In a culture that is starving for presence and becoming weary of screens, the analog church offers something beautifully countercultural.The analog church is rooted in sacred slowness. It offers people what they can't get from a device. It offers them us. Not our livestream, not our highlights, but our actual lives.Scripture never rushed. The story of God unfolds with meals and journeys, gardens and wildernesses, decades and generations. Jesus did not post ...

Although spiritual warfare is a recurring theme in Scripture, it is difficult to find balanced, evangelical treatments of this topic. Drawing on their extensive expertise on this subject, as presented in their previous B&H volume Spiritual Warfare in the Storyline of Scripture, Cook and Lawless aim to equip everyday Christians to understand what Scripture teaches about spiritual warfare and how believers can practically apply these scriptural principles. By doing so, readers can e...

Why is it a struggle to pray? Respected professor, speaker, and pastor Dr. Chuck Lawless explores the power of a praying church and how it can transform your ministry.Through prayer, we have access to the all-powerful living God. Even so, too many of us are tempted to start our days prayerless and feeling alone. How can this be? We can't afford to be so negligent, because whether we realize it or not we all face a high-stakes spiritual battle when we step out into o...

Can you identify the key qualities of a committed, passionate, and healthy disciple of Jesus? Chuck Lawless, a respected professor, pastor, and church consultant, discovered that many pastors haven't thought deeply about that question. He wrote this book to provide answers and transform churches for the better.Many church leaders know their communities well and who they are aiming to make disciples of Christ. But too often they haven't thoroughly articulated their ...

In Spiritual Warfare in the Storyline of Scripture, authors Bill Cook and Chuck Lawless provide a comprehensive study of a topic that is of key importance in the life of every believer. Surveying and analyzing incidents of spiritual warfare from Genesis through Revelation, the authors create a biblical framework for understanding the reality of Satan’s on-going assault on humankind. Building on that framework, Spiritual Warfare in the Storyline of Scripture also offers pr...

Insights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and AssimilationFindings from a national study to improve membershipclasses and to motivate current members into activeministryHow do churches move members—both old and new—into ministry? Many church staff and lay leaders knowthey need to start new member classes as a point of entryinto their churches but don’t know how. This book isbased on a national study of effective churches andshows how growing churches implement new memberclasse...

This compact prayer manual shows how to build and participate in a praying church and includes stories and examples from a cross section of churches, evaluation charts, and discussion questions so both church staff and lay leaders can use it individually or in group settings.

Insights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and AssimilationFindings from a national study to improve membership classes and to motivate current members into active ministry.How do churches move members—both old and new—into ministry? Many church staff and lay leaders know they need to start new member classes as a point of entry into their churches but don’t know how. This book is based on a national study of effective churches and shows how growing churches implement new membe...

The Reformers viewed the gospel as not merely one thing among many in the life of a church but rather the means by which the church exists. When the gospel is rightly declared and applied to God’s people, the church becomes “a creature of the Word.” She understands, embraces, and lives out the reality of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection in more than her doctrinal statement. The gospel impacts all the church is and does.Creature of the Word lays out this concep...

Followership teaches leaders how to replicate effective, biblical leadership qualities. CEOs, managers, parents, clergy, and students alike gain insight from the practical principles presented. If you lead, serve, or want to build a motivated, innovative, and successful team, you will receive outstanding results as you apply these teachings. Followership: • Teaches principles for both leaders and followers and can be practiced in any aspect of building an organization....

If you are serious about being a disciple of Jesus Christ—really, truly serious—a discipleship group can help you achieve that goal. Jesus established this model for us by forming and leading the first discipleship group—and it worked. The men who emerged from that group took the gospel to the world and ultimately laid down their lives for Christ.Discipleship groups can create an atmosphere for fellowship, encouragement, and accountability—building an environment where God can work...

Brandon O'Brien helps pastors and church leaders understand that a smaller church is sometimes better than a big one. He demonstrates the strengths of small congregations, including that today's church "shoppers" want services that are local, personal, and intimate. Also, small churches provide space to nurture close relationships across age and lifestyle barriers, and they facilitate a higher level of commitment from laypeople. And small church budgets are often more effective because of ...