Download or read book Becoming a Just Church written by Adam L. Gustine and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2019-02-12 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How should the local church think about justice? Adam Gustine provides a theological vision for the church's identity as a just people, where God's character and the pursuit of shalom infuses every aspect of our congregational DNA. In this renewed vision, the church becomes a prophetic alternative to the broken systems of the world and a parable of God's intentions for human flourishing and societal transformation.

Download or read book The Just Church written by Jim Martin and published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. This book was released on 2012-09-21 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you ready for a new way to seek justice – an ancient way to know God? Finally, a practical guide on how to do justice and grow in discipleship —from those on the frontlines of the battle in the world’s darkest and most dangerous places. Jim Martin and International Justice Mission are experts not only at bringing rescue to victims of violence, sex trafficking, slavery, and oppression, but also, at bringing churches into the fight, through concrete steps that actually make a difference. Learn how to carry out one of the Bible’s core commands—to seek justice—in a way that amounts to more than mere words and good intentions. In the process, you’ll discover one of the most powerful tools to grow faith and deepen discipleship. In The Just Church, Martin shares tangible, accessible strategies to respond to God’s call to seek justice, defend the widow and orphan, and rescue the oppressed . . . whether in far-off places or right in your own community

Download or read book How to Be a Christian without Going to Church written by Kelly Bean and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2014-06-24 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.

Download or read book Becoming a Welcoming Church written by Thom S. Rainer and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most church members don't see their churches clearly. In almost all of Thom S. Rainer's consultations, church members perceive their church to be friendly. But as he surveyed guests, he found that the guests typically saw church members as unfriendly. The perception chasm existed because the members were indeed friendly . . . to one another. The guests felt like they crashed a private party. Bestselling author Thom Rainer (I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church) has a game plan for churches to become more hospitable. In a format that is suitable for church members to read individually or study together, Rainer guides readers toward a practical framework for making a difference for those who visit their church. Churches may use Becoming a Welcoming Church to assess and audit where they are on a spectrum between welcoming and wanting. Additionally, churches can use the companion book We Want You Here to send guests home with a compelling vision for what pastors want every guest to know when they visit.

Download or read book How I Became a Christian Despite the Church written by Greg Austen and published by . This book was released on 2020-03-11 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The church can be a mess and--worse--a real source of misery. I know. I've experienced it. There are tons of hypocrites and even dangerous wolves in sheep's clothing. Lots of folks that are afraid of science and of learning from "secular" people. How I Became a Christian Despite the Church is my story of finding God despite the isolated, fear-based, get-a-scalp-on-your-belt-for-Jesus, fun-sucking culture that my parents were part of. It's the story of how my childhood pastor and his despotic wife terrorized and abused their foster children, as well as others.Shame, abuse, and especially distorted views of sex are a big part of my story. As is sorting out beliefs, emotions, desires, and actions to relearn how to be human. Amidst the macabre and the dissonance, however, you'll also find refrains of hope, a reasonable faith, and love.Although the book is a roadmap of healing and growth for all, it's especially written for those who've been grown up in religious environments that have left them empty at best or crushed at worst. If you're searching for better answers, a cure for pain, or are just curious to see how bad it could be, this book is for you.Praise for How I Became a Christian Despite the Church:"Greg has braved the intensely challenging and not-often traveled road of sorting out toxic childhood beliefs while retaining a strong faith in Jesus Christ. This candid account of his journey to spiritual freedom is a gut-wrenching read with a happy ending that will give hope to anyone navigating a similar path."--Alli Nielsen, Center Content Manager for Care Net Lansdowne, VA "I've had the pleasure of calling Greg a friend and colleague in ministry for several years now. In that time I've benefitted greatly from his wisdom, Christian maturity and insightful perspectives. This book helps explain how the crucible of Greg's earlier life has made him the man and leader that he is today. As he tells his story, Greg offers a path of healing and restoration for others who might have experienced a similar journey to his own. Greg's adept use of culture to illustrate the narrative adds to the book, with even a suggested song playlist included! I, for one, am grateful for how Greg Austen became a Christian despite the Church...and for how this book can help many other people."--Andrew Smith, Pastor of Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square (EPC) Kennett Square, PA "It's easy enough, when one has grown up in a religiously manipulative and abusive environment, to reject faith altogether. Indeed, bookstores are replete with such memoirs of former "saints" who have bid God farewell. This isn't one of those books. Greg shares intimate and painful stories of a childhood marred by religious abuse-- abuse that left scars still felt today. Yet despite the hurt and pain, Greg chose a more difficult path. He chose to search his past for the love masked by the hurt and the truth behind all the lies. If you've been let down by the church, or been one of the many abused by it, this book will give you a glimpse into how one can still find God, even when most of what you've seen done in His name is anything but holy."--Ardee Coolidge, Leesburg Church of the Nazarene Leesburg, VA "Dr. Austen has written an intensely personal narrative detailing the toxic effects on himself and his family of sinful and dysfunctional church leadership. While he is specific in describing the long term damage with which he still struggles, the theme of redemption is never absent. Gathering data from theology to pop culture, he demonstrates how a Biblical world view, and firm commitment to historic Christianity, provides hope and a measure of healing. Jesus said he would build his Church and hell would not overcome it. Dr. Austen proves that even the damage we inflict on the Body of Christ cannot stop God's work of grace in his children."--Dr. Ken LarterPastor, Deerfield Presbyterian Church (EPC)Deerfield, NJ

Download or read book Becoming Church written by Luke Edwards and published by . This book was released on 2021-03 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book So You Don t Want to Go to Church Anymore written by Wayne Jacobsen and published by Windblown Media. This book was released on 2008-09-02 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jake Colsen, an overworked and disillusioned pastor, happens into a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance (in manner) to the apostle John. A number of encounters with John as well as a family crisis lead Jake to a new understanding of what his life should be like: one filled with faith bolstered by a steady, close relationship with the God of the universe. Facing his own disappointment with Christianity, Jake must forsake the habits that have made his faith rote and rediscover the love that captured his heart when he first believed. Compelling and intensely personal, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anything relates a man's rebirth from performance-based Christianity to a loving friendship with Christ that affects all he does, thinks, and says. As John tells Jake, "There is nothing the Father desires for you more than that you fall squarely in the lap of his love and never move from that place for the rest of your life."

Download or read book Whole Life Transformation written by Keith Meyer and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-06-03 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastor and professor Keith Meyer writes in a fresh, prophetic voice about his experience of learning spiritual formation through being mentored by Dallas Willard. Drawing from the riches of church history and the experience of contemporary ministry, Meyer then describes how his own life transformation changed how he approached ministry and church leadership.

Download or read book Just War as Christian Discipleship written by Daniel M. Jr. Bell and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2009-10-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This provocative and timely primer on the just war tradition connects just war to the concrete practices and challenges of the Christian life. Daniel Bell explains that the point is not simply to know the just war tradition but to live it even in the face of the tremendous difficulties associated with war. He shows how just war practice, if it is to be understood as a faithful form of Christian discipleship, must be rooted in and shaped by the fundamental convictions and confessions of the faith. The book includes a foreword by an Army chaplain who has served in Iraq and study questions for group use.

Download or read book SimChurch written by Douglas Estes and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-09-22 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The meeting place for the church of tomorrow will be a computer screen. Don’t laugh, and don’t feel alarmed. The real-world church isn’t going anywhere until Jesus returns. But the virtual church is already here, and it’s poised for explosive growth. SimChurch invites you to explore the vision, the concerns, the challenges, and the remarkable possibilities of building Christ’s kingdom online. What is the virtual church, and what different forms might it take? Will it be an extension of a real-world church, or a separate entity? How will it encourage families to worship together? Is it even possible or healthy to “be” the church in the virtual world? If you’re passionate about the church and evangelism, and if you feel both excitement and concern over the new virtual world the internet is creating, then these are just some of the vital issues you and other postmillennial followers of Jesus must grapple with. Rich in both biblical and current insight, combining exploration and critique, SimChurch opens a long-overdue discussion you can’t afford to miss.

Download or read book Growing an Engaged Church written by Albert L. Winseman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-03-28 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing an Engaged Church offers unique, research-based, often counterintuitive solutions to the challenges facing churches today, including declining congregant participation, decreasing contributions, and slumping membership. Ministers, priests, and church boards will find the evidence and answers in this book provocative, eye-opening, and, most importantly, actionable. What if members of your congregation . . . • were 13 times more likely to have invited someone to participate in your church in the past month? • were three times as satisfied with their lives? • spent more than two hours per week serving and helping others in their community? • tripled their giving to your church? What would your church — your parish — look like? And how would you go about creating this kind of change? One thing is certain: Church leaders are never going to inspire more people to be actively and passionately involved in their congregations by doing the same things over and over again. Pastors and lay leaders need something fresh. Something new. The last thing they need is “just another program” or to set up a laundry list of new activities for members. Based on solid research by The Gallup Organization, Growing an Engaged Church will appeal to both Protestant and Catholic clergy and lay leaders who are looking for a way to be the Church instead of just “doing church.”

Download or read book Just Lead written by Sherry Surratt and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-02-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Become the effective woman leader God intended you to be Just Lead! provides practical leadership help for women to develop skills to lead themselves and others with the character, confidence and authenticity of a godly woman. The book shows what holds women back and then focuses the skills women need to lead others effectively. Using this hands-on, practical resource will inspire women leaders in the church to use its ideas to gain strength and lead well. Helps women successfully navigate the transitions necessary to lead well in church and ministry settings Offers women a practical guide for breaking the "stained-glass window" and becoming effective leaders Addresses leadership issues such as leading mixed gender teams, earning and giving respect, and navigating through relational landmines Just Lead! challenges women to embrace their identity as leaders and equips them with the skills they need to lead others well.

Download or read book Viral Churches written by Ed Stetzer and published by Wiley + ORM. This book was released on 2010-03-10 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking guide reveals successful strategies for multiplying the impact of new church congregations. Based on a national, cross-denominational study commissioned by Leadership Network, Viral Churches explores the best practices in church multiplication movements, as well as the common threads among them. A hands-on resource, Viral Churches offers the fresh vision and critical perspectives essential as a catalyst for today's church planting leaders. Authors Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird draw from their own experiences as well as the insights of numerous church planting leaders. Filled with illustrative success stories, this important book reveals how to plant churches that multiply into a movement. Each chapter highlights a different point on such issues as keeping the focus on evangelism; recruiting, assessing, and deploying planters; increasing the survivability of new churches; using a multisite strategy effectively; funding; overcoming obstacles; facing challenges ahead; and many more.

Download or read book Growing God s Church written by Gary L. McIntosh and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2016-01-12 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's no secret that the evangelism methods of yesterday are not yielding the kinds of results they did in the 1970s and 1980s. So how are new Christians hearing the Gospel today? How are they finding churches? And what makes them stay at a church? The answers to these questions have the power to dramatically alter the way we do outreach. And Dr. McIntosh has them. Based on ten years of scientific research, Growing God's Church shows pastors and church leaders how people are actually coming to faith in the 21st century. It covers factors such as our motive for ministry, the priorities churches set for themselves, the reality of churchless Christians, generational and gender-based differences in evangelism effectiveness, the name of your church, the influence of pastors, and much more. The appendix includes a copy of the survey that provides the basis for McIntosh's arguments and an overview of the study is provided in the first chapter.

Download or read book Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church written by D. A. Carson and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-05-26 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A careful and informed assessment of the “emerging church” by a respected author and scholar The “emerging church” movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying? The time has come for a mature assessment. D. A. Carson not only gives those who may be unfamiliar with it a perceptive introduction to the emerging church movement, but also includes a skillful assessment of its theological views. Carson addresses some troubling weaknesses of the movement frankly and thoughtfully, while at the same time recognizing that it has important things to say to the rest of Christianity. The author strives to provide a perspective that is both honest and fair. Anyone interested in the future of the church in a rapidly changing world will find this an informative and stimulating read. D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God, and is general editor of Telling the Truth and Worship by the Book. He has served as a pastor and is an active guest lecturer in church and academic settings around the world.

Download or read book Becoming an Anti Racist Church written by Joseph Barndt and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christians addressing racism in American society must begin with a frank assessment of how race figures in the churches themselves, leading activist Joseph Barndt argues. This practical and important volume extends the insights of Barndt's earlier, more general work to address the race situation in the churches themselves and to equip people there to be agents for change in and beyond their church communities.

Download or read book Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel written by Eugene England and published by Mormon Arts & Letters. This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published: Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, c1986.