Blair D. Bertrand – författare

What if the solution for the decline of today''s church isn''t more money, people, programs, innovation, or busyness?What if the answer is to stop and wait on God? In When Church Stops Working, ministry leaders Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand show how actively watching and listening for God can bring life out of death for churches in crisis today. Using clear steps and practices, they invite church leaders to stop the endless cycle of doing more and rather to simply "be" in God''s presence.When Church Stops Working distills the core themes of Root''s critically acclaimed Ministry in a Secular Age series in a more accessible form. Leaders and churchgoers who are burned out and hopeless will experience affirmation, encouragement, and empowerment as Root and Bertrand show what "active" waiting looks like and the saving grace it can hold.

Most students of practical theology recognize Richard R. Osmer as the originator of the "e;consensus model"e; of practical theology, one of the most accessible and widely used models of practical theological reflection in the world. Yet Osmer's influence extends beyond practical theological method. Over his long career, his writing and teaching spanned Christian education, youth ministry, spirituality, and evangelism as well, giving each of these congregational practices new theological substance. A pastor as well as a scholar at heart, Osmer writes with the American congregation in mind, insisting on making theology central to every Christian practice. Consensus and Conflict traces Osmer's multi-faceted intellectual career from his days as seminarian through his professoriate at Princeton Theological Seminary and his role in the founding of the International Academy of Practical Theology. These themes unfold against the backdrop of ecclesial change that Osmer barely anticipated as a young pastor in New England and western North Carolina. The contributors to this volume bear witness to Osmer's indebtedness to social sciences, theologians like Moltmann and Barth, his wide range of interests ranging from confirmation to redemptive agriculture to church planting, and his deep hope that the theological disciplines will play a more vital role in practical theology's future. Contributors: Bo Karen LeeRichard R. OsmerShin-Guen JangKyoo Min LeeThomas HastingsAngela ReedJessicah DuckworthTheresa LatiniNathan StuckynathanDrew Dyson:Gordon MikoskDarrell Guder