This book is for those seeking to discern God's call to ministry. It is an introduction into the meaning of that call, the vision for ministry, and the opportunities The United Methodist Church offers to live out that call. For United Methodists, this call is grounded in a Wesleyan understanding of servant ministry and servant leadership that affirms that all Christians are ministers by virtue of their baptism.

Packed with guidelines, tools, worksheets, and biblically sound strategies for pastors, treasurers, trustees, finance and stewardship chairs and committees. This book introduces basic financial vocabulary and offers concrete help for creating a church budget; understanding financial sustainability, the role of reserves, the importance of personal and congregational stewardship; communicating financial needs; generating money for mission, income planning, and projection; and developing strategies for appeals and campaigns, risk and liability issues, and much more. Includes reproducible pages with worksheets and sample policies.

This resource sets forth the cultural imperatives of ministry and the contextual nature of a public theology of religious education that connects faith formation and action in addressing profoundly difficult, unjust, and wounding experiences of Black people in society. The book begins with the, often neglected, practice of lament as a necessary first step in vital public theological reflection and action. The book proceeds with meanings and ways of equipping persons within and beyond church settings to critically reflect on life and leadership in the throes of present-day social and political realities. It further provides practices for forming skills and shows how to partner with the spiritual guides needed to shape a just public arena and fruitful individual lives.

Contributors: Joseph V. Crockett, Sarah F. Farmer, Annie Lockhart-Gilroy, Cynthia P. Stewart, Nathaniel D. West, Nancy Lynne Westfield, Richelle B. White, Anne E. Streaty Wimberly, Mary H. Young

Wesleyan Leadership Is About Character. Designed specifically for Christian leaders and teachers, Grace to Lead: Practicing Leadership in the Wesleyan Tradition, Revised Edition delves into Wesleyan scholarship to guide readers into effective contemporary leadership, from a solidly Wesleyan perspective. Calling upon insights from the 1700s Wesleyan revival in England, authors Carder and Warner motivate, form, and guide church leaders. The revised edition expands the content of the first edition and includes more illustrations and models of leadership formed and empowered by grace. Greater attention is given to leadership practiced by congregations and institutions as well as by individuals.

Christian leadership is theological from beginning to end. Carder and Warner explore the rich Wesleyan theological grounding for such leadership with its abundant emphasis on grace. They remind readers that for Wesley, all methods emerge from the theological imperatives and missional direction of God revealed in Christ. ꟷLovett H. Weems Jr., Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC

To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is the mission of The United Methodist Church, and the Wesleyan tradition provides a wealth of resources for this missional work. It provides a proven and effective method for forming and equipping Christians to join Jesus Christ and his mission of witnessing to the coming reign of God. In Grace to Lead the authors provide a guide to the practice of missional leadership in the Wesleyan tradition. Pastors and congregational leaders will be enriched and inspired by the wisdom and insight contained in this book. ꟷSteven W. Manskar, Director of Wesleyan Leadership, Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church

The one thing that separates church from secular leadership is our faith in God through Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. Bishop Ken Carder and Dr. Laceye Warner continue to remind us of this fact in Grace to Lead. Church leadership is spiritual leadership, and Ken and Laceye provide the groundwork with a Wesleyan distinctiveness for us to reflect upon and enact. This is a must read for all of us who continue to study and work on our leadership skills. ꟷGrant Hagiya, Resident Bishop of the Los Angeles Area, The United Methodist Church

Written especially for Licensing School and United Methodist Course of Study students, this book will see pastors through those early days of ministry.

Includes: Your First Appointment, First Worship Service, First Sermon, Clergy Income Tax, Moving Expenses, Fees with Weddings and Funerals, Family Pet at Parsonage, Hospital Ministry, Your Predecessor, Your Community, Deaths and Funerals, Reports and Salary Issues, Disliked by a Member, Musical Differences, Brief Tricks of the Trade, Basics of Leadership, Nominations and Leadership Development. Plus much more!

Mission flourishes when relationships are characterized by mutuality--a difficult, but important, balance to sustain. While there are times for the relief efforts and traditional charity when disasters strike, if years later the same people are receiving the same aid, an opportunity is lost. Mission that moves beyond relief to empowerment opens up ways to address systemic forms of oppression and poverty. This book is ideal for groups who want to engage or re-engage in mission.

This book looks at ZOE, a Christian non-profit and United Methodist advanced special, as an exemplar of sustainable mission that can empower even the most vulnerable to help themselves.

Proceeds of sales go to ZOE.

This book walks readers through the heart of the history, theology, and practices of early
Methodists by using select primary source material and instructive diagrams. In addition
Germano summarizes the spiritual, historical, and sociological context of Wesley's England
in order to help readers understand primary themes of Wesleyan theology and practice. At
the end of each chapter, discussion questions and set-off key principles highlight core concepts
and make the content easy to embrace and comprehend.

The Stories of Early Methodist women leaders. These women were called Mothers of Israel. This work explores and reveals a legacy of shared spiritual qualities that stirs and inspires us today.

*Walk the road to perfection with John Wesley*

John Wesley designated 44 sermons as one of the doctrinal standards for the Methodist people. Volume 1 includes 15 of these sermons (sermons 1-15). They represent the core of his teaching and remain the critical standard for much of global Methodism. What makes them especially important is that they constitute a handbook of spiritual direction, a feature that brings them into conversation with wider developments in ascetic theology, ancient and modern. Thus the first fifteen sermons included in volume 1 develop the theme of becoming a Christian. The first group works through crucial concepts and experiences the beginner needs to understand and undergo; and they clearly delineate holiness (love for God and neighbor) as the goal of the spiritual life. Topics in all three volumes include such matters as the place of law in the Christian life, how to avoid bigotry, how to handle misunderstandings of the goal of the Christian life, what to do with spiritual depression, how to tackle self-indulgence as represented by the quest for pleasure, and love of gossip and money.

Crain contends that the order of deacon clarifies that service and transformation of the world is at the center of the church's purpose and that leaders should be ordained to lead that work. This puts deacons at the leading edge of the church's mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. It also shows how the Church can attract future leaders who have a vocation of ministry but who may not see themselves necessarily ministering in local churches.

Using qualitative research and interviewing key people, Crain candidly addresses issues that are raised by the office of deacon as she recounts the history and so what of this office of clergy. She couches her discussion in the broader conversation concerning the failure of Christianity to adequately respond to social injustice and inequality worldwide.

The year 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the institution of the order of Deacon by The United Methodist Church. This milestone offers the opportunity for the Church to reflect on the ministry of deacons as the author takes readers behind the curtain to learn how, in 1996, the decision to create the order of deacon came to be-a decision that is still controversial. UM deacons, around the world, still struggle with sexism and patriarchal assumptions that hamper the ministries and security of deacons, and they spend too much energy justifying their existence and explaining who they are and what they do.

Discerning one's future can mean that we wrestle with God. We want to know where God is leading and what choices we should make to get there. Sometimes these matches last minutes and sometimes years.

Recent research from the Barna Group says that only 40% of practicing Christians say they have a clear sense of God's calling on their lives. Christian Millennials are especially sensitive to this divine prompting-nearly half (48%) say they believe God is calling them to different work, yet they haven't yet made such a change. But discernment can be a difficult process, one that calls for guides and exemplars. This richly illustrated book, complete with reflection questions, takes you into the biblical stories of eight persons who struggled with God. Each was changed, blessed, and moved forward with hope. Each found God's preferred future. You can too!

Discerning one's vocation often means that we wrestle with God. Sometimes these matches last minutes and sometimes years. We want to know where God is leading us next and what choices we should make to get there. Yet it is difficult to decide which is our own voice and which is God's.

Research from a recent Barna Group's study shares that only 40% of practicing Christians say they have a clear sense of God's calling on their lives. Christian Millennials are especially sensitive to this divine prompting-nearly half (48%) say they believe God is calling them to different work, yet they haven't yet made such a change. Clearly there is a need to provide material to help.

This book takes readers into the stories of 8 biblical persons who struggled with God. As a result, they were changed, blessed, and moved forward with hope. They each found God's preferred future for their lives. You can too!

Offers reflection questions to help readers focus their thinking.

This work is part of a three volume set, each sold individually.

John Wesley designated 44 sermons as one of the doctrinal standards for the Methodist people. Volume 2 includes 13 of these sermons (sermons 16-28). These sermons represent the core of Wesley's teaching and remain the critical standard for much of global Methodism. What makes them especially important is that they constitute a handbook of spiritual direction, a feature that brings them into conversation with wider developments in ascetic theology, ancient and modern. Thus the thirteen sermons included in volume 2 develop the theme of becoming a Christian. Topics in all three volumes include such matters as the place of law in the Christian life, how to avoid bigotry, how to handle misunderstandings of the goal of the Christian life, what to do with spiritual depression, how to tackle self-indulgence as represented by the quest for pleasure, and love of gossip and money.

Si bien muchas personas podr an creer que la frase reformados pero a n en estado de reformaci n es exclusiva de los calvinistas modernos, este concepto tambi n suena v lido para los wesleyanos. Al estudiar a Juan Wesley, esta obra presenta una visi n amplia de la relaci n entre los elementos del Cuadril tero y la misi n. As este libro abre caminos en un terreno nuevo sobre el cual tanto te logos liberales como conservadores pueden encontrar elementos comunes a ambos. Gonz lez expresa que, al a adirla al Cuadril tero, la misi n ayudar a la iglesia a ir m s all de la bifurcaci n entre la justicia social y la santidad, y que el pueblo llamado metodista debe aferrarse a ambas para no poner en riesgo el xito de su testimonio, misi n y ministerio.

Sermones de Juan Wesley is a scholarly compilation of John Wesley's sermons in Spanish. First published in 1996 by the Wesley Heritage Foundation as part of Obras de Wesley, these historic sermons are a leading source of indigenous and authentic Methodist tradition and Wesleyan theology among those who speak Spanish.

Sermones de Juan Wesley is a scholarly compilation of John Wesley's sermons in Spanish. First published in 1996 by the Wesley Heritage Foundation as part of Obras de Wesley, these historic sermons are a leading source of indigenous and authentic Methodist tradition and Wesleyan theology among those who speak Spanish.

Published in partnership with Yale Universtiy, this book points to a Christian faith grounded in a consequential way of life, including substantive moral virtues and a sacramental vision in which all of life participates with God.This who's who in youth ministry focuses on practices that enhance joy by pointing to the contingency of human life and our participation with God's redemption work for all creation. At root, a Christian life is ordered by worship and practices that recognize, celebrate, and respond in joy in light of humanity's contingency and God's gratuitous liberation of all creation.

Contributors: Steven Argue, Kyle David Bennett, Kenda Creasy Dean, Michal Beth Dinkler, Amanda Hontz Drury, Fred P. Edie, Wesley W. Ellis, Sarah F. Farmer, Nyle Fort, Christian Gonzalez, Pamela Ebstyne King, Alaina Kleinbeck, John Leedy, Stephanie Paulsell, Andrew Root, James K. A. Smith, Miroslav Volf, David F. White, Anne E. Streaty Wimberly, Almeda M. Wright, Vanessa Zoltan

See mission in a new way. With many concerns facing churches, mission is often dismissed as an extraneous add-on or treated as simply another program among many. This book advocates for a new understanding of mission, one that connects it to the very heart of what it means to live the Christian faith in its fulness as we experience and share the Good News.While many books discuss local mission, domestic mission, OR international mission, this book lays out principles that apply to all three. Further, it draws on Wesleyan theology to do so, something lacking from many other resources.

Mission is the practice of cultivating relationships across boundaries for the sake of fostering conversations in word and deed about the nature of God's Good News. To understand the boundaries that need to be crossed, the book demonstrates how we all exist in particular situations that shape our understanding of God's Good News and how to best share it. The book leads readers to think more deeply about their own contexts, others' contexts, and offers practical steps about how to cultivate relationships that lead to conversations about good news across differences in context. The author includes reflection questions suitable for group study.

This artfully illustrated resource combines winning leadership concepts and insightful scriptural meditations in a daily journal specifically created for leaders. Use it to chart a personal leadership path and as an atlas for teams.

With this journal leaders can develop and construct their vision to lead God's people, embody God's grace, and offer ministry in God's name for the church and the world. The journal offers relevant scripture passages, inspirational stories, insightful information, expert advice, and generous space for journaling. Use this helpful guide to help you discover, claim, and flourish in your leadership.