Download or read book Leading Small Groups That Thrive written by Ryan T. Hartwig and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2020-08-11 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly every church is trying to help their congregants build relationships with others, grow as disciples, and/or engage in meaningful service through small groups. Many have argued that these small groups are the preferred vehicle for relationship building, disciple making, and membership assimilation in the local church, especially in large, multisite churches. Leading Small Groups That Thrive shows small group leaders, step by step, how to plan for, launch, build, sustain, and multiply highly effective, transformational, healthy small group experiences where people grow spiritually together. Based on a large-scale research study of small group pastors, leaders, and members, Leading Small Groups That Thrive gives church leaders both what they want--practical, straightforward, actual small group member voices and experiences, and compelling guidance on how to build transformational groups complemented with real-life examples and data of successful small groups--and what they need--substantial, challenging insights and a data-driven model grounded in the latest research on church small groups.

Download or read book Life Together written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 1978-10-25 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After his martyrdom at the hands of the Gestapo in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer continued his witness in the hearts of Christians around the world. His Letters and Papers from Prison became a prized testimony to Christian faith and courage, read by thousands. Now in Life Together we have Pastor Bonhoeffer's experience of Christian community. This story of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years reads like one of Paul's letters. It gives practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical, words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.

Download or read book Putting It Together Again When It s All Fallen Apart written by Tom Holladay and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2018-02-06 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life crises can throw you into a tail-spin—a lost job, a failed relationship, a struggling business, a financial mess. Where do you start? How do you pull it together? How do you begin again? Tom Holladay experienced a catastrophe first-hand when a sudden flood in California destroyed his home, his church, and the homes of many church members. Tom and his congregation had to rebuild, and they used the principles in the book of Nehemiah to get back on their feet. Now a teaching pastor at Saddleback Church, Tom will help you discover seven principles for putting it together again that will give you the direction you need to get rolling on that fresh start. Holladay will walk you through seeing every problem as an opportunity, facing the obstacles head on and taking your first step, knowing how to expect and reject opposition, build on your success, and dedicating yourself to the One who rebuilds our souls. The task of starting again can seem impossible. And sometimes you just need to rebuild your confidence and regain a sense of purpose. If you’re trying to find the emotional energy, but you just don’t have it in you, let Holladay encourage you. He understands how difficult and rewarding the business of rebuilding is. This book is your encouraging how-to guide to starting again and stepping into a better future.

Download or read book Sticky Faith written by Kara Powell and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2011-10-04 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sticky Faith delivers positive and practical ideas to nurture within your kids a living, loving faith that lasts a lifetime. Research indicates that almost half of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation. Struck by this staggering statistic, and recognizing its ramifications, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the "College Transition Project" in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. This easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark--authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people--Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages. Further engage your family and church with the Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith curriculum, and Sticky Faith youth worker edition. Sticky Faith is also available in Spanish, Cómo criar jóvenes de fe sólida.

Download or read book AND written by Hugh Halter and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2010 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: AND brings you fresh encouragement to your ministry. By teaching you how to move beyond the attractional-missional divide and utilize insights from both perspectives, you'll learn how to bring together the very best of the attractional and missional models for church ministry. AND is part of the Exponential Series.

Download or read book The New International Lesson Annual 2016 2017 written by David Kalas and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2016-05-17 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New International Lesson Annual is designed for teachers who seek a solid biblical basis for each session and a step-by-step teaching plan that will help them lead their classes. It can be used with any student curriculum based on the Uniform Lesson Series. In many classes, both the students and teacher rely on the Annual as their companion to the Bible. Includes the CEB and NRSV translations. Over the four quarters of the 2016-2017 Sunday school year we will explore the themes of God’s sovereignty, creation, love, and call. During the fall quarter we examine Isaiah, Hebrews, and Revelation to see how these books reveal the Sovereignty of God. Luke’s Gospel, selected psalms, and Galatians will help us understand Creation: A Divine Cycle, our study for the winter. In the spring we will survey both the Old and New Testaments to discover that God Loves Us. We conclude during the summer with God’s Urgent Call, a study of the way God spoke to certain judges, prophets, and people of the New Testament. Inside discover: Weekly Scripture reading and reflection questions to enhance the teacher's personal spiritual growth. Weekly activities that the learners can do beyond the classroom to live out what they have learned. In-depth background article for each quarter. Quarterly pronunciation guide. Additional quarterly reference material, such as maps, charts, or timelines. Quarterly ideas for putting one's faith into action. Annual teacher enrichment article. Annual index to background Scriptures.

Download or read book The New International Lesson Annual 2014 2015 written by Nan Duerling and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2014-05-20 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Years of reader evaluations yield a record of overwhelming positive teaching results. Teachers agree that The New International Lesson Annual gets highest marks for helping Christian educators in the classroom, making Scripture understood, relating Scripture to contemporary living, and challenging students to respond with positive actions. Based on the Bible study foundations of America’s leading ecumenical Bible educators and editors in the venerable Committee on Uniform Series. Lessons for a full year include analysis by leading scholars, four quarterly Bible background articles, a Teacher Helps article, and helps put faith into action. The annual uses NRSV and CEB text.

Download or read book Kagin s Crossing written by Steve Kagin and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2011-12-30 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kagin's Crossing is a collection of eponymous weekly religious columns written for small town newspapers. It is designed to be picked up and read wherever God leads you to read it, depending on the topic you are interested in for the day. The columns encompass all areas of life, encouraging the reader to view topics from a biblical perspective. This book brings the Bible to life and will inspire and challenge the reader to truly live a Christian lifestyle.

Download or read book Becoming Who God Wants You to Be written by W. Paul Jones and published by Upper Room Books. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For those who do not have a spiritual director – or are curious about the concept – W. Paul Jones has crafted a series of topical meditations that facilitate self-guided spiritual direction. In this refreshing approach to the means of spiritual growth, you will explore self-guided spiritual direction with the ultimate spiritual director – The Holy Spirit. Examine your inner thoughts, truths, difficulties, and triumphs through reflection questions at the end of each chapter that prompt introspection and ultimately direction in your spiritual life. Chapter Topics Include: Abandonment, Being Second, Covenant, Envy, Prayer, and Religion

Download or read book Brave Church written by Elizabeth Hagan and published by Upper Room Books. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In today's deeply divided world where discussions can quickly become heated and uncivil, churches need to learn how to talk about sensitive issues. Our society needs brave churches where people can talk about the real struggles they are experiencing without fear of being dismissed, shamed, or judged. Brave Church helps congregations talk about controversial topics with sensitivity to those who see the world and have experienced life differently from themselves. It guides readers to think through how they can foster conversations about such challenging topics as infertility/miscarriage, mental health, domestic violence, racism, and sexuality. In this 6-week small-group study, pastor Elizabeth Hagan weaves personal and theological reflections with scripture, discussion questions, and real-world examples to move readers from exploration to action. Brave Church includes a Leader's Guide and suggests resources for further reading and action.

Download or read book The Guant namo Lawyers written by Mark P. Denbeaux and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2011-03-04 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States imprisoned more than 750 men at its naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The detainees, ranging from teenagers to elderly men from over forty different countries, were held for years without charges, trial, or a fair hearing. Without any legal status or protection, they were truly outside the law: imprisoned in secret, denied communication with their families, and subjected to extreme isolation, physical and mental abuse, and, in some instances, torture. These are the detainees' stories, told by their lawyers because the prisoners themselves were silenced. It took lawyers who had filed habeas corpus petitions over two years to finally gain the right to visit and talk to their clients at Guantánamo. Even then, lawyers worked under severe restrictions, designed to inhibit communication and maximize secrecy. Eventually, however, lawyers did meet with their clients. This book contains over 100 personal narratives from attorneys who have represented detainees held at Guantánamo as well as at other overseas prisons, from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to secret CIA jails or "black sites."

Download or read book How to Follow Jesus written by Craig Springer and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of people want to follow Jesus, but don't know how. Upon becoming Christians, new believers often end up paralyzed. They become overwhelmed trying to master complicated doctrines, frustrated by a large list of rules for policing their lives, and bewildered by a new (and strange) vocabulary. Even worse, there are few books offering simple and clear advice to guide a Christian's first spiritual steps that are written in common, contemporary language. Until now. In How to Follow Jesus, Craig Springer, executive director of Alpha USA, one of America's most effective evangelism movements, explodes numerous myths surrounding the Christian faith that create unnecessary obstacles to growth, including: illustrating that sin and temptation are not the greatest threat to a flourishing faith, forgiveness means going through rather than around our feelings, and how disappointment in the church may be the essential step in growing a foundation for life-changing community. Sharing personal stories from his own journey to a mature faith, Springer sets readers at ease and offers them practical, easy-to-implement advice for following Jesus. Destined to become a timeless classic, How to Follow Jesus is a must read for new and returning Christians.

Download or read book Exiles written by Preston M. Sprinkle and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2024-03-05 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thoughtful exploration of the intersection of faith and politics, Exiles asks: What if we considered ourselves “exiles in Babylon” and turned to Scripture, not political parties, to shape our most passionate values? Politics are dividing our churches like never before. New York Times–bestselling author Dr. Preston M. Sprinkle reminds us that the first-century church was not an apolitical gathering, where Christians left their Roman politics at the door. It also wasn’t a place where Christians mounted a Roman flag next to—or above—a Christian one. Church was a place where God’s plan for governing the world was revealed, where one could witness what it means to follow the Creator’s design for human flourishing. In this timely book, Preston explores why: Israel’s exile to Babylon profoundly shaped the political identity of God’s people—and still does today. Christians should see themselves as foreigners in the country where they live. The gospel of Jesus’ kingdom was politically subversive. The church today should view its political identity as fundamentally separate from the empire. Total allegiance to a political party dilutes the church’s witness. Discover a more biblical, powerful way to live in a secular world. Discover what it means to live in exile.

Download or read book The Externally Focused Quest written by Eric Swanson and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-04-12 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practical approach for leaders to guide their congregations to become more externally focused The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community is designed for church leaders who want to transform their churches to become less internally focused and more oriented to the world around them. The book includes the clear guidelines on the ten changes congregations must adopt to become truly outwardly focused. This book is not about getting all churches to have an annual day of community service as a tactic but changing the core of who they are and how they see themselves as a part of their community. Outlines the ten changes needed for church leaders to transform their churches Presents a highly practical approach that shows leaders how to become more externally focused without having to give up programs that serve members A new volume in the popular Leadership Network Series This book reveals what it takes to make the major shift from an internal to external focus and how that affects church leadership.

Download or read book The well connected community written by Gilchrist, Alison and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2009-07-22 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the publication of the first edition of The well-connected community there has been a growing recognition in practice and policy of how networks contribute to the vitality of community life and civil society. Government policy has increasingly emphasised the need to involve communities in decision making, while social capital is increasingly associated with health, low levels of crime, educational achievement and a strong 'sense of community'. The well-connected community aims to strengthen and extend informal networks, support partnership working across boundaries and promote social cohesion. It explores the concept of 'community' in relation to patterns of interaction, social identity and mutual influence, advocating a new model of community development that promotes networking as a skilled and strategic intervention and providing recommendations for good networking practice. This fully updated second edition includes new ideas drawn from recent research on social capital and the policy context for community practice, reflecting the increasing emphasis on community engagement and empowerment. Recent case studies and examples have been added throughout. The well-connected community is aimed at practitioners, trainers, policy makers and managers working with communities or responsible for community participation strategies, both in the UK and internationally. Academics will also find it a useful source for teaching and research.

Download or read book Faith in the Wilderness written by Hannah Nation and published by Kirkdale Press. This book was released on 2022-04-27 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If we want revival in our communities, then let us learn from those being revived." For many Western Christians, the experience of suffering and persecution is remote. For Chinese Christians, on the other hand, persecution is a regular aspect of the Christian life. If a Christian from the West was transported to a Chinese house church, the topic of suffering would be ever--present in preaching and conversation. With decades of persecution under the thumb of the Chinese Communist Party and a rich theology of suffering, the Chinese house church movement has much to contribute theologically to the global church. In Faith in the Wilderness, editors Hannah Nation and Simon Liu pull together the insights of the Chinese Church for the West. These sermonic letters from Chinese Christians will awaken readers to the reality of the gospel--the ground of our hope--in the midst of darkness. Readers will be convicted, encouraged, and edified by the testimony of these Chinese Christians.

Download or read book The Abolitionist s Journal written by James D. Richardson and published by University of New Mexico Press. This book was released on 2022 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author raises questions about why the fervent commitment to the emancipation of African Americans was nearly forgotten by his family, exploring the racial attitudes in the author's upbringing and the ingrained racism that still plagues our nation today.