Content - Ministry Category

Books for Every Season: Resources to Read Through the Church Year

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:21:00 GMT

Reading with the Church Through the Year

The church year is one of Christianity's oldest gifts to its people. For centuries and across traditions, Christians around the world have been ordering their lives around a shared calendar that moves through the story of Christ's life, death, and resurrection and invites us to inhabit that story season by season.

Whether you've observed the liturgical calendar your whole life or are just discovering it, this page is your guide to IVP resources organized by the rhythms of the church year. You don't need to belong to a particular tradition to observe and benefit from these seasons. The church year belongs to the whole church.

How to use this page: Browse by season to find books that fit where you are right now, or explore the full collection to build a year-round reading life rooted in the historic Christian story.

Books on Disability and the Church

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:29:00 GMT

Resources for Building a More Inclusive and Accessible Christian Community

As the church seeks to reflect the full beauty of the body of Christ, a crucial reality demands our attention: one in four adults lives with a disability. Yet many congregations and ministries remain unsure how to move from good intentions to genuine belonging. Disability ministry is not a niche concern, it is a vital expression of the gospel’s call to mutuality, dignity, and interdependence.

The following books invite individuals, ministry leaders, and entire congregations to move beyond awareness toward meaningful inclusion. They offer theological grounding, practical wisdom, and powerful stories that challenge us to reshape how we serve, empower, and learn from people of all abilities.

5 Ways Pastors Can Avoid Losing Their Way

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:53:00 GMT

By Peter Greer and Jill Heisey, co-authors of How Leaders Lose Their Way

In a time when so many leaders are faltering, the question of how to remain faithful for the long haul has never been more pressing. Peter Greer and Jill Heisey, authors of How Leaders Lose Their Way, sought to understand what causes leaders to lose their way and what sets apart those who remain steadfast. Their research points to five essential practices that enable leaders to stay grounded, mission true, and faithful for a lifetime.

At some point, you have likely sung the words, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love…”¹ Though the soothing melody softens the blow, it’s a frighteningly true statement for Christ-followers—especially those in leadership.

In fact, one study of Christian leaders found that only 1 in 3 finish well.²

Aware of our own propensity to wander, we researched what causes leaders to lose their way. Although strong currents pull us away from a faithful finish, we identified five essential practices of leaders who remain steadfast and mission true for a lifetime.

1. Acknowledge your propensity to wander.

Leaders who think they aren’t vulnerable to losing their way won’t be aware of the subtle but significant impact of small compromises. When they hear of others’ falls or drift, they might think “How could they let that happen?” rather than, “How can I make sure the same doesn’t happen to me?” Humble introspection is required to ask where, not if, we, too, are slowly drifting.

2. Focus on who you are, not what you do.

Henri Nouwen wrote that we inhabit “a world constantly trying to convince us that the burden is on us to prove that we are worthy of being loved.”³ In our quest to earn what God says we inherently possess, we too often run roughshod over relationships, failing to love God and others well. Our first effort must be to reframe our way of thinking, to recognize that entirely apart from our achievements, aspirations, and machinations, we are the beloved of God, who absolutely delights in his children.

3. Slow down.

When the life of a leader is rushed, it’s hard to see when and where we’ve gotten off course. We become so preoccupied with doing that we fail to pause and ask if the things we’re doing are aligned with our mission. Speed limits our vision, depriving us of the ability to see beyond the immediate future and beyond ourselves to those around us.

Avoiding drift requires a change of pace: a time and place to regularly pause, consider, and take stock. We won’t know that we’re veering off course unless we slow down enough to look up and check our location.

4. Pray and obey.

Pastors who finish well prioritize prayer—not as a last resort, but as a non-negotiable first priority. Prayer is an essential guardrail that recenters us and reminds us who we are and who God is. Amid the immense pressures of pastoral leadership, mission true pastors pray and remember, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29).

5. Keep others close.

On a safari tour in Akagera National Park, Rwanda, our guide pointed to a lone gazelle grazing and asked, “Do you know what that is called?”

“Gazelle!” someone helpfully offered.

“Dinner,” he replied.

1 Peter 5:8 warns that our enemy “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And isolation makes us vulnerable. Leaders who drift often do so quietly, without notice, because they lack close relationships with others willing to ask hard questions or offer correction.

We need more than companions; we need friends who know us deeply and will speak the truth for the sake of our souls.

Who knows you fully? The Johari Window, developed by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, helps us see that we all have a “hidden area”—known to ourselves but undisclosed to others. Any growth in this area is a warning sign to pause, ask difficult questions, and invite trusted friends into the conversation.

If you’re ready to take practical steps toward finishing well, we’ve created a set of free tools to help you reflect, recalibrate, and refresh your leadership journey. Access the free resources at howleaderslosetheirway.com—and press on toward a faithful finish.

¹ Robert Robinson, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” 1758, https://hymnary.org/text/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing.

² J. Robert Clinton, “Listen Up Leaders!” (Barnabas Publishers, 1989), 7, https://clintonleadership.com/resources/complimentary/ListenUpLeaders.pdf. Not all the leaders Clinton identified were described in enough detail to be evaluated, but of those who were, only about 30 percent finished well by Clinton’s definition. Although Clinton conducted his research decades ago, there’s no reason to believe that what has been true for millennia has changed in recent years.

³ Henri J. M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World (New York: Crossroad, 1992), 129.

Top Reference Books Every New Pastor Needs

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:29:00 GMT

Equipping Pastors with Tools for Preaching, Studying, and Shepherding

Starting out in pastoral ministry can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Between preparing sermons, caring for people, and leading a congregation, new pastors quickly discover the importance of having solid reference tools at their fingertips. A well-chosen library can save hours of study time, bring clarity to difficult passages, and strengthen both preaching and teaching.

But with so many resources available, where should a new pastor begin? In this guide, we’ll highlight some of the best reference books for new pastors like trusted commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and other essential study tools. These resources will help you build a strong foundation for preaching, teaching, and shepherding God’s people.

10 Must-Have Books for Pastors

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:14:00 GMT

Pastoral ministry is both a sacred calling and an essential part of God's mission in and through the church. Those engaged in teaching, caring, leading, and offering spiritual guidance bear tremendous significance in the life of their churches and communities, often in ways not fully seen or acknowledged.

Through both the challenges and the rewards of day to day ministry, the right resources can help pastors in their day to day calling. These books have been thoughtfully chosen to support and equip pastors in varying aspects of their ministries and their own spiritual lives.

If you are seeking fresh insight, deeper spiritual formation, or practical wisdom for ministry, there's something here for you. Whether you're a pastor yourself or you want to support the church leaders in your life, these books are the perfect place to start!

What Is Juneteenth? How Christians Can Engage with Black History

Thu, 30 May 2024 14:39:00 GMT

What Is Juneteenth? How Christians Can Engage with Black History

A Conversation on Anxiety and Worship with J. Michael Jordan

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:08:00 GMT

A Conversation on Anxiety and Worship with J. Michael Jordan

5 Ways Seminary Deepened My Appreciation of Different Theological Perspectives

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:39:00 GMT

5 Ways Seminary Deepened My Appreciation of Different Theological Perspectives

How Studying the Bible Together Builds Vital Spiritual Community

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 14:39:00 GMT

How Studying the Bible Together Builds Vital Spiritual Community

Being God's Image as a Woman in the Academy and the Church

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

By Carmen Joy Imes, Author of Being God's Image

What is it like as a woman in the world of Biblical Studies?

My experience in the academy has been largely positive. Sure, I have stories I could tell, like the faculty member who met with me when I was in seminary and wondered out loud which of his male colleagues would be willing to supervise a woman in the doctoral program. Or the colleague who accidentally referred to the faculty in our department as "the guys" or the other colleague who effused after a faculty hymn sing how wonderful it was to hear "all the men's voices." In moments like that, I feel erased. Invisible. The field of theology and biblical studies has long been one in which the vast majority of professors are male. Although more women have joined their ranks, we are still by far the minority. If my colleagues occasionally misspeak, it's understandable.

On the whole, I have felt well received as a student, faculty candidate, and faculty member, whether in the classroom, in the boardroom, applying for grants, or presenting at conferences. When I landed a tenure-track position, I found it so encouraging that my new institution recognized the value of the work I had been doing, counted time toward tenure, and committed to paying me fairly.

I don't share this experience to minimize or silence the voices of the many women who have felt sidelined, ignored, harassed, or even abused in academic contexts. Inequities persist in some form at many institutions, and we must continue to be vigilant about ensuring that women are fairly treated, fairly compensated, and taken seriously.

However, the more difficult venue for me personally has been church.

Women's Roles in Church Ministry

I am fiercely committed to the church. I can't imagine life without the weekly rhythm of gathering with other believers to worship and be sent back into the world. I felt a call to ministry at a young age. At eight I offered my life to God as a missionary. At twelve I sensed an unmistakable call to missions. In my first year of college, I realized that God had gifted me as a teacher and first tried it out on adults in my home church. During my junior year, I had my first opportunity to teach a course at the college level under the supervision of my professor. I found such deep joy in doing so. For a long time, the desire to teach in the classroom made it relatively easy not to think about women's roles in church ministry. I didn't have to form a conclusion about what the Bible taught on that because I was called to the academy. Preaching and teaching required somewhat different skill sets; I was called to teach. In seminary, that began to shift. God began stirring in me a desire to invest more deeply in the church. A desire and willingness to preach began to flower in my soul. I began to realize that the gendered hierarchy present in many churches does not reflect the vision of Scripture for partnership in ministry between men and women.

My vocation is to study and teach the Bible. I do it all week long in the classroom, on podcasts, on YouTube, and by writing for the academy and for laypeople. But for most of my life, on Sundays, when I walk into the church service, I no longer have a voice. My place is in the pew, not on the platform. I listen to sermons rather than offer them.

On most Sundays, I have more theological education than the man in the pulpit. Depending on the passage, I may even have spent more hours poring over it, taking or teaching classes on it, reading about it, and considering its claims. At the same time, on any given Sunday, pastors around the world are sharing with their congregations what they have learned from my books or podcasts. To be clear, I'm not bitter about learning from men. I bring my journal to church every Sunday as a spiritual discipline. I find that the Spirit of God consistently meets me and speaks to me in some way through our services. But I, too, sense a call to bring the Word of God to the people of God. In my current context, and in most contexts where I have worshiped, it is either not allowed or it is so unusual that it would cause a bit of a stir.

Some of you are wondering, "Why not find another church?"

It's not so simple. A woman's role in the church is only one point of doctrine or practice that I care about. Many other things also matter to me. Finding a church in my neighborhood that has a high view of Scripture and allows both men and women to faithfully teach the Word is nearly impossible. For a variety of historical and cultural reasons, conservative theology usually goes hand in hand with a hierarchy between men and women. Conversely, the churches who tend to champion leadership roles for women are often more progressive in other areas as well, holding views that don't align with a high view of Scripture as our authority today. It doesn't have to be this way, but it often is.

So where does that leave me? As a woman trained in Biblical Studies with a lifetime of experience in ministry, I carry with me a longing for the full inclusion of women in every aspect of the church. For me it's not a matter of equal rights but of faithfully responding to the call of God and the empowerment of the Spirit. No one has a right to the pulpit. Only those called by God and equipped to rightly handle the Word of God should be entrusted with the ministry of preaching. Those of us who sense this calling from God but are prevented from responding carry ongoing grief.

In my current church context, women participate in many ways, including as worship leaders, deacons, Scripture readers, members of the prayer team, and service hosts. This last role includes giving announcements, leading in prayer, leading the liturgy, serving communion, and offering a public reflection or response to the sermon. I have loved the opportunity to minister to our congregation in this way. Our church benefits greatly from the thoughtful voices of many women.

Two weeks ago we were out of town on Sunday, but after the service the elder who preached sent me a copy of his sermon manuscript. On "Holy Name Sunday" he had based his sermon on my book about bearing God's name. He told the congregation about my work and how it had helped him. Greg supports the idea of of women preaching, but our church is still thinking through this issue. It was beautiful to read Greg's sermon but bittersweet for both of us. We're both left with the gnawing question: why is it okay for him to stand in the pulpit and talk about my research, but it's not okay for me to do so? What qualities or qualifications does he possess that I do not? What calling or empowerment does he have that I don't? What is the difference between us?

Testosterone seems an odd basis for ministry leadership.

Scripture's Testimony of Women in Church Leadership

It's true that we don't always understand God's ways. We're called to a life of obedience even when we haven't put it all together intellectually. But the practice of barring women from preaching seems to me to downplay Scripture's testimony of what women have contributed and will contribute to the church.

Drawing on the prophecy of Joel, Peter announced at Pentecost, "Your sons and daughters will prophesy . . . even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18 NIV).

Paul is often cited as the one who prohibits women from speaking in church gatherings, but Paul is also the one who says that women should have their heads covered when they prophesy (1 Cor 11:5, 13). Paul assumes that women will contribute to the church by using their voices to declare the Word of God to the people of God. If Paul assumes this, why don't we?

In Romans 16, Paul greets many women who were involved in ministry alongside him: Priscilla, Junia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Julia, Mary. He says, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae" (Rom 16:1). Most scholars believe that Phoebe was responsible for delivering Paul's letter to the church in Rome. As a benefactor, she had invested deeply in the church. As Paul's ambassador, her role would have included the public reading and interpretation of the letter. Just as Jesus entrusted the news of his resurrection to a woman, Mary Magdalene, so Paul entrusted his teaching for the church in Rome to a woman, Phoebe.

Besides Paul, the other place in Scripture that people point to in order to justify a gender hierarchy is Genesis 3:16. But should we look to the consequences of the fall for our paradigm rather than to God's vision in Genesis 1–2? In Genesis 1, women are clearly the image of God, ruling alongside men with no hierarchy between them. No human was told to rule another. In Genesis 2, Adam's lack is resolved through the provision of woman as an ally corresponding to him.

Why would we ground our vision of gender relations in the fractured disconnect resulting from sin rather than in the chapters that present to us the world as God designed it to flourish?

If Paul is right when he claims, "In Christ there is neither male nor female…" then why would we keep trying to preserve the fall?

To take seriously the testimony of Scripture means to lean into God's vision of gender partnerships in which both men and women rule creation side by side, ensuring the flourishing of humans as well as the rest of the created world (Gen 1:26-28). It's to recognize that God creates the first woman in Genesis 2 as the first man's suitable ally, not his minion (Gen 2:18). It's to notice the parade of faithful women who led, prophesied, judged, and offered theological reflection to the people of God throughout the Old and New Testaments. It's to read Paul's statements about women's silence in context of the rest of his letters, where it becomes abundantly clear that female followers of Jesus partner with male followers of Jesus in every conceivable role in ministry.

Being in the academy has made it possible for me to read more widely and study more deeply on the topic of women in ministry than I would have if I had pursued some other career. That privilege has enriched my faith, but it has also made my participation in church more difficult in some ways. I've come face to face with a robust vision of mutuality in ministry that I find compelling. And I'm left waiting in this liminal space in which my understanding of God's intentions for the church are partly unfulfilled.

I know I am not alone.

The history of the church is a story that includes innumerable women who God has called to participate in gospel ministry. Some of them were able to respond unhindered. Others encountered opposition, not because they were ungodly but because they were women.

I treasure their stories, and I long for a world where character, not chromosomes, will be the determining factor in whose voices we hear in church.

This article was edited on 3/20/23 for clarity per the author's request.

A Conversation on Early-Church Women in Ministry with Nijay Gupta

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:53:00 GMT

Nijay Gupta is a passionate ally of women in the church and academy, and he has harnessed that passion into researching the lives and situations of women named as leaders and ministers in the Bible. His book Tell Her Story harvests those insights from the early church—with real implications for today.

How did your vision for this book arise?

Nijay Gupta: Several years ago, I did a blog series called "Why I Believe in Women in Ministry." I had been on a journey of study on the subject for about twenty years, and I had come to a place of strongly supporting women in ministry, so I thought I would write up some of my reasons. The series got a lot of engagement right away, and I ended up doing over twenty posts in the series. Tell Her Story grew out of that experience, knowing that people are eager to better understand the women who participated in and led the early churches.

What are some of your favorite, underappreciated facts from the life of one of the early-church women?

Gupta: Junia, a female Christian leader in Rome, spent time in prison! That's a fact that often missed and is a pretty big deal. We know prison was very rough for men (torture, disease, malnutrition, suffocation), and all the more for women who very rarely were imprisoned. For Junia to endure prison and then go back into ministry is astonishing. She was also older in the faith than Paul, and probably older in age as well. She represents an earlier generation of Christianity than Paul, imagine that! I tell my students that Paul might well have called Junia "Auntie" and undoubtedly admired her greatly.

If you could sit down with one of the women in the book, who would it be?

Gupta: I mean, how can you pass up a chance to talk to Mary, the mother of Jesus? I would love to hear her talk about that fateful angelic visitation, her difficult pregnancy and the neighbors looking at her with suspicion. Learning over time just how special this Jesus kid is. Raising him, disciplining him! But then following him, seeing him suffer and die. And importantly—helping to lead the early churches. Talk about a Lifetime Achievement Award!

What changes do you see these days in how your peers engage with questions of gender in biblical studies and the church?

Gupta: When I was young, it was often considered natural to prohibit women from ministry and to use stereotypes as justification for that: "women are too emotional, they can't preach, they are more gullible," etc. Fortunately I rarely ever hear anyone use those explanations anymore. More commonly, I hear some scholars just say, "Women are meant to focus on the home" or "women aren't called to pastor," and "that's just the way it is," or "that's what the Bible says." Tell Her Story is really meant to paint a picture of the early Christians in the Roman world where women were everywhere, and they were able to do just about anything.

After they read your book, what do you recommend next for a reader who's gotten excited about the topic?

Gupta: I recommend Beth Allison Barr's The Making of Biblical Womanhood, which covers many eras of Christian history, from early Christianity through medieval Christianity and into the modern era. Also, Discovering Biblical Equality, now in its third edition, is a massive resource that's kind of a mini-encyclopedia on women, the Bible, church history, and theology. Then, Holly Beers's excellent A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman. Her historical fiction helps readers walk in the shoes of a woman in the first century.

Anything you're working on that we should look forward to?

Gupta: Currently I am writing a book called Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling. I compare early Christianity to state and popular religions in the Greco-Roman world. It is amazing how deviant those Christians were. Today, in America, I feel like Christians either just blend into the background and offer nothing refreshing or attractive, or they stand out for being mean, condescending, and judgmental. The early Christians went all-in for this weirdo named Jesus. So, my motto is #KeepChristianityWeird! (I live in Portland, Oregon, let the reader understand.)

A Conversation on Renewal Worship with Steven Félix-Jäger

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 14:53:00 GMT

All Christian worship is led by the Holy Spirit. But is there a distinctive theology of Pentecostal worship? In this interview, author Steven Félix-Jäger discusses Spirit-led doxology, implications for the global church, and his own experience of sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit in worship.

Your book Renewal Worship argues that while all worship is Spirit-led, the renewal movement or Pentecostal church offers a distinctive theology of worship. What is distinctive about its doxology?.

Steven Félix-Jäger: Pentecostals and charismatics practice expressive, embodied worship that features an expectation for encountering the Holy Spirit individually and corporately in the communal gathering. They see worship as both the reception of and response to the Spirit's overflow and the visualization of what is to come. Renewal worship uses the Acts 2 account of Pentecost as a guiding theological motif to underscore a theology that is pneumatocentric, eschatological, and steeped in the Pentecostal narrative tradition. What Pentecostals hold to be true is expressed in their worship, and their worship informs what they know to be true.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well that those who worship God must "worship in the Spirit" (Jn 4:24). Can you give one example of a time when you sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit in worship?

Félix-Jäger: The primary expected outcome of Pentecostal worship is to sense the presence of the Holy Spirit, so there are countless examples of times when I sensed the Spirit's presence in worship. One moment sticks out particularly well for me, though. When I was eighteen years old, I was a junior high youth intern and worship leader at a large charismatic Southern Baptist Church in central Florida. On our way to a missions trip in Nashville, we stayed the night at a large Baptist church in Georgia. After settling in, me and about ten other students and youth workers decided to hold an impromptu worship service in one of the smaller rooms.

As was customary in those days, we got stuck singing "Let It Rain". . . for a long time! The Spirit was so tangibly present in the room—the air felt thick. At the end of our singing, we prayed and felt renewed and empowered, having dwelt in the presence of God together. When we left the room, the junior high youth pastor looked at us a bit askance and asked, "Did you know you were all singing in tongues?" We were amazed. Everything we heard was in English, but those outside the room heard something different. That was, for me, a pretty radical time of renewal worship.

Why do you think some Christians have difficulty attending to the Holy Spirit, and what are the implications of that for the church's worship?

Félix-Jäger: In our Western context, we've grown accustomed to appreciating artistic forms disinterestedly in stillness and reflection. Most cultures around the world, however, engage rituals and the arts holistically through embodied action. I think this is one of the reasons why Pentecostal worship resonates so well globally. Pentecostals also have a porous sense of the world, believing that the Spirit works in the miraculous even today. Pentecostals pray for and expect healings, signs, and wonders. Other traditions may have different theological emphases that give worshipers different points of focus. I believe every Christian tradition is valuable and offers something special to the kingdom of God, so the key is for each tradition to find its own authentic ways to worship in Spirit and in truth.

How do you think students, pastors, and worship leaders can benefit from your book and incorporate its insights into their ministry?

Félix-Jäger: After recognizing the lack of academic resources for renewal worship, I felt inspired—even called—to write on the subject. Studying renewal worship allows us to grasp what's going on with both the global Pentecostal movement and with Pentecostalism's influence on contemporary worship. This book offers a constructive theology of worship for Pentecostal and charismatic Christians, articulating theological language for commonly utilized renewal worship practices. By evaluating the worship practices of global Pentecostalism, this book can help students, pastors, and worship leaders understand the movement in general and global Christianity broadly.

What is your hope for those who pick up and read your book?

Félix-Jäger: I hope this book illuminates some of the many theological riches that are present in renewal worship. I like to apply Paul's image of church-as-body to Christian traditions. I believe every tradition is unique and significant and has much to offer the kingdom of God. Like the other traditions, Pentecostalism has much to offer as well. Let's find out what those riches are and learn from them. In true ecumenical spirit, I'd love to see worship traditions learn from each other and grow together. One day we're all going to worship together as we make up that great multitude in Rev. 7:9. Why not start now?

2 Simple Ways to Revitalize Your Church with Group Prayer

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 17:43:00 GMT

By Carolyn Carney, Author of The Power of Group Prayer

Unless you've been living on a deserted island, you probably know the church has taken a hit. Attendance is down. Elders are meeting God in creation. And many pastors are weary, at loose ends, or leaving ministry altogether. The pandemic, online church, the battle over masks, vaccines, which lives matter, and political differences have left us all weary and disheartened. How can we muster the energy to roll out an enticing new program this fall?

But the beauty of the gospel is that there is always a remnant. A mustard seed. A widow's mite. The word from Scripture is not to trust in the strong and mighty (horses and chariots) but to trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7). God will win the day. Just read Revelation. God is about making all things new. And he will work through us—his ambassadors and handmaidens—to establish his glorious kingdom.

But how? What is our part? The hopeful among us may ask, in the words of the beloved yet beleaguered Dr. Max Goodwin on the TV show New Amsterdam, "How can I help?"

We often start with a strategic plan. Churches tend to follow the academic calendar, so when kids head back to school, churches kick off their programs. My guess is that this September, with society choosing to live with the presence of Covid-19 and all its variants, we will see big plans and nuanced programs at churches to entice people back and meet the varied needs in the congregation and community.

I have a different suggestion: maybe we should pray.

Praying is rebelling against the status quo, says David Wells in his 1979 Christianity Today article "Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo: Are We Angry Enough to Pray?" In essence the nature of prayer is to say, "The way things are right now in the world is not the way they should be. This is not right! I believe God not only wants to do something about this, but he has the power to! So, I'm going to ask him." Imagine what our prayers would sound like if we really prayed from that perspective!

Think about these things and imagine what God might want to do: mass shootings, poverty, political difference, fear, racism, social anxiety, ageism.

If we don't learn from the church in the Southern Hemisphere (which is growing exponentially), we should learn from history. Planning can be helpful. But planning without praying is self-absorbed. When we spend the bulk of our time prayerlessly planning, we become too enamored with our reputation, and we lose sight of whose name we are doing this in. We are trusting in horses and chariots.

A Vibrant History of Prayer-Led Revivals

"History is silent about revivals that did not begin with prayer," famously said J. Edwin Orr, the church and revival historian, quoted in 20/20 Vision for America by Chris Lascelles. After the victory in the American Revolution, a great spiritual malaise fell over the country, Orr explains. While the history books talk of the hard-fought independence and the beginnings of a new nation, few tell the sordid story of the kind of people we became after the victory. Whether citizens were reeling from the death and toll of war in their families and backyards, or whether the religious freedom that had supposedly driven many European families to the New World had drifted to become a "freedom from religion," attendance at churches across the thirteen states was dwindling. Some denominations were talking of merging. Drunkenness was all the rage, as were robberies. Pete Grieg and Dave Roberts write in Red Moon Rising, things were so bad that "the Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall, wrote to the Bishop of Virginia, James Madison, that the Church 'was too far gone ever to be redeemed.' Tom Paine echoed, 'Christianity will be forgotten in thirty years.'"

I find these words a bit chilling as I think about the growing number of mass shootings happening now in our land and the attendance in churches dwindling, and I consider what the status of Christianity will be in thirty years.

However, as I read history, I am aware that a great awakening occurred after the American Revolution. A groundswell of prayer on both sides of the Atlantic led to repentance and categorical renewal in churches, with dramatic conversions in the multitudes. Great social changes were spawned, such as the abolition of slavery in Britain, led by William Wilberforce. Churches were united in prayer across their differences.

Another awakening happened about eighty years later during a time of great economic insecurity and turmoil. J. Edwin Orr, in his book The Second Evangelical Awakening, describes how, as before, this awakening began in a humble movement of prayer. It started in New York City by a former businessman, Jeremiah Lanphier, who was hired by a church to help bring more people from the community into church.

The church made a plan. They hired someone. After weeks of little success, Lanphier turned to the practice that brought his consolation: prayer. He put up signs and handed out fliers, inviting businessmen to join him for a noon prayer meeting. By return-on-investment standards, his first outing was a smashing failure: only six men came from a few different churches. But they were undaunted and committed to coming the next week. The next week there were more. The week after that there were still more. Soon they needed to move to a bigger venue. And this movement spread to Philadelphia, Richmond, Washington, DC, Boston, St. Louis, Charleston, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and other places.

Our Role in God's Plan

If we want change to happen, we must pray. It strikes me that the disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them how to heal or cast out demons, or to preach a three-point sermon, or to create a socially relevant worship service. But they did ask him to teach them how to pray. Although these were men steeped in the Psalms, they wanted to know how to pray like Jesus prayed.

Why do we spend so much time and effort in planning a worship service and so little, if any, on prayer? Or an outreach event?

God has chosen us as the link to his activity in this world. God desires and has chosen to need our prayers in order to release his will on earth. God asks us to "stand in the gap" and pray. Throughout Scripture the Lord reminds us if we pray according to his will, then he will answer. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, David, and numerous others prayed fervently to the Lord for God to release or restrict something. As a result of their intercession, divine plans were altered (Genesis 18:23-33 [Abraham interceding for Sodom]; Exodus 32:9-14 [Moses intervening on behalf of Hebrews after the golden calf]; 2 Kings 20:2-11 [Hezekiah asks the Lord for mercy and to live longer]) and prayers were answered.

Let me focus on two simple ways to build prayer in your church. These are not necessarily new items to add to the program but rather to intentionally integrate into existing traditions.

Before I get to those two suggestions, let me first introduce a means of praying together that I believe can help. It's called praying in agreement. This is like constructing a paragraph aloud in a group. I might start and pray a couple of sentences. The next person is struck by something I prayed and continues the conversation with God by taking my idea and expanding it a bit. Then the next person prays and does similarly. And so on. After a pause, a new topic is introduced.

Praying like this prevents what often happens at prayer meetings I've been to when one person drones on and on, or when I'm so concerned with how I sound when I pray aloud that I am making up my prayer in my head and not listening to what is being prayed by others. Praying in agreement is actually praying together. I highly recommend it.

2 Simple Ways to Build Prayer in Your Church

1. Consider pre-service intercession on Sunday morning or whenever it is that you meet during the week to worship God. Identify the stalwart pray-ers in your congregation. Who are the people who hope and dream and have faith that God is at work? I recommend starting with at least three. Pinpoint a leader. Personally invite the intercession team to arrive about forty-five minutes before the service to pray for God's will to be done, for his kingdom to come, for his glory to be revealed during the service. Give them a space to pray, give them your sermon title, have them pray into the church's mission statement. These should not be people who are responsible for anything during the service. They are there to pray ahead of time for the move of the Holy Spirit in the service. Ask them to listen for a word from God, and then be receptive to what they tell you.

2. Give more prayer direction to your small groups or house churches. Either give each group a different focus, such as a geographic area of your community or a segment of your mission statement, or have them all focus on the same vision. Your choice. Invite them to consider spending a quarter of their total time together praying. So, if they meet for ninety minutes, then have them spend at least twenty-two and a half minutes interceding. Have them take some time to listen to God. Perhaps he wants to infuse their prayers with a Scripture verse or an image. Encourage them to use short sentences when praying, adding to what the previous person has prayed. Long, drawn-out prayers kill the energy in a group. This is not a time to pray about personal needs—that should be done elsewhere. This is a time of corporate prayer focused on one thing. Have groups report in occasionally and communicate to the congregation the gist of what God is saying.

During the early months of the pandemic, I reached out to a couple of friends from church via phone. At first it was just to check in on these older women who lived alone. Soon the four of us began interceding together weekly, for our church, our city, the pandemic, the sick, the health care workers, the essential workers, and so on. It was not only a lifeline, but we saw God at work. It boosted our faith and opened our eyes to see God at work all around us. Praying together has a way of doing that.

How is God inviting you in this upcoming season to deepen your trust in his name alone?

Book of Common Prayer (International Edition) Free Resources & FAQ

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:08:00 GMT

Book of Common Prayer (International Edition) Free Resources & FAQ

Together at Home: Staying Hopeful in Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:47:00 GMT

We're all facing disruption right now. Coronavirus and COVID-19 have radically altered our daily lives, and we're doing our best to be flexible as we adjust to a new normal. But amidst anxiety and disorientation, one thing is certain—we're coming together even as we practice social distancing, whether it's in virtual spaces, in our homes, or as a world community. Christian community is just as important now as ever, so use these tips and resources to stay hopeful while we're together at home.

Build a New Kind of Community

It's so easy to feel isolated as we work from home and pivot our gatherings to virtual spaces. Here are some ways to build an intentional community from the safety of our own homes.

Utilize technology to gather and stay in contact with your loved ones and social groups. Try Zoom, Marco Polo, or Skype.
Start a virtual book club. Chances are you have more time to read right now, so grab that book you've been meaning to get to and invite your friends to do the same! Many IVP books have free discussion guides for just that purpose. Need book ideas?
Support small businesses by taking some time to write reviews of products and services you love on their websites and places like Yelp, Goodreads, and Amazon.
Love your neighbor through social distancing. It feels counterintuitive to stay away from those in need when we have time to help. But staying a safe distance away is putting a priority on your community's health.
- Read "The Christian Response to the Coronavirus: Stay Home" by IVP author Esau McCaulley in the New York Times.
- Read "9 Ways to Love Your Neighbor in This Pandemic" by IVP author Justin Whitmel Earley at The Gospel Coalition.
Act with compassion as you make decisions for your business or organization. It's hard to know how to move forward when there are so many unknowns. Let compassion and care for people be your guiding ethic.
- Read "An Open Letter to Civic and Business Leaders: The Cure to COVID-19 Begins with Compassion" from IVP author and business leader Sundrawn Thomas.
Be kind to those who are marginalized or mistreated. Don't give into ignorant cultural assumptions or forget about the most vulnerable among us.
- Listen to the first episode of IVP author Mae Elise Cannon's new #Activism podcast, "#COVID19 and Racism with Kathy Khang."
- Listen to "I am Not a Virus!" from the Someday Is Here podcast, featuring Seana Reavis, Eugene Cho, Judy Wu Dominick, and IVP Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives Helen Lee.
- Watch this Good Morning America piece about how IVP author Terence Lester and his organization Love Beyond Walls is teaming up with Christian rapper Lecrae to provide portable hand washing stations for those experiencing homelessness in Atlanta.

Equip Your Church for Refreshed Discipleship

The church has an unprecedented opportunity to provide hope, teaching, and community during this time. We want to equip local congregations and ministry teams with the resources they need to do just that.

Free Webinars:

"COVID-19 Church Online Summit" from the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College and the National Association of Evangelicals
"Reading Hope in Trying Times" from Writing for Your Life featuring IVP authors Philip Yancey, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, and Kathy Khang
"Soul Care—Peace for Caregivers in Troubled Times" with IVP author Todd Hunber are live, weekly 30-minute experiences on Zoom starting Wednesday, April 8 at 2 pm CST
"Where is God in a Pandemic? A Conversation Between Tim Keller and Francis Collins" hosted by Biologos on May 18 at 8 pm ET

Podcasts:

"Worship and Sacrament When the Church Is Scattered" from the Center for Pastor Theologians
"Is Digital Church the Right Response to COVID-19?" with IVP author Jay Kim on the Daily Growth Discipleship Podcast
"Leading Beyond the Blizzard: Why Every Organization Is Now a Startup" with IVP author Andy Crouch and Dave Blanchard on the Redemptive Edge podcast
Stetzer Leadership Podcast Season 1: Leadership and The Coronavirus Crisis with guests including IVP authors Jamie Aten, Terri Watson, Andy Crouch, Esau McCaulley, and more
"Listening and Responding to God Amidst the COVID-19 Crisis" on IVP author Ruth Haley Barton's Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast
"Why Urban Churches Aren't Staying Home" with IVP author Jonathan Brooks on the Quick to Listen podcast from Christianity Today
"Francis Collins | Coronavirus Updates with NIH Director" on the Language of God podcast from Biologos
"John Walton | Coronavirus and the Book of Job" on the Language of God podcast from Biologos

Articles & Resources:

Churches Helping Churches Initiative: the AND Campaign and other ministry organizations are coming together to assist congregations in low-income communities in urban areas that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 economic shutdown
"How to Lead Online Worship Without Losing Your Soul—or Body" by IVP author W. David O. Taylor in Christianity Today
"Real Presence and Social Distancing" by Chris Bruno from the Center for Pastor Theologians
"Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus (COVID-19)" from IVP authors Jamie Aten and Kent Annan at the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College
"25 Creative Church Ministry Ideas During COVID-19" by IVP author J. Scott McElroy
"Grieving Is Leading" by IVP author Jonathan K. Dodson at Christianity Today
"Comfort in a Time of Communal Suffering" by IVP author Wendy Alsup at Red Letter Christians
"Called to Endurance: The Church and the Coronavirus" featuring an interview with IVP author Trillia Newbell by Rachel Sinclair at Facts & Trends
"Navigating the Unknown: Adaptive Leadership in Highly Anxious Times" by IVP author Tod Bolsinger at Missio Alliance
"Guide to Reopening Church Services" from IVP authors Kent Annan, Jamie Aten, and more at the Humanitarian Disaster Institute
"Caring for Neighbors from a Distance: How Churches Support the Community in a Pandemic" from Missio Alliance

Commit to Reading Your Bible Like Never Before

This is the perfect opportunity to refresh your daily devotionals with increased focus and time. Use these resources for deeper Bible study.

Use IVP's Daily Quiet Time Bible Study. With a new reading and Scripture study every day, this is a great place to start each day's devotional time.
Invest in a new daily devotional book. IVP has a wide selection of devotionals and resources for more informed Scripture study.
Try a free study from one of our bestselling LifeGuide^® Bible Studies, just in time for the Easter season.
Listen to podcasts that supplement Bible study, like this one from IVP author Carmen Imes on the Bible.
Read about how Scripture reading brought hope during a nine-day hospital quarantine for Juanita Rasmus, author of Learning to Be.

Get Creative with Your Kids

Are you suddenly a full-time caregiver and instant homeschooler? Here are some ideas for supporting the academic, emotional, and spiritual needs of your children.

Start spiritual conversations and pray with your kids. You can watch this sample lesson from IVP author Jared Boyd from his book Imaginative Prayer.
Encourage creativity—arts and crafts have no age limit! Taking a break from working at home will be welcome for adults in the house as well.
Have family Bible story time. Reading the Bible together lays a spiritual foundation for your entire family and provides irreplaceable bonding time.
Talk to them thoughtfully about this crisis. Need ideas for how to handle the tough conversations? Check out the Family COVID-19 Toolkit from the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College.

Invest in Your Mental Health

The loss of physical community and regular social spaces can greatly affect our mental health. It's important to be proactive about the possibilities of depression, anxiety, and isolation within our own spirits and for those in our community.

Watch "Hope Amidst Anxiety and Covid-19," a video webinar with Skip McDonald, author of the LifeGuide Bible Study Anxiety.
Gear up with online training courses. During this time, courses like this one from Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries are being offered for free for churches and small groups.
Utilize apps and digital chat resources as a listening ear when you're alone. Services like Crisis Text Line and Talkspace offer instant messaging for those struggling with mental health issues. You can also download this thorough Coronavirus information kit from National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Read the CDC's free resources for stress and coping geared towards communities, families and children, first responders, and more.
Recognize and appreciate biblical lament in the article "5 Things to Know About Lament" by IVP author Glenn Packiam at N.T. Wright Online.

Try a New Spiritual Practice

Add to your toolkit of spiritual disciplines and try some new ones to help you grow closer to God in these unprecedented times.

Watch videos that feature guided practices from experts. All you'll have to do is listen and invite God to move.
- Watch Morning Reflection with Diana Shiflett, author of Spiritual Practices in Community.
- Watch Slow: A 5-Minute Retreat from IVP author Gem Fadling.
- Practice this guided visio divina with IVP author Lacy Finn Borgo.
Plan a personal retreat day. Usually it's hard to find solitude and silence. Take advantage of alone time to try a personal retreat.
- Read a free excerpt from Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley Barton, and watch this video on why she says retreat is a vital practice for Christians today.
- Get creative with this online retreat from Christine Sine, author of The Gift of Wonder.
Focus on prayer—stressful times call for an increase in prayer!
- Join the global church in praying these "20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic" from IVP author Jen Pollock Michel in Christianity Today.
- Participate in this video prayer exercise alongside John Starke, author of The Possibility of Prayer. You can also download his free Lenten prayer guide.
- Use this COVID-19 prayer calendar from IVP author Dominique Gilliard.
- Join this virtual Good Friday prayer vigil from IVP author Ruth Haley Barton and the Transforming Center.
Try journaling to help you creatively sort out your thoughts and prayers during this time. You might be surprised which insights you'll discover when you put pen to paper.