This book provides a wealth of fascinating information about many significant and lesser-known nineteenth-century Christian authors, mostly women, who were motivated to write material specifically for children's spiritual edification because of their personal faith. It explores three prevalent theological and controversial doctrines of the period, namely Soteriology, Biblical Authority and Eschatology, in relation to children's specifically engendered Christian literature. It traces the ecclesiastical networks and affiliations across the theological spectrum of Evangelical authors, publishers, theologians, clergy and scholars of the period. An unprecedented deluge of Evangelical literature was produced for millions of Sunday School children in the nineteenth century, resulting in one of its most prolific and profitable forms of publishing. It expanded into a vast industry whose magnitude, scope and scale is discussed throughout this book. Rather than dismissing Evangelical children's literature as simplistic, formulaic, moral didacticism, this book argues that, in attempting to convert the mass reading public, nineteenth-century authors and publishers developed a complex, highly competitive genre of children's literature to promote their particular theologies, faith and churchmanships, and to ultimately save the nation.

With rapid technological advances and the increasing impact of the internet, the world is literally at our fingertips. Yet many churches have yet to discover how to tap into this powerful resource. "The Internet Church" shows church leaders how to start from square one in creating an interactive website that can greatly expand the ministry potential of a church. Walter Wilson, an internet expert and committed Christian, describes how technology can enhance evangelism outreach, and challenges leaders to take advantage of unprecedented opportunities in the new digital age.

What if tried and true methods from the corporate world could raise your ministry's probability of success by a considerable margin? Lorenzo Lebrija, director of TryTank, a lab for church growth and innovation, has developed a fresh straightforward framework for experiments in new ministry based on research and interviews. With three clear steps, this framework can have a lasting impact on any church that uses it. You can even start innovating today, using this specific and actionable process within your church community. Scripture is full of examples encouraging us to try new works in the name of God. This book gives the exact tools and templates for how to do just that, and to find God in the failures as well as the successes.

Christianity Today Book Award Winner ASM (American Society of Missiology) Book of the Year Award Named one of Ten Outstanding Books of 2016 for Mission Studies, International Bulletin of Mission Research This up-to-date textbook features global perspectives on current Christian engagement with Islam, equipping readers for mission among Muslims. Evelyne Reisacher, who has worked extensively with Muslims in Europe, helps readers move from fear to joy as they share the gospel with Muslims. Reisacher surveys areas where Muslims and Christians encounter one another in the twenty-first century, highlighting innovative models of Christian witness in everyday life. Drawing on insights from global Christianity, this survey takes account of diverse conceptions of Muslim-Christian relations. The book may surprise those who believe mission among Muslims is nearly impossible. This is the first book in the Mission in Global Community series, which reframes missiological themes and studies for students around the common theme of mission as partnership with others. Series authors draw upon their own global experience and that of their global colleagues to illumine present realities and chart a course into the future. Series editors are Scott W. Sunquist and Amos Yong.

Preaching has fallen on hard times with many questioning its relevance and even its validity as a New Testament practice. This symposium of specially commissioned essays draws together an international team of thirteen scholars and pastors to address the importance of textual preaching in the history and life of the early church, the historic church, and the contemporary church. Contributions include essays on Old Testament preaching; preaching in Eastern Orthodoxy; gender-sensitive preaching; and preaching in the theology of Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It also includes essays on a range of homiletical challenges that textual preaching raises for the contemporary preacher, including genre, preaching without notes, inhabiting the text, and preaching without platitudes. A final reflection by Dave Hansen on the state of textual preaching rounds out the collection. The preaching of the gospel stands at the heart of Christian praxis. These essays make a vital contribution to the recovery of the importance of preaching, focused on the text of Scripture. Written with an eye to the pastor and practitioner as well as those in the pews and in the classroom, this is a book that is appealing to a wide range of readers.

There is nothing traditional about the typical family of the twenty-first century, and so it follows that ministering to today's families presents an assortment of new challenges. Rainey believes that the resources needed by the church to confront and combat family problems do exist, and "Ministering to Twenty-First Century Families" is a user-friendly guide to combating the destruction of the family unit. Offering practical solutions and encouraging action, Rainey calls for a "roll-up-your-sleeves" approach to healing weary families.

The twentieth century saw the spectacular growth of Christianity in much of the global south, the transformation of mission fields into self-governing Churches, schemes of church union (some successful, others abortive), evolving attitudes to other faiths and significant Christian engagement with issues of racial justice and world poverty. This book examines the contribution of the Methodist Missionary Society (and its predecessors before 1932) to these world-changing movements, from the remarkable mass conversions in south-west China and west Africa early in the century to the controversy over grants to liberation movements in the 1970s and 1980s. Pritchard traces the MMS contribution to education, health care, rural development and social welfare and describes the administration of the Societies and the selection and preparation of candidates for missionary service. This is a ground-breaking study of Methodist Overseas Mission in the twentieth century, how it adjusted to changing circumstances - including the forced withdrawals from China and Burma - and developed new initiatives and partnerships, including its World Church in Britain programme which brought missionaries from the younger Churches to serve in Britain and Ireland.

In these pages you will read of the harrowing experiences of running with the Cambodian refugees while fleeing from enemy mortars; of delivering (and rescuing) babies during record-breaking typhoon winds; of performing complicated surgical procedures under almost impossible circumstances, as well as sharing principles of healthful living with thousands of hurting people looking for a better way of life!

With three decades of ministry in San Diego, George McKinney presents us with illustrations of how God is blessing the inner City. "Cross the Line" shows how to effectively cross racial and social lines to minister and learn from people in the city.

First published in 1970. This series includes a selection of historically important nineteenth and early twentieth century narratives written about Africa by missionaries and other figures connected with the church. The introductions are designed to place the narratives in their appropriate historical contexts, offer fresh biographical studies of the authors, and provide a critique of modern scholarship. This is number 14 and looks at A.M.Mackay.

In 1875 the Livingstonia Mission landed on the west shore of Lake Nyasa. The first advance of the missionaries into Ngoniland was in 1878, and this 1899 work describes the enforced setting up of the mission among the Ngoni people, warriors of the Zulu race.

First Published in 1970. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 1913, Missionary Principles is a classic textbook by genre, but in its controversial evaluation of the Church's missionary theories, it is by no means wholly traditional. At the centre of this discursive study, Allen asserts the distinction which needs to be made in missionary aims between the extension of the Church and the preaching of Jesus Christ. The book is divided into four major chapters, entitled: The Impulse, The Hope, The Means and The Reaction. The impulse, hope and means of missionary work can all be embodied by Jesus Christ, who is viewed as the source, the end and the worker. It is always with this objective in mind that Allen guides the reader through Christ's wishes as to how the Word should be spread. In the final chapter, Allen examines the results of believing in the Holy Spirit's inspiration and the effects this has on the missionary's understanding of moral purpose and motive of missions, both at home and overseas. 'It is not the same thing to seek the manifestation of Christ in the growth of the Church, and [...] the effect of that upon all missionary work is most profound.' Extract from Chapter Two.

Within a decade, St. Paul established the Church in the four provinces of Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia. This informative study focuses on the social background to the Apostle's missionary journeys with comparisons between his methods and those of the modern day. The book divides into five parts; the first examines the social and religious world which the Apostle inhabited in AD 50; the second addresses how St. Paul presented the Christian Gospel and his financial policy of self-support for the new churches. Here, contrasts are made between St. Paul's financial and missionary principles, which differ alarmingly from those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The rapidity of the Apostle's appointment of responsible church leaders is sharply contrasted with the slowness of the present in the third part. Part four deals with St. Paul's procedures for authority in churches, where those of the present day fail to address the conscience of the local church. Conclusions are provided in part five and the clarity and vigour of Allen's style ensures the reader's interest is maintained to the end. 'Many missionaries in later days have received a larger number of converts than St. Paul; [...] but none have so established churches. We have long forgotten that such things could be.' Extract from Chapter One.

An important work for the nineteenth century history of East Africa. It contains a new introduction with a biographical sketch of Krapf.

'This man of God has touched the lives of millions...in virtually every corner of the globe. He like Billy Graham, has set a standard of excellence and integrity that is refreshing. - Joseph C. Aldrich

We are all aware of problems in this world. Everyone knows what it is to be weary, to be disappointed, and to struggle. And we have a feeling that we were not meant for this. We are all searching for some solution to the problems of life. The question is, why are you unhappy? Why do things go wrong? Why is there illness and sickness? Why should there be death? Those are the questions with which the Bible deals. The Bible talks to you about your unhappiness. Some insist that the Bible, far from being practical, is really very remote from life. But nothing in the world is as practical as the teaching of the Bible. In order to answer questions about you, the Bible starts in the most extraordinary way: "In the beginning God..." It starts with God. Before I begin to ask any questions about myself and my problems, I ought to ask questions like this: Where did the world come from? Where have I come from? What is life itself? You come to me and say, "I'm unhappy. I'm in a crisis. What's the matter with me?" And the Bible says, "In the beginning God . . ." as if it has forgotten all about you. But it has not! The only way to understand yourself or your life is to start with God. And right at the very beginning, the Bible takes us there. The Bible also tells us that the world came into being because the eternal God made it. It tells us that God is the Creator, that he made everything out of nothing, by his own power, and he made it perfect. What's more, according to the Bible, man is a special creation of God. The Bible tells us, "God created man in his own image" (Genesis 1:27). It does not say that about anything else, only about human beings. Man was made by God, for God. He spoke to God, walked with God, and enjoyed God. And his life was one of perfect bliss. But into this perfect world made by God there entered another power, another force. Something came that was opposed to God and opposed to man, and it was bent upon one thing only-- wrecking God's perfect work. The Bible tells us that the Devil entered into this world, and by tempting the man and the woman, whom God had made, brought to pass everything bad that you and I know. Why are there jealousy and envy and misunderstanding? Why lust and passion? Why are homes and marriages broken? Why do little children suffer? Why all the agony and the pain of life? It is because there is this other power in the world that has dragged man down. That is the biblical explanation. You will find it in the Bible from beginning to end. And if that is true, how hopelessly and utterly inadequate are all the remedies that are being offered apart from the Bible. What's more, the Bible tells us that as the result of that original sin, all of us are in the grip of this evil power. Man, as the result of all this, is quite helpless; he has brought a curse upon himself and cannot escape it. He would like to, but he cannot. Man has been trying to get back into Eden ever since he went out of it. That is the whole history of civilization. That is the whole meaning of philosophy and all political thought and all the blueprints of utopias at all times and in all places--man trying to get back into paradise. But it is worse than merely not being in paradise. Man is under the judgment of God. He thought that he could forget God and that there would be no risk involved. He did not realize that the law of God is absolute. Both man as an individual and the whole world, according to the Bible, are under the judgment of God. You see, in the garden Adam and Eve thought they could eat the forbidden fruit and all would be well. Then they heard the voice of the Lord God, and they cowered and were frightened. Judgment had come, and they were thrust out. But, thank God, he intervenes! God, even at the moment of rebellion, tells man that he has a way to rescue him and to redeem him: "It [the seed of the woman] shall bruise thy [the serpent's] head" (Genesis 3:15). The serpent can only be mastered by one, and he has come--the seed of the woman, Jesus of Nazareth. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." JOHN 3:16 Christ, the Son of God, came into this world, took on our human nature, entered into our very situation, and defeated our enemy. He received judgment for us on the cross. God dealt with him there and pardons us, and our enemy is conquered. So the way to paradise is open, and it is open for you. All your problems, all your needs, arise from the fact of sin. That is the cause of all ill. And there is but one solution to the problem, the solution that God himself has provided in the person of his Son. ". . . that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And that life begins here and now--a knowledge of God, assurance that you are right with God, that he will take you through death and announce in the judgment that you are already pardoned and forgiven. My dear friend, that is your problem, and that is the answer to your problem. Believe it. Accept it here and now. Go to that great God. Acknowledge your sinning against him, and thank him for his eternal love in sending his Son to rescue you and to redeem you by dying for you, and ask him to give you new life. And he will. I say that on the authority of Jesus who stated, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" ( John 6:37).

A new brand of apostolic ministry for today's world

"The Permanent Revolution" is a work of theological re-imagination and re-construction that draws from biblical studies, theology, organizational theory, leadership studies, and key social sciences. The book elaborates on the apostolic role rooted in the five-fold ministry from Ephesians 4 (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teacher), and its significance for the missional movement. It explores how the apostolic ministry facilitates ongoing renewal in the life of the church and focuses on leadership in relation to missional innovation and entrepreneurship.The authors examine the nature of organization as reframed through the lens of apostolic ministry.Shows how to view the world through a biblical perspective and continue the "permanent revolution" that Jesus startedOutlines the essential characteristics of apostolic movement and how to restructure the church and ministry to be more consistent with themAlan Hirsch is a leading voice in the missional movement of the Christian West

This groundbreaking book integrates theology, sociology, and leadership to further define the apostolic movement.

'Christian Warfare in Rhodesia-Zimbabwe' takes a hard look at the history of the Salvation Army in Rhodesia-Zimbabwe and its long history with both the government and the rest of the church. Norman H. Murdoch examines in-depth the parallels between the events of the First Chimurenga, an uprising against European occupation in 1896-97, and the Second Chimurenga in the 1970s, the civil war that led to majority rule. At the time of the first, the Salvation Army was barely established in the country; by the second, it was fully entrenched in the ruling class. Murdoch explores the collaboration of this Christian mission with the institutions of white rule and the painful process of disentanglement necessary by the late twentieth century. Stories of martyrdom and colonial mythology are set in the carefully researched context of ecumenical relations and the Salvation Army's largely unknown and seldom accessible internal politics.

In recent decades scholars have rediscovered a handwritten source of historical documentation from the eighteenth-century transatlantic religious movement known as "The Great Awakening." The McCulloch Examinations manuscripts contain more than a hundred first-person conversion narratives from the Cambuslang Revival of 1742 that have never before been published in their entirety. Collected and compiled by Reverend William McCulloch in what was Scotland's first oral history project, these personal accounts open a unique window into the early modern Scottish soul and shed new light upon an important chapter of British and American history. In this first complete, unabridged and fully annotated edition of the Examinations, the editor offers an introduction and analysis of these fascinating narratives, and provides supplementary resources that will illuminate the text for the reader. In addition to preserving the narrative accounts in their original frame, the edition includes the proposed redactions and marginal comments of four prominent Church of Scotland clergy who assisted McCulloch with the project. Keith Edward Beebe is Professor of Church History in the Department of Theology at Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA.

Crafted to be an easy-to-carry large print Bible with cross references and striking verse imprinted on the cover allows this Bible to be an ideal choice to take with you wherever you go. This edition is published in large KJV Comfort Print type, which was designed exclusively for Thomas Nelson to be the most readable at any size. The KJV Personal Size Reference Bible is a feature-rich edition with easy-to-read large Comfort Print type. Including features like words of Christ in red, book introductions, end-of-page references, and a concordance, this Bible offers the tools to dive deeply into God's Word. As part of the Verse Art Cover Collection, this edition is in an easy-to carry format with an inspiring cover designed to encourage readers to spend more time in God's Word regardless of where they are. Features include: Presentation page to personalize this special gift by recording a memory or a note Extensive end-of-page cross-references allow you to find related passages quickly and easily Book introductions provide an overview of background and historical context Miracles and parables of Jesus call out important events during Jesus' earthly ministry Concordance for looking up a word's occurrences throughout the Bible Full color maps show the layout of Israel and other biblical locations for better context Words of Christ in red help you quickly identify Jesus' teachings and statements One-year reading plan which guides you through the entire Bible Two double-faced satin ribbons make it easy navigate and keep track of where you were reading Easy-to-read 10-point KJV Comfort Print

This book represents the first critical edition and scholarly annotated translation of a pioneering report on the predicament of cross-cultural understanding at the dawn of globalization, titled "A Brief Response on the Controversies over Shangdi, Tianshen and Linghun" ("Resposta breve sobre as Controversias do Xamty, Tien Xin, Lim hoen"), which was written in China by the Sicilian Jesuit missionary Niccolo Longobardo (1565-1654) in the 1620s and profoundly influenced Enlightenment understandings of Asian philosophy. The book restores the focus on Longobardo's own intellectual concerns, while also reproducing and analyzing all the Chinese-language annotations on the previously unpublished Portuguese and Latin manuscripts. Moreover, it meticulously modernizes all romanizations with standard Hanyu pinyin and identifies, on the basis of archival research, most of Longobardo's Chinese interlocutors, thus providing new insights into how the Jesuits networked with Chinese scholars in the late Ming. In this way, it opens up this seminal text to Sinologists and global historians exploring Europe's first intellectual exchanges with China. In addition, the book presents four introductory essays, written by the editors and two prominent scholars on the Jesuit China mission. These essays comprehensively reconstruct the historical and intellectual context of Longobardo's report, stressing that it cannot be viewed purely as a product of Sino-European cultural exchange, but also as an outgrowth of both exegetic debates within Europe and of European experiences across Asia, especially in Japan. Hence this critical edition will greatly contribute to a more globalized view of the Jesuit China mission.