Messy Grace
Messy Grace

Author: Caleb Kaltenbach

Publisher: WaterBrook

Published: 2015-10-20

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1601427379

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Sometimes, grace gets messy. Caleb Kaltenbach was raised by LGBT parents, marched in gay pride parades as a youngster, and experienced firsthand the hatred and bitterness of some Christians toward his family. But then Caleb surprised everyone, including himself, by becoming a Christian…and a pastor. Very few issues in Christianity are as divisive as the acceptance of the LGBT community in the church. As a pastor and as a person with beloved family members living a gay lifestyle, Caleb had to face this issue with courage and grace. Messy Grace shows us that Jesus’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t have an exception clause for a gay “neighbor”—or for that matter, any other “neighbor” we might find it hard to relate to. Jesus was able to love these people and yet still hold on to his beliefs. So can you. Even when it’s messy. “Messy Grace is an important contribution to the conversation about sexual identity for churches and leaders. Caleb's story is surprising and unique, and he weaves it together compellingly. He states his views clearly, leaves room for disagreement, and champions love no matter where you are in this conversation.” —Jud Wilhite, Sr. Pastor, Central Christian Church

What Makes Churches Grow?
What Makes Churches Grow?

Author: Jackson Bob

Publisher: Canterbury Press

Published: 2015-07-02

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13: 0715144847

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Explores a variety of growing churches to identify what is making the difference between them and churches which are static or declining. In addition to numerical growth, it asks how we measure spiritual growth and identifies the signs of spiritual vitality, laying a practical and theological foundation for continued growth into the future.

Re-thinking Children's Work in Churches
Re-thinking Children's Work in Churches

Author: Sally Nash

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published: 2019-03-21

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 1784503894

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Drawing on current scholarship and research by authors with experience of a range of International contexts who are experts in their field, this accessible guide focuses on approaches that encourage spiritual, physical, mental and emotional development in children. By outlining a range of lenses through which readers can reflect on their ministry with children and their families. this book offers inspiration to help them improve their practice. Up-to-date research and thinking provides a fresh and flexible understanding of work with children and families. It also prepares readers to develop and support a team that can take responsibility for the key areas needed in an effective children's ministry. With each chapter featuring practice examples, relevant theory, theological reflections, opportunities for contemplation and suggestions for further reading, Re-Thinking Children's Work in Churches is an accessible and indispensable guide for those wishing to focus on the holistic development of the child.

Sports and Christianity
Sports and Christianity

Author: Nick J. Watson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-10-12

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 1136192891

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This interdisciplinary text examines the sports-Christianity interface from Protestant and Catholic perspectives. In addition to a "systematic review of literature," field-pioneering contributors such as Michael Novak, Shirl Hoffman, Joseph Price and Robert Higgs address a wide range of topics from the sporting world, including biblical athletic metaphors, disability, evangelism, professionalism and celebrity, humility and pride, genetic enhancement technologies, stereotypes, sport as art and British and American historical analyses of sport and Christianity. Insightful chapters from Scott Kretchmar, one of the world’s leading philosophers of sport, and Father Kevin Lixey, the head of the Vatican’s ‘Church and Sport’ office (2004-), add further depth and breadth to this book, making it accessible and interesting to academic and practitioner audiences alike. Within the context of this relatively new and rapidly expanding area of inquiry, this collection provides a unique and important addition to the current literature for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, and serves as a point of reference for scholars of theology and religious studies, psychology, health studies, ethics and sports studies. The book may also be of interest to physical educators and sports coaches who wish to adopt a more "holistic" and ethical approach to their work. As modern sport is often intertwined with commercial and political agendas, this book offers an important corrective to the "win-at-all-costs" culture of modern sport, which cannot be fully understood through secular ethical inquiry.

Greasy Chip Butty
Greasy Chip Butty

Author: Julian Sullivan

Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers

Published: 2024-05-24

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 1398440507

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You are invited to make a journey of exploration through an exciting landscape of life and faith. Let the chemistry of urban life surprise and inspire you. Let it challenge your deepest sense of self knowledge and belief. Experience the best of humanity where you expect not to find it and share the pain that defiles the beauty of unique human beings. Join us as we explore pathways to wholeness and healing for people and communities and learn never to lose hope. We believe in the art of the possible, the value of instant improvisation, and that out of the mistakes we will make, we can produce something beautiful. Learn to go beyond horizons of our own making and discover more than we can ask or think. Take time to savour the art, which offers fresh insight into time-honoured stories of courage and faith in desperate situations; of joy and celebration; of compassion, perseverance, and dogged determination; deep contentment at the fulfilment of endeavour. Encounter the fragrance of generosity of spirit; and the love which embraces injustice and suffering, transforming them beyond all we can imagine. Join me on this journey that has no end but just gets better. As we walk together, we may discover pearls of great price, and not a little humour on the way. “Greasy Chip Butty is a textured, local authentic history in a very real and rapidly changing place. Those stories deserve to be studied and celebrated and the wisdom garnered from them needs to be widely shared.” – Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford. “What a great read! A moving and wonderful example of doing narrative theology on the hoof ... reflecting on change, risk taking and adventure.” – John Thomson, Bishop of Selby “I read Greasy Chip Butty with delight and new learning. A kaleidoscopic and impressionistic narrative which, through the lens of music and art, shows how God has been at work in one specific neighbourhood of Sheffield.” – Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield.

Stuff That Needs To Be Said
Stuff That Needs To Be Said

Author: John Pavlovitz

Publisher:

Published: 2020-04-22

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9780578682501

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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."

God's Mess
God's Mess

Author: Michael T. Dickman

Publisher: WestBow Press

Published: 2023-03-30

Total Pages: 572

ISBN-13: 1664296174

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This 365-day devotional can bring out the messes. Some touch on issues not brought up in churches. The significant part about this book is we can start anytime! Day one to 365! I prayed and wrote to get to the deepest parts of us. We realize we are a mess, then surrender it. We allow His Spirit to release the bondages. We become less of a mess. Whose mess are you? Remember, we can choose to be God’s messes. In His hands, struggles turn into something amazing! I pray this devotional will be a great tool for all of us as we draw closer to the Lord we love.

M Is for Mama
M Is for Mama

Author: Abbie Halberstadt

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Published: 2022-02-01

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0736983783

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Mama of ten Abbie Halberstadt helps women humbly and gracefully rise to the high calling of motherhood without settling for mediocrity or losing their minds in the process. Motherhood is a challenge. Unfortunately, our worldly culture offers moms little in the way of real help. Mamas only connect to celebrate surviving another day and to share in their misery rather than rejoice in what God has done and to build each other up in hard times. There has a be a better way, a biblical way, for mamas to grow and thrive. As a daughter of Christ, you have been called to be more than an average mama. Attaining excellence doesn’t have to be unsettling but it will take committed focus and a desire to parent well according to God’s grace and for His glory. M is for Mama offers advice, encouragement, and scripturally sound strategies seasoned with a little bit of humor to help you embrace the challenge of biblical motherhood and raise your children with love and wisdom. Mama, you are worthy of the awesome responsibility God has given you. Now it’s time to start believing you can live up to it.

Adventures in Churchland
Adventures in Churchland

Author: Dan Kimball

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2012-06-05

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 0310313783

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Would Jesus Attend Church Today? Among the top ten trends that are changing American life, Time magazine recently listed a rising dissatisfaction with organized religion. Though many people today like Jesus, they are growing tired of traditional religious institutions. Even those who follow Jesus aren't so sure they always like what Christianity and the church represent. For many years, Dan Kimball would have agreed, until an encounter with a small group of Jesus followers started him on a journey that challenged him to rethink everything he had ever assumed about the church. In Adventures in Churchland, Dan invites you to join him as he uncovers what the Bible really says about the church and reminds us that it's more than just an institution; it's a beautiful mess of broken people learning to follow Jesus together. As you journey with Dan, you'll begin to see the church as Jesus intended it to be: a community of forgiven misfits coming together to serve the world around them with passion, creativity, innovation, and grace. "If you don’t like the church, or if you’re thinking about leaving, please read this book first. Dan’s stories will make you laugh, make you think, and make you appreciate the church like never before." – Mark Batterson, author of The Circle Maker "Dan encourages us to break through the tension and messiness that church communities inevitably encounter to experience the beauty of being in community and sharing God's infinite love with others." – Zach Lind, drummer, Jimmy Eat World "I am so glad that my friend Dan has written this book, because there is a lot of confusion out there about Jesus and the church." – Wanda Jackson, Queen of Rockabilly and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Saints Around the World
Saints Around the World

Author: Meg Hunter-Kilmer

Publisher: Emmaus Road Publishing

Published: 2021-08-16

Total Pages: 469

ISBN-13: 1645851168

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The lives of the Saints are one of the most powerful ways God draws people to himself, showing us the love and the joy we can find in him. But so often, these Saints seem distant—impossibly holy or dull or unlike us in race and age and state in life. In Saints Around the World, you’ll meet over one-hundred Saints from more than sixty countries, including Saints with different disabilities, strengths, and struggles. The beautiful illustrations and captivating storytelling will introduce you and your children to new heavenly friends while also helping you fall more in love with Jesus. Each story in this book is written not only to capture the imagination but also to speak about God’s tremendous love and our call to be saints. There are stories in Saints Around the World for when you feel like life isn’t fair, when people are being unkind to you, when you’ve made a terrible mistake, when you’re struggling at school, when prayer is hard. And there are stories of shouting down Nazis, of fleeing a murderous villain, of making scientific discoveries, of smoking a cigar while enemy soldiers amputate your leg. There are scared Saints, brilliant Saints, weak Saints, adventurous Saints, abused Saints, overjoyed Saints, disabled Saints—and the point of every one of them is the love of God. Whether you’re checking the map to find Saints who look like you or perusing the extensive indices to find Saints with your skills or struggles, you’ll find countless stories in this book that remind you how very possible holiness is.