Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Institutions & Organizations

With its focus on narratives, its attention to contextual and material realities, and its collection of women-identified liturgies in global context, Dissident Daughters claims prominence within the growing literature on women's ways of worship. This book not only introduces liturgical texts, but focuses on the communities that create and celebrate these liturgies. Dissident Daughters gives voice to the women activists in these communities who show how their communities came into being; how social, cultural, and political realities shaped them and their liturgies; and how...

Over the past several years, churches have engaged in an ongoing debate between two different styles of worship--"traditional" and "contemporary." Here, Ronald Byars argues that many of the differences between the two styles are superficial. Authentic worship, being wholly theocentric, can and must be both responsive to contemporary culture and grounded in history and tradition. Thus, rather than merely trying to please their members, congregations must focus on exploring worship that is biblical, honors our communion with the saints, and takes seriously the ways that our culture is...

Hughes Oliphant Old masterfully summarizes the worship of Israel and the early church and traces the development of worship through the period of the Reformation. He provides a sterling historical study that will be highly useful for pastors and church study groups as well as for scholars and students interested in Reformed worship. An extensive bibliography of resources for the study of Reformed worship adds to the value of this book.

Results from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, the largest project of its type ever conducted in the United States, have prompted this second book from Westminster John Knox Press authors Cynthia Woolever and Deborah Bruce. Their original work, A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations: Who's Going Where and Why, explores the practices and activities of worshipers in more than 2,000 U.S. congregations, encompassing more than 300,000 worshipers across a representative sample of denominations and faith groups. This book describes the qualities that are evident in strong congregations and...

Moving beyond traditional human developmental theories, pastor and Christian education theorist Brett Webb-Mitchell uses stories and analysis to walk with readers on a road toward rediscovering an ancient Christian custom that may ultimately lead to new roads in Christian education. This important work encapsulates a new understanding of faith development in the context of pilgrimage and examines how traditional human developmental theories have been used to categorize individuals instead of celebrating their unique characteristics, which reflect their creation in the image of God....

Christian Marriage is a liturgical resource that helps pastors prepare and perform the marriage ceremony. This book includes three Christian rites of marraige, appropriate scriptural readings and music selections, and more.

The Presbyterian Supplemental Liturgical Resource (SLT) series includes liturgies that were used on a trial basis in preparation for the development of the Book of Common Worship. Though superseded by the Book of Common Worship, SLR resources remain valuable, both for the variety of liturgical texts they contain and for the commentary on the...

Convenient and user-friendly, this one-volume guide provides resources for the entire three-year lectionary cycle, including midweek festival days. Brief comments on each of the three daily biblical texts identify themes for the day, musical settings for the appointed psalm are offered, organ music appropriate for the day is suggested, anthems for the day are graded according to difficulty, and hymns of the day are keyed to several hymnals. Pastors, music leaders, and worship committees will find much practical assistance for worship planning in the Handbook for the Common...

Drawing on years of teaching experience, James F. White provides a unique, comprehensive overview of Protestant worship by examining the origins, development, and present characteristics of various Protestant groups. This study of Protestant worship is an excellent resource for seminary professors and students, clergy, church historians, and laypersons.

Carol Noren helps lay people evaluate what they do Sunday morning and suggests positive steps for making worship better. She shows lay people how to work with their pastors and demonstrates how to make worship the work of the people. Separate chapters provide an overview of worship and explore the role of laity, the physical setting, the music, the sermon, and the liturgy. Each chapter also includes a series of questions that help individuals evaluate and respond to the practice in their church.

Best-selling Christian educator Ginny Ward Holderness and Robert S. Hay give us a comprehensive guide and workbook that involves youth in their own ministry programs and encourages them to become the church leaders of the future. According to Ward and Hay, the key to effective youth ministry is shared leadership between youth and adult leaders. The techniques presented in this book will help readers create healthy and thriving youth ministry programs.

This collection of twenty-three superb model sermons offers a wealth of biblical insight, practical wisdom, illustrations, inspiration, and helpful advice about the crucial themes of stewardship, giving, and the use of money and possessions in the church. Featured are sermons by active pastors in churches large and small, as well as internationally known preaching professors Fred Craddock, Thomas Troeger, and Charles Rice.

This practical manual is a step-by-step guide for pulpit nominating committees in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In several brief chapters, Dean Foose tells committees how to get organized, how to compose the congregational information materials, how to compile a list of candidates, what kinds of questions to ask in an interview, and other essential tips and tactics for finding the right pastor.

This collection of essays and sermons by prominent Presbyterian leaders and theologians examines the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and its application for the church today. Divided into three sections, the book explores the four central affirmations of the third article of the Nicene Creed, considers contemporary issues related to the renewed interest in the Holy Spirit, and presents relevant sermons on the Holy Spirit. Topics include the Holy Spirit and the prophets, the Holy Spirit in baptism, the contemporary relevance of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit in spiritual formation.

This practical book for use in Reformed worship boasts a collection of highly engaging prayers written by current Presbyterian pastors and theologians. Unique amidst most prayer books, the language of these prayers is conversational in tone, rather than formal, and their concerns represent a diversity of approaches. Divided into sections by seasons of the liturgical year, Let Us Pray includes prayers of confession, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving, as well as assurances of pardon, litanies, and calls to worship.