Author: Alice Mann Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield ISBN: 1566994810 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 179
Book Description
Nothing on earth lives forever—not even congregations. Alban Institute senior consultant Alice Mann explains how the natural life cycle of a congregation, as well as other internal and external factors, can produce a congregation that is in real trouble. She then offers hope for congregations that want to change. Practical options for congregations, leadership challenges for laity and clergy, and ways to work with denominations are detailed and engaging discussion questions provide a basis for congregational planning
Author: Bill Henard Publisher: B&H Publishing Group ISBN: 1433683970 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 256
Book Description
Bill Henard believes that there is hope for the established church – for your church. Some people may have already pronounced the church “dead,” but these dead bones can live. Whether your church is seven years old or one-hundred and seventy, you may be seeing evidences that your church needs vision, direction, and revitalization.
Author: Donald Henry Matthews Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers ISBN: 1608991822 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 125
Book Description
Churches should be the backbone of our neighborhoods . . . Many American churches are faced with the decisions of their lives. Will we live? Or will we die? . . . the question of 'Will we live or will we die' is a question of will, as in having the will to live; and it is also a question of who is included in the 'we.' --from Chapter One The State of Mainline Churches Can This Church Live? is the true story of a church that had an opportunity to thrive in the midst of a community that greatly changed its demographics. Matthews directs readers through this painful process he experienced with the pastor and church leaders as they faced a harsh dilemma--a dilemma that more and more churches are facing today--can or will a predominantly white church embrace and welcome the people of color who live within the community? Using H. R. Niebuhr's famous text Christ and Culture, Matthews uses Niebuhr's five categories to analyze churches in crisis: 1) Christ against Culture; 2) Christ of Culture; 3) Christ above Culture; 4) Christ and Culture in Paradox; and 5) Christ the Transformer of Culture. The book also discusses moral and ethical issues as they relate to the Gospel and social transformation. Clergy and lay leaders will find this a valuable resource to help them discuss ways in which they can stabilize their church before they are confronted with a similar predicament.
Author: Craig Groeschel Publisher: Zondervan ISBN: 0310342961 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 177
Book Description
Can God be good when life is not? Rediscover faith in the character, power, and presence of God. Even in the questions. Even in the hurt. "I want to believe, I want to have hope, but . . ." Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Even when we have both hope and hurt, sometimes it's the hurt that shouts the loudest. In Hope in the Dark, Groeschel explores the story of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus, saying, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" In the man's sincere plea, Jesus heard the tension in the man's battle-scarred heart. He healed not only the boy but the father too, driving out the hopelessness that had overtaken him. He can do the same for us today. As Groeschel shares his pain surrounding the health challenges of his daughter, he acknowledges the questions we may ask in our own deepest pain: "Where was God when I was being abused?" "Why was my child born with a disability?" "Why did the cancer come back?" "Why are all my friends married and I'm alone?" He invites us to wrestle with such questions as we ask God to honor our faith and heal our unbelief. Because in the middle of your profound pain, you long for authentic words of understanding and hope. You long to know that even in overwhelming reality, you can still believe that God is good. Hope in the Dark is also available in Spanish, Esperanza en la Oscuridad.
Author: Craig Groeschel Publisher: Zondervan ISBN: 0310362733 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 254
Book Description
MORE THAN 500,000 COPIES SOLD! Are your thoughts out of control--just like your life? Do you long to break free from the spiral of destructive thinking? Let God's truth become your battle plan to win the war in your mind! We've all tried to think our way out of bad habits and unhealthy thought patterns, only to find ourselves stuck with an out-of-control mind and off-track daily life. Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel understands deeply this daily battle against self-doubt and negative thinking, and in this powerful new book he reveals the strategies he's discovered to change your mind and your life for the long-term. Drawing upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science, Groeschel lays out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of harmful, destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of joy and peace that God intends you to live. Winning the War in Your Mind will help you: Learn how your brain works and see how to rewire it Identify the lies your enemy wants you to believe Recognize and short-circuit your mental triggers for destructive thinking See how prayer and praise will transform your mind Develop practices that allow God's thoughts to become your thoughts God has something better for your life than your old ways of thinking. It's time to change your mind so God can change your life.
Author: Michael Todd Publisher: WaterBrook ISBN: 0593239210 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 241
Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Relationship Goals . . . Will you be remembered as a person who claimed to follow God but liked to play it safe? Or as a person who lived your life out on the limb and trusted God enough to live in crazy faith? Noah looked crazy when he started building the ark . . . until it started raining. It was crazy for Moses to lead a nation of people into the desert away from Egypt . . . until the Red Sea parted. It was crazy to believe that a fourteen-year-old virgin would give birth to the Son of God . . . until Mary held Jesus in her arms. There are many things that seem normal or average today that at one point in time seemed absolutely crazy. Smartphones, Wi-Fi, and even the electric light bulb were all groundbreaking, history-making inventions that started out as crazy ideas. Our see-it-to-believe-it generation tends to have a hard time exercising true faith—one that steps out, takes action, and sees mountain-moving results. Many of us would rather play it safe and stand on the sidelines, but it’s crazy faith that helps us see God move and reveals His promises. In Crazy Faith, Pastor Michael Todd shows us how to step out in faith and dive into the purposeful life of trusting God for the impossible. Even if you have to start with baby faith or maybe faith, you can become empowered to let go of your lazy faith, trust God through your hazy faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of crazy faith. With powerful stories of modern-day faith warriors who take their cues from biblical heroes, Michael Todd equips you to • believe for the impossible • choose hope over fear • be alert to the voice of God • cope with loss and doubt • develop a deeper level of trust in God • speak faith-filled declarations • inspire crazy faith in others God’s not looking for somebody to give Him all the reasons why His plans can’t happen. He’s looking for somebody to believe they will happen. In fact, He has so much He wants to do through you. The question is, Are you crazy enough to believe it?
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg Publisher: ISBN: 9780877854272 Category : Body, Mind & Spirit Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
In this collection of writings from Emanuel Swedenborg's (1688-1772) classic Heaven and Hell, Swedenborg describes the process of dying as he experienced it personally. He goes on to discuss what happens to new souls in the afterlife, and how a process of self-discovery allows everyone to find their ideal eternal home.
Author: Craig Groeschel Publisher: Zondervan ISBN: 0310343135 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 193
Book Description
Be inspired to pray boldly, pray powerfully, pray with passion, and trade ineffective prayers and lukewarm faith for raw, daring prayers that will transform your daily life. Do you ever wonder if God answers your prayers? Do you wish you could see the evidence that prayer changes lives? Do you long for more than playing it safe in your faith? Join New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel as he helps you discover the power of authentically communicating with God, breaking out of the restrictive spiritual safety bubble, and expanding your ideas about what's possible with God. The Bible tells us that prayer has the power to move God's heart, but some prayers move him more than others. He wants more for us than a tepid faith and half-hearted routines at the dinner table. God called you to a life of courage, not comfort. In Dangerous Prayers, Groeschel will show you how to pray the prayers that search your soul, break your habits, and send you out to pursue the calling God has for you. But be warned: If you're fine with settling for what's easy, or if you're okay with staying on the sidelines, this book isn't for you. You'll be challenged. You'll be tested. You'll be moved to take a long, hard look at your heart. But you'll be inspired, too. Dangerous Prayers will give you the encouragement and tools you need to: Transform the patterns around your daily prayer life Truly embrace and believe in the power of intentional prayer Start to pray daring, faith-filled, God-honoring, life-changing, world-transforming prayers You'll discover the secret to overcoming fears of loss, rejection, failure, and the unknown, and you'll welcome the blessings God has for you on the other side. But best of all, you'll gain the courage it takes to pray dangerous prayers.
Author: Nicole Unice Publisher: NavPress ISBN: 1641580216 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 209
Book Description
We want to experience God through the Bible. . . . We really do But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn't seem to make that happen. What should feel dynamic and important and alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn't have to. In Help My Bible is Alive , pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by helping you personally encounter God through his Word. With Help My Bible is Alive , you'll learn to . . . find the meaning of any portion of Scripture; apply four key questions to every passage; create valuable habits by workshopping key verses; and find practical principles as you read parables, poetry, narratives, ancient letters, and wisdom literature. Take this 30-day challenge and develop habits that will sustain a vibrant spiritual life where the Word of God is alive and active for you.
Author: Alice Mann
Author: Bill Henard
Author: Donald Henry Matthews
Author: Craig Groeschel
Author: Craig Groeschel
Author: Michael Todd
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg
Author: Craig Groeschel
Author: Nicole Unice
Author: Josh Moody