In a time when churches are focusing on finding strategies and techniques to guarantee success, a movement toward the missional church is emerging. Missional churches are communities created by the Spirit with a unique nature and identity. Purpose and strategies of the church are derivative dimensions, the activities that flow naturally from the church that is focused on Spirit-led ministry. The Ministry of the Missional Church leads pastors, ministry leaders, and laypersons through three simple arguments--the church is; the church does what it is; the church organizes what it does--in order to make sense of how missional churches work. And by focusing the work of the church as the work of the Triune God, this unique book will change the way readers think about the church and the world.

Do you attend church seeking God, only to find that that are still not satisfied? Do you long for a more personal experience---A real experience with your God? More and more people are searching---just like you. They are looking everywhere for answers that will lead to a deeper, more meaningful reality of their walk with God. This reality will release the saints to do what they are called to do. You are about to discover that your unique life is intended to play a significant role in a new Holy Ghost renovation of the Church. You will realize that genuine ministry is not based on the gifts of a single man but in a "multi-faceted, many-sided ministry"--- of which you are a vital part. You will understand why "the one man show" is over. True ministry is many people working together to accomplish one goal---fulfilling the ministry of Christ. A new style of leader with a new heart for the saints is required for such a revolutionary shift in thought and action. Dr. Mark Hanby lays out Paul's original goal for all five-fold ministry---"the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ." His nearly fifty years in worldwide ministry has uniquely prepared him to see the need of church and to call forth the saints, everyday believers like you and I, to fulfill their place in God's plan for the earth.

Exhaustion and burnout are nothing new. It is not uncommon to hear of someone simply throwing in the towel and walking away from what looked like a good situation. Why does this happen? The answer to this question can be found in the advice that Jethro gave to Moses. Regardless of our role and responsibility as a leader, team member, and church member, the Creator never intended for any person to carry the load of life, work, or responsibilities by him- or herself. Jethro knew this. One of the most interesting bits of advice that Jethro gave to Moses was when he told Moses, If you continue to do this you will surely wear yourself and these people out (Exodus 18:18). A major call of any good leader is to seek out the talents of those they are leading. This search for talent was the advice of Jethro to Moses. When we seek out the skills of other people, it will not always be easy. It will call us to take the time to find those who have untapped abilities and put them to work. It will encourage us to pace ourselves as leaders and not become frustrated when it takes a little more time to find help. Here is the key principle of The Jethro Ministry: You cannot do it by yourself!

Christ's sheep need shepherding. That's where you come in. With more than 60 years of ministry between them, Harold Senkbeil and Lucas Woodford have come to understand that everything in ministry—even administration, leadership, and planning—revolves around the ancient tradition of the care of souls. Pastors are entrusted with the care of a flock by the Good Shepherd and are called to be faithful to this task. But pastoring seems to be getting more and more difficult. Based on a sound theological framework, Senkbeil and Woodford present a set of practical tools for church leadership and strategy. Calling on their vast experience, they encourage pastors to protect, guide, and feed their flock as Jesus would, bridging the eternal wisdom of the word of God with the everyday practicality of hands-on leadership.

Now revised and updated throughout, Diana Garland's core text for ministers and others in the helping professions provides a comprehensive look at the Christian purpose of family and the complex world our families inhabit.

Join the conversation as experts propose, defend, and explore Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church.In a dialog that often gets downright feisty, four youth ministry academicians delineate their distinct philosophical and ecclesiological views regarding how youth ministry relates to the church at large--and leave a taste of what’s profound and what’s not in these four typologies:Inclusive congregational (Malan Nel). What happens when a church thoroughly integrates its adolescents, making them full partners in every aspect of congregational life?Preparatory (Wesley Black). Why and how should a church consider its teenagers as disciples-in-training and its youth ministry a school of preparation for future participation in church life?Missional (Chap Clark). What does a church look like, whose youth ministry does not necessarily nurture "church kids" but is essentially evangelistic? Whose youths and youth workers are considered missionaries?Strategic (Mark Senter). How feasible is it for a youth ministry to become a new church on its own--the youth pastor becoming the pastor, and the new church planted with the blessing of the mother church?In Four View of Your Ministry and the Church, solid academic writing and an inviting tone and design create a compelling text for both in-the-field, practicing youth workers and undergraduates and graduate students.

What does the church look like if we take the ministry of the baptized the priesthood of all believers seriously? How are congregations transformed when the church supports and affirms the ministry of all the baptized, particularly in small congregations without the means to hire a seminary-trained pastor? And what ecclesial structures and educational models need to emerge in the next decades to assist these small congregations in the recovery of baptismal living and their own vitality? Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook and Fredrica Harris Thompsett explore these questons as well as the variety of ways people in small congregations many with no more than fifty members are living out their baptism and the impact their actions are having on their congregations, judicatories, and communities, and the institutions that educate clergy. The authors argue that just because a community cannot pay a seminary-trained minister, a growing problem in remote regions, it does not mean that there is no ministry there. It does mean that we need to look at ministry and the church in a more expansive way. The stories of the congregations revealed in this book serve to inspire us about what is possible when we live intentionally as the reconciling presence of the body of Christ in the world. They also educate us about what will be needed in the years to come to lift up still more small congregations for their work in the larger community.

Beginning Ministry Together is about the transition period between the announcement that one pastor is leaving and the time when another pastor is well settled. The message brought by Roy Oswald and colleagues Jim and Ann Heath is that this is not an impossible time to be survived only with a lot of expert help. Rather, even though the task is complex, committed congregational leaders can handle it—with the help of people who have been on this journey before. Oswald describes how clergy and congregations can better end and begin pastorates. He shows them how to say good-bye and discern their needs for the future—how to use the open space between pastorates for evaluation and preparation for a new day.

The concept of "ministry teams" is rapidly taking hold in churches, but just what are they and how do they work? Transform Your Church with Ministry Teams outlines what effective ministry teams look like, describes what they can offer local congregations, and gives concrete step-by-step suggestions for making them happen. The power of ministry teams lies in their unique capacity to generate genuine Christian fellowship, nurture disciples, develop leaders, and mobilize people for ministry. While traditional church leadership organizations concentrate almost exclusively on task, policy, and program, ministry teams are designed to enhance faith development and, thus, ministry effectiveness. E. Stanley Ott explores three main areas of ministry-team development. First, he explains the philosophy behind ministry teams and discusses the issues involved in shifting from committee-based to team-based ministry. Second, he tells how to begin ministry teams, including how to identify team leaders and members and how to determine their roles. Third, he looks at the details of ministry-team life, including ways to build team fellowship, foster discipleship and communication within teams, and accomplish specific ministry tasks. Filled with wise, time-tested advice, including four how-to appendixes, this book will help pastors and lay leaders transform the life of their church or Christian organization.