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.
Life crises can throw you into a tail-spin—a lost job, a failed relationship, a struggling business, a financial mess. Where do you start? How do you pull it together? How do you begin again? Tom Holladay experienced a catastrophe first-hand when a sudden flood in California destroyed his home, his church, and the homes of many church members. Tom and his congregation had to rebuild, and they used the principles in the book of Nehemiah to get back on their feet. Now a teaching pastor at Saddleback Church, Tom will help you discover seven principles for putting it together again that will give you the direction you need to get rolling on that fresh start. Holladay will walk you through seeing every problem as an opportunity, facing the obstacles head on and taking your first step, knowing how to expect and reject opposition, build on your success, and dedicating yourself to the One who rebuilds our souls. The task of starting again can seem impossible. And sometimes you just need to rebuild your confidence and regain a sense of purpose. If you’re trying to find the emotional energy, but you just don’t have it in you, let Holladay encourage you. He understands how difficult and rewarding the business of rebuilding is. This book is your encouraging how-to guide to starting again and stepping into a better future.
Balancing theology with literary criticism, this work explores the comic vision in the works of four American novelists, Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, John Updike and Peter De Vries.
Over the past few years, John Pavlovitz's blog, Stuff That Needs To Be Said, has become a virtual hub for millions of people from all over the world, drawn there by his clear, compelling words on compassion, equity, love, and justice. This expansive, like-hearted community transcends race, orientation, gender, religious tradition, political affiliation, and nation of origin--and finds its affinity in the deeper place of our shared humanity, which is the True North of his writing. This collection lovingly pulls together some of John's most widely-read and most beloved essays on faith, politics, grief, and the elemental parts of being human. It is an encouraging, inspiring, challenging storehouse of "stuff that needs to be said."
How can we--as St. Francis and so many of the saints have done--hear and obey God's call to 'Rebuild My Church'? --From chapter seven Authentic renewal of the Church isn't an issue for the hierarchy alone. Church renewal depends on every Catholic, including you--your personal growth in holiness, your readiness to use the gifts God has given you, your willingness to learn how to discern and support authentic renewal. In straightforward, engaging language, Dr. Schreck examines the meaning and nature of renewal, the challenges and pitfalls that can divert it, historical examples of renewal, the impact of repentance and prayer, the influence of saints and other notable figures, the role of those in ecclesial office, renewal in the twenty-first century, and more. Informative and inspiring, Rebuild My Church underscores the critical importance of renewal throughout history and equips us to participate in God's plan for the Church in these challenging times.
Rebekah Simon-Peter explores her own spiritual journey and helps leaders learn to get past the "standard" Christianity and learn to dream like Jesus, thus inspiring individuals and congregations to dream and achieve dreams previously thought impossible.
The Rebuild Leader Kit from Kathleen Nielson contains one Bible Study Book and 2 DVDs for 8 sessions of group study. The Book of Nehemiah tells of God's people returned from exile and rebuilding the broken-down city of Jerusalem. More than that, it tells of God's people being rebuilt according to His Word. As we watch the leader Nehemiah direct the rebuilding, we're watching the Lord God direct history according to His promises--all of which were fulfilled in the promised Christ who came from this people's seed. This study of Nehemiah helps us understand our history as believers in Jesus Christ. It helps us learn to walk in faith according to God's Word, even in times of weakness and rebuilding. Eight lessons draw us into the text, giving background and asking questions that lead us to make fruitful and personal observations. Accompanying videos come from Nielson, Nancy Guthrie, and D.A. Carson (editor). Through this study we peer into the dramatic story of God's people sustained by God's Word, at a crucial point in salvation history. Table of Contents Session 1 Meeting Nehemiah Session 2 Action--In Light of God's Word (Nehemiah 1-2) Session 3 Laboring for a God Who Fights For Us (Nehemiah 3-4) Session 4 Fearing God in a Fallen World (Nehemiah 5-6) Session 5 Coming Together around God's Word (Nehemiah 7-8) Session 6 Responding to God according to his Word (Nehemiah 9-10) Session 7 Celebrating A Moment of Joy in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11-12) Session 8 Leaning Forward in the Dark: A Failed Reformation (Nehemiah 13) Kit Includes: 1 Bible Study Book 2 DVDs with a promotional video and eight 15-minute teaching sessions featuring author Kathleen Nielson, Nancy Guthrie, and D.A. Carson Features: Teaching from Nancy Guthrie, D.A. Carson, and Kathleen Nielson Biblically rooted and gospel-centered teaching Leader material (environment, guides to questions, general leadership, and so on) Fresh commentary for personal study segments 8-session workbook with group and personal component Lessons in leadership from prominent voices of The Gospel Coalition Benefits: Leaders can be assured of a trusted teacher in every group as participants view the video Biblical truth that's reliable Contributes to leader's confidence and preparation, but also contributes to leader training Personal spiritual growth through individual time with content Provocative questions; scriptural support; and text, application, and preparation Understanding Nehemiah as a crucial point in salvation history Author: Kathleen Nielson serves as director of women's initiatives for The Gospel Coalition. She holds MA and PhD degrees in literature from Vanderbilt University and a BA from Wheaton College. Author of the Living Word Bible studies, she speaks often at women's conferences and loves working with women in studying the Bible. She shares a heart for students with her husband, Niel, president of Covenant College from 2002 to 2012 and now leading an enterprise developing resources for Christian schools around the world.
Throughout history, false teachings threatening to corrupt the Church have forced leaders to join in councils, where they codified the orthodox teaching of the Bible into creeds received by the Church as faithful distillations of Scriptural truth and as a bulwark against future corruption. Error, heresy, and outright paganism are today common in churches that were once sound. Many "better" churches have little depth to their teaching and are silent on critical issues of the day, and in some churches paganism even masquerades as Christianity. This book is the fruit of the work of hundreds of theologians and Christian leaders working throughout a 37-year period to define and defend the key Biblical points on 24 controversial issues--which would not even be controversial if all believed like Jesus and Paul in the inerrancy of the Bible.
-If God visited your city in the flesh this Sunday, which church would He attend? -Does He prefer one music style over another? -Does He like the music loud or quiet? -Does He like the music to be about Him or to Him? -What was it about this church that He longs to see restored? -How is it that there are churches popping up all over the earth today that are incorporating in the forms that David introduced in his Tabernacle? Understanding this truth will help you move from religious legalism to freedom of relationship with God. Do you attend a Tabernacle of David or a Tabernacle of Moses?
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