As the church reckons with the abuse, racism, patriarchy, and unchecked power that have marked evangelicalism for too long, Nancy, a boomer and key player in the megachurch movement, and Samantha, a millennial wondering if the church's foundations still hold, have a vulnerable conversation about what the church has been—and what it can be.

Nones claim no religion. Dones have become disillusioned and left the church. While many emerging adults fall in these camps, many are tossing aside these labels and embracing a transformative Christian faith. Based on her extensive research, Beth Seversen outlines a model for how to engage and retain millennials and Generation Z in the life of the local church.

Charles Stone's research on thousands of pastors and ministry leaders demonstrates the dangers of approval-motivated leadership. Bringing together biblical insights and neuroscience findings, Stone shows why we fall into people-pleasing patterns and what we can do to overcome these tendencies for more effective ministry.

How do we preach when all of us—hearers and preachers alike—are constantly distracted? J. Ellsworth Kalas offers wise insights for effective preaching in an age of distraction. He explores how God can meet people precisely at the point of their distraction, connecting through pastoral attentiveness, creativity and excellence.

Brad Hoffman and Michael Todd Wilson present this workbook designed to be used by people in vocational ministry, alongside their peers, to safeguard them from burnout, moral failure and spiritual exhaustion.

Many pastors, chaplains and pastoral counselors play a vital role as agents of hope to people who are struggling, but most of them feel overwhelmed and unprepared to prevent suicides. Informed by her work as a psychologist, Karen Mason's guide to suicide prevention is an essential resource for proactive pastors.

In an era where the church has lost much of its credibility, pastor Tara Beth Leach casts a vision for Christians to rediscover a robust, attractive witness and form the radiant communities God intends. Challenging idolatrous false images of God and calling out toxic patterns, she shows how we can recover a winsome picture of a kingdom of abundance and goodness.

The church faces an unprecedented loss of rising generations. Young adults who were active and engaged in the local church are leaving the community behind after high school. What can we do? Sharon Galgay Ketcham reflects theologically on the church community and its role in forming faith, offering values and practices that can shape a community into a place where faith will flourish in those both young and old.

Before white churches can pursue diversity, we must first address the faulty discipleship that has led to our segregation in the first place. Pastor David Swanson proposes that we rethink our churches' habits, or liturgies, and imagine together holistic, communal discipleship practices that can reform us as members of Christ's diverse body.

Why does one well-equipped, well-founded ministry succeed while another fails? Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman and Donald Guthrie undertook a five-year intensive research project on the frontlines of pastoral ministry to answer that question. What they found was nothing less than the DNA of thriving ministry today.

Andrew Root reviews the history of relational/incarnational youth ministry in American evangelicalism and recasts the practice as one of "place-sharing"--not so much "earning the right to be heard" as honoring the human dignity of youth and locating God in their midst.

Church leaders need to show up, stay put, and see what God is doing in their midst. Pastor José Humphreys recognizes how deeply our faith is tied to our particular stories in our particular places. Combining spiritual formation with activism, vivid narrative with exhortation, and realism with hopefulness, Humphreys offers pastors and church planters a thoughtful look at discipleship in a complex world.

Jesus gave his followers seven key practices. When we practice these disciplines, God becomes faithfully present to us, and we in turn become God's faithful presence to the world. Pastor and professor David Fitch shows how these seven practices can revolutionize the church's presence in our neighborhoods, transform our way of life in the world, and advance the kingdom.

In this book veteran disciplemakers Rick Dunn and Jana Sundene offer concrete guidance for those who shepherd and care for emerging adults, emphasizing relational rhythms of discernment, intentionality and reflection to meet emerging adults where they are at and then to walk with them further into the Christlife.

In today's fast-food world, Christianity can seem outdated or archaic. The temptation becomes to pick up the pace and play the game. But Chris Smith and John Pattison invites us to leave franchise faith behind and enter the kingdom of God, where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loves the church.

It's not just what you say, but how you say it. Combining communication principles with Enneagram wisdom, Sean Palmer teaches leaders, pastors, and teachers how to convey content in ways that both inspire and connect with their audiences. Providing real-life examples of speeches, Palmer develops communication strategies that lead to connection, transformation, and mobilization.

All mission is local—the people of God joining the work of God in a particular place. In Starting Missional Churches Mark Lau Branson and Nicholas Warnes introduce us to seven missional churches while examining common challenges regarding church planting.

Are you a children's ministry leader on the edge of burnout? Sustainable Children’s Ministry shows you how to recruit volunteers, partner with parents, navigate politics, and care for your own soul instead of frantically scrambling to do it all yourself. This practical resource will help you build a ministry foundation that will still be standing long after you are gone.

Young adult ministry can scare us, but what if it's not as enigmatic as we've been led to believe? Full of practical advice from their own experience (and a wealth of additional resources), this book from Scott Pontier and Mark DeVries explores six common mistakes churches make in their efforts to reach young adults, offering six paradoxes that return us to a simpler, more biblical ministry model.

One of the big problems in youth ministry is the constant turnover of youth ministers. Mark DeVries addresses the problem with a systematic answer: churches need to take corporate responsibility for establishing a vision and structure for effective ministry, rather than leaving it all up to the youth minister. Especially helpful for senior pastors and church leaders.

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.

What type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change? Exploring the qualities of adaptive leadership within churches and nonprofit organizations, Tod Bolsinger deftly examines both the external challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back, showing how leaders can become both stronger and more flexible.

Tempered Resilience by Tod Bolsinger is about forming resilience so leaders can lead through the resistance that always accompanies change. This eight-session study guide is designed to lead to honest conversations for self-discovery as well as offer practices that leaders and their teams can take on together.

Number of Studies: 8

Leading us well beyond the niceties of self-help literature, pastor David Hansen gives us a rare look at the actual pastorate—the one that emerges without your permission in the midst of life and ministry. In this revised and expanded edition, Hansen expands on his view of the pastor as a "parable of Jesus" and adds a new postlude.

JR Woodward and Dan White Jr. have trained church planters all over North America. In this interactive field manual, they help you and your team gain eight key competencies crucial for church planting so that you can create churches that flourish and launch their own sustainable missional and incarnational congregations.