Download or read book Larry A Novel of Church Recovery written by Brian Boley and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-05-03 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A teaching novel: How does a small, dying church turn itself around? What are some concrete steps that a church with little money and no energetic young members can take that will grow the church? Perhaps the answer lies in the wise mysterious visitor's advice...
Download or read book Larry written by Rev Brian L Boley and published by . This book was released on 2019-08-02 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout North America, there are uncounted thousands of small churches that are struggling to survive and recover their vitality. Some are Baptist, some are Methodist, some are Presbyterian, some are Lutheran, some are Christian Churches, some are independent, some are rural Catholic congregations, and others belong to less common denominations. It is behind the pulpits of these small, struggling churches that new preachers are most likely to find themselves standing. But there are few books that are designed to help the small church of less than 75 members - which is about the average size of a North American Protestant church. And leadership seminars are of little use - most consider any church with 200 active members to be a small church, yet we who lead them know that there is a tremendous difference in capability between a church of 150 members and a church of 25 members.Yet in these churches there are always a few committed people, people who are grieving because their church is dying, people who understand how important it was that their church stood in that particular location in times past, people who have memories of baptisms, of bible schools, of revivals, of great, wonderful, life-changing sermons - and people with memories of church fights, of poor pastors, of financial problems, of dull and boring days in those same pews. It is to these loyal, grieving laypeople like yourself that this book is intended, a novel which can be read by a small weekly fellowship group. It is for you, the small church pastors who may be leading two, three, or even more churches and need ideas on how to grow small churches without a budget. It is for the committed but exhausted part-time pastor who works another full-time job in order that this particular church will not close. And it is for the new student pastor who is in his or her first church, trying to make all those seminary and bible college ideas work in the real world. It is hoped that many of these ideas will be helpful and useful and life-giving to your churches.My wife and son and I have led small churches. Between us, we have led twenty-one churches, the largest of which has typical Sunday attendance of 115 people, and the smallest of which has had attendance of one to three people. I have attended churches in the Atlanta suburbs and on the West Virginia back roads. Church members ranged from doctors and lawyers, to schoolteachers and college professors, to goat farmers and truck drivers, to recovering drug addicts and people who had been retired for thirty years. The issues in the churches were always different - yet always the same.Many of these ideas have come together as I prepared district- and state-level courses training lay leaders of churches. Other ideas simply arose as the Holy Spirit advised me how to proceed with problems in the churches I have pastored.This book is the fictionalized story of a couple of churches and how their pastors, with special help, turned around the churches. This book uses the form and style of a novel to bring sound principles into the church, principles that work, principles that can lift a church from death's door to vitality and promise. This "teaching novel" style has a history of success in such books at In His Steps by Charles M Sheldon, The Noticer and The Noticer Returns by Andy Andrews, and, in a different realm, The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt.Questions are provided at the end of each chapter to encourage discussion. It should be noted that, while my theology is that of an evangelical Wesleyan, the vast majority of the concepts presented are applicable to almost any small church.How do we grow a church with no young people and no money? How do we recover a church where the pastor is the youth group? What are the common mistakes new pastors make? Let "Larry" give you the answers.
Download or read book House to House written by Larry Kreider and published by Destiny Image Publishers. This book was released on 2009-09-28 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: House to House documents how God transformed a small fellowship of young believers into a worldwide movement. DOVE Christian Fellowship International grew from 25 people to a cell church of over 2,300, and then transitioned into a family of small group churches and house churches that is now networking together throughout six continents. This field-tested book is a blueprint and training guide for believers, Christian leaders, and churches to make an impact on today s world, and serves as an invaluable tool to train potential leaders. The House to House model will inspire churches across the country, transforming them from individual congregations, large and small, into church-planting movements, encouraging many to start new churches to reach the coming harvest.
Download or read book Iridescent Passages written by Craig Powell and published by Archway Publishing. This book was released on 2016-06-13 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Larry and Gayle Powell began their fifty-five-year journey together when they were sixteen years old and attended the same church. After their marriage in 1965; the birth of their daughter, Charmaine, in 1966; and the adoption of their son, Craig, a few years later, the Powells felt like the ideal family, full of hopes and dreams. But soon their world started to fall apart. At eight years old, Charmaine died of Reyes Syndrome. Craig exhibited severe behavioral and mental health issues, spent years in care facilities, and later lived seven years on the streets of Seattle, Washington, involved with drugs and violence. In Iridescent Passages, Gayle, Larry, and Craig take turns telling this decades-long story of mental illness, addiction, healing, and recovery. This memoir shares how, with Gods guidance, Larry and Gayle persevered to keep the family strong. It offers hope for others that, despite difficult circumstances, healing, recovery, and new beginnings are possible.
Download or read book Larry Moyer s How to Book on Personal Evangelism written by Richard Larry Moyer and published by Kregel Publications. This book was released on 1998 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing upon over twenty-five years of experience in evangelism, Larry Moyer introduces readers to ways in which they can share the Gospel with others clearly and confidently.
Download or read book Think Red written by Larry Stoess and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-09-27 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you ever wondered what the church would look like if Christians began to take the words of Jesus seriously—the words some Bibles print in red? What if Jesus actually meant for us to do the things he said? What if those who “believe in Jesus” really did value the things he valued? Would the church look different? Would your neighborhood stay the same? In Think Red, Larry Stoess takes a close look at the values, the vision, and the mission of Jesus, and then holds up a mirror for us to see if our communities look anything like Jesus. If we dare look in the mirror we may be inspired to leave behind our obsession with consumer-based religion and follow the way of Jesus. Those who do will be set free to imagine creative and whimsical expressions of community.
Download or read book The Cell Church written by Larry Stockstill and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 1998-07-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On election night, 1992, Larry Stockstill heard God's still, small voice saying, "There are two things coming to America: harvest and hostility. Your church is not prepared for either of them." God continued to reveal to Stockstill a new model for doing church, a model that brought ministry down to the grassroots, where most church members were active--rather than just the "professional pastors." This model expands the evangelism and discipleship possibilities of the church, so that when revival hits, the church will be able to handle all the new believers. That model is the cell church. See how it is revolutionizing churches around the world--and why it promises to be the church model for 21st-century revival.
Download or read book Restoring the Fallen written by Earl D. Wilson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 1997-03-28 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Christians commit serious sin, how should the church respond? Earl and Sandy Wilson, Paul and Virginia Friesen, and Larry and Nancy Paulson describe how the spiritual care team approach can help wayward Christians through the process of repentance and restoration.
Download or read book The Day the Angels Cried written by Larry Linam and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2010 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Day the Angels Cried tells the story of an event that made history in the United States of America on June 22, 1980 when a gunman entered the worship services of the First Baptist Church of Daingerfield, Texas. In a matter of minutes, five people lay dead and ten others wounded with hundreds of innocent people wondering if they might be next to face the horror of death at the hand of a madman. For Larry Linam, it was a day that changed his life forever. It was during this worship service that he lost his first born child, Mary Regina Linam, his seven year old daughter. He uses the book to convey the emotions of anger, fear, hatred, and revenge that consumed his life for more than two decades while maintaining a working lifestyle to care for his family. He was living a life torn by a faith in God and a fear that justice would not be served by the courts. The events that unfold in his book as he bears his heart and soul leads the reader on a journey of a downward spiral brought about by depression, anger, and devastation as he makes attempts to exact vengeance upon the murderer of his child and upon the family of the murderer as well. The journey will also lead the reader into the joy and recovery that is found when hope is restored through faith in God and friends that never gave up on Larry Linam. He shares how finding forgiveness and giving forgiveness dispelled the darkness in his life and allowed him to tell the story to thousands and the desire to share with more that God's purpose for believers in Jesus Christ is the most important thing for anyone facing life's challenges.
Download or read book Reckless Abandon written by Larry Tomczak and published by Charisma Media. This book was released on 2002 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God is searching for trailblazers...forerunners...pioneers who will stir the rest of the church out of complacency and into His glorious purposes!" says author Larry Tomczak. How will you respond to God's voice as He calls you out of "comfy-cozy complacency" and into the life of a spiritual pioneer? It is a walk of faith, and many have chosen to take the journey. Reckless Abandon discusses these exciting topics and more: - How do we know we need revival?- Are there any telltale signs that a spiritual revolution is under way?- What's the difference between martyrs, leaders, settlers and spiritual pioneers?- What made John Calvin and Martin Luther become spiritual pioneers?
Download or read book 7 Places Jesus Shed His Blood written by Larry Huch and published by Whitaker House. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the full revelation of what Jesus accomplished for you through His death and resurrection! Every page of this revolutionary book by Pastor Larry Huch will take you on a remarkable journey through the last days of Jesus’ life and ministry. You’ll receive a fresh perspective on how He shed His blood not just once but seven times Pastor Huch’s fresh insights and deep revelations will show you the power to save, deliver, and heal through each place Jesus shed His blood. Go step-by-step with Huch as he takes you to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus sweat drops of blood, to the whipping post where His back was laid bare by the thirty-nine lashes, and finally to Calvary, where Christ endured the agony of having spikes driven through his hands and feet and a soldier’s spear thrust into His side. Every place Jesus’ blood was shed will become a life-changing connection for you to receive the redemptive blessings of God. Experience them now in The 7 Places Jesus Shed His Blood.
Download or read book God s Sustaining Power written by Larry Hicks and published by Ambassador International. This book was released on 2014-04-16 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you want something that will provide you with encouragement in a time of suffering or if you need an inspiration to better exercise your faith, then this is the ideal book to read. There is so much that is negative when dealing with adversity, but this book shows how there is always a way to find hope through the power of our God.
Download or read book Addicts at the Cross Big Book written by Larry Skrant and published by ANEKO Press. This book was released on 2017-03-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Christian 9 Step Program Addicts at the Cross takes a bold, unabashed stance in believing that what the Bible says is true. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36). The nine steps have worked again and again. In fact, the only time the nine steps haven't worked is when an individual didn't sincerely want to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Christ. The world tries to change people from the outside in. People are told that they fail because they grew up in dysfunctional homes or in a poor neighborhood, or because they lack education. However, highly educated, rich people also become addicts, are involved in heinous crimes, and fail in general. The world says addicts failed because they were unable to find work. Yet many men and women have good jobs and still end up in prison. Is it genetics? Some say that addicts have flawed genes or they were born that way, and as a result, they are permanently disabled. Out of all the excuses offered to us by the world, this is the saddest. A genetically flawed person may be beyond hope, but alcoholics can and do recover - they are not without hope. If we call sin what it is, then we have an opportunity to overcome that sin and be healed. If we call sin what it is, then we can accept what Christ did for us on the cross, we can be forgiven, and we can be changed.
Download or read book Real Church written by Larry Crabb and published by . This book was released on 2009-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his most honest and vulnerable book to date, the author offers a compelling vision of why God designed man to live in community with Him and others, and what the church he wants to be a part of looks like.
Download or read book Addicts at the Cross written by Larry Skrant and published by Aneko Press. This book was released on 2017-03-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addicts at the Cross takes a bold, unabashed stance in stating that the Bible is true: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36). The 9 steps will walk students to the cross where Christ sets the captives free. These steps aren’t magic, but a willing and determined pursuit of freedom through them will guide the student to a place where overcoming addiction is assured. Society tells us poverty, lack of education, and unemployment are the underlying causes of addiction. Though strong families and education are vital supports for a stable society as they help a person discover how to act and what to do, the roots of addiction develop and grow from “who” the person is. This 9 step study is designed to dredge up the soil of the addict's heart and uproot the underlying causes of addiction, thereby genuinely setting the addict free.
Download or read book Moral Injury written by Larry Kent Graham and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2017-07-18 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If we can share our burdens, we can bear them. If we can bear them, we can change the circumstances that brought them about. In a world where anything goes, people have a hard time deciding what is right and what is wrong. Pastors have a hard time helping people discern right and wrong because the church’s theological language of sin and redemption have so little currency and even less cultural relevancy. How can pastors help people deal with their feelings of guilt, shame, and responsibility when most many people don’t believe in sin and have a limited or “flexible” moral framework? People need help assessing moral alternatives, reconciling what they have done with what they think is right, recovering from burdens of guilt and shame, and imagining moral options to serve the common good. It is the call of pastors, chaplains, and other spiritual caregivers to help people move from moral injury to pardon and, eventually, to sustained recovery and resilience—in essence this book will help pastors reclaim their pastoral tasks of soul care and moral guidance without succumbing to the temptation of moralizing. Using vivid examples, the author will look at how various religious communities seek, promote, and achieve personal wholeness and realize the common good. This understanding will inform pastors, so that they can help their congregants and communities become vital agents in a sea of, often, conflicting moral voices. The book will provide resources for identifying core assets, and how to assess the various codes and moral claims interacting within the kaleidoscopic climate in which we live. Drawing upon neuroscience, narrative spirituality, and collaborative communal engagement, the author gives tools to aid pastors, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers ameliorate the distress caused by dissonance and resulting in moral injury. The book will also provide resources for helping people bear the burdens of moral responsibility and for navigating the sometimes unbearable consequences of particular moral actions. The author concludes with suggestions for helping people suffering from injury to their integrity from misdeeds they endure, either as a result of their own actions or from those actions of others, move toward sustained resilience and more mature moral imagination. "There is no better guide, or collaborative partner, for navigating the moral territory of post-traumatic living than Larry Graham. In Moral Injury: Restoring Wounds Souls, Graham sounds a clarion call for religious leaders to cultivate habits of mind and body to meet the complex situations of our day. Rather than offering a birds-eye-view of the moral terrain, Graham invites readers to feel the earth under their feet and attune themselves to the climate of their moral environments. With his careful definitional work and theological acumen, he revivifies theological ethics for progressive Christians. [And beyond this audience, Graham displays the importance of theology in contemporary discussions of moral injury.]" – Shelly Rambo, Associate Professor of Theology, Boston University School of Theology "Larry Graham has created an extraordinary workbook for moral resiliency and healing. He restores hope for the excruciating pains of a broken conscience. A treasure house of timely and practical applications sure to enrich pastoral conversations!" - Paul W. Dodd, Chaplain (Colonel), U.S. Army (Retired) "This book is a must-read if we care about recovery from moral injury, not just in the wake of immediate trauma, but also in historical legacies that haunt us. Larry Graham illuminates how questions of God can be addressed in that process with grace and compassion, and he shows, via the experiences of people from a variety of cultures and faiths, how moral injury can be healed." - Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, Ph.D., Senior Vice-President for Moral Injury Programs at Volunteers of America. She is the former Research Professor of Religion and Culture and Director of the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX
Download or read book God s Forever Family written by Larry Eskridge and published by OUP USA. This book was released on 2013-07-18 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Jesus People were an unlikely combination of evangelical Christianity and the hippie counterculture. God's Forever Family is the first major examination of this phenomenon in over thirty years.
