Church Leadership

This deeply contextual biography centers on the tensions generated by the pope’s attempt to turn the Church away from power and tradition and outwards to engage humanity with God’s mercy. Through battles with corrupt bankers and worldly cardinals, in turbulent meetings and on global trips, history’s first Latin-American pope has attempted to reshape the Church to evangelize the contemporary age. At the same time, he has stirred other leaders’ deep-seated fear that the Church is capitulating to modernity.

Maybe you have been there: you’re running late to church, and you know it will be hard to find an empty seat. This is an all-too-frequent experience in a growing church. For churches experiencing this dilemma, a common solution is to add another service or location. This seems like a cost-effective fix. Besides, no one wants to turn away non-Christians. But is it the best option? Jonathan Leeman presents a series of biblical, theological, and pastoral arguments to help reorient our minds to a scriptural definition of church.

Some churches exclude women from ministry leadership roles based on a few difficult to interpret Scripture passages. Some churches also teach the Holy Spirit's gifts were only necessary until the canon of Scripture was completed—therefore, supernatural gifts like prophecy should not be pursued today. What if the full inclusion of women in church leadership and the exercise of the gift of prophecy combine two vital elements for a healthy, unhindered church?

If the fear of the Lord is "the beginning of wisdom," then it must be the starting point for fruitful Christian leadership. David Cook and Shane Parker offer an accessible volume focused on Christian leadership philosophy and practice from the foundational viewpoint of the fear of the Lord. This unique approach will enable developing and seasoned leaders to grow in godliness for the sake of the gospel and the church.

A collection of inspired writings (originally in Greek) about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the apostles, and other followers of Jesus Christ. The New Testament is commonly divided into the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, Paul’s epistles, the general epistles, and the book of Revelation. The four Gospels - the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - are accounts of the life of Christ. The Book of Acts records the history of the Church and the apostles, especially Paul’s missionary travels, after Christ’s death.

The loss or disaffiliation of young adults is a much-discussed topic in churches today. Many faith-formation programs focus on keeping the young, believing the youthful spirit will save the church. But do these programs have more to do with an obsession with youthfulness than with helping young people encounter the living God?

Why do youth ministries crumble? And what is the cost to students, parents, volunteers and church staff? Is a sustainable youth ministry possible, even after a youth pastor leaves? Youth ministry expert Mark DeVries knows the answer is yes, because he helps build sustainable youth ministries through his coaching service called Youth Ministry Architects. So take heart: No matter what state the youth ministry at your church is in—in need of a leader and volunteers, full of battles and stress, large or small in number—it can be built to survive and to last for the long haul.

Despite Jesus' prayer that all Christians "be one", divisions have been epidemic in the body of Christ from the beginning to the present. We cluster in theological groups, gender groups, age groups, ethnic groups, educational, and economic groups. We criticize freely those who disagree with us, don't look like us, don't act like us, and don't even like what we like. With a personal touch and the trained eye of a social psychologist, Cleveland brings to bear the latest studies and research on the unseen dynamics at work that tend to separate us from others.

An inside snapshot view of the innovative Seattle church called Mars Hill and its Acts 29 network. This audiobook provides - with a touch of sarcasm and humor - both principles and practices shared from the people actually doing missional church ministry with people often untouched by todays traditional and contemporary churches.

We have misunderstood Paul, badly. We have read his words through our own set of assumptions. We need to begin with Paul's world view, to see things the way he saw them. What if "original sin" was never part of Paul's thinking? What if the idea that we are saved by faith in Christ, as Luther argued, was based on a mistranslation of Paul's words and a misunderstanding of Paul's thinking?

In today’s polarized context, Christians often have committed, biblical rationales for very different positions. How can Christians navigate disagreements with both truth and love? Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer provide lessons from conflict theory and church history on how to negotiate differing biblical convictions in order to move toward Christian unity.

Evangelical Christianity is a paradox. Evangelicals are radically individualist, but devoted to community and family. They believe in the transformative power of a personal relationship with God, but are wary of religious enthusiasm. They are deeply skeptical of secular reason, but eager to find scientific proof that the Bible is true. In this groundbreaking history of modern American evangelicalism, Molly Worthen argues that these contradictions are the products of a crisis of authority that lies at the heart of the faith.

Although the vast majority of human beings have always believed in the universe having a creator, concepts of God vary greatly among them today. For many people, important questions remain unresolved, such as: Are religions divine in origin or man-made? Can God really do "all things" like some scriptures claim? Could he create a rock too heavy for him to lift? Who created the Creator, and did God become man?

That nagging thought drove William Kirkwood to develop this primer on worship for all lead pastors and worship planners who have wondered the same thing. Most pastors come out of seminary with little training in worship yet are ultimately responsible for the worship life of their church. Most worship planners/leaders have musical and leadership skills but little theological background in worship. Kirkwood brings his decades of worship leading experience and education from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in this timely book.

Is it time for your church to go multisite? How do you know if it's the right solution for your congregation? MultiChurch brings clarity to the multisite movement and assembles the lessons it has learned over the past 15 years. Combining insights from multisite church pastor Brad House and Christian theology professor Gregg Allison, this book will help anyone interested in multiplying gospel-centered churches to effectively evaluate and develop the best multisite model for their own church context.

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.

The purpose of this book is to provide a practical, biblical and spiritual strategy for historical churches ensnared by the comfort zone of their past accomplishments and achievements. Its content is primarily designed to help provide the leadership and guidance necessary to identify and empower such churches to make bold, purpose-driven decisions in abandoning the status quo, so that Christ will be exalted above their past and self-interests.

En este audiolibro descubrirás herramientas clave para ejercer un liderazgo cristiano sólido, inspiradas en la primera carta del apóstol Pablo a Timoteo. Esta carta, junto con 2 Timoteo y Tito, forman lo que se conoce como las "Epístolas Pastorales", llamadas así porque no fueron escritas directamente a iglesias, sino a líderes como tú, personas que han sido llamadas a servir, guiar y mantenerse firmes en su propósito como siervos de Dios.

Why is it that so many gifted and passionate leaders end up on the sidelines of ministry rather than finishing well? How can you avoid the pitfalls that face those who serve Christ and his church? What steps can you take that will propel you forward into a more faithful and fruitful ministry than you ever dreamed? These questions and more are addressed in Leadership from the Inside Out.

We are living in historic times. Not since the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s has our country been as vigorously engaged in the reconciliation conversation. There is a great opportunity right now for culture to change, to be a more perfect union. However, it cannot be done without the church, because the faith of the people is more powerful than any law government can enact.