Why Missions and Evangelism Are an Overflow of Delighting in God Evangelism and missions are parts of the Christian life often accompanied by fears, insecurities, and cultural pressures. In this addition to the Union series, Daniel Hames and Michael Reeves argue that an individual's relationship with God influences their evangelism and missions more than anything else. Scripture clearly shows that a believer's responsibility is to make God known...

What is the church? What does it look like? What should it look like? For answers to these questions David Alan Black looks to the first century church and our founding documents in the New Testament. What were the characteristics of a Christian assembly in the first century? In his study he finds seven things that defined the church then: Evangelistic Preaching, Christian Baptism, Apostolic Teaching, Genuine Relationships, Christ-Centered Gatherings,...

How Can Deacons Mobilize Service in the Church? Deacons are essential to a church's health-yet confusion abounds regarding their biblical job description. What's their God-given role in a local congregation and how do they relate to the church's overall mission? In this short book, Matt Smethurst makes the case that deacons are model servants called to meet tangible needs, organize and mobilize acts of service, preserve the unity of the flock, and...

Why are there so many different Christian denominations when we all have the same Bible? True, some Bibles include a few extra books, and some groups may use different versions of Scripture, but this hardly explains that tremendous diversity of doctrine and practice we see throughout Christendom. Most of these differences are not the result of different Bibles or different versions. Much of the disagreement is not over what the Bible says, it is over...

This book traces one of themes that runs throughout the different dispensations of the Bible. CHAPTER ONE: THE WAY OF GOD IN GENESIS CHAPTER TWO: THE WAY OF GOD IN EXODUS CHAPTER THREE: THE WAY OF GOD IN THE LAW CHAPTER FOUR: THE WAY OF GOD AND BAPTISMS CHAPTER FIVE: THE WAY OF GOD IN THE NEW COVENANT CHAPTER SIX: THE WAY OF GOD IN ISRAEL'S FUTURE

Crossway Introduces the Collected Works of John Owen, Updated for Modern Readers Regarded as one of the greatest theologians in history, 17th-century pastor John Owen wrote extensively on holiness, Scripture, the Trinity, missions, and ecclesiology. His classic works-which have inspired many Christian thinkers including Charles Spurgeon, J. I. Packer, and John Piper-remain influential, but until now haven't been offered in an easy-to-read collection. The...

In this introduction to ecclesiology, respected scholars Brad Harper and Paul Louis Metzger offer a solidly evangelical yet ecumenical survey of the church in mission and doctrine. Combining biblical, historical, and cultural analysis, this comprehensive text explores the church as a Trinitarian, eschatological, worshiping, sacramental, serving, ordered, cultural, and missional community. It also offers practical application, addressing contemporary...

In Explorations in Ecclesiology and Ethnography Christian Scharen and several other contributors, explore empirical and theological understandings of the church. Like the first volume in the Studies in Ecclesiology and Ethnography series, this second volume seeks to bridge the great divide between theological research and ethnography (qualitative research). The book's wide-ranging chapters cover such fascinating topics as geographic habits of American...

Have you ever wanted to know more of what the Bible says about the church? These six studies are deceptively short, simple, and clear. Each one can be read quickly, but if you really delve into them – checking the Scriptures, working through the Bible studies, thinking through the reflection questions – you will find a rich study resource. The Bible Themes resource at the end is a useful alphabetical listing of key Bible themes that gives practical...

Many historic Protestant churches lost their way when the ground beneath their feet began to shift in the last part of the 20th century. Back then, congregations became confused about why so many Americans had become indifferent toward church-going. They became anxious about their shrinking numbers and aging membership. How would they survive? They could not see the way forward. But now, a few ordinary congregations are finding their way into the...