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Many who lead or who aspire to lead rightly champion the importance of hard skills, or quantitative and analytical skills. Knowing the numbers and implementing the right strategies are important but no longer enough to be an effective leader. Indeed, soft skills are now on the scene.In The Softer Side of Leadership, Habecker, who spent thirty-five consecutive years as a CEO of two universities and one large NYC nonprofit, makes the case for the integration of soft skills, like emotional intelligence and character quality. He shares that these should be woven into every aspect of the leader's personal life and organizational agenda. Habecker draws from his own experience, that of other international colleagues and popular leadership literature, and from the Scriptures. As you develop your soft skill competencies, including new behaviors and disciplines, and combine them with hard skill competencies, you will be better equipped to be more effective as a leader. Join Habecker in building healthier professional and personal lives and healthier organizations.

The hour is critical. The American republic is suffering its gravest crisis since the Civil War. Conflicts, hostility, and incivility now threaten to tear the country apart. Competing visions have led to a dangerous moment of cultural self-destruction. This is no longer politics as usual, but an era of political warfare where our enemies are not foreign adversaries, but our fellow citizens.Yet the roots of the crisis are deeper than many realize. Os Guinness argues that we face a fundamental crisis of freedom, as America's genius for freedom has become her Achilles' heel. Our society's conflicts are rooted in two rival views of freedom, one embodied in "1776" and the ideals of the American Revolution, and the other in "1789" and the ideals of the French Revolution. Once again America has become a house divided, and Americans must make up their minds as to which freedom to follow. Will the constitutional republic be restored or replaced?This grand treatment of history, civics, and ethics in the Jewish and Christian traditions represents Guinness's definitive exploration of the prospects for human freedom today. He calls for a national conversation on the nature of freedom, and poses key questions for concerned citizens to consider as we face a critical chapter in the American story. He offers readers a checklist by which they can assess the character and consequences of the freedoms they are choosing.In the tradition of Alexis de Tocqueville, Guinness provides a visitor's careful observation of the American experiment. Discover here a stirring vision for faithful citizenship and renewed responsibility for not only the nation but also the watching world.

Many bemoan the decline of the church. But new research shows that unchurched Americans are surprisingly more receptive and open to the Christian faith than is commonly assumed.Researcher and practitioner Rick Richardson unveils the findings of the Billy Graham Center Institute's groundbreaking studies on the unchurched. A study of 2000 unchurched people across the country reveals that the unchurched are still remarkably open to faith conversations and the church. Further research into the top 10 percent of churches that most effectively reach the unchurched reveals their best practices. People who were previously unchurched share what actually moved them to faith and Christian commitment. And research shows that churches and organizations can be transformed to become places where conversion growth becomes the new normal.If people tell you "the sky is falling," don't believe them. You can lead the change that will help your church reach people-who then reach others.

Christianity Today Award of MeritWhat if our memories are like shells we gather on a beach?According to pastor and spiritual director Casey Tygrett, "We--and all those who have come before us--pick up the experience and we sense it: we feel its edges, notice its color, we smell the distinctive character (for shells it is the sickly seafood salt smell) of the experience, and we try to make sense of what it is. Is it beautiful? How would you describe the color--the tones, the shades, wrapped around the ridges and swirls? Has it been damaged? Does the hard edge scrape our hand, leaving a blemish or a mark?"How we hold and carry these memories--good and bad--is a part of what forms us spiritually. In this way we have a common bond with the people of Scripture who also had a sensory life, gathering shells and trying to make sense of them. Previously titled As I Recall, Casey Tygrett's writing in The Practice of Remembering explores the power of memory and offers biblical texts and practices to guide us in bringing our memories to God for spiritual transformation.

While Christians generally acknowledge that the Bible is God's Word, many of us lack robust confidence in the reality of its trustworthiness. We may not be sure if we really believe what we read. But the more we understand how Scripture came to be, the more we discover its power and truth.Historian Susan Lim unpacks how the history of the Bible bolsters our faith and anchors us through the changing tides of time. The story of Scripture, while messy and complicated at times, is also the story of how God shepherded his people throughout the centuries in and through these writings. Lim explains how Christians came to accept certain documents as inspired and not others, and how the books we now call the Bible came to be assembled and canonized as authoritative. The same Spirit of God who oversaw the writing of Scripture continues to be at work actively in us in our receiving and reading of it, to grow us in faith and maturity.Those of us who confess that Jesus is Lord can also confess with confidence that Scripture is God's Word. As the church through the ages has received and passed down the sacred Scriptures, so too can we receive for ourselves the living Word that God still speaks through today.

Life is filled with challenges. We might be weary and overwhelmed by the world around us. Whether we are facing personal struggles or working against unjust circumstances, it can feel like the odds are against us. Does God care? How can we carry on?There is hope for us because God is a God of justice who cares for people in distress. Bruce Strom shows how those facing difficulties can receive God's power to persevere. By looking to God's perspective and purpose, we can find direction for what God has in store for us. He transforms our understanding of the past and gives us resources to renew our souls and find fresh strength to continue on. Strom shares how God has been active in his life and in others', encouraging us with examples of how lives can change and things can be different.If you're running on empty and are tired from the fight, discover the persevering power God has for you.

Faithful. Triune. Beyond comparison. Triumphant over all. These words barely begin to describe the God we serve, yet he invites us to have a relationship with him. What could be more important than knowing this all-surpassing God?These five easy-to-use Bible studies, based on J. I. Packer's bestselling classic Knowing God, explore the character and actions of God throughout Scripture. They encourage us to look for God every time we read the Bible and to deepen our understanding, trust, and worship in response.In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Knowing God, this edition of the Knowing God Bible Study helps individuals and groups explore and apply biblical truths. Each session features an insightful quotation by Packer matched with a Scripture passage, reflection questions, and application ideas that will equip readers to gain a fuller knowledge of the God we worship. A leader's guide and list of suggested resources are also included.Also available: Knowing God Devotional Journal, Knowing God Study Guide, and Knowing God Fiftieth Anniversary Edition.

It takes time and space to grieve well. Sharing her own stories, Natasha Smith invites us into a reflection on grief and how to cling to hope even in our darkest moments. With practical tools and prayers that point us to God who always sits with us in our grief, this book creates space for us to grieve, learn, and heal in healthy ways.

The constraints of the spiritual life, practiced in community, are what set us free. Practicing spiritual disciplines can seem difficult, especially when we undertake them as isolated individuals. But we were never meant to practice them alone.Jared Patrick Boyd reveals how the constraints practiced in Christian community shape us into the way of Christ. He re-anchors the practices of constraint within the ascetic tradition of monasticism, religious orders, and the early church fathers. Boyd writes, "The constraints of a rule of life are what make life together, lived for one another, possible. A rule of life is not meant to be primarily personal, but communal. It's not primarily meant to guide my life. It is meant to describe our way of life together." Constraint is the practice of learning to pay deeper attention to the things in our inner world that prevent us from progressing in the school of love.Discover a deep conversation on freedom and constraint with six core practices of constraint that can form in us a greater freedom to be and become people who love as God loves. Enter into this vision with your local community (in small groups, church leadership teams, or families), and learn to make greater room to experience the love of God.

Being human is complicated! Our bodies, intellects and emotions are all God-given gifts, but we so often find them in varying states of disorder. How then, can we become the full bearers of God's image that we were made to be? In response to this profound question, Ros Clarke helpfully outlines what the Bible has to say about the nature of humanity. Addressing our status as created beings; our purpose in God's world; our nature as body and soul; and our fall away from God, Human unpacks questions around the issues of identity, sexuality and gender. It then turns to Christ's example as the perfect human, and considers Jesus' teaching about each of us being loved, valued and redeemed. A teaching that remains foundational for all discussions around important topics like inclusivity, disability and race.Written with both humour and pastoral concern, and including a study guide to aid personal reflection and group discussion, this book will help you consider afresh what it means to be a human.

We want the thousands of hours we will work over our lifetime to matter. But how do we know they're really significant? How do we go from being defined by what we do to having our work become an expression of who we are?There is not a quick fix but a progressive solution: it begins with surrendering our whole lives and then every moment of our lives to God. In The Spiritual Art of Business, "corporate mystic" Barry Rowan invites us to be transformed by God that he might transform the world through us as we begin to see our work as an extension of our faith. He says, "We don't derive meaning from our work; we bring meaning to our work." Relating his extensive past in high-ranking executive roles, Rowan beckons us into a connection with God that will infuse our lives, our offices, and our world with meaning.With forty short chapters, this is not just a book to be read but instead is an invitation into an experience with God. Here's an opportunity to ponder new perspectives and see business as a chance to serve God by contributing to a better society.

Discipleship without mission is discipleship without Christ.The church often lacks maturity and missional impact because discipleship is at its periphery. In order to get discipleship to the center, leaders need a locally rooted, culturally contextual discipleship pathway to tether disciples who are disciplemakers to the neighborhood or network around them.Pastor and discipler E. K. Strawser shows that when discipleship becomes central to your leadership and community, then discipleship becomes central to congregational mission and cultural renewal. Centering Discipleship is a gutsy practice-based guidebook for leaders who are doing the hard work of re-imagining and re-structuring their churches and communities to turn spectators into missional, mature followers of Jesus.

Have you lost your footing in church? Or has the church lost its footing?Many of us feel unsteady, disoriented, even crushed after an endless string of scandals within the walls of a place meant to offer compassion and safety. Others feel forced to draw back or distance ourselves from the church. All the while, our instincts tell us this is not what Jesus wanted for his people. But what did he intend?After four decades of ministry, Anglican bishop Todd Hunter is no stranger to betrayal and pain in the church. Still, he has hope. He believes more than ever that Jesus is who the world needs and that Jesus has plans for his followers. In What Jesus Intended, Hunter offers a vision for emerging from the rubble of bad religion and rebuilding faith among a community of sincere believers. By unpacking the purposes of Jesus, we can expose twisted, toxic religion for what it is and embrace the true aims of the gospel.Come for a fresh hearing of Jesus--one that offers us the healing and goodness we've always longed for.

Want to unleash the "remarkable" in your team?The potential of a team of God-inspired, talented, committed people is boundless. But without resilience--including the savvy and skill to get up again (and again) when the going gets tough--teams simply cannot thrive or lead well. Resilience is what sets great leaders and teams apart from those that literally fall apart. It's what's missing when great organizations lose steam.Ryan T. Hartwig, Léonce B. Crump Jr., and Warren Bird have worked with team members in many kinds of churches and Christian organizations, served on numerous teams, and surfaced the best research on teams. In The Resilience Factor, they distill this wisdom into a series of practical steps that promise to both inspire and equip teams to move from floundering to flourishing.Filled with examples of top-performing teams, individual and group reflection questions, diagnostic tools, and team activities, The Resilience Factor promises to become the go-to resource for leaders who want to release remarkable resilience in their teams.

The pandemic changed the world. Mental exhaustion, economic disparities, and escalating divisions now mark our times. But these challenges can be opportunities for renewal. Chris Rice examines eight interrelated crises of the pandemic era and provides pathways for followers of Christ to bring transformation and healing to their communities.

Embrace the invitation of childlike faith. A well-known challenge of Jesus to his followers is to become like little children. But it's often difficult to remember the natural patterns of our childhood selves that enabled us to live freely in God's wonder-filled presence. Is childlike faith simply an unquestioning faith, or is it being present with ourselves in a way that invites healing and wholeness?Faith Like a Child considers Jesus' invitation to childlike faith and explores seven distinct ways of welcoming the child within. Offering wisdom from years of experience as a spiritual director with both adults and children, Lacy Finn Borgo explores practices to welcome and enliven your childhood self. Offering examples of what becoming like children could look like, Borgo invites you to take Jesus up on his offer to live more deeply into a relationship with God.As we welcome our childhood selves, we allow God to heal our wounds so we can live in freedom with Jesus as our companion.

Jesus knows you.Do you want to know Him?In this 365-day devotional, Catherine Campbell invites you to spend a year focusing daily on the life, teachings and ministry of Jesus Christ. Warmly written and firmly rooted in Scripture, Consider Him offers personal stories, anecdotes and narrative biblical retellings to draw our minds and hearts closer to Him. Catherine also seeks to spur our reflection into action with entries that feature opportunities not just to be listeners of the Word, but doers of it as well.Whether you are beginning, renewing or deepening your relationship with Jesus, let Consider Him guide you towards the author and perfecter of our faith.

Church planting is in vogue, yet there is a paucity of sustained biblical and theological reflection on the topic.Key voices are practitioners and planters themselves - here is the biblical theology that the missiological practice of our day has been crying out for.John Valentine explores the Bible's 'how' and 'why' for starting new churches and revitalizing old ones - in this robust and comprehensive biblical theological look at one aspect of the mission of God.

Hyper-individualism and consumerism are failing to satisfy our hunger for meaning. We face an identity crisis in which real community is increasingly hard to find. The culture wars have been painful and polarising and have proved a poor way to agree any kind of moral standards. Is it even possible to find a vision for goodness that can bring us together?Rumours of a Better Country addresses our hunger for justice and a better way of living by awakening our moral imagination to the potential of a trusting community. Drawing on ancient wisdom and looking through the lens of daily reality, it shows how trust and trustworthiness must be the foundation for any kind of meaningful freedom.Through the questions and mysteries of the 'Café Now and Not Yet', readers will experience chance encounters with Palestinians in a pub in communist Czechoslovakia, appreciate an intriguing sculpture from Romania and hear post-communist Ukrainians struggling to imagine a better life. Each of these encounters provides a real-life context for a rich and provocative journey into the heart of goodness and why it matters.

We can't ignore color, class, or culture. Instead, we must engage matters of race with a different posture and embrace radical inclusion of the marginalized.Now with David Heiliger, David A. Anderson revives the biblical model for showing special grace to others on the basis of ethnicity, class, or social distinction--one of gracism. Responding to ongoing problems of prejudice and injustice, the original seven sayings of the gracist now become eight with a new chapter alongside a revised conclusion.Take this opportunity to extend God's grace to people of all backgrounds in this edition of Gracism.

Weaving the story of Chris Chrisman's freshman year with expository chapters on individualism, pluralism, relativism and privatization, James W. Sire helps readers think through the complex ideas which confront Christians and non-Christians alike on university campuses.

Beloved Christian musician Rich Mullins lived his life with abandon for God. An accident cut his life short in 1997, but his songs and ragamuffin spirit continue to teach many. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition of his devotional biography shares reflections from friends and family and an afterword by Rich's brother David Mullins.

Dismissals such as "boys will be boys" and "not all men" are ingrained in our world. And the purity culture of our youth sold the same excuses with a spiritual spin. Can we break the toxic cycle and recover a healthy identity for men?In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner tells men, "If you are in Christ, this is your problem--and you should be part of the solution."Reflecting on his own coming of age in the purity culture movement and ongoing recovery from sexual shame, Wagner confronts harmful teaching from the American church that has distorted desire, sex, relationships, and responsibility. For those--both men and women--who feel disillusioned and adrift, this book offers a renewed vision for Christian male sexuality founded in empathy and selflessness.

The God of the Bible is emotional. Many Christians don't want to associate emotions with God. Emotions feel irrational, and the idea of God experiencing hate, anger, and jealousy can be confusing and problematic. And yet the Bible is full of stories where God expresses deep emotion. Christians are often left wondering how to reconcile the tension of an all-powerful God expressing seemingly uncontrollable feelings. If God is hateful and angry at humanity, is he a God worth believing in?In The Emotions of God, biblical scholar David Lamb examines seven divine emotions--hate, anger, jealousy, sorrow, joy, compassion, and love--and argues that it is not only good that God is emotional but also that we as his image-bearers can express emotions in such a way that reflects his goodness to the world. With discussion questions and suggestions for application, Lamb challenges his readers to journey with him into a rich study of the stories surrounding God's emotions so that we might better know God and reflect the beauty of emotion to the world.

In these stormy times, voices from all fronts call for change. But what kind of revolution brings true freedom to both society and the human soul?Cultural observer Os Guinness explores the nature of revolutionary faith, contrasting between secular revolutions such as the French Revolution and the faith-led revolution of ancient Israel. He argues that the story of Exodus is the highest, richest, and deepest vision for freedom in human history. It serves as the master story of human freedom and provides the greatest sustained critique of the abuse of power. His contrast between "Paris" and "Sinai" offers a framework for discerning between two kinds of revolution and their different views of human nature, equality, and liberty. Drawing on the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, Guinness develops Exodus as the Magna Carta of humanity, with a constructive vision of a morally responsible society of independent free people who are covenanted to each other and to justice, peace, stability, and the common good of the community. This is the model from the past that charts our path to the future."There are two revolutionary faiths bidding to take the world forward," Guinness writes. "There is no choice facing America and the West that is more urgent and consequential than the choice between Sinai and Paris. Will the coming generation return to faith in God and to humility, or continue to trust in the all sufficiency of Enlightenment reason, punditry, and technocracy? Will its politics be led by principles or by power?" While Guinness cannot predict our ultimate fate, he warns that we must recognize the crisis of our time and debate the issues openly. As individuals and as a people, we must choose between the revolutions, between faith in God and faith in Reason alone, between freedom and despotism, and between life and death.

Reconnect Your Church provides a practical, road-tested vision and process to equip church leaders to reinvigorate their churchHow can churches stay healthy and dynamic over the long-term? What's needed to avoid or reverse church stagnation and decline?While some churches are vibrant and growing, many more are struggling, especially after Covid. The congregation might be declining and ageing, there's little success in reaching out to with the gospel, and more time is spent on inward facing problems than loving God and loving others. But the potential that could be released is huge.David Brown draws on his experience revitalising a church in central Paris to offer a vision and a process for church revitalisation, with a focus on UK and European contexts. Whether you are church planting, in a well-established and thriving church, or looking to turn around a church in decline, Brown provides biblically grounded wisdom along with change management principles for long-term health.When we reapply God's priorities to the church, we unleash new life and energy in following Christ in community.

Fundraising can be one of the most stressful parts of ministry. Budget needs are daunting, prospects seem limited, and the cycle is unending. How do we get off of the treadmill of crisis-driven fundraising to more sustainable ministry funding?Professional fundraiser Brad Layland revolutionizes fundraising and transforms it into a relational process where donors truly become partners in ministry. With decades of expertise in leading multimillion-dollar capital campaigns and working with major donors, he offers a more strategic and personalized yet less labor-intensive approach. Practical insights include ten essential elements of a case and four key steps that lead up to making an ask. Ultimately, fundraising is best done in community, and this book will help you develop a community of people who enjoy giving and want your organization to succeed.Fundraising can become a life-giving, energizing experience of developing partners who fuel your ministry's vision. Discover how you can become fully funded and accomplish the work that God has given you to do.

Times of transition, especially in midlife or later life, are ideal moments for recalibrating our priorities and habits. Ken Boa and Jenny Abel give us the practical tools and eternal perspective needed to evaluate our God-given gifts, skills, wisdom, resources, and opportunities in order to live meaningfully now and into the future.