Picture your church as a place where the priesthood of believers finds its expression in creative and powerful ways. Picture leaders and staff equipping and unleashing people to minister in ways consistent with how God designed them. Think of the effectiveness, vitality, and contentment that come when the body of Christ nurtures itself through the healthy give-and-take of each member. In The Equipping Church, Sue Mallory describes the benefits, the structure, and the culture of an equipping church and shows how your congregation can become one. This book is about limitless possibilities. Think "vision." What might your church look like if its members became vital, fully empowered partners in ministry? How can you help them discover and release their full potential? How would their roles change--and yours? AN EQUIPPING CHURCH IS A CHURCH WHERE: * pastors and leaders enable church members to share in ministry * people’s gifts, talents, and life callings are matched with areas of service * ministry opportunities are recognized and developed * the culture encourages the growth of a broad array of ministries *a well-designed system addresses needs of every kind, both individual and corporate *the pastor doesn’t have to be all things to all people Unpacking insights and principles uncovered by Leadership Training Network over the last several years, Mallory helps you customize an equipping system and culture in your church. You’ll proceed from preparation (what you need to know), to foundations (what you need to change), to construction (what you need to do). In the process, Mallory takes you inside the story of her own church, Brentwood Presbyterian, to observe the different stages of their trial-and-error journey and how it has transformed their approach to "doing church." See how they dealt with various concerns that arose along the way, and meet men and women whose lives have been changed because Brentwood took the ministry road less traveled. Each chapter includes a section of "Equipping Principles," questions for discussion and reflection, and a summary of different equipping churches from around the country. With the accompanying Equipping Church Guidebook, this book will be a mile marker in your church--and the gateway to a more effective and biblical approach to ministry.

A hands-on ministry resource manual to help churches know how to develop leaders and systems for lay mobilization. A companion to The Equipping Church, this open-ended approach is applicable to a wide variety of churches.

A comprehensive look at how to mobilize lay members of your church into effective gift-based teams, illustrated with successful examples. The companion guidebook is an open-ended approach applicable for any congregation.

Missiologist and church planter JR Woodward offers a blueprint for the missional church--not small adjustments around the periphery of the infrastructure but a radical revisioning of how a church ought to look that entails changing how we think about leadership and what we expect out of discipleship.

"Scripture calls parents to train their children in the faith and to nurture their children's souls. Yet few parents actively engage in their children's spiritual development. How can churches best equip families to engage in their divine calling to disciple their children? Family ministry expert Dr. Timothy Paul Jones guides church leaders to develop a ministry system that equips parents to be the primary faith-trainers in their children's lives, moving beyond mere programming into a deeper spiritual life at home, within the church, and beyond. This resource is for leaders in the trenches--those who: see parents disengaging from their children's spiritual development; see too many students leave for college and drop out of church; have heard of 'family ministry, ' and just want to know more; or are frustrated with programmed ministries that fail to produce results. Based on solid research, this field guide unpacks how real-life churches can narrow the gap between present reality and the biblical ideal of faith-nurturing families"--Publisher description.

A comprehensive look at how to mobilize lay members of your church into effective gift-based teams, illustrated with successful examples. The companion guidebook is an open-ended approach applicable for any congregation.

For: •Individual use •Group training Includes self-assessment and do’s and don’ts for various special-needs situations. Whether visiting people in their homes, in the hospital, or in a restaurant over a cup of coffee, the simple act of connecting with others is filled with powerful possibilities. The act of friendship is an inroad to hearts and lives that creates trust, value, and incredible potential for ministry. Serving in Church Visitation helps you to •Be Motivated: How Does the Bible Model the Importance of Visitation? •Be Prepared: What Kind of Person Makes a Good Visitor? •Be Informed: What Kind of Visits Are Possible? •Be Involved: What Kind of Inreach Visits Can Be Made? •Be Equipped: How Should Scripture and Prayer Be Used? Zondervan Practical Ministry Guides provide you with simple, practical insights for serving in today’s churches. Written by experienced pastors and church workers, these easy-to-read, to-the-point booklets address the fundamentals of different ministries as practiced effectively in real life. You’ll find biblical insight and wise, field-tested advice you can apply today, as well as discussion questions to help you think through and integrate what you read.