Todays pastors often expected to be multitasking marvels who can make their churches "successful" are understandably confused about their role. Craig Barnes contends that the true calling of a pastor is to assist others in becoming fully alive in Christ to be a "minor poet." The pastor absorbs the wisdom of major poets the biblical poets as well as the churchs theological poets and distills its essence for parishioners. / The Pastor as Minor Poet calls pastors to continually search for a deeper, truer understanding of what they see both in the text of Scripture and in the text of their parishioners' lives. Discerning the subtexts beneath these texts reveals the core truths that allow pastors to preach the heart of the Word and to understand the hearts of the people to whom they minister. Written with a seasoned pastors depth of understanding and a poet's sensibility and sensitivity, this book will minister to and inspire pastors everywhere.
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Spirituality without God Spirituality without God: Buddhist Enlightenment and Christian Salvation
Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the West. This book introduces Buddhism and offers an unusually informed and sympathetic but honest assessment from a Christian perspective.
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Pastoring Men Pastoring Men: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
"Much has been made about the 'men problem.' You can hear about it on Oprah. You can read about it in "Time," Everyone is concerned about it. Many address the consequences of it, yet very few people are doing anything that will change the root of it." No man fails on purpose, yet our society is wrought with the results. And our well-intentioned solutions often don't deal with the root issue. So what solution does "Pastoring Men" offer? Disciple men. The purpose of "Pastoring Men" is to equip you to effectively reach all of your men. Men are hard to reach. But be assured--if you do, they will change the world.
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Worship That Changes Lives Worship That Changes Lives: Multidisciplinary and Congregational Perspectives on Spiritual Transformation
This volume, the second in the "Engaging Worship" series (from the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts at Fuller Theological Seminary), provides thoughtful reflections on these developments. The contributors bring a wide range of cultural, theological, and psychological perspectives to the subject, focusing particularly on the often-overlooked relationship between worship and spiritual transformation.The first section of the book considers historical and theological perspectives on worship and spiritual growth, while the second examines the role of the arts in facilitating that development. The chapters of the final section consider, from several perspectives, the results of studies of spiritual experience in worship (crossing both cultural and denominational boundaries). This volume makes a unique contribution, at once practical and academic, to the contemporary discussion. The authors offer multifaceted perspectives on the importance of developing worship that encourages spiritual transformation in the community of faith
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Ministry by the book Ministry by the book: New Testament patterns for pastoral leadership