Douglas Purnell draws upon his experience as a pastor, counselor, and therapist to give both lay and ordained Christians the resources they need to engage in caregiving conversation; intentionally, deeply, and confidently. In "Conversation as Ministry: Stories and Strategies for Confident Caregiving," Purnell shares his reflections on the nature of pastoral conversation and he presents questions for specific conversations to help people focus on their intentions while engaging in pastoral conversation.
How do I know it's God? is one of the most commonly asked questions of new and mature Christians alike, and the aim of God Conversations is to both equip and inspire the reader and show them that hearing the voice of the Spirit is accessible to everyone who chooses to follow Jesus. Most Christians know that God speaks, yet struggle with how to recognise his voice in their everyday lives. What does God's voice sound like? How do we know if what we're hearing is from God? Stories of God talking to his people abound throughout the Bible, but we usually only get the highlights. We read; "And God said to Joseph; 'Go to Egypt'," and then; "Mary and Joseph left for Egypt." We don't get a blow-by-blow description of how God spoke. We don't receive a detailed explanation of how they knew it was God, and we don't get to see what was going on inside their heads as they acted on what they'd heard. In God Conversations, international speaker and pastor Tania Harris shares insights from her own journey about hearing God's voice. You'll get to eavesdrop on some contemporary conversations with God in the light of his communication with the ancient characters of the Bible. Part memoir, part teaching, this unique and creative collection of stories will help you to recognise God's voice when he speaks and how to respond when you do.
In this book of essays for Paul Goodliff, some of the loves of his life are put into conversation with the practice of ministry. Paul Goodliff has been a Baptist minister for nearly thirty-five years, in roles that have been local, regional, national, and ecumenical. Ministry has also been the subject of his own research and publications. Ministry in Conversation seeks to extend his work and offer new insights.
"Rich and compelling. . .Lynskey’s account of the reach of 1984 is revelatory.” --George Packer, The Atlantic An authoritative, wide-ranging, and incredibly timely history of 1984--its literary sources, its composition by Orwell, its deep and lasting effect on the Cold War, and its vast influence throughout world culture at every level, from high to pop. 1984 isn't just a novel; it's a key to understanding the modern world. George Orwell's final work is a treasure chest of ideas and memes--Big Brother, the Thought Police, Doublethink, Newspeak, 2+2=5--that gain potency with every year. Particularly in 2016, when the election of Donald Trump made it a bestseller ("Ministry of Alternative Facts," anyone?). Its influence has morphed endlessly into novels (The Handmaid's Tale), films (Brazil), television shows (V for Vendetta), rock albums (Diamond Dogs), commercials (Apple), even reality TV (Big Brother). The Ministry of Truth is the first book that fully examines the epochal and cultural event that is 1984 in all its aspects: its roots in the utopian and dystopian literature that preceded it; the personal experiences in wartime Great Britain that Orwell drew on as he struggled to finish his masterpiece in his dying days; and the political and cultural phenomena that the novel ignited at once upon publication and that far from subsiding, have only grown over the decades. It explains how fiction history informs fiction and how fiction explains history.
You're looking for a youth pastor. Again. What goes wrong? Why do youth ministries crumble? And what is the cost to students, parents, volunteers and church staff? Is a sustainable youth ministry possible, even after a youth pastor leaves? Youth ministry expert Mark DeVries knows the answer is yes, because he helps build sustainable youth minist...
God has given each of us the opportunity to speak and listen to all kinds of people everyday of our lives and your conversations can be seen as divine appointments to communicate the love of Jesus. Opportunities to encourage, reframe, support, guide, and even pray for those individuals the Lord brings across your path. This book shares 10 simple ways that Jesus teaches to communicate His love in your conversations. Welcoming others, asking questions, listening, being cheerful, encouraging, thanking, flowing with conflict, forgiving, praying, and sharing Jesus are conversation skills that each one of us needs to practice and improve. This book examines what Jesus taught and did as reported in the Gospels. And His instruction is radically different than that of the world. Learn what Jesus has to say to you about Your Ministry of Conversation and how you can share His love, one conversation at a time. Randy Fujishin is the chair of the Communication Studies Department at West Valley College in Saratoga, California. He is also a marriage and family counselor and occasional Christian conference speaker. Randy holds graduate degrees in both communication studies and clinical psychology. He and his wife, Vicky, are active in their local church and Randy speaks and leads communication workshops at many pastoral and Christian youth conferences in the western United States. Randy is the author of The Natural Speaker, Gifts from the Heart, Creating Communication, Discovering the Leader Within, and Creating Effective Groups. Most important, Randy is a loving husband and dad, and has recently made a solo motorcycle trip across the United States and back on his BMW 1150R. Your Ministry of Conversation is Randy's first Christian book. Hope you enjoy it.
Is it possible for churches and organizations to foster healthy mixed-gender ministry collaboration? Longtime ministry leader Rob Dixon casts a compelling—and encouraging—vision for flourishing partnerships between women and men. With research findings, biblical examples, real-life stories, and practical next steps, this roadmap equips teams and individuals with next steps for making that vision a reality.
Caring: Six Steps for Effective Pastoral Conversations is designed to help ministers and pastoral care givers solve one of their most significant problems. They are called upon to “fix” all manner of human problems, and this expectation often leaves them feeling overwhelmed, highly stressed, or woefully unprepared. Help is available! Author Denise Massey will teach readers how to coach people to access their own spiritual and personal resources, invoking both God’s help and the person’s own deep inner wisdom. The six steps of the CARING process can transform ministry conversations from floundering and uncertain to powerful and effective. These steps of facilitating powerful problem-solving conversation are ones that the minister and the person receiving care taake together. The acronym CARING will help the minister remember both the steps and the ultimate purpose of the conversation. C Connect with God, self, and others. A Attend to the journey and assess the need. R Reach clarity about the realistic focus for this conversation. I Inspire the development of a loving action plan. N Navigate around obstacles to the plan. G Generate commitment to a specific, loving action plan.
Envisioning cruciform community built on resurrection hope After Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he turned from coercion and violence to a ministry centered on the hope of Christ’s resurrection. In earthly terms, Paul had traded power for weakness. But—as he explained in his subsequent letters—this “weakness” was actually the key to flourishing community that is able to experience God’s transformation, restoration, and healing. What would it mean for pastors today to take seriously Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 11:1 to “imitate me as I imitate Christ” and lead their congregations in this way? Instead of drawing leadership principles and practices from the worlds of business, education, and politics—which tend to orient churches around institutional power and image maintenance—Timothy Gombis follows Paul in resisting the influence of the “present evil age” by making cruciformity the operating principle of the church. Gombis guides the reader through practices and patterns that can lead a congregation past a focus on individual salvation, toward becoming instead a site of resurrection power on earth.
