Great Books 2008

Great Books 2008

The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs

Brian Bailey and Terry Storch

The Blogging Church offers church leaders a field manual for using the social phenomenon of blogs to connect people and build communities in a whole new way. Inside you will find the why, what, and how of blogging in the local church. Filled with illustrative examples and practical advice, the authors answer key questions learned on the frontlines of ministry: Is blogging a tool or a toy? What problems will blogging solve? How does it benefit ministry? How do I build a great blog? and Who am I blogging for?The Blogging Church is a handbook that will inspire and equip you to join the conversation.

The book includes contributions from five of the most popular bloggers in the world–Robert Scoble, Dave Winer, Kathy Sierra, Guy Kawasaki, and Merlin Mann, as well as interviews with blogging pastors such as Mark Driscoll, Craig Groeschel, Tony Morgan, Perry Noble, Greg Surratt, Mark Batterson, and many more.

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Disciplines of Missional Leaders

Earl Creps

In Off-Road Disciplines, Earl Creps reveals that the on-road practices of prayer and Bible reading should be bolstered by the other kinds of encounters with God that occur unexpectedly–complete with the bumps and bruises that happen when you go “off-road.” Becoming an off-road leader requires the cultivation of certain spiritual disciplines that allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to arrange your interior life. Earl Creps explores twelve central spiritual disciplines–six personal and six organizational–that Christian leaders of all ages and denominations need if they are to change themselves and their churches to reach out to the culture around them.

Earl Creps has written a deeply personal and challenging book—one that caused me to think about my own spiritual journey. Too many of us have made spiritual formation a series of activities and programs; Earl takes us off the map of common practice and into the places where the Spirit is at work. It reminds us that true spiritual formation pervades our lives and the ministries we serve, providing a helpful balance of being and doing. It will be a great encouragement to all who read it—Ed Stetzer, author, Breaking the Missional Code

Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments, and Practices of a Diverse Congregation

Mark DeYmaz

Through personal stories, proven experience and a thorough analysis of the biblical text, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Churchillustrates both the biblical mandate for the multi-ethnic church as well as the seven core commitments required to bring it about. Mark DeYmaz, pastor of one of the most proven multi-ethnic churches in the country, writes both from his experience and his extensive study of how to plant, grow, and encourage more ethnically diverse churches. He argues that the “homogenous unit principle” will soon become irrelevant and that the most effective way to spread the Gospel in an increasingly diverse world is through strong and vital multi-ethnic churches.

Mixed Ministry: Working Together as Brothers and Sisters in an Oversexed Society

Sue Edwards, Kelley Mathews, and Henry J. Rogers

Written by well-respected ministry leaders, this must-have guide answers the question: How should men and women treat gender issues in ministry settings? Sue Edwards, Kelley Mathews, and Henry J. Rogers explore this complex and thorny issue in depth. —Amazon

How should you relate to the opposite sex in a working environment? Are the rules different for Christians? The New Testament treats Christian men and women as sacred siblings. Is that relationship a reality in your ministry? In Mixed Ministry, the male and female authors explore complex and thorny issues in depth, drawing on the thoughts, wisdom, and perspectives of men like Howard Hendricks, John Ortberg, Dan Allender, Frank James, Bill Hybels, and many others. This neglected topic, when properly understood, has the potential to revolutionize ministry.

The Big Idea

Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson and Eric Bramlett

Community Christian Church embraced the Big Idea and everything changed. They decided to avoid the common mistake of bombarding people with so many little ideas that they suffered overload. They also recognized that leaders often don t insist that the truth be lived out to accomplish Jesus mission. Why? Because people s heads are swimming with too many little ideas, far more than they can ever apply. The Big Idea can help you creatively present one laser-focused theme each week to be discussed in families and small groups.

The Big Idea shows how to engage in a process of creative collaboration that brings people together and maximizes missional impact. The Big Idea can energize a church staff and bring alignment and focus to many diverse church ministries. This book shows how the Big Idea has helped Community Christian Church better accomplish the Jesus mission and reach thousands of people in nine locations and launch a church planting network with partner churches across the country. This book is part of the Leadership Network Innovation Series.”

Becoming a Healthy Disciple: Ten Traits of a Vital Christian

Stephen Macchia

In Becoming a Healthy Disciple, Macchia explores the ten traits of a healthy disciple, including a vital prayer life, evangelistic outreach, worship, servanthood, and stewardship. He applies to individual Christians the ten characteristics of a healthy church outlined in his previous book, Becoming a Healthy Church.

Discipleship is a lifelong apprenticeship to Jesus Christ, the master teacher. Using the Book of John, Macchia looks to the beloved disciple as an example of a life lived close to Christ. Personal experiences as well as the experiences of others bring the traits of discipleship into modern context.
Each chapter ends with a prayer and questions for reflection and renewal. Becoming a Healthy Disciple is excellent for laypeople who want to grow in discipleship, as well as pastors, church leaders, adult classes, and small groups.

Becoming a Healthy Team: Five Traits of Vital Leadership

Stephen Macchia

Teams are difficult to create. They are tough to motivate and even more challenging to lead. They can inspire greatness but also can be filled with pettiness. This book discusses the characteristics that produce intimacy, authenticity, and effectiveness in a team and lead to the team’s vitality.

Teams are difficult to create. They are tough to motivate and even more challenging to lead. They can inspire greatness but also can be filled with pettiness. In Becoming a Healthy Team, Macchia discusses the characteristics that produce intimacy, authenticity, and effectiveness in a team and lead to the team’s vitality. TEAMS spells out Trust, Empowerment, Assimilation, Management, and Service—the five traits of a healthy team. With biblical guidance throughout and questions for reflection at the end of each chapter, Macchia has created a valuable team-building resource perfect for pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone involved in a leadership role. –Amazon

Shaped by God’s Heart

Milfred Minatrea

Discover the tools to create a new kind of church and move from merely surviving to thriving.
Drawing on an extensive two-year field study of 200 churches from a variety of denominations and geographic regions, Milfred Minatrea–a missiologist, urban strategist and practioner in minister–presents the best practices for re-energizing Christian spirituality in a congregational setting. He provides readers with the tools for assessing their congregation’s position on the continuum between maintenance and mission and for determining the actions that will move them toward becoming a missional community. He also outlines key strategies that successful churches have used to become relevant in a postmodern society without losing what is distinctly Christian in their spiritual practices. Milfred Minatrea (Irving, TX) is Director of the Missional Church Center for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The Peacemaker—A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict

Ken Sande

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” But it often seems like conflict and disagreement are unavoidable. Serious, divisive conflict is everywhere-within families, in the church, and out in the world. And it can seem impossible to overcome its negative force in our lives.

In The Peacemaker, Ken Sande presents a comprehensive and practical theology for conflict resolution designed to bring about not only a cease-fire but also unity and harmony. Sande takes readers beyond resolving conflicts to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers.

Biblically based, The Peacemaker is full of godly wisdom and useful suggestions that are easily applied to any relationship needing reconciliation. Sande’s years of experience as an attorney and as president of Peacemaker Ministries will strengthen readers’ confidence as they stand in the gap as peacemakers.

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