"Many white Christians across America are waking up to the fact that something is seriously wrong-but often this is where we get stuck." Confronted by the deep-rooted racial injustice in our society, many white Christians instinctively scramble to add diversity to their churches and ministries. But is diversity really the answer to the widespread racial dysfunction we see in the church? In this simple but powerful book, Pastor David Swanson contends that discipleship, not diversity, lies at the heart of our white churches' racial brokenness. Before white churches can pursue diversity, he argues, we must first take steps to address the faulty discipleship that has led to our segregation in the first place. Drawing on the work of philosopher James K. A. Smith and others, Swanson proposes that we rethink our churches' habits, or liturgies, and imagine together holistic, communal discipleship practices that can reform us as members of Christ's diverse body.

Veintitres destacados dirigentes evangelicos de la America Latina, de solida formacion biblica y amplia actuacion en sus respectivos campos de labor, han colaborado en la redaccion de esta obra. Aunque cada uno de ellos escribe segun su punto de vista personal, atento a las necesidades de su propio pais, esta obra constituye un todo homogeneo que sin duda alguna sera de muchisima ayuda para todo creyente latinoamericano en general, y para todo dirigente y obrero en particular. Es una obra oportuna que todos esperabamos."

Que impulsa a su iglesia? A cada iglesia la impulsa algo. Tradicion, finanzas, programas, personalidades, acontecimientos, personas e incluso los mismos edificios pueden ser la fuerza que controla una iglesia. Sin embargo, Rick Warren cree que para que una iglesia sea saludable debe convertirse en una iglesia con proposito, edificada sobre la base de los cinco propositos que Jesus dio a la iglesia en el Nuevo Testamento. 'El aspecto importante esta en la salud de la iglesia, no en el crecimiento', declara Warren. 'Si la iglesia es saludable, crecera de manera natural. Crecimiento saludable y constante es el resultado de balancear los cinco propositos biblicos de la iglesia.' En este libro usted conocera el secreto que impulsa a la iglesia bautista de mas rapido crecimiento en la historia de los Estados Unidos. La iglesia Saddleback comenzo con una familia y ha llegado a tener una asistencia de mas de diez mil personas cada domingo en apenas quince anos. Al mismo tiempo, planto veintiseis iglesias adicionales, todo esto sin llegar a poseer un edificio. El pastor fundador Rick Warren nos brinda una estrategia, de probada eficacia, que permitira que su iglesia crezca en afecto mediante la comunion, profundidad mediante el discipulado, fortaleza mediante la adoracion, honor mediante el servicio y numero mediante la evangelizacion. Una iglesia con proposito nos aparta el enfoque de la construccion de edificios y nos lleva a ocuparnos de la edificacion de las personas. Rick Warren sostiene que 'si nos ocupamos de edificar a las personas, Dios edificara su iglesia' Le invitamos a que descubra en estas paginas consejos practicos y principios rectores que Rick Warren ha ensenado en seminario a mas de veintidos mil pastores y lideres de sesenta denominaciones en cuarenta y dos paises diferentes."

Encourage the Church to address the gift of human sexualityhow to view it, how to deal with it, and how it relates to spirituality A Theology of Gay and Lesbian Inclusion: Love Letters to the Church challenges traditional church teachings that brand homosexuality as immoral, using pertinent scripture from the central Gospel to promote a full acceptance of gay and lesbian Christians. This powerful book questions the assumption that gay Christians are morally inferior, presenting testimony from gay men and lesbians about prejudice they've experienced at the hands of the Churchand its straight members. Written as a series of ten letters, the book addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the church and appeals for a new understanding and commitment to the acceptance of its gay members. From the author: The purpose of this book is to equip you, Christian warrior of the Gospel of peace, to stand against those who use the Bible to resist changeeven that change of which our Lord would approve. In one sense, there is nothing revolutionary about this book. It is a book that respects traditionbut only up to a point: that point where tradition has to change, to give way to what the Holy Spirit is showing us in our day of the mind of Christ. And this is not revolutionary, because tradition has had to change before; it is a developing truth, born of the corporate experience of the children of God, and open to our claiming the exercise of our God-given gift of reason. A Theology of Gay and Lesbian Inclusion includes a series of letters that progress from establishing the purpose and credibility of the author, to developing grounding in Scripture and experience, to appealing to the reader to act as an ally of gay and lesbian Christians. The letters include: Dear Christian Believer, which aims for the bull's-eye of the reader's faith Dear Sexual Being, which offers a fresh look at a sensitive topic Dear Confused Church Member, which discusses what gay people are really like Dear Concerned Church Member, which discusses what gay people really want Dear Bible Explorer, which discusses what the Bible really says Dear Person Trying to Do the Right Thing, from being to doing and much more A Theology of Gay and Lesbian Inclusion provides a friendly and informal Biblical rationale for alternatives to traditional church teachings, encouraging the acceptance of gay and lesbian people as fully moral and fully Christian.

Stay up-to-date with the latest innovative methods of meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications examines current state-of-the-art efforts in the development and implementation of spiritual interventions for older adults. Academics and practitioners working in social work, social welfare, medicine, and mental health and aging present innovative approaches to meeting major challenges in the field of gerontology, including elder abuse, dementia, care giving, palliative care, and intergenerational relationships. The book provides practical methods for dealing with the problems and pitfalls of starting and evaluating interventions of a spiritual nature in a variety of community-based and institutional settings. Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications provides you with an overview of current and future methods and means of providing spiritual support to the elderly as they struggle with the problems and possibilities of aging in today's complex world.Growing interest in the positive effects that religiousness and spirituality can have on life stress has created a growing need for research and practice models that strengthen, reinforce, or promote the spiritual well-being of older adults. This collection first presented in 2003 at the 56th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America addresses the important care giving and practice issues involving the physical and psychological health of older adults.Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications examines: how older adults use narrative therapy to manage adversity and maintain self-efficacy how faith-based communities can be enlisted as important social resources a pilot government-funded project to raise awareness of elder abuse in faith communities an intergenerational project involving a preschool and a retirement community spiritual activities for adults with Alzheimer's disease the Creating Alternative Relaxing Environment (CARE) Cabinet intervention Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications is an essential resource for gerontological practitioners from the biological, clinical (including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and dentists), behavioral and social sciences (including anthropologists, psychologists, social workers, sociologists, and researchers), and for health care administrators.

Humanity's relationship to nature is central to the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, an influential priest and scientist of the twentieth century. Teilhard believed that spiritual development must be viewed alongside material development and that evolutionary theory lies at the heart of humanity's understanding of its place in the world. 'Pierre Teilhard de Chardin on People and Planet' argues that Teilhard's cosmic mysticism and intense interest in both cosmological and evolutionary sciences are highly relevant to current debates about how best to construct a meaningful spirituality. The book offers a critical revision of Teilhard's thought in the light of current debates in evolutionary science, eco-theology and environmental ethics. The essays present fresh interpretations of Teilhard's work and point to the significance of his thought in the contemporary study of science and religion.

Gain an understanding of the increased role religious congregations now play in providing social support to the elderly Religious congregations and faith-based organizations (FBO) from the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions have worked on behalf of older adults for centuries. But the initiation of President Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives has raised many questions from both the traditional secular and sectarian services as well as many nontraditional services found in each community. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services addresses the issues of the separation of church and state, the concerns involved in developing social services in religious congregations, and the larger public policy implications of this office. This unique book offers perspectives from traditional and nontraditional faith-based groups, as well as experts in volunteerism. The enactment by Congress of the Charitable Choice section of the federal welfare reform law combined with the creation of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the United States Department of Health and Human Services to signal a high-level of interest in supporting faith-based organizations. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services focuses on the specific applications of services provided by religious congregations. Editors F. Ellen Netting and James W. Ellor conducted an in-depth interview with Elizabeth Seal-Scott, then Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (an edited transcript of the interview is included in the book) to help promote understanding of the development and implementation of faith-based, grass roots programs. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services examines: the separation of church and state Baptist perspectives on faith-based initiatives and religious liberty managing older volunteers faith organizations and ethnically diverse elders the heritage of religion and spirituality in the field of gerontology faith-related agencies and their implications for aging services the role of religious congregations in the social service system Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services is an essential resource for anyone interested in developing programs for older adults in religious congregations, for human services staffs seeking to work with faith-based initiatives, and for government workers in need of a better understanding of faith-based services in their community.

Outreach Resource of the Year The Gospel Coalition Book Award The church is at its best when it pursues the biblical value of unity in diversity. Our world has been torn asunder by racial, ethnic, and ideological differences. It is seen in our politics, felt in our families, and ingrained in our theology. Sadly, the church has often reinforced these ethnic and racial divides. To cast off the ugliness of disunity and heal our fractured humanity, we must cultivate spiritual practices that help us pursue beautiful community. In The Beautiful Community, pastor and theologian Irwyn Ince boldly unpacks the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation. God reveals himself to us in his trinitarian life as the perfection of beauty, and essential to this beauty is his work as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The gospel imperative to pursue the beautiful community-unity in diversity across lines of difference-is rooted in reflecting the beautiful community of our triune God. This book calls us into and provides tools for that pursuit.

No other mainstream theologian has so consistently and trenchantly taken a stand with and for people with developmental disabilities.John Swinton Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology examines the influential writings of one of the most important contemporary theologians. Over the past thirty years, Time magazine Theologian of the Year (2001) Dr. Stanley Hauerwas has consistently presented a theological position which values the deep theological significance of people with developmental disabilities, as well as their importance to the life and the faithfulness of the church. Ten key Hauerwas essays on disability are brought together in a single volumeessays which reflect and illustrate his thinking on the theology of disability, along with responses to each essay from multidisciplinary authoritative sources including Jean Vanier, Michael Berube, John O'Brien and Ray S. Anderson. Dr. Hauerwas has always been a fearless voice in the field of theology. Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology presents his work on the true meaning of disability and provides critical multidisciplinary discussions about his challenging ideas and their validity. In his essays, Hauerwas discusses his views on issues such as the social construction of developmental disabilities, the experience of profound developmental disabilities in relation to liberal society, and the community as the hermeneutic of the gospel. Included is a new essay by Dr. Hauerwas responding to the contributors to the book. Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology explores Hauerwas' thoughts on: the political nature of disability in liberal society the creation of a society where there is more love the dimensions of what is normal the key role of those treated as outsiders in building community the theological understanding of parenting which places responsibility for the individual child firmly within the Christian community using the model of the church as a social ethic developmental disability being equated with suffering the concept of the person in the theology of disability the developmentally disabled and the criteria for humanhood the importance of family in the process of caring for people with developmental disabilities Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology is a fascinating exploration of contemporary theological reflection on disability and is essential reading for students and teachers of practical theology, pastoral counselors, clergy, chaplains, and social and health care students.

Christianity Today Book Award-Politics and Pubilc Life Efforts at colorblindness and antiracism have not been very effective in addressing racial tensions in the United States. Colorblindness ignores the realities of race and the history of injustice. On the other hand, antiracism centers racial concerns and in so doing often alienates people who need to be involved in the process. Sociologist George Yancey offers an alternative approach to racial relations where all parties contribute and are mutually accountable to one another for societal well-being. He provides empirical rationale for how collaborative conversations in a mutual accountability model can reduce racial division. History and societal complexity mean that different participants may have different kinds of responsibility, but all are involved in seeking the common good for all to thrive. Avoiding unilateral decisions that close off dialogue, Yancey casts a vision for moving beyond racial alienation toward a lifestyle and movement of collaborative conversation and mutuality.

This volume addresses the current scholarly controversies that have crupted in the last 20 or so years over the implications of the judaism of Jesus. Since the early 1970s, a number of historical Jesus scholars have claimed that Jesus was a Jew, and that this fact has significant implications for how one reconstructs the figure of Jesus from the portraits in ancient Christian literature. This book explores the anti-Jewish legacy of past scholarship, shows that the Judaism of Jesus is a more complex issue than sometimes acknowledged, and explores the subterranean cultural implications of the recent insistence on the Judaism of Jesus.

Examine the reactions of leading clergy to the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal! Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church is an eye-opening collection of Catholic and non-Catholic perspectives, statements, and responses regarding Catholic clergy sexual abuse from a public symposium entitled Trusting the Clergy? This book includes the viewpoints of some of today's most influential members of the Catholic Church, such as Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, Bishop Howard Hubbard, and Father Donald B. Cozzens. It will bring you up to date on the ways in which the American Catholic bishops have dealt, or are attempting to deal, with the sexual abuse scandal. In Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church, Archbishop Harry J. Flynn offers a bishop's perspective on the sexual abuse crisis and describes how the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) has responded to issues of clergy sexual abuse since the 1980s. Fr. Donald B. Cozzens summarizes what has been learned from the clergy abuse crisis, and then moves to the systemic issues that need to be addressednot just personal relationships but issues of structure and meaning. This book also includes viewpoints about the Catholic Church from renowned scholars and non-Catholic church leaders, including Michael J. Bland and Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune. This book offers presentations on: the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People created by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) the need for the Catholic hierarchy to convert from an institutional protection agenda to a justice-making agenda understanding the abusers' modes of operation and motivations identifying future potential sexual abusers attempting to enter the priesthood including the sexual abuse of adults as well as children as future agenda issues the data the Church compiles on the numbers of perpetrators, victims, and costs associated with the scandal determining whom to believe when there are conflicting stories the impact of the clergy sexual abuse crisis on Latino and African-American communities Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church provides a historical marker for the state of the church's discussion one year after the Boston Archdiocese was faced with intense media scrutiny resulting in the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law. This book is a unique collection of credible, diverse voices engaged in public discussion of a difficult social problem facing the church. Use it to formulate your own opinion on how the Catholic community is responding to the sexual abuse scandal.

Every follower of Jesus Christ should be able to answer two simple questions:

• Who is investing in me?
• Who am I investing in?

God desires to pour an abundance of spiritual and emotional capital into your life. And he wants to use you to pour spiritual and emotional capital into others. Along the way, you'll be changed. Others will change. You will experience God and his community in a new and personal and supernatural way. And so will others.

God calls this process of spiritual investing "making disciples." It's the heart of the Great Commission. It's the vision of a great local church. It's the secret of a healthy joyful, secure, and significant life.

As a teenager, Victor Torres was a gang warlord and heroin addict on New York City's violent streets. Through the ministry of David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, Victor had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ and came to realize that God had a purpose for his life. Victor has spent the last forty-five years helping tens of thousands of young men and women find freedom from drug addiction and gang life. Now, he answers your toughest questions about your addicted loved one. Without pulling punches or promising easy answers, Victor provides wisdom and expertise that can lead you toward success. Some of the questions Victor addresses are...

How can I know if my loved one has a substance abuse problem?

How can I tell the difference between helping and enabling?

What if my loved one refuses to get help?

When should I call the police?

What should we look for in a treatment program?

What can I expect when my loved one comes out of treatment?

How do I prepare for relapse?

God did not create your loved one to be an addict or a loser. On the contrary, God created him or her for a better life. Although, for the moment, it may seem like you are losing your loved one, they still have a God-given destiny and a purpose. No matter how bad the picture may look now, there is always hope.

Religious liberty is one of the most contentious political issues of our time. How should people of faith engage with the public square in a pluralist era? Some citizens hope to reclaim a more Christian vision of national identity, while others resist any religious presence at all. This dispute is not new, and it goes back to the founding era of American history. As the country was being formed, some envisioned a Christian nation where laws would require worship attendance and Sabbath observance. Others advocated for a thoroughly secular society where faith would have no place in public life. But neither extreme won the day, thanks to the unsung efforts of a Connecticut pastor who forged a middle way. Historian Brandon O'Brien unveils an untold story of how religious liberty came to be. Between the Scylla and Charybdis of theocracy and secularism, Baptist pastor Isaac Backus contended for a third way. He worked to secure religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all Americans, not just for one particular denomination or religious tradition. Backus's ideas give us insight into how people of faith navigate political debates and work for the common good. Backus lived in an age of both religious revival and growing secularism, competing forces much like those at work today. The past speaks into the present as we continue to demand liberty and justice for all.

Is your church prepared to care for individuals who have experienced various forms of abuse? As we continue to learn of more individuals experiencing sexual abuse, domestic violence, and other forms of abuse, it's clear that resources are needed to help ministries and leaders care for these individuals with love, support, and in cooperation with civil authorities. This handbook seeks to help the church take a significant step forward in its care for those who have been abused. Working in tandem with the resources and videos found at churchcares.com, this handbook brings together leading evangelical trauma counselors, victim advocates, social workers, attorneys, batterer interventionists, and survivors to equip pastors and ministry leaders for the appropriate initial responses to a variety of abuse scenarios in churches, schools, or ministries. Though the most comprehensive training is experienced by using this handbook and the videos together, readers who may be unable to access the videos can use this handbook as a stand-alone resource.

A Courageous Yes When Yvrose fled her native Haiti for the United States, she couldn't imagine she'd return. After suffering multiple miscarriages, she struggled to build a new life. In a desperate moment, she finally met Jesus-uttering her first "yes" to God. That one yes became many when she couldn't forget the faces of the children she saw in a recurring dream. Finally, a trip to Haiti brought her dream to life when she became Mama to the many children left with no home after a catastrophic earthquake devastated the nation. Becoming Mama tells the incredible story of one woman who had the courage to lay everything aside in answer to God's call. You will be encouraged by God's overwhelming faithfulness to Yvrose's every yes to God, and learn you don't have to sell everything or travel to far-off places to make a difference. All you need is an open heart ready to say yes to His call.

Many a Westerner has had a cross-cultural experience of honor and shame. First there are those stuttering moments in the new social landscape. Then after missed cues and social bruises comes the revelation that this culture-indeed much of the world-runs on an honor-shame operating system. When Western individualism and its introspective conscience fails to engage cultural gears, how can we shift and navigate this alternate code? And might we even learn to see and speak the gospel differently if we did? In Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures Jayson Georges and Mark Baker help us decode the cultural script of honor and shame. What's more, they assist us in reading the Bible anew through the lens of honor and shame, often with startling turns. And they offer thoughtful and practical guidance in ministry within honor-shame contexts. Apt stories, illuminating insights and ministry-tested wisdom complete this well-rounded guide to Christian ministry in honor-shame cultures.

Tens of millions of Christians live in China today, many of them leading double lives or in hiding from a government that relentlessly persecutes them. Bob Fu, whom the "Wall Street Journal "called "The pastor of China's underground railroad," is fighting to protect his fellow believers from persecution, imprisonment, and even death. "God's Double Agent" is his fascinating and riveting story.
Bob Fu is indeed God's double agent. By day Fu worked as a full-time lecturer in a communist school; by night he pastored a house church and led an underground Bible school. This can't-put-it-down book chronicles Fu's conversion to Christianity, his arrest and imprisonment for starting an illegal house church, his harrowing escape, and his subsequent rise to prominence in the United States as an advocate for his brethren. "God's Double Agent "will inspire readers even as it challenges them to boldly proclaim and live out their faith in a world that is at times indifferent, and at other times murderously hostile, to those who spread the gospel.