Encouraging a broad, compassionate, humanistic approach to spirituality, this book shows how patients' spiritual needs can be communicated well within interdisciplinary teams, leading to better patient wellbeing. This book describes the art of charting patients' spiritual perspectives in an open way that will help physicians and nurses to better direct medical care. It includes practical information on how to distil spiritual needs into pragmatic language, helping to demystify spiritual experience. Drawing on his extensive practical experience, the author also suggests key points to emphasise that will enrich chart notes for medical records, including brief, relative narratives, trusting one's own impressions, reflecting holistically on the patient's life, patient attitudes towards treatment and recovery, and describing families' opinions on the health care situation of their loved one. The book shows healthcare professionals of all disciplines how to engage in a shared responsibility for the spiritual care of their patients.

Will future generations find a church worth fighting for? A great reckoning is underway in the church today: a naming and exposing of the exclusivity, abuse, racism, patriarchy, and unchecked power that have marked evangelical Christianity for far too long. What kind of church will emerge on the other side? Like many families, the Beaches have been wrestling with this question. Together, Nancy and Samantha represent two generations: Nancy, a boomer, was a key player in the megachurch movement that revolutionized global ministry during the '80s and '90s, while Samantha, a millennial, is willing to abandon those massive buildings and celebrity cultures and find out whether the foundation holds. Each chapter offers their individual experiences and perspectives on a challenge facing the church and considers the way forward. Filled with deep introspection and keen insight, Next Sunday is a vulnerable conversation about what the church has been-and what it can be.

Spiritual management is required for spiritual organization, and yet a ministry 's master plan should be the Master 's plan for that ministry. Church and Ministry Strategic Planning assists readers in developing a Biblically based blueprint for carrying out the many activities in which the church or ministry is involved. The authors show clearly how careful planning is inspired by the Scriptures ("Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?"--Luke 14:28) and how it improves making decisions today which ultimately affect the ministry 's effectiveness tomorrow.Church and Ministry Strategic Planning covers all areas of this type of planning and can be read and reviewed quickly. Through the use of a model of the strategic planning process, the authors show how to develop mission statements, define strategic objectives, develop strategy options and operating strategies, appraise performance, and monitor strategic planning. Readers are led step-by-step through these key areas of creating a strategic plan. Examples and worksheets at the end of each chapter enable pastors, administrators, and lay leaders to develop a strategic plan fitting to their specific ministry or church. The appendixes provide tools used in planning as well as a complete sample strategic plan for a large church. Put these concepts to immediate use in decisionmaking and pursue God 's purpose and vision for the church or ministry. If readers take the time and effort to study this book, apply its format, and prayerfully keep God in every step of the plan, here is what the authors believe plan administrators can expect: 1. A sense of enthusiasm in the church or ministry 2. A 5-year plan in writing to which everyone is committed 3. A sense of commitment by the entire church to its overall direction 4. Time for the leaders to do what they have been called to do 5. Clear job duties and responsibilities 6. Clear and evident improvement in the health and vitality of every member of the church staff 7. Measurable improvement in the personal lives of all those in responsible positions with time for vacations, family, and personal pursuits 8.The ability to measure very specifically, the growth and contribution made by senior pastors or evangelists at the close of their careers 9. Guaranteed leadership of the church or ministry because a plan is in place--in writing--and is understood. Even more importantly, a management team and philosophy will be in place to guide the church or ministry into its next era of growthExplore this Biblical perspective on planning and develop a strategic plan that is systematic and continuous and allows the church or ministry to assess its market position, establish goals, objectives, priorities, and strategies to be completed within specified time periods, achieve greater staff and member commitment and teamwork aimed at meeting challenges and solving problems, and muster its resources to meet these changes through anticipation.

Shaping environments where community emerges naturally Can you really create community through master plans and elaborate strategies? Sometimes, says Joseph Myers--but more often, lasting authentic connections occur organically within healthy environments. Organic Community offers you practical guidance for helping your church or organization create spaces where community naturally comes into being. "Once again, Myers hits a home run. Organic Community calls us all--church and congregants alike--to honesty about our goals and then offers us sophisticated, efficacious, and grace-filled ways to realize them."--Phyllis Tickle, contributing editor in religion, Publishers Weekly "Looking back on twenty-four years of church planting and pastoral ministry, I wish I had thoroughly digested Organic Community before I got started. It would have saved so much wasted energy--mine, and those whose lives I foolishly tried to 'master plan.' This is a book I will reread and widely recommend."--Brian McLaren, author, activist; brianmclaren.net "If a classic is something that has never finished what it has to say, then this little gem is a 'classic.'"--Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism, Drew Theological School; distinguished visiting professor, George Fox University; www.wikiletics.com "Myers acknowledges that his is a different kind of how-to book. As much, or more, it is a how-not-to book that exposes fallacies inherent in common organizational policies and procedures, which are all the more destructive in organizations relying on volunteer efforts."--Ray Oldenburg, emeritus professor of sociology, the University of West Florida; author, The Great Good Place Joseph R. Myers is anentrepreneur, speaker, writer, and owner of FrontPorch, a consulting firm that helps churches, businesses, and other organizations promote and develop community. Author of The Search to Belong, Myers is also a founding partner of the communication arts group settingPace, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

A Nazareth Manifesto is an eloquent and impassioned ecumenical proposal for re-envisioning Christianity s approach to social engagement away from working for the people to being with them. * Questions the effectiveness of the current trend of intervention as a means of fixing the problems of people in distressed and disadvantaged circumstances * Argues that Jesus spent 90% of his life simply being among the people of Nazareth, sharing their hopes and struggles, therefore Christians should place a similar emphasis on being alongside people in need rather than hastening to impose solutions * Written by a respected priest and broadcaster and renowned Christian ethicist and preacher * Supported by historical, contemporary, exegetical and anecdotal illustrations

This is John Flavel's classic work on union and fellowship with God. In a comprehensive and helpful manner Flavel helps us understand better what 'keeping the heart' means. He tells us why we should take this commission seriously and speaks about there being particular times when we need to be especially wary of being distracted from our goal. He then shows how we can go on to develop a greater ability in keeping our hearts in tune with God. His advice is timeless, sensitive and profound. Flavel was an English Puritan who became a non-conformist after the 'Great Ejection' of 1662. It was 10 years before he was licenced to preach again, and then only in his own home. His writings, when collected in the 19th century, filled 6 volumes. Flavel's writings are known for their practical nature. He was instrumental in promoting the 'Happy Union' of Presbyterians and Congregationalists.

These 'rules' are not serious, really. Except the ones that are. Clergy inhabit a fantastic, pressurised, privileged, frustrating and humbling role. They get to join in the highest and lowest points of people's lives, often on the same day. They have experiences. If they are very skilled they learn from them as well as laugh about them. This book is for to clergy like me, and anyone who does anything like the job of a parish priest. You might just recognise a few things, and you'll probably be able to think of some more. And it's for everyone we work with, minister among, share with, pray for and meet with. Normal people. If you're not quite sure what your ministers do all day, what they think about things, why they wear strange clothes, or what they really want to do with their congregation at the end of a busy Sunday, then Rules for Reverends will give you a clue.

This is a book that helps church leaders think through how to go about creating long-term communities for those who go along to Messy Church. It gives church leaders the theology and practical steps for a longer-term strategy to ensure that Messy Church and those who come along are given the right nurturing environment to grow and flourish.

Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling remains the standardinpastoral and counseling. This third editionis enlarged and revised with updatedresources, methods, exercises, and illustrations from actual counseling sessions. This book will help readers be sensitive to cultural diversity, ethical issues, and power dynamicsas they practice holistic, growth-oriented pastoral care and counseling in the parish. "

Pastor and author Michael P. Fletcher asserts that a leadership pipeline can't be bought, rather it has to be built from the ground up. Fletcher guides the reader on how to build better leaders faster by creating a leadership development culture in your church or organization.

The key to continued success in any church or organization is a steady stream of healthy, growing leaders; but not just any leaders-leaders who carry the culture and embody its core values. But where can you find leaders like this?

Author and leadership consultant Michael Fletcher says these types of leaders can't simply be "bought" nor can they be hired off of someone else's "assembly line." These types of leaders have to be built through a leadership pipeline.

A good leadership pipeline will help articulate the values of the church or organization and define the process required to move forward in it. However, to develop leaders at every level in the organization, to create an environment that attracts potential leaders, and to build better leaders faster, an organization needs more than a pipeline-it will need a culture that develops leaders organically.

Tens of thousands of women and families every year lose a baby to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. The statistics are sobering--between 10% and 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, 1% in stillbirth, and nearly 23,000 babies die before their first birthday--but statistics alone miss the depth of the hurt. Each loss is personal and devastating. No woman is prepared to lose a baby, and caregivers are often unaware of how best to help. In Hope Beyond an Empty Cradle therapist Hallie Scott first shares her own story, as a mother whose only child, Abigail, was stillborn, and then leads readers through a healing process that makes space for heartbreak, despair, guilt, questions, and anger. Life is never the same in the wake of the loss, but a new normal is possible. The book will be a welcome resource for families who have lost a child, as well as for those seeking to care for them in their traumatic grief.

It's not just what you say, but how you say it. Good communicators know this, but it's often easier said than done. Teachers, leaders, and speakers are often left bewildered, wondering why the content that was so carefully planned and delivered seems to fall flat with the audience. The art of communication requires more than the transfer of information; it both connects with and engages the hearer. To communicate well, speakers must understand both their audience and themselves. Speaking by the Numbers offers a strategy that combines communication principles with Enneagram wisdom to help leaders, pastors, and teachers understand how to convey content in ways that both inspire and connect with their audiences. Using the Enneagram wisdom of triads and stances, communicators can learn insight into the ways that various Enneagram numbers receive and process information. Sean Palmer draws from his extensive experience as a public speaker to develop communication strategies that lead to connection, transformation, and mobilization of audiences. Providing real examples of speeches and messages he has given, Palmer shows how he uses the Enneagram to craft a message that connects with his audience. A healthy marriage of Enneagram wisdom and communication skill can help us speak with clarity into the heart of where people live, love, and experience life.

What Are Spiritual Gifts? The subject of spiritual gifts can seem complicated: Who has spiritual gifts--"spiritual people" or everybody? What are spiritual gifts anyway? Understanding Spiritual Gifts takes you straight to God's Word to discover answers from the Gift-Giver Himself. As you dig into Bible passages about God's design for each of us, you'll find out that spiritual gifts aren't complicated--but they are life-changing. Here you will uncover what spiritual gifts are, where they come from, who has them, how they are received, and how they work within the church. As you study, you will have a new vision for how you can use your God-given gifts to bring hope to your home, your church, and a hurting world. 40 Minutes a Week Could Change Your Life! The 40-Minute Bible Studies series from the teaching team at Precept Ministries International tackles the topics that matter to you. These inductive study guides, designed to be completed in just six 40-minute lessons with no homework required, help you discover for yourself what God says and how it applies to your life today. With the leader's notes and Bible passages included right in the book, each self-contained study is a powerful resource for personal growth and small-group discussion.

Even in the middle of brokenness and overwhelming pain, God has a plan and a purpose for your life, and he is ready to heal you in ways you never thought possible. Join Shawn Johnson, lead pastor of Red Rocks Church, as he gives a searingly honest portrait of anxiety and depression and shows readers how to fight back and live free. Shawn Johnson was the lead pastor of a thriving, fast-growing church. He was supposed to have it all together. But he was also struggling in silence with anxiety and depression, suffering from debilitating panic attacks that told him the lie that this would never end, that he'd spend the rest of his life in excruciating pain. In Attacking Anxiety, Shawn vulnerably shares about this dark time and offers those familiar with that same struggle everything he's learned in his battles with anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. Join Shawn as he: Exposes the lies that lead to isolation and replace them with the truths that are essential to survival Reveals the things that most of us don't realize are adding more anxiety and depression to our lives and replace them with the wisdom and support that lead to true freedom Explains what to do when you, or someone you love, is in the middle of a panic attack Guides you through what you need to know in order to start attacking anxiety and depression Praise for Attacking Anxiety: "In our current culture where depression and anxiety are at an all-time high, Attacking Anxiety comes at just the right time. This book is the perfect resource to read if you, like me, have battled anxiousness, loss of control, or even the inability to cope. Pastor Shawn dives into how we can live a life where anxiety isn't our label or our future. He shows us that we don't have to just sit back and let it attack us, we can choose to fight back--with the weapons of God's Word--and overcome the anxiety monster once and for all and live the life God always intended for us to live: free." --Madison Prewitt, bestselling author of Made for This Moment

An all-in-one introduction to Messy Church. When you need to introduce your children's workers, family coordinators and church leaders to the concept of all-involving, activity-based, new-to-church worship, this is the quick-to-read resource that explains it all. Starting Your Messy Church is structured into bite-sized sections which take you through the essentials of how to construct a strategy and put your plans to start your own Messy Church ministry into action. The book includes (among many other things) checklists, milestones and questions to ask of a Messy Church that you might visit, together with an honest and down-to-earth look at the 'Things we wish we'd known' from experienced Messy Church practitioners.