Provides the help Christians need to understand and pursue spiritual growth.

We live in a precarious time when many are questioning the necessity of formal theological education for ministers. Theology, Church, and Ministry: A Handbook for Theological Education helps readers understand the critical role theological education plays in equipping God-called ministers for service in the church. This distinct resource explains both the development and purpose of theological education as well as its role in student formation. The contributors include outstanding thinkers and leaders in the field of theological education, including Con Campbell, Tim Tennent, Mark Bailey, Kevin Vanhoozer, Dan Block, Robert Smith, Dana Harris, Malcolm Yarnell, Danny Akin, and Greg Wills, among others.

Christian ministers working in congregations and with nonprofits seek to discern what it is that God has been doing and where it is that the "Spirit" might be leading them. In Living Spiritual Praxis Eric Kyle looks to address the lack of resources on the work and dynamics of Christian spiritual formation that actually develop a specific process for spiritual formation programs. Kyle strives to provide a guide for spiritual formation by using the "praxis-oriented" fields of action research and practical theology. He explores a process for understanding the nature and dynamics of a situation, discerning specific formative interventions, assessing various approaches, and continually assessing and modifying these understandings and approaches. Living Spiritual Praxis will be an invaluable resource for all Christians, leaders and laity alike, who are challenged by the spiritual formation of church members, communities, groups, and individuals.

Evan Howard, a noted authority on Christian spirituality, provides a holistic, accessible, and informed introduction to Christian spiritual formation written from a broadly evangelical perspective. Howard joins Scripture with themes of community, spirit, formation, and mission in a single integrative guide. The book includes helpful features such as figures, charts, chapter overviews, and formation-focused questions. Its evangelical-ecumenical and global perspectives will appeal to a wide audience. Resources for professors and students are available through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources.

While spiritual formation focuses on the inner life of the Christian, the missional church discussion focuses on one's life in the world. Nathan A. Finn and Keith S. Whitfield bring together leading evangelical voices to cast a new vision for a missional spirituality that fosters spiritual maturity while also fueling Christian evangelism, cultural engagement, and the pursuit of justice.

Get historical insight and practical help for your adult Christian education needs.

Building on the success of his 1992 collection Foundations of Ministry (over 17,000 sold), Michael Anthony offers Introducing Christian Education to fill the need in the C.E. curriculum for an introductory foundations textbook--one that provides an overview and understanding of the broad range of subjects included in C.E.--for college and seminary use. Thirty-one chapters are offered under the following sections: 1) Foundations of C.E.; 2) Developmental Perspectives of C.E.; 3) Educational Implications of C.E.; 4) Organization, Administration, and Leadership; 5) C.E. Applied to the Family; and 6) Specialized Ministries. Contributors include Robert Pazmiño, Jim Wilhoit, Julie Gorman, Klaus Issler, and Ted Ward. FROM THE FOREWORD BY LESTER C. BLANK JR. Introducing Christian Education will become a major resource text for church leaders and Christian education leaders who are professors of Christian education. It will be a valuable resource in my personal library. The desired outcome will be Psalm 78:72: "He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands."

In Together We Equip, you will discover the biblical foundation for equipping others. Equipping others in ministry is a process you bring with you as the leader! Its both personal and public. Its you as an individual and your church. This book will challenge you to take responsibility to grow spiritually, engage the culture, and share the gospel. Further, you will discover the impact of discipleship in the local church by examining mentoring small groups and preaching as relevant means to equip others. In the later chapters of the book, seasoned church ministry leaders with years of experience in making disciples through equipping ministry of the local church share many practical ways to equip others and lead church ministries: childrens ministry youth ministry collegiate ministry mens and womens ministry adult and senior adult ministries. Many ministry leaders do not know how to make disciples. They know, accept, and believe the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 1920). Yet they struggle with practical approaches and methods to carry out a viable equipping ministry. The book will help you elevate the importance of personal growth, making disciples, and assist you to align your age-graded and gender-based ministry leadership development.

Today’s youth grow up immersed in digital technology. This presents a unique challenge to the church as it seeks to faithfully make disciples of the next generation. What does it look like – theologically and practically – to minister contextually to those whose lives are permeated by social media and digital culture? In this in-depth study, Dr. Vo Huong Nam offers both social and theological insight into the task of discipling youth in the digital age. He examines the impact of digital media on both society and young people and offers an overview of Christian responses to the changing technological landscape. Engaging such authors as John Calvin, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Henri Nouwen, he develops a constructive theology of spiritual formation relevant to the context of twenty-first century youth. He explores the implications of this theology on church practice, urging the church to take seriously its call to be all things for all people. Drawing specific examples from youth ministry in Vietnam, he addresses practical questions of application and contextualization and suggests that silence, solitude, and prayer are spiritual disciplines uniquely vital for the digital age. This book is an important resource for all those involved in discipling young people and longing to see today’s youth come to fullness of life in Christ.