Download or read book Revitalize 9Marks Journal written by Jonathan Leeman and published by . This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 9Marks Journal: RevitalizeChurch planting is a great thing, and there's no need to take anything away from it. But there should also be a default setting in a Christian's heart that always longs to see dying churches revitalized. It's not like the debate in your head about whether to fork over $2000 to the mechanic to fix your clunker of a car or to just buy a new one. It's more like a decision about whether to walk away from a dear but difficult relationship. Our hearts should never want to do that, even if once in a great while we must.Start with Andy Davis' remarkable story of reforming one church, and you'll find something that feels strangely like it's from the Bible, as if Andy were only doing what the apostles did. Then let the biblical burden of Bobby Jamieson's article sit on you. I'm serious. You just might find some new light bulbs turning on. Matt Schmucker's and Mike McKinley's articles then round out the apologetic by offering crisp statements for why churches and pastors should pursue the work of revitalizing.If you are a pastor, keep reading into the next section, where Jeramie Rinne, Greg Gilbert, John Folmar, J. D. Greear, and Brian Croft offer valuable and practical wisdom on how to proceed with the work of reform.Could it be that church revitalization does not loom as large in the modern evangelical mindset as it did in Jesus' and the apostles'? Before you answer that question, if nothing else, read Bobby's article. You just might wonder if we've missed something basic.

Download or read book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church 3rd Edition written by Mark Dever and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2013-08-31 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in its third edition and featuring a new foreword by New York Times best-selling author David Platt, pastor Mark Dever’s classic book is not an instruction manual for church growth. Rather, it is a wise pastor’s recommendation for how to assess the health of a church using nine crucial qualities often neglected by many of today’s congregations. Church leaders and church members alike will resonate with the principles outlined here, breathing new life and health into the church at large. In this newly revised edition, fresh arguments have been added (for example on expositional preaching, about the nature of the gospel, on complementarianism), illustrations have been updated, appendices have been changed, and cover has been improved.

Download or read book One Assembly written by Jonathan Leeman and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2020-03-26 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many churches are switching to the multisite or multiservice models to manage crowded sanctuaries due to growing attendance. This solution seems sensible in the short term, but too often churches adopt this model without taking into consideration what the Bible says about it. Illuminating the importance of physical togetherness as a way to protect the gospel, this book argues that maintaining a single assembly best embodies the unity the church possesses in Jesus Christ. Jonathan Leeman considers a series of biblical, theological, and pastoral arguments that ask us to stop and examine intuitions or assumptions about what a church is. He reorients our minds to a biblical definition of church, offering examples of churches that have thrived with a single service at a single site and compelling alternatives for those looking to solve the complications that come with a growing church.

Download or read book Revitalize written by Andrew M. Davis and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2017-04-04 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Church health is measured by more than just numbers, but declining membership is often a key symptom of a church in crisis. The pastor of a dying church doesn't need to be told it is dying; he needs to find the way forward--and he needs hope. Author and pastor Andrew Davis offers readers the lessons he's learned in his own journey of leading church transformation, including - keeping Christ's ownership of the church central - being humble - choosing your battles wisely - empowering godly men to join in leadership - making prayer a priority - focusing on the Word - and more Church decline is not inevitable. Revitalize gives pastors the spiritual support they long for and the practical advice they need to turn their churches around and position them for greater health in the future.

Download or read book Pastoral Moves 9Marks Journal written by Jonathan Leeman and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-05-20 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quick, before you make another move, pastor, read this Journal!If you're thinking of leaving your church for another, start with Michael Lawrence's article on leaving wisely. In fact, look at Matt Schmucker's even before you think about leaving. Have you looked yet? Okay, what about now? I've seen enough pastors come and go to know that Lawrence and Schmucker just might shift your paradigm.Or maybe the process of searching has begun. Mark De-ver, Bobby Jamieson, Walter Price, and Dennis Newkirk will help you to avoid common mis-takes and pursue the next pastor wisely.Then again, maybe you should not make a move at all. Jeramie Rinne and Mark Dever will tell you why. Pastor Rinne, in fact, would rather see you dead right where you are. What a pastor!

Download or read book Praying Together written by Megan Hill and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2016-04-14 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly all Christians would affirm the centrality of prayer for a healthy Christian life. And yet, for many, prayer is often a challenge, requiring intense personal commitment and self-discipline. However, as Megan Hill points out in Praying Together, our normal approach to prayer leaves out a crucial component: other people. While personal prayer is important, God designed the church to be a community of believers who regularly pray together. Exploring the Bible's rich teaching on what it means to gather at God's throne with one voice, Hill lays a theological foundation for corporate prayer and offers practical guidance for making it a reality—in our families, churches, and communities.

Download or read book What Is a Healthy Church written by Mark Dever and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2007 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Guides both pastors and members to recognize key characteristics of a healthy church and then challenge each person to do his or her part in developing those characteristics in the local church body.

Download or read book Conduct Gospel Centered Funerals written by Brian Croft and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bring Gospel Hope in the Midst of Death The phone rings: “Pastor, can you do my mother’s funeral?” Or, “Please help us—our baby just died.” Death comes unexpectedly, giving you two to three days of time to prepare a sermon—in the midst of caring for a grieving family. This helpful book walks a pastor through the logistics of memorial services, burials, and working with funeral homes—using the four P’s: Plan, Prepare, Preach, and Perform. It shows how to magnify Christ and the gospel in the midst of all the details, demands, and sorrow that surrounds the death of a loved one. The Practical Shepherding series of books provides pastors and ministry leaders with advice and practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals, experienced pastors Brian Croft and Phil A. Newton offer readers a concise guide to conducting funerals that glorify God and offer a timely message of hope.

Download or read book The Mentoring Church written by Phil A. Newton and published by Kregel Publications. This book was released on 2017 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ministry Book of the Year--The Gospel Coalition 2017 Book Awards The critical missing element in Christian mentoring today: the congregation "Bringing up future leaders isn't just the job of the pastor but of the whole congregation. This is an urgently needed book in churches today." --R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Young, emerging leaders of the church, many of whom have gone through leadership training and traditional mentorship programs, still too often find themselves unprepared for the realities of ministry. Many leave the ministry altogether, overwhelmed. Phil Newton reveals a critical gap: single-source mentorship is incomplete. Mentoring must involve the congregation, not just senior pastors, in order to bring forth mature, resilient leaders prepared for all that ministry entails. The solid, practical solutions in The Mentoring Church offer churches of any size both the vision for mentoring future leaders and a workable template to follow. With insightful consideration of theological, historical, and contemporary training models for pastor/church partnerships, Newton is a reliable guide to developing a church culture that equips fully prepared leaders.

Download or read book The Pastor s Ministry written by Brian Croft and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2015-03-31 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every pastor struggles with demands for his time, and how to determine priorities in ministry. Some choose to respond to the most urgent needs, while others seek a more balanced and intentional approach. But what determines these priorities? Where should a busy pastor look for wisdom in making decisions? In the Pastor’s Ministry, pastor and author Brian Croft looks to the Scriptures to determine the top ten priorities for a faithful pastoral ministry. These biblically rooted responsibilities help pastors determine how to spend their time and with greater discernment respond to the demands of the church. Each of these priorities is rooted in a direct command of God’s Word, including: Guarding the Truth Preaching and Teaching the Word Praying for the Flock Setting an Example Visiting the Sick Comforting the Grieving Caring for Widows Confronting Sin Encouraging the Faint-Hearted Identifying and Training Other Leaders To be successful and faithful in pastoral ministry, every pastor needs to understand these core callings and make them part of his regular practice. These ten responsibilities guide how a pastor schedules his time, helping him to lay the foundation for a biblically faithful ministry in his church.

Download or read book Outgrowing the Ingrown Church written by C. John Miller and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 1986 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book for pacesetters -- church leaders who desire to help their churches break free of the things that turn them in on themselves. It is a masterly mix of biblical principle, objective analysis, and personal experience.

Download or read book 40 Questions About Pastoral Ministry written by Phil A. Newton and published by Kregel Publications. This book was released on 2021 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A veteran pastor answers the questions that today's pastors are asking In 40 Questions about Pastoral Ministry, veteran pastor Phil Newton provides trustworthy answers to 40 of the most common and pressing questions relating to the life and work of the pastor. Covering five major categories--such as development, practices, and preaching--Newton equips pastors to successfully handle everyday duties and challenges, including: • Remaining spiritually healthy • Strengthening your marriage • Dealing with discouragement • Avoiding pitfalls • Leading elders' meetings • Mentoring future leaders • Preaching through books of the Bible • Conducting marriages and funerals • Practicing church discipline • Leading change and revitalization, and much more Basing his answers on Scripture, theological reflection, and personal experience, Newton serves as a mentor and guide for pastors at every stage of ministry. The questions and answers are self-contained, and topics of interest can be easily located. Pastors will want to consult this volume often for authoritative advice on all aspects of pastoral ministry.

Download or read book Church Elders written by Jeramie Rinne and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2014-04-30 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Effective leadership is important. Nowhere is this more true than in the church. Jeramie Rinne offers readers a concise overview of the Bible's teaching on spiritual leadership, setting forth an easy-to-understand "job description" for elders that is focused on enabling pastors and church leaders to effectively shepherd their congregations. Giving practical guidance to new elders and helping church members better understand and support their spiritual leaders, this conversational book emphasizes purposeful ministry rather than project management. It will also bolster leaders' confidence by encouraging them to embrace their pastoral calling with grace, wisdom, and a clarity of vision.

Download or read book Not Yet Married written by Marshall Segal and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2017-06-20 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life Is Never Mainly About Love and Marriage. So Learn to Live and Date for More. Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God's purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you "the one," but about inspiring you to live and date for more now. If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of the perfect person, but a pursuit of more of God. He will likely write a love story for you different than the one you would write for yourself, but that's because he loves you and knows how to write a better story. This book was written to help you find real hope, happiness, and purpose in your not-yet-married life.

Download or read book From Embers to a Flame written by Harry L. Reeder and published by P & R Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Expounds biblical principles that, if applied to even the unhealthiest church, the Lord can use to take the church from embers to a flame.

Download or read book Who Is Jesus written by Greg Gilbert and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2015-02-02 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A famed historian once noted that, regardless of what you think of him personally, Jesus Christ stands as the central figure in the history of Western civilization. A man violently rejected by some and passionately worshipped by others, Jesus remains as polarizing as ever. But most people still know very little about who he really was, why he was really here, or what he really claimed. Intended as a succinct introduction to Jesus’s life, words, and enduring significance, Who Is Jesus? offers non-Christians and new Christians alike a compelling portrait of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, this book encourages readers to carefully consider the history-shaping life and extraordinary teachings of the greatest man who ever lived. Download the free study guide at crossway.org/WhoIsJesus.

Download or read book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind written by Mark A. Noll and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2022-03-15 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Christianity Today Book of the Year Award (1995) “The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.” So begins this award-winning intellectual history and critique of the evangelical movement by one of evangelicalism’s most respected historians. Unsparing in his indictment, Mark Noll asks why the largest single group of religious Americans—who enjoy increasing wealth, status, and political influence—have contributed so little to rigorous intellectual scholarship. While nourishing believers in the simple truths of the gospel, why have so many evangelicals failed to sustain a serious intellectual life and abandoned the universities, the arts, and other realms of “high” culture? Over twenty-five years since its original publication, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind has turned out to be prescient and perennially relevant. In a new preface, Noll lays out his ongoing personal frustrations with this situation, and in a new afterword he assesses the state of the scandal—showing how white evangelicals’ embrace of Trumpism, their deepening distrust of science, and their frequent forays into conspiratorial thinking have coexisted with surprisingly robust scholarship from many with strong evangelical connections.