Visionary yet practical, Nessan's influential book makes a persuasive case for the centrality of mission in the life of the church. Nessan's model of mission-driven leadership is strongly centered on the community of faith's worship and draws unique connections between the worship life of a congregation and every aspect of the church's ministry. Around the twin foci of congregational identity and mission, the chapters in this dynamic book provide solid theological and radical direction on the themes of worship, education, fellowship, stewardship, evangelism, global connections, and social ministry.

Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.

The world is hungering for the fruit of a dynamic Church that has embraced her missionary identity, but what does it really mean to be a missionary Church? Grounded in Scripture and Sacred Tradition, Fr. Mallon offers an analysis of the challenges the Church is facing, along with practical tools that will support parish and diocesan leaders in bringing about significant renewal. Most importantly, he addresses the critical interface between a missionary parish and its diocese, essential to bearing lasting fruit. "Fr. Mallon understands what it takes to transform a mediocre parish into a dynamic, missionary one, and he understands that parishes need diocesan leadership to transform the Church as a whole. I pray that every bishop in the Church will absorb this message of love, and that, by the movement of the Holy Spirit, it will bring hordes of people to Jesus and his Church." —Patrick Lencioni, cofounder of The Amazing Parish and author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Meet people who have fled their homelands. Hagar. Joseph. Ruth. Jesus. Here is a riveting story of seeking safety in another land. Here is a gripping journey of loss, alienation, and belonging. In The God Who Sees, immigration advocate Karen Gonzalez recounts her family’s migration from the instability of Guatemala to making a new life in Los Angeles and the suburbs of south Florida. In the midst of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and the tremendous pressure to assimilate, Gonzalez encounters Christ through a campus ministry program and begins to follow him. Here, too, is the sweeping epic of immigrants and refugees in Scripture. Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Ruth: these intrepid heroes of the faith cross borders and seek refuge. As witnesses to God’s liberating power, they name the God they see at work, and they become grafted onto God’s family tree. Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system. Find the power of Jesus, a refugee Savior who calls us to become citizens in a country not of this world.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, but feel overwhelmed by all there is to do? Do you sometimes doubt that significant change is even possible? There is good news. God isn't worried about the future of the world, nor is God merely bringing minor changes. “Behold, I make all things new,” says the Lord. The coming kingdom brings total transformation, metamorphosis. What's more, God doesn't call us to carry the burdens of the world and its transformation on our own shoulders. Christ carries the world and by the power of the Spirit we live in Christ.We do not have a mission for God in the world. Rather, the God of mission has us in the world.Each of us has a vital role in the world. We are invited to participate God's generous love bringing heaven to earth through us, now!The seven sessions of BEYOND Duty guide individuals, groups and churches to our places as participants in God's mission in the world.I originally wrote Beyond Duty to help liberate mission fanatics like me from enslavement to a human-centered approach to mission. That liberation is still needed today. In our eagerness to make a difference in the world we can quickly subvert the good news of God's sovereign love into our ambitious, burdensome and at times tedious effort to fulfill our mission in the world. This revised and expanded edition pursues this, seeking God's liberating grace to free us from the vain presumption that the future of God's mission is up to us. Through a combination of our compassion regarding urgent needs, what feels to us like the inactivity of God, and the drive of our own need to make a difference in the world—many of us all too easily take the needs of the world onto our shoulders as our personal responsibility. This sounds so foolish. However, mission narcissism runs deep. Though it may be obvious, it still deserves to be said again: Our central commitment is to God and God's kingdom, not to ourselves or our service for God in that kingdom. To make anything other than loving God and living in God's love for our neighbor—even something as good and noble as God's mission in the world—the central passion and commitment of our life is just plain old idolatry dressed in Christian clothing. I've lived much of my life seeking to serve in God's mission, but I wonder at times for whom I am really working. My suspicion is that sometimes I've spread the unpleasant aroma of my need to make a difference in the world more than the “sweet aroma of Christ.” In my more honest moments, I admit that some of “my mission” was to reinforce my sense of significance. It's so easy to become intoxicated by the seductive lies of our society that size determines significance, speed measures impact, and worth depends on success. The gospel frees us to live from the center of God's encompassing love. We needn't live from the burdensome center of “me”. It's not about my mission, ambitions, work and weaknesses. We can live as grateful participants in God's love for the world. In the midst of our obedient service, we can sing and play and not take ourselves so seriously.What others are saying about BEYOND Duty:“A refreshing departure from usual mission books.” Emmanuel Katongole “I am pleased to recommend this book to you.” Bill Hybels “This may be the most important book I've read all year!” Steve Haas “An excellent, practical tool for churches.” Ron Sider “Read this rich reflection and serve with freedom.” Mark Labberton “Inviting, full of stories, Christ-centered.” Steve & Sharol Hayner“Substantial and practical. I commend it warmly.” Vinay Samuel “This is a wise guide.” Tom Theriault

The author, flight director in NASA's Mission Control, tells of the challenges in space flight from the very early years to the current time and of "his own bold suggestions about what we ought to be doing in space now."--Jacket.

The relatively recent "worship wars" over styles of worship — traditional, contemporary, or blended — have calmed down, and many churches have now reached decisions about which "worship style" defines them. At a more fundamental level, however, change has yet to begin. In From Memory to Imagination Randall Bradley argues that fallout from the worship wars needs to be cleaned up and that fundamental cultural changes — namely, the effects of postmodernism — call for new approaches to worship. Outlining imaginative ways for the church to move forward, this book is a must-read for church leaders and anyone interested in worship music.