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The demands of congregational ministry are many, the rewards sometimes seem few, and burnout becomes a real possibility. Small wonder, then, that churches become stuck in a state of arrested spiritual development. When the pastor is functioning in a survival or maintenance mode, the church's vitality is often the first casualty. Yet Wills's own experience demonstrates that churches can turn around; the wind of the Spirit can be felt anew. This happens when the congregation is infected by the vision of what God is doing in their midst--a vision which the leaders, particularly the pastor, must bring before them. In Waking to God's Dream, Richard Wills shares the spiritual disciplines and insights which he believes account for the transformation of the congregation he serves from a large church in decline to one that is growing and reaching out to its community in a variety of creative ministries. Detailing the steps and initiatives that led to this turnaround, Wills demonstrates how personal commitment on the part of the congregation's leaders and ministers have been the key to the work they have accomplished.
A Disciple’s Path is an engaging approach to discipleship from a distinctly Wesleyan perspective. Whether used as an introduction for new members or a renewal course for existing members, the program guides individuals to take the next step in discipleship and become dynamic, engaged followers of Jesus Christ. The study combines a Wesleyan understanding of our growth in God’s love and grace with the time-tested practices of spiritual discipline expressed in the membership vows to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Participants will develop spiritual practices, discover their unique gifts, and become engaged in ministry that brings transformation in...
Every sport has its subtleties, and in baseball, one subtlety is the batting line-up. Leadoff batters can make or break a team. Who are the men who have taken that position, and how have they performed in their important role? From 1900 through 2005, the major leagues' leadoff batters for more than 160,000 games are covered in this reference work. The first of the book's five parts discusses the annual records of the principal leadoff batters. Part Two identifies the principal leadoff batter for each team in each year, as well as the top career leadoff batters. Part Three presents composite statistics for those players with five or more principal leadoff batter seasons. Part Four looks at leadoff home runs, and Part Five offers essays on assorted leadoff batter achievements, such as RBIs, runs scored, and awards and honors. Appended to the text is a discussion of the accuracy of the statistics and a list of "Make It Happen" award winners.
Lays out the plan for a collection of readings from Scripture designed for the needs of seekers and the unchurched. The church has used lectionaries–lists of scriptures to be read on particular Sundays throughout the year–across its long history. Yet most lectionaries are inward-looking: they presuppose hearers who are familiar with the biblical story and accustomed to gearing their lives around the Christian year. Yet in the increasingly pagan world of North America, the church’s task is to reach out to those who are spiritually hungry, yet unfamiliar with the Christian story. In this important new work Tom Bandy has given those who plan and lead worship a new lectionary, specifically geared to the needs of seekers. He lays out a plan for a trip through the central biblical narratives, the purpose of which is to provide seekers with a basic understanding of the gospel, and to call disciples to a deeper experience of Christian faith.
For many congregational and denominational leaders, the goal for churches experiencing declining worship attendance is to turn those congregations around. The “turnaround church” is one that has stagnated or is in decline. The old trends are reversed, new members are added, and everyone rejoices in this story of a congregation restored to health and vitality. But what if the metaphors of decline, stagnation, and loss of health just aren’t getting to the problem? What if the situation is much worse than what those ways of describing it imply? What if the congregation is spiritually dead? The only solution is resurrection. Churches that have lost their sense of mission, that exist only t...
The local pastor’s go-to resource for weekly sermon planning. The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2025 is Lectionary-based and follows the calendar year (January - December). It includes special days like Maundy Thursday and Ash Wednesday, and indexes for Scriptures and themes, to assist preachers with non-Lectionary sermons. Each entry begins with a preacher-to-preacher prayer for preparation, then moves to the key feature: a commentary on one or more texts for the week, exploring themes and storylines, theological reflections, and thoughts about how the text and topic relate to our lives today. Also included are ideas for bringing the text to life--stories, illustrations, ideas for further reading, questions the preacher might pose to the congregation, and suggestions for a ‘call to action’ in response to the message. Finally, for the preacher’s ongoing enrichment, the Annual includes excerpts from new books on preaching and homiletics. This helpful resource is written by every-week preachers who aim to come alongside you, offering a reliable starting point for your sermonic planning, writing, and delivery.
I read this Journal against the background of a visit that I had with Ben just before his transfer to the church eternal. After some pleasant conversation, we shuffled out of the house and climbed into a golf cart. As Ben shuttled us around his beloved farm, he shared story after story about the land and the mortals who had populated the environs in and around Adams, Tennessee. He was doing something that is not easy for many of us to do. He was verbally and visually taking me back to his roots. As we carted around the farm, he was introducing me to a whole web of his roots: historical, natural, cultural, spiritual, land, history, nature, family, community, and church. His relationship to his roots was dearer to him than I had imagined. This Journal takes the reader into the well lived life of a husband, father, grandfather, pastor and friend. As you turn the pages you will get a glimpse into how the Reverend Dr. Ben Alford reflected on life from the vantage point of faith ? roots and all. Bishop Joseph E. Pennel, Jr. United Methodist Church Martin
Faithful, Open, Centered, United, and Solid add up to F.O.C.U.S.-- the key ingredients of Christian living. Beginning with his own testimony, Pastor Tyrone D. Gordon invites pastors and churches to F.O.C.U.S. by living the Lord's Prayer. Living and studying the prayer Jesus taught leads us to be faithful to Jesus, open to opportunities, centered on commitment, united in the power and ministry of reconciliation, and solid in the struggle toward power, justice, and love that come from God. "A focused prayer-filled life points to God, depends on God, and looks to God for its fulfillment. Everything in it, around it, and in between it is designed to glorify God. Our whole life is a doxology because we know what ultimate reality is. This is God's thing, God's doing, and ultimately, God is in control." from the book Each chapter includes questions for reflection.
This book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the award-winning movie, Bella, with stories from both those who participated in its production and those in its audiences, who were impacted by its message.