Messages from the Small Country Church PDF Download
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Author: Rev. Dr. C. Joseph Fifer
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 1490846492
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225
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Book Description
In this day and age of “bigger and better” or “bigger is better,” even our churches are starting to follow suit. The alarming trend that is occurring now in America is the assumption that if a group is big, it must be right; if a church is bigger than others, it must be even “more” right. This assumption is not correct. This nation was built and became what it is today one small church at a time. Many of those small churches are still there today, right where they were first necessary. And they are still necessary today. They are still occupied by Christians who meet on every first day of the week. They gather to give the first of their week to worship He who is to be first in Spirit and in truth. With this book—a compilation of readings, sermons, observations, and an invitation—the Reverend Dr. C. Joseph Fifer (Pastor Joe), who serves a small country church in rural western Ohio, seeks to give voice to the message that millions are now missing.
Author: Rev. Dr. C. Joseph Fifer
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 1490846492
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Get Book Here
Book Description
In this day and age of “bigger and better” or “bigger is better,” even our churches are starting to follow suit. The alarming trend that is occurring now in America is the assumption that if a group is big, it must be right; if a church is bigger than others, it must be even “more” right. This assumption is not correct. This nation was built and became what it is today one small church at a time. Many of those small churches are still there today, right where they were first necessary. And they are still necessary today. They are still occupied by Christians who meet on every first day of the week. They gather to give the first of their week to worship He who is to be first in Spirit and in truth. With this book—a compilation of readings, sermons, observations, and an invitation—the Reverend Dr. C. Joseph Fifer (Pastor Joe), who serves a small country church in rural western Ohio, seeks to give voice to the message that millions are now missing.
Author: Rev C. Joseph Fifer
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 9781490846507
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
In this day and age of "bigger and better" or "bigger is better," even our churches are starting to follow suit. The alarming trend that is occurring now in America is the assumption that if a group is big, it must be right; if a church is bigger than others, it must be even "more" right. This assumption is not correct. This nation was built and became what it is today one small church at a time. Many of those small churches are still there today, right where they were first necessary. And they are still necessary today. They are still occupied by Christians who meet on every first day of the week. They gather to give the first of their week to worship He who is to be first in Spirit and in truth. With this book-a compilation of readings, sermons, observations, and an invitation-the Reverend Dr. C. Joseph Fifer (Pastor Joe), who serves a small country church in rural western Ohio, seeks to give voice to the message that millions are now missing.
Author: Carl S. Dudley
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780687230440
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 196
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Book Description
What makes the small church so reliably steady, closely intimate, and beautifully simple -- a worthy model of the Christian church? Carl S. Dudley affirms the main cause as lying within the minds of the church members.
Author: James L. Killen
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 0687343267
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 115
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Book Description
An introduction to pastoral care for pastors of small membership churches. "If you spend your whole life serving small membership churches and doing it well, yours will have been a life well spent." Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. These churches and their pastors have an opportunity for excellence in this area, and should make the most of it. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.From getting acquainted with your congregation, weddings and funerals, picking up on subtle cues in a conversation to not-so-subtle conflicts, Killen shares insights from years of ministry in a small membership church setting. James L. Killen, Jr. is a retired elder of the Texas Conference, contributor to Circuit Rider, and author of Who Do You Say That I Am? A Personal Reader.
Author: Dr. Jason Byassee
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426727321
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 212
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Book Description
Dizzying changes have taken place in American religious life in the last half century. Yet in spite of that fact, taking a snapshot of a “typical” Christian church in America would reveal a surprising number of small-to-mid-sized congregations, rooted in a local neighborhood or community, tied to a specific denomination, where most of the members know each others’ names, and hence are blessed (and cursed) with being the church together. In this clear-eyed, humorous appraisal, Jason Byassee contends that the “church around the corner” occupies a particular place in the divine economy, that it is especially capable of forming us in the virtues, perspectives, and habits that make up the Christian life. Not that he romanticizes these churches, however. Having been a rural, small membership church pastor, Byassee knows too well the particular vices and temptations to which they are subject. But he also knows the particular graces they’ve been given, graces like the “prayer ladies,” those pillars of the congregation who, “when one told you she was praying for you it meant something. When one hugged you, you remembered all week. When one cooked for you the casserole tasted like love. And when you were around them you were in the presence of Jesus.” Anyone who serves, or belongs to, a “church around the corner” will find their ministry strengthened by this enlivening, inspiring book.
Author: Karl Vaters
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 0802496369
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241
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Book Description
Do you lead a small church? Big churches get all the love. Articles, books, conferences—they mostly feature leaders of large congregations. Yet big churches are a small part of the ecclesial landscape. In fact, more than 90 percent of churches have fewer than 200 people. That means small churches play a big part in what God is doing. Small Church Essentials is for leaders of these smaller congregations. It encourages them to steward their role well, debunking myths about small churches while offering principles for leading a dynamic, healthy small church. Based on the popular six-hour lecture that Karl Vaters delivers to church leaders across the country, Small Church Essentials will affirm small church leaders and show them how to identify what they do well, and how to do it even better. Readers will: Be assured that leading a small congregation does not make them ministry failures Come away inspired to lead with passion, regardless the size of their church Have field-tested principles for leading a church in their context Possess new metrics for biblically measuring vitality in small churches Have a toolkit of resources to use in their everyday ministry Karl Vaters has been a small church pastor for 30 years, is the author of The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches, and the Small Thinking that Divides Us (2013), and travels extensively to churches and conferences to speak about leading a small church well. If you are pastoring a small church, this book will be a breath of fresh air. It will affirm your calling while giving you fresh tools to help you lead. It will help you: Stop believing lies about small churches Lead your church to fulfill the role only small churches can Understand your congregation’s strengths and weaknesses Turn around a dying or unhealthy church Identify good trends and bad in church and culture
Author: Allen T. Stanton
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538135256
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 137
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Book Description
As rural America continues to undergo massive economic and demographic shifts, rural churches are uniquely positioned to provide community leadership. Leading a rural congregation requires a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these communities, as well as a strong theological and community-focused identity. Allen T. Stanton describes how in establishing this identity, rural leaders build a meaningful and vital ministry. Reclaiming Rural explores the myths and realities of rural places, and how those common narratives impact the leadership of rural churches. Ultimately, rural congregations must practice a contextual understanding of vitality, which understands both the strengths and challenges of leading in a rural setting. Arguing for a practice of evangelism imbued with this mission of vitality, Reclaiming Rural promotes the church as a leader in economic and community development, modeled upon a Wesleyan theology of grace. Acknowledging the many challenges facing rural churches, this book is an energetic and encouraging guide to overcoming social and economic obstacles to build a thriving congregation.
Author: Robert H. Thune
Publisher: New Growth Press
ISBN: 194257262X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 120
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Book Description
Biblical church leadership requires more than good management principles or theological knowledge; it calls for deep, personal roots in the gospel. Gospel Eldership is a ten-lesson workbook to help pastors develop elders who are strong in the gospel and able to apply it to the real-time needs of the church.
Author: Lewis A. Parks
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1501827332
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 126
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Book Description
Small on Purpose: Life in a Significant Church is a joyful and honest look at the kingdom-enriching characteristics of small congregations. Lewis Parks demonstrates how to see and build upon those strengths. His premise is not better/worse. Instead, Parks shows us how life in a small congregation is profoundly significant and the important role these churches play. This book includes clear instructions on how leaders can streamline ministry to maximize the unique and powerful contributions small churches make in their communities. This book is inspiring and practical, a refreshing point of view for the church and church leaders. “Small on Purpose reimagines what it means to be a congregation of ninety, sixty, or thirty by not focusing on size. I especially appreciate Lewis Parks’s attention to why ‘soul care’ is critical for congregations under 150 as a means of discipleship and outreach. Parks sees soul care as a countercultural act that creates meaning for many who are seeking family-like relationships. This book challenges all congregations to take seriously the small things they are doing—like soul care—as a compelling way to move into the future.” —F. Douglas Powe Jr., Managing Director for The Institute for Community Engagement, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington DC; author of New Wine, New Wineskins and Not Safe for Church from Abingdon Press “Lewis Parks writes with pitch-perfect tone about the life of small churches. He appeals to the experience of smaller congregations as gathering places of worship and service. There he sees signs of the Spirit moving, of tradition revivified through song and word, of pastoral care shared across a congregation. Above all, he offers transformative words and perspectives with which small churches can claim their distinctive witness.” —Thomas Edward Frank, University Professor and Chair of the Department of History, Wake Forest College, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC “In a time when the culture is becoming more and more individualistic, Lew Parks strikes a chord for the great value of the gathered community of faith that is strengthened week by week through their faithfulness to the gospel and to one another. Gather in your small church and read this together. Your life and your community will be enriched.” —Bill McAlilly, Bishop, Nashville Area Episcopal Office, The United Methodist Church
Author: Emily Joy Allison
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
ISBN: 1506464823
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 255
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Book Description
When Emily Joy Allison outed her abuser on Twitter, she launched #ChurchToo, a movement to expose the culture of sexual abuse and assault utterly rampant in Christian churches in America. Not a single denomination is unaffected. And the reasons are somewhat different than those you might find in the #MeToo stories coming out of Hollywood or Washington. While patriarchy and misogyny are problems everywhere, they take on a particularly pernicious form in Christian churches where those with power have been insisting, since many decades before #MeToo, that this sexually dysfunctional environment is, in fact, exactly how God wants it to be. #ChurchToo turns over the rocks of the church's sexual dysfunction, revealing just what makes sexualized violence in religious contexts both ubiquitous and uniquely traumatizing. It also lays the groundwork for not one but many paths of healing from a religious culture of sexual shame, secrecy, and control, and for survivors of abuse to live full, free, healthy lives.
