Leaving the Church to Find God

Leaving the Church to Find God

Author: John Fenn

Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing

Published: 2007-03

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 1598583166

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Motivated by a deep hunger for more of God, millions of Christians are leaving the traditional church to look for more freedom and fulfillment than the routine of five songs, announcements, a plea for money and a forty five minute sermon allow. They are looking for open ended, deep worship that flows with the Holy Spirit, relatable Bible study and discussion in which they may participate, and strong bonds of fellowship outside the four walls of organized church. Instead of leaving the church to fall away from God, they are leaving the church to find God. Leaving the Church to Find God offers scriptural, safe, and balanced answers tempered by real life experiences, on how to move from a traditional church structure into meetings that allow the Lord to set the agenda and where needs are met. John Fenn - I was a Christian who felt disconnected from church though I'd been actively involved nearly all my life. I was looking for answers to my desire and hunger for God to move freely, and came to realize I wasn't alone. From all walks of life and across the church spectrum people are searching for something deeper, but they don't quite know what. This is the story of how I found God moving outside the church structure that I had known, loved, and been a part of my whole Christian life. John and his wife Barbara were born in Kokomo, Indiana and began dating as teenagers when they met the Lord, and began ministering to their teenage friends. They've been in the ministry now for over thirty years, serving in various capacities including Campus Pastor, Associate Pastor, Senior Pastor, and advisor to churches and Bible schools all over the world. John also worked with Peter Wagner teaching at the Wagner Leadership Institute, serving as Canadian National Director and Education Advisor. He remains an adjunct instructor of Wagner Leadership Institute of Colorado Springs. In early 2002 John and his wife Barb, founded The Church Without Walls International of Tulsa, a house church network, emphasizing Relationship Based Christianity. He travels and teaches in all different streams of Christianity, helping churches and individuals find significance and fulfillment through Godly relationships and the discipleship process.


Return

Return

Author: Brandon Vogt

Publisher:

Published: 2015-11-12

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780996783705

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A comprehensive guide to help you determine why your child left the Church and how to bring them back.


Simple Church

Simple Church

Author: Thom S. Rainer

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Published: 2011-06

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 0805447997

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Now in paperback, this multi-awarded national best seller shares a clear message from case studies of 400 North American congregations: church is done best when it's kept simple.


Return to the Parish

Return to the Parish

Author: David Horn

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2022-11-04

Total Pages: 219

ISBN-13: 1666735248

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Return to the Parish: The Pastor in the Public Square is a pastoral theology that challenges pastors to view their local community (rather than their congregation) as their primary sphere of ministry. Too many churches have become insular by hoarding their resources (including their pastors) and trying to sustain their own survival instead of seeking the peace and prosperity of their town or city. By breathing new life into an old idea of “parish,” this book casts a vision for pastors (and churches) to actively engage their community with the gospel rather than simply perpetuate more programs inside the church. It offers a new paradigm for pastoral ministry, where pastors model and mobilize their churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ in the public square through community involvement and cultural engagement. The book chronicles seven young pastors (from diverse ministry contexts) as they seek to become “new parish pastors” who lead their congregations into engaging various sectors of the public square: business and workplace, science and technology, healthcare, politics, education, the arts, and multiethnic settings.


Parish the Thought

Parish the Thought

Author: John Bernard Ruane

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2011-08-16

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1451664419

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In a warm and affectionate narrative that "transports readers back to a time before cable television, cell phones, and the Internet" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), John Bernard Ruane paints a marvelous portrait of his Irish-Catholic boyhood on the southwest side of Chicago in the 1960s. Capturing all the details that perfectly evoke those bygone days for Catholics and baby boomers everywhere, Ruane recounts his formative years donning the navy-and-plaid school uniform of St. Bede's: the priests and nuns; bullies, best friends, and first loves; and most memorable teachers -- including the miniskirted blonde who inspired lust among the fifth-grade boys but was fired for protesting the Vietnam War. Here are stories from the heart of his hardworking, blue-collar family: the good times and bad; sibling rivalries; summers by the lake; delivering newspapers in the frigid Chicago winter; the fire that destroyed the family home; and the loss of their beloved mother to cancer. And here are priceless accounts of Ruane's days as an altar boy: from an embarrassing bell-ringing mishap, to serving a strict pastor who built a magnificent church but couldn't inspire Christian spirit, to the Heaven-sent guitar-playing priest who turned worship around for a generation of youth.


Rebuilt

Rebuilt

Author: Michael White

Publisher: Ave Maria Press

Published: 2012-02-28

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1594713871

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Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.


ChurchMoney

ChurchMoney

Author: Michael White

Publisher: Ave Maria Press

Published: 2019-09-13

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1594719136

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There is a secret formula to help convince parishioners to give financially to your church. It’s pretty simple: Just ask them. And when you do, make sure it’s not about the money. In ChurchMoney, Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—award-winning authors of the bestselling book Rebuilt—will help you learn the basic skills you need to discover that true success in raising funds comes from the incredibly freeing approach that connects giving to discipleship. The two share stories of success and failure during their twenty years leading the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. They tell you what they learned to meet the real financial challenges of their mission. And they offer the practical wisdom and inspiration you need to tackle the thorny matter of raising money in your Catholic parish. So if giving isn’t about the money, what is it about? Giving is about: loving God and serving him; loving others and helping them fall in love with their Savior; transforming the world little by little through love; and the eternal impact we can and need to make with money. White and Corcoran contend that giving actually glorifies God and attracts others to the Church. Over and over again in scripture, they point out, you’ll find the same, simple point: Giving gladly serves as a key ingredient to the Church’s growth from its very beginning. White and Corcoran share the lessons, facts, habits, and great ideas they’ve implemented from some of the most successful and vibrant churches in the United States. ChurchMoney offers a proven plan for raising money in parishes. It’s readily adaptable, firmly rooted in the reality of leading a Catholic parish, based on the Bible, and finessed with the best advice of communication professionals. You will read stories of embarrassing failure and exhilarating success in tripling a budget and running three extraordinarily successful capital campaigns over a ten-year period including a recent campaign leading to the construction of $16 million sanctuary built debt-free. White and Corcoran have increased staff fourfold and significantly raised salaries and increased staff benefits while expanding mission outreach both locally and internationally.


Why Catholics Leave, What They Miss, and How They Might Return

Why Catholics Leave, What They Miss, and How They Might Return

Author: Bullivant, Stephen

Publisher: Paulist Press

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 1587687860

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The results of a project in the UK that invited Catholics who no longer regularly practice their faith to share their story. Why they left and what could be done to change this are two of the questions explored.


Returning Home to Your Catholic Faith

Returning Home to Your Catholic Faith

Author: Sally Mews

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780764810992

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"Returning Home to Your Catholic Faith" addresses with honesty and compassion the fears, hurts, and guilt that many inactive Catholics feel when they first consider returning to the Church. A brief, to-the-point presentation of issues always stress God's mercy; most people who leave and later return do so as part of the process of maturing. Practical tips on how to reconnect with the Church are included. The section on what the Church is like today is a reassuring overview of the opportunities available in a parish. View sample pages. "Paperback"


Leaving Church

Leaving Church

Author: Barbara Brown Taylor

Publisher: Canterbury Press

Published: 2013-01-25

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1848253575

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Tells how a renowned preacher left her ministry to rediscover the authentic heart of her faith. A moving reflection on keeping faith amidst the relentless demands of modern life.