Search Results for: Church
Showing 1–75 of 166 results
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Improvising Church : Scripture As The Source Of Harmony, Rhythm, And Soul
$28.00Add to cartPlenty of books diagnose our post-Christian malaise. Here’s a dynamic solution.
The post-Christian cultural turn is creating the conditions for a crisis of confidence in the church and in pastoral ministry. While such changes can be disruptive and disconcerting, our new cultural reality makes the present moment a uniquely exciting time to reimagine churches that bear witness to Christ. How do we move beyond cookie-cutter approaches (which may have worked in the past) to building the creative, compassionate, and incarnational churches we long for?
Biblical scholar and accomplished jazz pianist Mark Glanville plays with a metaphor of improvisation to chart twelve themes as the key “notes” on which Christian communities play as they bear witness to God in the world today. Building on these two dynamic traditions-jazz music and Christian community-Improvising Church unfolds a biblical, practical, and inventive vision for churches seeking to receive and extend the healing of Christ.
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Turning Points In American Church History
$49.99Add to cartAmerican history has profoundly shaped, and been shaped by, Christianity. This engaging introduction provides a brisk and lively yet deeply researched survey of these intertwined forces from the colonial period to the present.
Elesha Coffman tells the story of Christianity in the United States by focusing on 13 key events over four centuries of history. The turning points are as varied as the movements they track, including a naval battle, a revival, a schism, a court case, an outpouring of the Spirit, an act of terrorism, the election of a bishop, and the election of a president. Coffman highlights women and men from a range of traditions and shows how throughout these events, Christians endeavored to discern what it meant to live faithfully in the diverse and rapidly changing place that became the United States.
This book helps readers understand their own faith and the landscape of American religion. Each chapter includes a hymn, a prayer, relevant historical images, excerpts from primary sources, and resources for further reading. Foreword by Mark A. Noll.
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Triumph : The Power And The Glory Of The Catholic Church – A 2,000 Year His (Exp
$39.99Add to cartA Catholic Classic — UPDATED AND EXPANDED!
For 2,000 years, Catholicism-the largest religion in the world and in the United States-has shaped global history on a scale unequaled by any other institution.
Triumph offers an accessible, affirmative, and exciting entry into that history. Inside, you’ll discover the spectacular story of the Church from Biblical times and the early days of St. Peter-the first pope-to Pope John Paul the Great (already a saint), Pope Benedict XVI (a master theologian), and the controversies surrounding Pope Francis.
It is a sweeping drama of Roman legions, great crusades, epic battles, toppled empires, heroic saints, and enduring faith, as well as Dark Age skullduggery, the Inquisition, the Renaissance popes, and the Protestant Revolt.
A classic for twenty years — now updated and expanded — Triumph is a brawling, colorful history full of inspiring pageantry and spirited polemic that will exhilarate, amuse, and infuriate as it extols the power and the glory the Catholic Church and the gripping stories of some of its greatest men and women.
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Church In An Age Of Secular Mysticisms
$28.99Add to cartPost-Christian life and society do not eliminate a desire for the transcendent; rather, they create an environment for new and divergent spiritual communities and practices to flourish. We are flooded with spiritualities that appeal to human desires for nonreligious personal transformation. But many fail to deliver because they fall into the trap of the self.
In the last book of the Ministry in a Secular Age series, leading practical theologian Andrew Root shows the differences between these spiritualities and authentic Christian transformation. He explores the dangers of following or adapting these reigning mysticisms and explains why the self has become so important yet so burdened with guilt–and how we should think about both. To help us understand our confusing cultural landscape, he maps spiritualities using twenty of the best memoirs from 2015 to 2020 in which “secular mystics” promote their mystical and transformational pathways. Root concludes with a more excellent way–even a mysticism–centered on the theology of the cross that pastors and leaders can use to form their own imaginations and practices.
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Great Dechurching : Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, And What Will It Tak
$29.99Add to cartWe are currently experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in US history. It is greater than the First and Second Great Awakening and every revival in our country combined but in the opposite direction. Yet precious little rigorous study has been done on the broad phenomenon of dechurching in America. Jim Davis and Michael Graham have commissioned the largest and most comprehensive study of dechurching in America by renowned sociologists Dr. Ryan Burge and Dr. Paul Djupe. The Great Dechurching takes the insights gleaned from this study to drill down on how exactly people are dechurching with respect to beliefs, behavior, and belonging.The Great Dechurching gives the church in America its first ever deep dive into the dechurched phenomenon. Readers will learn about the dechurched through a detailed sketch of demographics, size, core concerns, church off-ramps, historical roots, and the gravity of what is at stake. Then they will explore what can be done to slow the bleed, engage the pertinent issues winsomely and wisely, and hopefully re-church some of the dechurched.
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Churches Cultures And Leadership Second Edition
$30.00Add to cartWe live in a culturally diverse society.
As the church continues to heed Christ’s call to reflect the multiethnic character of his people, pastors and lay leaders need to gain skills and competencies to serve in multicultural contexts, both inside and beyond their congregations. With this book, Mark Lau Branson and Juan F. Martinez equip leaders to create environments that make God’s reconciling initiatives apparent in church life and in missional engagement with their neighborhoods and cities.
Drawing on courses they’ve taught at Fuller Theological Seminary, Branson and Martinez take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates biblical and theological study with sociology, cultural anthropology, leadership studies, and communications. The result is a rich blend of astute analysis and guidance for the practical implementation of a deeper intercultural life for the church.
Case studies, Bible studies, and exercises for personal and group reflection address real-life challenges and opportunities that arise in multiethnic contexts. Churches, Cultures, and Leadership offers not a static model but a praxis of paying attention, study, and discernment that can lead to genuine reconciliation and shared life empowered by the gospel.
This new edition is updated throughout to address current trends and sources, particularly emphasizing the continuing power of racism and how churches should respond.
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Faithful Disobedience : Writings On Church And State From A Chinese House C
$28.00Add to cartThroughout China’s rapidly growing cities, a new wave of unregistered house churches is growing. They are developing rich theological perspectives that are both uniquely Chinese and rooted in the historical doctrines of the faith. To understand how they have endured despite government pressure and cultural marginalization, we must understand both their history and their theology.
In this volume, key writings from the house church have been compiled, translated, and made accessible to English speakers. Featured here is a manifesto by well-known pastor Wang Yi and his church, Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, to clarify their theological stance on the house church and its relationship to the Chinese government. There are also works by prominent voices such as Jin Tianming, Jin Mingri, and Sun Yi. The editors have provided introductions, notes, and a glossary to give context to each selection.
These writings are an important body of theology historically and spiritually. Though defined by a specific set of circumstances, they have universal applications in a world where the relationship between church and state is more complicated than ever. This unique resource will be valuable to practical and political theologians as well as readers interested in international relations, political philosophy, history, and intercultural studies.
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Bully Pulpit : Confronting The Problem Of Spiritual Abuse In The Church
$25.99Add to cartWhat if churches have been looking for the wrong kind of leaders?
The last decade has witnessed a rising number of churches wrecked by spiritual abuse–harsh, heavy-handed, domineering behavior from those in a position of spiritual authority. And high-profile cases are only a small portion of this widespread problem. Behind the scenes, there are many more cases of spiritual abuse that we will never hear about. Victims suffer in silence, not knowing where to turn.
It seems that some of the leaders we are producing–and, if we are honest, some of the leaders we are wanting–have characteristics that are either absent from, or even the very opposite of, the list of leadership characteristics laid down in Scripture.
Of course, most pastors and leaders are godly, wonderful people that don’t abuse their sheep. They shepherd their flocks gently and patiently. But we can’t ignore the growing number who do not.We need gentle shepherds now more than ever, and in Bully Pulpit, seminary president and biblical scholar Michael J. Kruger offers a unique perspective for both church leaders and church members on the problem of spiritual abuse, how to spot it, and how to handle it in the church.
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Uncommon Unity : Wisdom For The Church In An Age Of Division
$29.99Add to cartOur world is facing increasing hostilities. Political and cultural differences rage, even among people who otherwise show goodwill. And the church is no stranger to extreme polarization, theological backbiting, and political squabbling. Jesus’s prayer in John 17–that the church be one as he and the Father are one–seems increasingly unattainable.
But what if Scripture actually provides the key for thinking about unity in diversity?
In Uncommon Unity: Wisdom for the Church in an Age of Division, Richard Lints explores the nature of diversity and how Christians can think more clearly about unity in an increasingly polarized age. Drawing on theological, historical, and sociological resources, Lints exposes problems with the inclusion narrative of democracy and shows a better way forward for fostering unity in the midst of extreme diversity. If we are to think rightly about diversity, wisdom is required for the church in our late modern world. Through wisdom, Christians can display real unity in diversity and bear witness of the God who made them for himself as diverse members of his one body.
Readers of Uncommon Unity will be heartened that Scripture and Christian tradition provide an antidote to division.
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Church After Innovation
$27.99Add to cartChurches and their leaders have innovation fever. Innovation seems exciting–a way to enliven tired institutions, embrace creativity, and be proactive–and is a superstar of the business world. But this focus on innovation may be caused by an obsession with contemporary relevance, creativity, and entrepreneurship that inflates the self, lacks theological depth, and promises burnout.
In this follow-up to Churches and the Crisis of Decline, leading practical theologian Andrew Root delves into the problems of innovation. He explores where innovation and entrepreneurship came from, shows how they break into church circles, and counters the “new imaginations” like neoliberalism and technology that hold the church captive to modernity. Root reveals the moral visions of the self that innovation and entrepreneurship deliver–they are dependent on workers (and consumers) being obsessed with their selves, which leads to significant faith-formation issues. This focus on innovation also causes us to think we need to be singularly unique instead of made alive in Christ. Root offers a return to mysticism and the poetry of Meister Eckhart as a healthier spiritual alternative.
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Old Testament Law For The Life Of The Church
$40.00Add to cartFrom the early days of the church to the present, the Old Testament Law has been a subject of much confusion, debate, and outright theological division. And with good reason: the way Christians understand the Law has massive implications for their individual lives and for the life of the church. To sort through the numerous interpretations and approaches to this thorny issue, we need to start with a solid knowledge of the Law itself.
Richard Averbeck provides a comprehensive, accessible discussion of how the Law fits into the arc of the Bible and its relevance to the church today. Beginning with the way God intended the Law to work in its original historical and cultural context, he then explores the New Testament perspective on the Law. Averbeck identifies three biblical theological theses: the Law is good, the Law is weak, and the Law is a unified whole. Rejecting common partitions between categories of law, he makes the case that the whole Law applies to the Christian. Our task is to discern how it applies in the light of Christ.
The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church invites readers to consider how all of Scripture is illuminating and useful for God’s people. The church, as the new temple, has much to learn from the Law and about what it means for our doctrine and practice.
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Reorganized Religion : The Reshaping Of The American Church And Why It Matt
$27.00Add to cartUncover the ways the Christian church has changed in recent years–from the decline of the mainline denominations to the mega-churchification of American culture to the rise of the Nones and Exvaneglicals–and a hopeful reimagining of what the church might look like going forward.
The United States is in the middle of an unprecedented spiritual, technological, demographic, political and social transformation– moving from an older, mostly white, mostly Protestant, religion-friendly society to a younger diverse, multiethnic, pluralistic culture, where no one faith group will have the advantage. At the same time, millions of Americans are abandoning organized religion altogether in favor of disorganized disbelief.
Reorganized Religion is an in-depth and critical look at why people are leaving American churches and what we lose as a society as it continues. But it also accepts the dismantling of what has come before and try to help readers reinvent the path forward. This book looks at the future of organized religion in America and outline the options facing churches and other faith groups. Will they retreat? Will they become irrelevant? Or will they find a new path forward?
Written by veteran religion reporter Bob Smietana, Reorganized Religion is a journalistic look at the state of the American church and its future. It draws on polling data, interviews with experts, and reporting on how faith communities old and new are coping with the changing religious landscape, along with personal stories about how faith is lived in everyday life. It also profiles faith communities and leaders who are finding interesting ways to reimagine what church might look like in the future and discuss various ways we can reinvent this organization so it survives and thrives. The book also reflects the hope that perhaps people of faith can learn to become, if not friends with the larger culture, then at least better neighbors.
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Letters To Early Churches
$27.99Add to cartSee how the earliest Christians lived out their story.
As Christianity grew, Christians sought to support unity, communication, pastoral care, and teaching through letter writing. Some books, like 2 John, largely follow predictable letter writing patterns. Others like the Book of Revelation or Hebrews draw on other written genres. But in each case, authors wrote in response to the specific concerns and needs of their first-century audience. Volume 5 of the Transforming Word Series offers probing insight into the first century and its world, showing how you can apply this important portion of God’s Word to your daily life.
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Jesus And The Church
$27.99Add to cartThe life and work of Jesus Christ must not be overlooked.
Born under Roman occupation, Jesus lived his entire life without writing anything down. His earliest followers, the Christians that were shaped by his life and teachings, carefully recorded his words as good news. They also experienced his resurrection and believed that he had entrusted them with a mission to transform the world.
Use Volume 4 of the Transforming Word Series to explore the first five books of the New Testament. Guided by the best of recent scholarship, you can better understand Jesus’s teachings, his call to discipleship, and the nature of the early church.
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Spiritual Formation For The Global Church
$28.00Add to cartThe church is called to grow in Christ. Yet too often, it ignores the practical dimensions of the faith. The church is one in Christ. Yet too often, it is divided by national, denominational, theological, and racial or ethnic boundaries. The church is a global body of believers. Yet too often, it privileges a few voices and fails to recognize its own diversity. In response, this volume offers a multi-denominational, multi-ethnic vision in which biblical scholars, theologians, and practitioners from around the world join together to pursue a cohesive yet diverse theology and praxis of spiritual formation for the global church. Be fed in your faith by brothers and sisters from around the world.
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Church History In Plain Language
$39.99Add to cartOver 330,000 copies sold. This is the story of the church for today’s readers.
Bruce Shelley’s classic history of the church brings the story of global Christianity into the twenty-first century. Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley begins each chapter with three elements: characters, setting, plot. Taking readers from the early centuries of the church up through the modern era he tells his readers a story of actual people, in a particular situation, taking action or being acted upon, provides a window into the circumstances and historical context, and from there develops the story of a major period or theme of Christian history. Covering recent events, this book also:
*Details the rapid growth of evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity in the southern hemisphere*Addresses the decline in traditional mainline denominations
*Examines the influence of technology on the spread of the gospel
*Discusses how Christianity intersects with other religions in countries all over the world
For this fifth edition, Marshall Shelley brought together a team of historians, historical theologians, and editors to revise and update this father’s classic text. The new edition adds important stories of the development of Christianity in Asia, India, and Africa, both in the early church as well as in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It also highlights the stories of women and non-Europeans who significantly influenced the development of Christianity but whose contributions are often overlooked in previous overviews of church history.
This concise book provides an easy-to-read guide to church history with intellectual substance. The new edition of Church History in Plain Language promises to set a new standard for readable church history.
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Letters For The Church
$30.00Add to cartThe Catholic Epistles often get short shrift. Tucked into a few pages near the back of our Bibles, these books are sometimes referred to as the “non-Pauline epistles” or “concluding letters,” maybe getting lumped together with Hebrews and Revelation. Yet these letters, Darian Lockett argues, are treasures hidden in plain sight, and it’s time to give them the attention they deserve. In Letters for the Church, Lockett reveals how the Catholic Epistles provide a unique window into early Christian theology and practice. Based on evidence from the early church, he contends that the seven letters of James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude were accepted into the canon as a collection and should be read together. Here Lockett introduces the context and content of the Catholic Epistles while emphasizing how all seven letters are connected. Each chapter outlines the author, audience, and genre of one of the epistles, traces its flow of thought, and explores shared themes with the other Catholic Epistles. The early church valued the Catholic Epistles for multiple reasons: they defend orthodox faith and morals against the challenges of heretics, make clear that Christianity combines belief with action, and round out the New Testament witness to Christian faith and life. By introducing the coherent vision of these seven epistles, Letters for the Church helps us rediscover these riches.
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Affirming : A Memoir Of Faith, Sexuality, And Staying In The Church
$27.99Add to cartWhat is it like to discover that something you’ve believed all your life might be wrong?
Sally Gary knew since her early adulthood that she was attracted to women. But as a devoted Christian, she felt there was no way to fully embrace this aspect of her identity while remaining faithful. Now, as she prepares to marry the love of her life, she’s ready to speak out about why-and how-her perspective changed.
In this deeply personal memoir, Sally traces the experiences, conversations, and scriptural reading that culminated in her seeing her sexuality as something that made sense within the context of her faith-not outside of it or in opposition to it. Along the way, she addresses specific aspects of her journey that will resonate with many other gay Christians: the loneliness and isolation of her previously celibate life, the futile attempts she made to resist or even “change” her sexual orientation, and the fear of intimacy that followed a lifetime of believing same-sex relationships were sinful.
Sally’s story-one of heritage, learning, courage, and love-is written especially for the generations of LGBTQ Christians after her who are questioning whether they can stay part of the church they call home. It’s a resounding reminder that, just like Sally’s own heart, things can change, and sometimes, when we earnestly search for the truth, we find it in the most unexpected places.
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Reading Scriputre As The Church
$40.00Add to cartThe Bible is meant to be read in the church, by the church, as the church. Although the practice of reading Scripture has often become separated from its ecclesial context, theologian Derek Taylor argues that it rightly belongs to the disciplines of the community of faith. He finds a leading example of this approach in the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who regarded the reading of Scripture as an inherently communal exercise of discipleship. In conversation with other theologians, including John Webster, Robert Jenson, and Stanley Hauerwas, Taylor contends that Bonhoeffer’s approach to Scripture can engender the practices and habits of a faithful hermeneutical community. Today, as in Bonhoeffer’s time, the church is called to take up and read.
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History Of The Early Church
$34.95Add to cartThe History of the Early Church is an attempt to get behind the popular myths which have dominated church life for nearly 2000 years by bringing together accounts from the New Testament and a few other works which describe the same incidents from different perspectives and often distort the narrative for security reasons. He points out the anomalies and comments on speculations which now seem to have a sounder base than most theologians would acknowledge. The result will disappoint many fundamentalists who have used the most tortuous arguments to support their version of events. However the essential message which emerges is that God is Love.
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Brown Church : Five Centuries Of Latina/O Social Justice, Theology, And Ide
$30.00Add to cartInterest in and awareness of the demand for social justice as an outworking of the Christian faith is growing. But it is not new.
For five hundred years, the Latina/o culture and identity has been shaped by its challenges to the religious, socio-economic, and political status quo, whether in its opposition to Spanish colonialism, Latin American dictatorships, US imperialism in Central America, the oppression of farmworkers, or the current exploitation of undocumented immigrants. Christianity has played a significant role in that movement at every stage. Robert Chao Romero, the son of a Mexican father and a Chinese immigrant mother, explores the history and theology of what he terms the “Brown Church.” Romero considers how this movement has responded to these and other injustices throughout its history by appealing to the belief that God’s vision for redemption includes not only heavenly promises but also the transformation of every aspect of our lives and the world. Walking through this history of activism and faith, readers will discover that Latina/o Christians have a heart after God’s own.
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Prophetic Public Church
$29.95Add to cartGlobalization is uniting the world more closely than ever before while at the same time increasing the likelihood of division and conflict. Humanity faces problems of an unprecedented scope: vast inequality, climate change threatening the conditions of life on this planet, and a great population migration that includes human trafficking and desperate refugees.
What does this global plight demand of a church called to be a sign and instrument of the union of all in God? In this book, Mary Doak shows how the church must rectify its own historic failures to embody the unity-in-diversity it proclaims, especially with regard to women and Jews. Only then, and through responding to the demands of the current global crises, can we learn what it means to be the church–that is, to be a prophetic witness and public agent of the harmony that God desires and the world deeply needs.
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Public Missiology : How Local Churches Witness To A Complex World
$28.00Add to cartHow can Christians witness to the complexity of our world? Gregg Okesson shows that local congregations are the primary means of public witness in and for the world. As Christians move back and forth between their churches and their neighborhoods, workplaces, and other public spaces, they weave a thick gospel witness. This introduction to public missiology explains how local congregations can thicken their witness in the public realms where they live, work, and play. Real-life examples from around the world help readers envision approaches to public witness and social change.
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Seeking Church : Emerging Witnesses To The Kingdom
$32.00Add to cartNew expressions of church that are proliferating among Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other non-Christian religious communities, including so-called “insider” movements, have raised intense discussion in missiological circles.
In Seeking Church, Darren Duerksen and William Dyrness address these issues by exploring how all Christian movements have been and are engaged in a “reverse hermeneutic,” where the gospel is read and interpreted through existing cultural and religious norms. Duerksen and Dyrness draw on the growing social-scientific work on emergent theory–the concept that social communities arise over time in ways that reflect specific historical and cultural dynamics. This is a missiological process, they argue, in which God has always worked through people and their culture to shape his witness in the world. They illustrate emergent theory through historical and contemporary case studies and consider the church’s contextualized nature by exploring biblical models of the church, worship practices as emergent, and ecclesial markers that identify emerging churches and their distinctive witness. For missiologists, theologians, practitioners, and all who ponder the challenge and opportunities of mission among other religious communities, Seeking Church offers a multidisciplinary conceptual framework with which to understand the global diversity of the body of Christ. The Spirit is constantly drawing people toward God’s community, causing new expressions of church to emerge and thus displaying new facets of his work and character.
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Why Church : A Basic Introduction
$28.00Add to cartIs a church just something we create to serve our purposes or to maintain old traditions? Or is the church something more vital, more meaningful, and more powerful?
This can be hard to believe when we look at what happens in any one congregation or denomination. Certainly not all churches act like Jesus in the world, and in fact many churches in the West are dying. When it’s so easy to be confused, frustrated, or simply apathetic about the church, how should we understand its purpose today? In this appealing introduction to the nature of the local church, set in the context of Christian history and global diversity, historian and missionary Scott Sunquist brings us a portrait of the church in motion. Why Church? clarifies the two primary purposes of the church: worship and witness. Sunquist unpacks what the church is–and ought to be–using five movements of worship:
*come together
*stand to praise God
*kneel to confess
*sit to listen to the Word of God
*go out into the worldPacked with stories and insights from experiences in churches around the world, this book explores issues such as cultural contextualization, the meaning of conversion, worship in both personal and communal aspects, and how mission should combine telling the good news with being good news as a community. This primer on “what is church?” comes from Fuller Theological Seminary’s renowned church-planting program and is well suited to church leaders and their core teams to read together and share with new attenders as they catch the spirit of the dynamic gathering that is the local church.
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Bridgebuilding : Making Peace With Conflict In The Church
$27.00Add to cartThere is a prevailing culture of ‘niceness’ within churches which can lead to conflict avoidance, suppression and denial. Consequently, ministers and church leaders often struggle to handle tensions, difference and competing demands within their congregations.
Drawing on practical theology, conflict theory, family systems theory and experience, Bridgebuilding will help church ministers and church members find more fruitful ways of engaging with tensions and conflicts in the life of the Church. It offers numerous practical tools for transforming conflict into opportunities for personal and corporate growth.
It complements the ‘Growing Bridgebuilders’ training course developed by Bridge Builders with CPAS.
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Church Of God In Jesus Christ
$34.95Add to cartThe Church of God in Jesus Christ consists of three parts: the first provides a concise historical survey of ecclesiology elucidating the most salient teachings and insights from the Old and New Testaments, the writings of the fathers, the medievals, moderns, up to the present day. It integrates a standard historical overview with a recovery of oft ignored or forgotten insights from the tradition (e.g., beginnings of the Church in prehistoric times and in Israel, Irenaeus’s Trinitarian ecclesiology and St. Bernard’s nuptial vison of the Church.
The second part is a systematic ecclesiology ordered around the four marks of the Church, then proceeding to treat the participation of all the faithful in the threefold office of Christ, the ongoing renewal and reform of the Church by the Holy Spirit working through her members, and finishing with a hitherto neglected study of the eschatological consummation of the Church in heavenly glory.
The third part consists of five essays on particular themes of special importance in ecclesiology. Of the five, most notable is the chapter on the relationship between the Church’s infallibility and Mary.
Fr. Roch Kereszty intends to integrate theological insights with nourishing the reader’s spiritual life by emphasizing the essentially Trinitarian, nuptial and Marian dimensions of the Church.
The book fills a genuine need in that it offers a rich synthesis of the ecclesiological renewal in an accessible and clear language. It will enrich not only students of theology but all those college educated adults who are interested to delve beyond the cliches of the media into the contemplation of the manifold mystery of the Church.
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Curating Church : Strategies For Innovative Worship
$31.99Add to cartIf we are willing to shift our approach to church, we will better connect with increasingly heterogeneous cultures. This shifting requires curation. Church leaders must learn to be curators! Churches in modernity were set up to facilitate a particular kind of experience with God. Church was its own (protected) culture. In the wake of postmodernity, facilitated by new forms of (digital) communication, we are entering a new epoch in the history of the church. Curators manage the tasks of connection, preservation, and transformation, in their care for cultural artifacts and communities. When someone serves as a curator, they make connections between different elements in the culture, preserving the best of cultural traditions, and promoting fresh ways of thinking and being in the world. What might this work of curation mean for us? In Curating Church, readers learn how curation can reorient and sharpen the ways and work of the church. Curation can inform how we connect with cultures beyond the church, preserve what is best in the rich history of Christian thought and expression, and nurture spaces where contemporary persons may be transformed by the gospel. This book helps readers to understand with new richness the church and the world, and it equips them to become active in making those connections-as curators-with and for others.
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Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered
$30.00Add to cartBuilding from a behind-the-scenes case study of Kenya’s Nairobi Chapel and its “daughter” Mavuno Church, Wanjiru M. Gitau expands their story into a narrative that offers analysis of the rise, growth, and place of megachurches worldwide in the new millennium. In contexts experienced as deeply volatile, and in Africa reeling from the structural incoherence imposed by colonial times, megachurches provide a map of reality to navigate by, with the gospel as their primary compass. Gitau shows that recognizing the psychological, spiritual, and social destabilization of modernizing societies is the first step to valuing the place of megachurches in contemporary Christianity.
Through analysis of social demography, theology, philosophy of ministry, leadership development, and strategy, Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered makes integral sense of the historical and social forces that give megachurches their growth opportunity in ministry, and reclaims them as a subject of serious theological conversation.
This lively, engaging account centers on the role of millennials in responding to the need for “a home for new generations” amid the dislocating transitions of globalization and postmodernity in postcolonial Africa and around the world. Gitau gleans practical wisdom for postdenominational churches everywhere (mega- and otherwise) from the lessons learned in Kenya’s remarkable urban, evangelical renewal movement.
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Pipeline : Engaging The Church In Missionary Mobilization
$25.99Add to cartWhat would it look like if your church really took the last words of Jesus seriously? The Great Commission was not just a suggestion by our Lord, but an imperative mandate given to his followers. Missionary sending agencies are deploying workers to the field, but many of them come from disengaged churches that are not producing well-equipped disciples. We need a fully integrated global supply chain-a pipeline-that has disciples as the precious commodity, as well as an effective infrastructure to distribute and replicate them around the globe. Pipeline seeks to re-engage the church in mobilizing the next generation of workers for the harvest. This is a collaboration of forty different authors from churches, agencies, and cross-cultural servants. As people in distant places wait for a messenger of hope and salvation, will your church venture into the pipeline?
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Covenantal Priesthood : A Narrative Of Community For Baptist Churches
$39.99Add to cartThis work in practical theology begins with an exploration of the psychosocial issues at play in Australian Baptist churches as communities. Many of those who attend such churches, and those like them in Britain and North America, often find a warm sense of welcome and belonging. What follows builds on this positive subjective experience through the lens of Christian community framed by the rich scriptural narrative of covenantal priesthood. Such corporate priesthood, as demonstrated by our early Baptist forebears, comes to joint expression in worship and sharing God’s blessing with his world, and affirms the mutual priestly service of covenanted church community.
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Thinking With The Church
$48.00Add to cartOver the centuries, Baptists have labored to follow Christ in faithful devotion and service. More recently, they have occasionally partnered with fellow Christians from other traditions in these efforts while learning from each other along the way. In Thinking With the Church, Derek Hatch argues that Baptists need to follow the same pattern when it comes to their theological reflection, engaging the wisdom of all Christian pilgrims across time. This will require a new theological method–ressourcement–that embraces Baptists’ place within the Great Tradition of the Christian faith. Such work will not abandon long-held Baptist convictions but offers resources for renewing Baptists’ theological vision as they participate in the fullness of the mystical body of Christ.
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Living Wisely With The Church Fathers
$28.00Add to cartIntroduction: Living Wisely With The Church Fathers
Abbreviations
1. “They Looked Like Flaming Angels”: Martyrdom
2. “A Solid Drop Of Gold”: Wealth And Poverty
3. “The Misery Of These Evils”: War And Military Service
4. “The Closest Of Relationships”: Sex And The Dynamics Of Desire
5. “One Hope, One Desire, One Way Of Life”: Life As Male And Female, And The Goodness And Beauty Of Marriage
6. “From The Cradle To The Grave”: Life And Death
7. “Let The Races Begin!”: Entertainment
8. Learning To Live A Good Life With God: The Well-Ordered Heart
Notes
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
In this final in a four-volume series on the church fathers, Christopher Hall follows the contours of ethical living in conversation with leading voices of the early church. The topics range from entertainment to wealth and poverty. Exploring these ancient and deeply Christian perspectives illuminates forgotten corners in our own lives. -
Forbearance : A Theological Ethic For A Disagreeable Church
$28.99Add to cartOffers a faithful, constructive way to deal with dissent
What happens when we approach disagreement not as a problem to solve but as an opportunity to practice Christian virtue?
In this book James Calvin Davis reclaims the biblical concept of forbearance to develop a theological ethic for faithful disagreement. Pointing to Ephesians and Colossians, in which Paul challenged his readers to “bear with each other” in spite of differences, Davis draws out a theologically grounded practice in which Christians work hard to maintain unity while still taking seriously matters on which they disagree.
The practice of forbearance, Davis argues, offers Christians a dignified, graceful, and constructive way to deal with conflict. Forbearance can also strengthen the church’s public witness, offering an antidote to the pervasive divisiveness present in contemporary culture.
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Contemporary Art And The Church
$30.00Add to cartThe church and the contemporary art world often find themselves in an uneasy relationship in which misunderstanding and mistrust abound. On one hand, the leaders of local congregations, seminaries, and other Christian ministries often don’t know what to make of works by contemporary artists. Not only are these artists mostly unknown to church leaders, they and their work often lead them to regard the world of contemporary art with indifference, frustration, or even disdain. On the other hand, many artists lack any meaningful experience with the contemporary church and are mostly ignorant of its mission. Not infrequently, these artists regard religion as irrelevant to their work, are disinclined to trust the church and its leaders, and have experienced personal rejection from these communities. In response to this situation, the 2015 biennial conference of Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA) facilitated a conversation between these two worlds. The present volume gathers together essays and reflections by artists, theologians, and church leaders as they sought to explore misperceptions, create a hospitable space to learn from each other, and imagine the possibility of a renewed and mutually fruitful relationship. Contemporary Art and the Church seeks common ground for the common good of both the church and the contemporary art world.
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Megachurch Accountability In Missions
$27.99Add to cartMegachurches are of relatively recent vintage. Their numerical strength invests them with social and financial power. To whom, if anyone, however, are megachurches accountable? What role do they play as innovators in missions? How have their enormous influence and financial strength been harnessed? What lessons can be learned? What course corrections ought to be made? Over the course of a week, the third meeting of the Korean Global Mission Leadership Forum (KGMLF), held in Korea in 2015, addressed these and related questions. Combining the insights of a rich mix of Korean and international megachurch leaders and scholars, Megachurch Accountability in Missions: Korean and Global Case Studies offers analysis, critique, and positive recommendations for future megachurch engagement in mission. This book is the third volume in KGMLF’s Accountability in Missions series.
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On The Church
$49.99Add to cartDutch politician and Christian activist Abraham Kuyper was deeply invested in debates over the influence Christianity should have on his nation. As a pastor and theologian, he was just as concerned about the ailing Dutch church. In On the Church, the Acton Institute and the Abraham Kuyper Translation Society have partnered with Lexham Press to publish seven brand-new translations of Kuyper’s most influential essays and speeches on the relationship between Christianity and the world.
Kuyper believed that Christians must neither hide from the world behind the walls of physical church buildings nor engage the world solely through earthly institutions. The closing essay by Ad de Bruijne discusses how Kuyper’s incisive view of the church still can–and must–apply today, just as it did at the turn of the 20th century.
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Church As Movement
$30.00Add to cartForeword
Introduction
Prologue
Part I: Distributing
1. Movement Mentality
2. Polycentric LeadershipPart II: Discipleship
3. Being Disciples
4. Making DisciplesPart III: Designing
5. Missional Theology
6. Ecclesial ArchitecturePart IV: Doing
7. Community Formation
8. Incarnational PracticeEpilogue
Additional Info
A training resource to help readers plant missional-incarnational churches, written by leading thinkers and practitioners in the area of church planting and missional living. This book is a thorough, comprehensive manual to help those on the long and challenging journey of church planting to survive and thrive. -
Shared Mercy : Karl Barth On Forgiveness And The Church
$44.00Add to cartIn A Shared Mercy, Jon Coutts explores Karl Barth’s theology of forgiveness and reconciliation in the final volume of the Church Dogmatics. Combining systematic and pastoral theology, Coutts shows the significance of Barth’s writings for the life of the church today.
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Being Human Being Church
$49.99Add to cartOur conception of human personhood deeply impacts our understanding and practice of community and church. In this rigorous work Franklin argues that ecclesiology needs to be informed and shaped by a robust theological anthropology.
About the author: Patrick S. Franklin is Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics at Providence Theological Seminary in Manitoba, Canada. He also serves as the Editor of the theological journal Didaskalia and as the Coordinating Book Review Editor of Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith (the journal of the American Scientific Affiliation and Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation). -
Church In Mission
$26.99Add to cartThe WEA Mission Commission and William Carey Library are pleased to introduce the new volume of the “Globalization of Mission” series, The Church in Mission: Foundations and Global Case Studies. Edited by Dr. Bertil Ekstrom, Executive Director of the WEA MC, the book is the most recent distillation of Evangelical and globally-grounded studies on the local church-people of God. Dr. Ekstrom has led an MC global missiology task force team of reflective practitioners through a 3-year process working in community to present this singular publication gift to the church on and in mission. Some 31 writers from 19 nations have contributed to this resource, demonstrating yet again the Mission Commission’s commitment to listen to the global voice and provide a publishing platform for those voices to be heard.
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Political Church : The Local Assembly As Embassy Of Christs Rule
$45.00Add to cartPreface
Introduction
1. What Is Politics?
2. What Is An Institution?
3. The Politics Of Creation
4. The Politics Of The Fall
5. The Politics Of The New Covenant
6. The Politics Of The Kingdom
Conclusion
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
The church is political. Theologians have been debating this claim for years. Liberationists, Anabaptists, Augustinians, neo-Calvinists, Radical Orthodox and others continue to discuss the matter. What do we mean by politics and the political? What are the limits of the church’s political reach? What is the nature of the church as an institution? How do we establish these claims theologically? Jonathan Leeman sets out to address these questions in this significant work. Drawing on covenant theology and the “new institutionalism” in political science, Leeman critiques political liberalism and explores how the biblical canon informs an account of the local church as an embassy of Christ’s kingdom. Political Church heralds a new era in political theology. -
Patient Ferment Of The Early Church (Reprinted)
$29.99Add to cartHow and why did the early church grow in the first four hundred years despite disincentives, harassment, and occasional persecution? In this unique historical study, veteran scholar Alan Kreider delivers the fruit of a lifetime of study as he tells the amazing story of the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Challenging traditional understandings, Kreider contends the church grew because the virtue of patience was of central importance in the life and witness of the early Christians. They wrote about patience, not evangelism, and reflected on prayer, catechesis, and worship, yet the church grew–not by specific strategies but by patient ferment.
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Church History : An Introduction To Research Methods And Resources
$32.99Add to cartIn their acclaimed, much-used “Church History,” James Bradley and Richard Muller lay out guidelines, methods, and basic reference tools for research and writing in the fields of church history and historical theology. Over the years, this book has helped countless students define their topics, locate relevant source materials, and write quality papers.
This revised, expanded, and updated second edition includes discussion of Internet-based research, digitized texts, and the electronic forms of research tools. The greatly enlarged bibliography of study aids now includes many significant new resources that have become available since the first edition s publication in 1995. Accessible and clear, this introduction will continue to benefit both students and experienced scholars in the field.” -
Christian Ethics And The Church
$32.00Add to cartThis book introduces Christian ethics from a theological perspective. Philip Turner, widely recognized as a leading expert in the field, explores the intersection of moral theology and ecclesiology, arguing that the focus of Christian ethics should not be personal holiness or social reform but the common life of the church. A theology of moral thought and practice must take its cues from the notion that human beings, upon salvation, are redeemed and called into a life oriented around the community of the church. This book distills a senior scholar’s life work and will be valued by students of Christian ethics, theology, and ecclesiology.
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Paradox Of Church And World
$44.00Add to cart“Ultimately,” or so H. Richard Niebuhr wrote as early as 1929, “the problem of church and world involves us in a paradox; unless the church accommodates itself to the world, it becomes sterile inwardly and outwardly; unless it transcends the world, it becomes indistinguishable from the world and loses its effectiveness no less surely.” In the same context he went on to state: “The rhythm of approach and withdrawal need not be like the swinging of the pendulum, mere repetition without progress; it may be more like the rhythm of the waves that wash upon the beach; each succeeding wave advances a little farther into the world with its cleansing gospel before that gospel becomes sullied with the earth.”
Niebuhr’s thought on the paradox of church and world is an essential piece of our understanding of twentieth-century theology in America. In this volume, Jon Diefenthaler collects for the first time over forty writings that trace the lineage of Niebuhr’s thought, presents them in a single place, and makes a case for their enduring value in a post-church religious environment. The volume is a treasury of little–known and hard-to-find pieces, making scholarship and understanding easier.
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Charts Of Modern And Postmodern Church History
$29.99Add to cartChart of Modern and Postmodern Church History provides a powerful visual tool for understanding the historic foundations on which contemporary Christianity rest. From geography, to theology, to doctrines both orthodox and heretical, to key figures and movements over the last three hundred years, the broad comprehensive scope of modern church history comes across simply, clearly, and with impact.
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Worship Together In Your Church As In Heaven
$25.99Add to cartIf we hope to share the message of Christ with people in this changed world, we must examine and reshape our worship. Our communities and our neighborhoods are becoming increasingly multicultural. Is the same thing true at your church? Is the worship at your church reflective of heaven?
The Bible is clear that one day people from every tribe, language, and nation will gather together to worship Jesus together in heaven. More often than not, however, our worship here on earth is segregated, preferential, one-dimensional, and united around a musical style rather than the person of Jesus Christ. This kind of worship is not only incomplete, but it is dangerous, leading us farther and farther away from the kind of worship that heaven is about. Multicultural worship doesn’t just happen. The church is in need of pastors, worship leaders, and worshipers who, with their hearts fixed on heaven, will not settle for the separate but equal mentality in worship.
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Transitioning Into A Prototype Church
$27.99Add to cartRevival Waves Of Glory Ministries
Bill Vincent is an anointed Prophetic writer that releases powerful fresh revelation in all he does. Bill released first his powerful book BUILDING A PROTOTYPE CHURCH and now Volume 2 TRANSITIONING INTO A PROTOTYPE CHURCH. You will be able to see into God’s heart of a new type of Church coming forth. This book will help anyone whom wants to be more than just an every day Church. God will truly transition your Church as you obtain all the in-depth revelations in this breakthrough book. May the Spirit of God help you as you begin TRANSITIONING INTO A PROTOTYPE CHURCH. -
Rite Place : Kids Do Church Adults Do Too
$27.95Add to cartReady-to-use liturgies with music, for all seasons of the church year
* Offers a practical guide for child-directed, inclusive worship
Grace Episcopal Church, Oak Park, Illinois has become a model for how to
engage all generations in an experiential and fully inclusive Eucharistic liturgy. The
Rite Place is a 30-minute service designed for young children and their households
in response to the congregation’s desire to offer welcoming worship for all ages.
This book has three parts: the theology of intergenerational worship, including
pastoral issues and how a church might get started to implement such a model;
the use of music as an integral piece to worship as formation; and complete
liturgies for Advent/Christmas/Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Maundy Thursday/
Good Friday, Easter, and the Season of Pentecost/Summer that are accessible for
other congregations to use in their own settings.For clergy, Christian educators, musicians, liturgists, Episcopal schools, chaplains,
children’s hospitals, seminaries, and faith formation organizations. -
God Came Near Church Edition 10 Pack (DVD)
$49.95Add to cartIn the midst of the darkness and cold of the winter season, we celebrate the brightest holiday of all, Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Max Lucado presents heartening and devotional insights into a unique Advent experience. Filmed in the beautiful Blockley Church in England, the accomplished pastor and author weaves the biblical account of the first Christmas with common issues we face in our modern lives. Each episode brings you back in time with movie segments of biblical events as Lucado narrates relevant Scripture.
Each disc contains 6 sessions (Great Expectations, 4 weeks of Advent -Hope/Love/Joy/Peace, plus Christmas) and each session is 28 minutes long. A 32 page Discussion Guide in PDF format is on each disc as well. This church pack is a set of 10 discs – great for distribution to all church families and small groups!
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Why Church History Matters
$30.00Add to cartForeword
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part One: How We Understand The Tradition
1. What Is The Tradition?
2. How Have We Understood Tradition Historically?
3. How Do We Understand The Tradition Today?Part Two: Expanding Circles Of Inquiry
4. Who Am I? History And Christian Identity
5. A Great Cloud Of Witnesses: Christian Community Across The Centuries
6. Accountability Partners: Sharing Accountability With Historic Christians
7. Mentors And Friends: Historic Christians Broaden Our Horizons And Fill Gaps In Our UnderstandingPart Three: Tradition Serving The Church
8. Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth: Christian Exegesis Across The Centuries
9. Tradition And Ministry Celebrate The Body Of ChristRecommended Resources For Ministry
Additional Info
Does it matter how Christians in other times and places thought? If the Bible alone is God’s revelation, why spend time studying the history? Aren’t history and tradition more a problem than a solution? For many Christians who believe the Bible is the only ultimate authority for faith and life, questions about the role and value of the church’s traditions can be difficult to tackle. But let’s be honest: even those of us who admit that church history is important are often too intimidated or busy to delve into it deeply. And for students, it’s sometimes difficult to see how church history matters in practical ways for future vocations inside and outside the the contemporary church. In this wide-ranging book, veteran teacher Bob Rea tackles these barriers to understanding and embracing the signifiance of the faith and practice of our spiritual forebears. Rea not only skillfully explains why church history matters — he shows why it should matter to you. -
From The Early Church To The Reformation Student Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$49.00Add to cartOn its release, the seven volume A People’s History of Christianity was lauded for its commitment to raising awareness of the ways in which ordinary Christians have lived throughout more than twenty centuries of Christian History. Now, the essential material from that important project is available for classroom use.
This volume contains careful selections and abridgements of the original content organized to fit ideally into a course in Christian history. It provides a valuable overview on such topics as birth and death, baptism rites, food, power, heresy, and more. Students are both informed and inspired by seeing the importance of ordinary Christians in shaping Christianity across time.
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Liturgical Spirituality : Anglican Reflections On The Churchs Prayer
$29.95Add to cartOf particular interest to scholars and practitioners across the Anglican Communion
with contributions from a wide breadth of scholarsLiturgical Spirituality is a collection of Anglican reflections on the spirituality of the liturgy,
inviting readers into the Church’s patterns of prayer, seasons of the year, and sacramental
action. With contributions from all over the world, from the North Atlantic to Australia,
the collection helps develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary Anglican
spirituality. -
Generous Ecclesiology : Church World And The Kingdom Of God
$35.99Add to cartGenerous Ecclesiology seeks to present a positive theological contribution to Anglican ecclesiology and missiology. It aims to do this by responding to issues raised by For the Parish and mission-shaped church in particular. This is because the editors are aware that the debate generated by these publications risks becoming polarised – with the dangers of either traditional practices/missionary innovation not being taken seriously. The book would respond to a theological need within the church; and open up a generous space for future reflection and practice. It would be rooted in the Anglican tradition and its imaginative response to context.
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Table Manners : Liturgical Leadership For The Mission Of The Church
$35.99Add to cartThere is a growing (if not urgent) need for those being trained for ordained (and lay) ministry to be provided with a more solid grounding in liturgical principles, and Simon Reynolds seeks to address this by demonstrating how good liturgical leadership can be the foundation from which all other theological, historical, pastoral and missiological issues arise.
Table Manners attempts to avoid being a ‘party’ book and will consciously avoid issues of churchmanship (except in pointing to what is positive in the various Christian traditions). Rather, it is written from the conviction that (i) a proper understanding of the Eucharist, and a theologically-informed approach to celebrating it (even if this manifests itself in many different styles), should mean that worshippers can go to churches of an unfamiliar tradition and yet still be caught up in the action, because what is essential and enlarging about good liturgical celebration would be recognisable; and (ii) that the success of presidency also demands the liturgical education of the whole people of God, because until they know what to ask for, their expectations will remain constrained.
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Where Would Jesus Go To Church
$32.95Add to cartGerald Roe was interrupted while lecturing in his church-planting class by a student who asked, “What if Jesus came back right now to live on earth like He did in Bible days? Wouldn’t He go to church the same way He went to the synagogue back then? Which church would He choose? If the true church is all about Jesus, wouldn’t it be a good idea to consider what Jesus would look for in a church and make that part of our church planting methodology?” Where Would Jesus Go to Church? answers those questions. As Dr. Roe makes clear, for the blessings of God to rest upon any congregation, the church must answer two important questions: What is the true church? and What is the church to do? In far too many instances, these questions are being asked in the reverse order, leading to a compromising disconnect between the church’s essential biblical character and its earthly effectiveness. Where Would Jesus Go to Church? sheds needed light and offers practical, biblical answers.
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Early Church And Today 2
$25.99Add to cartThe Early Church and Today is a collection of scholarly articles by an acclaimed specialist in early Christianity written for a broad audience. The topics taken from the New Testament and other early Christian literature are relevant for the church today. The articles are grouped in the following categories: Volume 1, church and ministry; Volume 2, Christian living, biblical interpretation, the restoration motif, religious liberty, and the book of Acts of the Apostles.
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Wounded Visions : Unity Justice And Peace In The World Church After 1968
$27.99Add to cartIn Wounded Visions Jonas Jonson, who was directly involved with the ecumenical movement for forty years, offers an inside look at an ever-changing global Christianity. Reviewing developments in ecumenism from the 1960s to the 21st century, Jonson discusses the decolonization of mission, interreligious relations, “God’s preferential option for the poor,” and unity in diversity. He also maps the global ecumenical landscape and presents “the fourth church” — comprising charismatic, Pentecostal, and evangelical movements of the 20th century.
How did the ecumenical movement respond to the fall of communism, the opening of China, and the globalization of financial markets? Why did so many big churches, caught in the whirlwind of change, retreat from their ecumenical commitments in order to promote and protect their own interests? Jonson addresses these questions and more in this comprehensive review of global Christianity and the ecumenical movement.
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Seeking The Church
$45.00Add to cartSeeking the Church intends to introduce students, teachers and inquirers to key themes and dynamics in being the Church. In a time of significant change and search for new forms of Christian community the book locates such developments within the wider Christian tradition of theological reflection on the doctrine of the Church. The book covers the basic themes in ecclesiology presented in a systematic manner. It draws upon historical examples and engages where appropriate with the Anglican tradition. The intent is to cover the key areas without pretending to be exhaustive so that a reader will gain a solid and creative introduction to a major area of theology. Seeking the Church is an ideal introduction for all who want to engage with the churches theological self understanding in the present day and through the ages.
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Early Church And Today 1
$25.99Add to cartThe Early Church and Today is a collection of scholarly articles by an acclaimed specialist in early Christianity written for a broad audience. The topics taken from the New Testament and other early Christian literature are relevant for the church today. The articles are grouped in the following categories: Volume 1, church and ministry; Volume 2, Christian living, biblical interpretation, the restoration motif, religious liberty, and the book of Acts of the Apostles.
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Missional God Missional Church
$33.00Add to cartIntroduction
1. The Greatest Commission
2. Breaking Free … Through Discerning Inculturation
3. Breaking Free … Of The Entrapment Of Indiscriminate Enculturation
4. Greatest Co-mmission: The Missional TrinityPart One: Discovering Shalom
5. Communities Of Christ’s Risen Presence
6. Mission Of Incarnation And Resurrection
7. Communities Of Christ’s Crucified Presence … Beautiful Scars
8. Mission About The Cross, Mission Under The CrossPart Two: Disseminating Shalom …
9. Communities Of The Triune Missional God: Mission The Mother Of Theology, Theology The Mother Of Mission
10. Mission In Participation With The Son By The Spirit: The Spirituality Of Mission As Theosis 11. Communities Of The Spirit: Gathered And Scattered
12. Communities Of Forgiveness: Mission Of Absolution And FreedomAdditional Info
Pastor, teacher and theologian Ross Hastings addresses the fear and frustration that often accompany talk about the churchs missional vocation. There is an antidote to the “locked door” syndrome that affects us now as it did that band of apostles in the upper room. Hastings directs us to the foundation of hope in the trinitarian commission of John 20 where Jesus grants them his peace by breathing on them his Spirit. He formed them into his community of shalom. Leaving that place of isolation, these “sent ones” went out to participate in Gods own ongoing mission to the world. Hastings tackles the dual challenges of isolation from and accommodation to the surrounding culture. In doing so he opens up a theological vista on the missional character of our trinitarian God and the missional identity of his church. Building on the works of David Bosch, Lesslie Newbigin, Christopher Wright and Darrell Guder, the author corrects numerous dichotomies that hinder the church. In the power of the Spirit the gathered church is spiritually transformed and also scattered as it proclaims Gods forgiveness and freedom Hastings presents here a comprehensive theology of mission. In doing so he confronts the fears and pessimism that erode our faithful effort to join in Christs mission to the world. -
Early Church On Killing
$31.00Add to cartWhat did the early church believe about killing? What was its view on abortion? How did it approach capital punishment and war? Noted theologian and bestselling author Ron Sider lets the testimony of the early church speak in the first of a three-volume series on biblical peacemaking.
This book provides in English translation all extant data directly relevant to the witness of the early church until Constantine on killing. Primarily, it draws data from early church writings, but other evidence, such as archaeological finds and Roman writings, is included.
Sider taps into current evangelical interest in how the early church informs contemporary life while presenting a thorough, comprehensive treatment on topics of perennial concern. The book includes brief introductions to every Christian writer cited and explanatory notes on many specific texts.
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Missional House Churches
$26.00Add to cartMissional House Churches examines the impact and effect that house churches are having in the United States in evangelizing, discipling, and church planting in local communities. Based on the author’s first-hand research and interviews with over thirty missional house churches as well as his own experiences, this insightful work offers an inside look at, and analysis of the workings of the missional house church.
Topics addressed include the recent growth in the popularity of house churches in the United States, what defines church, various characteristics of the house churches, methods of evangelism and leadership development which lead to growth, use of financial resources for missions and benevolence, future of house churches in North America and the relationship of church planting movements and house churches. The appendices describe the research methodology and surveys used in the study as well as characteristics of church planting movements.
This book will be of interest to church leaders, mission-minded thinkers, and students who wish to explore, understand, and participate in this phenomenon of the missional house church movement.
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Fresh : An Introduction To Fresh Expressions Of Church And Pioneer Ministry
$35.99Add to cartFresh ! offers a strong rationale for fresh expressions and pioneer ministries rooted in scripture and in the breath of the Christian tradition. This is tested against the realities of contemporary British culture and critiques of the notion of Fresh Expressions. It offers practical guidance for starting and sustaining such ministries in the long term. It provides a survey of best practice within Fresh Expressions and pioneer ministry.Fresh ! comes out of the mature reflection of church leaders and theologians who have been active in such ministries over a number of years, showing how such ministries are integral to the work of the church both now and over the long term.This is combined with valuable practical advice – the best kind of practical theology.
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Stop The Churchs Revolving Door
$30.99Add to cartDoes your church have a revolving door? Most churches do not have a ministry to establish and maintain authentic personal relationships with inactive members, visitors, or prospective members. Before implementing this ministry, one church failed to stay relationally connected to its members. Is your church suffering from the same dilemma?
This new ministry empowered churches toward improving its church health, increasing service opportunities for laypeople, and establishing stronger personal relationships. It is possible in your church, too! This book provides a guide toward implementing this crucial ministry in your church. It is time to stop your church’s revolving door!
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Vision For The Aging Church
$28.00Add to cartJames M. Houston and Michael Parker believe now is the time for the church to offer ministry to its increasing numbers of seniors and to benefit from ministry they can offer. They issue an urgent call to reconceive the place and part of the elderly in the local congregation, showing that seniors aren’t the problem–they are the solution.
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Your Church In Rhythm
$30.00Add to cartBruce Miller debunks the idea of balance-basically trying to have it all, all the time. Most churches and their pastors try to do everything at once and feel guilty if any one aspect (worship, ministries, outreach, etc.) is neglected. He replaces the exhausting concept of balance with the idea of rhythm: churches, like people, need to give attention to different programs and ministries at different times, basically by attending to their seasons and cycles.
*Offers an innovative new model for church leaders
*Miller has been influential in the formation and promotion of “Church-Based Training” as in international movement
*Offers a proven method for avoiding burnout for church leaders and members by doing the right things at the right timeThe author offers much-need help to overwhelmed leaders and shows them how to apply Miller’s seasonal/cyclical approach to church life.
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Maronites : The Origins Of An Antiochene Church A Historical And Geographic
$29.95Add to cartThe Maronite Church is one of twenty-two Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Pope of Rome. Her patriarch is in Lebanon. Forty-three bishops and approximately five million faithful make up her presence throughout the world.
The story of Maron, a fifth-century hermit-priest, and the community gathered around him, later called the Maronites, tells another fascinating story of the monastic and missionary movements of the Church. Maron’s story takes place in the context of Syrian monasticism, which was a combination of both solitary and communal life, and is a narrative of Christians of the Middle East as they navigated the rough seas of political divisions and ecclesiastical controversies from the fourth to the ninth centuries.
Abbot Paul Naaman, a Maronite scholar and former Superior General of the Order of Lebanese Maronite Monks, wisely places the study of the origins of the Maronite Church squarely in the midst of the history of the Church. His book, The Maronites: The Origins of an Antiochene Church, published during the sixteenth centenary of Maron’s death, offers plausible insights into her formation and early development, grounding the Maronite Church in her Catholic, Antiochian, Syriac, and monastic roots.
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Church Administration And Management
$34.99Add to cart* Achieving excellence in church management * Vital information on proper, ethical conduct for God’s servants * Clear information on achieving the frugal use of resources * A valuable and timely resume of the full-time ministry * Takes you beyond mediocrity in church administration One night while studying in a remove town of Ghana, God miraculously anointed Dag Heward-Mills as he waited upon the Lord. He supernaturally heard the words, “From now on you can teach…” This supernatural call is what has ushered him into a worldwide ministry. Today, his Healing Jesus Crusades are conducted throughout the world with thousands in attendance and many accompanying miracles. These phenomenal miracles, attested to by medical doctors have included the opening of the eyes of the blind, the restoring of hearing to the deaf, the emptying of wheel chairs and even the raising of the dead. Dag Heward-Mills, an author of several bestselling books also founded the Lighthouse Chapel International has become a worldwide denomination. His radio, TV and internet programs reach millions around the world.
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For The Communion Of The Churches
$33.99Add to cartEncourages Christians to work toward greater unity and fellowship
Founded by Abbe Paul Couturier in 1937, the Groupe des Dombes is a Protestant-Catholic coalition in French-speaking Europe uniting Reformed, Lutheran, and Catholic scholars in a common spirit of prayer, dialogue, and discernment; their pioneering work has influenced many other official ecumenical dialogues.
*Brings together an anthology of statements produced by the Group des Dombes from 1971 to 1991, appearing here together in English translation for the first time
*Expresses the Groupe’s keen insights into the renewal of theology and church life necessary for progress toward full ecclesial unity
*Invites churches today to strive for more fruitful dialogue and greater harmony -
New Monasticism As Fresh Expression Of Church
$27.00Add to cartThe combination of Fresh Expressions and the explosion of interest in monastic spirituality is resulting in the emergence of new monastic communities inspired by historic patterns of religious life, but reframed for the contemporary world. This worldwide movement is seen as a radical expression of ecclesial community and was named in Mission Shaped Church as one of the leading new forms of church that would help people reconnect with Christianity. aaA new monastic community may be a dispersed group of families and individuals meeting to share meals and worship, it might be a group connected virtually; it might be a youth group exploring monastic spirituality. In this book, leaders of traditional religious communities and emerging ‘new monastic’ communities tell their stories and reflect on how an ancient expression of being church is inspiring and shaping a very new one.aaIncluded are many well-known contributors: Graham Cray, Tom Sine, Shane Claiborne, Ray Simpson, Abbot Stuart Burns and others exploring intentional liv
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Global Church Planting (Reprinted)
$38.00Add to cartPrologue: The Parable Of The Apple Trees
Part 1: Biblical Foundation
Part 2: Strategic Considerations
Part 3: Development Phases
Part 4: Critical FactorsAdditional Info
With over forty years combined global church-planting experience, Craig Ott and Gene Wilson are well qualified to write a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for cross-cultural church planting. Combining substantive biblical principles and missiological understanding with practical insights, this book walks readers through the various models and development phases of church planting. Advocating methods that lead to church multiplication, the authors emphasize the role of the missionary church planter. They offer helpful reflection on current trends and provide best practices gathered from research and empirical findings around the globe. The book takes up a number of special issues not addressed in most church planting books, such as use of short-term teams, partnerships, and wise use of resources. Full of case studies and real examples from around the world, this practical text will benefit students, church planters, missionaries, and missional church readers. -
Church And Countryside
$35.00Add to cart“While in recent years much attention among theologians has been focused on the city and on what makes a good city, much of (church) life in Britain takes place in the context of rural communities. In the context of their daily work, clergy find themselves confronted with complex ethical, political and social issues. “”Church and Countryside”” maps out a rural theology that addresses some of the concerns faced by Britain’s rural population and those who minister to them. While other books in this field focus on practical (mission-orientated) aspects of ministry in the countryside, Tim Gibson offers a discussion of some of the relevant issues from the point of view of Christian ethics. An accessibly written and thoroughly researched piece of contextual theology that should become core reading for mission and ministry courses in theological colleges and ministry training courses.”
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Proclaiming The Great Ends Of The Church
$28.00Add to cartProminent Presbyterian pastors and leaders address each of the Great Ends of the Church in sermons that both challenge and uplift readers.
For decades the Great Ends of the Church, a historic listing of ways Presbyterians have understood the role of the church, has helped to establish church directions in mission and ministry. The Great Ends of the Church are (1) the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; (2) the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; (3) the maintenance of divine worship; (4) the preservation of the truth; (5) the promotion of social righteousness; and (6) the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.These sermons focus the church’s understandings of its purpose and inspire us to dedicate ourselves to the church’s work in the world. This is a book that every Presbyterian should know and is ideal for study by church groups and sessions.