God's mission needs movement leaders. Jesus pioneered something completely new in human history-a dynamic missionary movement intent on reaching the world. His mission is as clear and as relevant today as in the days of the early church: to make disciples everywhere, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded. But the potential of the church remains untapped. What does it take to lead movements that successfully carry out this mission? In Pioneering Movements, Steve Addison identifies what it takes to follow Jesus' example. Building on his previous books Movements That Change the World and What Jesus Started, he reveals the apostolic qualities and behaviors of biblical, historical, and contemporary pioneers who can guide church and ministry leaders today. This is a book for those who are called to embrace the mission-driven work that Jesus and his disciples began-making disciples of all nations, in all places.

When Sarah applied to the Yale physicians assistant program and the admissions panel asked why they should admit her, she replied, "Because I'm going to change the world some day." After more than a decade of practicing medicine and encountering the medical world herself as a cancer patient, she still wanted to change the world through medicine. She optimistically raised funds to serve without pay in a mission hospital in one of the world's poorest countries, only to struggle daily with death and shocking diseases, many of which had simple, but unavailable cures. And, in a harrowing bout with malaria, she nearly succumbed herself. As she explores both her motivation and the mission, she ponders how to make the world "well."

All of us have someone else to thank for receiving the good news of salvation. Mission is a means to a greater goal - God's name being glorified in the salvation of sinners. We should long to see God's fame being spread as far as possible. Throughout the Bible God chose to reach the nations through the preaching of His own people. Emilio Garofalo Neto helps us think through mission, the place it has in our world today, and our role in the mission of Christ.

In this addition to the Union series, Daniel Hames and Michael Reeves argue that an individual's relationship with God influences their evangelism and missions more than anything else.

"Christian Heroes: Then & Now have set a new standard of quality in Christian biography. These thrilling true adventures are the best-written biographies for ages 10 and up! Martyred in Ecuador in 1956, missionary Jim Elliot lived by his words, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" (1927-1956).

Wie kam es zu der kirchlichen Gemeinschaft zwischen den altkatholischen Kirchen der Utrechter Union in Europa und Nordamerika und der Iglesia Filipina Independiente auf den Philippinen? Die Aufsatze geben einen Einblick in die Entwicklung der oekumenischen Beziehungen am Anfang und in der Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Aufgrund der Korrespondenz der beteiligten kirchlichen und politischen Persoenlichkeiten zeigen die Autoren auf, wie die beiden Kirchen sich von der Jahrhundertwende bis zum Zweiten Weltkrieg zuerst auseinander entwickelten und sich nach einer Kehrtwende auf der Seite der Iglesia Filipina Independiente und dank Vermittlung der amerikanischen Episkopalkirche wiederfanden. Wo heutzutage die OEkumene ins Stocken geraten zu sein scheint, ruft dieser Band in Erinnerung, wie viel schon erreicht wurde und auf welche Weise.

'The Church and Empire', the theme of Studies in Church History, 54, reflects the reality that from its beginnings, the Christian Church has had close, often symbiotic, relationships with empires and imperial power. Initially the Church engaged with the Roman Empire, subsequently in Europe with the Carolingian, Anglo-Norman, Genoese, Venetian and Holy Roman Empires, and later - through the Church's global expansion with European empires in the Americas, Africa and Asia - the Spanish, Dutch, French and British empires, and the imperial structures it encountered there. Bringing together the work of twenty-four historians, this volume explores the relations of churches and empires, and Christian conceptions of empire, in the ancient, medieval, early modern and modern periods, as well as the role of empire in the global expansion of Christianity.

Sir James Emerson Tennent (1804-69) combined the roles of traveller, politician and civil servant, publishing accounts of Greece during the war of independence, and several books on Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where he was civil secretary to the colonial government from 1845 to 1850. His other major achievement was as promoter of the Copyright of Designs Act of 1842, which secured the same protection for applied arts designs as existed for inventions and written works. This 1850 book describes the various missionary activities of the Portuguese, Dutch, British and Americans among the peoples of Ceylon since its first discovery by Europeans. The first Portuguese explorers observed that the inhabitants of the north of the island were Hindus, and those in the south were Buddhists, and the different approaches over time to these two belief groups form the core of this prejudiced but interesting book.

In his bestselling book The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel retraced his spiritual journey from atheism to faith by showing how the evidence he obtained from experts in the field of history, archaeology, and ancient manuscripts led him to the verdict that Jesus truly was the Son of God. Now, in this six-week training course, Lee and coauthor Mark Mittelberg will equip you with practical tools to equip you articulate this same message to your unsaved friends and present evidence that backs up Jesus' claims and credentials. As you go through the course, you will discover how to: Help your unsaved friends and family members open up to consider the case for Christ Describe your own personal journey with Christ and how it has impacted you Share with confidence about the biblical record of Christ-that Jesus was real Present the evidence for the resurrection of Christ-that Jesus died and was raised to life Explain the central message of Christ in an authentic and compelling way Help your unsaved friends and family members respond to the truth of Jesus Sessions include: Helping Friends Consider the Case for Christ Describing Your Own Journey with Christ Backing Up the Biblical Record of Christ Presenting Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ Explaining the Central Message of Christ Encouraging Friends to Follow Christ Designed for use with Making Your Case for Christ Video Study (9780310095156), sold separately.

How do we start to share our faith? Are we really sure that we know what our message is? What about those objections that people always come up with? And it's not just what we say. Does our whole way of life fit in with what we believe? These are some of the questions which Paul Little discusses in his book in a fresh, lively way. No wonder that this practical, challenging and enjoyable book has now been printed well over a million times.

On a hot and dusty December day in 1980, the bodies of four American women- three of them Catholic nuns- were pulled from a hastily dug grave in a field outside San Salvador. They had been murdered two nights before by the US-trained El Salvadoran military. News of the killing shocked the American public and set off a decade of debate over Cold War policy in Latin America. The women themselves became symbols and martyrs, shorn of context and background.In A Radical Faith , journalist Eileen Markey breathes life back into one of these women, Sister Maura Clarke. Who was this woman in the dirt? What led her to this vicious death so far from home? Maura was raised in a tight-knit Irish immigrant community in Queens, New York, during World War II. She became a missionary as a means to a life outside her small, orderly world and by the 1970s was organizing and marching for liberation alongside the poor of Nicaragua and El Salvador.Maura's story offers a window into the evolution of postwar Catholicism: from an inward-looking, protective institution in the 1950s to a community of people grappling with what it meant to live with purpose in a shockingly violent world. At its heart, A Radical Faith is an intimate portrait of one woman's spiritual and political transformation and her courageous devotion to justice.

We are witnessing an unprecedented technological revolution. Every sphere of life from communications, work, economy, leisure, our homes, and health care is being digitised. These far-reaching changes demand careful consideration and discernment by churches participating in God's redemptive work around the world. Digitalization of society is radically changing both the methods and conditions of missions. For the first time, this book explores the implications of digitality for Missio Dei in thought and practice. Bringing together theologians, missiologists, computer scientists and practitioners, the book considers a diverse range of topics from evangelism to pastoral care, cyber pilgrimages to biases in algorithms, public theology to homiletics and inculturation to contextualization.

Today we are facing a global crisis when it comes to families. Marriages are under more pressure than ever. Many children are growing up without experiencing the security of their parents' love and commitment to each other-and consequently are finding it harder to receive God's unconditional love. There is an urgent need to invest in marriage and family life, for strong societies are built on strong families, and strong families are built on strong marriages. The Marriage Course, developed by Nicky and Sila Lee of Alpha, has been revised and updated to provide practical tools to help couples at every stage of their relationship. This update includes talks from experts including Dr. Gray Chapman, Dr. Henry Cloud, and Dr. Sue Johnson on topics such as money, sex, love languages, healthy boundaries, and building connections. The course will also cover how couples can: Better understand each other's needs Communicate more effectively Grow closer by learning methods to resolve conflicts Recover from the way they may have hurt each other Recognize how their upbringing has affected their relationship Improve relationships with parents and in-laws The Marriage Course is based on a Christian understanding of love and serves to strengthen marriages within the church while being accessible for all couples from any cultural background, with or without a background in the Christian faith. This leader's guide is included with The Alpha Marriage Course and is also sold separately. SESSIONS Building Strong Foundations The Art of Communication Resolving Conflict The Power of Forgiveness The Impact of Family-Past and Present Good Sex Love in Action Extra Session: Coping with Times of Separation

Praise for "The Missional Leader"

"Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk are two of the few people in the world today who understand how we can create an environment for the missional transformation of the church for the postmodern world. Every church leader should read this book!"
--Rev. Dr. Clark D. Cowden, Presbytery of San Joaquin, Presbyterian Church

"Discontinuous change wreaks havoc among congregations and pastors who aren't familiar with the new terrain. When it comes to navigating this new land, Roxburgh and Romanuk have my ear and gratitude. Effective, dependable, useful . . . their wisdom is helping retool our congregation for daring and robust witness. And among my students--who feel change deep in their bones, both its threats and opportunities--this book is a vital companion as they begin their ministries."
--Chris William Erdman, senior pastor, University Presbyterian Church; adjunct faculty, MB Biblical Seminary

Visit the Leadership Network Website, www.leadnet.org, for more innovative resources and information.

What If the Church Truly Empowered People to Engage in God's Mission? Something extraordinary has been happening in Tampa, Florida. A new expression of the church has been quietly growing. It's something of an experiment, but over the last ten years the church has been validating its ideas with sustained and growing results. At The Underground, being the church is not focused around a weekly gathering or church programs. It's about empowering individuals to respond to God's call to ministry and mission, especially to the poor and disadvantaged in our midst. While many churches talk about discerning calling and engaging in mission, very few are structured to make this their ministry focus. Underground Church is a new vision for the church rooted in its biblical mission to share the love of God and serve the poor. Sanders explores how to make structural changes, how to think about leadership, how to fund ministries, and how to truly engage people in God's mission. Filled with creative insights, he explains what it means to center the mission of the church around the callings of individuals to outward ministry - whether that involves leading Bible studies in the workplace, feeding the homeless, or working to free women and children from sex trafficking. This book will both tell the inspiring story of a church that is rethinking what church looks like while also outlining and uncovering the principles that transfer for every church and Christian community that hopes for more. It's the true story of a 10-year experiment that unpacks the possibilities of a church structured and streamlined for mission.

A Future that's Bigger than the Past sets out a vision for renewing the local church that is energising, realistic and practical for small and large congregations alike. In response to prevailing narratives of decline, it reimagines how the church can live its vocation of receiving God's abundance and sharing it far and wide. It recognises the surprising, exuberant and plentiful things that the Holy Spirit is doing in the world and calls the church to celebrate creation, enjoy culture and share in its flourishing. With a rich theological foundation and borne out of the practical experience of growing local church communities, this ground-breaking book will help churches discover fresh ways to bless the communities they serve.

The story of Corrie ten Boom has inspired millions of people all over the world. Jean Watson is a skillful author and presents Corrie's stirring life and challenging hope-filled message for young readers. The Watchmaker's Daughter traces the life of this outstanding Christian woman from her childhood in Haarlem, through her suffering in Nazi concentration camps, to her world-wide ministry to the handicapped and underprivileged.This exciting victorious book will allow you to meet this beloved woman and learn of God's wonderful provision and blessing through adversity.

Muslims who come to Christ face momentous spiritual, psychological and social obstacles that drive many to abandon their faith. Often conversion and discipleship are framed by individualistic Western models that do not acknowledge the communal cultural forces that constrain and shape new believers. Effective discipleship requires a more relational, holistic process of Christian identity development and spiritual formation in community. In this comprehensive resource, missiologist Don Little engages the toughest theoretical and practical challenges involved in discipling believers from Muslim backgrounds. He draws on New Testament principles, historical practices and interviews with seasoned disciplers ministering in a dozen countries across the Muslim world. Addressed here are key challenges that believers from Muslim backgrounds face, from suffering and persecution to spiritual warfare and oppression. Also included are implications for the role of disciplers in church planting among Muslims.

Debates about the place of mission work in English Language Teaching continue to rage, and yet full-length studies of what really happens at the intersection of ELT and evangelical Christianity are rare. In this book, Johnston conducts a detailed ethnography of an evangelical language school in Poland, looking at its Bible-based curriculum, and analyzing interaction in classes for adults. He also explores the idea of 'relationship' in the context of the school and its mission activity, and more broadly the cultural encounter between North American evangelicalism and Polish Catholicism. The book comprises an in-depth examination of a key issue facing TEFL in the 21st century, and will be of interest to all practitioners and scholars in the field, whatever their position on this topic.

Many young men and women entertain idealistic thoughts of traveling to a poverty-stricken corner of the world to work with the poor. Susan Conroy, a Dartmouth junior, didn't just think about it -- she did it, journeying on her own to Calcutta to spend a summer volunteering with Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity. In her moving, first-hand account of Mother Teresa and her work, Susan learned to find incredible peace and happiness in a city where she also found hell on earth. Her experience in Calcutta changed her life forever. Now you can share her account of life in Calcutta, her never-before seen photographs, and her remarkable profile of a modern saint -- the woman we soon will call St. Teresa of Calcutta.