Creative Ministry

Every artist has been given an invitation to co-create with the Creator of the Universe. As we cooperate with him, though the power of the Holy Spirit, we can reveal, reflect, and release his image, nature and presence into the world through our creative expression. It's simply mind-blowing and yet, that's his invitation to us. Art, like any other created means, is a vehicle for the presence of God to move in and through. It functions almost as a stealth language by which God can commune with us as kingdom artists.

Open the Door to Lavish Love Have you struggled to love yourself? Do you wonder what people think about you? Does fear keep you from moving forward in relationships? Author Lindsay Morgan Snyder explains how your Inner Critic may be holding you back and how you too can walk in love, joy, and freedom. A recovering self-saboteur, Lindsay endured the enemy's debilitating taunts for decades. Through personal stories and spiritual revelations, Lindsay shares how she evicted her Inner Critic and accessed renewing conversation with the Holy Spirit. She invites you to join a conversation with your ...

Andy Crouch unleashes a stirring manifesto calling Christians to be culture makers. For too long, Christians have had an insufficient view of culture and have waged misguided "culture wars." But we must reclaim the cultural mandate to be the creative cultivators that God designed us to be. Culture is what we make of the world, both in creating cultural artifacts as well as in making sense of the world around us. By making chairs and omelets, languages and laws, we participate in the good work of culture making.

Most pastors pray for a healthy and vibrant church, but many find themselves frustrated because they lack direction and feel as though they are spinning their wheels. They struggle to correct unhealthy patterns or do not have fresh vision for their ministry. John K. Jenkins can relate. The first church he attended is best described as a shack with a bell and a steeple. When he accepted his first senior pastoral role, he ministered to 35 people on a good Sunday. Today, Pastor Jenkins welcomes more than 11,000 worshipers to Sunday services, and thousands more participate virtually.

Chaos may seem an unlikely source of creativity, but below its senseless surface lies a swirling depth of possibilities. Every person enters a world that is already filled with symbols, meanings, and stories. No-one starts with a blank canvas, rather, we find ourselves thrust into a matrix of narratives. Yet, something truly new is possible amid this chaos. Time is a space in which these stories can be reassembled, reinterpreted, and ordered in a way that gives particular meaning to my life.

The Heart of the Artist will give you a better understanding of yourself and your unique place in the body of Christ. You'll find wisdom and encouragement that can help you survive the challenges and reap the rich joys of a ministry in the creative arts. Each chapter includes provocative questions for group discussion and personal action steps for individual application. Somewhere between pride and self-abasement lies true humility - just one aspect of the balanced character God wants to instill in you as a creative person involved in ministry.

In The Relentless Courage of a Scared Child, Tana Amen shares her incredible story of transformation - of growing up in poverty, a bullied latch-key kid raised on sugary cereal and junk food, to becoming a world-renowned food and fitness expert. Her challenging past of neglect, poverty, sexual abuse, thyroid cancer, and bouts of anxiety and depression set her on a path to find healing. Through her remarkable journey, we see more clearly the light that can shine through our own broken places and ultimately heal us: body, mind, and soul.

Best-selling author Larry Crabb cuts to the heart of the biblical view of marriage: the "one-flesh" relationship. He argues convincingly that the deepest needs of human personality - security and significance - ultimately cannot be satisfied by a marriage partner. We need to turn to the Lord, rather than our spouse, to satisfy our needs.

Today’s audiences are more distracted than ever, but sermons can only be effective if people are listening. You have to capture people's attention. But how? In Preaching Killer Sermons, author and Pastor Lane Sebring reveals practical preparation and delivery techniques that will enable you to better connect with your listeners.

Confidence, peace, and abundant life - we all long for these things. Author and renowned pastor Dr. Creflo A. Dollar challenges readers to stop wishing for a satisfying life. Instead, we should be claiming the success that God promises today. We do not have to be defined by past failures or mediocrity. We must move forward into the richness available to us right now. God has designed a glorious destiny for each of us, and all we have to do is take hold of it.

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.

In Faithful, Creative, Hopeful, Jesse Zink demonstrates the importance of the Christian gospel and its witness to the flourishing of human societies. Zink offers fifteen theses—echoing those of the church reformers—that together offer a vision for a renewed faith and a renewed church in this crisis-shaped world.

Charles Fillmore was an American mystic known for his contributions to metaphysical interpretations of Biblical scripture. With the help of his wife, he founded Unity, a church within the New Thought movement. Prosperity is considered one of the top New Thought books of all time. In it, Fillmore shows how the lessons of Scripture hold the keys to prosperity.

Have you ever felt like you're living a subpar version of yourself? Have you given God your yes, but still struggle to step into your full potential? If so, it's time to tap into your God-given potential, embrace your unique identity, and live a purpose-filled life. In Courage and Confidence, Nicole Salmon provides the tools you need to evict yourself from your curated comforts, which have resulted in silence, compliance, and dumbing down your capabilities. You'll discover how to stand confidently in your created identity―affirmed, decisive, and clear about your purpose.

True You offers those exhausted by the pervasive do-more, be-more messages of our society a path toward rest, renewal, and ultimately, wholeness in Christ.

In Created for Purpose, you will discover God's plan for your life as a loved and valuable member of his creation, what it means to be called by God, and how to know and live in your purpose throughout your life. You are not an accident. You are present on this earth for a significant reason. Find out who you were meant to be!

"Living compassionately is rarely convenient and often downright challenging", writes Joyce Rupp, best-selling and award-winning author and retreat leader. The definitive Christian guide to compassion, Boundless Compassion is the culmination of Rupp's research and work as codirector of the Servite Center of Compassionate Presence. Through this six-week personal transformation process for developing and deepening compassion, Rupp nudges, encourages, and inspires you to grow in the kind of love that motivated Jesus' life and mission for his disciples.

Churches and their leaders have innovation fever. Innovation seems exciting—a way to enliven tired institutions, embrace creativity, and be proactive—and is a superstar of the business world. But this focus on innovation may be caused by an obsession with contemporary relevance, creativity, and entrepreneurship that inflates the self, lacks theological depth, and promises burnout. In this follow-up to Churches and the Crisis of Decline, leading practical theologian Andrew Root delves into the problems of innovation.

Ministry leaders carry the burden of keeping their organizations lean, focused, and relevant. The stakes are especially high for churches and other organizations that fulfill the Great Commission. When souls are on the line, there’s no room for bureaucratic bloat or sustaining a cumbersome infrastructure. Using missions disruptor William Carey as an example, Ted Esler shows how you, too, can innovate in ways that change the ministry landscape. The gospel of Jesus Christ never grows stale. Don’t let your ministry ever forget it!

Professional illusionist Harris III draws from brain science and his expertise as a magician turned storyteller to take us on a journey back to magic - not the stuff of sleight of hand that he performs on stage, but real magic: Love, hope, joy, belonging, meaning, and purpose - which transforms every facet of our work and lives.