Man is not meant to live alone. God's reflections in Genesis 2 make that quite clear, and our own inner longings for community confirm the truth that we were created for authentic relationships. Those who walk in church-worker shoes know that their congregation is a little community, one not gathered together by their efforts but united as a gift from God. Unique personalities and vastly different communication styles define each flock. And everything in the world, our sinful human flesh, and Satan seek to destroy these diverse relationships in the Body of Christ. Building Up the Body of Christ: Supporting Community Life in the Church gives church leaders a guidebook for developing and nurturing church environments that are psychologically and spiritually healthy. Author Bruce Hartung combines research, real stories, and personal experience that will inspire you to reevaluate best practices for loving and serving your neighbors at church. Return to your baptismal identity, receive God's Word and the Lord's Supper often, and you're ready to begin the journey! Book jacket.

No one likes to eat alone; to approach a table filled with people, only to be told that despite the open chairs there isn't room for you. The rejection stings. It leaves a mark. Yet this is exactly what the church has been saying to far too many people for far too long: “You're not welcome here. Find someplace else to sit.†How can we extend unconditional welcome and acceptance in a world increasingly marked by bigotry, fear, and exclusion? Pastor John Pavlovitz invites readers to join him on the journey to findâ€"or buildâ€"a church that is big enough for everyone. He speaks clearly into the heart of the issues the Christian community has been earnestly wrestling with: LGBT inclusion, gender equality, racial tensions, and global concerns. A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, Hopeful Spiritual Community asks if organized Christianity can find a new way of faithfully continuing the work Jesus began two thousand years ago, where everyone gets a seat. Pavlovitz shares moving personal stories and his careful observations as a pastor to set the table for a new, more loving conversation on these and other important matters of faith. He invites us to build the bigger table Jesus imagined, practicing radical hospitality, total authenticity, messy diversity, and agenda-free community.

The entire Bible reveals that God’s eternal purpose and the good pleasure of His will is to have the church. In order to carry out His purpose and pleasure, God made a plan, which centers around the mysterious, incomprehensible Christ who was incarnated as a man, crucified for our redemption, resurrected to be our life, and ascended to the heavens. Specifically, God’s plan is to impart, to dispense, this unsearchably rich Christ into His believers. In Enjoying the Riches of Christ for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, Witness Lee unveils how the church as the Body of Christ is produced by our enjoyment of the unsearchable riches of Christ through His word and by His Spirit. Such an enjoyment causes the believers to grow and be transformed into the precious materials for God’s building. As the believers come together in spirit and in oneness, the work of building is carried out for the glory of God and the defeat of His enemy.

Over the past few years, John Pavlovitz's blog, Stuff That Needs To Be Said, has become a virtual hub for millions of people from all over the world, drawn there by his clear, compelling words on compassion, equity, love, and justice. This expansive, like-hearted community transcends race, orientation, gender, religious tradition, political affiliation, and nation of origin--and finds its affinity in the deeper place of our shared humanity, which is the True North of his writing. This collection lovingly pulls together some of John's most widely-read and most beloved essays on faith, politics, grief, and the elemental parts of being human. It is an encouraging, inspiring, challenging storehouse of "stuff that needs to be said."

As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.

This volume by Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner on the interplaybetween Christianity and biblical law is an excellent addition to the 40Questions & Answers series. Schreiner not only coherently answers the toughquestions that flow from a discussion about the Old Testament Levitical Law,but also writes clearly and engagingly for the student. The pastor, student,and layperson can easily understand Schreiner’s biblical theology of the Law.

Inside the marine corps and what it takes to become "One of the few, the proud, the Marines."

The prophet Brigham Young taught the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in a basic, practical way that gave inspiration and hope to the Saints struggling to build a home in the wilderness. Though more than a century has now passed, his words are still fresh and appropriate for us today as we continue the work of building the kingdom of God. President Young declared that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we possess the “doctrine of life and salvation for all the honest-in-heart” (DBY, 7). He promised that those who receive the gospel in their hearts will have awakened “within them a desire to know and understand the things of God more than they ever did before in their lives” and will begin to “inquire, read and search and when they go to their Father in the name of Jesus he will not leave them without a witness” (DBY, 450). This book reflects the desire of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to deepen the doctrinal understanding of Church members and to awaken within them a greater desire to know the things of God. It will inspire and motivate individuals, priesthood quorums, and Relief Society classes to inquire, read, search, and then go to their Father in Heaven for a witness of the truth of these teachings. Each chapter contains two sections—“Teachings of Brigham Young” and “Suggestions for Study.” The first section consists of extracts from Brigham Young’s sermons to the early Saints. Each statement has been referenced, and the original spelling and punctuation have been preserved; however, the sources cited will not be readily available to most members. These original sources are not necessary to have in order to effectively study or teach from this book. Members need not purchase additional references and commentaries to study or teach these chapters. The text provided in this book, accompanied by the scriptures, is sufficient for instruction. Members should prayerfully read and study President Young’s teachings in order to gain new insights into gospel principles and discover how those principles apply to their everyday lives. By faithfully and prayerfully studying these selections, Latter-day Saints will have a greater understanding of gospel principles and will more fully appreciate the profound and inspired teachings of this great prophet. The second section of each chapter offers a series of questions that will encourage thoughtful contemplation, personal application, and discussion of President Young’s teachings. Members should refer to and carefully reread his words on the principle being discussed. Deep and prayerful study of these teachings will inspire members to greater personal commitment and will help them resolve to follow the teachings of the Savior, Jesus Christ. If individuals and families prayerfully follow the principles in this book, they will be blessed and inspired to greater dedication and spirituality, as were the early Saints who heard these words directly from the lips of the “Lion of the Lord” (HC, 7:434)—the prophet, seer, and revelator, President Brigham Young.