Download or read book The Juvenilization of American Christianity written by Thomas Bergler and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2012-04-20 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pop worship music. Falling in love with Jesus. Mission trips. Wearing jeans and T-shirts to church. Spiritual searching and church hopping. Faith-based political activism. Seeker-sensitive outreach. These now-commonplace elements of American church life all began as innovative ways to reach young people, yet they have gradually become accepted as important parts of a spiritual ideal for all ages. What on earth has happened? In The Juvenilization of American Christianity Thomas Bergler traces the way in which, over seventy-five years, youth ministries have breathed new vitality into four major American church traditions -- African American, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, and Roman Catholic. Bergler shows too how this "juvenilization" of churches has led to widespread spiritual immaturity, consumerism, and self-centeredness, popularizing a feel-good faith with neither intergenerational community nor theological literacy. Bergler s critique further offers constructive suggestions for taming juvenilization. Watch the trailer:

Download or read book From Here to Maturity written by Thomas E. Bergler and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2014-11-27 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Expert guidance on how to grow up in Christ This book is a follow-up to Thomas Bergler’s acclaimed work The Juvenilization of American Christianity, which documents how church youth ministries over the past several decades have contributed to a process of adolescent spiritual traits becoming accepted and even celebrated by Christians of all ages. This “juvenilization” in the church is a real problem that must be addressed, says Bergler, and in his new book he addresses it head-on. Bergler’s From Here to Maturity is an accessible guide for helping both individuals and whole faith communities to grow spiritually. Bergler claims that spiritual maturity -- defined as “basic competence in the Christian life” -- is both desirable and attainable, and he effectively presents a biblical theology of spiritual maturity, identifying its traits from pertinent New Testament passages. Adapting Dallas Willard’s model of spiritual formation and applying it to congregational life, Bergler offers a wealth of practical, research-based guidance as to how Christian leaders can effectively foster spiritual maturity in their congregations. He also identifies six key faith-sustaining factors and provides a system for evaluating a church’s state of spiritual maturity and steps for improving it. Ecumenically friendly, From Here to Maturity will be useful to individuals and leaders from many different churches and theological traditions.

Download or read book Back to Virtue written by Peter Kreeft and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2009-10-27 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "We have reduced all virtues to one: being nice. And, we measure Jesus by our standard instead of measuring our standard by Him." For the Christian, explains author Peter Kreeft, being virtuous is not a means to the end of pleasure, comfort and happiness. Virtue, he reminds us, is a word that means "manly strength." But how do we know when we are being meek--or just cowardly? When is our anger righteous--and when is it a sin? What is the difference between being virtuous--and merely ethical? Back to Virtue clears up these and countless other questions that beset Christians today. Kreeft not only summarizes scriptural and theological wisdom on leading a holy life, he contrasts Christian virtue with other ethical systems. He applies traditional moral theology to present-day dilemmas such as abortion and nuclear armament. Kreeft restores to us what was once common knowledge: the Seven Deadly Sins have an antidote in the Beatitudes. By setting up a close contrast between the two sets of behaviors, Kreeft offers proven guidance in the often bewildering process of discerning right from wrong as we move into the questionable mores of the twenty-first century. He provides a road map of virtue, a map for our earthly pilgrimage synthesized from the accumulated wisdom of centuries of Christians, from Paul and the early Church Fathers through C.S. Lewis.

Download or read book Christian Perspectives on Sociology written by Stephen Grunlan and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2001-04-02 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood written by David P. Setran and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2013-08-15 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The shift from adolescence to adulthood, a recently identified stage of life called "emerging adulthood," covers an increasing span of years in today's culture (roughly ages 18-30) due to later marriages and extended education. During this prolonged stage of exploration and self-definition, many young adults drift away from the church. Here two authors--both veteran teachers who are experienced in young adult and campus ministry--address this new and urgent field of study, offering a Christian perspective on what it means to be spiritually formed into adulthood. They provide a "practical theology" for emerging adult ministry and offer insight into the key developmental issues of this stage of life, including identity, intimacy and sexuality, morality, church involvement, spiritual formation, vocation, and mentoring. The book bridges the gap between academic and popular literature on emerging adulthood and offers concrete ways to facilitate spiritual formation among emerging adults.

Download or read book How to Build a Small Groups Ministry written by Neal F. McBride and published by . This book was released on 1994-11 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by a small groups expert, this book is designed to help anyone build a small-groups ministry from scratch--or completely revamp an existing small groups ministry. It includes 12 logical steps for organizing and administrating a successful small-group ministry, a case study featuring a local church in the midst of establishing a small-group ministry, and pages of worksheets for developing small-group plans.

Download or read book Education and Social Change written by John Rury and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-04-02 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Download or read book Religious Parenting written by Christian Smith and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose and nature of life -- Religion's value and truth -- Children, parenting, and family -- The whys and hows of religious transmission -- Theorizing cultural models -- Conclusion.

Download or read book Ordinary written by Michael Horton and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there’s a “next-best-thing,” if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom—the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be “ordinary.” Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, constantly seeking after the next big breakthrough, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. What’s needed is not another program or a fresh approach to spiritual growth; it’s a renewed appreciation for the commonplace. Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary. He provides a guide to a sustainable discipleship that happens over the long haul—not a quick fix that leaves readers empty with unfulfilled promises. Convicting and ultimately empowering, Ordinary is not a call to do less; it’s an invitation to experience the elusive joy of the ordinary Christian life.

Download or read book God on the Streets of Gotham written by Paul Asay and published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. This book was released on 2012-05-18 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do God and the Caped Crusader have in common? While Batman is a secular superhero patrolling the fictional streets of Gotham City, the Caped Crusader is one whose story creates multiple opportunities for believers to talk about the redemptive spiritual truths of Christianity. While the book touches on Batman’s many incarnations over the last 70 years in print, on television, and at the local Cineplex for the enjoyment of Batman fans everywhere, it primarily focuses on Christopher Nolan’s two wildly popular and critically acclaimed movies—movies that not only introduced a new generation to a darker Batman, but are also loaded with spiritual meaning and redemptive metaphors.

Download or read book Worship Matters written by Jane Rogers Vann and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2011-02-01 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sunday worship is the central act of the Christian faith, yet few people truly understand what is happening during the service, and why, and how. Based on numerous visits with congregations of many denominations, Jane Rogers Vann examines how we can eliminate the barrier between the preacher and the people in the pew and offers practical advice directed not just toward church leaders but to worship committees and church members--all who are yearning to be fully engaged in worship. Photographs of many of the churches she visited are included.

Download or read book Some Pastors and Teachers Reflecting a Biblical Vision of What Every Minister Is Called to Be written by Sinclair Ferguson and published by Banner of Truth. This book was released on 2017-12-18 with total page 824 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In five sections and thirty-nine chapters, Sinclair B Ferguson writes on pastor-teachers whose life and work have left an indelible mark on his own life, and then leads us in a series of chapters on the teaching of John Calvin, John Owen and the seventeenth century Puritans. This is followed by studies of Scripture, the ministry of the Spirit, the nature of Biblical Theology, the work of Christ, adoption, the nature of the Christian life and other important doctrines. The final section discusses various aspects of preaching, including preaching Christ from the Old Testament, the importance of theology, reaching the heart, and concludes with a decalogue for preachers. All this, as the epilogue makes clear, is set within the context and goal of doxology.

Download or read book Christian Theology in Practice written by Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2012-02-02 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the past fifty years, scholars in both pastoral and practical theology have attempted to recapture human religious experience and practice as essential sites for theological engagement -- redefining in the process what theology is, how it is done, and who does it. In this book Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore shows how this trend in scholarship has led to an expanded subject matter, alternative ways of knowing, and richer terms for analysis in doing Christian theology. Tracing more than two decades of her own search for a more inclusive discipline -- one that truly grapples with theology in the midst of life -- Christian Theology in Practice shows not only where Miller-McLemore herself has traveled in the field but also how pastoral and practical theology has developed during this time. Looking forward, Miller-McLemore calls on the academy and Christian congregations to disrupt conventional theological boundaries and to acknowledge the multiplicity of shapes and places in which the "wisdom of God" appears..

Download or read book Talking with Mormons written by Richard J. Mouw and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2012-04-30 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over a decade Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw has participated in Mormon-evangelical dialogue with a view to developing a better understanding between the two groups. His participation in these discussions has drawn severe criticism and even anger from people who believe such talks are pointless or even dangerous. This brief, highly accessible book is his answer. Advocating humility, patience, and a willingness to admit our own shortcomings, Mouw shows why it is necessary to move beyond stark denunciation to a dialogue that allows both parties to express differences and explore common ground. Without papering over significantly divergent perspectives on important issues like the role of prophecy, the nature of God, and the creeds, Mouw points to areas in which Mormon-evangelical dialogue evidences hope for the future. In so doing, he not only informs readers but also models respectful evangelical debate.

Download or read book Growing Up America written by Susan Eckelmann Berghel and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2019 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing Up America brings together new scholarship that considers the role of children and teenagers in shaping American political life during the decades following the Second World War. Growing Up America places young people-and their representations-at the center of key political trends, illuminating the dynamic and complex roles played by youth in the midcentury rights revolutions, in constructing and challenging cultural norms, and in navigating the vicissitudes of American foreign policy and diplomatic relations. The authors featured here reveal how young people have served as both political actors and subjects from the early Cold War through the late twentieth-century Age of Fracture. At the same time, Growing Up America contends that the politics of childhood and youth extends far beyond organized activism and the ballot box. By unveiling how science fairs, breakfast nooks, Boy Scout meetings, home economics classrooms, and correspondence functioned as political spaces, this anthology encourages a reassessment of the scope and nature of modern politics itself.

Download or read book Stop Missing Your Life written by Cory Muscara and published by Da Capo Lifelong Books. This book was released on 2019-12-31 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of us live on autopilot, often so guarded that we don't experience the richness that life has to offer–so how can we find real happiness amid the chaos, so we don't reach the end of our life and feel like we missed it? In Stop Missing Your Life, mindfulness teacher Cory Muscara takes us on a journey into the heart of what is required for real change, growth, and happiness. He exposes how the phrase "be present" has become little more than a platitude, imbued with the misguided message to be present just for the sake of being present, and reveals how to achieve true Presence: a quality of being that is unmistakably attractive about a person, and one that only comes when we've peeled back the layers of guarding that prevent us from being our full, honest, and integrated selves in the world. Muscara shows how we build internal walls, what he describes as a "Pain Box" inhibiting us from living a deeply connected and meaningful life. He offers a four-part FACE model (Focus, Allow, Curiosity, and Embodiment) that helps chip away at those walls and builds our capacity to experience the richness of our lives Stop Missing Your Life ultimately teaches how we can find peace in the chaos and become better people for our families, our communities, and our world.

Download or read book Pastor Paul Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic written by Scot McKnight and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Being a pastor is a complicated calling. Pastors are often pulled in multiple directions and must "become all things to all people" (1 Cor. 9:22). What does the New Testament say (or not say) about the pastoral calling? And what can we learn about it from the apostle Paul? According to popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight, pastoring must begin first and foremost with spiritual formation, which plays a vital role in the life and ministry of the pastor. As leaders, pastors both create and nurture culture in a church. The biblical vision for that culture is Christoformity, or Christlikeness. Grounding pastoral ministry in the pastoral praxis of the apostle Paul, McKnight shows that nurturing Christoformity was at the heart of the Pauline mission. The pastor's central calling, then, is to mediate Christ in everything. McKnight explores seven dimensions that illustrate this concept--friendship, siblings, generosity, storytelling, witness, subverting the world, and wisdom--as he calls pastors to be conformed to Christ and to nurture a culture of Christoformity in their churches.