Brian Stiller, Past President, Tyndale University College & Seminary, has spent a life-time leading and teaching others to lead. He has led small ministries, large organizations and everything in between. During his years, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and skills. In this new collection of wisdom, humour and history, Brian shares some of the valuable insights and wisdom he has gleaned in his 50 years of leadership. Major sections include: • The Art of Leading • Leading with Vision • Discerning the Times • Perspective Matters • Taking Risks • Smoothing the Rough Edges • Embracing Change and Gifting to Lead
When it is assumed there is little more to say about leadership, Brian Stiller surprises us with new, fresh and creative insights. Unwrapping the ancient Old Testament story of Nehemiah, he identifies 7 principles on building and renewing ministries and organizations. Surrounding these principles are workable concepts connected to inspiring stories of faith. Drawing on a lifetime of leadership, he writes about what it takes to lead. He examines the challenges leaders face, surveying them first from 33,000 feet, then at ground level describing what it takes to move from an idea to effective completion. The freshness of his stories and the clarity of his counsel come from a real life experience—this is what he has done. Framed by the ancient story of Nehemiah, the Hebrew who returned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Stiller examines the text and draws from his own life experiences, then skillfully applies the principles of Nehemiah to 21st Century leaders. Stiller doesn’t back down from facing the challenges of leading: he makes it clear it is not for the faint hearted. He faces what leaders inevitably must deal with—politics isn’t everything but everything is political.
What has led to the church's vibrant growth throughout the Global South? Brian Stiller identifies five key factors that have shaped the church, from a renewed openness to the move of the Holy Spirit to the empowerment of indigenous leadership. Discover the surprising story of the global advance of the gospel. And be encouraged that Jesus' witness continues to the ends of the earth.
Preachers, in their call to preach the Scriptures, are not only charged with the responsibility of speaking its truth but of speaking in such a way that people of this age and culture understand. To do this, the preacher builds a bridge between todays people and the gospel of both testaments. For some, this task is more difficult than for others. Preaching to those living in an inner-city housing project is far removed from an outpost mission in the two-thirds world. Each community has its own way of thinking and attaches different values to symbols of its own making. For those called preach to a generation raised on MTV and late-night comedians or those rooted in various economic culturesfrom governmentsponsored jobs overseen by union bosses to entrepreneurial dot-com companiesor generations stretching from high school students to "freedom fifty-fivers," the task is enormous. When one adds to that the complexity of a radical shift in underlying intellectual and cultural assumptions, the task of preaching becomes even more complicated.
Life, as we know it, will end. It’s not a thought that tends to occupy our minds when we are young and in full health and vigor. We take risks, some foolhardy. We live as though we were immortal. And then when we have our own children we are renewed and life is good. But we can’t look in the mirror every day without noticing subtle signs of change. We can’t lose a loved one without reflecting on the passage of time and being nagged by the question, “What is it in life that I have yet to accomplish?” Then it’s not a giant leap from asking that question about ourselves to wanting to know “What happens when I die?” Brian Stiller, author of When Life Hurts took on the task of answering this challenging question. Where is the proof that anything is going to happen after death? Why not just live life for the day, because that may be all there is? What Happens When I Die? is a journey toward understanding the nature of life after death, one that leads ultimately to the Scriptures and the promise given by God. It is a promise rooted in faith and joy. It is a promise that has everything to do with what we make of our life here on earth. What Happens When I Die? is not just about death, but about living a fulfilled, loving and caring life. The choice is ultimately ours to seek and God’s gift—or not. But the way had been prepared as this insightful and thought-provoking book affirms
A Country-by-Country Prayer Guide The world is getting smaller. Cutting ourselves off from Christians around the world is not an option. In many countries, the rise of persecution fuels concern over the safety and rights of believers, while other nations that used to be closed to the Gospel are seeing unprecedented numbers of conversions to Christianity. As global ambassador of the World Evangelical Alliance, what Dr. Brian Stiller experiences on the ground in these nations is often counter to our impressions. As he listens to people's ideas and observes their innovations, he invites you to see and hear what he does. An Insider's Guide to Praying for the World includes country-specific insights calling us to a deeper understanding of the Christian church and witness. Each chapter also provides prayer challenges that come from believers in the country as well as maps and sample prayers. Nations from every continent are included. Be inspired to learn about other lands--both familiar ones, such as China and Kenya, and ones you may know very little about, like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. But more important, take part in God's work by praying for the real needs of your brothers and sisters around the world.
Many of us find we have nothing left to give. Depression and despair have become defining words for our generation. Our emotional and spiritual wells seem to have run dry.
Every other Thursday on Santa Monica Boulevard’s Comedy Central Stage, a motley assortment of prolific Hollywood writers, actors, and comics convene to reveal the most personal—and colorful—parts of their lives. Their soul-baring monologues reveal the sources of their creative genius, from wacky families, to psycho exes, random ramblings, and unbelievable Hollywood insights. This hilarious collection, featuring a foreword by Arrested Development's Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely, includes some of their best confessions. It provides an inside scoop on Hollywood, including stories on mishaps at the Emmys, writing for popular shows, being put in a sleeper hold by Hulk Hogan, growing up in famous families, and what it’s like to play Jan Brady. Funny, embarrassing, or dirty (or a combination thereof), but always brutally honest, Dirty Laundry shines a voyeuristic light on the underbellies of the people who have sold their souls to the entertainment biz. Authors include Maggie Rowe, Andersen Gabrych, Doug Benson, Kevin Nealon, Richard Belzer, Amy Stiller, Laura Silverman, Mary Birdsong, Taylor Negron, Randy Sklar, Kelly Carlin-McCall, Jennifer Elise Cox, Tom Saunders, Eileen Conn, Carlos Kotkin, Eddie Pepitone, Mark Evan Jackson, C. Brian Smith, Davis McHenry, Matt Price, David Landsberg, David Chrisman, Keith Blaney, Andrea Abbate, Jonathan Schmock, Jen Sincero, Claudia Lonow, Jackie Kashian, Shaz Bennet, B. Mark Seabrooks, Stirling Gardner, and Drew Droege.
The teaching of Jesus of Nazareth is unparalleled and universally acclaimed in the history of our world. Born into relative obscurity and poverty, no one has impacted the world to the same extent as Jesus. Amidst all he said and did, his close friend Matthew (a former social outcast) captured his teaching—delivered on a hillside just above the town where he lived, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, have been described as the essence of all that Jesus taught about God and how we relate with him. Every Christian (and every preacher!) must wrestle with the words of Jesus given on a Galilean hillside. If a person grasped nothing else of the words Jesus spoke, apart from that contained in the Sermon on the Mount, he or she catches the essence of his timeless message. This book unpacks the essence of Jesus’ teaching and its remarkable application in our current age—a resource for individual Christ-followers, preachers, and a discussion-starter for small groups.
In this insightful and practical book, Canada's most recognized evangelical leader identifies the basis for the country's preservation and provides a blueprint for Christians of all denominations, showing how they can grow both as a people and in their spiritual lives. ". . . a passionate call to Christian political engagement that will guide and challenge the church for years to come".--Faith Today.
“We are not worth more, they are not worth less.” This is the mantra of S. Brian Willson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling psycho-historical memoir. Willson’s story begins in small-town, rural America, where he grew up as a “Commie-hating, baseball-loving Baptist,” moves through life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, Nicaragua and elsewhere, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle. In telling his story, Willson provides numerous examples of the types of personal, risk-taking, nonviolent actions he and others have taken in attempts to educate and effect political change: tax refusal—which requires simplification of one’s lifestyle; fasting—done publicly in strategic political and/or therapeutic spiritual contexts; and obstruction tactics—strategically placing one’s body in the way of “business as usual.” It was such actions that thrust Brian Willson into the public eye in the mid-’80s, first as a participant in a high-profile, water-only “Veterans Fast for Life” against the Contra war being waged by his government in Nicaragua. Then, on a fateful day in September 1987, the world watched in horror as Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks and arrested. Losing his legs only strengthened Willson’s identity with millions of unnamed victims of U.S. policy around the world. He provides details of his travels to countries in Latin America and the Middle East and bears witness to the harm done to poor people as well as to the environment by the steamroller of U.S. imperialism. These heart-rending accounts are offered side by side with inspirational stories of nonviolent struggle and the survival of resilient communities Willson’s expanding consciousness also uncovers injustices within his own country, including insights gained through his study and service within the U.S. criminal justice system and personal experiences addressing racial injustices. He discusses coming to terms with his identity as a Viet Nam veteran and the subsequent service he provides to others as director of a veterans outreach center in New England. He draws much inspiration from friends he encounters along the way as he finds himself continually drawn to the path leading to a simpler life that seeks to “do no harm.&rdquo Throughout his personal journey Willson struggles with the question, “Why was it so easy for me, a ’good’ man, to follow orders to travel 9,000 miles from home to participate in killing people who clearly were not a threat to me or any of my fellow citizens?” He eventually comes to the realization that the “American Way of Life” is AWOL from humanity, and that the only way to recover our humanity is by changing our consciousness, one individual at a time, while striving for collective cultural changes toward “less and local.” Thus, Willson offers up his personal story as a metaphorical map for anyone who feels the need to be liberated from the American Way of Life—a guidebook for anyone called by conscience to question continued obedience to vertical power structures while longing to reconnect with the human archetypes of cooperation, equity, mutual respect and empathy.
The premise: You take two boys who meet at age 12 and then show their relationship 25 years later. One has his promise taken from him by the controlling influence of first, the bully, and later, the grand manipulator. What begins as a story of constant abuse and the struggle to break free, turns into a psychological suspense thriller, as not all is what it seems. The victim is in some ways as calculating as the bully, and willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others. The power hungry manipulator will stop at nothing to keep his power, and to keep his golden ticket from rising up against him. One moment of bravery becomes the catalyst that ignites the war of attrition. With the help of a kindred spirit, the victim realizes that to break free from the tyranny of oppression, the bully has to be thoroughly stopped. A chess match of deathly proportions ensues within a thirty-six hour period that leaves several people dead and the two men facing each other in a classic battle of, "to the death." Against the Current answers the question of what happens if the bully is still in your life after twenty-five years and you've been pushed hard enough to fight back. The characters are rich and believable, true to themselves. The setting is a mid-sized Iowa town. Evil comes in many forms and wears many faces. Against the Current explores the evil behind the need to manipulate others, and the inner strength of goodness that compels some of us to stand up to that evil.
After serving in the Vietnam War, S. Brian Willson became a radical, nonviolent peace protester and pacifist, and this memoir details the drastic governmental and social change he has spent his life fighting for. Chronicling his personal struggle with a government he believes to be unjust, Willson sheds light on the various incarnations of his protests of the U.S. government, including the refusal to pay taxes, public fasting, and, most famously, public obstruction. On September 1, 1987, Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks. Providing a full look into the tragic event, Willson, who lost his legs in the incident, discusses how the subsequent publicity propelled his cause toward the national consciousness. Now, 23 years later, Willson tells his story of social injustice, nonviolent struggle, and the so-called American way of life.
I have often thought how wonderful it would have been if any of my grandparents, not to mention my great grandparents, had jotted down some of their thoughts, experiences and accumulated wisdom on paper for me to read, irrespective of how trivial or mind-blowing they may have been. I could have gleamed a glimpse as to who they were and how they thought, even though they died long before I was born in most cases. I really feel the void of not having known them. This book is an attempt to correct that omission and is written for the benefit of my kin still to come.
What has led to the church's vibrant growth throughout the Global South? Brian Stiller identifies five key factors that have shaped the church, from a renewed openness to the move of the Holy Spirit to the empowerment of indigenous leadership. Discover the surprising story of the global advance of the gospel. And be encouraged that Jesus' witness continues to the ends of the earth.
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