Church Ministry

The future is now. Philip Jenkins has chronicled how the next Christendom has shifted away from the Western church toward the global South and East. Likewise, changing demographics mean that North American society will accelerate its diversity in terms of race, ethnicity and culture. But evangelicalism has long been held captive by its predominantly white cultural identity and history. In this book professor and pastor Soong-Chan Rah calls the North American church to escape its captivity to Western cultural trappings and to embrace a new evangelicalism that is diverse and multiethnic.

What roles do King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of ancient Babylon, and Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States, play in God furthering his kingdom? In Two Men from Babylon, Wallace Henley brings into perspective how God uses unlikely leaders to bring about his plans and purpose. Here is a masterfully constructed audiobook that tears the camouflage off our times and looks intensely at what is going on in our crazy era on the eve of a year of destiny - and perhaps for civilization itself.

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.

How can pastors become resilient in a rapidly changing world? Is it possible to love well and lead faithfully? In the wake of crises that have exposed and accelerated massive cultural shifts, we see more clearly the seismic shifts of post-Christendom, the surging storms of a new paganism and pluralism, and the scattered debris of the cultural aftermath. Drawing on new research from the Barna Group, scripture, and church history, Glenn Packiam addresses some of the most pressing questions for today's leaders.

Arguing from Scripture and history, Dr. Boyd makes a compelling case that whenever the church gets too close to any political or national ideology, it is disastrous for the church and harmful to society. Dr. Boyd contends that the American Evangelical Church has allowed itself to be co-opted by the political right (and some by the political left), and exposes how this is harming the church's unique calling to build the kingdom of God.

In Made for Love, Fr. Michael Schmitz presents the Catholic teachings on same-sex attraction and same-sex "sexual" relations. While this audiobook is intended primarily for those who have same-sex attraction and their family and friends, its presentation of the compassionate truth of Catholic teaching on same-sex attraction will be of great benefit to everyone in today's society.

In The Misunderstood Jew, scholar Amy-Jill Levine helps Christians and Jews understand the "Jewishness" of Jesus so that their appreciation of him deepens and a greater interfaith dialogue can take place. Levine's humor and informed truth - telling provokes honest conversation and debate about how Christians and Jews should understand Jesus, the New Testament, and each other.

The teachings of Jesus Christ have been updated in light of the hidden Gnostic texts and the ancient teachings of the Far East, where these wisdom teachings originated thousands of years before the advent of Jesus. Special emphasis is given to his emphasis on finding the Light within, which Jesus called the Father. His use of the I AM, the secret name of God, is highlighted.

Pastor and author Bruce Miller provides practical biblical advice and theological background for difficult ministry decisions regarding complicated and often divisive issues about sexuality.

A great reckoning is underway in the church today: a naming and exposing of the exclusivity, abuse, racism, patriarchy, and unchecked power that have marked evangelical Christianity for far too long. What kind of church will emerge on the other side?

This book uncovers the profound influence of ministry on pastors and their congregations. Through a blend of personal experiences and insightful analysis, it reveals the emotional, mental, and spiritual strains borne by spiritual leaders. Offering a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between pastors and their communities, this book stands as an enlightening guide, exploring the complexities of faith and the human spirit within the context of ministry.

Toxic Charity provides proven new models for charitable groups who want to help - not sabotage - those whom they desire to serve. Lupton, the founder of FCS Urban Ministries (Focused Community Strategies) in Atlanta, the voice of the Urban Perspectives newsletter, and the author of Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life, has been at the forefront of urban ministry activism for 40 years. His groundbreaking Toxic Charity shows us how to start serving needy and impoverished members of our communities in a way that will lead to lasting, real-world change.

This illuminating and insightful audiobook analyzes problems with the culture's underlying worldviews and suggests how Christians can offer solutions to current problems as a way to rebuild culture and faith.

When it comes to the ethnic divisions in our world, we speak often of seeking racial reconciliation. But at no point have all ethnicities on Earth been reconciled. Animosity, distrust, and hostility among people from various ethnicities have always existed in American history. Even in the church, we have often built walls to divide God’s people from each other. In Intensional, pastor D. A. Horton steps into the tension to offer vision and practical guidance for Christians longing to embrace our Kingdom ethnicity, combating the hatred with the hope of Jesus Christ.

For more than 25 years John Thavis held one of the most fascinating journalistic jobs in the world: reporting on the inner workings of the Vatican. His daily exposure to the power, politics, and personalities in the seat of Roman Catholicism gave him a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective on an institution that is far less monolithic and unified than it first appears. Thavis reveals Vatican City as a place where Curia cardinals fight private wars, scandals threaten to undermine papal authority, and reverence for the past is continually upended by the practical considerations of modern life.

Early Christianity was subversive and dangerous - dangerous for Christians, and a threat to the keepers of the old order. Most of all Christianity was countercultural. But what about contemporary American Christianity? Is it the countercultural way of Jesus or merely a religious endorsement of Americanism? In his provocative audiobook, Postcards From Babylon, Brian Zahnd challenges the listener to see and embrace a daring Jesus-centered Christianity that can again turn the world upside down.

What would your church look like in the future if it were to maximize the dormant gifts of the women God has brought there? In Developing Female Leaders, Kadi Cole, 20-year veteran in leadership and people development, offers a practical strategy to help church and organizational leaders craft cultures that facilitate the development of women as volunteer and staff leaders.

The Heart of the Artist will give you a better understanding of yourself and your unique place in the body of Christ. You'll find wisdom and encouragement that can help you survive the challenges and reap the rich joys of a ministry in the creative arts. Each chapter includes provocative questions for group discussion and personal action steps for individual application. Somewhere between pride and self-abasement lies true humility - just one aspect of the balanced character God wants to instill in you as a creative person involved in ministry.

This is the 1956 version of New Testament Christianity by author JB Phillips. In this book Phillips examines the life of the Young Church (book of Acts) and the New Testament writers. He challenges the listeners to adopt the blazing certainty of the unconquerable fellowship displayed in the early Church. If the individual followers of today's modern Church would emulate their radical faith, hope, love, and peace our world would truly be fragrant with the "aroma of Christ".

By the numbers, the American church enjoys the resources to profoundly impact the Kingdom. But despite the rapid growth of these evangelical movements, the church in the West is in decline. A growing schism has emerged between the movement with a strong emphasis on attracting people and the more missional communities that focus on releasing people into ministry. Hugh Halter and Matt Smay bring fresh encouragement to church leaders and invite them to move beyond the attractional-missional divide by utilizing the best insights from both perspectives.