How can church planters and their congregations flourish for the long haul? Written by a diverse team of scholar-practitioners and filled with real-world insights, stories, and questions for reflection and discussion, this guide gives church planters and their teams the tools to be theologically reflective, spiritually grounded, and missionally agile.
In this ground-breaking book, pre-eminent thought leader in the fields of sustainability and flourishing, John R. Ehrenfeld, critiques the concept of sustainability as it is understood today and which is coming more and more under attack as unclear and ineffective as a call for action. Building upon the recent work of cognitive scientist, Iain McGilchrist, who argues that the human brain’s two hemispheres present distinct different worlds, this book articulates how society must replace the current foundational left-brain-based beliefs – a mechanistic world and a human driven by self interest – with new ones based on complexity and care. Flourishing should replace the lifeless metrics now being used to guide business and government, as well as individuals. Until we accept that our modern belief structure is, itself, the barrier, we will continue to be mired in an endless succession of unsolved problems.
Aristotle’s essential guide to human flourishing—the Nicomachean Ethics—in a lively new abridged translation Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is one of the greatest guides to human flourishing ever written, but its length and style have left many readers languishing. How to Flourish is a carefully abridged version of the entire work in a highly readable and colloquial new translation by Susan Sauvé Meyer that makes Aristotle’s timeless insights about how to lead a good life more engaging and accessible than ever before. For Aristotle, flourishing involves becoming a good person through practice, and having a life of the mind. To that end, he draws vivid portraits of virtuous and vicious characters and offers sound practical advice about everything from eating and drinking to managing money, controlling anger, getting along with others, and telling jokes. He also distinguishes different kinds of wisdom that are essential to flourishing and offers an unusual perspective on how to appreciate our place in the universe and our relation to the divine. Omitting Aristotle’s digressions and repetitions and overly technical passages, How to Flourish provides connecting commentary that allows readers to follow the continuous line of his thought; it also features the original Greek on facing pages. The result is an inviting and lively version of an essential work about how to flourish and lead a good life.
What does it take to be a church planter or ministry entrepreneur? According to veteran church planter Tim Morey, you need more than just vocational capacities—you need spiritual competencies. Featuring real-life stories from leaders plus practices and discussion questions, this book is a practical guide to spiritual formation geared to the unique needs of church planters and teams.
As rural America continues to undergo massive economic and demographic shifts, rural churches are uniquely positioned to provide community leadership. Leading a rural congregation requires a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these communities, as well as a strong theological and community-focused identity. Allen T. Stanton describes how in establishing this identity, rural leaders build a meaningful and vital ministry. Reclaiming Rural explores the myths and realities of rural places, and how those common narratives impact the leadership of rural churches. Ultimately, rural congregations must practice a contextual understanding of vitality, which understands both the strengths and challenges of leading in a rural setting. Arguing for a practice of evangelism imbued with this mission of vitality, Reclaiming Rural promotes the church as a leader in economic and community development, modeled upon a Wesleyan theology of grace. Acknowledging the many challenges facing rural churches, this book is an energetic and encouraging guide to overcoming social and economic obstacles to build a thriving congregation.
A Bible That Helps You See Yourself as God Sees You. No matter your life stage, you're probably facing a challenge or a change. Whatever you're facing, you probably wish you had somewhere to turn for guidance and support. Imagine you had a resource that could not only share wisdom, but also lift you up and show you that you are more than just your struggles. That's what Flourish: The NIV Bible for Women is about: becoming who you are in Christ through your relationship with him. Drawing on the truths of Scripture, the features in this Bible will strengthen you with insights and encouragement for the issues you face. Myths articles expose commonly accepted myths of our culture that many women believe—misconceptions about love, relationships, God, fulfillment, sex, faith, identity, and more. Each article opens with the first-person story of a woman who believes a particular myth and how that affects her life. Then, principles from the Bible refute the myth and offer practical guidance and help. In addition, the Think About notes take you to the heart of important topics such as marriage, conflict, money, sex, and pride, equipping you with biblical insights that help you face common concerns with uncommon wisdom. In the form of personal interviews, Ask Me Anything profiles introduce you to 30 women from the Bible. Offering frank insights drawn from the best and worst of their lives, they have much to say about life today. You'll find questions to reflect on, either alone or with a friend or mentor, in the Flourish: Questions for Growth. And the He Is notes highlight attributes of God, giving you a bigger picture of the God who loves you and longs to be in a relationship with you. Altogether, these resources combine to offer you the knowledge, strength, and clarity to navigate life's challenges with God's Word as your guide and to be the capable woman God created you to be. Features: Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV) 100 Myth articles—States a commonly accepted myth that the world tells you is true, then refutes the myth with the truth of God’s Word. 30 Ask Me Anything profiles—Interviews a woman from the Bible who speaks to modern readers about the life issue she faced. 200 Flourish: Questions for Growth—Questions to reflect on, either alone or with a friend or mentor. 200 He Is notes—Highlights an attribute of God as shown or taught in Scripture and teaches how that affects a woman’s identity. 300 Think About notes—Short teaching notes on life topics such as money, sex, and pride. Articles on topics such as mentoring, developing a consistent time with God, Bible reading plans, and more 66 book introductions Subject index
Every organization is made to flourish. But when problems arise, quick fixes and poor leadership training can drag it down. Here is the book that churches, NGOs, mission agencies, other nonprofits, businesses and the teams within these groups can use to enjoy the holistic, fruitful abundance that God intended for organizations and everyone in them.