It's No Secret Serving on a church board can be a tough assignment. Marathon business meetings and petty squabbling can quickly take a toll. But lay leaders aren't the only ones who find board meetings to be a harrowing experience. So do many pastors. Larry Osborne was no exception. Six months into a new pastorate, he found himself embroiled in controversy. Old members left as fast as new ones could be added. He and the board seldom saw eye to eye on anything. Troubled and confused, he set out to find some answers. What were the secrets of an effective leadership team? Could a pastor lead without becoming a dictator? What would it take to develop and maintain a unified board? Could it even be done? Now, many years, board meetings and hours of research later, Pastor Osborne applies tested, no-nonsense wisdom to these and other questions. Whatever your situation...whether your church is in a start-up phase, is small and struggling, or is one of a growing number of so-called mega churches, Larry has been there. As the senior pastor of North Coast Church, he's walked his congregation and board through each stage. Now, in The Unity Factor, he shows us what it takes to develop a healthy leadership team with sensible strategies and warm encouragement. Now with an additional bonus chapter "What Game Are We Playing?"

What would it be like to be discipled by Jesus himself? What would he teach you about relationships, priorities, wealth and his coming kingdom? What would you learn from his actions? Matthew's Gospel brings you face to face with Jesus as he calls, teaches and prepares his disciples. As you work through these Bible studies on Matthew, you can become one of those chosen followers.This LifeGuide Bible Study features questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection. Leader's notes are included with information on study preparation, leading the study and small group components as well as helps for specific Bible passages covered in the study. Presented in a convenient workbook format and featuring the inductive Bible study approach, LifeGuides are thoroughly field-tested prior to publication; they're proven and popular guides for digging into Scripture on your own or with a small group.

What Arethe Answers?

Is the coming of the Lord near? Must any signs take place before he can return?

Must God's people go through the Tribulation before Christ can return?

These are important questions dealt with in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. But Dr. Warren Wiersbe focuses on the real message of these two Pauline epistles by showing how we need to Be Ready with prepared lives, with a prepared church. From 1 Thessalonians, the author discusses how to walk...

and #149; in holiness
and #149; in harmony
and #149; in honesty
and #149; in hope
and #149; in helpfulness

From 2 Thessalonians...

and #149; encouragement in suffering
and #149; enlightenment in teaching
and #149; enablement in living

BE READY

Christian experiences are detailed for beginners with corresponding sketches on each page.

Throughout his ministry, Andrew Murray passionately prayed and taught people about prayer. In this volume he combines his devotional writing with his only study guide on prayer: "Pray Without Ceasing." His simple but profound goal is teaching Christians how to change the world through the powerful ministry of intercession.

One of the greatest of the early Christian thinkers, Augustine (354-430) left a body of writing and philosophy that still influences Christians today. Reared by a godly mother, Augustine turned his back on her teachings during this years of schooling. Contemporary philosophies, however, could not help him during a time of spiritual crisis, and Augustine returned to his roots, embracing Christianity. Augustine's writings, including the autobiographical Confessions, and his monumental theology The City of God, are still read and studied more than fifteen hundred years after his death.