This classic book, expanded from the film of the same title, brings you face to face with Dr. Campolo to hear just such a message: an unashamed proclamation that the Gospel of Christ, when taken seriously, is able to meet every human need-the need for psychological health, emotional well-being, self worth and value, love, purpose in life, miracles, and hope. With passion and humor Campolo challenges us to face life's problems with the hope of the resurrection and shout, "It's Friday, but Sunday's comin' "

    And he offers practical and fruitful advice� "born out of his five decades as a pastor� "that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

    The question goes like this: "Look, I've read your book, and it expresses what I have always thought about Christian ministry. But as I kept reading, I had this sinking feeling that what actually happens in our church is still a long way from the kind of disciple-making ministry vision you outline and that I believe in. So my question is this: What can we do about it? How can we shape the whole culture of our church around disciple-making?" In "The Vine Project", Marshall and Payne provide a roadmap and resources for this sort of church-wide culture change. The book guides your ministry leadership team through a five-phase process for growth and change, with biblical input, practical ideas, resources, case studies, exercises and projects along the way. You will be helped to: • clarify and sharpen your convictions (Phase 1) • reform your own personal life to express these convictions (Phase 2) • honestly evaluate every aspect of your current church (or ministry) culture (Phase 3) • devise some key plans for change and put them into effect (Phase 4) • keep the momentum going and overcome obstacles (Phase 5). "The Trellis and the Vine" proposed a "ministry mind-shift that changes everything". "The Vine Project" shows how that mind-shift can and must shape every aspect of what you are doing as a congregation of Christ's people to make disciples of all nations. For more information and help in working through 'The Vine Project', as well as additional resources, templates, videos, case studies, the PDF of the Team Manual, and much more, visit thevineproject.com (a website is run by Colin Marshall and the team at Vinegrowers.)

    Scot McKnight answers these questions and more in this comprehensive examination of what the Bible says about this divinely important, but often confusing member of the Trinity. This is the third work in a three-part series examining some of the supernatural components of the Christian faith. Scot's The Heaven Promise examines the afterlife. The Hum of Angels elucidates the Bible's teaching on God's supernatural messengers and protectors. Now, The Holy Spirit examines the most mysterious member of the Trinity. Scot blogs at Patheos, a large multi-perspective blog format. It serves many influential voices from many faith and non-faith traditions. Scot's blog draws primarily a Christian readership; one that is looking for intellectual engagement and thoughtful analysis of Scripture, Theology, and Culture.

    God’s call came suddenly to Elisha, who was plowing a field when Elijah cast the prophet’s mantle on him, and to Peter, who was holding a fishing net when Jesus called him. What does the Bible say about Christ’s calling today? We are told that the Lord calls us by name, and every Christian has his or her own calling—a calling as a child of God and a servant of God.In this timeless book Clowney address the question of how the Lord calls us today. Christ’s spoken word no longer sounds by the lake of Galilee, but he has not left his disciples without direction.

    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

    It also can teach you how to discern true prophets using Dr. Hamon's ten M's.

    But God works with us and through us to accomplish his purposes. Available here for the first time in English is John Stott's practical wisdom for younger leaders. Speaking personally from his own experience, Stott addresses issues of discouragement, self-discipline, relationships and youth.

    It is the overflow of your relationship with Jesus. It is washing feet, loving people, making disciples, and more.In dozens of brief yet powerful chapters, Ministry Is . . . presents an actionable Bible-based guide to serving God in the local church. The insights here from authors Dave Earley and Ben Gutierrez are perfect for those considering church ministry as a vocation and applicable to anyone desiring to serve intentionally through the church.With every entry, they stay laser focused on making the reader "a spiritual change agent, a difference maker, and impact player for Jesus Christ."Endorsements"This book is like a pastoral pep talk. It'll challenge the way you think and lead."Mark Batterson, author, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day"I can't think of two young men more qualified to write a best-selling book on the topic How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence."Elmer L. Towns, vice president, Liberty University"The authors are in 'Game On!' mode in every chapter. They know that a great church isnÕt about having great big talent, but leaders whom have great big servant hearts."John Hull, president/CEO, EQUIP

    Too often, however, pastors feel unprepared to effectively shepherd their people through difficult circumstances such as depression, adultery, eating disorders, and suicidal thinking. Written to help pastors and church leaders understand the basics of biblical counseling, this book provides an overview of the counseling process from the initial meeting to the final session. It also includes suggestions for cultivating a culture of discipleship within a church and four appendixes featuring a quick checklist, tips for taking notes, and more.

    He presents a methodology for taking the literary characteristics of biblical texts into account in the text-to-sermon process and then applies that methodology in separate chapters on preaching on psalms, proverbs, narratives, parables, and epistles.

     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

    Plantinga—himself a master preacher—shows how a wide reading program can benefit preachers. First, he says, good reading generates delight, and the preacher who enters the world of delight goes with God. Good reading can also help tune the preacher's ear for language—his or her primary tool. General reading can enlarge the preacher's sympathies for people and situations that she or he had previously known nothing about. And, above all, the preacher who reads widely has the chance to become wise.This beautifully written book will benefit not just preachers but anyone interested in the wisdom to be derived from reading.Works that Plantinga interacts with in the book include The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario, Silence by Shusaku Endo, How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy, Narcissus Leaves the Pool by Joseph Epstein, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo . . . and many more!

    In fact, prayer in the church often gets subtly pushed to the side in favor of pragmatic practices that promise tangible results. Rather than being a hallmark of churches, dependence on prayer is usually emphasized only in times of major crisis--if at all. The latest book in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series focuses on the necessity of regular prayer as a central practice in the local church. Examining what Jesus taught about prayer, how the first Christians approached prayer in the early church, and what steps can be taken to prioritize prayer in churches, this book is intended to awaken readers to the need and blessing of prayer in their personal lives and in the life of their local church.

    The authors, both pastors at The Journey Church of the City in Manhattan, offer specific strategies for beginning a church from scratch, based on their own experiences in launching a church with no members, no money and no staff and watched membership skyrocket to more than a thousand people in three years!  They offer clear, practical how to strategies for quickly raising funds, creating a team, planning services, effective evangelism and rapidly developing a growing membership. Specific advice is included for reaching that often difficult to target demographic, the 20 to 40 year old. You will also get an insider’s look at The Journey Church of the City as a model for church planting. The helpful strategies here will help you remove many of the barriers, questions and doubts encountered in starting a church from scratch. If these principles work in NYC, they will work for you!