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God is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth. We are alienated not only from one another, but also from the land that sustains us. Our ecosystems are increasingly damaged, and human bodies are likewise degraded. Most of us have little understanding of how our energy is derived or our food is produced, and many of our current industrialized practices are both unhealthy for our bodies and unsustainable for the planet. Agriculturalist Fred Bahnson and theologian Norman Wirzba declare that in Christ, God reconciles all bodies into a peaceful, life-promoting relationship with one another. Because human beings are incarnated in material, bodily existence, we are necessarily interdependent with plants and animals, land and sea, heaven and earth. The good news is that redemption is cosmic, with implications for agriculture and ecology, from farm to dinner table. Bahnson and Wirzba describe communities that model cooperative practices of relational life, with local food production, eucharistic eating and delight in God's provision. Reconciling with the land is a rich framework for a new way of life. Read this book to start down the path to restoring shalom and experiencing Jesus' kingdom of shared abundance, where neighbors are fed and all receive enough.

The worldwide church is more interconnected than ever before, with missionaries going from everywhere to everywhere. Africans work with Australians in India. Koreans plant churches in London and Los Angeles. But globalization also creates challenges for crosscultural tension and misunderstandings, as different cultures have conflicting assumptions about leadership values and styles. Missiologist James E. Plueddemann presents a roadmap for crosscultural leadership development in the global church. With keen understanding of current research on cultural dynamics, he integrates theology with leadership theory to apply biblical insights to practical issues in world mission. Savvy discernment of diverse cultural underpinnings allows multicultural teams to work together with mutual respect for more effective ministry. The author shows how leaders can grow from an individualistic egocentric practice of leadership to a more global-centric approach. The future of the global church depends on effective multicultural leadership. God has called people from various contexts to minister and lead in every land for the sake of the gospel. Whether you are teaching English in China, directing information technology in Africa or pastoring a multiethnic church in North America, discover how you can better work and lead across cultures.

Colin Brown surveys the thought of over four hundred philosophers from the Middle Ages to the present day. This clear and concise guide shows how various thinkers and ideas have affected Christian belief and brings together the lessons Christians can learn from philosophy.

To pray is to know God."If God really cared he would answer my prayer." "I hesitate to ask him anything." "I can't understand why he continues to ignore my deepest needs." Bingham Hunter recognizes that most believers have these thoughts from time to time. He encourages us to look at prayer from the standpoint of who God is.The true aim of prayer is intimacy with God. We pray effectively when we make him the desire of our hearts, Hunter answers our questoins about prayer by directing us to the nature and attributes of God and to our own lives. God responds not to our prayers but to who we are--what we think, feel, will and do. Prayer is communication from the whole person to the Wholeness that is the living God.

In this discipleship classic, Jerry Sittser uses memorable stories to illustrate how a simple effort to understand discipleship as an adventure can create a paradigm shift in your understanding of the Christian life.

This collection of essays explores the legacy of Lesslie Newbigin's classic work, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, critically analyzing the nature of Western pluralism and discussing the influence of Newbigin's work on the field of missiology. By looking backward, this volume advances a vision for Christian witness in the pluralistic world of the twenty-first century.

Jesus pioneered something completely new in human history-a dynamic missionary movement intent on reaching the world. What does it take to lead movements like that today? Steve Addison shows how to follow Jesus' example, offering a vision of apostolic leadership that embraces Jesus' mandate to make disciples of all nations, in all places.

You can be a missionary by crossing an ocean or by crossing the street. We now have unprecedented opportunities to meet people from every culture and nation. International study and global migration allow us to build relationships with Buddhists and Muslims, students from Singapore and workers from the Middle East. But how do we share the gospel with people from different cultures and worldviews?Crosscultural evangelism can be scary. But veteran crosscultural minister Katie Rawson shows how we can witness the way Jesus did, entering into people's worlds and drawing them into God-centered community. She equips readers to evangelize Jesus' way, depending on him as companion and guide and venturing out in joy to be and share good news. Filled with compelling stories, practical resources and relational tools, this guide gives crosscultural training and shows how you can share the gospel through story and diagram, with clear communication and authentic community.

2016 IVP Readers' Choice Award

Christianity Today's Book of the Year Award of MeritWhat happens when a diverse church glorifies the global God?We live in a time of unprecedented intercultural exchange, where our communities welcome people from around the world. Music and media from every culture are easily accessible, and our worship is infused with a rich variety of musical and liturgical influences. But leading worship in multicultural contexts can be a crosscultural experience for everybody. How do we help our congregations navigate the journey?Innovative worship leader Sandra Maria Van Opstal is known for crafting worship that embodies the global, multiethnic body of Christ. Likening diverse worship to a sumptuous banquet, she shows how worship leaders can set the table and welcome worshipers from every tribe and tongue. Van Opstal provides biblical foundations for multiethnic worship, with practical tools and resources for planning services that reflect God's invitation for all peoples to praise him. When multiethnic worship is done well, the church models reconciliation and prophetic justice, heralding God's good news for the world. Enter into the praise of our king, and let the nations rejoice!

FEMA Community Preparedness AwardWhen disasters happen, people turn to local churches as centers for response and assistance. When floods or tornadoes devastate an area, or when shootings and violence shock a community, knowing what to do can be the difference between calm and chaos, courage and fear, life and death. But few churches plan in advance for what they should do-until the storm hits. Don't get caught unprepared. If a natural disaster or human tragedy strikes your community, your church can minister to the hurting. Jamie Aten and David Boan, codirectors of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, provide a practical guide for disaster preparedness. Disaster ministry is a critically important work of the church, preparing for the unthinkable, providing relief to survivors, caring for the vulnerable and helping communities recover. Filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management, this book provides best practices for local congregations. By taking action in advance, your church can help prevent harm and save lives during a disaster. The time to plan is now. Be prepared.

In today's fast-food world, Christianity can seem outdated or archaic. The temptation becomes to pick up the pace and play the game. But Chris Smith and John Pattison invites us to leave franchise faith behind and enter the kingdom of God, where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loves the church.

In light of recent interest in whether the Protestant Reformers interpreted Paul correctly, this edited volume enables a more careful reading of the Reformers themselves. Each chapter pairs a Reformer with a Pauline text and brings together historical theologians and biblical scholars to examine these Reformation-era readings of Paul's letters.

Rarely does a new theological position emerge to account well for life in the world, including not only goodness and beauty but also tragedy and randomness. Drawing from Scripture, science, philosophy and various theological traditions, Thomas Jay Oord offers a novel theology of providence-essential kenosis-that emphasizes God's inherently noncoercive love in relation to creation.

These essays, drawn from the 2011 Wheaton Theology Conference, explore the past, present and future shape of biblical interpretation and theological engagement in the Majority World. Among the contributors are Samuel Escobar, Mark Labberton, Juan Martinez, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Lamin Sanneh, Andrew Walls, K. K. Yeo and Amos Yong.

Christianity TodayLeadershipFeeling caught between the traditional church and the emerging church? Discover a third way: deep church.C. S. Lewis used the phrase "e;deep church"e; 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.Deep Church,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.

This devotional guide combines excerpts from the writings of the church fathers as found in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture arranged in fifty-two weeks of readings following the weekly lectionary cycle B. Spend each day with God as you draw from the prayers and hymns of the ancient church.