Vital Vintage Church
Vital Vintage Church

Author: Michael S. Piazza

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2016-02-10

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 9781523875832

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The prevailing witness is that the mainline church's days are numbered. This testimony is so frequently repeated that only a fool dare challenge it. The contrary view found in Vital Vintage Church, however, comes from someone who actually attends church every Sunday, someone who currently teaches in two mainline denominational seminaries, consults with dozens of mainline churches, and stands in the pulpit almost every Sunday of a mainline church where he is the senior pastor. From that vantage point, Rev. Michael Piazza has seen enough signs of hope to convince him that, if we can change the narrative of doom and gloom, many of our Vintage Churches are poised to experience a time of great renewal. It won't happen if we continue to do business as usual, but it also won't require us to abandon the church we love. Taking out the pews and the stained glass isn't the answer, but changes will be required. So, take a breath, take the plunge, and take it from one whose daily ministry is proving THERE IS HOPE FOR THE MAINLINE CHURCH!

Tribal Church
Tribal Church

Author: Carol Howard Merritt

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2007-09-10

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 1566996856

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Carol Howard Merritt, a pastor in her mid-thirties, suggests a different way for churches to be able to approach young adults on their own terms. Outlining the financial, social, and familial situations that affect many young adults today, she describes how churches can provide a safe, supportive place for young adults to nurture relationships and foster spiritual growth. There are few places left in society that allow for real intergenerational connections to be made, yet these connections are vital for any church that seeks to reflect the fullness of the body of Christ. Carol Howard Merritt, a pastor in her mid-thirties, suggests a different way for churches to be able to approach young adults on their own terms. Outlining the financial, social, and familial situations that affect many young adults today, she describes how churches can provide a safe, supportive place for young adults to nurture relationships and foster spiritual growth. There are few places left in society that allow for real intergenerational connections to be made, yet these connections are vital for any church that seeks to reflect the fullness of the body of Christ. Using the metaphor of a tribe to describe the close bonds that form when people of all ages decide to walk together on their spiritual journeys, Merritt casts a vision of the church that embraces the gifts of all members while reaching out to those who might otherwise feel unwelcome or unneeded. Mainline churches have much to offer young adults, as well as much to learn from them. By breaking down artificial age barriers and building up intentional relationships, congregations can provide a space for all people to connect with God, each other, and the world.

Transformational Church
Transformational Church

Author: Ed Stetzer

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1433669307

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It is time to take heart and rework the scorecard. --

The Church of All Ages
The Church of All Ages

Author: Howard A. Vanderwell

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2007-12-17

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1566996503

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Many congregations today experience collisions between parents who ant to spend time with their children and age-segregated church programming, as well as between the children worshiping in their pews and the increasing number of seniors in the same pew. Among the questions these congregations struggle to address are these: Should we try to hold the generations together when we worship/ Is it even possible? Led by pastor and resource developer Howard Vanderwell, nine writers--pastors, teachers, worship planners, and others serving in specialized ministries--offer their reflections on issues congregational leaders need to address as they design their worship ministry. In addition, numerous sidebars illustrate the diversity of practices in the church today. Contributors do not propose easy answers or instant solutions. Rather, they guide readers as they craft ministries and practices that fit their own community, heritage, and history. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and group discussion, and an appendix provides guidelines for small group use. The thread that connects these varied contributions is the belief that there is no greater privilege for Christians than worshiping God, and there is no better way to do that than as an intergenerational community in which all are important and all encourage and nurture the faith of the others.

Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church
Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church

Author: Mark DeYmaz

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2020-10-06

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 1506463401

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Through personal stories, proven experience, and a thorough analysis of the biblical text, Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church illustrates both the biblical mandate for the multi-ethnic church and the seven core commitments required to bring it about. Mark DeYmaz, pastor of one of the most proven multi-ethnic churches in the country, writes from both his experience and his extensive study of how to plant, grow, and encourage more ethnically diverse churches. He argues that the "homogenous unit principle" will soon become irrelevant and that the most effective way to spread the gospel in an increasingly diverse world is through strong and vital multi-ethnic churches. Apart from ethnically and economically diverse relationships, we cannot understand others different from ourselves, develop trust for others who are different than us, and/or love others different than ourselves. Apart from understanding, trust, and love, we are less likely to get involved in the plight of others different than ourselves. Without involvement, nothing changes, and the disparaging consequences of systemic racism remain entrenched in our culture. Surely, it breaks the heart of God to see so many churches segregated ethnically or economically from one another, and that little has changed in the many years since it was first observed that eleven o'clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the land.

Analog Church
Analog Church

Author: Jay Y. Kim

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2020-03-31

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13: 0830841989

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As our culture begins to reckon with the limits of a digital world, it's time for the church to do the same. In our efforts to stay relevant in our digital age, have we begun to move away from transcendence? Pastor Jay Kim grapples with the ramifications of a digital church, from worship and Christian community to how we engage Scripture.

Vintage Hughes
Vintage Hughes

Author: Langston Hughes

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2004-01-06

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13:

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Presents selected works from "The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes," and "The Ways of White Folks."

Unceasing Militant
Unceasing Militant

Author: Alison M. Parker

Publisher: UNC Press Books

Published: 2020-10-29

Total Pages: 462

ISBN-13: 1469659395

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Born into slavery during the Civil War, Mary Church Terrell (1863–1954) would become one of the most prominent activists of her time, with a career bridging the late nineteenth century to the civil rights movement of the 1950s. The first president of the National Association of Colored Women and a founding member of the NAACP, Terrell collaborated closely with the likes of Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, and W. E. B. Du Bois. Unceasing Militant is the first full-length biography of Terrell, bringing her vibrant voice and personality to life. Though most accounts of Terrell focus almost exclusively on her public activism, Alison M. Parker also looks at the often turbulent, unexplored moments in her life to provide a more complete account of a woman dedicated to changing the culture and institutions that perpetuated inequality throughout the United States. Drawing on newly discovered letters and diaries, Parker weaves together the joys and struggles of Terrell's personal, private life with the challenges and achievements of her public, political career, producing a stunning portrait of an often-under recognized political leader.

Detroit's Holy Family Church
Detroit's Holy Family Church

Author: Bonnie Leone

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738552170

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The traditions of the Sicilians and Italians have been present in Detroit and Holy Family Church since the early 1900s. The church being the very root of their soul, they have maintained their ancestors' culture and the rituals they brought with them over 100 years ago. Some of these customs date back hundreds of years in their homelands of Cinisi, Terrasini, Trapani, and many other cities. Bonnie Leone was born, raised, and still resides in Detroit. Originally appointed by Gov. John Engler to the position of Wayne County jury commissioner, Leone is a member of several genealogical societies, tracing some of her ancestors as far back as the 1500s. Her strong sense of history, art, and tradition brought her to this church, so that she may help to preserve and protect the traditions of the last 100 years of the Sicilians in Detroit.