As the Church adds volumes to this series, you will build a collection of gospel reference books for your home. These books are designed to be used for personal study and as resources for teaching. They can also help you prepare family home evening lessons, prepare other lessons or talks, and answer questions about Church doctrine.This book features the teachings of President Gordon B. Hinckley, who served as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995, to January 27, 2008.

    She teaches us how we can ask for angels to help us and those we love; how our premortal covenants can help us make meaning out of the anguishing experiences of this mortal life; how the covenant of sacrifice and the covenant of service, and even the very words of our covenants, can give us access to power we may have been overlooking.Encouraging us to participate in a 21-day experiment that changed the lives of stressed-out young mothers, Sister Nelson takes us behind the scenes into a most unexpected journey she personally has been on, sharing three truths that now compel her life.

     In this provocative book, theologian and blogger Drew G. I. Hart places police brutality, mass incarceration, antiblack stereotypes, poverty, and everyday acts of racism within the larger framework of white supremacy. Leading readers toward Jesus, Hart offers concrete practices for churches that seek solidarity with the oppressed and are committed to racial justice. What if all Christians listened to the stories of those on the racialized margins? How might the church be changed by the trouble we've seen?

    We either compartmentalize our faith or drift from it altogether—into a world that’s so alluring.Have you wondered lately:Why does the Western church look so much like the world?Why are so many of my friends leaving the faith?How can we get back to our roots?Disappearing Church will help you sort through concerns like these, guiding you in a thoughtful, faithful, and hopeful response. Weaving together art, history, and theology, pastor and cultural observer Mark Sayers reminds us that real growth happens when the church embraces its countercultural witness, not when it blends in.It’s like Jesus said long ago, “If the salt loses its saltiness, it is no longer good for anything…”

    What does it look like to help others become more like Christ?In this concise guide, pastor Mark Dever outlines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of discipling--helping others follow Jesus.Following the pattern found in Scripture, this book explains how disciple-making relationships should function in the context of the local church, teaching us how to cultivate a culture of discipling as a normal part of our everyday lives.Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.

    Advice and encouragement from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    Each day's reading focuses on a specific moment in biblical history, taking you through the events of the Bible in the order they occurred. Readers are guided through the entire Bible in a sequential, unforgettable journey that's easier than ever to make your own.

    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.

    They were basic. And they were—and are—essential. In The Christ-Centered Home, you will discover how to fill your family’s hearts with the principles Jesus taught in the most sacred of classrooms: the home.There is a humility that comes when we invite the Lord into our most private spaces. Within the hush we hear the gentle whisper of His voice, we experience the touch of His hand, and we feel the prompting to rise. Invite Him in, and experience the added measure of peace, strength, courage, and hope that comes when Jesus Christ becomes the central focus of your home.

    John Riccardo helps us dive into the Scriptures so that we can apply them to our daily lives. In his inspiring and incisive way, Fr. Riccardo addresses the obstacles we all face in becoming mature disciples. How do we learn to forgive? How do we combat fear and understand suffering? How do we worship the Lord, love others as Christ loves us, and fully surrender our lives to God? If you've enjoyed Fr. Riccardo's gifts of teaching and preaching through his broadcasts and podcasts, this book is for you!

    For pastors just starting out, those needing a little rebalancing, or those growing tired in the trenches, a short guide to the basics is a welcome relief.In On Pastoring, H. B. Charles gives 30 instructive reflections on the pastor’s heart, leadership, and public ministry, covering topics like:Cultivating personal godlinessPrioritizing your familyGuarding your ministry effectivenessPlanning, preparing, and preaching sermonsBalancing pastoral roles and dutiesBeing a pastor means wearing many hats, weathering lots of pressure, and bearing great responsibility. Let H. B. Charles be a trusted advisor as you do the serious work of shepherding a flock of God.

    They have inherited a model of leadership that equates leading worship with being a rock star. But leading worship is more than a performance, it's about shaping souls and making disciples. Every worship leader is really a pastor.The Worship Pastor is a practical and biblical introduction to this essential pastoral role. Filled with engaging, illustrative stories it is organized to address questions of theory and practice, striving to balance conversational accessibility with informed instruction.Part One presents a series of evocative "vignettes"--intriguing and descriptive titles and metaphors of who a Worship Pastor is and what he or she does. It shows the Worship Pastor as Church-Lover, Disciple Maker, Corporate Mystic, and Doxological Philosopher.Part Two covers specific roles related to ministry within the worship service itself--the Worship Pastor as Theological Dietician, Caregiver, Mortician, Emotional Shepherd, War General, Prophetic Guardian, Missional Historian, and Liturgical Architect.Part Three looks at ministry beyond the worship service--the Worship Pastor as Visionary Teacher, Evangelist, Artist Chaplain, and Team Leader.While some worship leaders are eager to embrace their pastoral role, many are lost and confused or lack the resources of time or money to figure out what this role looks like. Pastor Zac Hicks gives us a clear guide to leading worship, one that takes the pastoral call seriously.

    But as the summer progresses, she discovers that Great-Aunt Rose had learned some things about life that have made her the happiest person Eva has ever known.The story of Eva's discovery is contained in President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's insightful parable originally delivered at the October 2015 general women's session of general conference. With charming full-color illustrations by fine artist Salvador Alvarez (the creator of Joy in the Journey, the pioneer-girl painting referred to by President Uchtdorf), this modern-day parable will teach and uplift women of all ages and life situations.

    It comes with the territory. One generation to the next, imperfect men chip away at God's original design for daddies, leaving a flawed pattern for their sons to follow. Overwhelmed by their failures, it's easy for fathers to feel they have blown it for good and can't redeem themselves.Within these pages, Tim Bayly offers a frank and hope-filled path to overcoming the inherent failures of imperfect fathers--and to reclaiming manhood and dignity for the man called Daddy. Drawing from decades of his own journey as an imperfect son, father, and pastor, Bayly makes it clear there are no quick fixes. The road to recovery is paved with blood, sweat, and tears, but our Savior walked this path before us.Daddy Tried makes no apologies for being a book for men. Its subject is the male-only club of fatherhood. It takes the only perfect Father as our guide. Bayly stares the sins of fathers past, present, and future squarely in the face and clears a path to overcoming them--a path that begins with faith in our heavenly Father who tells us He knows our weaknesses.

    If we return to the Scriptures, we see Jesus offers us a compelling, alternative vision. His heart was that His followers would be a city on a hill and that people would see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven. This was not dependent on the laws on the books, the rulings of the courts, or the leaders in power. His heart was that we would influence culture through redemptive participation, being not just a faithful, but also a fruitful presence. His vision was that the church functions as a Creative Minority in a dominant culture. A Creative Minority seeks not to propose a way to regain cultural dominance, take back our world for God or revisit an unrealistic and nostalgic past. It humbly proposes that if we take on the posture and identity of a Creative Minority, we may rekindle the light in the bushel, and in so doing, cast a hopeful glimmer on the world. A Creative Minority paints a compelling picture of the way the church is called to participate in these challenging and demanding times - seeking neither to control nor abandon the world, but to love it to new life through redemptive participation.

    Madsen was a tireless and articulate advocate of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He was also a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, confidant, and counselor. This intimate biography by his only son, Barnard N. Madsen, tells of the inner life, private choices, and personal struggles that set Truman Madsen on the course of his life's journey. Drawing from Truman's extensive journals, numerous writings, and the papers he chose to preserve for his posterity, this is a candid portrayal of "the man himself...of his decisions and indecisions, sorrows and joys, regrets and aspirations, reverses and accomplishments, and, above all, his constant striving to achieve a balance between his intellectual and spiritual life."

    He points out how the struggles are temporary - whereas the blessings can be eternal.

    Biblical Church Revitalization calls us to an intentional commitment to church revitalization in the face of dying and divided churches.

    But this renewed interest in poverty alleviation is doomed to fail if it is not rooted in the local church--God's established means of drawing downtrodden people into a transformative relationship with himself. Emphasizing the priority of the gospel, Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley, both pastors with fruitful ministries among the poor, offer biblical guidelines and practical strategies for planting, revitalizing, and growing faithful churches in hard places--in our own communities and around the world.

    When those individuals intersected with your world, they became a new kind of leader for you.They were not new in the sense that they had never led anything before or they were radically different from other leaders.But they were new because … their influence gave you a new direction. their belief in you gave you a new sense of worth. they showed up at a new phase of your life, and their faith helped you solidify your faith in a new and authentic way.If someone showed up for you, then the question is, "How will you show up for someone else?"A New Kind of Leader explores seven beliefs and practical applications that will cause you to reimagine how you influence the next generation.Because when you hold the door open for a kid, you hold the door open for the future.For more resources like this, visit OrangeBooks.com.

    When he retired forty years later, it was nearing 20,000.Though Bob's ministry was a clear success, he'd be the first to say it wasn’t perfect. In After 50 Years of Ministry he shares why. He reflects on the best of what he’s learned—sometimes the hard way—about ministry and leadership, like how to:Respond to criticismProtect your marriageStop comparing yourself to other pastorsHandle a staff moral failurePrioritize preaching in your scheduleBuild trust with your eldersMake the best use of downtimeHilarious, warm, and full of great stories and illustrations, After 50 Years of Ministry is sage advice from a faithful servant of God. If you are in leadership of any kind, don’t miss this chance to learn from one of the best.

    In Reclaiming Glory, Clifton draws not only upon his own burden for revitalizing dying churches but also upon years of church rePlanting experience to offer passionate counsel for how to breathe new life into a dying church . . . all for the glory of the God who is building his church upon the immovable rock of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    Maybe you're having a child, or burying a parent. Maybe you've been promoted, or lost a job you loved. Maybe you've moved; maybe you feel stuck. These big changes hit us hard--it's easy to lose our way. It's easy to think that God is leaving us alone in them.The good news is that the God who spoke the world into existence, who lovingly brought into being everything seen and unseen, is speaking into your big change. Drawing from the story of creation in Genesis, Beginnings offers an empowering message of how God works through the transition in our lives. As God orchestrated the ultimate transition when he created everything from nothing, he can handle the overwhelming details in your life. Beginnings is for everyone who faces significant transition--in career, in relationships, in life stage, whether good or bad. By exploring the first chapter in Genesis--day by day, creative act by creative act--Steve Wiens shows us how beginnings work, and how God works through our beginnings.

    But even as her body broke down, her heart never failed, nor did her ability to love. With each precious passing day, more people witnessed her faith and kindness uniting her community and spreading to millions around the world. Now you can experience firsthand this incredible true story of unfailing optimism, real miracles, and Kennedy's inspiring legacy of love.

    In this grounded, practical book, author Derek Olsen uses The Book of Common Prayer for a template to a deeper spiritual life. Olsen explains the purpose and intention of the prayer book with fresh insight, offering practical applications for daily living.

    They represent men and women, African American, Caucasian, Latino, and Asian, urban and suburban, professional types and prostitutes, clergy and addicts, drunks and lawyers and convicts--wounded human beings who have found themselves empty, dying, and longing to be filled.The stories are not only about their own healing and restoration but also about how the love of God heals. Butcher hopes that readers will find before them a path of healing that they feel compelled to embrace. He begins with his own story of emptiness and despair, and his journey to healing, but the ultimate power of his message is that this healing journey is for anyone who is willing to own his or her emptiness and hold one's heart out to God, who is desperately longing to love each person all the way home.

    God has always called people out of their safe, walled cities into uncomfortable places, revealing paths they would never have chosen. Despite our culture of self-indulgence, we too are called to walk an alternative path one of humility, justice, and peace. Walter Brueggemann s thought-provoking reflections for the season of Lent invite us to consider the challenging, beautiful life that comes with walking the way of grace.

    They guide everything that I believe, think, and do. I am loved by God in Jesus. I am sent by God into the world." -from the author So many people are starving for identity and meaning today. Loved and Sent describes how God took extraordinary action to address those two fundamental human needs. The author walks through his own quest for identity and meaning, revisiting core Christian convictions in a narrative style and making sense of why they matter today. As Christians, we often stutter when someone asks, "Who are you? What do you believe? Why does it matter to you?" We get a unique chance to share our heart, and we say too much-or nothing at all. Discover in this thought-provoking book who you are and why you matter, and then you'll have something of greater value to share with someone else.

    It's a clear and compelling call to consider what it means to be the people of God in the midst of a severely broken and battered world." — Matt Chandler, lead pastor, The Village ChurchDoug Logan pastors in Camden, NJ, a city of great need where God is doing great things. Amid drug abuse, gang violence, and extreme poverty, God is using Doug and Epiphany Fellowship to rewrite broken stories and bring life to the block.With teachings from Scripture and powerful stories from his urban context, Doug will help you change the story on your own block, wherever that may be. If you are a pastor trying to mobilize your church, or a Christian trying to live with purpose, this theology of missions will help. It will inspire you to do what matters, take steps of faith, and watch God work. Read On the Block, then go and make a difference.On the Block covers topics like:God’s heart for missionsBarriers to living missionally (especially in the urban context)Biblical reasons for urgencyThe essential nature of gospel engagementKey strategies for the harvest

    For this very end, God has established elders and deacons, members, and congregational authority. This primer on church structure connects the different offices of the church to one another and to the glory of God. In the Church Basics Series, trusted church experts write practical, trustworthy resources on issues like Church Discipline, Church Leadership, the Lord's Supper, and Baptism that every pastor can hand every church member.

    The bestselling first edition ignited a conversation about how to harness the power of movements for the future growth of the church. In this major update, Hirsch shares significant insights gained along the way, provides fresh new examples of growing churches, and reflects on the last ten years of the missional movement. The new edition has been thoroughly updated and revised throughout and includes charts, diagrams, an expanded glossary of terms, new appendices, an index, a new foreword by Ed Stetzer, and a new afterword by Jeff Vanderstelt.Known for his innovative approach to mission, Hirsch is widely acknowledged as a thought leader and mission strategist for churches across the Western world. He considers The Forgotten Ways the guiding work to all of his other writings. The book explores the factors that come together to generate high-impact, exponentially explosive, spiritually vibrant Jesus movements in any time and context. This extensive update to Hirsch's influential work offers a system of six vital keys to movements that will continue shape the future of the missional movement for years to come.

    John L. Lund. Using powerful stories, gospel principles, and experiences from more than forty years as a counselor, Dr. Lund shares practical ways to overcome frustrations in our interpersonal relationships. He says that rather than express our criticism to our loved ones, we need to show them acceptance, affection, and appreciation. People generally don't lack knowledge of what they are doing wrong, they lack motivation to change, he points out. That motivation can come from your love.Dr. Lund teaches the five principles of divine intervention that the Lord can use to help us to deal with our problems. He teaches that rather than assuming the responsibility of being the change agent in the lives of those we love the very most, we should use a more efficient approach: take our love to them and our frustrations to the Lord.

    Many churches claim to be gospel-centered but do not have a ministry that is shaped by, centered on, and empowered through the gospel. The implications of the gospel have not yet worked their way into the fabric of how that church does ministry.Gospel-centered ministry is more theologically driven than program driven. To pursue it, we must spend time reflecting on the essence, the truths, and the very patterns of the gospel itself. The gospel is neither religion nor irreligion, but something else entirely—a third way of relating to God through grace. In Shaped by the Gospel, bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller addresses several current discussion and conflicts about the nature of the gospel and shows how faithful preaching of the gospel leads to individual and corporate renewal.This new edition contains the first section of Center Church in an easy-to-read format with new reflections and additional essays from Timothy Keller and several other contributors.

    Some of what we have learned and experienced may even blind us to what is really true about God, leaving us both yearning for and afraid of closeness with Him.Coupling the teachings of Christ and His prophets with gospel-oriented ideas from her counseling background, Wendy Ulrich probes faulty assumptions that we may bring to our relationship with God. By understanding and healing these false beliefs and then following the teachings of Christ about how we can ''come unto Him,'' we learn to see God more accurately, rely on Him more trustingly, and become strengthened in His love.

    

     It is widely viewed in the world at large as being outdated, boring, irrelevant and filled with backbiting hypocrites. How different that picture is to how the Bible talks about the new family that Jesus has gathered. It is a precious bride, a sparkling jewel, a lifeboat for forgiven sinners that is precious and holy; nurturing and warm; filled with truth, friendship and all embracing, forgiving love. Sam Allberry understands the collision between these two views, and how, even as Christian believers, we can lose sight of how truly wonderful church is and should be, and what a privilege it is to be part of, and to serve. In this brief accessible but thorough guide to church, Sam outlines what church is and why we need it. And how, when we have got it wrong, we can move closer to what a true church should be.

    Mark Rutland to more deeply explore prayer, he came to understand its miraculous power for soul restoration. Prayer is a declaration of our Father's compassion toward us, a confession of our own inadequacy, and a reminder that he meets our daily needs.As it turns out, these are the elements of prayer Jesus taught his disciples. Praying and meditating on the Lord's Prayer changed Dr. Rutland's life, and since then he has used it to restore others' souls as well.Filled with moving stories and powerful insights, this book will help you discover the truth about God's love and power, and this truth will bless and heal you. In the end, it's not just about saying the Lord's Prayer--it's about getting to know the Lord of the prayer.

    Instead, it comes directly from 1 Corinthians 11 (in the Bible) where this practice is explained in surprising depth. In fifteen consecutive verses, the Apostle Paul explains and defends the practice of head covering. He appeals to apostolic tradition, to the created roles of men and women, to angels, to nature, and to the church's exclusive position on this topic.Though head covering was practiced by the majority of Christians throughout Church history, it is now practiced only by a small minority. However, today many Christians are rediscovering this ancient practice, fueling a resurgence of head covering during church gatherings.From the founder of the Head Covering Movement comes "Head Covering: A Forgotten Christian Practice for Modern Times." In this book, Jeremy Gardiner will walk you through the Scriptures so you will see how this symbol beautifully depicts the created differences between men and women. You'll hear the history of head covering, showing that it wasn't until the feminist revolution that this practice fell out of favor in the Western church. The most popular objections (the cultural view, the long hair view, and charges of legalism) are all answered in-depth. Finally, the book addresses practical questions regarding how this is to be carried out.For too long, head covering has been neglected and stereotyped. Unfair associations with cults, legalism, unsophisticated theology, and frumpiness have turned many people off. We want to move past these stereotypes and into Scripture--because contrary to those views, head covering is biblical, beautiful, and relevant. This is not some new strange doctrine. This is a practice with an early and long history that is firmly based in the Bible. The rejection of this symbol is new, setting modern generations apart from the majority of believers throughout Church history. It's time we changed that.

    The first is taking up a calling that isn’t yours. The second is neglecting one that is. Discerning Your Call to Ministry will help you know the difference. A tool for seminary students, pastors-in-training, and even current pastors, it serves to confirm or prompt deep thought about the calling to ministry through 10 probing questions, including:Do you desire the ministry?Does your church affirm your calling?Do you love the people of God?Are you willing to surrender?Pastoral dropout rates are high, and seminary admission rates are declining—signs that many of us don’t quite know what we’re signing ourselves up for. Author Jason Allen, a former pastor and the president of North America’s fastest growing seminary, gives readers a better picture of the calling. Presenting a series of diagnostic questions informed by Scripture, church history, and his own experience, he helps those seeking ordination or ministry positions make confident decisions about their service to God, one way or the other.

    In those moments, we are utterly dependent on God for well-timed help. If he doesn't come through, we're finished. For forty years, two million Israelites were in the wilderness, and God fed them supernaturally every morning with manna, teaching people who doubted him he can be trusted with everything they needed to survive. This is a lesson we need to learn too. In personal stories and applications of biblical lessons, Manna reveals how God specializes in making a way where there is no way. He proved it every day to the nation of Israel, never missing a day of being faithful. He was never late, and he was never early. He was always just in time. And he will be for you.

    With more than nine thousand tweets and ninety thousand followers, he's proven himself a stalwart of holy hilarity. This poetic collection of the Curmudgeon's best 140-character compositions will make you ROFL as you recognize the regular cast of churchy characters, including the worship leader, the usher team, and maybe even yourself. One more to whet your appetite: "Usually when the writing is on the wall, it portends the death of a culture. But hey, fine, throw out the hymnals and use a projector." Author bio: Church Curmudgeon is the old guy who sits on the back pew of the sanctuary, farthest from the drums (he measured). You can find his complaints on Twitter (@ChrchCurmudgeon) and Facebook.

    Most pastors want to be intentional

    Regardless of your particular cultural or geographical context, you will need to consider the city when forming a theological vision that engages the people you are trying to reach.In Loving the City, bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller looks at the biblical foundations for contextualizing the gospel as we communicate to the culture in a way that is both respectful and challenging. He articulates the key characteristics of a city vision, showing how the city develops as a theme throughout Scripture, from its anti-God origins, to its strategic importance for mission, to its culmination and redemption in glory.Finally, he examines the need for thoughtful cultural engagement, unpacking four models for engaging culture, showing the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and emphasizing a blended approach that balances the key insights of each. Loving the City will help you to minister to your cultural context in a way that is biblically faithful and fruitful.This new edition contains the second section of Center Church in an easy-to-read format with new reflections and additional essays from Timothy Keller and several other contributors.

    This book will help you start missional-incarnational communities in a way that reflects the viral movement of the early New Testament church.JR Woodward (author of Creating a Missional Culture) and Dan White Jr. (author of Subterranean) have trained church planters all over North America to create movemental churches that are rooted in the neighborhood, based on eight necessary competencies:Movement Intelligence Polycentric Leadership Being Disciples Making Disciples Missional Theology Ecclesial Architecture Community Formation Incarnational Practices The book features an interactive format with tools, exercises, and reflection questions and activities. It's ideal for church planting teams or discipleship groups to use together.It's not enough to understand why the church needs more missional and incarnational congregations.The Church as Movement will also show you how to make disciples that make disciples. This is the engine that drives the church as movement, so that everyday Christians can be present in the world to join God's mission in the way of Jesus.

    

    

    It is a divine grace, bestowed in its purest form through the Savior's Atonement and available to each of us daily as we receive and extend mercy. And each sing instance of forgiving immediately becomes a double blessing, touching both the person who forgives and the one who is forgiven.In Twice Blessed, author Michael Wilcox explores many rooms of "the mansion of forgiveness." From forgiveness within the family to forgiveness for repeated offenses to forgiveness of the deepest of wounds, each case is unique and requires a different type of healing. "As with all aspects of the gospel, forgiveness is much deeper and more beautiful than we appreciate on our first examinations," writes Wilcox.Is there someone you are struggling to forgive? Are you finding it nearly impossible to forgive yourself, even long after God and others have forgiven you? Spend some time in the mansion of forgiveness, and secure for yourself the double blessing that Heavenly Father is so eager to give.

    Blueprints for the Little Church provides practical ideas and encouragement -- without judgement -- for incorporating the primary practices of Orthodox spirituality into your family life at every stage of its growth and throughout the church year.

    Enhanced by breathtaking paintings from iconic LDS artists, this book is the perfect teaching resource for helping God's children of all ages internalize the Savior's infinite gift of grace and redemption in a way that's sure to change us forever.Including sheet music for the Hoffman's inspiring hymn, as well as a bonus CD featuring Gethsemane and three other songs of praise to our precious Savior and dear Redeemer, this book reminds us that the fight has already been won - by Jesus.

    What do you believe about the Bible? How are you different from the church down the street? Why should I become a member of a Presbyterian Church? These are important questions, and questions that sometimes presbyterians don't even know the answer to! Ken Golden considers the distinctives of being a presbyterian, the basis for making a profession of faith and the role of the church as a means of grace.

    

    Compiled from previous publications of the Joseph Smith Papers, this e-book is designed for those looking to better understand the original text and historical background of these revelations. This book will be particularly useful for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaching or studying the Doctrine and Covenants in Gospel Doctrine, seminary, or Institute courses. Because of the book’s rigorous scholarship, it will also be helpful to historians, religious studies specialists, and other scholars looking for information on this unique volume of Latter-day Saint scripture. This study companion provides information primarily on the historical context of Joseph Smith’s revelations. Included in the volume are transcripts of the revelations and annotation that provide historical context of the revelations. Introductions to each revelation give such details as when and where a revelation was given, the question or other circumstances that led to the revelation, how it was originally recorded and disseminated, and how early church members responded to the revelation. Readers will also learn about the relationship between a revelation and other events and documents from the period, or about other cultural and religious movements of the time. Where applicable, footnotes also provide textual analysis of a revelation, sometimes noting the differences between the featured version and another early version, allowing readers to see how and to what degree these texts changed in the early years of the church. Though the annotation may often help readers better understand the meaning of a revelation, this book is not intended to be a doctrinal commentary. This volume also includes two appendixes that explain how Joseph Smith’s revelations were first recorded, circulated, and published. The first appendix (previously published in volume 1 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers) provides information on Revelation Book 1 and Revelation Book 2, the manuscript books in which the earliest known versions of many of the revelations were recorded. The second appendix (previously published in volume 2 of the Revelations and Translations series) explains the publication history of the revelations, including the role church newspapers played in circulating the revelations, the canonization of the revelations, and the compiling and printing of the first editions of the Doctrine and Covenants.This e-book also includes new features to help readers using the volume as a study aid, including added versification that corresponds to the modern (2013) Latter-day Saint edition of the Doctrine and Covenants and a chart that lists in chronological order all of the revelations and other texts that make up the Doctrine and Covenants. The contents of this book are organized by section number as found in the 2013 edition.With this e-book, much of the information on the revelations previously published by the Joseph Smith Papers is made conveniently accessible in one location. Helpful to both scholar and Latter-day Saint alike, this study companion provides valuable insight into Joseph Smith’s role as a revelator and into many of the texts that form the bedrock of Latter-day Saint history.

    The book covers ten areas of focus including online presence, parking, signage, children’s ministry, security, and others.

    Messiness is the human condition. Part of the messiness is the unpredictability of life, not the unrelenting evil of life. And Jesus shows up inside all of that, because He experienced every aspect of what it's like to be human: joy, physical pain, family arguments, frustration, existential trauma, and more. If Jesus is a real person, we should expect to meet Him in all of life. And only through the Good News and love of Jesus can we learn how to thrive in the midst of our mess.Daniel Fusco, a pastor and jazz musician, riffs on the major themes of the book of Ephesians to help each of us find God in the midst of our mess.

    The time has come for us to honestly name the ways we are different and similar so that we can serve together in unity, grace and trust.Women in ministry experience unique challenges in their church settings which continue to hinder their vocational, professional, and personal success. Women in ministry need a trusted and comprehensive resource not only to be able to survive but to thrive in their places of call. She provides theoretical, theological, and practical frameworks and strategies for flourishing as a woman in ministry and engages critical reflection on the practice of ministry in light of current feminist theory, biblical interpretation, and experience.Covering everything from biblical arguments for and against women in the church to what not to wear, this book offers background information and tools for negotiating the many and varied issues that woman in ministry face, including leadership, the authority and office of the clergy, and structures and power in the church. A trusted and comprehensive resource for women in ministry, equipping them to thrive in their places of call, and for the men who serve alongside them. "For women in ministry, one 'a-ha' moment after another spills from the pages of this book. Decades after ordination opened for women in mainline churches, the struggle for acceptance and equality goes on. This is an important book which narrates the deep costs of sexism and imagines a new form of women's leadership rooted and grounded in authentic love and genuine hospitality. In telling the truth about persistent sexism in the church, Karoline Lewis, paradoxically, blesses her readers with hope. This hope emerges in naming the challenges for women leaders and then pointing the way forward." - Leanne Van Dyk, President and Professor of Theology, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA

    This accessible work biblically explains what the Lord's Supper is, how it relates to a local church's life together, who should celebrate the Lord's Supper, and how we should approach it.

    Seen for what it is, it is the step-by-step ascent into the Eternal Presence. If our young people could but glimpse it, it would be the most powerful spiritual motivation of their lives!—David O. McKayPrimary children sing, “I love to see the temple. I’m going there someday,” but with little understanding of what happens once they get there. Even some adults attend the temple regularly without a clear concept of the instruction they receive. Using teachings of living prophets and the scriptures, along with her advanced scholarship of ancient traditions, symbols, and beliefs, Amy Hardison outlines the significance of temple design, covenants, clothing, names, and more as a means of helping Latter-day Saints better comprehend the sacred nature of the house of the Lord.Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.—Brigham Young

    

    These eight convictions will encourage others to persevere in ordinary local church, trusting God to keep His Word.

    Those pages containing the only copy of the first three months of the Joseph Smith’s translation of the golden plates were forever lost, and the detailed stories they held forgotten over the ensuing years—until now.In this highly anticipated work, author Don Bradley presents over a decade of historical and scriptural research to not only tell the story of the lost pages but to reconstruct many of the detailed stories written on them. Questions explored and answered include:Was the lost manuscript actually 116 pages?How did Mormon’s abridgment of this period differ from the accounts in Nephi’s small plates?Where did the brass plates and Laban’s sword come from?How did Lehi’s family and their descendants live the Law of Moses without the temple and Aaronic priesthood?How did the Liahona operate?Why is Joseph of Egypt emphasized so much in the Book of Mormon?How were the first Nephites similar to the very last?What message did God write on the temple wall for Aminadi to translate?How did the Jaredite interpreters come into the hands of the Nephite kings?Why was King Benjamin so beloved by his people?Despite the likely demise of those pages to the sands of time, the answers to these questions and many more are now available for the first time in nearly two centuries in The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon’s Missing Stories.

    Pietsch examines 21 of Luther's "letters of comfort" to explore Luther's pastoral care for souls suffering with depression. Pietsch uses interdisciplinary tools of inquiry artfully to examine the letters, Luther's pastoral care approaches and the history of the "melancholy tradition". The practice of seelsorge emerges as an amalgam of art, spiritual gift, and understanding of affliction, all resting comfortably within the authority of scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Pietsch's volume is a significant contribution to spiritual care literature, underscoring the conviction of the early church that individual soul care is an essential response to serve those who despair. Offering pivotal pastoral care insights that are often lost, discredited or entirely absent in the work of caring for those who suffer with depression, Pietsch concludes that Luther has given us excellent tools to examine, learn and to teach as we assist souls to find hope, strength and healing in the gospel of Jesus Christ.' Professor Beverly Yahnke Concordia University Wisconsin Executive Director of Christian Counsel, Doxology Lutheran Centre for Spiritual Care and Counsel.

    J. Muste, Dorothy Day, Howard Thurman, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Fannie Lou Hamer inspired individuals who succeeded in conveying their vision to the broader public through writing, speaking, demonstrating, and organizing. Raboteau traces how their paths crossed and their lives intertwined, creating a network of committed activists who significantly changed the attitudes of several generations of Americans about contentious political issues such as war, racism, and poverty. Raboteau examines the influences that shaped their ideas and the surprising connections that linked them together. He discusses their theological and ethical positions, and describes the rhetorical and strategic methods these exemplars of modern prophecy used to persuade their fellow citizens to share their commitment to social change.A momentous scholarly achievement as well as a moving testimony to the human spirit, American Prophets represents a major contribution to the history of religion in American politics. This book is essential reading for anyone who is concerned about social justice, or who wants to know what prophetic thought and action can mean in today's world."

    Kavin Rowe explores the promise and problems inherent in engaging rival philosophical claims to what is true. Juxtaposing the Roman Stoics Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius with the Christian saints Paul, Luke, and Justin Martyr, and incorporating the contemporary views of Jeffrey Stout, Alasdair McIntyre, Charles Taylor, Martha Nussbaum, Pierre Hadot, and others, the author suggests that in a world of religious pluralism there is negligible gain in sampling from separate belief systems. This thought-provoking volume reconceives the relationship between ancient philosophy and emergent Christianity as a rivalry between strong traditions of life and offers powerful arguments for the exclusive commitment to a community of belief and a particular form of philosophical life as the path to existential truth.

    Healthy expressions of the gift of prophecy most often emerge from those who have discovered the key of living in a true and vital connection with community. These pages unearth biblical and historical foundations for the concept of a prophetic company while laying a path forward of definitions and structures valuable for building strong and robust prophetic communities.

    Still, many Christians feel unclear about the topic, having more questions than answers. This short work provides a biblical explanation of baptism. What is it? Who should be baptized? Why is it required for church membership? And how should churches practice baptism?

     You’ve never read the scriptures quite like this. Ancient prophets can help with modern-day dilemmas, told through entertaining parables such as Nephi and Netflix binge-watching Isaiah goes to girls’ camp The brother of Jared’s guide to dating You’ll find the stories in the Book of Mormon more accessible and applicable with this examination of the sacred text as a great story, with themes, symbols, and lessons that can directly pertain to our lives today.

    

    The church is God’s plan for evangelism, discipleship, and the Great Commission. This connection between the Great Commission and the church dramatically impacts how both leaders and members should think about their work of making disciples. We do it together.

    But biblical congregationalism isn’t so much about the meetings. It’s about empowering the whole church to promote and protect the gospel. Pastors lead and equip. Members get to work strengthening one another and pursuing Christ’s mission in the world.

    Pastors face demands and pressures on every side, from the challenges of church ministry to the realities of spiritual warfare. But you can make a difference. Your prayers provide a lifeline for your pastor's spiritual health and ministry effectiveness. Eddie Byun offers a handy, practical guide to praying for pastors. He shares stories of how congregational intercession changes things, with specific guidelines for prayers for protection, rest, anointing, integrity and more. God calls us to pray for our leaders. When we do, their ministry is strengthened, the kingdom is advanced and lives and communities are transformed.

    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.

    They were willing to allow you to try something challenging and new under their mentorship, and it caused you to find out there was more in you than you thought.You may not realize it, but you have been empowered by these people. This book reveals a solid biblical foundation for living a lifestyle of empowerment. Through empowering people, Jesus set an example for us and revealed the Father's heart in doing so. 'The Culture of Empowerment' gives insight and practical tools for championing people as well as developing empowering beliefs about yourself and others.

    The question goes like this: "Look, I've read your book, and it expresses what I have always thought about Christian ministry. But as I kept reading, I had this sinking feeling that what actually happens in our church is still a long way from the kind of disciple-making ministry vision you outline and that I believe in. So my question is this: What can we do about it? How can we shape the whole culture of our church around disciple-making?" In "The Vine Project", Marshall and Payne provide a roadmap and resources for this sort of church-wide culture change. The book guides your ministry leadership team through a five-phase process for growth and change, with biblical input, practical ideas, resources, case studies, exercises and projects along the way. You will be helped to: • clarify and sharpen your convictions (Phase 1) • reform your own personal life to express these convictions (Phase 2) • honestly evaluate every aspect of your current church (or ministry) culture (Phase 3) • devise some key plans for change and put them into effect (Phase 4) • keep the momentum going and overcome obstacles (Phase 5). "The Trellis and the Vine" proposed a "ministry mind-shift that changes everything". "The Vine Project" shows how that mind-shift can and must shape every aspect of what you are doing as a congregation of Christ's people to make disciples of all nations. For more information and help in working through 'The Vine Project', as well as additional resources, templates, videos, case studies, the PDF of the Team Manual, and much more, visit thevineproject.com (a website is run by Colin Marshall and the team at Vinegrowers.)

    It includes articles, reflections, and profiles on topics and biblical characters from women's studies and women's religious experience that are not typically found in Bibles for a non-academic audience. The goal was to produce a guide to help women grow in their understanding of and engagement with the Bible, and the life of a congregation. The CEB Women's Bible is intended for women in church leadership, women in the pews, and women who value spiritual practice in their lives. It is ideal for women who value equality and discussions related to issues of gender and justice and how those ideas are lived out through their faith.

    But Jesus commands it. Paul practiced it. And churches benefit from it. Why practice church discipline? It shows love for the individual caught in sin, love for the whole church, love for non-Christian neighbors, and love for the glory of Christ. In the Church Basics Series, trusted church experts write practical, trustworthy resources on issues like Church Discipline, the Lord's Supper, and Baptism that every pastor can hand every church member.

    With stories from his own city of Houston, Texas, author Marty Troyer introduces a theology of place that empowers us to truly see the work of God where we live, work, and play. The Gospel Next Door unpacks the gospel through the lenses of following Jesus, making peace, and overcoming injustice. Those seeking to connect more deeply with the world that God so loved will find compelling stories and practical ideas for healing brokenness and imagining new life. Start living out the kingdom of God here and now.

    You are leading a church with an important mission. You’ve got a carefully worded vision statement, a set of core values, and leaders who say they want to make it happen. But does it feel like you’re not making any real progress? Does it feel like you’re stuck solving the same problems over and over again? Does it seem that you’re always talking about potential, or tomorrow, or after the next hire? After twenty years in ministry, I’ve learned that passion isn’t enough. You can have a clear mission, but without organization you won’t get everyone moving in the right direction. You can preach the vision, but if you don’t have a clear path ready for people, your vision talk will be just talk. I bet you don’t have a mission problem, or a facility problem, or even a volunteer problem. I know it’s trendy to talk multi-site, and popular to run a 40 day campaign. New service times, new programs, and new websites are like candy that captures attention in the checkout aisle. But it’s likely these aren’t the issues holding you back. You can start new services and hire a branding company to create a new website, and in three years from now you’ll likely be in the same place. That’s because you’re knee deep in a system problem. Streamline will help you create and implement healthy systems across all the departments in your church. You'll create alignment with your team and build focus into your ministries. You'll know what's working and why. Each short chapter focuses on one system you can create or improve. You'll walk away with actionable ideas ready to execute. Streamline will help you organize your church around the important mission.

    The Witness of Women helps accomplish that. Teachers, parents, gospel scholars, and every member seeking a connection with the women of our past will relish discovering the vital role that women played in the Restoration.Through short, first-person experiences and testimonies helpfully organized by topic, readers will now be ale to learn directly from women who witnessed and participated in the Restoration. As you read their words, you'll be able to:Draw on their witness of the Book of Mormon and experiences with the Prophet Joseph Smith to strengthen your own conviction.Learn to handle adversity by seeing how they coped with severe trials.Gain greater understanding from their insights about Jesus Christ, revelation, priesthood, the temple, education, and other timeless topics.Share women's experiences and testimonies in lessons, talks, and at home.We know that women were there every step of the way from Palmyra to the Salt Lake Valley and beyond. Now you can come to personally know those women through their own inspiring words.

    While there is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution to the puzzle of planning for a seamless pastor search, this handbook was created to provide pastor search committees, church leaders, and pastors a guide to asking the right questions in order to plan for the overwhelming pastor search process.William Vanderbloemen has spent years focusing on connecting churches with pastors who fit their ministry context. Search: The Pastoral Search Committee Handbook guides church members through the process finding the right leader for their church. Every church faces leadership changes. Leadership transitions often negatively affect the life of the church. Ministries are halted, church members leave, and giving slows down. The momentum the church was building is lost. Imagine instead that the church had a process already in place. What if they knew how to form a search committee and begin the search process for the person God is calling to lead their church?

    Theologians have preferred substantialistic (e.g., image as soul or mind) or relational interpretations (e.g., image as relational personhood) and Old Testament scholars have preferred functional interpretations (e.g., image as kingly dominion). The disagreements revolve around a number of exegetical questions. How do we best read Genesis 1 in its literary, historical, and cultural contexts? How should it be read theologically? How should we read Genesis 1 as a canonical text? This book charts a path through these disagreements by offering a dogmatically coherent and exegetically sound canonical interpretation of the image of God. Peterson argues that the fundamental claim of Genesis 1:26-28 is that humanity is created to image God actively in the world. "Made in the image of God" is an identity claim. As such, it tells us about humanity's relationship with God and the rest of creation, what humanity does in the world, and what humanity is to become. Understanding the imago Dei as human identity has the further advantage of illuminating humanity's ontology.Canonically, knowledge of the contours and purpose of human existence develops alongside God's self-revelation. Tracing this development, Peterson demonstrates the coherence of the OT and NT texts that refer to the image of God. In the NT, Jesus Christ is understood as the realization of God's image in the world and therefore the fulfillment of the description of humanity's identity in Genesis 1. In addition to its specific focus on resolving interdisciplinary tensions for Christian interpretation of the imago Dei, the argument of the book has important implications for ethics, the doctrine of sin, and the doctrine of revelation.

    As the church tries to understand and adjust to the massive societal shifts that are occurring all around us, individual Christians are searching for more meaning in their spiritual lives.Catch the Wind of the Spirit tackles this time of uncertainty and unrest head-on, satisfying your spiritual hunger with a deep look at God's Spirit. Although leadership is vital, Catch the Wind of the Spirit focuses on the duties of the entire body of the church. You'll gain an intimate look at God's gifts, or currents, and understand how to harness the power of each for the benefit of your church. Through Catch the Wind of the Spirit, you'll gain a deeper understanding of what the Lord might want for you and the church today. Ultimately, you will find yourself drawn closer to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    wrestled with while connecting with top global church planters and pastors. Over time, his global experiences convinced him western believers would benefit from: taking our faith beyond Sunday to every dimension of life; shifting from a Christian worldview to a Jesus prism; and moving from religious leaders to disciple leaders. Lessons from the East invites you into the larger story God is telling around the world. It just may change your view of church and the global Christian community.

    By teaching children about Heavenly Father s house now, this book will help them prepare to enter the temple someday and enjoy the spirit of our Father s house.

    Leaders shouldn’t fire members from the responsibilities given to them by Jesus—they should train them! When members are trained, the church grows in holiness and love, discipleship and mission.  Complacency and nominalism are diminished. Jesus gives every church member an office in the church’s government: to assume final responsibility for guarding the what and the who of the gospel in the church and its ministry.  Similarly, Jesus gives leaders to the church for equipping the members to do this church-building and mission-accomplishing work. In our day, the tasks of reinvigorating congregational authority and elder authority must work together.  The vision of congregationalism pictured in this book offers an integrated view of the Christian life.  Congregationalism is biblical, but biblical congregationalism just might look a little different than you expect. It is nothing less than Jesus’ authorization for living out his kingdom rule among a people on mission.

    Kittelsons Luther the Reformer has been the standard biography of Martin Luther. Like Roland Baintons biography of the generation before, Kittelsons volume is the one known by thousands of students, pastors, and interested readers as the biography that gave them the details of this dramatic man and his history.The accolades were well deserved. Fair, insightful, and detailed without being overwhelming, Kittelson was able to negotiate a middle way between the many directions of historical research and present a more complete chronological picture of Luther than many had yet portrayed.For this revised edition, Hans H. Wiersma has made an outstanding text even better. The research is updated, and the text is revised throughout, with images, bibliographies, and timelines to enhance the experience.Its a great volume, greatly improved.

    And yet, there is a surprising lack of resources written specifically for youth workers focused on viewing all aspects of youth ministry through a gospel-focused lens. Featuring contributions from a host of experienced youth workers from a wide variety of churches, this how-to manual offers guidance related to every facet of youth ministry, from planning short-term mission trips to working with parents. Theologically rooted yet eminently practical, this handbook will equip youth leaders to effectively shepherd the young people under their care--training them to live faithfully in their homes, churches, and schools.

    This book the "Starfish Movement" will show you how to fully engage with the original Movement that Jesus launched. You’ll discover what it looks like to engage in launching a movement. Whether you are a leader or a new Christ follower. Most of us have read about the movement that Jesus launched. We just don’t know how to continue what he began, other than to imitate the American church model. What if we discovered how to fully participate in the movement that Jesus originally intended? This movement was designed to include, engage and inspire. However, somewhere along the way, Christian leaders began imitating the leaders who went before them instead of imitating Jesus. They became immeshed in church programs and issues of Christian subculture. As a result, most never experienced the power of the unstoppable mission of Jesus. Starfish Movement: Is an important resource for anyone involved with or thinking of how to reset their church/Christian life. Addresses practical issues and give a clear step by step process for how to engage with the unstoppable mission of Jesus. Written by an experienced leader who has been launching starfish movements for over 25 years as a leader, church planter and practitioner.

    Our topic is the perfection in Christ, specifically the perfection, healthy development, and integration of the female personality, according to Christian doctrine and anthropology. We will speak about how the message of the Gospel gradually advances and promotes women socially, as well as expound on the lofty ethical and spiritual perfection to which she is called by her Creator.- Abbess Theologa

    Although Christians say that they believe that they have good news for world, there is little recognition that Christianity has anything distinctive or important to say about these global challenges. This crisis of relevance is reflected in widespread disaffection with the Christian church, both without and within. Coming Back to Earth is a collection of essays that examines some of the foundational challenges that must be confronted this century - climate change, urban life, agriculture and food - with the conviction that the great biblical narrative has something essential to say about each of them: essential in that we need to hear it; and essential in that it penetrates to the very essence of the problem and its solution. It argues that we can find in the Bible both prescient explanations for our current predicament and pertinent wisdom that offers hopeful guidance. Through all of this we are invited to re-think our understanding of the church and its purpose in a hurting and broken world, the reasons for the Christianity's seeming irrelevance today, and what might be required to renew the church as a dynamic, engaged and hopeful witness to the good news of the kingdom of God. Coming Back to Earth invites us to move beyond seeing the challenges confronting humanity and the church as abstract issues but rather to understand them as challenges that penetrate to the heart of our lives and our faith. Prophetic, personal, passionate and practiced are words that spring from these pages. Prophetic because these words are rooted in the biblical narrative and tradition that calls God's people to live an embodied faith. Personal through anecdote and family. Passionate for God's way of pursuing ethical living amidst the challenges of our age. Practiced because discipleship is to be lived in the everyday economics of our lives, enfleshed in practical and visible ways. Perceptive, is another descriptor, for this book offers significant insights into God's call for the Church as a social ethic, a community of reconciliation, in a world and Church at the crossroads. I commend this book's challenge to our discipleship. Archbishop Philip Freier, Anglican Primate of Australia Jonathan Cornford is co-founder of Manna Gum, a ministry in 'good news economics'. The two-fold purpose of Manna Gum is to help Christians reclaim an understanding of the Bible's teaching on material life and to help translate that teaching into the context of our complex global economy. Jonathan has a doctorate in political economy and a background in international development. Jonathan lives with his wife and two daughters in Bendigo, Victoria, where they are members of the Seeds Community and the Common Rule Christian network.

    Contrary to commonly held assumptions about Christian initiation, Peppard contends that rituals here did not primarily embody notions of death and resurrection. Rather, he portrays the motifs of the church’s wall paintings as those of empowerment, healing, marriage, and incarnation, while boldly reidentifying the figure of a woman formerly believed to be a repentant sinner as the Virgin Mary. This richly illustrated volume is a breakthrough work that enhances our understanding of early Christianity at the nexus of Bible, art, and ritual.

    As the centerpiece tool of the Mosaix Global Network (www.mosaix.info), this book has already been instrumental in bringing together within churches so many ethnicities that, by the world?s standards, seem irreconcilable. It all begins with conversation.Mark DeYmaz is the founding pastor and directional leader of the Mosaic Church of Arkansas and the cofounder and President of the Mosaix Global Network. He is the author of Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church and Leading a Heathy Multi-Ethnic Church.Oneya Fennell Okuwobi serves as the Director of Cultural Inclusion at Peoples Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. She also directs City Cohorts for the Mosaix Global Network.

    But what is the Declaration? And how might it gift and reorient Christian faith and practice? In Wrongs to Rights, over 40 authors from diverse backgrounds – Indigenous and Settler, Christian and Traditional – wrestle with the meaning of the Declaration for the Church. With a firm hold on past and present colonialism, the authors tackle key questions that the Declaration and the TRC’s call to “adopt and comply” raises: What are its potential implications? How does it connect to Scripture? Can it facilitate genuine decolonization, or is “rights talk” another form of imperialism? And what about real life relationships? Can the Declaration be lived out – collectively and personally – on the ground? Short articles combined with poetry and visual arts provide a rich, engaging and accessible resource for individual and group conversation in 164 pages. A study guide is included. Contributors include: Sylvia McAdam, Walter Brueggemann, Edgar Heap of Birds, Jennifer Preston, Sharon Venne, Kwok Pui-Lan, Joyce Green, Mike Barker, Lowell Ewert, Shannon Perez, Ched Myers, George Littlechild, Mark Brett, Brenda Gunn, Will Braun, Shane Rhodes, Jennifer Harvey, Lorenzo Veracini, Gord Hill, Lori Ransom, Ethna Regan, Adrian Jacobs, Linda Hogan, Dave Driedger, Laurel Dykstra, Chris Budden, Fran Kaye, Harry Lafond, Terry LeBlanc, Melanie Kampen, Laiza Pacheco, Jeff Denis, Adam J. Barker, Emma Battell Lowman, Sheryl Lightfoot, Melanie Dennis Unrau, Sue Eagle, KAIROS, James Perkinson, Ryan Dueck, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Angela Sterritt, Deanna Zantingh, Steve Bell, Romeo Saganash, Steve Heinrichs - See more at: http://www.commonword.ca/ResourceView...

    Many of the voices and allegiances competing for the churches' attention have rushed in to fill the void, with the result that the church in modernity has frequently found itself captive to the prevailing culture. Yet from within the belly of highly culturally accommodated churches, both the German pastor-theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the American theological ethicist Stanley Hauerwas were able to articulate compelling visions of churches freed from their cultural captivity in order to truly and freely serve God and neighbor. Against the complex and confusing backdrops of Nazi Germany and late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century America respectively, Bonhoeffer and Hauerwas sought to recover the ethical and political character of the Christian faith through recalling the church back to the christological center of its faith. Together they provide a rich set of complementary, and at times mutually correcting, resources for the contemporary church as it seeks to faithfully bear witness to Christ amidst the ruins of Christendom. ""What has Berlin to do with Pleasant Grove, Texas? Much in every way. Robert Dean's splendid book uncovers many unexpected convergences and resonances between the theologies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Stanley Hauerwas. Dean shows how both men write theology in such a way as to draw us into the passion of Jesus Christ 'for the life of the world.' A rich and rewarding piece of work."" --Joseph Mangina, Professor of Theology, Wycliffe College, Toronto ""Bonhoeffer and Hauerwas are the major forces in contemporary theological ethics in North America. Dean gives us a masterful guide to their work. . . . Because this book gives such a clear, reliable, and engaging account of Bonhoeffer and Hauerwas, it could easily be used as a core text in undergraduate courses and graduate seminars in Christian ethics and political theology, or as an essential guide to either or both theologians. An outstanding contribution!"" --Douglas Harink, Professor of Theology, The King's University, Edmonton; Author, Paul Among the Postliberals and 1 & 2 Peter in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible Robert J. Dean (ThD, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) is an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto and formerly a pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church, Toronto.

    Even the White House launched a Behavioral Insights Team to match the British Ministry of Nudges. Conspicuously absent from this conversation is the church. The Irrational Jesus bridges this gap. Ken Evers-Hood looks at Jesus through the lens of cognitive heuristics (mental shortcuts) and biases (blind spots) and makes the case that a fully human Jesus is predictably irrational--just like all of us. Find out how the Apostle Paul's community building mirrors a prisoner's dilemma game and how this makes Paul an irrational leader, too. Discover how playing better games in church can foster hopeful, flourishing communities. Improve your decision-making; learn when to plan for irrationality and when to live into it. The Irrational Jesus addresses these issues and more. Integrating the insights of behavioral economists such as Dan Ariely, the gameful thinking of Jane McGonigal, and cutting-edge ideas from decision theory, Evers-Hood articulates a behavioral theology for fully human pastors of fully human congregations--a fresh perspective that will change how pastors and other church leaders see themselves, the institutions they serve, and the scriptural and theological tradition. "The hard thing about hard things is: there's no simple solution. And being a church leader is a hard thing. Ken Evers-Hood has offered us a unique way of approaching the trials and tests of leading congregations, and I, for one, am grateful." --Landon Whitsitt, author of Open Source Church and Theology Is Art "People surprise us. Their ways--our ways--of relating to one another are often quite baffling. Reflecting biblically and theologically on fascinating new research--in, of all things, behavioral economics, game theory, and decision theory--Ken Evers-Hood offers page after page of keen insight into the relational and decision-making dynamics of local congregations. Put on the lenses he provides. See what's going on there in a whole new way. Learn to live more wisely, fruitfully, and graciously in and among your community of faith." -- Craig Dykstra, Research Professor of Practical Theology & Senior Fellow in Leadership Education, Duke Divinity School; Author of Growing in the Life of Faith: Education and Christian Practices The Reverend Dr. Ken Evers-Hood graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary and earned his Doctor of Ministry from Duke Divinity School. Ken pastors Tualatin Presbyterian Church, a creative, flourishing community near Portland, Oregon. When Ken isn't pastoring TPC, he can be found on a soccer field with his wife, Melissa, watching one of their three kids, or on a trail somewhere in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

    Something is missing if Christians think of mission only in terms of proclamation or social justice and discipleship only in terms of personal growth and renewal leaving the relational implications of the gospel almost to chance. It is vital both to spiritual life and mission to think of the church as both invitation and witness to a particularly merciful social dynamic in the world. As a work of constructive practical theology and a critical commentary on the ecclesiology of Karl Barth's unfinishedChurch Dogmatics, A Shared Mercy explains the place and meaning of interpersonal forgiveness and embeds it within an account of Christ's ongoing ministry of reconciliation. A theologian well-practiced in church ministry, Jon Coutts aims to understand what it means to forgive and reconcile in the context of the Christ-confessing community. In the process he appropriates an area of Barth's theology that has yet to be fully explored for its practical ramifications and that promises to be of interest to both seasoned scholars and newcomers to Barth alike. The result is a re-envisioning of the church in terms of a mercy that is crucially and definitively shared."

    To celebrate her life, I started recording her stories and reading them to the whole family by her bedside. What started as a simple collection of life lessons has turned into a precious book that will remind you of your goodness, take away the pressure of "perfection," help you see what really matters, and provide the comfort and lift that is so needed today. My mother would never have sought the spotlight, but she would have moved heaven and earth if she had thought even one of her stories could be helpful to you. Please enjoy this book-and please share it with those you feel will benefit from its message. It fills me with hope to know my mother's love and faith can live on through you. With love, April

    Sadly, many are only defining themselves by what they don't do, as Christians who simply “don’t go to church.” It’s time for these believers to catch a vision for genuine spiritual community, outside the walls of organized Christianity, a way of being the church without going to church. Unchurching: Christianity Without Churchianity will challenge everything you thought you knew about church. Unchurching boldly examines whether organized churches are even biblical. It thoroughly deconstructs the idea of special church buildings, paid pastors, weekly sermons, mandatory tithes and offerings, gender inequality in church leadership, and much more. Unchurching is intended to empower believers who are done with organized church but aren’t ready to abandon their faith. It will give non-churchgoing Christians a vision for genuine spiritual community that simply functions like an extended spiritual family. And it will equip them with the language to finally articulate that vision to others. Here's what others are saying about Unchurching: "I have written several books about church myself, but this one is better than any of the ones I have written." – Jeremy Myers, author of The Atonement of God "If you are searching for the truth about the way we 'do' church … this is the book for you! I guarantee that it will completely rock your world." – Milt Rodriguez, author of The Community Life of God "Richard Jacobson has been on both sides of this shift and is uniquely qualified to write about it—which he does well, with insight, humility, and scholarship … Highly recommended." – Felicity Dale, author of An Army of Ordinary People "As I read this book I felt my pulse quicken and my heart leap for joy because everything Richard writes about is centered on, around, and in relation to the One who would rather die than live without us." – Keith Giles, author of This Is My Body: Ekklesia As God Intended "Unchurching will help you capture a vision for a fresh start that is built upon the Lord Jesus Christ … " – Jon Zens, author of A Church Building Every 1/2 Mile

    And that energy carries us for awhile, maybe even years. But one day we suddenly find ourselves like the man in the Good Samaritan story: half-dead, going through the dreaded motions hoping no one around us notices.It's not that we've stopped loving God, but it's just that things have happened along the way that have caused us to settle for a small life, one defined primarily by activity for God. We look around and sigh: It wasn't supposed to be this way.Author Greg Hawkins knows that reality firsthand. He also knows there is something beyond that reality if we have the courage to step out and hope once more. Far from giving us simply more stuff to do, Greg shares the necessary and doable shifts in our thought and language that lead to true intimacy with God. It wasn't supposed to be this way.

    But apocalyptic has meant different things to different scholars. Even the assertion of an apocalyptic Paul has been contested: does it mean the invasive power of God that breaks with the present age (Ernst Ksemann), or the broader scope of revealed heavenly mysteries, including the working out of a many-staged plan of salvation (N. T. Wright), or something else altogether? Paul and the Apocalyptic Imagination brings together eminent Pauline scholars from diverse perspectives, along with experts of Second Temple Judaism, Hellenistic philosophy, patristics, and modern theology, to explore the contours of the current debate. Contributors discuss the history of what apocalypticism, and an apocalyptic Paul, have meant at different times and for different interpreters; examine different aspects of Pauls thought and practice to test the usefulness of the category; and show how different implicit understandings of apocalypticism shape different contemporary presentations of Paul's significance.

    They begin a search—independently at first—to recapture their lost love and then together lead their fellowship in a successful discovery of the secret to becoming a beacon of love in their community. By the end of the story you clearly see why this secret—so simple yet so profound—is vital and how to apply it to the life of your church.