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| church is a business: The Business of the Church John W. Wimberly,, 2010-05-18 Pastors are called to be not only leaders with vision, but also managers of congregational systems, says John Wimberly in The Business of the Church. Drawing on his thirty-six years in ordained ministry, Wimberly weaves the realities of congregational dynamics and faith-centered purpose together with practical, proven approaches to business management. A student and friend of Rabbi Edwin Friedman, Wimberly builds on Friedman's systems theory as he helps readers avoid common pitfalls and put into practice effective techniques of congregational management. The book begins with a foundational discussion of how a systems approach helps congregational managers identify areas of dysfunction and effective solutions. Managing the critical 'inputs' of people, facilities, and finances has a direct bearing on the desired 'outputs' of proclamation, pastoral care, and mission. A strategic plan, through which a congregation sets its goals and identifies and prioritizes resources, is an essential management tool for both pastors and lay leaders. The author's conversational writing style and many real-life examples make a seemingly complicated, mysterious topic for some an engaging and easily applicable read. |
| church is a business: The Business of Church Stephen D. Lentz, 2018-01-03 Studies have shown that most pastors enter the ministry to help people and preach the Word of God, yet 80-90% of their time spent in the ministry has nothing to do with either of these noble desires! Most of your time as a pastor is spent managing the business of church! The vast majority of my pastor friends are failing miserably in this area. Why? Seminary does not teach business principles! In this book, you will identify crucial business areas that can have an incredible impact on your local church! Successfully addressing the crucial concepts in this book can ensure the sustainability, reach, and ultimate success of your church!--Back cover |
| church is a business: Christianity Incorporated Michael L. Budde, Robert Brimlow, 2007-02-01 These days getting religion is generally considered a rather quaint thing of the past. Getting spirituality, on the other hand, is the hottest thing on the market. In fact, corporate-sponsored spiritual salve is becoming the most popular prescription for the overworked and soul-weary employees. But for many Christians, this antidote has become its own epidemic. How is this epidemic infecting the church? How should the church respond as a community of believers? According to authors Michael Budde and Robert Brimlow, the church must resist becoming the chaplain to capitalism. Christianity Incorporated reminds us that Christ-centered discipleship is fundamentally at odds with consumer capitalist priorities. The church must have a mission and a voice in society that is distinct from, rather than in chorus with, watered-down corporate spirituality. Christianity Incorporated is a wake-up call for all Christians. Courageous, current, and accessible, this book will provide guidance and insight to anyone concerned with pursuing Christian discipleship in our consumer culture. |
| church is a business: Faith Driven Entrepreneur Henry Kaestner, J. D. Greear, Chip Ingram, 2021-08 I'm excited about Faith Driven Entrepreneur. Anyone who is following the example of their creator God can find echoes of their work in this book. --Lecrae Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. But it doesn't need to be. God has a purpose and a plan for all those entrepreneurial dreams and creative gifts he gave you. The work you do today--the company you've built, the employees you work with, the customers you serve, the shareholders you report to, all of it--serves as an active part of what God wants to accomplish on earth. You are not alone in this journey. Join other faith-driven entrepreneurs as, together, we identify the values, habits, and traits that empower us to successfully build businesses, serve our communities, and faithfully pursue a loving relationship with God; read stories that exemplify how those values, habits, and traits unfold in everyday life; and discover the potential God wants to unleash through our work. Each book purchase includes access to the eight-session Faith Driven Entrepreneur video series, a discussion guide to encourage conversation among peers, and an invitation to join a Faith Driven Entrepreneur Group to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs. |
| church is a business: The Coming Revolution in Church Economics Mark DeYmaz, 2019-10-15 Our entire understanding of funding and sustainability must change. Tithes and offerings alone are no longer enough to provide for the needs of the local church, enable pastors to pursue opportunities, or sustain long-term ministry impact. Growing financial burdens on the middle class, marginal increases in contributions to religious organizations, shifting generational attitudes toward giving, and changing demographics are having a negative impact on church budgets. Given that someday local churches may be required to pay taxes on the property they own and/or lose the benefit of soliciting tax-deductible gifts, the time to pivot is now. What's needed is disruptive innovation in church economics. For churches to not only survive but thrive in the future, leaders must learn to leverage assets, bless the community, empower entrepreneurs, and create multiple streams of income to effectively fund mission. You'll learn why you should and how to do so in The Coming Revolution in Church Economics. |
| church is a business: Church on Sunday, Work on Monday Laura Nash, Scotty McLennan, 2001-09-28 Guidebook contains ideas for reflection, discussion, and action based on the chapters in the main text. |
| church is a business: Selling Out the Church Philip D. Kenneson, Jim Street, 2003-07-24 Marketing the church is hot. For many church leaders, marketing might even be the first article of their creed, which goes something like this: We believe that our church determines its identity and mission through the tactics of marketing strategies. Theologians Kenneson and Street offer a thoughtful and provocative protest, with a foreword from Stanley Hauerwas. The authors expose the theological presuppositions that inform the marketing project. . . and help us to see that the marketer's presumption that form can be separated from content of the gospel betrays an understanding of the gospel that cannot help betraying the gift that is Christ. The authors propose an alternative, constructive account of the church's mission and purpose that is not based on exchange of value but on reminding us that the gospel is always a gift - a gift that makes impossible any presumptions that there can be an exchange between human beings and God that is rooted in the satisfaction of our untrained needs. The cross and resurrection challenge the world's understanding of what our needs should be. |
| church is a business: The Marketplace Christian Darren Shearer, 2015-10-21 Approximately 85% of working Christians spend the majority of their waking hours working in a for-profit company. We are marketplace Christians called to transform the marketplace for the glory of God.In The Marketplace Christian, Darren Shearer provides practical and personalized strategies to help you fulfill your specific transformational ministry to the world of business. In this book, you will learn...- The specific spiritual gifts God has entrusted to you for ministry in the marketplace- Strategies for using your spiritual gifts in a business setting- Examples of 23 marketplace Christians who have (and are) using their spiritual gifts in businessYou will also learn...- How the author, Darren Shearer, went from Bible school to running his own business for the glory of God- How to identify your God-given marketplace ministry assignment- 9 reasons why the marketplace is a great place for Christians to serve God- How business can be your full-time ministryHow to transform your industry for the glory of GodThe Marketplace Christian includes the Spiritual Gifts in the Marketplace Assessment that will help you to discover the unique abilities God has entrusted to you for fulfilling His purposes in your sphere of influence in business. You will also learn about other marketplace Christians who have used each of the 23 spiritual gifts discussed in this book as well as specific suggestions for how you can use your own gifts for marketplace ministry. |
| church is a business: Church Administration Robert H. Welch, 2011-07-15 For churches and religious nonprofit operations, the business of business is not business - it is ministry. Still, such institutions have to make plans. Because skilled organization is needed to accomplish specific tasks, a leader must train and motivate workers in progress and effectiveness. This second edition of Church Administration helps pastors and church staff become effective and efficient leaders, managers, and administrators. Among the topics discussed are: Adminstration Documents, Organizing the Church, Administering Personnel Resources, Financial Resources, Physical Resources, and Administering Risk Management. Writing for students as well as those already in this line of work, author Robert H. Welch promises, If you understand the tenants of general administration and the techniques of ministerial leadership your job will be made significantly easier. |
| church is a business: Love Your Church Tony Merida, 2021-06-01 How to grow in love for your church. God calls us to be devoted to one another in love (Romans 12:10). What does this look like for us today? How can we be the kind of church member who makes a real difference? This engaging book by Tony Merida explores what church is, why being part of it is exciting, and why it’s worthy of our love and commitment. He sets out eight privileges and responsibilities of a church member: to belong, to welcome, to gather, to care, to serve, to honour, to witness and to send. As we see how wonderful it is to belong to God’s family and be a part of his amazing witness to both the earthly and the heavenly realms, we’ll grow in our love for and commitment to our local church. This is a great book for every churchgoer to read, whether they’re new or have been attending for some time but need re-energising with God’s vision for the local church. With a discussion guide at the end of the book, Love Your Church is also a great resource for small groups. |
| church is a business: Evangelicals Incorporated Daniel Vaca, 2019-12-03 A new history explores the commercial heart of evangelical Christianity. American evangelicalism is big business. For decades, the world’s largest media conglomerates have sought out evangelical consumers, and evangelical books have regularly become international best sellers. In the early 2000s, Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life spent ninety weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list and sold more than thirty million copies. But why have evangelicals achieved such remarkable commercial success? According to Daniel Vaca, evangelicalism depends upon commercialism. Tracing the once-humble evangelical book industry’s emergence as a lucrative center of the US book trade, Vaca argues that evangelical Christianity became religiously and politically prominent through business activity. Through areas of commerce such as branding, retailing, marketing, and finance, for-profit media companies have capitalized on the expansive potential of evangelicalism for more than a century. Rather than treat evangelicalism as a type of conservative Protestantism that market forces have commodified and corrupted, Vaca argues that evangelicalism is an expressly commercial religion. Although religious traditions seem to incorporate people who embrace distinct theological ideas and beliefs, Vaca shows, members of contemporary consumer society often participate in religious cultures by engaging commercial products and corporations. By examining the history of companies and corporate conglomerates that have produced and distributed best-selling religious books, bibles, and more, Vaca not only illustrates how evangelical ideas, identities, and alliances have developed through commercial activity but also reveals how the production of evangelical identity became a component of modern capitalism. |
| church is a business: If Entrepreneurs Ran the Church Peter Kerridge, 2017-09-21 How would you run the Church? Many of us can point to things that we would like to change to make the Church more effective in its mission. But we are probably not used to making real-life decisions about how to improve large organizations. Here, Peter Kerridge of Premier Christian Communications Ltd asks eight highly successful entrepreneurs from different Christian traditions how they would set about running the Church. They include the founder of Mumsnet, Carrie Longton, and the billionaire founder of Christian Vision, Lord Bob Edmiston. These dynamic interviews draw out a fascinating range of ideas with the potential to change our churches for ever. ‘A fund of wisdom to learn from and enjoy.’ The Revd Dr Lord Leslie Griffiths |
| church is a business: Unlimited Partnership Bob Yandian, 2012-04-08 How would you like to have a business partner who never fails? He will work for your business as if it is the only business in the world. He works tirelessly and yet never goes to sleep. He sees the future and always knows when and how to invest. He is more interested in your success than you are. This business partner is God Himself. You have... |
| church is a business: Money, Possessions, and Eternity Randy Alcorn, 2011-11-15 Who wants to settle for fleeting treasures on earth . . . when God offers everlasting treasures in heaven? It’s time to rethink our perspectives on money and possessions. In this thoroughly researched classic, Randy Alcorn shows us how to view these things accurately—as God’s provision for our good, the good of others, and his glory. Alcorn presents a biblical and comprehensive view of money and possessions, including the following: Why is money so important to God? Is prosperity theology right or wrong? How can we be liberated from materialism? What should we do about debt? How much does God want us to give? How can we best help the poor and reach the lost? What about gambling? Investing? Insurance? Saving? Retirement? Inheritance? How can we leave our children a true heritage? How can we use money in ways that God rewards? This practical and refreshing theology of money contains topical and Scripture indexes, a study guide, and five helpful appendices. |
| church is a business: Marketing Like Jesus Darren Shearer, 2014-08-02 No function of an organization is more important than marketing, and considering that one out of every three people in the world claims to be one of his followers, Jesus is the most effective marketer in history. Whether you are trying to communicate an idea, sell more products or services, get more members, raise more donations, or win more votes... Jesus has provided the greatest model for you to influence the world around you. |
| church is a business: A Second Wind T. D. Jakes, 2017-11-09 While focusing on his core mission to preach the gospel worldwide, T.D. Jakes has seen many good people not spend enough quality time with family, friends, and God. They have gotten so swept up in the daily grind that they have failed to live the rich life that God desires for each of His people. In his new book, Jakes provides readers with strategies that will help them rejuvenate their life and turn their busyness into a business. All readers-not just entrepreneurs-will benefit from Jakes' insightful advice so that they can use the days God has blessed them with wisely and finish each day strong! |
| church is a business: Einstein's Business Dawson Church, 2007-01-10 At this threshold of our species' evolution there is an increasing recognition that new approaches are needed to create the radical changes necessary for humanity to survive on this planet. Business is not exempt-it's at the center of this radical change. Business can even be the lynchpin around which the rest of social transformation takes place, and can lead the way as we relinquish our addiction to control and to the extreme competitiveness that has paralyzed us and prevented us from uniting to address the urgency of the crisis at hand. In this anthology, some of the best-selling business authors of today infuse their visions, experiences, and insights into the ongoing conversation about how to find solutions to seemingly impossible challenges. The guiding principles for the book are derived from the inspiring, timeless wisdom of Albert Einstein, a man who modeled the ability to be a channel for intuitive, imaginative, and collective intelligence. From that realm we can draw on collective intelligence to re-invent ourselves and transform business. |
| church is a business: The Long Tail Chris Anderson, 2006-07-11 What happens when the bottlenecks that stand between supply and demand in our culture go away and everything becomes available to everyone? The Long Tail is a powerful new force in our economy: the rise of the niche. As the cost of reaching consumers drops dramatically, our markets are shifting from a one-size-fits-all model of mass appeal to one of unlimited variety for unique tastes. From supermarket shelves to advertising agencies, the ability to offer vast choice is changing everything, and causing us to rethink where our markets lie and how to get to them. Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it, from DVDs at Netflix to songs on iTunes to advertising on Google. However, this is not just a virtue of online marketplaces; it is an example of an entirely new economic model for business, one that is just beginning to show its power. After a century of obsessing over the few products at the head of the demand curve, the new economics of distribution allow us to turn our focus to the many more products in the tail, which collectively can create a new market as big as the one we already know. The Long Tail is really about the economics of abundance. New efficiencies in distribution, manufacturing, and marketing are essentially resetting the definition of what's commercially viable across the board. If the 20th century was about hits, the 21st will be equally about niches. |
| church is a business: Church Minute Book Everett Robertson, 1994 |
| church is a business: Business Site Selection, Location Analysis and GIS Richard L. Church, Alan T. Murray, 2009 This text covers the convergent use of GIS for location science analysis. The integrated approach enables analysts to look beyond theoretical location constructs to focus on the resolution of actual siting problems, producing better data and model representations, and developing better solution approaches. |
| church is a business: Beyond Business as Usual, Revised Edition Neal O. Michell, 2016-11-01 The revised and expanded edition includes new information, new teaching resources, and perspectives gained in the last eight years, as well as the General Convention resolutions of 2015. Beyond Business as Usual is full of resources for forming the vestry as a learning community. It deals with the soft side of leadership that enables the pastor and vestry together to journey along the leadership path. Each chapter can be read and reviewed at a series of vestry meetings or as part of a vestry retreat, and includes questions for group and individual discussion. The book also contains resources for vestries, based upon different preferred learning styles, for the formation part of the vestry meeting or retreat. |
| church is a business: Calvin's Company of Pastors Scott M. Manetsch, 2015 In Calvin's Company of Pastors, Scott Manetsch examines the pastoral theology and practical ministry activities of Geneva's reformed ministers from the time of Calvin's arrival in Geneva until the beginning of the seventeenth century. During these seven decades, more than 130 men were enrolled in Geneva's Venerable Company of Pastors (as it was called), including notable reformed leaders such as Pierre Viret, Theodore Beza, Simon Goulart, Lambert Daneau, and Jean Diodati. Aside from these better-known epigones, Geneva's pastors from this period remain hidden from view, cloaked in Calvin's long shadow, even though they played a strategic role in preserving and reshaping Calvin's pastoral legacy. Making extensive use of archival materials, published sermons, catechisms, prayer books, personal correspondence, and theological writings, Manetsch offers an engaging and vivid portrait of pastoral life in sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century Geneva, exploring the manner in which Geneva's ministers conceived of their pastoral office and performed their daily responsibilities of preaching, public worship, moral discipline, catechesis, administering the sacraments, and pastoral care. Manetsch demonstrates that Calvin and his colleagues were much more than ivory tower theologians or quasi-agents of the state, concerned primarily with dispensing theological information to their congregations or enforcing magisterial authority. Rather, they saw themselves as spiritual shepherds of Christ's Church, and this self-understanding shaped to a significant degree their daily work as pastors and preachers. |
| church is a business: The Church Leader's MBA Mark Smith, David W. Wright, 2012-04 In The Church Leader's MBA: What Business School Instructors Wish Church Leaders Knew about Management Dr. Mark Smith, Ed D and Dr. David W. Wright, Ph D teach you how to take proven management principles from the business world and apply them in your local church. Unfortunately, most ministerial preparation programs do little to provide business and organizational tools to aspiring ministers. This book is written by ministers and organizational managers for church leaders. The Church Leader's MBA focuses on four areas of professional management skills that we believe ministers must develop: - The ability to develop an organization - The ability to lead people effectively - The ability to manage the operational elements of the organization - The ability to manage one's own ongoing professional development. The church is both a human organization and a spiritual community. Our point in this book is that successful ministerial leaders understand both elements of this identity and master a set of tools related to the leadership of both of these elements |
| church is a business: Why Should I Join a Church? Mark Dever, 2020-02-27 Many new believers have questions about what it means to live as a Christian in the context of a local church, and pastors are looking for resources to pass along to their congregations to help them think biblically about the Christian life. 9Marks Church Questions is a new series that seeks to provide ordinary Christians with sound and accessible biblical teaching by answering common questions Christians have about church life. Each volume offers biblical answers and practical applications with the goal of nurturing healthy church practice and commitment. This booklet unpacks Scripture's teaching on the importance of church membership and the Bible's beautiful picture of life in a local church. |
| church is a business: Jesus’s Broken Church Peter DeHaan, 2020-12-13 Do you have a nagging feeling that something's missing from your church experience? You're not alone. And it's time to discover a better way. Church-reform advocate and Bible scholar Peter DeHaan, PhD is a strong proponent of meaningful Christian community. In Jesus's Broken Church he uses Scripture to guide us into right practices and away from the off-track customs that most every church adheres to. The problem is that today's church follows an Old Testament model. We go to a building where we have professional clergy serve as our liaison between us and God. Then we pay for the whole thing with our tithes and offerings—just like Moses instructed. But Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament. Through him we are the church, we are living stones. We don't need to go to a building. As the church, we take it with us wherever we go. And we don't need paid clergy either. Each of us serves as priests to one another. Or at least we should. In Jesus's Broken Church, you'll discover: - How Jesus moves us from an Old Testament understanding to New Testament enlightenment - The early church's approach to their meetings, which we neglect to follow today - Essential New Testament practices that are more important than song and sermon - Biblical ideas to inform the activities of our spiritual communities - Seven religious concepts that require reformation If you happen to like how your church functions, then don't buy this book. It will only make you mad. But if you sometimes leave your Sunday service feeling let down, that something is lacking and there must be more, then this book can guide you into a new direction. Get your copy of Jesus's Broken Church today to discover what's missing and how to fix it. |
| church is a business: The New Testament Order for Church and Missionary Alex Rattray Hay, 2010-09-01 |
| church is a business: So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore Wayne Jacobsen, Dave Coleman, 2008-09-02 Jake Colsen, an overworked and disillusioned pastor, happens into a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance (in manner) to the apostle John. A number of encounters with John as well as a family crisis lead Jake to a new understanding of what his life should be like: one filled with faith bolstered by a steady, close relationship with the God of the universe. Facing his own disappointment with Christianity, Jake must forsake the habits that have made his faith rote and rediscover the love that captured his heart when he first believed. Compelling and intensely personal, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anything relates a man's rebirth from performance-based Christianity to a loving friendship with Christ that affects all he does, thinks, and says. As John tells Jake, There is nothing the Father desires for you more than that you fall squarely in the lap of his love and never move from that place for the rest of your life. |
| church is a business: Church Membership Jonathan Leeman, 2012-04-30 Jonathan Leeman addresses the commonly asked (and often unanswered) question of, Why should I join a church? in a time when many are shunning the practice of organized religion. By offering a brief, straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it's important, Leeman gives the local church its proper due and builds a case for committing to the local body. Church Membership is a useful tool for churches to distribute en masse to new and potential members of their congregation. This volume is part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Look for upcoming, quick-read formats of the following marks of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, church discipline, discipleship and growth, and church leadership. |
| church is a business: Unchurching Richard Jacobson, 2016-07-12 Millions of believers are currently leaving the organized church, without giving up their faith. Sadly, many are only defining themselves by what they don't do, as Christians who simply don't go to church. It's time for these believers to catch a vision for genuine spiritual community, outside the walls of organized Christianity, a way of being the church without going to church. Unchurching: Christianity Without Churchianity will challenge everything you thought you knew about church. Unchurching boldly examines whether organized churches are even biblical. It thoroughly deconstructs the idea of special church buildings, paid pastors, weekly sermons, mandatory tithes and offerings, gender inequality in church leadership, and much more. Unchurching is intended to empower believers who are done with organized church but aren't ready to abandon their faith. It will give non-churchgoing Christians a vision for genuine spiritual community that simply functions like an extended spiritual family. And it will equip them with the language to finally articulate that vision to others. Here's what others are saying about Unchurching: Lots of books that invite Christians to follow Jesus outside of the four walls of churchianity are filled with harsh judgment and criticism of how others 'do church.' But not this book! Unchurching by Richard Jacobson is full of love and grace. There is no judgment, condemnation, or guilt-casting of any kind. Beginning with the Trinity of God, Jacobson presents a grand vision of what the church can be and how we can truly have community as followers of Jesus. Read this book and be encouraged to take the next step of your journey! Jeremy Myers, author and blogger at RedeemingGod.com Unchurching: Christianity without Churchianity validates and empowers the rapidly growing number of people who are in the transition between traditional church and an informal community of disciples meeting outside the four walls of the church building. Richard Jacobson has been on both sides of this shift and is uniquely qualified to write about it-which he does well, with insight, humility, and scholarship. I especially valued his comments on the freedom that women have to do and be everything God is calling them to. Highly recommended. Felicity Dale: author, An Army of Ordinary People; co-author, Small is Big Unchurching presents us with a picture of a church that is all about one person-Jesus. As I read this book I felt my pulse quicken and my heart leap for joy because everything Richard writes about is centered on, around, and in relation to the One who would rather die than live without us. Anyone who loves Jesus and who longs to take hold of Him in a gathering where He is the focal point will delight in this book. It's truly amazing what happens when we get out of the way and allow Jesus to take center stage. This book shows us what that can look like, if we are willing to let go of our traditions and embrace the living, breathing Christ who longs to share His life with us throughout eternity, starting right now! Keith Giles, author of This Is My Body: Ekklesia As God Intended; author of Jesus Untangled |
| church is a business: Smart Church Management: A Quality Approach to Church Administraton Patricia S. Lotich, 2020-01-17 Church leaders understand that managing the day-to-day operations of a church can be challenging because of limited resources, managing volunteer labor, and supporting the needs of the congregation. Smart Church Management: A Quality Approach to Church Administration, Third Edition is an updated guide for managing the resources of a church - which is people, time and money. This book provides tools and examples for decision making and problem-solving for church administration that is easy to understand and more importantly, quick to implement! This book also includes discussion questions to provoke thought and discussion for church teams. This book is ideal for ministry students, church boards, church leadership and church administrators. |
| church is a business: The Unstuck Church Tony Morgan, 2017-05-16 Acclaimed church leader, blogger, founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan unpacks the lifecycle of a typical church, identifies characteristics of each phase, and provides practical next steps a church can take to move towards sustained health. Think about your church for a moment. Is it growing? Is it diminishing? Is it somewhere in between? Acclaimed church leader, blogger, and founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan has identified the seven stages of a church's lifecycle that range from the hopeful and optimistic days of launch, to the stagnating last stages of life support. Regardless of the stage in which you find your church, it carries with it the world's greatest mission—to go and make disciples of all the nations . . . With eternity at stake the Church should be doing most everything within its power to see lives changed forever. The Church should strive for the pinnacle of the lifecycle, where they are continually making new disciples and experiencing what Morgan refers to as sustained health. In The Unstuck Church, Morgan unpacks each phase of the church lifecycle, and offers specific and strategic next steps the church leader can take to find it's way to sustained health . . . and finally become unstuck. The Unstuck Church is a call for honest an assessment of where your church sits on the lifecycle, and a challenge to move beyond it. |
| church is a business: Cultural Counterfeits Jen Oshman, 2022-03-03 Jen Oshman Helps Women Reject Idols and Discover God's Good Purpose for Their Lives In today's culture, women and girls are influenced by idols that promise purpose and meaning for their lives—outward beauty and ability, sex, abortion, and gender fluidity. Christian women aren't exempt from these temptations either, and can even elevate good things like marriage and motherhood to the status of idolatry. Women may sense that these idols are hollow and leave them feeling unsettled, but where should they turn instead? In Cultural Counterfeits, Jen Oshman encourages women to reject the empty, destructive promises these idols offer and embrace something much more satisfying. She casts a vision for women to experience real hope and peace in Jesus, calling them to recognize their unshakable and eternal identities in him. This timely and compelling resource will help women find freedom and joy as they explore God's good design and purpose for their lives. Culturally Relevant: Addresses current topics such as the #MeToo movement, LGBTQIA+, social media, and feminism Explains How We Got Here: Gives a brief history of the sexual revolution up to today Written by Jen Oshman: Author of Enough about Me: Find Lasting Joy in the Age of Self For Group or Individual Study: Includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter |
| church is a business: Budgeting for a Healthy Church Jamie Dunlop, 2019-04-02 Many pastors conceive of the church budget as primarily a financial tool, but in fact it is primarily a pastoral tool. A church's philosophy of ministry is locked into its budget, and so the budget will either stifle or accelerate any attempts to move a congregation toward a biblical model of church health. As such, the church budget is a far more potent pastoral tool than many church leaders realize. Budgeting for a Healthy Church examines each section of the budget in light of Biblical principles to show how a church budget can lock in healthy approaches to ministry. Whereas most books on church budgeting are how books, explaining how the budgeting process should work, this is a what book, helping church leaders determine the pastoral implications of what they choose to fund in their budgets. |
| church is a business: What's Best Next Matt Perman, 2014-03-04 By anchoring your understanding of productivity in God's plan, What's Best Next gives you a practical approach for increasing your effectiveness in everything you do. There are a lot of myths about productivity--what it means to get things done and how to accomplish work that really matters. In our current era of innovation and information overload, it may feel harder than ever to understand the meaning of work or to have a sense of vocation or calling. So how do you get more of the right things done without confusing mere activity for actual productivity? Matt Perman has spent his career helping people learn how to do work in a gospel-centered and effective way. What's Best Next explains his approach to unlocking productivity and fulfillment in work by showing how faith relates to work, even in our everyday grind. What's Best Next is packed with biblical and theological insight and practical counsel that you can put into practice today, such as: How to create a mission statement for your life that's actually practicable. How to delegate to people in a way that really empowers them. How to overcome time killers like procrastination, interruptions, and multitasking by turning them around and making them work for you. How to process workflow efficiently and get your email inbox to zero every day. How to have peace of mind without needing to have everything under control. How generosity is actually the key to unlocking productivity. This expanded edition includes: a new chapter on productivity in a fallen world a new appendix on being more productive with work that requires creative thinking. Productivity isn't just about getting more things done. It's about getting the right things done--the things that count, make a difference, and move the world forward. You can learn how to do work that matters and how to do it well. |
| church is a business: The Intentional Church Randy Pope, 2006-02-01 Randy Pope has created a blueprint for pastors and church planters with The Intentional Church. Such an organization must model a dynamic spirit of worship and servanthood that will cause it to become a magnet for people needing help. Part of the blueprint involves having a God-honoring purpose, a faith-oriented commitment, a well-defined mission, biblically-based job descriptions, and more. A relevant resource for pastors and lay persons. |
| church is a business: Marketing the Church George Barna, 1988 |
| church is a business: Maximizing the Midsize Church David J. Peter, 2019-01-26 Nearly one in four congregations in the United States is a midsize church (150-400 worshippers per week), and the midsize church has its own distinctive culture, dynamics, and characteristics. Drawing on years of research and pastoral ministry, David J. Peter has written a comprehensive handbook for pastors and staff who direct these churches. Peter covers the most important issues leaders encounter, including: - The important role they play in advancing the kingdom of God - Common cultural characteristics - Typical problems and productive solutions - Advantages over both small and large churches, and how to capitalize on them - Practices for developing healthy programs - The responsibilities of the pastor - Guidance for hiring staff and recruiting volunteers Pastors of midsize congregations will find effective resources and encouragement for successful leadership. |
| church is a business: How to Be a Christian without Going to Church Kelly Bean, 2014-06-24 As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay. |
| church is a business: Entrepreneurial Church Planting W. Jay Moon, Fredrick J. Long, 2018-06-02 Church planters generally are optimistic and enthusiastic about church planting for this generation. Many are launching or about to experiment with innovative approaches to plant churches that engage the marketplace. They are applying missional perspectives to reach this large mission field. This book documents and explores these innovative approaches to church planting. The various authors describe how entrepreneurs are now finding where people are already gathering (or would gather) in the marketplace such that these businesses create a venue for a church. We are calling this Entrepreneurial Church Planting (ECP). In order to encourage and explore further innovative ECP approaches, this book provides both theoretical foundations and practical applications arranged in three parts. Part I contains an introduction to the volume. Part II provides the biblical foundations to undergird ECP. Part III provides practical applications from both historical and contemporary examples and concludes with suggested starting points for experimentation and implementation. The goal of this volume is to encourage church planters to explore creative church planting approaches by engaging their faith in the marketplace. |
| church is a business: Healing Spiritual Wounds Carol Howard Merritt, 2017-02-07 An effective plan to help those suffering from wounds inflicted by the church find spiritual healing and a renewed sense of faith. Raised as a conservative Christian, minister and author Carol Howard Merritt discovered that the traditional institutions she grew up in inflicted great pain and suffering on others. Though she loved the spirituality the church provided, she knew that, because of sexism, homophobia, and manipulative religious politics, established religious institutions weren’t always holy or safe. Instead of offering refuge, these institutions have betrayed people’s hearts and souls. “People have suffered religious abuse,” she writes, “which can be different from physical injury or psychological trauma.” Though participation and affiliation in traditional religious institutions is waning, many people still believe in God. Merritt contends that many leave the church because they have lost trust in the institution, not in God. Healing Spiritual Wounds addresses the church’s dichotomous image—as a safe space and as a dangerous place—and provides a way to restore personal faith and connection to God for those who have been hurt or betrayed by established institutions of faith. Merritt lays out a multistage plan for moving from pain to spiritual rebirth, from recovering theological and emotional shards to recovering communal wholeness. Merritt does not sugarcoat the wrongs institutions long seen as trustworthy have inflicted on many innocent victims. Sympathetic, understanding, and deeply positive, she offers hope and a way to help them heal and reclaim the spiritual joy that can make them whole again. |
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Church Definition and Meaning in the New Testament
What is the church? Is the church a building? Is it the place where believers gather to worship? Or is the church the people—the believers who follow Christ? How we understand and perceive …
Church (building) - Wikipedia
A village church in South Sudan A church, church building, church house, or chapel is a building used for Christian worship services and Christian activities. The earliest identified Christian …
Church | Definition, History, & Types | Britannica
Church, in Christian doctrine, the Christian religious community as a whole, or a body or organization of Christian believers. After the Crucifixion, early Christians established their own …
What Is the Church? Its Purpose and Identity - Christianity
Jul 10, 2020 · At its core, the church is the global community of Christ followers who believe in the divinity and resurrection of Jesus Christ and are commissioned to proclaim the good news of …
What is the Church? It's Role & Purpose According to the Bible
Oct 22, 2019 · “Church” is the translation of the Greek term ekklesia, and is used in the New Testament to identify the community of believers in Jesus Christ. It literally means “assembly,” …
What is the church? - GotQuestions.org
Mar 23, 2022 · Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia, …
1. What Is the Church - bible.org
What is the church? The English word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklesia,” which means “a gathering” or “an assembly” or literally “called-out-ones.” It was a word used of any …
Church Finder - Find Local Churches - ChurchFinder.com
The Largest Christian Church Directory Church Finder ® is the leading on-line platform connecting people with local Christian churches. Church Finder is used by millions of people …
Church News
The fourth batch of songs released as part of the Church’s new hymnbook includes "Still, Still, Still," "Oh, How Great Is Our Joy" ("Placentero Nos Es Trabajar") and "I’m Gonna Live So God …
Homepage - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Discover a service-oriented, globally-connected Christian church that is led by a prophet of God and seeks to follow Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.
Church Definition and Meaning in the New Testament
What is the church? Is the church a building? Is it the place where believers gather to worship? Or is the church the people—the believers who follow Christ? How we understand and perceive …
Church (building) - Wikipedia
A village church in South Sudan A church, church building, church house, or chapel is a building used for Christian worship services and Christian activities. The earliest identified Christian …
Church | Definition, History, & Types | Britannica
Church, in Christian doctrine, the Christian religious community as a whole, or a body or organization of Christian believers. After the Crucifixion, early Christians established their own …
What Is the Church? Its Purpose and Identity - Christianity
Jul 10, 2020 · At its core, the church is the global community of Christ followers who believe in the divinity and resurrection of Jesus Christ and are commissioned to proclaim the good news of …
What is the Church? It's Role & Purpose According to the Bible
Oct 22, 2019 · “Church” is the translation of the Greek term ekklesia, and is used in the New Testament to identify the community of believers in Jesus Christ. It literally means “assembly,” …
What is the church? - GotQuestions.org
Mar 23, 2022 · Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia, …
1. What Is the Church - bible.org
What is the church? The English word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklesia,” which means “a gathering” or “an assembly” or literally “called-out-ones.” It was a word used of any …
Church Finder - Find Local Churches - ChurchFinder.com
The Largest Christian Church Directory Church Finder ® is the leading on-line platform connecting people with local Christian churches. Church Finder is used by millions of people and includes …
Church News
The fourth batch of songs released as part of the Church’s new hymnbook includes "Still, Still, Still," "Oh, How Great Is Our Joy" ("Placentero Nos Es Trabajar") and "I’m Gonna Live So God …
