Church in the Making
Church in the Making

Author: Ben Arment

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Published: 2010-04-01

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1433671093

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Nearly eighty percent of all new churches fail, leaving countless discouraged church planters wondering why. Ben Arment answers their question with Church in the Making by identifying and expanding on three God ordained conditions that make for a successful church plant even before the doors open: Good Ground – just as Jesus based his ministry on the openness of people’s hearts, we must gauge the spiritual receptivity of our community before planting a church. If the people are not yet open to the Gospel, the first step is to cultivate their hearts. Rolling Rocks – momentum is also key to the success of new churches. If God truly builds his church, then our job is not to start from scratch, but rather to identify where he is already bringing people, funds, and other resources together for his purposes. Deep Roots – wherever there’s a church in the making, God provides a group of leaders who can align people and resources in order to achieve and sustain the church’s mission. Lone planters have a much less hope of succeeding, let alone surviving.

Churches That Make a Difference
Churches That Make a Difference

Author: Ronald J. Sider

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2002-04-01

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1585582190

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Churches over the past generations have been weakened by a failure to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of their communities. Many have adopted a narrow vision, focusing on only one aspect of ministry. But in today's environment of faith-based opportunities many Christians are eager to start reaching out to their world with both Good News and good works, and therefore they are searching for appropriate ways to integrate both into their ministry. In Churches That Make a Difference, best-selling author Ron Sider and his coauthors give those involved in community outreach a comprehensive resource for developing holistic ministry--a balance of evangelism and social outreach. Illustrations and helpful organizational tips detail the how-to's of an effective holistic ministry. Case studies that show how different churches across the United States reach out to their communities provide a variety of ideas and practical applications. User-friendly tools are included as well for congregational studies, surveys, evaluations, and community assessments. The authors draw on extensive experience with church ministries and faith-based organizations as they share the life-changing vision and biblical mandate for living the whole gospel. Church leaders will be encouraged in their process of developing and maintaining a holistic ministry, and local churches will rediscover a passion for loving the whole person the way Jesus did.

Making the Small Church Effective
Making the Small Church Effective

Author: Carl S. Dudley

Publisher:

Published: 1978

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9780687230440

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What 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.

Good News and Good Works
Good News and Good Works

Author: Ronald J. Sider

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 1999-03

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0801058457

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Concerned to promote an authentic, biblical faith, this book suggests ways to combine evangelism with social action for effective witness in today's world.

How to Be a Christian without Going to Church
How to Be a Christian without Going to Church

Author: Kelly Bean

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2014-06-24

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1441246533

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As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.

The Peacemaking Church
The Peacemaking Church

Author: Curtis Heffelfinger

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2018-11-20

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780801019500

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When human beings are involved in any endeavor, conflict is inevitable. But the best fight is the one a church never has to have because its members have been intentionally cultivating practices that lead to peace and preserve unity. Whether they are dealing with conflict right now or hoping to avoid it later, church members, pastors, and ministry leaders will benefit from the proactive approach to peacemaking found in The Peacemaking Church, which will equip them with the knowledge and practices they need to instill in their church leadership and membership. Foreword by Ken Sande.

Creating Church Online
Creating Church Online

Author: Tim Hutchings

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-04-21

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 1136277498

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Online churches are internet-based Christian communities, pursuing worship, discussion, friendship, support, proselytization, and other key religious goals through computer-mediated communication. Hundreds of thousands of people are now involved with online congregations, generating new kinds of ritual, leadership, and community and new networks of global influence. Creating Church Online constructs a rich ethnographic account of the diverse cultures of online churches, from virtual worlds to video streams. This book also outlines the history of online churchgoing, from its origins in the 1980s to the present day, and traces the major themes of academic and Christian debate around this topic. Applying some of the leading current theories in the study of religion, media and culture to this data, Tim Hutchings proposes a new model of religious design in contexts of mediatization, and draws attention to digital networks, transformative third spaces and terrains of existential vulnerability. Creating Church Online advances our understanding of the significance and impact of digital media in the religious and social lives of its users, in search of new theoretical frameworks for digital religion.

The Making of a Local Church
The Making of a Local Church

Author: Francisco F. Claver

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 9781570757860

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In eleven chapters, Bishop Claver describes how church leaders put the aggorniamento teachings of Vatican II into practice by forming small Christian communities that focused on reading and understanding scripture and then, guided by the Spirit, implemented those teachings in their own communities. A primer on how to develop a local church, the book presents models of participative leadership but also inspires Christians everywhere to make their own churches more responsive to local needs.

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.

The Coming Revolution in Church Economics
The Coming Revolution in Church Economics

Author: Mark DeYmaz

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2019-10-15

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1493420224

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Our entire understanding of funding and sustainability must change. Tithes and offerings alone are no longer enough to provide for the needs of the local church, enable pastors to pursue opportunities, or sustain long-term ministry impact. Growing financial burdens on the middle class, marginal increases in contributions to religious organizations, shifting generational attitudes toward giving, and changing demographics are having a negative impact on church budgets. Given that someday local churches may be required to pay taxes on the property they own and/or lose the benefit of soliciting tax-deductible gifts, the time to pivot is now. What's needed is disruptive innovation in church economics. For churches to not only survive but thrive in the future, leaders must learn to leverage assets, bless the community, empower entrepreneurs, and create multiple streams of income to effectively fund mission. You'll learn why you should and how to do so in The Coming Revolution in Church Economics.