Download or read book What Is the Mission of the Church written by Kevin DeYoung and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2011-09-08 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social justice and mission are hot topics today: there's a wonderful resurgence of motivated Christians passionate about spreading the gospel and caring for the needs of others. But in our zeal to get sharing and serving, many are unclear on gospel and mission. Yes, we are called to spend ourselves for the sake of others, but what is the church's unique priority as it engages the world? DeYoung and Gilbert write to help Christians "articulate and live out their views on the mission of the church in ways that are theologically faithful, exegetically careful, and personally sustainable." Looking at the Bible's teaching on evangelism, social justice, and shalom, they explore the what, why, and how of the church's mission. From defining "mission", to examining key passages on social justice and their application, to setting our efforts in the context of God's rule, DeYoung and Gilbert bring a wise, studied perspective to the missional conversation. Readers in all spheres of ministry will grow in their understanding of the mission of the church and gain a renewed sense of urgency for Jesus' call to preach the Word and make disciples.

Download or read book More Than a Story New Testament written by Sally Michael and published by . This book was released on 2021-11-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More Than a Story: New Testament is a new kind of Bible resource for children-taking them on a chronological journey through the Bible with a God-centered, gospel-focused, discipleship-oriented, theologically grounded perspective. Though the Bible is full of stories, it is MORE THAN A STORY. It is the authoritative Word of God that, throughout its pages, proclaims and magnifies the majestic character of God, His work in this world, and His plan of redemption for sinful men through His Son, Jesus.

Download or read book Missional Church written by Darrell L. Guder and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 1998-02-09 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What would a theology of the Church look like that took seriously the fact that North America is now itself a mission field? This question lies at the foundation of this volume written by an ecumenical team of six noted missiologists—Lois Barrett, Inagrace T. Dietterich, Darrell L. Guder, George R. Hunsberger, Alan J. Roxburgh, and Craig Van Gelder. The result of a three-year research project undertaken by The Gospel and Our Culture Network, this book issues a firm challenge for the church to recover its missional call right here in North America, while also offering the tools to help it do so. The authors examine North America s secular culture and the church s loss of dominance in today s society. They then present a biblically based theology that takes seriously the church s missional vocation and draw out the consequences of this theology for the structure and institutions of the church.

Download or read book Total Church written by Tim Chester and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2008-08-21 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Church is not a meeting you attend or a place you enter," write pastors Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. "It's an identity that is ours in Christ. An identity that shapes the whole of life so that life and mission become 'total church.'" With that as their premise, they emphasize two overarching principles to govern the practice of church and mission: being gospel-centered and being community-centered. When these principles take precedence, say the authors, the truth of the Word is upheld, the mission of the gospel is carried out, and the priority of relationships is practiced in radical ways. The church becomes not just another commitment to juggle but a 24/7 lifestyle where programs, big events, and teaching from one person take a backseat to sharing lives, reaching out, and learning about God together. In Total Church, Chester and Timmis first outline the biblical case for making gospel and community central and then apply this dual focus to evangelism, social involvement, church planting, world missions, discipleship, pastoral care, spirituality, theology, apologetics, youth and children's work. As this insightful book calls the body of Christ to rethink its perspective and practice of church, it charts a middle path between the emerging church movement and conservative evangelicalism that all believers will find helpful.

Download or read book The Church in Mission written by Betril Ekstrom and published by Globalization of Mission. This book was released on 2016 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does it mean today to be a church totally committed to the gospel and fully engaged in God's mission? What major religious and sociological trends in our world are affecting the role of the global church and local churches? How must we understand and be prepared to face these trends? How do we define "church" in the twenty-first century, being faithful to the Scriptures and at the same time relevant to a generation that does not believe in the institutional church anymore? What are some good models of missional churches in different regions of the world that will encourage and inspire those who long to see a church making difference in society and in the world? These are some of the issues that the book you are holding in your hands addresses. There are certainly no final answers and magical forms; rather, we present a broad and deep discussion on how the gospel should be lived out by Jesus' followers in our time and through our communities. Questions are raised and analyzed both from the perspective of a local church as well as from a global and general understanding of the Christian church. Some of our examples will focus more on local realities, others more on global challenges. The first part of the book is dedicated to a biblical and theological reflection on gospel, church, and mission. It includes Old and New Testament studies on the theological implications of being church, based on the biblical narrative. The second part deals with a variety of contemporary missiological issues related to the broader theme of church and mission. Different perspectives from current discussions and dialogues around the globe are included, covering both ideological reflections and practical aspects of being a mission-shaped church. The third part presents regional and national case studies that show the enormous creativity in church planting and engagement of local communities in their own societies. Models applied in the secularized Europe are contrasted to ways of functioning as church in fast growing congregations in the global South.

Download or read book 21 Days to Childlike Prayer written by Jed Coppenger and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2022-01-18 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “21 Days to Childlike Prayer makes you want to pray.” —Donald S. Whitney, author of Praying the Bible Childlike Prayer Is Life-Changing Prayer God doesn’t need great prayers to do great things. When you speak to Him in simple, trusting faith, you find yourself in a new story where anything is possible, where you always get what’s best, and where your problems become opportunities for a greater experience of Jesus. In 21 Days to Childlike Prayer, you’ll witness how God responds in power and love to your specific prayers. As you dive into what the Bible says about communing with God, you will… identify what prayer is, how it can change you, and what major prayer pathways are laid out in Scripture learn easy-to-remember prayer strategies that help you overcome challenges and pursue goals discover inspiring true examples—both biblical and contemporary—of God’s miraculous answers to his people’s prayers This concise 3-week devotional journey will show you how to turn your daily worries, frustrations, and dreams into prayers throughout your Christian life. This transformative resource is perfect for individual and group study, empowering you to be intentional—and fruitful—in your time with God.

Download or read book Four Views on the Church s Mission written by Zondervan, and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2017-10-24 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the Church's mission? What does it mean to participate in God's mission personally? How do "mission" and culture interact and conflict? This book articulates various evangelical views regarding the church's mission and provides a healthy, vigorous, and gracious debate on this controversial topic. In a helpful Counterpoints format, this volume demonstrates the unique theological frameworks, doctrinal convictions, and missiological conclusions that inform and distinguish the views: Soteriological Mission: Jonathan Leeman Participatory Mission: Christopher Wright Contextual Mission: John Franke Ecumenical-Political Mission: Peter Leithart Each contributor answers the same key questions based on their biblical interpretations and theological convictions: What is your biblical-theological framework for mission? How does your definition of mission inform your understanding of the church's mission? How does the Mission of God and Kingdom of God relate to the mission of the church? What is the gospel? How does your view on the gospel inform the mission of the church? How do verbal proclamation of the gospel, discipleship, corporate worship, caring for the poor, social justice, restoring shalom, developing culture, and international missions fit into the church's mission? The interactive format helps readers get a clearer picture of why different conclusions are drawn and provide a fresh starting point for discussion and debate of the church's mission. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

Download or read book Women in the Mission of the Church written by Leanne M. Dzubinski and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Women have been central to the work of Christian ministry from the time of Jesus to the twenty-first century. Yet the story of Christianity is too often told as a story of men. This accessibly written book tells the story of women throughout church history, demonstrating their integral participation in the church's mission. It highlights the legacies of a wide variety of women, showing how they have overcome obstacles to their ministries and have transformed cultural constraints to spread the gospel and build the church.

Download or read book When Missions Shapes the Mission written by David A. Horner and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2011-05-02 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Why are more churches not engaged in practical, substantial ways of taking the gospel to the nations?" When Missions Shape the Mission unpacks a statistical study of traditionally evangelical churches that reveals their anemic level of commitment to the biblical mandate of making Christ known around the world. Veteran pastor David Horner makes the data easy to understand, challenging other pastors to radically assign their best leadership and resources to missions as he looks at where the church is today, how it got there, and where we must go from here: "Let's dream a godly dream. What if you committed to step up and lead your church in the pursuit of becoming a mission-focused church? Then, what if you invited ten of your pastor friends to join you in the effort—and each of them did the same? What would happen to the available missions force beginning right here in the West?"

Download or read book The Church on Mission written by Craig Ott and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2019-05-21 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this scripturally rich exploration, senior missiologist Craig Ott unpacks the mission statement of the church: to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people. This concise yet robust biblical-theological treatment focuses on God's glory, a strong ecclesiology, the importance of Scripture, and practical implications for congregational and mission practice. Ideal for launching discussion and reflection, the book helps readers refocus their vision and reignite their commitment to fulfilling God's purposes for their church or mission.

Download or read book The Primary Mission of the Church written by Bryan D. Estelle and published by Mentor. This book was released on 2021-11-05 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Latest in the Reformed Exegetical Doctrinal Studies series

Download or read book Rediscover Church written by Collin Hansen and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2021-07-28 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A Christian without a church is a Christian in trouble." Since a global pandemic abruptly closed places of worship, many Christians have skipped church life, even neglecting virtual services. But this was a trend even before COVID-19. Polarizing issues, including political and racial strife, convinced some people to pull away from the church and one another. Now it's time to recommit to gathering as brothers and sisters in Christ. In Rediscover Church, Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman discuss why church is essential for believers and God's mission. Through biblical references and personal stories, they show readers God's true intention for corporate gathering: to spiritually strengthen members as individuals and the body of Christ. In an age of church-shopping and livestreamed services, rediscover why the future of the church relies on believers gathering regularly as the family of God. Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition and 9Marks.

Download or read book Models of the Church written by Avery Dulles and published by Image. This book was released on 2002-05-14 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is today a dramatic reexamination of structure, authority, dogma -- indeed, every aspect of the life of the Church is held up to scrutiny. Welcoming this as a sign of vitality, Avery Dulles has carefully studied the writings of contemporary Protestant and Catholic ecclesiologists and sifted out six major approaches, or "models," through which the Church's character can be understood: as Institution, Mystical Communion, Sacrament, Herald, Servant, and, in a recent addition to the book, as Community of Disciples. A balanced theology, he concludes, must incorporate the major affirmations of each. "The method of models or types," observes Cardinal Dulles, "can have great value in helping people to get beyond the limitations of their own particular outlook and to enter into fruitful conversation with others... Such conversation is obviously essential if ecumenism is to get beyond its present impasses." This new edition includes a new Appendix and Preface by the author.

Download or read book Center Church written by Timothy Keller and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2012-09-04 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical and Gospel-centered thoughts on how to have a fruitful ministry by one of America's leading and most beloved pastor. Many church leaders are struggling to adapt to a culture that values individuality above loyalty to a group or institution. There have been so many "church growth" and "effective ministry" books in the past few decades that it's hard to know where to start or which ones will provide useful and honest insight. Based on over twenty years of ministry in New York City, Timothy Keller takes a unique approach that measures a ministry's success neither by numbers nor purely by the faithfulness of its leaders, but on the biblical grounds of fruitfulness. Center Church outlines a balanced theological vision for ministry organized around three core commitments: Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone, and strategy of all that we do. City-centered: With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic, and under-served places for gospel ministry. Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community as we are led by the Holy Spirit. "Between a pastor's doctrinal beliefs and ministry practices should be a well-conceived vision for how to bring the gospel to bear on the particular cultural setting and historical moment. This is something more practical than just doctrine but much more theological than "how-to steps" for carrying out a ministry. Once this vision is in place, it leads church leaders to make good decisions on how to worship, disciple, evangelize, serve, and engage culture in their field of ministry—whether in a city, suburb, or small town." — Tim Keller, Core Church

Download or read book The Other Half of Church written by Jim Wilder and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Could brain science be the key to spiritual formation? Why does true Christian transformation seem fleeting? And why does church often feel lonely, Christian community shallow, and leaders untrustworthy? For many Christians, the delight of encountering Christ eventually dwindles—and disappointment sets in. Is lasting joy possible? These are some of the questions Michel Hendricks has considered both in his experience as a spiritual formation pastor and in his lifetime as a Christian. He began to find answers when he met Jim Wilder—a neurotheologian. Using brain science, Wilder identified that there are two halves of the church: the rational half and the relational half. And when Christians only embrace the rational half, churches become unhealthy places where transformation doesn’t last and narcissistic leaders flourish. In The Other Half of Church, join Michel and Jim's journey as they couple brain science with the Bible to identify how to overcome spiritual stagnation by living a full-brained faith. You'll also learn the four ingredients necessary to develop and maintain a vibrant transformational community where spiritual formation occurs, relationships flourish, and the toxic spread of narcissism is eradicated.

Download or read book Finish the Mission written by John Piper and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2012-09-30 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is no ordinary missions book. The theme isn't new, but the approach is refreshing and compelling, as contributors David Platt, Louie Giglio, Michael Ramsden, Ed Stetzer, Michael Oh, David Mathis, and John Piper take up the mantle of the Great Commission and its Spirit-powered completion. From astronomy to exegesis, from apologetics to the Global South, from being missional at home to employing our resources in the global cause, Finish the Mission aims to breathe fresh missionary fire into a new generation, as together we seek to reach the unreached and engage the unengaged.

Download or read book Better Together written by Jim Tomberlin and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-04-24 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thousands of Protestant churches are perplexed by plateaued or declining attendance, while other congregations nearby thrive. Is there a way for them to combine forces, drawing on both their strengths, in ways that also increase their missional impact? Church merger consultant Jim Tomberlin, with co-writer Warren Bird, makes the case that mergers today work best not with two struggling churches but with a vital, momentum-filled lead church partnering with a joining church. In this new book, they provide a complete, practical, hands-on guide for church leaders of both struggling and vibrant churches so that they can understand the issues, develop strategies, and execute a variety of forms of merger for church expansion and renewal to reinvigorate declining churches and give them a "second life."