Places Of Promise Finding Strength In Your Congregation S Location

Places of Promise: Finding Strength in Your Congregation's Location

Beyond Church Walls

Pastoral care has been traditionally understood as pastoral acts administered to individuals or small groups by an ordained or lay religious practitioner. As congregations in the twenty-first century begin to reclaim the missional nature of church, this view must be broadened to include care and concern for the needs of the larger community. A missional perspective of pastoral care embraces the notion that all of Gods peoplenot just trained professionalsare called to partner in the healing and redemption of the world. In Beyond Church Walls, Rick Rouse sets out to articulate precisely what such an approach to pastoral care looks likeand the substantial impact it can have on congregations and communities. A skilled teacher and pastor with deep experience in real communities, Rouse leads readers through the changing realities of the twenty-first century and to new ways for missional churches to succeed in offering pastoral care for the whole community.

The Calling of Congregational Leadership

Leading is a calling from God, but that doesn't mean it is easy. There are choices to be made about what your congregation believes, how your church organizes for effective ministry, and how your church serves the settings of which you are a part. The good news is that others have gone before you. Author Larry L. McSwain's forty years of experience can help guide you through these choices. Rooted in research, The Calling of Congregational Leadership teaches a three-pronged approach to congregational leadership: being a good leader, the knowledge needed by the leader, and the managing of ministry leadership. By using this practical, holistic approach to leading congregations, McSwain shows you how to use your church's potential for conveying the power of God in the lives you touch. The Calling of Congregational Leadership is for those who seek to enlarge the understanding of their leadership to make their communities of faith more vital and more reflective of the mission of God in the world.