Can we all just get along? E Pluribus Unum: “Out of many, one.” This motto is emblazoned on the Great Seal of the United States, but it could be the church’s model, too. Unfortunately, the daily experience of many Christians and churches feels like the opposite: out of one, many. We are increasingly aware of what makes us different from others, and it is hurting the church and its witness. All Together Different will help readers understand why we find it so difficult “to just get along.” Drawing from research on personal and group identity, it equips readers to navigate a culture that often pays lip service to the value of diversity, but struggles to foster constructive dialogue and mutual respect. With clear writing and real-life stories, All Together Different translates social identity theory for pastors, church leaders, and ministry practitioners, exposing it to the light of biblical and theological reflection.
If you’re brave enough to take an honest look at the issues facing the culture–controlled church–and the issues in your own life–read on. Do you ever look at how the Christian faith is being lived out in the new millennium and wonder if we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing? That we still haven’t quite “gotten it”? That we’ve missed the point regarding many important issues? It’s understandable if we’ve relied on what we’ve been told to believe or what’s widely accepted by the Christian community. But if we truly turned a constructive, critical eye toward our beliefs and vigorously questioned them and their origins, where would we find ourselves? Best-selling authors Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo invite you to do just that. Join them on an adventure–one that’s about uncovering and naming faulty conclusions, suppositions, and assumptions about the Christian faith. In Adventures in Missing the Point, the authors take turns addressing how we’ve missed the point on crucial topics such as: Salvation, The Bible, Being Postmodern, Worship, Homosexuality, Truth, and many more…
A fun and snappy look at how the world's most important job is filled each year - published in time for the 2020 election. Written in a conversational style, former ESPN columnist Brian Church looks at the electoral college, the history of dirty campaigns and more.
The author of Abortion: The Ultimate Exploitation of Women offers a blueprint for the American Church to handle abortion in our country. Consider that for the past forty years, a staggering fifty-six million Americans have been killed by abortion. It claims the lives of over 1.2 million children every year, or roughly one child every twenty-five seconds. So why isn’t the American church doing something to stop this atrocity, which is the greatest holocaust in American history? The majority of American churches, God’s institutions for spreading the gospel of peace and defending the weak and innocent, remain silent. Feeding the poor, stopping human trafficking, rescuing children from abuse, and protecting women from exploitation are all issues the church is addressing. Yet abortion remains eerily absent from the list of church priorities in America. Why isn’t it the church’s highest priority? Is the American church silent because abortion has become politicized and church leaders are afraid to discuss it or because we simply don’t know what the Bible says about it? What will cause the church to wake up, rise up and take this issue to task to save our children? In his latest book, Deliver Us From Abortion, Brian Fisher, co-founder and president of Online for Life, breaks the veil of silence and uncovers the reality of abortion in the church, what the Bible really says about it, and how God has empowered His church to end this unspeakable tragedy. Praise for Deliver Us from Abortion “This book provides a powerful defense for the children who can’t speak for themselves.” —Josh McDowell, bestselling author of 138 books including More Than a Carpenter “Abortion is the greatest moral crisis of our generation, yet far too many churches have remained silent. In Deliver Us From Abortion, Brian Fisher offers a blueprint for the American church that is both instructive and encouraging. I pray that we can all hear and accept his challenge.” —Dr. Tony Evans, president, The Urban Alternative, senior pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship “Growing up in the King family during the Civil Rights era, I know what the church can accomplish. I am so glad Brian has written this book. May it challenge and equip the church to end the abortion holocaust in America.” —Dr. Alveda King, director of African-American outreach, Priests for Life
A playful, witty, but substantive "postmodern ministry for dummies-type" book that fills the huge and getting huger hunger for something in one volume that introduces basic concepts and vernacular of "postmodern ministry.
If you are a sincere church leader or a committed church member, you’re probably tired of easy steps, easy answers, and facile formulas for church health, growth, and renewal. You know it’s not that easy. In The Church on the Other Side, you’ll find something different: honest, clear, and creative thinking about our churches, along with a passionate challenge to thoughtful action and profound, liberating change. In understandable language, with an energetic and engaging writing style, and drawing from daily, down-to-earth pastoral experience, Brian McLaren offers thirteen strategies for navigating the modern/postmodern transition. You’ll learn the critical distinctions between renewed, restored, and reinvented churches. You’ll discover the importance of redefining your mission, of finding fresh ways to conceive of and communicate the Gospel, and of entering the postmodern world by understanding it, engaging it, and debugging your faith from modern 'viruses.' McLaren believes we are in an epochal sea-change, perhaps even more significant than the last great cultural transition about 500 years ago, when the world crossed over from the medieval to the modern era. He believes that today’s breakthroughs in communications, education, travel, cultural diversity, science, economics, politics, and philosophy are combining to create a new matrix in which Christians will live, worship, work, and pursue our mission. 'We are exploring off the map,' writes Brian McLaren, 'looking into mysterious territory beyond our familiar world on this side of the boundary between modern and postmodern worlds.' Even if you’ve read this book’s first edition, Reinventing Your Church, you’ll find enough new and revised material here to warrant a second purchase. And if you’re encountering these concepts for the first time, you’ll find wise guidance to help you and your church begin the journey toward the other side of the postmodern divide. You’ll learn to think differently, see church, life, and these revolutionary times in a new way, and act with courage, hope, and an adventurous spirit.
The Holy Spirit has empowered every believer not only to proclaim but also to demonstrate the reality of the good news of the gospel by living a lifestyle of signs and wonders that puts Jesus on display. As we look for the Holy Spirit's activity happening around us, listen for His voice, and respond in obedience, we enable others to encounter the love and power of Jesus through us. We don't bring ministry, Pastor Brian Blount says; we simply step into it. But there is still risk involved: We have to step out of the boat and walk on the water of uncertainty for the sake of the kingdom. How can we overcome the fear of failure and rejection? Offering practical insights and tools through true personal stories, Brian helps believers stand on a firm biblical foundation in order to engage in the ministry of Jesus every day. Live boldly as you participate in the lively lifestyle of everyday evangelism!
WARNING: This is not just another book on evangelism. It's a simple idea of evangelism through friendship first, and the opportunities to share your faith that follow. It will bring friendships you already have to a new levels, and create opportunities for new, authentic friendships with those you will eventually meet. OUT: Evangelism as sales pitch, as conquest, as warfare, as ultimatum, as threat, as proof, as argument, as entertainment, as show, as monologue, as something you have to do. IN: Disciple-making as conversation, as friendship, as influence, as invitation, as companionship, as challenge, as opportunity, as conversation, as dance, as something you get to do. You're more ready for this than you realize, and so are your friends!
Life without church. It's getting easier to imagine. And maybe you already left. A leaver, then. Committed to Jesus, not an institution. Perhaps you've left your church in spirit, remaining in the pew. Outwardly silent. Secretly bored. In either case, Brian Sanders has a word for you. Out of his own experience as a leaver, Brian distills the complex problem into two viable options: Stay. Remain in your church with the blessing of Christ and in the power of his great vision for the church to come. Take the path of revolutionary leaving. Move purposefully, seeking the kingdom of God that is beyond institutions. Whether Sunday mornings find you alone in a one-bedroom apartment or isolated in a church of thousands, Brian reminds you to keep listening for God's call. Reform the church that is Christ's. Be it from the inside out, or the outside in.
This book provides a new and thoroughly researched analysis to the problem of church growth. Both sociological research and biblical evidence show that denominations which uncompromisingly stand for their beliefs grow. Long-term growth accordingly demands strictness and emphasizes theological differences. Evidence of evangelical decline is charted over the last several decades. While much of the book will focus upon the Holiness Movement to exemplify the difficulties faced by modern conservatives, the scope is broadened to include all evangelical groups. Similar factors which caused mainline churches to begin shrinking in the 1960s are causing the decline of evangelical churches today; history is simply repeating itself. The concepts in this book give insight to the problem by placing church growth in a proper sociological and scriptural framework. Along with scientific growth concepts, much of the book applies biblical principles from the New Testament and relates how the mega-church philosophy has not only undermined the foundation of many Christian values, it has also begun causing growth to collapse. The church in America is dying, and unless biblical foundations are restored, the American church will soon crumble into nothing more than a footnote of history.
A challenging and encouraging manual for day-to-day life in ministry written specifically for couples who want to do more than survive the process of church planting and leadership—who want to actually thrive and grow in faith together as a family. Though we may feel like we can't show it, every aspect of planting a church is personal. Church planters and those in ministry leadership roles give so much to starting and growing healthy, thriving churches that when some people inevitably criticize the church, or leave altogether, it's hard not to take it personally. Brian and Amy Bloye know firsthand the emotional and relational toll that planting churches can take. In It's Personal—part of the Exponential series, inspiring and equipping next-generation church planters—the Bloye's get personal about finding the right balance of family and ministry. Planting a church is more than a ministry—it's a calling that touches every aspect of your life in very personal ways. With intimacy and wisdom, Brian and Amy discuss topics like: How to protect your marriage while planting a church. How to respond to growth and change. How to lead well while still maintaining space and time for family. How to know when it’s becoming too personal. With a forward by Andy Stanley, It's Personal will challenge and encourage you to avoid some of the pitfalls of planting a church and be equipped to build both strong and prevailing ministries, and healthy marriages and families. Each chapter includes interviews with church-planting couples who share their personal joys and struggles, giving you authentic insight into the issues families face when planting a church.
“Some books provide us with information about the world, but every once in a while a book appears that enables us to imagine new, more wonderful worlds. [A New Kind of Christianity] is one of these.” —Peter Rollins, Ikon A New Kind of Christianity is Brian D. McLaren’s much anticipated follow-up to his breakthrough work of the emergent-church movement, A New Kind of Christian. Named by Time magazine as one of America’s top 25 evangelicals, McLaren, along with such contemporaries as N.T. Wright, Jim Wallis, and Rob Bell, is one of the acknowledged leaders of a new generation of Christians who want to update their faith for current times while remaining true to the core message of Jesus. In this controversial and thought-provoking book, McLaren explores the questions that will determine the shape of Christianity for the next 500 years.
From critically acclaimed author Brian McLaren comes a brilliant retelling of the biblical story and a thrilling reintroduction to Christian faith. This book offers everything you need to explore what a difference an honest, living, growing faith can make in our world today. It also puts tools in your hands to create a life-changing learning community in any home, restaurant, or other welcoming space. The fifty-two (plus a few) weekly readings can each be read aloud in 10 to 12 minutes and offer a simple curriculum of insightful reflections and transformative practices. Organized around the traditional church year, these readings give an overview of the whole Bible and guide an individual or a group of friends through a year of rich study, interactive learning, and personal growth. Perfect for home churches, congregations, classes, or individual study, each reading invites you to Cultivate an honest, intelligent understanding of the Bible and of Christian faith in 21st century Engage with discussion questions designed to challenge, stimulate, and encourage Reimagine what it means to live joyfully and responsibly in today's world as agents of God's justice, creativity, and peace If you're seeking a fresh way to experience and practice your faith, if you're a long-term Christian seeking new vitality, or if you feel out of place in traditional church circles, this book will inspire and activate you in your spiritual journey.
The Book That Launched a Movement The first installment of Brian D. McLaren's trilogy recounts a lively and intimate conversation between fictional characters Pastor Dan Poole and his daughter's high-school science teacher, Neil Oliver. They reflect together about faith, doubt, reason, mission, leadership, and spiritual practice in the emerging postmodern world. A New Kind of Christian offers a tale of hope and spiritual renewal for those who thought they had to give up on faith, God, and church.
Finding faith is not a leap in the dark that requires you to forsake truth and intellectual honesty. In two companion volumes, Brian McLaren affirms the needs of both your mind and your heart as he helps you to find a faith that is real, honest, good, enriching, transforming, and yours.
The Christian story, from Genesis until now, is fundamentally about people on the move—outgrowing old, broken religious systems and embracing new, more redemptive ways of life. It’s time to move again. Brian McLaren, a leading voice in contemporary religion, argues that— notwithstanding the dire headlines about the demise of faith and drop in church attendance—Christian faith is not dying. Rather, it is embarking on a once-in-an-era spiritual shift. For millions, the journey has already begun. Drawing from his work as global activist, pastor, and public theologian, McLaren challenges readers to stop worrying, waiting, and indulging in nostalgia, and instead, to embrace the powerful new understandings that are reshaping the church. In The Great Spiritual Migration, he explores three profound shifts that define the change: ∙ Spiritually, growing numbers of Christians are moving away from defining themselves by lists of beliefs and toward a way of life defined by love ∙ Theologically, believers are increasingly rejecting the image of God as a violent Supreme Being and embracing the image of God as the renewing Spirit at work in our world for the common good ∙ Missionally, the faithful are identifying less with organized religion and more with organizing religion—spiritual activists dedicated to healing the planet, building peace, overcoming poverty and injustice, and collaborating with other faiths to ensure a better future for all of us With his trademark brilliance and compassion, McLaren invites readers to seize the moment and set out on the most significant spiritual pilgrimage of our time: to help Christianity become more Christian.
Book Three in The New Kind of Christian Trilogy In the final installment of The New Kind of Christian Trilogy, Pastor Dan Poole and his friends face and survive their questions, doubts, and dark nights of the soul. They begin to imagine a new vision of God--and a new way of life that is more truly biblical and faithful, more inspiring and challenging, more intellectually satisfying and emotionally healing than conventional religious life. Those seeking more authentic ways to hold and practice Christian faith will find needed hope and insight in this intense and human fictional tale.
What should the church look like today?What should be the focus of its message?How should I present that message?We live in as pivotal and defining an age as the Great Depression or the Sixties–a period whose definition, say some cultural observers, includes a warning of the church’s influence. The result? A society measurably less religious but decidedly more spiritual. Less influenced by authority than by experience. More attuned to images than to words.How does the church adapt to such a culture? Or should it, in fact, eschew adapting for maintaining a course it has followed these last two millennia? Or something in between?These are exactly the questions asked in The Church In Emerging Culture by five Christian thinker-speaker-writers, each who advocate unique stances regarding what the church’s message should be (and what methods should be used to present it) as it journeys through this evolving, postmodern era. The authors are:Andy Crouch–Re:Generation Quarterly editor-in-chiefMichael Horton–professor and reformed theologianFrederica Mathewes-Green–author, commentator, and Orthodox ChristianBrian D. McLaren–postmodernist, author, pastor, and Emergent senior fellowErwin Raphael McManus–author and pastor of the innovative and interethnic L.A.-based church, MosaicMost unique about their individual positions is that they’re presented not as singular essays but as lively discussions in which the other four authors freely (and frequently) comment, critique, and concur. That element, coupled with a unique photographic design that reinforces the depth of their at-once congenial and feisty conversation, gives you all-access entrée into this groundbreaking discourse.What’s more, general editor Leonard Sweet (author of SoulTsunami and AquaChurch, among several other acclaimed texts) frames the thought-provoking dialogue with a profoundly insightful, erudite introductory essay–practically a book within a book. The Church In Emerging Culture is foundational reading for leaders and serious students of all denominations and church styles.
The mainline church in the past few decades has witnessed a ghettoization of youth within the church, segregating them off to a particular room, perhaps in the basement, where they engage in ministry in isolation from the rest of the congregation. They are assigned a “youth minister” or “youth director,” often the staff person with the least experience, freeing up the “real” ministers to serve the adults in the church. They seldom serve on church boards or governing bodies in anything other than a cursory manner. Their leadership in worship is limited to one special Sunday a year; their activities seen more as programming than ministry, and their place often described as “the church of the future” rather than the body of Christ in the here-and-now. For decades, youth ministry in mainline churches has been program-driven, assuming that the primary function of youth ministry was to use activities and events to attract young people to church and keep them occupied until they were ready to be adult members in the faith. In recent years, it has become increasingly obvious that this paradigm has failed to develop youth as life-long participants in the Christian church and in the Christian faith. The result of such a model of ministry is that youth come to see church only as those segregated activities reserved for teenagers, most of which bear little resemblance to the practices of the rest of church life. Consequently, when youth graduate from high school and youth group, they perceive that their most meaningful church experiences are ended. Mainline congregations are now seeing the evidence of the real lack of impact of their youth ministries as the population of young adults in churches continues to shrink – even those young adults who were once regular participants in church youth group programs. In short, the program-driven model of youth ministry has failed to help youth find their place within the mission of the Church. Rethinking Youth Ministry critiques this older paradigm and invites the reader into a dialogue to help rethink many of the deepest assumptions of youth ministry in the mainline church. We challenge the consumerist goal of judging a youth ministry’s success by the number of its participants. We push back against the notion that a youth ministry is the sum total of the events on the calendar. We rethink the place of volunteers and parents, calling for a greater role of adults as spiritual mentors in the lives of church youth. We send out a call for greater understanding of modern methods of teaching and the impact of brain research on the intellectual and spiritual development of youth and we re-imagine a new role for mission within youth ministry which calls youth to see mission not as isolated activities but as the very heart of their faith journey. Rethinking Youth Ministry serves as a theological companion and practical guide for all those “working in the trenches” of youth ministry who are seeking to offer students a deeper, more consequential, and active life-long relationship with God through the ministry of Jesus Christ.
“God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The Bible tells us that we are to worship the Lord, that we were created for this purpose. But what is true worship? What does the Bible teach about the right—and the wrong—ways to worship God? In this book, pastors Brian Croft and Jason Adkins unpack a biblical theology of worship, discuss the practical matters of planning a worship service, and offer suggestions and insights on the best way to lead a worship service that honors the Lord. The Practical Shepherding series of guides provides pastors and ministry leaders with practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Gather God’s People, you will learn how to apply biblical doctrine and spirituality to the practice of Christian worship.
The quest for aliveness is the heartbeat that pulses through the Bible . . . It's why we gather, celebrate, eat, abstain, attend, practice, sing, and contemplate." Based on his book We Make The Road By Walking, Brian D. McLaren presents a 52-week devotional to inspire and activate you in your spiritual journey. If you're a seeker exploring Christianity, if you're a long-term believer feeling downtrodden, if your faith seems to be a lot of talk without much practice, here you'll find a reorientation from a fresh and healthy perspective. Brian D. McLaren shows everything you need to explore what a difference an honest, living, growing faith can make in your life and in our world today. Through 52 weeks of thoughtful readings, Seeking Aliveness gives an overview of the message of the whole Bible and guides you through a rich study of interactive learning and personal growth.
The 10th Anniversary of "There's a Sheep in my Bathtub" is being marked and honored by a fresh edition with updated content and many more illustrations - 85 in all! What happens when you drop an American family with three small children into the post-Communist chaos of Outer Mongolia? There's a Sheep in my Bathtub chronicles the adventures of the Hogan family as they try to follow God's leading into one of the world's most remote and mysterious enclaves. Brian and Louise meet during their college days at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo and embark on a pursuit of a calling to the nations that propels them from the Navajo Nation’s painted desert in Arizona to the wild steppes of Central Asia. Along their way five children join the cross-cultural roller coaster. Disarmingly honest and charmingly humorous, their tale will thrill you and bring tears to your eyes. An intensely personal memoir, this book still manages to pack a powerful dose of missionary insight and Biblical principles for seeing the Church explode into life among peoples that have never even heard of Jesus. Get comfortable. You will not be able to put it down. From the very first page this book jerks you irretrievably into the outrageous, the uproarious and the impossible to imagine. It has got to be one of the most absolutely fascinating tales to ever prove that the truth is stranger than fiction. Nevertheless, it throbs with a sobering and relentless sense of calling and purpose that is truly inspiring. --- the late Dr. Ralph D. Winter, Founder, U.S. Center for World Mission I wept, laughed and was stirred by this book. I love a good story, and this is a really good one! You won’t be able to put it down! --- Floyd McClung., author of Living on the Devil’s Doorstep
Shines a practical light on the spiritual disciplines that have been in use since the time of Abraham. In a sense, every day of our lives is labor. It is questionable if you can ever be exactly the same person waking up on two consecutive days. How are spiritual sojourners to cope with the constant change? Many are beginning to explore the ancient Christian spiritual practices that have been in use for centuries, everything from fixed-hour prayer to fasting to sincere observance of the Sabbath. What is causing this hunger for deeper spirituality? Brian McLaren guides us on this quest for an explanation of these spiritual practices, many of which go all the way back to Abraham and the establishment of Israel. In the midst of contemporary Christianity, we discover the beauty of these ancient disciplines and the transformation through Christ that each can provide. Why have certain spiritual disciplines been in use for centuries and why is it important? It is questionable if one can ever be exactly the same person waking up on two consecutive days. How are spiritual sojourners to cope with the constant change? Many are beginning to explore the ancient Christian spiritual practices, such as fixed-hour prayer, fasting and sincere observance of the Sabbath. What is causing this hunger for deeper spirituality? Brian McLaren guides us on this quest for an explanation of these spiritual practices, many of which go all the way back to Abraham and the establishment of Israel. In the midst of contemporary Christianity, we discover the beauty of these disciplines and the transformation through Christ that each can provide.
A thousand schemes and to-do lists may threaten to enslave you, but Christ died to free you from them, and he is enough. Paul’s letter to the Colossians is short, but it delivers a roundhouse kick to religion as it reveals the complete and inexhaustible sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Jesus really is everything we need! Paul reveled in the good news that had captured his heart. He never got over it and never moved beyond it. He knew that no one could advance beyond the essential message of the crucified, risen, and exalted Christ. And he didn’t want anyone to retreat from it.
Five hundred years ago Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses or grievances to the door of the All Saints' Church of Wittenberg and condemned the Catholic Church’s teaching of indulgences as nothing but a scheme to raise money for the church. It is a supreme irony of history that, five hundred years later, it is now a subset of the Protestant Church that is defrauding the faithful. The Catholic Church’s teaching of indulgences and the evangelical movement’s teaching of tithing-to-be-blessed are substantially the same and lead to the same result: In both cases, the church walks away with a bag of money and the Christian walks away with a bag full of empty promises. This book explains why I am losing faith in the church, but finding faith in Christ. The reason for this is that I began finding answers to some of the most elusive questions about God. Something is preventing God from doing all the good that he would otherwise want to do. But here is the problem. How can God have limitations? If he has limitations, then he must not be divine. However, there is one thing that could prevent a good, all-powerful God from doing all the good that he would otherwise want to do that would not detract at all from his omnipotence. What this is and how it holds the key to unlocking some of the most perplexing mysteries of God is explained in this book.
- Offers specific examples of success stories of faith communities involved in the faith + food movement - Engaging stories with photos in local communities and neighborhoods showing the church in action
What would happen if one of Christianity's most respected leaders shared everything he has learned about finding God in life's difficulties and living an extraordinary life? Brian Houston has done just that in his international bestseller LIVE LOVE LEAD. When Global Founder and Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, Brian Houston, set out to pioneer with 45 people and a school hall in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, he was unsure of the highs and lows, sacrifices and disappointments that would mark the 32-year journey of miraculous opportunities and dreams come true. LIVE, LOVE, LEAD is his story, woven in to the greatest story ever told, with room for chapters all your own to be written and re-written. It's a collection of tried and proven principles based on powerful biblical truths and life tested experiences that will enable you to unlock your personal vision, find God in your difficulties and discover what it means to live with eternity in mind. This book is for those who are intrigued by Brian and Hillsong Church - an Australian story with global impact - and for seasoned believers and spiritual seekers alike, longing to uncover the secret to living a more fulfilling life.
How do we communicate the message of the Scriptures in our twenty-first-century, post-Christian context? (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World answers this question by presenting the Scriptures through the lens of mission and by teaching a method for reading Scripture with a missional hermeneutic. The biblical story seeks to convert us to its perspective and to transform its readers and hearers into God's missional community that exists to reflect and embody God's character to/for/in the world. Ready to revolutionize your reading of the Bible and expand your ability to unleash the Scriptures in your context? (re)Aligning with God will give you rich content and practical tools to become a profound, inspiring, and confident reader of the Bible for all who are seeking to hear its good news.
When a low-income person asks your church for help, what do you do next? God is extraordinarily generous, and our churches should be, too. Because poverty is complex, however, helping low-income people often requires going beyond meeting their material needs to holistically addressing the roots of their poverty. But on a practical level, how do you move forward in walking with someone who approaches your church for financial help? From the authors of When Helping Hurts comes Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence, a guidebook for church staff, deacons, or volunteers who work with low-income people. Short and to the point, this tool provides foundational principles for poverty alleviation and then addresses practical matters, like: How to structure and focus your benevolence work How to respond to immediate needs while pursuing long-term solutions How to mobilize your church to walk with low-income people With practical stories, forms, and tools for churches to use, Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence is an all-in-one guide for church leaders and laypeople who want to help the poor in ways that lead to lasting change.
What hinders your life? What’s keeping you from discovering your Calling? From being totally fulfilled pursuing your Purpose? From living up to Your Potential? Do you struggle with Fear or other emotions? Doubts about what to believe? Confusion about which option is right, or best? Do you know Jesus but still feel like your faith could be stronger and your life could have more direction, more focus, more confidence that you’re doing exactly what God wants you to be doing? These things we’ve looked at: fear, doubts, confusion, lack of knowledge, good fruit or direction – these things are not inevitable. They’re the result of not living according to important biblical truths and letting them guide your steps. This book is like a powerful, jam-packed 400-page how-to guide for everything you need to know, believe, and do for the Christian life. It’s like “Mere Christianity” meets “Purpose-Driven Life” meets deep, biblical theology, Christian apologetics, pastoral discipleship, and actionable life coaching to improve your life, help you grow personally and spiritually, and get on fire for God’s unique mission for you. Get it now and start shifting the direction of your life today! This landmark work marries biblical Christian doctrine with actionable life coaching. Using cars as a metaphor for individuals, and a long journey as a metaphor for life, pastor, Christian apologist, and empowerment life coach Brian Holmes navigates the journey with you. Packed with creative car metaphors and graphics woven throughout, every vital aspect of Christian belief and living are covered, arranged sequentially and holistically in a memorable and applicable way. Equal parts theology, apologetics, discipleship training, personal growth, and life direction, you’ll gain a deeper grasp of the Christian pilgrimage and a closer relationship with God along the way. It covers everything from the nature of God and meaning of life to worksheets to determine what you should do today for success tomorrow. Practical tips for individuals, Bible study groups, and churches ready to accelerate their impact. Demonic lies debunked! Sin will be overpowered! Faith, freedom, healing, presence, and purpose are in view! YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO: detect, diagnose, and solve problems in your life; avoid common obstacles in the future; overcome tough life challenges and setbacks; navigate touchy cultural, social, and political issues; better control your thoughts, how you feel, and what you do; and gain laser-focused direction on your mission and unique calling as a follower of Jesus. After the Bible, this colorful, insightful, and engaging guide will be the next most important book to have! This manual of “Essential Christianity” will assist and empower you for a lifetime! FEATURES: • Bible College-level Theology for Laypeople • Personal Evaluations, Questions, and Assignments • Hundreds of Whole Bible Verses with Index (Paperback and PDF editions) • Hundreds of Topics with Topical Index (Paperback and PDF editions) • Complete Spiritual Warfare Manual • Discover Your Identity & Plan Your Mission • Understand & Discover Actual Spiritual Gifts • Learn How to Utilize Illness/Suffering for God • Unravel False Religions & Bad Christianity • Discern New Age Spirituality & Word of Faith • Examine Different Christian Missions & Roles • Unlock the Highest Potential of the Church • 398 Pages! • Full Color! (Full Color editions) • Lots of Custom Graphics and Tables! • FREE Bible Study curriculum available “Let us RUN with ENDURANCE the RACE set out for us.” -Hebrews 12:1 “SO RUN TO WIN!” -1 Corinthians 9:24 Christianity | Personal Growth | Christian Discipleship | Christian Theology | Spiritual Growth | Mission | Apologetics | Calling | Adult Christian Ministry | Church Growth | Spiritual Journey | Adult Discipleship
Go Preach! connects the apocalyptic message of Mark's Gospel to principles and programs of socio-cultural transformation in the life of the Black church today. Brian Blount begins his study of Mark by examining the social significance of Jesus' proclamation of the coming Kingdom of God. This was a future event that was at the same time breaking through in the present. Through Jesus, "God's future power invaded and transformed the human present." This experience of the Kingdom empowered the disciples to "Go preach" the Kingdom message in word and deed, to finish the story that Marks narration about Jesus began.Blount goes on to show that the Black church occupies a situation analogous to that in which the Gospel arose, and explores the implications of apocalyptic theology for the pastoral mission of the Black church today. Go Preach! makes an important contribution to understanding the meaning of the Kingdom of God. At the same time it also demonstrates the value of a sociolinguistic approach to scripture, both in interpreting the text in its original context and in unpacking its meaning for today. It is required reading for biblical scholars, students, and clergy.
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