New Church

The Honest Guide to Church Planting is for those toiling in the trenches, those about to bail out, and those considering jumping into the work of planting churches. Tom Bennardo writes candidly of the challenges so planters and sending agencies can embrace a realistic picture of church planting that leads to thriving, fruitful ministry.

Discover how every member of the body of Christ is affected and empowered for ministry when elders give healthy oversight to the church. This biblical model communicates the family character of the church as teams of servant-leaders equip, protect, and love the local church. Complete with evaluation questionnaires, sabbatical guidelines, sample church by-laws, keys to developing a vision statement, biblical steps to make godly decisions, maintaining a leader’s health, and much more.

In this short, accessible account of the Eastern Orthodox Church, John McGuckin begins by tackling the question "What is the Church?" His answer is a clear, historically and theologically rooted portrait of what the Church is for Orthodox Christianity and how it differs from Western Christians' expectations.

In the fifth and final installment of his best-selling Jesus series, David Limbaugh digs into the New Testament epistles with passion and imagination, showing that the testimony of Jesus’ earliest followers provides irrefutable proof of his resurrection.

The reason for this book: to bring to us a totally new beginning for the body of Christ. Gene Edwards challenges the long-held evangelical ideal of restoring a so-called "New Testament church" by reconstructing its biblical elements. Edwards argues that the early churches described in the New Testament were not institutional models to replicate but organic, living expressions of Christ—unique, Spirit-led communities that emerged naturally within their cultural contexts.

Sex and money scandals. An exploding divorce rate. Drug-addicted youths. And an ever-growing worldliness. Today's evangelical church is fighting battles on all fronts. And we seem to be losing these battles to the relentlessly encroaching world. Perhaps the answers to our problems are not in the present, but in the past. Because there was time when Christians were able to stand up to world.

The Church's Best-Kept Secret is a short primer which lays out the basics of Catholic social teaching in a way accessible to the ordinary Catholic as well as to any other person of good will attempting to grasp this often profoundly misunderstood area of Church doctrine and practice. Writing in everyday language for the non-scholar, award-winning writer Mark Shea concisely describes the roots of Catholic social teaching in Scripture and tradition and gives simple, practical examples of how it works in ordinary life.

Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens, and Dwight J. Friesen have seen—in cities, suburbs, and small towns all over North America—how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy, and culture. This is not a new idea—the concept of a parish is as old as Paul's letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement, the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air, like a sign of new life.

Michael McGarry explores the foundation of youth ministry in the Old and New Testaments and brings that together with Church history in a compelling way. This contemplative and well-researched book provides a careful critique of youth ministry along with practical guidance for those serving in ministry.

This is a must-read for pastors and lay leaders involved in, or wanting to learn about, the church multiplication groundswell in North America. It shows how multiplying churches should be a natural, regular function in the DNA of every church. Learn the principles from master multiplier Bob Roberts. Here is powerful hope for the church in America.

The Domestic Church: Room by Room is so much more than a mother's study guide for women who want to deepen their understanding of their vocations. It is an exploration of Catholic teaching as it relates to our roles as women, wives, mothers, and citizens of the world at large. Referring back to Scripture, papal encyclicals, apostolic letters, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the words of the great saints, Donna weaves together the life story of every Catholic woman, regardless of her age, background, family situation, or career choice.

After 30 years as a committed Christian, Pastor Bo Williams realized there were still theological knots to untie for him to gain greater levels of spiritual freedom. He shares his personal journey to understanding more deeply what Christ accomplished at the cross and how that impacts who we are as new creations. With vulnerability, Bo unpacks questions like, “Are we sinners saved by grace or saints who sometimes sin?” and, “Why do believers still struggle with sin?”

The very fact that listeners may find themselves surprised now and again by the prominent role of women in certain events and movements proves an inequality that historical narrative has often been guilty of. This is a book about women. In Daughters of the Church, authors Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld have endeavored to present an objective story.

Christians and other people of good will are longing for a response that can lead the way out of the divisiveness and vitriol of our times. I wrote this book to provide some assistance to listeners to discern a way out of the toxicity in which we live.

A new church model is emerging to effectively reach this generation Micro churches, as a fresh expression of the bride of Christ living in community, are flourishing in many parts of the world. In Micro Church Networks, Larry Kreider explains from decades of first-hand experience how these networks fit the needs, call, and passion of believers from many generations. God is always ready to do a new thing. Larry helps us perceive this new move of God and recognize the significant role of micro church networks in the advancement of God’s kingdom in our present time.

Like cascading dominoes, the intentional departure from believing the Bible is inerrant has plunged the church of the 21st century down the treacherous slippery slope of accommodation and compromise. How is the emergent church's push for globalization harmonizing with the new world order in these prophetic last days? The author unfolds the shocking progression of ideas that were birthed in a nest of aberrant church beliefs.

The Church Cracked Open invites us to surrender privilege and redefine church, not just for the sake of others, but for our own salvation and liberation.

Meticulously Researched. Rigorously Reviewed. Faithfully Accurate. With modern scholarship applied to ancient texts, the NRSVue is designed to help listeners explore the meanings of ancient texts in light of the cultures that produced them with unprecedented listenability, accessibility, and inclusivity.

Jesus is real. He is with you. He is for you. He is your pastor. And he wants to be the pastor of your church. These statements might seem obvious, but what if we all took them seriously? Aaron Gerrard did just that in his journey to plant a church in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. In a new book, Quit Pastoring Your Church, he tells the story of a small church making Jesus their pastor. Gerrard candidly shares his journey to start a new kind of church by allowing Jesus to be the guide, and it radically impacted the story of this new congregation.

Churches committed to following Christ's example want this world changed for the sake of eternity. While the supernatural piece of making that happen goes without saying, how does a body of believers do its part to be in that "sweet spot" where true spiritual transformation occurs?