City Shaped Churches

City Shaped Churches PDF Author: Linda Bergquist
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780998917788
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
Yes, there certainly are many obstacles to urban church planting. The challenge of refraining from insisting on suburban models for urban settings, the soaring cost of living expenses in global urban settings, the challenges inherent in diverse over homogenous contexts, the continual shifting of people moving in and out of cities, the multiplicity of global religions and worldviews- these things can sometimes seem formidable. However, God, who loves cities, and the promise of Kingdom come are truly worth the struggle. Our urban church planting work will be more effective if it is intentional about being both responsive to what is going on around us and in the world and proactive to the possibilities God has placed before us. It is Linda and Michael's hope that this book will help its readers become more willing to experiment and more willing to be hopeful about the possibility for starting thousands and thousands of vibrant urban churches.

City Shaped Churches

City Shaped Churches PDF Author: Linda Bergquist
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780998917788
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Get Book

Book Description
Yes, there certainly are many obstacles to urban church planting. The challenge of refraining from insisting on suburban models for urban settings, the soaring cost of living expenses in global urban settings, the challenges inherent in diverse over homogenous contexts, the continual shifting of people moving in and out of cities, the multiplicity of global religions and worldviews- these things can sometimes seem formidable. However, God, who loves cities, and the promise of Kingdom come are truly worth the struggle. Our urban church planting work will be more effective if it is intentional about being both responsive to what is going on around us and in the world and proactive to the possibilities God has placed before us. It is Linda and Michael's hope that this book will help its readers become more willing to experiment and more willing to be hopeful about the possibility for starting thousands and thousands of vibrant urban churches.

Center Church

Center Church PDF Author: Timothy Keller
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310494192
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
Practical and Gospel-centered thoughts on how to have a fruitful ministry by one of America's leading and most beloved pastor. Many church leaders are struggling to adapt to a culture that values individuality above loyalty to a group or institution. There have been so many "church growth" and "effective ministry" books in the past few decades that it's hard to know where to start or which ones will provide useful and honest insight. Based on over twenty years of ministry in New York City, Timothy Keller takes a unique approach that measures a ministry's success neither by numbers nor purely by the faithfulness of its leaders, but on the biblical grounds of fruitfulness. Center Church outlines a balanced theological vision for ministry organized around three core commitments: Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone, and strategy of all that we do. City-centered: With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic, and under-served places for gospel ministry. Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community as we are led by the Holy Spirit. "Between a pastor's doctrinal beliefs and ministry practices should be a well-conceived vision for how to bring the gospel to bear on the particular cultural setting and historical moment. This is something more practical than just doctrine but much more theological than "how-to steps" for carrying out a ministry. Once this vision is in place, it leads church leaders to make good decisions on how to worship, disciple, evangelize, serve, and engage culture in their field of ministry—whether in a city, suburb, or small town." — Tim Keller, Core Church

Church Turned Inside Out

Church Turned Inside Out PDF Author: Linda Bergquist
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470383178
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
A design-thinking book for planting or redesigning churches and incubating a new generation of leaders. Written by Linda Bergquist and Allan Karr, two experienced church planters and mentors, the book is full of wisdom, practical advice, and creative counsel. Instead of a business-model-as-usual approach, the authors challenge readers to begin with the raw materials of beliefs, values, individuals, teams, and culture, and to then move outwards to draw from a rich palette of real and potential church paradigms. This book is meant to provoke church leaders to think outside of the box and to imagine how their churches might better reflect the image and the mission of God in the world. Contains a wealth of illustrative examples, charts, and other visual aides Offers a creative practical perspective and a multi-disciplinary approach to establishing a new church or leading an existing one Shows how to honor a church's purpose while embracing its unique culture Includes important lessons for nurturing church leadership skills

To Transform a City

To Transform a City PDF Author: Eric Swanson
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310325862
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
To Transform a City is a valuable guide for those who dream big about the spiritual and social changes possible for the cities and towns that surround their churches. Two visionary leaders examine the foundations, history, theology, and practical methods of community transformation.

Heavenly City

Heavenly City PDF Author: Denis Robert McNamara
Publisher: LiturgyTrainingPublications
ISBN: 9781568545035
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
This visually stunning and carefully researched book encompasses some of the most significant Catholic churches of Chicago, addressing both their architectural and theological significance. Color photographs beautifully illustrate the insightful text. It is a book suitable for those interested in local history, architectural achievement, theological awareness, or those who simply desire to glory in the visual beauty of Chicago's historic churches.

Together for the City

Together for the City PDF Author: Neil Powell
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830865640
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
We need a bigger vision for the city. It's not enough to plant individual churches in isolation from each other. The spiritual need and opportunity of our cities is too big for any one church to meet alone. Pastors Neil Powell and John James contend that to truly transform a city, the gospel compels us to create localized, collaborative church planting movements. They share lessons learned and principles discovered from their experiences leading a successful citywide movement. The more willing we are to collaborate across denominations and networks, the more effectively we will reach our communities—whatever their size—for Jesus. Come discover what God can do in our cities when we work together.

Church and State in the City

Church and State in the City PDF Author: William Issel
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781439909911
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
How Catholic religious activism shaped the language and outcome of San Francisco's debates about over the common good and the public interest

Urban Growth and the Medieval Church

Urban Growth and the Medieval Church PDF Author: Nigel Baker
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 135187652X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 539

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Book Description
It has long been recognised that the Church played a major role in the development of towns and cities from the earliest times, a fact attested to by the prominence and number of ecclesiastical buildings that still dominate many urban areas. Yet despite this physical evidence, and the work of archaeologists and historians, many important aspects of the early stages of urbanization in England are still poorly understood. Not least, there are many unanswered questions concerning the processes by which the larger towns emerged as planned settlements during the pre-Conquest centuries. Whilst the commitment of the Wessex kings is recognized, questions remain concerning the participation of the Church in this process. Likewise, our understanding of the Church's influence in the later development of towns is not yet fully developed. Many intriguing questions remain concerning such issues as the founding of parish churches and their boundaries, and the extent to which the Church, as a major landowner, helped shape the evolving identity of towns and their suburbs. It is questions such as these that this volume sets out to answer. Employing a wealth of historical and archaeological evidence, two key towns - Gloucester and Worcester - are closely examined in order to build up a picture of their respective developments throughout the medieval period. Through this multi-disciplinary and comparative approach, a picture begins to emerge the Church's role in helping to shape not only the spiritual, but also the social, economic and cultural development of the urban environment.

Deep Church

Deep Church PDF Author: Jim Belcher
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830878149
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
Christianity Today Book Award winner Golden Canon Leadership Book Award winner Feeling caught between the traditional church and the emerging church? Discover a third way: deep church. C. S. Lewis used the phrase "deep church" to describe the body of believers committed to mere Christianity. Unfortunately church in our postmodern era has been marked by a certain shallowness. Emerging authors, fed up with contemporary pragmatism, have offered alternative visions for twenty-first-century Christianity. Traditionalist churches have reacted negatively, at times defensively. Jim Belcher knows what it's like to be part of both of these worlds. In the 1990s he was among the pioneers of what was then called Gen X ministry, hanging out with creative innovators like Rob Bell, Mark Oestreicher and Mark Driscoll. But he also has maintained ties to traditionalist circles, planting a church in the Presbyterian Church of America. In Deep Church, Belcher brings the best insights of all sides to forge a third way between emerging and traditional. In a fair and evenhanded way, Belcher explores the proposals of such emerging church leaders as Tony Jones, Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt. He offers measured appreciation and affirmation as well as balanced critique. Moving beyond reaction, Belcher provides constructive models from his own church planting experience and paints a picture of what this alternate, deep church looks like--a missional church committed to both tradition and culture, valuing innovation in worship, arts and community but also creeds and confessions. If you've felt stuck between two extremes, you can find a home here. Plumb the depths of Christianity in a way that neither rejects our postmodern context nor capitulates to it. Instead of veering to the left or the right, go between the extremes--and go deep.

The Suburban Church

The Suburban Church PDF Author: Gretchen Buggeln
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 1452945632
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 444

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Book Description
After World War II, America’s religious denominations spent billions on church architecture as they spread into the suburbs. In this richly illustrated history of midcentury modern churches in the Midwest, Gretchen Buggeln shows how architects and suburban congregations joined forces to work out a vision of how modernist churches might help reinvigorate Protestant worship and community. The result is a fascinating new perspective on postwar architecture, religion, and society. Drawing on the architectural record, church archives, and oral histories, The Suburban Church focuses on collaborations between architects Edward D. Dart, Edward A. Sövik, Charles E. Stade, and seventy-five congregations. By telling the stories behind their modernist churches, the book describes how the buildings both reflected and shaped developments in postwar religion—its ecumenism, optimism, and liturgical innovation, as well as its fears about staying relevant during a time of vast cultural, social, and demographic change. While many scholars have characterized these congregations as “country club” churches, The Suburban Church argues that most were earnest, well-intentioned religious communities caught between the desire to serve God and the demands of a suburban milieu in which serving middle-class families required most of their material and spiritual resources.