The Challenges of Cultural Discipleship

The Challenges of Cultural Discipleship

Author: Richard J. Mouw

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2011-11-21

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 0802866980

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Richard J. Mouw is well known for his incisive views on the intersection of culture and Christianity and for his efforts to make the thought of major Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper accessible to average Christians. In this volume Mouw provides the scholarly "backstory" to his popular books as he interprets, applies, expands on -- and at times even corrects -- Kuyper's remarkable vision for faith and public life. In thirteen essays Mouw explores and develops the Kuyperian perspective on key topics in Christian cultural discipleship, including public theology, sphere sovereignty, education, creation, and more. He deftly articulates an ecumenically enriched neo-Calvinist -- or "neo-Kuyperian" -- perspective that appropriates and contextualizes the ideas and insights of this important theologian and statesman for new challenges in Christian thought and service.


Building a Discipling Culture

Building a Discipling Culture

Author: Mike Breen

Publisher: 3dm International

Published: 2014-09-10

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780982452103

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"Much ink and many pages have been devoted to all of the missional issues facing the Western church today. As our culture becomes more post-Christian with each passing day, we are all realizing that what has worked in the past is no longer working, that we are far less effective for the Kingdom than we were even 10 years ago. But we would suggest it isn’t because we don’t know what the Great Commission states or the imperatives of the Gospel, or that our church services just aren’t getting it done. It’s because we are in the midst of a discipleship crisis in the Western church. The people sitting in our pews are rarely becoming like the people we read about in Scripture. They may come to a worship service, join a small group or even tithe, but their lives just don’t seem to look like Jesus’ life. The truth of the matter is that we don’t have a missional problem or leadership problem in the Western church. We have a discipleship problem. If we make disciples like Jesus made them, we’ll never have a problem finding leaders or seeing new people coming to faith. The central issue is that we have no idea how to make disciples who can do the things that Jesus did for the reasons Jesus did them. Building a Discipling Culture is the product of more than 25 years of hands-on discipleship practice in a post-Christian context that has turned into a worldwide discipling movement, dealing specifically with how to make the types of missional disciples Jesus spoke of. We all want to make disciples. Most of us are unsure how to do it. Dallas Willard put it this way: 'Every church needs to be able to answer two questions. One, do we have a plan for making disciples? Two, does our plan work?' For most of our church communities, we have a plan, but the plan isn’t working. If you find yourself in this situation, this book is for you." -- Publisher's description.


Discipling in a Multicultural World

Discipling in a Multicultural World

Author: Ajith Fernando

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2019-02-14

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 143356288X

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Our multicultural world needs countercultural disciplers. People from all over the world are coming to Christ from a variety of backgrounds. This requires more people who are willing to commit to the effort and sacrifice it takes to invest in new believers. Rooted in over four decades of multicultural discipleship experience, Ajith Fernando offers biblical principles for discipling and presents examples showing how they apply to daily life and ministry. He addresses key cultural challenges, such as the value of honor and shame, honoring family commitments, and dealing with persecution, and helps us think realistically about the cost and commitment required for productive cross-cultural ministry. This practical guide to discipleship will help us help others grow into mature and godly followers of Christ.


Sticky Faith

Sticky Faith

Author: Kara Powell

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2011-10-04

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 0310591864

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Sticky Faith delivers positive and practical ideas to nurture within your kids a living, loving faith that lasts a lifetime. Research indicates that almost half of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation. Struck by this staggering statistic, and recognizing its ramifications, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the "College Transition Project" in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. This easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark--authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people--Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages. Further engage your family and church with the Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith curriculum, and Sticky Faith youth worker edition. Sticky Faith is also available in Spanish, Cómo criar jóvenes de fe sólida.


Walking Together on the Jesus Road

Walking Together on the Jesus Road

Author: Evelyn Hibbert

Publisher: William Carey Publishing

Published: 2018-08-17

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 0878080716

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Make discipling culturally relevant. Christians who serve Jesus among people from a different culture than their own often struggle to find a good way to disciple people. Walking Together on the Jesus Road addresses this need by guiding readers through three essential practices for making disciples across cultures: listening to disciples to get to know them and their context, focusing on relationships with Christ, fellow disciples, and others, and enabling disciples to live out their faith in culturally relevant ways. These practices are the foundation for the long-term, intentional process of helping disciples from other cultures become more like Jesus. The book also engages with practical challenges, such as enabling disciples to find and belong to a nurturing community of faith, as well as contextualizing the way we teach the Bible.


Ordinary

Ordinary

Author: Michael Horton

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2014-10-07

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0310517389

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Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there’s a “next-best-thing,” if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom—the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be “ordinary.” Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, constantly seeking after the next big breakthrough, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. What’s needed is not another program or a fresh approach to spiritual growth; it’s a renewed appreciation for the commonplace. Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary. He provides a guide to a sustainable discipleship that happens over the long haul—not a quick fix that leaves readers empty with unfulfilled promises. Convicting and ultimately empowering, Ordinary is not a call to do less; it’s an invitation to experience the elusive joy of the ordinary Christian life.


Making Disciples Across Cultures

Making Disciples Across Cultures

Author: Charles A. Davis

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2015-04-15

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 083089716X

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Culture affects how we make disciples. In this insightful roadmap, Charles Davis, former director of TEAM, provides a framework for missional disciplemaking across diverse cultural contexts. With on-the-ground stories from a lifetime of mission experience, Davis navigates cultural tensions to help Christian workers minister more effectively at home or overseas.


Discipling

Discipling

Author: Mark Dever

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2016-04-14

Total Pages: 116

ISBN-13: 143355125X

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Before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed his followers to "make disciples of all nations." But what does this command actually entail? What does it look like for Christians to care for one another's spiritual well-being and growth? In this introduction to the basics of discipling, veteran pastor and author Mark Dever uses biblical definitions and practical examples to show how Christians can help one another become more like Christ every day. The eighth volume in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series, this short book explains how discipling should function in the context of the local church, teaching pastors and church leaders how to cultivate a culture of edification and growth in their congregations.


The Power of the Church

The Power of the Church

Author: Michael R. Wagenman

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2020-11-20

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 1532697678

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It is fascinating that in all the media reports and discussions of the church's abuse of power in the early years of the twenty-first century, few if any seemed to notice that the accusation of the church's misuse of power presupposed a shared understanding of the positive use of power within the church that had been violated. Rather than an interest in the sociological aspect of this question, this book examines the more ontological and normative aspects of it. That is, it investigates and discerns the foundational theological framework of culture and society and the location and purpose of the church within them. As a cultural force and societal institution, what does the church constructively bring to the human community?