Since Columbus landed in the West Indies in 1492, Native American tribes have endured more than five centuries of abuse hypocrisy, indifference and bloodshed at the hands of the ''Christian'' white man. Despite this painful history, a number of Native Americans have found ''the Jesus Way'' and are proving to be a powerful voice for the Lord around the world. A full - blooded Lakota/Sioux whose bitterness toward whites was washed away by the blood of Christ, Richard Twiss shows that Native American Christians have much to offer the Church and can become a major force for reaching the lost. Full of wisdom, humor and passion, this book examines how the white Church can begin to break down the walls of anger, distrust and bitterness and move toward reconciliation and revival in our land.
Fueled by a desire to reach people for Christ, a revolution is underway. Churches are growing beyond the limitations of a single service in one building. Expanding the traditional model, they are embracing the concept of one church with more than one site: multiple congregations sharing a common vision, budget, leadership, and board. Drawing from the examples of churches nationwide, The Multi-Site Church Revolution shows what healthy multi-site churches look like and what motivates congregations to make the change. Discover how your church can: • cast a vision for change • ensure a successful DNA transfer (vision and core values) to its new site • develop new leaders • fund new sites • adapt to structure and staffing change • use technology to support your worship services you’ll identify the reasons churches succeed and how they overcome common snags. The Multi-Site Church Revolution offers guidance, insights, and specific action steps as well as appendixes with practical leadership resources and self-diagnostic tools. “I wholeheartedly recommend this book for any pastor or church leader who needs to know the pertinent issues, tested solutions, and real examples of multi-site strategies that are currently being deployed around the world.” —Ed Young, senior pastor, Fellowship Church “The authors have done their homework. They have firsthand knowledge of the successes and failures of this movement, having been networking with and facilitating dialogue among churches across the country for years.” —Max Lucado, senior minister, Oak Hills Church “Look no further than this book to propel your ministry to Ephesians 3:20 proportions: exceeding abundantly above all that you could ever ask or think!” —Randy and Paula White, senior pastors, Without Walls International Church This book is part of the Leadership Network Innovation Series.
J. Timothy Ahlen and J. V. Thomas decided to explore what might be done to help churches overcome obstacles and truly minister to their communities. The answer they found has come to be known as the Key Church Strategy. At the heart of this strategy is the belief that a church can be comprised of many congregations, meeting separately yet ministering together, in a variety of different settings. The Key Church Strategy recognizes the cultural differences evident within North American society and presents the Christian message in a way that respects and communicates to the indigenous concerns of different cultural groups. The result is an exciting mixture of different kinds of congregations - from traditional ones meeting in their own building to house churches to congregations whose members all come from the same apartment complex - that have been started by and belong to a single, sponsoring church. The Key Church Strategy has been adopted by 300 churches in 27 states. As laid out in this new book, the Key Church Strategy presents exciting and challenging ways to invite those around us into the life of Christian discipleship.
Very often in the history of Christianity, "reformers", by whatever name, have aspired to return to "the early Church". The Church of their own day, for whatever reason, fails to live up to what they think Christianity should be: in their view there has been a falling away from the beautiful ideals of the early Church. Kenneth Whitehead shows in this book how the early Church has, in fact, not disappeared, but rather has survived and persisted, and is with us still. "Reformers" are not so much the ones needed by this Church as are those who aspire to be saints-to follow Christ seriously and always to fulfill God's holy will by employing the means of sanctification which Christ continues to provide in the Church. Whitehead shows how the visible body which today bears the name "the Catholic Church" is the same Church which Christ established to carry on and perpetuate in the world his Words and his Works-and his own divine Life-and to bring salvation and sanctification to all mankind. Despite superficial differences in certain appearances, the worldwide Catholic Church today remains the same Church that was originally founded by Jesus Christ on Peter and the other apostles back in the first century in the ancient Near East. The early Church, in other words, was always!-nothing else but-the Catholic Church.
Veteran missional church planters present a much needed how-to resource for churches desiring to sponsor the planting of other new churches locally and globally.
Vatican II represents a watershed in the history of Catholic ecclesiology. Although it stands in organic continuity with previous magisterial teaching, distortions of its teaching have proliferated since the time of the Council, leading many to conclude that the Catholic Church changed her position regarding the identity that exists between the One Church of Christ and the Catholic Church. Stephen A. Hipp’s The One Church of Christ: Understanding Vatican II refutes that conclusion and explains the Catholic understanding of how Christ’s indivisible Church relates to the Catholic Church, to non-Catholic Christian communities, and to other religious societies. Hipp thoroughly examines the controversial statement that “the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church” from terminological, historical, and theological perspectives, showing that Vatican II introduces nothing doctrinally new to the Church’s self-understanding, but provides a more nuanced way of speaking about the unicity and universality that define Christ’s Church. He reveals that Vatican II thereby establishes ecumenism and interreligious dialogue on fruitful ground, while calling Catholics to a greater appreciation of the extraordinary gift of the Church’s subsistence.
How to grow in love for your church. God calls us to be "devoted to one another in love" (Romans 12:10). What does this look like for us today? How can we be the kind of church member who makes a real difference? This engaging book by Tony Merida explores what church is, why being part of it is exciting, and why it’s worthy of our love and commitment. He sets out eight privileges and responsibilities of a church member: to belong, to welcome, to gather, to care, to serve, to honour, to witness and to send. As we see how wonderful it is to belong to God’s family and be a part of his amazing witness to both the earthly and the heavenly realms, we’ll grow in our love for and commitment to our local church. This is a great book for every churchgoer to read, whether they’re new or have been attending for some time but need re-energising with God’s vision for the local church. With a discussion guide at the end of the book, Love Your Church is also a great resource for small groups.
The challenge facing today's church is simultaneous and effective ministry to people of four widely divergent generations. More than at any time in history, pastors must plan programs that will appeal to a mosaic of groups and subgroups. This updated edition of Three Generations: Riding the Waves of Change in Your Church adds an entirely new section on Bridgers, the youngest generation and perhaps the most difficult one to reach for Christ. Characteristics, interests, and values of each group--Builders, Boomers, Busters, and Bridgers--are explored in relation to the historical events and social trends that have shaped them. McIntosh thoughtfully analyzes the factors that influence each generation's relationship to the church, and he gives helpful suggestions for types of ministry and worship styles to draw members of that group. Helpful tables offer summaries of information relating to each generation, including formative experiences, religious characteristics, and methods of ministry. Pastors, church leaders, seminary professors, and students will find One Church, Four Generations a valuable resource in mapping out strategies for relevant church programming in the twenty-first century.
