Using solid biblical exegesis, Chuck Lawless presents a well-rounded, proven model for fighting the enemy through the development of a spiritually healthy church. This unique book suggests workable strategies and resources for developing disciples prepared for spiritual warfare.
Every Man a Warrior deals with problems men confront every day. No man wants to fail, but few men feel equipped to fight the battles they face in life. Every Man a Warrior gives men the tools necessary to win these battles--to succeed in life!
J. D. Payne explores the biblical, historical and missiological principles of global church planting, and suggests ways that readers can apply international church planting practices to their own contexts.
Too often skeptics charge Christians with having a blind faith. Unfortunately, believers have added fuel to the charges of skeptics by speaking of their faith illogically. But the Christian faith is not a blind faith. In fact, biblical faith is never a blind, irrational faith. Christianity rests firmly on the stone that was rejected by the builders, which has become the cornerstone--Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11). Living biblically requires thinking biblically, just as "to think biblically entails to live biblically," as Winfried Corduan notes in the Foreword. As followers of Christ, believers cannot separate biblical thinking and biblical living. These two behaviors are eternally connected not only in the person of Jesus Christ, but they stem from the eternal being of God the Father and his eternal truth. Christ mandates that his followers love God with their entire being--heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). How are believers to go about living out this biblical mandate? Christian faith is a warranted belief. This is why it is so essential that Christians recognize the value and importance of philosophy and its proper place in Christendom and in the Christian's walk.
"It is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it.... We know that with Jesus life becomes richer."-Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel In her first book, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Sherry Weddell, cofounder of the Catherine of Siena Institute, captured the attention of Catholics across the globe as she uncovered the life-changing power that accompanies the conscious decision to follow Jesus as his disciple. Now, in the groundbreaking Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples, she has gathered together experienced leaders and collaborators whose exceptional field-tested wisdom and enthusiasm for transforming Catholic parishes into centers of discipleship and apostolic outreach is both inspiring and practical. The authors consider: The role of intercessory prayer in parish transformation How "fireside chats" can help a pastor connect with his parishioners and call them to personal discipleship and mission The co-responsibility of lay people andpastors in the work of making disciples The revolutionary impact of a discipleship approach to youth ministry How one parish successfully fostered a culture of intentional discipleship, and much more As Sherry asks in her own chapter, "Are we willing to answer the call and pay the price necessary to become a new generation of saints through which God can do extraordinary things in our time?"
How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.
Insights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and AssimilationFindings from a national study to improve membershipclasses and to motivate current members into activeministryHow do churches move members—both old and new—into ministry? Many church staff and lay leaders knowthey need to start new member classes as a point of entryinto their churches but don’t know how. This book isbased on a national study of effective churches andshows how growing churches implement new memberclasses and motivate their members into ministry.Membership Matters is designed to be a guide forchurch leaders wanting to start or improve a membershipclass. It includes models for classes and examplesof resources such as church covenants, class schedules,and lesson outlines. It also gives direction on motivatinguninvolved members to participate in ministry. Onechapter chronicles an ongoing discussion among pastorsof growing churches that are effectively motivatingmembers to do ministry.
Why is it a struggle to pray? Respected professor, speaker, and pastor Dr. Chuck Lawless explores the power of a praying church and how it can transform your ministry. Through prayer, we have access to the all-powerful living God. Even so, too many of us are tempted to start our days prayerless and feeling alone. How can this be? We can't afford to be so negligent, because whether we realize it or not we all face a high-stakes spiritual battle when we step out into our communities. In The Potential and Power of Prayer, Chuck Lawless illustrates how churches need to take prayer seriously in order to grow; explores how Jesus and the early church depended on God through prayer; explains how prayer is essential to preparing for spiritual battles; and guides church leaders in establishing the priority of prayer and a thriving prayer ministry in their churches. God chooses to move among Christians who humbly come to him in prayer; who depend on him for strength and guidance.
Why are so many 18 to 22 year-old Christians leaving the church, and what will it take to reverse the trend? The authors share surprising insights from their survey of 1,000 "dropouts" about why these young adults have left the church, and offer four concrete strategies for bringing them back.
Cross-cultural partnerships in today's global environment are both challenging and necessary. Misunderstanding and miscommunication often lead to conflict between culturally diverse groups. Christians must understand and evaluate their own culture, the culture of others, and the text of Scripture itself, while remaining faithful to Scripture and relevant to culture. Unmediated tensions combined with relational isolation lead to a myriad of problems. This study proposes cross-cultural missional partnership as a relationship that mediates these tensions, thereby encouraging mutual, faithful engagement in the mission of God. Cross-cultural tensions may never disappear, but within a healthy partnership, partners can assist one another in understanding and responding faithfully to Scripture. Partners help one another more faithfully interpret and apply Scripture, leading to obedience to God's will and engagement in God's mission within unique and diverse contexts.