We continue to watch consistent church attendance shrink, and our desire to reach the lost is infected with a need for self-validation by growing our numbers at any cost. If we believe that God wants his church to grow, where do we go from here? What is the future of the church?Drawing from his 20 years and 15,000 hours of consulting, author Will Mancini shares with pastors and ministry leaders the single most important insight he has learned about church growth. With plenty of salient stories and based solidly on the disciple-making methods found in Scripture, Future Church exposes the church's greatest challenge today, and offers 7 transforming laws of real church growth so that we can faithfully and joyfully fulfill Jesus's Great Commission.

    Especially when we are going through difficult times, it may seem as though other people have been richly blessed-while our own lives are completely empty. But Ron Mehl assures readers that despite the way things sometimes appear, God is continually at work in their lives, reminding them that God often does his best works in the darkness. As men and women take a closer look at the God who works the night shift, they will learn about the unceasing acts of love he performs for them, every moment of their lives...even while they sleep.

    God can save your church.Thom Rainer reveals seven findings of revived churches. Through new research, he figuratively dissects hundreds of churches that were on the path toward death. But they turned around. They revived. They did so in the face of facts and naysayers who told them it could not be done.Get ready to walk with us through the anatomy of churches that were revived because they chose to live. The choice is as simple as it is profound. Change or die. And now, in God's power, the choice is yours.

    Some church music is dull. But here’s the thing: If Jesus had been boring, the disciples wouldn’t have followed him and the Pharisees wouldn’t have killed him. So if you’re bored, don’t waste another minute. If your church service feels like a failed pep rally that never leads to the actual game, then it’s time for you to follow Jesus onto the field where the opposition is real and the stakes are extraordinary. It will get messy. It won’t always be comfortable. But you’ll make a difference. And you’ll discover that nobody’s bored out there. Nobody.

    Whether you’re a parent trying to raise them, a pastor trying to reach them, or an employer trying to retain them, they’re disruptive. As the largest living generation, millennials are one of the most studied but misunderstood groups of our day. And the chasm between the generations is only getting wider.Speaker and founder of the Initiative Network Grant Skeldon pulls back the confusing statistics about millennials to reveal the root issue: it’s not a millennial problem, it’s a discipleship problem. Millennials are known for their struggle to hold jobs, reluctance to live on their own, and alarming migration away from the church. And now our culture is feeling the results of a mentor-less, fatherless generation. But how do you start discipling young people when you struggle to connect with them?Written by a millennial, The Passion Generation will guide you beyond the stats of what millennials are doing to the why they’re doing it and how we can all move toward healthy community. With wit, compassion, and startling insights, this book shares stories and studies drawn from Skeldon’s years of working to bridge generational gaps. In his signature conversational style, Skeldon offers researched strategies that will spark healthy connections, and practical methods that will help you disciple the millennials you love.This book is your guide to understanding the millennials in your life who are seemingly reckless but far from hopeless, for the future of the church that depends on them.

    It is a confidence in the power and goodness of God that leads us to make good decisions and allows us to surrender our lives to Him. As we strive to mature spiritually and lead lives pleasing to God, we all want more faith. Hebrews 6:12 says that we are to be "imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." One of the best ways to grow in faith is to imitate the lives of people who have shown great faith. Hebrews 11 guides us through the lives of men and women - like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, David and others - who have done just that. Real people with real lives and real problems, who had faith in a great God and trusted Him at pivotal moments in their lives. By drawing on some of the greatest lives of faith in the Bible, readers will come to see that God was worthy of these men's and women's trust and faith during biblical times in the same way that He is worthy of ours today.

    After all, there’s no better place to experience God than in the loving, healthy community of a church. But what does an effective church look like? Is it possible to grow and be healthy at the same time? Pastor Robert Morris has experienced firsthand the spiritual and relational excitement of a growing, dynamic church. In The Blessed Church, Pastor Morris brings you practical wisdom for cultivating real growth by nurturing true and Biblical health in your spiritual community.“In The Blessed Church Robert Morris reveals why Gateway Church in Dallas–Fort Worth has become not just one of the largest churches in America but also one of the most influential. Robert’s devoted, attentive shepherding of this great fl ock is one reason why Gateway is so‘blessed.’ In The Blessed Church the biblical principles that lead to true success in the body of Christ are carefully explained. If you love the local church, as both Robert and I do, you won’t want to miss the insights found in this helpful and practical book.”—Dr. Tony Evans, senior pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship; and president, The Urban Alternative “Our world desperately needs healthy, vibrant churches, so I’m so thankful Robert Morris has written The Blessed Church—a book that draws on the Gateway ‘back story’ to describe the qualities of a healthy local church. More than anything, a heart for God and a love of people define the ministry of Pastor Morris and Gateway Church. If you want a growing vitality in your church, you will profit from every page of The Blessed Church.”—Chris Hodges, senior pastor, Church of the Highlands “How has your church remained so healthy while growing so quickly?” Robert Morris gets this question a lot. In other words, people want to know: “What’s your secret?” In The Blessed Church: The Simple Secret to Growing the Church You Love, Pastor Robert Morris unfolds why Gateway Church in suburban Dallas–Fort Worth is one of America’s fastest-growing, spiritually enriching local churches—and still one of its healthiest. Written for both church leaders and lay people, The Blessed Church looks at the qualities that make church “work” in the twenty-first century and how that can enrich your church—whatever its size or vision. With the humor and powerful stories he’s known for, Morris shows how every component of your church—including mission, church government, teaching, worship, small groups, giving, and outreach—can receive God’s richest blessings. Rather than bemoaning the problems of the contemporary evangelical church, The Blessed Church celebrates the expanding role of the body of Christ in the lives of individuals—starting right where you and your church are today.

    Each has a reason to despair and a wound that won’t heal. Until something unexpected happens—something that will change their lives forever.The Rescue tells the powerful, true stories of men and women whose lives should have ended badly but didn’t. What happens to each of them will take you by surprise and give you hope. It will restore your sense that no matter what you are facing, Someone good is in control of the universe. Fortunately, that Someone cares about you. If you or people you care about are facing challenges beyond their strength, it may be time to experience The Rescue.

    Whether you've been married twenty-five years or are just tryin' to break out of the friend zone, this workbook will give you practical tools and provide strategic space for you to reflect in writing on your journey. Take the groundbreaking concepts you received from Relationship Goals and encounter additional coaching to apply them intentionally and impactfully to your life.

    Sharing inspiring stories from his own experiences as a prayer circle maker, Batterson will help readers uncover their heart's deepest desires and God-given dreams and unleash them through the kind of audacious prayer that God delights to answer.

    . .The American dream-quickly becoming your worst nightmare!Financial stress, social pressures, and the never-ending anxiety of life . . .Looking like good Christians, but powerless and miserable behind closed doors.In search of authentic Christianity, author Jim Hohnberger and his family found the restorative power of God's love. As a result, the Hohnbergers have helped others remove life's draining distractions, and countless lives have been transformed.Part personal memoir and part handbook for cultivating an intimate relationship with the Creator, Escape to God will challenge and inspire you to put aside the card-punching religion of "Churchianity" and experience the indescribable peace and empowerment God intends for His people.If you are fed up with going through the motions, dive into an intimate fellowship with the Creator. Are you ready to escape to God?

    

    This book helps readers match who they are--their unique spiritual gifts, passions, temperament, talents, and leadership style--with the ministry area for which God designed them. A practical guide, it takes dedicated Christians step by step through the process of reaching their full potential for Christ's kingdom. This new edition of Maximizing Your Effectiveness puts multiple tools, inventories, and worksheets in the hands of readers to empower them to minister according to God's unique design and purpose for their lives.

    Since 1991, more than 200,000 people have participated in the Celebrate Recovery programs offered at more than 3,500 churches, prisons, and rescue missions. Drawn from the Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery helps people resolve painful problems in the context of the church as a whole.'And then there's pastor John Baker, the founder of Celebrate Recovery... Big John and I shared something in common. We used to drink too much. And our hearts changed, and then we quit. That is a tried-and-true formula. The problem is government is not good at changing hearts. But people like John Baker have been good about it and successful doing that.' ---President George W. Bush on Celebrate Recovery and its founder, John Baker, at the Faith- Based and Community Initiatives Conference, March 3, 2004.

    In a culture that pulls women in multiple directions at once, is it possible to adjust priorities, reexamine your time management, and reduce your busyness in exchange for what is truly important--becoming like Jesus?Written by Navigator author and Bible teacher Cynthia Heald, Becoming a Woman of Simplicity is a topical Bible study that delves into Scripture to offer practical, real-life counsel on rest and stress to women.• Personal study between meetings• 11 sessions