actstwenty9 Resouces
For I am about to do a brand-new thing.
See, I have already begun!
Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness
for my people to come home.
I will create rivers for them in the desert!
(Isaiah 43:19, NLT)
Books actstwenty9 are reading...
Turning Around the Mainline - Thomas C. Oden:
Turning Around the Mainline by Thomas C. Oden outlines some of the renewal movements currently at work in the traditional "liberal" denominations in North America are beginning to make headway in their call to return the church to orthodoxy. This book, while coming from a fairly "conservative" perspective, is much more than a one-issue treatise as Oden calls the people of God to rediscover what it means to be a credal people. Even if you findyourself disagreeing with Oden's conclusions, this is a book that will allow a clearer understanding of where the future church is heading.
Simply Christian - N.T. Wright:
Tom Wright, the bishop of Durham, has the rare gift of being able to write complex and readable theological treatises as well as accessible "popular" theology. In many respects Wright manages to evade categorisation, but it would probably be fair to say that Wright lives within the orthodoxy of the ancient Christian church while passionately seeking to make the claims of Christ known in the present.In this book, Wright leads his readers through a simple, but never simplistic, exposition of the challenges and freedom of being a follower of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century. This is a book for the sceptic as well as the genuine seeker which will offer scholarly and pastoral introductions to the heart of being a Christian. To read an in-depth review of this excellent book click here.
Radical Reformission - Mark Driscoll:
Reformation is the continual reforming of the mission of the church to enhance God’s command to reach out to others in a way that acknowledges the unique times and locations of daily life. This engaging book blends the integrity of respected theoreticians with the witty and practical insights of a pastor. It calls for a movement of missionaries to seek the lost across the street as well as across the globe.
This basic primer on the interface between gospel and culture highlights the contrast between presentation evangelism and participation evangelism. It helps Christians navigate between the twin pitfalls of syncretism (being so culturally irrelevant that you lose your message) and sectarianism (being so culturally irrelevant that you lose your mission). Included are interviews with those who have crossed cultural barriers, such as a television producer, exotic dancer, tattoo studio owner, and band manager. The appendix represents eight portals into the future: population, family, health/medicine, creating, learning, sexuality, and religion.
Worship Evangelism - Sally Morgenthaler:
Worship Evangelism pinpoints the vital place of worship in winning non-Christians to Jesus Christ. Sally Morgenthaler calls Christians to consider the remarkable, untapped potential of worship as an opportunity for unbelievers, not just believers, to encounter the presence of God. Combining the best of traditional and contemporary worship music and practices, Morgenthaler helps pastors, worship leaders, and musicians understand worship and its attraction for non-Christians; tear down walls that keep unbelievers from meeting God in church worship; and make worship evangelism happen--in any culture. This timely book offers fresh vision for worship evangelism and provides the strategies and practical resources to implement it.
Blogs actstwenty9 is watching...
Musings of A Mad Monk
It can sometimes seem that those called to ministry leadership in many of the mainline Christian denominations spend much of our time putting out fires, clearing away the debris of less than helpful decisions from "head office", or attempting to shore up the breaches through which numbers of our Congregation seem to slip out. How do you respond when someone says, "I'm leaving"? What happens for you? In an article in LeadershipJournal.net, Adam Hamilton seeks to offer some wise, and pastoral, counsel to those struggling with this very real issue. Click on Should We Fret the Back Door? (Why the departure of church members hurts me so.) to read the article.