Elaine Heath brings a fresh perspective to the theory and practice of evangelism by approaching it through contemplative spirituality. This thoroughly revised edition includes a new study guide. Praise for the First Edition Outreach Resource of the Year Award Winner "[Heath's] biographies of the mystics are inspiring, and her emphases on suffering and spiritual depth as the antidote to a prepackaged, method-obsessed, consumer-oriented evangelistic approach are refreshing."--Outreach

Contagious Faith will prepare you to share God's love with others in a way that's authentic, comfortable, and impactful. As disciples of Christ, we are called to share the gospel, but few of us are naturally comfortable with evangelism. We wrestle with internal fears, a lack of preparation, and the sense that reaching out to others might force us to act like someone we're not. What if we could find a way to talk about Jesus that fits our personalities, makes us feel confident, and ignites a fire in others? In Contagious Faith, bestselling author and teacher Mark Mittelberg introduces five approaches to evangelism and helps you determine which of them fit best with your unique personality and style: Friendship-Building Selfless-Serving Story-Sharing Reason-Giving Truth-Telling He also explains in a down-to-earth fashion several key skills that will help you talk about Jesus effectively, illustrating his message with real-life accounts of ordinary believers who applied these principles for extraordinary impact. With inspiring stories, fresh approaches, and timeless biblical wisdom, Contagious Faith will equip you to make a spiritual impact in the lives of the people around you-even in our increasingly resistant culture.

The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living provides a manual of Christian practice, which has retained its place with devout readers over the past 300 years. It was written by Jeremy Taylor (1613 - 1667), a clergyman in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. He is sometimes known as the "Shakespeare of Divines" for his poetic style of expression and was often presented as a model of prose writing. Holy Living is sometimes called the "twin" of Taylor's other well-known book Holy Dying.

2014 Best Books About the Church from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore "I thought God had called me to plant this church. Why did we have to shut our doors after only three years?" "I was at my breaking point. Then I got the news that our nine-year-old daughter had leukemia. I would have quit ministry forever, but I had no other employable skills." "False accusations were made against me and my family, wrecking our reputation permanently and forcing us to leave not only the church, but move out of the area." "I've served my church for the past 27 years and I've grown that church from 150 to 24 people." What do we do when we've failed? Some ministries are shipwrecked by moral failures like affairs or embezzlement. But for most of us, the sense of failure is more ordinary: disillusionment, inadequacy, declining budgets, poor decisions, opposition, depression, burnout. Many pastors are deeply broken and wounded, and we come to doubt that God has any use for us. J.R. Briggs, founder of the Epic Fail Pastors Conference, knows what failure feels like. He has listened to pastors who were busted in a prostitution sting or found themselves homeless when ejected from ministry. With candid vulnerability, Briggs explores the landscape of failure, how it devastates us and how it transforms us. Without offering pat answers or quick fixes, he challenges our cultural expectations of success and gives us permission to grieve our losses. Somehow, in the midst of our pain, we are better positioned to receive the grace of healing and restoration.

Churches are increasingly exploring the potential of diaconal ministry to help them serve wider society in the contemporary context. Those involved in this ministry seek to forge improved connections between churches and the wider communities in which they are located. However, the role of those ordained to be deacons is diverse, challenging and often controversial, both within and outside the Church.

This book explores how deacons within the Methodist Church in Britain have understood their own ministry and sought to address these challenges. It draws on innovative research undertaken with the Methodist Diaconal Order over two years. Key questions and implications for practice are provided to help those wishing to reflect further on this ministry.

This book makes a significant contribution to the ecumenical debate on diaconal ministry. It offers much that will be of interest to all those seeking to reflect on, understand, engage in or work with those involved in this ministry in their own contexts."

This book explores the suffering of social class and how traditional biomedical models for mental illness do not adequately account for the stresses of poverty. Turning to mental health user testimonies, this book equips ministers and counsellors to become working class advocates.

If you want to have a conversation with God, then you need to do two things: pray and fast. In this primer focusing on these fundamental activities of faith, Rev. Dr. Lionel Stokes shares her transforming life experiences, exploring

what the Bible says about prayer;

why there are so many misconceptions about fasting; and

how fasting and praying interact with each other.

True prayer is a conversation with God, but many think of it as a monologue because of the way it occurs in church. It's often like a one-way telephone conversation, in which one person goes on endlessly without the slightest pause for even an "aha" from the other party-and then the caller hangs up before a response can be made. Whatever our circumstances or situations, there are times when we want or need to communicate with God or to hear from Him. The means by which we do this, therefore, must be simple and clear.

If you want to have a real conversation with God and develop a stronger relationship, with Him, then praying and fasting are the answers-but you need to do it right. Take a balanced approach that's safe and effective, and move closer to the Lord with Prayer and Fasting.

Bring the 'passion' narrative alive with 'Parish Passion Play', which is suitable for production by anyone with little or no acting experience. Ideally suited for use in a parish church, the play is based upon the chronology presented by Professor Colin J. Humphreys in his book 'The Mystery of the Last Supper'.

Bring the 'passion' narrative alive with 'Parish Passion Play', which is suitable for production by anyone with little or no acting experience. Ideally suited for use in a parish church, the play is based upon the chronology presented by Professor Colin J. Humphreys in his book 'The Mystery of the Last Supper'.