Are you signed up to serve at a Christian camp this summer? Whether you are a veteran staffer or have never been to camp before, this book is for you Get your heart ready for the spiritual challenge of camp leadership. Consider why you are going to camp, and what will be expected of you. Learn what makes kids tick, and ways of developing healthy relationships. Prepare to lead effective Bible discussions. Gain skills in managing issues and problems. Become confident in sharing your faith in Jesus.

Sacred Playgrounds explores the wisdom of camping ministry for Christian education and faith formation, examining its rich history and fundamental characteristics with compelling stories, groundbreaking research, and theological grounding. Christian summer camp is an integral part of the ecology of faith formation in North America, though it has received surprisingly little attention in the scholarly community until now. Camping ministry is often dismissed as simple fun and games or a brief spiritual high that does not last. However, camp experiences often serve as deeply relational and immersive faith experiences that have lasting impacts on participants. Five fundamental characteristics combine dynamically in the effective camp experience: participatory, faith-centered, safe space, relational, and unplugged from home. Together, they open the space for participants to consider new understandings of God, to have time for deep self-reflection, and to build intentional Christian community. These camp experiences are essential components in a larger ecology of faith formation, including the home and congregation. The insight and evidence presented in this book demonstrate that the contributions of camping ministry must be taken seriously among scholars, Christian educators, and ministry professionals.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ today? And are Christians really prepared for the answers? In Mere Discipleship, Lee Camp sets forth his vision of what it means to truly follow Christ, challenging Christians to put obedience to Jesus as Lord ahead of allegiances to all earthly authorities--be they nationalistic, political, economic, or cultural. Camp clearly lays out a sound biblical framework of what disciples believe and therefore what they should do. This substantially revised and expanded second edition updates examples, adds chapter introductions and summaries, and includes new study questions.

Evangelicals stand divided in their view of women in the church. On one side stand complementarians, arguing the full worth of women but assigning them to differing roles. On the other side stand egalitarians, arguing that the full worth of women demands their equal treatment and access to leadership roles. Is there a way to mend the breach and build consensus? Sarah Sumner thinks there is. Avoiding the pitfalls of both radical feminism and reactionary conservatism, she traces a new path through the issues--biblical, theological, psychological and practical--to establish and affirm common ground. Arguing that men and women are both equal and distinct, Sumner encourages us to find ways to honor and benefit from the leadership gifts of both. Men and Women in the Church is a book for all who want a fresh and hope-filled look at a persistent problem.

A Christian barrister and moral crusader who viciously caned young men in his garden shed. An exclusive network of powerful men seeking control in the Church of England.A shared secret of abuse that casts a dark shadow over a whole generation of Christian leaders. This is the extraordinary true story of John Smyth QC, a high-flying barrister who used his role in the church to abuse more than a hundred men and boys in three countries. It tells how he was spirited out of the UK, and how he played the role of moral crusader to evade justice over four decades. It reveals how scores of respected church leaders turned a blind eye to his history of abuse. Journalist and broadcaster Andrew Graystone has pursued the truth about Smyth and those who enabled him to escape justice. He has heard the excruciating testimony of many of Smyth's victims, and has uncovered court and church documents, reports, letters and emails. He has investigated the network of exclusive 'Bash camps' through which Smyth groomed his victims. For the first time, he presents a comprehensive critique of the Iwerne project and the impact it has had on British society and the church.

OUR DEAR YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN, we have great confidence in you. You are beloved sons and daughters of God and He is mindful of you. You have come to earth at a time of great opportunities and also of great challenges. The standards in this booklet will help you with the important choices you are making now and will yet make in the future. We promise that as you keep the covenants you have made and these standards, you will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, your faith and testimony will grow stronger, and you will enjoy increasing happiness.

Explores the idea of leadership in our culture today and in the past through theological evaluation, theory and practice, and examples of exemplary leaders.

John Pearson writes in his foreword: Harvard Business Review's classic article, "7 Surprises for the New CEO," is a wake-up call for both corporate and nonprofit leaders - including camp directors. Surprise Number Five is a shocker: "You Are Not the Boss." Few articles and books equal the honesty and warnings from these co-authors. So I was blessed and privileged when Earl invited me to write this foreword. His written labor of love - transparently delivered with warts and all - is a valuable survival kit for new and growing camping leaders who will find not seven, but dozens of surprises in their leadership journeys. Oh, my. How I wish Earl's wit and wisdom had been in print decades ago when I invested 11 immensely challenging (but thoroughly satisfying) years as a camp director in Illinois and Washington. I would have read this book every week! Then when I was privileged to lead what is now called Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA), I would have gifted his book to hundreds of struggling (but amazingly committed) men and women who loved Jesus and led remarkable camping ministries. Be the Director I Could Follow is a feast for new leaders and old leaders. In addition to Earl's savvy smarts from his in-the-trenches school of hits and misses, he's invited four of my Christian camping heroes (Dick Angelo, Brian Ogne, Enoch Olson, and Tom Robertson) to serve up their common sense approach to leadership. Brilliant! Here are six reasons you MUST read this book - and share it with your team: 1. Twitter-Worthy Quotations Sprinkled Throughout the Book. Amazing stuff! Like John Maxwell's insight: "The only thing a title can buy is a little time - either to increase your level of influence with others or to undermine it." 2. Brian Ogne's Four Principles of Funding Your Ministry. My favorite: "People give money to success, not to distress." 3. Tom Robertson's Transparent Confession. "...I needed to settle the glory issue. Either I got it or God got it. I was not meant to carry the glory belonging to God. It was so freeing to lay that burden down." 4. Enoch Olson's Sacred Task. "As the visionary I had the sacred task of proclaiming a vision of a future that did not yet exist ... for a people with the means to bring that future into a present reality." (Note: Enoch wrote his chapter at age 85 and noted, "With the help of many, my style of leadership is still improving which means it is a growing process. There are real reasons why some leaders succeed and others fail.") 5. Dick Angelo's 7-Day Prayer List. "The best practice that a young or old director can get into is to take all the cares of the week, make a list of them, and daily spend time in prayer over them. Keep that list at least a week ahead all the time. That way, one prays for the need today, as well as always praying for the needs of the next several days." Yikes! How did I miss this discernment insight? While grace abounds, I wish I had started this 50 years ago, not this week. 6. Earl Taylor's Metric That Matters Most-the Happiness File. "I do keep a close watch on the finances of the camp; without enough money, the camp begins to flounder and morale and facilities go downhill. Staff likes to be paid. But I have an even more important system to measure the success of the camp: it is called my 'happiness file.' In my desk, I keep a file of all the good reports I hear from parents, churches, and campers." Great insight - great idea! John Pearson

Could brain science be the key to spiritual formation? Why does true Christian transformation seem fleeting? And why does church often feel lonely, Christian community shallow, and leaders untrustworthy? For many Christians, the delight of encountering Christ eventually dwindles—and disappointment sets in. Is lasting joy possible? These are some of the questions Michel Hendricks has considered both in his experience as a spiritual formation pastor and in his lifetime as a Christian. He began to find answers when he met Jim Wilder—a neurotheologian. Using brain science, Wilder identified that there are two halves of the church: the rational half and the relational half. And when Christians only embrace the rational half, churches become unhealthy places where transformation doesn’t last and narcissistic leaders flourish. In The Other Half of Church, join Michel and Jim's journey as they couple brain science with the Bible to identify how to overcome spiritual stagnation by living a full-brained faith. You'll also learn the four ingredients necessary to develop and maintain a vibrant transformational community where spiritual formation occurs, relationships flourish, and the toxic spread of narcissism is eradicated.