Creating a Culture of Invitation in Your Church

Creating a Culture of Invitation in Your Church
Author: Michael Harvey MBA
Publisher: Monarch Books
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2015-07-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0857216333

We like to think our church welcomes visitors. But how welcoming can we be, if we are not inviting? We are welcoming as long as people get themselves across the church threshold, but we fail to take our welcome outside. During the years Michael has been developing Back to Church Sunday, he has conducted an extensive study on the seemingly simple subject of 'invitation'. Over 650 times in 12 countries he has asked: 'Why don't we invite our friends to take a closer look at Christ?' The many answers form the impetus for this book. After considering why it seems so hard to invite friends to church, Michael looks at our concerns over acceptance and rejection, and suggests ideas gleaned from years of trying to establish a culture of invitation. 'When I have specifically encouraged Christians to issue an invitation, some people say yes and some no. God sent his son to invite us all into a relationship, and so to be like God is to be a person who invites!'

Invitation to Retreat

Invitation to Retreat
Author: Ruth Haley Barton
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 165
Release: 2018-09-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830873937

When we choose retreat we make a generous investment in our friendship with Christ. Seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently and eloquently leads us into an exploration of retreat as a key practice that opens us to God, guiding us through seven invitations to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.

What Every Pastor Should Know

What Every Pastor Should Know
Author: Gary L. McIntosh
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2013-04-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441241035

Pastors and church leaders are constantly faced with strategic questions. How much staff does the church need? How many workers are needed in the nursery this month? When is the right time to start a second worship service? How many people should we train for evangelism this year? How does seating and parking impact worship attendance? When church leaders have questions about planning, running, or growing their churches, they need answers fast! What Every Pastor Should Know offers pastors and leaders 101 valuable rules and "sacred" laws to help answer real-life ministry questions. From advertising to facilities to visitation, this valuable book offers the practical help that leaders need, just when they need it most. This comprehensive guide will become one of the most valuable books in a leader's library. Never again will they wonder if they based critical decisions on the right information. They'll get the answers they're looking for all in one place.

Building a Discipling Culture

Building a Discipling Culture
Author: Mike Breen
Publisher: 3dm International
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-09-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780982452103

"Much ink and many pages have been devoted to all of the missional issues facing the Western church today. As our culture becomes more post-Christian with each passing day, we are all realizing that what has worked in the past is no longer working, that we are far less effective for the Kingdom than we were even 10 years ago. But we would suggest it isn’t because we don’t know what the Great Commission states or the imperatives of the Gospel, or that our church services just aren’t getting it done. It’s because we are in the midst of a discipleship crisis in the Western church. The people sitting in our pews are rarely becoming like the people we read about in Scripture. They may come to a worship service, join a small group or even tithe, but their lives just don’t seem to look like Jesus’ life. The truth of the matter is that we don’t have a missional problem or leadership problem in the Western church. We have a discipleship problem. If we make disciples like Jesus made them, we’ll never have a problem finding leaders or seeing new people coming to faith. The central issue is that we have no idea how to make disciples who can do the things that Jesus did for the reasons Jesus did them. Building a Discipling Culture is the product of more than 25 years of hands-on discipleship practice in a post-Christian context that has turned into a worldwide discipling movement, dealing specifically with how to make the types of missional disciples Jesus spoke of. We all want to make disciples. Most of us are unsure how to do it. Dallas Willard put it this way: 'Every church needs to be able to answer two questions. One, do we have a plan for making disciples? Two, does our plan work?' For most of our church communities, we have a plan, but the plan isn’t working. If you find yourself in this situation, this book is for you." -- Publisher's description.

Building a Discipling Culture, 3rd Edition

Building a Discipling Culture, 3rd Edition
Author: Mike Breen
Publisher: 3dm Publishing
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2017-03-23
Genre: Christian leadership
ISBN: 9780692862346

How to release a missional movement by discipling people like Jesus did.

Church Growth Flywheel

Church Growth Flywheel
Author: Rich Birch
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2018-01-27
Genre:
ISBN: 9781984276278

Are you ready to see your church impact more people than you have ever before? Are you tired of church leadership books that are long on theory but short on practical help? Have you wanted to reach more people in your community but you weren''t sure where to start? Are you worried that your church isn''t reaching its full potential? "Church Growth Flywheel : 5 Practical Systems To Drive Growth at Your Church" is full of helpful insights to help your church reach more people starting today! Bestselling author, Rich Birch, has pulled together his own hard-fought experience leading within one of the fastest growing churches in the country as well as over 200 interviews with church leaders from prevailing churches. What Church Leaders are Saying About Church Growth Flywheel: "Rich is right again. Momentum is hard to catch, easy to lose, and most important. If Flywheel has any importance, it has loads of importance. Don''t miss this book!" - Clay Scroggins, Lead Pastor, North Point Community Church "Rich Birch has knocked it out of the park with Church Growth Flywheel. His new book is full of practical helps for church leaders looking to reach more people in their communities. Rich cuts through the theory and offers solid advice and guidance that you can put into action right away." - Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia "Rich Birch has been reading my mind! After reading the first 15 pages, I made this book mandatory reading for my entire staff." - Hal Seed, Chief Mentor at PastorMentor.com and Founding Pastor of New Song Community Church "What an incredible book! Rich has a unique way of sharing real and relevant practices from his experience and conversations that will no doubt be a game changer for you and your church community. Church Growth Flywheel is a gift to church leaders filled with practical yet challenging steps to help initiate growth and change within your community. And what church leader doesn''t want to see more lives changed by Christ!" - Sonja Waltman, Executive Director of Ministries at LCBC Church "Rich brings a wealth of passion, knowledge and experience to the subject of church growth. He presents a treasure trove of best practices and learnings around engaging people in your city with the message of Christ. Church Growth Flywheel is full practical steps that you can actually start doing and growing in your church, today. I''m so grateful for Rich''s voice on this subject and I think you will be too." - Carey Nieuwhof, Founding & Teaching Pastor, Connexus Church "I''ve followed Rich Birch for many years as he has had a front row seat to some of the fastest-growing churches in North America. That''s why I got excited when I heard he was releasing a book with some of what he has learned. You will be energized, informed, inspired, and equipped after reading Church Growth Flywheel." - Tim Stevens, Vice President of Consulting, Vanderbloemen Search Group "Insanely practical... super simple... and absolutely essential! Rich Birch has captured the disciplines and behaviors that will allow your church to experience growth that enables you to thrive. Buy one for every member of your team and read it together!" - Jenni Catron, Founder/CEO The 4Sight Group and author of The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership "Most pastors I meet are frustrated since they are trying tons of tactics for growth, but not seeing any results. It isn''t good enough to just go out and just do 100 things. Rich''s system is what they are lacking. For sustained growth, you need an end to end process that''s strategic and easy to follow. This book gives you the entire blueprint in one shot."- Kenny Jahng, Founder, Church Butler Social Media LOOK INSIDE for more endorsements!

The Ways of the Alongsider

The Ways of the Alongsider
Author: Bill Mowry
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2016
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1631465724

The Ways of the Alongsider is more than a Bible study. It's a new pathway for making disciples in life2life ways!

You Found Me

You Found Me
Author: Rick Richardson
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2019-06-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830864547

New research from the Billy Graham Center Institute shows that unchurched Americans are still remarkably open to faith conversations and the church. Researcher and practitioner Rick Richardson sheds light on the study's findings and shares best practices for how churches are effectively approaching unchurched "nones" and moving them to faith.

The Art of Community

The Art of Community
Author: Charles Vogl
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2016-09-12
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1626568421

Create a Culture of Belonging! Strong cultures help people support one another, share their passions, and achieve big goals. And such cultures of belonging aren't just happy accidents - they can be purposefully cultivated, whether they're in a company, a faith institution or among friends and enthusiasts. Drawing on 3,000 years of history and his personal experience, Charles Vogl lays out seven time-tested principles for growing enduring, effective and connected communities. He provides hands-on tools for creatively adapting these principles to any group—formal or informal, mission driven or social, physical or virtual. This book is a guide for leaders seeking to build a vibrant, living culture that will enrich lives. Winner of the Nautilus Silver Book Award in the Business and Leadership Category.

Church of the Wild

Church of the Wild
Author: Victoria Loorz
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1506469655

2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought" CategoryWinner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature. Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity, and planet, Loorz turned to the wanderings of spiritual leaders and the sanctuary of the natural world, eventually cofounding the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild. With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it--and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together--a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.