NPC

Holy Thursday! (Free Books!)

Week Fifteen of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke

+ Read Sample

How do we live out the message of Jesus in today’s ever-changing culture? The church is facing its greatest challenge—and its greatest opportunity—in our postmodern, post-Christian world. God is drawing thousands of spiritually curious “imperfect people” to become his church—but how are we doing at welcoming them? No Perfect People Allowed shows you how to deconstruct the five main barriers standing between emerging generations and your church by creating the right culture. From inspiring stories of real people once far from God, to practical ideas that can be applied by any local church, this book offers a refreshing vision of the potential and power of the Body of Christ to transform lives today. “We now are living in a post-Christian America—and that means we must be rethinking ministry through a missionary mindset. What makes this book both unique and extremely helpful is that it is filled with real-life stories of post-Christian people becoming followers of Jesus—not just statistics or data about them.” Dan Kimball, Author, The Emerging Church ". . . John's 'get it' factor with people, lost or found, is something to behold!

Reading this book filled me with optimism regarding the next generation of pastors and faith communities . . . " Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church No Perfect People Allowed is a timely and necessary word for church leaders in a post Christian culture. John Burke serves up quite a tasty meal full of the rich nutrients that will strengthen the Body of Christ.

John Burke and his wife, Kathy, founded Gateway Church in Austin, Texas, in 1998. Since then, Gateway has grown to over 3,000 people, 70 percent of whom are in their twenties and thirties, and consists mostly of unchurched people who began actively following Christ at Gateway.

Holy Thursday! (Free Books!)

Week Fourteen of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Breathe | NOOMA 14 by Rob Bell

+ View Sample

Throughout our everyday lives we don’t pay much attention to the way we breathe, do we? But for thousands of years, people have understood that our physical breath is actually a picture of a deeper spiritual reality.

Rob Bell lives with his family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he’s the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church. He also teaches in a short film format called NOOMA, and his first books are Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith and Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality.  Don't miss your chance to hear Rob at the National Pastors Convention in February!

Holy Thursday! (Free Books!)

Week Thirteen of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Finding Faith – A Search for What is Real by Brian McLaren

+ Read Sample

There have been times when you’ve felt that if there isn’t a God, there ought to be.

Swept up in the mystery of the night sky, you’ve felt the closeness of its designer. Nature’s extravagant diversity, unfolding in living color, has made you long to know the artist who dreamed it all up. Imagine what that might be like—to actually know God in a way that fills your heart and whispers tremendous value and purpose to something deep within you.

But how can you experience a being you’re not even sure exists? Religious jargon and games can’t satisfy such a longing. It’s got to be real … or nothing at all.

A Search for What Is Real helps you sort through the questions, objections, and concerns that arise when you consider God not as some theological abstraction, but as someone you can actually connect with … and want to connect with, perhaps more than you know.

Brian D. McLaren is founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church, an innovative, nondenominational church in the Baltimore-Washington region. He is the author of several books including A Generous Orthodoxy, A New Kind of Christian, and The Secret Message of Jesus. Don't miss your chance to hear Brian at the National Pastors Convention in February!

Holy Thursday! (Free Books!)

Week Eleven of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Volunteer Revolution by Bill Hybels

+ Read Sample

Bill Hybels makes a clarion call to move beyond volunteer retention to volunteer acquisition.
By attracting, connecting, training, and sustaining volunteers, churches will mobilize people
into places of service that will bring new meaning to their lives and understand why God put
them on planet Earth.

Bill (BA, Trinity College) is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. Willow Creek’s innovative ministries have made it one of the most attended churches in North America. Hybels has authored over 20 books, including Fit to Be Tied and Rediscovering Church (with his wife Lynne), Courageous Leadership, Holy Discontent, and Axiom. Don't miss your chance to hear Bill at the National Pastors Convention in February!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Holy Thursday! Free Books!

Week Eleven of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first FOUR people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

A Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist and a Christian
By Luis Palau and Zhao Qizheng

+ Read Sample
+ View Sample

Understand China through the eyes of a renowned Chinese diplomat's conversations with Luis Palau, American Evangelist.

In A Friendly Dialogue between an Atheist and a Christian, Luis Palau, representing the Christian faith, and Zhao Qizheng, representing atheism, present a composite of recorded dialogues held in China in 2005 between them.

Through these dialogues, readers are provided insight into the current struggles atheists have regarding the truth claims of the Christian faith.

Topics discussed include philosophy, history, religion, the Bible, creation, atheism, Confucianism, politics, ethics, Chinese and Western cultures, and the relevance of Jesus Christ to society.

Through the engaging dialogue between Luis Palau and Zhao Qizheng, many of the stereotypes and misinformation concerning the Chinese culture are exposed, revealing a nation in which the Bible is published and new churches are being built. By avoiding the use of complicated theological language, these discussions express the concerns of both Christians and atheists in a clear, meaningful, and respectful way.

A Friendly Dialogue between an Atheist and a Christian is a must read for anyone interested in gaining a greater appreciation of the oriental world of China and how the Christian faith is being received within that context.

* * * Don't miss out on this great read! It's the only book of faith allowed for sale in the Olympic Village at the 2008 Olympics! * * * READ MORE

Holy Thursday! Free Books!

Week Ten of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

+ Read Sample
+ Hear Interview
+ Browse Inside

Seismic Shifts by Kevin Harney

Just as seismic shifts in the natural world have radical and far- reaching effects, there are seismic shifts in our personal lives that    can transform our hearts, relationships, physical health, faith, and  every aspect of our lives. These are the little changes that can make the big difference!

Kevin G. Harney is the teaching pastor and evangelism champion at Faith Church in Dyer, IN and Central Wesleyan Church in MI. He is the author of Leadership from the Inside Out and Seismic Shifts: The Little Changes That Make a BIG Difference in Your Life. He and his wife Sherry have written or cowritten more than 30 small group study guides (most in partnership with Bill Hybels and John Ortberg). He and Sherry have also written Finding a Church You Can Love and Loving the Church You’ve Found. Don't miss your chance to hear Kevin at the National Pastors Convention in February!

Holy Thursday! Free Books!

Week Nine of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.


Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
+ Browse Inside

We know there’s something more. We sense it, we feel it, and we want it. But how do we find it—a spirituality that stands up to the questions of an honest, searching mind?

“This book is for those who need a fresh take on Jesus and what it means for us to live the kind of life he teaches us to live,” writes Rob Bell. “This pursuit of Jesus is leading us backward as much as forward … I am learning that what seems brand new is often just the discovery of something that has been there all along— it just got lost somewhere and it needs to be picked up, dusted off, and reclaimed.” Now in softcover, Velvet Elvis offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what Christianity is really about.

“We have to test everything,” writes Bell. “Do that to this book. Don’t swallow it uncritically. Think about it. Wrestle with it. Just because I’m a Christian and I’m trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn’t mean I’ve got it nailed. I’m contributing to the discussion. God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?”

Rob Bell lives with his family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he’s the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church. He also teaches in a short film format called NOOMA, and his first books are Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith and Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality.  Don't miss your chance to hear Rob at the National Pastors Convention in February!

Holy Thursday! (Free Books)

Holy Thursday! (Free Books)

Week Eight of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Our featured product this week is The Connecting Church by
Randy Frazee. Randy Frazee is Sr. Minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of The Connecting Church, Making Room for Life, The Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool and Renovation of the Heart Student Edition. A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Frazee lives with his wife, Rozanne, and their four children. Randy will be a speaker at the National Pastors Convention in February.

+ Read Interview

Week Eight of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Our featured product this week is The Connecting Church by
Randy Frazee. Randy Frazee is Sr. Minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of The Connecting Church, Making Room for Life, The Christian Life Profile Assessment Tool and Renovation of the Heart Student Edition. A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Frazee lives with his wife, Rozanne, and their four children. Randy will be a speaker at the National Pastors Convention in February.

+ Read Interview

Holy Thursday! (Free Books!)

Week Seven of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Our featured product this week is Leadership from the Inside Out by Kevin Harney. Kevin Harney is the Teaching Pastor and Evangelism Champion at Faith Church in Dyer, IN and Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, MI. He is also on the Teaching Team of the campus ministry at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. He is author of Leadership from the Inside Out and Seismic Shifts. Kevin will be a speaker at the National Pastors Convention in February.

+ Read Sample
+ Watch Video

Week Seven of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Our featured product this week is Leadership from the Inside Out by Kevin Harney. Kevin Harney is the Teaching Pastor and Evangelism Champion at Faith Church in Dyer, IN and Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, MI. He is also on the Teaching Team of the campus ministry at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. He is author of Leadership from the Inside Out and Seismic Shifts. Kevin will be a speaker at the National Pastors Convention in February.

+ Read Sample
+ Watch Video

Holy Thursday! (Free Books!)

Week Six of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Our featured product this week is Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels. Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. Willow Creek’s innovative ministries have made it one of the most attended churches in North America. Hybels has authored over 20 books, including Fit to Be Tied and Rediscovering Church (with his wife Lynne), Honest to God, Too Busy Not to Pray, and Courageous Leadership. Bill will be a general session speaker at the National Pastors Convention in February.

Week Six of Holy Thursday is here!

1. Every Thursday we'll put up the one and only Holy Thursday post.
2. Be one of the first two people to comment.
3. We'll send the featured book to you. It's that easy.

To get the latest NPC blog posts earlier, add us to Google Reader, Bloglines, Feedburner, or your favorite feed reader.

Our featured product this week is Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels. Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. Willow Creek’s innovative ministries have made it one of the most attended churches in North America. Hybels has authored over 20 books, including Fit to Be Tied and Rediscovering Church (with his wife Lynne), Honest to God, Too Busy Not to Pray, and Courageous Leadership. Bill will be a general session speaker at the National Pastors Convention in February.