Mission Ministry

Church planters generally are optimistic and enthusiastic about church planting for this generation. Many are launching or about to experiment with innovative approaches to plant churches that engage the marketplace. They are applying missional perspectives to reach this large mission field. This book documents and explores these innovative approaches to church planting.

Dr. Marlene Payne provides a guide to mental health for missionaries, their families, church leaders and therapists. Through anonymous case studies and personal interviews with mission presidents and returned missionaries, she addresses the most common psychiatric disorders, their definition, course, and treatment, including: bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and Asperger's syndrome.

Ministry Makeover examines the decline within the church, especially the United Methodist Church (UMC), and some causes for this decline. It calls for a reforming of United Methodist structure and polity by drawing more attention to the value of the bi-vocational model of ministry and a re-visitation of the Wesleyan/United Brethren view and historical perspective.

Mission Under Fire is the true story of a short-term mission trip in Haiti that went terribly wrong the night 14 Americans were terrorized above a humble medical clinic in the Port-au-Prince countryside. The missionaries fought off six bandits armed with semi automatic pistols, with nothing more than knives, coke bottles, and prayer. In a miraculous fight for their lives, these brave survivors lived through hell, but have Heaven to thank for the experience.

The character of the times in which we live is such as to call forth from us even this admonition, that we ought not to be astonished at the heresies (which abound) neither ought their existence to surprise us, for it was foretold that they should come to pass; nor the fact that they subvert the faith of some, for their final cause is, by affording a trial to faith, to give it also the opportunity of being “approved”. - Tertullian

Most of us wonder: Is there something more to life? Finding More tells the stories of 10 people who asked that question, and found the answer. These compelling profile pieces introduce you to people from all kinds of backgrounds who became Christians when they encountered the only one who gives us more: Jesus Christ.

What do strobe lights, Santa hats, Christmas carols, homemade gifts, five adventurous boys, unsuspecting recipients, and a mission from The Lord have in common on a dark winter's night? Come join The Lavine brothers and their mother as they continue traversing the local communities in their aging '95 Chevy 12 passenger one-ton metal hunk-of-a-van as they journey through the "middle years" of their 15-year Christmas caroling gig. Yes! That's 15 years of Christmas caroling!

Every day and everywhere, everyone can live a powerful life of Kingdom impact, Jesus-style! One ordinary life making a powerful difference - that's God's amazing 'Plan A' on display. Using real-life, riveting stories and a contemporary scriptural lens, Dwight Robertson shows how God's exciting kingdom-building plan takes life - literally - in ordinary individuals.

Can ordinary people make a lasting impact on the world around them? Matthew Barnett's answer is an emphatic Yes! In One Small Step, he shows that it is not as daunting as one might think. It all starts with a heart that is open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to do as he leads. These small steps - most often very simple acts that can be done on a daily basis - require only our obedience and follow-through.

Almost overnight, America's public schools have become morally toxic. They are especially poisonous for the hearts and minds of children from religious families of every faith - ordinary families who value traditional morality and plain old common sense. Parents' first duty is to their children - to their intellect, their character, their souls. The facts on the ground point to one conclusion: Get out now.

Pay attention, people of faith. Dark clouds are gathering. The winds of intolerance are blowing. There’s a great storm approaching. American Christians are facing uncertain times. Our nation’s values are under assault. Religious liberty has been undermined. We live in a day when right is now wrong and wrong is now right. The vicious left-wing attack against the recent traditional marriage stance of Chick-fil-A should serve as a wake-up call to people of faith. It’s not about a chicken sandwich. It’s about religious liberty. It’s about free speech. It’s about the future of our nation.

With high expectations, Vanguards of a Missionary Uprising calls on Christian African-American students to step forward and lead a new international missionary movement. Celebrating their leadership potential, a veteran urban missionary makes this positive challenge from Jesus Christ's Great Commission in the Bible.

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove grew up in the Bible Belt in the American South as a faithful church-going Christian. But he gradually came to realize that the gospel his Christianity proclaimed was not good news for everybody. The same Christianity that sang, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" also perpetuated racial injustice and white supremacy in the name of Jesus. His Christianity, he discovered, was the religion of the slaveholder. Just as Reconstruction after the Civil War worked to repair a desperately broken society, compromised Christianity requires a spiritual reconstruction.

Anticipating the arguments of modern libertarian political philosophers, Lipscomb presents a biblical view of a voluntary society. He questions the idea that governments are created for the public good and argues that peaceful civilization is not dependent on the state. Christians should not participate in politics but should attempt to persuade people to follow the laws of God rather than using force.

Nations duplicate technology by capturing and deconstructing the advanced weapons of other nations. Chefs emulate the culinary masterpieces of others by deconstructing their dishes - sometimes to replicate them and other times to create new recipes. Young parents watch the child-rearing methods of successful older couples, hoping that they may learn the secrets of rearing mature, wise, and godly offspring.

How do teenage boys with cracking and squeaking voices, Christmas caroling, homemade gifts, a mission from the Lord, and being left by the side of the road all relate? The answer to this question and many unexpected adventures and predicaments lie within The Teen Years, The Lavine Boys' Christmas Caroling Adventures, book three as Solomon, Elijah, and Ezra, (and their mother) along with friends Logan and Taylor, continue on this 15-year Christmas caroling gig.

What do you get when you add three little boys, their mom, homemade gifts, Christmas carols, an old 12-passenger van, a mission from the Lord, and a slew of interesting characters together? Lots of adventures! Here in The Lavine Boys’ Christmas Caroling Adventures, Book 1: The Early Years, you will get a glimpse into this little Christmas caroling gig’s beginning years, which continued year after year for a grand total of 15 years! Yes! That’s 15 years of Christmas caroling!

Eyes to See is the story of God's incredible grace and faithfulness to a missionary family as they journeyed with their son and brother into the world of blindness.

What happened to the girl who was not afraid to climb to the top of the waterfall and jump? Who backpacked across Europe? Who took on any feat of bravery without batting an eyelash? You wouldn't recognize her - she's become that woman paralyzed by fear, scared to death to trust God, and trying to manage her family's hectic life, financial crises (yes, plural), and family issues on her own steam. Relatable, touching, and yet hopeful, On the Other Side of Fear is the beautiful story of how one young woman learned to live in God's will, without fear.

Indispensable Church provides you and your church real-world, hands-on steps to create a revolution of service to your local community in the name of Christ. By exploring the life of Jesus and the strategic ways he modeled serving the people around him, pastor Chris Sonksen shows you how to put love into action in your neighborhood and your city. The step-by-step instructions, biblical challenges, and teaching resources will help you take love to the streets and make an impact right where you live.