ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 28, 2009 — Earlier this month, the pastor of one of the largest churches in America told his congregation to hit the road. No, he wasn't excommunicating his flock, but rather introducing a new daily devotional called "Inner State 80: Your Journey on the High Way" (Higher Life), which is designed to help believers on the journey to spiritual maturity.
The book's author, Dr. Joel C. Hunter, is senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed, which this week was included in Outreach magazine's annual listings of the Top 100 Largest Churches and Top 100 Fastest-Growing Churches in America.
Now available nationally, "Inner State 80" is a collection of 80 short, daily readings or "Miles," which combine strong biblical teaching with inspiring and, often, light-hearted stories. Each Mile can be completed in about 10 minutes.
Readers will find many useful tools to help them on the journey. Each Mile contains a "GPS," or God-Positioning Scripture, and a "Rest Stop." The GPS provides spiritual direction and the Rest Stop provides a question that readers can "pull over and ponder" as they reach the end of each Mile.
For many churchgoers focused on fulfilling their religious duty, spiritual growth can be a soul-numbing ride … like setting the cruise control on a long trip. Dr. Hunter helps readers to "tap the brakes" and enjoy the journey.
"When you follow the High Way, your 'Inner State' will take you toward a fully confident faith, taking you to a place where you can bless and encourage others," he says.
The book was developed from a 10-year preaching series by Dr. Hunter, during which Northland grew by thousands. Today, 12,000 believers live out their faith by serving their communities in a variety of settings: helping inmates transition from prison, tutoring children in inner-city schools, working in pregnancy centers, even organizing "creation care" events designed to protect and preserve the world that God made.
"Church-growth strategies are great. But in the end, you won't grow numerically if you aren't focused on helping people grow spiritually," Dr. Hunter says. "If we are going to build God's Kingdom, we need to settle down to the task of actually conforming our daily lives to the Christian principles we profess."
A pastor for more than 40 years, Dr. Hunter has become an internationally known and respected spokesperson for Evangelical Christians seeking common ground for the common good. Early in 2009, this pro-life Republican was appointed to the United States' President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Dr. Hunter has served as Northland's senior pastor since 1985. Congregants worship at four sites in Metro Orlando and more than 1,000 sites worldwide via interactive Webcast. Learn more at http://www.northlandchurch.net.
"Inner State 80" retails for $14.99 and is available at http://www.innerstate80.com. All proceeds benefit Northland's facilities. For a review copy or to interview Dr. Hunter, contact Robert Andrescik at 407-949-7147 or robert.andrescik@northlandchurch.net.
Contact:
Robert Andrescik
Director of Public Relations
Northland, A Church Distributed
Direct: (407) 949-7147
Mobile: (407) 923-4440
Email
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