Is there any arena in the contemporary church more perplexing than small groups? Leaders and participants alike fill them with promises of unparalleled spiritual intimacy and reliable relationship. Experts put forward model after model, paradigm after paradigm, and frustrated small group leaders and followers meander from one to the next in increasingly vain hope that the next model will deliver the goods. What could be more natural than a group of people sitting together, talking? What could be more contrived than a packaged curriculum, with prefab questions and notes for leaders? Such is the problem of small groups. Scott Boren has wrestled with these challenges for years, in the context of his own small-group ministries and in consultation with churches of every stripe. In this book he reminds us that any small group, no matter how it's organized, is at its heart a collection of people each walking in the way of Jesus. That means we are going somewhere―together―and that means we have a reliable guide.

Jason Helopoulos encourages the church to embrace the important part children play in the life of the church and unfolds the enormous blessings to be found in having them present in the worship services of the congregation. He points out how the struggles are temporary - whereas the blessings can be eternal.

Including essays from 2009 Wheaton Theology Conference keynote speakers Dallas Willard and Gordon Fee as well as contributing essays by noted presenters such as Chris Hall, David Gushee, Linda Cannell, Cherith Fee Nordling and Lawrece Cunningham, this book offers a stimulating exploration of the historical, biblical and theological dimensions of spiritual formation.

Adult ministry poses a unique challenge to churches today--a challenge that many of us fail to meet adequately. The tragic result is an exodus of the best and brightest from our pews, not because these people have changed their theology or abandoned God. They just don't find much at church that seems immediately relevant or compelling. For nearly fifty years Kenneth O. Gangel has been teaching church leaders how to do adult ministry right. In this volume he has distilled his insights into an easy-to-grasp-and-apply analysis of what it takes to capture the attention and guarantee the participation of adults in your church, including: * Specific advice based on ages, genders, and circumstances peculiar to certain ministries * Proven, cutting-edge curriculum models that can revitalize your church's adult instruction * Contemporary solutions to the most common problems we encounter in ministering to today's adults Whether they know it or not, even those who are lagging in church attendance and distancing themselves from other believers still need the time-proven, heaven-given blessings only the church can offer them. As you read this book, Gangel will give you fresh ideas about how to draw these drifters back into the fold. The real-life stories he tells and the successful strategies he outlines may strike in your heart some spark of imagination and renewed commitment that will help you to bring new life to the adult ministry of the church you serve. Reading Ministering to Today's Adults is like looking at the forest through the eyes of a trained biologist. Dr. Gangel mixes decades of thinking and research about adult learners with a pastor's heart for ministry in this volume. Panoramic sweep, probing insights, and prickly questions prod the reader from one chapter to the next. I highly recommend it! --Michael Lawson, Chair, Department of Christian Education, Dallas Seminary ""This work is written with a rare mix of adult learning theory and fresh ideas from the pen of a ministry practitioner who has been sharpening Christian leaders for half a century. Each chapter provides contemporary solutions for the common challenges in discipling adults--the book is a gift for all who love local church adult education."" --Miles (Skip) Lewis Director of M.A. in Ministry Programs, The Graduate School at Lancaster Bible College ""A wise man once advised, 'Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.' Thankfully, Ministering to Today's Adults does not force readers to choose between their excellent education for adult ministry and memorable learning. Readers are rewarded with both. Dr. Gangel's experience, concise insights, passion, and ability to communicate practical knowledge about adults will not be quickly forgotten."" --Ronald T. Habermas, McGee Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Formation, John Brown University ""This latest, refreshing volume from the prolific pen of Ken Gangel will impact scores of leaders and churches who seek to change lives and not just have adult programs. Ken's insightful presentation of adult characteristics and contexts as well as how to minister effectively to them is timely and practical. A must read for all Christian leaders."" -- Dr. Gilbert Peterson, Chancellor of Lancaster Bible College ""For decades my good friend and colleague, Dr. Gangel, has been an effective teacher, due in large measure to his deep commitment to listening from within."" --Dr. Charles Swindoll Kenneth O. Gangel (1935 - 2009) was Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Dallas Seminary, the Scholar-in-Residence at Toccoa Falls College, and a senior consultant with Timothy Partners. He held a BA in business administration, three master's degrees from accredited seminaries, and a PhD in educational administration from the University of Missouri. The author or editor of 55 books, Dr. Gangel lectured in over forty educational institutions worldwide.

For far too long we've neglected the urban mission field. Many churches have moved to the outskirts of the city for various reasons, and the urban landscape appears to be forgotten. Dr. Rene Rochester presents a vision for how communities can change this pattern and plant redemptive and sustainable urban ministries. Models, Mentors, and Messages takes a close look at the developmental stages of Jesus' life, focusing on how family, his heavenly Father, the Jewish community, and neighboring nations were used to shape his holy destiny. Through the example of Jesus' life, you will learn how to draw on your own formative years to show urban teens how to live out God's call in their communities. The most authentic models are individuals who have wrestled through life's challenges and learned to trust God in difficult situations, and so by empowering urban students today and showing them how to nurture one another in faith, you can help create sustainable ministries in which each generation will model for the next how to follow Jesus.The first of its kind, this book doesn't try to force old models on the urban context, but rather teaches new ways to draw on Jesus' teachings to help an urban, hip-hop generation live for Jesus and for one another.