Bøger udgivet af Civitas Press

Is your heart craving authentic community? Have you been looking for a deeper understanding of the Christian faith and what it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus? Thrive just might be the answer. Thrive is an emerging process for planting churches and missional communities that engages God's mission in the Way of Jesus. Based on the Jesus Model, Thrive provides a three year structured process for gathering together as a tribe for the sake of restoration and discovering what it means to be human. It's a simple means for participating in what God is already doing. The Jesus Model invites us to begin with a tribe of twelve intentional participants gathered together to create a space where intentional grace is true. It creates a context for creating a wholistic structure for restoration, spiritual formation, and growth. The Leadership Manual provides the basic understanding for creating and leading a tribe. The first part of this manual will explore the Thrive process, how to create a tribe, the specific protocols and support elements, and frequently asked questions. It also includes the six elements, or conversations that support the development of mission, the process and the tribe. These elements include: cultivate a tribe, engage the mission, follow the way, seek the kingdom, explore the story, and go and make disciples

Spirit-Led Parenting Over the years, a mainstream approach to Christian parenting has emerged, and it's one that promotes sleep training and feeding schedules for infants, warns that spoiled children and marital discord are certain by-products of homes where newborns are over-indulged, and promotes these methods as the Biblical way to care for a new baby. Unfortunately, the message of mainstream parenting advice preys on the universal fear of new parents everywhere: the fear that if they stray from the program, their babies and their marriages will suffer. In Spirit-Led Parenting: From Fear to Freedom in Baby's First Year, two mothers share their stories. They tell of a journey that began in fear-soaked, tear-stained days marked by an overwhelming fear of failure that eventually found redemption in discovering the freedom to ignore the wisdom of man and follow the direction of the Spirit. - This gentle path looks toward the example of God the Father, seeks after Christ's unequivocal call to servanthood, and leans upon the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in determining and meeting the individual needs of each unique child. - Spirit-Led Parenting doesn't encourage a methodology, but rather a mindset. This outlook on parenting is radically different from what has become the trend in Christian circles, and yet the authors believe that it is firmly rooted in and supported by Scripture. - Throughout the book, the authors show how parenting with a spirit-led approach has allowed them to become more peaceful, happy mothers, more intimately connected to their husbands, and closer and more surrendered to Christ. Sharing from their unique experiences as well as their shared philosophy, Megan and Laura play the role of big sisters, wrapping their arms around the shoulder of the new mother trying to navigate the confusing world of life with a baby and answering those important questions: "What if the 'right' way doesn't feel 'right'?" and "Could there be more than one way to honor God as I care for my baby?" There is another way. That's what they wish they had been told as new mothers. And it's the message they are passionate about sharing with new parents everywhere.

CREATING MISSIONAL COMMUNITY Down We Go is a practitioner's guide for creating and cultivating missional community. It's based on the idea of living into the Beatitudes, and explores what it means to follow Jesus into the hard places of suffering, inequality, and injustice in order to cultivate, hope, beauty, justice, equality, generosity and healing. The dream of living out the upside-down ways of Jesus is in our hearts, but many don't know how to make "what could be" really be. We need practical, tangible ideas to make dreams reality. We need to hear how it can work, from people on the margins and practitioners living in the trenches. We need real stories of practice that will fan our hopes and dreams for justice, mercy, equality, and healing in the kingdom of God into flame. Down We Go fleshes out practicing the ways of Jesus in action, personally and through life in community. Endorsements "Page after page in Down We Go, I feel the crazy sanity of the kingdom of God seeping back into me. I'm so thankful for Kathy Escobar, the Refuge, the TransForm Network, and everyone who dares to switch directions and become more profane - in the holiest sense of the word." - Brian D. McLaren, author of Naked Spirituality and A New Kind of Christianity. "Kathy Escobar explores how to move from 'doing' ministry for others into creating sacred spaces where all can be a part of the Kingdom of God. Those desiring something beyond "comfy church" will find inspiration in Kathy's downwardly mobile journey" - Becky Garrison, author of Jesus Died For This? "Kathy Escobar leads us on a guided tour of the wild ways of Jesus. She is one of my favorite leaders. I hope to continue to learn from her example for years to come" - Jim Henderson, D. Min, Author of Jim and Casper Go To Church and The Resignation of Eve. "Kathy takes us down into the trenches where ordinary hurting people live and where we too need to live out our faith. Her personal faith journey from mega-church pastor to ministry with the destitute and marginalized is a compelling and convicting read." - Christine Sine, Author and Executive Director of Mustard Seed Associates.

IS RESTORATION POSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO ONCE LED IN MINISTRY? With one in three pastors admitting to an affair, churches are now facing a problem of epidemic proportions. Over 1,500 pastors each month leave their church due to some kind of moral failure. And when it happens, the effects are devastating to everyone involved. With so many pastors experiencing the same problem, it's time to bring the issue to light. Is restoration even possible when someone in leadership fails? Fallen Pastor takes an unflinching look into the problems and perils facing so many pastors. It dives into the stories of those who have fallen and asks and answers the hard question of, "Why?" Author Ray Carroll takes a deep look into his own story of adultery and the stories of so many pastors like him, who lost so much in the wake of their decisions. Ray identifies the common decisions and cultural issues that continuously lead to the exact same outcome, issues like isolation, the church mistress, judgmentalism, and idolatry. Ray offers no justification for what happened, instead seeking understanding that leads to a Biblical response of restoration. Fallen Pastor offers perspective and hope for those seeking answers and healing in the wake of these failures. It takes a deep look at why it happens. It also take the next step and offers solutions to those wanting to prevent the problem from happening in the first place. Churches could actually begin to change and even stop the problem.

When little girls are neglected or abused, when teen girls are taunted or assaulted, when women are used or discriminated against, they can't help question their worth. With her trademark vulnerability and candor, editor Tamára Lunardo weaves together the stories of 30 women in a poignant, challenging, and ultimately inspiring exploration of how women's self-worth is shaped. Asking the deepest questions of every heart and making room for real answers, What a Woman is Worth is a bold effort to bring about greater awareness of how women and girls are wounded; to offer catharsis, comfort, and community; and to affirm the inestimable worth of all people. "The question of our worth lies at the root of so many things that hold us back in shame, fear, or doubt. This book is a brave 'I'll go first, ' inspiring all who read it to take important steps forward into freedom." - Kristen Howerton, Professor of Psychology, Vanguard University and author of RageAgainsttheMinivan.com

Fear is a very real and powerful inhibiting experience for so many people. It keeps people locked in a state of static oppression, unable to live life. But what would happen if a group of people confronted their fear and chose to tell the story? The results would literally change their lives. And possibly yours. In Not Afraid: Stories Of Living Confronting Fear, a courageous list of authors boldly sharing their stories of what it means to live daringly and with a sense of renewed purpose. You will find words of hope. You will find that it is possible to be Not Afraid.

This book is not about running. It's not even about dogs. It is, however, a little bit about poo, or rather, the mess we unnecessarily carry around in our own lives. Though Jennifer Luitwieler started running with one singular and significant goal in mind, to train The Dog to stop laying pipe under her sewing machine, she found herself running not just a half marathon, but away from the poo that she'd been unwittingly holding onto. Approaching her 40th birthday, Jennifer thought running was stupid and running marathons was downright crazy. She thought the church had failed her. She thought she lacked worth because she couldn't meet everyone's expectations, let alone her own. She thought putting a writing career aside in favor of full-time mothering for over a decade meant she was no longer a writer. At first, running was merely a training vehicle for The Dog, to keep his mess out of her house. Running stopped being about The Dog the day she realized she was stronger than she ever imagined, more capable than she had dreamed. Then running stopped being about Jennifer's feet hitting the ground, eyes roaming the horizon. Running became space to think, to wonder, and to examine her own mess. Down-to-earth, hilarious and thoughtful, this is a story of redemption told in a voice that is both deeply spiritual and slightly-irreverent. Anything but tidy and cliché, this wise and refreshingly-honest and hilarious book is about what it means to be human. Jennifer invites her readers to "Run With Me" as she chronicles a journey that is deeply inspiring: coming face-to-face with who we are, learning to value what we find within and calling forth the yet-unplumbed strength and potential that was there all along.

CAUTION ! You are about to enter the spirit realm. Powers you will engage after this point are beyond your ability to control. There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. ( 1 Corinth. 6:16,17TMB) The powerful mystery of sexual desire marks it as a spiritual phenomenon. Yet talk of sexuality has largely been banned from churches, leaving a vacuum which the world is literally hell-bent to fill. "Sex is dirty and immoral," as the culture confounds, "so save it for marriage and the one you love most!" Yet if God created sex as a reflection of His very image in male and female together (Gen. 1:27), it must be good. Among people who acknowledge and respect spiritual power, sexual desire prompts awe, even worship. Because we can't control it however, our secularized culture uses religion to confine sex to manageable morality, divorcing it from spirituality and enforcing compliance with shame. Includes "Was It Good for You (Too)? Sexual Bonding and a Woman's Heart" by Mary Andrews-Dalbey Here's a reality-based view of sex, free from either judgmental religion or care-less tolerance. It's not about "what you can do to improve your sex life," but rather, what God is doing to accomplish His purposes in men and women today, and how He provides what you need to join Him.

Since Jesus, religion is obsolete."Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.'I'm here to invite outsiders, not to coddle insiders." (Matt. 9:13,14TMB) Shortly before the prequel to this book No Small Snakes: A Journey into Spiritual Warfare went to press, my then-teenaged son and I were enjoying the summer breeze on a late-night drive in our trusty old convertible. Just that morning, I had carefully folded the windshield sunscreen and stuffed it securely under the back of the driver's seat so it wouldn't blow away with the top down. That night in the outside lane, as a pickup was about to pass us, we were startled by a loud Pop! Fwhoosh! Suddenly, the sunscreen leapt out behind us from under the driver's seat and flew up above us and foreword, unfolded, and fell spread-out across our faces. In a flash of blindness, we sideswiped the pickup and shot off the freeway. Slamming from 65 to zero in seconds, an explosive blast of impact left us stunned and wedged under a foot-thick tree branch just inches above the windshield. Dazed, and covered with leaves and dirt, we managed to pull ourselves out of the wreckage and debris. Soon afterwards, a patrolman arrived to find my son and me trembling and holding each other, dusty and trembling. The grey-haired officer studied the crumpled remains of our beloved sports car wedged under the huge branch-low enough to have crushed through the windshield and cabin of any sedan. Finally, he shook his head in amazement and turned to my son. "Do you go to church?" he asked. Shaken, but alive and filled with grace, we both nodded. This book, like its prequel, presumes that ours is a planet at war. What's more, the enemy of God quite deliberately attacks first and most fiercely those surrendered to Jesus, because we're the only ones capable of recognizing and empowered to overcome the kingdom of darkness. Those who are not surrendered to Jesus dare not even see the battle, because they have no power to win it. Thus opting out of the battle into denial, they bear no threat to the enemy (see 1 Corinth. 2:14). Spiritual warfare, that is, allows no conscientious objectors, but only deluded deserters and persevering victors. To withdraw is neither honorable nor safe-but simply to capitulate to the enemy, whose objective is precisely to remove opposition from the battlefield. I pray this book will stir you not only to acknowledge the battle in the larger world, but indeed, to face it within yourself; not to surrender to the enemy's deceptions as a comfortably ensconced POW, but to surrender to Father God as an active, victorious combatant.The Father of us all has set our destiny.Jesus has blazed the trail.Holy Spirit has empowered us to get there.History awaits us. Religion fabricates relationship with God.Tragically, few people today, even in the Church, dare to face and walk in this reality. Proudly, we discount spiritual power and trust instead in our own. This denial sustains religion as an unholy distraction from what God is doing and thereby, marks it as a tool of God's enemy. The enemy of God hides in religion...In fact, the increasing work of evil among us today-from warmaking, family breakups, and gender confusion to addictions, racism, and corporate greed-reveals graphically both our desperate need for saving power and the inability of religion to provide it. ... but the heart of God shines in Jesus.Chapters include Christmas after 9/11, Terrorism and Spiritual Warfare, Secularization and White Racism, Homosexuality: Outing the Man-Hating Spirit, Hollywood's X-Rated Spirituality, Ball Games and the Battle for Men's Souls, Old Demons in the New Age, Depression or Expression?, But Is Jesus the Only Way?, The Commandment to Enjoy, and Unmasking Halloween.

Forest Life by Shane Crash follows Emmett Thompson as he retreats to seclusion in the woods of Paris, Tennessee. After suffering the loss of a loved one, Emmett struggles to sustain the will to live. He must confront his suffering and overcome it, before it permanently destroys him. "I like the way she dances and I like the way she sings. The way I feel when I watch her dance. I can't explain that," I confess. Behind us a family laughs and I hear some children scream. I glance back to see two young boys running through the tide. "When she dances," I continue, "it feels like she conquers all my cynicism. I don't feel dead or empty. I don't know. I want to be with her despite everything but I can't let myself. Won't that mean that Lenai meant nothing to me?" I stare down at my feet. Something inside me knows that's not true. "I think you're trying to make yourself believe that because you're afraid. And Emmett, can I tell you something?" "Of course," I say. "You haven't stopped smiling since I asked you about Maraye." "Shit ..." I say. I hesitate a moment and then chuckle with him. "Emmett, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who ever lived who didn't suffer loss in their lifetime. The price we pay for love is steep but the price we pay for not loving, for locking ourselves away from the world, is much steeper." "Well ... fuck me ..." I reply, kicking the sand and grinning.

Deep inside you always knew it was there, that image of God drawing you in to healing, restoration, hope and even love. You wanted it to be true. You couldn't ignore it, even though you weren't sure it was true. Yet finding that image in Scripture is often hard. It's easy to see God as angry and bent on catching us when we fail. What if the story the Bible could actually reinforce what your heart longed to be true? What if the story was actually about God's relentless pursuit of the restoration of all creation, of you? You just needed help seeing it. In this re-examination of the story of Christianity, author Jonathan Brink offers a compelling look into the remarkable dissonance between our historical understanding of Gospel, and what the story in Scripture actually reveals. It offers a compelling possibility for those looking to reconstruct their faith in a whole new way. Discovering The God Imagination examines the details of the story that shapes our understanding of the Gospel, in light of our emerging understanding of cognitive development. It suggests a profoundly simple but provocative assessment of why we misunderstand God, ourselves and each other. Listening to the story once again allows us to unravel the mystery of suffering, justice, and reconciliation, and actually participate with God in our own restoration. It suggests that at the deepest levels, life is really about wrestling with and answering a single root question, symbolized in the Tree of Knowledge? How can God love me when I'm broken? Finally, it offers new insights that suggest the cross is God saying, "This is how far I will go to show you that you that I love you." It suggests the Way of love espoused by Jesus is actually a return to reality, to God's original, objective structure for what it means to be human.

In the contemporary church, women are held back from positions of authority and leadership simply because they are women. Gender matters instead of gifting or calling. From the pulpit to the home front of marriage, women of faith are taught that men lead and women assist. But is this biblical? Has God created women for helper roles? In her book, Unladylike: Resisting the Injustice of Inequality in the Church, author Pam Hogeweide confronts the patriarchal view of women that has been mistaken as God's divine will. Not so, writes Pam, who dismantles the discrimination of women in churches by reexamining her beliefs. Pam tells how she changed from being neutral about the roles of women in the church when she realized it was an issue of justice rather than theology. Combining history, theology and vivid storytelling, Unladylike is a call to women and men of faith to join Pam in resisting the injustice of inequality in the church.

What happens when people begin to question church? Millions of people are "leaving church" each year as they begin to question the deeper meanings and structures of gathering together. They're asking a fundamental question of, "What does it mean to participate in church and what would happen if we did something different?" They are not abandoning God, ignoring Scripture, or giving up on Jesus. While a few do leave for such reasons, the vast majority report that they leave church to better follow Jesus, obey God, and live out their faith in meaningful and relational ways. They stop attending church to pursue something more intimate and personal. Finding Church explores these stories of people leaving, switching, and even reforming their basic understanding of church. It will open your eyes to a growing trend in culture for people to take responsibility for their faith.

What happens when people begin to practice love? This collection of stories explores a remarkably simple idea. What would it look like to practice love? What would happen if we actively chose to engage a deep sense of love even in hard places? The possibilities include a love for God, a love for the self, a love for a neighbor, and even a love for an enemy. What emerges will inspire and challenge the reader to reconsider what it means to live out the practice of love in our lives. Jesus invited people to engage love as a way of living. It was the defining act of what it meant to live. And in doing so, he opened up a world that revealed something extraordinary: the Kingdom of God. To live a life based on the practice of love requires courage and conviction. It often means facing fears that are not easily overcome. But in the end, the practice of love invites us to discover something deeper about what it means to be human.

Fundamorphosis is the story of how Robb Ryerse went from being a fundamentalist pastor to an emergent church planter. When the answers he'd always been taught stopped resonating with him, Robb couldn't in good conscience go on perpetuating the traditions and beliefs of his church. Fundamorphosis details the struggle of saying goodbye to the church he had always known. But more than just deconstructing fundamentalism, Fundamorphosis provides a constructive look at the shape Robb's beliefs now take: authentic, gracious, optimistic, and unfinished. Fundamorphosis is a story in which many will be able to find themselves. It's a thought-provoking roadmap for those who are in the midst of their own fundamorphosis. Endorsements Robb's story will introduce you to a growing trend that may indeed become a movement in the years to come. - Brian D. McLaren, author/speaker/networker (brianmclaren.net) Robb Ryerse's Fundamorphosis gently addresses the psychological pain and nagging intellectual questions of so many who have been shaped by fundamentalist Christianity. - Mark Scandrette, author of Soul Graffiti and Practicing the Way of Jesus This is a compelling story of personal and theological change, told with wisdom and insight. - John R. Franke, General Coordinator, The Gospel and Our Culture Network How refreshing to read Robb Ryerse's Fundamorphosis, an account of leaving fundamentalism while retaining faith. - Drew Dyck, managing editor of Leadership Journal, author of Generation Ex-Christian So many struggle with keeping their faith when confronted with those who preach an unjust, proud, and merciless gospel. It's encouraging to read the story a Christian who has at long last met Christ. - Darrell Dow, stufffundieslike.com

Are you searching for something deeper in your prayer life? What would it look like to engage God in a wrestling match, and live to tell about it? In this bold and beautiful account of Uncensored Prayer, author Joy Wilson shares her insights and experiences of taking a radical risk of wrestling with God in Uncensored Prayer. Uncensored Prayer is not about practicing a new religion, but instead taking the leap of faith that God wants to engage each of us in a loving, trusting, and ongoing dialog of restoration, unhindered by traditional structures. When we get real with God, the door opens wide enough for us to hear God's suggestions, wisdom, and understanding. Joy's experience will both shock you and invite you into a radically deeper experience of spiritual communion with God, one that revolutionizes your practice of prayer. "Sublime and profane! How dare she say such things to God? How dare she not?" Dr. Steve Stone, Senior Pastor, Heartsong Church "Honest and freeing, Uncensored Prayer resonates deep within the soul, teaching us (the creation) to deeply connect with our Creator." - Phil Shepherd, Eucastrophe, Ft. Worth "A beautiful mix of raw, authentic prayers, personal reflections, and scripture, Uncensored Prayer is an invitation to engage with God in a deep, meaningful, and sometimes unfamiliar way." - Kathy Escobar, author of Down We Go: Living Into the Wild Ways of Jesus "Joy Wilson has given us a wonderfully simple, deeply profound, straight from the heart guide for being in conversation with God that is transformational." - Diane Harrison, Pastor, Grace Place Ministries in a state penitentiary for female felons

Depression is a very real experience for many people. The causes can be varied. Abuse. Chemical imbalances. Divorce. Rejection. There is no one reason that a person might suffer depression. However, one common theme is that it can leave the person feeling isolated and alone. Because of the stigma that is often associated with depression, people often remain silent about it, never knowing that the person next to them is going through the same thing or has experienced it in the past. Instead, they hide away, believing that no one understands, believing that no one cares. In this book, the authors break the silence, boldly sharing their stories of depression. Whether sharing how they first discovered that what they were feeling was depression, telling how they sought help for their depression or giving words of hope that depression can be managed, the authors all tackle the lie that you must suffer in solitude. With courage and honesty, these stories give a glimpse into the depressed existence. While you will not find a cure for depression in these pages, you will find a sense of community. You will find words of hope. You will find that you are Not Alone. Endorsements "Stories are powerful. They humanize us, wreak havoc on our prejudices, and bind us together like societal glue. The personal essays in Not Alone do all these things. For those of us outside depression, they help us recognize bits of ourselves in an unfamiliar landscape. For those already intimate with depression, these stories can be a lifeline to community, an extended hand in the darkness. They show us no one is alone, and that point is worth celebrating." - Jason Boyett, author of O Me of Little Faith and the Pocket Guide series "When our journeys take us down dark and unfamiliar paths, we don't need leaders with all the answers; we need friends with open arms. Not Alone brings together the voices of many such friends in essays that are alive with wisdom, honesty, humor, and grace. What makes this book so powerful is the diversity of the stories shared within it. No two journeys through depression are exactly the same, and yet no one needs to travel alone. What a joy it is to see such an impressive assemblage of smart, talented, and creative writers speaking words of hope into the world!" - Rachel Held Evans, popular blogger and author of Evolving in Monkey Town "A book like this transcends a memoir. These essays make up a quasi-support group, where the reader can share in the experiences of multiple sufferers. Highly recommended for those who want to understand the 'human' element of depression." - Rob Dobrenski, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist and author of Crazy: Notes on and off the Couch