Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Christian Ministry - General

Richard Armstrong and Kirk Morledge present this practical guide for pastoral ministry, offering counsel about a wide range of topics related to a pastor's professional ministry and personal life. Topics include beginning a new ministry, balancing one's personal life and ministry, wrestling with conflict, worrying about church finances, and preaching. This introduction to ministry can function as a textbook as well as an invaluable handbook or desk reference for pastors in the midst of congregational ministry.

Why is it that people who read the same Bible and talk about the same Christ, even when they belong to the same church, have trouble getting along with each other and committing themselves to a common witness in the world? In this highly original book, Shirley Guthrie looks at these questions and provides a framework that will help Christians better understand their own beliefs, learn from each other, and be more open to working for greater union in addressing serious issues.

This work challenges pastors, seminarians, and active members of the laity to rethink the social character of their ministry. Dieter Hessel calls on parish communities to "meet human need with good Samaritan love while acting for justice with prophetic boldness." In this updated edition, Hessel assesses major new developments that have occurred in both church and society since the first publication of Social Ministry. He gives special attention to the uncertainty that churches face today in regard to their public role.

This much-needed work examines the three most litigated areas in clergy counseling: breaches of confidentiality, sexual misconduct, and the content and quality of counseling service. The authors provide clear and concise explanations of clauses in the U.S. Constitution pertaining to religion as well as up-to-date accounts of cases against clergy and their employers.

This book takes a novel, cultural approach to studying mainline denominations, focusing on the denominations' religious and moral vision--the beliefs, values, symbols, stories, and style that make a denomination distinct. Of special concern are the ways in which denominations passed on their vision and how they maintained plausibility under changing circumstances. Contributors include a variety of authors, historians, sociologists, anthropologists, educators, and liturgists who examine ways in which denominations have sought to transmit their culture with varying degrees of success or...

How does a congregation best serve its own neighborhood? This practical guide for congregations and parishes addresses this question by reviewing the growth of the ecumenically oriented community ministry movement in recent years. David Bos believes the typical "community ministry" rising from that movement possesses three vital and energizing characteristics: it is congregation-based and very local; it is a social ministry that sees issues through the prism of its own community; and it is ecumenical. He focuses on community ministry as a particular way of ministering to society, in which...

Over a period of years, Donald Smith probed, analyzed, interpreted, and reinterpreted data pertaining to what makes for effective ministry. Through all his research, one fact kept emerging: pastors who focus on empowering others are recognized as the most effective. This book distills the best information about cultivating an effective ministry from the voices of several hundred highly effective congregational leaders.

As record numbers of women graduate from seminaries, they are increasingly filling positions once held exclusively by men. Sally Purvis documents what happened in the lives of two congregations that appointed women senior pastors and the impact these appointments had on all concerned. She carefully assesses the changes and discerns the significance of female leadership as opposed to male leadership in these two churches.

To John Buchanan, mainline churches have an obligation to be in the world, and their effectiveness requires that they not abandon their traditions. Churches need to steer a course that allows them to maintain a singular way in the world and to creatively respond to questions of meaning, hope, vocation, and values. In this book, Buchanan explores the specific ways the church intersects with community life. He vigorously affirms the Reformed tradition's unique strength and heritage, as well as its ongoing relevance in today's world.

Perhaps the most significant event in twentieth-century American Protestant churches has been the entry of tens of thousands of women into the church's ordained ministry. How are these women's experiences as ministers different from those of their male counterparts? What are their callings and careers like? What are their prospects for employment, income, and satisfaction? Based on a wealth of statistical data as well as in-depth personal interviews, this book offers the most authoritative information ever about the real experiences of clergy women (and men), along with anecdotes that show...

"John Burgess has written a book of immense help to the church in this time of great conflict and division. It is wise, probing, and highly readable. . . . A combination of authentic piety and remarkable scholarship characterize this book, which is full of concrete suggestions for persons and and congregations. --Douglas W. Oldenburg, Moderator, 210th General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (USA) and President of Columbia Theological Seminary

Ray Anderson offers an inspiring call for Christian leaders to view Jesus as a model for their own ministry today. The Soul of Ministry explores the idea of ministry across denominations and discovers its soul in God's love for the world. Designed for pastors of all denominations, this book combines social biblical theology with numerous real-life anecdotes from Anderson's teaching and ministry.

Though some conflict in the church may be normal, there are some types of conflict which are abnormal and abusive. Within some congregations there are personalities who seek to unsettle the relationship between minister and congregation. In this engaging and useful book, G. Lloyd Rediger offers strategies to prevent abuse, support clergy, and to build healthier congregations.

Based on interviews with gay and lesbian clergy, Dann Hazel constructs a mosaic depicting the ministry of gays and lesbians across the denominational spectrum. He poignantly describes the personal challenges these clergy face in their efforts to do constructive work in theology in order to build faith communities where gay men and lesbians can flourish spiritually.

In this important and urgent message to pastors, G. Lloyd Rediger emphasizes the necessity of integrating fitness of body, mind, and spirit in order to attain fulfillment of personhood and calling. Not immune from the debilitating unfitness that is endemic in America, pastors must be fit if they are to facilitate God's purposes in the world. Rediger stresses that clergy need to reinvent a healthy pastoral role based on this holistic approach.

Campus Ministry is an earnest advocacy for recognizing and strengthening campus ministry as essential to the church's mission. Donald Shockley presents a theology of campus mission based on the growing need for the church to reach beyond itself and to renew its mission in the college community, which offers a unique opportunity and setting for the church to practice evangelism, ministry, and Christian education.

C. Ellis Nelson has collaborated with and collected the works of ten leaders experienced in congregational affairs to design and produce a resource that helps ministers and lay leaders understand the dynamics of congregations. The result is an engaging collection that will help pastors and church leaders invigorate their congregations.