Mission Ministry

Practically everyone in the western world has heard of the man called St. Patrick. But hardly anyone knows anything about him. About the only two things that more people "know" about Patrick is that he was Irish and Roman Catholic. In truth, he was neither. He was British, and he belonged to the autonomous Celtic church. Although Patrick is the most famous person of his age, the real man has been buried in a cloud of myths

What is an ideal church, and how can you tell? How does it look different from other churches? More importantly, how does it act differently, especially in society? Many of us aren't sure how to answer those questions, even though we probably have some preconceived idea. But with this book, you don't have to wonder any more.

In this groundbreaking book, one of America's premier religion writers revives ancient expressions through cultural commentary, vulnerable personal narratives, and surprising biblical insights. Both provocative and liberating, Learning to Speak God from Scratch will breathe new life into your spiritual conversations and lure you into the embrace of the God who inhabits them.

In 1993, Andrew Brunson was asked to travel to Turkey, the largest unevangelized country in the world, to serve as a missionary. Though hesitant because of the daunting and dangerous task that lay ahead, Andrew and his wife, Norine, believed this was God's plan for them. What followed was a string of threats and attacks, but also successes in starting new churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. As their work with refugees from Syria, gained attention and suspicion, Andrew and Norine acknowledged the threat but accepted the risk.

Just like we do today, the writers and chief actors of the Old Testament felt a deep longing for the presence of God. It is symbolized in the temple ruins, and before it the temple itself, and before that the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle that housed it, and before that the Garden of Eden. In response to this longing, God shares his ultimate mission, in which his people play a part: the expansion of Eden, the temple of God's presence, to all peoples throughout the earth.

As a boy, he dreamed of being an undercover spy behind enemy lines. As a man, he found himself undercover for God. Brother Andrew was his name, and for decades, his life story has awed and inspired millions. This best-selling memoir recounts the incredible efforts of the young Dutch factory worker to transport Bibles across closed borders, and the miraculous ways in which God provided for him every step of the way.

There has always been a price for following Christ, and many have paid the ultimate price. The Voice of the Martyrs, co-authors of the bestseller Jesus Freaks, brings you a daily devotional filled with inspiring stories of courage, commitment, confession and compassion. In an age of extremes, you can find faith, strength, encouragement and hope through the stories of fellow believers from all over the world and from past centuries up to the present. These men and women, young and old, went to the outer limits of devotion. Each story is extreme. Each story will change your life.

Do you wish you had more qualified, committed, and mission-oriented leaders in your church to share the ministry workload? Do you have a passion for cultivating the God-given leadership gifts in others? Most pastors say that the need to identify and develop leaders is critical to the health and growth of their church, yet most churches do not have an intentional plan for doing this.

The fascinating, true account of the quest for one of the Old Testament’s most infamous cities. Like many modern-day Christians, Dr. Steven Collins struggled with what seemed to be a clash between his belief in the Bible and the research regarding ancient history - a crisis of faith that inspired him to put both his education and the Bible to the test by embarking on an expedition that has led to one of the most exciting finds in recent archaeology.

It's not your imagination: civilized human society is collapsing. Communities no longer work toward a common good; children are no longer our first priority; businesses no longer value hard work; arts and skills have been lost; and gender is decided by the individual, not biology. We cannot reverse national and global trends, says professor Anthony Esolen, but we can build communities that live up to humanity's promise and responsibility.

Steve Saint was five years old when his father, missionary pilot Nate Saint, was speared to death by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe. In adulthood, Steve, having left Ecuador for a successful business career, never imagined making the jungle his home again. But when that same tribe asks him to help them, Steve, his wife, and their teenage children move back to the jungle. There, Steve learns long-buried secrets about his father's murder, confronts difficult choices, and finds himself caught between two worlds.

Jim's volumes of personal journals, written over many years, reveal the inner struggles and victories that he experienced before his untimely death in 1956. In The Journals of Jim Elliot, you'll come to know this intelligent and articulate man who yearned to know God's plan for his life, detailed his fascinating missions work, and revealed his love for Elisabeth--first as a single man, then as a happily married one.

The phenomenal impact of The Prayer of Jabez is shown by reports of changed lives, expanded ministries, and spiritual breakthroughs among believers everywhere. Now women have their own unique version, shared by Bruce Wilkinson's lifetime partner in marriage, which is full of significance for women's roles and ministry opportunities in God's kingdom.

The lives of many believers rarely escape the tight orbits that circle around their own schedules, their own interests. The familiar gravity of familiar places. But the trajectory of our faith should be one that's continually cycling outward, fueled by a mission and message that God first brought within reach of us, so that we can now join with him in taking it within reach of others. Authors Daniel L. Akin and Bruce Riley Ashford are calling today's church members to lives of going, going out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are the richest people ever to walk the face of the earth, but according to research, we aren't becoming happier. Families and communities are increasingly fragmented, loneliness is skyrocketing, and physical and mental health are on the decline. Our unprecedented wealth doesn't seem to be doing us much good. Yet, when we try to help poor people at home or abroad, our implicit assumption is that the goal is to help them to become like us.

“Reema Goode” and her family are Christians working in a closed Middle Eastern country where all of these things are true. Yet they are also firsthand witnesses of a whole new trend that is taking shape in missions to Muslims. Despite all obstacles, God is opening miraculous doors in the Islamic world, where an unprecedented number of Muslims are becoming followers of Jesus. Reema takes us deep inside her Arab neighborhood to show how God is opening doors in just one of many Islamic communities.

Why I Am Catholic traces Brandon Vogt’s spiritual journey that culminated in the realization that Catholicism was right about a lot of things and serves as a compelling reproposal of the Church for former Catholics; a persuasive argument for truth and beauty to those who have become jaded and disenchanted with religion; and at the same time offers practicing Catholics a much-needed dose of confidence and clarity to affirm their faith against an increasingly skeptical culture.

We live in a multicultural society. But Christians often do not know how to engage those of other faiths. As a result, many Christians hesitate to talk about Christianity with others in any kind of evangelistic way. Jay Moon and W. Bud Simon unpack the intercultural dynamics that Christians need to understand when encountering people from different communities and cultural backgrounds.

No longer can the church see only with natural eyes. Breaking the Power of Familiar Spirits exposes these demonic forces, reveals how they operate, and tells listeners how to defeat them. The enemy would like nothing more than to thwart Christians’ destiny. This book will help believers stand against those attacks and break free of harassing spirits they may have unwittingly allowed in their lives.

With its Bible-based, time-tested strategies, tactics, and tools to combat the enemy, this book will empower listeners to be more alert to the wiles of the wicked one, take an offensive rather than a defensive stance against the enemy, wage more effective warfare, find rest in the midst of the spiritual storms, and live a life of victory. When the devil comes one way, he will flee seven ways and more with these scriptural tactics that will break the power of his devices. This book will serve as a quick-start guide for battle when all hell is breaking loose.