About the Book
Many of us recognize the declining influence of the church today. And while we may be interested in doing something to reverse the trend, few of us realize we are part of the problem--especially when we engage the culture in ways that prevent the joy of God from being seen. Greg Forster comes to our aid by first laying out the historical factors that have contributed to the church's loss of influence in our society today. He then explores the significance of foundational practices such as preaching, worship, and discipleship--showing how the Holy Spirit uses them to produce joy in us that changes our churches, families, offices, and communities. With contagious passion, Forster helps us understand the impact of Spirit-produced transformation, and encourages us to embrace God's missional call to joyfully reach out to the world as the bride of Christ.
About the Author :
GREG FORSTER (PhD, Yale University) is a program director at the Kern Family Foundation and a senior fellow at the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. He is also the editor of the group blog Hang Together and a regular contributor to the Gospel Coalition, First Thoughts, and other online resources. Forster is the author of numerousarticles and six books, including The Joy of Calvinism. His writing covers theology, economics, political philosophy, and education policy. Timothy Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. His first pastorate was in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1989 he started Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons. Today, Redeemer has nearly six thousand regular Sunday attendees and has helped to start more than three hundred new churches around the world. He is the author of The Songs of Jesus, Prayer, Encounters with Jesus, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering, and Every Good Endeavor, among others, including the perennial bestsellers The Reason for God and The Prodigal God. Timothy Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. His first pastorate was in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1989 he started Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons. Today, Redeemer has nearly six thousand regular Sunday attendees and has helped to start more than three hundred new churches around the world. He is the author of The Songs of Jesus, Prayer, Encounters with Jesus, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering, and Every Good Endeavor, among others, including the perennial bestsellers The Reason for God and The Prodigal God. Collin Hansen (MDiv, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is editorial director for the Gospel Coalition. Formerly an associate editor for Christianity Today, he is the author of Young, Restless, Reformed and co-author with John Woodbridge of A God-Sized Vision. He has written for Books & Culture, Tabletalk, Leadership, and Christian History & Biography. He has appeared as a commentator on Fox News, and his work has been featured in Time magazine.
Collin Hansen (MDiv, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is editorial director for the Gospel Coalition. Formerly an associate editor for Christianity Today, he is the author of Young, Restless, Reformed and co-author with John Woodbridge of A God-Sized Vision. He has written for Books & Culture, Tabletalk, Leadership, and Christian History & Biography. He has appeared as a commentator on Fox News, and his work has been featured in Time magazine.
Collin Hansen (MDiv, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is editorial director for the Gospel Coalition. Formerly an associate editor for Christianity Today, he is the author of Young, Restless, Reformed and co-author with John Woodbridge of A God-Sized Vision. He has written for Books & Culture, Tabletalk, Leadership, and Christian History & Biography. He has appeared as a commentator on Fox News, and his work has been featured in Time magazine.
David Cochran Heath has worked in radio and theater for thirty-five years. He has voiced characters for computer games and public television, hosted an instructional video series for automotive repair, and was the narrator for a long-running radio program for kids. Additionally, he was the on-camera host for a documentary on the most violent courtroom shootout in US history. David lived in a village in the Philippines for four years as a teenager, and has lived with his wife in Michigan, Washington, and California. He was with Lamb's Players Theatre in Coronado, California, for thirty-one years, working full-time as a senior member of the acting ensemble and serving as the company's director of facilities. He left Lamb's Players in 2011 to concentrate on audiobooks, and has been the narrator of over 140 books, including three versions of the Bible as sole reader: ESV, KJV, and NIrV. David gets his love of stories from his father, who was a preacher for twenty-five years, a missionary for another eighteen years, and a lifelong lover of the most important story of all: God's plan of redemption in all sixty-six books of the Bible.
