Download or read book The Buzz About the Church written by Matthew Thomas and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2017-07-14 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine making fully committed disciples of Jesus by both looking at the template of Jesus in scripture and a hive of honeybees. The sacred process of Jesus can be found in both creation and scripture. Journey with me to explore the sacred practice of discipleship through the metaphor of beekeeping. What we will discover are connections we never imagined existed. The same God who created the world is the One who showed up in it through Jesus Christ. The process the Creator used to mature life is the same process Jesus used to make mature followers. The biblical story of Sampson and the lion will be our guide and the riddle we will uncover as we journey to discover what is Strong and Sweet?
Download or read book Simple Church written by Thom S. Rainer and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2011-06 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in paperback, this multi-awarded national best seller shares a clear message from case studies of 400 North American congregations: church is done best when it's kept simple.
Download or read book Making A Good Church Great written by Steve Sjogren and published by Gospel Light Publications. This book was released on 2010-02-25 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bestselling author Steve Sjogren untangles the complex jumble commonly known as greatness in today’s mega church, mega everything world. As a successful pastor, he launched the servant evangelism movement, but along the way he discovered that significance was not where or what he thought it would be. Now, in a very practical book, he focuses on genuine greatness. Is it the size of the sanctuary? The number of new believers baptized each year? The youth attendance? The quantity of best selling books the pastor has written? The list of television shows, radio shows or podcasts the pastors appears on? Or is it something more? What is the buzz on good churches that become great in God’s eyes? Sjogren argues that greatness is not a point at which you arrive; rather, it is an ongoing process of worshipping, serving and living in God’s presence. It not a slick program; rather, it is a family, a hospital, an army and a school. When God is a present, His people are empowered. When God empowers His people, a good church becomes great.
Download or read book The up the Middle Church written by Matt Keller and published by Author House. This book was released on 2008-12-16 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Up The Middle Church, Matt Keller offers an on-the-field playbook for pastors and leaders who need to know how to win their Super Bowl one yard at a time! The church world today is inundated with stories of Overnight Success. The one percent of churches who have a long bomb story seem to make the headlines, but what about the other ninety-nine percent? Are we destined for failure? Are we left without options? Will we ever see our dream of doing something great for God come true? In The Up the Middle Church, Matt Keller unpacks the myth that just because a church isnt big, fast, doesnt mean it isnt successful. When Next Level Church began in 2002, it was anything but an overnight success story. However, by learning and implementing the principles that are in this book, that same church has grown from four people to nearly a thousand every week! There is a new normal in the church world today, and its The Up the Middle Church. Its possible to win in your church, but maybe God wants to show you howone yard at a time!
Download or read book Creating a Missional Culture written by JR Woodward and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-09-20 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Once upon a time, Moses had had enough. Exhausted by the challenge of leading the Israelites from slavery to the Promised Land, Moses cried out to God, "What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? . . . If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me" (Exodus 11:11, 15). If that sounds hauntingly familiar to you, you may be the senior pastor of a contemporary church. The burden of Christian leadership is becoming increasingly unbearable--demanding skills not native to the art of pastoring; demanding time that makes sabbath rest and even normal sleep patterns seem extravagant; demanding inhuman levels of efficiency, proficiency and even saintliness. No wonder pastors seem and even feel less human these days. No wonder they burn out or break down at an alarming rate; no wonder the church is missing the mark on its mission. In Creating a Missional Culture, JR Woodward offers a bold and surprisingly refreshing model for churches--not small adjustments around the periphery of a church's infrastructure but a radical revisioning of how a church ought to look, from its leadership structure to its mobilization of the laity. The end result looks surprisingly like the church that Jesus created and the apostles cultivated: a church not chasing the wind but rather going into the world and making disciples of Jesus.
Download or read book Michigan Christian Advocate written by and published by . This book was released on 1893 with total page 1676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Unstuck Church written by Tony Morgan and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2017-05-16 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acclaimed church leader, blogger, founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan unpacks the lifecycle of a typical church, identifies characteristics of each phase, and provides practical next steps a church can take to move towards sustained health. Think about your church for a moment. Is it growing? Is it diminishing? Is it somewhere in between? Acclaimed church leader, blogger, and founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan has identified the seven stages of a church's lifecycle that range from the hopeful and optimistic days of launch, to the stagnating last stages of life support. Regardless of the stage in which you find your church, it carries with it the world's greatest mission—to "go and make disciples of all the nations . . ." With eternity at stake the Church should be doing most everything within its power to see lives changed forever. The Church should strive for the pinnacle of the lifecycle, where they are continually making new disciples and experiencing what Morgan refers to as "sustained health." In The Unstuck Church, Morgan unpacks each phase of the church lifecycle, and offers specific and strategic next steps the church leader can take to find it's way to sustained health . . . and finally become unstuck. The Unstuck Church is a call for honest an assessment of where your church sits on the lifecycle, and a challenge to move beyond it.
Download or read book Liquid Church written by Tim Lucas and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In today's fluid culture, many churches are adrift--longing to reach spiritually thirsty people, but failing to make an impact. Have you noticed? Congregations are stuck or declining. Millennials and Gen Z are walking away. Volunteers and their generosity are drying up. Is your city, town, or neighborhood spiritually dry? Do you long to see more of the living water of Jesus flowing freely through your community, generating a fresh wave of ministry momentum? Buckle up: you're in for a whitewater ride! Liquid Church tells the fascinating story of a New Jersey church that began "on accident" and grew into one of America's 100 Fastest-Growing Churches, with over 5,000 in weekly attendance and more than 2,400 baptisms to date. Their secret? They harnessed the power of six powerful ministry currents sweeping across North America including: special needs, creative communication, ministry mergers, compassionate cause, radical generosity, and leadership development. With powerful stories and scriptural insights, backed by national research, Tim Lucas and Warren Bird describe dozens of fresh ideas, new ministry wineskins, and hard-won leadership learnings that resonate with rising generations in today's "show-then-tell" culture. Each chapter includes practical tools, real-life examples, and links to "Other Churches Making Waves" with cutting-edge ministry ideas designed to help saturate your city for Christ. Ready to dive deeper? Whether you serve a brand-new church plant, fast-growing congregation, or an aging ministry ready for reinvention, Liquid Church is an inspiring and practical guide for leaders ready to reach their spiritually thirsty neighbors--those who have given up on church, but haven't given up on God.
Download or read book The Drama of Dance in the Local Church written by Emily Pardue and published by Xulon Press. This book was released on 2005-07 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book How to Develop Your Local Church written by Richard Impey and published by SPCK. This book was released on 2011-09-22 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is your church facing a period of change? Are you overwhelmed with too much to do? Or are you searching for a new vision? If you are looking to take your church in a new direction, then How to Develop Your Local Church can help you decide which path to follow. Written by an experienced practitioner, it will help you to understand your congregation better: how it operates, what its members take for granted, what their priorities are and what the 'character' of the congregation is. The book then explains some of the reasons for frustration and conflict in church life, and points to positive ways forward, giving guidance on planning and decision-making. Just as no two churches are the same, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' answer to how your church might develop. Rather, it is only by drawing upon the collective wisdom of the local congregation that worthwhile change will begin to happen.
Download or read book Church Marketing 101 written by Richard L. Reising and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 90 percent of all Christian churches in the United States have fewer than 200 members. While they vary in shape, size, ethnicity, and denomination, they have one thing in common: the desire to grow. So why is it that some churches fail to grow for years, while other congregations in the same community increase exponentially? The problem, says church marketing authority Richard Reising, is that most churches should not be doing promotion. Instead, they should focus on the preparation that will make members eager to invite others. In ChurchMarketing 101®, he demystifies basic marketing principles for the church, evaluates them against biblical principles, and illustrates how simple changes can remove roadblocks that hinder members from reaching out. Reising's simple yet insightful approach will be invaluable to pastors and ministry leaders from churches of all denominations and styles.
Download or read book The Buzz about the Church written by Matthew Todd Thomas and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Buzz About The Church: Re-Imagining Discipleship Through a Theology of Beekeeping", creates an awareness of the root problems of why the church has not passed on its sacred faith to future generations. Historically, some contributors to non-transmission have been Gnosticism, the Enlightenment, Consumerism and Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. The dissertation also focuses on movements which have sprung up in response to a declining church like the Emergent Church Movement and Missional Church Movement. This dissertation argues the solution to the problem is reestablishment of the practice of discipleship as Jesus modeled. Beekeeping is used to reimagine the model of discipleship. The claim being made is the same process God used to mature life in creation is the same one Jesus used to make mature followers. The doctrine of creation is reestablished as normative revelation in to the life of God and as the means to introduce the sacredness of honeybees. A bridge has been built to merge discipleship and honeybees to create a theology of beekeeping which informs our understanding of how the church can make followers. The three main ideas that are cornerstones of Jesus' methodology and creation's process are Community, Incarnational/Missional posture and multiplication. The solution to a church collapsing on itself is discipleship re-imagined by looking through the lens of creation. The second half of this dissertation is the creation of a popular book which explores the holy shape of a hexagon and the 6 necessary sides of discipleship which lead to fruitfulness. The metaphor of beekeeping is unpacked and engaged in modern analysis of the church. Lastly, the sacredness of honeybees in ancient culture is resurrected to a place of prominence.
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 Church School Journal written by and published by . This book was released on 1912 with total page 924 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Musings on Faith by an Ordinary Bloke written by Geoffrey Ring and published by Austin Macauley Publishers. This book was released on 2024-03-28 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you ever found yourself wondering about the role of Faith in life? Questioned the relevance of Church, religion, or the existence of God, especially when faced with the world’s hardships? Or perhaps you’re grappling with religious studies homework and seeking some clarity. This book offers a unique perspective from someone who isn’t ordained, doesn’t claim to be a theological expert, but is, as the title suggests, just an ordinary bloke. A bloke who has turned to his faith during tough times and found comfort and solace. Despite acknowledging the confusing and contradictory nature of faith, he believes he has uncovered some answers and is ready to share them. Musings on Faith by an Ordinary Bloke provides a refreshingly honest insight into one person’s journey with faith. It’s an engaging read for anyone of any age seeking understanding and comfort when traditional avenues seem inadequate. This book isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about sharing the journey of finding them.
Download or read book Organizing Church written by Tim Conder and published by Chalice Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 21st century is the age of community organizing, from rallies in the streets to online movements for change. What if congregations embraced community organizing? Organizing Church offers a unique perspective that blends proven principles of community organizing and research on socially active congregations into a formula that will revitalize and empower churches as change-agents. Seasoned pastors and community activists Tim Conder and Dan Rhodes will help pastors and other church leaders build healthier congregations, create a deep culture of discipleship in their community, and respond to the challenges presented by the global culture of the 21st century. Organizing Church is the essential field guide for joining the social justice movement today.
Download or read book The Wired Church 2 0 written by Len Wilson and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2008-08-01 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wired Church 2.0 is the go-to guide for church staff and volunteers coordinating multimedia digital technology for worship, the classroom, and marketing. Covering everything from website design and trends in digital media to selecting and training your media team. Wilson and Moore were on the leading edge of media ministry with their 1999 volume The Wired Church: Making Media Ministry. Wired Church 2.0 is the guidebook for a new generation of technology, addressing new multimedia trends, including blogs, podcasts, streaming video, and more. Wired Church 2.0 is a comprehensive how-to book written in an easy-to-understand "dummies' guide" style. Church media coordinators will learn about the technology, costs, methods, and tricks-of-the-trade for producing high-quality web and video elements for worship, education, and marketing. Len Wilson and Jason Moore run Midnight Oil Productions, a cutting-edge media ministry agency based in Grand Prairie, Texas. They have authored several books together, including Design Matters: Creating Powerful Imagery for Worship (2006), Digital Storytellers: The Art of Communicating the Gospel in Worship (2002) and The Wired Church: Making Media Ministry (1999), all from Abingdon Press.
