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Guided by the gospel imperative to "Go and make disciples of all nations," the ministry of Invite Welcome Connect equips and empowers individuals and congregations to practice evangelism, hospitality, and connectedness. Invite Welcome Connect's founder, Mary Parmer, shares the deep truths of this ministry as well as practical steps to assess your faith community and begin implementation. This resource also features stories of transformation from more than two dozen lay and clergy leaders. Foreword by Michael B. Curry.
The 2011 Sperry Symposium volume explores the rich symbolism of Lehi's dream and Nephi's vision, placing such symbols as the mists of darkness, the great and spacious building, and the church of the Lamb of God in the context of the last days.
The closer we get to the heart of God, the closer we should grow toward the doubter, the skeptic, the differing perspective, even the atheist. And that should make us wonder: Is it possible to grow in our Christian faith without engaging the doubter or the skeptic? And if growing in our faith means growing closer to the doubter, how do we do that without compromising what we believe to be true? The Doubters Club is a guide for people who want to live in friendship with those who think differently than them. In The Doubters Club, youll learn how to: (1) rebuild the impression the other person has of us as Christians; (2) renovate the intention we have with the nonbeliever; (3) rely on an invitation into real life (not a church service); (4) reexamine our views through initiating conversations that matter; and (5) redefine progress as imitation, not just immersion. Youll get practical steps and tools to help you navigate relationships and conversationsbut not foolproof methods (because there arent any). Maybe youre ready to take a chance because its your mom or dad who is the skeptic, a sibling, an old friend, a coworker, or a neighbor. Maybe youre just ready to embrace the adventure of your faith. If you are open to the mystery of doubt, The Doubters Club invites you to bring your uncertainties as common ground for relationship with skeptics and see what God does.
2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought" CategoryWinner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature. Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity, and planet, Loorz turned to the wanderings of spiritual leaders and the sanctuary of the natural world, eventually cofounding the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild. With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it--and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together--a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.
If you love your neighbors, you should invite them to church, right? Wrong. Loving your neighbors isn't about getting them to join you on Sundays. It's about living your faith right where you are and BEING the church to the people around you. This flexible guidebook will help you, your small group, or your church get started in neighborhood ministry and missional living. It includes ideas for group meetings, practices to help you develop a better spiritual life, and real-life ideas for reaching out to your neighborhood. If you really want to know your neighbors and love them like Jesus would, don't invite them to church. BE the church.
Most church members don't see their churches clearly. In almost all of Thom S. Rainer's consultations, church members perceive their church to be friendly. But as he surveyed guests, he found that the guests typically saw church members as unfriendly. The perception chasm existed because the members were indeed friendly . . . to one another. The guests felt like they crashed a private party. Bestselling author Thom Rainer (I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church) has a game plan for churches to become more hospitable. In a format that is suitable for church members to read individually or study together, Rainer guides readers toward a practical framework for making a difference for those who visit their church. Churches may use Becoming a Welcoming Church to assess and audit where they are on a spectrum between welcoming and wanting. Additionally, churches can use the companion book We Want You Here to send guests home with a compelling vision for what pastors want every guest to know when they visit.
Ever wonder why some people never return after their first visit? Why some join but you rarely see them? Or why others become active participants in your church family's life and worship? Discover how your congregation can meet growth challenges. Based on Alban Institute research, The Inviting Church includes a self-study design for assessing assimilation processes and analyzing visitors' perceptions.
When we choose retreat we make a generous investment in our friendship with Christ. Seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently and eloquently leads us into an exploration of retreat as a key practice that opens us to God, guiding us through seven invitations to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.
Maybe you’re a bride-to-be who is about to gain a mother-in-law. Or perhaps you’re a mother-of-the-groom who is about to gain a daughter-in-law. Or maybe you’ve been in an in-law relationship for decades, one that’s been struggling in painful tension for years. No matter your age or stage, every daughter-in-law and mother-in-law needs help navigating their relationship sometimes. Whether the struggle is one of feeling unseen, unheard, or unvalued, authors and in-laws Barbara and Stacy Reaoch have been there, and as they’ve put the Bible’s wisdom to practice over the years, they’ve found that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law really can thrive in the midst of difficulty. In this biblical, practical, and heartfelt book, Barbara and Stacy Reaoch share from their own 20 years of forming a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law bond. As you walk alongside them in their own journey and lessons learned, prepare to be encouraged and equipped in these areas: Expectations Conflict Suffering Communication Parenting And more With the Bible as your foundation and this book as a helpful companion in the journey, take heart: a healthier relationship with your mother-in-law or daughter-in-law is closer than you think!