The Practical Expression Of The Church

Witness Lee speaks of the church in The Practical Expression of the Church, not only from the viewpoint of God’s eternal purpose, which is the church triumphant and universal, but also from the viewpoint of the believers’ experience and enjoyment of the riches of Christ, which produces a local expression of the church, an expression that displays the oneness of the Body of Christ and brings in God’s commanded blessing (Psalm 133).

While outward adjustment and efforts at self-improvement may produce temporary results, they quickly fade. The inward operation of the living Christ, however, produces genuine and lasting spiritual growth. The Experience of Christ as Life for the Building up of the Church unveils that this inward operation of life also results in the building up of the church as the expression of God. In each chapter, Witness Lee presents not only a clear vision of our enjoyable Christ but also many practical ways for us to enter into the enjoyment and expression of Christ in the church.

"This book, which in my opinion is Moltmann's best, can be recommended on the basis that it contains challenging and creative insights that can be used by the discriminating reader in the service of church renewal Moltmann represents the theology of liberation at its best, and those who wish to know more about this theology would do well to study this creative and searching theologian." --Donald G. Bloesch Christianity Today "Moltmann is perhaps unsurpassed among his contemporaries in keenness of insight and rhetorical power." --Daniel L. Migliore, Theology Today "Moltmann presents a stirring vision which every Christian community could well ponder With a missionary emphasis, he seeks to help the reader face the question of the church's identity in the light of the contemporary political, economic, and social scene." --Religious Education

From the bestselling author of Reimagining Church comes an essential guide that provides practical, effective tools for finding vibrant Christian communities. Driven by a passion for the body of Christ, Frank Viola has written some of today's most authoritative and celebrated works on the growing home, organic, and missional church movements. Now Viola shares practical keys to a healthy and successful church plant. Viola contends that many congregations today are struggling to survive, not because of bad planning, but poor planting. He presents an essential guide for starting and nourishing organic churches in any culture. Drawing from both Scripture and a wealth of experience, Viola offers real-world tools, insights, and practical suggestions so churches won't just grow, but thrive.

What is the mission of the corporate church? What is the mission of local churches regardless of denominations? What is the reason for the existence of the local church? These three questions not only deserve consideration by leadership but also need to be understood by the entire membership to enable productive kingdom work. It is so easy for a congregation to develop programs and activities based on what other groups are doing or on what are the perceived needs of the moment. These do have value; however, they tend to be based on our human concepts rather than the directives of Scripture. Terry Cross, Dean of the School of Religion at Lee University, describes this book as follows: “Another book on the church? This one is different. Thirteen seasoned professors with some 400+ years of combined ministerial experience engage various aspects of the mission of the church. Much like the pulse that beats from a strong heart, the idea of partnering with God’s mission as transformed participants in God’s work reappears throughout the chapters. While the focus of attention is different for each author, the theme beats the same pulse throughout—the mission of God is the heart of God and must be the heart of the church.” With additional contributions from: Bob Bayles Terry Cross Rolando Cuellar Tom Doolittle Jimmy Harper John Lombard Lisa Long Edley Moodley Mark Walker

In the twenty years since its publication, Celebration of Discipline has helped over a million seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God. For this special twentieth anniversary edition, Richard J. Foster has added an introduction, in which he shares the story of how this beloved and enduring spiritual guidebook came to be. Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline explores the "classic Disciplines," or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found. Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service, help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration, bring us nearer to one another and to God. Foster provides a wealth of examples demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily activities-and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and "bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help motivate Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.