Community Ministry

In this audiobook, Megan Hill answers a common question of churchgoers: What's so great about the church? With rich theology and practical direction, Hill encourages and equips both first-time visitors and regular members to delight in being a part of the local church - no matter how messy and ordinary it seems today. It is only when God's people begin to see one another as the Lord sees them that they will truly find a place to belong.

In Build My Church: Church Growth Formulas, Dr. Carl C. Liggin offers an indispensable guide for pastors, church leaders, and congregations committed to cultivating vibrant, growing churches that serve as transformative forces within their communities. This contemporary and comprehensive work is rooted in biblical principles, informed by historical insights, and enriched with practical strategies to achieve sustained spiritual and numerical growth. Drawing on decades of pastoral experience and scholarly expertise, Dr. Liggin provides a holistic framework for addressing modern churches' ...

We are made for community. Deep within the heart of people is a longing to both know others and be known by them, and groups ministry has the opportunity to meet these needs in every church. Groups are an art, not a science. There's no one-size-fits-all formula for designing transformational groups that God uses to mold people into the image of Christ together.

For every person who has felt lonely or isolated, The Sacred Us explores a new way of living through the practice of biblical community. In a world that celebrates individuality and autonomy, too many of us struggle to form deep, meaningful relationships. Loneliness is the norm, rich friendships are rare, and the church is no exception. We long for real community but often don’t know how to get there. What will it take to develop healthy friendships?

Ask most anyone and they would say they desire honest, authentic, "real" relationships. Yet few of us experience the soul-level connection we long for with other human beings, let alone God. Fear and pride drive us to mask our truest selves, leaving us perpetually disconnected, hidden, and lonely. God made us for something profoundly better: an open-hearted, courageous honesty that liberates us from a life of guardedness and self-protection and has the power to radically transform our approach to Christian community.

Don’t Try to Ride the Wave of 20th-Century Ministry Leaders, are you called to a place where Jesus’ name is most often spouted as a curse word? Because in the 21st-century, the culture is shifting. The “easy places” are increasingly post-Christian—even pre-Christian. If you want to minister successfully right now, you must: • Learn the mind-shifts necessary to make disciples in the world as it exists today • Rethink outmoded ideas of funding, metrics, and team-building • Find out how to model a faith community that’s relevant to the needs of the culture where God’s ...

God is good, all the time. Jim Wilson was born in 1927 and raised in a Depression-era farming family. At the age of 16, at the height of World War II, he became the primary breadwinner for his parents and four younger siblings. At age 17, eager to fight for his country, he enlisted in the Navy. Germany surrendered while he was in the recruiting office, and the war was over by the time he entered boot camp. But God had a plan for Jim Wilson in the US Navy.

A man of God. Hopes for the future. He stood at the forefront of a religious revolution. Samuel Kader worked hard to forge a different world. A pastor and leader in the gay Christian community since 1975, he witnessed the spiritual movement of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and queer people grow into something amazing. And as one of the very few who realized that traditional faith needed to adapt, he envisioned empowering anyone to build a lasting relationship with the Creator, no matter their sexual identity. In a moving and heartfelt memoir, Rev. Samuel Kader reveals firsthand accounts of ...

We love our kids, but do we love like God loves…without conditions, reservations, or reluctance? In this excerpt from his popular book How to Be Free from Bitterness, Jim Wilson identifies the troublesome consequences of insufficient parental love and points listeners to the glorious fruit of superabundant kindness, tolerance, and patience. With decades of pastoral wisdom, Wilson helps parents apply the eternal truths of Scripture to grow peace and joy in their homes.

Discipleship can feel like a meandering journey - we don’t know what we want, and none of the programs offered seem to get us anywhere. We need something to orient ourselves and something to direct our steps toward a clear destination. Simple Discipleship, with its companion assessment tool, offers a plan for discipleship that is tailored to your real life and your personality and clearly pointed in the way of Jesus.

In An Honorable Heritage, Pandita Ramabai tells her story of being born into the privileged Brahman caste and leaving tradition behind for something far better—the light and hope she found in Christ. After years of searching for something more than the hopeless existence her religion offered to those not born into a high caste, Pandita had at last discovered someone who could uplift the downtrodden women of India—and every land.

First-century Christians knew what it meant to live in vital community with one another, relating with a depth and commitment that made "the body of Christ" a perfect metaphor for the church. What would it take to reclaim that kind of love, joy, support, and dynamic spiritual growth? Listen to this book and find out.

Are you eager to make a lasting impact on your community while fostering a stronger connection with your faith? Look no further than "Building Bridges of Faith: A Step-by-Step Guide to Engaging the Community Through Outreach Ministry." This insightful and empowering book is your ultimate companion in creating a meaningful and purposeful outreach ministry that bridges the gap between your faith community and the world around you. Unlock the Power of Outreach Ministry: "Building Bridges of Faith" is a comprehensive and practical guide that takes you on a transformative journey of ...

In Sticky Church, author and pastor Larry Osborne makes the case that closing the back door of your church is even more important than opening the front door wider. He offers a time-tested strategy for doing so: sermon-based small groups that dig deeper into the weekend message and tightly velcro members to the ministry. It’s a strategy that enabled Osborne’s congregation to grow from a handful of people to one of the larger churches in the nation - without any marketing or special programming.

Join J.C. Ryle as he explains the benefits of reading (and rereading) the Bible, and find inspiration for your daily devotions in this classic work.

How can the people of God develop churches in ways that help and don't hurt poor neighborhoods? Pastors and church planters interested in Christian community development will find here practical insights into the power of the local church, which is often underrated. Churches can serve their communities and improve the quality of life of every facet of the neighborhood.

Online church is the new front door to visitors. Is your church connecting effectively with people behind the screen? When the pandemic forced congregations to set up online services in record time, people thought it would be temporary. But for too many, online church has become a staple, the new front door for visitors. But what does this mean for congregations who struggle to effectively reach online guests? Is it possible to create a connected virtual experience that fosters Christian community and enhances our faith? In Visiting Online Church: A Journey Exploring Effective Digital ...

Although the largest churches in the world are cell-based, many have questioned whether the model will work in North America. The Church In Many Houses: Reaching Your Community Through Cell-Based Ministry makes the case that the cell model will work— if key assumptions about spiritual growth and the nature of the church are reexamined and renewed. By drawing on scripture, research, and insights gained through personal experience as the pastor of a growing cell church, Steve Cordle identifies the four pivotal philosophical shifts necessary for the cell approach to work. These are mindset ...

With all the hostility boiling just under the surface of our world, we need a renewed vision of Jesus as the Lamb of God who can lead us in the peaceable ways of the Kingdom. When we fail to keep Jesus at the center of our lives, we lean into the desires of our hearts more than the desires God has for us. As a result, our entire spirituality becomes driven by the self and for the self. We need renewed practices of centering Jesus in our hearts and minds. Derek Vreeland invites you to imagine what it looks like to keep Jesus as the Lamb of God at the center of three key areas of our lives.

The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community is designed for church leaders who want to transform their churches to become less internally focused and more oriented to the world around them. The book includes clear guidelines on the changes congregations must adopt to become truly outwardly focused. This book is not about getting all churches to have an annual day of community service as a tactic, but changing the core of who they are and how they see themselves as a part of their community.