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Anyone who serves teenagers today knows that more and more young people are eager to make a difference in the world. When students participate in short-term missions, service, and justice causes, parents and youth leaders hope these experiences will lead to real transformation. But research shows that our efforts don't always stick.If we truly want short-term work to translate into long-term change, leaders and students must spend more time before, during, and after service projects preparing for and processing their experiences. The sessions in this leader's guide will help you create experiences that stickboth for the students you take and the communities you serve. This guidebook offers a host of practical and field-tested exercises for each phase of your experience, whether it's a half-day local service project or a two-week trip overseas.Participants will engage in hands-on experiences to gain new insights about themselves, their relationship with God, their teammates, and the world we're called to love and serve. Each of these steps is a catalyst in helping students apply what they have learned in the field to their own lives back at home. Also included are ideas to help get parents and the whole church engaged in service together. A companion student journal is also available to boost the potential for personal application throughout the journey.

For far too long, the church has tried to make disciples using a one-size-fits-all approach. Some churches advocate 1-on-1 discipling, others try getting everyone into a small group, while still others training through mission trips or service projects. Yet others focus all their efforts on attracting people to a large group gathering to hear biblical teaching and preaching. But does one size really fit everyone?Based on careful biblical study and years of experience making disciples in the local church, Bobby Harrington and Alex Absalom have identified five key relationships where discipleship happens in our lives. In each relational context we need to understand how discipleship occurs and we need to set appropriate expectations for each context.Discipleship That Fits shows you the five key ways discipleship occurs. It looks at how Jesus made disciples and how disciples were formed in the early church. Each of the contexts is necessary at different times and in different ways as a person grows toward maturity in Christ:Public Relationships: The church gathering corporately for worshipSocial Relationships: Networks of smaller relationships where we engage in mission and live out our faith in communityPersonal Relationships: Small groups of six to sixteen people where we challenge and encourage one another on a regular basisTransparent Relationships: Close relationships of three to four where we share intimate details of our lives for accountabilityThe Divine Relationship: Our relationship with Jesus Christ where we grow through the empowering presence of the Holy SpiritFilled with examples and stories, Alex and Bobby show you how to develop discipleship practices in each relational context by sharing how Jesus did it, how the early church practiced it, and how churches are discipling people today.

Children's ministry has the power to change the lives of kids and families. Unfortunately, it's not always clear that the work a person does with kids is really making a lasting difference. Ask children's ministry leaders and kid-influencers if they are making the impact on children's lives as they had hoped and most likely the responses will be mixed. And for good reason. Research over the past decade has revealed an alarming lack of long-term growth in the faith community as children progress through student ministries into adulthood.Clearly, something needs to change.Relational Children's Ministry seeks to reverse this trend by equipping children's ministry leaders with practical tools to disrupt the status quo approach to discipleship with children and realign their ministries for greater long-term impact. Ministry leaders will:Learn how to relate intentionally to kids and families by putting five discipleship invitations modeled by Jesus into practiceExplore practical approaches to realign their children's ministry for a new trajectory by hitting three ';reset buttons' to ensure long-term discipleship is embeddedEncounter examples of disruptive disciple-makers in action and learn key principles that can be translated into their own ministry contextChildren's ministry leaders will receive practical training to refocus their children's ministry along with time-tested tools to personally recommit to lifelong discipleship. Kid-influencers can become a disciple-making community that redirects the current trajectory for this and future generations.

Today's Christian women do not simply want nice fellowships and cookie-cutter answers about how to deal with life. Though churches are filled with good ministry programmingactivities, outreach events, and an endless selection of optionsmany churches neglect their fundamental mission to make disciples. Christian women want to mentor and to be mentored, though they may not fully understand what that means, the significance of this desire, or how to get there. The church must rise to answer these questions, meet life's challenges, and develop creative ways of equipping modern women to mentor well. In Mentor for Life, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson lays a solid foundation for mentoring that is based on God's kingdom vision, challenges women to consider the cost of discipleship, and the high calling they have received in Christ. It shows how to develop mentoring relationships that function communally in existing small groups that are diverse and inclusive. It also presents a mentoring framework of knowing and loving God, understanding our identity in Christ, and loving our neighbor, which encourages theological reflection and cultivates a basic Christian worldview.Filled with examples from Robinson's experience in the military and business world, this resource gives readers the wisdom they need to disciple others and as a foundation for kingdom service.

Discipleship is the buzzword today. Many believers are contemplating in a fresh way what it means to take the Great Commission seriously. Rediscovering Discipleship takes the guesswork out of Christian maturity. Based on insights gained from a decade of personally making disciples, author and pastor Robby Gallaty tackles the two hindrances that keep believers from getting involved in making disciples: ignorance and uncertainty. Since many believers have never been personally disciple, they have no model to guide them in discipling others. Their ignorance of the process fuels their uncertainty, which leaves them crippled from the start. With simple principles that are easy to apply, Rediscovering Discipleship provides readers with the tools to follow the Great Commissionto go and actually make disciples who multiply and make disciples.Gallaty begins with a brief historical overview of the discipleship ministries of influential theologians, preachers, and pastors from years past, and then identifies roadblocks that hinder believers from becoming disciples before offering a step-by-step process for readers to immediately get started on the path to effective disciple making.

Children have always been close to the heart of God and as followers of Jesus it is our responsibility to protect, nurture, and pass our faith to children. In Small Matters: Why Children are Such a Big Deal, authors Greg Nettle and Santiago ';Jimmy' Mellado offer a model of discipleship that encourages parents to raise up the next generation to be deeply committed to and in love with Jesus.When we awaken to the fact that children between the ages of four and fourteen are the most likely to make a decision to follow Jesus, and that the discipleship that children receive forms their future, it will transform the way we view children, invest in them, reach out to them, teach them and ultimately, empower them to be disciples of Jesus.In recent history the church has embraced a model of discipleship that encourages parents to ';Bring your children to us and we will disciple them. And, by the way, we would love it if you would help.' This model is ineffective as much as it is unbiblical. It is imperative that the church today shifts to a new model of discipleship that encourages parents to ';Disciple your children as your primary responsibility. And, we (the church) would love to help.'Because our world is becoming more and more sensitive to the needs of children, a reflection of the heart of God, it provides those of us who follow Jesus with an unprecedented opportunity to disciple children in our homes, in our churches, in our communities and throughout the world. Now more than ever people are willing to invest in the cause of children through new church planting, equipping children's ministries, child sponsorshipall of which are committed to holistic child development.

One of the most respected and influential Christian leaders of the last several decades, Chuck Colson engaged millions through his books, public speaking, and radio broadcasts.In My Final Word, longtime Colson coauthor Anne Morse has selected and arranged pieces Colson wrote mostly during the last decade of his life, spotlighting what he saw as key topics of ongoing importance for Christian cultural engagement. Some of these issues include:crime and punishmentnatural lawIslamsame-sex marriagethe persecution of Christiansand moreLongtime readers and new readers alike will be struck by the power and immediacy of Colson's arguments. My Final Word is a fitting end to Colson's distinguished publishing career, a behind-the-scenes encounter with an influential thinker, and a needed call to an ongoing and relevant Christian public witness.

Even the least technical among us are being pressed from all sides by advances in digital technology. We rely upon computers, cell phones, and the Internet for communication, commerce, and entertainment. Yet even though we live in this ';instant message' culture, many of us feel disconnected, and we question if all this technology is really good for our souls.In a manner that's accessible, thoughtful, and biblical, author Tim Challies addresses questions such as:*; How has lifeand faithchanged now that everyone is available all the time through mobile phones?*; How does our constant connection to these digital devices affect our families and our church communities?*; What does it mean that almost two billion humans are connected by the Internet with hundreds of millions more coming online each year?Providing the reader with a framework they can apply to any technology, Tim Challies explains how and why our society has become reliant on digital technology, what it means for our lives, and how it impacts the Christian faith.

It is easy to assume that if we understand the gospel and preach it faithfully, our ministry will necessarily be shaped by itbut this is not true. Many churches claim to be gospel-centered but do not have a ministry that is shaped by, centered on, and empowered through the gospel. The implications of the gospel have not yet worked their way into the fabric of how that church does ministry. Gospel-centered ministry is more theologically driven than program driven. To pursue it, we must spend time reflecting on the essence, the truths, and the very patterns of the gospel itself. The gospel is neither religion nor irreligion, but something else entirelya third way of relating to God through grace. In Shaped by the Gospel, bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller addresses several current discussion and conflicts about the nature of the gospel and shows how faithful preaching of the gospel leads to individual and corporate renewal. This new edition contains the first section of Center Church in an easy-to-read format with new reflections and additional essays from Timothy Keller and several other contributors.

Even if you don't go to the city to minister, make no mistakethe city is coming to you. Regardless of your particular cultural or geographical context, you will need to consider the city when forming a theological vision that engages the people you are trying to reach.In Loving the City, bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller looks at the biblical foundations for contextualizing the gospel as we communicate to the culture in a way that is both respectful and challenging. He articulates the key characteristics of a city vision, showing how the city develops as a theme throughout Scripture, from its anti-God origins, to its strategic importance for mission, to its culmination and redemption in glory.Finally, he examines the need for thoughtful cultural engagement, unpacking four models for engaging culture, showing the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and emphasizing a blended approach that balances the key insights of each. Loving the City will help you to minister to your cultural context in a way that is biblically faithful and fruitful.This new edition contains the second section of Center Church in an easy-to-read format with new reflections and additional essays from Timothy Keller and several other contributors.

In Serving a Movement, best-selling author and pastor Timothy Keller looks at the nature of the church's mission and its relationship to the work of individual Christians in the world. He examines what it means to be a ';missional' church today and how churches can practically equip people for missional living. Churches need to intentionally cultivate an integrative ministry that connects people to God, to one another, to the needs of the city, and to the culture around us. Finally, he highlights the need for intentional movements of churches planting new churches that faithfully proclaim God's truth and serve their communities.This new edition contains the third section of Center Church in an easy-to-read format with new reflections and additional essays from Timothy Keller and several other contributors.

Discipleship occurs when someone answers the call to learn from Jesus how to live his or her life as though Jesus were living it. The end result is that the disciple becomes the kind of person who naturally does what Jesus did. How the church understands salvation and the gospel is the key to recovering a biblical theology of discipleship. Our doctrines of grace and salvation, in some cases, actually prevent us from creating an expectation that we are to be disciples of Jesus. A person can profess to be a Christian and yet still live under the impression that they don't need to actually follow Jesus. Being a follower is seen as an optional add-on, not a requirement. It is a choice, not a demand. Being a Christian today has no connection with the biblical idea that we are formed into the image of Christ.In this ground-breaking new book, pastor and author Bill Hull shows why our existing models of evangelism and discipleship fail to actually produce followers of Jesus. He looks at the importance of recovering a robust view of the gospel and taking seriously the connection between conversionanswering the call to follow Jesusand discipleshipliving like the one we claim to follow.

"e;Brothers, pray for us."e; (1 Thessalonians 5:25). The Apostle Paul's letters are filled with references to prayer-requests for prayer from the churches, prayers for them, and teaching and encouragement that God was working through these prayers. Pastors and church leaders know that prayer is powerful and it must be a priority in any ministry, yet many pastors struggle to maintain an active prayer life. Even more difficult is the challenge of praying for the flock, lifting up the needs of the people God has placed in your care.The Practical Shepherding series of guides provides pastors and ministry leaders with practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Pray for the Flock, pastors Brian Croft and Ryan Fullerton provide biblical encouragement, practical advice, and helpful suggestions that will help busy pastors effectively pray for their people and care for their church through the ministry of intercession.

The Bible gives instruction to those called to church leadership, challenging them to shepherd God's people by exercising oversight. But what does that mean? And how is it done in a way that is faithful to God and effective in enabling growth, individually and corporately?The Practical Shepherding series of guides provides pastors and ministry leaders with practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Oversee God's People, pastors Brian Croft and Bryce Butler unpack what the Bible teaches about administration and the necessity of delegation in congregational leadership, offering practical suggestions to improve the structures, process, and relationships among leaders in your church.

Jacob and Solomon were polygamists. Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes. What are polygamists and prostitutes doing on the pages of Holy Scripture? And God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. What about Caindid he really marry his sister? Abraham did, and he was also a polygamist. Lot offered his daughters up for rape, David committed adultery (or rape?) and the Bible calls both men righteous. Love, Old Testament style, was bizarre.As readers of the Old Testament encounter these weird, confusing, and horrific ';love' stories they ask, ';What's up with sex in the Old Testament?' The church often ignores the R-rated bits of the Bible, so it's hard for people to find answers to their disturbing questions about sex in Scripture, which can lead people to give up on God and God's word.However, these stories were included in the Bible for a reason, to reveal an even more shocking ';love' story. When humans behave badly, God behaves graciously. God not only forgives people with sexual baggage, but also redeems their lives and includes them in his mission. God's word records their story to benefit us. Just as sex was not often ideal in the Old Testament, it's often not ideal today. Instead of ignoring these stories, Prostitutes and Polygamists engages, discusses, and learns from them.

A Doubter's Guide to the Bible is a concise account of the whole biblical narrative and the lifestyle it inspires, representing a unique and engaging framework for those observing Christianity from the outside, especially those who think there are good reasons not to believe.In this book, Dickson provides a readable and winsome Bible primer summarizing the main themes in scripture, and addresses tough questions such as "e;How can we read the creation account in Genesis in light of modern science? "e; and, "e;how do we approach Old Testament law when it appears inconsistent and irrelevant?"e;By presenting the whole of the Bible as an account of God's promise to restore humanity to Himself, and humanity to one another and to creation, Dickson allows believers and skeptics alike to gain insight into why the Bible has been a compelling, life-changing, and magnetic force throughout the ages.

Working with volunteers can be a rewarding and exciting experiencefor them as well as for those who recruit, train, and maintain their services. However, if church leaders are honest, they know there are times that it can be frustrating. They know that volunteers are essential, vital to creating growth and new ministries, and are the key to introducing youth and children to Jesus Christ. They have the welcoming smiles at the door, they serve the food, pray for needs, stuff bulletins, organize missions trips, and on and on. If they want to see their church grow, it must be a volunteering church, a church that runs on volunteers.The Volunteer Church was developed out of the ministry of Leith Anderson at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where a vital and vibrant volunteer program boasting 4,000 participants grew under the leadership of Jill Fox. The principles and training have been applied in churches of all sizes and denominations in seminar settings across the country as well as at Wooddale Church.In The Volunteer Church, leaders willLearn how to effectively recruit and train volunteersDiscover how to build sustainable, long-lasting ministries led by volunteersFind methods for encouraging and maintaining your volunteers for successKnow how to build teams of volunteersUnderstand how to find the right service that fits a willing volunteerIf you lead a church and are exhausted by the lack of volunteer help, or if you are a volunteer and dream of adding numbers to your team, this book is for you. If you are on a church staff and know that a new ministry is needed but volunteers and training are required to make it happen, here you will find the resources to recruit, inspire, train, and maintain the church's most vital workforce.

Volunteering can be a rewarding and exciting experiencebut to effectively serve you need to understand the why, how, and what of serving others. Based on the principles and training they have utilized at Wooddale Church, pastor Leith Anderson and Jill Fox will help you better understand: The importance of prayer in ministryAvoiding burnout and serving for the long-termRecruiting others to serve in ways that are natural and easyEnjoying the ';pay' that is more valuable than moneyFinding your fit and serving out of your strengths This short and accessible book will help you to find the resources you need to be inspired and trained to serve in the most vital workforce in the world todaythe church of Jesus Christ.

Too often the tensions and unanswerable questions of Scripture and the Christian life are seen as barriers to faith. In Paradox Lost, pastor and author Richard Hansen shows that they are exactly the opposite -- indeed, God's mysteries are one of the places where we may encounter him most closely.In exchange for Enlightenment-based rationalism that can stunt spiritual imagination, Hansen invites readers to:Discern that there is a hiddenness to God that can be inviting rather than threateningAppreciate that God is far greater than we sometimes assume, and to adjust our mental maps to make more space for aweRealize that faith and reason are not enemies but rather dance partners that complement one anotherHansen examines three kinds, or ';orders' of biblical paradox, each at a deeper level than the last, demonstrating for readers that paradox is both endemic to modern life and also a natural part of the landscape of Christian faith. Paradox Lost doesn't seek to solve or justify paradox; instead, it looks through paradox toward what it reveals--namely a holy, mysterious, and awesome God.

In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded his followers to go into the world and make disciples, teaching them to obey all that Jesus had said. But the very first "e;great commission"e; was really given much earlier-to parents. In Deuteronomy 6, God calls parents to the task of discipleship in raising their children. Discipleship is the greatest test for the Christian family today. In today's busy world, many parents feel overwhelmed and aren't sure what to do-or even where to begin. In Dedicated, Jason Houser is joined by Bobby Harrington and his son Chad, as they unpack the simple, practical, and essential practices of spiritually parenting and discipling children in the home. An inspirational training manual to equip parents, Dedicated will empower parents to pass along their faith to the next generation.

In Talking with Catholics about Jesus, author Chris Castaldo provides an easy-to-follow introduction to basic Catholic belief and practice, equipping evangelical Protestants for more fruitful spiritual conversations.Written in accessible, non-technical language, this short book offers readers:A more informed awareness of CatholicismEncouragement to move from a combative posture to a gracious oneClarification of erroneous caricatures of Catholics in favor of a more constructive understandingBased in part on Castaldo's experience as a Catholic and time spent working professionally in the Catholic Church, Talking with Catholics about Jesus gives readers a framework for recognizing where lines of similarity and difference fall between Catholics and evangelical Protestants, along with handy tips for engaging in spiritual discussions.Readers will gain encouragement and practical insights for gracious and worthwhile discussions of faith with Catholic believers.

The church of Jesus Christ finds itself at a very unique moment in history. The average Christian living in the ';economically advanced countries' enjoys a level of prosperity that has been unimaginable for most of human history. At the same time, over 2.5 billion people in the Majority World (Africa, Asia, and Latin America) live on less than $2 per day, with many of these people being Christians. Ironically, it is amongst the ';least of these' in the Global South that the global church is experiencing the most rapid growth.All of this raises profound challenges to the global church. How can churches and missionaries in the Majority World effectively address the devastating poverty both inside their congregations and just outside their doors? How can churches in the economically advanced countries effectively partner with Global South churches in this process? The very integrity of the global church's testimony is at stake, for where God's people reside, there should be no poverty (Deuteronomy 15:4; Acts 4:34).For the past several decades, microfinance (MF) and microenterprise development (MED) have been the leading approaches to poverty alleviation. MF/MED is a set of interventions that allow households to better manage their finances and start small businesses. From remote churches in rural Africa to the short-term missions programs of mega-churches in the United States, churches and missionaries have taken the plunge into MF/MED, trying to emulate the apparent success of large-scale relief and development organizations. Unfortunately, most churches and missionaries find this to be far more difficult than they had imagined. Repayment rates on loans are low and churches typically end up with struggling programs that require ongoing financial subsidies. Everybody gets hurt in the process: donors, relief and development agencies, churches and missionaries, and--most importantlythe poor people themselves.This book explains the basic principles for successfully utilizing microfinance in ministry. Drawing on best practice research and their own pioneering work with the Chalmers Center, Brian Fikkert and Russell Mask chart a path for churches and missionaries to pursue, a path that minimizes the risks of harm, relies on local resources, and enables missionaries and churches to minister in powerful ways to the spiritual and economic needs of some of the poorest people on the planet.The insights of microfinance can play a tremendous role in helping to stabilize poor households, removing them from the brink of disaster and enabling them to make the changes that are conducive to long-term progress. Moreover, when combined with evangelism and discipleship, a church-centered microfinance program can be a powerful tool for holistic ministryone that is empowering for the poor and devoid of the dependencies plaguing most relationships between churches in economically advanced countries and churches in poor nations.

If the unchurched in the United States ever formed their own country, it would be the world's eleventh most populous nation. Reformission is a call to reform a flawed view of missions-as something we only do in foreign lands-to focus on the urgent needs in our own neighborhoods, filled with diverse Americans who desperately need the Gospel of Jesus and life in his Church. It calls for a movement of missionaries who seek the lost across the street, as well as across the globe. Many evangelical churches today are either hostile to the unbelieving world in which they live, or so friendly with the surrounding culture that they have lost the unique claims of the gospel that alone have the power to change people. This basic primer on the interface between gospel and culture by #1 New York Times bestselling author and pastor Mark Driscoll will help you to carefully 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). If you're more convinced today than ever that this crazy, sin-sick world needs a Savior, Reformission will show you how to love the Lord through the unchanging gospel, and love your neighbor in our ever-changing culture.

Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there's a "e;next-best-thing,"e; if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom-the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be "e;ordinary."e;Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, constantly seeking after the next big breakthrough, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There's nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. What's needed is not another program or a fresh approach to spiritual growth; it's a renewed appreciation for the commonplace.Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary. He provides a guide to a sustainable discipleship that happens over the long haul-not a quick fix that leaves readers empty with unfulfilled promises. Convicting and ultimately empowering, Ordinary is not a call to do less; it's an invitation to experience the elusive joy of the ordinary Christian life.

Did Jesus really beat death? That's what Christians for hundreds of years have believed, that Jesus Christ returned to life after death and burial in a stone tomb. To the modern mind, "e;resurrection"e; is utterly implausible, but it was also doubtful to many first-century Greeks, Jews, and even some Christians. With such an incredible assertion at the heart of the Christian faith, it's no wonder that some people struggle to believe. Unlike any other book on the resurrection, Raised? encourages you to doubt in order to believe. Too often Christians look down on doubt, but in Christ, we see a person who welcomes doubt and encourages faith. Jonathan Dodson and Brad Watson don't shy away from the hard questions or settle for easy answers. They help you to see how the resurrection offers hope for the future and answers for the life and death questions we all face. "e;I encourage Christians and non-Christians alike to read this book. . . . provocative, illuminating, and succinct."e;-Eileen Flynn, former religion reporter for Austin American-Statesman and Journalism and religion lecturer at the University of Texas "e;Wonderfully demonstrates the plausibility of the resurrection of Jesus and the possibilities for a life of hope."e;-Sean McDonough, professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and author of Christ as Creator: Origins of a New Testament Doctrine

Bring Gospel Hope in the Midst of DeathThe phone rings: "e;Pastor, can you do my mother's funeral?"e; Or, "e;Please help us-our baby just died."e; Death comes unexpectedly, giving you two to three days of time to prepare a sermon-in the midst of caring for a grieving family. This helpful book walks a pastor through the logistics of memorial services, burials, and working with funeral homes-using the four P's: Plan, Prepare, Preach, and Perform. It shows how to magnify Christ and the gospel in the midst of all the details, demands, and sorrow that surrounds the death of a loved one.The Practical Shepherding series of books provides pastors and ministry leaders with advice and practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals, experienced pastors Brian Croft and Phil A. Newton offer readers a concise guide to conducting funerals that glorify God and offer a timely message of hope.

Are You Called to Ministry?Those who are involved in full-time ministry often say they have been "e;called"e; to do what they do. But what does that mean? Who does the "e;calling,"e; and how is it received? In Prepare Them to Shepherd, pastor Brian Croft unpacks the biblical model for preparing individuals for full-time ministry. In the past, training and sending individuals into full-time pastoral ministry and missionary work was viewed as the responsibility of the local church. Today, much of that responsibility has been delegated to Bible colleges, seminaries, and parachurch and mission organizations.The aim of Prepare Them to Shepherd is to challenge local churches to recover the biblical model for ministerial training and assume responsibility to identify and prepare gifted and godly individuals for service in Christ's body. Part of the Practical Shepherding series of books, this insightful book provides pastors and ministry leaders with the practical help they need to test, train, affirm, and send those who are called into ministry.

How Do You Care for the Sick?Here's How.One of the marks of the ministry of Jesus is his compassionate care for the sick. Jesus brought healing and hope to individuals struggling with life-debilitating illnesses. Ministry to the sick should also be a mark of his followers, but in many churches today it is neglected or pushed to the periphery of ministry concerns.To counter our modern tendency to minimize or ignore sickness, pastor Brian Croft looks to paradigms of the past and examines historical models of care that honor God, obey the teachings of Scripture, and communicate loving care to those who are struggling with sickness and disease.Part of the Practical Shepherding series of resources, Visit the Sick provides pastors and ministry leaders with real-world help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church.Visit the Sick gives pastors, church leaders, and caregivers the biblical, theological, pastoral, and practical tools they need to navigate through both the spiritual and physical care of the sick and dying.

Pastoral ministry today is often ruled by an emphasis on short-sighted goals, pragmatic results, and shallow thinking. Unfortunately, those in the academy tend to have the opposite problem, failing to connect theological study to the pressing issues facing the church today. Contemporary evangelicalism has lost sight of the inherent connection between pastoral leadership and theology. This results in theologically anemic churches, and ecclesial anemic theologies.Todd Wilson and Gerald Hiestand contend that among a younger generation of evangelical pastors and theologians, there is a growing appreciation for the native connection between theology and pastoral ministry. At the heart of this recovery of a theological vision for ministry is the re-emergence of the role of the "e;pastor theologian."e;The Pastor Theologian presents a taxonomy of the pastor-theologian and shows how individual pastorsgiven their unique calling and gift-setcan best embody this age-old vocation in the 21st century. They present three models that combine theological study and practical ministry to the church:The Local Theologiana pastor theologian who ably services the theological needs of a local congregation.The Popular Theologiana pastor theologian who writes theology to a wider lay audience.The Ecclesial Theologiana pastor theologian who writes theology to other theologians and scholars.Raising the banner for the pastor as theologian, this book invites the emerging generation of theologians and pastors to reimagine the pastoral vocation along theological lines, and to identify with one of the above models of the pastor theologian.

Youth ministry isn't just meeting with students and teaching them God's truth. It also involves a myriad of administrative and operational details. Youth Ministry Management Tools 2.0 provides youth ministers and volunteers with helpful insights, advice, and practical resources to successfully manage a youth ministry. You'll find sample budgets, release forms for trips, and clear direction for screening applicants for volunteer positions. Authors Mike Work and Ginny Olson provide you with quick and accessible answers to all of your management, administrative, and supervisory questions and needs. Sprinkled throughout the manual are brief personal anecdotes by actual, in-the-trenches youth workers, case studies of church-office debacles, pivotal lessons learned over decades of ministry, nightmare scenarios to avoid, and glorious successes to emulate. No other book provides everything a youth ministry leader needs in one place at such an affordable price.This revised and updated edition of a youth ministry classic includes bonus online content, copy-ready pages and forms, and loads of other highly practical material.Due to display constraints on most eBook readers, we have removed the final section of this book containing the forms. Free digital copies of these forms can be downloaded from http://downloads.zondervan.com/ymmtools2.