Church Leadership

Since the earliest days of the Church, the faithful have sought divine assistance through the use of the litany, which is an alternating form of prayer. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Marian litany originally approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V. It is also known as the Litany of Loreto from its place of origin, the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto in Italy. Twelve invocations refer to Mary as Mother whilst six extoll her as Virgin. Thirteen titles are derived from the Old Testament, followed by four calling on her as helper and advocate. The last 13 name Mary as Queen.

In the 1980s, Erika Bornman’s family join, and ultimately move to, KwaSizabantu, a Christian mission based in KwaZulu-Natal, which is touted as a nirvana, founded on egalitarian values. But something sinister lurks beneath ‘the place where people are helped’. Life at KwaSizabantu is hard. Christianity is used to justify harsh punishments, and congregants are forced to repent for their sins. Threats of physical violence ensure adherence to stringent rules. Parents are pitted against children. Friendships are discouraged.

We are living in historic times. Not since the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s has our country been as vigorously engaged in the reconciliation conversation. There is a great opportunity right now for culture to change, to be a more perfect union. However, it cannot be done without the church, because the faith of the people is more powerful than any law government can enact.

"Developing A Servant Leadership Curriculum To Excite, Equip And Empower Pastors And Church Leaders," authored by Dr. Bernard P. Goode is a must-read. It is the perfect tool to equip the saints in the body of Christ to become unified and better the overall team. This book focuses on the absence of servant leadership within Churches, which has caused an impediment in the church's growth both spiritually and numerically. Arguably, if the pastor and church leaders received leadership training in servant leadership, then they will be aware of their Biblical role and responsibility to be part of...

We live in a season when church attendance is still building back to what it was before the pandemic. Many Christians have been separated from their church communities. How do we resume and re-prioritize church life and join back together? Why do we even need to—especially when online church fits so neatly around our schedules? Gathered for Good addresses this felt need with empathy and authority and encourage believers to commit to their local church community as a way to deepen their spiritual growth and invest in treasure that will last.

A movement is rumbling through the body of Christ - a revolutionary army of people giving hope to a hurting world through practical, personal acts of service. In Servolution, Dino Rizzo shares the story of his relentless pursuit of ways to bless the lost, poor, and hurting people of his community in Jesus' name. You'll be amazed and inspired by the incredible ways God has used Healing Place Church to meet the needs of thousands of people.

My introduction into the reality of the spirit realm continued one day when I drove south from the campus in Baton Rouge for about an hour to the city of New Orleans. I had never experienced anything like this in my life. It was as if I was walking on the bottom of a swimming pool. I could actually feel the spiritual atmosphere. The spirit of witchcraft, though I didn’t know what to call it at the time, was swirling around me like a whirlwind. The crushing heaviness that I carried day after day was more intense than ever. I felt sick. This indescribable oppression was the result of a ...

In 1994, the most Christianized country in Africa became the site of its worst genocide. The tragedy was in Rwanda, but what happened was a mirror reflecting the deep brokenness of the church in the West. Yet by looking at what happened and why, we can find hope for the global body of Christ.

Following Sherwood Lingenfelter's successful books on ministering, teaching, and leading cross-culturally (with combined sales of over 200,000 copies), Teamwork Cross-Culturally casts a vision for how teams made up of diverse peoples can serve in unity as the body of Christ despite the complicated problems that arise.

With their new book, Cristofer Pereyra and Erin Monnin provide a guide to authentic lay Catholic leadership. Catholic Leadership for Civil Society is structured to show that lay Catholic leadership is not meant to be lived out within the confines of the Catholic community exclusively, but instead serve mainly as a guiding force which illuminates every aspect of secular society with the Truth of the Gospel. The book explains why lay Catholic professionals have a unique responsibility and opportunity to influence the world for Christ, as their duty as baptized children of God.

Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens, and Dwight J. Friesen have seen—in cities, suburbs, and small towns all over North America—how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy, and culture. This is not a new idea—the concept of a parish is as old as Paul's letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement, the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air, like a sign of new life.

Once the sacred guardian of New Zealand's native forests, the huia was a symbol of the land's unique beauty and spirituality. The rare bird's tragic extinction in the early 1900s represents a shot to the heart of Aotearoa and is a potent metaphor for a country's conflicted history. Using the story of the untimely extinction of the huia, J. Ruka offers a fresh perspective on the narrative of New Zealand: a tale of two cultures, warring worldviews, and the things we lost in translation.

Truth and Grace: A Christian Response to LGBTQIA+ Issues is a timely and thought-provoking book that offers a biblically grounded and compassionate approach to one of the most pressing and sensitive topics facing the Church today. As our culture becomes increasingly divided, Christians are called to navigate the complex issues surrounding LGBTQIA+ identities, relationships, and beliefs with both truth and grace. Written by Pastor John E. Miller, who has dedicated nearly three decades to full-time Christian ministry, this book is an invaluable resource for pastors, parents, church leaders, ...

How do you grow a congregation? Is it by hiring the perfect minister or developing the perfect strategy? Preachers and plans are important, but this book is dedicated to the idea that lasting church growth comes primarily through church health. God gives the increase, but He works through people who work together well. The more fit you are, the more fruitful you will be. Consequently, two of the most important questions you can ask are, “How healthy am I as a leader?” and, “How healthy are we as a team?” Are your leaders spiritually mature? Are your teams strategically aligned? Are ...

46 Stones addresses multiple topics that have been the source of frustration, discouragement, and disillusionment for many in the modern-day church. The book gives a name and a voice to these issues. It is time for the church worldwide—in the spirit of Ecclesiastes 3:5—“to throw away some stones;” in this case, the faulty manmade stones and legalistic stones that have been stumbling blocks in the evangelical church for way too long. These forty-six stones are simply a compilation of notions, tendencies, and beliefs that are being “called out” one by one.

In every position of power—from executives and world leaders to church elders and parents—lies the potential for life-giving leadership or destructive corruption. Driven by sinful pride or opportunism, many people abuse their God-given authority, harming the ones they're called to lead and contributing to a skeptical attitude toward leadership. The answer to bad authority, however, is not no authority, but good authority—the kind that, according to Scripture, causes those under it to flourish.

En una de sus más poderosas obras, el pastor Francis Chan profundiza en las verdades bíblicas, reflexiona sobre sus propios sueños y fracasos, y comparte historias de gente común que Dios está usando para cambiar el mundo.

As rural America continues to undergo massive economic and demographic shifts, rural churches are uniquely positioned to provide community leadership. Leading a rural congregation requires a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these communities, as well as a strong theological and community-focused identity. Allen T. Stanton describes how in establishing this identity, rural leaders build a meaningful and vital ministry. Reclaiming Rural explores the myths and realities of rural places, and how those common narratives impact the leadership of rural churches.

This is the story of an audacious journey. It's the story of what happens when people garden, worship, and eat together and invite anyone and everyone to join them. In This Is God's Table, writer and pastor Anna Woofenden describes the way that the wealthy and the poor, the aged and the young, the housed and unhoused become a community in this once-empty lot.

Leaders: Are you feeling overwhelmed in this post-pandemic world? The one-size-fits-all approaches no longer work. You need creative strategies based on godly wisdom that bring people together and break new ground.