He also compiles and extracts practical insights from other notable worship leaders and musicians including Louie Giglio, Mike Pilavachi, Tim Hughes, Chris Tomlin, Brian Doerkson, Darlene Zxchech, Steve Nicholson etc.

    Readers will discover how temperaments impact...being singlebeing marriedlove lifecommunicationministryThe New Spirit-Controlled Woman shows readers that God loves them, that He has wonderful plans for them, and that He provides the power and drive needed to fulfill His will.

    There is a huge difference between a Peacemaker and a Pacifist! This Battle Plan for spiritual warfare, gleaned from the life and message of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, was on my heart even before I was kidnapped by terrorists and held hostage under extreme conditions in 1983. Since then, thousands of missionaries, pastors, and other Christians have been kidnapped, murdered, or forced to flee from their places of ministry in rural Colombia. Had these Christians known and understood this Battle Plan for spiritual battle, they could have been victorious instead of prematurely suffering defeat. Many who did choose to remain in the path of ever present danger have rallied around this message. A thriving underground church is multiplying in a huge area (about the size of North Korea) in the south and east of Columbia where Bibles, church buildings, formal ministry, and even house meetings have been prohibited for more than 25 years. Severe persecution in rural Colombia has actually served to bring real Christians together in deepening Christian relationships, identify the true church, and cleanse believers from corruption. This has been possible because of the remnant that has been chosen to fight the good fight of faith. About the Author Russell Stendal, a former hostage of Colombian rebels, is a lifelong missionary to that same group in the jungles of Colombia. He is an influential friend to military and government leaders in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States. Russell’s ministry shares the gospel via twelve radio stations, hundreds of thousands of Bibles, books, and movies distributed through airplane parachute drops, and numerous speaking engagements for groups of leaders, prisoners, and individuals. Russell goes wherever the Lord leads, whether it’s to speak with a president or to go deep into the jungle to help an individual in trouble. He has witnessed thousands commit their lives to Christ.

    Not only do these pastors have to transition into a new congregation and community, but they also have to think about building strong relationships with other influential people in the area. Almost every day, pastors of new churches face unexpected hardships and challenges. Some of the issues are financial mismanagement from their predecessor, moral or ethical misbehavior, or unresolved conflict that has just been suppressed long enough to find a new pastor. The fact is, pastors of new churches need guidance. The First 100 Days is for these pastors who need some guidance and insight to help them lead with godly wisdom and purpose during the first few months.

    Churches in or near cities have to work hard to minister effectively to a diverse group of people, welcoming those of different backgrounds, engaging both the poor and marginalized as well as the wealthy and influential.Church-planters Matt Carter and Darrin Patrick explain the biblical, theological, and historical foundations of ministry within the urban core and how to plant churches where the gospel is faithfully shared and brings substantial benefits to those living in the community.For the City relates the wisdom gleaned from years of serving their cities for the sake of God's kingdom. Carter and Patrick practically equip church leaders and Christians to look at their city as a mission field where individuals and churches can faithfully proclaim the gospel and live out the reality of a community changed and transformed by its message.

    It’s also one of the hardest. It requires initiative, leadership, strategy, systems, and a lot of prayer. In this second edition of  Planting Missional Churches, not only will you find a completely redesigned book with new content in every single chapter, but you will also find several new chapters on topics such as church multiplication, residencies, multi-ethnic ministry, multisite, denominations and networks, and spiritual leadership. So if you’re planting a church, be prepared. Use this book as a guide to build the needed ministry areas so that you can multiply over and over again. For additional resources visit www.newchurches.com/PMC.

    It doesn’t matter whether a church is alive and growing or barely surviving on life support. God has a plan for it. It doesn’t matter whether a church is facing financial challenges, internal divisions, or strife among its leaders. God has a plan for it. God is able to deal with any problem a church will ever face--as long as his people earnestly seek him. As the pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle, Cymbala knows that God’s blessing and grace is available to us today just as much as it was in the early church, when thousands of people became believers despite the fact that the church lacked everything we consider vital: church buildings, seminaries, printed materials, sound systems, choirs, and money. None of these things mattered. What mattered was that God’s hand was on the church, working through his people to build the kingdom. Then, as now, God chose the church to manifest his presence to the world. In this companion book to The Life God Blesses, Cymbala describes the kind of church God wants to bless and use. Based on the Word of God and personal experience, The Church God Blesses describes the key elements found in a vitally alive church and offers church leaders and individual Christians a fresh and invigorating look at what God intends the church to be. The church God blesses is not necessarily the largest, newest, or loudest church in town. Instead, it’s a place where believers: * Receive solid spiritual nourishment *Can trust in God’s protection *Engage in vital praise and worship *Become effective in ministry *Learn that confession of sin is the channel to God’s power

    

    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

    Church leaders often fall into ruts, working on automatic pilot just trying to get things together, which does not allow for much creativity or focus on designing services that lead to transformation for those involved in them.Engage is a step-by-step, stress-free guide to planning worship services that allow for and foster true life change. Comprehensive in scope, Engage provides teaching pastors, worship leaders, and volunteers with the tools they need to work together to develop and implement a worship planning system that improves communication, enhances creativity, and honors Jesus every week.

    An ordinary girl. An extraordinary royal wedding.Princess Ever AfterRegina Beswick was born to be a princess. But she’s content to be a small-town girl, running a classic auto restoration shop, unaware a secret destiny awaits her.How to Catch a PrinceAn American heiress and a crown prince seem destined to be together. Will the devastation of war keep them apart forever?

    Alec Motyer's guide is based on a multitude of sermons over many years of preaching in many different situations, a recipe to help you know your subject and to pull the pieces together into a winning sermon. Preaching is a privilege: let Alec help you reach out and make the best of the gifts God has given you.

    When the storms of life blow-as they most certainly will-are you going to stand strong, bend, or break? Popular author Erwin Raphael McManus suggests that you discover how to rise above the normal reaction and learn to stand against the wind.Through thought-provoking chapters, McManus takes readers on a journey of transformation through the landscape of their character-from where they start out "Running Free," through "Rising Out of the Ashes," developing "Divine Imagination," and finally, reaching the "Greatness of Servanthood."Readers, ages 18-35, will appreciate this international consultant's expertise on culture, change, leadership, and creativity.

    Each day's devotion offers a word to focus upon as a catalyst for positive change in your life. These words, along with relevant scripture and practical advice from Joyce, will help you achieve greater closeness with God, which unlocks the great things He has in store for your life.With daily guided encouragement and prayer, as well as Joyce's structured plan for spending time God, you'll be able to tap into His strength to help you overcome life's obstacles and achieve your best. And the words in this devotional will help put your in the frame of mind to receive that power each day.

     Most leaders agree. That’s one reason for a shift in the way many churches are discipling their kids and teenagers. Think of it this way: connecting kids and teens to a consistent leader who believes in God and believes in them is something the church can do that nothing else in culture does. CREATING A LEAD SMALL CULTURE, by Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy, and Elle Campbell, is for every leader of small group leaders. Strategy, best practices, training tips, and real-life stories from over 20 ministry leaders across the US and Canada—this book has what you need to create an effective small group culture in your church. _________________________________ “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a staff who makes small groups for kids and teenagers a priority. That’s why the principles discussed in CREATING A LEAD SMALL CULTURE resonate so deeply with our church. This is a timely work that provides a much needed blueprint for churches everywhere who believe kids and teenagers should be a priority in their ministry.” —Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author and lead pastor, National Community Church “After 14 years as a lead pastor, I’m convinced more than ever that a healthy church is built around making small groups a priority. If you don’t connect kids and teenagers relationally with great leaders, you will sabotage the future and faith of a generation. That’s why CREATING A LEAD SMALL CULTURE is such an important book for your team. It’s a one-of-a kind manual to help every church create environments where kids can find a place to belong and someone who believes in the potential of their faith to change the world.” —Perry Noble, senior pastor, Newspring Church “CREATING A LEAD SMALL CULTURE gives you more than just random ideas to help you do small groups better. It promotes proven strategies that actually work. If you are serious about discipleship and want to build a team of adults who invest weekly in teenagers, you need this book. So read it carefully, and get ready to rethink how you do student ministry. I learned a lot!” —Doug Fields, author, speaker, co-founder of DownloadYouthMinistry.com “My wife, Wendy, and I have seen the benefits of small groups up close. Our daughter, Jesse, and our son, Cole, have been greatly influenced through small group leaders who share our values and yet speak to our kids from a different perspective. This has been a huge blessing to us as parents. As a pastor, I highly recommend CREATING A LEAD SMALL CULTURE to anyone who works with kids and teenagers. This is a smart, sustainable strategy with enormous generational impact.” —Jeff Henderson, lead pastor, Gwinnett Church “As a parent, leader, and researcher, my goal is that all kids will be surrounded by adults who lovingly help them be changed by Christ to change the world around them. This wise book gives your church the practical tools you need to make that goal a reality.” —Kara Powell, PhD, executive director of Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) “It’s one thing to see the potential in small groups; it’s another to create a church culture in which small groups thrive. CREATING A LEAD SMALL CULTURE is a must read for every senior leader and leadership team. In a masterful and engaging way, Reggie, Kristen, and Elle explain the behaviors every team can incorporate into their culture to see kids, teens, and families flourish through the ministry of the local church.” —Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor, Connexus Community Church