Small Church

Small Church Essentials is for leaders of smaller congregations. It encourages them to steward their role well, debunking myths about small churches while offering principles for leading a dynamic, healthy small church. Based on the popular six-hour lecture that Karl Vaters delivers to church leaders across the country, Small Church Essentials will affirm small church leaders and show them how to identify what they do well and how to do it even better.

House church advocates want pastors to know exactly why they left the institutional church. They have legitimate disagreements with the way the local church is functioning today, and their issues have been largely ignored by pastors and those who are in leadership. Their evacuation out of the institutional church and into house churches may be the wrong move for some of the right reasons. There are serious issues to deal with, and pastors, it’s time to wake up and lead the church into the new wine skin.

“An excellent small group study.” – Rev. Travis Knoll In a time of upheaval in the largest denomination of the Methodist movement, this classic explanation and defense of Methodist Christianity by its founder is required reading. Pastor David Wentz has updated Wesley’s 18th-century language, deleted references to no-longer-relevant theological disputes, and added an introduction that sets the work in context. The result is a clear, easy to read text that is enjoyable and understandable for modern readers of all levels of theological interest and expertise. This short book is ideal ...

The development of meaningful relationships, where every member carries a significant sense of belonging, is central to what it means to be the church. So why do many Christians feel disappointed and disillusioned with their efforts to experience authentic community? Despite the best efforts of...

Get swept away into a world of love, danger, and second chances! Tender romance, humor, family, faith, mysteries, and suspense combine in a set sure to keep you reading and give you hours of reading satisfaction. Each story is a clean romance with a heartwarming and uplifting happy ending! Over 4,000 reviews for the solo books in the collection combined, with half of the books having over 1,000 reviews each! Book 1: Seaside Cowboy’s Second Chance A woman with broken dreams and promises. A cowboy with a broken--by her--heart. A stray dog with a possibly broken paw. And everyone with a ...

Church Revitalization guides current and future leaders through the often-complex process of bringing a church to a place of vibrancy. This book demonstrates how the overarching goal of seeing people come to faith in Christ and develop into Christlikeness can—and must—inform the most foundational to the most fleeting aspects of revitalizing a struggling church.

Flexible, Budget-Friendly Holiday Plays with a Gospel Message Three Christmas Plays and One Easter Play perfect for the small to medium sized congregation. Each only requires about fifteen performers with options to plug in more. The plays incorporate humor, drama, and the Christmas programs are set to include music if desired. Churches love these plays because: 1. Simple Staging- You likely have all the props you already need 2. Adaptable if you have between 10-20 people ready to be involved 3. Optional Musical Cues in the Christmas programs where you can easily work in your own music 4. ...

In this compact disc edition of the totally revised underground bestseller -- The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a...

Three bays. Eighteen books. Endless stories of faith and love. Step into Everlee’s Bay Romance Mega Box Set—a captivating collection that combines the complete Chalet on Barco Bay, Queensboro Bay, and Vineyard at East Bay series. Each story is set against the stunning backdrops of Michigan’s most picturesque bays, blending faith, romance, and community into one unforgettable reading experience. • At Barco Bay, a coastal volunteer community proves that serving others leads to healing, friendship, and love. • At Queensboro Bay, a family struggles to restore a crumbling inn into a ...

Ever wonder what it's really like to visit a new church? This honest journey through 52 churches in 1 year reveals the beautiful diversity and troubling divisions within American Christianity. When Peter DeHaan set out to visit a different Christian church every Sunday for an entire year, he expected to learn about worship styles. What he discovered was far more profound: churches where visitors are truly welcomed and others where they're ignored; congregations clinging to the past and those embracing innovation; communities overflowing with genuine love and gatherings marked by lonely ...

Jesus is building His ekklesia. Yet the concept of ekklesia is new to many believers. This Handbook will provide you with the basics you need to understand it and how to gather effectively with other believers. In The Believers Handbook for New Testament Gatherings you will learn:The mission of the ekklesia—and how it propels you to use your gifts and calling to bless others The Values of the Kingdom that will strengthen youHow to gather with believers for Kingdom impact...and much more!

Four sweet and clean Christian romances to warm your heart this holiday season! Snuggle up with these faith-filled stories of hope and love, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. Visit London for a series of Christmas dates, experience New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh, fall in love after a marriage of convenience in a beach town, and discover home and healing in small-town Oregon, all within the pages of these complete and standalone romances. If you love Hallmark movies, Love Inspired Books, and deeply emotional stories of overcoming heartache to find happily-ever-afters, chances are the...

When Zara Hunter’s left with a goofy dog, the husky brings more mischief than Zara’s organized life can handle. Zara Hunter runs her life like a well-oiled machine. With work, helping the worship team every week, and spending time with friends, she has no room for pets, men, or shenanigans. When her grandfather passes away, he leaves his dog, Blizzard, to Zara. Not only is the dog quirky, but Blizzard brings more chaos than Zara’s tranquil life allows. Gerard Hancock’s world came tumbling down years ago when he hit rock bottom due to drinking and drugs. His older brother takes him ...

When carolers attack, you know retirement isn't going as planned. Mabel Frost thought her biggest Christmas challenge would be untangling lights and surviving her grandchildren's sugar-fueled chaos. Then the charming new choir director started asking very personal questions about everyone's bank accounts. Harold Wimbley, the church's meticulous treasurer, thinks something's fishy about all those "enhanced worship experiences" that cost a fortune. But when Harold turns up dead in the sanctuary, his "natural causes" death feels anything but natural to Mabel. Armed with her leaf blower, a ...

Who would murder a church pastor? Furthermore, WHY would anyone murder one of the most respected pastors in the small town? The list of suspects grows as the Chief of Police, Frederick Earl investigates the shocking murder of First Church Pastor, Todd Pierce. The brutal mode of the homicide has the chief wondering what clues are hidden in the execution. The investigation leads the chief and his officers through a series of interviews including other pastors, church members, those hostile toward the church, trespassers, protestors, loyal church members and others. Will the murderer strike ...

For fourteen-year-old Leah Payne, life in her beloved coastal Carolina town is worlds away from the harsh realities of the day. Loyal to her lumberjack father, she knows only of the familiarity of her small community, the magic of the natural world, and the creative intuition that prompts her to march to the beat of her own drum. But when an accident takes her father's life, leaving her an orphan, Leah finds herself cast into a family of strangers whose welcoming façade hides a terrible secret.

Testimony Book Three of the Still Small Voice Trilogy Dead Volkswagens, cheating carhops, unused oven mitts, Job’s friends, burned Barbie™ dolls, hip waders, horse whips, twenty-two talks, dozens of stories, hundreds of scriptures and testimonies, one purpose: that you and I can “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are ...

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...

There’s more to salvation than punching your ticket for heaven. John Wesley taught that full salvation means becoming completely holy in heart and life. This focus on personal holiness was one of the defining characteristics of the Wesleyan revival. The many Methodist and Wesleyan denominations, the Pentecostal and holiness movements, and the Salvation Army all trace their lineage back to these teachings. Wesley’s followers believed what he taught fiercely, lived it out faithfully, and witnessed to it boldly, to the point that they were often violently persecuted. Today, millions of ...

Retired travel photographer Clara Whitcombe came to Charleston for the azaleas and the architecture. She expected to spend her days capturing the city's legendary beauty through her lens while her loyal companion Atlas—a German Shepherd–Great Pyrenees mix with instincts sharper than any human's—padded contentedly at her side. But when Clara joins a historic walking tour through the French Quarter, her camera catches something she was never meant to see: a shadow moving in the window of an abandoned carriage house. Hours later, a real estate heir is found dead inside that same building...