The Crucifixion of Ministry PDF Download

Author: Andrew Purves
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 145876950X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 226

View

Book Description
As a pastor, do you ever get the feeling that no matter what you try, nothing much seems to change? That is because the ministries themselves are not redemptive--they are not up to you. Only Jesus' ministry is redemptive. Jesus has to ''show up.'' Theologian Andrew Purves explores at the deepest level the true and essential nature of Christian ministry. He says that the attempt to be an effective minister is a major problem. Ministers are ''in the way.'' He radically claims that ministries need to be crucified. They need to be killed off so that Christ can make them live. Rooting church service in Christ's own continuing ministry, Purves provides a vision for students and practicing clergy to reclaim the vital connection between Christ and participation in his ministry today, even if it means letting Christ put to death the ministries to which pastors cling so closely. A radical appraisal for a critical malady affecting the life of the Christian church written in plain, down-to-earth language.

Author: Andrew Purves
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830837418
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 159

View

Book Description
This book by Andrew Purves takes us deep into the practice of ministry showing us the basis of ministry in the hope of Christ's resurrection. Ministry in and with Christ involves moving beyond ministry in the mood of Holy Saturday to ministry in the mood of Easter Sunday. Here Purves shows how we find Christ's real joy and hope in the midst of struggles, difficulties and even suffering as we serve and minister in his name.

Author: Deanna Thompson
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 1611648823
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 175

View

Book Description
In Glimpsing Resurrection, Deanna A. Thompson combines recent trauma research with compelling first-person narrative to provide insight into the traumatic dimensions of living with a serious illness. Her aim is to help those who are ill and those who care for and minister to them deepen their understanding of how best to offer support. “The tendency for Christians to move almost immediately from death to proclamations of new life risks alienating those for whom healing and new life seem out of reach,†says Thompson. Glimpsing Resurrection focuses less on the “why†to help readers instead come to terms with the “how†of living with a serious disease. In particular, Thompson provides a framework and concrete suggestions for how to be a church where those who are undone by illness can be undone, as well as a place that can love and support them to hope.

Author: Josh McDowell
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441224165
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 274

View

Book Description
When Jesus died on the cross, it seemed that all had been lost. Death had won. But after three days in a rich man's tomb, Jesus appeared...alive! The news was so shocking that his followers refused to believe it until they saw him with their own eyes and touched his wounds with their own hands. Then Jesus made an amazing claim: In the future, they too would have resurrected bodies like his, bodies that would never deteriorate, age, or perish. They would have new life without death or pain in the presence of a loving God forever. But can we really believe His promise? For that matter, can we really believe that the promise was made by a man who rose from the dead? In this fascinating look at the claims of the Gospel writers and 2,000 years of believing Christians, bestselling author Josh McDowell and his son Sean examine the compelling evidence and conclude that Jesus Christ conquered death and the grave. In clear, concise, and accessible chapters, Josh and Sean present the facts about the resurrection and what it means for readers today.

Author: N. T. Wright
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0061551821
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 356

View

Book Description
For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.

Author: Anna B. Olson
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 1611646561
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 134

View

Book Description
How do you minister faithfully to a congregation that is in decline? While many congregations struggle with trying to find the key to regrowth, pastor Anna Olson suggests that the answer may actually be to accept and embrace this moment for what it is. In this beautifully written work, Olson helps pastors recognize that, while the congregation might be going away, the community of which it is a part is still very much alive. Using her own experiences in a dying congregation, Olson encourages pastors to use this opportunity to explore new ways to minister, freely and selflessly, and provides a powerful model of what faithfulness to the gospel looks like. This hopeful book about letting go of false hope gives pastors the guidance they need for ministering effectively during the final stages of a church's life.

Author: Mears
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1496416201
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 177

View

Book Description
With Dr. Mears as teacher and mentor, readers will study the four accounts of Jesus Christ's life and ministry from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They will gain a big-picture understanding of key events--Jesus' miraculous birth, His ministry, His teachings, and His crucifixion and resurrection--yet also see how each Gospel evangelist chose to emphasize particular themes for his reading audience. Twelve sessions of study give readers an opportunity to examine Jesus' life in depth, whether on their own or with a group, and discussion/reflection questions invite groups or individuals to go even deeper.

Author: Henrietta C. Mears
Publisher: Gospel Light Publications
ISBN: 0830759476
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 178

View

Book Description
With Dr. Mears as teacher and mentor, readers will study the four accounts of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry: the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They will gain a big-picture understanding of key events—Jesus’ miraculous birth, His ministry, His teachings, and His crucifixion and resurrection—yet also see how each Gospel evangelist chose to emphasize particular themes for his reading audience. Twelve sessions of study give readers an opportunity to examine Jesus’ life in depth, whether on their own or with a group, and discussion/reflection questions invite groups or individuals to go even deeper.

Author: Nurya Love Parish
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1640650156
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 153

View

Book Description
How to build resilience in local communities and evangelize the millennial generation. Resurrection Matters is a fruitful study and action guide for any church institution that owns property and in which groups gather together to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. It helps groups connect their faith and the assets that they steward for God’s mission, recognizing these assets as gifts for ministry with their wider community. It encourages theological reflection and practical action for renewal for the church, greater biodiversity for the planet, and relief for the poor.

Author: Josh McDowell
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 157567940X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 123

View

Book Description
With over 40 million books sold, bestselling author Josh McDowell is no stranger to creatively presenting biblical truth. Now, partnering with fellow apologist Dave Sterrett, Josh introduces a new series targeted at the intersection of story and truth. The Coffee House Chronicles are short, easily devoured novellas aimed at answering prevalent spiritual questions. Each book in the series tackles a long-contested question of the faith, and then answer these questions with truth through relationships and dialogue in each story. In Did the Resurrection Happen, Really?: A Dialogue on Life, Death, and Hope, the college campus is rocked by a shooting spree that leaves nine students dead. Their up-close experience with mortality allies the coffee house discussion group together to really wrestle with the spiritual and eternal ramifications of whether or not Jesus rose from the dead. The other two books in the series: Is the Bible True, Really? and Who is Jesus, Really? continue the unfolding story at the college campus and the coffee house down the road.