Seven Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry
Starting a youth ministry, or trying to help one thrive, comes with a lot of questions. The LCMS Office of Youth Ministry has spent years understanding how you can better your youth group through studies, focus groups, and speaking with the members of thriving LCMS youth groups. Through their dedication, they've come up with the Seven Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry to help you in your journey to revamping or creating a thriving youth ministry at your church. These tips ...
The Disciple Dilemma: Rethinking and Reforming How The Church Does Discipleship
People are key in every organization, Christian and commercial—yet so many organizations struggle with substantial turnover, inexperience, disunity and crippling brittleness among their people. For Christian leaders and their communities, these symptoms imply that their mission is being eroded, which could be devastating for an individual disciple’s pursuit of Christ. Career CEO Dennis Allen takes a look at how very old business practices are impacting people, bankrupting discipleship, and eroding Christ’s influence in the public square and markets. The discipling ...
Journey Through Church History
This engaging student book teaches school-age children about the history of the Christian Church from a Lutheran perspective. Written by Christa Petzold, pastor's wife, homeschool mom, and high school theology teacher, this book teaches about several church fathers and answers questions about the Bible, Creeds, divides in the Church, liturgy, and the Reformation. Homeschool and day-school students alike will enjoy their time with this book. by Christa Petzold
God’s Encouraging Word: True Comforts When Worldly Advice Fails
We live in a society of self-help quotes and books that offer temporary solutions to long-term problems. These phrases offer little boosts of confidence but don't fix the underlying issue: the need for a Savior to lean on and find support in. Just like Eve, we are all tempted by sin and find ourselves grappling at empty sayings that promise we can "be" God rather than finding true support in trusting God. Turn to Jesus and find true help through ...
The Men We Need
The world needs real men, real bad. And there are all sorts of conflicting ideas and messages about what a "real man" is (and is not). Is a real man one who hunts, loves sports, grills meat, fixes cars, and climbs mountains? Sure, sometimes. But that's not really the point of being a man and it's not the purpose for which men were made. Into our cultural confusion, Brant Hansen paints a refreshingly specific, compelling picture of what men are ...
StrongHeart: Cultivating Humility, Respect & Resiliency in Your Child
For all parents who desire to raise a generation of kids with strong hearts. Parenting. It’s the most important endeavor of our lives. And there’s no shortage of advice on how to raise kids. But amidst the chatter of competing voices, how do we sort the folly from the wisdom? In StrongHeart, author Jill Garner cuts through modern parenting myths and trends to deliver the bold truth about what it will take to raise the next generation. Jill provides evidence-based ...
Leading by Faith: Practical Insights for Christian Leaders
Drawing on decades of experience, James F. Sanft shares insights and encouragement for Christian leaders. Part 1 addresses common leadership misconceptions, while part 2 offers practical discussion for how leaders can get things done-all from a biblical perspective. by James F Sanft
Handing Out Life: The Simple Way to Rewarding Relationships in All of Life
Simple. Memorable. Timeless wisdom. The keys to every relationship in life. These distinct features make Handing Out Life a book for anyone, anywhere, at any time. Unlock the mystery to rewarding relationships with God, family, friends, work associates, and even enemies. Remember what you learn with two simple illustrations that are as clear as your hand in front of your face. Be prepared to hand out life. by Todd A. Biermann
Five Traits of a Healthy Family: Steps You Can Take to Grow Closer, Communicate Better, and Change the World Together
Is your family all that it could be? Many feel bombarded by images and experiences of broken families, but this is not how God intended families to be! So often we examine the traits of unhealthy families, but Gary Chapman paints a biblical portrait of what a loving, stable family looks like. He details five timeless characteristics that create a healthy family environment: A heart for service Husbands and wives who relate intimately Parents who guide their children Children who ...
I Can’t Wait! 52 Stories of Kids Who Changed Their World That You Can Read Together
Did you know that a 13-year-old boy saved seventeen lives during Hurricane Harvey? Or that a five-year-old kid led a group of toddlers to safety after Hurricane Katrina? Do you realize that a third-grade girl sewed over a thousand blankets for people who needed them? Have you heard of the teen who invented a flashlight powered by human body heat? She was helping a friend who had no electricity. Young people are doing amazing things all the time. Instead of ...
Journey Through Church History
This engaging student book teaches school-age children about the history of the Christian Church from a Lutheran perspective. Written by Christa Petzold, pastor's wife, homeschool mom, and high school theology teacher, this book teaches about several church fathers and answers questions about the Bible, Creeds, divides in the Church, liturgy, and the Reformation. Homeschool and day-school students alike will enjoy their time with this book. by Christa Petzold
Leading by Faith: Practical Insights for Christian Leaders
Drawing on decades of experience, James F. Sanft shares insights and encouragement for Christian leaders. Part 1 addresses common leadership misconceptions, while part 2 offers practical discussion for how leaders can get things done-all from a biblical perspective. by James F Sanft
Limping with God
Jacob seems to be anything but a model disciple. He's a trickster, liar, and selfishly ambitious man who fathers children with four women and leads a dysfunctional family rife with jealousy and backstabbing. But Jacob is also Israel, the namesake of the Old Testament community of God, chosen and blessed. As such, this sinner-saint, who limps along with the Lord, burdened by weakness and beset by problems, is the mirror image of all of us who follow Jesus. In his ...
Loved & Sent: How Two Words Define Who You Are and Why You Matter
"I’ve come to know who I am in two words. They guide everything that I believe, think, and do. I am loved by God in Jesus. I am sent by God into the world." –from the author So many people are starving for identity and meaning today. Loved and Sent describes how God took extraordinary action to address those two fundamental human needs. The author walks through his own quest for identity and meaning, revisiting core Christian convictions in a ...
Made in the USA: The Sex Trafficking of America’s Children
The book is a compilation of five true stories of adults (4 woman & 1 man) trafficked as children. Each story is preceded by an overview of the type of trafficking the story addresses and followed up by a statement from the survivors themselves. The purpose of the book is to provide insights on how American children are taken captive and often coerced to remain in a lifestyle of commercial sexual exploitation. All profits from the book will be distributed ...
Married and Still Loving It: The Joys and Challenges of the Second Half
Long marriages are a gift… but they aren’t always easy You know yourselves better. You’ve learned to cherish the small things. You’re past keeping up with the Joneses. And yet, anxieties over grown children, worries about money and health, and feelings of disappointment can challenge even the best marriages. In Married and Still Loving It, renowned relationship expert Gary Chapman and Harold Myra, longtime CEO of Christianity Today International, offer wise counsel and practical insight on making your marriage thrive during the later ...
Meaningful Outreach: An Essential Guide for Churches
Outreach is more than hosting community events and hoping they stick! Getting unchurched people through your doors is one thing, but engaging them over time is another. Effective outreach helps people move from congregational visitors to committed members and disciples of Jesus. This book addresses what makes for effective, Word and Sacrament based outreach that can help you reach the unchurched people in your community. Rev. Mark Wood walks readers through a four-part process for congregations wishing to strengthen or ...
Middle School: The Inside Story – What Kids Tell Us, But Don’t Tell You
Remember middle school? Many parents would rather not. It’s often a rough ride, filled with insecurity, peer pressure, awkwardness, and world-rocking change. This book provides practical, hands-on advice for helping your child through this minefield―with information about what he or she is really going through, but isn’t likely to share. Best-selling learning-styles expert Cynthia Tobias and veteran teacher Sue Acuña reveal what they’ve found by listening to kids when parents aren’t around―and give you insider tips on how to bless ...
Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints
Mormonism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. For those who have wondered in what specific ways Mormonism differs from the Christian faith, Mormonism 101 provides definitive answers, examining the major tenets of Mormon theology and comparing them with orthodox Christian beliefs. Perfect for students of religion and anyone who wants to have answers when Mormons come calling. by Bill McKeever
No More Perfect Moms: Learn to Love Your Real Life
If you have ever forgotten to pick up your kids, accidentally worn two different shoes to the grocery store, or lost your cool over a messy house, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! In No More Perfect Moms, Jill Savage says it how it is: All moms struggle. We fall short of our own standard of excellence, and then we feel insecure about not being the perfect wife with the perfect kids, perfect husband, perfect home, perfect friends, perfect marriage, and perfect body... Jill speaks to ...
