This Is A New Release Of The Original 1849 Edition.

Accelerating diversity of lifestyles has created a crisis for worship designers. One size does not fit all. No worship service can be "blended" to address the complete needs of a congregation. Moreover, church "shopping" is ending as people are choosing a worship service that directly meets their fundamental anxieties about life (regardless of style). Learn to use lifestyle information in worship planning to design a service that truly reaches the people in your community. This book explains why people worship and guides leaders to design relevant worship services that address people's sense of urgency. It is both practical and theological. The decline of worship attendance in all denominations, and across all "traditional" or "contemporary" styles, is reshaping the quest for relevance. Church leaders are turning away from methods to outcomes. People will only participate in worship if it really matters to the fundamental issues that they face.

Experience God in the here and now through Communion. This book explores how celebrating the presence of God With Us through Holy Communion nourishes our souls, refreshes our sense of community, and equips us for mission in Christ's name. Yet many Christians do not understand Communion or see it only as an empty ritual. Because of that, low worship attendance or enthusiasm commonly accompanies Communion Sundays--leaving churches feeling spiritually depleted. This book provides insights and practical suggestions for giving this sacrament a more prominent role, not just in church life, but in the Christian formation of individuals. For small groups, Sunday school classes, and as a preaching resource, Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us by Kenneth M. Loyer and general editor William H. Willimon is suitable for a four-week study and includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter. The Belief Matters series assists pastors and clergy in explaining fundamental elements of the church and its worship to congregations. Holy Communion is the second in the series and follows Incarnation by William H. Willimon.

Fjallabok (Book of the Mountain) began monthly publication as a digest sized, black and white Asatru magazine. The purpose of the magazine was to spread Skergard members research and personal revelations to others within the United States. Later it also served as a means of communicating organizational events and developments to out-of-state and international affiliates and groups. As the organization expanded the magazine matured into black and white, digest size, issues with approximately 80 pages and a full color cover. Fjallabok ceased publication in 1995. This book is a compilation of Issues 1-10 published from October 1993 through July 1994.

A RETROSPECT
By J. Hudson Taylor
Contents
I. THE POWER OF PRAYER
II. THE CALL TO SERVICE
II. PREPARATION FOR SERVICE
IV. FURTHER ANSWERS TO PRAYER
V. LIFE IN LONDON
VI. STRENGTHENED BY FAITH
VII. MIGHTY TO SAVE
VIII. VOYAGE TO CHINA
IX. EARLY MISSIONARY EXPERIENCES
X. FIRST EVANGELISTIC EFFORTS
XI. WITH THE REV. W. C. BURNS
XII. THE CALL TO SWATOW
"The Missionary Call" Words and Music
XIII. MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES
XIV. PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE
XV. SETTLEMENT IN NINGPO
XVI. TIMELY SUPPLIES
XVII. GOD A REFUGE FOR US
XVIII. A NEW AGENCY NEEDED
XIX. FORMATION OF THE C. I. M.
XX. THE MISSION IN 1894
THE MISSION IN 1902
STATIONS OF THE C. I. M.
Chapter 1 Excerpt
The following account of some of the experiences which eventually led to the formation of the CHINA INLAND MISSION, and to its taking the form in which it has been developed, first appeared in the pages of "China's Millions." Many of those who read it there asked that it might appear in separate form. Miss Guinness incorporated it in the "Story of the China Inland Mission," a record which contained the account of GOD's goodness to the beginning of 1894. But friends still asking for it in pamphlet form, for wider distribution, this edition is brought out.
Much of the material was taken from notes of addresses given in China during a conference of our missionaries; this will account for the direct and narrative form of the papers, which it has not been thought necessary to change.
It is always helpful to us to fix our attention on the GOD-ward aspect of Christian work; to realise that the work of GOD does not mean so much man's work for GOD, as GOD's own work through man. Furthermore, in our privileged position of fellow-workers with Him, while fully recognising all the benefits and blessings to be bestowed on a sin-stricken world through the proclamation of the Gospel and spread of the Truth, we should never lose sight of the higher aspect of our work - that of obedience to GOD, of bringing glory to His Name, of gladdening the heart of our GOD and FATHER by living and serving as His beloved children.
Many circumstances connected with my own early life and service presented this aspect of work vividly to me; and as I think of some of them, I am reminded of how much the cause of missions is indebted to many who are never themselves permitted to see the mission field - many, it may be, who are unable to give largely of their substance, and who will be not a little surprised in the Great Day to see how much the work has been advanced by their love, their sympathy, and their prayers. . .
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Windham Press is committed to bringing the lost cultural heritage of ages past into the 21st century through high-quality reproductions of original, classic printed works at affordable prices.
This book has been carefully crafted to utilize the original images of antique books rather than error-prone OCR text. This also preserves the work of the original typesetters of these classics, unknown craftsmen who laid out the text, often by hand, of each and every page you will read. Their subtle art involving judgment and interaction with the text is in many ways superior and more human than the mechanical methods utilized today, and gave each book a unique, hand-crafted feel in its text that connected the reader organically to the art of bindery and book-making.
We think these benefits are worth the occasional imperfection resulting from the age of these books at the time of scanning, and their vintage feel provides a connection to the past that goes beyond the mere words of the text.

In Binding Earth and Heaven, Gary Shepherd and Gordon Shepherd use early nineteenth-century Mormonism as a case study to examine questions about how new religious movements may, as rare exceptions, survive and even eventually become successful in spite of intense opposition. Initial scorn and contempt for Mormonism--the fledgling creation of the young Joseph Smith--quickly elevated to mob violence as both Smith's innovative teachings and converted followers proliferated, resulting in the widely held perception that the Mormons constituted a social menace. This book examines how Mormonism attracted and maintained the loyalty of increasing numbers of people despite mounting hostilities and severe hardships.

The book focuses on the unique Mormon ritual (and accompanying doctrinal underpinnings) of "patriarchal blessings." Patriarchal blessings were an innovative adaptation of the Old Testament practice of fathers making quasi-legal pronouncements over the heads of their sons--a way of verbally conferring rights, promises, admonition, and guidance to heirs. Binding Earth and Heaven shows how the organizational complexities of this practice contributed to strengthening and sustaining member faith and fealty, thereby bolstering the continuity and development of Mormonism.

In the first edition of Making the Church Work, Hammett wrote that the church is not only in need of change, but also in need of a conversion. Now his conviction is stronger than ever. In this second edition, he addresses the issues of changing values--values about what leaders and their congregations are doing as a church and the effectiveness of their techniques. Hammett is convinced that until church leaders change their values, healthy, relevant, and effective churches are not likely to appear. Unique features of this book include: ? Overview of trends and issues impacting the church's ineffectiveness ? Opportunities for individual readers and small groups, and congregations to reflect on their journey in light of these trends and issues Practical guidance for addressing some problems and for equipping the church for more effective ministry in the 21st century

Women are conspicuously absent from the Jewish mystical tradition. Even if historically some Jewish women may have experienced mystical revelations and led richly productive spiritual lives, the tradition does not preserve any record of their experiences or insights. Only the chance survival of scant evidence suggests that, at various times and places, individual Jewish women did pursue the path of mystical piety or prophetic spirituality, but it appears that they were generally censured, and efforts were made to suppress their activities. This contrasts sharply with the fully acknowledged prominence of women in the mystical traditions of both Christianity and Islam. It is against this background that the mystical messianic movement centred on the personality of Sabbatai Zevi (1626 - 76) stands out as a unique and remarkable exception. Sabbatai Zevi addressed to women a highly original liberationist message, proclaiming that he had come to make them 'as happy as men' by releasing them from the pangs of childbirth and the subjugation to their husbands that were ordained for women as a consequence of the primordial sin. This unprecedented redemptive vision became an integral part of Sabbatian eschatology, which the messianists believed to be unfolding and experienced in the present. Their New Law, superseding the Old with the dawning of the messianic era, overturned the traditional halakhic norms that distinguished and regulated relations between the sexes. This was expressed not only in the outlandish ritual transgression of sexual prohibitions, in which Sabbatian women were notoriously implicated, but also in the apparent adoption of the idea - alien to rabbinic Judaism - that virginity, celibacy, or sexual abstinence were conducive to women's spiritual empowerment. Ada Rapoport-Albert traces the diverse manifestations of this vision in every phase of Sabbatianism and its offshoots. These include the early promotion of women to centre-stage as messianic prophetesses; their independent affiliation with the movement in their own right; their initiation in the esoteric teachings of the kabbalah; and their full incorporation, on a par with men, into the ritual and devotional life of the messianic community. Their investment with authority was such as to elevate the messiah's wife (a figure mostly absent from traditional messianic speculations) to the rank of full messianic consort, sharing in her husband's redemptive mission as well as his divine dimension. By the late eighteenth century, a syncretistic cult had developed that recognized in Eva - the unmarried daughter of Jacob Frank, one of Sabbatai Zevi's apostate messianic successors - an incarnate female aspect of the kabbalistic godhead, worshipped by her father's devotees as 'Holy Virgin' and female messiah. This was the culmination of the Sabbatian endeavour to transcend the traditional gender paradigm that had excluded women from the public arena of Jewish spiritual life. This work is translated by Deborah Greniman.

This early work by Jerome K. Jerome was originally published in 1909 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Fanny and the Servant Problem' is a drama in four acts. Jerome Klapka Jerome was born in Walsall, England in 1859. Both his parents died while he was in his early teens, and he was forced to quit school to support himself. In 1889, Jerome published his most successful and best-remembered work, 'Three Men in a Boat'. Featuring himself and two of his friends encountering humorous situations while floating down the Thames in a small boat, the book was an instant success, and has never been out of print. In fact, its popularity was such that the number of registered Thames boats went up fifty percent in the year following its publication.

Ordo Aurum, The Golden Order of the Almighty. In 171 pages, it contains the internal structure, teachings of five degrees, and symbology of the Order. Most importantly, through the tireless work of the Loremaster and his assistant, a detailed, yet succinct record of the 2,500 year history, covering the lives of 12 of the most memorable and influential Grandmasters. Read the history of the Golden Scroll and the full text of it, discover how the form of the scepter of Nebuchadnezzar morphs over time, ponder the Visions of Nicolaus Farel 1914, and know why the Order maintains such a stronghold in the Christian metal community.

Although so many Christians live in multiracial and multicultural communities, many Christian churches do not reflect the diversity of their communities. Sunday morning worship remains racially divided. Multiracial Church Dynamics offers a straightforward examination of the topic. The strategies to move from uniracial to multiracial churches are relevant to a broad audience in the Christian community, pastors and laity alike. The specificity of the topic and the author's clear viewpoint all contribute to a clearly presented controlling idea, one that readers will understand and appreciate. Bishop William H. Willimon writes in the foreword: "Richard Stryker is not content simply to lament the sad state of the church to obey Christ's commands and to embody the reach and the richness of his salvation in our life together. In this book he offers specific, tested, practical help for pastors and church leaders who want their congregations to grow and to be all that God intends."