When sports ministry first emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, its founders imagined male celebrity athletes as powerful salespeople who could deliver a message of Christian strength: "If athletes can endorse shaving cream, razor blades, and cigarettes, surely they can endorse the Lord, too," reasoned Fellowship of Christian Athletes founder Don McClanen. But combining evangelicalism and sport did much more than serve as an advertisement for religion: it gave athletes the opportunity to think about the embodied experiences of sport as a way to experience intimate connection with the divine. As sports ministry developed, it focused on individual religious experiences and downplayed celebrity sales power, opening the door for female Christian athletes to join and eventually dominate sports ministry. Today, women are the majority of participants in sports ministry in the United States. In Playing for God, Annie Blazer offers an exploration of the history and religious lives of Christian athletes, showing that evangelical engagement with popular culture can carry unintended consequences. When sport became an avenue for embodied worship, it forced a reckoning with evangelical teachings about the body. Female Christian athletes increasingly turned to their own bodies to understand their religious identity, and in so doing, came to question evangelical mainstays on gender and sexuality. What was once a male-dominated masculinist project of sports engagement became a female-dominated movement that challenged evangelical ideas on femininity, marriage hierarchy, and the sinfulness of homosexuality. Though evangelicalism has not changed sporting culture, for those involved in sports ministry, sport has changed evangelicalism.

Evangelism . The very word makes palms sweat and images spin: buttonholing in a city park, knocking on neighborhood doors, being conscripted into evangelistic campaigns, to say nothing of that annoying religious neighbor or coworker. We have met the evangelists-and they are not us. If evangelism is the welcome door to faith, why does it grate open on rusting hinges? Mark Teasdale has met these challenges and more. They come in the shape of students in his evangelism class. In Evangelism for Non-Evangelists he sympathizes with the perceptions and discomfort we bring to evangelism. But he also opens up a nonthreatening space for us to weigh what we believe the evangel of evangelism-the good news!-to be. And he helps us navigate our way toward expressing the gospel in a manner true to what we believe, authentic to who we are, and attractive and even compelling to others. For pastors, seminarians, church leaders, and lay people, here is a refreshing, practical, and companionable look at evangelism. It might even chart a course toward your own authentic evangelism.

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.

Since their rise in the midst of the revivals of the eighteenth century, evangelicals have been dedicated to the importance of both spirituality and mission. In recent years, evangelicals have engaged in the missional theology discussion that advocates a more holistic Christian mission grounded in the eternal mission of the triune God. At the same time, evangelicals have also been key participants in the spiritual formation discussion that seeks to recover biblical and classical practices for contemporary spiritual growth. While these two movements have been largely independent of each other, the time is right to join them together into a single conversation for the sake of ongoing evangelical faithfulness. Spirituality for the Sent brings together evangelical scholars from a variety of disciplines and ecclesial traditions to address the relationship between spiritual formation and a missional vision of theology and practice. The contributors share a common vision for a missional spirituality that fosters spiritual maturity while also fueling Christian evangelism, cultural engagement, and the pursuit of justice. This collection features contributions by Craig G. Bartholomew Susan Booth Mae Elise Cannon Diane Chandler Anthony L. Chute Michael W. Goheen George R. Hunsberger Christopher W. Morgan Soong-Chan Rah Timothy W. Sheridan Gordon T. Smith Gary Tyra

We have the incredibly important role of leading younger generations through turbulent waters, modeling integrity in relationships, and providing foundations for wise decision-making. There are times we might feel like we've got things all figured out, and other times we feel unworthy of our great responsibilities. A Little God Time for Men is designed to help you meditate on Scripture, read thought-provoking messages, and communicate with God through prayer. It will challenge, equip, and encourage you to till the soil set before you. Time spent with God empowers you to be a man of character, strength, and leadership. Be marked by the words written here and endeavor to be the man God has called you to be.

This is the story of Mary Slessor, a petite redhead from the slums of Dundee who became one of the most influencing people in the land known to her compatriots as 'the white man's grave'. Despite her eccentricities, this woman truly understood and connected with the Africans among whom she lived, so much so that the British government appointed her their first woman magistrate anywhere in the world and later awarded her the highest honor then bestowed on a woman commoner. Examining both the era and the influence of this extraordinary woman, the book reveals aspects of her public and private life that has previously been unanswered.

The twenty-first century has opened with a rapidly changing map of Christianity. While its influence is waning in some of its traditional Western strongholds, it is growing at a phenomenal pace in the global South. And yet this story has largely eluded the corporate news brokers of the West. Layered as it is with countless personal and corporate stories of remarkable faith and witness, it nevertheless lies ghostlike behind the newsprint and webpages of our print media, outside the camera's vision on the network evening news. Miriam Adeney has lived, traveled and ministered widely. She has walked with Christians in and from the far reaches of the globe. As she pulls back the veil on real Christians--their faith, their hardships, their triumphs and, yes, their failures--an inspiring and challenging story of a kingdom that knows no borders takes shape. This is a book that coaxes us out of our comfortable lives. It beckons us to expand our vision and experience of the possibilities and promise of a faith that continues to shape lives, communities and nations.

Between 1594 and 1598, a preacher named Francois converted 72,000 Protestants to the Catholic Faith. These are his words. ONE OF the most remarkable and well-documented events in Catholic history began when a young priest, Francis de Sales, volunteered to re-evangelize the Calvinists of the Chablais. Finding his preaching forcefully rejected, Francis de Sales shrewdly switched tactics and began a written apologetics campaign, posting pamphlets on walls and slipping them beneath doors under the cover of night. His defense of the Faith was so clear and thorough that at the end of four years nearly the entire population of 72,000 had returned to the Catholic Faith These powerful little tracts are as relevant today as they were in the late 1500s. De Sales draws support from Scripture, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church to address questions still frequently posed by modern Protestants. Revered as some of the most cogent arguments against Protestantism ever penned; they present a defense of the Catholic Faith that has never been equaled. "A full and complete demonstration of the Catholic religion." -Pope Pius IX

"Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are. . . . You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see." --Mother Teresa Lifelong educator Mary Poplin, after experiencing a newfound awakening to faith, sent a letter to Calcutta asking if she could visit Mother Teresa and volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. She received a response saying, "You are welcome to share in our works of love for the poorest of the poor." So in the spring of 1996, Poplin spent two months in Calcutta as a volunteer. There she observed Mother Teresa's life of work and service to the poor, participating in the community's commitments to simplicity and mercy. Mother Teresa's unabashedly religious work stands in countercultural contrast to the limitations of our secular age. Poplin's journey gives us an inside glimpse into one of the most influential lives of the twentieth century and the lessons Mother Teresa continues to offer. Upon Poplin's return, she soon discovered that God was calling her to serve the university world with the same kind of holistic service with which Mother Teresa served Calcutta. Not everyone can go to Calcutta. But all of us can find our own meaningful work and service. Come and answer the call to findyour Calcutta

Outreach 2019 Resource of the Year (Cross-Cultural/Missional) The ministry of reconciliation is the new whole in holistic ministry. It must be if the Christian mission is to remain relevant in our increasingly fractured world. This book offers a fresh treatment of holistic ministry that takes the role of reconciliation seriously, rethinking the meaning of the gospel, the nature of the church, and the practice of mission in light of globalization, post-Christendom, and postcolonialism. It also includes theological and practical resources for effectively engaging in evangelism, compassion and justice, and reconciliation ministries. Includes a foreword by Ruth Padilla DeBorst and an afterword by Ronald J. Sider.

Advance Praise for Organic Church

"This book is profound, practical, and a pleasure to read. It stretches our thinking and brings us to a place where we can see the Kingdom of God spread across the world in our generation. This book has come at the right time."
--John C. Maxwell, founder, INJOY, INJOY Stewardship Services and EQUIP

"My life is about seeing hundredfold results. Neil Cole's approach helps get those kinds of results for churches by planting many new expressions of the Kingdom that reach thousands of people. One of the great joys of my life for the past six years has been to watch the dramatic growth of Awakening Chapels and the organic churches described in this work. Cole's new book tells not only the inspiring story but also describes the principles, so you can apply these ideas."
--Bob Buford, founder and chairman, Leadership Network; author, Halftime and Finishing Well

"I always listen when Neil Cole speaks. His breadth of understanding and practice of what he preaches is right on. Everyone should know or be aware of this guy that God is using in a powerful way."
--Bob Roberts, senior pastor, NorthWood Church, Keller, Texas

"Neil Cole is one of the foremost thinkers and practitioners of organic forms of church. His vision of the church is as new as it is ancient. Cole's story as well as the philosophy of Church Multiplication Associates is paradigmatic for the church as it seeks to negotiate its way faithfully into the twenty-first century."
--Alan Hirsch, director, Forge Mission Training Network, church planter; author, The Shaping of Things to Come

Building on the work and legacy of Darrell L. Guder, Converting Witness: The Future of Christian Mission in the New Millennium constructively explores key questions and new possibilities in the field of missiology in light of the context of world Christianity. The conversation around missional theology and the missional church sought to address the gap between theology and mission and foster renewal within North American Christianity, but the growing consciousness around world Christianity has forced theologians and missiologists to give greater consideration to global cultural diversity. Many of the classic categories and methods-such as church planting, catholicity, and even the term "world Christianity" itself-are in need of fresh examination and thoughtful analysis. The contributors to this volume address a range of important missiological topics, including globalization, interfaith dialogue, integral mission, intercultural hermeneutics, and church practices.

Surely faith is irrational? And hasn't science buried God? Isn't faith a psychological crutch or sociological construct? Don't you need evidence? Wasn't Jesus just another myth? Can we really believe the miracle stories? How do we know that the accounts of Jesus weren't just made up? Hasn't the Bible been distorted? Did Jesus really claim to be God? Did the resurrection actually happen? And what has it got to do with us anyway? The Christian faith may seem attractive, but is it true? ... And what if it is true? Could our desires actually be a pointer to the God who really is there and desires to be known by us?

Revealing the impact of diasporic Scots on church and society in South Africa and beyondUtilising a large trove of primary source documents, this book presents a trans-generational narrative of the influence and role played by diasporic Scots and some of their descendants in the religious and political lives of Dutch/Afrikaner people in British colonial southern Africa. It demonstrates how this Scottish religious culture helped to develop a complicated counter-narrative to what would become the mainstream discourse of Afrikaner Christian nationalism in the early 20th century. Retief Muller provides new perspectives on the ways in which the historical changeover from British Imperial rule to apartheid South Africa was both contradicted and facilitated by the influence and legacies of Scottish religious emissaries, and considers the backlash to the Scots-Afrikaner tradition from the side of Afrikaner Christian nationalist opponents.

This study of spirituality in the East is the fruitful result of a careful survey of missionary work in New Guinea, Indonesia, China and India. The titles of his opening and closing chapters, "The Spiritually Historic Hour in the East" and "Immature Christianity in the Meeting between East and West", demonstrate the depth and pertinence of this work, which presents a penetrating and original study of the development and place of the Christian Church in the East. Although this title is intended primarily for missionary students and leaders and those studying anthropology, much of it is of general interest. The author was a recognised leader in German missionary circles. His wide experience and acute observation animate this discussion of the place of the Church in the life of the community, especially as this community became more influenced by the sway of Western civilization. Freytag's emphasis on the importance of the Church is in full keeping with the best missionary thought of his day, and his studies were lauded by the International Missionary Council.

What does it mean to be a small missional community in a deeply secularized society? Drawing on a wide range of practical insight with mission in one of the most secular contexts of the West, Pilgrims and Priests blends this experience with a thorough analysis of relevant biblical, historical, sociological, theological and spiritual sources that bear relevance to missional identity in the challenging circumstances presented by the secular West. It presents a hopeful perspective, rooted in a realistic appraisal of reality and rich theological reflections. The result is an important resource for thinkers, practitioners and all who are fascinated by the future of Christianity in the West.

A great four-volume history presenting in comprehensive perspective, within the limits of a single narrative, the various attempts to plant and develop Christianity in Africa. The method of presentation is chronological rather than regional, taking the whole story forward stage by stage rather than dealing completely with one region at a time. As Groves shows in his continental survey, Christianity is now in the midst of its third great attempt to occupy Africa. Volume I (to 1840) deals with the land and its people; Christianity in the Apostolic Age; the early church in North Africa; Islam; slavery; the formation of Missionary Societies and the arrival of David Livingstone. Volume II (1840-1878) covers the years in which the Christian faith ' following the trail-blazing of Livingstone and Stanley in Central Africa and the Congo respectively ' leaped ahead and became one of the formative factors in African life Volume III (1878-1914) continues the account of the European penetration into Africa and describes the effect of the 'scramble for Africa' on the work of the various Christian missions and the growth of the Christian Churches. Volume IV (1914-1954) surveys the period after the First World War in which startling and momentous changes took place, with upheavals in African society which have permanently affected the spread and influence of Christianity, and goes up to the era of decolonisation, which created an entirely new social and political background for the churches.

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings." Philippians 3:10 (ASV) If we follow Jesus, we will experience pain. It comes with the territory. We might face hardship because of our Christian commitment, or we may have challenges just from living in a fallen world. Either way, Christians follow in the footsteps of our suffering Savior and participate in his suffering. But that's not the whole story. Missionary Paul Borthwick and pastor Dave Ripper show how transformation through our personal pain enables us to minister faithfully to a hurting world. They candidly share about their own struggles and how they have seen God's kingdom advance through hardship and suffering. Though we naturally avoid suffering, Christians throughout church history have become powerful witnesses to Christ as a result of their brokenness. Life is painful, but pain need not have dominion over us. Instead, it can propel us in missional solidarity with our suffering world. Come find comfort and renewed purpose in the fellowship of the suffering.

How to Heal the Sick, Cast Out Demons, Raise the Dead--and More! The Bible says that if you belong to Jesus, you have the power to: * heal the sick * cast out demons * bring deliverance to those trapped in spiritual darkness * prophesy in his name * call forth creative miracles * receive supernatural words of wisdom and knowledge * even raise the dead So why do so many Christians live powerless lives? Why do they operate with so little faith? Having gone through his own journey from doubt to belief, Chicagoland pastor Robby Dawkins now ministers and speaks internationally, and where he goes, miracles happen. In these pages he shares incredible stories of God using ordinary people to do the impossible. And he shows that, when you begin to have faith in the power of God, take him at his Word, and understand his love for you, you will see his power released in healings, financial blessings, and miracles of all kinds.