Toxic Church

Toxic Church
Author: Chris Creech
Publisher:
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2019-10
Genre:
ISBN: 9781602250109

Every year, thousands of pastors are forced from their ministries, many never to return. Studies reveal that forced terminations, once having occurred in a local church, often repeat themselves in the same church, demonstrating a pattern of dysfunction and difficulty within those fellowships. In Toxic Church, Creech examines how the patterns of family dysfunction find their way into the life of the local church, often producing severe conflict, causing division, enabling sin, and even ending the ministry of the pastor and possibly even the local church. Creech outlines a plan for recognizing dysfunction within the church family, diagnosing the root causes of that dysfunction and taking steps to protect the church and the pastor from what many now call the epidemic caused by toxic churches and the clergy killers within them.

Toxic Churches

Toxic Churches
Author: Marc Du Pont
Publisher: Sovereign World Ltd
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2004-01-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9781852403744

Spiritual abuse devastates its victims perhaps more than any other form of violation, because it targets those who are most unprepared and vulnerable. This book aims to reach out to those who have given their time, money and talents to the Body of Christ, only to find themselves hurting, frustrated and confused.

The Toxic Church

The Toxic Church
Author: Michelle Yvette
Publisher: Michelle Yvette
Total Pages: 133
Release: 2023-11-06
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN:

After the sudden death of Michael Johnson’s parents. Michael and his wife Vanessa decide to settle in Arizona so Michael can set forth a journey to be the most powerful pastor over his late father’s church in his old hometown. To gain the power and control he has always longed for Michael decides to choose a path led by deception and satanic sacrifices. It wasn’t until his own deepest secrets becoming exposed that Michael realized his path for fortune comes at a price. Based on true events, Michael then has a choice, to become the man he preaches to his congregation in the church or continue his deceitful obsession for greed, power and control

Anatomy of a Revived Church

Anatomy of a Revived Church
Author: Thom S. Rainer
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2022-08-02
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1496474627

There is hope. God can save your church. In this book, Thom Rainer reveals seven findings of revived churches. Through new research, he figuratively dissects hundreds of churches that were on the path toward death. But they turned around. They revitalized. They did so in the face of facts and naysayers who told them it could not be done. Today, three out of four churches are declining in our nation, and twenty percent of churches are close to death. What are the secrets of the churches who avoided this fate and experienced revival? In Anatomy of a Revived Church, Thom will show you how these churches experienced renewal. He will cover everything from “expanding the scorecard” to “dealing with toxins” to “choosing meaningful membership.” When you finish reading this book, you will have the tools to strengthen, restore, and energize your church. You can choose life for your church.

The Unanticipated Chicken

The Unanticipated Chicken
Author: Dr. Tom Barnette
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2017-10-10
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1365674312

The understanding of new insights about a toxic relationship is only enlightening. Unless you plan to maintain success and the new ideas there will be NO change. Action and knowledge are NOT the same thing. You must Implement Normal Reality in place of the toxic lie. God sets the exclusive measurement of normal reality and success. We all fall under God's natural laws, which include the five rules of the harvest, the five basic human needs, and the five basic conflicts. You cannot replant yesterday's harvest. It is over. You can only plant today what you will grow and harvest tomorrow.

A Church Called Tov

A Church Called Tov
Author: Scot McKnight
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2020-10-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 149644602X

“Scot and Laura do an amazing job of teaching us what a good church looks like.” —Beth Moore What is the way forward for the church? Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches—from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church. We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth. How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate “good,” the word tov. In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov—unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus.

Restoration Run Amuck

Restoration Run Amuck
Author: William T. Chance Ph. D.
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 117
Release: 2012
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1469745054

John chapter seventeen records Jesus' prayer for unity among his followers, which did not appear to be answered in the affi rmative. In the eighteenth century a movement began in the eastern United States to address the obvious division of Christendom. This Restoration Movement was inclusive, inviting people to leave Christian denominations and return to the Bible alone for spiritual guidance. Thus, "speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent" became their mantra. In 1801 this movement kindled a large revival centered at the Cane Ridge Meeting House (cover of book) near Paris, Kentucky. Churches birthed by this movement grew and spread rapidly to both the frontier and the cities. However, within fi fty years, conflict and division began to arise in these churches as some became more sectarian and others more legalistic, resulting in three primary groups: the Disciples of Christ, the Independent Christian Church, and the Church of Christ. Of these groups, the Church of Christ was the most conservative, with many congregations taking silence of the Scriptures as prohibitive of everything not written in the two thousand-year old text, resulting in more confl ict and division. Thus, the Restoration Movement had run amuck, becoming mired in its own swamp of legalism. Th is book seeks to identify what went wrong, and what changes in attitude, behavior, and conversation are necessary to get the unity train back on its track.

Restore Such a One

Restore Such a One
Author: Lance M. Bacon
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 326
Release: 2024-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

Widespread deficiencies in spiritual formation see an increasing number of ministers buckle under the significant burdens common to the task. There are seasons when a powerful triad of the flesh, the world, and the devil converge (Eph 2:2–3, cf. Jas 3:15 and 1 John 2:16). Misdirected attempts to fulfill emptiness, find worth, or heal longstanding wounds ensue. Widespread instances of sexual immorality result. Sound exegesis and analysis of theological doctrine presents an allowance, in certain cases, for ministerial restoration. However, this necessitates an intimate and intricate approach that differs significantly from the varied solutions churches and denominations offer. Few restoration programs bring a biblical response to bear. Remarkably rare are restoration programs that look to correct causal factors and commit to congregational care. This program orients itself on an understanding of brokenness and the need for holistic (re)formation. The latter requires fallen ministers to progress beyond biblical confession and repentance to partner with the Holy Spirit and key authorities such as an overseer, mentors, Christian mental health professionals, and a designated congregation. The unitive goal is a “sanctifying psychopathology” that properly diagnoses spiritual and emotional health; eradicates the adverse influences of emotional, cultural, and spiritual factors; and redirects self-oriented patterns of thought and behavior.

A Skeptic’s Guide to Arts in the Church

A Skeptic’s Guide to Arts in the Church
Author: Mark Coppenger
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2018-09-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1532649150

Evangelical discourse on the role of arts in the church can be radioactive, and the twenty-one contributors to this book walk right into the "hot zone" to pick up on twenty contentious questions. The volume is a series of written dialogues, each one keyed to a cranky question, one that a skeptic might raise (hence the title). Herein, the gainsayers are taken seriously and given their voice. They even find support in some of the contributors' comments. But apologists for greater use of arts and artists in the church have their say, and things can get edgy. Topics range from the biblically august (the Second Commandment; the regulative principle; Great Commission priorities) to the prudential (expense; "bohemian" influence; weaker brothers) to the programmatic (Christmas festivities; committee makeup). Some of the parties to the discussion are church staffers (pastors and ministers of music); some are professors; several are doctoral students; one is a college student; another, a gallery owner; yet another, a denominational ethicist; and there's a Canadian and a Korean in the mix. The collection of speakers and opinions is illuminating and bracing, and the fruit of their thinking makes for great reading and discussion.

The African Church and COVID-19

The African Church and COVID-19
Author: Martin Munyao
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2022-01-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1793650993

The African Church and COVID-19: Human Security, the Church, and Society in Kenya is a bold and incisive look at the African Church in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the book, contributors explore how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragilities of African society as well as the weaknesses in the Church’s role in helping and serving African communities. The African Church and COVID-19 analyzes the question of how the Church in Kenya should move forward in a post-COVID-19 era to address the vulnerabilities of socio-economic and political structures in Africa.