Download or read book Growing Spiritual Redwoods written by William M. Easum and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Growing Spiritual Redwoods" is an effort to help church leaders answer the kinds of questions that confront congregations and Christians in this era of rapid and uncertain change. William M. Easum and Thomas Bandy argue that the congregations to whom the term "spiritual redwoods" can be applied are grown slowly, becoming vigorous centers of witness and mission.

Download or read book The Deeply Formed Life written by Rich Villodas and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During our chaotic times, discover five forgotten values that can spark internal growth and help us reconcile our Christian faith with the complexities of race, sexuality, and social justice. WINNER OF THE CHRISTIANITY TODAY BOOK AWARD Most believers live in the state of “being a Christian” without ever being deeply formed by Christ. Our pace is too frenetic to be in union with God, and we don’t know how to quiet our hearts and minds to be present. Our emotions are unhealthy and compartmentalized. We feel unable to love well or live differently from the rest of the world—to live as people of the good news. New York pastor Rich Villodas says we must restore balance, focus, and meaning for our souls. The Deeply Formed Life lays out a fresh vision for spiritual breakthrough following five key values: • Contemplative Rhythms Value: slowing down our lives to be with God. • Racial Justice Value: examining a multi-layered approach to pursuing racial justice and reconciliation. • Interior Examination Value: looking beneath the surface of our lives to live free and love well. • Sexual Wholeness Value: exploring how our sexuality connects with our spirituality. • Missional Presence Value: living as the presence of Christ in a broken world. The Deeply Formed Life is a roadmap to live in the richly rooted place we all yearn for: a place of communion with God, a place where we find our purpose. Praise for The Deeply Formed Life “The Deeply Formed Life is a book for our time. Honest, wise, insightful, funny, and—above all—deep. The way Rich and New Life Fellowship hold emotional health and racial justice together is beyond inspiring. This is spiritual formation for the future of the church.”—John Mark Comer, pastor of teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church and author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry “I’ve studied the Bible under Pastor Rich’s leadership for close to a decade. The core values he shares in this book serve as guidance, not only for how we should live as Christians in an ever-changing world but also for how we can live a life of purpose—that consistently and enthusiastically points to Jesus.”—Susan Kelechi Watson, actress from the awardwinning television series This Is Us

Download or read book Growing a Healing Ministry written by Kathy Edmison and published by Wood Lake Publishing Inc.. This book was released on 2004 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is based directly on the experience and wisdom of those who have established energy-touch healing ministries in congregational settings.

Download or read book The Spiritual Road written by Richard A. Haynes and published by Xulon Press. This book was released on 2012-05 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Spiritual Road: Helping Others Grow Spiritually There is a process of spiritual growth. Do you know what it is? Can you guide others along its path? The Spiritual Road: Helping Others Grow Spiritually overviews this process with a step by step approach using nearly sixty real-life vignettes, clarifying charts, over 250 documented scripture citations, supportive Christian music from fifth through the twenty-first centuries as well as referencing important spiritual authors. Dr. Haynes writes for all Christian helpers including Bible study and church leaders as well as pastors, spiritual directors and small group facilitators. In addition to encouragement and increased understanding of spiritual growth, spiritual helpers will also receive a toolbox to assist with the on-the-road spiritual difficulties including types of prayer, effective forgiveness, dealing with pain, spiritual Dark Nights, subversive words and demons from the unconscious. Those familiar with psycho-social and faith developmental theories will appreciate, Dr. Haynes' comparisons with the process of personal spiritual growth. Endnotes and a bibliography as well as general and scriptural indexes round out this extensive work. The book's overall purpose is to assist Christians to grow in their personal relationship with God and in mature Christ-likeness in order to affect the Community of God in the world. Richard A. Haynes is an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), receiving his Doctor of Minister degree, with distinction, from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois in spirituality and small groups. Dr. Haynes has served as a spiritual director for over twenty-five years, was founder and executive director of Paraclete Retreat Center, Inc. for eighteen years and retired after twenty-nine years in pastoral ministry. In retirement, he continues to provide spiritual guidance in person and through Skype ([email protected]). He and his wife, Patricia, live in south-central Indiana and have one married adult son.

Download or read book Joy A Bible Study on Philippians for Women written by Keri Folmar and published by . This book was released on 2012-06 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Bible study will not only bring the truths of Philippians to bear upon your life, but will also train you up for better, more effective study of any book of the Bible with consistent use of the three questions needed in all good Bible study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application.

Download or read book Reframing Spiritual Formation written by Edward H. Hammett and published by Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2002 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reframing Spiritual Formation takes seriously the realities of an increasingly secular, pluralistic and spiritually thirsty population base most churches face with fear, yet are called to reach and disciple. Hammett provides succinct overviews of the challenges and opportunities these realities bring to the doors of churches and their leaders. His primary focus is on facilitative questions and practical ideas for discipling the churched and the unchurched who are seeking grounding and meaning in this rapidly changing world.

Download or read book The Conviction of Things Not Seen written by Todd E. Johnson and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2002-10-01 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique resource for identifying issues involved in Protestant pastoral ministry and adjusting pastoral approach to those issues.

Download or read book In the Name of Purpose written by Tamara Hartzell and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2007-01-23 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book In a Flash written by Thomas L. Duncan and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2022-08-01 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a Flash is a story of survival, of faith, and of God's grace in the face of harsh uncertainty. Tom Duncan reaches deep within to share about how he overcame molestation, resisted suicide, battled cancer, and survived the severe burn of nearly half his body. Through it all, God stayed by his side, giving him the strength to not only withstand the pain and suffering of these experiences, but also to share the beauty of life revealed to him repeatedly. In moments of triumph and sorrow, it was the author's relationship with God that allowed him to persevere and touch the lives of so many. In this book, he reminds us that no matter how much pain or self-doubt one experiences, a Christ-centered life provides the resiliency and peace to heal. The author wants to inspire readers to let Christ into their lives, thank Him for the blessings provided, and willingly engage Him for the courage to endure life's hardships. Tom's hope is that by reading about his own uneven faith journey, readers will have hope where there was none, have faith where it did not exist, and open their hearts to the eternal love and compassion waiting for them in God.

Download or read book Waking to God s Dream written by Bishop Dick Wills and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The demands of congregational ministry are many, the rewards sometimes seem few, and burnout becomes a real possibility. Small wonder, then, that churches become stuck in a state of arrested spiritual development. When the pastor is functioning in a survival or maintenance mode, the church's vitality is often the first casualty. Yet Wills's own experience demonstrates that churches can turn around; the wind of the Spirit can be felt anew. This happens when the congregation is infected by the vision of what God is doing in their midst--a vision which the leaders, particularly the pastor, must bring before them. In Waking to God's Dream, Richard Wills shares the spiritual disciplines and insights which he believes account for the transformation of the congregation he serves from a large church in decline to one that is growing and reaching out to its community in a variety of creative ministries. Detailing the steps and initiatives that led to this turnaround, Wills demonstrates how personal commitment on the part of the congregation's leaders and ministers have been the key to the work they have accomplished.

Download or read book Occupy Spirituality written by Adam Bucko and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2013-09-03 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Named one of the Fifty Best Spiritual Books of 2013 by SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE in the JUSTICE category! The Occupy Wall Street movement and protest movements around the world are evidence of a new era of intergenerational activists seeking deeper spiritual meaning in their quest for peace and justice. This book is a call to action for a new era of spirituality-infused activism. Authors Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox encourage us to use our talents in service of compassion and justice and to move beyond our broken systems--economic, political, educational, and religious--discovering a spirituality that not only helps us to get along, but also encourages us to reevaluate our traditions, transforming them and in the process building a more sacred and just world. Incorporating the words of young activist leaders culled from interviews and surveys, the book provides a framework that is deliberately interfaith and speaks to our profound yearning for a life with spiritual purpose and for a better world. Each chapter is construed as a dialogue between Fox, a 72-year-old theologian, and Bucko, a 37-year-old spiritual activist and mentor to homeless youth. As we listen in on these familiar yet profound conversations, we learn about Fox and Bucko's own spiritual journeys and discover a radical spirituality that is inclusive, democratic, and relevant to the world we live in today. Table of Contents Foreword by Mona Eltahawy Foreword by Andrew Harvey Introduction: Invitation to Occupy Your Conscience 1. Is It Time to Replace the God of Religion with the God of Life? 2. Radical Spirituality for a Radical Generation 3. Adam's Story 4. Matthew's Story 5. What's Your Calling? Are You Living in Service of Compassion and Justice? 6. Spiritual Practice: Touch Life and Be Changed by It 7. No Generation Has All the Answers: Elders and Youth Working Together 8. Birthing New Economics, New Communities, and New Monasticism Conclusion: Occupy Generation and the Practice of Spiritual Democracy Afterword by Lama Surya Das

Download or read book Soultsunami written by Leonard Sweet and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-10-14 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Road rage, animal rights, cyberporn, crystal healing, doctor-assisted suicide — everywhere we look, the signs all tell us we’re living in a post-Christian culture. Or are we? Leonard Sweet -- cultural historian, preacher, futurist, creatologist, and preeminent thinker -- firmly believes we live today in a pre-Christian society, fraught with challenges, dangers, critical choices, and above all, tremendous potential for the church. The outcome will depend on our response to today’s flood of religious pluralism that threatens to sweep us away. What will we do? Deny the reality of the incoming surge? "Hunker in the bunker," hermetically sealing ourselves in an increasingly out-of-touch church counterculture? Or will we boldly hoist our sails, and -- looking to God for guidance and strength -- move with confidence and purpose over the waves. SoulTsunami is a fascinating, even mind-numbing look at the implications of our changing world for the church in the 21st century. With uncanny wisdom and trademark wit, Leonard Sweet explores ten key "futuribles" (precision guesses that fall short of predictions), expanding on and relating topics ranging from the reentry of theism and spiritual longing in contemporary society, to the impact of modern technology, to the global renaissance, to models for the church to reach people caught in the cultural maelstrom. Here are eye-opening perspectives on the church from within and from without — from its surrounding society.Lively, well-written, and provocative, SoulTsunami is a clarion call for Christians to remove their tunnel-vision glasses and take a good look at the swelling postmodern flood. It also is a voice of encouragement, affirming the church in its role as God’s lifeboat. And it is a passionate, prophetic guide, pointing the way to reach a world swept out to sea.

Download or read book Discovering the Way of Wisdom written by Edward M. Curtis and published by Kregel Academic. This book was released on with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insightful and practical look at patterns for contemporary spiritual growth found in the wisdom of the Old Testament.

Download or read book Growing Church The written by and published by Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. This book was released on with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age written by Edward H Hammett and published by Chalice Press. This book was released on 2013-05-09 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book How Did We Get the Bible written by Tracy M. Sumner and published by Barbour Publishing. This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Readers will gain even more appreciation for their Bible when they see how God directed its development, from the original authors through today’s translations. How Did We Get the Bible? provides an easy-to-read historical overview, covering the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the writers, the preservation of the documents, the compilation of the canon, and the efforts to bring the Bible to people in their own language. This fascinating story, populated by intriguing characters, will encourage readers with God’s faithfulness—to His own Word, and to those of us who read it. It’s a fantastic, value-priced resource for individuals and ministries!

Download or read book Jacob s Blessing written by Donna Sinclair and published by Wood Lake Publishing Inc.. This book was released on 1999 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An alternative to the remnant and mega-church model. Authors Sinclair and White combine their ministerial and journalistic strengths to write with honesty and hope about the future of the church. Study Guide included.