Published Works
30 Day Discovery: A Devotional for New Believers
If you have recently surrendered your heart and life to Christ as Lord, you have made the most important decision in your life! Much more happened at the moment of decision than a prayer. Because you have received Christ, the Bible says you are a new creation. As a new creation, you have a new identity, you are a citizen of God’s Kingdom, and you are a member of the body of Christ. In short, you have a brand-new life! Clearly this is a lot to take in, but that’s why the 30-Day Discovery was written. This new believer’s devotional is designed to help you get started in this new life. For thirty days, you will begin a journey of discovering what this new life in Christ is all about. While there may be some things you have already heard, no doubt there will be quite a bit that’s new. Either way, there’s much here to take in and be excited about!
To Purchase: For pricing and purchase instructions for the 30-Day Discovery devotional, contact Joe Easterling at joeeasterling@ymail.com, and provide your name, shipping address, and daytime phone number.
$5
Big Things Start Small
History indicates that small group gatherings have been powerfully influential in igniting Christianity's most famous spiritual awakenings. In this groundbreaking study, Joe M. Easterling explores Christianity's four most significant awakenings and how small groups have influenced the rise and sustainability of each. As readers encounter the incredible accounts of how God transformed individuals, communities, and even nations through the movement of his Spirit, they will discover that small groups have been there all along as one of revival's most indispensable contributors. More importantly, readers will learn some common characteristics of the small groups during these awakenings and how they may be used in small groups of churches today in hopes that a spiritual awakening may ignite once again. What People Are Saying “One of the remarkable qualities of global Christianity is that it began with a small group (our Lord and twelve apostles) and has spread to every corner of the globe. Yet, as Joe Easterling shows in this book, the global church has continued to grow, particularly through movements of revival, through small groups. This is a helpful, reflective study that ought to encourage continued small-group ministry and mission.” —Edward L. Smither, Dean, College of Intercultural Studies, Columbia International University “Joe Easterling has done the local church a great service. I personally feel that the church I have led for thirty-three years became the church it is today because of our small groups. Now learn the long history of small groups and how they have been used throughout time to sustain a vibrant ministry in the world. In Big Things Start Small, you will become convinced all over again of what the Lord uses to build his people.” —Johnny M. Hunt, Senior Vice President of Evangelism and Leadership, North American Mission Board
$28
Dissertation: The Caregiving Ministry of the Local Church:
Measuring the Satisfaction of Members with the Caregiving Model Employed
Discerning the best strategy for administering care to the congregation has proven to not be as simple as recognizing that the need for such care is there. In an attempt to minister to the needs of others, a number of methods have been employed by different congregations. The three most widely used methods for congregational caregiving among Southern Baptist churches are employed through three different ministry arms of the church: (a) the pastor and pastoral staff, (b) the deacon body, and (c) the small group ministry (e.g., Sunday School). This dissertation compares these three models of caregiving: pastoral care, deacon-based, and small group-based, seeking to determine which of the three was the most commonly used among churches associated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC). The study also sought to determine which of the three models celebrates the highest level of measured satisfaction among the pastors surveyed, as well as the highest level of measured satisfaction among the surveyed church members. What follows is a brief executive summary of these findings.
To request a copy of the full dissertation, contact Joe M. Easterling at joeeasterling@ymail.com.
From the Pulpit to the People: A Comparative Survey of Jonathan Edwards’
Pastoral Leadership in Northampton and Stockbridge
Despite the notoriety of Edwards’ as scholar, preacher, and writer in Northampton, history can argue that Edwards enjoyed his greatest successes as a pastor in Stockbridge, not Northampton. This essay argues that the reason for Edwards’ greater successes in Stockbridge is because Edwards shifted his pastoral leadership from being centered on the pulpit (as it was in Northampton) to being centered among the people. This change from pulpit-centered to people- centered pastoring can be felt in several significant ways, including his approachability, his changing view and treatment of people, and the adaptation of his preaching to meet the cultural and spiritual dynamics of his congregation. Therefore, while his evangelistic involvement in the Great Awakening is rightly celebrated, it is his pastoral accomplishments in Stockbridge that provides an effective model for today’s pastor.
Click on the PDF for the entire article.
