Perspectives On A Real Church

Will the real church please stand up? We exist in a world of extreme flux and volatilityone that is unpredictable and filled with pain. But why? Could it be that the church who was intended to be a model and beacon of light in the earth has instead become a follower and dispenser of the same ills that malign our landscape? The church, in her pursuit to have church, has somehow lost her way; the church as an institution has exploded (possibly morphing into something not recognized by its author) while the organism has suffered, causing her to forfeit the influence and power and connection she once possessed. In Perspectives on a Real Church, we take a look at what and who the church isboth where she has been and is, currently with the hope of charting a path toward where she could be. This literary work takes a look at what the real church should be and seeks to objectively look at whether or not our church is meeting the standard, as well as what can be done in the places where she needs to step up. One thing is for certain, and that is that the church was created for both goodness and greatness, that she was intended as a radical transformative agent in a context where transformation is much needed. When the church becomes what she was intended, thenand only thencan she be a catalyst for resurgence and revival to both believers and nonbelievers alike. The world in turn, will be a better place more capable of reaching its full potential.

The great resignation, quiet quitting, #MeToo workplace cultures, bro culture at work, the absence of more minorities in cybersecurity, cybercrime, police brutality, the Black Lives Matter protests, racial health disparities, misinformation about COVID-19, and the emergence of new technologies that can be leveraged to help others or misused to harm others have created a level of complexity about inclusion, equity, and organizational efficiency in organizations in the areas of healthcare, education, business, and technology. Real-World Solutions for Diversity, Strategic Change, and Organizational Development: Perspectives in Healthcare, Education, Business, and Technology takes an interdisciplinary academic approach to understand the real-world impact and practical solutions-oriented approach to the chaotic convergence and emergence of organizational challenges and complex issues in healthcare, education, business, and technology through a lens of ideas and strategies that are different and innovative. Covering topics such as behavioral variables, corporate sustainability, and strategic change, this premier reference source is a vital resource for corporate leaders, human resource managers, DEI practitioners, policymakers, administrators, sociologists, students and educators of higher education, researchers, and academicians.

A practical approach to address spiritually crippling disappointment with the church! Feeling disappointment with your church can be spiritually devastating. Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church gives you a theological and family therapy approach to disillusionment in the church that is practical and realistic. The author, an ordained minister and a licensed family therapist, discusses with sensitivity and hope the problems and the ways to resolve issues of spiritual disappointment. Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church uses a theological basis to lay a foundation of understanding, and then provides real strategies from a family therapy perspective to deal with personal disappointments in the church. The book sensitively discusses real problems using real examples of how church dynamics can unwittingly cause spiritual disillusionment within even the most faithful, even in diligent attempts to serve God. Honest, reverent, and written from the perspective that each of us needs the church to cultivate our faith, this book provides non-simplistic yet hopeful answers to the most difficult of problems. Find comfort in these pages. Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church discusses: idealism about the church how churches function according to the dynamics of family systems how a controlling family affects church dynamics people who become codependent to the church adjustment to belief structures within the church addictive processes in organizations the psychological danger zone of failed beliefs how to recognize when to stay and when to move on to another church considerations for someone in a denominational crisis the uses of spirituality and religion in psychologically healthy ways a theoretical model that gives priority to building a relational church Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church is for ministers, chaplains, seminary students, pastoral counselors, Sunday school teachers, or anyone that is facing a spiritual crisis in their church. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion.

A renowned scholar calls for a change of direction for the study of Jesus in the 21st century.

Perspectives on Church Government presents in counterpoint form the basic models of church government which have developed over the course of church history with a view toward determining which is most faithful to Scripture. Each chapter will be written by a prominent person from within each tradition—with specific guidelines dealing with the biblical, historical, and theological issues within each governance tradition. In addition, each writer will have the opportunity to give a brief response to the other traditions.

In Ordained Ministry in Free Church Perspective Jan Martijn Abrahamse offers a methodologically innovative way to understand ordained ministry in terms of covenantal theology by returning to the life and thought of the English Separatist Robert Browne (c. 1550-1633).

This book is a unique contribution to the study of children’s and youth ministry, displaying the rich theological thinking that is developing amongst Australian evangelical scholars. Many of the writers have previously presented at the Youthworks “House” conference, which promotes “theological reflection for best practice in youth and children’s ministry in a community of youth and children’s ministers.” The themes explored in this book are vitally important to pastors seeking to nurture young people as disciples of Jesus. Thirteen evangelical scholars answer questions such as: How can biblical theology shape a young person’s view of themselves? What is the biblical definition of church and how does this shape our understanding of intergenerational gatherings, family, and community? How should young Christians interact with the culture around them? And how do biblical teachings on sin, grace, and wisdom provide young people with the resources to live in today’s world? You will be challenged to reconsider how theology and exegetical study of the Bible can mold your priorities, principles, and presumptions as you exercise ministry to and with young people.