And so the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) was born, with Wayne Gordon an immediate and enthusiastic participant. Nearly thirty years later CCDA's eight key components of community development still set the bar for how churches, parachurches and nonprofits engage cities with the whole gospel.Relocation Reconciliation Redistribution Leadership Development Listening to the Community Church-Based Development A Wholistic Approach to Ministry Empowerment In Making Neighborhoods Whole Perkins and Gordon revisit these eight commitments and how they've played out in real communities, even as they scan the horizon of urban ministry to set a new tone. With profiles of longstanding and emerging community development ministries, they guide a new conversation and empower disciples of Jesus to seek the welfare of their cities to the glory of God.

    Woven through out this beautiful love story is a greater story of God’s amazing love for us. If you have faced loss and wondered if God really loves you or if God is involved in the details of your life, then this study is for you. Ruth’s courage in the face of adversity will inspire you to trust God with your future. This in-depth Bible Study will take you verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter through the book of Ruth. This book will fill you to the brim with hope, as you see an imperfect family be used mightily by God Join me on this journey as we study the depth of God’s amazing love for us! You can find more resources, including a free video series to correlate with this study at the Women Living Well website.

    Presenting passage after passage from the Bible, Washer describes the holy character of God, the human problem of sin, and the divine solution found in Jesus’s redemptive life, death, and resurrection for all who repent and believe. If you are interested in knowing the basic claims of the gospel or know someone exploring the truths of Christ, this succinct treatment of the greatest news the world has ever heard is just what you need. Author: Paul Washer ministered as a missionary in Peru for ten years, during which time he founded the HeartCry Missionary Society to support Peruvian church planters. Paul now serves as one of the laborers with the HeartCry Missionary Society (www.heartcrymissionary.com). He and his wife Charo have four children: Ian, Evan, Rowan, and Bronwyn. Endorsement: “Nothing is more beautiful than the gospel, the good news that God saves sinners through Jesus Christ. Nothing is more damning than a false gospel. With the Word of God constantly in view, Paul Washer leads us step by step to know the truth about who God is, who we are, and how we may live with God now and forever. This booklet is medicine for the sinner and food for the saint.” — Dr. Joel R. Beeke, president, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan

    Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century is still virtually the only available text on church planting in North America and beyond.In this third edition, readers will find material on the importance of healthy, biblical change in our churches, updated appendixes, insight on our postmodern ministry context, and strategies for reaching new population demographics such as Generations X and Y.Pastors, ministry leaders, and church planters will find the information and advice found in this book invaluable as they carry out their ministries.

    Growing up, there was my mutated national identity to deal with--my not-quite-American, not-quite-Indonesian soul, restless in both countries. Later, when I came out as a celibate gay Christian, I found I didn't fit into the church as easily as I used to. I've often wondered what it means to belong to others even when I can't manage to blend in with them. The way Jesus tells it, if we give up on belonging in order to follow him, we'll find ourselves belonging anyway. We might not belong the way other people do, with normal homes and normal families and normal ways of fitting in. But we'll belong in a way that's a hundred times better. We'll be fully in place because we know we are out of place. We'll belong like aliens. Maybe you're caught in the same tension as me, wanting to fit somewhere even as you're permanently out of place. Maybe you feel like an alien. If so, let's be aliens together.

    And more than helping you find your way out, this book will help you find your way through that place.

    Len Sweet uncovers and presents to us the offensive and scandalous Jesus described in the Bible.Did he disappear when people needed him most? Yes. Did he refuse to answer questions directly? Yes. Did Jesus offend the people of his day? Absolutely, yes.Popular author and speaker Len Sweet examines the words and actions of Jesus and places them in context. We need to understand who Jesus really is if we are to follow him wholeheartedly. That is why it is so crucial to see the "rebellious rabbi" for who he is and not for who we may imagine him to be.The Bad Habits of Jesus will help you see the untamed Jesus, who isn't sanitized for our culture. That Jesus just might transform how you live out your life.

    As Salomon journeys through his experiences in indie rock bands playing churches and events, he exposes why he dropped the label of "Christian" in order to truly minister. He challenges pervading mindsets and shows that an authentic Christian life reaches beyond the traditions of religion.

     This book is written as a set of tales with characters from all around the world. Missionaries preaching the Christian doctrines are depicted in the midst of their adventures, convincing indiginous peoples of the one, true God. Dialogue and captivating descriptions of the local cultures confer a vibrant, vivid and captivating essence to the text. This book is a colorful history of Christian missionary activities in far-flung places. The text is divided into four principle parts, each of which focus on a particular locale where missionary activity was frequent over the centuries. We begin our journey by following the adventures of the earliest Christian missionaries, where the principles of conversion and spreading the holy word are set out. After this, the author sequentially brings us to the exotic, tropical paradises of the South Sea Islands in the Pacific, the vast and beautiful savannas of Africa, the desert plains of the Middle East and elsewhere. A wonderfully flowing and passionate text, where creative description meets religious history, The Book of Missionary Heroes is a valuable addition to any library.

    The church is God’s plan for evangelism, discipleship, and the Great Commission. This connection between the Great Commission and the church dramatically impacts how both leaders and members should think about their work of making disciples. We do it together.

    Throughout his journey he has encountered a staggering number of Muslims who were first introduced to Jesus through a vision or dream so powerful that they eventually turned from their lifelong religion of Islam and embraced Christ as their Savior. Despite living in a culture where converting to Christianity can result in execution, these former Muslims have found hope, peace, and inspiration that comes from knowing Christ. Their stories will amaze you. Jesus is reaching out to the Muslims and they are responding. Did you know that Iran has the fastest growing church in the world?Dreams and Visions is a remarkable collection of stories directly from the world of Islam. Doyle not only relates these stories, but also addresses the questions: Why would God use dreams to reach the Muslim world? Can dreams be trusted? What happens after these dreams or visions occur?Travel to the heart of the Middle East to meet new believers who have truly been touched by Jesus in the most miraculous way, through their nightly dreams.

    Discover through the sometimes humorous, often sobering, but always enlightening and encouraging true stories how imams, sheikhs, and entire mosques are forsaking Islam and embracing Christ.This close look at what the Lord is doing to spread the gospel highlights the key scriptural principles that help Christians reach out in love to share the gospel in their own community. The authors outline the principle of service to others that open doors of opportunity to the work of the gospel.Author Jerry Trousdale works with CityTeam Ministries, an organization dedicated to helping disciples make disciples through CityTeam’s own ministry and through training other ministries in more than thirty countries.Features includes:Outlines important principles on how to share the gospel with non-ChristiansExplains how ordinary people can lead neighbors to Christ in love and humilityTells many exciting and encouraging stories of Muslims who have accepted JesusDescribes CityTeam’s unique program focused on God’s work through disciple-making movements, a strategy that harnesses the power of disciples making disciples and churches planting churches

    But much of today's apologetics (engagement with the questions that people are asking about Christianity) come from suburban churches and academic studies. Urban believers--those who live and minister in America's inner cities--often face unique issues, not often addressed by the larger Christian community. These questions aren't neat or easy to answer but need to be addressed by applying biblical truth in the culture and challenges of urban life.Author Chris Brooks has ministered for years in the urban environment as well as received extensive theological training. In Urban Apologetics, he seeks to connect the riches of the Christian apologetic tradition with the issues facing cities--such as poverty, violence, and broken families. He brings an urban rhythm and sensitivity to the task of demonstrating the relevance of faith and the healing truth that Christ provides.

    The evergreen wreath symbolizes eternal life and includes four candles—typically three purple and one pink, with a white candle in the middle that symbolizes the purity of Christ. Various traditions assign different topics to each candle, and the candles are usually given names to remind us of the good news of Christ's birthTo celebrate this season, TGC's editorial team put together 25 devotional readings that use the Advent wreath as a guide to focus hearts and minds on Christ during the month of December. Structured around traditional Advent themes—hope, peace, joy, love, and faith—these reflections will encourage your heart in this season of celebrating Christ's first coming, and longing for his second.

    Butros, a Christian man with a heart for the church. Ahmed, Mustafa and Hassan, devout Muslims until their hearts are changed by the Truth of Scripture. Salima, a rich young woman who loses everything when she falls in love with Jesus. How can Christianity flourish in the face of Sharia law? How can Christ's love win Muslims? What price will these believers pay for their faith?