Download or read book Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church written by Dr. L. Vega-Sanabria and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-05-22 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After a teaching career of more than thirty years, having taught across all grade levels and a broad range of subject areas, Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church: a 21st Century Perspective is a product of an encompassing ministry experience in the local church for both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking congregations as a teacher, deacon, and pianist—a research-based study with a pragmatic and practical view on the needs of one of the most unrecognized and misunderstood populations: those of the inmate believers. The Gospel message is clear, and the members of the body of Christ have a responsibility to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). The message of our Lord Jesus Christ is as real today as it was centuries ago: “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest (John 4:35 NIV). Believer inmates are members of the body of Christ; their conversions are real, their transformations are evident, and their faith is strong. Yet they, too, need the support of other members of the body of Christ, for the Holy Spirit works through each member, as he or she is gifted in order to address and attend to the unique needs of the incarcerated believer inmates. Hear their silent cries as they are revealed in the Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church: a 21st Century Perspective. The Gospel of John states the reason Jesus visited Samaria: “Now he had to go through Samaria” (John 4:4 NIV). And in NKJV, it states, “He needed to go through Samaria.” For Jesus, it was a need. Jesus knew the importance of reaching out to those who were marginalized, who were ostracized, and who were highly criticized and judged. They had been abandoned, but Jesus had other plans. Later he met the Samaritan woman, and through her, her village and her town received the Good News about the Messiah: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony” (John 4:39 NIV). His own disciples were blind to this need; they were subject to the day’s misconceptions and misinterpretations and biases. Later, Jesus pronounces one of the most significant statements of the Gospel message: “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35 NIV). Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church: a 21st Century Perspective is a call to reach a group of people that have been abandoned and rejected: to address their needs—spiritual, social, emotional, and psychological. It is like Jesus said, “A field ripe for the harvest.” It is an eye-opener—a pioneer research study addressing the needs of one of the most deserted and neglected populations, considering it covers a topic difficult to discuss and is of much controversy. Paul said, “Remember my chains” (Colossians 4:18 NIV). When Jesus was accused of associating with those that were outcasts, his reply was, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13 NIV).
Download or read book Gospel Principles written by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book was released on 1997 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Study Guide and a Teacher’s Manual Gospel Principles was written both as a personal study guide and as a teacher’s manual. As you study it, seeking the Spirit of the Lord, you can grow in your understanding and testimony of God the Father, Jesus Christand His Atonement, and the Restoration of the gospel. You can find answers to life’s questions, gain an assurance of your purpose and self-worth, and face personal and family challenges with faith.
Download or read book So You Don t Want to Go to Church Anymore written by Wayne Jacobsen and published by Windblown Media. This book was released on 2008-09-02 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jake Colsen, an overworked and disillusioned pastor, happens into a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance (in manner) to the apostle John. A number of encounters with John as well as a family crisis lead Jake to a new understanding of what his life should be like: one filled with faith bolstered by a steady, close relationship with the God of the universe. Facing his own disappointment with Christianity, Jake must forsake the habits that have made his faith rote and rediscover the love that captured his heart when he first believed. Compelling and intensely personal, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anything relates a man's rebirth from performance-based Christianity to a loving friendship with Christ that affects all he does, thinks, and says. As John tells Jake, "There is nothing the Father desires for you more than that you fall squarely in the lap of his love and never move from that place for the rest of your life."
Download or read book Days of Fire and Glory written by Julia Duin and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After she met Graham Pulkingham, the spellbinding priest who had led Redeemer into a powerful renewal starting in 1964, Duin became convinced the world needed to know the story of this gifted man and his church. As she began investigating the story, many warned her there was a darker history behind Pulkingham. Now the journalist who first broke that story reveals the details of the scandal that rocked the charismatic and Christian community movements, and the Episcopal Church.--Books in Print
Download or read book Spiritual Friendship written by Wesley Hill and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2015-04-14 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity Today Book Award Winner Friendship is a relationship like no other. Unlike the relationships we are born into, we choose our friends. It is also tenuous--we can end a friendship at any time. But should friendship be so free and unconstrained? Although our culture tends to pay more attention to romantic love, marriage, family, and other forms of community, friendship is a genuine love in its own right. This eloquent book reminds us that Scripture and tradition have a high view of friendship. Single Christians, particularly those who are gay and celibate, may find it is a form of love to which they are especially called. Writing with deep empathy and with fidelity to historic Christian teaching, Wesley Hill retrieves a rich understanding of friendship as a spiritual vocation and explains how the church can foster friendship as a basic component of Christian discipleship. He helps us reimagine friendship as a robust form of love that is worthy of honor and attention in communities of faith. This book sets forth a positive calling for celibate gay Christians and suggests practical ways for all Christians to cultivate stronger friendships.
Download or read book The Company We Keep written by Jonathan Holmes and published by Cruciform Press. This book was released on 2014-09-01 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Friendship. This one word can mean a hundred different things to each person. We all want friends, but often struggle to develop meaningful friendships. Does the Bible speak to and present a vision and theology of biblical friendship? Is there anything unique about biblical friendship?
Download or read book When the Church was a Family written by Joseph H. Hellerman and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2009 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the early Christian church in the Mediterranean region and its emphasis on collective good over individual desire clarifies much about what is wrong with the American church today.
Download or read book Reaching Out written by Henri J. M. Nouwen and published by Image. This book was released on 2013-11-20 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With clarity and depth characteristic of the classics, this spiritual bestseller from the author of The Return of the Prodigal Son lays out a perceptive and insightful plan for the spiritual life and achieving the ultimate goal of that life—union with God. “One of the world’s greatest spiritual writers.”—Christianity Today Henri Nouwen views our spiritual “ascent” as evolving in three movements: The first, from loneliness to solitude, focuses on the spiritual life as it relates to the experience of our own selves. The second, from hostility to hospitality, explores our spiritual life as a life for others. The final movement, from illusion to prayer, offers penetrating thoughts on the most mysterious relationship of all: our relationship with God. Throughout, Nouwen emphasizes that the more we understand (and not simply deny) our inner struggles, the more we will be able to embrace a prayerful and genuine life that is also open to others’ needs. Reaching Out is a rich book to be read, reread, pondered, and shared. It “does not offer answers or solutions,” Nouwen cautions, “but is written in the conviction that the quest for an authentic Christian spirituality is worth the effort and the pain, since in the midst of this quest we can find signs offering hope, courage, and confidence.”
Download or read book Friend ish written by Kelly Needham and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For so many of us, our friends are like family members--we lean on them through our highest highs and our lowest lows--but sometimes those friendships don't turn out quite as we hoped. Bible teacher Kelly Needham debunks our world's constricted, narrow view of friendship and casts a richer, more life-giving, biblical vision for friendship. In Friend-ish, Kelly Needham reminds us that we were called to more than halfhearted friendships and lukewarm connections. We need something more stable, secure, and sacred. We were designed for real friendship--but the difficult truth is that too many of us are settling for less. Kelly deconstructs what Scripture says about the gift of friendship and takes a closer look at the distorted view that most of us have instead. As she shares the lessons she's learned from experience, Kelly paints her own glorious vision of what Christian friendship could look like. With hard-fought wisdom, a clear view of Scripture, and a been-there perspective, Friend-ish teaches us how to: Recognize symptoms of idolatry and toxic dependency Boldly ask for what we need from our community of friends Understand and address the problems that arise in friendship--from neediness to discord Recognize when it's time to end an unhealthy friendship Reorient toward the purposeful, loving relationships we all crave that ultimately bring us closer to God Find the friends you need and start to become that friend for others Join Kelly as she challenges you to view your chosen family in a new light, gain a vision of friendship according to Jesus, and finally enjoy friendships as God intended.
Download or read book Christian Education written by Freddy Cardoza and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This introductory textbook solidly situates Christian education in the church and ministry context of the 21st century. With over 20 years of ministry, teaching, and leadership experience, Freddy Cardoza is uniquely qualified to bring together a wide range of Christian educators. This volume features the expertise of 25 evangelical scholars of Christian education, including diverse, next-generation voices in the field. It provides balanced biblical-theological and practical perspectives for church and parachurch leaders, equipping them to meet the ever-changing needs of our world. Additional resources for professors and students are available through Textbook eSources.
Download or read book Church Membership written by Jonathan Leeman and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2012-04-30 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jonathan Leeman addresses the commonly asked (and often unanswered) question of, "Why should I join a church?" in a time when many are shunning the practice of organized religion. By offering a brief, straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it's important, Leeman gives the local church its proper due and builds a case for committing to the local body. Church Membership is a useful tool for churches to distribute en masse to new and potential members of their congregation. This volume is part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Look for upcoming, quick-read formats of the following marks of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, church discipline, discipleship and growth, and church leadership.
Download or read book Made for Friendship written by Drew Hunter and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2018-09-20 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God made you for friendship. Friendship is one of the deepest pleasures of life. But in our busy, fast-paced, mobile world, we've lost this rich view of friendship and instead settled for shallow acquaintances based on little more than similar tastes or shared interests. Helping us recapture a vision of true friendship, pastor Drew Hunter explores God's design for friendship and what it really looks like in practice—giving us practical advice to cultivate the kinds of true friendships that lead to true and life-giving joy.
Download or read book Redeeming Childbirth written by Angie Tolpin and published by Angie Tolpin. This book was released on 2015-06-19 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Childbirth is more than an event that makes a woman a mother. This journey was designed to be a spiritual milestone that draws every woman's heart back to the only Deliverer. "Angie Tolpin has honored all of us by giving the world a book that guides, inspires, explores and reconsiders that there is a Grand Design in childbirth. Redeeming Childbirth honors God's Word and speaks truth that families can and should remember His presence in the birth room." ~Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCE, Founder of Waterbirth International and author of Gentle Birth Choices "Angie casts a beautiful vision for making Christ the center of your pregnancy and childbirth. Shedding light on areas of frequent idolatry in our own birth plans, Angie calls out the disunity amongst Christian sisters over birth methods. Through her own birth stories and those of others, Angie shows how God can be glorified in hospital rooms and birthing centers as well as home-births. ~Gretchen Louise, editor at Young Ladies Christian Fellowship "Redeeming Childbirth is a much-needed blessing for families and churches. I long for the day when I can buy a stack of this book, ready to bless each new expectant mother with what she really needs: encouragement from a sweet friend, spiritual wisdom, and guidance to trust in God." ~Ann Dunagan, Co-founder of Harvest Ministry, Director of Daring Daughters, Author of The Mission Minded Family and The Mission Minded Child
Download or read book Closer Than a Sister written by Christina Fox and published by Christian Focus. This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Closer Than a Sister" explores what the Bible means when it speaks about friendship. Built on our unity with Christ, these are real life, flesh and blood relationships. They are there as a means of grace, bringing with them the opportunity for help, comfort, love - the opportunity to to grow and to give of ourselves
Download or read book Real The Surprising Secret to Deeper Relationships written by Catherine Parks and published by Good Book Company. This book was released on 2018-10 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every woman longs for authentic friendships with othersbut in a world of carefully-curated social media, most of us are merely keeping up appearances. Both online and offline, we're all prone to only presenting the best side of ourselves. This book shows us that the secret to growing the relationships we crave is in developing a biblical habit of repentance. By being honest about our sin before God and receiving his forgiveness, we're freed be honest about our sin with others. When we drop the act and allow ourselves to be vulnerable by sharing our struggles, not only are we strengthened in our fight against sin, but we experience authentic fellowship and real friendship. Catherine Parks empowers women to fight side by side against their sin, and shows how by getting real about our struggles, we can create genuine community in an "I'm fine" culture.This book is great for reading with your book group, women's group, accountability partner, or one-to-one mentordiscussion questions are included for every chapter.
Download or read book Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church written by L. Vega-Sanabria and published by . This book was released on 2023-01-31 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After a teaching career of more than thirty years, having taught across all grade levels and a broad range of subject areas, Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church: a 21st Century Perspective is a product of an encompassing ministry experience in the local church for both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking congregations as a teacher, deacon, and pianist--a research-based study with a pragmatic and practical view on the needs of one of the most unrecognized and misunderstood populations: those of the inmate believers. The Gospel message is clear, and the members of the body of Christ have a responsibility to "encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). The message of our Lord Jesus Christ is as real today as it was centuries ago: "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest (John 4:35 NIV). Believer inmates are members of the body of Christ; their conversions are real, their transformations are evident, and their faith is strong. Yet they, too, need the support of other members of the body of Christ, for the Holy Spirit works through each member, as he or she is gifted in order to address and attend to the unique needs of the incarcerated believer inmates. Hear their silent cries as they are revealed in the Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church: a 21st Century Perspective. The Gospel of John states the reason Jesus visited Samaria: "Now he had to go through Samaria" (John 4:4 NIV). And in NKJV, it states, "He needed to go through Samaria." For Jesus, it was a need. Jesus knew the importance of reaching out to those who were marginalized, who were ostracized, and who were highly criticized and judged. They had been abandoned, but Jesus had other plans. Later he met the Samaritan woman, and through her, her village and her town received the Good News about the Messiah: "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony" (John 4:39 NIV). His own disciples were blind to this need; they were subject to the day's misconceptions and misinterpretations and biases. Later, Jesus pronounces one of the most significant statements of the Gospel message: "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35 NIV). Friendship and Fellowship in the Local Church: a 21st Century Perspective is a call to reach a group of people that have been abandoned and rejected: to address their needs--spiritual, social, emotional, and psychological. It is like Jesus said, "A field ripe for the harvest." It is an eye-opener--a pioneer research study addressing the needs of one of the most deserted and neglected populations, considering it covers a topic difficult to discuss and is of much controversy. Paul said, "Remember my chains" (Colossians 4:18 NIV). When Jesus was accused of associating with those that were outcasts, his reply was, "For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13 NIV).
Download or read book The Science of Congregation Studies written by Leslie J. Francis and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-01-01 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the past two decades, the Science of Congregation Studies has blossomed significantly in the UK, as well as within the USA and Australia. In this illuminating and thought-provoking volume, Leslie J. Francis’ research group draws on the Signs of Growth Survey conducted throughout the Anglican Diocese of Southwark to illustrate how the strength of combined qualitative and quantitative research methods can draw on the insights of psychological theory, sociological theory, and empirical theology to illuminate pressing questions of relevance to the sociology of religion, psychology of religion, practical theology and pastoral studies. Individual chapters discuss the missing generation of young people, the greying generation aged seventy and over, how occasional churchgoers express belonging and commitment, connections between psychological type and religious motivation, and the distinctive characteristics of growing congregations.
