It is widely viewed in the world at large as being outdated, boring, irrelevant and filled with backbiting hypocrites.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.

    And yet, for many, prayer is often a challenge, requiring intense personal commitment and self-discipline. However, as Megan Hill points out in Praying Together, our normal approach to prayer leaves out a crucial component: other people. While personal prayer is important, God designed the church to be a community of believers who regularly pray together. Exploring the Bible's rich teaching on what it means to gather at God's throne with one voice, Hill lays a theological foundation for corporate prayer and offers practical guidance for making it a reality--in our families, churches, and communities.

    There is unprecedented spiritual openness in today’s society, and at the same time, increasing economic pressure on the resources of local churches. The solution lies squarely on the able shoulders of God-gifted volunteers. And they are ready for the challenge! Once trained, empowered, and inspired, record numbers of volunteers will take on all new levels of responsibility in the local church, creating a volunteer revolution that will transform churches and communities. The Volunteer Revolution reveals how all of this can happen and how churches can unleash vast amounts of untapped potential. Through real-life volunteer stories, Hybels inspires church leaders in their role as equippers while motivating potential volunteers to align themselves with God’s mission to change the world. The Volunteer Revolution is also available as an unabridged Audio Pages® CD.

    Meeting people is just the first step. Once you've met someone, then what? Should you move on, pursue a simple friendship, or more? How do you set smart limits on your physical relationship? How much do you get involved financially? And how do you know if you've found your future spouse?In Boundaries in Dating, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, counselors and authors of the New York Times bestseller?Boundaries, answer all of these questions and more. Helping you bridge the pitfalls of dating, Drs. Cloud and Townsend share their practical advice for adding healthy boundaries to your dating life.Boundaries in Dating unfolds a wise, biblical path to developing self-control, freedom, and intimacy. Let Drs. Cloud and Townsend help you get to know yourself, solve problems, and enjoy the journey of dating and finding your life partner.Full of insightful, real-life examples, this much-needed book will give you the tools you need to:Recognize and choose quality over perfection in a dating partnerPrioritize friendship within your relationshipPreserve friendships by separating between platonic relationships and romantic interestMove past denial to handle real relational problems in a realistic and hopeful wayEnjoy this season of lifeDon't forget to check out the?Boundaries?collection of books and workbooks dedicated to key areas of your life, including dating, marriage, parenting kids, raising teenagers, and leadership.

    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.

    Topics include: • How to get royalties from selling articles.• Proper pricing.• How to submit articles to the "Kindle Singles" (special Amazon category). • Best ways to sell articles.• Representing articles accurately in e-Reader bookstores.• Avoiding unnecessary costs. • Image formatting.Tips are also applicable for a variety of mobile devices such as the Barnes and Noble Nook and Apple ipad. You will learn how to publish your article in a word processor, without having to learn HTML coding. Instructional Appendices Include: • How to create table of contents and internal links.• Solving formatting problems.• Converting your article to a Kindle device.• Easy preview options before you publish.• A curated list of the 50 best resources for finding free Kindle books, software, podcasts, help forums and the best blogs on Kindle publishing (10,300 words).About the Author: Kate Harper has taught art and computer classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys creating visual step-by-step guides for non-technical users. She is a credentialed adult education instructor in the state of California, and is inspired by technologies that encourage people to be more creative.

    Yet polity remains as important now as it was in the New Testament.   What then is a right or biblical polity? The contributors to this volume make an exegetical and theological case for a Baptist polity. Right polity, they argue, is congregationalism, elder leadership, diaconal service, regenerate church membership, church discipline, and a Baptist approach to the ordinances.   Each section explores the pastoral applications of these arguments. How do congregationalism and elder leadership work together? When should a church practice church discipline? How can one church work with another in matters of membership and discipline?     To be read sequentially or used as a reference guide, Baptist Foundations provides a contemporary treatment of Baptist church government and structures, the first of its kind in decades.

    Whether you are a cross-cultural worker or simply live in a cross-cultural neighborhood, you'll find this book to be a valuable resource for understanding and relating to others from a different climate.

    Why does sharing the good news with a stranger often feel less frightening than telling those you love most?For the vast majority of Christians, evangelism does not come naturally. We find ourselves sounding like someone we're not or beating ourselves up for not being bold enough, smart enough, or quick enough.Randy Newman understands the complexity and consequences of this all-important task. As a messianic Jew who has led several family members to Christ, he gives insights from the Scriptures, stories of others who have learned some lessons along the way, and specific steps you can take to make progress in engaging with others.Bringing the Gospel Home will help any Christian seeking to guide loved ones into the family of God.

    While it can be dry and dull, when it flows from the story of Scripture, it can be full of life and love. This kind of doctrine, steeped in Scripture, is critical for disciple-making. And it's often overlooked by modern pastors.In Hearers and Doers, Kevin Vanhoozer makes the case that pastors, as pastor-theologians, ought to interpret Scripture theologically to articulate doctrine and help cultivate disciples. scriptural doctrine is vital to the life of the church, and local pastor-theologians should be the ones delivering it to their communities.With arresting prose and striking metaphors, Vanhoozer addresses the most pressing problems in the modern church with one answer: teach sound, scriptural doctrine to make disciples.

    At the core of men, you'll find a sensitive, emotional being that needs to feel loved, respected and needed. Men are very protective of their core. It's this protective behavior that keeps men from openly sharing their feelings with women. But, Kevin Leman knows that the more you understand and are sensitive to the fears, anxieties, and insecurities that make the men in your life behave the way they do, the stronger your relationships will be.

    

    Vine work is the Great Commission.And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.What’s the state of the trellis and the vine in your part of the world? Has trellis work taken over, as it has a habit of doing? Is the vine work being done by very few (perhaps only the pastor and only on Sundays)? And is the vine starting to wilt as a result?The image of the trellis and the vine raises all the fundamental questions of Christian ministry: * What is the vine for? * How does the vine grow? * How does the vine relate to my church? * What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference? * What part do different people play in growing the vine? * How can we get more people involved in vine work? In The Trellis and the Vine, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne answer these urgent questions afresh. They dig back into the Bible’s view of Christian ministry, and argue that a major mind-shift is required if we are to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, and see the vine flourish again.

    What can the church do to empower the family? How can the family emphasize the work of the church? They can Think Orange. Former family ministry director Reggie Joiner looks at what would happen if churches and families decided they could no longer do business as usual, but instead combined their efforts and began to work off the same page for the sake of the kids. Think Orange shows church leaders how to make radical changes so they can: Engage parents in an integrated strategy Synchronize the home and church around a clear message Provoke parents and kids to fight for their relationships with each other Recruit mentors to become partners with the family Mobilize the next generation to be the church With a transparent, authentic approach that gives every family and church hope for being more effective in their common mission, Think Orange rethinks the approach to children's, youth, and family ministry.

    The Anatomy of Peace asks, What if conflicts at home, conflicts at work, and conflicts in the world stem from the same root cause? What if we systematically misunderstand that cause? And what if, as a result, we unwittingly perpetuate the very problems we think we are trying to solve? Through an intriguing story we learn how and why we contribute to the divisions and problems we blame on others and the surprising way that these problems can be solved. Yusuf al-Falah, an Arab, and Avi Rozen, a Jew, each lost his father at the hands of the other's ethnic cousins. The Anatomy of Peace is the story of how they came together, how they help warring parents and children come together, and how we too can find our way out of the struggles that weigh us down. This second edition includes new sections enabling readers to go deeper into the book's key concepts; access to free digital study and discussion guides; and information about The Reconciliation Project, a highly successful global peace initiative based on concepts in The Anatomy of Peace.