People in churches today are hungry for a word from God. Preachers need to prepare and deliver sound biblical sermons that connect with their audience in a meaningful way. Whether you are a student who is new to preaching or a veteran looking to brush up your preaching skills, you will benefit from Preaching God's Word. Good preaching begins with good exegesis. The second edition of Preaching God's Word is a user-friendly, practical, and proven textbook that walks you through the five steps of the "Interpretive Journey" from the biblical text to contemporary application: Grasp the text in their town (what it meant to the original audience). Measure the width of the river that separates the biblical context from today. Cross the principle bridge by identifying the timeless theological principles. Consult the biblical map. Grasp the text in our town. While the science of solid biblical interpretation is essential to effective preaching, it must be married to the art of contemporary communication in order to bring the message home. Preaching God's Word also shows you how to understand your audience, develop powerful applications, use illustrations well, and deliver the sermon effectively. The concluding chapters discuss the unique preaching challenges presented by the various biblical genres, providing interpretive keys, things to avoid, and numerous examples.

The Call to Ministry recounts the pastoral leadership of John J. Sullivan in the challenging decades before and after Vatican II. Many are convinced that such models of leadership are needed as the American church enters the 21st century.

Only those who have an undeniable calling from God will be fit for the challenges and strains of the ministry life. But how do you test a calling and how do you proceed if you are certain its legitimacy? From the theology of being called, to selecting a seminary, to beginning life as a pastor, Michael Milton looks to the Word of God for answers and guidance, as well as drawing on his own experience as a Presbyterian minister.

Unleashing the Passion of Young People in Your Church Is Possible! Churches are losing both members and vitality as increasing numbers of young people disengage. Based on groundbreaking research with over 250 of the nation's leading congregations, Growing Young provides a strategy any church can use to involve and retain teenagers and young adults. It profiles innovative churches that are engaging 15- to 29-year-olds and as a result are growing--spiritually, emotionally, missionally, and numerically. Packed with both research and practical ideas, Growing Young shows pastors and ministry leaders how to position their churches to engage younger generations in a way that breathes vitality, life, and energy into the whole church. Visit www.churchesgrowingyoung.org for more information.

Arranged in a Q & A format, this volume tackles the major questions that pastors, church leaders, and students ask about congregational church government, a topic of much interest in the church today. It provides readers with a clear analysis of key biblical passages, succinct answers (4-8 pages each), and discussion questions. The unique format of the book allows the reader to pick and choose what issues are most pertinent to their interests and needs.

Two major changes that have been taking place in the Catholic Church work force in the post-Vatican II era-the ever expanding involvement of lay persons in ministry roles, coupled with rapidly decreasing numbers of ordained and vowed persons working long-term in church settings-have made it critically important for the church to assess the attitudes of all church workers in order to make valid projections for Church employment needs in the future. The National Association of Church Personnell Administrators (NACPA) engaged the Gallup Organization to conduct a national survey exploring the church environment as a place of employment. The survey assessed job satisfaction and working conditions wit hint the Catholic Church.

A complete history of the Papacy - one of the most enduring and influential of all human institutions. Few human institutions have survived so long and played a continuously important role in world history and affairs than the Papacy. From the time of St Peter to the present day, this establishment has sought to make sense of contemporary issues. Its story is a long and complicated one, full of incident, ideas and the interplay of personalities. In this masterful single volume, eminent scholar Roger Collins offers an account of the entire arc of papal history, describing how its authority was acquired and exercised, and in turn, challenged and threatened; how it faced and overcame crises - both from within and without; its relationship with Rome; the tradition of artistic patronage; and the character and policies of individual popes. KEEPERS OF THE KEYS OF HEAVEN is a vivid and revealing portrait of an enduring body, chronicling two thousand years of ambition, scandal, persecution, faith and glory.

A look at the National Conference of Bishops - it's operation, function, administration and role in the Church and in setting the social/political agenda in the United States.

Now back in print, this short biography of St. Therese of Lisieux by Dorothy Day expresses the surprising yet profound connection between Day - the founder of the Catholic Worker movement who was praised by Pope Francis for her passion for justice and dedication to her faith - and the beloved saint best known for her Little Way. Whether you are called to the active life like Day or a more hidden existence like Therese, you will discover that these paths have much in common and can lead you to a love that has the power to transform you in ways that are unexpected and consequential. Written originally for nonbelievers or those unaware of Therese, the book reflects how Day came to appreciate Therese's Little Way, not as an abstract concept, but as a spirituality that she had already been living. Day's life, like Therese's, was filled with all the humble, self-effacing jobs that were a part of this work. She found in Therese a kindred spirit, one who saw these simple hidden tasks as the way to heaven.

Updated and Expanded Edition of the Leadership Bestseller Harness the meaning of love, the verb, to improve your corporate culture and bottom line with the help of Joel Manby, former President and CEO of both SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Herschend Enterprises. Joel won the respect of America with his appearance on the CBS reality TV series Undercover Boss. A highly successful corporate executive, Joel Manby is unlike most other CEOs. As the 18 million viewers of Undercover Boss witnessed, Manby has a unique style of leadership--servant leadership--which has a profound impact on his employees. In this updated and expanded edition of Love Works, Manby demonstrates that leading with love is effective even in extremely difficult business environments, which he experienced at SeaWorld. With an all-new introduction and two additional chapters, Manby shares more of his own leadership and personal stories, giving insight that will help you become a more effective leader by: Cultivating a culture that builds improved employee engagement and long-term success Outlining seven time-proven principles that break down the natural walls within the workplace Overcoming personal failures at work and home Empowering your managers and employees Disarming difficulties in the workplace Discover the truth of the power of love to change the course of your business and your life today!

Esta guia practica y concisa sobre el liderazgo cristiano efectivo llevara su liderazgo rapidamente a un nivel superior. "El arte del liderazgo"comienza en uno mismo con un enfoque en el liderazgo propio, y transiciona a la habilidad de liderar a los demas. El libro propone a los lideres el desafio de desarrollar su propio potencial y despues ocupar su vida en la de otros.

Esta obra ha sido disenada para el estudio individual o grupal, con actividades y medidas concretas que se centran en la transformacion de la vida, y cuyos resultados le mantendran ocupado en la lectura y en la practica. Ademas, puede usarse como herramienta de capacitacion para otros lideres.

Algunos de los capitulos incluyen:

Primera parte: Liderarse usted mismo

1. El lider entiende el liderazgo
2. El potencial del lider
3. El lider y La vision
4. El lider y Los objetivos
5. El lider y El tiempo
6. El lider y Las prioridades

Segunda parte: Guiar a otros

7. El Lider y Las habilidades de la gente
8. El lider y El elegir a otros lideres
9. El lider y La personalidad

This concise, practical guide to effective Christian leadership will quickly take your leadership to a higher level. "El arte del liderazgo "begins on the inside with a focus on self-leadership and then transitions to the skill of leading others. The book challenges leaders to develop their own potential and then invest their lives in others.

Designed for individual or group study, the practical action assignments focus on life transformation and the results will keep you reading and practicing. The book can be easily used as a teaching tool for training other leaders.

Sample Chapters include:

Part One: Leading Yourself

1. The Leader Understands Leadership
2. The Leader's Potential.
3. The Leader and Vision
4. The Leader and Goals
5. The Leader and Time
6. The Leader and Priorities

Part Two: Leading Others

7. The Leader and People Skills
8. The Leader and Choosing Other Leaders
9. The Leader and Personality

First full-length study of the life and career of John Henry Williams, one of the most fascinating figures of the eighteenth-century church. John Henry Williams was the vicar of Wellesbourne in south Warwickshire from 1778 until his death some fifty years later. A dedicated pastor, displaying an `enlightened and liberal' outlook, his career illuminates the Church of England's condition in the period, and also a clergyman's place in local society. However, he was not merely a country parson. A `political clergyman', Williams engaged fervently in both provincial and national political debate, denouncing the war with revolutionary France between 1793 and 1802, and published a series of forceful sermons condemning the struggle on Christian principles. To opponents, he appeared insidious and blinkered, but to admirers he was 'a sound divine, and not a less sound politician'. This book, the first to examine Williams' career in full, is a detailed, vivid, and sometimes moving, study of a man who occupies an honorable and significant position in the Church of England's history and in the history of British peace campaigning. Dr COLIN HAYDON teaches in the Department of History at the University of Winchester.

Since the re-introduction of the permanent diaconate for men after the Second Vatican Council there has been debate over whether women should be included. Would diaconal ordination be a support in the charitable and ecclesiastical tasks women are already performing? Is it necessary? Would it be a help or a hindrance in women's attaining the priesthood? In A New Phoebe, women in the U.S. and German-the two countries with the most deacons-write about their ideas and experiences of ministry: some would seek the diaconate if it were open, others would not. The concluding essays, including an interview with Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler, the first chair of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on the Permanent Diaconate, provide additional historical background.

Empowering Authority is a collection of dialogues about the central crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in our times: the role of authority in the identity of the church and its mission to the world. Against the background of the Vatican investigation of Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen of the Archdiocese of Western Washington, the conversations presented here attempt to re-examine the ways in which authority speaks "authoritatively."

Staffing Tomorrow's Parishes presents the results of the October 1989 IPL symposium, "Parish Leadership in the Light of the Diminishing Number of Priests".

Is your organization in danger of Mission Drift?
Without careful attention, faith-based organizations drift from their founding mission.
It's that simple. It will happen.
Slowly, silently, and with little fanfare, organizations routinely drift from their purpose, and many never return to their original intent. Harvard and the YMCA are among those that no longer embrace the Christian principles on which they were founded. But they didn't drift off course overnight. Drift often happens in small and subtle ways. Left unchecked, it eventually becomes significant.
Yet Mission Drift is not inevitable. Organizations such as Compassion International and InterVarsity have exhibited intentional, long-term commitment to Christ.
Why do so many organizations--including churches--wander from their mission, while others remain Mission True? Can drift be prevented? In "Mission Drift," HOPE International executives Peter Greer and Chris Horst tackle these questions. They show how to determine whether your organization is in danger of drift, and they share the results of their research into Mission True and Mission Untrue organizations. Even if your organization is Mission True now, it's wise to look for ways to inoculate yourself against drift. You'll discover what you can do to prevent drift or get back on track and how to protect what matters most.

Leadership. What does it mean? How do I do it? Who is a leader and who is not? Relational Leadership will stimulate your thinking about leadership and management, causing you to both ask questions and find answers. Ultimately, this will enable you to invest yourself in people for the sake of the kingdom. Drawing on leadership theory, his own experience and insights from Jude, Philemon and Colossians, Walter Wright has written a book that will be valuable to anyone in a position of leadership. Leadership is not an assigned role but a way of living that suffuses everything we do and are. The goal of this book is to empower others to contribute to achieving the mission of the organizations with which they are involved. Wright not only presents an ideal but offers practical suggestions for handling such thorny issues as the management of volunteers and performance reviews.

Is successful leadership measured simply by the outcomes a leader achieves, or is there another-more essential-yardstick for measuring success? In Redefining Leadership, author, pastor, and college president Joe Stowell shows us that the best leaders are driven by Christ-formed character, and that truly successful leadership is not defined by the standards of this world but by the counterintuitive practices and perspectives of the Kingdom of Christ. With compelling personal stories and insights from the Bible, he highlights the contrast between these two radically different leadership styles and demonstrates that the teaching and example of King Jesus, the world's most unlikely leader, is the only model of leadership that leads to maximum results, results that will have an eternal impact.

Many of the questions individual churches are asking today about their relationship to one another and the goal of unity among them have a very long history. This book tells the story of the way these questions have arisen and discusses why they can be so hard to answer in modern times. The author asks what we mean by "a church" and how different Christian bodies have understood the way "a church" is related to "the Church." The concept of "communion" is discussed, which looks ecumenically hopeful as a guide to the way forward.

"Effective Church Growth Strategies" outlines the biblical foundations necessary for raising healthy churches. Dr. Joseph Wall and Dr. Gene Getz examine the three stages of church growth—the logical stage, the practical stage and the progressive stage—while showing the benefits and potential pitfalls of each of these stages. The authors' study of Scripture, history and our culture will spark a new vision for today's church leaders.

Concrete solutions to real-world problems are discussed in this guidebook for church officers on how to increase the involvement of African American males in the ministry. From drugs and prison to health and homosexuality, this treatise investigates the needs and trends of African American males, the steps the church has taken to address these issues, and modern troubles relating to involvement in the church.

Churches, Just Like People, Need to Be Set Free From Spiritual Bondage Corporate sin robs the spiritual vitality and fruitfulness of churches, keeping them from being free in Christ. In Setting Your Church Free trusted authors Neil T. Anderson and Charles Mylander offer practical and life-giving tools for dealing biblically with corporate sin in the church. Offering a balanced approach, this unique book takes into account the reality of the spiritual world as well as the need for correcting leadership and administration problems. You will discover how to * Unite around a common purpose * Deal with the power of memories that affect the present and future of the church * Defeat Satan's attacks, and * Move forward with a strong, effective action plan. Churches that put these steps into practice will be set free from bondage to walk in the freedom Christ offers.