Church Vitality Resources

Alternatives for Worship Alternatives for Worship
By Cindy Hollenberg and Steve Clapp.

Alternatives for Worship contains twenty ready-to-use, non-traditional worship services in a convenient loose-leaf notebook, which makes it easy to remove pages to make copies for other participants (and permission to photocopy is included!). In order to communicate each of the twenty worship messages, the services utilize an assortment of media, including drama, video clips, reader's theater, storytelling, guided meditation, sharing, and music. Services include:
  • Vegetarian Fair: Using a drama called "Help! My Daughter's a Vegetarian," this service calls attention to the unequal distribution of global resources, God's call to care for creation, and the luxuries we take for granted.
  • The Titanic - When Dreams Die: Using a clip from the blockbuster movie, this service helps people deal with dreams and hopes that are destroyed and shows how to experience God's vision for the future.
  • Love Stories: Using stories and songs, this service explores the power and truth of God's all-encompassing love which we are called to share with others.
And there are 17 more services plus many suggestions for additional services you can create. Each of the twenty services includes an order of worship, ready to photocopy; the full text of prayers, readings, and meditations; and all the guidance needed to handle video clips or other special arrangements.

$29 each including permission to photocopy.
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The Alternative Worship Primer The Alternative Worship Primer
By Cindy Hollenberg Snider.

The Alternative Worship Primer is arranged in a question-and-answer format like an old-fashioned school primer. But there is nothing old-fashioned about the strategies and ideas shared in this practical book! The Alternative Worship Primer provides up-to-date counsel on the issues churches face when they consider and start alternative worship services. Questions answers in this report include:
  • Why should we consider an alternative worship service?
  • Why do people want alternative worship experiences?
  • How can we determine if there is a need for an alternative service?
  • How do we go about promoting an alternative service?
  • How can we involve enough people to ensure success?
  • Where can we find music and musicians appropriate for an alternative worship service?
  • How can we generate the funding for such a service?
$12.00 each.
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Sharing Living Water - Evangelism as Caring Friendship Sharing Living Water - Evangelism as Caring Friendship
By Steve Clapp and Sam Detwiler.

Sharing Living Water - Evangelism as Caring Friendship provides practical, non-manipulative, non-canned guidance to help church members share their faith. Most church members, while readily agreeing that they should share their faith with others and invite them to church, are not comfortable doing so. This practical, easy-to-understand book deals directly with the major barriers to faith-sharing and helps people identify:
  • The natural connecting points which give opportunities to share their faith or invite others to church without being manipulative.
  • How to express their faith and the importance of the church in their lives in comfortable, natural ways, using their own words.
  • Ways to more meaningfully share concern with others.
  • Comfortable ways to invite others to worship and other activities.
  • Strategies to effectively assimilate visitors into the life of the congregation.
A study guide is included. $14.00 each; $9 each for 10 or more.
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Healthy Pastor–Healthy Church Healthy Pastor–Healthy Church
By S. Joan Hershey and Steve Clapp.

Healthy Pastor–Healthy Church addresses what pastors, church leaders, and church members can do to nurture the kind of pastoral health that results in congregational health. Chapters in this booklet include:
  • The Tension–the difficulty of maintaining spiritual health in a performance-based culture
  • Taking Care of Yourself–A Guide for Pastors
  • Taking Care of the Pastor–A Guide for the Church Board, Executive Committee, Pastor-Parish Committee, and Other Official Groups
  • The Congregation–Supporting and Encouraging the Pastor
  • When Change Comes–suggestions for handling pastoral transitions
  • Plus a discussion guide for a five-session study of the booklet.
$8.00 each.
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The Church of Recovery The Church of Recovery
By Sam Detwiler and Steve Clapp.

The Church of Recovery explores healthy ways congregations can help people grow in their spiritual lives and help people deal with addiction and stress. Alcoholics Anonymosu and other 12-step programs have changed the lives of tens of millions of people in North America. And the principles taught in such programs have tremendous power to help anyone deal with the tension and pressure found in everyday life. This book can be a valuable resource for churches wanting to find creative, practical ways to speak to the spiritual needs of members and for churches wanting to have more effective outreach to persons in need. A study guide is incorporated into the book.

$15.00 each; $9 each for ten or more copies.
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Steve Clapp and Sam Detwiler also worked together on the book Peer Evangelism. Here’s what others have said about their work: Presbyterian Youth Leader on Peer Evangelism: “An excellent resource for guiding young people through a process of sharing the good news. . . . Very well done.”
Herb Miller of Net Results described Reaching Out through Christian Educaiton by Steve Clapp as “an excellent resource.”
Loren Mead on Promising Results by Steve Clapp: “Practical, solid, well-packed with ideas and analysis.”
The Invite a Friend Sunday Kit The Invite a Friend Sunday Kit
By S. Joan Hershey.

The Invite a Friend Sunday Kit is a practical guide to having an effective Invite a Friend Sunday in your church! Joan was for many years the executive director of New Life Ministries and has had extensive experience taking congregations through the Invite a Friend Sunday process. This can be a fabulous outreach opportunity for your church. The kit includes five copies of the new booklet A Guide to an Effective Invite a Friend Sunday. You’ll find practical guidance on:
  • Establishing a realistic timeline for the event.
  • The role that each person on the leadership team should play.
  • How to engage the congregation in participation.
  • Developing effective publicity materials.
  • Creating the right worship service and brunch or luncheon for the Sunday.
  • Following up so that visitors are drawn into full participation.
$26.00 each kit.
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Blessed Assurance Greeting Cards Blessed Assurance Greeting Cards
Designed by Rosanna McFadden.

Blessed Assurance Greeting Cards are full-color cards based on great hymns of the faith. These greeting cards are a wonderful way to express concern and support to others with simple and sincere messages. Ideal for caregivers, other groups within the local church, and for personal use. Each box has eight cards and four designs.

$16 per box; $10 a box for five or more boxes.
Click here to order.