Emotional Intelligence affects the spiritual and intellectual dimensions of our lives and leads to an emotionally healthy church. This book offers the individual reader a pathway to improve his emotional well–being and enhance his overall spiritual development. As believers learn the practical principles within this book, the local church will grow and thrive as relationships within the body become more open and genuine. The reader will learn how to: manage stress, control impulses, improve adaptability, develop interpersonal skills, and be emotionally healthy. As we learn to appreciate the differences among people and understand how our life experiences affect our reactions, we will be able to change the way we respond to others, and we will be able to achieve self–acceptance, as well.
‘As St. John of the Cross said: “Mission is putting love where love is not.” This book is full of ideas. It should prompt us all to examine the effectiveness of the way local churches are organized.’—The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York ‘Everything that Steve Chalke writes is insightful and cutting-edge. Here he argues in favor of a church that thinks and acts in ways that make the Kingdom of God visible and reasonable in a secular society.’--Tony Campolo, PhD Eastern University, Pennsylvania, USA The task of the Church is “to be the irrefutable demonstration and proof of the fact that God is love,” claims Steve Chalke. An intelligent church intentionally connects the Bible and its twenty-first-century culture, is authentic and, most importantly, has thought through its practice. In other words, the way it does church is a reflection of its understanding of who God is. This foundational issue must be addressed by pastors, church and ministry leaders, small group leaders and others as we continue to grapple with the shape of effective church in the postmodern, post-Christian West. As Chalke unpacks central theological concepts, such as the incarnation, human sinfulness and the Trinity, he points us to the corresponding characteristics of an intelligent church, such as inclusiveness, messiness and diversity. Each thought-provoking chapter concludes with a ‘Yes but How?’ section, which gives practical suggestions for moving your church along this path.
An "intelligent church" is deliberately thoughtful about its theology and practice and about the connection between the Bible and modern culture. This theologically rooted and practical book will help you move you and your church along the path toward more faithful and effective ministry of God's love in a changing world.
The United States is currently undergoing the most rapid demographic shift in its history. By 2050, white Americans will no longer comprise a majority of the population. Instead, they'll be the largest minority group in a country made up entirely of minorities, followed by Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Past shifts in America's demographics always reshaped the county's religious landscape. This shift will be no different. Soong-Chan Rah's book is intended to equip evangelicals for ministry and outreach in our changing nation. Borrowing from the business concept of "cultural intelligence," he explores how God's people can become more multiculturally adept. From discussions about cultural and racial histories, to reviews of case-study churches and Christian groups that are succeeding in bridging ethnic divides, Rah provides a practical and hopeful guidebook for Christians wanting to minister more effectively in diverse settings. Without guilt trips or browbeating, the book will spur individuals, churches, and parachurch ministries toward more effectively bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News for people of every racial and cultural background. Its message is positive; its potential impact, transformative.
Church leaders understand that managing the day-to-day operations of a church can be challenging because of limited resources, managing volunteer labor, and supporting the needs of the congregation. Smart Church Management: A Quality Approach to Church Administration, Third Edition is an updated guide for managing the resources of a church - which is people, time and money. This book provides tools and examples for decision making and problem-solving for church administration that is easy to understand and more importantly, quick to implement! This book also includes discussion questions to provoke thought and discussion for church teams. This book is ideal for ministry students, church boards, church leadership and church administrators.
Evolution--or the broader topic of origins--has enormous relevance to how we understand the Christian faith and how we interpret Scripture. Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design presents the current "state of the conversation" about origins among evangelicals representing four key positions: Young Earth Creationism - Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis) Old Earth (Progressive) Creationism - Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe) Evolutionary Creation - Deborah B. Haarsma (BioLogos) Intelligent Design - Stephen C. Meyer (The Discovery Institute) The contributors offer their best defense of their position addressing questions such as: What is your position on origins - understood broadly to include the physical universe, life, and human beings in particular? What do you take to be the most persuasive arguments in defense of your position? How do you demarcate and correlate evidence about origins from current science and from divine revelation? What hinges on answering these questions correctly? This book allows each contributor to not only present the case for his or her view, but also to critique and respond to the critiques of the other contributors, allowing you to compare their beliefs in an open forum setting to see where they overlap and where they differ.
Revd Osoba Otaigbe has written a comprehensive guide for helping the church more effectively relate and serve across cultural borders. Whether youre welcoming a community of refugees, travelling on a short-term mission experience, befriending an expat family, or simply interacting with an increasingly diverse society, this guide will help you love your neighbour. The book is packed full of insights about cultural intelligence and brings them to life for Christians. The case studies and discussion questions are particularly useful for making the theoretical ideas immensely practical. As both a cultural intelligence researcher and a Christian, it gives me great joy to commend Revd Osoba and his work to you. David Livermore, PhD., author of Leading with Cultural Intelligence and President of Cultural Intelligence Centre USA Building Cultural Intelligence in Church and Ministry is a timely contribution to our understanding of the way varied global and local cultures can be nurtured to offer a rich and meaningful engagement in our lives and in work. It draws on a wide range of scriptural and practical examples that makes it an easy to read and understand study guide for various audiences. The guidance on how to develop cross-cultural competence, in particular, makes the book a must-read, one that promises to equip the reader with the much required understanding, appropriate responses, and management of diverse cross-cultural engagements in both missions and ministries. Dr Maureen Ayikoru, Senior Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom In our rapidly changing society it is really important that we all develop greater cultural intelligence. If we are to become the vibrant Kingdom community of all nations that the Bible envisages we need much greater understanding and appreciation of those who are different from ourselves. This book, and the assessment and workshops that go alongside it, will be particularly helpful for leaders, churches and groups who want to grow in this area. Relating the concepts of cultural intelligence to passages of Scripture, it will certainly encourage some great discussion, learning and reflection for discipleship and mission. Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain Building Cultural Intelligence in Church and Ministry is a worthwhile work with important things to say and to give perceptive and practical guidance Prof David Dunn-Wilson, Honorary Research Fellow, Cliff College, United Kingdom Building Cultural Intelligence in Church and Ministry book has done a marvelous job of integrating scriptural basis and reference points in the exploration of the cultural intelligence factors as they relate to ministry and mission. This being interspersed with practical and real world scenarios and examples is very helpful. The reflection/study guide questions are also well written and will provide for deeper learning, discussion and application. There is a considerable amount of information and detail to work through and I would suggest that people work through the book at a steady pace so that they can fully digest that immense learning and insights that this book will give. Adrian Kistan, Principal Consultant, Intercultural Solutions, Australia More than ever, cultural intelligence is a much-needed competence to grow, develop and nurture. Current fears and conflicts on the global and in local contexts, and not the least in churches, underscore this. Through this timely volume, Osoba O. Otaigbe brings his expertise as a cultural intelligence researcher, and years of experience working in cross-cultural and diverse contexts to offer an invaluable resource for churches. Building Cultural Intelligence in Church and Ministry draws on a variety of scholarly sources, biblical texts, and practical examples to provide readers with helpful insights and questions for reflection on developing cultural awareness, intelligence and competence. A welcome resource for ministerial/missional formation and both denominational and local church leadership! Michael N. Jagessar (Revd Dr) Global and Intercultural Ministries, United Reformed Church (UK)
In this book William A. Dembski brilliantly argues that intelligent design provides a crucial link between science and theology. This is a pivotal work from a thinker whom Phillip Johnson calls "one of the most important of the `design' theorists."
The 4D Church takes a critical and inspirational look at four aspects of 21st century church ministry: Technology, Hospitality, Worship, and Systems. Each of these aspects is key for developing vital churches and healthy church leaders. The author uses real life lessons from the 11-year journey of Impact Church, which is currently #5 out of the 100 fastest growing United Methodist congregations in the United States, and examples from churches and the market place, to inform, equip, and inspire the reader. The 4D Church offers: a diagnostic tool in each chapter to determine the current health and status of the reader’s church, real time inspiration from practitioners who are experiencing health and growth, guidance for readers to discern their level of fitness for their church assignment—is the leader/reader well-matched, or mismatched?, and guidance for readers to determine if their church has reached a point of irreversible decline. From the 4D Impact Introduction: "I have been blessed to serve as the founding and lead pastor of what one of [the] original twenty-five leaders called a 'movement.' Twelve years ago we didn't set out to plant another United Methodist church—we envisioned a movement...I have learned a few things about church health and growth from my own experience as a church planner and from the many churches across the country that our team has supported and consulted with over the years. I have learned that the capital-C Church is full of grace, and I've learned that hard work and sacrifice are necessary for a local church to be vital and growing... This book is for all churches and church leaders seeking to become vital and growing, or to remain vital and growing. This book may challenge you—I hope in a healthy way. It centers on four key principles for developing healthy and growing churches that smash barriers: Technology, Hospitality, Worship, and Systems. I am a living witness to these principles. As we say at Impact Church, you aren't called to lead an ordinary church; you are called to lead a movement."
What can the Church learn from the business world? You're a leader of a ministry, nonprofit, or church. You trained to be a faithful counselor, preacher, interpreter of God's Word—so why do you find yourself spending so much energy on administration tasks that threaten to drain your time, energy, and joy? Look to this book for the coaching you needed, yesterday. Written from years of ministry and business experience, Business for Ministry is built on a solid foundation of business principles but—unlike many business books—in a straightforward style that anyone can grasp. You'll learn how to: Communicate vision and strategize with a team Steward resources well (yes, including budgeting) Prioritize goals, wisely make decisions, and evaluate outcomes based on vision and data Leverage the existing talents of men and women at your church, many of whom don't fit in "traditional" ministry roles This field guide to building a holistic, sustainable system for your church will both help you address the business needs of your church and free your leaders to serve, fully and joyfully.
