What is the purpose of Christian ministry? Is it about upholding traditional standards? Is it about meeting organizational goals? Or is it a mixture of meanings and roles? With numerous ways of understanding ministry, getting a grasp on it can

be a difficult task.

Discovering Christian Ministry not only gives a concise yet comprehensive definition of ministry but it also offers a ministerial vision that encompasses the personal, interpersonal and social spheres of your life.

The tyranny of the urgent is a by-product of our fast-paced world. It affects many people, but when it impacts pastors they are often tempted to ignore the critical needs of the pastoral disciplines that ensure the effectiveness of ministry.

In Thinking, Listening, and Being: Wesleyan Pastoral Disciplines, Jeren Rowell offers theological reflections on what it means to live and work as a pastor. He examines different aspects of

pastoral thinking, practice, and work, and challenges pastors to continually pursue prayer, the study of Scriptures, and theological reflection. "Working in this way," he writes, "could not only be a gift of love for the church but also an important model for parish pastors who are tempted to surrender first things to the urgencies and temptations of contemporary life."

A lot of churches and youth ministries have given up on the idea of small groups, writing them off as too tedious, too difficult to manage, too hard to find volunteers for, too expensive to provide materials or curriculum for, or any other number of reasons. In A Volunteer Youth Worker's Guide to Leading a Small Group, Mark Oestreicher argues a different perspective. Marko insists that small groups promote safe spaces to grow, consistency in teenagers' emotionally tumultuous lives, and repetition that instills in them the importance of trust and tradition. The Guide to Leading a Small Group is perfect for anyone feeling disenchanted with the concept of small groups, and after Marko succeeds in changing your mind in the first few pages, he'll use the rest of the book to help you restructure and rethink your small-group programming so you don't get burned out again. Marko is leading the charge in reviving small groups, and you can join him today.

For those who have a friend that has been devastated by the loss of a loved one. When others care enough to rub shoulders with grieving friends and are willing to be inconvenienced. It requires someone to care enough to put aside cliche condolences and stick close through a long grieving process. An individual's grief can never be 'fixed'. But friends can wash a sink full of dishes, listen, go along on a cemetery visit. Sharing another's grief is not about 'fixing-it'- it's about showing up.Harold Ivan Smith, popular speaker and grief educator, guides others to respond with their heart. He shows tangible, meaningful ways to make a significant difference as one journeys through grief with someone they care about.

Not every Christian needs to go to seminary, but there are certain teachings of the Bible that every Christian should know. Whether you're a relatively new believer in Jesus or a mature Christian looking for a better understanding of basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you.

This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs condenses Wayne Grudem's award-winning book Systematic Theology, prized by pastors and teachers everywhere. He and his son, pastor Elliot Grudem, have boiled down the essentials of theology for everyday Christians and made them both clear and applicable to life. Each brief chapter concludes with questions for personal review or group discussion.

In this revised and updated edition of Christian Beliefs, you will learn about:

• The Bible and its authority for our lives
• The characteristics of God
• The importance of prayer
• Angels and the reality of spiritual warfare
• What it means that we are created in the image of God
• What God has done for us in Christ
• The purpose of the church
• What will happen when Christ returns
• The biblical understanding of heaven
• And much more

Christian Beliefs is the ideal book for every Christian who wants a solid foundation for understanding the most basic and essential teachings of the Bible.

'Let me say to Mr Botha: apartheid is doomed! It has been condemned in the Councils of God, rejected by every nation on the planet and is no longer believed in by the people who gave it birth. Apartheid is the god that has failed.' So preached Bishop Peter Storey in 1986. Challenging apartheid wherever he could, he led the SA Methodist Church into what many whites saw as uncomfortable 'political' territory.

Join him in his inspiring journey from sailor-turned-minister to the South African Council of Churches leadership in its darkest hour, from tending to Robert Sobukwe and Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, through the forced removals of District Six and the storm surrounding Stompie Seipei's murder. I Beg to Differ spans a parish minister’s sorrows and joys, founding Life Line SA, the bombing of Khotso House and a close shave with death with Desmond Tutu. Storey shares the convictions that inspired him to minister amid the teargas, violence and intimidation of the apartheid regime.

Did you know that today is a special day? It may be an occasion you've been waiting for all year. Or it may seem like just another ordinary day. But whatever is on your schedule, this is God's gift to you--a 24-hour present from your Creator filled with his divine opportunities. Today, God has opened a new chapter in your life. Yesterday is history. Today is yours now. So let's celebrate! Let's start enjoying God's goodness now. He delights in showering us with his blessings: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). Isn't it wonderful that God freely offers us his best gifts to enjoy? Did you know that Jesus is God's ultimate gift to humankind? Without the life, death, and resurrection of God's only Son, we would remain in our sin with no way of escape. God gives us a beautiful creation and the promise of spending eternity with him. But, his richest gift to us is the salvation and grace through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Through Jesus, God freely gives us his peace, happiness, and hope both now and forever. If you haven't yet confessed your sin and placed your belief and trust in Jesus for forgiveness, there is no better time than the present. Seek to grow your faith with help from a local Christian church or from a friend who will pray and read the Bible with you. This could be the start of a wonderful new life as a child of God!