Author: Scot Landry
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
ISBN: 1612783295
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 231
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Book Description
"Are we still a Church capable of warming hearts? A Church capable of leading people back to Jerusalem? Of bringing them home?" - Pope Francis, Meeting with the Bishops of Brazil, 28 July 2013. Pope Francis, like his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II, is calling for Catholics to embrace the new evangelization. But there has been ongoing confusion about who is responsible, what it really means and what it looks like in practical application. How can we respond to the Holy Father's call, creating evangelization opportunities that help bring people back to the Church? By transforming Catholics into digital missionaries - ready and able to take the joy and warmth of the Gospel online via social media to infrequent, inactive, or ex-Catholics around the corner or across the globe. Consider this: 1. Nearly every "lost" Catholic in the U.S. is most likely connected with at least one engaged Catholic - or is one "retweet" or "like" away from them 2. On the whole, Catholics have not been taught to see social media as a way to live out their faith 3. Motivating parishes to put a priority on evangelization has been a challenge 4. Catholics are more likely to be comfortable as digital missionaries than to participate in other forms of evangelization 5. Parishes can offer "digital missionary training" to parishioners - who would welcome it! In Transforming Parish Communications: Growing the Church Through New Media, you'll discover: How to embrace the Church's vision of evangelization in new media How entire parishes can become hubs of digital evangelization - and how to overcome obstacles Specific strategies for implementation How to create a consistent digital identity online Best practices for parish websites The nuts and bolts of Facebook, Twitter, email, blogging and more Consider this book your entry into an important - and urgent - call to each of us as Catholics. To bring the warmth of the Gospel to the "lost" and bring them back to the Church. Visit the companion site for more ParishGuideToNewMedia.com
Author: Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 0664238483
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 271
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Book Description
Using real-world case studies and examples, Hunsinger and Latini helpfully guide pastors and lay leaders through effective and compassionate ways to deal with discord.
Author: Katherine Tyler Scott
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0898695996
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 145
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Book Description
Questioning and renegotiating the authority, roles, responsibilities, and relationships between lay and ordained leaders has become the order of the day for the church. In her new book for clergy and congregations, leadership expert Katherine Tyler Scott provides models and spiritual practices to feed the growing hunger in our churches for grounded spiritual authority.
Author: Michael White
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
ISBN: 1594719136
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224
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Book Description
There is a secret formula to help convince parishioners to give financially to your church. It’s pretty simple: Just ask them. And when you do, make sure it’s not about the money. In ChurchMoney, Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—award-winning authors of the bestselling book Rebuilt—will help you learn the basic skills you need to discover that true success in raising funds comes from the incredibly freeing approach that connects giving to discipleship. The two share stories of success and failure during their twenty years leading the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. They tell you what they learned to meet the real financial challenges of their mission. And they offer the practical wisdom and inspiration you need to tackle the thorny matter of raising money in your Catholic parish. So if giving isn’t about the money, what is it about? Giving is about: loving God and serving him; loving others and helping them fall in love with their Savior; transforming the world little by little through love; and the eternal impact we can and need to make with money. White and Corcoran contend that giving actually glorifies God and attracts others to the Church. Over and over again in scripture, they point out, you’ll find the same, simple point: Giving gladly serves as a key ingredient to the Church’s growth from its very beginning. White and Corcoran share the lessons, facts, habits, and great ideas they’ve implemented from some of the most successful and vibrant churches in the United States. ChurchMoney offers a proven plan for raising money in parishes. It’s readily adaptable, firmly rooted in the reality of leading a Catholic parish, based on the Bible, and finessed with the best advice of communication professionals. You will read stories of embarrassing failure and exhilarating success in tripling a budget and running three extraordinarily successful capital campaigns over a ten-year period including a recent campaign leading to the construction of $16 million sanctuary built debt-free. White and Corcoran have increased staff fourfold and significantly raised salaries and increased staff benefits while expanding mission outreach both locally and internationally.
Author: James Lemler
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0898698189
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 192
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Book Description
How can our patterns of congregational life and mission renew themselves and adjust to changing culture without selling out what Episcopalians stand for? How can local faith communities stay resilient and hopeful? What styles and practices of spirituality do most to enrich our mission? These are some of the questions James Lemler poses in this book on mission for clergy and congregational discussion. As with evangelism, there is both good and bad news about Episcopalians and mission. Lemler also provides a variety of models for moving forward in mission and hope, to a more abundant future.
Author: Ruthanna Hooke
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0898698448
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 165
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Book Description
At once “travel guide” and vision for the future, the Transformation series is good news for the Episcopal Church at a time of fast and furious demographic and social change. Series contributors - recognized experts in their fields - analyze our present plight, point to the seeds of change already at work transforming the church, and outline a positive new way forward. What kinds of churches are most ready for transformation? What are the essential tools? What will give us strength, direction, and purpose to the journey? Each volume of the series will: Explain why a changed vision is essential Give robust theological and biblical foundations Offer a guide to best practices and positive trends in churches large and small. Describe the necessary tools for change Imagine how transformation will look Preaching is one of the more “transformable” aspects of the church’s life. Performance teacher Ruthanna Hooke, writing for both clergy and lay leaders, delivers the good and bad news about Episcopalians and preaching. She explains why preaching is more difficult than ever today, and provides essential models and spiritual practices in order to transform both the creators of preaching and its listeners as both participate in sermons.
Author: Michael White
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
ISBN: 1594713871
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 320
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Book Description
Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.
Author: Marcus Dean
Publisher: William Carey Publishing
ISBN: 1645084051
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 221
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Book Description
Communicating the Gospel—To All People, By All Means Communication has always been the heartbeat of God’s interaction with humankind, and without thoughtful communication, mission is not fully effective. With the rise of technology and social media, the church faces a unique set of opportunities. At the same time, our shrinking world presents challenges and requires an increased sensitivity to social, cultural, and geopolitical triggers. With case studies that span the globe from Australia and Asia to the Black church and Muslim youth diaspora in the United States, this book closely considers what is working in the twenty-first century and what isn’t. From post-colonial contexts to creative-access countries, this collection doesn’t shy away from today’s complex issues. Communication in Mission pulls together diverse voices—some seem like shouts and others like gentle whispers—but each has an important contribution for all who will listen and learn. This synthesis of personal experiences from field practitioners and theoretical concepts from scholars lays a foundation for application, calling for careful and intentional communication in the ongoing work of missions. Full of hope, this book looks forward to the gospel being received as Good News around the globe.
Author: Sam Portaro
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0898695864
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 161
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Book Description
Vocation and the call to serve is one of those challenges. In a hierarchical and clerical church, the main purpose of Christian discernment is professional ordination-either to the priesthood or to the vocational diaconate. But where does this leave the rest of the people of God in their quest to find the right setting and shape for their ministries? Sam Portaro uses the Bible, theology, and personal story to envision a church where all vocations are equally treasured and all members supported in discerning their place in God's plan. He challenges the church to move beyond the status quo and end its confusion about the differing role and authority of all its ministers, ordained and lay.
Author: Jeannie Ewing
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
ISBN: 1622822943
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225
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Book Description
Grief touches all of our lives, but it does not have to paralyze us with fear or inaction. God allows suffering because He knows how powerful it can be to our spiritual lives and to helping us fully embrace His love and mercy. In this insightful and practical book, you’ll learn how to live a life of redemptive suffering that will draw you through grief into a state of tenacity, meaning, holiness, and joy. Author Jeannie Ewing is no stranger to suffering. Her family has long struggled with bipolar disorder and depression, and her baby daughter was born with a rare genetic disorder that caused her bones to prematurely fuse together. Despite the many layers of sadness, loss, confusion, and anger, Jeannie responded to God’s calling and transformed her life into one with profound purpose and joy. Combining her training in psychology and counseling with real-life examples, Jeannie will show you that there is much life to be lived in the midst of loss, and that all things – even the most painful life experiences – are working together for a greater good. You’ll also learn: The all-too-often misunderstood difference between grief and depression.The spiritual benefits to uniting your crosses with Jesus’s Passion and Death.The counterintuitive notion that grief and joy can coexist.The spiritual danger of internalizing our pain and hiding it from othersHow great saints like St. John of the Cross and St. Therese of Liseux struggled to make sense out of suffering.The six spiritual principles that will assist you on the journey of navigating grief.How to know when you should seek professional help.Ways in which God is calling you to bring hope and joy to those dwelling in darkness.How to confidently confront the nothingness and emptiness you feel in your interior life.And Meditations on the Stations of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Seven Sorrows of Mary that will help you reflect on how redemptive suffering can help you embrace God’s love and mercy.
