Practical Church

If churches are the dwelling place of God’s spirit, why are so many built around the strategies of man? Eager for growth, leaders can be lured by entertaining new schemes, forgetting doctrinal truth as their driving force. Churches must humbly lean on the sufficiency of God’s word. How to Build a Healthy Church challenges leaders to evaluate their motivations for ministry and provides examples of healthy, deliberate leadership. This is more than a step-by-step plan to mimic; it’s a biblical blueprint for pastors, elders, and anyone committed to the church’s vitality.

Your church has the opportunity of a lifetime. The world has shifted, and a new, brighter tomorrow awaits. The Church Revitalization Checklist is a tool to help you start fresh, leverage your strengths, and discover hidden opportunities for church growth.

Understanding Christian Denominations: A Guide to Doctrines, Worship, and Beliefs Across the Church Are you curious about the real differences between Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and the many branches of Protestantism? Do you want a clear, concise guide to how Christians around the world understand salvation, scripture, sacraments, and worship? This comprehensive and reader-friendly book breaks down the complex world of Christian denominations—without bias, jargon, or theological confusion. Understanding Christian Denominations explores the key beliefs, practices, and structures that define ...

There is much at stake in God making humanity male and female. Created for one another yet distinct from each other, a man and a woman are not interchangeable — they are designed to function according to a divine fittedness. But when this design is misunderstood, ignored, or abused, there are dire consequences.

How to Start a Church -- EVEN if you have never been to Bible school or seminary. Don't know how to plant a healthy church? Want a step-by-step plan that's CHRIST-CENTERED? Need a strategy for church planting that will work anywhere in the world? Ever wish you could start a church that changes lives? Starting churches has quickly become THE way to reach lost people today. The problem? Copying church planting models doesn't produce the same results. The secret is to plant a church deeply in love with Jesus and committed to obeying His commands. In this guide, "Simple Church Planting," you'll...

When was the last time you had an honest, heartfelt, yet kind and productive conversation with someone about depression, mental illness, substance abuse, pornography, premarital sex, racism, divorce, abortion, LGBT issues, or politics? If you're tired of avoiding tough conversations, Challenging Conversations is the book you've been waiting for. With straightforward answers to some of the most challenging moral issues disrupting the church, this book will help you build your confidence using three simple steps to becoming a conversant Christian.

Cultural Christians in the Early Church, which aims to be both historical and practical, argues that cultural Christians were the rule, rather than the exception, in the early church. Using different categories of sins as its organizing principle, the book considers the challenge of culture to the earliest converts to Christianity, as they struggled to live on mission in the Greco-Roman cultural milieu of the Roman Empire.

A Lifestyle of Evangelism You can make a difference for all of eternity by demonstrating God's love and power to the world, starting today. The best way to describe evangelism in its simplicity is an outer flow of love and power to the world because of your committed, loving relationship with Jesus. A Practical Guide to Evangelism, Supernaturally has the potential to ignite the fire of God's love to touch a hurting and dying world. As believers, our first ministry is to the Lord Jesus Christ in our worship and devotion. Our 2nd ministry is to be in community and fellowship with other ...

Jesus came to earth with a mission to seek and save the lost. He established the church to carry out this mission he started. This inspiring and practical manual is based on the premise that planting churches is the single most effective way of fulfilling the Great Commission.

Taking a look at how the fivefold ministers relate to the church today.... Discover how the fivefold ministry was created to work within the local church, the training ground for ministry. These ministers - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers - are coaches who equip and train God’s people to release his power for works of service. Learn how proven fivefold ministers can be mentored and released in the body of Christ.

We live in a leadership paradox: In a time that needs leadership more than ever, people are more reluctant than ever to take on the responsibility of leadership. In addition, the average leader in our churches or faith-based organizations doesn’t necessarily have the time or desire to pore through shelves of leadership material. To Lead: A Practical Guide for Leaders in Churches and Faith-Based Organizations is Joel Milgate’s contribution toward filling that gap.

The Hybrid Congregation explores how technology has become an integral part of our daily lives and how it is impacting religious practices in unexpected ways. With the rise of online platforms, including social media and video conferencing tools, the concept of a physical church space is being redefined. The virtual world is now an extension of our physical reality, blurring the lines between what is considered "real" and what is not.

He is the can do, will do, go-to guy for his pastor during the services at his church. He sets aside his personal desires to serve his pastor, the congregation, and the guests in attendance. He is the smile and extended hand of welcome as you enter the doors to his church. He’s the guy ready with the answers to your questions or he knows where to get the answers. The professional manner in which he conducts himself creates a smooth and seamless worship experience for all those in his building. He’s the watchman at the gate, keeping an eye out for dangers.

If you have suffered spiritual abuse from a toxic church, toxic organization, or toxic leader, your trust has been broken. You entrusted your life to someone you thought would care for you: someone who initially inspired you to know God, only to reject you in the end. Now you are left wounded and disillusioned, wondering if you can ever trust others, yourself, or possibly even God, again.

Clean Up on Aisle 7 is a straight-talking, hope-filled guide for pastors and ministry leaders who are navigating the messy realities of church life. Written by seasoned pastors Rev. Michael Page and Rev. David Ralph, this book draws from decades of experience shepherding churches of all sizes — and from their shared passion through Shepherds Hope Ministries to encourage pastors who are in the trenches today. With humor, grace, and practical wisdom, Michael and Dave pull back the curtain on the kinds of conflicts, tensions, and leadership challenges that many pastors never learned about in...

A New Generation Church is a church with attendees whose average age is at least as young as the average age of the community in which the church exists. Any church can become a New Generation Church that reaches and continues to reach the next generation. Written for both church leaders and members, For a New Generation presents practical strategies that lay a foundation for a church to thrive for generations to come. It is based on the assumption that accepting the status quo is the greatest threat to your church’s core mission and, perhaps, to the survival of your church.

Congregations often seek to combat the crisis of decline by using innovation to produce new resources. But leading practical theologian Andrew Root shows that the church's crisis is not in the loss of resources; it's in the loss of life—and that life can only return when we remain open to God's encountering presence. This new book, related to Root's critically acclaimed Ministry in a Secular Age project, addresses the practical form the church must take in a secular age.

On the rear exit way leading out of our church is a sign that reads “You are now entering the mission field.” Having thought about this, I believe the same sign should be placed on the outside for those entering the church. I believe this is true of all churches. Church is not only a place where we come to be fed and spiritually equipped. It is a place where the saints are equipped so they can do works of ministry in their everyday lives (cf. Ephesians 4:11-12). But that is really only a part of what church is all about. Those who come to church only looking to receive will get only ...

Witness with confidence by applying this step by step guide to effective witnessing and discipling. Would you like to know EXACTLY WHAT TO DO, step by step, when sharing the Gospel/witnessing and helping/discipling a new Christian to grow spiritually? Is The GREAT COMMISSION, Jesus’ last command, your FIRST CONCERN? Imagine the joy of obeying the Great Commission and being able to lead people to Christ with ease and confidence and without fear. Can you or your church benefit from some new very practical strategies to share your faith and win souls for Christ? “This book should be in ...

Minister's Handbook: A Guide to Sacred Order, Protocol, and Pastoral Excellence Are you called to serve in ministry? Whether you're a new minister or a seasoned leader, Equipped for Ministry is a comprehensive guide designed to empower you with the biblical foundation, spiritual integrity, and practical tools needed to lead effectively in today’s church. This powerful handbook explores the sacred call to ministry, the responsibilities of various leadership roles—including Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, Deacons, Bishops, and Elders—and provides detailed instruction for ...