Download or read book A Tale of Two Churches written by Dan de Kock and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2014-08-20 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As believers we stand at a fork in the road. Two different expressions of Christianity are emerging in the Body of Christbelievers growing in love for Jesus and others sliding back into apostasy. This book explores the two choices before us, patterned after the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea in Revelation. Many churches contain a mixture, but as time progresses the two streams will progressively separate. The choice we make will radically affect our destiny in this life and in eternity. Wherever we are spiritually right now, we can choose which way to go. The choice is ours! All rewards described in Revelation are given to overcomers. It is Gods desire for each of us to become an overcomer. The principles in this book are not just good theory, but have been lived out in real life. The more of Gods ways we walk in, the more we will walk as overcomers. The purpose of this book is to encourage you into the joy and victory of walking with the Lord in His wonderful and overcoming ways!
Download or read book A Tale of Two Churches written by UnChan Jung and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though a majority of commentators have admitted or naturally assumed that there were many divergences amongst the Pauline churches, many tend to concentrate on similarities more than dissimilarities (contra John M. G. Barclay; Craig de Vos). Especially, the previous scholarly treatments of divergences in the Pauline churches have shed little light on certain areas of study, in particular the early Christians’ socio-economic status. The thesis, therefore, underlines the conspicuous differences between the Thessalonian and Corinthian congregations concerning their socio-economic compositions, social relationships, and further social identities, while extrapolating certain circles of causality between them through socio-economic and social-scientific criticism. This study concludes Paul’s teachings of grace, community, and ethics were manifested and modified in different communities in different ways because of these different socio-economic contexts.
Download or read book A Tale of Two Churches written by Troy D. Ehlke and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Tale of Two Churches examines the complexities of resurrecting a congregation postmortem. While conflict is a natural occurrence in all communities, it can lead to organizational implosion. The warning signs become blaring sirens when mistrust goes viral, rumors escalate uncontrolled, and the people discontinue their participation. Pastor Ehlke attempts to generate new life in the corpse of a dying church through means of spiritual transformation. Using the Scripture as a guidepost for reform, the pastor starts a small group designed for the sole purpose of loving the people. Trusting this will spark a revolution of compassion, the leadership embarks on breathing new life into a community declared all but dead by many in observance. Having worked at St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park, perhaps this paradigm will breathe life into other faith communities who are staring into the darkness of death.
Download or read book A Tale of Two Churches written by Donald Ross and published by . This book was released on 2018-05-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2nd Edition
Download or read book A Church for All written by Gayle E. Pitman and published by Weigl Publishers. This book was released on 2018-08-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This simple, lyrical story celebrates a Sunday morning at an inclusive church that embraces all people regardless of age, class, race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. All are welcome at the church for all!
Download or read book A Tale of Two Governments written by Robert J. Renaud and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does church discipline have to do with the separation of church and state? At first glance, they seem like a strange combination: one, a relatively obscure church procedure, and the other, a hotly contested legal and political issue. But they have been forced together as a growing number of churches find themselves in court. Behind these court cases is an almost forgotten history of the relationship between church and state. This story is an important one for every American who cares about religious freedom, and for every Christian who cares about the integrity of the church.
Download or read book The Tale of Two Churches written by Floyd Dopp William Floyd Dopp and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2009-12 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is your congregation in its final days? Move your congregation from survival to revival, says the Rev. Dr. William Dopp. Congregations will not only survive, they will thrive when they enter the mission field. In his lively book Dopp illustrates how to move from the old chapel to the emerging missionary church. Back in 2000, Episcopal priest, William Dopp and his wife, Janet, were on their way to Kisoro, Uganda to be part of a special celebration at St. Andrew's Cathedral in that remote part of east Africa. They stopped over in London, where they had the opportunity to attend Sunday worship at St. John the Baptist Church in the Kensington section of London. The contrast between the two churches inspired this book. The old gothic church in London was nearly empty on Sunday morning. One week later, the Dopps took part in worship in rural Kisoro where the 1200-seat cathedral was not large enough to hold the crowd. The church in London had on its literature, Preserving Holy Worship. The church in Kisoro, Uganda proclaimed on a sign, Jesus is our living hope. One church lives in the past; the other is in mission proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. These two churches are the symbols of what Dopp calls the old chapel church, the OCC, and the emerging missionary church, the EMC. Congregations of all denominations fall into these two categories. Through engaging ministry experiences backed up by current statistics, he illustrates how the emerging missionary church transforms the lives of people.
Download or read book A Tale of Two Theologians written by Ambrose Mong and published by James Clarke & Company. This book was released on 2017-03-31 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In A Tale of Two Theologians, Ambrose Mong's observant new work, he examines the writings of the Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutierrez and the Indian theologian Michael Amaladoss, and gives fresh attention to their main concerns regarding evangelisation and the poor. Why, he asks, is Gutierrez's liberation theology now accepted and celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church while Amaladoss's Asian theology with a liberation thrust is threatened with censorship? Mong argues that the dwindling threat of Communism has made the Marxist overtones of Latin American liberation theology more palatable to the Catholic hierarchy, while the challenge of religious pluralism in Asia is as complex and emotive as ever.How can the Church learn to balance the need for dialogue between religions with their duty to proclaim the Gospel? How can the Church inculturate itself in Asia while maintaining its identity? Ambrose Mong tackles these questions with the shrewd, clear-eyed view of an active priest and scholar, exploring the long, troubled relationship the Church has with liberation theology and offering guidance for the future.
Download or read book The Hole in Our Gospel written by Richard Stearns and published by Thomas Nelson Inc. This book was released on 2009-03-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF US? Is our faith just about going to church, studying the Bible and avoiding the most serious sins—or does God expect more? Have we embraced the whole gospel or a gospel with a hole in it? Ten years ago, Rich Stearns came face-to-face with that question as he sat in a mud hut in Rakai, Uganda, listening to the heartbreaking story of an orphaned child. Stearns’ journey there took much more than a long flight to Africa. It took answering God’s call on his life, a call that tore him out of his corner office at one of America’s most prestigious corporations—to walk with the poorest of the poor in our world. The Hole in Our Gospel is the compelling true story of a corporate CEO who setaside worldly success for something far more significant, and discovered the full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to change his own life. He uses his journey to demonstrate how the gospel—the whole gospel—was always meant to be a world changing social revolution, a revolution that begins with us. ECPA 2010 Christian Book of the Year Award Winner! “Read this compelling story and urgent call for change—Richard Stearns is a contemporary Amos crying ‘let justice roll down like waters....’ Justice is a serious gospel-prophetic mandate. Far too many American Christians for too long a time have left the cause to ‘others.’ Read it as an altar call.” --Eugene H. Peterson, translator of The Message, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, BC “Rich Stearns calls us to exhilarating obedience to God’s life-altering, world-changing command to reflect his love to our neighbors at home and globally. The Hole in Our Gospel is imbued with the hope of what is possible when God’s people are transformed to live radically in light of his great love." --Gary Haugen, President & CEO, International Justice Mission “Richard Stearns is quite simply one of the finest leaders I have ever known.... When he became president of World Vision I had a front row seat to witness the way God used his mind and heart to inspire thousands.... His new book, The Hole In Our Gospel will call you to a higher level of discipleship.... Now is the time...Richard Stearns has the strategy...your move!” --Bill Hybels, Founding and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL “Rich Stearns has given us a book that makes absolutely clear what God hopes for and expects from each of us.... He reminded me of my personal responsibilities and the priority I must give them and also where life’s true rewards and fulfillment are to be found.” --Jim Morris, former executive director, United Nations World Food Program "World Vision plays a strategic role on our globe. As the largest relief organization in the history of the world, they initiate care and respond to crisis. Rich Stearns navigates this mercy mission with great skill. His book urges us to think again about the opportunity to love our neighbor and comfort the afflicted. His message is timely and needed. May God bless him, the mission of World Vision and all who embrace it." --Max Lucado, author of 3:16—The Numbers of Hope, Minister of Writing and Preaching, Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, TX “With passionate urging and earnestness, Rich Stearns challenges Christians to embrace the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ by embracing the neediest and most vulnerable among us. After reading the moving stories, the compelling facts and figures, and Stearns’ excellent application of scripture and his own experiences at World Vision, you will no doubt be asking yourself: What should I do?” --Chuck Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship
Download or read book The Church and Its Vocation written by Michael W. Goheen and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2018-11-06 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lesslie Newbigin, one of the twentieth century's most important church leaders, offered insights on the church in a pluralistic world that are arguably more relevant now than when first written. This volume presents his ecclesiology to a new generation. Michael Goheen clearly articulates Newbigin's missionary understanding of the church and places it in the context of Newbigin's core theological convictions. Suitable for students as well as church leaders, this book offers readers a better understanding of the mission of the church in the world today. Foreword by N. T. Wright.
Download or read book Velvet Elvis written by Rob Bell and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2006-06-29 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In order to find an authentic understanding of the Christian faith, Bell frees readers to consider God beyond the picture someone else painted.
Download or read book The McDonaldization of the Church written by John William Drane and published by Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2002-02 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A theology which comes pre-packaged, and in which there are no loose ends, is not true to life nor can it adequately reflect the richness of the Gospel." Why are churches struggling to maintain credibility in a culture in which there are more spiritual seekers than at any time in living memory? John Drane believes that churches have become stereotyped structures, offering uninventive formulaic worship to a dwindling minority. But there are exciting opportunities for growth, he argues, if only churches will rediscover their own creativity and flexibility. If only they will offer something more nourishing for post-modern spiritual appetites than the equivalent of fast food.
Download or read book God Doesn t Make Mistakes written by Laurie Scott and published by Laurie S Scott. This book was released on 2018-08-26 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do you do if you are an evangelical Christian, politically conservative AND transgender? Evangelical Christians are often attacked by the Left. People who are transgender are often attacked by the Right. It's human nature to align with those who share our world view, and dismiss those who don't. There is a struggle going on in our culture that produces more victims than champions--we all seem to agree on that. The growing divide between the political, ideological Left vs Right and Religious vs Secularist is so sharp that even attempting to bridge the gap is a perilous endeavor. But what happens to the people who are scorned by both sides? Shut out by the Left for their conservative views. Rejected by Christians for being transgender. Meet Laurie Suzanne Scott. She is, indeed, both an evangelical Christian and transgender. Raised in a devoutly Christian home, she endured the unbelievably difficult and complicated odyssey of finding her identity as a woman ...without losing her identity in Christ. A journey she barely survived. In "God Doesn't Make Mistakes: Confessions of a Transgender Christian" Laurie tells her story of growing up playing a role as unnatural to her as the body she was born with. She was a living, breathing dichotomy... and there was no one who could understand. She had no choice but to keep up the pretense and keep it a secret. She became a good son. A good Christian. And eventually even a good husband. She knew if her true identity became known, she would lose everything. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. So, she kept her secret from everyone. But she knew there was no keeping it from God. Raised with a doctrine she believed condemned her, she decided the only way out of her constant misery was to end her life. "Who would even want to stop me?" "Wouldn't it be easier for everyone this way?" It was at that desperate crossroad she heard the voice of God simply say, "You're okay." Since that day, God has led her on a path to heal her deep wounds of rejection by family as well as other Christians, and make peace with the way she was created. "I thought God would be the first to reject me. But, in fact, He was the first to accept me." Now Laurie reaches out to Christians who are transgender, who are still struggling to believe God loves them for who they are... just as they are. It's a difficult and often emotionally exhausting ministry. Equally important are the efforts to help the Church see their Christian brothers and sisters who are transgender as simply, their Christian brothers and sisters. Nothing more, and nothing less. And finally, she shares the much needed message that God doesn't make mistakes, and it IS possible to be a conservative, a Christian, and transgender.
Download or read book Ugly as Sin written by M. Rose and published by Sophia Institute Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How Catholic churches are being sapped of their spiritual vitality and what you can do about it The problem with new-style churches isn't just that they're ugly they actually distort the Faith and lead Catholics away from Catholicism. So argues Michel S. Rose in these eye-opening pages, which banish forever the notion that lovers of traditional-style churches are motivated simply by taste or nostalgia. In terms that non-architects can understand (and modern architects can't dismiss!), Rose shows that far more is at stake: modern churches actually violate the three natural laws of church architecture and lead Catholics to worship, quite simply, a false god.
Download or read book I Am a Church Member written by Thom S. Rainer and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013-05 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is impossible to grow to spiritual maturity by yourself. You must be connected to the other parts of the Body. This wonderful little book explains the power of belonging to a church family.
Download or read book Sacred Conviction written by Joseph Jay and published by . This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: HISTORIANS HAVE LONG UNDERSTOOD that conflicts over slavery, Constitutional interpretation, economic interests, and culture contributed to the coming of the War Between the States. Joseph Jay
Download or read book Breakout Churches written by Thom S. Rainer and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-01-10 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is the story of thirteen churches and the leaders who moved them from stagnancy to growth and from mediocrity to greatness. Drawing on one of the most comprehensive studies ever on the church, this book reveals the process of becoming a "breakout" church and the factors that lead to this spiritual metamorphosis."--The Publisher description.
