Download or read book Creating a Prodigal Friendly Church written by Jeff Lucas and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-05-26 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most of us have prodigals in our lives, whether a child, brother, sister, husband, wife, or friend. The ache for these dear ones is like no other. They may hurt us and disappoint us, but somehow we cannot stop loving them. And yet we cannot live their lives for them.The Prodigal-Friendly Church looks at why people leave the church, how we can retain them, how we can reach those who have already gone, and how we can help those who return feel like they belong. Jeff Lucas offers no easy recipes for success, but plenty of truthtelling, hope, and encouragement.This book discusses the principles of:• Reach: How do we reach those who’ve already left the church?• Return: How do we help people return to the church?• Retain: How do we retain the people we’ve worked so hard to reach? Ultimately we are called to bring our prodigals to the cross of Christ, for there we find the mingling of our own utter helplessness and God’s total power to intervene and save. When the Father’s house is filled with the Father’s love, there is hope that the prodigals will come home.

Download or read book Beyond the Broken Church written by Sarah Raymond Cunningham and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2014-04-22 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beyond the Broken Church is a collection of heartfelt learnings from Sarah Cunningham, a young adult raised in the faith, about the church she's not always sure she wants to be part of. The book engages concerns of a disillusioned generation head on and offers hope and honest, practical ideas for moving beyond one’s frustrations. In the end Beyond the Broken Church tells a story that will be familiar to many: the journey of overcoming disillusionment and staying the course. This revised and expanded version of the popular book Dear Church revisits the existing book with additional chapters, fresh statistics, new insights into why people are leaving the church, and a resource guide for those who care about the disillusioned and want to understand them better. Beyond the Broken Church will be a breath of fresh air to others who have experienced frustration in church as well as an insider’s guide for those seeking to understand current trends in church attendance, particularly among the younger generation.

Download or read book Will Your Prodigal Come Home written by Jeff Lucas and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-12-15 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you have had your heart broken by a prodigal, you know the pain of being hurt or disappointed by a loved one ... and the utter despair of seeing them turn away from Christ and the cross. In Will Your Prodigal Come Home? author Jeff Lucas delivers a message that is both challenging and comforting as he outlines the chaotic situations and emotions that families of prodigals face.Lucas acknowledges that every prodigal is different. Some have defied God. Some are lured by drugs, alcohol, or crime. Others have drifted until the emotional and physical distance feels unbearable. Still others are in church pews, with hearts closed to Jesus. Clearly, there are no easy answers. But through understanding, insight into the emotions that form within families, and an acknowledgement of the power of prayer, this book outlines a solid approach to help guide your prodigal home and help you keep your own faith as you wait.

Download or read book The Prodigal Church written by Jared C. Wilson and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2015-04-16 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastors want to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus. However, we've too often assumed this requires loud music, flashy lights, and skinny jeans. In this gentle manifesto, Jared Wilson—a pastor who knows what it's like to serve in a large attractional church—challenges pastors to reconsider their priorities when it comes to how they "do church" and reach people in their communities. Writing with the grace and kindness of a trusted friend, Wilson encourages pastors to reexamine the Bible's teaching, not simply return to a traditional model for tradition's sake. He then sets forth an alternative to both the attractional and the traditional models: an explicitly biblical approach that is gospel focused, grace based, and fruit oriented.

Download or read book ThirdWay written by and published by . This book was released on 2005-11 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Monthly current affairs magazine from a Christian perspective with a focus on politics, society, economics and culture.

Download or read book Deep and Wide written by Andy Stanley and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2016-02-09 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Create a church unchurched people absolutely love to attend. Deep and Wide provides church leaders with an in-depth look into North Point Community Church and its strategy for creating churches unchurched people absolutely love to attend. Now available in an expanded edition, this trusted resource has sold over 250,000 copies. In it, Andy Stanley explains: His strategy for preaching and programming to both mature believers and cynical unbelievers North Point's spiritual formation model: The Five Faith Catalysts Three essential ingredients for creating irresistible environments How to tackle the challenge of transitioning a local congregation If your team is more concerned with who you are reaching than who you are keeping, the expanded edition of Deep and Wide will be more than a book you read; it will be a resource you come back to over and over! New bonus content includes a study guide, church staff helps, and an interview with Andy on the most frequently asked questions about Deep and Wide.

Download or read book Mission America A Wesleyan Perspective written by María Carrillo Díaz and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2012-12-07 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In case you haven't noticed, the American cultural landscape has changed. The Church in America is no longer the center of community life, and in many cases is in rapid decline. How did we get here? More importantly, what is it going to take to get us where we need to be? America is a mission field! In MISSION AMERICA, Keith Tilley explores the current postmodern, post-everything situation in 21st century America, and identifies what it will take to mobilize the Church of Jesus Christ into a missional position again. Cultures constantly change. It is vital that church leaders of every generation strive to mobilize missionaries who discover, declare and demonstrate the Kingdom of God in relevant ways. The unfinished business of the reformation is the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Writing from a unique Wesleyan perspective, Keith shares a vital heritage that contributed to the Great Awakening, and a global perspective on world missions.

Download or read book Living the Hours written by Anthony Grimley and published by Canterbury Press. This book was released on 2009-10-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Living the Hours explores what makes the monastic tradition so appealing to ordinary people today who may be discovering a world of spirituality previously hidden from them, or perhaps questioning the balance, priorities and focal points of their lives. Since its beginnings in the fourth century, monasticism's alternative vision for living has, in different ways, always inspired men and women in the secular world to step outside the routine of everyday life and to give time to reflection and exploration. The monastic day is measured in 'hours' with times for prayer, physical work, study and rest all contributing to a balanced, holistic life. This book looks at different expressions of monastic life through history and at the new monastic movements emerging today and asks how they can teach us in today's consumerist world to live more fully, more consciously aware of how we choose to fill our hours and days.

Download or read book Making Sense of God written by Timothy Keller and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-09-20 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.

Download or read book Seriously Funny 01 written by Adrian Plass and published by Authentic Media Inc. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A little while ago, concerned that the next time they got together, one of them would be in a coffin, Jeff Lucas and Adrian Plass decided to start exchanging letters and this book is the result. Breathtakingly honest, funny, moving and immensely enjoyable, Seriously Funny is a celebration of 21st century Christianity as well as a no-holds barred expose of its sillier side. And they are equally hard on themselves their most embarrassing moments are a joy to read. Adrian Plass and Jeff Lucas are renowned for their ability to express the silly side of Christian culture, and to cut through our pretensions and foibles with incisive wit. In this candid, moving, hilarious book, they join comedic forces to challenge and entertain us.

Download or read book Faith in the Fog written by Jeff Lucas and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2014-02-25 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Keeping your faith burning bright when all you want to do is burn out In Faith in the Fog, bestselling author Jeff Lucas explores the pain and fear that many Christians feel when walking through a spiritual fog, when doubts about faith undermine the joy of belief. After the Resurrection—when the disciples found themselves on the fog bank of unresolved shame, failure, and confusion—what Jesus did to help them and what he didn’t do is both enlightening and inspirational. Here, you will focus on the person of Jesus and the way he approaches those who are worn out when life is tough. Who Jesus really is—rather than the way we instinctively perceive him emotionally and theologically—is what will make the difference and help clear the fog. Through a broad approach, Faith in the Fog tackles the feelings of failure, uselessness, and shame, which are often the underlying causes of depression and burnout among Christians.

Download or read book The Prodigal God written by Timothy Keller and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008-10-30 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Newsweek called renowned minister Timothy Keller "a C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century" in a feature on his first book, The Reason for God. In that book, he offered a rational explanation of why we should believe in God. Now, in The Prodigal God, Keller takes his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity and uses the parable of the prodigal son to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation. Within that parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way.

Download or read book Standing on My Knees written by Jeff Lucas and published by Monarch Books. This book was released on 2013-03-25 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: myths that hinder our prayer life. Describing his book as an -alternative prayer manual-, Jeff offers a wealth of practical suggestions to help Christians of all ages and stages to develop a stronger one-on-one relationship with the Almighty. He is open about his own struggles in this area, and writes with clarity and compassion about an aspect of the life of faith that many of us find difficult. First published as How Not to Pray, this book is now revised and updated. Jeff says: -The core message is the same, but ten years on I am writing from a different part of the wood. I am not sure I am wiser, but I am certainly more experienced ' and continue to believe that if we get our prayer habits right, the rest of life is more likely to fall into place.

Download or read book How to Lead a Church to Reach People and Grow written by Robert A. Young and published by Xulon Press. This book was released on 2009-05 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a unique approach to church growth. It is written mainly to help churches that are declining, but will help all churches. The underlying premise is that churches do not grow and reach new people because they do not know how, or because they are so poorly structured and organized that they spend most of their time and efforts in conflict. This disrupts the fellowship and leaves very little time and energy for reaching new people. The subtitle could be, "Fifteen Essential Steps To Growth"- Basic growth and administrative principles. The combining of these areas makes this a unique book. Young has brought together these basic elements, from over 40 years of experience. . The book is a practical guide for a local church to follow to function efficiently and effectively, and reach people for Christ. When the steps are followed, and in the proper order, the church can pretty well be assured of growth and effective ministry. Dr. Robert A. Young is currently President of Samuelite Corp., Church Outreach and Consulting. He served as Associate Pastor/Administration of Walnut Street Baptist Church, Louisville, KY, and Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, TX, and President of the National Association of Church Business Administration. He has conducted "Total Church Consultations" and Capital Fund Campaigns for churches of all sizes and denominations. He is now available to serve churches as a consultant in these areas. He is also the author of "The Development of A Church Manual of Administrative Policies".

Download or read book The Recovery Minded Church written by Jonathan Benz and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-12-03 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You want to have vibrant relationships with those who struggle with addiction in your church and community. This practical resource for church leaders and congregations answers your pressing questions about addiction and recovery, through real-life stories, the latest insights from medical science and a biblical framework for how to love the addicts in your midst.

Download or read book Praying Your Prodigal Home written by Richard A. Burr and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2008-04-18 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praying Your Prodigal Home - A moving testimony to God's power and faithfulness. Franklin Graham writes, "Praying Your Prodigal Home is a book of hope and encouragement." This gripping book gives you sound biblical principles on how to pray effectively for your lost friend or loved one. It includes focused prayers that can be used as models in praying for unbelievers. Richard has been a prodigal and "has experienced the pain of loving and pursuing a prodigal." In this book, Burr reveals how the God of all mercies listens to the cries of hurting parents and intercessors. Unleash God s power to set your loved ones free!

Download or read book Keep Believing Finding God in Your Deepest Struggles 2019 Edition written by Dr. Ray Pritchard and published by Gideon House Books. This book was released on with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The biggest barrier to faith is life itself. Divorce. Cancer. Infertility. Death. There are times in our lives in which God seems very far away. We don't understand His silence. We only feel the intensity of our pain and the echoing question of 'why?' The Bible declares that God is good, but can we still believe this when our lives are falling apart? In Keep Believing, Dr. Pritchard affirms what the Bible declares: that God is good and His mercy endures forever. This is true regardless of our moment-by-moment experience. God has provided comfort in our times of struggle and healing in our times of hurt through the balm of His Word. You believed in the light of day; will you still believe at midnight? Search the Scriptures with Dr. Pritchard for words of encouragement and hope. Put your confidence in the God who sorrowfully watched His Son suffer at Calvary for your benefit. Know that the same loving heavenly Father has everything completely under control. He is with you and longs to comfort you as you struggle through your hard times. Take a tell-tale look at your devotion to the Lord and His never-ending love and commitment to you in Keep Believing. You served God in the sunshine; will you now serve him in the shadows?