For people of faith, storytelling has special meaning. We are people of the story, and we seek to identify and share our stories in nearly everything we do. Dancing with Words provides help for all church leaders — both clergy and lay — to explore the history and importance of storytelling in faith development and to acquire basic storytelling skills. You will soon discover ways that storytelling enhances ministry. Storytelling at its best is an interaction between storyteller and story liste...

Lay speakers will learn what makes a good story, discover their own style as a storyteller, study the techniques of effective storytelling, and practice creating stories from their own experience. The Participant's Guide for this course is: Dancing With Words by Ray Buckley.

Each One a Minister, a revised and enlarged edition of Carter's previous book by the same title, begins with a 6-session study of Ephesians. Carter engages the reader in discovering the meaning of church, ministry, and gifts — from the early church up to the present. As a follow-up to the Bible study, readers and study groups look at ways in which God's gifts are practical as well as spiritual. Four ministry categories, closely connected to the congregational primary task (receive, relate, e...

Accountable Discipleship: Living in God's Household is a book about pastoral leadership in the Wesleyan tradition. Pastoral leadership is the ministry of caring for the household of God. Both laity and clergy are called to this ministry. Those who read and study this book will be invited to discover their own ministry as pastoral leaders. All who follow Jesus Christ and seek to obey his teachings to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind," and "love your...

It's hard to know which is more intimidating: a roomful of wiggling pre-schoolers or know-all adults. "Adult students come with their own agendas and will connect learning to what's going on in their lives," writes Bruce. "They learn what they want to learn." Both facts present challenge and great opportunity to teachers, according to Bruce. "Adults are eager to learn and are searching for meaning, but we must break through their initial reluctance to encourage them to think, question, and ma...

Este libro describe los aspectos más importantes en la vida de devoción de Juan Wesley y cómo estos principios pueden ser aplicados a nuestras vidas. El libro está diseñado para tener un estudio semanal por siete semanas y sigue una estructura alrededor de lo que Wesley llama «medios de gracia». Por lo tanto, incluye estudios sobre la oración, la Escritura, la Santa Cena, el ayuno y otros temas. Los grupos y cada persona individual crecerán espiritualmente a medida que aprenden acerca de las...

This workbook describes major features in John Wesley's devotional life, and it illustrates how you can apply his ministry to your own life. Structured around Wesley's "Means of Grace," the 7-week study covers prayer, scripture, the Lord's Supper, fasting, Christian conferencing, and providential means of grace. Developed for individual or group study, the workbook also offers suggestions for organizing an initial group meeting and developing a successful group study. Also available in Spanis...

This packet contains 10 copies of the spiritual gifts inventory from the book Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts by Charles V. Bryant. The inventory adapts material from the basic text for small group assessment and discussion about spiritual gifts. Discover Your Spiritual Gifts Leader's Guide is also available.

This workbook describes major features in John Wesley's devotional life, and it illustrates how you can apply his ministry to your own life. Structured around Wesley's "Means of Grace," the 7-week study covers prayer, scripture, the Lord's Supper, fasting, Christian conferencing, and providential means of grace. Developed for individual or group study, the workbook also offers suggestions for organizing an initial group meeting and developing a successful group study.

Your Spiritual Gifts Inventory Pack is available for use with small-group members. This book identifies, defines, and discusses 32 spiritual gifts including giving, healing, hospitality, service, evangelism, and music. Bryant encourages you to discover the particular gifts the Holy Spirit has given you and challenges you to use these gifts to build up the body of Christ. The book includes a "Grace Gifts Inventory" to help you identify and apply the spiritual gifts in your life.