"This is the first book I will recommend to those who want to study what the Scriptures teach about the roles of men and women both in marriage and the church. . . I was amazed at how much wisdom is packed into this short book. Everything in the book is helpful, but the practical application section alone is worth the price of the book." — Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary A Biblical Primer on Men and Women in the Church There is much at stake in God making humanity male and female. Created for one another yet distinct from each other, a man and a woman are not interchangeable—they are designed to function according to a divine fittedness. But when this design is misunderstood, ignored, or abused, there are dire consequences. Men and women—in marriage especially, but in the rest of life as well—complement one another. And this biblical truth has enduring, cosmic significance. From start to finish, the biblical storyline—and the design of creation itself—depends upon the distinction between male and female. Men and Women in the Church is about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially ministry in the church.
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.
Evangelicals stand divided in their view of women in the church. On one side stand complementarians, arguing the full worth of women but assigning them to differing roles. On the other side stand egalitarians, arguing that the full worth of women demands their equal treatment and access to leadership roles. Is there a way to mend the breach and build consensus? Sarah Sumner thinks there is. Avoiding the pitfalls of both radical feminism and reactionary conservatism, she traces a new path through the issues--biblical, theological, psychological and practical--to establish and affirm common ground. Arguing that men and women are both equal and distinct, Sumner encourages us to find ways to honor and benefit from the leadership gifts of both. Men and Women in the Church is a book for all who want a fresh and hope-filled look at a persistent problem.
It's Time for a Revolution In the Garden, woman was taken out of man to stand by his side and co-reign with him. But Satan's schemes have robbed women of their rightful identity, disempowering and defacing them. The world aches for God's original partnership to be brought into balance once more--and it can be. Join Kris Vallotton for an extraordinary journey of eye-opening insight, including • God's true plan and purpose for women • Jesus' radical teachings and care for women • men's important role in restoring women • the true meaning of difficult Bible passages about women • examples of women in leadership as God intended God fashioned women to reign alongside men. Jesus set women free to be beautiful and powerful. It's time for us, as daughters and sons of the King, to rule together in glory again. Will you join the revolution? "We have failed to realize that Jesus founded the women's liberation movement more than two thousand years ago. Isn't it high time His Church led the revolution?"--Kris Vallotton "Off the charts. Worthy to be read and studied by all. You won't be able to put it down."--Patricia King, founder, XP Ministries "Read, weigh and embrace the spirit, truth and heartbeat of this book. This biblical approach rightly addresses unright arguments of strained interpretations. Such balance and beauty make sense and offer wisdom. I say, 'Amen!'"--Pastor Jack Hayford, chancellor, The King's University, Dallas/Los Angeles "This profound work is a must-read for men and women alike; it has the potential to instill courage in the hearts of men and give women permission to dream again."--Bill Johnson, senior leader, Bethel Church, Redding, California; author, The Essential Guide to Healing and When Heaven Invades Earth "Finally, a biblical perspective that encourages women to remain themselves and still take their God-given places of leadership."--Stacey Campbell, author, Praying the Bible; co-founding pastor, New Life Church, Kelowna, British Columbia "This compelling work will elevate your awareness, challenge some presuppositions and invite you to grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus."--Dr. Mark J. Chironna, Church On The Living Edge, Mark Chironna Ministries, Orlando, Florida "This must-read will empower you to regain your identity that Satan stole and live the life God created you to live."--Cynthia Brazelton, pastor, Victory Christian Ministries International "I deeply enjoyed diving into the Bible with Kris as my guide to find out what God really says about men and women. It has enhanced my understanding of who I am as a woman and inspires me to instill that in the young women around me. This book is about truth and therefore would be great written by anyone. However, I realized that the fact that it was written by a man, and it is a man calling me into my divine design, brought a deeper level of healing than I'd anticipated and sent me on a journey digging deeper into God's heart. I recommend it for all!" --Revival Magazine "Fashioned to Reign considers the everlasting deception Christians face regarding women's role and purpose: a deception fostered by evil and which is not of God's plan. The disempowerment of women was the devil's idea - and God's true plan for women is very different. Woman was, in fact, designed to stand by man's side and reign with him, not under him - and Fashioned to Reign covers God's ultimate intention for women. Packed with scripture and information throughout, Fashioned to Reign is a powerful analysis perfect for any Christian collection." --Midwest Book Review
“Church is boring.” “It’s irrelevant.” “It’s full of hypocrites.” You’ve heard the excuses—now learn the real reasons men and boys are fleeing churches of every kind, all over the world, and what we can do about it. Women comprise more than 60% of the adults in a typical worship service in America. Some overseas congregations report ten women for every man in attendance. Men are less likely to lead, volunteer, and give in the church. They pray less, share their faith less, and read the Bible less. In Why Men Hate Going to Church, David Murrow identifies the barriers keeping many men from going to church, explains why it’s so hard to motivate the men who do attend, and also takes you inside several fast-growing congregations that are winning the hearts of men and boys. In this completely revised, reorganized, and rewritten edition of the classic book, with more than 70 percent new content, explore topics like: The increase and decrease in male church attendance during the past 500 years Why Christian churches are more feminine even though men are often still the leaders The difference between the type of God men and women like to worship The lack of volunteering and ministry opportunities for men The benefits men get from attending church regularly Men need the church but, more importantly, the church needs men. The presence of enthusiastic men is one of the surest predictors of church health, growth, giving, and expansion. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to church—it calls the church back to men.
The role of women in the church is more hotly debated today than ever. Christians on all sides of the issue often turn to the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Timothy to justify their position, arguing over the meaning and application of this challenging passage. Now in its third edition, this classic exposition of 1 Timothy 2:9–15 includes contributions by Thomas Schreiner, Andreas Köstenberger, Robert Yarbrough, Rosaria Butterfield, and others, walking readers through the biblical text with careful exegesis, sound reasoning, and a keen awareness of the implications for men and women in the church. Academically rigorous yet pastorally sensitive, this book offers Christians a helpful overview of Paul’s teaching related to how men and women are to relate to one another when it comes to authoritative teaching in the local church. Includes a new preface, a new conclusion, four updated chapters, and two all-new chapters.
Award-winning author Mary Kassian provides readers a biblical guide to becoming the strong, resilient, capable women God created them to be. Our culture teaches us that it's important for women to be strong. The Bible agrees. Unfortunately, culture's idea of what makes a woman strong doesn't always align with the Bible's. As a result, Christians often have a skewed view of what constitutes strength. In The Right Kind of Strong, Mary Kassian delves into Paul's exhortation in 2 Timothy about the women of the church in Ephesus and uncovers warnings and truths about seven habits that can sap women's strength. She helps readers avoid these pitfalls by carefully considering the people they allow into their lives, taking control of their minds by taking every thought captive, quickly and regularly confessing sin, intentionally engaging their emotions, living out what they’re learning, developing confident convictions, and embracing their human weakness and leaning on the Lord. She reveals how, by implementing these seven habits, Christian women can walk in freedom and grow to be strong God's way.
The role of women in positions of worship and church leadership is one of the most divisive and inconclusive biblical debates. Two Views on Women in Ministry furnishes you with a clear and thorough presentation of the two primary exegetical arguments so you can better understand each one's strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Egalitarian - equal ministry opportunity for both genders (represented by Linda L. Belleville and Craig S. Keener) Complementarian - men and women fill distinctive ministry roles (represented by Craig L. Blomberg and Thomas R. Schreiner) This revised edition brings the exchange of ideas and perspectives into the traditional Counterpoints format. Each author states his or her case and is then critiqued by the other contributors. The fair-minded, interactive Counterpoints forum allows you to compare and contrast the two different positions and form your own opinion concerning the practical and often deeply personal subject of women in ministry. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
Most women in the church don't aspire to "lord" it over men, nor do they want to scramble for position. Instead, they want to be accepted as full participants in God's work, sharing in kingdom tasks in ways that use their gifts appropriately. In Gender Roles and the People of God, author, radio host, and professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Alice Mathews surveys the roles women have played in the Bible and throughout church history, demonstrating both the inspiring contributions of women and the many hurdles that have been placed in their path. Along the way, she investigates the difficult passages often used to preclude women from certain areas of service, pointing to better and more faithful understandings of those verses. Encouraging and hopeful, Mathews aims for an "egalitarian complementarity" in which men and women use all of their gifts in the church together, in partnership, for the glory of God.
