Unbinding Your Church (Pastor's Guide to the Real Life Evangelism Series) - Softcover

Martha Grace Reese

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0827238061 ISBN 13: 9780827238060

Publisher: Chalice Press, 2008

Synopsis

Pastors are busy. This collection of fully integrated resources will help your church work and pray through the Unbinding the Gospel Series. Included are step-by-step planning tools as well as worship resources to allow you--the pastor--to spend time on prayer, teaching, and working directly with others in your church. The planning tools include calendars, checklists for church staff, weekly scripture tie-ins, sample church newsletter campaigns, diagrams, simple to elaborate E-vent planning suggestions, web site ideas, specific lesson plans, and much much more. Worship resources include sermons, prayers, and forms that have been placed on the Web for FREE with easy access and downloads. Change Habits, Not Just Minds. From the Unbinding the Gospel Series.

About this title

About the Author

Martha Grace Reese embodies the experience of a researcher, corporate attorney, congregational pastor, middle judicatory minister, church consultant and author. She directed the Lilly Endowment-funded Mainline Evangelism Project, in which the Real Life Evangelism Series are grounded. The study, which included over 1,200 interviews, focused on highly effective examples of evangelism in mainline churches across the theological spectrum. Reese serves as President of GraceNet, Inc., specializing in church research, consulting and coaching.
Dawn Darwin Weaks is co-pastor of Raytown Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Raytown, Missouri. She has served as a pastor for ten years, published several articles, contributed to books, and has spoken throughout the country.

From the Back Cover

"The Real Life Evangelism Series is a power pack! Based on the extensive and authoritative research of Martha Grace Reese, and rooted in her passionate love for God and respect for the mainline church, these books like Reese, are the rarest of gifts: they give us authoritative facts that arm us for real change rather than simply being alarming; they provide data that moves one to action rather than further depressing those of us who care about mainline churches.... a treasure." Todd Hunter, National Director, Alpha USA; Former Director, Vineyard Churches USA

"Martha Grace Reese gently but persistently lures the Mainline back to the ministry of evangelism that is the heart of the church. Based on careful research and extensive listening, the Unbinding the Gospel (and the RLE Series) avoid gimmicks and the trap of the latest church growth fad. They invite pastors and members instead to a relationship with Christ that overflows the banks of our often cautious and reserved congregations. These books can convert even the most "evangelism-cautious" Christians into eager disciples who love others enough to tell them why Jesus is the answer." John H. Thomas, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ
"The statistics Reese gives sober me, and they motivate me too. And her stories of vibrant congregations give me hope." ....when you turn the last page, you can't just let this be another book you read. You need to let Reese's message affect you, and your faith community, and through you, other people..." Brian McLaren, Author (brianmclaren.net)

"Mainline churches, like the Red Sox, have not won any evangelism series for a long time. The Real Life Evangelism Series breaks the curse by knocking one out of the park! Reese equips mainline church leaders with prayerful and practical tools needed to change the church through the power of Christ's redeeming love. Becky Garrison, Senior Contributing Editor, Wittenburg Door, Author of Rising from the Ashes: Rethinking Church.

"Unbinding the Gospel teaches us how to re-learn the practice of evangelism. It's published at a teachable moment. Don't just read this book --use it!" Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary, Reformed Church in America

"Unbinding the Gospel is a great resource for congregations1 It is inspirational, motivational, and a great model and companion for congregations as they seek to be faithful stewards of the Gospel." Belva Brown Jordan, Philips Theological Seminary (formerly Harvard Divinity School)

"Martha Grace Reese loves the Church. Hope for the mainline church abounds in these pages. She carefully demythologizes evangelism and then reconstructs it through common sense practices." Jim Griffith, President, Griffith Coaching.

"This book is a marvelous resource --I heartily recommend it!" Clifton Kirkpatrick , Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

"Written with intelligence, heart and a sense of humor....this is real life evangelism for real life Christians." Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Unbinding the Gospel is a must-read for those of us in the progressive mainstream church that are trying to reclaim the e.word." David Schoen, Evangelism Minister and Team Leader, United Church of Christ.

"The anecdotal material inspires each of us as followers of Jesus to grow more comfortable in sharing our faith. But as important are the sections on congregational dynamics that impact the growth or stagnation of our churches. Reese has put together an approach to sharing the gospel that works in mainline churches." Bruce Humphrey, Senior Pastor, Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, San Diego, California
"There is a palpable sense of God's presence and availability in Martha Grace Reese's keen-eyed, level-headed, and big-hearted approach to evangelism. She poses the empowering possibilities of new life with style, verve, and an abounding sense of joy and trust in God. In a time when it is so easy to beat up on churches, she offers warm encouragement and wise guidance." Robert Lee Hill, Senior Pastor, Community Christian Church, Kansas City, MO
"This book will be a great resource for small groups, churches, and pastors who are ready to be instrucments of unleashing God's awesome Spirit in the world." Yolanda Villa, Executive Pastor of Congregational Care, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS

"There is nothing quite like solid research to dispel the sort of misconceptions and self-serving biases and attitudes we of mainline churches have harbored for so long. Solid research is what Martha Grace Reese gives us, along with clear, thoughtful analysis and concrete prescriptions for how we can move forward in faithful and effective evangelism. She manages to do all this in a book that is completely accessible to both clergy and lay people and fun to read! It is an amazing and timely accomplishment!" Richard L. Hamm, Executive Administrator, Christian Churches Together, former Disciples General Minister and President.

"Martha Grace Reese has done a great service to the church by creating the Mainline Evangelism Research Project and then reporting on it in such an engaging, faith-filled, readable way. This should be required reading in all mainline churches. Our continuing existence may depend upon it." Richard Peace, Robert Boyd Munger Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary

From the Inside Flap

The Real Life Evangelism Series
by Martha Grace Reese
Change Habits, not just Minds!

Evangelism books presume everyone wants to do evangelism, so they tell you how to do it. Four years of Lilly Endowment-funded research has demonstrated conclusively that most people would rather go get a root canal than think about evangelism!

The Real Life Evangelism Series, based on this research, doesn't leap to the hows of faith-sharing. This course will help your church grapple with fundamental questions before it moves to the hows: Why share our faith? Why do evangelism? How can we let God enrich our relationships and our spiritual lives so that we can't help sharing them with people?

Author, pastor, researcher and lawyer Martha Grace Reese discovered that most mainline Christians don't share our faith because we aren't clear why we should. (She calls evangelism the "E-word," because it's not a good out-loud word in most churches!) The Real Life Evangelism Series will help your church get past the E-word stigma, answer the fundamental "why" questions, connect with the power of a deep faith in Christ, begin to pray for real, and start to share your faith with enthusiasm and theological authenticity.

The Real Life Evangelism Series is an integrated set of resources, endorsed by 7 heads of denominations, evangelism experts and pastors. It is grounded in a four-year, Lilly Endowment study of superb evangelism that included 1200+ interviews, 50 site visits, and a major survey of congregations doing the best job reaching unchurched people. The Series has sparked a transformation in understanding, thinking, habits and practices of prayer and evangelism in churches of all sizes, cultural and geographic settings, and theological understandings.

The Real Life Evangelism Series works. It is accessible, joy-filled, research-based, spiritually mature, and beautifully written. It is not a quick fix. Please do not skim. Please do not skimp on time, planning or intensity. We must allow the Spirit to help us change our habits and thought patterns. God can change our churches into vibrant, enthusiastic, articulate communities of faith if we'll change our habits.

Step One: Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism (Church Leaders' Study, Red Ribbon). Pastors, key congregational leaders and evangelism teams will benefit most from using Unbinding the Gospel as a seven- to ten-week small group study. Study Unbinding the Gospel first, in small groups, with 15-20% of your church's worship attendance (evangelism team, elders, church staff and your greatest teachers!) Please discuss the questions, scripture suggestions and group exercises at the end of each chapter. Unbinding the Gospel sparkles with practicality! It helps committed leaders deepen and start to share their own faith, understand our cultural context, and begin to plan for authentic, congregational faith-sharing.

Step Two: Unbinding your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer & Faith Sharing (All-Congregation Study, Purple Ribbon) is a six-week, church-wide, small group E-vent! It's perfect for a lenten, summer or fall study for all established classes and small groups, and new ones formed just for the E-vent. Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer and Faith Sharing is a six-week version of Unbinding the Gospel, with the addition of 40 days of individual prayer exercises coordinated with each chapter. It will help individuals risk face-to-Face encounters with God. Your entire congregation will begin to talk about their faith. The E-vent creates momentum for faith sharing in your church.

Support for Steps One and Two: Unbinding your Church: Steps & Sermons (Pastor's Guide, Green Ribbon). Pastors, teachers and church musicians are busy. This collection of fully integrated resources will help your church work and pray through the Series seamlessly. You will spend your time on what matters--praying, teaching, working directly with your people. Unbinding your Church offers:

* worship resources: 7 engaging, theologically-rich, inspiring sermons you can adapt or adopt; short Bible teaching on texts; children's activities, prayers and complete coordinated music plans from 4 stellar church musicians (African-American, Hispanic, new church & traditional Euro-American).

* step-by-step planning tools: advice for pastors, church staffs, organizers, small group leaders, prayer group leaders, and leaders of children & youth. Calendars, check-lists, rosters, forms, impact diagrams, invitations, website and e-mail ideas will help you organize the E-vent, establish an intercessory prayer group, recruit small group leaders, form new groups and help existing groups commit to the all-congregation study.

The Real Life Evangelism Series works! Congregations and people flourish when we are inspired, informed and given the chance to practice new ideas and skills together. The Series will help you invite the Spirit to sweep into your church.

Edition details

• Publisher: Chalice Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0827238061
• ISBN 13: 9780827238060
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176