Author: Peter R. Holmes
Publisher: One Way Books
ISBN: 9781860246036
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
We are all looking for relationships and environments that are safe, that give us life. Sadly, however, many people suffer as a result of the failure to create a safe place within the church environment. Drawing upon the authors’ experience in counseling those who have suffered spiritual abuse, Church as a Safe Place offers help to those who are victims of abuse or anyone committed to ensuring that church is a “safe” place.

Author: Henry Cloud
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310247454
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
When to say yes, when to say no to take control of your life.

Author: Robert M. Cirtin
Publisher: CSS Publishing
ISBN: 0788023411
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
The church has always been regarded as a safe haven - a spiritual sanctuary where people can come to worship God free from worries about violence or unethical behavior by those involved in church ministry. But our culture is changing, and church leaders can no longer assume that "it won't happen in my church." Like the rest of society, churches need to ensure the safety and security of their facility, staff, and worshipers. This book provides a wealth of practical information on preparing for and responding to the challenges of a dangerous world. Robert Cirtin draws on more than two decades of law enforcement and investigative experience, and with his team of professionals outlines a "how-to" approach full of specific proactive steps churches can take to protect themselves and reduce the risk of costly lawsuits. Church Safety And Security is a must-have resource for anyone participating in or preparing for church leadership. Topics covered include: * Utilizing background screening to protect your congregation. * Safety and security issues for church-run preschool and day care programs. * Preparing for and responding to medical emergencies. * How to deal with issues pertaining to child abuse. * Legally mandated responsibilities of church staff members. * How to utilize security/surveillance cameras in the church facility. * Organizing a church security officer program. * Effectively coping with intruders. * Responding to violent acts when they occur. * How to conduct a thorough investigation. If you are a pastor, associate pastor, preschool director, church school principal, deacon, elder, vestryperson, or denominational leader - read this book, then read it again! Make it required reading for every leader in your church. Protect your congregation, your property, and your reputation in the community by doing all you can do to hire the right employees, to prevent physical and sexual misconduct for which your church may be liable, and to reduce the legal and financial impacts of such misconduct. This book will teach you what to look for, and how to take action today to protect the people God has given you to shepherd. Tim Duncan Associate Pastor, Anglican Church of the Resurrection St. Louis, Missouri Church Safety and Security: A Practical Guide is a valuable resource. Bob Cirtin has the unusual but important background mixture of service in full-time church ministry as well as being a certified officer of the law and an expert investigator. He has personal experience with every source of danger for the local church and has developed effective safeguards and defenses. His strategies are clear, simple, easy to implement, and will protect any congregation in the event of an unfortunate occurrence. This book is a must for every church office and library! Terry Raburn Superintendent, Peninsular Florida District Council Assemblies of God This is a book written for our changing times, when the security of our churches must become a priority. Written by professionals who have a strong Christian influence in their lives, this book is a great tool for the security program of your church. Jack L. Merritt Sheriff, Greene County, Missouri Retired Capt., Missouri State Highway Patrol Robert M. Cirtin is an assistant professor and director of the criminal justice program at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. He is also the president of Robert Cirtin Investigations, a company providing investigative and consulting services to churches, businesses, and government agencies. A former police officer and Missouri state investigator who has also served in full-time ministry, Cirtin is a frequent guest lecturer on a variety of safety and security topics. He is a graduate of Central Bible College and Lincoln University.

Author: Brian Zahnd
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 1601429525
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Pastor Brian Zahnd began "to question the theology of a wrathful God who delights in punishing sinners, and has started to explore the real nature of Jesus and His Father. The book isn’t only an interesting look at the context of some modern theological ideas; it’s also offers some profound insight into God’s love and eternal plan." —Relevant Magazine (Named one of the Top 10 Books of 2017) God is wrath? Or God is Love? In his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Puritan revivalist Jonathan Edwards shaped predominating American theology with a vision of God as angry, violent, and retributive. Three centuries later, Brian Zahnd was both mesmerized and terrified by Edwards’s wrathful God. Haunted by fear that crippled his relationship with God, Zahnd spent years praying for a divine experience of hell. What Zahnd experienced instead was the Father’s love—revealed perfectly through Jesus Christ—for all prodigal sons and daughters. In Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Zahnd asks important questions like: Is seeing God primarily as wrathful towards sinners true or biblical? Is fearing God a normal expected behavior? And where might the natural implications of this theological framework lead us? Thoughtfully wrestling with subjects like Old Testament genocide, the crucifixion of Jesus, eternal punishment in hell, and the final judgment in Revelation, Zanhd maintains that the summit of divine revelation for sinners is not God is wrath, but God is love.

Author: Ng Zhi-Wen
Publisher: Graceworks
ISBN: 9811166617
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
"This book seeks to both encourage those who are serious about following Christ but who are struggling with same-sex attraction, and to challenge the church to lend a listening ear and a helping and welcoming hand. The stories in this book are told with pathos, honesty, and courage. We must all recognise that whatever our story or struggle with sin (and we all have struggles), God has chosen us to be His children so that we can be conformed to the likeness of His Son. The church should understand this and provide a safe redemptive space to all of us sinners, whatever our problem, surrounded by the sheltering canopy of God’s unchanging truth and abiding love." From the Foreword by Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon, The Methodist Church in Singapore

Author: Joy Thornburg Melton
Publisher: Upper Room Books
ISBN: 9780881775433
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The Only Resource of Its Kind Is Now Two Bestsellers in One! Tragically, churches have not always been safe places for children or youth or vulnerable adults. With this in mind, attorney, pastor, and author Melton outlines a process for developing policies and procedures to recognize and reduce the risk of abuse in the church. Safe Sanctuaries combines and expands information from two of her earlier groundbreaking books, which focused, separately, on children and teens. "Safe Sanctuaries is the most helpful resource I have found dealing with this troubling topic," says one minister. "Straightforward yet non-threatening, the information is helpful for all denominations and congregations of faith." Practical guidance is provided in developing and implementing a substantive, holistic action plan of abuse prevention: recruiting, screening and working with volunteers training models for all who work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults suggestions for congregational response to unthinkable allegations of abuse order of worship celebrating the adoption of "Safe Sanctuaries" policies Melton's transformative, relevant, and foundational resource will train leaders in what they need to know to stay safe and keep the vulnerable in their care safe. This revised edition now features updated and timely information about protecting young people from online predators.

Author: Ron Aguiar
Publisher: Xulon Press
ISBN: 9781606473320
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 148

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Book Description
When church leaders fail to provide for the well-being and protection of everyone involved in congregational programs, they are derelict in their duty to shepherd and protect the flock. A conscientious and well run safety program gives a sense of security and comfort to those who attend and helps provide an atmosphere where worship, fellowship, edification and service can take place without incident. Keeping Your Church Safe is a practical blueprint for churches covering all aspects of church security and safety for staff, premises and members. It's a well-outlined, easy-to-follow guide in establishing an effective security program for congregations of all sizes. "Given the uncertain times in which we live and increasing threats to our churches, Ron has written a practical, thorough, easy-to-read book that should be a textbook for any church. More importantly, he loves the Lord and His church and has dedicated his life to making sure Christ is exalted in the best and safest way possible." Bob Russell (retired) Senior Minister Southeast Christian Church Louisville, Kentucky "Addressing topics rarely discussed but realistic, this book is an excellent guide for church administrators, security managers, board chairpersons, volunteers or anyone serious about protecting our places of worship. It has been written as a result of years invested in "front line" experience. It contains the insight of a safety manager, site security chief, dignitary protection administrator and a special event commander, all in one." Major Bill Weedman (retired) Commander of Special Operations and Event Management Louisville Metro Police Department Ron Aguiar has been at Southeast Christian Church for 10 years as Director of Safety & Security, with an additional 10 years spent in public law enforcement and private security. Ron is a sought-after speaker, consultant to churches, para-church organizations and public law enforcement agencies. Contact Information: [email protected]

Author: Basyle Tchividjian
Publisher: New Growth Press
ISBN: 1945270063
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
Churches are supposed to be a safe haven, but many deal with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse. This guide, supported by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, helps churches and faith communities formulate policies and procedures to protect children and address possible abuse in their ministries.

Author: Brad Hambrick
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781941114117
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
Conversations among friends accomplish more than debates between opponents. Conversations on controversial issues do not to go well when the dialogue happens community-to-community or figurehead-to-figurehead. Whether it's race, religion, or politics, groups don't talk well with groups. Too much is at stake when we feel like our words and actions speak for the collective whole. Platforms and podiums will never accomplish what can only be done around dinner tables and in living rooms. Two individuals from those respective groups are much more likely to forge a good relationship, influencing one another in various ways. Unfortunately, an individual who listens well is often viewed by his or her collective compatriots as engaging in compromise; at the group level, representing each side fairly feels too much like agreement. That is why the aim of this book is friendship. Friendship is the level at which influence can be had, because the dialogue does not seek to represent an agenda but to understand a person. Friendship is what protects good points from becoming gotcha moments. The subject for which this approach may be most vital for the modern church may be homosexuality and same-sex attraction (SSA). Yet our approach has tended to be more polemical or political than pastoral and personal. Churches have articulated their position on a conservative sexual ethic. Churches have re-examined the key biblical texts that are challenged in defense of a progressive sexual ethic. As important as these things are, however, they do not equip everyday Christians to develop meaningful friendships with people who experience same-sex attraction or have embraced a gay identity. In the absence of relationship, our theology becomes theory. Many Christians are seeing that the church's unwillingness to befriend people who experience SSA has blocked us from engaging with the subject of homosexuality on a person-to-person level. We are reluctant to engage relationships where it feels probable that there will be awkwardness. Admittedly, this book is not as "neat" as you might like for it to be. Many tensions will be navigated; maybe not all contradictions will be avoided. However, when it comes to being salt and light for the sake of the gospel, it seems far better to choose possible messiness over guaranteed ineffectiveness. That means we must realize that it is good for us to have conversations where we don't know what to say. This is part of the essence of being a growing person. When we're not having conversations that challenge us to think about new things, we will commit sins either of pride or apathy. We should always be praying that God will bring people into our lives who will provide the opportunity for us to ask new and important questions. The desire of this book is to be a resource God uses to grow his people into excellent ambassador-friends to their classmates, colleagues, and family members who experience SSA. If this is what you want to do and be, then God will be faithful to complete this work in you regardless of the strengths and weaknesses, insights and oversights of this book (Philippians 1:6). Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Author:
Publisher: Canongate Books
ISBN: 0857861018
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.