This book is an excellent resource for teachers of all ages, Ministers of Christian Education, Youth Pastors, Children's Pastors, and Senior Pastors. Jonathan walks the reader through the seven laws of the teacher as well as the six levels of learning. Each chapter provides a great deal of practical material that enriches the learning experience. The simple to read book gives teachers a deeper understanding of the biblical principles of how Christian education and teaching can impact the l...

Best-selling author and ministry leader Thom S. Rainer drew an exceptional response when he posted a 500-word declaration about church membership to his daily blog. "I Am a Church Member" started a conversation about the attitudes and responsibilities of church members -- rather than the functional and theological issues -- that previous new member primers all but ignored.Thoughtfully expanded to book form, I Am a Church Member begins to remedy the outbreak of inactive or ...

So... Many... Choices... Can't... Make... The... Wrong... One...Where should I go to college? Whom should I marry? Where should I look for work? What will my friends think?In our journey of faith there are particular moments that produce a certain amount of anxiety. Often anxiety and/or worry has been looked upon as an "un-Christian" feeling to have. But The Anxious Christian conveys the message that anxiety can actually be helpful in our spiritual formati...

If the Christian life is like a race, we must admit that too many Christian leaders stumble, burn out, or veer off the track. Clearly it is not automatic that a leader will finish well.Based on Dave Kraft's thirty-five years of leading, teaching leadership, and coaching dozens of Christian leaders, Leaders Who Last moves through three stages of leadership: foundations, formation, and fruitfulness. Concise, anecdotal, and packed with wisdom, this book will help you aim your...

Over the next five to ten years, it's predicted that more than 50,000 strategic ministry leadership positions are going to be filled. Who will these leaders be? And more importantly, who will prepare them for these positions?Mentoring Leaders offers a unique angle on what it takes to prepare transformational leaders for today's church. While addressing the different phases of leadership development and mentoring, as well as the characteristics of a dynamic and effective leader, Car...

In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; deve...

Youth ministry veteran and bestselling author, Duffy Robbins, offers an updated and revised edition of his book about the important, behind-the-scenes mechaincs of youth ministry. The tasks of budgeting, decision-making, time management, team ministry, staff relationships, conflict resolution, working with parents, and a range of other issues, are the things that keep a ministry together and functioning well. Nobody gets into youth ministry because they want to think about these things; bu...

Shame lies to us, robs us of the freedom we long for, and shackles us in the prison of our past.To the feelings of shame in our lives, author and teacher Christine Caine has something urgent to say: shame has no place in the purpose, plan, and destiny God has for you.Do you ever struggle with the fear that you are not enough?Are you ever afraid to let your true self be seen and known?Are you often trying to gain approval?...

Small groups are a great place to connect with other churchgoers, but many wonder, is this all there is? Is sitting in a living room, talking about a book or watching a video the extent of what we can do together? Isn't being a Christian community about something more than this?Pastor and author Scott Boren thinks so. In this latest release from missional thinktank Allelon, Boren gives leaders and members of small groups the tools they need to make an impact on their communities. B...

Using the pioneering DISC profile, this book teaches--in clear terms--how to build closer, more understanding relationships at home, work and church.

"Near the end of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, there is a word that has continued to stay with me. He said, 'The world breaks everyone. Then some become strong at the broken places.' As a pastor, I have seen people become strong at the broken places, and I have seen people become broken up at the broken places of life. I hope that the reader will learn how to assist those who are suffering, and will, at the same time, learn something of great value for living in these days." - A...

Is successful leadership measured simply by the outcomes a leader achieves, or is there another—more essential—yardstick for measuring success?In Redefining Leadership, author, pastor, and college president Joe Stowell shows us that the best leaders are driven by Christ-formed character, and that truly successful leadership is not defined by the standards of this world but by the counter-intuitive practices and perspectives of the Kingdom of Christ. With c...