Church Ministry

Every pastor struggles with demands for his time, and how to determine priorities in ministry. Some choose to respond to the most urgent needs, while others seek a more balanced and intentional approach. But what determines these priorities? Where should a busy pastor look for wisdom in...

Longtime pastor Douglas Wilson takes a hammer to some of our very favorite graven images, and (surprise, surprise) we've set up display cases for most of them in our churches: liturgy, tradition, systematics, infant baptism, and that crafty old Baal doctrine. Alongside a critique of philosophical assumptions about human nature, dualism, and grace, Wilson stresses the unavoidable and absolute necessity of individual hearts being born again. He concludes by laying out the case for the church.

Flickering pixels are the tiny dots of light that make up the screens of life--from TVs to cell phones. They are nearly invisible, but they change us. In this provocative book, author Shane Hipps takes readers beneath the surface of things to see how the technologies we use end up using us. Not...

After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices, establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures.

Saint, slave or scholar? Patrick of Ireland is known as all three, but who is he really? Let K. C. Murdarasi bring to light the real life of this father of the Christian faith. Kidnapped from his home and family as a young boy you would think forgiveness would have been far from his mind.Yet with God's grace Patrick returned to the land of his captivity where he preached the good news of Jesus Christ to slaves and kings alike - and left a legacy of faith that would last for centuries.

Short, Accessible Guide to Biblical Theology Helps Churches Avoid Heretical Doctrine.

It's easy to look around and find folly among leaders. Corporations prioritize short-term benefits over long-term effects on society. Organizations follow charismatic leaders' whims at the expense of the people they serve. Churches are known more for hypocrisy and dysfunction than truth and grace. Yet it's not always easy to avoid our own foolishness, recognize wisdom, and lead others well.

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, offers a challenge to his Church. Can he bring about significant change? Should he? Garry Wills argues that changes have been the evidence of life in the Catholic Church. It has often changed, sometimes with bad consequences, more often with good - good enough to make it perdure. In this brilliant and incisive study, he gives seven examples of deep and serious changes that have taken place within the last century.

Have you joined a church or small group in hopes of experiencing real life change, only to be disappointed? Have you sat through inspiring sermons about what is possible when Christians gather together in mutually edifying relationships, only to recognize how cynical you have become after many failed attempts? Community may be one of the most over-promised, under-delivered aspects of the Christian life today. Individuals remain selfish and stuck in their ways.

Author Kevin Lowry's journey to Catholicism is fascinating, often funny, and demonstrates God's unfailing, patient love for all of us. A preacher's kid at a Catholic university, Kevin Lowry settled into a double major in beer and billiards soon followed by uncomfortable run-ins with pious students, failing grades, increasing anxiety, a missing night, and the startling realization that some fellow students actually attended Mass the morning after a party instead of sleeping it off. After getting kicked out, Kevin got his act together, got the MBA, and also got the girl.

Many leaders like the concept of having a team. Unfortunately, some church leaders function more as an owner rather than a team member. Seventy helps church leaders fulfill their role in building, developing, and working with teams. It offers insights into the challenges of doing ministry as a team and practically addresses how to overcome these challenges. If you care about the church, believe in apostolic ministry—following the apostles’ example—and want to experience the book of Acts in the 21st century, this book is for you. Everyone needs a team.

The prophets of old were not easy to listen to because they did not flatter. They did not cajole. They spoke hard words that often chafed and unsettled their listeners. Like the Old Testament prophets, and more recent prophetic voices like Frederick Douglass, Dr. Eric Mason calls the evangelical church to a much-needed reckoning.

If leadership is influence, then no leader has had greater influence on the world than Jesus Christ—and the distinct markers of His leadership style are practical, learnable skills that anyone can apply today. The Leadership Style of Jesus examines the strategies and actions modeled by Jesus and identifies eighteen principles of Christlike character every leader needs.

Let's face it. Church isn't working. We hear sermons about the abundant life Jesus promised, but how many of us are actually living it? How many of our churches are thriving? How many people in our congregations are experiencing God's blessings? Maybe it's time to call it quits. Quit church? Well, not exactly. Drawing from his experience coaching hundreds of churches toward true growth, Chris Sonksen calls on us to quit our casual, cultural commitment to church as we know it....

The work of the church is more than any one person can handle, and God never intended for one pastor to do all a church's ministry alone. Discover a communal and biblical model of missional leadership in You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone. In this book, E. K. Strawser seeks to recover the shared leadership model of the early church, offering a practical and inclusive alternative to hierarchical and patriarchal church leadership structures.

Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics.

Eight great chapters of topics related to Bible prophecy reveal how close we are to the end times! Chapter One - China in Bible Prophecy. Chapter Two - The Judgement Seat of Christ. Chapter Three - The Nine Future Wars of Bible Prophecy. Chapter Four - The Coming Seven-Year Tribulation. Chapter Five - The Miracle of Israel. Chapter Six - The Coming One-World Religion. Chapter Seven - The Exponential Prophecy Curve. Chapter Eight - The Coming Anti-Christ.

The primary mission of the church is to glorify God by blessing all peoples of the world through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission’s task of global disciple-making is the most ambitious project ever undertaken. Given the scale and complexity of global missions, it’s no wonder that misconceptions abound, even among invested, godly people.

Maybe you feel called to lead your own congregation, or to meet a need of an area that’s devoid of access to a house of worship. My friend, you may be a “religious entrepreneur”! A religious entrepreneur is an individual who creates an organization that has a religious mission. Specifically, this book targets those seeking to start a brand-new or transitioning house of worship. Whether this religious organization and house of worship is a church, mosque, temple, synagogue, or any other religious structure, this book is for you.

The simple practice of loving our neighbors has more power than the best professionally produced Sunday "show" in town. After attending the "coolest" and fastest-growing church in town for a few months, Brian Mavis asked some of his neighbors if they would attend church with him. The neighbors...