"Why?" seems to be on the lips of many church, judicatory, and denominational leaders today. "Why has our church plateaued?" "Why are so few young leaders going into church-based ministries?" "Why are so few interested in church these days?" Recovering Hope uncovers the "whys," creating space to embrace new realities, commit to the tough road of recovery, and develop new skills, structures, and ministry designs through a process of spiritual discernment, congregational coaching, and a deeper reliance on the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Eddie Hammett, a Professional Certified Coach and Church and Clergy Coach for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, provides a step-by-step process of hope and health to encourage, guide, and inspire pastors, leaders, churches, regions, and denominations that recovery of hope is possible. A TCP Leadership Series title.

You want to have vibrant relationships with those who struggle with addiction in your church and community. This practical resource for church leaders and congregations answers your pressing questions about addiction and recovery, through real-life stories, the latest insights from medical science and a biblical framework for how to love the addicts in your midst.

It's easy to get discouraged at the reports of continuing decay in our inner cities and impoverished rural areas. Yet in the midst of the dark realities, some churches are transforming lives and reclaiming communities through effective, holistic ministries. 'Restorers of Hope' tells their stories and identifies the keys to their success. And it goes further by challenging churches to take up Christ's command to love your neighbor and offering specific, practical guidance on how to reach out. By understanding the challenges of persistent poverty - and the opportunities afforded by welfare reform - you and your church will be better equipped to engage in redemptive ministry that presents the gospel as the true solution.

Loving a prodigal, or being one, is hard. This book lets you know that you are not alone and that there is hope in Jesus. Author, pastor, and praying father James Banks and his prodigal son returned, Geoffrey Banks, each write from their perspective, sharing their story of redemption and encouraging you through the struggle.

These booklets are written by experienced counselors to aid people in understanding how to let Gods Word speak to them. They are called the Gospel for Real Life as they show how Gods word has a lasting impact and relevance in everyday situations.

You can’t. God can. Life never lacks for improvement—in ourselves, in our relationships, in just about everything. But all our brave stabs at getting better, if they ever change anything, are incomplete at best, complete failures at worst. Sometimes much worse. Unless . . . The gospel of Jesus Christ is the great “unless” of life—both for those who already believe (but can’t believe the messes they’re still capable of making), as well as those who don’t yet believe but just know their way isn’t working. Recovering Redemption, written with a pastor’s bold intensity and a counselor’s discerning insight, takes you deeply into Scripture to take you deeply inside yourself, discovering that the heart of all our problems is truly the problem of our hearts. But because of what God has done, and because of what God can do, the most confident, contented person you know could actually be you—redeemed through Jesus Christ. None of us, really, can do what’s required to change our lives for the better, taking what’s persistently frustrating and making it perfectly satisfying. Yet as hopeless as that may sound, it is the flat-line truth in which good news comes to life . . . to your life. For just as what’s lost can be found, what’s wrong can—even now—be recovered.

What’s at the heart of every thriving person, every thriving marriage, kid, and business? Hope! The Hope Quotient is a revolutionary new method for measuring—and dramatically increasing—your level of hope. Hope is more than a feeling; it’s the by-product of seven key factors. When these are present in your life, they cause hope to thrive. Factor 1: Recharge Your Batteries Nobody does well running on empty. Factor 2: Raise Your Expectations You don’t get what you deserve; you get what you expect. Factor 3: Refocus on the Future It’s time to throw away your rearview mirror. No one goes forward well when they are looking back. Factor 4: Play to Your Strengths Be yourself; everyone else is taken. Factor 5: Refuse to Go It Alone Never underestimate the power of support. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Factor 6: Replace Burnout with Balance Burning the candle at both ends isn’t as bright as you think. Factor 7: Play Great Defense Avoid these five toxic hope killers that can threaten your future. Using seven years of research, powerful biblical illustrations, and compelling human-interest stories, Ray Johnston explains how these seven essential factors will support, sustain, and strengthen your hope. And when consciously built into your life, how they will unleash hope in your marriage, your kids, your career, your church, your community, and the world. Discover your HQ level, the most important contributor to your overall success, and then learn how to improve it. Because when hope rises—everything changes. FLAP COPY: Hope: It’s the one thing that can change everything! When you have hope, eleven things are unleashed in your life: You have more satisfying relationships. You’re more productive. You’re less affected by stress. You’re more successful. You’re more satisfied. You’re more compassionate. You’re more willing to help people in need. You’re physically healthier. You hold yourself to higher moral and ethical standards. You’re more likely to assume leadership. You’re more likely to see God as loving, caring, and forgiving. This book will help you discover your HQ level and learn the seven key factors that, when built into your life, unleash hope. When you have genuine hope—not trite, pious platitudes but authentic hope that produces inner strength and confidence—anything is possible.

Every day, everywhere, women like Rose face not only the danger and torment of domestic violence, they struggle with their faith and often receive inaccurate messages from a well-meaning church community. As a Christian woman enduring physical abuse from her husband, Rose Saad heard conflicting advice from her faith community. Here, Rose intertwines her own experiences with those of other abused women within the church to offer a much-needed guide for the abused Christian woman and her supporters. If you are asking, "Why is my husband abusing me? Has God abandoned me? Do I have faith"? this book will provide: courage and clarity understanding of the Bible verses that have you locked in a spiritual dilemma peace with your decision to break free If you're in an abused woman's support network, "A Path to Hope" will grant you new understanding of: the abused woman's behaviors why she thinks the way she does her spiritual struggles her needs as she pursues help You "can" move from abuse to freedom by applying His truth to your situation. There is "A Path to Hope." "A valuable contribution to an important cultural conversation." -Rev. Zeke Wharton, Past President, Interfaith Community Against Domestic Violence "A courageous book. . . . It's time for the church to wade into these deep waters and offer abuse victims the protection they deserve." -Steven D. Brand, MSW/MPH, LCSW, ACSW Bio Rose Saad, RN, is a Christian survivor of a physically abusive marriage. She speaks publicly on the topic of domestic violence while pursuing her master's in pastoral counseling. Rose resides in Maryland."

Many counselors are not adequately prepared to help those suffering from complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). In this updated text, Heather Davediuk Gingrich provides an essential resource for Christian counselors, ably integrating the established research on trauma therapy with insights from her own thirty years of experience and an understanding of the special concerns related to Christian counseling.

Pastor T. C. Ryan narrates the unsettling story of his lifelong struggle with sexual addiction, one that predated and pervaded his pastoral ministry--one that went on for years in secrecy and isolation. In light of his full experience of exile and healing, Ryan calls the church to a ministry of unsettling grace that is the worthy of the gospel.