Download or read book Seeker Churches written by Kimon Howland Sargeant and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: America's religious landscape is in flux. New churches are springing up and many older churches are redefining themselves to survive. At the forefront of this denominational free-for-all are evangelical "seeker" churches. These churches target "seekers"-individuals of any faith or denominational background who seek spiritual fulfillment but are not currently affiliated with any specific church. By focusing on this largely untapped group, seeker churches have become one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the country. In his study, Kimon Sargeant provides a sociological context for the rise of these churches by exploring the rituals, messages, strategies, and denominational functions of this emerging form of American evangelical Protestantism. Featuring live bands, professional lighting and sound systems, and multi-media presentations, seeker churches are attracting many people who have "dropped out" of organized religion. To broaden their appeal, they offer attenders advice on everyday issues ranging from relationships to finance. Sargeant focuses on the success of the Willow Creek Association, the seeker church association started by the Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago. With over 5,000 member churches, the seven-year old association has already outdistanced 90 percent of American denominations and is the leader of the seeker church movement. Through eyewitness accounts and careful research, Sargeant reveals the "seeker" movement to be a "reformation" of American Protestantism.
Download or read book Willow Creek Seeker Services written by Gregory A. Pritchard and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 1995-12-01 with total page 501 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive study of the worship service style that is influencing thousands of churches and their leaders worldwide addresses controversies and draws lessons for the church today.
Download or read book Renovation of the Church written by Kent Carlson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-11-21 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Copastors Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken tell the decade-long story of how God took their thriving, consumer-oriented church and transformed it into a modest congregation of unformed believers committed to the growth of the spirit--even when it meant a decline in numbers.
Download or read book Bridges of God written by Donald McGavran and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2005-07-12 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. McGavran wrote 'Bridges of God' Òin the hope that it will shed light on the process of how peoples become Christian, and help direct the attention of those who love the Lord to the highways of the Spirit along which His redemptive Church can advance.Ó
Download or read book Starting a Seeker Sensitive Service written by Ed Dobson and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 1993 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book about radical change. It is the story of how a traditional church launched a non-traditional service in order to open its doors to unchurched people. This book has grown out of five years of ministry to hurting people who are either skeptics, agnostics, or doubters of the Christian faith. It has been shaped by people who do not give much of a rip about God or the Bible, but they are at least willing to listen. It is a book about what I have learned from these fellow travelers in the adventure of life.
Download or read book The Purpose Driven Life written by Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2012-10-23 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover and fulfill your God-given purpose by joining the more than thirty-five million others who have embarked on a spiritual journey that started with this #1 New York Times bestselling book by Pastor Rick Warren. Before you were born, God knew what your life had in store for you. His hope for you is to discover the life he created just for you--both here on earth, and forever in eternity. Let Rick Warren guide you as you learn to live out your true purpose. The Purpose Driven Life is more than a book; it's a road map for your spiritual journey. Combining thoughtful verses from Scripture with timely stories and perspectives from Warren's own life, The Purpose Driven Life will help you discover the answer to one of life's most important questions: What on earth am I here for? Throughout The Purpose Driven Life, Warren will teach you to spend time getting to know yourself and your creator in order to live your life to the fullest. Unlocking your true purpose will also reduce your stress, simplify your decisions, increase your satisfaction, and, most importantly, prepare you for eternity. Designed to be read over the course of forty-two days, The Purpose Driven Life will help you see the big picture, giving you a fresh perspective on the way that the pieces of your life fit together. Every chapter of The Purpose Driven Life provides a daily meditation and practical steps to help you uncover and live out your purpose, starting with exploring three essential questions: The Question of Existence: Why am I alive? The Question of Significance: Does my life matter? The Question of Purpose: What on earth am I here for? Each copy of The Purpose Driven Life also includes thoughtful discussion questions, audio Bible studies that go along with every chapter, and access to a supportive online community, giving you the opportunity to dive even deeper into each life-changing lesson.
Download or read book The Prodigal Church written by Jared C. Wilson and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2015-04-16 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastors want to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus. However, we've too often assumed this requires loud music, flashy lights, and skinny jeans. In this gentle manifesto, Jared Wilson—a pastor who knows what it's like to serve in a large attractional church—challenges pastors to reconsider their priorities when it comes to how they "do church" and reach people in their communities. Writing with the grace and kindness of a trusted friend, Wilson encourages pastors to reexamine the Bible's teaching, not simply return to a traditional model for tradition's sake. He then sets forth an alternative to both the attractional and the traditional models: an explicitly biblical approach that is gospel focused, grace based, and fruit oriented.
Download or read book More Than a Healer written by Costi W. Hinn and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How does healing fit into God's will, especially when God doesn't heal? Our hearts, our bodies, and our world are desperate for healing. We all experience brokenness, and we rightfully look to Jesus for restoration. But many Christians have been taught the lie that God will heal us if our faith is strong enough, and that he is punishing us when bad things happen. Growing up in one of the world's leading faith-healing dynasties, Costi Hinn witnessed the tragedy of people chasing after healing more than the Healer. In this book he provides biblical clarity to some of the most challenging questions of the Christian faith. Does grace guarantee healing? How do we catch ourselves from slipping into the trap of seeking God for what he can do for us and not for who he really is? Beginning with the vivid memory of the night he discovered his son's cancer diagnosis—Costi unpacks the layered feelings and questions we have about God and his healing power, and he provides practical principles for growing closer to Jesus. With gentle clarity and biblical wisdom, he explains how to: Faithfully pray for healing while trusting in God's sovereignty. Navigate tough conversations about the topics of divine healing, love, and justice. Hold on to faith even in the most painful trials. More than chasing after the Jesus we want, this hopeful and encouraging book will guide you to discovering the Jesus we truly need—and the true power and hope that comes from a genuine relationship with him.
Download or read book Seeker Small Groups written by Garry D. Poole and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-05-26 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Principles and methods for effectively launching a seeker small group.Best-selling author and evangelism expert Lee Strobel describes seeker small groups as “One of the most powerful and effective tools in evangelism.” A seeker small group is facilitated by a Christian leader, but group members are seekers—non-Christians investigating Christianity. The group provides a safe context for seekers and believers to ask questions and dialogue about faith.This highly transferable model can be implemented by all kinds of ministries with a wide range of evangelistic styles and strategies. As believers complete evangelism courses such as Becoming a Contagious Christian, they are motivated to reach out to others but often feel they lack opportunities to interact with non-Christians. Seeker Small Groups is the missing evangelism tool churches need to fill the gap between evangelism training and real-life opportunities for engaging seekers in life-changing spiritual discussions.The book presents a detailed, step-by-step process for launching seeker small groups strategy in a wide variety of settings. The groups are for seekers whether or not they are attending church. Numerous stories and illustrations provide inspiration and encouragement so readers are not only equipped but also motivated to launch their own seeker groups.
Download or read book The Disciple Making Minister written by David Servant and published by Shepherd Serve. This book was released on 2014-04-14 with total page 503 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Servant has been ministering to Christian leaders in conferences around the world for over three decades. From his experience of speaking to tens of thousands of pastors in over forty countries, he has complied biblical teaching in this book that addresses the most important issues that Christian leaders are facing today. Servant covers topics such as church growth, spiritual warfare, divorce and remarriage, biblical interpretation, house churches, women in ministry, church government, spiritual gifts, evangelism and many more. He often questions the prevailing opinion, always considering what Scripture says. His conclusions may sometimes surprise you. Servant's foundational condition is that every Christian leader should be making disciples who obey all of Christ's commandments. Translated into many languages, The Disciple-Making Minister is helping Christian leader around the world be more effective in fulfilling the Great Commission.
Download or read book The Purpose Driven Church written by Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2007-09-04 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The issue is church health, not church growth—if your church is healthy, growth will occur naturally. So how do we make healthy churches, driven by purpose? In order for any church to thrive, it must be built around the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus Christ. In this classic of Christian church stability, pastor and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren unpacks this proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to grow: Warmer through fellowship. Deeper through discipleship. Stronger through worship. Broader through ministry. Larger through evangelism. Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Warren will show you how to concentrate on building people and let God build the church. In other words, healthy, consistent growth is the result of balancing the five biblical purposes of the church. And The Purpose Driven Church will show you how to do that. “The Purpose Driven Church has brought focus and direction to more pastors and church leaders than you can count. What a gift!”—John Ortberg, bestselling author.
Download or read book Making Sense of God written by Timothy Keller and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-09-20 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.
Download or read book Future Church written by Jim L. Wilson and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2004 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes bibliographic notes.
Download or read book Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches written by Thomas White and published by Kregel Academic. This book was released on with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Respected leaders point a way forward in the key debates within the Southern Baptist Convention, one of the largest denominations at more than 16 million members.
Download or read book Evangelism written by J. Mack Stiles and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2014-04-16 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christians often struggle to know where to start when it comes to telling others about God, Jesus, sin, and salvation. In this short book, J. Mack Stiles challenges us to view evangelism as something we do together instead of something we do alone, helping churches cultivate a culture of evangelism that goes beyond simply creating new programs or adopting the latest method. The seventh volume in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series, this book will help Christians joyfully embrace evangelism as a way of life as it equips them to share their faith with those who don't yet know Jesus. Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.
Download or read book Emerging Churches written by Eddie Gibbs and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2005-12 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a comprehensive examination of the emerging church phenomenon, considering emerging patterns in leadership, worship, mission, spiritual practices, and cultural engagement.
Download or read book Do Something Else written by Nathaniel D. Phillips and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-02-05 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do Something Else is meant to encourage faith communities and their leaders to reconsider "church as usual," reengage Spirit-led entrepreneurialism, and reimagine new models of ministry bubbling up in their midst. Many churches and leaders are already setting the pace. They are establishing new gatherings in old buildings and using new building to do old things. They are emphasizing diversity, welcome, and friendship. If these stories are hidden from view, they shouldn't be. These pages will uncover how new expressions get started, how they are led, how they struggle, and how they are sustained. Do Something Else will encourage candidates for ministry who see limited options, ministers who wonder about staying in ministry, clergy call-seekers trying to find hope in a desolate career landscape, and churches attempting to manage staffs with limited resources. It will also offer permission to small churches resigned to be "without a pastor," larger churches looking to do a new thing in an unorthodox way, and middle governing bodies who need promising examples of working models in order to take the risk on new opportunities.
