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Resources : books
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A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey (Paper)
by Brian McLaren
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Cost: SRP $14.95
McLaren, pastor and author of The Church on the Other Side, proposes that postmodernism is the road to take in order to move on from the current stalemate between conservative evangelical and liberal Christians. His books are part of his activist work to promote "innovation, entrepreneurial leadership and a desire to be on the leading edge of ministry." Here he has adopted the fictional tale of an earnest, very conservative pastor who has become so burned out in his church life that he is planning to quit the pastorate. Instead, he makes friends with his daughter's science teacher, who leads him to an enthusiastic embracing of postmodernism as applied to the Christian message. In this fictional conversation, McLaren describes this process as a journey of Holy Spirit-guided faith "through the winds and currents of change." His conservative pastor character comes to accept the Bible as a premodern text that presents its message in story and does not have to conform to our modern expectations. The book's attention-grabbing format is an effective mode of presenting McLaren's ideas. Recommended for all public libraries. Eugene O. Bowser, Univ. of Northern Colorado, Greeley Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
“…This book is, quite simply, brilliant…” (Faith for Life, 21/12/04)
"This is a book that heightens the depths and deepens the peaks. Like all the best things in life, it is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently and in the fear of a God who is waiting for the church to stop asking 'What would Jesus do?' and start asking 'What is Jesus doing?'" (Dr. Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Chair in Evangelism, Drew University, and bestselling author of Post-Modern Pilgrims, SoulSalsa, SoulTsunami, and AquaChurch; coauthor of A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe)
"Get ready to wake up your spirit and breath deep. McLaren's A New Kind of Christian is a street-level, lived excursion into this present millennium-a world where ministry by control, condescension, and smug certainty gives way to incarnational faith." (Sally Morgenthaler, president, SJM Management Co. and author of Worship Evangelism)
"McLaren's courageous and honest reassessment of our cherished customs and cliches stimulates creative thinking on these vital issues. A New Kind of Christian is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in preparing the church to be vital force in the next generation." (Chuck Smith, Jr., senior pastor, Capo Beach Valvary Chapel and author, The End of the World As We Know It)
"...an engaging tale..." (Christianity & Renewal, July 2002)
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The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian (Paper)
by Brian McLaren
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Cost: SRP $14.95
After many years as a successful pastor, Brian McLaren has found, as more and more Christians are finding, that none of the current strains of Christianity fully describes his own faith.
In The Story We Find Ourselves In - the much anticipated sequel to his award-winning book A New Kind of Christian - McLaren captures a new spirit of a relevant Christianity, where traditional divisions and doctrinal differences give way to a focus on God and the story of God's love for this world.0
If you are searching for a deeper life with God- one that moves beyond the rhetoric of denominational and theological categories- this delightful and inspiring fictional tale will provide a picture of what it could mean to recapture a joyful spiritual life.
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Reverse Mentoring: How Young Leaders Can Transform the Church and Why We Should Let Them
by Earl Creps AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Cost: SRP: $24.95
Earl Creps is known for his work in connecting the younger generation of postmoderns with their Boomer predecessors. The author of Off-Road Disciplines, Creps, in this new book, takes up the topic of how older church leaders can learn from younger leaders who are more conversant with culture, technology, and social context. In addition to making the benefits of what he calls "reverse mentoring" apparent, he also makes it accessible by offering practical steps to implement this discipline at both personal and organizational levels, particularly in communication, evangelism, and leadership.
Creps' new book is a topic of interest both inside and outside the church as older leaders realize that they're not "getting it" when it comes to technologies (iPod, IM, blogging) or cultural issues such as the fact that younger people see the world in an entirely different way. Creps has been personally involved in reverse mentoring for several years and has spoken and written on the subject extensively. He has pastored three churches (one Boomer, one Builder, on X'er) and is currently a church planter in Berkeley, California. He has also served as a consultant and and a seminary professor and administrator, holding a PhD in Communication Studies and a D.Min. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.
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Sticky Church AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER
by Larry Osborne
Publisher: Zondervan
Cost: SRP $16.99
In Sticky Church, author and pastor Larry Osborne makes the case that closing the back door of your church is even more important than opening the front door wider. He offers a time-tested strategy for doing so: sermon-based small groups that dig deeper into the weekend message and tightly velcro members to the ministry. It’s a strategy that enabled Osborne’s congregation to grow from a handful of people to one of the larger churches in the nation—without any marketing or special programming.
Sticky Church tells the inspiring story of North Coast Church’s phenomenal growth and offers practical tips for launching your own sermon-based small group ministry.
Topics include:
- Why stickiness is so important
- Why most of our discipleship models don’t work very well
- Why small groups always make a church more honest and transparent
- What makes groups grow deeper and stickier over time
Sticky Church is an ideal book for church leaders who want to start or retool their small group ministry—and velcro their congregation to the Bible and each other.
Learn more at StickyChurch.com or Join the Facebook Group
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The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community
by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Cost: SRP $23.95
This book is for those who have struggled to retain their faith amidst a dying church experience. It gives not only theological answers but real-life stories of how the best parts of the ancient habits of the church can re-emerge in today's culture. It will synthesize the deep seated theological and practical issues facing the church without all the technical lingo and help alienated Christians and their leaders finally understand the biblical idea of community and how it holds the key to evangelism, spiritual formation and enjoyment of life.
Download the Tangible Kingdom Remix
Visit www.tangiblekingdom.com
"Hugh and Matt are real live heroes. Not only because they provide some original insights into the nature of the mission of incarnational ways of church, but because they courageously pave the way for the rest of us to follow. Laced with the inspirational authority that only practitioners can provide, this book deserves to be taken seriously by all concerned with mission and church in the 21st century."
~ Alan Hirsch, Author of The Forgotten Ways and The Shaping of Things To Come (with Mike Frost)
"Plunging deeper and deeper with Jesus into a grassroots incarnational life is what this book is about. Many aspire to it, some write about it, but very few live out the rhythms of such a holistic lifestyle in the way that Hugh and Matt and their families are currently doing. I am thrilled to see their journey in book form and I hope that The Tangible Kingdom finds a wide and receptive audience."
~Andrew Jones, tallskinnykiwi.com
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