Combined with this problem is the discipleship deficit, the difficult truth that most evangelicals are not reaching the unchurched at the rates they think they are. In fact, many of the metrics that we often "count" in the church to highlight success really don't tell us the full story of a church's spiritual state. Things like attendance, decisions, dollars, and experiences can tell us something about a church, but not everything.To cultivate a spiritually healthy church we need a shift in our metrics—a "grace-shift" that prioritizes the work of God in the lives of people over numbers and dollars. Are people growing in their esteem for Jesus? Is there a dogged devotion to the Bible as the ultimate authority for life? Is there a growing interest in theology and doctrine? A discernible spirit of repentance? And perhaps most importantly, is there evident love for God and for our neighbors in the congregation?Leading a church culture to shift from numerical success to the metrics of grace can be costly, but leaders who have conviction, courage, and commitment can lead while avoiding some of the landmines that often destroy churches. Wilson includes diagnostic questions that will help leaders measure—and lead team transparency in measuring as a group—the relative spiritual health of their church, as well as a practical prescriptive plan for implementing this metric-measuring strategy without becoming legalistic.Most attractional church models can lean heavily on making changes to the weekend worship gatherings. And while some of these changes can be good, thriving grace-focused churches are driven by a commitment to the gospel, allowing the gospel to inform and shape the worship service and the various ministries of the church.

    It is an invitation to pursue the best of both worlds in worship, the Eucharistic and the charismatic, with the grace of God at the center.Wilson envisions church services in which healing testimonies and prayers of confession coexist, the congregation sings When I Survey the Wondrous Cross followed by Happy Day, and creeds move the soul while singing moves the body. He imagines a worship service that could come out of the book of Acts: Young men see visions, old men dream dreams, sons and daughters prophesy, and they all come together to the same Table and go on their way rejoicing.In short, Spirit and Sacrament is an appeal to bring out of the church's storehouse all of its treasures, so that God's people can worship our unrivaled Savior with sacraments and spiritual gifts, raised hands and lowered faces.

    A church's philosophy of ministry is locked into its budget, and so the budget will either stifle or accelerate any attempts to move a congregation toward a biblical model of church health. As such, the church budget is a far more potent pastoral tool than many church leaders realize. Budgeting for a Healthy Church examines each section of the budget in light of Biblical principles to show how a church budget can lock in healthy approaches to ministry. Whereas most books on church budgeting are "how" books, explaining how the budgeting process should work, this is a "what" book, helping church leaders determine the pastoral implications of what they choose to fund in their budgets.

    The solution is right in front of us—the Christian church, an outpost of the heavenly city among the cities of men. The Theopolitan Vision explains what the church is, and how the Spirit empowers the church's world-transforming mission through Word and worship, Scripture and liturgy. It shows how the church can be a city of light in a dark age.

    National conferences, hip planting organizations, and all-in-one resource kits celebrate the thrill of pioneering a church and inspire visions of glorious victories. Yet few who respond to the call are warned what they'll actually encounter: the relentless opposition they'll endure; the eventual scattering of their entire core group; the failure of their tried-and-true, field-tested system.Here's the dirty little secret of church planting: the roadside is strewn with casualties. Many have closed their churches. Some left ministry permanently. Others abandoned the faith altogether.Church planting is at once the greatest and most grueling ministry work on earth. This book is for those toiling in the trenches, those about to bail out, and those considering jumping in. It's for the church planters laboring and struggling, seeing little movement, and wondering what they're doing wrong or why God is failing them. It's also for mother churches, planting organizations, and denominations, as a challenge to rethink and re-calibrate the way they approach and measure planting endeavors.The Honest Guide to Church Planting is a fresh and candid conversation about the challenges and joys of planting new churches. Tom Bennardo speaks the truth so that those involved in church planting can embrace a more accurate and realistic picture of what planting a church is really like; one that not only enables them to survive, but to thrive in this difficult work.

    Lovingly and graciously, he describes his transition from a “blueprint hermeneutic” to a theological one. Some suggest that moving away from a patternistic command-example-and-necessary-inference approach for understanding what God requires leaves no other alternative, or at least none that both respects biblical authority and seeks to obey the gospel of Jesus the Messiah. In Searching for the Pattern, John Mark offers just such an alternative. His theological hermeneutic is deeply rooted in the way the Bible presents itself as a dramatic history of God’s plan to redeem the world as well as his own experience of growing up among Churches of Christ. Seeing the gospel of Jesus as the center of the biblical drama reorients us to what provides our Christian identity and unites us as disciples of Jesus.*******I pray this book is received with open hearts and open minds because I believe this work could go a long way in helping to bring unity to our fractured fellowship. —Wes McAdams, Preaching Minister for the church of Christ on McDermott Road, Plano, TexasThis excellent book helps us understand the inner workings of Bible interpretation among Churches of Christ and provides a persuasive proposal for Bible interpretation that is built on the story of God we find in Scripture—a story into which God calls us. —James L. Gorman, Associate Professor of History, Johnson University Knoxville, TennesseeFinally, a trellis across the chasm! Throughout this book, Hicks does not compromise his high regard for both the church and the Scriptures; and through the grace found therein, he composes this urgent invitation back to the Table, where obedience cooperates with mystery, and we—estranged or conflicted—can find our place as one within God’s magnificent story. —Tiffany Mangan Dahlman, Minister at Courtyard Church of Christ, Fayetteville, North CarolinaJohn Mark Hicks is Professor of Theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has taught for thirty-eight years in schools associated with the Churches of Christ. He has published fifteen books and lectured in twenty countries and forty states and is married to Jennifer. They share six children and six grandchildren.

    To understand and do the Christian liturgy, we need to take account of the whole Bible.In Theopolitan Liturgy, Peter J. Leithart examines the liturgical features of creation. The world is a temple. History is a dialogue with God. Life and society is sacrificial. Time follows a liturgical pattern.Because creation is inherently liturgical, the liturgy isn't a retreat from the world. It's a transformation of the world. Church buildings use space as God designed it to be used, as space for worship. In the liturgy, we are trained to respond rightly to God's word, and learn the habit of living sacrifice. The church's calendar Christianizes time, imprinting the gospel on our days and years.Leithart demonstrates that the liturgy isn't a retreat from engagement with the world. It is the church's primary engagement with the world. The liturgy is the initial Christianization of creation.The introduction to the Theopolis Fundamentals Series was Leithart's book, Theopolitan Vision. Leithart's Theopolitan Liturgy is the first book in the series.The early volumes of the Theopolis Fundamentals Series summarize the convictions of the Theopolis Institute in Birmingham, Alabama and James B. Jordan's Biblical Horizons about topics including biblical interpretation, liturgical theology and practice, and the church's cultural and political mission. The Fundamentals will be followed by a collection of Theopolis Explorations volumes that will examine Scripture, liturgy, and culture in more depth and detail.

    The book seeks to make the confessional position clear and to demonstrate it through the pages of the Scriptures. Written as a scriptural survey of the various ordinary means of grace, the book details the idea of what is meant by "ordinary means of grace" and it walks through the ministry of the Word, the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and prayer, with a chapter dedicated to each. Finally, there is a concluding chapter which includes a discussion on the weekly rhythm the Scriptures reveal for the nourishment of the people of Christ. Endorsed by Tom Ascol, Liam Goligher, James Renihan, and Carl Trueman

    First, He took the bread and said, This is my body. Then He took the cup, saying, This is my blood. Next, He commanded the disciples to eat and drink in remembrance of Him.What did Jesus mean? Do the bread and wine literally become His body and blood? What happens when Christians take the Lord’s Supper?In The Lord’s Supper: Answers to Common Questions, Dr. Keith A. Mathison walks through these questions and several others to help us better understand this sacrament. Far from being an empty ritual, the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace, a source of spiritual nourishment, and true communion with Christ and His church.

    He strived for a continuity of language between the words we use in Bible studies and the words we use when we are out hiking, at work, or eating dinner with family. He illustrated this passion in his writings and weekly sermons. A Month of Sundays is a devotional collection featuring excerpts of Eugene's Sunday sermons arranged into thoughtful readings for every day of the month, drawn from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.The four gospels give us snapshots of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus. Dig deep into Eugene Peterson's thoughts regarding select passages, and discover clarity, insight, and wisdom in his distinctive style of earthy spirituality.

    It's a true story, recorded and preserved in the 66 books of the Bible, with its climax found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This book explains the narrative of the Bible in a clear, focused way, and was designed to be read in a single sitting. Featuring over 100 Scripture references, this booklet is perfect for churches, evangelists, and other ministries to connect people's lives to the storyline of Scripture and God's purpose for the world.

    It’s just a building, they say. I can worship anywhere. I don’t have to gather with other Christians. In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul explains that the church is not merely a building—it is the people who meet there. Scripture even commands us to gather, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some (Heb. 10:25). It’s dangerous to attempt the Christian life alone. We need one another to live and worship well. The Crucial Questions booklet series by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers succinct answers to important questions often asked by Christians and thoughtful inquirers.

    Glenn Packiam wants to empower readers to find great joy, purpose, and passion in their daily living. While bread may be one of the most common items on our dinner tables, Jesus chose to take it at the Last Supper and invest deep, wonderful, and transcendent meaning in it. Like the bread that was blessed, broken, and given; readers will see how God uses ordinary experiences to cultivate their mission and their brokenness to bring healing to the world. The ordinary is not the enemy; it is the means by which God accomplishes the miraculous. Through clear biblical teaching and practical steps, Packiam leads the reader into a more purposeful, directed, hopeful future.

    

    The difficult circumstances unique to leading a church can cause young pastors to question their calling and quickly burn out. But quitting or failing are not the only options--a fact proven by the faithful track records of veteran pastors throughout church history. Featuring contributions by a diverse team of experienced pastors such as Tim Keller, D. A Carson, Bryan Chapell, Dave Harvey, and Juan Sanchez, this book offers young pastors a realistic view of issues that could potentially undermine their ministry--issues such as family life, personal devotions, criticism, and financial strain. Each chapter includes a letter written by a young pastor setting up a dilemma, followed by an answer filled with wisdom gleaned from the Bible, history, and years of personal experience, to encourage pastors to keep the future in view as they press on in ministry.

    And yet he also affirms that we are all called to be ordinary mystics, who, in the words of his own spiritual director, are "ordinary Christians who do what we are all called to do: respond to grace." Learning to be a mystic is about cultivating a life with God in which we draw close, listen, and respond moment to moment. We know we will fail at times, but we can also be certain that we follow a God who never stops reaching out to us. This book offers a daily path to making the connection.

    Trying to convince people to do foster care or adoption can feel like just another daunting, impossible task. It’s hard enough to get volunteers for the nursery, much less volunteers to foster or adopt a child!But what if we’re thinking about it the wrong way? What if orphan care actually increases your church’s capacity to do ministry? What if this one ministry opens doors to many others?Discover how orphan care transforms 6 key aspects of your ministry, meet dozens of families and churches who have experienced the transformative power of orphan care, and learn how you can get involved even if you’re not ready to foster or adopt.After catching the vision for this vital ministry, you’ll be ready to join them!

    When a local congregation is blessed with faithful officers the results are bountiful (Acts 6:7). Faithful and Fruitful: Essays for Elders and Deacons provides current and future church leaders with an exciting opportunity of personal development. Like its companion (Called to Serve), this collection of essays offers biblical and practical essays written by seasoned churchmen drawing upon a wealth of leadership knowledge, experience, and wisdom. Engaging study questions for each essay can help readers make the most of the Bible's instruction and encouragement for those tasked with the responsibility and privilege of leading Christ's church. Continuing education is often required of secular thought leaders; should anything less be expected in Christ's church? Contents: 1 Training Church Officers / 2 Practicing the Mission of the Church: Apostolicity in Action / 3 Positive Leadership: Leading Like Jesus (Not Rehoboam) / 4 Continuing in Prayer / 5 Elders and Deacons as Hospitality Leaders / 6 Ministering to the Sick and Dying / 7 The Office Bearer and Household Management / 8 Classical Christian Catechesis / 9 Managing the Offerings of God's People / 10 Getting Acquainted with the Congregation's Needs / 11 Avoiding Burnout / 12 Tending the Shepherd (1): Honorable Provision / 13 Tending the Shepherd (2): Sabbaths and Sabbaticals / 14 How to Evaluate Your Pastor / 15 How to Be a Clerk / 16 Navigating the Broader Assemblies: Serving at Classis and Synod / 17 How to Serve on a Pastoral Search Committee / 18 What Every Elder Needs to Know about Congregational Singing / 19 Encouraging Lay Witnessing / 20 Promoting the Work of Missions / Appendix A: A Sample Pastoral Review / Appendix B: The Role of Guest Sponsors in Our Churches / Appendix C: Study Questions / Appendix D: About the Editors and Contributors

    With the God's Word for Today series, pastor Tim Chester has updated Stott's classic book The Contemporary Christian and made it accessible to new generations of readers. In The Church, Stott presents a biblical portrait of the church as a covenant community at the center of God's purposes. Keeping in view both the ideal of what God intends and how we fall short, Stott considers how the church can be sensitive to current needs and societal issues, mobilize people for mission, seek holistic renewal, and promote healthy leadership. Each chapter includes stories, practical suggestions, and questions for reflection or discussion. People are hungry for transcendence, significance, and community. This is the great challenge and opportunity facing the church--will we cooperate with the Spirit so that others can find what they seek in Christ and his people?

    Do this in remembrance of me.'" --1 Corinthians 11:24The Lord's Supper is more than a church tradition or a complex doctrinal controversy--it has practical importance to our daily lives. When Jesus instituted the Supper, it was meant to strengthen the faith of his followers by reminding them of his promises. God has always made promises to his people through covenants, and along with them given signs and meals to point to and confirm his blessings. Looking at the unity of the covenants throughout the Bible, this book will help Christians recover the practical importance of the Lord's Supper as both a sign and a meal of the new covenant blessings God has bestowed on believers in Christ.

    No matter where we go, what we watch, or how we communicate, our culture is rife with conflict. Unfortunately, Christians appear to be caught up in the same animosity as the culture at large. We are perceived as angry, judgmental, and defensive, fighting among ourselves in various media while the world looks on. How have we failed to be a people of reconciliation and renewal in the face of such tumult?Claiming that the church has lost itself in the grip of an antagonistic culture, David Fitch takes a close look at what drives the vitriol in our congregations. He traces the enemy-making patterns in church history and diagnoses the divisiveness that marks the contemporary evangelical church. Fitch shows a way for the church to be true to itself, unwinding the antagonisms of our day and making space for Christ's reconciling presence in our day-to-day lives. He offers new patterns and practices that move the church beyond making enemies to being the presence of Christ in the world, helping us free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division.

    With authenticity, openness, and careful consideration of many different faith traditions, Connie provides a path to hope and healing.In ‘Traumatized by Religious Abuse’, the author answers the following questions:How does abuse happen in religious institutions?What is unique about religious abuse? How are power and control used in religious abuse? What are the hallmark characteristics of abusive leaders and abusive religious cultures?What are the implicit and subtle messages used by abusers? What are the emotional, mental and existential damages after abuse? How can a survivor recover and heal? Connie A Baker covers in depth how religious ideas are often used to manipulate followers and how fear, shame, guilt and superstition can be leveraged for control. She points out that spiritual and religious abuse is not confined to any one type of religion or cult. This dynamic of abusive behavior can be found in many types of spiritual communities.  She writes from the perspective of a professional therapist who teaches and counsels survivors, and from her own perspective from being a survivor of religious abuse. “When went through horrible religious abuse back in 1990, I was completely confused and without resources to get clarity and heal. I never want anyone to go through what I did after abuse. This is the book I needed back then and didn’t have.”

    This groundbreaking work by one of today's leading theologians offers a major Protestant ecclesiology for the church catholic. This volume, the first of three, considers the priesthood of the church in light of the priesthood of Christ. Tom Greggs shows the connection between Christ's work as high priest and the universal church's role in salvation. All together, the three volumes will offer a major statement on the doctrine of the church for Christians from a variety of backgrounds.

    Young adults seem like the elusive Holy Grail demographic in Christian ministry. We often treat them like another species, with an inscrutable culture all their own. To have a thriving ministry to young adults, we're told, we'll need to be up-to-date on all the latest trends. We'll need to change up our worship style. We'll need to make programs. But what if young adult ministry isn't actually as enigmatic as we've been led to believe? What if it actually looks an awful lot like . . . faithful Christian ministry? Scott Pontier and Mark DeVries know firsthand the challenges of young adult ministry. In Sustainable Young Adult Ministry, they explore six common mistakes churches make in their efforts to reach this demographic--mistakes they themselves have made--and offer six paradoxes that upend our presuppositions and return us to a simpler, more biblical ministry model. Full of practical advice and complete with a wealth of additional resources, this book offers a fresh perspective on young adult ministry that is grounded in long ministry experience and in the timeless gospel of Jesus.

    H. Whitsitt published A Question in Baptist History (1896), the controversy over Baptist Successionism was already in full swing. … McGoldrick has produced an excellent revisitation of this question giving a theologically sound and historically adjudicated presentation of Baptist identity and origins.” -- Dr. Tom Nettles

    That family is the Church. This is a book about what that family should be, what it should do, and why it matters.When we look carefully at the big things of the Bible, it's important for us to examine both the Scriptures and the culture we live in today. We need to know what the Bible says. We also need to understand the ways we are getting things wrong, and the ways our cultural sins may be blinding us to what God is calling us to in Scripture.In this book, Pastor Tim Bayly exposes lies the American evangelical church has believed and calls us to a simple, humble pattern of church that is clearly rooted in the Bible. It is a call to reform--a call to repent of the ways we have left God's design for the Church, and a call to embrace what we see modeled for us in the Bible and in those places in church history where our fathers in the faith have been careful to show us what the Bible teaches.

    Cross, whose work is respected by scholars from across the ecumenical landscape, offers an introduction to ecclesiology that demonstrates how Pentecostals can contribute to and learn from the church catholic. A forthcoming volume by the author, Serving the People of God's Presence, will focus on the role of leadership in the church.