Download or read book The Urban Church Imagined written by Jessica M. Barron and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2017-11-28 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the role of race and consumer culture in attracting urban congregants to an evangelical church The Urban Church Imagined illuminates the dynamics surrounding white urban evangelical congregations’ approaches to organizational vitality and diversifying membership. Many evangelical churches are moving to urban, downtown areas to build their congregations and attract younger, millennial members. The urban environment fosters two expectations. First, a deep familiarity and reverence for popular consumer culture, and second, the presence of racial diversity. Church leaders use these ideas when they imagine what a “city church” should look like, but they must balance that with what it actually takes to make this happen. In part, racial diversity is seen as key to urban churches presenting themselves as “in touch” and “authentic.” Yet, in an effort to seduce religious consumers, church leaders often and inadvertently end up reproducing racial and economic inequality, an unexpected contradiction to their goal of inclusivity. Drawing on several years of research, Jessica M. Barron and Rhys H. Williams explore the cultural contours of one such church in downtown Chicago. They show that church leaders and congregants’ understandings of the connections between race, consumer culture, and the city is a motivating factor for many members who value interracial interactions as a part of their worship experience. But these explorations often unintentionally exclude members along racial and classed lines. Indeed, religious organizations’ efforts to engage urban environments and foster integrated congregations produce complex and dynamic relationships between their racially diverse memberships and the cultivation of a safe haven in which white, middle-class leaders can feel as though they are being a positive force in the fight for religious vitality and racial diversity. The book adds to the growing constellation of studies on urban religious organizations, as well as emerging scholarship on intersectionality and congregational characteristics in American religious life. In so doing, it offers important insights into racially diverse congregations in urban areas, a growing trend among evangelical churches. This work is an important case study on the challenges faced by modern churches and urban institutions in general.
Download or read book Churches That Make a Difference written by Ronald J. Sider and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2002-04-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Churches over the past generations have been weakened by a failure to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of their communities. Many have adopted a narrow vision, focusing on only one aspect of ministry. But in today's environment of faith-based opportunities many Christians are eager to start reaching out to their world with both Good News and good works, and therefore they are searching for appropriate ways to integrate both into their ministry. In Churches That Make a Difference, best-selling author Ron Sider and his coauthors give those involved in community outreach a comprehensive resource for developing holistic ministry--a balance of evangelism and social outreach. Illustrations and helpful organizational tips detail the how-to's of an effective holistic ministry. Case studies that show how different churches across the United States reach out to their communities provide a variety of ideas and practical applications. User-friendly tools are included as well for congregational studies, surveys, evaluations, and community assessments. The authors draw on extensive experience with church ministries and faith-based organizations as they share the life-changing vision and biblical mandate for living the whole gospel. Church leaders will be encouraged in their process of developing and maintaining a holistic ministry, and local churches will rediscover a passion for loving the whole person the way Jesus did.
Download or read book The American Catholic Experience written by Jay P. Dolan and published by Image. This book was released on 2011-09-07 with total page 503 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Catholicism has had a profound and lasting influence on the shape, the meaning, and the course of American history. Now, in the first book to reflect the new communal and social awakening which emerged from Vatican Council II, here is a vibrant and compelling history of the American Catholic experience—one that will surely become the standard volume for this decade, and decades to come. Spanning nearly five hundred years, the narrative eloquently describes the Catholic experience from the arrival of Columbus and the other European explorers to the present day. It sheds fascinating new light on the work of the first vanguard of missionaries, and on the religious struggles and tensions of the early settlers. We watch Catholicism as it spread across the New World, and see how it transformed—and was transformed by—the land and its people. We follow the evolution of the urban ethnic communities and learn about the vital contributions of the immigrant church to Catholicism. And finally, we share in the controversy of the modern church and the extraordinary changes in the Catholic consciousness as it comes to grips with such contemporary social and theological issues as war and peace and the arms race, materialism, birth control and abortion, social justice, civil rights, religious freedom, the ordination of women, and married clergy. The American Catholic Experience is not just the history of an institution, but a chronicle of the dreams and aspirations, the crises and faith, of a thriving, ever-evolving religious community. It provides a penetrating and deeply thoughtful look at an experience as diverse, as exciting, and as powerful as America itself.
Download or read book For I Have Sinned written by James M. O'Toole and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2025 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of US Catholicism is the history of confession. For I Have Sinned charts the rise of confession as the defining ritual of American Catholic piety and identity--and its fall, as clergy sex-abuse scandals and the cultural shifts of the 1970s decimated interest in a practice that, today, is alien even to most faithful believers.
Download or read book The Reason for God written by Timothy Keller and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008-02-14 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times bestseller people can believe in—by "a pioneer of the new urban Christians" (Christianity Today) and the "C.S. Lewis for the 21st century" (Newsweek). Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and potent reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. To true believers he offers a solid platform on which to stand their ground against the backlash to religion created by the Age of Skepticism. And to skeptics, atheists, and agnostics, he provides a challenging argument for pursuing the reason for God.
Download or read book Congregation Community written by Nancy Tatom Ammerman and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do some religious institutions decline in the face of racial integration whilst others grow? How do congregations deal with economic distress? This study of congregations in the face of community transformation includes stories of over 20 congregations in nine communities across America.
Download or read book Dynamics of Teaching written by Henry Edward Tralle and published by . This book was released on 1924 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Home written by Efa E. Etoroma and published by FriesenPress. This book was released on 2024-03-01 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where are you from? Where is your home? Do you miss home? These are questions that Efa E. Etoroma—born in Nigeria—has frequently been asked since moving to Canada in 1978. In this autoethnography, the Concordia University of Edmonton professor examines his views on what home really is and his struggles to feel a true sense of belonging anywhere he has lived. Explained with candor and occasional vulnerability, Home: Reflections on Marginality and Belonging is told from the perspective of a marginalized Black, Christian immigrant, but his story is relatable to anyone who has felt alienated or had a crisis of identity. Efa shares his personal experiences of growing up in post-colonial northern Nigeria, raised Anglican amongst mostly Muslims, and fleeing to the southern region as a child, shortly after the start of the Nigerian Civil War. Then he recounts moving to Canada to attend school but staying upon meeting his future Canadian-born wife. He explores his connection with Black Pentecostal churches as well as his thoughts on grieving, death, and aging away from his homeland. Supporting these experiences, Efa incorporates an abundance of research for a wider cultural and social context. Home: Reflections on Marginality and Belonging is part snapshot of the author’s life—a way of identifying who he is and where he is from—part answer to the questions, “Where are you from” and “Where is your home,” and part exploration of the micro-level contradictions of social change brought about by modern society.
Download or read book Building Dynamic Faith written by Jerry Falwell and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2007-07-01 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though perhaps better known for political activism through his creation of the Moral Majority, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell's personal activities confirmed his passion for being a pastor and a Christian educator. Out of this desire to teach and lead, he wrote Building Dynamic Faith so that readers would know God better and see their lives radically changed for Him. Divided into 31 chapters, Building Dynamic Faith is perfect for a month of daily readings, but it is more than simply a devotional. Readers will progress from a simple understanding of faith, to practicing the skills needed to exercise their faith, and finally to experiencing the blessing of God through answered prayer.
Download or read book 1000 City Churches written by Harlan Paul Douglass and published by . This book was released on 1926 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of method, results and conclusions -- The problem of classifying churches -- A method of statistical classification -- The major types -- The evolutionary trend of the city church -- Findings and conclusions in detail -- The slightly adapted church -- Interpreting the slightly adapted church -- The unadapted church -- The internally adapted church -- The socially adapted church -- Widely variant types and the average -- General development accompanying developing programs -- Local environment and the church types -- Special heredities and larger environment -- The provisional use of trends as norms.
Download or read book Tilling the Church written by Richard Lennan and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2022-05-14 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tilling the Church is a theology for the pilgrim church. In this book, Richard Lennan shows how the ecclesial community looks toward the fullness of God’s reign but lives within the flux of history, the site of its relationship to the trinitarian God. In this way, God’s grace “tills” the church, constantly refreshing the tradition of faith and prompting the discipleship that embodies the gospel. Tilling the Church explores the possibilities for a more faithful, just, and creative church, one responsive to the movement of grace. Fruitful engagement with grace requires the church’s conversion, the ongoing formation of a community whose words and actions reflect the hope that grace engenders.
Download or read book Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit written by Brad Long and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A highly practical guide for nurturing relations between believers and the Spirit, in order to better advance the Kingdom of God.
Download or read book The Sociology of Cities written by John Sirjamaki and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book DYNAMIC SHIFT 3 0 written by PIOUS JOSEPH PAUL YANZUH and published by ACTS MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL. This book was released on 2020-05-01 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dynamic Shift 3.0: From Nobody to Somebody is a coverage of books/e-books training series that will help and guide you in a process of transformation bringing out the best inside of you in order to become the successful and influential leader and influencer you can be in the group and community you are engaged. This process involves a 3-step program featured in each book that will help you understand the ways and efforts you need to work on and the motivation you need to keep moving on forward. These steps are the following- INFORMATION process (What are the foundations so that you can turn from nobody to somebody? A question that was answered throughout the book, Sacrificial Servant Leader), INTEGRATION process (What are the missing puzzles that I need to acquire in order to achieve my goals and objectives? A question that was answered throughout the book, Ingredients of Leadership), and INSPIRATION process (Did other people turned from nobody to somebody? Is it possible for me turn from nobody to somebody? Questions that were answered and proven all throughout the book Never Imagine God). This program has helped people to become better than ever before and be a great blessing to their families, clubs, groups, and communities. Surely, it will also bring you a greater perspective, greater purpose, greater power, and greater promotion in your life and other's life. This is your day for a great opportunity! Take advantage and grab this special program on its special discounted prices (discounts may expire sooner). Get yours now and witness yourself transforming from good to better, and from better to the best you can be!
Download or read book Ecclesiastical Review written by Herman Joseph Heuser and published by . This book was released on 1956 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
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 Congregation written by James F. Hopewell and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a unique, full-scale study of congregational life, Hopewell shows that it is narrative-the oral tradition-that knits a congregation together.
