A congregational community is an ideal place to share and strengthen faith, form lasting relationships, and develop special gifts and talents. Too often, though, people with developmental and other disabilities lack the opportunities and supports to fully participate in the life of their faith community. Thatâ (TM)s why families and service providers need to read this groundbreaking guidebook--and share a copy with congregations that want to become places of welcome and belonging for people with disabilities.

Bringing his practical ideas to life with anecdotes, quotes, and examples of successful strategies, Erik Carter helps readers

reflect on how welcoming their congregation is--and could be--for people with disabilities and their families

articulate and pursue a bold vision of inclusion throughout their congregation, community, city, or state

take steps to break down attitudinal, architectural, programmatic, and other barriers to inclusion

design appropriate, inclusive religious education programs for children, youth, and adults

learn how service providers can actively support the spiritual preferences, strengths, and needs of people with disabilities

To make inclusion work in any faith community, this how-to book gives readers workable strategies and photocopiable forms for identifying â oeindicators of welcome, ⠝ encouraging community outreach, and gathering important information about the support needs of people with disabilities and their families.

Two pastors of churches with ministries to Generation Xers give insights and practical advice about reaching this mysterious generation.

The JESUS Model is a unique guide to church planting based upon the ways and teachings of Jesus. It is written for those who want both a biblical foundation and practical help in starting new churches. The JESUS Model is also a training manual for disciples at four levels: discipling, coaching, leading a ministry area and leading a church plant. The author's radical vision is for this sort of training to be a constantly self-replicating cycle in churches. Each member is discipling and being discipled to be most effective, according to his or her gifts, in the church's task of multiplication by planting new churches. The goal of all training is 'doing' - disciples demonstrate that they have learnt by 'putting it into practice'. Dietrich shows that this kind of discipleship is the fruit of a real and intimate relationship with Jesus, and that a trusting, mutually accountable small group helps us to maintain that relationship. He also shares from his own life how he has practised the principles that he encourages others to follow. Dietrich Schindler holds a DMin from Fuller Seminary in the USA. Born and raised in the US by German immigrant parents, he subsequently returned to Germany, where he has since planted and pastored five new churches. Since 2008 he heads up the Church Planting department of the Evangelical Free Church of Germany. He has taught church planting at four seminaries in Germany, and has been invited to speak about church planting at conferences in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. This book first appeared in German in 2010 under the title Das Jesus-Modell: Gemenden gründen wie Jesus. Dietrich is married to Jan Carla and they have three grown-up children.

Clergy burnout still abounds. Now comes an antidote: a collection of reflections centering on a lost note today--joy in ministry. The Joy of Ministry contains eight theological reflections on ministry to help pastors recognize their identities and the joy in the midst of their ministry of sharing the gospel. Rooted in the writings of Karl Barth and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Thomas Currie III reminds readers of the basis for the church's ministry, namely, what God has done in Jesus Christ, and the ways in which the gospel joy is expressed in the ministry of the church.