Andy Crouch - Böcker

What should the church look like today? What should be the focus of its message? How should I present that message? We live in as pivotal and defining an age as the Great Depression or the Sixties–a period whose definition, say some cultural observers, includes a warning of the church’s influence. The result? A society measurably less religious but decidedly more spiritual. Less influenced by authority than by experience. More attuned to images than to words. How does the church adapt to such a culture? Or should it, in fact, eschew adapting for maintaining a course it has followed these last two millennia? Or something in between? These are exactly the questions asked in The Church In Emerging Culture by five Christian thinker-speaker-writers, each who advocate unique stances regarding what the church’s message should be (and what methods should be used to present it) as it journeys through this evolving, postmodern era. The authors are: Andy Crouch–Re:Generation Quarterly editor-in-chief Michael Horton–professor and reformed theologian Frederica Mathewes-Green–author, commentator, and Orthodox Christian Brian D. McLaren–postmodernist, author, pastor, and Emergent senior fellow Erwin Raphael McManus–author and pastor of the innovative and interethnic L.A.-based church, Mosaic Most unique about their individual positions is that they’re presented not as singular essays but as lively discussions in which the other four authors freely (and frequently) comment, critique, and concur. That element, coupled with a unique photographic design that reinforces the depth of their at-once congenial and feisty conversation, gives you all-access entrée into this groundbreaking discourse. What’s more, general editor Leonard Sweet (author of SoulTsunami and AquaChurch, among several other acclaimed texts) frames the thought-provoking dialogue with a profoundly insightful, erudite introductory essay–practically a book within a book. The Church In Emerging Culture is foundational reading for leaders and serious students of all denominations and church styles.

Without careful attention, faith-based organizations drift from their founding mission. It's that simple. It will happen.Why do so many organizations wander from their mission, while others remain Mission True? Can drift be prevented? In Mission Drift, HOPE International executives Peter Greer and Chris Horst share the results of their research into Mission True and Mission Untrue organizations and show you how to:● determine whether your organization is in danger of drift● get back on track and protect what matters most● inoculate yourself against drift now and build safeguards against it● find clarity about your mission, cultural tone, and core tenets● fully understand your priorities and metrics for successDrift often happens in small and subtle ways. But with intentionality, courage, and resolve, you can follow a path of faithfulness. Includes review questions and additional reading recommendations.

Reclaiming real life in a world of devicesMaking good choices about technology in our families is more than just using internet filters and determining screen-time limits for our children. It's about building character, wisdom, and courage rather than accepting technology's promises of ease and instant gratification. It's about developing our heart, mind, soul, and strength when we're tempted to settle for entertainment and consumer satisfaction. And it's definitely not just about the kids.Alongside in-depth original research from Barna Group, Andy Crouch shows you there's a way to choose a better life than you've imagined, by:● making the mission of your family to cultivate wisdom and courage● putting the development of character and creativity at the heart of the home● building regular rhythms into your lives that make it possible to know one another, God, and our world in deeper ways● implementing daily disciplines for a healthier life with technology● prioritizing what matters mostAnyone who has felt their family relationships suffer or their time slip away amid technology's distractions will find in this book a path forward to reclaiming their real life in a world of devices.

From the author of The Tech-Wise Family'A fascinating and eye-opening book' - Tom Holland, author of Dominion: The Making of the Western MindOur greatest need is to be recognised - to be seen, loved, and embedded in rich relationships with the people around us. But for the last century, we've displaced that need with the ease of technology. We've dreamed of power that doesn't require relationship (what the premodern world called magic) and abundance that doesn't require dependence (what Jesus called Mammon). Yet even before a pandemic disrupted that quest, we felt threatened and strangely out of place: lonely, anxious, bored amid endless options, oddly disconnected amid infinite connections.In The Life We're Looking For, bestselling author and cultural critic Andy Crouch reveals how we traded lives of rich relationship for a world of impersonal power - and how each of us can fight back. From the generosity of early Christians to the efforts of entrepreneurs working to create more humane technology, Crouch shows how we can restore true community and put people first in a world dominated by money, power and devices.There is a way out of our impersonal world, into a world where knowing and being known is the heartbeat of our days, our households, and our economies. Where our human vulnerabilities are seen not as something to be escaped but the actual key to our becoming who were made to be together. Where technology serves us rather than masters us - and helps us become more human, not less.