As new research continues to show, the cultural gap between secularism and the convictional church will continue to widen. What will this mean for the Christ-follower of 2050? Children’s ministry workers and youth leaders are asking, “Are we adequately discipling today’s kids to lead the future of the church in a culture that’s becoming increasingly hostile to the gospel?” For many, the answer to that question is “no” and a new conversation around making resilient disciples is emerging. Resilient is an honest calling to ask robust questions about the future of faith. It is a timely conversation in the midst of changing cultural landscapes. It is a love letter to the church about the children who will one day lead and minister in the face of cultural adversity. Pastors, children’s ministry leaders, and disciple-makers are realizing and asking, “Are we giving kids lesser things that will not travel with them into their adult lives?” In Resilient Child Discipleship, Valerie Bell looks beyond the tactics of everyday ministry and focuses our energy on the few, key factors that truly contribute to effective, long-term discipleship.
Adversity often comes without warning. Bad news is shocking; betrayal is heartbreaking. As a church leader, it’s natural to feel defensive and want to fight back. But fear and anger make for a poor strategy when it comes to resolving conflict. Is it possible to rise about the storm and even thrive despite it? Ordained minister and leadership consultant Alfred Ells says yes, it is. Through stories of leaders who have suffered the traumas of betrayal, conflict, and failure, he provides insights, wisdom, and instruction on how to leverage adversity to become a resilient leader skilled at repairing any breach. The Resilient Leader is a trusted guide that helps you maneuver the tricky waters of organizational adversity, recover with resiliency, and develop a thriving organization.
Church growth models have often been long on promises and short on disciple-making. We continue to watch consistent church attendance shrink, and our desire to reach the lost is infected with a need for self-validation by growing our numbers at any cost. If we believe that God wants His church to grow, where do we go from here? What is the future of the church? Drawing from his 20 years and 15,000 hours of consulting, author Will Mancini shares with pastors and ministry leaders the single most important insight he has learned about church growth. With plenty of salient stories, and based solidly on the disciple-making methods found in Scripture, Future Church exposes the church's greatest challenge today and offers seven transforming laws of real church growth, so we can faithfully and joyfully fulfill Jesus's Great Commission.
Ready to overcome setbacks in ministry? As a church leader, you may have begun ministry with dreams of making an eternal impact. But years of striving, stress, and strain have left you feeling defeated, disillusioned, and stalled. Thankfully, there is hope that your ministry can turn around and thrive. As a former pastor who’s been in the trenches, Dale Sellers of 95Network reveals that God is not keeping score, it’s impossible to let God down, and doing ministry from Jesus - not for Him - is your key to a thriving church. In Stalled, you will discover your sweet spot and realize you are closer to being “there” than you know.
Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.