Books

Brandon O’Brien’s Top Books on Small Church Ministry

Rather than being a subcategory of American ministry, the small church is the norm. If you take a longer and broader view, most churches throughout history and in most parts of the world are and always have been small.

Grover Park Baptist Church: A Thread of Hope

At auction, the quilts go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars that directly help women and children in need, providing funds for baby and maternity items at the pregnancy resource center.

James N. Sells: The Best Books on Church Care

People in pain do not live in the “post-Christian era.” They go to church for help.

We Need a Reset

One of the primary roles of a pastor is to gather as many sheep as possible. We all know that for people to come and join your church they need to like us. This reality means that as pastors, we perpetually serve in hazardous territory.

Prepare a Table That Welcomes Everyone

So, should a leader give up leading and living like Jesus because others don’t like what is happening around them? The church needs leaders to speak up and step out of the comfortable to serve the uncomfortable.

Introduction to the Biblical Metanarrative

The story that the Bible tells, therefore, is the story that we are all part of whether we know it or not and whether we like it or not. We have joined the story in progress, along the way, so to speak.

Richard Averbeck: The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church

“It is not a matter of whether the Old Testament law applies but how the New Testament applies it.”

Where to Look and What to Look For

Your genius unlocks your unique purpose. Someone else’s key won’t work. So how do you begin to discover what your genius is—or isn’t? Your answers to some core questions will be a good starting place.

A Conversation With Steve Richardson

Jesus commissioned his people to bless the nations. Even in traditional cultures, I’ve never personally met someone who wished missionaries hadn’t come. I’ve met thousands of people who are thrilled that missionaries brought a message of salvation and hope.

Multiplication Through Service

We didn’t know it at the time but it turns out we were training our leaders right there. It was an opportunity for discipleship through serving we hadn’t anticipated, and we ended up serving 3,000 meals per day after that.

Join the Fiesta

The attention that justice has received in recent years is not a trend, but it can be traced to the pages of the Bible. Justice is grounded in the love of a triune God who time and time again shows his love and compassion for the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised.