Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.
Fresh thinking and new insights on the nature of science in relation to faith, showing particularly that (1) true science does not need to be and in fact is not hostile to religious faith, and (2) evangelical Christians in general need not be either fearful of nor hostile toward scientific endeavor.
Everyone encounters trials through life, and sometimes faith is weakened during these trials. April McDuffie takes us through a 30-day journey of strengthening her faith through such a bittersweet time. Join with her in these 30 daily devotionals that will strengthen your faith in the One that has the answers to all of your needs. As you begin your journey, you will continuously feel His power and His strength as your faith is rebuilt. "In this beautifully written story of faith, you will find an up-close and personal look into the heart of a woman who is sold out to Christ. What a refreshing, encouraging message she offers. Life is not always easy, but we have the promise of The One Who tells us He will 'never leave us or forsake us.'" Joyce Ashley, founder of JoyJoy Ministries. Author of JOY JUICE and ABUNDANT JOY JUICE From teaching Sunday School to being the choir director to now assisting her husband, Wayne, as a Children's Pastor, April McDuffie has been raised in church her whole life and has been part of church ministry most of her adult life. April is a Dean at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College where she has worked for 15 years. She is also involved in non-profit community organizations and civic clubs such as Love Out Loud 365, Communities in School, and Fitzgerald Lion's Club. Married for over 15 years, Wayne and April have a 12-year-old daughter, Cali. She spends her free time as a "soccer mom" driving soccer players and cheerleaders to games throughout the school year. The McDuffie's reside in Fitzgerald, Georgia, and have been members of the Fitzgerald Church of God since 1994.
Do you question whether God really exists? Have you considered walking away from your faith because you’ve been hurt by someone in the Church or because you struggle with some of its teachings? Or maybe you’ve already left? Are you carrying around guilt for something you’ve done and don’t feel you are worthy of God’s love? Rebuilt Faith, written by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—authors of the bestselling book Rebuilt—proposes five simple steps to learn (or relearn) more about your Catholic faith and deepen your relationship with God. In Rebuilt Faith, you will learn that rebuilding and renewing your faith starts with a nagging feeling that you want something more—more connectedness, more community, and more purpose. That’s the spark that leads to a flame that burns brightly around Jesus, the foundation of living and growing in faith. The steps in Rebuilt Faith can be done in just ten minutes a day over forty days during your morning coffee, at lunchtime, or when you are relaxing in the evening. Each one includes a quotation from a saint, a reflection, questions to ponder, a prayer, and a scripture verse. White and Corcoran organize the book around five steps that build on different aspects of Catholicism and are meant to be repeated: serve—serve others and develop a servant’s heart; give—giving reflects the character of God; engage in Christian community—we need friends of faith to become more like Jesus; practice prayer and the sacraments—by praying consistently and continually taking part in the sacraments, you will better connect with God; and share your faith—having a heart for people who do not know Jesus and helping them in their faith journey will strengthen your own faith. White and Corcoran have watched thousands of people in their parish in Timonium, Maryland, take these five steps and grow from seeing God primarily as an abstract idea into knowing him as a deeply loved partner who provides a far greater sense of purpose for living than they had ever known before. Invest in yourself by taking your faith to the next level and allowing God to help you come to know his grace, favor, and loving kindness in a new and personal way. Not only will you strengthen your own connection to God but also the connection between him and the entire Body of Christ.
There is a secret formula to help convince parishioners to give financially to your church. It’s pretty simple: Just ask them. And when you do, make sure it’s not about the money. In ChurchMoney, Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—award-winning authors of the bestselling book Rebuilt—will help you learn the basic skills you need to discover that true success in raising funds comes from the incredibly freeing approach that connects giving to discipleship. The two share stories of success and failure during their twenty years leading the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. They tell you what they learned to meet the real financial challenges of their mission. And they offer the practical wisdom and inspiration you need to tackle the thorny matter of raising money in your Catholic parish. So if giving isn’t about the money, what is it about? Giving is about: loving God and serving him; loving others and helping them fall in love with their Savior; transforming the world little by little through love; and the eternal impact we can and need to make with money. White and Corcoran contend that giving actually glorifies God and attracts others to the Church. Over and over again in scripture, they point out, you’ll find the same, simple point: Giving gladly serves as a key ingredient to the Church’s growth from its very beginning. White and Corcoran share the lessons, facts, habits, and great ideas they’ve implemented from some of the most successful and vibrant churches in the United States. ChurchMoney offers a proven plan for raising money in parishes. It’s readily adaptable, firmly rooted in the reality of leading a Catholic parish, based on the Bible, and finessed with the best advice of communication professionals. You will read stories of embarrassing failure and exhilarating success in tripling a budget and running three extraordinarily successful capital campaigns over a ten-year period including a recent campaign leading to the construction of $16 million sanctuary built debt-free. White and Corcoran have increased staff fourfold and significantly raised salaries and increased staff benefits while expanding mission outreach both locally and internationally.
Having a loved one turn his back on the faith we embraced through our formative years forced me to honestly reflect on things I had never dared to question before. My journey through my thoughts and with my brother would take me into places I did not expect to go--places that were simultaneously painful as well as uplifting. I would find myself covered in dirt from everything anti-Mormonism has had to throw at me, but I would also find myself shielded and renewed by gaining a deeper understanding of the beautiful truths surrounding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I can now see why people fall away from being faithful members of the church. There are a variety of reasons, all of which I now have a much better understanding. I say I have a better understanding, but that does not mean I agree. I do not.It is also easy to see why many relationships do not survive the changes that so often come when a loved one leaves the faith. This not a fun story. This book is not like the fiction I write where the plot gets thicker as it goes but everyone ends up peachy in the end. Most of this book is the story of two inseparable brothers who go through something so difficult we have to rebuild our relationship from the ground up and, unfortunately, that relationship is never quite the same. This book is also a personal journey of discovering for myself what it means to have an intimate relationship with my Father in Heaven. And for large portions of this book, I abandon the storyline altogether in order to answer questions I have posed for myself and sort out my jumble of thoughts. Does God even exist? What is religion? Is religion actually important if I consider my spiritual journey to be something personal? What are the aspects of my own religion that I find indispensable and beautiful? My prayer is that some people will take this story to heart in a way that they can gain for themselves some of the lessons I have learned as they take part in my journey. My hope is that some people can learn from what I have experienced in order to avoid some of the same mistakes I made and sidestep the need to walk the same route. My desire is that someone might read my story and discover a reason to stay in the faith despite the fact that they do not have all the answers.
After your faith has fractured, let what takes its place be the real thing . . . at last. Somewhere along the way, the Christianity you knew began to crumble. You began to suspect your faith was misplaced. Disillusionment set in. Churches hurt you. Their people failed you. Christian institutions were exposed as fake. And in it all, God was silent. Is He gone? Or is God really there, waiting for you to find Him instead of the counterfeits? If you’re walking this difficult spiritual path, Lina AbuJamra understands you. After experiencing the near deconstruction of her own faith, Lina had to rebuild something more solid when the faith she once knew let her down. With her diagnostic style that comes from her training as an ER doc, Lina helps you grapple with questions like: Where is God in my pain? Is this how Christians are supposed to act? Why did my story end up this way? Is this the normal Christian life? Why is it so hard for Christians to love? Let Fractured Faith help you find your way back to God. You just might discover that the real God has been waiting for you all along.
DIVRebuilding the Real You, Jack Hayford’s landmark teaching on the Holy Spirit, unfolds a clear picture of the process by which the Holy Spirit works in the life of the believer. For anyone who has experienced times of brokenness, the book is a handbook on/div
