The role of elder is arguably the church's most thankless job. From putting out fires and dealing with disgruntled members to teaching new Christians and encouraging the weak, all while being a model disciple, an elder's role can seem exhausting and unrelenting. To survive, elders need a place of spiritual solitude and relief where they can draw closer to the Chief Shepherd and have their soul restored.In Rest in Green Pastures, nine shepherds offer encouragement, help, and...

Wise insight on building a church, growing a church, and keeping costs low. For pastors, leaders, and building committees.

In our challenging economic times, it is no surprise that churches must get creative with their resources. But the authors of The More-with-Less Church believe pastors, leadership teams, and planning committees should look on times such as these not as hurdles to overcome but as opportunities to reconsider entrenched but inefficient ministry practices that are siphoning time, money, and energy from their churches. Drawn from time- and field-tested strategies, this practical resour...

There are lots of books about discovering or developing a vision for your organization, but this one is about making that vision endure the corrosion of time and complexity--how to make your vision stick.Influential author and pastor Andy Stanley reveals the reasons why leaders' visions often falter, and he delivers 5 in-depth strategies so that you can dodge the pitfalls:How to state your vision simply.How to cast ...

Are you hungry to help others through leadership but don't feel like you have the authority?"If you're ready to lead right where you are, this book can show you how to start." - Dave Ramsey, #1 National bestselling author and host of The Ramsey Show.One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead. Great leaders don't buy it. Great leaders--whether they have the official authority or not--learn...

Six-year-old Charles Mulli wakes up in his Kenyan hut to discover his parents have abandoned him. Forced to beg from hut to hut in search of food, Charles scrapes out a meagre existence while trying to come to terms with his abusive past and seemingly hopeless future. As a teenager, Charles is invited by a friend to a crusade where he commits his life to Christ. That act begins a unique adventure of faith, miracles, and a passion for reaching street children. After years of struggle, Charl...

This important book on priestly identity embraces the many contemporary varieties of priestly ministry: male and female, paid and unpaid, parish and work–based, catholic, evangelical, charismatic. Examining the “root,” the “shape,” and the “fruit” of priestly identity, On Being a Priest Today is essential reading for priests, priests in training, and everyone considering the ministry. Part One “roots” a priest's human and church life in the theological convictions derived from the...

John Wesley's model of the church. The book offers a guideline for Christians to work out their theology in day-to-day life. This analysis of Wesley's strategy for renewing the church offers inspiration to those working to bring about that renewal.

Leadership development is a life-long process. Yet the church of Jesus Christ is in desperate need of strong leaders in this generation. In Charting a Bold Course, Andrew Seidel provides an exceptional tool to get you started on cultivating the unique gifts and abilities God has given you and your leadership team. This leadership course will fit perfectly in a leadership training program.

Inclusion, says the author, is a discipline of consciously extending the boundaries of our communities to embrace and affirm people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. In this resource for ministers and church leaders, Law provides models, theories, and strategies that are both practical and theologically sound for moving faith communities toward greater inclusion.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. -- Proverbs 4:23They Smell like Sheep, Volume 2: Leading with the Heart of a Shepherd is about more than gimmicks and techniques of leadership. It speaks to the character and heart of the leader. After all, heart makes the difference in an effective Sunday-school teacher, youth minister, elder, small-group leader, parent, grandparent, or Christian school teacher.Spiritual sheep, stray shee...

It was a simple idea that became the worldwide ministry of Operation Christmas Child—to minister to children in war-torn and famine-stricken countries. In just two decades it has inspired everyday people to provide more than 100 million gift-filled shoeboxes to needy children in 130 countries. This beautiful book weaves the moving, God-saturated story of the ministry’s beginning with the soul-stirring, Christ exalting stories of lives that have been forever changed by a simple shoebox....