Church Ministry

Fellowship among believers is more than just talking over coffee after church service. Biblical fellowship in New Testament times - or koinonia - had rich and varied meanings, including covenant relationship, partnership in the gospel, communion with God and others, and the sharing of earthly possessions. In True Community, best-selling author Jerry Bridges guides you through koinonia and its implications for today’s church.

To many in the West, Orthodoxy remains shrouded in mystery, an exotic and foreign religion that survived in the East following the Great Schism of 1054 that split the Christian world into two camps - Catholic and Orthodox. However, as the second largest Christian denomination, Orthodox Christianity is anything but foreign to the nearly 300 million worshipers who practice it. For them, Orthodoxy is a living, breathing reality; a way of being Christian ultimately rooted in the person of Jesus and the experience of the early church.

A new generation is going to church. But is the church ready? Church consultant and researcher Thom Rainer believes God is at work in this generation, and he believes that this moment in time has created unique opportunities for churches to grow, thrive, and revive. In this book, Thom explores research that reveals that the anxious generation is yearning for meaningful community and is waiting to be invited in.

Long before the New Testament was a document, it was a sacrament. Jesus called the Eucharist by the name Christians subsequently gave to the latter books of the Holy Bible. It was the "New Covenant," the "New Testament," in his blood. Christians later extended the phrase to cover the books produced by the apostles and their companions; but they did so because these were the books that could be read at Mass.

In 1979 the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith withdrew Hans Kung's missio canonica. Pope Paul VI approved the censure saying, "We are obligated to declare that in his writings he fell short of integrity and the truth of the Catholic faith." Through a 1980 agreement with the Vatican, Kung is now permitted to teach, but only under secular auspices. In this acclaimed Modern Library Chronicle, Kung examines the Catholic Church through its many reformations, focusing on the people and events...

Does it seem like your evangelism light has diminished? The wonder and beauty of Jesus forms the basis of a bright witness of Jesus Christ in this world. This type of witness requires the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to be unleashed in us. It is not something that we can produce in our own strength. The Holy Spirit must be freely moving in us to produce a life that experiences the power and person of Jesus Christ. As we come in contact with His glory in this way, we will have much reason and motivation to testify to the wonder of Jesus. This book is written in a devotional style ...

Spirit and Sacrament by pastor and author Andrew Wilson is an impassioned call to join together two traditions that are frequently and unnecessarily kept separate. It is an invitation to pursue the best of both worlds in worship, the Eucharistic and the charismatic, with the grace of God at the center. Wilson envisions church services in which healing testimonies, creeds, exuberant praise, and ancient liturgy coexist, and in doing so, deepen our worship and increase our joy.

Hear God's written Word spoken! Thomas Nelson introduces the NCV Audio Bible, perfect for travel or for anyone who loves to listen to stories. Ronnie Meek, a 17-year veteran pastor with 30 years of theater experience, narrates the most wonderful book ever written. You will be uplifted and inspired through the voice of this master storyteller and the all-original music score.

Churches today are characterized by problems, errors, and frustrations resulting from misunderstandings, misinterpretations, negligence, ignorance, and naiveté. It is a lack of protocol within the church itself as well as the body of Christ that has weakened the church in this way. Wouldn’t it be great if we could minimize these types of problems? That is sure to happen with the assistance of Pastor Mesa. "Ministry Protocol" is a gold mine of valuable guidelines, including many “nuggets of truth,” for the church and its members to help both restore and maintain order—God’s order....

Spiritual writer, theologian, and philosopher Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer tackles the topic of recognizing and overcoming spiritual evil. His focus is the human heart. His goal: our moral and spiritual transformation, which leads to true peace and genuine happiness. The book is divided into two main parts: the realities of God's goodness and of spiritual evil, and recognizing and overcoming diabolical tactics, which range from temptation and deception to the Deadly Sins.

The key to growth as a church, youth ministry, or a business is getting first-time guests to come back. It's about hospitality. The Come Back Effect reveals to church, ministry, and even business leaders the secret to helping a first-time guest return again and again. Through an engaging, story-driven approach, they explain how service and hospitality are two different things, describe how Jesus practiced hospitality, and invite leaders to develop and implement changes that lead to repeat visits and, eventually, to sustained growth.

The ministry of prophets when they flow together as a team in prophetic presbytery, is a powerful event in the life of any local church. This book gives the reader a first-hand look at prophetic presbytery and why it is so important for the members of a church and the church itself. Prophet Bill Emmons has been teaching about, and personally ministering prophetic presbytery for over three decades. As a globally recognized prophet with nearly nearly fifty years of ministry, prophet Bill Emmons provides some clear insight, and much needed instruction, about this vital ministry in the New ...

How do we, as orthodox parents, keep our children in the church throughout their lives? It all begins with involving them in the life of the church from birth onward - in the parish and also at home. Blueprints for the Little Church provides practical ideas and encouragement - without judgment - for incorporating the primary practices of orthodox spirituality into your family life at every stage of its growth and throughout the church year.

ARE YOU A LEADER? If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. -John Quincy Adams I am so excited to share with you the seven key areas I believe will make you the finest leader that God called you to be. These principles have worked for me and many great leaders that have impacted their generations from as far back as the Bible days. This material can be used to train and equip minsters or leaders in various ministries. Whether you are a Sunday school teacher or a Pastor this will help you. I also will like to invite those that are ...

While many denominations claim to be growing, the largest group in American religious life is the disillusioned - people who have been involved in the church yet see few similarities between the church's life and the person of Jesus. In the midst of elaborate programming, professional worship teams, and political crusades, they ask, "Is this really what Jesus called us to do?" While the church has dismissed these people as uncommitted and lacking in faith, perhaps the opposite is true. Their commitment to authentic spirituality over institutional idolatry might be the very corrective the church needs.

If you have suffered spiritual abuse from a toxic church, toxic organization, or toxic leader, your trust has been broken. You entrusted your life to someone you thought would care for you: someone who initially inspired you to know God, only to reject you in the end. Now you are left wounded and disillusioned, wondering if you can ever trust others, yourself, or possibly even God, again.

A 'sacred cow' in the church is a tradition that has been exalted to a position of normalcy without Biblical warrant. Sacred cows are often hard to get rid of because they are accepted and considered respectable in Christianity. They are virtually immune from criticism. The sacred cows mentioned in this book are fairly recent phenomena. These are the new traditions—the new sacred cows that are leading Christians away from obedience to God’s word. The purpose of this book is to help Christians think through the methods they use in ministry and to recognize some of these sacred cows so ...

This illuminating and insightful audiobook analyzes problems with the culture's underlying worldviews and suggests how Christians can offer solutions to current problems as a way to rebuild culture and faith.

As working moms on opposite ends of the political spectrum and hosts of a fast-growing politics podcast, Holland and Silvers have learned how to practice engaging conversation while disagreeing. In this audiobook, they share principles on how to give grace and be vulnerable when discussing issues that affect families, churches, the country, and the world. They provide practical tools to move past frustration and into productive dialogue, emphasizing that faith should inform the way people engage more than it does the outcome of that engagement.

From personal experiences in his ministry through comedy, Brad Stine has chosen 11 concepts to consider as a Christian. Are they really true, or do we just believe them to be credible - even though there's no biblical support for them? More importantly, how does the belief in their veracity affect non-believers if we're wrong? Brad has carefully considered these ideas, as well as lived many of them.