| Search | About | Preferences | Interact | Help | |
| 150 million books. 1 search engine. | ||

› Find signed collectible books: '9 Marks of a Healthy Church'
More editions of 9 Marks of a Healthy Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'After Our Likeness: The Church As the Image of the Trinity'
In After Our Likeness, the inaugural volume in the Sacra Doctrina series, Miroslav Volf explores the relationship between persons and community in Christian theology. The focus is the community of grace, the Christian church. The point of departure is the thought of the first Baptist, John Smyth, and the notion of church as "gathered community" that he shared with Radical Reformers.
Volf seeks to counter the tendencies toward individualism in Protestant ecclesiology and to suggest a viable understanding of the church in which both person and community are given their proper due. In the process he engages in a sustained and critical ecumenical dialogue with the Catholic and Orthodox ecclesiologies of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and the metropolitan John Zizioulas. The result is a brilliant ecumenical study that spells out a vision of the church as an image of the triune God. [via]
More editions of After Our Likeness: The Church As the Image of the Trinity:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Against Christianity'
How could a conservative Christianan ordained minister with a beard, no lessbe against not only Christianity, but theology, sacraments, and ethics as well? Yet that is the stance Peter Leithart takes in this provocative "theological bricolage."
Seeking to rethink evangelical notions of culture, church, and state, Leithart offers a series of short essays, aphorisms, and parables that challenge the current dichotomies that govern both Christian and non-Christian thinking about church and state, the secular and the religious.
But his argument isn't limited to being merely "against." Leithart reveals a much larger vision of Christian society, defined by the stories, symbols, rituals, and rules of a renewed communitythe city of God. [via]
More editions of Against Christianity:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ashamed of the Gospel'
In the third edition of this top-selling book, John MacArthur challenges the seeker-sensitive, user-friendly, entertainment-oriented pragmatism that permeates the church today.
In the late 1800s, Charles Spurgeon warned that the church was drifting away from the purity of the gospel, candy-coating God's Word rather than boldly proclaiming the truths of Scripture. As a result, Christianity's influence in nineteenth-century England was severely weakened. One hundred years later, John MacArthur, troubled by the seeker-sensitive movement and an emphasis on pragmatism within the church, sounded the same alarm with the first edition of Ashamed of the Gospel.
In this newly revised and expanded edition, MacArthur gives an overview of developments in the seeker-sensitive movement since his book was first published in 1993. New material traces the line of pragmatic philosophy from the seeker-sensitive movement through the Emergent phenomenon, explaining why the latter is a philosophical heir of the former-and an even greater danger; chronicles the failure of pragmatic approaches to church growth; and emphasizes the importance of evangelicals solidly committed to biblical doctrine rising to positions of leadership.
[via]More editions of Ashamed of the Gospel:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Chruch Becomes Like the World'
"Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better." Charles Haddon Spurgeon
In the late 1800s, Charles Spurgeon warned that the Church was drifting away from the purity of the Gospel. Instead of boldly proclaiming the truths of Scripture, Christians were candy-coating the Word, being careful not to offend anyone. As a result, Christianity's influence in nineteenth-century England was severely weakened.
Now, 100 years later, John MacArthur is sounding the same alarm. And it's a warning the Church just can't ignore.
The signs of compromise are all around us: Numbers have become more important than the message. Churches are offering up "Show-Time" religion instead of the "Old-Time" religion. Pastors have turned to the marketing industry to help them draw people in rather than relying on the sovereign power of God.
Until all that changes--until we return to our calling to go into all the world and preach the Gospel without shame--the Church is in danger of losing its impact on society. And that would be our generation's greatest loss.
[via]More editions of Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church'
A careful and informed assessment of the 'emerging church' by a respected author and scholar The 'emerging church' movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying? The time has come for a mature assessment. D. A. Carson not only gives those who may be unfamiliar with it a perceptive introduction to the emerging church movement, but also includes a skillful assessment of its theological views. Carson addresses some troubling weaknesses of the movement frankly and thoughtfully, while at the same time recognizing that it has important things to say to the rest of Christianity. The author strives to provide a perspective that is both honest and fair. Anyone interested in the future of the church in a rapidly changing world will find this an informative and stimulating read. D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God, and is general editor of Telling the Truth and Worship by the Book. He has served as a pastor and is an active guest lecturer in church and academic settings around the world. [via]
More editions of Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Being As Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church'
The voice of John Zizioulas may turn out to be the fresh voice for which theology and especially ecclesiology have long been waiting. In the context of a complete theology, which includes extended consideration of the major theological topics the Trinity, Christology, eschatology, ministry, and sacrament, but above all, the Eucharist the author propounds a fresh understanding, based on the early Fathers and the Orthodox tradition, of the concept of person, and so of the Church itself. His consideration of the local church as 'catholic' in the literal sense, and the need to understand the universal Church not as a superstructure but as the communion of all Churches, provides the program for the ecclesiology of the future. Yves Congar has written that he considers the author to be 'one of the most original and profound theologians of our epoch' and that he 'presents a penetrating and coherent reading of the tradition of the Greek ' [via]
More editions of Being As Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership'
More editions of Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Body'
In this 1993 ECPA Book of the Year, Colson sounds a clarion call for the church to rise above traditional divisions and market-driven programs to be what God has called her to be-His people. In doing so, the Body of Christ can reclaim God's holy vision for His church. Truly a modern-day classic.
[via]More editions of The Body:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Body Dynamic'
God never intended for Christians to live in isolation, sealed inside our own private, stained-glass bubbles. Far from it, you were designed for relationships at an intimate, real level. To know and to be known. To find support when you fall and comfort when you hurt. To accomplish, as one part of a tightly knit organism, that which you could never hope to alone. That's the body dynamic - the church of Jesus Christ in action. [via]

› Find signed collectible books: 'Body Life'
Ray Stedman shows you how to recapture the vigor and authenticity of the early churcha radical body of enthusiastic believers who spread the Word of God throughout the world! This bookconsidered a classic by manybrings you challenging questions that make Body Life both personal and practical.
Body Life is a groundbreaking book inspiring churches and disciples to return to New Testament Christianity. Using principles from Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, Stedman helps you discover the dynamic purpose of the church and the exciting role you have to play in the body of Christ. [via]

› Find signed collectible books: 'Body Politics: Five Practices of the Christian Community Before the Watching World'
More editions of Body Politics: Five Practices of the Christian Community Before the Watching World:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Body, with Study Guide: Being Light in Darkness'
In this watershed book, Charles Colson castigates today's consumer-oriented "McChurch" mentality that has Christians flitting from church to church in search of soothing sermons and a feel-good gospel. [via]
More editions of The Body, with Study Guide: Being Light in Darkness:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Body/Being Light in the Darkness'
In this 1993 ECPA Book of the Year, Colson sounds a clarion call for the church to rise above traditional divisions and market-driven programs to be what God has called her to be-His people. In doing so, the Body of Christ can reclaim God's holy vision for His church. Truly a modern-day classic.
[via]More editions of The Body/Being Light in the Darkness:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Church'
At a time in which the very word church sounds a tone of dull irrelevance, the doctrine of the church has suffered the studied neglect of many Christian leaders. The persistent demands to market, manage and grow the church and to meet the felt needs of churched and unchurched all threaten to quench theological reflection on the abiding nature and mission of the church. But few activities bear greater promise as a starting point for renewing and reshaping the Christian church than the work of theology. In this book Edmund Clowney takes up that task, addressing along the way a variety of contemporary concerns: worship, mission, church and culture, church and state, church order and discipline, the ministry of women, baptism and the Lord's Supper, tongues and prophecy, signs and wonders. He draws on decades of thinking and teaching about the church as well as from his committed leadership and ministry within the church. Biblical, historical, systematic and Reformed, The Church is a timely and provocative reflection on the life, order and purpose of the household of God. [via]
More editions of The Church:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Church'
More editions of Church:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Church before the Watching World: A Practical Ecclesiology'
More editions of The Church before the Watching World: A Practical Ecclesiology:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Church in Gods Program'
More editions of Church in Gods Program:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Church in the Power of the Spirit: A Contribution to Messianic Ecclesiology'
"This book, which in my opinion is Moltmann's best, can be recommended on the basis that it contains challenging and creative insights that can be used by the discriminating reader in the service of church renewal&Moltmann represents the theology of liberation at its best, and those who wish to know more about this theology would do well to study this creative and searching theologian." --Donald G. Bloesch Christianity Today "Moltmann is perhaps unsurpassed among his contemporaries in keenness of insight and rhetorical power." --Daniel L. Migliore, Theology Today "Moltmann presents a stirring vision which every Christian community could well ponder&With a missionary emphasis, he seeks to help the reader face the question of the church's identity in the light of the contemporary political, economic, and social scene." --Religious Education [via]
More editions of The Church in the Power of the Spirit: A Contribution of Messianic Ecclesiology:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Church Maintained in Truth'
More editions of Church Maintained in Truth:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Church Maintained in Truth: A Theological Meditation'
This book was cited by the Vatican in December 1979 as proof that Hans Kueng had `departed from the integral truth of the Catholic faith'. It asks, 'What is Christian truth?' How do we establish it?' How does the church's claim of infallibility compare with its all too obvious errors?' How can we approach the future positively?' Most movingly of all, in a personal postscript after his condemnation, Hans Kueng explains, Why I Remain a Catholic. [via]
More editions of Church Maintained in Truth: A Theological Meditation:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today'
The Church of Christ develops the affirmation that Christ is not complete without his people. It grounds ecclesiology in Christology and soteriology. Beginning with the Old Testament basis of the New Testament teaching about the church, the book gives a consistent correlation of Christ with the church's nature, membership, assemblies, ministry, and life.
This is not a historical study but a doctrinal study. The aim is to present a biblical theology of the church. A doctrinal approach, however, does not mean a doctrinal scheme is imposed on the text; rather, the effort is to let the doctrinal teaching arise out of the text itself.
The systematic treatment of the topics traditionally covered in studies of the doctrine of the church are here brought together in relationship to Christ, who is seen as providing the nature of the church and of its membership and as providing not only the example for the church but also a living continuation of himself in its worship, polity, and ethics.
The "Today" in the subtitle does not imply a tailoring of biblical ecclesiology to the interests of the present, but is meant to emphasize that biblical ecclesiology is viable today; it is also an acknowledgment that the questions addressed are in part shaped by contemporary as well as historical issues in ecclesiology. In light of these considerations, Ferguson unveils a comprehensive model of the church that is both biblically centered and relevant to today's world. [via]
More editions of The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix'
Tested strategies for pastors and churches that want to be somewhere else in the postmodern world and need reliable and practical help to get there. Now revised and expanded. Formerly titled Reinventing Your Church. [via]
More editions of The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic'
More editions of The Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith'
The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith. This book isn't about quick-fix methods or bulleted, how-to lists. And it's certainly not a dry lecture about a heady theological topic. Instead this book is about striving, about trying, about experimenting with the idea that the old ways of approaching spiritual formation may not be the only avenues toward living lives in harmony with God in our day. Inside these pages you'll spend a full week with Solomon's Porch---a holistic, missional, Christian community in Minneapolis---and get a front row seat at their gatherings, meetings, and meals. Along the way, you'll also discover what spiritual formation looks like in a church community that moves beyond education based practices by including worship, physicality, dialogue, hospitality, belief, creativity, and service as means toward spiritual formation rather than mere appendices to it. Specifically, you'll get a glimpse into the lives of six people from Solomon's Porch and track their growth through their journals as they wrestle with various approaches to spiritual development. Church Re-Imagined is ideal for thinkers, pastors, church leaders, and anyone else seeking fresh ways of experiencing life with God. [via]
More editions of Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Church: Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission'
More editions of The Church: Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission:

› Find signed collectible books: 'City on a Hill: Reclaiming the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century'
More editions of City on a Hill: Reclaiming the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church'
More editions of Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Continuing Conversion of the Church'
Western society is now a very different, very difficult mission field. This insightful book shows how the church can effectively carry out its missionary calling by building a new theology of evangelism that has its focus on the church itself. After charting the church's historical shift away from a biblical theology of evangelism and highlighting the contemporary challenges to evangelical ministry, Darrell Guder discusses what a truly missional theology will mean for the institutional structures and practices of today's church. [via]
More editions of The Continuing Conversion of the Church:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel'
More editions of Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Elders In Congregational Life: Rediscovering The Biblical Model For Church Leadership'
More editions of Elders In Congregational Life: Rediscovering The Biblical Model For Church Leadership:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations'
Includes -Samples and photos of emerging church worship gatherings -Recommended resources for the emerging church The seeker-sensitive movement revolutionized the way we did church and introduced countless baby boomers to Jesus. Yet trends show that today's post-Christian generations are not responding like the generations before them. As we enter a new cultural era, what do worship services look like that are connecting with the hearts of emerging generations? How do preaching, leadership, evangelism, spiritual formation, and, most of all, how we even think of 'church' need to change? The Emerging Church goes beyond just theory and gets into very practical ways of assisting you in your local church circumstances. There is no one right way, no model for us all to emulate. But there is something better. Dan Kimball calls it 'Vintage Christianity': a refreshing return to an unapologetically sacred, raw, historical, and Jesus-focused missional ministry. Vintage Christianity connects with emerging post-seeker generations who are very open spiritually but are not interested in church. For pastors, leaders, and every concerned Christian, Kimball offers a riveting and easy-to-grasp exploration of today's changing culture and gives insight into the new kind of churches that are emerging in its midst. Included is running commentary by Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, Howard Hendricks, and others. [via]
More editions of The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures'
The "emerging church" movement is perhaps the most significant church trend of our day. The emerging church offers and encourages a new way of doing and being the church. While it largely resonates with an eighteen-to-thirty-four-year-old audience--the first fully postmodern generation--it is also gaining popularity with older Christians and encompasses a broad array of traditional and contemporary churches. Emerging Churches explores this movement and provides insight into its success.
Filled with the latest research and interesting, anecdotal testimonies from those on the cutting edge of ministry, this book provides pastors, church leaders, and interested readers with an insightful glimpse into the thriving churches of today--and tomorrow. [via]
More editions of Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit'
More editions of The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Evangelical Reunion: Denominations and the One Body of Christ'
More editions of Evangelical Reunion: Denominations and the One Body of Christ:
› Find signed collectible books: 'For All God's Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church'
All Christians worship God, but many do not fully understand what "worship" means. This insightful book by N. T. Wright explores both the meaning and the results of worship. In Part 1, titled "The God Who Is Worthy of Praise, " Wright focuses on God and on what worshipping God actually means. Wright celebrates the greatness and love of God as the ground and reason for worship and shows how reflection on who God actually is, especially as revealed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, leads to true worship from both the heart and the mind. "Worship" derives from "worth-ship": it means giving God all he's worth. In Part 2, "Reflecting God's Image in the World, " Wright addresses a range of church-related issues that arise from the activity of worship. Because worship can never remain isolated from the task of the church, Wright here explores how true worship leads to the mission of the church in various specific ways. [via]
More editions of For All God's Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church'
More editions of The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'A Generous Orthodoxy'
cover wear only [via]
More editions of A Generous Orthodoxy:
› Find signed collectible books: 'A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvini'
A confession and manifesto from a senior leader in the emerging church movement---A Generous Orthodoxy calls for a radical, Christ-centered orthodoxy of faith and practice in a missional, generous spirit. Brian McLaren argues for a post-liberal, post-conservative, post-protestant convergence, which will stimulate lively interest and global conversation among thoughtful Christians from all traditions. In a sweeping exploration of belief, author Brian McLaren takes us across the landscape of faith, envisioning an orthodoxy that aims for Jesus, is driven by love, and is defined by missional intent. A Generous Orthodoxy rediscovers the mysterious and compelling ways that Jesus can be embraced across the entire Christian horizon. Rather than establishing what is and is not 'orthodox,' McLaren walks through the many traditions of faith, bringing to the center a way of life that draws us closer to Christ and to each other. Whether you find yourself inside, outside, or somewhere on the fringe of Christianity, A Generous Orthodoxy draws you toward a way of living that looks beyond the 'us/them' paradigm to the blessed and ancient paradox of 'we.' [via]
More editions of A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvini:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Glorious Body of Christ'
More editions of Glorious Body of Christ:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Houses That Change the World: The Return of the House Churches'
More editions of Houses That Change the World: The Return of the House Churches:

› Find signed collectible books: 'An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical & Global Perspectives'
More editions of An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical & Global Perspectives:
› Find signed collectible books: 'It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian: How the Community of God Transforms Lives'
Tod Bolsinger challenges Christians to rediscover the essential nature of God as a Triune community. By doing so, says Bolsinger, the church will recover its vitality as a truly life-transforming communion.
Focusing on daily living issues, the book engages writers including John Calvin and Richard Foster. Reclaiming a true trinitarian practical theology will allow Christians to reawaken and nourish a spirituality that is communal, not merely consumerist or individualistic. It will create Christian communities in which God transforms believers together into the likeness of Christ.
It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian is designed for pastors, worship leaders, evangelists, and other church leaders. [via]
More editions of It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian: How the Community of God Transforms Lives:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Jesus and Community: The Social Dimension of Christian Faith'
The author calls the present-day church to once again be the "contrast society," which attracts non-believers by living what it preaches and by being different without being narrowly sectarian. [via]
More editions of Jesus and Community: The Social Dimension of Christian Faith:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church'
More editions of The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Life Together'
After his martyrdom at the hands of the Gestapo in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer continued his witness in the hearts of Christians around the world. His Letters and Papers from Prison became a prized testimony to Christian faith and courage, read by thousands. Now in Life Together we have Pastor Bonhoeffer's experience of Christian community. This story of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years reads like one of Paul's letters. It gives practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical, words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.
[via]More editions of Life Together:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship/Leaders Guide'
More editions of Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship/Leaders Guide:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Life Together/the Classic Exploration of Faith in Community'
A beautiful gift edition of Bonhoeffer's classic work on the meaning and importance of Christian community. This inspiring account of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years in Germany reads like one of Paul's letters and gives timeless advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. [via]
More editions of Life Together/the Classic Exploration of Faith in Community:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Liquid Church'
More editions of Liquid Church:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Master's Plan for the Church'
More editions of The Master's Plan for the Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America'
What would a theology of the Church look like that took seriously the fact that North America is now itself a mission field? This question lies at the foundation of this volume written by an ecumenical team of six noted missiologistsLois Barrett, Inagrace T. Dietterich, Darrell L. Guder, George R. Hunsberger, Alan J. Roxburgh, and Craig Van Gelder.
The result of a three-year research project undertaken by The Gospel and Our Culture Network, this book issues a firm challenge for the church to recover its missional call right here in North America, while also offering the tools to help it do so.
The authors examine North Americas secular culture and the churchs loss of dominance in todays society. They then present a biblically based theology that takes seriously the churchs missional vocation and draw out the consequences of this theology for the structure and institutions of the church.
[via]
More editions of Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Models of the Church'
More editions of Models of the Church:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Mother Kirk: Essays and Forays in Practical Ecclesiology'
More editions of Mother Kirk: Essays and Forays in Practical Ecclesiology:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches'
Critics of the church growth movement have often emphasized the need for quality congregations. We should not focus on numerical growth, but rather, we should concentrate on qualitative growth.
Christian Schwarz has done extensive research world-wide and found that healthy, growing churches seem to share eight quality characteristics. These characteristics are:
Empowering leadership
Gift-oriented ministry
Passionate spirituality
Functional structures
Inspiring worship service
Holistic small groups
Need-oriented evangelism
Loving relationships
Schwarz uses the illustration of a barrel with eight staves to symbolize the eight quality characteristics. The barrel can only hold water to the height of the lowest stave. So too, Schwarz argues, a church can only grow as far as their 'Minimum factor,' which is the lowest of the eight quality characteristics in their church. He challenges churches to resist the temptation to work on improving areas in which they already excel, for by doing this they do not increase their minimum factor or their church quality.
This revised version of Natural Church Development now includes Schwarz's "3 Colors" teaching. [via]
More editions of Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The New Testament Deacon: The Church's Minister of Mercy'
More editions of The New Testament Deacon: The Church's Minister of Mercy:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Nine Marks of a Healthy Church'
What makes for a healthy church? A large congregation? Plentiful parking? Vibrant music?
You may have read books on this topic before-but not like this one. This new expanded edition of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is not an instruction manual for church growth. It is a pastor's recommendation of how to assess the health of your church using nine crucial qualities that are neglected by many of today's churches.
Whether you're a church leader or an involved member of your congregation, you can help cultivate these elements in your church, bringing it new life and health for God's glory.
[via]More editions of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens'
More editions of Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Paul's Idea of Community: The Early House Churches in Their Cultural Setting'
Robert Bank's widely read "Paul's Idea of Community: The Early House Churches in their Cultural Setting" is once again available to laypeole, pastors and scholars alike. In this extensively revised edition Banks has rewritten chapters for clarity, taken into account recent scholarship on Paul's writings, updated and expanded the bibliography, and added an index. This new edition retains, however, all the freshness and vitality of the original.
"The book draws fully upon the wealth of recent scholarly analysis of the New Testament churches, but in such a skilled way that the picture is not buried in learning, but brought to life for present-day readers. . . . People will be startled to find how much of modern church life has departed form the New Testament spirit. And yet the modern communities still possess in the New Testament, as illuminated through a book like this, the sources from which church life can be reawakened to the community consequences of accepting the Pauline gospel."
" Edwin A. Judge, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
"It is good news that Robert Banks's "Paul's Idea of Community" is once more available, now in a thoroughly revised, expanded edition. Convinced that Paul's distinctive contribution to Christianity is his idea of community, Banks demonstrates how this notion informs Paul's instruction to his churches. . . . [I]t is striking how naturally discussions of such topics as Paul's teaching on freedom and on eschatology fall within the purview of this stimulating book."
" Abraham J. Malherbe, Yale University [via]
More editions of Paul's Idea of Community: The Early House Churches in Their Cultural Setting:
› Find signed collectible books: 'A Peculiar People: The Church As Culture in a Post-Christian Society'
Voted one of 1997 Books of the Year! Christians feel increasingly useless, argues Rodney Clapp, not because we have nothing to offer a post-Christian society, but because we are trying to serve as "sponsoring chaplains" to a civilization that no longer sees Christianity as necessary to its existence. In our individualistic, technologically oriented, consumer-based culture, Christianity has become largely irrelevant. The solution is not to sentimentally capitulate to the way things are. Nor is it to retrench in an effort to regain power and influence as the sponsor of Western civilization. What is needed is for Christians to reclaim our heritage as a peculiar people, as unapologetic followers of the Way. Within the larger pluralistic world, we need to become a sanctified, subversive culture that develops Christian community as a truly alternative way of life. Christians must learn to live the story and not just to restate it. Writing inclusively with considerable verve, Clapp offers a keen analysis of the church and its ministry as we face a new millennium. [via]
More editions of A Peculiar People: The Church As Culture in a Post-Christian Society:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Perspectives on Church Government: Five Views of Chruch Polity'
More editions of Perspectives on Church Government: Five Views of Chruch Polity:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Planting Growing Churches For The 21st Century: A Comprehensive Guide For New Churches And Those Desiring Renewal'
More editions of Planting Growing Churches For The 21st Century: A Comprehensive Guide For New Churches And Those Desiring Renewal:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Planting Growing Churches for the Twenty-First Century: A Comprehensive Guide for New Churches and Those Desiring Renewal'
More editions of Planting Growing Churches for the Twenty-First Century: A Comprehensive Guide for New Churches and Those Desiring Renewal:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Purpose Driven Church'
The thesis of The Purpose Driven Church is that when churches think first about their health, growth is sure to follow. "If your church is healthy," writes Rick Warren, "growth will occur naturally. Healthy, consistent growth is the result of balancing the five biblical purposes of the church." These five purposes are to "Love the Lord with all your heart," "Love your neighbor as yourself," "Go and make disciples," "[Baptize] them," and "[Teach] them to obey." And those purposes can only be accomplished, argues Warren, when church leaders stop thinking about church-building programs and shift their focus to a "people-building process" involving fellowship, discipleship, worship, and evangelism. Warren, the founder of the fastest-growing Baptist church in American history, has taught seminars to thousands of pastors from all over the world, many of whom have successfully implemented his techniques. [via]
More editions of Purpose Driven Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission'
The Purpose Driven Church has brought focus and direction to more pastors and church leaders than you can count. What a gift!'---John Ortberg, bestselling author Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Rick Warren believes that in order for a church to be healthy it must become a purpose-driven church, built around the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus. 'The issue is church health, not church growth!' declares Warren. 'If your church is healthy, growth will occur naturally. Healthy, consistent growth is the result of balancing the five biblical purposes of the church.' Rick Warren shares a proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to grow * warmer through fellowship * deeper through discipleship * stronger through worship * broader through ministry * larger through evangelism The Purpose Driven Church shifts the focus away from church building programs to emphasizing a people-building process. Warren says, 'If you will concentrate on building people, God will build the church.' [via]
More editions of The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Radical Reformission: Reaching Out Without Selling Out'
Reformation is the continual reforming of the mission of the church to enhance God's command to reach out to others in a way that acknowledges the unique times and locations of daily life. This engaging book blends the integrity of respected theoreticians with the witty and practical insights of a pastor. It calls for a movement of missionaries to seek the lost across the street as well as across the globe. This basic primer on the interface between gospel and culture highlights the contrast between presentation evangelism and participation evangelism. It helps Christians navigate between the twin pitfalls of syncretism (being so culturally irrelevant that you lose your message) and sectarianism (being so culturally irrelevant that you lose your mission). Included are interviews with those who have crossed cultural barriers, such as a television producer, exotic dancer, tattoo studio owner, and band manager. The appendix represents eight portals into the future: population, family, health/medicine, creating, learning, sexuality, and religion. Mark Driscoll was recently featured on the ABC special The Changing of Worship. [via]
More editions of Radical Reformission: Reaching Out Without Selling Out:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Reaching a New Generation'
More editions of Reaching a New Generation:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Reckless Faith: When the Church Loses Its Will to Discern'
In a society that is hostile to anyone who declares absolutes, that tolerates faith in any form, that values emotion over reason and trendiness over conviction, it's no suprise that many American chuches have lost their ability to discern between biblical truth and doctrinal error. John MacArthur attempts to set them straight. [via]
More editions of Reckless Faith: When the Church Loses Its Will to Discern:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church'
More editions of Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Reformed Pastor'
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Reformed Pastor: A Pattern for Personal Growth and Ministry'
More editions of The Reformed Pastor: A Pattern for Personal Growth and Ministry:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church'
More editions of Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony'
In this bold and visionary book, two leading Christian thinkers explore the "alien" status of Christians in today's world and offer a compelling new vision of how the Christian church can regain its vitality, battle its malaise, reclaim its capacity to nourish souls, and stand firmly against the illusions, pretensions, and eroding values of today's world. Hauerwas and Willimon call for a radical new understanding of the church. By renouncing the emphasis on personal psychological categories, they offer a vision of the church as a colony, a holy nation, a people, a family standing for sharply focused values in a devalued world. [via]
More editions of Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Rethinking the Wineskin: The Practice of the New Testament Church'
More editions of Rethinking the Wineskin: The Practice of the New Testament Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Revolution'
World-renowned pollster George Barna has the numbers, and they indicate a revolution is already taking place within the Church--one that will impact every believer in America. Committed, born-again Christians are exiting the established church in massive numbers. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? And what does this mean for the future of the Church? Using years' worth of research data, and adhering to an unwavering biblical perspective, Barna predicts how this revolution will impact the organized church, how Christ's body of believers should react, and how individuals who are considering leaving (or those who have already left) can respond. For leaders working for positive change in the church and for believers struggling to find a spiritual community and worship experience that resonates, Revolution is here. Are you ready? [via]
More editions of Revolution:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Royal Priesthood: Essays Ecclesiological and Ecumenical'
More editions of The Royal Priesthood: Essays Ecclesiological and Ecumenical:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups'
A practical guide for those struggling to build a community of believers in a culture that wants to experience belonging over believing Who is my neighbor? Who belongs to me? To whom do I belong? These are timeless questions that guide the church to its fundamental calling. Today terms like neighbor, family, and congregation are being redefined. People are searching to belong in new places and experiences. The church needs to adapt its interpretations, definitions, and language to make sense in the changing culture. This book equips congregations and church leaders with tools to: * Discern the key ingredients people look for in community * Understand the use of space as a key element for experiencing belonging and community * Develop the 'chemical compound' that produces an environment for community to spontaneously emerge * Discover how language promotes specific spatial belonging and then use this knowledge to build an effective vocabulary for community development * Create an assessment tool for evaluating organizational and personal community health [via]
More editions of The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups:

› Find signed collectible books: 'The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church'
More editions of The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ'
More editions of Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Stop Dating The Church!: Fall In Love With The Family Of God'
Putting in their hour or two on the weekend, many Christians take the rest of the week off, neglecting the church and her needs. Its not a serious relationship. Some shop around, looking for a church that suits their lifestyle. Its dating, with no assurances, no obligations. Bestselling author Joshua Harris calls Christians to stop playing the field and commit, just as Christ is committed to us, His bride. In his new book, Harris explores the ramifications of Ephesians 5:2532, which proclaims the intensity and the breadth of Jesus Christs love for His church. God has designed us to build our lives around a local church; we cannot be indifferent or uninvolved. Rather, we must be in love with and committed to Gods plan and purpose through the church. Are you dating the church, or are you committed?
Are You Dating the Church?
We are a generation of consumers, independent and critical. We attend church, but we don't want to settle down and truly invest ourselves. We're not into commitment we only want to date the church.
Is this what God wants for us?
Stop Dating the Church reminds us that faith was never meant to be a solo pursuit. The church is the place God grows us, encourages us, and uses us best. Loving Jesus Christ involves a passionate commitment to His church around the world and down the street.
We can't be apathetic. It's time to fall in love with the family of God.
Story Behind the Book
Like all my books, this one is very closely tied to my own journey. Ive been a church-dater. And Ive learned just how good it is to get serious about the church. I want to see my generation get a hold of Gods purpose and plan for the local church, too. The same month this book is released Ill become the senior pastor of my church. This awesome responsibility is being passed on to me by my mentor, C. J. Mahaney, a pastor who has faithfully served for over 26 years. So this book is marking a very important transition in my life. The church isnt some other generations responsibilityit isnt somebody elses business. I have to take responsibility. I have to be passionate and committed to it. Through the pages of this book, Im calling my generation to do the same. [via]
More editions of Stop Dating The Church!: Fall In Love With The Family Of God:

› Find signed collectible books: 'Truth And the New Kind of Christian: The Emerging Effect of Postmodernism in the Church'
More editions of Truth And the New Kind of Christian: The Emerging Effect of Postmodernism in the Church:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith'
We have to test everything. I thank God for anybody anywhere who is pointing people to the mysteries of God. But those people would all tell you to think long and hard about what they are saying and doing and creating. Test it. Probe it. Do that to this book. Don't swallow it uncritically. Think about it. Wrestle with it. Just because I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn't mean I've got it nailed. I'm contributing to the discussion. God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right? [via]
More editions of Velvet Elvis: Repainting The Christian Faith:
› Find signed collectible books: 'Where Resident Aliens Live: Exercises for Christian Practice'
Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon return with spirited offensive strategies for feisty resident aliens. A resident alien knows who the enemy is, and here is a guide to the Christian initiation, practice, and discipline that is required for a people at war with the world.
Some Christian liberals think that resident aliens are sectarian, and that they wish to withdraw from engagement with the world. God forbid! The book is thus full of stories of resident aliens who have been baptized, trained, and conditioned -- like Marines in boot camp -- to be new citizens and find a new home in the distinctly Christian community.
Some Christian conservatives want a "to do" list that lays out the program for becoming a congregation or small group of resident aliens. Or perhaps they want a list of beliefs that might be defended. You won't find that here, for these desires are what ails the disestablished church. A list of options and choices, or an elective program for "wannabe" resident aliens, is an accommodation to the false god of freedom. Resident aliens are imitated and understood by telling their stories, by enfleshing their practices in the narrative that becomes part of the unfolding Christian story.
[via]More editions of Where Resident Aliens Live: Exercises for Christian Practice:
