Download or read book Freeing Congregational Mission written by B. Hunter Farrell and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2022-01-25 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a deepening crisis in mission as practiced by North American congregations. Many mission activities are more effective at satisfying church members than making a lasting difference, producing what's too often consumer-oriented "selfie mission." Too much effort is based on colonial-era assumptions of mission launched from a position of power. These practices are not just ineffective—they deviate from mission in the way of Jesus. Hunter Farrell and Bala Khyllep want to help free congregational mission from harmful cultural forces so churches can better partner with God's work in the world. They invite leaders to lay the foundation for more faithful and effective missions with three core elements: a Christ-centered theology of mission rooted in companionship an appetite and competence to engage across differences with cultural humility insights and strategies to accompany local and global neighbors in co-development Farrell and Khyllep deliver key takeaways from the latest mission research, inspiring examples from innovative congregations, and a set of step-by-step tools for churches to discern and implement sound practices that will work for them. The local church community is well-positioned to build a spreading circle of relationships centered in Jesus Christ. With this book, congregations of every Christian tradition will find practical help to direct their resources in truly life-giving ways as they seek the mission of God.

Download or read book A Heart for the Community written by John Dr. Fuder and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2013-08-28 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our nation used to look at violence, poverty, and gentrification and assign those problems to urban centers. Today, these issues concern the suburbs, too. The Christian community is responding to this reality. Churches and parachurch ministries are actively working to transform lives and restore communities throughout the city and suburbs. In A Heart for the Community: New Models for Urban and Suburban Ministry, you will be challenged by a collection of voices seeking community renewal. These individuals are involved in creative church planting initiatives, and they are serving the growing Hispanic and Muslim populations. Additional endeavors include serving racially changing communities, economic development strategies, and more. As anyone who has been in ministry for any length of time can attest, tackling some of the most challenging issues of our times is no mere academic exercise. The voices within these pages write from experience and offer workable, vibrant models of ministry that make a difference.

Download or read book Missional Renaissance written by Reggie McNeal and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-02-03 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reggie McNeal's bestseller The Present Future is the definitive work on the "missional movement," i.e., the widespread movement among Protestant churches to be less inwardly focused and more oriented toward the culture and community around them. In that book he asked the tough questions that churches needed to entertain to begin to think about who they are and what they are doing; in Missional Renaissance, he shows them the three significant shifts in their thinking and behavior that they need to make that will allow leaders to chart a course toward being missional: (1) from an internal to an external focus, ending the church as exclusive social club model; (2) from running programs and ministries to developing people as its core activity; and (3) from professional leadership to leadership that is shared by everyone in the community. With in-depth discussions of the "what" and the "how" of transitioning to being a missional church, readers will be equipped to move into what McNeal sees as the most viable future for Christianity. For all those thousands of churches who are asking about what to do next after reading The Present Future, Missional Renaissance will provide the answer.

Download or read book Mission Rift written by David E. Woolverton and published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers. This book was released on 2021 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are two types of conflict in congregations: conflict that kills and conflict that cultivates growth. So argues David E. Woolverton in Mission Rift: Leading through Church Conflict. Conflict that kills--that damages or destroys teams, ministries, missions, vibrancy--occurs when we as the people of God forget who we are, why we're here, and where we're going in carrying out the divine mission. Conflict that cultivates growth often begins with the same scenarios, but leaders see conflict as a context for learning how to live together as a people called to transform their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. In Mission Rift, Woolverton reorients our view of congregational conflict. In part 1, he examines conflict from a theological and ecclesiological framework, exploring why it is essential to discipleship and mission. In part 2, he presents six principles of missional leadership, challenging pastors and other leaders to define themselves within the frameworks of spiritual formation and family systems, and then to create environments that facilitate growth in faith communities. Rather than resolve conflict too quickly, Woolverton explains, lest we inadvertently sabotage the potential it has to draw a congregation toward spiritual growth, wise leaders recognize that a lack of conflict may be a symptom of missional decline, rather than congregational unity. When the church pursues its divine mission first, conflict may become essential for defining its mission priorities. Successfully leading through conflict toward a transformative end will empower a congregation's witness within its community and beyond.

Download or read book United by Faith written by Curtiss Paul DeYoung and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2004 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents an argument for multiracial Christian congregations in breaking down racial barriers in the United States.

Download or read book Ask Thank Tell written by Charles R. Lane and published by Augsburg Books. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goal of this book, says author Charles Lane, is to perform a dramatic rescue of stewardship, freeing it from any connection whatsoever to "paying the bills." When the Bible talks about stewardship it almost always talks about the intimate connection between how a person handles financial matters and that person's relationship with God. Stewardship is an intensely spiritual matter that lies close to a disciple's relationship with Jesus.The book is designed especially for use in congregational planning and study. Congregational stewardship leaders will come back to three foundational verbs ? ask, thank, tell ? over and over as they help individuals experience the joy of giving generously. The author makes the convincing case that there is little in life today that can help a disciple grow in relationship with Jesus more than a solid intentional biblical stewardship.

Download or read book Making Neighborhoods Whole written by Wayne Gordon and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-08-26 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Already with decades of experience speaking prophetically into the charged racial climate of the American south, John Perkins began to see a need for organized thinking and collaborative imagination about how the church engages urban ministry. And so the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) was born, with Wayne Gordon an immediate and enthusiastic participant. Nearly thirty years later CCDA?s eight key components of community development still set the bar for how churches, parachurches and nonprofits engage cities with the whole gospel. Relocation Reconciliation Redistribution Leadership Development Listening to the Community Church-Based Development A Wholistic Approach to Ministry Empowerment In Making Neighborhoods Whole Perkins and Gordon revisit these eight commitments and how they've played out in real communities, even as they scan the horizon of urban ministry to set a new tone. With profiles of longstanding and emerging community development ministries, they guide a new conversation and empower disciples of Jesus to seek the welfare of their cities to the glory of God.

Download or read book What About Those Who Have Never Heard written by Gabriel J. Fackre and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 1995-06-07 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ronald H. Nash, Gabriel Fackre and John Sanders offer three evangelical views on the destiny of the unevangelized.

Download or read book Bridging the Diversity Gap written by Alvin Sanders and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a diverse, divided world, pastors and church leaders are faced with the question of how to lead across ethnic lines to bring healing and unity to the body of Christ. How can the church more accurately reflect the vision of God's kingdom, gathering together every tribe and nation? It all begins with leaders whose minds and hearts have been transformed by the gospel. Author Alvin Sanders believes the church is facing a chairos moment--the right time--to address the issue of ethnic division and tension within the church. Through this book, he offers a "how-to" resource for Christian leaders to lead their organizations in a majority-minority, multi-ethnic America. Bridging the Diversity Gap is for pastors and ministry leaders who want a biblical process and principles, informed by the best academic thought on race and ethnicity, to engage with an ethnically diverse church or organization and guide them toward becoming one in Christ.

Download or read book Let Justice Roll Down written by Geoffrey Duncan and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning with Shrove Tuesday through Easter Sunday, this resource will lead Christians into a deeper understanding of the crucifixion and resurrection while challenging them about the down-to-earth implications of these momentous events for their faith lives today. Contents include: - Part One: Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and the Beginning of Lent--A Time for Reflection - Part Two: Lent and Passiontide--Into the Wilderness - Part Three: Holy Week--Into the Depths - Part Four: Easter Day and Eastertide--A Time for Rejoicing

Download or read book Family Systems and Congregational Life written by R. Robert Creech and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experienced pastor and seminary teacher R. Robert Creech helps pastoral leaders increase their effectiveness by applying family systems theory to congregational life and ministry. Creech introduces readers to the basic concepts of Bowen Family Systems Theory, applies family theory to the work of ministry in church settings, and connects systems thinking to the everyday aspects of congregational ministry, such as preaching, pastoral care, leadership, spiritual formation, and interpreting biblical texts. Each chapter contains discussion questions, and there are five helpful appendixes with supplemental information about Bowen theory.

Download or read book Neighborhood Church written by Krin Van Tatenhove and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2019-02-01 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can we embody the values of love, grace, and justice? As faith communities, how can our collective embodiment of these values shine even brighter? The answers to these questions must always unfold right here, right now, exactly where God has planted us. Neighborhood Churchacts as a resource to inspire churches to become a vibrant and engaging community partner with the families and neighborhoods living around them. The need for transformation is acute. Congregational decline continues across all mainline denominations. The abandonment of the church by the millennial generation is ubiquitous; no denomination is escaping it. This is, in part, a consequence of disconnection from our communities. Van Tatenhove and Mueller believe that, parish by parish, we can reverse this trend. They dare to have an audacious hope for local congregations not only as signs of Gods kingdom but as life-giving institutions that anchor their neighborhoods. Drawing on their combined sixty years of parish experience, wisdom from Asset-Based Community Development, and compelling case stories, Van Tatenhove and Mueller do more than just call us to incarnational ministry. They give practical, essential tools that lead to communal conversion, develop the DNA of listening, spur fruitful partnerships, promote integrated space, and sustain long-term visions. They believe these tools will spark true revival and unleash the power of incarnational ministry.

Download or read book MissioRelate written by M. Scott Boren and published by Touch Outreach Ministries. This book was released on 2011 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The options for small group methods are numerous. What kind of life are we aiming to produce in those groups? MissioRelate challenges church leaders to move beyond strategies and structures and consider the ways they can help people discover missional group life. This book will give you the tools and perspective needed to shift your groups beyond the normal Bible study and application into mission.

Download or read book Fishing for the Village written by George Kellerman and published by . This book was released on 2021-03-10 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..."Do you want to be part of building a disciple-making community that brings heaven to earth?In a world full of churches and Christian content, why does discipleship seem irrelevant to so many Christ-followers today? Why have we settled for being Christian consumers, instead of accepting Jesus' call to be disciple-makers and vital Kingdom DNA builders?This book is a marvellous tool for anyone interested in making the shift from a consumer of content to a creator of Kingdom culture through disciple-making. If you need a framework for practical discipleship in your context, or want to hear the pulse of a vibrant discipleship movement, this book is for you.It will challenge how you understand and live out the biblical truths of making disciples, and give you a solid foundation for creating a community that brings heaven to earth.

Download or read book Tempered Resilience written by Tod Bolsinger and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian Book Award Finalist What type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change? Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains, is uniquely positioned to explore the qualities of adaptive leadership in contexts ranging from churches to nonprofit organizations. He deftly examines both the external challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back. Bolsinger writes: "To temper describes the process of heating, holding, hammering, cooling, and reheating that adds stress to raw iron until it becomes a glistening knife blade or chisel tip." When reflection and relationships are combined into a life of deliberate practice, leaders become both stronger and more flexible. As a result, these resilient leaders are able to offer greater wisdom and skill to the organizations they serve. Also available: Tempered Resilience Study Guide

Download or read book Deep Justice Journeys Leader s Guide written by Kara E. Powell and published by Harperchristian Resources. This book was released on 2009-05-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The lessons included in this leader's guide to "Deep Justice Journeys" will help teachers prepare students for mission trips and service work.

Download or read book A Stranger in the House of God written by John Koessler and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-08-30 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing up the son of agnostics, John Koessler saw a Catholic church on one end of the street and a Baptist on the other. In the no-man’s land between the two, this curious outside wondered about the God they worshipped—and began a lifelong search to comprehend the grace and mystery of God. A Stranger in the House of God addresses fundamental questions and struggles faced by spiritual seekers and mature believers. Like a contemporary Pilgrim’s Progress, it traces the author’s journey and explores his experiences with both charismatic and evangelical Christianity. It also describes his transformation from religious outsider to ordained pastor. John Koessler provides a poignant and often humorous window into the interior of the soul as he describes his journey from doubt and struggle with the church to personal faith