What behaviors do highly vital congregations have in common? How can all congregations move toward greater vitality? In Vital: Churches Changing Communities and the World, Jorge Acevedo passionately and effectively reveals how Grace Church in Cape Coral, Florida, has developed behaviors that result in vital and fruitful ministry. Focusing on spiritual pastoral leadership, lay leadership development, worship, small groups, and service and mission, Acevedo both inspires and coaches. He helps leaders of congregations act in their own contexts to develop behaviors essential to vitality, as identified by the recent study of 32,000 United Methodist congregations. The book includes brief summaries of learnings from the research and stories from other congregations illustrating vital behaviors in different settings. Approximately 15% of the 32,228 churches (4,961 churches) scored high in vitality based on the vitality index. What this means is that 15% of our churches have figured out some way to remain highly vital in spite of the fact that 85% have not. What this means is that we cannot assign all the blame for our congregational demise at the feet of the “institution” of the church. 4961 congregations have figured out ways to prevail in spite of our denominational condition. To me this is hopeful and promising! This book is my best attempt for us to learn from the 15% of United Methodist Churches that are vital, growing and prevailing. Jorge Acevedo
According to Fresh Expressions U.S., "a Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of those who are not yet part of any church." Fresh Expressions are introducing people to Jesus, expanding the kingdom, and revitalizing churches. Congregations need a practical and theological resource that can help them cultivate Fresh Expressions. As consultants who work nationwide and as innovative pastors, authors Michael Beck and Jorge Acevedo awaken congregational leaders and ministry teams to a distinctive Wesleyan approach for the Fresh Expressions movement. In Wesleyan Fresh Expressions, they show congregations how to cultivate and customize fresh expressions that fit their local context. They motivate ministry teams to take risks, experiment, and when necessary, fail well. On April 2, 1739, John Wesley went to a field just outside what was then the city limits of Bristol, England. There he tried a missional innovation called field preaching. Thousands of people showed up, many of whom who had no connection with a church. Today, most Methodists and other Wesleyans don’t know their own story. Lost in the milieu of divisive issues that threaten to tear the church apart, Wesleyans have forgotten their DNA as a renewal movement, born not from doctrinal disputes but from a missional imperative. In this sense, the Fresh Expressions movement is the most “Methodist” thing in the denomination today. This iteration of the Spirit is taking it to the fields again. Wesleyan Fresh Expressions will help guide the way.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. The Youth Study Book contains everything needed to conduct a five-week Advent study geared to youth, including current examples that have meaning to young people ages 13-18. Can be used with the adult-level DVD.
Grace is God's all-reaching, never-ending, game-changing love for you and me. In this series, Jorge Acevedo and Wes Olds examine God's Word and discover how grace works in our lives and in our world. A Grace-Full Life seeks to answer the questions: In what ways is God an ever-present God?, Why does God want to have a personal relationship with me?, How can I fully experience and respond to God's grace?, How can I die well surrounded by God's grace?. Themes include: Prevenient grace: God's wooing or drawing grace Justifying grace: God's saving grace Sanctifying grace: God's grace that makes us more like Jesus Glorifying grace: God's grace that welcomes us to eternity Additional components for a four-week study include a comprehensive leader guide and a DVD featuring authors and pastors Jorge Acevedo and Wes Olds.
Grace is God's all-reaching, never-ending, game-changing love for you and me. In this series, Jorge Acevedo and Wes Olds examine God's Word and discover how grace works in our lives and in our world. A Grace-Full Life seeks to answer the questions: In what ways is God an ever-present God?, Why does God want to have a personal relationship with me?, How can I fully experience and respond to God's grace?, How can I die well surrounded by God's grace?. Themes include: Prevenient grace: God's wooing or drawing grace Justifying grace: God's saving grace Sanctifying grace: God's grace that makes us more like Jesus Glorifying grace: God's grace that welcomes us to eternity The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. This devotional, offering four weeks of daily reflections, functions beautifully on its own or as part of the church-wide experience. The reflections are ideal for use during Advent and include Scripture, personal insights, daily challenges, and prayers.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . —John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the study program. Includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. This guide centers around the book, the videos, and Scripture.
While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:8 CEB) Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. The spiritual disciplines are historical practices that can guide us in our daily walk, bringing us closer to Christ. The Holy Living series brings a fresh perspective on the spiritual disciplines, enabling us to apply their practices to our current lives. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens us to God's transforming love. Both the Old and New Testaments call the people of God to love God completely as well as to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus told his followers these were the greatest commandments. What if by "neighbor," Jesus literally meant the precious people who live in your neighborhoods? What if by "neighbor," Jesus meant all of your neighbors, regardless of age, socioeconomic status, or any other potentially divisive designation? This book first defines what is meant by the spiritual practice of "neighboring" and then looks at ways we can live into neighboring as a spiritual practice in our own lives and in the lives of our churches and communities. This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion. Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Prayer, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.
This comic book narrates the adventures of four adolescents, who learn what trademarks are and how they and society at large can benefit from them. While the WIPO comic books are primarily geared towards students from 8 to 12 years’ old, higher-level students and adults have found them useful in providing a basic understanding of IP issues.
This offer to community groups (and small groups of any kind) is a six-session study based on the Apostles creed, which has served the church for nearly 1500 years as a basic summary statement about core Christian beliefs. This participant experience expands on the principle that "Growing People Change" their hearts and lives (a changed heart and life is the meaning of the New Testament concept metanoia, which in Elizabethan English is translated as "repentance"). This growth is accomplished by (1) understanding what changes in belief come through turning away from the practices that separate us from God (2) reflecting about our relationship to God while learning how to think theologically. The six sessions are: Session One: I believe Session Two: In God Session Three: In Jesus Session Four: In the Spirit Session Five: In the Church Session Six: In the Promise
This comic book narrates the adventures of four teenagers who learn what patents are and how they and society at large can benefit from them. While the WIPO comic books are primarily geared towards students from 8 to 12 years’ old, higher-level students and adults have found them useful in providing a basic understanding of IP issues.
Supply chain management is the cornerstone of the competitive strategies of many presentday organizations and has evolved from the operational to the strategic level. Understanding this, Principles of Global Supply Chain Management offers a comprehensive insight into the global supply chain sector—analyzing the strategic, operational and financial aspects of the industry, and addressing the key elements in the management of global supply chains. The key topics of each chapter demonstrate a variety of fundamental issues in the supply chain industry: What are supply chain markets? What is the supply chain cost structure? What are supply chain strategies? How do supply chain firms design and implement strategies? What are the key roles of logistics service providers, logistics education operators and logistics associations? How should supply chain operations be managed? How is a sustainable and innovative supply chain structure created? Comparative practical case studies from Asia, North America and Latin America lend weight to the chapters.
Over the last decade, it is becoming increasingly clear that diabetes mellitus is a global epidemic. The influence of diabetes is most readily apparent in its manifestation in foot complications across cultures and continents. In this unique collaboration of global specialists, we examine the explosion of foot disease in locations that must quickly grapple with both mobilizing medical expertise and shaping public policy to best prevent and treat these serious complications. In other areas of the world where diabetic foot complications have unfortunately been all too common, diagnostic testing and advanced treatments have been developed in response. The bulk of this book is devoted to examining the newest developments in basic and clinical research on the diabetic foot. It is hoped that as our understanding of the pathophysiologic process expands, the devastating impact of diabetic foot complications can be minimized on a global scale.
First imagined in the 1960s but never published, this collection of Robert Louis Stevenson's essays, fables and short stories was imagined by Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares – a collection of their favourite works of non-fiction, short stories and fables. The themes – integrity, intellectual and imaginative truth, literary meaning, the fantastic – are common to all three authors, and these connections are explored in an introduction by Kevin MacNeil. Including such classic tales as 'The Bottle Imp' and rare essays on crime, morality, dreams and romance, Robert Louis Stevenson: The Argentina Edition is rich, eloquent and utterly readable.
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