Religion Community

The Rule of St. Benedict arose from an era when a great civilization was threatened by violence, economic forces that favored the wealthy, political leaders that lacked the trust of the public, and rampant xenophobia. In How to Live, Judith Valente explores the key elements of the rule and clearly demonstrates how incorporating this ancient wisdom can change the quality and texture of our lives offering a way forward from the divisions gripping our country.

When it comes to Christ-centered recovery, we, the church, have work to do. Our legalistic, box-checking, one-size-fits-all programs produce astonishingly high failure rates—which means far too many people are left to fight addiction, mental health problems, and suicidal thoughts on their own. The goal of The Uncovery is to help the church—and the world—see recovery through a grace-laced, gospel lens. Every single one of us has some trauma or issue from our past that may still be affecting our life today. This book offers listeners nudge to go deeper in the recovery space.

The role of organized religion in our society is undergoing monumental changes. Church attendance is decreasing at unprecedented rates. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of people who identify as “spiritual but not religious.” Clearly, the need for religion remains as strong as ever, yet more and more, people are seeking spirituality elsewhere. Why? What accounts for these trends? Can organized religion still play a valuable role in today’s world?

In Communities of Hope we discover how a Nottingham foodbank became more than just a resource, it became a community of hope. Christian-led social action ministries make a huge contribution to society. But how do we develop new communities where Jesus is known and loved from these activities? Tracing the story of his own experience working with a foodbank that expanded in many directions, author Nigel Adams shares how Hope House in Nottingham offers such an inclusive welcome to all that it has grown into a community of hope.

Judaism has survived for 3,500 years by embracing a few, some arguably paradoxical ideas: Life is hard. It also has the potential to be joyous. Every single human has a spark of something extraordinary in them. And every one of us should try to do 1 percent better. In The Jewish Way to a Good Life, straight-shooting Rabbi Shira Stutman distills thousands of years of Jewish wisdom into practical, time-tested strategies for living a more meaningful life. She reminds us: You don't have to be Jewish to do Jewish. And she tells us how.

In her new book, Toni Collier shares how we can have hope in the midst of our most difficult days when we let others in. Opening up about her own experiences of walking through heartbreak, betrayal, and suffering, she shows us the importance of being vulnerable and allowing others to come alongside us as we heal—instead of trying to do it on our own—and gives us practical advice for how to actually heal.

The Christian faith has repeatedly been called a “religion of the book.” Along with the incarnate Word and the oral word of preaching, God has chosen the medium of books to proclaim His goodness to us. The Bible is the book per se, and it sets the standard for the Christian faith. The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century saw the dramatic power of the printed word to bring light out of darkness as literature changed the thought and life of nations.

Dr. Clifford Brickman is an author and narrator of the acclaimed best seller, The Still, Soft Voice. Dr. Brickman is a healthcare practitioner and an individual and family therapist in Chicago at Millennium Park. Which script do or might you follow? A weakening script, or something else.

Leadership in Community is a spiritual formation curriculum designed to provide a theological and practical foundation for Christian leaders committed to the mission of God in a vastly changing world. It engages new or seasoned missional leaders in the foundations of missiology, leadership theory, and leadership practices and tools. The curriculum explores three interrelated themes that build effective missional leadership: the missiology, community, and ethics of missional leadership.

With all the hostility boiling just under the surface of our world, we need a renewed vision of Jesus as the Lamb of God who can lead us in the peaceable ways of the Kingdom. When we fail to keep Jesus at the center of our lives, we lean into the desires of our hearts more than the desires God has for us. As a result, our entire spirituality becomes driven by the self and for the self. We need renewed practices of centering Jesus in our hearts and minds. Derek Vreeland invites you to imagine what it looks like to keep Jesus as the Lamb of God at the center of three key areas of our lives.

This book brings fresh clarity and key insights regarding the daily hazards of spiritual warfare and what it means to live out your faith. In his authentic and engaging style, Josh unpacks complicated issues like sin, death, and faith, and points the way forward on the path toward spiritual maturity. With simple, helpful advice for finding and connecting with a faith community and living with purpose, this is a must-listen for everyone ready to take new steps in their faith journey.

Questions about what the Bible says about the LGBT community abound in Christian circles. Pastors and ministry leaders are flooded with inquiries. Parents and loved ones ask how to respond to a son or daughter asking about reassignment surgery or struggling with same-sex attraction. And many individuals question their own LGBT lifestyle choices.

It is no secret that the moral fabric of Western culture has unraveled at breakneck speed during recent decades. And while we have made progress addressing some issues such as sexual harassment, many other cultural changes are leaving us anxious and concerned. Mass shootings. Drug addictions. Sexual confusion. While there may be no easy solutions to our complex social malaise, we are by no means powerless. Through prayer, the all-wise and all-powerful Creator of our universe has given otherwise ordinary people an amazing opportunity to reverse the negative tide.

Estamos diante de um clássico da literatura cristã. Nele, o príncipe dos pregadores se revela como um homem que ora e que prega o valor inestimável da oração comunitária. Nesta coletânea com 40 sermões, aprendemos como a oração dos crentes reunidos é transformadora. A obra foi dividida em quatro seções:

We were created for community. So why do we want to be alone? The Bible tells the story of the immense power of human relationships and God's love for the church. Douglas Bursch presents a timely, insightful and practical theology of community. He examines the relational implications of human existence, sin, salvation, discipleship, evangelism, and other key biblical concepts. Doug also shares unfiltered stories concerning his personal weaknesses and the relational struggles he has faced as a pastor.

The Evidence of Things Unseen: Faith Revealed in a Family, a Community and a Nation describes the evidence of faith first initiated in the family experience, then developed in the faith communities. The text illustrates how faith developed in evangelical communities will result in a certain view of our nation and its governance. This leads to the paradox that these views often conflict with biblical principles taught by those communities. The concluding section of this book suggests a reason for this conflict and a proposed remedy.

When Lynda MacGibbon moved from a small city in eastern Canada to a high-rise apartment in Toronto, she decided to follow Jesus' famous commandment to "love your neighbor" a bit more literally. In the past, she would have looked first for friends at her new job or her new church. This time, though, she decided to look for friends among the strangers who shared her apartment building - her actual neighbors in her new "vertical neighborhood".

When people live in community moved by the gospel and marked by the Spirit, great things happen. They commit to one another. They grieve together, sing together, eat, pray, and play together. They love, serve, honor, encourage, and provide for each other gladly. And they live on mission together. Hearts are healed, walls come down, and outsiders come in. No competition. No pretense. No vain conceit. Just full hearts breaking bread and giving freely.

Our world has been torn asunder by racial, ethnic, and ideological differences. It is seen in our politics, felt in our families, and ingrained in our theology. Sadly, the church has often reinforced these ethnic and racial divides. To cast off the ugliness of disunity and heal our fractured humanity, we must cultivate spiritual practices that help us pursue beautiful community. In The Beautiful Community, pastor and theologian Irwyn Ince boldly unpacks the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation.

Activist Terence Lester knows it's hard to change the world. But mobilizing and acting together empowers us to do what we can't do as isolated individuals. Lester looks at the obstacles that prevent us from getting involved, and he offers practical ways that we can accomplish things together as groups, families, churches, and communities. He helps us find our place in the larger picture, discerning the unique ways we can contribute and make a difference. By connecting with our neighbors and discovering our own paths of service, we can drastically change how we follow Christ.