Knowing when your personal boundaries are violated – and what to do about it when they are – isn’t a simple skill. It requires a surprising amount of self-awareness that only a firm sense of your own value and limits can provide. If you feel like you have trouble saying no to others, at work […]
Intimacy has multiple meanings for preaching. It affirms the crucial role the messenger has in the message. It is the quality that helps to establish a relationship between the hearer and the speaker. It is a “holistic” approach to preaching. Designed to help both the student and the practicing minister to communicate more effectively, Preaching […]
The success of an organization depends on its spirit — the inner force that inspires and motivates its workers. This unique guide shows managers how to let this spirit blossom by adopting the informal leadership strategies women have used for ages — vision, storytelling, structure, comfort, and renewal.
Excerpt from the introduction We see in Peter the change he underwent from having a narrow, parochial perspective to having a great vision for the world. The turning point was in Joppa, where Peter received the vision that Gentiles did not have to become Jews first. This threw open wide the doors of the church. […]
In If This Is the Way the World Works William O. Avery and Beth Ann Gaede ask two primary questions: First, what principles from science are so broadly accepted that scientists themselves are willing to say, ‘This is the way the world works’? Second, how do congregations and their leaders behave when they operate in […]
Many congregations today experience collisions between parents who ant to spend time with their children and age-segregated church programming, as well as between the children worshiping in their pews and the increasing number of seniors in the same pew. Among the questions these congregations struggle to address are these: Should we try to hold the […]
Today the Christian faith is moving through one of the greatest sea changes in its two thousand year history, and we can no longer assume we know exactly what kind of animal preaching is or ought to be. Choosing the Kingdom is both a work of theology and a how-to guide for preachers who want to rethink […]
How do clergy preach to meet the legitimate needs of their congregation and live up to standards of professionalism and personal integrity? Preaching Ethically offers guidelines for preaching in light of a range of factors that might tempt a preacher to misuse the pulpit. How do you preach about controversial issues? What do you say from the […]
A congregation communicates its heart and soul through words, photos, actions, programs, architecture, decor, the arts, and countless other aspects of congregational life. In Reaching Out in a Networked World, communications expert and pastor Lynne Baab examines technologies such as websites, blogs, online communities, and desktop publishing. She demonstrates how a congregation can evaluate these tools […]
This breakthrough work, the first to describe sexual addiction, is still the standard for recognizing and overcoming this destructive behavior. With insight and sensitivity, Dr. Patrick Carnes outlines how to identify a sexual addict, recognize the way others may unwittingly become complicit or codependent, and change the patterns that support the addiction.