Download or read book Urban Ministry written by Harvie M. Conn and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-01-26 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book Harvie M. Conn and Manuel Ortiz address the vital work of the urban church as they trace the history of the city around the world, examine the biblical basis for urban mission, unpack the multifaceted identity of the city and discuss particular issues and needs of urban leadership.
Download or read book Urban Churches Vital Signs written by Nile Harper and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2005-03-14 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by Nile Harper and six leading pastors, this volume tells the stories of twenty-eight urban churches that are successfully contributing to the transformation of inner-city communities in fifteen major cities across America -- Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, San Francisco, Savannah, and Washington, D.C.
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 Thriving Churches written by Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd and published by The United Church of Canada. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THRIVING CHURCHES tells the story of two United Church ministers who travelled across Canada visiting flourishing United Churches to uncover the reasons for their success. Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd, minister at Westworth United Church in Winnipeg, visited urban churches, and Tammy Allan, minister at Olds-Sundre Pastoral Charge, Alberta, visited rural churches. They found these churches shared a number of features that helped them not only survive but also thrive through challenging times. Filled with concrete examples from congregations of all sizes, this book will inspire. Also included is an eight-session study guide on spiritual attributes of thriving churches.
Download or read book Everybody In The Church Ain t Saved written by Patti Trafton and published by Urban Books. This book was released on 2012-08-15 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet the members of the Love, Joy, Peace and Deliverance Community Choir, a group of young adults joined together through their passion for singing the Lord's praises—although their hearts are far from the things of God. Patrice Russell was raised in the church, but she is hell bent on living like the devil, not even trying to get help for the sex addiction she knows she has. Lorene McCall has been Patrice's best friend since childhood. When she's not singing, Lorene is cussin' like a sailor. Then she meets the man who inspires her to turn her life around. When an enemy from his past shows up to settle a score, Glen Pearson is out to win by any means necessary, even if it means violating the woman he loves. Dwayne Mitchell is battling with his sexual identity. When his mother makes a startling confession on her deathbed, Dwayne promises to stop allowing men to use his body. How long will he be able to hold to that promise? They may be faithful churchgoers, but this group proves that everybody in the church ain't saved!
Download or read book A New Day in the City written by Donna Claycomb Sokol and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2017-05-16 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many urban congregations remember days of fame and fortune—days when their prominence downtown or in city neighborhoods mattered. Population shifts, the decline of congregations and neighborhoods, and demographic changes depleted the dreams of many urban churches. But not all churches gave up hope. Many congregations are struggling to survive, but thousands of urban churches are thriving again. Churches with revived hope learn to let go of nostalgic dreams and tired habits and to walk with God into a new day of vibrant mission and ministry. Donna Claycomb Sokol and Roger Owens share lessons they’ve learned on the job and from other urban pastors. Along the way, they challenge clichés about church leadership and strategic planning by showing what congregational renewal can look like and how it can become a reality. Each chapter features a set of practical guidelines for leading a congregation to address the questions that matter most. “The urban church can be quite a challenge. I know because I’ve served a couple. Now, two thoughtful pastors with actual urban church experience take an affectionate, positive, honest, and hopeful look at the urban church and give practical wisdom for the revival of languishing urban congregations. There’s a remarkable revival of the urban church in North America. Donna and Roger can help you be part of it!” —William H. Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC; retired bishop, The United Methodist Church “Three things excite me most about this book: First, these two young pastors understand the strategic importance of urban ministry and are passionately committed to it. Second, they show that when you turn from tired ‘church growth’ and corporate paradigms, choosing rather to model your ministry on Jesus, new life happens. And third, they explain that transformation is about journeying faithfully with the questions rather than looking for quick-fix techniques. This book could change your ministry.” —Peter Storey, South African church leader; W. Ruth and A. Morris Williams Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC
Download or read book Planting and Growing Urban Churches written by Harvie M. Conn and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 1997-07-01 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If the church is to thrive in the twenty-first century, it will have to take on a new form as it ministers to the 120 million unchurched people in the United States. Planting and Growing Urban Churches is still virtually the only available text on church planting in North America and beyond. In this third edition, readers will find material on the importance of healthy, biblical change in our churches, updated appendices, insight on our postmodern ministry context, and strategies for reaching new population demographics such as Generation X and Y. Pastors, ministry leaders, and church planters will find the information and advice found in this book invaluable as they carry out their ministries.
Download or read book Urban Ministry written by Ronald Edward Peters and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive introduction to the particular challenges and opportunities of congregational ministry in urban settings. Urban ministry has long been a part of seminary curricula, but a basic and definitive understanding of what students should know as they prepare for congregational ministry in the city has remained elusive. Too often it is assumed that the theological resources developed for ministry in other settings are adequate for urban ministry, but these resources fail to account for the unique challenges and opportunities of the urban setting. Ronald Peters clarifies the nature of urban ministry as a theological discipline by showing how its core values of love, justice, community, and reconciliation (among others) engage the issues of economics, education, family life, public health, ethnic relations, and religious life in the urban environment. Arguing that the city has always served as an arena of God's activity, Peters articulates a theological rationale for urban ministry that is both hopeful and yet realistic, affirming that God loves the city and its people and encouraging practitioners to do the same.
Download or read book Why Cities Matter written by Stephen T. Um and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2013-03-31 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in a unique moment in history. Right now, more people live in urban centers than ever before. This means that we have an unprecedented opportunity to influence the majority of the world through the church in the city. Helping us to make the most of this moment, urban pastors Justin Buzzard and Stephen Um lay out a compelling vision for cultural engagement and church planting in our world’s cities. If you’re looking for motivation to maintain a commitment to the city or for guidance as you consider going all in, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of urban life that informs, instructs, inspires, and answers questions including: Why cities are so important What the Bible says about cities How to overcome common issues and develop a plan for living missionally in the city Instead of retreating from or taking from our cities, here is a call to make the cities our home, to take good care of them, and to participate in God’s kingdom-building work in the urban centers of our world.
Download or read book Urban Growth and the Medieval Church written by Nigel Baker and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2004 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the Church played a major role in the development of towns and cities from the earliest times, many important aspects of the early stages of urbanization in England are still poorly understood.Urban Growth and the Medieval Church employs a wealth of historical and archaeological evidence from two key towns - Gloucester and Worcester - to provide a comprehensive picture of their respective developments throughout the medieval period. Only then can the crucial role played by the Church, in shaping the spiritual, social, economic and cultural development of the urban environment, be discovered.
Download or read book Reading the Bible for a Change Second Edition written by Ray Lubeck and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2023-02-21 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Which Bible passages are for Christians today and which relate only to ancient readers? Can I simply pick and choose for myself the verses I think best fit my situation? Who gets to decide? Is there a different meaning for each individual reader? What am I supposed to know to read the Bible well? Ray Lubeck has devoted his life to helping others discern for themselves God's truth in the Scriptures and to showing them how it relates to their everyday lives. Reading the Bible for a Change will guide you in how to: -Read each biblical passage in light of its literary style and larger context -Ask and explore the most fruitful questions for understanding the meaning of a passage -Avoid common interpretive mistakes -Hear God, the divine Author, speak through the Bible's human authors -Identify the life-changing truths of Scripture that apply to life today -Move beyond merely reading the Bible to being shaped by and following it Having taught for over three decades at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as in many ministry contexts, Ray values the importance of holding the interest of students of the Bible. This book is written in an accessible and engaging style, using illustrations, charts, stories, and relevant examples to help the reader grasp key concepts. The second edition has been extensively revised in light of recent scholarly developments and years of use within the classroom, incorporating substantial amounts of updates and new material. Reading the Bible for a Change will equip you with the tools to discover for yourself the life-changing truths revealed in God's word. If you begin practicing these steps, you will embark on a lifetime journey of Scripture reading that will enable you to see for yourself how captivating and transforming it is when we read the Bible on its own terms rather than on ours.
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 Streets of Glory written by Omar M. McRoberts and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2005-07 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long considered the lifeblood of black urban neighborhoods, churches are thought to be dedicated to serving their surrounding communities. But Omar McRoberts's work in Four Corners, a tough Boston neighborhood containing twenty-nine congregations, reveals a very different picture.
Download or read book The Ephesus Model written by Robert McAuliffe and published by . This book was released on 2017-10-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ephesus Model offers a proven plan for Adventist urban mission, Paul's method for evangelizing cities by focusing on making disciples on a large scale through an Advance Placement team, Leadership Team, Discipleship Groups, Urban Center of Influence, and new Church Plants.
Download or read book A Heart for the City written by John Fuder and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2005-11-01 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus is still the answer for urban ministries, for ministries to the downtrodden, poor, and distressed in our cities. A Heart for the City is a rich compendium of valuable information on city ministries written by people who are currently ministering in the city, including pastors, Christian school administrators, and directors of homeless missions. It includes many illustrations and case studies that will prove valuable to any who work in the city or who want to understand how to more effectively help in the city. There are 29 chapters, divided into the following seven parts: - Context and History - Biblical and Philosophical Foundations - Education and Training - Local Church Models - Ethnic Communities - Disenfranchised Subcultures - Children and Youth A Heart For the City is a unique treasure of encouragement for those serving in or those with a heart for the inner city. You will surely be blessed!
Download or read book Beautiful Resistance written by Jon Tyson and published by Multnomah. This book was released on 2020-07-21 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a time of compromise and disillusionment, God is calling his people to a movement of beautiful resistance. We live in a time when our culture is becoming increasingly shallow, coarse, and empty. Radical shifts in the areas of sexuality, ethics, technology, secular ideologies, and religion have caused the once-familiar landscape of a generation ago to be virtually unrecognizable. Yet rather than shine as a beacon of light, the church often is silent or accommodating. This isn’t a new phenomenon. During World War II, pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was deeply troubled by the compromise in the German church. Their capitulation to the Nazi party brought shame and dishonor to the gospel. In response, he helped create an underground movement of churches that trained disciples and ultimately sought to renew the church and culture of the day. In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. Widely respected New York pastor Jon Tyson unveils a revived vision for faithful discipleship—one that dares to renew culture, restore credibility, and replace compromise with conviction. For all who have felt this conflict in the soul between who we are and who God calls us to be, Beautiful Resistance is a bold invitation to reclaim what’s been lost—regardless of the cost. Praise for Beautiful Resistance “Beautiful Resistance is one of the most compelling and defiant books I’ve read in a long time. I love Jon’s radical, no-messing vision of the church as a prophetic community. This is a wake-up call for us all from the heart of a man who lives his message, loves his city, and serves his Lord with a passion and intelligence destined to become less rare.”—Pete Greig, founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement
Download or read book The Hybrid Church in the City written by Christopher Richard Baker and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The era of post-colonialism and globalisation has brought new intensities of debate concerning the existence of diversity and plurality, and the need to work in partnerships to resolve major problems of injustice and marginalisation now facing local and global communities. The Church is struggling to connect with the significant economic, political and cultural changes impacting on all types of urban context but especially city centres, inner rings and outer estates and the new ex-urban communities being developed beyond the suburbs. This book argues that theology and the church need to engage more seriously with post-modern reality and thought if points of connection (both theologically and pastorally) are going to be created. The author proposes a sustained engagement with a key concept to emerge from post-modern experience - namely the concept of the Third Space. Drawing on case studies from Europe and the USA primarily, this book examines examples of Third Space methodologies to ask questions about hybrid identities and methods churches might adopt to effectively connect with post-modern cities and civil society. Particular areas of focus by the author include: the role and identity of church in post-modern urban space; the role of public theology in addressing key issues of marginalisation and urbanisation as they impact in the 21st century; the nature and role of local civil society as a local response to globalised patterns of urban, economic, social and cultural change.
