Download or read book Leaving Church Becoming Ekklesia written by Tim Kurtz and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-07 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Church - the central identifying word that encompasses the entire religious spectrum. It is the buildings we go to, the sectarian ideology we adhere to, the core of our spiritual identity. Church - the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the called-out ones. Church - Evangelical, Pentecostal, Catholic, and Non-Denominational. Church - the guardian of doctrine, the ark for lost souls, the social bastion for the righteous. We have embraced and perpetuated a culture around this single word - church; a word that should have never existed.In this this book, Tim Kurtz challenges the use of the 'word' church found in most bibles by suggesting it is a willful mistranslation of the original Greek word ekklesia. This book does not 'beat up' the church world, but rather explores how powerful believers would be if they embraced their true identity as the ekklesia - the ruling council of God.
Download or read book Ekklesia written by Ed Silvoso and published by Chosen Books. This book was released on 2017-05-02 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dynamic New Teaching from Bestselling Author Ed Silvoso The word church has many connotations; we think of it as a specific building, as a group of people, even as a long service to sit through. We hardly ever think of it as world-changing--and neither does society. Yet this is exactly what the first-century ekklesia was. In these vital, eye-opening pages, bestselling author Ed Silvoso takes you back to the first days of the church. Digging into Scripture, he shows how the New Testament church--devoid of buildings, professional clergy, and religious freedom--was able to transform the hostile, pagan places into which it was born and set in motion a process that changed the world forever. Even more, Silvoso offers a roadmap back to becoming the ekklesia Jesus called his church to be. In the midst of the social, economic, political, and moral chaos in our world today, we possess the hope that people and nations so desperately need--and we can become the revolutionary, transformational, life-giving voice Jesus called us to be. A new, in-depth curriculum kit--which features a DVD with 12 brand-new teaching sessions, a group guide for both leaders and participants, and a copy of the book--is also available. Expounding on the book's dynamic teachings, each kit contains everything you need to equip your group to transform the world around them.
Download or read book Beyond Church written by Steve Simms and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-10-22 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you ever wanted something more from your faith? More than religion? More than church? One lost and forgotten biblical word, "ekklesia," holds the key to a more vibrant and life-changing Christianity. --Modern English language Bibles quote Jesus as saying, "I will build My church." However, the earliest Bibles have Jesus saying, "I will build my ekklesia." For hundreds of years, this Bible word-switch has misdirected the way the body of Christ meets for worship. --So what does ekklesia mean? Ekklesia was the name of the city council in ancient Greek city-states. It was a democratic, interactive, participatory body of equal citizens sharing their concerns and needs with one another. --In the Western world, traditional church is in decline. Religious categories now include millions who are "Dones" (done with church) and "Nones" (have no church affiliation). --Perhaps it is time for more than church. Steve Simms invites you to go "beyond church" and experience ekklesia, HEAVEN's CITY COUNCIL, not as a theological concept, but as a practical and living reality.
Download or read book The Ultimate Intention written by DeVern F. Fromke and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2016-10-21 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scores of pastors and leaders testify: “THIS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MINISTRY.” The author considers these critical questions: In the beginning, before God created Adam (mankind), what was His original purpose and plan for him? What could have happened in the Garden of Eden if Adam had not sinned and God’s redemptive plan had not become necessary? We know that when God created Adam he received natural life, but how did God plan for Adam to receive Divine (uncreated life)? What is the difference between God’s creating and begetting work? It is evident that God has given the Cross a central place in His redemptive working; what is the difference between the work of the Cross and the way of the Cross? Since God, in the fullness of time, will put on display His Divine masterpiece before all the universe, how can we fully cooperate with him if we do not understand His Ultimate Intention?
Download or read book Ekklesia Rising written by Dean Briggs and published by . This book was released on 2014-12-23 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: JESUS PROMISED TO BUILD SOMETHING. DO WE EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS? Fill in the blank: "Upon this rock I will build My ________?" For generations, we have been taught that Jesus promised to build His "church" in Matthew 16:18, so we've dutifully tried to build the church with Him. But there's a big problem: that's not the word He used. Instead, He announced something far more potent: "I will build My ekklesia!" Have you ever wondered why the established church culture so often seems stuck in neutral? If Jesus gave His disciples authority and keys to bind and loose, why are so many churches either apathetic or chronically weak in prayer? The reason is because a motherlode of identity and mission separates those two words. In Ekklesia Rising, you'll learn: The DNA of ekklesia: how revelation produces dominion The "keys" Christ gives, and how to receive and use them Divine design: masculine authority with bridal love The role of the Divine Council in heaven and on earth The inner constitution of contending, covenantal communities Make no mistake, Jesus will build His ekklesia. His Father's house will be a "House of Prayer for All Nations." For hundreds of years, we have been the church. Finally, let us become His ruling ekklesia.
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 Ekklesia written by Joe Nicola and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-09-04 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What comes to mind when you hear the word “church?” The Bible tells us in Matthew 16:18 that Jesus said He would build His church. What would the disciples have thought Jesus meant since they had not heard the word “church” before? When Matthew wrote his gospel, he used the Greek language. The word he chose that is translated as “church” in English is ekklesia. Ekklesia was a common word during the time that Jesus walked the earth. Over time, we have lost the true meaning of this word and how it applies to us today. In Genesis 1:28, God commissioned man at creation with fruitfulness, multiplication, and the task of subduing and ruling the Earth. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave us a commission that restates God's original assignment to disciple the nations. I wrote this book to help people understand the true meaning of what Jesus said He would build. We will discuss the history, usage and application of this word for today. This book, however, is just the beginning. It will help us rediscover Jesus' original intent when He said, “upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
Download or read book Bible Treaty written by Keith Newman and published by Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited. This book was released on 2014-06-01 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bible & Treaty: Missionaries among the Māori is a complex and colourful adventure of faith, bravery, perseverance and betrayal that seeks to recover lost connections in the story of modern New Zealand. It brings a fresh perspective to the missionary story, from the lead-up to Samuel Marsden's first sermon on New Zealand soil, and the intervening struggle for survival and understanding, to the dramatic events that unfolded around the Treaty of Waitangi and the disillusionment that led to the Land Wars in the 1860s. While some missionaries clearly failed to live up to their high calling, the majority committed their lives to Māori and were instrumental in spreading Christianity, brokering peace between warring tribes, and promoting literacy – resulting in a Māori-language edition of the Bible. This highly readable account, from the author of Ratana Revisited: An Unfinished Legacy (2006) and Ratana: The Prophet (2009), shines a new light on the ever-evolving business of New Zealand's early history.
Download or read book Unchurching written by Richard Jacobson and published by . This book was released on 2016-07-12 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of believers are currently leaving the organized church, without giving up their faith. Sadly, many are only defining themselves by what they don't do, as Christians who simply "don't go to church." It's time for these believers to catch a vision for genuine spiritual community, outside the walls of organized Christianity, a way of being the church without going to church. Unchurching: Christianity Without Churchianity will challenge everything you thought you knew about church. Unchurching boldly examines whether organized churches are even biblical. It thoroughly deconstructs the idea of special church buildings, paid pastors, weekly sermons, mandatory tithes and offerings, gender inequality in church leadership, and much more. Unchurching is intended to empower believers who are done with organized church but aren't ready to abandon their faith. It will give non-churchgoing Christians a vision for genuine spiritual community that simply functions like an extended spiritual family. And it will equip them with the language to finally articulate that vision to others. Here's what others are saying about Unchurching: "Lots of books that invite Christians to follow Jesus outside of the four walls of churchianity are filled with harsh judgment and criticism of how others 'do church.' But not this book! Unchurching by Richard Jacobson is full of love and grace. There is no judgment, condemnation, or guilt-casting of any kind. Beginning with the Trinity of God, Jacobson presents a grand vision of what the church can be and how we can truly have community as followers of Jesus. Read this book and be encouraged to take the next step of your journey!" Jeremy Myers, author and blogger at RedeemingGod.com "Unchurching: Christianity without Churchianity validates and empowers the rapidly growing number of people who are in the transition between traditional church and an informal community of disciples meeting outside the four walls of the church building. Richard Jacobson has been on both sides of this shift and is uniquely qualified to write about it-which he does well, with insight, humility, and scholarship. I especially valued his comments on the freedom that women have to do and be everything God is calling them to. Highly recommended." Felicity Dale: author, An Army of Ordinary People; co-author, Small is Big "Unchurching presents us with a picture of a church that is all about one person-Jesus. As I read this book I felt my pulse quicken and my heart leap for joy because everything Richard writes about is centered on, around, and in relation to the One who would rather die than live without us. Anyone who loves Jesus and who longs to take hold of Him in a gathering where He is the focal point will delight in this book. It's truly amazing what happens when we get out of the way and allow Jesus to take center stage. This book shows us what that can look like, if we are willing to let go of our traditions and embrace the living, breathing Christ who longs to share His life with us throughout eternity, starting right now!" Keith Giles, author of This Is My Body: Ekklesia As God Intended; author of Jesus Untangled
Download or read book The Glory of The Latter House written by Roderick G Senior and published by . This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The glory of God is real. It brings breakthrough and deliverance. The church should be tapping into this glory through righteous living. There is more to God than what we are experiencing now. The glory of the latter house ought to be shining today for all the world to see, leading people to accept JESUS as Lord and Savior of their lives and living a victorious and spirit-filled life on this earth. Christians are God's temple, the latter house, and Jesus is the glory of the latter house. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, righteous people can experience the full manifested glory of God. May this book ignite within you a hunger and thirst for the full manifestation of the glory and power of God. As a believer, you need to arise and enter the glory of the latter house. The church must become the shining star, the glow, that place where all seek comfort, joy, peace of mind, a purposeful life, a walk of power and people taking great stride in fulfilling their destiny on this earth as designed by God for their lives. I call the church to action, let the glory of the Lord rise among us.
Download or read book One Ekklesia written by Henry Hon and published by . This book was released on 2018-08 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Superheroes Can t Save You written by Todd Miles and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2018-04-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comic superheroes embody the hopes of a world that is desperate for a savior. But those comic creations cannot save us from our greatest foes—sin and death. Throughout the history of the Church there have been bad ideas, misconceptions, and heretical presentations of Jesus. Each one of these heresies fails to present Jesus as the Bible reveals him. In Superheroes Can’t Save You, Todd Miles demonstrates how these ancient heresies are embodied in contemporary comic superheroes. Miles compares something everybody already knows (who the superheroes are) with what they need to know (who Jesus is), in a book that makes vitally important Christian truths understandable and applicable to a wide audience.
Download or read book Finding Organic Church written by Frank Viola and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2009-09-15 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling author of Reimagining Church comes an essential guide that provides practical, effective tools for finding vibrant Christian communities. Driven by a passion for the body of Christ, Frank Viola has written some of today's most authoritative and celebrated works on the growing home, organic, and missional church movements. Now Viola shares practical keys to a healthy and successful church plant. Viola contends that many congregations today are struggling to survive, not because of bad planning, but poor planting. He presents an essential guide for starting and nourishing organic churches in any culture. Drawing from both Scripture and a wealth of experience, Viola offers real-world tools, insights, and practical suggestions so churches won't just grow, but thrive.
Download or read book How to Be a Christian without Going to Church written by Kelly Bean and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2014-06-24 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.
Download or read book Do I Stay Christian written by Brian D. McLaren and published by St. Martin's Essentials. This book was released on 2022-05-24 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dubbed "a heroic gate-crasher" by New York Times bestselling author Glennon Doyle, Brian D. McLaren explores reasons to leave or stay within the church and if so how... "Brian's new book on remaining Christian knocks it out of the ballpark in terms of framing and naming the questions. I cannot stop reading it. Thank you, Brian!" —Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, author of The Universal Christ "Any thoughtful Christian has been asking the questions McLaren tackles here, but many of us are afraid to voice them aloud. In Do I Stay Christian? we’re gifted a gentle guide who opens ideas and voices the questions we cannot, naming our frustration, fear, and hesitant hope." —Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, former Senior Minister, The Riverside Church; Founder, Invested Faith Do I Stay Christian? addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people—including pastors, priests, and other religious leaders—are asking in private. Picking up where Faith After Doubt leaves off, Do I Stay Christian? is not McLaren's attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit. Instead, he combines his own experience with that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity. There is a way to say both yes and no to the question of staying Christian, McLaren says, by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If Do I Stay Christian? is the question you're asking—or if it's a question that someone you love is asking—this is the book you've been waiting for.
Download or read book Calling Forth the Remnant written by Stella M. Paterson and published by Preparing the Way Pub. This book was released on 2006-09 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "CALLING FORTH THE REMNANT, By Way of the Cross, by Stella Paterson, is addressed to the Body of Christ; both those who attend church and those who do not. Much heartache and sadness have gone into relating the error which has robbed the Lords Bride of her beauty and purity. The "error" is rooted in the greatest deception of all time, and its disastrous influence has been embraced. Error has been allowed to run rampant and has resulted in widespread, unrecognized apostasy. Following many years of in-depth Bible study, the author presents monumental truths that fly in the face of many accepted teachings. It raises a multitude of questions then gives answers, including references for further research: "Why did Jesus REALLY have to die? What is the new birth, as examined through Scripture? Will we yield to Gods way or continue on our own way? What about topics like 'tithing', 'the Rapture', 'tribulation' and 'Antichrist'? Will we ultimately choose to go the way of the Cross and become a part of the Church triumphant? Are we truly born again or have we been deceived by an 'easy' gospel about an 'easy' Jesus who will take as His Bride those who are yet flesh?"
Download or read book Church Refugees written by Josh Packard and published by Group Publishing, Inc. . This book was released on 2015-06-01 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They’re called The Dones. After devoting a lifetime to their churches, they’re walking away. Why? Sociologists Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope reveal the results of a major study about the exodus from the American church. And what they’ve discovered may surprise you... -Church refugees aren’t who you’d expect. Among those scrambling for the exits are the church’s staunchest supporters and leaders. -Leaving the church doesn’t mean abandoning the faith. Some who are done with church report they’ve never felt spiritually stronger. -The door still remains open—a crack. Those who’ve left remain hungry for community and the chance to serve—and they’re finding both. Sifting through hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews, Packard and Hope provide illuminating insights into what has become a major shift in the American landscape. If you’re in the church, discover the major reasons your church may be in danger of losing its strongest members—and what you can do to keep them. If you’re among those done with church, look for your story to be echoed here. You’re not alone—and at last you’re understood. Share your story at TheDones.com
