Brandon J. O'Brien

Small churches are the norm in America: 90 percent of churches see fewer than 200 weekly attendees. In this revised and expanded edition, Brandon O'Brien reveals how small churches aren't just surviving--they're thriving by leveraging their unique strengths. O'Brien explains that the smaller church is not a problem to solve or a liability to neutralize but a strategic advantage that can be leveraged for effective ministry in a variety of contexts. Smaller congregations offer powerful ministry opportunities in an era craving authentic community. In this transformative book, you will:? learn from real-world case studies of successful small churches making significant impact? unlock methods for higher lay involvement and commitment in smaller settings? discover why small churches encourage bridge building across age and lifestyle barriers? find help for implementing flexible strategies that larger churches struggle to adopt? explore how to meet the growing desire for services that are personal, local, and intimateO'Brien shows how small churches can take full advantage of their size and analyzes how other churches can learn from their strategies. This new edition includes 20 percent new material and incorporates insights from O'Brien's thinking on local church ministry after nearly two decades serving pastors worldwide. It is perfect for church leaders, students, and ministry teams seeking to maximize their impact regardless of size and includes discussion questions for pastors.

Brandon O'Brien helps pastors and church leaders understand that a smaller church is sometimes better than a big one. He demonstrates the strengths of small congregations, including that today's church "shoppers" want services that are local, personal, and intimate. Also, small churches provide space to nurture close relationships across age and lifestyle barriers, and they facilitate a higher level of commitment from laypeople. And small church budgets are often more effective because of greater efficiency. The Strategically Small Church will encourage small-church pastors in their ministries and challenge them to play to their strengths.

Brandon O'Brien writes about his life growing up in rural America, young adulthood in the suburbs, and midlife in Manhattan. Through personal stories, humor, and reflection he looks at how the place we grow up shapes our lives, beliefs, and faith.

Religious liberty is one of the most contentious political issues of our time. How should people of faith engage with the public square in a pluralist era? Some citizens hope to reclaim a more Christian vision of national identity, while others resist any religious presence at all. This dispute is not new, and it goes back to the founding era of American history. As the country was being formed, some envisioned a Christian nation where laws would require worship attendance and Sabbath observance. Others advocated for a thoroughly secular society where faith would have no place in public life. But neither extreme won the day, thanks to the unsung efforts of a Connecticut pastor who forged a middle way. Historian Brandon O'Brien unveils an untold story of how religious liberty came to be. Between the Scylla and Charybdis of theocracy and secularism, Baptist pastor Isaac Backus contended for a third way. He worked to secure religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all Americans, not just for one particular denomination or religious tradition. Backus's ideas give us insight into how people of faith navigate political debates and work for the common good. Backus lived in an age of both religious revival and growing secularism, competing forces much like those at work today. The past speaks into the present as we continue to demand liberty and justice for all.

The apostle Paul was kind of a jerk. He was arrogant and stubborn. He called his opponents derogatory, racist names. He legitimized slavery and silenced women. He was a moralistic, homophobic killjoy who imposed his narrow religious views on others. Or was he? Randolph Richards and Brandon O'Brien explore the complicated persona and teachings of the apostle Paul. Unpacking his personal history and cultural context, they show how Paul both offended Roman perspectives and scandalized Jewish sensibilities. His vision of Christian faith was deeply disturbing to those in his day and remains so in ours. Paul behaved badly, but not just in the ways we might think. Take another look at Paul and see why this "worst of sinners" dares to say, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Det som var självklart när Bibelns böcker skrevs är inte lika självklart för en västerländsk läsare på 2000-talet. Utan att vara medvetna om det fyller vi därför ut luckorna – det som är underförstått i texten – med värderingar och förutsättningar som gäller i vår kultur i dag. I Utan västerländska glasögon visar teologerna Brandon J O’Brien och E Randolph Richards vad som händer om vi försöker bortse från vår kulturella förförståelse för att i stället se vad Bibelns författare egentligen tänkte om bland annat relationer, tid, pengar, rätt och fel, sedvänjor och dygder. Med utgångspunkt från sina egna interkulturella erfarenheter förklarar de hur en ökad självmedvetenhet och insikt om kulturella skillnader kan hjälpa oss att läsa Bibeln på ett helt nytt sätt.

Over 100,000 Copies Sold Worldwide! ECPA Bronze Sales Award Bookwi.se's Favorite Books of the Year What was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example: When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty—that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry. Some readers might assume that Moses married "below himself" because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying "above himself." Western individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family. Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways. Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.

Brandon O'Brien helps pastors and church leaders understand that a smaller church is sometimes better than a big one. He demonstrates the strengths of small congregations, including that today's church "shoppers" want services that are local, personal, and intimate. Also, small churches provide space to nurture close relationships across age and lifestyle barriers, and they facilitate a higher level of commitment from laypeople. And small church budgets are often more effective because of greater efficiency. The Strategically Small Church will encourage small-church pastors in their ministries and challenge them to play to their strengths.