Author: Michael Moynagh Publisher: Lion Hudson Limited ISBN: 9780857214935 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
Christians worldwide are learning new ways to connect their faith to everyday life. Gospel communities are popping up everywhere - in cafes, gyms, tattoo parlours, laundromats. This movement, called Fresh Expressions, is attracting thousands and growing rapidly. With over 120 real-life examples, Michael Moynagh describes easy ways for ordinary Christians to embrace this highly effective approach to local mission. Anyone can do it!
Author: John F. Alexander Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers ISBN: 1621894010 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 266
Book Description
What modern church doesn't call itself a "community"? Yet for how many is it real? How many churches form disciples intimately connected enough to call themselves Christ's "body"? How many form disciples who know the relational arts that create a robust unity? How many form disciples practiced in the ways of sacrificial love? Pastor John Alexander, a thirty-year veteran of living in Christian communities, yearns for all the wonder and promise of the New Testament vision of church to come true. After struggling with Scripture in live-together church communities, he shares the Scriptural practices and wisdom that make for an authentic, sustainable, and joyful life together. For any person or church wanting to move beyond the cliche of "community" to the radical vision of the New Testament, this book is an invaluable guide
Author: Craig Groeschel Publisher: Zondervan ISBN: 0310342961 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 177
Book Description
Can God be good when life is not? Rediscover faith in the character, power, and presence of God. Even in the questions. Even in the hurt. "I want to believe, I want to have hope, but . . ." Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Even when we have both hope and hurt, sometimes it's the hurt that shouts the loudest. In Hope in the Dark, Groeschel explores the story of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus, saying, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" In the man's sincere plea, Jesus heard the tension in the man's battle-scarred heart. He healed not only the boy but the father too, driving out the hopelessness that had overtaken him. He can do the same for us today. As Groeschel shares his pain surrounding the health challenges of his daughter, he acknowledges the questions we may ask in our own deepest pain: "Where was God when I was being abused?" "Why was my child born with a disability?" "Why did the cancer come back?" "Why are all my friends married and I'm alone?" He invites us to wrestle with such questions as we ask God to honor our faith and heal our unbelief. Because in the middle of your profound pain, you long for authentic words of understanding and hope. You long to know that even in overwhelming reality, you can still believe that God is good. Hope in the Dark is also available in Spanish, Esperanza en la Oscuridad.
Author: Lewis A. Parks Publisher: Abingdon Press ISBN: 1501827332 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages :
Book Description
Small on Purpose: Life in a Significant Church is a joyful and honest look at the kingdom-enriching characteristics of small congregations. Lewis Parks demonstrates how to see and build upon those strengths. His premise is not better/worse. Instead, Parks shows us how life in a small congregation is profoundly significant and the important role these churches play. This book includes clear instructions on how leaders can streamline ministry to maximize the unique and powerful contributions small churches make in their communities. This book is inspiring and practical, a refreshing point of view for the church and church leaders. “Small on Purpose reimagines what it means to be a congregation of ninety, sixty, or thirty by not focusing on size. I especially appreciate Lewis Parks’s attention to why ‘soul care’ is critical for congregations under 150 as a means of discipleship and outreach. Parks sees soul care as a countercultural act that creates meaning for many who are seeking family-like relationships. This book challenges all congregations to take seriously the small things they are doing—like soul care—as a compelling way to move into the future.” —F. Douglas Powe Jr., Managing Director for The Institute for Community Engagement, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington DC; author of New Wine, New Wineskins and Not Safe for Church from Abingdon Press “Lewis Parks writes with pitch-perfect tone about the life of small churches. He appeals to the experience of smaller congregations as gathering places of worship and service. There he sees signs of the Spirit moving, of tradition revivified through song and word, of pastoral care shared across a congregation. Above all, he offers transformative words and perspectives with which small churches can claim their distinctive witness.” —Thomas Edward Frank, University Professor and Chair of the Department of History, Wake Forest College, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC “In a time when the culture is becoming more and more individualistic, Lew Parks strikes a chord for the great value of the gathered community of faith that is strengthened week by week through their faithfulness to the gospel and to one another. Gather in your small church and read this together. Your life and your community will be enriched.” —Bill McAlilly, Bishop, Nashville Area Episcopal Office, The United Methodist Church
Author: Nick May Publisher: Energion Publications ISBN: 1631996959 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 111
Book Description
Sometimes going radical means getting to the root. Sometimes it means pulling something up by the roots. What is it that is keeping you from doing what God wants you to do? There are many books about how to do church "right." There are programs for every imaginable thing you might want to improve in your church. There are at least as many measures by which you can determine whether your church is successful. Ditch the Building ditches that approach and asks you to look at what God is calling you to do, and how ingrained church structures are keeping you from actually following that call. Nick May doesn't claim to know what you're supposed to be doing, or even what's stopping you. What he does know from the experience of growing up in church, working in a megachurch and then pastoring a church plant, is that many of you are precisely at that point. You likely have at least the glimmering of a vision of what you believe God is calling you to do. When it comes time to start doing it, however, you find things in your way. It may be things in your own life or things in your church. Ingrained structures may be your physical building. They may be your order of worship. They may be found in your Christian education department where you are implementing innovative ideas to prepare your children and youth to live in the 90s--1890s. We often hear that God hasn't changed. This is supposed to tell us that we don't have to change either. But people and culture do change, the challenges change. We have to find God's way of responding and building God's people. If you want to live out your life comfortably, don't buy this book. If you think the church today is just fine, don't buy this book. But if you hear the call to follow wherever God leads, no matter how radical that makes you seem, then buy and read this book. We're not telling you that this book will change your life. We're hoping that after reading it, you will be empowered to let God change your life, your ministry, your church, and our world.
Author: Paul Fromberg Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 0819233757 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 177
Book Description
Everyday actions work to transform life personally and in community It's all too common for Christians to wonder, if Jesus came to bring transformation and wholeness, why do I still feel like the same old me and struggle with the same issues as always? Paul Fromberg, rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, offers a practical approach to life transformation that proves that church, if done right, can be the catalyst for bringing about real change in people's lives. For those frustrated that they haven't had real experiences of transformation in their churches and for church leaders who are frustrated that members aren't being transformed by their experiences in church. Fromberg presents a way to move beyond cynicism, sadness, and alienation and reconnect with the deep, passionate, beautiful life that God has in mind for us. The first step is to question assumptions, but it takes relationships to make this change and courage to risk what you know for the sake of being made new. The intersection between beauty, justice, and friendship is the place where people can dare to be transformed. The best gift the church can give is to make transformation a real part of people's lives.
Author: Awaken Movement Publisher: Monarch Books ISBN: 9780857217653 Category : Evangelical Revival Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
What Jesus wants for our Christian life isn't complicated. What if we have it mixed up? What if we got in the way? Jesus called us to be a community and through that community to introduce Him to the world. That doesn't require the walls of a church building or any of the other Christian trappings we have in the West. This short guide serves as a guerilla manual to founding what is known in the United Kingdom as a "fresh expression of church." In quick, to-the-point chapters it shares what is a fresh expression of church, how to start one, how to be about making disciples, how to grow mature disciples, how to reproduce your fresh expression, and how to measure fruitfulness. Meant to be read in under thirty minutes, the concepts of Refreshwill fuel a lifetime of inspiration to spread the community of Jesus.
Author: Dwight Lee DuBois Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers ISBN: 1498229794 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 180
Book Description
Imagine being able to connect everything you do in life with God's dream of shalom. Imagine all God's people seeing their family responsibilities, work, and community involvement as ministry. Imagine congregations that equip and empower people for ministry--not just in the church, but in all they do. Imagine leaders and members finding a renewed sense of joy, purpose, and vitality as they give themselves away for the sake of the Gospel. Dwight DuBois not only imagines these life-giving outcomes in fresh and powerful ways, he shows readers how to create an environment that equips everyday saints to connect their faith with all of life. Based on the real life struggles of pastors and members, The Scattering lays bare our preoccupation with the health of the institution and offers powerful new language for the church as being both gathered and scattered. This language breaks down unhelpful stereotypes, and provides readers with hopeful and rewarding ways to interpret who we are and what we do as the church of Jesus Christ.
Author: Darlene Zschech Publisher: Baker Books ISBN: 1441229116 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 276
Book Description
Renowned Songwriter and Author Helps Readers See Worship as a Way of Life It can be easy to have a heart filled with worship on a Sunday morning as the church band is playing your favorite song. But then comes Monday morning's commute or Tuesday afternoon's pile of laundry. So what does worship look like in real life--at work, in your family, or with your friends? Darlene Zschech has spent her life thinking and teaching about worship. With wisdom and contagious joy, she shares her thoughts on what worship truly is and how it should invade every facet of your being. Let yourself be transformed by the purpose and freedom that come from living a life of worship.
Author: Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter Publisher: Abingdon Press ISBN: 1426725167 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 167
Book Description
How 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. Informed by Slaughter's thirty years of leadership at the innovative and mission-driven Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, UnLearning Church offers readers guidance and insight into setting aside old identities, old expectations, and old ways of “doing church,” and inspires readers with examples of congregations already living out their mission to be creative and outwardly-focused communities of faith.
Proudly powered by WordPress |
Theme: Rits Blog by Crimson Themes.
Author: Michael Moynagh
Author: John F. Alexander
Author: Craig Groeschel
Author: Lewis A. Parks
Author: Nick May
Author: Paul Fromberg
Author: Awaken Movement
Author: Dwight Lee DuBois
Author: Darlene Zschech
Author: Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter