Ministry Leadership

Is it possible our world is just one big high school lunchroom? In a world fraught with polarization and division—where we form separate tables based on political beliefs, skin color, economic status, theological ideas, and personal preferences—can we find a way to live differently, more aligned with the ways of Jesus? In Lunchroom Theology, Heather Gorman and Mark Nelson confront our societal and theological rifts, and by weaving together scriptural and sociological insights, they expose the many ways our contemporary divisions are mirrored by the church today.

Imagine the chance to sit down with 30 of the world's best-known and best-respected leaders as they share their secrets to success. That's Master Leaders - the most valuable leadership book of the decade.

In an audiobook eagerly awaited by her growing retinue of fans, she brings listeners inside the world's oldest Christian faith, illuminating Eastern Orthodoxy in a manner similar to Kathleen Norris's exploration of Benedictine spirituality. An ex-hippie and former social radical, the author often writes humorously about her unusual road from Woodstock to the altar of an Orthodox church, where she is the pastor's wife.

Moments after our pastor exited the building that afternoon in 2008, most of the congregation sat in shock. A tiny but powerful minority wore victorious smiles at the minister's ousting. The lady to my left wept. Her pleading question kept me awake all night. "Why did our pastor have to leave?" Polls reveal startling statistics regarding pastoral ministry: 91 percent of ministers know three to four others who've been forced out of pastoral positions.

In Deep Church, Belcher brings the best insights of all sides to forge a third way between emerging and traditional. In a fair and evenhanded way, Belcher explores the proposals of such emerging church leaders as Tony Jones, Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt. He offers measured appreciation and affirmation as well as balanced critique.

You can be young, passionate about Jesus Christ, surrounded by diversity, engaged in a postmodern world, and reared in evangelicalism and not be an emergent Christian. In fact I want to argue that it would be better if you weren't. The Emergent Church is a strong voice in today's Christian community. And they're talking about good things: caring for the poor, peace for all men, loving Jesus. They're doing church a new way, not content to fit the mold. Again, all good. But there's more to the movement than that.

Just as a physically healthy person - at an ideal weight and with good blood pressure and cholesterol numbers - might not actually be fit enough to run a 5k, so churches can appear healthy - with no obvious issues, maintaining a healthy size - and yet not exhibit fitness. A fit church is one that is not satisfied with merely coasting along with no problems. A fit church is actively making disciples, maturing in faith, developing strong leaders, reaching out to the community, and more.

In the 15th century, the Augustinian monk, Thomas Kempis authored one of the most profound Christian works to date. The Imitation of Christ focuses on living the life that Jesus and his followers promoted through ministry, emphasizing the need for isolation and prayer, as well as renouncing worldly vanities and searching for eternal truths as a method of getting closer to Christ and God.

Most Christians resist the idea that we are to pursue happiness. We are more comfortable with the idea of finding joy or being blessed. But seeking happiness seems too superficial or too flighty for people of faith. In Happy Church, Tim McConnell offers a radical call for Christians to reclaim happiness.

God's Power is for us today. You can experience the tangible, manifest presence of God. But you need to learn how to get to a place where God's Power can be a reality for you personally. In this powerful audiobook, Harry offers very practical, biblical instructions on the pathway into the presence of God. He specifically addresses the things that hinder us from experiencing a deeply personal relationship with God.

Every generation must discover the truths of life. In listening to this audiobook, listeners will be reminded of God's never-ending care for them.

En Cómo liderar en un mundo de distracción, Clay Scroggins enseña a los líderes cuatro simples hábitos que crean un espacio para la evaluación y la exploración emocional. Estas prácticas útiles permitirán a los líderes reemplazar el caos de sus días ocupados por la competencia emocional y la conciencia que los lleve a una vida más tranquila y satisfactoria.

These bite-sized devotions are like daily supplements for anyone trying to lead, manage or operate a business from a biblical perspective. Business consultant and Strengths trainer Jim Seybert combed through the Bible looking for passages that were relevant to the struggles facing his colleagues and clients. What he found was a treasure trove of examples that God cares a great deal about the way we run our businesses, ministries and organizations.

This time, Mirosław Wlekły meets rebellious Catholics. He travelled the world from Argentina to Birma, from Brazil to Liban, from the Dominican Republic to England. The fruit of his travels is “Ruckus!”, which can be heard as a story about an attempt to return to the roots of Christianity, or like a report about the state of the world and fortitude, which raises the question - will we ever be ready for a ruckus in the Polish Church?

Matt Pilot and Michelle Morehouse know firsthand what it’s like to shoulder the burden of ministry alone—and they know what it’s like to experience the joy of entrusting and empowering great people. Give Your Job Away is the blueprint they created on how to build teams around you. We need specific leaders and gap fillers around us in order to fulfill everything God has for our life. Is it possible to meet needs, solve problems, manage all the details, and even grow your church or ministry? It is—if you put the right people in place.

The idea of Christian unity presents an attractive ideal. Yet it is more than an ideal. Those who have been joined together with Christ through the new covenant have also been joined together with one another. Such ideas can be difficult to accept considering the overall state of the church today. But God has a plan for these last days, and it involves the members of his unified body loving one another and working together to fulfill his purposes.

Ministry in modern society presents a perpetual assault on the pastor’s soul. Culture has changed, and the challenges of ministry have changed with it. Many new pastors are discovering that they’re ill-equipped to manage unexpected, soul-health tensions of ministry. Some are walking away, and others are choosing to not enter the pastorate despite a sense of God’s calling.

Every generation reaches a point of rude awakening where what is demanded of us is more than what is given us. What we’ve been prepared for isn’t what we’re facing. What we’ve been taught is the good life really isn’t. Jerome Daley points us to ancient wisdom that long ago exposed the limits of celebrity and achievement cults: the monastic tradition. It offers not only meaning and a critique of values antithetical to a good life, but also ways of living and leading that will fill you up and dramatically increase your impact. Your leadership is meant for more; Gravitas will help you find the path.

Are you yearning to hear God's voice in the chaos of modern life? In "Discerning God's Voice: A Young Man's Journey," Larry Sumerville II invites you on a transformative adventure to discover how God communicates with us through Scripture, symbols, creation, and more. Imagine recognizing God's voice in every moment. Sumerville takes you by the hand, guiding you through the process of discerning divine whispers in your life. He reveals the eternal relevance and authority of Scripture, showing how the Holy Spirit uses sacred texts to provide clarity and wisdom for every situation.

We hear all to often that someone has decided to leave the Evangelical Christian faith and to join the Church of Rome, or Eastern Orthodoxy, or High Anglicanism. The lure is liturgy and tradition, and since the Evangelical and Reformed churches so often have such poor worship, it is not hard to understand the pull exercised by those churches that have a heritage of formality, sobriety and beauty. This cure, however, is far worse than the disease.