The American Church in Crisis

The American Church in Crisis
Author: David T. Olson
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2009-05-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310314011

Groundbreaking research based on a national database of over 200,000 churches shows that the overall United States population is growing faster than the church. The director of the American Church Research Project, Dave Olson, has worked to analyze church attendance, showing that it is virtually unchanged from fifteen years ago while our population has grown by fifty-two million people.What does this mean for you, your church, and the future of Christianity in North America? The American Church in Crisis offers unprecedented access to data that helps you understand the state of the church today. “We live in a world that is post-Christian, postmodern, and multiethnic, whether we realize it or not,” says the author. This book not only gives a realistic picture that confirms hunches and explodes myths, but it provides insight into how the church must change to reach a new and changed world with the hope of the gospel.Readers will find a richly textured mosaic with optimistic and challenging stories. Charts, diagrams, and worksheets provide church leaders and motivated church members with a stimulating read that will provoke much discussion. Questions for discussion accompany the chapters.

Church Growth Crisis

Church Growth Crisis
Author: Stephen Parker, LL. B .
Publisher:
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2011-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780982870600

Christianity is in decline in the Unites States, and churches are caught without a strategy to reverse that trend. Except for a precious few, mainline churches in America are not growing, and most are watching their numbers dwindle. Each decade brings new fads and gimmicks that have accomplished little more than leaving church leaders frustrated and church members confused. The external marketing image of positivism that many churches present hides leaders who are are frightened and sometimes futilistic about the ever-changing trends being presented by Church Growth experts. Stephen Parker explores the history of how the church has gotten to this state and what it will take to turn this whole trend around, bringing evangelistic revival back to the United States. The book does not present more theories or innovation to the serious problem of decline. Rather, it returns the reader to the Bible to rediscover what God has called the church to be and to do, much of which had been overlooked, ignored, or simply rejected. In order for Christian churches in America to stem the tide of increasing secularism within and without the church, we must first acknowledge the fact that in our attempts to impact the world, the world has actually changed us. The experts that we have turned to in desperation: marketing experts, sociologists, pollsters, and church growth gurus have not only not helped churches grow, but have actually helped create the very decline trends that they were supposed to prevent us from experiencing. What we are doing is not working! We need a new, biblical plan! That is just what this book offers. A must read for both church members and leaders.

The Church in Crisis

The Church in Crisis
Author: Ron Auch
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
Total Pages: 145
Release: 1990-06-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614582793

The Church of Jesus Christ in America is in great need of a revival. Currently revival is sweeping many parts of the world with the exception of America, Japan, and Western Europe, the three materialistic societies. In this book the author looks at the role prayer has played and will play in reviving the Church. Without a powerful move of God, our nation has no hope.

Reclaiming the Church Family

Reclaiming the Church Family
Author: Matthew T. Kimbrough
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2022-01-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 166672209X

Why bother with church? Can't I follow Jesus on my own? Christians young and old struggle to answer these questions, believing Scripture says little about church life. But the Bible is far from silent. The New Testament envisions a vibrant church of devoted brothers and sisters adopted into God's family. The biblical image of the church family has the power to reshape everything our local churches do--the ways pastors lead, how members engage one another, what worship leaders sing, and much more. Now is the time to reclaim a biblical vision of the church as a family and reject the prevailing corporate-church paradigm assumed by church growth gurus. The church that thinks of itself as a family will learn to build meaningful relationships and show the unbelieving world how good church life can be.

Improving Your Serve

Improving Your Serve
Author: Charles R. Swindoll
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2004-08-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1418515876

In this classic volume, Charles Swindoll uniquely shows the important aspects of authentic servanthood, such as: What it takes to serve unselfishly Why a servant has such a powerful influence What challenges and rewards a servant can expect He offers clear guidelines on developing a servant's heart and challenges you to realize the rich rewards promised in a life of authentic Christian servanthood.

The Coming Revolution in Church Economics

The Coming Revolution in Church Economics
Author: Mark DeYmaz
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2019-10-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493420224

Our entire understanding of funding and sustainability must change. Tithes and offerings alone are no longer enough to provide for the needs of the local church, enable pastors to pursue opportunities, or sustain long-term ministry impact. Growing financial burdens on the middle class, marginal increases in contributions to religious organizations, shifting generational attitudes toward giving, and changing demographics are having a negative impact on church budgets. Given that someday local churches may be required to pay taxes on the property they own and/or lose the benefit of soliciting tax-deductible gifts, the time to pivot is now. What's needed is disruptive innovation in church economics. For churches to not only survive but thrive in the future, leaders must learn to leverage assets, bless the community, empower entrepreneurs, and create multiple streams of income to effectively fund mission. You'll learn why you should and how to do so in The Coming Revolution in Church Economics.

Redeeming Church Conflicts

Redeeming Church Conflicts
Author: Tara Klena Barthel
Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2016-04-13
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1619708728

Discover practical advice on resolving conflicts and dealing with crises within the church---and learn how to turn each situation into an opportunity for grace. In this hope-filled book, experts Barthel and Edling take you through the Acts 15 model of approaching dissension in order to provide a clear, godly way forward to redemptive reconciliation. 204 pages, softcover from Hendrickson.