Download or read book California Mennonites written by Brian Froese and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2015-02-19 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did California Mennonites confront the challenges and promises of modernity? Books about Mennonites have centered primarily on the East Coast and the Midwest, where the majority of Mennonite communities in the United States are located. But these narratives neglect the unique history of the multitude of Mennonites living on the West Coast. In California Mennonites, Brian Froese relies on archival church records to examine the Mennonite experience in the Golden State, from the nineteenth-century migrants who came in search of sunshine and fertile soil to the traditionally agrarian community that struggled with issues of urbanization, race, gender, education, and labor in the twentieth century to the evangelically oriented, partially assimilated Mennonites of today. Froese places Mennonite experiences against a backdrop of major historical events, including World War II and Vietnam, and social issues, from labor disputes to the evolution of mental health care. California Mennonites include people who embrace a range of ideologies: many are historically rooted in the sixteenth-century Reformation ideals of the early Anabaptists (pacifism, congregationalism, discipleship); some embrace twentieth-century American evangelicalism (missions, Billy Graham); and others are committed to a type of social justice that involves forging practical ties to secular government programs while maintaining a quiet connection to religion. Through their experiences of religious diversity, changing demographics, and war, California Mennonites have wrestled with complicated questions of what it means to be American, Mennonite, and modern. This book—the first of its kind—will appeal to historians and religious studies scholars alike.

Download or read book The Mennonite Brethren Church written by Herbert Giesbrecht and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church written by John A. Toews and published by Fresno, Calif. : Board of Christian Literature, General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. This book was released on 1975 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Ministry Among United States Hispanics by an Ethno religious Minority written by Juan Francisco Martínez and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Creating a Missional Culture written by JR Woodward and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-09-20 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Missiologist and church planter JR Woodward offers a blueprint for the missional church--not small adjustments around the periphery of the infrastructure but a radical revisioning of how a church ought to look that entails changing how we think about leadership and what we expect out of discipleship.

Download or read book Private Independent Schools written by and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 714 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Work in the Spirit written by Miroslav Volf and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2001-04-27 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the rise of modern industrial society, work has come to pervade and rule the lives of men and women. Although there have been many popular books and church documents on on the Christian understanding of work, this is the first scholarly effort to articulate a developed Protestant theology of work. In Work in the Spirit, Miroslav Volf interprets work from a new perspective - in terms of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. He exhaustively explores the nature of work in both capitalist and socialist societies and considers a variety of work, including industrial, agricultural, medical, political, and artistic work. Examining the importance of alienation in work in industrial and information societies (particularly in the relation of workers to management and technology), he analyzes various forms of such alienation, and elucidates the character of humane work. On the basis of the ÒpneumatologicalÓ theology of work that he develops, Volf rejects the traditional Protestant understanding of work as vocation, and takes the concept of charisma as the cornerstone for his theological reflection on work. He denies that one is ÒcalledÓ to do a particular work irrespective of one's inclinations, and asserts, instead, that it is our privilege to do the kind of work for which God's spirit has gifted us. All human work done in accordance with the will of God, Volf argues, is cooperation with God in the preservation and transformation of the world.

Download or read book Practicing Greatness written by Reggie McNeal and published by Wiley + ORM. This book was released on 2010-05-20 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From an author and ministry consultant, seven practices for taking your religious leadership from good to great. Often spiritual leaders do not aspire to greatness for fear of seeming to lack humility. Yet greatness in spiritual leadership is just what we need—in our churches, our businesses, in education, in the social sector, in every sector of society. The question is how do good spiritual leaders become great leaders? Based on his extensive experience as coach and mentor to many thousands of Christian leaders across a broad spectrum of ministry settings, Reggie McNeal helps spiritual leaders understand that they will self-select into or out of greatness. McNeal shows how great spiritual leaders are committed intentionally to seven spiritual disciplines, habits of heart and mind that shape both their character and competence: *The discipline of self-awareness—the single most important information a leader possesses *The discipline of self-management—handling difficult emotions, expectations, temptations, as well as mental and physical well-being *The discipline of self-development—a life-long commitment to learning and growing and building on one's strengths *The discipline of mission—maintaining the sense of God's purpose in your life *The discipline of decision-making—knowing the elements of good decisions and learning from failure *The discipline of belonging—nurturing relationships and living in community with others *The discipline of aloneness—the intentional practice of solitude and contemplation “Practicing Greatness is a hard-hitting leadership book.” —from the Foreword by Ken Blanchard, author of The One-Minute Manager and Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time

Download or read book Genius of Generosity Book Lessons from a Secret Pact Between Two Friends written by Chip Ingram and published by . This book was released on 2010-12-01 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Martyrs Mirror written by Thieleman Janszoon Braght and published by Herald Press. This book was released on 1938-12-12 with total page 1320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is a collection of accounts of more than 4011 Christians burned at the stake, of countless bodies torn on the rack, torn tongues, ears, hands, feet, gouged eyes, people buried alive, and of many who were willing to bear the cross of persecution and death for the sake of Christ.

Download or read book Freedom s Delay written by Allen Carden and published by Univ. of Tennessee Press. This book was released on 2014-07-30 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Declaration of Independence proclaimed freedom for Americans from the domination of Great Britain, yet for millions of African Americas caught up in a brutal system of racially based slavery, freedom would be denied for ninety additional years until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Freedom’s Delay: America’s Struggle for Emancipation, 1776–1865 probes the slow, painful, yet ultimately successful crusade to end slavery throughout the nation, North and South. This work fills an important gap in the literature of slavery’s demise. Unlike other authors who focus largely on specific time periods or regional areas, Allen Carden presents a thematically structured national synthesis of emancipation. Freedom’s Delay offers a comprehensive and unique overview of the process of manumission commencing in 1776 when slavery was a national institution, not just the southern experience known historically by most Americans. In this volume, the entire country is examined, and major emancipatory efforts—political, literary, legal, moral, and social—made by black and white, free and enslaved individuals are documented over the years from independence through the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. Freedom’s Delay dispels many of the myths about slavery and abolition, including that racial servitude was of little consequence in the North, and, where it did exist, it ended quickly and easily; that abolition was a white man’s cause and blacks were passive recipients of liberty; that the South seceded primarily to protect states’ rights, not slavery; and that the North fought the Civil War primarily to end the subjugation of African Americans. By putting these misunderstandings aside, this book reveals what actually transpired in the fight for human rights during this critical era. Carden’s inclusion of a cogent preface and epilogue assures that Freedom’s Delay will find a significant place in the literature of American slavery and freedom. With a compelling preface and epilogue, notes, illustrations and tables, and a detailed bibliography, this volume will be of great value not only in courses on American history and African American history but also to the general reading public. Allen Carden is professor of history at Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, California. He is the author of Puritan Christianity in America: Religion and Life in Seventeenth-Century Massachusetts.

Download or read book Church Refugees written by Josh Packard and published by Group Publishing, Inc. . This book was released on 2015-06-01 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They’re called The Dones. After devoting a lifetime to their churches, they’re walking away. Why? Sociologists Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope reveal the results of a major study about the exodus from the American church. And what they’ve discovered may surprise you... -Church refugees aren’t who you’d expect. Among those scrambling for the exits are the church’s staunchest supporters and leaders. -Leaving the church doesn’t mean abandoning the faith. Some who are done with church report they’ve never felt spiritually stronger. -The door still remains open—a crack. Those who’ve left remain hungry for community and the chance to serve—and they’re finding both. Sifting through hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews, Packard and Hope provide illuminating insights into what has become a major shift in the American landscape. If you’re in the church, discover the major reasons your church may be in danger of losing its strongest members—and what you can do to keep them. If you’re among those done with church, look for your story to be echoed here. You’re not alone—and at last you’re understood. Share your story at TheDones.com

Download or read book Soul Whisperer written by Gary Comer and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2013-02-19 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if we changed the face of evangelism? In a time when so many have a negative perception of evangelism, what if a new model was entirely biblical, loaded with skills, and more effective? Soul Whisperer shifts the emphasis from "telling" to a "drawing" paradigm. It develops biblically the pattern of Jesus, who did not give static presentations but rather customized his words to each hearer. By learning his ways, our words, too, can have pinpointed impact! Christians will discover how to draw out first, in order to read their friends and discern the relevant appeal of the gospel. In this way, the style is far more dynamic. It adapts! Understanding the non-believer's unique starting point will determine a distinct path. By creating a conversation about spiritual influence and what is involved in faith formation, this book charts ways for Christians to go deeper in evangelistic relationships. Most importantly, Soul Whisperer infuses skills that will shape a more Christ-likened missional disciple.

Download or read book To Dream Again written by Robert Dale and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2004-12-27 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are four ways to revitalize a church, organizationally speaking. The easiest change is policy change. You simply adjust the way you do things. A second strategy is to change personnel. Firing the minister or electing new lay leaders is a common approach. Another change tactic is to create new program structures. Reorganization plans are familiar in institutions of all kinds. Change policy. Change people. Change programs. Each of these approaches has its advocates. But the approach I suggest is the most basic of all--clarify purpose. The fourth way to revitalize a church is to define and act on its fundamental purpose. A new dream awakes a congregation. A poster motto challenges: "Aim for the sun. You may not reach it, but you will fly higher that if you never aimed at all." --from the Foreword

Download or read book Grit and Grace written by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2019-02-12 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hang in There, Mama! For those moments when you think you’ll never live up to the Supermoms around you—when you’re elbow deep in the grind of diapers and laundry and peanut butter sandwiches—you need a good dose of Grit and Grace. This refreshing collection of 90 daily devotions comes from two moms who’ve found themselves face-to-the-floor in need of encouragement and now offer it to you. Through humor and vulnerability, these short messages of truth remove the filters of perfection clouding your vision and bring clarity to your purpose as a mom. As you read the Scripture and prayer that accompany each day’s message, you’ll discover more fully who you are in Christ and how to raise your children to reflect His love to the world. In giving yourself grace, you will find you have even more grace to give from the One who is present in your life right now and in every moment.

Download or read book The God Who Hears written by W. Bingham Hunter and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 1986-05-16 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why does God answer some prayers but not others? Why should I pray if God already knows what I need? W. Bingham Hunter explores these and other mysteries of prayer in light of God's character.

Download or read book Shalom and the Community of Creation written by Randy Woodley and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2012-05-25 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Materialism. Greed. Loneliness. A manic pace. Abuse of the natural world. Inequality. Injustice. War. The endemic problems facing America today are staggering. We need change and restoration. But where to begin? In Shalom and the Community of Creation Randy Woodley offers an answer: learn more about the Native American 'Harmony Way,' a concept that closely parallels biblical shalom. Doing so can bring reconciliation between Euro-Westerners and indigenous peoples, a new connectedness with the Creator and creation, an end to imperial warfare, the ability to live in the moment, justice, restoration -- and a more biblically authentic spirituality. Rooted in redemptive correction, this book calls for true partnership through the co-creation of new theological systems that foster wholeness and peace.