Showing titles in Church & Church Leadership

There is a church...not the one that man is building...but the one that Jesus himself has been constructing in the hearts and lives of believers throughout the ages.

The Western church finds itself in the midst of a seismic cultural shift, as secular paradigms threaten to remove any spiritual explanation for life, and Christianity is often viewed with skepticism and cynicism. Rather than perceiving these ongoing challenges as irritants to expel, it’s time to see them as opportunities to embrace, so that we might effectively serve the world around us and form a more robust and Christlike church.

In this compelling audiobook, Scot McKnight shares his personal experience in the Church as well as his study of the Apostle Paul to answer this significant question: What is the Church supposed to be?

Since his retirement as Archbishop of Canterbury and his return to academic life (Master of Magdalene College Cambridge), Rowan Williams has demonstrated a massive new surge of intellectual energy. In this new audiobook, he turns his attention to St Augustine. St Augustine not only shaped the development of Western theology, he also made a major contribution to political theory ( The City of God) and, through his Confessions, to the understanding of human psychology.

Neil Cole's best-selling book Organic Church described the fastest growing segment of contemporary Christianity - the so-called organic church. Now in this next-step book, he answers questions about how to deal with theological and organizational issues that come up. He talks about issues such has what to do with finances, children, heresy, leader training, and rituals and ordinances. Without the top-down structure of a denomination, even people who are proponents of this small, house-church model worry that they are not doing it right.

In Reformation Women, Rebecca Vandoodewaard introduces listeners to 12 16th-century women who are not as well known today as contemporaries like Katie Luther and Lady Jane Grey. Providing an example to Christians today of strong service to Christ and his church, these influential, godly women were devoted to Reformation truth, in many cases provided support for their husbands, practiced hospitality, and stewarded their intellectual abilities.

Western civilization is undergoing a crisis of meaning, and the Christian community needs to find new value, identity, and purpose through hope, says Franciscan Father Richard Rohr. In lectures and homilies he describes both the crisis and cure. In the 13th century, he tells us, St. Francis was called by the Lord to “rebuild my Church.” Anguished by the fragmentation in the Church today, Rohr invites us to rebuild the Church in the 21st century.

In The Book on Leadership, best-selling author, pastor, and teacher John MacArthur sets the record straight: Leadership does not come from a job title. It isn't a matter of personality or charisma. And it isn't the same thing as iron-fisted authority. True leadership—the kind that refuses to bend to a shifting, fickle world—comes from a much deeper source.

The audiobook chronicles the Great Awakening that gave people the means to develop an individual sense of spiritual conviction. Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were two of the most prominent leaders of the Great Awakening. Together, they forged a new form of evangelical Christianity that made sense to ordinary people and came to epitomize religion in America.

The son of a preacher, 18-year-old Tim Timberlake learned to appreciate the extraordinary value and gift of each minute of every day the hard way through the tragic and sudden loss of his father. Tim began a journey to not just get through each day, but to exhaust every opportunity of potential of that day, moment by moment, fulfilling his God-given purpose. Now a pastor himself, Tim inspires others to approach each day in a way that they live out their own God-given purposes and passions.

Who Stole My Church? is a fictional story that tells the all-too-real tale of many church communities today. In this audiobook, you can walk alongside an imaginary community, led by real-life pastor Gordon MacDonald and his wife, Gail, and discover how to meet the needs of all believers without abandoning the dreams and desires of any.

As Paul imparted his wisdom to Timothy through letters, this collection of writings from seasoned pastors contains over 480 years of combined ministry experience. Old and new pastors alike will treasure this compilation of heartfelt advice and nuggets of truth that will guide them through the challenges and joys of their calling in Christ. Contributors include Joel Beeke, Ligon Duncan, Fred Malone, Mark Dever, Tedd Tripp, Ray Ortlund, Jr., C. J. Mahaney, Roger Ellsworth, and others.

Dear. Precious. Lovely. The Bible describes the church in extraordinary ways, even using beautiful poetry and metaphors. How does this compare to how Christians today describe the church? Unfortunately, many believers focus more on its mission, structure, or specific programs than on its inherent beauty. It's time to spark a renewed affection for the church. In The Loveliest Place, Dustin Benge urges Christians to see the holy assembly of God's redeemed people in all its eternal beauty.

> The Rite of Exorcism: The Roman Ritual ( Rituale Romanum). An updated scholarly treatment of the rite of exorcism from a Catholic perspective. Extensive background on the history of the rite, current rules and procedures, and traditional prayers of exorcism. Written by Michael Freze, SFO, Catholic scholar and world-recognized expert on demonology. Michael Freze, SFO, author of a 12-book series on demonology, provides an important work in the field of demonology and the study of possession and exorcism.

Many pastors struggle to translate their theological beliefs into fruitful ministry in the places they are called to reach. It’s not enough to simply know what to believe (theology), or on the other hand, how to do ministry (methodology) - they need something in between. They need help thinking about ministry in a culture that no longer believes Christianity is a force for good, let alone the source of ultimate revealed truth in the person of Christ.

Thomas G. Long, one of America's most trusted and thoughtful pulpit voices, provides a much needed theological and cultural critique of today's Christian funeral. Long begins by describing how the Christian funeral developed historically, theologically, and liturgically and then discusses recent cultural trends in funeral practices, including the rise in number of cremations and memorial services.

Pastor, it’s time to turn down the noise and focus on what matters. Today’s pastoral world is packed with books, conferences, and seminars teaching you different techniques for being an all-star pastor, growing your church quickly, and changing the world. But the key to true success is much harder and much simpler. Pastors are called to be faithful, to have exemplary character, and to love Jesus. Without faithfulness, their ministry ends up harming others rather than helping them. Churches need pastors with sound doctrine and a sound life.

On the occasion of his 70th birthday, the renowned Marcus J. Borg shares his "convictions" about Christianity and America, contending that they are both at their best when they focus on hope and transformation, and shares his thoughts on how American Christians can return to what matters most. Meditating on what makes us feel at home, he calls all American Christians to reject divisiveness and exclusivity and create communities that celebrate joy, possibility, and renewal.

David Limbaugh has examined Jesus Christ's life, his divinity, and the prophecies that preceded him in the Old Testament. Now, the best-selling author picks up after the Gospels in a captivating study of Jesus Christ's legacy in the early church and the work of Saint Paul.

The Inquisition conducted its last execution in 1826-the victim was a Spanish schoolmaster convicted of heresy. But as Cullen Murphy shows in this provocative new work, not only did its offices survive into the twentieth century, in the modern world its spirit is more influential than ever.