Evaluating the Church Growth Movement


Book Description

What exactly is the Church Growth movement? This timely volume in the Counterpoints series addresses the history of the movement that has become such an enormous shaping force on the Western church today, and it explores--in a roundtable forum of leading voices--five main perspectives on the classic Church Growth movement: Effective Evangelism View - presented by Elmer Towns Gospel in Our Culture View - presented by Craig Van Gelder Centrist View - presented by Charles Van Engen Reformist View - presented by Gailyn Van Rheenan Renewal View - presented by Howard Snyder Each view is first presented by its proponent, then critiqued by the co-contributors. The interactive and fair-minded format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions. Evaluating the Church Growth Movement concludes with reflections by three seasoned pastors who have grappled with the practical implications of Church Growth. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.




Missionary Christianity and Local Religion


Book Description

Cover -- Blurbs, Half Title Page, Series Page, Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Map, Series Foreward -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Preface -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. The Religious Context in North India: Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity -- Chapter 2. The Religious Context in North India: American Evangelicalism -- Chapter 3. The Missionaries: Religious and Social Innovators -- Chapter 4. Indian Workers and Leaders: Negotiating Boundaries -- Chapter 5. Theology in a New Context -- Chapter 6. Community in a New Context -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index of Places -- Index of Subjects and Names




Finding Direction to Redeem the Nations


Book Description

Do you want to help bring people from all the nations into relationship with Jesus as he intends? Sadly, there are multiple mission approaches today that are ineffective or even counterproductive to reaching that goal. If that concerns you then join this journey through Scripture, mission history, and contemporary experience to find direction to redeem the nations. We will explore what Jesus intended missions to be, what it certainly is not, why it is important, how it should be carried out, and the essential divine power that must energize it. Along the way, you will discover dozens of misconceptions that can misdirect or scuttle your personal, church, or team efforts while clarifying how you should invest your life and resources to accomplish this most important task on earth.




The Dial


Book Description




The Joy of the Gospel


Book Description

The perfect gift! A specially priced, beautifully designed hardcover edition of The Joy of the Gospel with a foreword by Robert Barron and an afterword by James Martin, SJ. “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus… In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.” – Pope Francis This special edition of Pope Francis's popular message of hope explores themes that are important for believers in the 21st century. Examining the many obstacles to faith and what can be done to overcome those hurdles, he emphasizes the importance of service to God and all his creation. Advocating for “the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned,” the Holy Father shows us how to respond to poverty and current economic challenges that affect us locally and globally. Ultimately, Pope Francis demonstrates how to develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ, “to recognize the traces of God’s Spirit in events great and small.” Profound in its insight, yet warm and accessible in its tone, The Joy of the Gospel is a call to action to live a life motivated by divine love and, in turn, to experience heaven on earth. Includes a foreword by Robert Barron, author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith and James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage




The Reprint Bulletin


Book Description




Social Theory Re-Wired


Book Description

This social theory text combines the structure of a print reader with the flexibility of an interactive website. The reader includes original texts from classical and contemporary theorists as well as short synopses of key ideas and brief biographies of each theorist. The website will contain a wide variety of innovative material that the instructor can use to tailor his or her social theory course, including videos and animations; discussion forums with webcam capabilities; commentaries and summaries of key concepts, including extended historical content; exams and quizzes; annotated selections from key readings; classroom activities and links to supplemental texts. The combination of a print reader and a modular online component will appeal to instructors looking to move parts of their course online or instructors already teaching in an online setting.




The Planting and Development of Missionary Churches


Book Description

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.




Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?


Book Description

At this critical point in the history of World Missions, it is imperative for us to take a step back from “business as usual” in our work around the globe and reevaluate the strategies and methods we are implementing. What is working? What isn’t? If we’re honest, there may be more not working than we would care to admit. In this book, written in the early 1900s, Roland Allen invites us to look at the missionary work of the Apostle Paul with fresh eyes and an igniting perspective that is strikingly relevant to the greatest challenges we are facing today in modern missions. He offers a well of insight from the methodology of Paul that will focus and unite us as we draw nearer than ever before to our goal of fulfilling the Great Commission and reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.




The Development of Morphophonemic Theory


Book Description

The aim of this book is to provide a concise historical survey of linguistic investigation relating to the notion of morphophonemics. The study is essentially historical and thus does not offer its own theory of morphophonemics. Since attention is focused on the "development" of morphophonemic theory, contemporary work in this area is not of central concern. But the study was undertaken in the hope that a better understanding of earlier work would help to clarify present-day issues.