Fortress Press

Journeying in the Wilderness: Forming Faith in the 21st Century

Terri Martinson Elton (Author)

Journeying in the Wilderness places a confessional understanding of faith in dialogue with five contextually altering forces in order to provide a pathway for congregations to reimagine faith formation in the midst of twenty-first-century realities. The use of stories, nontechnical language, and biblical perspectives make this work accessible for congregational leaders and others who seek to explore new directions in forming faith. Each chapter includes leadership competencies, shared practices, and group discussion questions.

Minister's Prayer Book: An Order of Prayers and Readings, Revised Edition

Timothy J. Wengert (General Editor), Mary Jane Haemig (Editor), Chris Halverson (Editor), Robert Harrell (Editor)

Since it first appeared in print in 1959, John Doberstein's Minister's Prayer Book has been a devotional classic among Lutheran pastors. The beauty of the Minister's Prayer Book is its centering of the pastor's calling on word and sacrament, on pastoral care, and on being fully present in the lives of God's people. While the basic structure and intent of the original work remains, new resources have been included to develop a broader appeal.

Leading with the Sermon: Preaching as Leadership

William H. Willimon (Author)

Prolific author William H. Willimon makes the compelling case that two key pastoral tasks--preaching and leadership--complement, correct, strengthen, and inform one another. Preaching is the distinctive function of pastoral leaders. Leadership of the church, particularly during a challenging time of transition in mainline Protestantism, has become a pressing concern for pastors. This book shows how the practices, skills, and intentions of Christian preaching can be helpful to the leadership of a congregation.

Abundance: Creating a Culture of Generosity

Michael R. Ward (Author)

Pastor and certified fundraising executive (CFRE) Michael R. Ward provides church leaders a resource to lead their congregations to a new culture of generosity and abundance that raises more money as well as more disciples. This book guides a process of study, reflection, and action that is clear and practical. Ward taps into years of experience fundraising in the nonprofit sector to address the ongoing challenges of financing ministry.

Touched: For Survivors of Sexual Assault Like Me Who Have Been Hurt by Church Folk and for Those Who Will Care

Shanell T. Smith (Author)

Touched, by Shanell T. Smith, makes visible the often silenced or ignored narratives of survivors of sexual violence. It tells the author's story of her personal traumatic experience with sexual violence by a church leader and focuses on the responses that she received from people in the church (clergy and lay folk) once she "sounded the alarm."Touched helps readers learn how to respond to those who seek refuge and care.

Tough Questions, Honest Answers: Faith and Religion for 21st-Century Explorers

Cameron Harder (Author)

In Tough Questions, Honest Answers, Christian theologian Cameron Harder explores pressing contemporary challenges to religion--from religion itself to modern "big ideas" that often confound thoughtful seekers. Issues addressed include religion and violence, religion and child sexual abuse, mystery and miracle, the compatibility of science and faith, and God's role when bad things happen. Tough Questions, Honest Answers is an excellent conversation starter for inquirers, skeptics, and faithful doubt

The Gospel People Don't Want to Hear: Preaching Challenging Messages

Lisa Cressman (Author)

Lisa Cressman, founder of Backstory Preaching, provides tools to craft difficult sermon messages that can be heard. Part 1 focuses on the preacher's preparation, the building of mutual trust with listeners, and the authority needed to proclaim the gospel with empathy, compassion, and skill. Part 2 focuses on the sermon itself with practical suggestions on what to say and how to say it.

A Lay Preacher’s Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon

Karoline M. Lewis (Author)

In A Lay Preacher's Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon, Karoline M. Lewis provides lay preachers with an essential and accessible guide to the basics of Sunday-morning preaching. In this go-to resource for lay preachers, Lewis lays out in a concise and clear format the steps to preaching a faithful sermon, a process that can be immediately applied to weekly sermon preparation.

Why Churches Need to Talk about Sexuality: Lessons Learned from Hard Conversations about Sex, Gender, Identity, and the Bible

Mark Wingfield (Author), David P. Gushee (Foreword by)

Journalist and pastor Mark Wingfield describes how the congregation he serves undertook a study of how churches respond to the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members. Why Churches Need to Talk about Sexuality is for congregational leaders and others who want to understand the debates about human sexuality and who desire to follow a process to discuss the topic and make decisions about how congregations and individuals will respond to these issues.

God So Enters into Relationships That...: A Biblical View

Terence E. Fretheim (Author)

Respected biblical theologian Terrence E. Fretheim weaves key insights from Scripture with theological reflections on the nature and activity of God. He emphasizes for pastoral leaders the importance of using this kind of language to speak to the realities of life and faith in sermons, worship, prayers, and teaching of all kinds. Filled with helpful insights communicated in clear language, this is a must-read for all want to know more about the nature of God.

… And the Church Actually Changed: Uncommon Wisdom for Pastors in an Age of Doubt, Division, and Decline

N. Graham Standish (Author)

. . . And the Church Actually Changed: Uncommon Wisdom for Pastors in an Age of Doubt, Division, and Decline arises out of N. Graham Standish's work as a spiritual director and coach to clergy of all denominations and traditions. He draws on insights from counseling, spirituality and spiritual direction, organizational development, and other fields. Each chapter is built around a dialogue between a clergy coach and various clergy clients about significant clergy leadership issues.

Rooted and Renewing: Imagining the Church's Future in Light of Its New Testament Origins

Troy M. Troftgruben (Author)

As changes in demographics, participation, and leadership continue to roil faith communities in the Western world, questions about the historic roots of church communities have become all the more important. Rooted and Renewing explores everyday realities in the earliest church communities in order to help Christians discover how to be church in today's world. Aimed at church members and leaders alike, the book includes as study guide for with questions for reflection and discussion.

When the Center Does Not Hold: Leading in an Age of Polarization

David R. Brubaker (Author), Everett Brubaker (Contributor), Carolyn Yoder (Contributor), Teresa J. Haase (Contributor)

Over the past forty years, polarization has permeated nearly every level of American life, including the intimate spheres of faith and interpersonal relationships. In When the Center Does Not Hold, David R. Brubaker, with contributions by colleagues Everett Brubaker, Carolyn Yoder, and Teresa Haase, offers relevant, practical mentorship on navigating polarized environments, equipping leaders to both manage themselves and effectively lead others in highly polarized and anxious systems. In this book, readers will find hope.

I Can Do No Other: The Church's New Here We Stand Moment

Anna M. Madsen (Author)

Author Anna M. Madsen's book is a fresh and challenging look at the legacy of Martin Luther and the new reformation that is calling people of faith to action today. She makes a compelling case that justice, anchored in justification, is our new Reformation moment, one not inconsistent with Luther's theology, but weighted differently to address the different weighty concerns of our day. A study guide is included to encourage group conversation and action.

Intercultural Church: A Biblical Vision for an Age of Migration

Safwat Marzouk (Author)

Safwat Marzouk offers a biblical vision for what it means to be an intercultural church. Migration today offers the church an opportunity to renew itself by rediscovering the biblical vision of the church as a diverse community. This vision views cultural, linguistic, racial, and ethnic differences as gifts from God that can enrich the church's worship, deepen its sense of fellowship, and broaden the church's witness to God's reconciling mission in the world.

Embracing God's Future without Forgetting the Past: A Conversation about Loss, Grief, and Nostalgia in Congregational Life

Michael K. Girlinghouse (Author)

Embracing God's Future without Forgetting the Past helps congregations, leaders and members alike, process the grief and loss in their congregational system, and use what they have learned to adapt creatively to the changing realities they face in mission and ministry. Congregations who work through their grief over change and loss and redefine their relationship with their past can draw strength and encouragement from their memories and step boldly into God's good future with confidence.

Everyone Must Eat: Food, Sustainability, and Ministry

Mark L. Yackel-Juleen (Author)

Rural contexts are often over-looked, treated as "flyover land." But because everyone must eat, rural communities and their work in food production are vitally important to the whole of society. Mark Yackel-Juleen, the executive director of Shalom Hill Farms, connects issues of food production and environmental sustainability in profound ways to the Bible and theology. He offers actionable tools for rural leaders and ministers to address issues of sustainability and land use in their ministry.

Life Unsettled: A Scriptural Journey for Wilderness Times

Cory Driver (Author)

The metaphor of wilderness journeying and the biblical book of Numbers take center stage in author Cory Driver's creative account about life in wilderness times, a hallmark metaphor for the life of faith. The author combines the study of biblical texts, ancient Jewish legends, modern theological insights, and his own personal journeys to provide a guide for moving forward when we feel lost and confused. The book includes a discussion guide ideal for group use.

Preaching from the Old Testament

Walter Brueggemann (Author), Rolf A. Jacobson (Foreword by)

Walter Brueggemann shows Christian preachers how to consider the faith witnessed in several Old Testament traditions and to help them discover rich and suggestive connections to our contemporary faith challenges. He claims that sustained engagement with the Old Testament is worth the effort for the preacher. This volume is part of the new Working Preacher Books series designed to provide timely and compelling books on biblical preaching. God uses good preaching to change lives.

Engage!: Tools for Ministry in the Community

Dana Horrell (Author)

Author Dana Horrell calls on years of experience in community action to create this practical guide to help congregations reach out to their local communities. Engage! provides twenty-six practical and proven tools to help leaders develop methods and strategies to get started on a path of effective planning.

The primary audience for Engage! includes pastors, lay leaders, and members in local congregations who are engaged in community ministry.