Download or read book Concern for Church Renewal written by Laura Schmidt Roberts and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2022-03-31 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From its first issue in 1954, CONCERN: A Pamphlet Series for Questions of Christian Renewal ran statements identifying it as an independent publication whose purpose was to stimulate study and discussion through intentional juxtaposition of viewpoints. What constitutes the church? Do existing structures engender or hinder the church’s ever-present need for renewal? What approaches or formats might more effectively “structure” its renewal? CONCERN’s Mennonite editorial board and the essays gathered here address these themes in reference to a Believers’ Church or Anabaptist framework, reflecting differing viewpoints but a shared sense that community and discipleship are essential. Two contemporary responses reflect current iterations of these questions, which are shaped by pronounced concerns for the exercise of power within the community, and the role response to structural, systemic inequalities plays in discipleship.

Download or read book Concern for Church Renewal written by Laura Schmidt Roberts and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2022-03-31 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From its first issue in 1954, CONCERN: A Pamphlet Series for Questions of Christian Renewal ran statements identifying it as an independent publication whose purpose was to stimulate study and discussion through intentional juxtaposition of viewpoints. What constitutes the church? Do existing structures engender or hinder the church's ever-present need for renewal? What approaches or formats might more effectively "structure" its renewal? CONCERN's Mennonite editorial board and the essays gathered here address these themes in reference to a Believers' Church or Anabaptist framework, reflecting differing viewpoints but a shared sense that community and discipleship are essential. Two contemporary responses reflect current iterations of these questions, which are shaped by pronounced concerns for the exercise of power within the community, and the role response to structural, systemic inequalities plays in discipleship.

Download or read book What s the Matter with the Church written by William Willis and published by Hope Publishing House. This book was released on 2005 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a call to church renewal by a retired United Methodist minister with a Ph.D. in pastoral counseling. He looks at the matter--the heart--of the church and challenges those who care about the church to take the demands of their faith seriously as they work out what God wants from the faith community as it worships together, serves together and becomes knit into the Body of Christ here on earth.

Download or read book Black and White written by Teesha Hadra and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2019-03-19 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Working against racism is part of what it means to call Jesus Lord and Savior. Most of us don’t need to make speeches. We need to make friends. This is the core message of Black and White: racism can be disrupted by relationships. If you will risk forging friendships with those who do not look like you, it will change the way you see the world, and that could change the world. The authors, Teesha Hadra, a young African American woman, and John Hambrick, a sixty-year-old white man, bring a confident and redemptive tone to this hope because that is exactly what they’ve experienced. Black and White leverages their story, surrounding it with other’s stories, practical advice, and exploration of the systems of racism to motivate you to consider your own role in change. Learn about the various and often subtle ways racism continues to be a part of American culture. Discover how simple (albeit not always easy) it is to get involved in what God is doing to disrupt racism. Become equipped to take faithful, practical, next steps in obedience to God’s call to join the movement against racism. “Awareness creates discontent. A lack of awareness often results in complacency. When it comes to racism there’s no room for complacency. Especially for Christ followers. In Black & White my friends Teesha Hadra and John Hambrick stir our awareness. My hope—their hope—is that having become aware we will become permanently and passionately discontent with racism in all of its insidious forms and expressions.” —Andy Stanley, pastor and founder of North Point Community Church, author of Irresistible

Download or read book Turning Around the Mainline written by Thomas C. Oden and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible case study that introduces the current issues in today's churches, providing clarity and civil discourse on renewal movements and how they are impacting mainline denominations.

Download or read book Minding the Good Ground written by Professor of Theology Jason E Vickers and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-15 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Declining memberships. Pastoral scandals. A fear of secularism and the New Atheism. Christians are worried about the church's future. Despite such despair, Jason Vickers believes the church also sits upon the cusp of renewal. Some emerging voices promise to lead the church out of decay but focus only upon its structure, while others encourage the Spirit's work to the exclusion of all else. Minding the Good Ground organizes the multitude of voices and proposes a new way forward--rooting these renewal movements in a robust historical theology. Moving beyond quick-fix solutions, this new theological vision grounds renewal in the good and life-giving work of the Holy Spirit.

Download or read book The Future of the Church written by Francois C. Gerard and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 1974-01-01 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book God s Transforming Spirit written by Preston Robert Washington and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Washington addresses two serious questions that concern pastors - How do pastors and leaders confront the imminent death of their congregations and move quickly enough to seek renewal? How might a church develop in spite of faithful people who cling to their 'holy' past?Offering 'no pat plan in ten easy lessons, ' he talks about the importance of prayer discipline, dependence on the Holy Spirit for guidance, and helping members grow in discipleship. His ideas include a Vision Group for open forum discussion, sharing, and program planning.

Download or read book The Storied Church written by Matthew Gorkos and published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The storied church focuses on church renewal that is born of the restorative, transformative, life-giving function that stories have for us as individuals and that can serve communities of faithful people. If stories help us survive as human creatures, why can't they help churches survive? This book is a tool to empower pastors and lay leaders to effect revitalizing change in their faith communites."--back cover.

Download or read book The Renewal of the Heart Is the Mission of the Church written by Gregory S Clapper and published by Lutterworth Press. This book was released on 2011-10-27 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Wesley has arguably influenced more American Christians than any other Protestant interpreter. One reason for this wide influence is that Wesley often spoke about the heart and its affections - that realm of life where all humans experience their deepest satisfactions, as well as some of their deepest conundrums. However, one of the problems of interpreting and appropriating Wesley is that we have been blinded to Wesley's actual views aboutJohn Wesley has arguably influenced more American Christiansthan any other Protestant interpreter. One reason for this wide influence is that Wesley often spoke about the heart and its affections - that realm of life where all humans experience their deepest satisfactions, as well as some of their deepest conundrums. However, one of the problems of interpreting and appropriating Wesley is that we have been blinded to Wesley's actual views about

Download or read book Renovation of the Church written by Kent Carlson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-11-21 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity Today Book Award winner Leadership Journal Top Book of the Year Copastors Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken tell the story of how God took their thriving, consumer-oriented church and transformed it into a modest congregation of unformed believers committed to the growth of the spirit--even when it meant a decline in numbers. As Kent and Mike found out, a decade of major change is not easy on a church. Oak Hills Church, from the pastoral staff to the congregation, had to confront addiction to personal ambition, resist consumerism and reorient their lives around the teachings of Jesus. Their renewed focus on spiritual formation over numerical growth triggered major changes in the content of their sermons, the tenor of their worship services, and the reason for their outreach. They lost members. But the health and spiritual depth of their church today is a testimony of God's transforming work and enduring faithfulness to the people he loves. Honest and humble, this is Kent and Mike's story of a church they love, written to inspire and challenge other churches to let God rewrite their stories as well. Read it for the church you love.

Download or read book A Vision for the Aging Church written by James M. Houston and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2011-10-10 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are we ready for the opportunities and challenges facing the aging church? Now is the time for the church to offer ministry to its increasing numbers of seniors and to benefit from ministry they can offer. In this book James M. Houston and Michael Parker issue an urgent call to reconceive the place and part of the elderly and seniors in the local church congregation. Confronting the idea that the aging are mostly a burden on the church, they boldly address the moral issues related to caring for them, provide examples of successful care-giving programs and challenge the church to restore broken connections across the generations. Cowritten by a noted theologian and an expert in the fields of social work and gerontology, this interdisciplinary book assesses our current cultural context and the challenges and opportunities we face. The authors show us that seniors aren't the problem. They are the solution.

Download or read book Renovation of the Heart written by Dallas Willard and published by Tyndale House. This book was released on 2014-02-27 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Christians, we know that we are new creations in Jesus. So we try to act differently, hoping this will make us more like Him. But changing our outward behavior doesn’t change our hearts. Only by God’s grace can we be transformed internally. Renovation of the Heart lays a biblical foundation for understanding what best-selling author Dallas Willard calls the “transformation of the spirit”—a divine process that “brings every element in our being, working from inside out, into harmony with the will of God.” This fresh approach to spiritual growth explains the biblical reasons why Christians need to undergo change in six aspects of life: thought, feeling, will, body, social context, and soul. Willard also outlines a general pattern of transformation in each area, not as a sterile formula but as a practical process that you can follow without the guilt or perfectionism so many Christians wrestle with. Don’t settle for complacency. Accept the challenge Renovation of the Heart offers to become an intentional apprentice of Jesus Christ, changing daily as you walk with Him.

Download or read book Revitalize 9Marks Journal written by Jonathan Leeman and published by . This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 9Marks Journal: RevitalizeChurch planting is a great thing, and there's no need to take anything away from it. But there should also be a default setting in a Christian's heart that always longs to see dying churches revitalized. It's not like the debate in your head about whether to fork over $2000 to the mechanic to fix your clunker of a car or to just buy a new one. It's more like a decision about whether to walk away from a dear but difficult relationship. Our hearts should never want to do that, even if once in a great while we must.Start with Andy Davis' remarkable story of reforming one church, and you'll find something that feels strangely like it's from the Bible, as if Andy were only doing what the apostles did. Then let the biblical burden of Bobby Jamieson's article sit on you. I'm serious. You just might find some new light bulbs turning on. Matt Schmucker's and Mike McKinley's articles then round out the apologetic by offering crisp statements for why churches and pastors should pursue the work of revitalizing.If you are a pastor, keep reading into the next section, where Jeramie Rinne, Greg Gilbert, John Folmar, J. D. Greear, and Brian Croft offer valuable and practical wisdom on how to proceed with the work of reform.Could it be that church revitalization does not loom as large in the modern evangelical mindset as it did in Jesus' and the apostles'? Before you answer that question, if nothing else, read Bobby's article. You just might wonder if we've missed something basic.

Download or read book Renewing the Vision written by and published by USCCB Publishing. This book was released on 1997 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides all who minister to young people with an effective blueprint for building a truly meaningful ministry

Download or read book Furnace of Renewal written by George Mallone and published by IVP Books. This book was released on 1981 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Church Revitalization ChecklistThe Church Revitalization Checklist written by Sam Rainer and published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. This book was released on 2022 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your church has the opportunity of a lifetime. The world has shifted, and a new, brighter tomorrow awaits. The Church Revitalization Checklist is a tool to help you start fresh, leverage your strengths, and discover hidden opportunities for church growth. God has placed you exactly where He wants you. But let's be honest, if you're leading a church, it isn't easy. Maybe your church has been in the doldrums for years. Maybe you're hearing a lot of complaints, and you're simply tired or disheartened. Maybe you've been hurt. But you are not alone. Many church leaders have sore backs from carrying a heavy load. This book will lighten that load. The Church Revitalization Checklist provides a step-by-step path to a hope-filled future for both you and your church. Popular church expert Sam Rainer will walk you and your leadership team through a seven-point checklist--everything from reconsidering your priorities to evaluating your location and facilities. It is an extremely practical tool to unleash your congregation and help them step into God's unique purpose for them. Your brighter future starts now.