The Doors of the Church Are Closed

The Doors of the Church Are Closed
Author: Dana Carson
Publisher: Xulon Press
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2008-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1604779470

Martin Luther and John Calvin challenged Roman Catholicism; John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards challenged spiritual lethargy; and now Carson challenges the Christian Church to look at the root causes of the contemporary church's failures.

The Doors of the Church are Closed

The Doors of the Church are Closed
Author: Dr. Dana Carson
Publisher: Dana Carson Kingdom Ministries
Total Pages: 133
Release: 2008-01-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 194026474X

Martin Luther and John Calvin challenged Roman Catholicism; John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards challenged spiritual lethargy; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. challenged America’s social injustice; and now Dr. Dana Carson is challenging the Christian Church! The Doors of the Church are Closed is one of the most relevant 21st century writings to the Church. Statistics suggest nearly 4,000 churches are closing with only 1,200 to 1,800 opening annually. Less than 20% of Americans attend church and 97% of churches didn’t win one convert last year! Yet, the Church has exchanged its mission of Kingdom expansion for popularity and wealth. The Doors of the Church Are Closed! This book identifies the root causes of the contemporary Church’s failures and raises some monumental challenges to believers. This book is a must read for the Body of Christ and those who desire to fulfill the will of God in their lives.

Open Hearts, Closed Doors

Open Hearts, Closed Doors
Author: Nicholas T. Pruitt
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2021-06-22
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1479803545

A history of mainline Protestant responses to immigrants and refugees during the twentieth century Open Hearts, Closed Doors uncovers the largely overlooked role that liberal Protestants played in fostering cultural diversity in America and pushing for new immigration laws during the forty years following the passage of the restrictive Immigration Act of 1924. These efforts resulted in the complete reshaping of the US cultural and religious landscape. During this period, mainline Protestants contributed to the national debate over immigration policy and joined the charge for immigration reform, advocating for a more diverse pool of newcomers. They were successful in their efforts, and in 1965 the quota system based on race and national origin was abolished. But their activism had unintended consequences, because the liberal immigration policies they supported helped to end over three centuries of white Protestant dominance in American society. Yet, Pruitt argues, in losing their cultural supremacy, mainline Protestants were able to reassess their mission. They rolled back more strident forms of xenophobia, substantively altering the face of mainline Protestantism and laying foundations for their responses to today’s immigration debates. More than just a historical portrait, this volume is a timely reminder of the power of religious influence in political matters.

The Last Pastor

The Last Pastor
Author: Gail Cafferata
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2020-01-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1611649757

Gail Cafferata was heartbroken when the church she pastored voted to close its doors. It may have been the right decision, but it led to a million questions in her mind about her call, leadership, and future. She began to think that other pastors who close churches perhaps go through this same experience. This led her to conduct a sociological study of over 130 pastors in five historically established denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ) who were called to serve churches that closed. This book tells the results of that study, which consisted of many interviews, and the hard-won lessons learned by these courageous pastors.

Money Matters

Money Matters
Author: R. Paul Stevens
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2021-01-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1467461962

A guide to investing in heaven and being “rich toward God” Christians often hesitate to talk about money in spiritual contexts, but in the gospels Jesus talks more about money than about “religious” topics like prayer and heaven. Money Matters advocates following Jesus’s lead in engaging with matters of economy and finance in a faith-driven way, in both our individual and our corporate lives. The authors draw on their contrasting life experiences to offer a well-rounded look at money in the twenty-first century. Paul Stevens, who grew up well-off in Canada and worked as a carpenter, a banker, and later a pastor and professor of theology, finds a complementary voice in Clive Lim, who grew up without money in Singapore, and now works there as an entrepreneur and head of a family investment firm. With frequent scriptural references, Stevens and Lim offer insight into navigating the economic systems of today, aiming to help individuals, churches, and societies become faithful stewards who store up “treasures in heaven” by investing in the kingdom of God. Money Matters is a comprehensive yet accessible guide to integrating one’s faith with one’s approach to money. Just as the Bible variously treats money as a blessing, a sacrament, and a problem, so do Stevens and Lim approach this matter judiciously—avoiding the prosperity gospel on one side and the demonization of material wealth on the other. Capitalism is treated as what it is: a system that has created widespread opportunity and relieved poverty for millions while also exacerbating the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The authors’ wisdom is at turns theological, historical, and practical—and always focused on what it means to live with faithful integrity in our contemporary global economy.

Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors
Author: Natalie R. Collins
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2007-01-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1429991712

For twenty years, they had been closer than sisters, sharing girlhood secrets, their hopes and dreams for the future—and a soul-searing promise. Melissa was the only one who knew what had really happened to Jannie beyond the sacred walls of the Mormon Temple the night that changed her life forever.... UNTIL HER BEST FRIEND VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE. Now Melissa has gone missing, just days after entrusting Jannie with a mysterious box that someone would kill to possess. And someone has—leaving in their murderous wake an innocent victim and a trail of blood that leads to the heart of Jannie's hidden burden. Desperate to protect her secret, and to find out what has happened to Melissa, Jannie trusts no one. Not the stranger whose piercing green eyes have already seen too much, nor the family and friends whose familiar fold may be shielding a cold-blooded killer who is lurking BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

When the Lords House Closes

When the Lords House Closes
Author: Delgado
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2025-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0197767885

"This chapter sets the stage for the book and follows a conventional path, increasing the likelihood of reader engagement and that it will influence community practice, which quite frankly, is the bottom-line. I do not subscribe to the axiom of advancing knowledge for the sake of knowledge. I am much too practical! Some readers, however, may beg to differ. Books challenge readers to entertain new ways of thinking on a subject, supplying a rationale for the subject's importance. Books need major time, financial, and intellectual commitment to a subject, bringing heightened expectations and serving as a key motivator for action. Readers have a right to have lofty expectations from a book because of the time invested, and that must be confirmed and met by an author! It is impossible for an author to suspend their experiences and worldviews from the task of writing a 300 or so page document. The more an author uplifts their values, motivations, biases, limitations, and experiences (both good and bad), it allows readers to have a better grasp of why a topic is framed in a particular manner. This stance ascends in significance in this journey and more so when it covers religion. Readers may ask about my personal stands on religion, religious beliefs, and houses of worship. More specifically, although raised Catholic up to my late teenage years, I am a member of a Church of Christ congregation because of the values that this church embraces. This church, too, is facing its challenges with dwindling congregations and closures. Suffice it to say, I respect people's religious/spiritual beliefs that are different from mine, although I am not a "very" religious person by nature, it is fair to say"--

Let My People Serve!

Let My People Serve!
Author: R. Edward Baird
Publisher: WestBow Press
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2012-06-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1449756247

Are you or your ministry struggling? Or perhaps youre not where you thought youd be. Find out what can happen when you to tap into the resources God has already provided and see your vision become reality! God has given your church or ministry everything it needs for victoryyour people. The foundation for the Church is Christ and gifted service. Its that simple! When people work and serve in their giftedness, they are complete. Many of their inborn emotional needs will be met. The people who serve take ownership and owners invest in what they own. In other words, giving will increase. These people also have the joy and peace mentioned so many times in Scripture. Isnt that what you want for your people? Its up to you! Do you want to continue the 80/20 rule, where 80 percent of the work and giving is accomplished by 20 percent of your people, or will you Let My People Serve and see transformed lives, not only in your local ministry, but worldwide? Time is running out. Let all of His churches work together with one accord for His glory.