9780310518129
$379.80 USD $759.60 USD
The church of Jesus Christ finds itself at a very unique moment in history. The average Christian living in the “economically advanced countries” enjoys a level of prosperity that has been unimaginable for most of human history. At the same time, over 2.5 billion people in the Majority World (Africa, Asia, and Latin America) live on less than $2 per day, with many of these people being Christians. Ironically, it is amongst the “least of these” in the Global South that the global church is experiencing the most rapid growth.
All of this raises profound challenges to the global church. How can churches and missionaries in the Majority World effectively address the devastating poverty both inside their congregations and just outside their doors? How can churches in the economically advanced countries effectively partner with Global South churches in this process? The very integrity of the global church’s testimony is at stake, for where God’s people reside, there should be no poverty (Deuteronomy 15:4; Acts 4:34).
For the past several decades, microfinance (MF) and microenterprise development (MED) have been the leading approaches to poverty alleviation. MF/MED is a set of interventions that allow households to better manage their finances and start small businesses. From remote churches in rural Africa to the short-term missions programs of mega-churches in the United States, churches and missionaries have taken the plunge into MF/MED, trying to emulate the apparent success of large-scale relief and development organizations. Unfortunately, most churches and missionaries find this to be far more difficult than they had imagined. Repayment rates on loans are low and churches typically end up with struggling programs that require ongoing financial subsidies. Everybody gets hurt in the process: donors, relief and development agencies, churches and missionaries, and--most importantly—the poor people themselves.
This book explains the basic principles for successfully utilizing microfinance in ministry. Drawing on best practice research and their own pioneering work with the Chalmers Center, Brian Fikkert and Russell Mask chart a path for churches and missionaries to pursue, a path that minimizes the risks of harm, relies on local resources, and enables missionaries and churches to minister in powerful ways to the spiritual and economic needs of some of the poorest people on the planet.
The insights of microfinance can play a tremendous role in helping to stabilize poor households, removing them from the brink of disaster and enabling them to make the changes that are conducive to long-term progress. Moreover, when combined with evangelism and discipleship, a church-centered microfinance program can be a powerful tool for holistic ministry—one that is empowering for the poor and devoid of the dependencies plaguing most relationships between churches in economically advanced countries and churches in poor nations.
Contributor(s) | Brian Fikkert , Russell Mask |
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About the Contributor(s) |
Brian Fikkert Dr. Brian Fikkert is the Founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College, where he also serves as a Professor of Economics and Community Development. Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. “with distinction” in economics from Yale University, specializing in Third World economic development and international economics. Dr. Fikkert has been a consultant to the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the United States Agency for International Development. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector. Dr. Fikkert is in demand as a speaker and has numerous academic and popular publications, the most recent being When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself. Russell Mask Dr. Russell Mask serves as the Senior Microenterprise Technical Advisor for the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College, where he also serves as an Associate Professor of Community Development. Dr. Mask earned a B.A. from Wheaton College, an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in Development from the Land Tenure Center at the University of Wisconsin, where his doctoral research focused on microfinance. Dr. Mask has extensive experience in village-level development practice and research in both Asia and Africa and worked with Faulu, a microfinance institution in Kenya. A respected thinker on Christian microfinance and microenterprise development, Dr. Mask has authored several influential articles and is the co-author of Christian Microenterprise Development: An Introduction with David Bussau of Maranatha Trust.
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UPC | 025986518127 |
ISBN-10 | 0310518121 |
ISBN-13 | 9780310518129 |
Publish Date | May 12, 2015 |
Weight (lbs) | 0.6500 |
Height | 8.38 |
Width | 5.50 |
Length | 336 |
Length Unit | Pages |
Publisher | Zondervan |
Format | Paperback |
Language | English |
$887.76 USD $1,775.52 USD
We all love the benefits of technology and social media, but even with the incredible upsides, many of us suspect there are unintended negative consequences beyond our control. The more we compare ourselves with others, the less satisfied we are. The more we interact online, the more we crave face-to-face intimacy. The more filtered our lives become, the more challenging it is for us to be authentic. The more information we receive about the pain and crises in the world, the more difficult it is for us to care.
In this timely five-session video-based study, New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel taps in to some of the most up-to-date studies on social media to help us understand how it affects our emotions, our relationships, our attitudes, and our beliefs. He offers real-life examples to reveal the depths to which each of us battles with social media, how it masks our real struggles, and how we can reclaim a Christ-centered life. He encourages us to regain control over our lives by rediscovering the principles real life with Jesus brings: contentment, intimacy, authenticity, compassion, and rest.
#Struggles will show you the ways technology has enslaved you rather than served you and what changes your need to make in your life to restore balance. Above all, it will point you to Christ and help you understand the healing he wants to do in you. As you follow his leading and seek him first, you will find you are no longer defined by who follows you but by the One you follow.
Contributor(s) | Craig Groeschel |
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About the Contributor(s) |
Craig Groeschel New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschelis the founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, a pacesetting multicampus church and creators of the popular and free YouVersion Bible App. He is the author of several books, including Fight, Altar Ego, Soul Detox, Weird, The Christian Atheist, and It. Craig, his wife, Amy, and their six children live in Edmond, Oklahoma. |
UPC | 025986684761 |
ISBN-10 | 0310684765 |
ISBN-13 | 9780310684763 |
Publish Date | Nov 10, 2015 |
Weight (lbs) | 0.4800 |
Height | 8.38 |
Width | 5.50 |
Length | 0 |
Length Unit | Pages |
Publisher | Zondervan |
Format | Paperback w/DVD |
Language | English |
$404.85 USD $809.70 USD
We all love the benefits of technology, but even with the upsides, many of us suspect there are negative consequences beyond our control. In this timely small-group study, pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel shows how we can stay engaged with technology in our social-media saturated world while still keeping our eyes focused on Jesus.
Sessions include:
Designed for use with the #Struggles Study Guide (9780310684855).
Contributor(s) | Craig Groeschel |
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About the Contributor(s) |
Craig Groeschel New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschelis the founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, a pacesetting multicampus church and creators of the popular and free YouVersion Bible App. He is the author of several books, including Fight, Altar Ego, Soul Detox, Weird, The Christian Atheist, and It. Craig, his wife, Amy, and their six children live in Edmond, Oklahoma. |
UPC | 025986684730 |
ISBN-10 | 0310684730 |
ISBN-13 | 9780310684732 |
Publish Date | Oct 27, 2015 |
Weight (lbs) | 0.2400 |
Height | 7.50 |
Width | 5.38 |
Length | 00:50:00 |
Length Unit | Running Time |
Publisher | Zondervan |
Format | DVD Video |
Language | English |
$179.82 USD $359.64 USD
Let five premier teachers of God's Word lead you to a closer, more intimate understanding of God's message to His people. Intended as companions to the Blackaby Study Bible, these guides also stand alone as a complete study of a book of the Bible.
The lessons include:
Contributor(s) | Henry Blackaby , Richard Blackaby , Tom Blackaby , Melvin Blackaby , Norman Blackaby |
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About the Contributor(s) |
Tom Blackaby Tom Blackaby earned a Bachelor of Education degree in music from the University of Saskatchewan as well as a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Tom and his father co-authored The Man God Uses, The Student God Uses, and Anointed to Be God's Servants: Lessons from the Life of Paul and His Companions. He and his wife, Kim, have three children. Melvin Blackaby Melvin Blackaby earned a B.A. from Hardin Simmons University, and an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He co-authored with Henry Blackaby Experiencing God Together: God's Plan to Touch Your World and What's So Spiritual About Your Gifts? He is senior pastor of Bow Valley Baptist Church, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. Norman Blackaby Norman Blackaby teaches at Dallas Baptist University. He holds a PhD in Biblical Backgrounds and Archeology. Previously he has served as a senior pastor at two churches and with his father for six years as Vice President of Blackaby Ministries International. In addition, Norman is the co-author of Called & Accountable: Discovering Your Place in God's Eternal Purpose, Experiencing Prayer with Jesus: The Power of His Presence and Example, and The Blackaby Study Bible. He and his family live near Dallas, Texas. |
UPC | 020049083888 |
ISBN-10 | 1418526517 |
ISBN-13 | 9781418526511 |
Release Date | Sep 16, 2008 |
Weight (lbs) | 0.3400 |
Height | 9.00 |
Width | 6.00 |
Length | 96 |
Length Unit | Pages |
Publisher | Thomas Nelson |
Who It's For | Men, Pastor, Teen Boy 13-17, Teen Girl 13-17, Women |
Series | Encounters with God |
Format | Paperback |
Language | English |
$959.84 USD $1,919.68 USD
Contributor(s) | John H. Walton , John M. Monson , Iain Provan , Simon Sherwin , Frederick Mabie , Edwin Yamauchi , Anthony Tomasino |
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About the Contributor(s) |
John H. Walton John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament; Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context; Covenant: God’s Purpose, God’s Plan; The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament; and A Survey of the Old Testament. John M. Monson John M. Monson (PhD, Harvard University) is associate professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Iain Provan Iain Provan (PhD, Cambridge University) is Marshall Sheppard Professor of Biblical Studies at Regent College. An ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, he is the author of commentaries on Lamentations and 1 and 2 Kings. Simon Sherwin Simon Sherwin (PhD, St. Edmund's College, Cambridge) is Independent Scholar; currently resides in Buckhaven, Fife, Scotland. Frederick Mabie Frederick J. Mabie (PhD, University of California at Los Angeles) is Independent Scholar; currently resides in West Linn, Oregon. Edwin Yamauchi Edwin M. Yamauchi (PhD, Brandeis University) is professor of History Emeritus, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Anthony Tomasino Anthony Tomasino (PhD, University of Chicago) is assistant professor of Bible, Old Testament, and Hebrew, Bethel College, Mishawaka, Indiana. |
UPC | 025986255756 |
ISBN-10 | 0310255759 |
ISBN-13 | 9780310255758 |
Publish Date | Oct 22, 2009 |
Weight (lbs) | 3.5400 |
Height | 9.38 |
Width | 7.63 |
Length | 560 |
Length Unit | Pages |
Publisher | Zondervan |
Series | Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary |
Format | Hardcover |
Language | English |