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| Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer and Faith Sharing (All Congregation Study in the Real Life Evangelism Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Martha Grace Reese
Creators: George G. Hunter Iii, Brian L. Mclaren
Publisher: Chalice Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $12.42
You Save: $7.57 (38%)
Buy New/Used from $12.24
Avg. Customer Rating:  (5 reviews)
Sales Rank: 74575
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 176
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 6.8 x 0.6
ISBN: 0827238053
Dewey Decimal Number: 269
EAN: 9780827238053
ASIN: 0827238053
Publication Date: January 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer & Faith Sharing is a brilliant book -- witty, engaging, and grounded in a four-year, national Lilly Endowment study of superb evangelism. Unbinding Your Heart is a six-week individual and small-group study for your entire congregation. It is the culmination of the Real Life Evangelism Series, by author, researcher, pastor and attorney Martha Grace Reese. Church leaders should first studyUnbinding the Gospel (the church leaders' study) that was selected by The Christian Century as a featured "Take and Read" book in its 2007 Book Issue. Then use Unbinding Your Heart as a study and devotional for the whole congregation (for fall, lent or summer). The third book in the series, Unbinding Your Church (the pastor's guide), will help you plan, teach, pray and organize both your leaders' study and your all-church study. Your entire congregation will begin to pray, to talk about their faith, and to risk sharing their faith beyond church walls. The Real Life Evangelism Series has been enthusiastically endorsed by 8 heads of denominations, Brian McLaren, George Hunter, Becky Garrison, Todd Hunter, Richard Peace, and countless pastors and church leaders. Important Note: Order a copy of Unbinding Your Heart for each person participating in the study. There is an individual prayer journal included to be used by each participant.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Unbinding Your Heart November 4, 2008
Unbinding Your Heart is the third book in the evangelism series by Martha Grace Reese. This is the study book for an "E-vent" - a congregation-wide study of evangelism for Mainline Churches. It is a great study and many of my church members are in the material for the third time - yes, there's that much to consider, ponder, and pray about! If you want an initial introduction to Reese's study project, upon which this series is based, begin with her first book, Unbinding the Gospel. Church leaders should then read Unbinding Your Church to organize the leadership for an E-vent. This series has brought new life to my congregation! It has changed us for the better; opened our eyes; renewed our hope! Words can not express how well Reese nurtures the soul, motivates believers, and makes evangelism something hopeful (and NOT a dirty word!).
 Unbinding Your Heart November 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book focuses on evangilism, which many churches treat as a taboo subject. I understand the author's point, but my main question is what good is evangilism if there isn't anything of substance to keep people engaged in a church? Getting people in the door is relatively easy, but how does a church transform visitors into members and then keep members coming back? This book seems to take that first step, getting people over their fear of talking about their faith, but it seems to be missing the next step as outlined above.
But does faith sharing really matter? The author cites examples and data to support her conclusion that it does matter, but finding a comfort level where all members can either share or not share their stories is another matter. I know people who will tell you their faith story at the drop of a hat, while to others talking about their faith is as sensitive as politics or sexuality. Some people think their faith is their own business and nobody else's.
This book helps put evangilism into context and perspective, but there needs to be some type of followup book that takes faith sharing and evangilism to the next level.
A Must-Read for Church Pastors and Leaders January 29, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Martha Grace Reese has spent years studying that dynamics of church evangelism and offers her wisdom in this three book series. But for Reese this is a personal passion - she believes in the life-changing gift of the church and is empowering us, through these books, to make a difference. Reese has "unbound her heart" in this book so that we can see a glimpse of the possibilities before us as local church pastors and leaders. This is a must read for every pastor and leader of a mainline church.
Reese hits a home run December 28, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Mainline churches have not won any evangelism series for a long time. Just as the Boston Red Sox broke the curse of the Bambino, the Real Life Evangelism Series knocks one out of the park. Reese equips mainline church leaders with prayerful and practical tools needed to change the church through the power of Christ's redeeming love.
Get Unbound! December 28, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This approach is, of course, based on "Unbinding the Gospel" and works best with a leadership-based understanding of those principles. And you really want to read that, anyhow.
But if you've felt like you've tried "40 Days of . . .whatever" and it just didn't fly, try this -- really. Especially for mainline/oldline congregations who find some of the language or approaches in Saddleback or other denominational programs too, um, "too," this approach is basic, straightforward, but utterly non-condescending. Members and visitors at churches looking for an approach to spiritual growth and congregational vitality will find these books an answered prayer -- which is, in fact, the whole point of what Gay Reese is writing and speaking about.
God answers prayer.
But you have to ask, and -- big step, this -- you have to listen.
And then you have to do something about what you hear . . . which is where the real adventure begins. These books give you a clear run at making the "leap of faith" to do all of that and more.
In Grace & Peace,
Jeff Gill
http://knapsack.blogspot.com
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