Your church can be a firm pillar in your community because of the unwavering truth and love of its members.Use case studies from churches that have mastered community service, and apply the action steps to: Attract new believers and reach hurt and skeptical people through service Use the resources your church already has to impact those in need Learn how churches have made community service a part of their DNA Help your members deepen their spiritual commitment through service Discover practical ways to change your community--starting nowFrom the minister to the mechanic and the teen to the tenured, your church will expand God's kingdom when it extends his love to the people in your community.

    Yet studies have shown that 65% of churches in America are either declining or plateauing in attendance. Many of those who tell you they attend church aren't actually showing up.Many today are actively searching for a church experience, but they are doing their search digitally. Long before they set foot in your building, they've "experienced" your digital presence online. Most churches see social media as a means of getting people to attend programs and services, for getting "butts in the seats." But Nona Jones, who facilitates Facebook's relationships with faith-based non-profits, believes there is far more untapped potential for churches to utilize social media, transforming it into social ministry. Social media focuses on driving people to a building for one to two hours of interaction each week. Social ministry focuses on helping people mature in Christ the other 168 hours of the week. And while social media is about marketing and attracting people to your church, social ministry is about life-long discipleship in a digital age.

    You need no further special call. You have been created uniquely to do this uniquely, so work out what you’re passionate about, good at, and fit for, and go do it." — Andrew ScottIn Scatter, missions innovator Andrew Scott sounds a call for a new era of missions, one that uses the global marketplace for gospel growth and sees every Christian—engineer, baker, pastor, or other—as God’s global image bearer.Andrew has served in over 52 countries and is the U.S. president of one of the world’s largest mission agencies. With eyes on a quickly-growing world and a slower-growing church, he sees that our traditional mission models simply won’t do. Here he gives a guide to change it up.Helping us see the grand narrative of Scripture and how each of us fits within it, he issues a compelling call: scatter.

    "Christian is found three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to disciples of Jesus. . . . The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ. But the point is not merely verbal. What is more important is that the kind of life we see in the earliest church is that of a special type of person. All of the assurances and benefits offered to humankind in the gospel evidently presuppose such a life and do not make realistic sense apart from it. The disciple of Jesus is not the deluxe or heavy-duty model of the Christian -- especially padded, textured, streamlined, and empowered for the fast lane on the straight and narrow way. He or she stands on the pages of the New Testament as the first level of basic transportation in the Kingdom of God."Willard boldly challenges the thought that we can be Christians without being disciples, or call ourselves Christians without applying this understanding of life in the Kingdom of God to every aspect of life on earth. He calls on believers to restore what should be the heart of Christianity -- being active disciples of Jesus Christ. Willard shows us that in the school of life, we are apprentices of the Teacher whose brilliance encourages us to rise above traditional church understanding and embrace the true meaning of discipleship -- an active, concrete, 24/7 life with Jesus.

    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.

    It can put strain on your mental and physical health, on your relationships with others, and even your relationship with God. Sifted offers practical guidance and hope for anyone going through a tough time in ministry or pastoral work.Founding pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii Wayne Cordeiro speaks the truth in love, offering wisdom and insight to walk alongside leaders as they face the challenges and hardships of planting and leading churches, while providing encouragement and inspiration for the journey.A seasoned church leader, Wayne shares the things he wishes he'd known when he was starting a new church.With additional stories from Francis Chan and Larry Osborne, each chapter includes a thought-provoking challenge question to develop a heart that is surrendered to God, focused on "being and becoming" versus "doing and accomplishing."Wayne will walk you through how to develop a healthy balance of personal care and spiritual leadership. But instead of a "how to" book on models and methods from men who have it all figured out, Sifted will help you process your journey in a way that:Challenges leaders' common scorecards of success.Encourages leaders to realize that they are not alone in what they are experiencing.Provides wisdom for the long haul to position younger leaders for a life of ministry.You many find yourself in a season of sifting. If you respond correctly, this season can be every bit as important as the time of harvest. Sifting builds the muscle of faith, giving us what we need for what lies just around the corner.

    What biblical event does this bring to mind? Is it Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or Christ's passion in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The kinship between these two stories is deeper than mere coincidence. Christ is present in the story of Abraham and Isaac. In fact, he is present on every page of the Old Testament.Christians seem to have forgotten that the Old Testament has everything to do with Jesus Christ. In Jesus on Every Page, David Murray guides the reader down his own Road to Emmaus, describing how the Scriptures were opened to him, revealing Jesus from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Dr. Murray's ten simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament unveil the face of Christ in the creation, the law, the psalms, the prophets, and the proverbs.Recognizing Jesus in the full breadth of Scripture is important for every Christian. Whether you are preaching Jesus through Old Testament readings or just beginning to discover the reality of Christ in the Old Testament, Jesus on Every Page provides an accessible guide to the increasingly popular subject of Jesus in the Old Testament books. Have your own Road to Emmaus experience and know the Old Testament for what it truly is: full of Jesus.Endorsements:With deceptive ease Dr. David Murray brings his readers on to the Road to Emmaus for a few hours of conversation about Jesus and the Old Testament. With an enviable grace and simplicity he teaches us how to read the Old Testament as Christians. --Sinclair B. Ferguson, Redeemer Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas.This is not a small book, it is a game-changer. I read it with a notepad in one hand and at times tears on every page. This profound work shows that Jesus is on every page of God's love story. This is a book I will read over and over. I highly recommend it! --Sheila Walsh, Singer, Author, Speaker with Women of Faith ConferencesIf you have always struggled to understand the Old Testament, this is the book for you. Dr. Murray has provided us with a refreshingly simple guide to seeing the glory of Jesus our Messiah throughout the Old Testament. --Burk Parsons, Editor, Tabletalk, Pastor, St Andrews, Orlando, Florida.There's no one I'd rather have serve as my guide for a journey down the Emmaus road than David Murray. Jesus on Every Page provides solid, understandable categories and tools for retraining ourselves on how to read and understand the Old Testament. --Nancy Guthrie, Author of the Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study seriesWith contagious delight, David Murray not only opens up the Old Testament beautifully, he draws you to marvel at the One it is all about. This is a moving, rich book that can hardly fail to help readers enjoy Jesus more in his word. --Michael Reeves, Head of Theology, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, Author of Delighting in the TrinityIf you are like me and have longed for a readable book on seeing and savoring Jesus in the Old Testament this book is the resource for you. It is biblical, practical, and preachable. I will recommend it to everyone! --Anthony Carter, Pastor of East Point Church, Georgia, Author of Blood Work and On Being Black and Reformed: A New Perspective on the African American Christian ExperienceThere have been strident voices urging us to see "Christ in the Old Testament" in recent years - among them, Greidanus, Goldsworthy, Clowney, and Chapell. Now comes David Murray's Jesus on Every Page - a bang-on target, concise summary of this urgently needed, hermeneutical adjustment. --Derek W. H. Thomas, Professor of Systematic Theology, RTS Atlanta, Minister of Preaching and Teaching, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC.There could scarcely be a more worthy pursuit than seeking to learn of Jesus in the pages of Scripture....It would be difficult indeed to find a more accessible, concise, practically helpful, warm-hearted guide than David Murray's Jesus On Every Page. --Fred G. Zaspel, Reformed Baptist Church, Franconia, PA, Calvary Baptist Seminary, Lansdale, PACertainly one of the most helpful and most needed new books that I have seen for a long while...This book is more than a devotional read. It leads us to understand more accurately why Jesus could say of the scriptures, 'they testify of me'. What could be more important? --Iain H Murray, Pastor, Author, and Editorial Director of the Banner of Truth Publishers.His aim throughout is to remind New Testament Christians that they are whole Bible believers, and to give them a key to reading the Old Testament biblically. The key to his own book is simple enough: it is that the gospel interprets the Old Testament. --Dr. Iain D. Campbell, Author, Adjunct Professor at Westminster Seminary, and Pastor of Point Free Church of Scotland.

    At any given time there are thousands of churches seeking a lead pastor.  While a great resume, a friendly smile and a memorable sermon will convince many, what should local congregations focus on to find a new shepherd?  Chris Brauns believes to find a great preacher the search must focus on God's Word and how the candidate relates to it and preaches from it. This book is a must have resource for search committees and church leaders addressing the needs of churches in the transition of pastoral leadership.  It assists by approaching their responsibilities in a biblical way and providing critical help in key practical matters.  From the initial formation of a search committee to the final terms of agreement with the new pastor, Brauns shows you how to "major on the majors" and away from subjective approaches of evaluating candidates and their sermons.  Great also for pastors or pastoral students to know how to prepare, the book includes such practical tools as interview questions for candidates and the top mistakes search committees make.

    That may be bad news for America, but it can be good news for the church. What's needed now, in shifting times, is neither a doubling-down on the status quo nor a pullback into isolation. Instead, we need a church that speaks to social and political issues with a bigger vision in mind: that of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Christianity seems increasingly strange, and even subversive, to our culture, we have the opportunity to reclaim the freakishness of the gospel, which is what gives it its power in the first place.   We seek the kingdom of God, before everything else. We connect that kingdom agenda to the culture around us, both by speaking it to the world and by showing it in our churches. As we do so, we remember our mission to oppose demons, not to demonize opponents. As we advocate for human dignity, for religious liberty, for family stability, let's do so as those with a prophetic word that turns everything upside down.   The signs of the times tell us we are in for days our parents and grandparents never knew. But that's no call for panic or surrender or outrage. Jesus is alive. Let's act like it. Let's follow him, onward to the future.

    Who is Jesus Christ? If he is not who he said he was and if he did not do what he said he had come to do the whole superstructure of Christianity crumbles in ruins to the ground Is it plausible that Jesus was truly divine? And what might this mean for us? John Stott presents his clear classic statement of the gospel

    The ingrown church is a common phenomenon. It is the "norm" for contemporary evangelical and Protestant churches. But ingrownness is a pathology. It can destroy the vital spiritual health of a church. It must, therefore, be combated with the norms of Scripture. And that is why this book was written. Outgrowing the Ingrown Church is a masterful mix of biblical principle, objective analysis, and personal experience. It traces the author's own growing awareness of the problem of ingrownness in his calling as a pastor, seminary professor, and evangelist/missionary. In his own discovery of the power and presence of God he discovered the tendency of the church to live by its own power and resources. This is a book written to help change churches by changing the individuals who read it. It offers one an unparalleled challenge to be evaluated, revitalized, and then used by God for the work of ministry. Thus it is a book not merely for pastors, but for the whole body of Christ. "I have never been as excited about any book concerning church growth as when I read this book . . . . (His biblical) principles, if followed, transform individual lives and then lead to a movement within a church to change the whole congregation," writes John Guest in the foreword.

    In the culture of today’s church, successful leadership is often judged by what works, while persistent faithfulness takes a back seat. If a ministry doesn’t produce results, it is dropped. If people don’t respond, we move on. This pursuit of “greatness” exerts a crushing pressure on the local church and creates a consuming anxiety in its leaders. In their pursuit of this warped vision of greatness, church leaders end up embracing a leadership narrative that runs counter to the sacrificial call of the gospel story.When church leaders focus on faithfulness to God and the gospel, however, it’s always a kingdom-win—regardless of the visible results of their ministry. John the Baptist modeled this kind of leadership. As John’s disciples crossed the Jordan River to follow after Jesus, John freely released them to a greater calling than following him. Speaking of Jesus, John said: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Joyfully satisfied to have been faithful to his calling, John knew that the size and scope of his ministry would be determined by the will of the Father, not his own will. Following the example of John the Baptist and with a careful look at the teaching of Scripture, Tim Suttle dares church leaders to risk failure by chasing the vision God has given them—no matter how small it might seem—instead of pursuing the broad path of pragmatism that leads to fame and numerical success.

    Providing an intimate window into a loving Muslim home, Qureshi shares how he developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God. Unable to deny the arguments but not wanting to deny his family, Qureshi's inner turmoil will challenge Christians and Muslims alike. Engaging and thought-provoking, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus tells a powerful story of the clash between Islam and Christianity in one man's heart---and of the peace he eventually found in Jesus.

    . . . As our cities swell with immigrants, I'm reminded that Jesus was born in a borrowed barn in Asia and became an African refugee in Egypt, so the Christmas story is about an international migrant. Furthermore, a whole village full of baby boys died for Jesus before he had the opportunity to die for them on the cross. Surely this Jesus understands the pain of children who die for the sins of adults in our cities. How does God see the city? What does Scripture have to say about urban ministry? These are the questions Ray Bakke has systematically addressed, beginning with Genesis and continuing through to Revelation. Here is a biblical theology that will constantly surprise and challenge as you get a glimpse of how big God's view of the city really is.

    S. Lewis used the phrase deep church to describe the body of believers committed to mere Christianity. Unfortunately church in our postmodern era has been marked by a certain shallowness. Emerging authors, fed up with contemporary pragmatism, have offered alternative visions for twenty-first-century Christianity. Traditionalist churches have reacted negatively, at times defensively.Jim Belcher knows what it's like to be part of both of these worlds. In the 1990s he was among the pioneers of what was then called Gen X ministry, hanging out with creative innovators like Rob Bell, Mark Oestreicher and Mark Driscoll. But he also has maintained ties to traditionalist circles, planting a church in the Presbyterian Church of America.In Deep Church, Belcher brings the best insights of all sides to forge a third way between emerging and traditional. In a fair and evenhanded way, Belcher explores the proposals of such emerging church leaders as Tony Jones, Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt. He offers measured appreciation and affirmation as well as balanced critique. Moving beyond reaction, Belcher provides constructive models from his own church planting experience and paints a picture of what this alternate, deep church looks like--a missional church committed to both tradition and culture, valuing innovation in worship, arts and community but also creeds and confessions.If you've felt stuck between two extremes, you can find a home here. Plumb the depths of Christianity in a way that neither rejects our postmodern context nor capitulates to it. Instead of veering to the left or the right, go between the extremes--and go deep.