Showing titles in Church & Church Leadership

From the author of Reimagining Church comes an essential guide that provides practical, effective tools for finding vibrant Christian communities. Driven by a passion for the body of Christ, Frank Viola has written some of today's most authoritative and celebrated works on the growing home, organic, and missional church movements. Now Viola shares practical keys to a healthy and successful church plant.

It began when a small group of believers stepped out in faith—against all odds—and claimed the Queen of Angels Hospital in downtown Los Angeles for the cause of Christ. Now 200 different ministries in the Los Angeles International Church reach out to thousands of residents. Innovative programs minister to AIDS victims, the homeless, battered women, drug and alcohol addicts, and abused children—offering hope and a chance for a better life. The Church That Never Sleeps shows how God can use this incredible ministry as a model to make dreams come true across the nation.

Throughout much of the 19th century, both secular and Catholic leaders assumed that the Church and the modern world were locked in a battle to the death. The triumph of modernity would not only finish the Church as a consequential player in world history; it would also lead to the death of religious conviction. But today, the Catholic Church is far more vital and consequential than it was 150 years ago.

When Scott first became pastor of Oaks Church, it had been stuck at 650 in attendance for a decade. Three times, the church had grown to 900. But all three times, it dropped back down to 650. That was the hole in their bucket.

Discipleship lies at the center of Christian life and practice. It is a beautiful journey, in which each of us simultaneously attempt to become more like Christ and to help others do the same. It is our most important task on earth, but often it is neglected or misunderstood. A. W. Tozer, on the other hand, knew exactly what it meant to disciple and to be discipled. Discipleship: What It Truly Means to Be a Christian is a collection of Tozer’s powerful and passionate message on discipleship.

Authority is a tremendous thing in the universe, nothing overshadows it. God's throne is established on His authority. God's authority represents God Himself. God alone is authority in all things; all the authorities of the earth are instituted by God. It is therefore important for us who desire to serve God to know the authority of God.

Spirit and Sacrament by pastor and author Andrew Wilson is an impassioned call to join together two traditions that are frequently and unnecessarily kept separate. It is an invitation to pursue the best of both worlds in worship, the Eucharistic and the charismatic, with the grace of God at the center. Wilson envisions church services in which healing testimonies, creeds, exuberant praise, and ancient liturgy coexist, and in doing so, deepen our worship and increase our joy.

John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce suffered lifelong opposition and endured for the causes of gospel truth, missionary zeal, and political justice. They found, in solid doctrine and humble joy, the tough roots for habitual tenderness in response to their adversaries - without doctrinal or moral flinching. They are examples of remarkable grace. In the third book of the Swans Are Not Silent series, best-selling author John Piper looks at the lives of these three great men and how they not only endured great opposition but did so with joy and without bitterness.

In The Bible Is a Catholic Book, Jimmy Akin shows how the Bible cannot exist apart from the church. In its origins and its formulation, in the truths it contains, in its careful preservation over the centuries, and in the prayerful study and elucidation of its mysteries, Scripture is inseparable from Catholicism. This is fitting, since both come from God for our salvation. If you're a Catholic who sometimes gets intimidated by the Bible, The Bible Is a Catholic Book will help you better understand and take pride in this gift that God gave the world through the church.

Essential to every healthy church is a biblical model of leadership. In the New Testament, church leadership is built around a team of elders working together, each bringing his own unique skills and gifts to the cause of shepherding the flock God entrusted to them. However, in many churches today, the principle of plurality in leadership is often misunderstood, mistakenly applied, or completely ignored. Dave Harvey encourages church leaders to prioritize plurality for the surprising ways that it helps churches to flourish.

We can't get away from the principle of reaping what we sow. If we sow good seed, we anticipate a great harvest. But if we sow weeds, we'll harvest no more than we sowed. The same is true spiritually and practically. If we want a reward in heaven, we must live for Christ. On the other hand, if we lie, cheat, swear, steal, get drunk, use drugs, or otherwise fulfill the lusts of the flesh, the reality is we'll pay the consequences both now and in eternity. No matter how much society tries to convince us otherwise, this law has proven to be true without fail.

In Confident Leader!, Dan Reiland draws from his 39 years of leadership experience to share a practical, workable, and transformational process that results in your ability to become a more self-assured leader and achieve maximum success. Building unshakable confidence will positively impact your personal work performance, your belief in self, your support and approval from others, and your trust and reliance on God.

God's approach to influencing the world is through His people. People shape people. And yet, many of God's people spectate from the sidelines unsure of what to do. Authentic Influencer is rooted in principles emerging from the life of God's choice example in the Scriptures—a man called Barnabas—rather than recycled quotes from corporate leadership works.

Being a pastor is a complex and demanding role, especially for someone leading alone. The majority of pastors find themselves in this position, leading their smaller church with no additional professional assistance. The challenges are many, including loneliness, isolation, self-doubt, overwhelm, feelings of inadequacy, and a constant search for additional resources and volunteers. Where does a solo pastor turn for help and encouragement?

In the recorded history of mankind, few people have accomplished more in the realm of the supernatural than Smith Wigglesworth. Discover the secret of Smith Wigglesworth's amazing relationship with God and relive the undeniable miracles preformed under his ministry.

Bill Willits and best-selling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly 8,000 adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta . Simply put, the five principles clearly described here have passed the test. This is not just another book about community; this is a book about strategy - strategy that builds a small group culture.

Mark Jones addresses the uncomfortable topic of backsliding believers—and, to a lesser extent, apostasy—in a serious, hopeful, and pastoral work informed by wise theologians of eras past.

Based upon the biblical principle that everything God has decreed is available to all, this book arms the believer with the kingdom principles that will empower them to use God’s power and authority to enforce, establish, and institute God’s will for their future, and dominate the enemy. Through Hello, Tomorrow! listeners will discover how to build a bridge to their future, put themselves where they see themselves, write their own history, and dare to do something great.

The story of Roman Catholicism has never followed a singular path. In no time period has this been more true than over the last two centuries. Beginning with the French Revolution, extending to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, and concluding with present-day crises, John T. McGreevy chronicles the dramatic upheavals and internal divisions shaping the most multicultural, multilingual, and global institution in the world. Through powerful stories and sweeping birds-eye views, Catholicism provides a mesmerizing assessment of the Church's complex role in modern history.

If you're not reaching the future of the church, your church has no future. As much sting as that statement has, it's hard to argue with. Yet many churches have no idea how to attract and retain younger generations. If you want to understand how to reach, teach, and empower young adults in your church, Jonathan "JP" Pokluda is ready to show you how.