Book Description
The range and variety of the poetry of a 40-year period which took on a new coloring with the advent of the first World War. ... Read more

Book Description
Charles Spurgeon once referred to Robert Chapman as, "The saintliest man I ever knew."This full-length biography of Chapman tells the story of why he had such a marked impact on the lives of such men as George Muller, Hudson Taylor, John Nelson Darby, Charles Spurgeon and others.It will challenge you to deepen your devotion to Christ and love others selflessly.

Although he is not widely known today, Robert Chapman was one fo the most respected Christians of his generation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A True Hero to Imitate
An outstanding biography of Robert Chapman's life, that so extensively unearths his most precious quality: genuine Christ-like love for ALL people. Written over a century and a half ago, his life was a relevant model for my self-centered life and the selfishness that seems to characterize our culture.I pray it profoundly impacts your life as it has my own.

Robert Chapman - Leader by Example
This biography of Robert Chapman (1803 - 1902)reveals the true character of a man who has spent hours each day in humble prayer before God.From his early English day of youth, he read and reread the Bible, yet is wouldnot let him go. Serving in the small town of Barnstaple, England, Chapmandeliberately avoided any fame he was receiving for his ministry so that itwould not distract from the fame of the Lord.Yet through his humility, hehad a major impact on George Muller, J. Hudson Taylor, John Nelson Darbyand Charles Spurgeon.Spurgeon once said, "Robert Chapman was thesaintliest man I ever knew." This a a great book because it willforce the reader to evaluate his or her own relationship with the Lordwhile being challenged to live for Him in deeper devotion.John NelsonDarby said, "We talk of the heavenlies, but Robert Chapman lives inthem... He lives what I teach." ... Read more

Book Description
Agape Leadership promises to be one of the most spiritually inspiring books you have ever read. As we start the 21st century, we desperately need examples of what Christian leaders are to be like. Robert Cleaver Chapman (1803-1902) provides an extraordinary example of Christ-like, agape leadership. Although little known today, he was a widely respected Christian leader in England during the last century. Chapman became legendary in his own time for his gracious ways, his patience, his kindness, his balanced judgment, his ability to reconcile people in conflict, his absolute fidelity to Scripture, and his loving pastoral care. By the end of his life, Chapman was known worldwide for his love, wisdom and compassion. See godly, pastoral leadership in action through these biographical snapshots from Chapman's life.

"It will challenge you to be a better leader, a more committed believer, and a brighter light to the world." -- Greg Stephenson, Grace Community Church, Grace Ministries International

"R.C. Chapman's life is a vivid illustration of Jesus' teaching. I have given a copy of the book to pastors and ministry leaders with the prayer that we might reject a professional ministry mindset and follow Jesus as Chapman did." -- Peter Hubbard, Pastor/Teacher, North Hills Community Church, Taylors, SC ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Possibly the most outstanding Christian book ever written
I wish every Christian would read this! A powerful spiritual fragrance emanates from every page.

This is truly one of the most revolutionary books ever written. It takes you right back into the heart of New Covenant Christianity. Chapman really did seek to live the Christian life as Jesus did.

I have observed a whole congregation transformed after almost all the members had read this book.

Please buy it, read it, see what you think, and write a review of it!

Agape Leadership
This brief glimpse into the heart of Agape Leadership in the life of R.C. Chapman is life changing, and brings one to the heart of the Gospel, and what a servant of Christ is supposed to be.If all pastors were like Chapman this would indeed be a much different world, and the church would be what Jesus intended.Millions more would be won for Christ if Christians would live, and love like Chapman.

Dr. Ray DeLaurier, Pastor

This is a Life-Changer!
This book serves as a model for not only Christian leadership, but Christian life.

Throughout the book, we are encouraged to deal lovingly with people, and that becomes our witness to others.

You will be amazed at the life of R.C.Chapman.

This has truly become one of my favorite books!

A model for "countercultural" Christian leadership.
This book gives us a clear example of "countercultural" Christian leadership, as demonstrated in the life of R.C. Chapman. The reader will be inspired to walk in his example, even as he sought to walkin the example of Christ.

Robert Chapman provides an extraordinaryexample of godly Christian leadership -- something desperately neededtoday. Although very few are familiar with this 19th century Britishpastor, teacher, and evangelist, few will notbe inspired by him. Thisaccount of his life and ministry may in fact be oneof the mostspiritually challenging books you may ever read!

The book sets forth thequalities of true -- agape, loving -- Christian leadership:

--Love forGod's Word

-- Spirit-controlled character

-- Being patient and gentle

-- Maintaining unity

-- Disciplining and reconciling

-- Practicinghospitality

-- Giving to the needy

-- Continuing consequences

andmore. Some excerpts:

To reform the church of God we should always begin with self-reform. Schisms and divisions will increase so long as we beginwith reforming others. Wisdom is only with the lowly.

Humility is thesecret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division.

The ruin of akingdom is a little thing in God'ssight, in comparison with divisionamong a handful of sinners redeemed bythe blood of Christ.

The besttestimony that Stephen bore was his last:not when preaching and workingmiracles, but when he pleaded for his persecutors; for then he mostresembled the Lord Jesus in patience, forgiveness and love.

(To a youngmissionary, heading for the field:) Keep low, look up, and pressforward.

The Bottom Line: This book offers a much needed corrective tothe kind of corporate (= worldly) leadership styles that dominate mostchurch fellowships today. In that, itranks with Schaeffer's Mark of theChristian. We highly recommend it be distributed widely, that wemight seea generation of Christian leaders arise who are marked by their love,wisdom, and compassion.

This is a must read.

GREAT BOOK!
Incredible insight into what it means to become more Christ like and be a Man after God's own heart.This is a must read to anyone in leadership in their local church. ... Read more

Book Description
Trying to organize a discussion around the complete text of any full-length book can be unwieldy, and Biblical Eldership is no exception ("So, what did you guys think of chapter seven" Silence...).Now, with the help of this discussion guide, the elders at your church can review the principles of the book and personalize them to your setting in a few manageable sessions.

By capturing the major points and themes of Biblical Eldership in one-page summaries with discussion questions, the Biblical Eldership Discussion Guide will help you bridge the gap between understanding and application.Topics covered include:

--Why church government matters
--The biblical meaning of the term "elder"
--The four primary duties of an elder
--Sharing leadership equally among a group of men
--The biblical basis for male leadership in the church
--The importance of eldership qualifications
--Appointing elders
--The special relationship between elders and the congregation

It's one thing to read about biblical eldership.It's another to move from concept to practice.That takes sharp focus, guided discussion, and prayerful planning.The Biblical Eldership Discussion Guide is designed to bring such focus and discussion to your planning process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Leadership Book.
I found this book to be excellent for training church leaders.It is biblically accurate and thought-provoking.It teaches church leaders how to deal with each other and with the congregation.Very helpful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Only a summary of Strauch's other Eldership book
I'd read Strauch's other book on eldership (Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership--a very useful exploration of the biblical material on the subject), so when I saw this book, I assumed it would offer additional material or approach the subject from a different angle. However, Biblical Eldership: Restoring the Eldership to Its Rightful Place in the Church is just a short pamphlet that summarizes Strauch's other book. It might be useful to introduce the topic to a church leader who doesn't have time/interest for the longer book, but if you're looking for substance rather than brevity, Strauch's other book is the one you want.

I can't believe this book isn't a best seller...
I can't believe this book isn't a best seller among Christians and especially evangelical Christian pastors.Strauch presents a clear exposition of the concept of pastoral leadership in the church.If pastorstruly want to operate according to the intentions of Christ and theapostles, and the New Testament, they will heed the clear example ofeldership/pastoring given in this book.Anyone who reads this book andremains a single head pastor or senior pastor of a church is operatingChrist's church hypocritically. ... Read more

Book Description
What we've heard about elders' meetings makes us cringe.Trivial agendas, power struggles, apathy and weak leadership.But the work of elders is too important to be conducted ineffectively.Rather, their spiritual strength and wise leadership should be driving the spiritual growth of the church.

Meetings That Work will help your bring vitality to your meetings and strength to your relationships as you work through the storms and struggles of normal church life together.Short and practical, this book will lead to immediate improvements in your elder meetings.

"As usual Strauch writes as a man with a deep heartfelt desire to see elders take seriously their responsibilities and lead the church forward to the glory of God.Every elder should take the time to read this good book." -- Christian Education and Publications

"Short and simple, this solid little book will be a valuable addition to any minister's library, especially if he will read and follow it!" -- The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology ... Read more

Product Description
Although he is not widely known today, Robert Chapman was one of the most respected Christians of his generation.His caring and humble attitude had a marked impact on the lives of such men as George Muller, J. Hudson Taylor, John Nelson Darby and Charles Suprgeon.These notable men agreed that Chapman was a giant among them.Robert Chapman's life cannot help but challenge the Lord's people to deepen their devotion to Christ and love others more selflessly. ... Read more

Book Description
Hospitality may well be the best means we have to promote close, brotherly love--especially in churches where people don't know each other beyond Sunday-morning-only greetings.

Hospitality is also an effective tool for evangelism.Showing Christ's love to others in a home environment may be the only means Christians have to reach their neighbors for Christ.

Ideal for church leaders, The Hospitality Commands will also make a difference among the members of your congregation. It expounds every Scripture on the subject, explores all the biblical examples, and lists the biblical fruits of Christian hospitality.Also included are study questions and assignments for group discussion, making it an excellent resource for small groups and adult Sunday school classes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Impact the Church and Reach Out with Your Home!
Sociologists have noted that more and more Americans are disconected, and feel alone.We are more and more "hooked" and "wired" up to receive information and communicate, but there is a dearth of relationships.The church is called to reach out in love to a world like this, but how?Historically, one of the ways that the Christian community has always expressed its love to each other and to the world is through hospitality.The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch is one of my favorite types of books to recommend.Why?Because it is biblical, brief (59 pages), practical and convicting!(It's also cheap!).What more could you ask for?

The author argues that hospitality is both a means to strengthen relationships within the church (Chapter 2 "Strengthening the Love of the Christian Family") , but it is also a neglected tool we can use to evangelize our neighbors and friends (Chapter 3, "Hospitality:A Launching Pad for the Gospel").

Strauch writes, "I don't think most Christians today understand how essential hospitality is to fanning the flames of love and strengthening the Christian family.Hospitality fleshes out love in a uniquely personal and sacrificial way.Through the ministry of hospitality, we share our most prized possessions.We share our family, home, finances, food, privacy and time.Indeed, we share our very lives. So hospitality is always costly.Through the ministry of hospitality, we provide friendship, acceptance, fellowship, refreshment, comfort, and love in one of the richest and deepest ways possible for humands to understand.Unless we open the doors of our homes to one another, the reality of the local church as a close-knit family of loving brothers and sisters is only a theory" (pg. 17).

That makes some sense, but is it biblical?Strauch says yes, and he backs it up with an impressive list of hospitality commands and examples from Scripture.(Rom. 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9, Heb. 13:1-2 among others).After thoroughly proving his case from Scripture, the author then seeks to equip his readers with ideas on how to demonstrate hospitality."The belief that hospitality is important and the actual practice of hospitality are two different things.Many Christians never advance beyond the theory level" (p. 49).The author then follows by listing sixteen helpful hints to begin practicing hospitality as a church or as a family.At the end of the book is a 3 session study guide which makes this book useable for small groups or individual study.

If you are looking for new ways to obediently serve the Lord and step out in faith this year, consider getting this book and then"Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." (Rom. 12:13).

Overlooked Christian Responsibility
Alexander Strauch has written one of the most helpful books on one of the most overlooked Christian responsibilities - hospitality.The book is short, well written, and has a study guide in the back.The church that catches a vision for New Testament hospitality will find itself having great opportunities to evangelize, find new people wanting to stay and most importantly know the rich blessing of genuine Christian relationships.This book can be used for a Sunday school class, home Bible study or weekend retreat study.If you read this book you will be excited about the possibilities your church can have for practically loving one another and those whom God brings into your midst.Practical, straight forward and very Biblical like all of Strauch's books.Enjoy!

Essential Reading on Hospitality
This is a gem of a help on the topic of hospitality. The Bible clearly commands that Christians actively practice hospitality, and Alexander Strauch here explains these commands in an enlightening and absorbing fashion. Mr. Strauch offers many helpful tips on how to be hospitable, and explains the blessing of stretching yourself to bless others. A very good little book, as is Steve Wilkins' recent release on this topic, _Face to Face_.

A challenge to involve yourself in ministry to others
If you've been troubled or frustrated by surface relationships within the church, Strauch's book will likely point you in a direction you desire to go.Sadly, I've never heard anyone teach on hospitality before - I expect many others have not as well.Strauch does an excellent job of explaining the church's need to demonstrate hospitality between members and to those outside the church.

Most of the book takes a look at what the Scriptures command about showing hospitality.The closing pages give a few ideas for practicing hositality and list several additional resources to assist you in practicing hospitality.

What the church needs today...
Possibly one of the best books I've read in a while, its short, but complete. Strauch puts this important subject in perspective, and gives great advice to those who want to implement hospitality. I recommend this to every Christian! Buy more than one copy if you can, you'll want to pass it on. If only Christians were reading this like they were "Prayer of Jabez" then their walk would truly be impacted! ... Read more

Book Description
Written for those who want to know more about the biblical teachings on gender but don't have time to read lengthy tomes on the subject, this small book is also perfect for high school and college students.It addresses one of the most significant changes that has occurred in human history: the gender revolution.Like the rest of society, Christianity has been permanently affected by this change.In reality, the gender transformation taking place within the world wide Christian community is a radical departure from biblical, apostolic Christianity.Men and Women: Equal Yet Different presents the complementarian perspective that men and women are equal yet different, and introduces the key terms, arguments, Scripture passages and research related to this position.Each chapter includes questions for group study.

"..[Strauch] stands squarely on the side of historical Christianity with his basic presentation of male-female issues..."— John MacArthur, Jr., Pastor-Teacher, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA

"...[this] volume...is strategically important. [It] gives an introduction to the subject that offers clear and easily understood information for the lay person as well as challenging considerations for the scholar."-- Dorothy Patterson, Professor of Theology in Women's Studies,Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

"This book is one of the best investments of time and money on one of the most important issues of our day--and of any time.Take, read, feed your minds, clear your heads and rejoice in and live out God's truth."— George W. Knight III, former New Testament Professor,Knox Theological Seminary

"...biblically sound and clearly written.It should be read by everyone who is seriously concerned about the future of the church."-- Dr. Jack Cottrell, Professor of Theology, Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary

"Equal Yet Different is absolutely terrific.Well laid out, thorough, concise and vey helpful."— Dr. William McRae, President Emeritus, Tyndale College & Seminary

"If we do not invite the biblical text to define church order, the intrusive culture will.The Zeitgeist, the spirit of the age, is a tyrant to be resisted, not embraced.Alexander Strauch's Men and Women: Equal Yet Different lets the Bible speak for itself in the clearest terms." -- R. Kent Hughes, Pastor, College Church, Wheaton, IL ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very weak arguments for the hierachical position
This book says it is suitable for young people and by that means teens.It gives very weak arguments for the hierarchical position on gender.This book could be used as a tool for the egalitarian position on gender as the arguments are so weak and easily dismissed once one studies the relevant passages of the Bible in Hebrew and Greek in 1st century context.When the author misinterprets via eisegesis (reading into the text what is not there) it is very obvious, such as his reading of Genesis 2.For example, he would have one believe that calling something a female is naming it (rather than categorizing it), parents would be surprised to hear this on delivery of a baby and the Doctor proclaiming "it's a girl"; they would then need to say they have the right to name the baby, haha.He also claims there is no use of 'submit' (Greek 'hupotasso') in a mutual sense, when Ephesian 5:21 uses it in exactly that way, in fact in the Greek Eph 5:22 HAS NO VERB and so must steal the verb from 5:21.He points out Jesus needed to be a man (which is true in order to fulfill prophecy), but neglects to point out that he also needs to be a free jew from the tribe of Judah and many other requirements to fulfill prophecy yet NONE of these requirements are needed to be a disciple, as "there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave not free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus."Interestingly, he does mention Deborah, one of 3 judge prophets in the Bible, but simply does not see any implications here.He simply asserts that Greek 'kephale' cannot mean source, when that is exactly what it means metaphorically in 1st Century Greek.

Five Stars for Simplicity and Brevity
This book is not meant to be a detailed explanation of the complementarian position, but a quick overview suitable for persons unfamiliar with the biblical and theological issues present.Strauch hits all the major points, and provides a good summary of complementarian thought.He definitely achieves his intended purpose.

This volume would be an excellent basis for a Bible study with a group of laypersons, or as an addition to a smaller church library.

For a MUCH more elaborate, detailed and scholarly treatment of the complementarian viewpoint, try "Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood" by John Piper and Wayne Grudem.

If it's a quick, easy-to-read overview of what the Bible says on gender relationships that you want, however, then this book is the one to buy.

No Personal Opinions From Alex. Only What The Bible Says!
This is a great book that helps us to see and appreciate the difference between man and woman. God created us equal yet different. Though equal, we have been assigned different roles. Today much of the Church gives in topressure from society when it comes to this subject. Alex brings out theimportance of both the man's and the woman's role although they aredifferent. My wife and I both have enjoyed this book very much. Give it atry. There are not many personal opinions here, only what the Bible says.God made both sexes and knows very well what He created them for. Bothsexes have a misconception of what they are and of why they were createddifferent. Thoughout the years most people had a totally wrong view of themale and female position. I'm glad the Lord has called Alex Strauch towrite a book on this subject. This book is very helpful. Read it! ... Read more