Signs of the Times: Pastoral Translations of Ministry & Culture in Honor of Leonard I. Sweet

All ministry leaders concern themselves with the intersection of Jesus-centered ministry and contemporary culture. They ask themselves questions such as What do we need to change in order to keep up with a wired world? What should never change? What are the nonnegotiables of faith in Jesus? Many have attempted to answer these questions. However most of these leaders offer solutions that the everyday ministry leader simply cannot replicate. Signs of the Times is a unique offering to those who wrestle with the mash-up of ministry and culture. All of the contributors have found success within their ministries and yet most do not minister to thousands on a weekly basis. Additionally all of them have had the privilege of studying directly with Dr. Leonard I. Sweet. Despite having authored more than fifty books Sweet can still be a bit of an enigma. Many of his readers have been deeply influenced by him and yet they may still struggle to understand what his insights might mean for their ministry. Each of the contributors to this work thoughtfully engages with a key idea that they personally learned from Sweet and they translate it for ministry in the early twenty-first century. There are so many words titles and descriptions you could use for Leonard Sweet. He is without a doubt one of the greatest gifts given to the church the past forty years. For him to be a blessing to your life you have to engage with his mind and heart and this book shows how many people have done that--and for that reason alone its a great gift to all who read it. --Bob Roberts Jr. Founder & Senior Pastor Northwood Church; Author; Founder Glocalnet Brian A. Ross is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries at the Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and an adjunct professor at Toccoa Falls College. He is a seventeen-year ministry veteran having served as a youth pastor church planter senior pastor and church consultant. He is a minister with the Brethren in Christ Church.