AUDIENCE: Pastors, Administrative Pastors, Church Leaders

Nowhere is educational reform more needed than in the church. This book arouses enthusiasm for the task. It's a refreshing call to active learning and a practical manual for renewing the education program of a local church.--Thomas Fleming

It's sad but true: The American church is shrinking...fast. God-loving people are leaving in droves, and everything that attracted them in the past simply doesn't work anymore. Is there anything the church can do to turn the tide? Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore reveals the truth about this steep decline, along with innovative ideas for changing the way people think about church. Through startling statistics, compelling stories, and a surprising Jesus-based approach, you'll be stretched to redefine the way you do church. It all begins by embracing four simple acts of love: Radical hospitality Fearless conversation Genuine humility Divine anticipation Far from theoretical musings, these practical acts show Jesus' love to people who crave it. You'll see why they really work, how they're taking root in hundreds of communities around the country, and how you can help bring people back into a relationship with God. The time for changing the church is now. And the one who can change it is you.

This book will forever change the way you think about church! The statistics are clear: The American church is in decline. People are leaving in astounding numbers, with no sign of a turnaround. And despite church leaders’ best efforts to stem the tide, more than 80 percent of people are finding something better to do on Sunday mornings. Why? Is there hope for the future of the church? In this groundbreaking new book, Thom and Joani Schultz expose the church practices that are driving people away and thwarting spiritual growth. Yet they also reveal what can bring them back—the four keys to reaching the “unchurched” and the “dechurched.” The bad news? Your church is probably missing the mark when it comes to the core of Christianity. The good news? There’s hope. Lots of it. The truth may surprise you...but it can also transform your ministry into something truly irresistible.

As you explore the reasons why the church is in decline in the book Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore, you’ll want to take the next step toward building an irresistible church. Bringing the 4 Acts of Love to your ministry teams and small groups will allow you to build a church where people want to be. Action Plan is designed specifically to work with ministry teams of all sizes and will personalize the 4 Acts of Love on both an individual and team level. Each of the 6 sessions include practical help, in-depth discussion, and additional resources for applying the 4 Acts of Love to your church. We are all in this together as we build healthier communities and win people back to church. Each of your team will need a copy of Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore along with a copy of Action Plan, start a path towards growth and vitality today!

“Church is boring.” “It’s irrelevant.” “It’s full of hypocrites.” You’ve heard the excuses—now learn the real reasons men and boys are fleeing churches of every kind, all over the world, and what we can do about it. Women comprise more than 60% of the adults in a typical worship service in America. Some overseas congregations report ten women for every man in attendance. Men are less likely to lead, volunteer, and give in the church. They pray less, share their faith less, and read the Bible less. In Why Men Hate Going to Church, David Murrow identifies the barriers keeping many men from going to church, explains why it’s so hard to motivate the men who do attend, and also takes you inside several fast-growing congregations that are winning the hearts of men and boys. In this completely revised, reorganized, and rewritten edition of the classic book, with more than 70 percent new content, explore topics like: The increase and decrease in male church attendance during the past 500 years Why Christian churches are more feminine even though men are often still the leaders The difference between the type of God men and women like to worship The lack of volunteering and ministry opportunities for men The benefits men get from attending church regularly Men need the church but, more importantly, the church needs men. The presence of enthusiastic men is one of the surest predictors of church health, growth, giving, and expansion. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to church—it calls the church back to men.

Jake Colsen, an overworked and disillusioned pastor, happens into a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance (in manner) to the apostle John. A number of encounters with John as well as a family crisis lead Jake to a new understanding of what his life should be like: one filled with faith bolstered by a steady, close relationship with the God of the universe. Facing his own disappointment with Christianity, Jake must forsake the habits that have made his faith rote and rediscover the love that captured his heart when he first believed. Compelling and intensely personal, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anything relates a man's rebirth from performance-based Christianity to a loving friendship with Christ that affects all he does, thinks, and says. As John tells Jake, "There is nothing the Father desires for you more than that you fall squarely in the lap of his love and never move from that place for the rest of your life."

Coming up with new ideas for your student ministry can be grueling. After a while, you may find yourself tapped for creative ideas. But you're not alone! Les Christie will help you explore the stumbling blocks, the tricks of the trade, and the catalysts to creativity, helping you tap into your own creativity and look at your ministry in innovative ways.

Road rage, animal rights, cyberporn, crystal healing, doctor-assisted suicide — everywhere we look, the signs all tell us we’re living in a post-Christian culture. Or are we? Leonard Sweet -- cultural historian, preacher, futurist, creatologist, and preeminent thinker -- firmly believes we live today in a pre-Christian society, fraught with challenges, dangers, critical choices, and above all, tremendous potential for the church. The outcome will depend on our response to today’s flood of religious pluralism that threatens to sweep us away. What will we do? Deny the reality of the incoming surge? "Hunker in the bunker," hermetically sealing ourselves in an increasingly out-of-touch church counterculture? Or will we boldly hoist our sails, and -- looking to God for guidance and strength -- move with confidence and purpose over the waves. SoulTsunami is a fascinating, even mind-numbing look at the implications of our changing world for the church in the 21st century. With uncanny wisdom and trademark wit, Leonard Sweet explores ten key "futuribles" (precision guesses that fall short of predictions), expanding on and relating topics ranging from the reentry of theism and spiritual longing in contemporary society, to the impact of modern technology, to the global renaissance, to models for the church to reach people caught in the cultural maelstrom. Here are eye-opening perspectives on the church from within and from without — from its surrounding society.Lively, well-written, and provocative, SoulTsunami is a clarion call for Christians to remove their tunnel-vision glasses and take a good look at the swelling postmodern flood. It also is a voice of encouragement, affirming the church in its role as God’s lifeboat. And it is a passionate, prophetic guide, pointing the way to reach a world swept out to sea.

There is a great need today for effective and life-transforming biblical instruction in our churches and Christian schools. In order to meet this need, we must focus more on developing instructional units or courses that are geared toward the needs and contexts of our learners. Applying the principles of instructional design will help you in this pursuit as you learn how to build learning profiles, perform needs assessments, shape educational goals and objectives, determine the scope and sequence of instruction, select teaching strategies, and craft assessments. Whether you are a pastor, small-group leader, Sunday school teacher, or Christian school Bible teacher, Designing Effective Biblical Instruction will help you engage the steps of instructional design and apply them to your specific ministry context. You will be challenged to refine your skills in these areas and become a more dynamic Christian educator.