In today's fast-food world, Christianity can seem outdated or archaic.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In today's fast-food world, Christianity can seem outdated or archaic.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.

Slow Church by Chris Smith and John Pattison has been eagerly received by a people who are ready to be invited out of franchise faith and back into the kingdom of God. This eleven-session study guide provides an opportunity to reflect on the message of this groundbreaking book both individually and in community.

How do you decide what to read? Dan Gibson, Jordan Green and John Pattison have created this tool to make your choices easier. Besides the Bible is a guide to the wide array of great books that they believe every Christian should read—the ones that matter to the church and the world.

ECPA BESTSELLER • A compelling emotional and spiritual case against hurry and in favor of a slower, simpler way of life “As someone all too familiar with ‘hurry sickness,’ I desperately needed this book.”—Scott Harrison, New York Times best-selling author of Thirst “Who am I becoming?” That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words: “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.” It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil. Within the pages of this book, you’ll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.

“Urgent, timely, and inspiring biblical wisdom for Christian leaders who want to start strong, thrive fully, and finish well!” –W. Scott Brown, Christian Leadership Alliance “Too often technique and numeric growth are on the minds of young pastors. Learn from a veteran and seek faithfulness!” –Matt Schmucker, co-founder, 9Marks “A powerful and preventive message for every pastor who desires to hear ‘well done’ at the finish line.” –Cliff Clifton, North American Mission Board, director of Send DC As leaders, it’s our greatest desire: a life that honors God, strengthens our family, and draws those we lead to Jesus Christ. But behind our well-intentioned efforts and carefully prepared sermons, we also carry fear of failure, disappointments, hurts, and hidden sins. These can become slow leaks resulting not only in public failure, but more importantly, in devastation to those we love and lead. But here’s the good news: You don’t have to live in fear. The God who called you stands ready to empower you to confidently plug the slow leaks in your life, to vigorously flourish, and to finish well. In Beware the Slow Leaks, Pastor Steve King draws on over forty years of ministry to equip Christian leaders to build healthy, gospel-centered habits now so they don’t have to bail their ship later. With biblical wisdom, personal stories, and spiritual care, King inspires ministers to practice what they preach—providing eight pro-active strategies to help Christian leaders fully thrive and confidently finish. Now is the time to fortify your hull against the slow leaks. Join Pastor King as he points you to the God who has called you to sail the waters with Him, not just bail your boat.

No one said pursuing justice would be easy. How do you stay committed to the journey when God's kingdom can seem so slow in coming? Kent Annan understands the struggle of working for justice over the long haul. In this book, he shares practices he has learned that will guide and strengthen you as you love mercy, do justice and walk humbly in the world.

The simple revolution is here. From the design of Apple products to Google's uncluttered homepage, simple ideas are changing the world. Now in paperback, multi-awarded #1 national bestseller Simple Church guides Christians back to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required. With insights based on case studies of 400 American churches, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove the disciple-making process is often too complex. Simple churches thrive by taking four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus. Simple Church examines each idea, clearly showing why it is time to simplify. This updated trade paper edition includes a new chapter with further insights the authors have gained through hundreds of conversations with church leaders since this landmark book's original release.

“Scot and Laura do an amazing job of teaching us what a good church looks like.” —Beth Moore What is the way forward for the church? Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches—from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church. We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth. How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate “good,” the word tov. In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov—unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus.

In today's highly charged social and political environment, we often don't know how to talk well with others--especially with people whose backgrounds differ from our own. C. Christopher Smith, coauthor of the critically acclaimed and influential Slow Church, addresses why conversation has become such a challenge in the 21st century and argues that it is perhaps the most-needed spiritual practice of our individualistic age. Smith likens practicing conversation to the working of the human body. Bodies are wondrous symphonies of diverse, intricate parts striving for our health, and our health suffers when these parts fail to converse effectively. Likewise, we must learn to converse effectively with those who differ from us in the body of Christ so we can embody Christ together in the world. In community, we learn what it means to belong to others and to a story that is bigger than ourselves. Smith shows how church communities can be training hubs where we learn to talk with and listen to one another with kindness and compassion. The book explores how churches can initiate and sustain conversation, offers advice for working through seasons of conflict, suggests spiritual practices and dispositions that can foster conversation, and features stories from several congregations that are learning to practice conversation.