They Like Jesus but Not the Church
They Like Jesus but Not the Church

Author: Dan Kimball

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2009-05-26

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 0310298547

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Many people today, especially among emerging generations, don’t resonate with the church and organized Christianity. Some are leaving the church and others were never part of the church in the first place. Sometimes it’s because of misperceptions about the church. Yet often they are still spiritually open and fascinated with Jesus. This is a ministry resource book exploring six of the most common objects and misunderstandings emerging generations have about the church and Christianity. The objections come from conversations and interviews the church has had with unchurched twenty and thirty-somethings at coffee houses. Each chapter raises the objection using a conversational approach, provides the biblical answers to that objection, gives examples of how churches are addressing this objection, and concludes with follow-through projection suggestions, discussion questions, and resource listings.

This Is the Church
This Is the Church

Author: Sarah Raymond Cunningham

Publisher: Beaming Books

Published: 2020-06-02

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 1506470548

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Here is the church, here is the steeple . . . This update to the classic children's rhyme is an introduction to church for a new era, a whirlwind tour through all the wonderful things church can be and do and mean. From megachurches to little chapels to underground meetings, from welcoming to helping to feeding the hungry, church can be and do a lot of things. But ultimately that old rhyme said it best: the church is the people! With gently rhyming text by Sarah Raymond Cunningham and the vibrant and diverse illustrations of Ariel Landy, This Is the Church is an ideal gift for baptisms, confirmations, or any occasion in which children are welcomed into the life of the body of Christ.

Models of the Church
Models of the Church

Author: Avery Dulles

Publisher: Image

Published: 2002-05-14

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0385505450

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There is today a dramatic reexamination of structure, authority, dogma -- indeed, every aspect of the life of the Church is held up to scrutiny. Welcoming this as a sign of vitality, Avery Dulles has carefully studied the writings of contemporary Protestant and Catholic ecclesiologists and sifted out six major approaches, or "models," through which the Church's character can be understood: as Institution, Mystical Communion, Sacrament, Herald, Servant, and, in a recent addition to the book, as Community of Disciples. A balanced theology, he concludes, must incorporate the major affirmations of each. "The method of models or types," observes Cardinal Dulles, "can have great value in helping people to get beyond the limitations of their own particular outlook and to enter into fruitful conversation with others... Such conversation is obviously essential if ecumenism is to get beyond its present impasses." This new edition includes a new Appendix and Preface by the author.

But What Is the Church For?
But What Is the Church For?

Author: Neil Darragh

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2021-11-19

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 1666727113

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What is the church really for? Some people are members of the church because it’s part of their family tradition or their culture or their identity. Others have left the church because that’s all it is in fact. Is it the best way to salvation or a way of coming closer to God? In any case, the church is not just for us or the benefits we get out of it. Very few of us would say that this is what the church is really for. There is surely something more here, something more generous, life-giving, outgoing, and gracious than what we personally get out of it. This book is about the church’s outreach beyond itself—its purpose beyond any benefits for those already its members. This book is not about a church looking inwards and worrying about itself, but about a church looking outwards. The local Christian community that we belong to is part of that much bigger, much more exhilarating project of the evolving realm of God.

How to Be a Christian without Going to Church
How to Be a Christian without Going to Church

Author: Kelly Bean

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2014-06-24

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1441246533

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As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.

What Is the Mission of the Church?
What Is the Mission of the Church?

Author: Kevin DeYoung

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2011-09-08

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 143352693X

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Social justice and mission are hot topics today: there's a wonderful resurgence of motivated Christians passionate about spreading the gospel and caring for the needs of others. But in our zeal to get sharing and serving, many are unclear on gospel and mission. Yes, we are called to spend ourselves for the sake of others, but what is the church's unique priority as it engages the world? DeYoung and Gilbert write to help Christians "articulate and live out their views on the mission of the church in ways that are theologically faithful, exegetically careful, and personally sustainable." Looking at the Bible's teaching on evangelism, social justice, and shalom, they explore the what, why, and how of the church's mission. From defining "mission", to examining key passages on social justice and their application, to setting our efforts in the context of God's rule, DeYoung and Gilbert bring a wise, studied perspective to the missional conversation. Readers in all spheres of ministry will grow in their understanding of the mission of the church and gain a renewed sense of urgency for Jesus' call to preach the Word and make disciples.

Deliberate Simplicity
Deliberate Simplicity

Author: Dave Browning

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2006-07

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 0595402445

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Church growth in the 70's, 80's and 90's was defined by the corporate "mega-church". The corporate mega-church has been able to reach thousands with big budgets, sprawling campuses, large staffs and extensive programming. Large churches have demonstrated for the past three decades that "more" can be "more". Deliberate Simplicity demonstrates that "less" can also be "more" and in this way is a "new equation" for church development. Deliberate Simplicity is the philosophy of ministry in use at Christ the King Community Church, a church that has grown exponentially by keeping it simple. Deliberate Simplicity is how Less is More, and More is Better. The main ideas of Deliberate Simplicity are outlined in an equation: Each of the symbols represents a different factor of Deliberate Simplicity: Minimality Intentionality Reality Multility Velocity Scalability

Why Church?
Why Church?

Author: Scott W. Sunquist

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2019-07-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0830852387

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Is a church just something we create to serve our purposes or to maintain old traditions? Or is it something more vital, more meaningful, and more powerful? In this introduction to the nature of the local church, historian and missionary Scott Sunquist brings us a portrait of the church in motion, clarifying the two primary purposes of the church: worship and witness.

Boundaries
Boundaries

Author: Henry Cloud

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2002-03-18

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 0310247454

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When to say yes, when to say no to take control of your life.