Ministry

Late in 2012 Energion Publications released Dr. Bruce Epperly’s book Healing Marks, which brings the healing stories of Jesus into focus for present day ministry. In April we plan to release Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening by Dr. Robert D. Cornwall. Finally, in June, we will release Transforming Acts: Acts of the Apostles as a 21^st Century Gospel, also by Dr. Bruce Epperly. This book is not yet even in our retail catalog, but you can see the description on our list of forthcoming books.

In his challenging foreword to Unfettered Spirit, Dr. Bruce Epperly says:

… Do we need to hold a “rummage sale,” as Phyllis Tickle asserts, to get rid of another unnecessary and outmoded doctrines and practices?

At the heart of this potential great awakening is the recovery of the experience and embody of the gifts of the Spirit within the church. Bob Cornwall sees the future of the church as involving awakening to God’s Spirit. Cornwall images a spirit-empowered church that is sensitive to God’s gifts in personal and community life. A spirit-empowered church expects great things from and this expectation leads to expecting great things from ourselves and our communities. The church has too often “played small” and expected to little from itself and God when Jesus challenges us to do greater things. If we ask and knock, we will experience life-changing and mission-inspiring surprises. Cornwall’s project involves an adventure of the Spirit which gives life to the description of the body of Christ as an interdependent and gifted community of faith. (emphasis mine)

So what is this package all about?

One of the questions I hear over and over again when I visit or teach in various mainline churches is this: How do we bring some life to this church? It’s a good question. In many cases churches are just existing, slowly dying as they become more and more irrelevant to their communities.

Both Bruce Epperly and Bob Cornwall have found some real guidance in the pages of Scripture. They see a challenge to bring the gospel message to life even in a pluralistic, postmodern  society. They both have practiced what they’re preaching in these books, and they bring you strong new ideas. This is biblically rooted theology brought to practical application.

Each of these books will be of great benefit. Together, they can give you the tools to discern what God is trying to do in your church and community and to find the guidance you need to take action.

So until Transforming Acts ships in June, I’m making a special offer. Order the package of all three books, and I’ll ship you Healing Marks right away. Then I’ll ship you the other two as they appear. I’ll do all of this for just $29.99 including shipping. That’s better than 30% off. Once Unfettered Spirit ships in April, we’ll continue the discount at 20% off, then when Transforming Acts is released in June, this package will sell for $39.99 or 10% off the cover price of the three books.

So order your package today. To get this offer, order it from this page, not from the individual book pages. We’ll ship you all three books as they’re released.

(This package includes books on pre-order. Please read our pre-order policies. If you prefer not to make a pre-paid pre-order, you can e-mail us and ask to be notified when each book is released. Our books generally are available for pre-order on Amazon.com as well.)

What goes on in the back of clergy folks’ heads that we wish we could talk about? And what do we talk about with no holds barred? In each chapter of this book, Groff offers a spiritual spin on an issue in ministry normally viewed as a distraction. He shows real life ways that a barrier can become a bridge to deepening spiritual life and vocation. A paragraph ends with a question, inviting the reader to pause . . . and ponder. Each chapter ends with a spiritual practice and questions for reflection. Here is ideal grist for intergenerational study groups for ministers, members, and seekers.

Pre-order: 30% off until March 30, 2013, then 20% until the first copy ships!

All too frequently studies of the gifts of the Spirit consist largely of answering two questions: “What are the gifts?” and “Which ones do I have?” In many cases studies go on to a third question: “How can I get more?” In response, institutional churches and theologically and intellectually respectable Christians often tend to avoid the work of the Holy Spirit in the church entirely. It’s much easier to simply close the doors and windows than it is to deal with the wind (John 3:8). After all, they’ve seen the wind blow out the candles, disarrange the altar vestments, and send a chill through the congregants.

Author, pastor, and church historian Bob Cornwall has experienced all of this for himself. He has seen traditional churches and worship. He has seen Pentecostal worship. He has led congregations in difficult times. For more than 30 years, he has studied, practiced, prayed, and lived the work of the Holy Spirit in the church.

The result is Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening. Here he avoids both the errors of replacing the freedom of the Spirit with human whim and of trying to tame or confine the Spirit that will not be fettered.

He asks: “Do you truly believe that God is present in the world? And, do you believe that God is working through us to break down the walls that divide us from God, from each other, and from the world? And if you do, do you believe that you have been gifted and empowered to participate in this ministry that takes down the walls of egoism, suspicion, greed, self-interest, and hatred?”

If you can say “yes” to these questions, jump right in! This is the book for you. If you are hesitant, or if the idea of the Holy Spirit working unfettered in your congregation and community frightens you, read the first four chapters carefully as Bob lays the theological foundation. You may find your “maybe” or even your “no” turned into a “yes.”

Building on this foundation, Bob continues with five chapters on the gifts of the Spirit as described in Scripture. These are practical discussions that will let you keep your bearings in discussions of the Spirit and, more importantly, in a community where the Spirit is active.

Finally, he concludes with a discussion of how to lead and pastor a church where the gifts of the Spirit are active.

Whether you are a Pentecostal, an evangelical, a mainliner, a progressive, or any other label you might find for yourself or your church, you will profit from reading this book.

It will come as no surprise to pastors and their families that the vocation of a minister involves stress. In fact, it involves a great deal of stress. Unfortunately, when many pastors encounter stress they tend to hunker down in the hopes of just surviving. All too frequently the stressful situations that have not been dealt with continue to build up, and the result is fatigue and burnout.

In Wind and Whirlwind, Dr. David Moffett-Moore presents a better way. He has survived the whirlwind in his own ministry, and more importantly, with the help of many others he has learned to turn the stress into an opportunity for growth, both for himself and for the congregations he serves.

In a series of 16 short chapters, he will help you identify the sources of stress, discover ways to manage it spiritually and emotionally, and point you to spiritual disciplines and practices that will help make you a better person and bring success to your ministry.

While the chapters are short, they do not present easy, trite answers to complex problems. Rather, they will help you strengthen yourself, so you can discern the way God is working in your life and ministry.

Each chapter presents topics for meditation and questions for discussion. It is designed to be used by clergy peer groups.

This is the second volume in the Conversations in Ministry series produced jointly by the Academy of Parish Clergy and Energion Publications.