Church planting is not just about gathering new communities of people who are already Christians. Planting churches flows naturally out of making disciples. In this concise guide, pastor J. D. Payne explains the process and stages of church planting, with biblical foundations and practical steps for planting teams both domestically and internationally.
If you feel caught between the traditional church and the emerging church, Jim Belcher's Deep Church forges a third way. He explores and evaluates the proposals of emerging church leaders and paints a picture of what an alternate, deep church looks like--a missional church committed to both tradition and culture, valuing innovation in worship, arts and community, but also creeds and confessions.
Headlines rage with big stories about big churches. But tucked away in neighborhoods throughout North America is a profound work of hope quietly unfolding as the gospel takes root in the context of a place. The future of the church is local, connected to the struggles of the people and even to the land itself.
Sometimes pastors fear that if people knew who we really are, we'd be disqualified from ministry. Not so, says pastor Mandy Smith. Transparently describing her pastoral journey, Smith shows how vulnerability shapes ministry, unpacking the biblical paradox that God's strength is revealed in our weakness. God has called you to lead just as the human you are.
What do the top church teams do to thrive together? Researchers and practitioners Ryan Hartwig and Warren Bird have discovered churches who have learned to thrive under healthy team leadership. Using actual church examples, this coaching tool presents their discoveries, culminating in five disciplines that will enable your team to thrive.
The church in North America today lives in a post-Christian society. Lee Beach helps the people of God today to develop a hopeful and prophetic imagination, a theology responsive to its context, and an exilic identity marked by faithfulness to God's mission in the world.
Most of Israel's pastoral imagery is grounded in two traditions: Moses as God's under-shepherd and David as shepherd-king. In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Timothy Laniak follows the figure of the shepherd through the pages of Scripture to help today's leaders find their place in the ancient pastoral tradition.
Gary Tyra's constructive study of the Sermon on the Mount seeks to revitalize discipleship by exposing and rooting out the modern incidence of Pharisaism (legalism, dogmatism, separatism, judgmentalism, etc.) among evangelical churches today.
Volume editors Peter Cha, Steve Kang and Helen Lee, with a team of veteran Asian American pastors and church leaders, offer eight key values for healthy Asian American churches. Growing Healthy Asian American Churchesdraws on years of expertise and is filled with practical examples from landmark churches like Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles, NewSong Church and Lighthouse Christian Church and with insights from pioneering leaders like Ken Fong, David Gibbons, Grace May, Wayne Ogimachi and Soong-Chan Rah. It is an essential guide for Asian American church leaders wanting to help their congregations achieve health and growth.
Kevin Vanhoozer calls the church to a picture of theology that sees every person, thing and event in the light of God's act of reconciliation. Through essays on the church's worship, witness and wisdom, he reveals how a poetic imagination can answer the questions of life's meaning by drawing our attention to what really matters: the God of the gospel.