A significant and growing number of churches are using the principles of Mission Action Planning (MAP). This volume argues the case for producing a high-quality plan, describes the practical steps involved, offers real-life examples, and provides evidence of the effectiveness of the process. It is based on research conducted in several dioceses of the Church of England - at diocesan and parish levels. 'The 'MAP' process is well described by Mark Ireland and Mike Chew in this excellent book and I am enormously grateful that they have taken the time and the care to enquire more deeply both into the process and some of the outcomes now in a number of Dioceses.' Lord Hope of Thornes KCVO

"Where does discipleship end and evangelism begin? How does one fit with the other?

Joining the two together properly is a challenge. Both are important and both are necessary.

Missional Discipleship offers a holistic vision that effectively incorporates discipleship with evangelism. Thoroughly Wesleyan in its emphasis on God's ever-present grace and the possibility of human response, this approach demonstrates that education and formation go hand-in-hand with mission and witness.

Written by a cadre of scholars and seasoned ministers, this book is an accessible resource to assist pastors and leaders as they introduce to their churches and small groups the vision of mission discipleship. With topics ranging from service and compassion to discipleship and the family, this invaluable guide encapsulates what it means to engage a community of faith in embodying the gospel and equipping Christians to participate in the restorative and redemptive mission of God in the world."

This book will give you a clear understanding of the real Jesus. Many people’s Christianity is not really about Jesus; it’s something they inherited culturally. You will learn that your relationship with Jesus is deeper than your last attendance in church. You will put Him in the center of everything you do.

Which Jesus do you follow? What does He believe? Or perhaps just as important, What do you believe about Him? In The Real Jesus, the debut book from pastor and beloved worship leader Jonathan Stockstill, you will have an encounter with the real-life Son of God—the One who loves you more than you could ever imagine.

After reading The Real Jesus, you will:

• Understand the difference between the mistaken, miscast, misinterpreted Jesus of our culture and the blood-and-bones Jesus of the Bible
• Discover a Jesus you may never have truly known—even if you have been following Him for years or decades
• Enter into a more raw, real, and relevant relationship with the One who loves you and calls you by name

This book will equip you to see Jesus as He really is and truly understand what it means to be His disciple.

An inspiring exploration of how happiness and holiness can exist in the midst of poverty and illness. Two lay women who have chosen to live among the poor in East Africa, one a Maryknoll lay mission, and the other, a New York attorney who left her law practice to become a lay mission with the Franciscans minister to the poor in Kenya. Slavin first met Salvador when she was volunteering as a lawyer working in a justice and peace program in Kenya. Slavin was intrigued by the well-known phrase Blessed are the poor. After approaching this seeming paradox through unrewarding library research, she decided that she would join Salvador in her ministry to AIDS orphans to try to understand how the poor can be blessed. This account tells of their experiences as they worked together with the poor, primarily AIDS orphans, in the slums of Kenya. Photos will be included.

A step-by-step guide to building a strong children's ministry that is a vital part of the church. People know they are called to children's ministry when they get goose bumps and butterflies from something a kid says or an idea that they know will communicate the gospel to children. Building Children's Ministry provides the practical information to transform those feelings and that calling into a successful children's ministry that is integrated into the life of the congregation. The book is divided into topical chapters, including:

Getting the support of the pastor and the congregationStatements of purposeBudgets and fundraisingRecruiting and keeping volunteersSafety and securityDiscipline and appropriate policiesChoosing and evaluating curriculumPublicity

Building Children's Ministry is a practical guide through the challenging (but exciting) steps between recognizing the need for children's ministry and creating a program that ministers to children and their families.

Sometimes Christians assume that people 'out there' are eager to listen to what the Church has to offer. But why should those we try to evangelize want to hear the gospel? Surely people will only be intrigued by Christian life and community when they see something provocative or attractive. Then they will want to know what's going on."The Provocative Church" offers a liberating understanding of evangelism as a corporate activity, in which all the gifts needed to enact the life of the Kingdom - to stir people into asking, 'What does this mean?' - are spread throughout the whole Church. It encourages the development of a theology of conversion that sees beyond 'becoming a Christian' to bring each individual life increasingly under the rule of God.

Most Christians already know that they should be telling their friends about Jesus. But they have been poorly equipped with methods that are no longer effective in today's post-Christian world. As a result, many people become frustrated, blame themselves, and simply give up. Evangelism in a Skeptical World is a textbook on evangelism that is ideal for the church or the classroom to equip Christians with the principles and skills they need to tell the unbelievable news about Jesus to friends in a skeptical world. Many of the older principles and methods of evangelism in the twentieth century no longer work effectively today. In a post-Christian, post-churched, post-reached world we need new methods to communicate the timeless message of the gospel in culturally relevant ways. Dr. Chan combines the theological and biblical insights of classic evangelistic training with the latest insights from missiology on contextualization, cultural hermeneutics, and storytelling. Every chapter is illustrated with real-world examples drawn from over fifteen years of evangelistic ministry. These are methods that really work - with university students, urban workers, and high school students - getting past the defensive posture that people have toward Christianity so they can seriously consider the claims of Jesus Christ. Field-tested and filled with unique, fresh, and creative insights, this book will equip you to share the gospel in today's world and help as many people as possible hear the good news about Jesus.

These days, everybody wants the latest killer app for successful ministry. But ministry is not plug-and-play technology. It is an art cultivated over a long-term journey of faithfulness and perseverance. In his most intimate book yet, Eddie Gibbs articulates a personal philosophy of ministry born from his storied career in teaching and pastoral ministry. Through images from his own life and family, Gibbs shows how effective ministry is a matter of walking slowly with the family of God, overcoming hurdles and facing challenges together. He explains how the early church offers helpful networking models for connecting in a fragmented technological age. Linking fresh biblical exposition with our contemporary realities, Gibbs gives practical advice for welcoming people into the family and helping them live out God's intentions for them. If you want your ministry to last, learn from those who have gone the distance. Discover here insights that will help you lead and serve for the long haul.

As a minister or pastoral worker it is highly likely that, at some stage in your ministry, you will find yourself caring for people with psychiatric problems and their families. "The Pastoral Care of People with Mental Health Problems" provides an invaluable resource to help you provide the best care for those suffering from the most common problems, such as: depression, Alzheimer's disease, anorexia, addiction to drugs or alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anti-social personality disorder.As well as outlining the main psychiatric conditions and their treatments, the particular issues facing pastoral workers are examined and some of the ethical issues involved are discussed. Using a wealth of pastoral illustrations, the book offers practical advice and guidance for the care of individuals and families who find their lives turned upside down by psychiatric illness. It addresses questions such as: How can I help the family of a young girl who cuts herself? What is the difference between depression and an abnormal grief reaction? And how can I distinguish between a symptom of mental illness and genuine religious revelation? In cases of severe mental illness it will be necessary to work alongside medical, nursing and social work staff, and guidance on how to do this effectively is given.

Theologians and leaders from many Churches and from the major world religions, including the last four popes, have acknowledged as unique in Christian history the spiritual gifts poured forth through Chiara Lubich. Her spirituality of unity has the ultimate goal of contributing to the unity for which Jesus prayed to his Father: May they all be one (Jn 17:21). This volume gathers her essential writings and for the first time presents them in a systematic fashion. It is a summa of the charism of unity, which will lead readers to ponder, understand and experience a spirituality particularly suited to the era in which we live. The history of the Church has seen many radicalisms of love ... that of Francis of Assisi, of Ignatius of Loyola. There is also Chiaras radicalism ... which seeks to make this love victorious in every circumstance. Pope John Paul II

This is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called his struggle. An interesting combination of words, but when we realize that we have a purpose that is worth the struggle, it does indeed become majestic. Bill Wiesman has compiled essays from strong church leaders that know the meaning of our holy purpose.Dan Boone, Stan Toler, Tom Noble, and Marilyn McCool join us--along with many other writers--to reveal five strategies towards developing intentional leadership, renewing a vibrant church, identifying clear and coherent theology, achieving mission outreach, and cultivating a multifaceted church.Join us on this journey. Though it may be a struggle sometimes, God has given us a majestic mission to revitalize His Church and make Christ-like disciples.

In "The Warriors and the Bankers", the research and writing team of Alan Butler and Stephen Dafoe bring their combined experiences to bear on the question asked for hundreds of years, What became of the Knights Templar? Arrested in 1307, dissolved in 1312 and executed by 1314, the Templars have been the subject of many theories concerning their possible survival. This book examines these theories against new evidence and information. Additionally the authors put forth, for the first time, a completely new theory that has caught the ears, eyes and attention of many readers. The ultimate conclusion is that the Templars did survive, virtually intact and that in a very direct sense, they may still be one of the most potent forces at work in the world at the start of the new Millennium. "The Warriors and the Bankers" is eminently readable and is intended for both the serious student of Templarism or simply the interested observer.