Drawing upon his experience in teaching this material over the past twenty-five years in forty countries, Ron Man provides a rich and deep examination of biblical worship, drawing principles out of a rigorous study of the text of Scripture. He also writes as a practitioner, from the perspective of one who served as a church worship pastor for twenty-two years. Features distinguishing this book from other similar studies include: 1) a tracing of the foundational Revelation and Response pattern through the Scriptures; 2) a more thorough treatment of New Testament texts than is often found; 3) a comprehensive treatment of the crucial role of Jesus Christ as the true Leader of our worship; 4) a consideration of worship as it relates to world missions; and 5) a concluding summary of twelve "Biblical Principles of Worship," synthesizing the results of the study.

There are emerging cultures and generations at war between traditional and contemporary styles of worship. Cultural change is present in society, but the circumstances of change differ from generation to generation. In 2020, COVID 19, a world pandemic shut down places of worship. However, pre-pandemic, many churches had been struggling trying to find their DNA in an evolving society with culture changes. COVID-19 has infected and exposed areas of failure in the church. Some may have found their way, yet others have been left behind and are on life support. Leadership of the church must find innovative ways so that the needs of multi generations will be met upon reentry in worship. Dr. Timothy D. Price, III provides the answer for the tension, anxiety, conflict, and concern that many Christian churches face today. This book provides an in depth project journey that offers life-changing applications to help a local church find their individual path in worship. This project is the culmination of his Doctoral work that will take all who read through a transformational journey in the life of a church and her community. It provides life-giving jewels for leaders who need help reviving their church that is on life support.

In this thought-provoking examination of how people encounter God, Wade Howell examines the way humans come in contact with the divine. Howell presents a biblical, theological, and philosophical case for why people, who are physical, can have a relationship with God, who is spirit. With an emphasis on centrality of the local church, Howell demonstrates how God designed the church to satisfy the most intimate human needs, which God placed in humans so he could be the source of their fulfillment. With a heart for people and a love for God’s church, Howell echoes Augustine in showing why our soul is restless until it finds rest in God through his church.

Worship is dialogue. It is more than that, but it is not less than that. The way Baptists have worshiped for three and a half centuries demonstrates this consistently, in spite of their penchant for freedom and autonomy. No one tells Baptists how to order their worship services. They don't have a common liturgy that they must follow, and yet their services look remarkably similar. This is largely due to two controlling factors in their worship: The Bible that they embrace as inspired, inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient; and the Christ-revealing gospel that is contained within its pages. When the word of God is followed closely, a shape for worship order begins to emerge. It is the same "gospel-shape" that is found throughout the Bible. When the word of God is applied to a worship service in which God and his people are engaged in a worship conversation, a consistent contour of gospel elements and content begins to emerge that reveals the glory of the Christ we gather to worship. He is so glorious that when we behold him, we are transformed into the same image from one degree to another. This is the power of corporate worship (2 Cor 3).

Pastors of smaller membership churches have a huge calling. They are responsible for changing the world! Rather than look at the small number of members in their congregations as a limitation, pastors should view their congregations as an elite force, able to impact their communities for the Kingdom of God. Small Church, Excellent Ministry is a handbook designed for pastors serving in smaller membership churches. This book will help you to conduct your ministry with excellence. Written by practitioners and professors, the information provided in this book is on the vanguard of pastoral ministry and is useful for training pastors to be leaders of their churches.

The metaphor of performance has been applied fruitfully by anthropologists and other social theorists to different aspects of human social existence, and furnishes a potentially helpful model in terms of which to think theologically about Christian life. After an introductory editorial chapter reflecting on the nature of artistic performance and its relationship to the notions of tradition and identity, Part One of this book attends specifically to the phenomenon of dramatic performance and possible theological applications of it. Part Two considers various aspects of the performance of Christian identity, looking at worship, the interpretation of the Bible, Christian response to elements in the contemporary media, the shape of Christian moral life, and ending with a theological reflection on the shape of personal identity, correlating it with the theatrical metaphors of 'character' and 'performing a part' in a scripted drama. Part Three demonstrates how art forms (including some technically non-performative ones - literature, poetry, painting) may constitute faithful Christian practices in which the tradition is authentically 'performed', producing works which break open its meaning in profound new ways for a constantly shifting context.

Christians in the bustling, diverse city of Corinth in 50 BCE quarreled about how to be faithful to Jesus. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he calls the small band of new believers to unity and cautions against factionalism, themes that pastor Dan Nighswander unpacks for contemporary readers in this thirty-second volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series. Any Christians who experience division over loyalty to different leaders, who find it hard to agree on sexual ethics (or to live up to them), and who feel tension between their theological convictions and social context will find common ground with believers in Corinth. Home of the exalted “love chapter,” which roots all Christian action in the greatest gift, 1 Corinthians equips those who follow Jesus to craft true community with other believers, differences notwithstanding. With keen theological, biblical, and pastoral insight, Nighswander illuminates for readers the apostle Paul’s challenge to the Corinthian church and calls Christians today to unity through the reconciling work of Christ. Free downloadable study guide available here.