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Author: Paul Sparks
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2014-04-04
Total Pages: 212
ISBN-13: 0830895965
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Headlines rage with big stories about big churches. But tucked away in neighborhoods throughout North America is a profound work of hope quietly unfolding as the gospel takes root in the context of a place. The future of the church is local, connected to the struggles of the people and even to the land itself.
Author: Tim Soerens
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2020-07-07
Total Pages: 149
ISBN-13: 0830841962
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →What's the point of the church anyway? The emerging generation is opting out of the church in large numbers. They're embarrassed at how the church is portrayed in the media and dismayed at what appears to be their options for participation. Is church really necessary anymore in our day? Is it even possible? Tim Soerens sees this unsettled state of affairs as an extraordinary opportunity: the church, he says, is on the edge of a new possibility at the very moment so much of it feels like it's falling apart. In his extensive travels in all kinds of neighborhoods, Soerens has seen the beginnings of this movement firsthand. In Everywhere You Look, he lays out practical, actionable steps for building collaborative communities in any neighborhood. Here is a vision of the church grounded in a grassroots movement of ordinary people living out what it means to be the church in their everyday lives. Read this book—and join the movement.
Author: Krin Van Tatenhove
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Published: 2019-02-01
Total Pages: 157
ISBN-13: 1611649161
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →How can we embody the values of love, grace, and justice? As faith communities, how can our collective embodiment of these values shine even brighter? The answers to these questions must always unfold right here, right now, exactly where God has planted us. Neighborhood Churchacts as a resource to inspire churches to become a vibrant and engaging community partner with the families and neighborhoods living around them. The need for transformation is acute. Congregational decline continues across all mainline denominations. The abandonment of the church by the millennial generation is ubiquitous; no denomination is escaping it. This is, in part, a consequence of disconnection from our communities. Van Tatenhove and Mueller believe that, parish by parish, we can reverse this trend. They dare to have an audacious hope for local congregations not only as signs of Gods kingdom but as life-giving institutions that anchor their neighborhoods. Drawing on their combined sixty years of parish experience, wisdom from Asset-Based Community Development, and compelling case stories, Van Tatenhove and Mueller do more than just call us to incarnational ministry. They give practical, essential tools that lead to communal conversion, develop the DNA of listening, spur fruitful partnerships, promote integrated space, and sustain long-term visions. They believe these tools will spark true revival and unleash the power of incarnational ministry.
Author: Susan Brown Snook
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2015-06-01
Total Pages: 249
ISBN-13: 0819229989
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Practical and theoretical instruction for mainline church planting. The Episcopal Church has recognized that planting new churches is a high priority through the Mission Enterprise Zones initiative, which provides grant funding for new worshiping communities, in partnership with dioceses. While there is significant literature and training available for church planters in evangelical contexts, very little is available for planters in the Episcopal/mainline context. This book addresses how to rise up and train leaders for the difficult task of planting new churches in the twenty-first century. It answers the essential questions, such as why should we plant churches, what models of church planting are most successful, what kinds of leaders are necessary, and what problems can be expected. Through the author’s personal experience and interviews with diocesan experts and leaders in mainline denominations, it provides strategies, approaches, and problem-solving techniques.
Author: Sam Rainer
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Published: 2023-09-05
Total Pages: 149
ISBN-13: 1496467086
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Opportunity Lies Right Down the Road. There’s hope for your church. Respected church expert Sam Rainer envisions an exciting new wave of revitalized neighborhood churches that are growing and thriving. In the not-so-distant past, churches tended to relocate away from their neighborhoods and build large campuses at major intersections. At the turn of the 21st century, a dramatic shift occurred: A new generation began looking to neighborhood churches to foster life-giving friendships, provide opportunities for service, and create a community dedicated to worshiping God. Sam Rainer describes this movement and answers the most common questions about this surprising new phenomenon: What are the marks of a healthy neighborhood church? What are the most common myths about the neighborhood church? What are the obstacles to church growth? What are the best strategies to reach your neighbors? The neighborhood church is primed for a comeback. The potential is huge. God wants to do incredible things. Are you ready?
Author: Christopher B. James
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2018
Total Pages: 369
ISBN-13: 0190673648
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Defying predictions of the inevitable decline of Christianity in the US, 'Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil' presents the untold story of new churches springing up in Seattle, one of the most post-Christian cities in the nation.
Author: Len Tang
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2019-10-22
Total Pages: 291
ISBN-13: 0830855467
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Church planting is hard work. Planters face a thousand pressures related to leadership, finances, identity, and more. Quick fixes don't produce sustainability. How can church planters and their congregations flourish for the long haul? Sent to Flourish is a unique guide to accompany current and prospective church planters as they respond to this essential but sometimes daunting call. Theologically grounded while remaining practically oriented, it combines biblical patterns and practice to equip men and women planters to develop their own holistic planting plans. Written by a diverse team of scholar-practitioners who have planted churches in a variety of contexts, cultures, and church traditions, this book provides a tested roadmap based on Fuller Theological Seminary's renowned church-planting program. In addition to coeditors Len Tang and Charlie Cotherman, contributors include: Carrie Boren Headington John Lo Tim Morey Johnny Ramírez-Johnson Scott W. Sunquist Nick Warnes JR Woodward Every church planter needs a healthy "root system" of three interwoven components: a biblical theology of church planting, personal spiritual formation, and robust intercultural competencies to navigate diverse ministry contexts. Each section of this book delves into these areas in turn, covering topics such as biblical, cultural, historical, and contemporary dimensions of church planting the missiology of Jesus' ministry and teaching on the kingdom of God resources to sustain the spiritual formation of church planters, leadership teams, and church members how to contextualize the gospel message and planting methods in different cultures and communities Filled with real-world insights, stories, and questions for reflection and discussion, Sent to Flourish gives church planters and their teams the tools to be theologically reflective, spiritually grounded, and missionally agile.
Author: John Ortberg
Publisher: HarperChristian Resources
Published: 2009-12-15
Total Pages: 180
ISBN-13: 0310867789
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Community is God’s idea. Only in community can we know and be known, love and be loved, celebrate others and be celebrated by them. And only through close, transparent relationships can we be transformed as individuals.Groups invites you to enjoy the rewards--and embrace the risks--of community. Step by step, this study will challenge and encourage you to explore the amazing potential for growth found in authentic relationships. You’ll study the true nature of friendship. The power of paying attention. The path to intimacy. The encouragement of being for one another. You’ll learn what it means to live out these and other simple but vital truths for being all you are, giving all you’ve got, and receiving all you need as a member of God’s dynamic community, the church.Leader’s guide included!Groups group sessions are:This Is a FriendshipLove Pays AttentionKnowing and Being KnownWhen Community Breaks DownForgivenessBuilding a Passionately Inclusive ChurchBeing "For" One Another
Author: Peyton Jones
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2021-04-20
Total Pages: 465
ISBN-13: 0310537746
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The first comprehensive textbook on effective church planting from a veteran church planter. The Apostle Paul was a veteran church planter who "laid a foundation like a wise and master builder" and there is much we can learn from his example. Paul indicated that there were basic skills and experiences required to successfully plant a church. Church Plantology examines the wide variety of church planting methods and ideologies in contemporary pastoral practice and outlines a biblical model based on the New Testament. During his time in prison, Paul spent much of his time writing to Titus, Timothy, and others who'd served alongside him in the trenches to complete their training as church plantings. We can continue to apply these time-tested, proven methods, following the pioneering example of the early church. Today, the casualty rate in is high. What if we could reduce the odds of failing? Church Plantology by Peyton Jones is a robust guide to planting that will help planters to provide the foundation necessary to survive beyond the initial first years so that they don't end up a walking statistic.
Author: Alan J. Roxburgh
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2015-07-01
Total Pages: 128
ISBN-13: 0819232122
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Exhausted with trying to “fix” the church? It’s time to turn in a new direction: back to the Holy Spirit. In this insightful book, internationally renowned scholar and leader Alan Roxburgh urges Christians to follow the Spirit into our neighborhoods, re-engage with the mission of God, and re-imagine the whole enterprise of church. Joining God, Remaking Church, and Changing the World can guide any church—large or small, suburban or urban, denomination-level or local parish — to become a vital center for spirituality and mission.
