Archive for the 'Church Growth' Category
Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner
Wendy Blight
Have you ever felt your life spinning out of control, and you did not know if you would survive another day? Like all you had in this world was ripped away? Have you experienced a physical or emotional pain so deep that nothing could numb the hurt? If you or anyone you know could answer yes to any of these questions, I invite yo
u to listen to my story.
On June 7, 1986, one week after my college graduation, an unknown armed assailant broke into my apartment, held me captive, stripped me bare, stole my perfect life, and walked away never to be seen again. I lived for years cocooned in a prison of fear, despair, and hopelessness. The depth of my pain was beyond comprehension. I desperately searched for answers but could find none. Though surrounded by people, I felt so alone. Finally, I fell on my knees before God. I poured out my tears, anger, and questions to Him.
Continue….. http://www.moodypublishers.com/Publishers/default.asp?SectionID=A1477EA57CD849EEB5F6576B47C01405
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 Evangelical Press - Growing leaders in the church. 304pp £9.95 / $19.99
Effective leadership is vital for the health and welfare of the church of Jesus Christ. A local assembly of believers cannot function in a God-honouring manner unless it has a godly and caring leadership. When church leaders do their work well, the church will be well. The health of a congregation depends upon its leaders. Since one of the essential duties of pastors or church leaders is to equip ‘the saints for the work of ministry’, this involves, of necessity, the training and equipping of future church leaders.
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Mac Brunson & Ergun Caner. Why Churches Die: Diagnosing Lethal Poisons in the Body of Christ. B&H, 2005. 216 pp.
We are all too aware of the damage poisons can have on our bodies. These ailments find their way into us, invading us, infecting us, and spreading throughout us until the illness is felt all over. There are spiritual poisons that work this way as well, except these ailments invade another kind of body-the spiritual body of Christ. Like the diseases of our physical bodies, these diseases slow the body down, crippling it to function at less than capacity. They limit what the body can do and the effectiveness it can have. If not treated, these diseases can lead to death.
Continue reading ‘Why Churches Die | Mac Brunson & Ergun Caner’
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Gary L. McIntosh & R. Daniel Reeves. Thriving Churches in the Twenty-First Century: 10 Life-Giving Systems for Vibrant Ministry. Kregel, 2006. 224 pp.
An innovative approach to dynamic church ministry through recognition of spiritual health and energy as the basis of ministry vitality. Using the analogy of the human body, Thriving Churches in the Twenty-First Century explores the ten interlocking systems that make up a healthy church body, such as spiritual energy, corporate intercession, spiritual disciplines, mentoring, and team ministry. The result is a book brimming with insights and encouragement to help understand how the church can experience lasting spiritual growth.
Continue reading ‘Thriving Churches in the Twenty-First Century | Gary McIntosh & R. Daniel Reeves’
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Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, & Warren Bird. The Multi-Site Church Revolution: Being One Church in Many Locations. Zondervan, 2006. 224 pp.
This book captures the story of a widespread movement of churches that are expanding their ministries to include multiple formats, venues, and locations, using dozens of in-the-trenches examples, identifying the primary reasons churches succeed as well as how they overcome common snags on the route to “one church–many congregations.”
Fueled by a desire to reach people for Christ, a revolution is underway. Churches are growing beyond the limitations of a single service in one building. Expanding the traditional model, they are embracing the concept of one church with more than one site: multiple congregations sharing a common vision, budget, leadership, and board. Drawing from the examples of churches nationwide, The Multi-Site Church Revolution shows what healthy multi-site churches look like and what motivates congregations to make the change. Discover how your church can:
- cast a vision for change
- ensure a successful DNA transfer (vision and core values) to its new site
- develop new leaders
- fund new sites
- adapt to structure and staffing change
- use technology to support your worship services
You’ll identify the reasons churches succeed and how they overcome common snags. The Multi-Site Church Revolution offers guidance, insights, and specific action steps as well as appendixes with practical leadership resources and self-diagnostic tools.
Authors:
Overview: Amazon | CBD | Google Books
Excerpts: TOC, pp. 15-20 | Preview in Google Books
Reviews: Amazon
Professors
Pastors/Church Leaders
- Rick Stilwell at Gottabuzz (06/06) Review
- Mark Batterson at Evotional (05/06) Review
- Bob Franquiz at BobFranquiz (06/06) Review
Laymen/Unknown
- DJ Chuang at Leadership Network Books (12/06) Review
- Tony Sheng at Mobilizing Student Ministries (01/07) Review
- Mark Howell at Strategy Central (07/06) Review
Extras:
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Mark Dever, Paul Alexander. The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel. Crossway, 2005. 224 pp.
Mark Dever and Paul Alexander provide a model of a biblical church in this resource for pastors, elders, and others interested in the vitality of their church. This highly practical book proposes an attitude of complete reliance on and submission to the Gospel in building a healthy church.
Authors:
Overview: Amazon | CBD | Crossway | 9Marks
Excerpts: Front matter | PastorBookshelf (pp. 20-28, 33) | Browse in Amazon | Browse in Crossway
Reviews: Amazon | Crossway | CBD | LibraryThing
Pastors/Church Leaders
- Adrian Warnock at AdrianWarnock (09/05) Review
- Mark Franklin at the FFBC Blog (ND) Review
Seminary/Ministerial Students
- Bryce Hales at TheLionRampant (09/05) Review
- Jon B. at Veritas Est Immortalis (06/07) Review
- KC Armstrong at EasilyAMuse (06/07) Review
Laymen/Unknown
- Tim Challies at Challies.com (09/05) Review
- Doug McHone at CoffeeSwirls.com (09/05) Review
- Michael Russell at Eternal Perspectives (09/05) Review
- Brad Wilson at ReadnReap (09/05) Review
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Joshua Harris. Stop Dating the Church! Fall in Love with the Family of God. Multnomah, 2004. 144 pp.
Putting in their hour or two on the weekend, many Christians take the rest of the week off, neglecting the church and her needs. It’s not a serious relationship. Some shop around, looking for a church that suits their lifestyle. It’s dating, with no assurances, no obligations. Bestselling author Joshua Harris calls Christians to stop playing the field and commit, just as Christ is committed to us, His bride. In his new book, Harris explores the ramifications of Ephesians 5:25–32, which proclaims the intensity and the breadth of Jesus Christ’s love for His church. God has designed us to build our lives around a local church; we cannot be indifferent or uninvolved. Rather, we must be in love with and committed to God’s plan and purpose through the church. Are you dating the church, or are you committed?
Author: JoshHarris.com | CovLife.org | Multnomah Bio | Wikipedia
Overview: Amazon | Multnomah | CBD | Google Books
Excerpts: Contents & Ch. 1 | Browse in Amazon
Reviews: Amazon | CBD | LibraryThing
Pastors/Church Leaders
- Benjamin Potter at BenjoBooks (5/07) Review
Seminary/Ministerial Students
Laymen/Unknown
Extras:
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Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger. Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples. B&H, 2006. 272 pp.
The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world.
Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.
Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.
Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.
Authors:
Overview: Amazon | B&H
Excerpts: TOC & Ch 1
Reviews: Amazon | B&H | CBD | LibraryThing
Pastors/Church Leaders
- James Grieme at SharperIron (03/07): Review
- Aaron Carpenter at ShaperIron (04/07): Review
- Frank Sansone at SharperIron (03/07): Review
- Benjamin Potter at PastorBookshelf Reviews (07/07): Review
Laymen/Unknown
Extras:
- Watch Dr. Thom Rainer discuss the concepts in Simple Church:
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