Ministry Resources for Community Life offers faith communities resources and strategies to build community among young people and throughout the entire parish.The manual contains nine gathered sessions to help young people get to know one another, themselves, and the meaning of Christian community. It also contains an outline for an ecumenical event to help build community across denominational lines, and it offers practical strategies and ideas for managing community issues, making the most of community life opportunities, and encouraging intergenerational and family relationships. Each manual in the Total Youth Ministry series includes a CD containing its electronic version, customizable handouts, and theme-related links. CD System Requirements Intel(R) Pentium II(R) processor Microsoft(R) Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT(R) 4.0 with Service Pack 6, Windows 2000 with Service Pack 2, Windows XP Professional or Home Edition, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 64MB of RAM (128 MB recommended) 800 x 600 or higher screen resolution Adobe Reader 6.0 60MB of available hard-disk space (for installation of Adobe Reader 6.0) Multi-read CD-ROM drive Internet Explorer 5.01 or 5.5 or Explorer 6.0 or 6.1

WHAT MAKES A COMMUNITY EXTRAORDINARY? When people live in community moved by the gospel and marked by the Spirit, great things happen. They commit to one another. They grieve together, sing together, eat, pray, and play together. They love, serve, honor, encourage, and provide for each other gladly. And they live on mission together. Hearts are healed, walls come down, and outsiders come in. No competition. No pretense. No vain conceit. Just full hearts breaking bread and giving freely. It is nothing short of amazing. Most of us live in a shadow of what God intended for us. Life in Community calls us into the light. Reclaiming Scripture’s stunning vision of gospel-centered community, it inspires us to live in love unbounded. Read it, live it, and join the movement: Help unleash the power of extraordinary community. 6-Week group study included.

Islam, gentrification, AIDS, and multiculturalism: Where do we face these realities? A few years ago, it was in the city. But today, many city dwellers are moving to the suburbs, either by choice or because of circumstances beyond their control. And this shift is changing both the urban and suburban landscape. With this shift in mind, editors John Fuder and Noel Castellanos have gathered together a team of experts to help you minister effectively in both the urban and suburban context. Divided into four sections--Critical Issues, Church-Planting Models, Ministering to Suburban Needs, and Para-Church Ministries--A Heart for the Community is a rich resource designed to help you do ministry today.

This volume provides all who minister to young people with an effective blueprint for building a truly meaningful ministry

Turning to the Gospels, James Bryan Smith invites you to compare your ideas about God with what Jesus himself reveals about his Father. In this Good and Beautiful Series book, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind.

Chazown (pronounced khaw-ZONE) from the Hebrew, meaning a dream, revelation, or vision. You were born with your own Chazown. Do you know what it is? You're invited on a most unusual odyssey--to find, name, and live out your personal Chazown. It's a journey you'll never forget because it's impossible to return unchanged. Practical, fresh, and biblically sound, Chazown is a one-of-a-kind life planning experience. Perhaps for the first time, you'll clearly understand what you've always suspected: I have been created and put on earth for a unique and important purpose. And God intends for me to know it and live it with passion and fulfillment for His glory. Craig Groeschel will help you get under the surface of your life to discover your life purpose in three often overlooked areas: your core values, your spiritual gifts, and your past experiences. He'll help you turn it into a highly motivating credo--complete with short-term goals, action steps, and a supportive network to make your big dream a reality. And then Craig will show you how to apply your own chazown to five critical areas of your life: your relationship with God, your relationships with people, your finances, your health and fitness, and your work. Are you living someone else's dream for your life, or no dream at all? Get ready for Chazown. For resources, visit The Chazown Experience at www.chazown.com

After his martyrdom at the hands of the Gestapo in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer continued his witness in the hearts of Christians around the world. His Letters and Papers from Prison became a prized testimony to Christian faith and courage, read by thousands. Now in Life Together we have Pastor Bonhoeffer's experience of Christian community. This story of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years reads like one of Paul's letters. It gives practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical, words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.

If you have searched for a simple, concise booklet to put in the hands of each of your group members to fully explain what cell life is all about, you've found it! This easy-to-read booklet is filled with stories about healthy cell life and how to interact with fellow cell members and unchurched people. Topics include: - Developing a personal prayer life - Investing time with other members between meetings - Reading out to unchurched people and connecting them to the group - Discovering their own leadership potential and using it in the group - Helpful information on how to host a group meeting Each chapter ends with ways to share what has been learned as well as experience it. Additional resources are also included for deeper reading. If your cell group members don't seem to get it, or you want to put something in the hands of every incoming cell member so they'll know what to expect (and what cell life involves when it's done right), you will love this book.

Rethinking Ministry to the Poor The urban landscape is changing and, as a result, urban ministries are at a crossroads. If the Church is to be an effective agent of compassion and justice, we must change our mission strategies. In this compelling book, Lupton asks tough questions about service providing and community building to help us enhance our effectiveness. Among the questions; What dilemmas do caring people encounter to faithfully carry out the teachings of Scripture and become personally involved with the least of these? What are some possible alternatives to the ways we have traditionally attempted to care for the poor? How do people, programs and neighborhoods move toward reciprocal, interdependent relationships? To effect these types of changes will require new skill sets and resources, but the possibilities for good are great.

'The Empowerment Process' is a user-friendly manual that is designed for those who wish to integrate and center social ministry into the ongoing life of their local Christian community.