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Just as a physically healthy person--at an ideal weight and with
good blood pressure and cholesterol numbers--might not actually be
fit enough to run a 5k, so churches can appear healthy--with no
obvious issues, maintaining a healthy size--and yet not exhibit
fitness. A fit church is one that is not satisfied with merely
coasting along with no problems. A fit church is actively making
disciples, maturing in faith, developing strong leaders, reaching
out to the community, and more. Building the Body offers pastors
and church leaders twelve characteristics of fit churches and shows
them how they can move their church through five levels of fitness,
from beginner all the way to elite--just as an athlete, through
training and practice, can become the top in his or her class.
Includes comparison charts at the end of each chapter so readers
can clearly see where their church currently falls and concluding
"Complete the Progress Chart" so that they can see what their goals
should be for the future.
Being a pastor is a complex and demanding role, especially for
someone leading alone. The majority of pastors find themselves in
this position, leading their smaller church with no additional
professional assistance. The challenges are many, including
loneliness, isolation, self-doubt, overwhelm, feelings of
inadequacy, and a constant search for additional resources and
volunteers. Where does a solo pastor turn for help and
encouragement? With compassion and plenty of proven, practical
strategies, church consultant and former solo pastor Gary L.
McIntosh steps in to fill the void. In this book he helps the solo
pastor * understand the strengths and challenges of the solo-pastor
church * develop effective leadership skills * build and maintain
vital relationships * manage expectations * spot and neutralize
"bullies" who seek to control the church * communicate clearly *
make the most of limited resources * establish healthy priorities
and boundaries * and more
A startling 85% of churches in the US are plateaued or declining, a
trend that has been building for the past fifty years. In the face
of shrinking attendance and lagging spiritual growth, pastors and
church leaders are understandably discouraged and demoralized. But
the first step to turning things around is hope. Church health
expert Gary McIntosh offers this hope by showing church leaders the
first things they need to do to make a new start for their church.
God can and does restore churches to new life, even as he restores
individuals. The street-smart ideas and step-by-step instructions
found in this book are ones that pastors and church leaders can put
to use immediately in their churches to bring about solid growth
and renewed hope for the future.
Framed as a discussion between a pastor six months out of seminary
and a veteran pastor, this book tackles the issues of how churches
grow and how church size determines effective strategy for
ministry. The pastors' Saturday morning dialogues reveal ten areas
that will help readers understand their own church's psychology,
addressing many questions that will make this book a vital resource
for any new pastor, church planter, or lay leader concerned about
his or her local church.
All local churches experience a predictable life cycle of growth
and decline. But if a church is on a downward trend, how can it
turn around? "Taking Your Church to the Next Level" explains the
impact of age and size on churches and outlines the improvements
that must be made at each point for a church to remain fruitful and
faithful to its mission. McIntosh deftly describes the cycles of
fruitfulness and the importance of continual improvement to
diminish destructive forces that keep a congregation from its
mission. Church leaders, pastors, and all who care about the church
and desire to see it experience biblical growth will benefit from
the sage wisdom offered in these pages.
The Christian world has been rocked by the number of prominent
leaders, in both church and parachurch organizations, who have been
compromised by moral, ethical, and theological failures. This
pace-setting volume addresses this alarming problem and offers
Christian leaders valuable guidance in dealing with the inherent
risks of their work.
Using biblical and current examples, the authors describe the
characteristics of five types of leaders and the problems that are
most likely to develop if their particular dysfunctions develop
unrestrained. McIntosh and Rima offer a series of steps for leaders
to consider so they can take control of their dark side and learn
to harness its creative powers. This edition includes a new
introduction, updated information throughout, a self-assessment
tool, and other additional material. Includes endorsements from
John Maxwell, Leighton Ford, Leith Anderson, and Rob Angel.
It's no secret that the evangelism methods of yesterday are not
yielding the kinds of results they did in the 1970s and 1980s. So
how are new Christians hearing the Gospel today? How are they
finding churches? And what makes them stay at a church? The answers
to these questions have the power to dramatically alter the way we
do outreach. And Dr. McIntosh has them. Based on ten years of
scientific research, Growing God's Church shows pastors and church
leaders how people are actually coming to faith in the 21st
century. It covers factors such as our motive for ministry, the
priorities churches set for themselves, the reality of churchless
Christians, generational and gender-based differences in evangelism
effectiveness, the name of your church, the influence of pastors,
and much more. The appendix includes a copy of the survey that
provides the basis for McIntosh's arguments and an overview of the
study is provided in the first chapter.
Gaining form and momentum over the second half of the 20th century,
the Church Growth movement has become an enormous shaping force on
the Western church today. You may love it, you may hate it, but you
can t deny its impact. But what exactly is Church Growth? In what
ways has the movement actually brought growth to the church, and
how effective has it been in doing so? What are its strengths and
weaknesses? This timely book addresses such questions. After
providing a richly informative history and overview, it
explores---in a first-ever roundtable of their leading
voices---five main perspectives, both pro and con, on the classic
Church Growth movement: *Effective Evangelism View (Elmer Towns)
*Gospel in Our Culture View (Craig Van Gelder) *Centrist View
(Charles Van Engen) *Reformist View (Gailyn Van Rheenan) *Renewal
View (Howard Snyder) As in other Counterpoints books, each view is
first presented by its proponent, then critiqued by his
co-contributors. The book concludes with reflections by three
seasoned pastors who have grappled with the practical implications
of Church Growth. The interactive and fair-minded nature of the
Counterpoints format allows the reader to consider the strengths
and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal
conclusions. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for
comparison and critique of different views on issues important to
Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life
and Exploring Theology. Complete your library with other books in
the Counterpoints series."
If most pastors were pressed to describe an average day of
ministry, they'd have trouble doing it. In a single day, a pastor
may fill many different roles in quick succession, from counselor
to theologian to student to CEO to custodian (well, let's hope
there's usually someone else available to perform that last role).
Some roles come more naturally than others, but every pastor wants
to perform each role to the best of their ability. In The 10 Key
Roles of a Pastor, church consultant Gary L. McIntosh shows pastors
how to - understand and juggle their many essential roles -
prioritize their time and energy - manage their people's
expectations of them - and empower others to take up the vital work
of the church body Pastors just starting out in ministry, as well
as those who have been at it a while and find themselves overworked
and overwhelmed, will value this practical resource. It is also an
enlightening read for those in church leadership who would benefit
from understanding the pressures their pastor faces on a daily
basis.
Pastors and church leaders are constantly faced with strategic
questions. How much staff does the church need? How many workers
are needed in the nursery this month? When is the right time to
start a second worship service? How many people should we train for
evangelism this year? How does seating and parking impact worship
attendance? When church leaders have questions about planning,
running, or growing their churches, they need answers fast
"What Every Pastor Should Know" offers pastors and leaders 101
valuable rules and "sacred" laws to help answer real-life ministry
questions. From advertising to facilities to visitation, this
valuable book offers the practical help that leaders need, just
when they need it most. This comprehensive guide will become one of
the most valuable books in a leader's library. Never again will
they wonder if they based critical decisions on the right
information. They'll get the answers they're looking for all in one
place.
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War Diary (Paperback)
Gary L. McIntosh
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R758
R648
Discovery Miles 6 480
Save R110 (15%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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The destroyers of World War II were the workhorses of the fleet,
but their contributions have been largely forgotten in the passage
of time. Even during the war, official reports listed the names of
all battleships, cruisers, and aircraft carriers participating in
an operation, but the destroyers that escorted the Task Group and
drew the dangerous close in fire support tasks were seldom listed
by name or hull number. They were grouped in classifications such
as "fourteen Destroyers" or merely, "fourteen escorts."
Drawing on official records and the memories of the men who fought
in the Pacific War from its decks, Gary McIntosh has created a
highly readable history of the USS Stevens, a Fletcher-class
destroyer that participated in some of the better known invasions
of the war and some that have been virtually forgotten. Spanning
the years from the time the ship was launched in June 1942 until it
was decommissioned in September 1946, few books have ever
chronicled the life of a single ship the way this one does. Tin Can
Sailors and landlubbers alike will enjoy this story of life aboard
a destroyer during the greatest conflict the world has ever known.
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