Download or read book Serving God with Style written by Ronald C. Williams and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2002-05-01 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every church is driven by its faith in God, and seeks to grow that faith by guiding its members toward fruitful ministry. But in the face of accelerating change, congregations often find themselves spinning their wheels, exerting great amounts of energy to little effect: the faith is willing, but, faced with uncertainties, the results are weak. How can faith be transformed into productive ministry? Ron Williams, a recognized expert in ministry organization and development, has observed that as individuals better understand their own behavioral tendencies when dealing with uncertainties and exercising their "faith styles," the more intentional - and thus, more productive - they will be. To that end, Williams has created the "Servant Resource Faith-Style Inventory" that congregations can use as a tool in training ministry volunteers, developing ministry teams, educating ministry leaders, developing Christ-centered work-ethic training, empowering Christians in the secular workplace, and other ministry development interventions. Deeply informed by evangelical faith yet useful in a broad variety of ministry settings and traditions, the Inventory provides a useful instrument for congregations which have found that other self-evaluation tools borrowed from secular sources do not meet the particular needs of Christian churches. Dynamic and personal in tone, and faith-based in the deepest sense, Serving God with Style will help every congregation enhance ministry effectiveness for the glory of God.
Download or read book Women Serving God written by John Mark Hicks and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-10 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does God invite women to fully participate in all the assemblies of God?Among churches of Christ, the voices of women are typically silent and excluded from visible leadership in assemblies gathered for prayer and praise. In this book, John Mark Hicks tells the story of his own journey to understand how women have served God throughout the unfolding drama of Scripture. John Mark describes his movement from the exclusion of the voices of women and their leadership in the assembly to a limited inclusion, and finally to the full inclusion of those voices and their leadership. Along the way, he describes some of the history of churches of Christ as well as his own story but ultimately focuses on the meaning of biblical texts and how they support the full participation of women in the assemblies of God.Three women, Claire Davidson Frederick, Jantrice Johnson, and Lauren Smelser White, respond to and extend John Mark's thoughts. Bethany Joy Moore also contributes an essay from the perspective a minister's daughter who is now pursuing a graduate degree in theology.John Mark is detailed, fair, and vulnerable about his own journey and our collective journey inChurches of Christ. I recommend John Mark as a trustworthy guide.-Dr. Sara G. Barton, University Chaplain, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CADo we believe that the Holy Spirit equally equips both women and men to carry out Jesus's message of reconciliation? Dr. Hicks is a trusted guide in navigating the depth of scripture and the complexity of our cultural moment. Drink deeply from this well!-Dr. Joshua Graves, Otter Creek Church, Brentwood, Tennessee.With characteristic depth, rigor, and generosity, Hicks offers his own journey toward embracing the inclusion of women's voices in the assembly. Hicks writes with a familiarity of Restoration Movement history that few can boast, with an accompanying dedication to searching the scriptures.- Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby, Instructor in the Department of Bible, Missions, and Ministry, Abilene Christian University.This book is a gift to twenty-first century Churches of Christ. Part autobiography, part history, part exegesis, and part biblical theology, Hicks's exploration of the Bible's teachings on the role of women in congregational gatherings offers several invaluable components.-Dr. James L. Gorman, Associate Professor of History, Johnson University.John Mark Hicks is Professor of Theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. He has taught for thirty-nine years in schools associated with churches of Christ. He has authored or co-authored eighteen books, lectured in twenty-two countries and forty states, and is married to Jennifer. They share five living children and six grandchildren.
Download or read book Serve God Save the Planet written by J. Matthew Sleeth and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2007 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: J. Matthew Sleeth was living the American dream as a medical chief of staff---until the increasing number of chronic illnesses he was witnessing gave him a new environmental awareness. In this book, Sleeth shares his family's journey to simplicity, stronger relationships, and richer spiritual lives, and relates a prescription for sustainable living.
Download or read book We Live written by Oscar Lukefahr and published by Catholic Home Study Service. This book was released on 2016-03 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We Live: To Know, Love, and Serve God offers clear answers from Scripture and the Catechism, everyday experience, common sense, and modern science. Written in an accessible and entertaining style, this book is perfect for personal reading and group study. It discusses such topics as: Reasons to believe in God; Why many atheists become believers;Down to earth ways of loving God; God's Blueprint for happiness: The Ten Commandments; Sin, grace, holiness, and heaven.
Download or read book Serving God and Country written by Lyle W. Dorsett and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In World War II, more than twelve thousand Protestant ministers, Catholic priests, and Jewish rabbis joined the Chaplain Corps. They were men of faith under fire. And they would charge straight into Hell to save the soul of a single soldier… Representing America’s three major religious traditions, volunteers from across the country enlisted as noncombatant commissioned officers to provide spiritual strength and guidance for those fighting men who never knew if they were going to survive. Armed only with Bibles, Torahs, and the tools of their holy trade, these men of God went wherever the troops went. They prayed over men about to go into combat on land, at sea, and in the air. And, most important and difficult of all, they guided fallen fighting men of every faith as they breathed their last, and gave up their lives in the fight against tyranny. These are the personal stories of some of the bravest and most selfless men who served with the armed forces. Many lost their lives or suffered debilitating wounds as they strived to keep the military personnel spiritually awake, morally fit—and prepared to make the journey from this world to the next without fear or despair, and with the trust of the Almighty in their hearts. INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
Download or read book To Serve God and Wal Mart written by Bethany Moreton and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2010-09-07 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the decades after World War II, evangelical Christianity nourished America’s devotion to free markets, free trade, and free enterprise. The history of Wal-Mart uncovers a complex network that united Sun Belt entrepreneurs, evangelical employees, Christian business students, overseas missionaries, and free-market activists. Through the stories of people linked by the world’s largest corporation, Bethany Moreton shows how a Christian service ethos powered capitalism at home and abroad. While industrial America was built by and for the urban North, rural Southerners comprised much of the labor, management, and consumers in the postwar service sector that raised the Sun Belt to national influence. These newcomers to the economic stage put down the plough to take up the bar-code scanner without ever passing through the assembly line. Industrial culture had been urban, modernist, sometimes radical, often Catholic and Jewish, and self-consciously international. Post-industrial culture, in contrast, spoke of Jesus with a drawl and of unions with a sneer, sang about Momma and the flag, and preached salvation in this world and the next. This extraordinary biography of Wal-Mart’s world shows how a Christian pro-business movement grew from the bottom up as well as the top down, bolstering an economic vision that sanctifies corporate globalization. The author has assigned her royalties and subsidiary earnings to Interfaith Worker Justice (www.iwj.org) and its local affiliate in Athens, GA, the Economic Justice Coalition (www.econjustice.org).
Download or read book When I Don t Desire God written by John Piper and published by Crossway. This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Better Mom written by Ruth Schwenk and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it. With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to: Find freedom and walk confidently in purpose Create a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and more Avoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfection Cultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."
Download or read book Serve God with Gladness written by David Philippart and published by LiturgyTrainingPublications. This book was released on 1998 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author is a veteran server who began serving when he was in the fourth grade. His expertise on church environment is reflected in clear discussions of the church building and of poking around in the nooks and crannies of the sacristy. In true workbook style, many pages have sections to fill in and activities to do. Artwork, photographs and diagrams illustrate actions and movement clearly. Vocabulary words are indicated in bold type and their definitions can be found in the glossary in the back of the book. Quantity pricing makes it possible for you to buy each server his or her own copy.
Download or read book The Well Watered Life written by Gretchen Saffles and published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Well-Watered life isn’t about doing more; it’s about being with Jesus and becoming like Him. The Well-Watered Life devotional journal is your very own not-so-formal invitation to embrace the life Jesus came to give. Throughout the pages of this beautifully designed journal, filled with writing prompts, Scripture teaching, and biblical exercises, you will be encouraged to chronicle your journey of faithfully following and finding Jesus. You will discover how to satisfy the deep craving in your soul as you learn practical ways to implement spiritual disciplines and rhythms in your daily routine as you pursue a “well-watered life” in Christ.
Download or read book What You Do Best in the Body of Christ written by Bruce L. Bugbee and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-09-13 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now with discussion questions and assessment tools to help you determine your unique ministry fit.By the coauthor of the Network course materials developed at Willow Creek Community Church Have you found fulfillment in life? Can you say your ministry is fruitful? God has created you to be both fulfilled and fruitful in a meaningful place of service. You can discover your God-given design and the role he created for you in and through the local church.In What You Do Best in the Body of Christ, Bruce Bugbee helps you identify your God-given spiritual gifts, personal style, and ministry passion. And he shows how they point to your unique role and purpose in the body of Christ when they are expressed together. Drawing from biblical principles, this book provides proven tools and a conversational approach that will help you fulfill God’s will for your life. You’ll discover:Your God-given Spiritual Gifts indicate what you’re equipped to do competently Your God-given Personal Style indicates how you can serve with energy and authenticity Your God-given Ministry Passion indicates where you’re motivated to serve Together, they indicate what you do best in the body of Christ!You will also better understand God’s design for the church and your role within it.You’ll find plenty of helpful charts and self-assessments—plus insights into the fallacies and pitfalls that can hinder your effectiveness. Start learning today what God wants you to do, and experience more enthusiasm, greater joy, and real significance in your life and ministry.
Download or read book On Being a Servant of God written by Warren W. Wiersbe and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2007-06-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sometimes people lose sight of the core of their ministry. They feel overwhelmed by the needs that surround them on a daily basis. Wise and beloved pastor Warren Wiersbe invites ministry leaders to listen in on thirty short "armchair chats" to encourage and strengthen them for service. He shares what he wishes he had known about ministering to others when he began his own Christian pilgrimage. "Ministry," he says, "takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God." With this new edition of a classic book, which includes a foreword by Jim Cymbala, the next generation of ministry leaders can take advantage of Wiersbe's years of wisdom.
Download or read book Intentional Faith written by Allen Jackson and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Megachurch pastor Allen Jackson invites readers on a 100-day adventure of experiencing God through ten biblical practices that will reignite their faith and transform their lives. Many Christians experience low points in their faith, times when their spiritual lives have grown cold, stagnant, or routine. They feel frustrated and desperate to reconnect with God. Yet encouragement alone is not enough. We need God's power to bring transformation, and we need specific tools and a focused intent to know the Lord. Drawing upon years of pastoral ministry and his own experience, Allen Jackson has developed a 100-day plan to reinvigorate a believer's life, organized around ten declarations of intent, including: I Intend to Grow Spiritually, I Intend to Read the Gospels I Intend to Pray Daily I Intend to Honor God in My Home, and I Intend to Work with Integrity. A simple investment of twenty minutes a day will create an unstoppable momentum in readers' lives. Their hearts are opened to new possibilities with God where his purposes unfold and where the fruit of his rewards are found.
Download or read book Anything written by Jennie Allen and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2015-06-09 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if you promised God you would do anything . . . and he took you up on it? Anything is a prayer of surrender that will move you to stop chasing happiness and start living a surrendered life that matters. If you’ve ever felt lonely, lost, or like there must be more to life than constantly keeping up with the Joneses, then this book is for you. Previously caught in the dizzying haze of worldly happiness and empty pursuits, Jennie had had enough. She and her husband Zac prayed a courageous prayer of surrender: "God, we will do anything. Anything." They went on to begin living out the adventure God had written for them. This revised edition is updated throughout to include a new introduction and an in-depth Bible study component for those who have been wanting to lead a study on this topic. Join Jennie on an adventure to discover your anything, including: Factors that inhibit us from living a life of surrender to God What praying "Anything" really means What your life might look like having prayed it Jennie Allen shares the biblical truth that our lives are not meant to be safe and comfortable, but radical and profound. Discover how little worldly pursuits mean until you know the God who’s truly worth giving up everything for. And when you do. . . everything will change. Anything is also available in Spanish, Lo que me pidas.
Download or read book Journey 101 Serving God Leader Guide written by Jeff Kirby and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2013-07-01 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Journey 101 Serving God is one component of Journey 101: Knowing, Loving, Serving God. Each of the three separate, interactive six-week courses utilizes a group teaching format with a leader and a video presenter combined with small group table breakouts. This Leader Guide contains six session guides on Serving God, plus leader helps for conducting a successful study.
Download or read book Searching for the Pattern written by John Mark Hicks and published by . This book was released on 2019-08-30 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MOVING FROM A "BLUEPRINT HERMENEUTIC" TO A THEOLOGICAL ONE In this book, John Mark Hicks tells the story of his own hermeneutical journey in reading the Bible. Lovingly and graciously, he describes his transition from a "blueprint hermeneutic" to a theological one. Some suggest that moving away from a patternistic command-example-and-necessary-inference approach for understanding what God requires leaves no other alternative, or at least none that both respects biblical authority and seeks to obey the gospel of Jesus the Messiah. In Searching for the Pattern, John Mark offers just such an alternative. His theological hermeneutic is deeply rooted in the way the Bible presents itself as a dramatic history of God's plan to redeem the world as well as his own experience of growing up among Churches of Christ. Seeing the gospel of Jesus as the center of the biblical drama reorients us to what provides our Christian identity and unites us as disciples of Jesus. ********** I pray this book is received with open hearts and open minds because I believe this work could go a long way in helping to bring unity to our fractured fellowship. --Wes McAdams, Preaching Minister for the church of Christ on McDermott Road, Plano, Texas This excellent book helps us understand the inner workings of Bible interpretation among Churches of Christ and provides a persuasive proposal for Bible interpretation that is built on the story of God we find in Scripture--a story into which God calls us. --James L. Gorman, Associate Professor of History, Johnson University Knoxville, Tennessee Finally, a trellis across the chasm! Throughout this book, Hicks does not compromise his high regard for both the church and the Scriptures; and through the grace found therein, he composes this urgent invitation back to the Table, where obedience cooperates with mystery, and we--estranged or conflicted--can find our place as one within God's magnificent story. --Tiffany Mangan Dahlman, Minister at Courtyard Church of Christ, Fayetteville, North Carolina John Mark Hicks is Professor of Theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has taught for thirty-eight years in schools associated with the Churches of Christ. He has published fifteen books and lectured in twenty countries and forty states and is married to Jennifer. They share six children and six grandchildren.
Download or read book Never Too Young to Serve God s Purpose written by Jahrett Brian Tyrone Dunovant and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-02-21 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sixteen-year-old Jahrett Dunovant understands the pressures faced by today's teens. He spent hours absorbed in various video games, and though he attended church with his parents, he was an apathetic Christian. The day God spoke to him, asking him to put aside the electronics and pick up the Bible, would change his life forever. In his new book, Dunovant offers down-to-earth, empathetic advice to other teenagers. With foundation in scripture and the real-life experiences of today's teens,Never Too Young to Serve God's Purpose is the perfect biblically inspired guide to godly teenage living. In a voice that's both mature and relatable, Dunovant shares his own feelings and experiences of faith. Yes, he feels the pressure to act cool. Yes, his parents sometimes embarrass him. Yes, he wants fancy things and feels strong attractions to pretty girls. The premise of the book is not to shame teenagers out of their natural feelings and impulses; he simply asks them to look to the Bible, find strength in discipline, and listen closely for the voice of God. Dunovant's approachable style, firmly rooted in fundamental Christian values, is reminiscent to that of a young Joel Osteen. This guide introduces a powerful new voice to Christian youth.
