Growing in the Life of Faith, Second Edition


Book Description

In this new edition of his popular book, Craig Dykstra explores the contributions of the traditions, education, worship practices, and disciplines of the Reformed Christian community in helping people grow in faith. In doing so, he makes the case that the Christian church, in its own traditions, has a wealth of wisdom about satisfying spiritual hunger and the desire to know God deeply--wisdom that offers coherent, thoughtful guidance in such diverse settings as congregational life, families, youth groups, and higher education.




The Critical Journey


Book Description

The Critical Journey, at its core, is a description of the spiritual journey: our response to our faith in God with the resulting changes that follow. In this book, authors Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich address the following issues: the struggle to find meaning and wholeness the crisis of values and identity at mid-life the quest for self-actualization the healing of early religious experiences questions about the spiritual journey Their goal is to help us understand where we are on our individual faith journeys and also appreciate where others are in theirs. The Critical Journey does not reveal exactly how or when we need to move along in our personal pilgrimages, nor does it offer formulas for spiritual growth. Rather, it describes six phases of the spiritual journey and illustrates how people act and think while in these stages. This is an excellent guide for those who are wrestling with their faith and wondering how others have resolved their "dark nights of the soul." Here is an answer for those who have wondered why everyone doesn't respond in the same manner to the message of the Gospel.




Human Development and Faith (Second Edition)


Book Description

Updated with the latest research, this second edition approaches human development from a multidisciplinary perspective. Uniquely inclusive of the moral and faith dimensions of the life cycle, 'Human Development and Faith' examines the interplay of mind, body, family, community, and soul at every stage of development. (Back cover).




Growing in the Life of Faith


Book Description

In this new edition of his popular book, Craig Dykstra explores the contributions of the traditions, education, worship practices, and disciplines of the Reformed Christian community in helping people grow in faith. In doing so, he makes the case that the Christian church, in its own traditions, has a wealth of wisdom about satisfying spiritual hunger and the desire to know God deeply--wisdom that offers coherent, thoughtful guidance in such diverse settings as congregational life, families, youth groups, and higher education.




Organic Church


Book Description

Churches have tried all kinds of ways to attract new and younger members - revised vision statements, hipper worship, contemporary music, livelier sermons, bigger and better auditoriums. But there are still so many people who aren't being reached, who don't want to come to church. And the truth is that attendance at church on Sundays does not necessarily transform lives; God's presence in our hearts is what changes us. Leaders and laypeople everywhere are realizing that they need new and more powerful ways to help them spread God's Word. According to international church starter and pastor Neil Cole, if we want to connect with young people and those who are not coming to church, we must go where people congregate. Cole shows readers how to plant the seeds of the Kingdom of God in the places where life happens and where culture is formed - restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, parks, locker rooms,and neighborhoods. Organic Church offers a hands-on guide for demystifying this new model of church and shows the practical aspects of implementing it.




Grown-Up Faith


Book Description

Why isn't life everything we expected it to be? And why doesn't our faith resolve our frustrations and problems? Kevin Myers, the founding pastor of 12Stone Church, a congregation of more than 30,000 active attenders near Atlanta, believes the reason we don't experience a transformed life is that we fail to grow up spiritually. We focus on developing physically, intellectually, emotionally, and financially, yet our faith remains immature and anemic. In this powerful new book, Myers offers a deep yet simple roadmap to a grown-up faith through understanding the whole context of the Bible, developing spiritual intimacy with God, and gratefully embracing holy obedience. As you understand the Bible and the big picture of God's story with humanity, you begin to find answers to life's most compelling questions. As you begin to understand God more, your longing and ability to experience spiritual intimacy with him increases, as does your desire to obey what God asks of you and your ability to follow through. This is the way to the bigger life, a life even better than you expected--or even dreamed possible.




Passing on the Faith


Book Description

From the Introduction This book is about passing on the faith from generation to generation, throughout the milestones of a person's life. Faith is created and nurtured by the Holy Spirit through the Gospels. The vision underlying the RADICAL model was developed in light of the theological principle that faith is formed by the Holy Spirit through personal, trusted relationships, often, but not always, in our own homes. A youth and family ministry for the 21st century connects all the generations in the total ministry of the congregation and, through the cross of Christ, recognizes the work of the Holy Spirit shaping faith in all the circles of relationships. This revised edition expands on the authors' original model in an all-new chapter on the circle of creation. This edition has also been updated throughout in light of new ideas and research that have emerged during the past decade.




30 Days to Growing in Your Faith


Book Description

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLER 30 DAYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE. Deepen your faith, strengthen your relationship with God, and enrich your life with this practical guide for spiritual growth. In 30 Days to Growing in Your Faith, Max Anders uses a repetition and response methodology to outline a helpful framework for Christian living. To make a complex topic easier to grasp, this book is divided into three sections that reflect the basics of spiritual growth: KNOW: feed your mind with the truth BE: integrate your life with the lives of other solid Christians DO: get up each day and try your best to do what is true and right Within each of these sections, Max outlines the most important things you need to know, using simple explanations and workbook-style learning to drive biblical truth into the hearts and minds of those who seek it. Themes like these will be addressed: Eternal perspective and purpose Desired attitudes, values, and behavior Responsibilities as followers of Christ Insightful, engaging, and easy-to-use, 30 Days to Growing in Your Faith balances classic Christian teaching with innovative applications for today, giving you a solid foundation for a lifetime of growing in your faith. If you've been wondering how to engage with God's Word in your daily life, this is a must-read.




Living a Blessed Life


Book Description

What's keeping you from wealth? Most think the only way to achieve financial security is to win the lottery. But blessings aren't an accident of birth. You have everything you need at this moment to live a blessed life. A blessed life is abundance regardless of income level.




Practicing Our Faith


Book Description

Twelve time-honored Christian practices that will help us, and the world, to flourish Practicing Our Faith offers help to Christians who are asking how our faith can help us discern what we might do and who we might become. How can we live faithfully and with integrity in a world where the pace of existence is so fast and life's patterns are changing all around us? Can we conduct our daily lives in ways that help us not just get by but flourish--as individuals, as communities, and as a society in concert with creation and in communion with God? These questions are on the hearts and minds of many seekers who are exploring spirituality today. They are also at the heart of Practicing Our Faith. Practices are those shared activities that address fundamental needs of humankind and creation and that, woven together, form a way of life. The twelve practices explored in this book are practices that human beings simply cannot do without, particularly at this time in history. This book will stimulate your imagination. It will encourage you to reflect. It initiates a conversation that will spread into many contexts, each of which presents unique opportunities for noticing, discussing, and living the practices of faith.