Read and Download eBook Full
Author: Carl S. Dudley
Publisher:
Published: 1978
Total Pages: 196
ISBN-13: 9780687230440
DOWNLOAD EBOOKWhat makes the small church so reliably steady, closely intimate, and beautifully simple -- a worthy model of the Christian church? Carl S. Dudley affirms the main cause as lying within the minds of the church members.
Author: Karl Vaters
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2018-03-06
Total Pages: 241
ISBN-13: 0802496369
DOWNLOAD EBOOKDo you lead a small church? Big churches get all the love. Articles, books, conferences—they mostly feature leaders of large congregations. Yet big churches are a small part of the ecclesial landscape. In fact, more than 90 percent of churches have fewer than 200 people. That means small churches play a big part in what God is doing. Small Church Essentials is for leaders of these smaller congregations. It encourages them to steward their role well, debunking myths about small churches while offering principles for leading a dynamic, healthy small church. Based on the popular six-hour lecture that Karl Vaters delivers to church leaders across the country, Small Church Essentials will affirm small church leaders and show them how to identify what they do well, and how to do it even better. Readers will: Be assured that leading a small congregation does not make them ministry failures Come away inspired to lead with passion, regardless the size of their church Have field-tested principles for leading a church in their context Possess new metrics for biblically measuring vitality in small churches Have a toolkit of resources to use in their everyday ministry Karl Vaters has been a small church pastor for 30 years, is the author of The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches, and the Small Thinking that Divides Us (2013), and travels extensively to churches and conferences to speak about leading a small church well. If you are pastoring a small church, this book will be a breath of fresh air. It will affirm your calling while giving you fresh tools to help you lead. It will help you: Stop believing lies about small churches Lead your church to fulfill the role only small churches can Understand your congregation’s strengths and weaknesses Turn around a dying or unhealthy church Identify good trends and bad in church and culture
Author: David Pytches
Publisher: Bethany House Pub
Published: 1987-06-01
Total Pages: 287
ISBN-13: 9780871239846
DOWNLOAD EBOOKPractical instructions for use of the gifts of the Spirit in the congregation. An ideal text for class teaching and discussion.
Author: Jason Byassee
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2010
Total Pages: 212
ISBN-13: 0687466598
DOWNLOAD EBOOKWhy the small- to mid-sized church remains God's best means to make disciples of Jesus Christ
Author: Lewis A. Parks
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2017-05-16
Total Pages: 126
ISBN-13: 1501827332
DOWNLOAD EBOOKSmall on Purpose: Life in a Significant Church is a joyful and honest look at the kingdom-enriching characteristics of small congregations. Lewis Parks demonstrates how to see and build upon those strengths. His premise is not better/worse. Instead, Parks shows us how life in a small congregation is profoundly significant and the important role these churches play. This book includes clear instructions on how leaders can streamline ministry to maximize the unique and powerful contributions small churches make in their communities. This book is inspiring and practical, a refreshing point of view for the church and church leaders. “Small on Purpose reimagines what it means to be a congregation of ninety, sixty, or thirty by not focusing on size. I especially appreciate Lewis Parks’s attention to why ‘soul care’ is critical for congregations under 150 as a means of discipleship and outreach. Parks sees soul care as a countercultural act that creates meaning for many who are seeking family-like relationships. This book challenges all congregations to take seriously the small things they are doing—like soul care—as a compelling way to move into the future.” —F. Douglas Powe Jr., Managing Director for The Institute for Community Engagement, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington DC; author of New Wine, New Wineskins and Not Safe for Church from Abingdon Press “Lewis Parks writes with pitch-perfect tone about the life of small churches. He appeals to the experience of smaller congregations as gathering places of worship and service. There he sees signs of the Spirit moving, of tradition revivified through song and word, of pastoral care shared across a congregation. Above all, he offers transformative words and perspectives with which small churches can claim their distinctive witness.” —Thomas Edward Frank, University Professor and Chair of the Department of History, Wake Forest College, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC “In a time when the culture is becoming more and more individualistic, Lew Parks strikes a chord for the great value of the gathered community of faith that is strengthened week by week through their faithfulness to the gospel and to one another. Gather in your small church and read this together. Your life and your community will be enriched.” —Bill McAlilly, Bishop, Nashville Area Episcopal Office, The United Methodist Church
Author: Furman L. Buchanan
Publisher:
Published: 2019-06
Total Pages: 208
ISBN-13: 9780880284660
DOWNLOAD EBOOKWorship can be a powerful way to encounter the living God. Our stories intersect with God's story as the gifts of God are celebrated and shared by the people of God. Episcopal priest Furman L. Buchanan explores and reflects on each element of Holy Eucharist, the service most often held on Sunday mornings. Moving from the first spoken word of the service--blessed--to the last phrase--Thanks be to God--Buchanan explains the theological and scriptural elements of the service, helping newcomers and longtime members alike gain a deeper understanding of this gift of God. Buchanan also shares his own stories, connecting pivotal life experiences with the words and actions of Holy Eucharist. Thoughtful questions at the end of each chapter invite readers to reflect on their own stories and how they connect with God's story of love and life.
Author: George Herbert
Publisher: Paulist Press
Published: 1981
Total Pages: 382
ISBN-13: 9780809122981
DOWNLOAD EBOOKGeorge Herbert (1593-1633) was an Anglican priest, poet and essayist--truly one of the most profound spiritual masters in the English tradition. His spirituality was a synthesis of Evangelical and Catholic piety.
Author: Matt Miofsky
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2018-10-16
Total Pages: 126
ISBN-13: 1501852744
DOWNLOAD EBOOKLeaders who are interested in planting or revitalizing congregations often feel discouraged and defeated after leadership conferences, or after reading about the ‘heroes’ of church planting and church growth. “They are amazing,” they say. “I can’t be that amazing.” But Jesus’ load is easy and his burden is light. When we examine the practices and characteristics of those ‘heroes’, we see striking trends and commonalities. Aspiring church leaders can learn the practices and develop the characteristics that will lead to successful churches. Instead of feeling defeated, new leaders should have a hope-filled sense of what new thing they can do. Authors Matt Miofsky and Jason Byasse carefully researched, interviewed, and profiled successful church-growers across the U.S., and identified 8 characteristics these leaders and their congregations have in common. These pastors are still learning, still figuring out how to do this work and how to faithfully live into God’s call. But for now, how are they doing what they do? What mistakes have they made & learned from? Where have they paid the stupid tax that others should avoid? Each of these ‘heroes’ is painfully ordinary and up front about their flaws. And each can see slightly farther than the rest of us. What do they see that we can learn from? Discover the 8 characteristics, and learn how to adapt them for your own congregation and calling: Believe in miracles and act accordingly Integrate new people quickly Love the local Exist to reach the next person Elevate the practice of giving Work in teams Preach effectively to skeptics Make friends with the denomination
Author: Dan R. Dick
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Published: 2011-04-01
Total Pages: 169
ISBN-13: 1610972406
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAll scripture is inspired by God . . . so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Equipped for Every Good Work is a four-tool process that can help you discover and develop the spiritual gifts, spirituality types, interaction styles, and working preferences of each person in your congregation. Begun in 1988, the Profile of Congregational Leadership has been used in approximately two hundred different churches of seven denominations in settings of all shapes, sizes, locations, and racial-ethnic backgrounds. Equipped for Every Good Work is not intended as a tool to help congregations assign members to jobs on committees, boards, councils, or task forces. Instead, it is a process of discovery and discussion of the gifts, graces, and abilities of the leadership core of a local congregation. It shifts the attention off of what we do and on to who we are as called, gifted, and empowered people of God. Through self-exploration and discovery, each person can gain new insights about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and the entire congregation can grow as a faith-forming spiritual community. Leaders--A special website (equippedforeverygoodwork.wordpress.com) provides access to all the handouts, presentation materials, reference materials, and interpretive aids.
Author: Elissa Bjeletich
Publisher:
Published: 2016
Total Pages: 225
ISBN-13: 9781944967000
DOWNLOAD EBOOKHow do we as Orthodox parents keep our children in the Church throughout their lives? It all begins with involving them in the life of the Church from birth onward-in the parish and also at home. Blueprints for the Little Church provides practical ideas and encouragement-without judgment-for incorporating the primary practices of Orthodox spirituality into your family life at every stage of its growth and throughout the church year.
