Social Ministry

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?

Pete and Geri Scazzero developed The Emotionally Healthy (EH) Relationships Course over a 21-year period to directly address core biblical principles to guide you and others into an experience of discipleship that will deeply change your life. In the EH Relationships Course, everyone will learn eight practical relationship skills to develop mature, loving relationships with others.

Many today object to Christianity as a White, male-dominated religion that oppresses women and people of color. More than a White Man’s Religion not only debunks the mischaracterization of Christianity, but also shows how the gospel can inspire positive change desperately needed in our modern culture.

In Mother to Son, Jasmine Holmes shares a series of powerful letters to her young son. These are about her journey as an African American Christian and what she wants her son to know as he grows and approaches the world as a Black man. Holmes deals head-on with issues ranging from discipleship and marriage to biblical justice. She invites us to listen as she reminds Wynn that his identity is firmly planted in the person and work of Jesus Christ, even when the topic is one as emotionally charged as race in America.

The Supreme Court has issued a decision, but that doesn't end the debate. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, Americans face momentous debates about the nature of marriage and religious liberty. Because the Court has redefined marriage in all 50 states, we have to energetically protect our freedom to live according to conscience and faith as we work to rebuild a strong marriage culture.

In an era where we seem to be increasingly divided along racial lines, many are hesitant to step into the gap, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing. At times the silence, particularly within the church, seems deafening. But change begins with an honest conversation among a group of Christians willing to give a voice to unspoken hurts, hidden fears, and mounting tensions. These ongoing dialogues have formed the foundation of a global movement called Be the Bridge. In this perspective-shifting book, founder Latasha Morrison shows how you can participate in this incredible work.

Religious liberty isn't a principle for Americans alone, though it certainly has played an important role in the history of the United States. Religious liberty is a matter of authority and allegiance for people of every land. To whom one owes ultimate allegiance is a matter of the conscience, and one that should be protected in every nation. But what if religious liberty gives way, and churches are faced with the difficult decision between allegiance to their country and allegiance to their conscience?

Every Christian isn't called to adopt, but everyone is called to care for orphans. The evangelical adoption movement is but one strand in a long cord of Christian care for orphans. While adoption trends have fluctuated over time in different contexts, the Bible has not changed its position. The gospel is decidedly pro-adoption and on the side of the orphan. Yet many obstacles stand in the way of the Christian's mission to provide care to the least of these. So, what now?

What exactly are we? The modern world has many answers to that question, each of which has consequences for the choices we make about our own lives and the lives of others. In this short, simple book, Mark Meynell wants to help confused Christians understand what God has said about these questions in the scriptures, and offers a positive and liberating way forward as we discover what true humanity really is.

Christians are a large and influential voting block today. But as each governmental election approaches, an increasing polarity occurs within those claiming the Christian faith. This comes as a result of party-voting rather than voting according to Biblical mandates and authority. To refocus correctly, Dr. Tony Evans goes back to the basics and teaches about how God established government as a divine institution whose tasks include promoting the well-being of those within its realm and protection from evil.

In his first book since 2002's acclaimed The Hidden Face of God, popular scientist Gerald Schroeder combines decades of scientific research and biblical study to present a groundbreaking new paradigm of how to understand God. Fans of Jack Miles' God: A Biography, Francis Collins' The Language of God, and Richard Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible will find much to contemplate in God According to God.

Modern man has a problem with knowledge. He cannot accept God's word about the world or anything else, so anything that points to God must be called into question. Man, once he makes himself ultimate, is unable to know anything but himself. Because of this impasse, modern thinking has become progressively pragmatic. This book will lead the listener to understand that this problem of knowledge underlies the isolation and self-torment of modern man.

One of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the history of Western thought, St Thomas Aquinas established the foundations for much of modern philosophy of religion, and is famous for his arguments for the existence of God. In this cogent and multifaceted introduction to the great saint's work, Edward Feser argues that you cannot fully understand Aquinas' philosophy without his theology, and vice-versa. He covers Aquinas' thoughts on the soul, natural law, metaphysics, and more.

Insecurity is easily the most pervasive struggle of women in America today. We have more ways than ever to compare ourselves to others, and our sense of self-worth takes a serious beating on an almost daily basis. We want real, workable solutions about how to find peace with ourselves. This is what professional Christian counselor Donna Gibbs gives women. Drawing from her 20 years of experience, she exposes the many lies that produce insecurities in us, the result of letting those insecurities get the best of us, and, most importantly, the way out of insecurity for good.

A cautionary look at 10 dangerously appealing half-truths. Not long ago, I came across a list of 10 principles set forth by proponents of progressive Christianity. They are, in effect, a new 10 commandments. What’s striking is that they are far less about God revealing his desires and far more about man expressing his own - less Moses, more Oprah. Yet each of these commandments is partially true. Indeed, that is what makes this list, and progressive Christianity as a whole, so challenging.

This audiobook gives youth workers the opportunity to go beyond simply trying to motivate kids to serve those in need and invites them to help their kids wrestle with why those people are in need in the first place. Specific topics that will be addressed include the out-of-the-box-Jesus, the power of repentance, biblically grounded motivations for service, the power of community, as well as how to respond to the poverty, racism, and unequal power relationships.

The world is witnessing its worst refugee crisis in recorded history, and the videos and images that have surfaced are harrowing. Many of us wonder how we can help, but at the same time we are nervous - we want to be compassionate, but we are concerned about the risks. Seeking Refuge speaks right into that tension. It explores the salient issues and dilemmas, the theological and moral arguments, the economic costs and benefits of welcoming refugees, and more.

The church is sadly still confused about what it means to be a man or a woman. While secular society talks about sexuality in terms of liberation, many in the church define manhood and womanhood in terms of reductive roles that rob us of the dignity of personhood, created in the image of God. In her poetic, theologically contemplative style, Aimee Byrd invites you to enter the rich treasure trove of the Song of Songs as its lyrics reveal how our very bodies are visible signs that tell us something about our God.

In the middle of diapers, dishes, papers, or presentations, deep down, we long to live a life of purpose, with a bit of adventure. But if we do something, we think we have to do everything - and do it in Africa. In Across the Street and Around the World, Jeannie Marie shows us we can change the world right where we live, work, play, and study - by learning to grow genuine, spiritually deep friendships with people from other countries, cultures, and faiths. Marie gently guides us away from common cultural missteps, so we can offer Jesus in a winsome way....

Jack Miles's book is a provocative and revisionary look at the life of Jesus, in which many of the most well-worn truths about Christ are recontextualized and revisited. It does not look for the historical Jesus, but takes the Gospels as the sole source about his life.