Heaven, Year A is the first book of a four-volume set, The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers. This set is a Lectionary-based resource that references both Roman Catholic and Revised Common Lectionaries, making it useful and interesting to various Christian denominations. A Scripture index makes Shea’s insightful reflections accessible for personal reflection on the Gospel texts as well as other uses outside of liturgical preparation. With wisdom relevant to our contemporary world, The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers: On Earth as It Is in Heaven will find its way to the top of your resource list.
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Lifetime Of Blessing
$20.99In the same successful formula as ‘World of Blessing’, Geoffrey Duncan has compiled blessings from a great variety of resources to commemorate every conceivable stage of life from planning and praying for a child to bidding loved ones farewell. aaIn between there are a wide range of thanksgiving and blessing prayers for pregnancy, the birth of a baby, adoption and fostering, christening or naming ceremonies,godparents, growing up, starting school, birthdays, confirmation or church membership,friendship, love, work, leaving home, engagement, marriage, moving house, anniversaries, the big’O’s(!)and all important occasions in life-joyful or sad. aaA unique pastoral and personal resource that will be used over and over again.
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When You Teach At A Catholic School
$8.99Teachers in Catholic schools are called to do more than instruct in a particular subject area. You are called to witness to the Catholic faith and to ready your students to be socially active and responsible, moral, literate, and to reflect Christian values in daily life in and out of the classroom.
Dunlap provides inspiration and practical tips for teachers who want to share their faith insight into the ministry of teaching – for teachers, school staff and administration, and parent-teacher organizations.
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Visions And Healing In The Acts Of The Apostles
$14.95Trances, visions, healing miracles: permeating the biblical records are these altered states of consciousness, through which some early Christians experienced God. Today’s rituals and liturgies are related to those experiences, which have become significant elements in the Christian tradition and mysticism. Pilch uses cultural anthropology, cognitive neuroscience, and medical anthropology to interpret these past events, and to explore the contemporary liturgical potential of this new understanding. Backed with solid, scientific insights, this interdisciplinary book will help the reader gain appreciation of our ancestors’ faith and the power of Scripture and liturgy.
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Hearing The Word Of God Year A
$15.95The commentaries on the Lectionary readings in Hearing the Word of God are an attempt not only to hear the Word of God in Scripture but also to suggest ways that the Sunday readings might continue to nurture faith and life. Inevitably they reflect the time in which they were first written-as a popular weekly column in America from November 2000 to Advent 2001.
Hearing the Word of God includes Scripture readings for the Sunday, followed by a reflection on the reading, and concludes with “Praying with Scripture,” a series of questions and meditations to guide readers in making a personal application of the reflection.
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Shaped By Gods Heart
$24.95Preface: A Personal Letter To The Reader.
Acknowledgments.Introduction: Sending The Church Into The World.
PART ONE: The Church In A New And Changing World.
1. From Maintenance To Missional: The Church In A World Of Change.
2. Be Church And Be Changed: How Missional Churches Live Their Passion.
PART TWO: The Nine Essential Practices Of Missional Churches.
3. Missional Practice Number One: Have A High Threshold For Membership.
4. Missional Practice Number Two: Be Real, Not Real Religious.
5. Missional Practice Number Three: Teach To Obey Rather Than To Know.
6. Missional Practice Number Four: Rewrite Worship Every Week.
7. Missional Practice Number Five: Live Apostolically.
8. Missional Practice Number Six: Expect To Change The World.
9. Missional Practice Number Seven: Order Actions According To Purpose.
10. Missional Practice Number Eight: Measure Growth By Capacity To Release, Not Retain.
11. Missional Practice Number Nine: Place Kingdom Concerns First
PART THREE: Structures And Strategies For Becoming Missional.
12. They Run Rapids In Rubber Rafts: Church Structures That Can Survive The Rapids Of Cultural Change.
13. Seeing Beyond The Horizon: The Nature And Task Of Missional Leadership.
14. Moving To Missional: Becoming A New Kind Of Church.
Appendix: Missional Church Cultural Assessment.
Notes.
About Leadership Network.
The Author
Additional Info
Discover the tools to create a new kind of church and move from merely surviving to thriving. Drawing on an extensive two-year field study of 200 churches from a variety of denominations and geographic regions, Milfred Minatrea–a missiologist, urban strategist and practioner in minister–presents the best practices for re-energizing Christian spirituality in a congregational setting. He provides readers with the tools for assessing their congregation’s position on the continuum between maintenance and mission and for determining the actions that will move them toward becoming a missional community. He also outlines key strategies that successful churches have used to become relevant in a postmodern society without losing what is distinctly Christian in their spiritual practices.
Milfred Minatrea (Irving, TX) is Director of the Missional Church Center for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Prayer (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99This book will explore and define biblical and contemporary images of prayer. All the sessions exploring prayer will be based upon God’s relationship with humans as the ground of all prayer and the essential human need to reach toward God that leads to prayer. Readers will explore definitions of prayer, a variety of scriptures that show Jesus’ teachings and practices related to prayer, methods of prayer, aids to prayer, the varieties of individual and communal words, needs, and emotions that form the content of prayer, ways people interpret answered or unanswered prayer, and the unity between prayer and human action. The book will invite readers to reflect upon questions like: Why do we pray? What is God’s role in prayer? the human role? How is God’s grace involved in prayer? What is prayer? What did Jesus teach about prayer? How do we pray? What do we pray? What is an attitude of prayer? How does God answer prayer? What difference does prayer make in our lives? Have I been praying all along? What happens in the quiet times of my week? in the busy times?
Is prayer possible in both quiet and busy times? Why do I feel like I don’t have
time to pray? Do I need to make time for prayer? How? The book will affirm
persons and groups who struggle with an understanding of prayer or with
a style of prayer. It will provide opportunities for transforming encounters with
God.Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Postmodern Childrens Ministry
$19.99This practical, thought-provoking book presents a new paradigm for children’s ministry in the emerging 21st century and explores how churches are currently putting that vision into practice. Advocating the need to regard children as full participants in their faith communities, the book provides strategies for building intergenerational community where children feel they belong and have the opportunity to serve.
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Keys To Becoming An Effective Associate Minister And Church Leader
$14.95Joshua Ministry Title
Hopewell shares the truths that he has discovered in his journey that will strengthen the relationship between the pastor and associate minister, and create an atmosphere that allows both to work together as a team, fulfilling God’s purpose.
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When Prisoners Return
$14.93“When Prisoners Return” identifies the need for individuals and churches to be involved as prisoners return to society; this book also equips individuals and churches with the information they need to effectively assist former prisoners.
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