Showing titles in Church & Church Leadership

In The Emotionally Healthy Leader, bestselling author Peter Scazzero shows leaders how to develop a deep, inner life with Christ, examining its profound implications for surviving stress, planning and decision making, building teams, creating healthy culture, influencing others, and much more.

As followers of Jesus, we know that the good news is deeply attractive. But we often fear that to those on the outside, it comes across as irrelevant or even repellent. Sometimes, the Christian worldview feels so out of step with everything else going on, that we don't know how to share our faith. However, author Daniel Strange wants to show you that the connections are there - in fact, the longings that our culture cannot help but express are the very ones that Jesus fulfils.

Hope is the first autobiography in history ever to be published by a Pope. Written over six years, this complete autobiography starts in the early years of the twentieth century, with Pope Francis’s Italian roots and his ancestors’ courageous migration to Latin America, continuing through his childhood, the enthusiasms and preoccupations of his youth, his vocation, adult life, and the whole of his papacy up to the present day.

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.

Based on Christianity's Gnostic foundations and the lost secret teachings of Jesus, this book is a thought-provoking conjecture on ways to manifest the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth -- an inspirational reminder of what Christianity was intended to be.

The faith God calls us to is far more than glowing positivism that shields us from life's struggles. It is one that guides us into a deepening intimacy with the God who sustains us in the broad sweep of life. Best-selling author Gary Thomas helps us sharpen our spiritual vision and fortify our commitment to Christ by examining 10 disciplines God uses to forge a fire-tested faith. A biblical view of these disciplines can safeguard us from disillusionment when - not if - difficulties surface in our lives.

Beginning with the life of Jesus, Robert Louis Wilken narrates the dramatic spread and development of Christianity over the first thousand years of its history. Moving through the formation of early institutions, practices, and beliefs to the transformations of the Roman world after the conversion of Constantine, he sheds new light on the subsequent stories of Christianity in the Latin West, the Byzantine and Slavic East, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

In AD 476, the last of Rome's emperors, known as "Augustulus", was deposed by a barbarian general, the son of one of Attila the Hun's henchmen. With the imperial vestments dispatched to Constantinople, the curtain fell on the Roman empire in Western Europe, its territories divided among successor kingdoms constructed around barbarian military manpower. But, if the Roman Empire was dead, Romans across much of the old empire still lived, holding on to their lands, their values, and their institutions.

Ask Christians what they expect to happen to them after they die, and most will say they will go to heaven. And they’ll probably say that they will meet Jesus and hope to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” But many believers know they are not living up to God’s calling on their lives. In fact, many might even admit their lives don’t honor God at all. Author Ken Harrison masterfully uses his stories as a Los Angeles police officer in one of the deadliest areas of the country to explain and illustrate deep truths from God’s Word.

Richard Stearns became president of World Vision US in 1998 after spending the first half of his career as a successful executive at corporate giants such as Gillette, Parker Brothers, The Franklin Mint, and Lenox Inc. At World Vision, he inspired a culture of outcome-focused management. His leadership in calling the American church to respond to some of the greatest crises of our time - notably the HIV and AIDS pandemic and the global refugee crisis - challenged other Christian leaders to embrace a bold vision for compassion, mercy, and justice in their work.

Youth ministry is an essential part of most evangelical churches. And yet, there is a surprising lack of resources written specifically for youth workers focused on viewing all aspects of youth ministry through a gospel-focused lens. Featuring contributions from a host of experienced youth workers from a wide variety of churches, this how-to manual offers guidance related to every facet of youth ministry, from planning short-term mission trips to working with parents.

As Zach Meerkreebs ended his sermon on the campus of Asbury University, he challenged, “Do not leave here until you experience the love of God so that you can pour it out.” Several students remained, praying and worshipping, and others joined them until a crowd formed that grew to over 65,000 and covered the campus and small Kentucky town. As the worshipping and praying continued, for sixteen days and nights, the media began reporting on what came to be called the Asbury Outpouring. In Lower, Zach shares his experiences at the Outpouring and answers his own question, what sparked this revival?

Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge gathers together in one place a remarkable collection of leaders who share insights on faith and leadership. Well-grounded in research, this reflective and practical book shows how Christian leaders - no matter the setting - put into place The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.

When it comes to sharing our faith, we can make things more complex than they need to be. Simple evangelism offers practical ways to connect people to Gods amazing love. With three decades of outreach leadership, Kevin Harney provides tools that free you to set fear aside and walk boldly into the adventure of evangelism.

I wanted to feel close to God…but I didn't know how. Do you want to deepen your walk with God and feel His love again, but can't figure out how to get there? On the outside, everyone thinks you're doing well. But you know something is missing and want to find the key to connecting with God. Or you feel close to God but would like a simple way to show others how they can experience the love of God. This book is for you, too. You already know that the only way to overcome the storms of life is to stay close to the Rock that can't be shaken. The good news is God wants to fill you with His ...

Sometimes people lose sight of the core of their ministry. They feel overwhelmed by the needs that surround them on a daily basis. Wise and beloved pastor Warren Wiersbe invites ministry leaders to listen in on thirty short "armchair chats" to encourage and strengthen them for service. He shares what he wishes he had known about ministering to others when he began his own Christian pilgrimage.

For many Christians, "church" is defined by attending an occasional Sunday service mired in an audience mentality. Virtually ineffective and having no impact, we have become a cultural Christianity that creates passive believers. Yet the Church is meant for so much more!

Dwight Zscheile, Michael Binder, and Tessa Pinkstaff build on Scripture, theology, and the latest leadership and change theories to guide church leaders on a journey toward grassroots, participatory spiritual growth. This faithful innovation begins with a three-step process: listening to God and to each other, acting so we can learn, and sharing our stories in community. Real-life stories and supportive spiritual practices make each step toward effective change accessible and actionable.

Fundraising can be one of the most stressful parts of ministry. Budget needs are daunting, prospects seem limited, and the cycle is unending. How do we get off of the treadmill of crisis-driven fundraising to more sustainable ministry funding? Professional fundraiser Brad Layland revolutionizes fundraising and transforms it into a relational process where donors truly become partners in ministry. With decades of expertise in leading multimillion-dollar capital campaigns and working with major donors, he offers a more strategic and personalized yet less labor-intensive approach.

The great London preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon had a lot to say during his four decades of ministry at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. And beyond his mighty voice, Spurgeon’s pen churned out countless words of biblical interpretation and Christian wisdom. These words can still encourage us today! Volume one of the Spurgeon Speaks series collects Spurgeon’s reflections and meditations on the importance of prayer in the Christian life. He was known as a mighty man of prayer, and his insights will deepen your prayer life as well.