There are two types of conflict in congregations: conflict that kills and conflict that cultivates growth. So argues David E. Woolverton in Mission Rift: Leading through Church Conflict. Conflict that kills--that damages or destroys teams, ministries, missions, vibrancy--occurs when we as the people of God forget who we are, why we're here, and where we're going in carrying out the divine mission. Conflict that cultivates growth often begins with the same scenarios, but leaders see conflict as a context for learning how to live together as a people called to transform their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. In Mission Rift, Woolverton reorients our view of congregational conflict. In part 1, he examines conflict from a theological and ecclesiological framework, exploring why it is essential to discipleship and mission. In part 2, he presents six principles of missional leadership, challenging pastors and other leaders to define themselves within the frameworks of spiritual formation and family systems, and then to create environments that facilitate growth in faith communities. Rather than resolve conflict too quickly, Woolverton explains, lest we inadvertently sabotage the potential it has to draw a congregation toward spiritual growth, wise leaders recognize that a lack of conflict may be a symptom of missional decline, rather than congregational unity. When the church pursues its divine mission first, conflict may become essential for defining its mission priorities. Successfully leading through conflict toward a transformative end will empower a congregation's witness within its community and beyond.

Improved & Updated: September 2020! This is the Dragon Age. A tear has ripped open the heavens and demons pour forth to ravage the land. You are caught up in this destruction, the only survivor complete with a mark on your hand. This mark is the only thing that can close the Breach and save Thedas. Heralded as a savior, you begin an Inquisition by assembling an army of powerful allies to put a stop to the chaos. Only you can decide the fate of Thedas. You are the Inquisitor! Allow us to lead you through the lands of Thedas and uncover the secrets behind the Breach. This guide for Dragon Age: Inquisition offers a detailed walkthrough of the main story and all side quests associated with each region, detailing easily missed features and hidden lore secrets along the way. The guide also covers all three main DLC: Jaws of Hakkon, The Descent, and Trespasser, and all dialogue choices throughout the game. Inside this guide you will find: - A Walkthrough for all main story quests, detailing the consequences of your choices along the way. - Walkthrough for all DLC content, covering Jaws of Hakkon, The Descent and Trespasser. - Exploration sections for each region, including side quests, requisitions, collections and companion quests. - Comprehensive section on Dialogue Choices, covering both approval and romance options for companions. - Breakdown of Specialization Trainers including where to find them and how to complete their missions. - Crafting section covering key locations for potions, tonics, grenades, and other materials. - An Equipment section, detailing where to find some of the best weapons and armor. - A Mounts section with descriptions of how to acquire them and when they become available. - Overview of Multiplayer - including basic starting tips, coverage of characters, challenges, and loot.

Being a mission-driven leader is hard. Being a mission-driven leader who knows how to navigate the emotions of loss and grief connected to leadership is harder still. It takes a vulnerable leader to lead well—one who has faced into their own losses and can let those losses equip their character for God’s greater plans. Not all leaders are willing. Not all leaders are able. Yet, according to David Woolverton, leaders’ vulnerability to the emotional processes of grief is essential for the overall health of the organizations they lead and for the well-being—and discipleship—of those under their direction. Grief, he says, is best viewed as a mosaic, where each of our significant losses forms a constellation of tiles that, when seen together over time, helps tell a story of God’s redemptive love, grace, and mission—a story desperately needed within today’s post-pandemic angst. Using Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) as a guide, along with five biblical prophet “mentors,” Woolverton presents five strategies to equip pastors and leaders in negotiating with their losses to attain organizational resilience, sustainability, and vibrancy.

The title of this book originates from the self-description of Namibian Evangelists in their own words. African evangelists of the Rhenish Mission Society (RMS) played a crucial but mostly overlooked role in shaping the spiritual and social networks that transformed indigenous communities from the early nineteenth century. The author draws from a wide range of German, Namibian and South African archival sources that have been supplemented with a large number of interviews, to explore the history of the indigenous evangelists of the RMS. African supporters were often the first heralds of the new religion at remote villages and cattle posts before the white strangers made an appearance. The Namibian evangelists’ familiarity with the traditional culture and the local vernacular endowed them with a credibility that many of the European newcomers found difficult to acquire. By interweaving mission and church history between 1820 and 1990 with a biographical approach, the author brings a hidden chapter in Namibian history to life.

This book attempts to provide an ethnography of the Marakwet and its encounter with colonizers and missionaries. The core of the book concerns the formation of the Marakwet person through the rites of passage. Indeed, cultural education is critical in establishing a socially mature identity. By virtue of repetition, humans connect to the past and create a continuum. Also, through rituals, the world is no longer an opaque mass of objects arbitrarily thrown together, but a living cosmos that can be intelligible and significant. It explains why things exist and to what ends. At the same time, through rituals, new ideas are given new interpretations. The missionary colonizing project unsuccessfully tried to dislodge such traditions. The African tradition is the context from which most Christians come, and to which many still practice to some degree. It is therefore necessary for both Marakwet and Christian tradition to interact. The book highlights the concept of inculturation as a viable resource in helping Christianity engage the culture with minimal disruptions.