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Fundamentals of Microsoft Fabric: Designing End-to-End Analytics Solutions
by Ben Weissman Nikola IlicIn the rapidly evolving world of data and analytics, professionals face the challenge of navigating complex platforms in order to build more efficient solutions. Microsoft Fabric, hailed as Microsoft’s “biggest data product in history after SQL Server,” offers powerful capabilities but comes with a steep learning curve. The myriad of choices within Fabric can be overwhelming, with multiple ways to tackle tasks, not all of which are equally efficient. This book serves as a definitive roadmap to understanding Microsoft Fabric—and leveraging it to suit your needs. Authors Nikola Ilic and Ben Weissman demystify the core concepts and components necessary to build, manage, and administer robust data solutions within this game-changing product. Discover the core Microsoft Fabric components and understand key concepts and techniques for building a robust data platform Learn to apply Microsoft Fabric effectively in your day-to-day job Understand the concept of a lake-centric architecture Gain the skills to implement a scalable and efficient end-to-end analytics solution Manage and administer a Fabric tenant
Cultivating Christlikeness: Loving as Jesus Loved
by Paul W. ChilcoteAre you ready to reclaim our inheritance as United Methodist Wesleyans?Our communities and the world are crying out for empathy, authenticity, and integrity. This book helps us choose ways of living that are grace-filled and redeeming. Cultivating Christlikeness is about the bold adventure of United Methodists celebrating and living into a grand vision that includes everyone in God’s extravagant embrace. Jesus invites us to partner in the work of transformation, new birth, and resurrection in every aspect of our lives. Together we can step into a future showered by God’s multiplying love.Paul Chilcote mines his decades of study, prayer, and devotion to Christian practices to share his vision for how we partner with God to make the world more loving and just. In Cultivating Christlikeness, he weaves the threads of insight and appreciation with special attention to Wesleyan ways of loving God and neighbor that can change us and change the world. With his gentle direction, we discover with new appreciation how 18th-century John and Charles Wesley illumine our 21st-century quest to befriend Jesus, who frees us to live into and by the grace of God.Chilcote’s book is a practical guide. He guides us with a mentor’s insightful nudge as we explore essential Wesleyan teachings about God and the beloved community. He helps us know how to share these understandings with our families and neighbors, and more importantly, he points us to ways to live out our commitments with purpose, courage, and joy.The framework and flow of Cultivating Christlikeness make it easily adaptable for group discussion and individual use. It includes a plan for a two-day retreat for those eager to join in a more intensive experience of mutual engagement to renew their spirits and discover fresh ways to grow in love and grace. The book is a companion to Chilcote’s, Multiplying Love (Abingdon Press), which casts the theological vision that animates this practical spiritual guide. And it is an updated and expanded revision of an earlier work entitled, Wesley Speaks on Christian Vocation, originally published by Discipleship Ministries, then reissued by Wipf & Stock.
Changing My Mind: The Overlooked Virtue for Faithful Ministry
by William H. WillimonYes, pastor, you can (and should) change your mind! The context of ministry continually changes, the surrounding culture changes, and a living God demands constant movement and change. So, pastors and preachers must be prepared to change! Some of the current assumptions about how to persevere in ministry need to be questioned. What ideas and approaches do we need to change, in ourselves and in our ministries? And how, exactly, do we change our minds and practices, when we're called to be steady, stable, and sure? Will Willimon narrates of some of the twists and turns in his own journey as a pastor. These stories and "change-of-mind-and-ministry" points can be helpful to new pastors who are negotiating their own way into future ministry. Novice pastors can receive guidance and encouragement from hearing how a prominent pastoral leader, bishop, author, seminary professor, and well-known preacher for nearly five decades changed, grew, and adapted in Christian ministry. And longtime pastors will find assurance and encouragement as they continue to grow and change, too. The book consists of guidance from an older, experienced pastoral leader to other pastoral leaders, especially young and new ones. Willimon frames the material around the ways he has changed his mind and offers crucial ways that he once thought about ministry compared and contrasted with how he thinks now. He depicts the pastoral vocation as requiring adaptation and revision by its practitioners. Along the way, the book includes conversations with First and Second Timothy as the precursor of this book, an older, experienced pastor (Paul) offering advice to a young, unseasoned pastor (Timothy).
The Progressive Planter: A Handbook for Ecclesial Entrepreneurs
by Joe GravesDiscover how to launch an inclusive Church for today’s world.Equip new church start pastors, sending churches and denominational leaders with the essential tools to establish an inclusive, theologically healthy church that will impact its community. Learn about crafting a vision, recruiting leaders, working with parent churches and denominations, marketing, reclaiming evangelism, and cultivating generous givers.With the purchase of The Progressive Planter, you will receive access to supplemental digital download templates and tools for starting a church, including a board manual, job descriptions, core values, surveys, prayer guides, and more.
The Final Days Leader Guide: A Lenten Journey through the Gospels
by Matt RawleThis Lent, ponder the themes of justice, poverty, freedom, and love.The Leader Guide contains discussion questions and session plans for a six-week study of The Final Days by Matt Rawle. It includes opening and closing prayers, optional activities, and session goals for each week and is designed to be used with the book and DVD.The four New Testament Gospels aren’t the same story, but they offer the same Resurrection hope. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John devote most of their story detailing Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, all highlighting Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city, the suffering and humiliation of the cross, and the empty tomb come Sunday morning, but the stories they tell aren’t quite the same. Each Gospel offers a different lens through which we understand Jesus’ Passion. One portrait reveals Jesus to be in control, while another emphasizes his suffering. In one story Jesus offers hope to the thief on the cross, and in another Jesus only receives derision. These different perspectives aren’t a reason to dismiss the Gospels; rather they reveal an abundant, diverse, and complementary picture of God’s work in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
John Wesley's Doctrine of Justification
by Mark. K. OlsonJohn Wesley’s Doctrine of Justification provides updated scholarship on this pivotal doctrine of Methodism, providing a deeper understanding of a major tenet of the Christian faith. Mark Olson offers a comprehensive treatment of the development and exposition of Wesley’s doctrine of justification and how it changed throughout Wesley’s life, including his early views rooted in Anglican heritage, the significant developments in Wesley’s career, and contributions from notable figures like John Fletcher to his doctrine of general justification.The doctrine of justification was pivotal to John Wesley’s understanding of a person’s relationship with God. In Wesley’s view, it defined one of the two general parts of salvation. It touched every aspect of the spiritual journey from birth (general justification) to conversion (present justification) to final judgment and glory (final justification). To properly understand Wesley’s via salutis and theology, one needs to grasp the particulars of his doctrine of justification. The best way to do this is to tell the story of how he came to understand the doctrine over the course of his life. It is a complex story, with many twists and turns, that deserves to be fully told.
Three Simple Questions: Knowing the God of Love, Hope, and Purpose
by Rueben P. JobRueben P. Job, author of Three Simple Rules, brings us a new insight on how to live a Christ-like life and explores the three most basic and profound questions at the center of our faith—questions that all major religions try to answer and around which there seems to be much confusion:Who is God?Who am I?Who are we together?In three brief and engaging chapters, readers will explore these questions and gain new understanding of the answers:Know that God is greater than you can imagineBelieve that you are God's beloved childBe the love of Christ in the worldThey will also discover the greatness and goodness of God, the value of every beloved child of God, and the impact we can have in the world when we live as Jesus lived.Each chapter concludes with a simple spiritual practice to help readers remember and respond to what they have read, followed by a prayer.Now it is time for you to know, believe and become the answers.In its first paragraphs, Three Simple Questions triggered my hunger for hope. I hung on each word thereafter. By the time I finished my reading, I was filled to overflowing. I was drawn deeper by the notion of a God too small. Prayer as the place where we receive our identity was profound. I cheered with the truth that God loves all. I was intrigued by the imagery of my being a "holy chalice." The three daily practices are refreshing and engaging. In short, the read filled me with grace. —Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher
Upward!: Wesleyan Formation in Three Movements
by Steve Harper Paul W. ChilcoteA powerful guide for new and longtime United Methodists.Upward! is a simple but brilliant course on Wesleyanism for regular people. It thoroughly and methodically guides readers through the distinctive qualities of the Wesleyan way—the theology, practices, habits, and attitudes that characterize Methodist people. Paul W. Chilcote and Steve Harper, two of Methodism’s most beloved teachers, offer this extraordinary book as an invitation to a life of wisdom and wonder in our current world. It is a book of both instruction and celebration, teaching (or reminding) us what makes the Wesleyan way most gracious and lovely. Pastors and other leaders will use Upward as their primary resource for sharing the Wesleyan approach. It can be used in a wide variety of ways and settings—as a sermon series, congregation-wide study, or for new member classes, to name a few. Individuals will use the book as a personal study, ideally in connection with others. Upward! helps leaders and readers to:- correct misconceptions about Wesleyan theology- clarify and reclaim Wesleyan theology- gain a new framework for understanding Wesleyan theology and sharing it with others
365 Devotions for Women
by Sally D. SharpeStrengthen your bond with God, one devotion at a time.As women, we have many roles and responsibilities. We are daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, caregivers, working women, leaders, teachers, pastors, and pastors’ wives, neighbors, friends—and the list goes on. Yet in all of these roles, we bring a special gift that God has given us: the gift of nurturing—helping others feel loved, appreciated, and capable of achieving all they are meant to be.We, too, however, need nurturing. Often, we forget or ignore this fact, finding ourselves overextended and drained after giving all we have without taking time for our own needs. Our lives tend to be busy, hectic, and sometimes even frenzied, leaving little time for ourselves or God. Yet God longs to wrap loving arms around us and give us rest, encouragement, hope, strength, peace, and joy. God is the only One who can fill us and make us whole.365 Devotions for Women is written to help you focus on your relationship with God. Twelve different Christian women share their reflections on what it means to be a woman of faith, walking with God day by day. As you go through the year (whether you start in January or June), encountering a different writer each month, you will find spiritual refreshment and a sense of camaraderie for the challenge of giving your relationship with God the time and attention it deserves. Though these women have diverse backgrounds, personalities, and ways of relating to God, they have a common theme: God loves you and longs to be in relationship with you.The contributors are Nell W. Mohney (January), HiRho Park (February), Cynthia Gadsen (March), Kelly Clem (April), Lillian C. Smith (May), Nancy Nikolai Shedden (June), Anne Hagerman Wilcox (July), Marie Schockey (August), Hilda Davis (September), Sallie Dye (October), Monica Johnson (November), and Ellen Gray (December)Begin today to nurture your relationship with God. It’s the most important nurturing of all!
Remember: God's Covenants and the Cross
by Susan RobbRemember the God who remembers us.God’s covenants throughout the Old Testament show the character of God’s promises to the people of Israel. In this book, Susan Robb leads readers through the covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, followed by the new covenant established on Maundy Thursday. The Lenten story culminates with an examination of the cross as another example of God’s promise for a new world.Susan Robb teaches readers the basic lessons of the covenants through a mixture of biblical history and personal stories. Her pastoral character and warm tone provide a basis for understanding God’s promises through history and the role of Jesus’s passion and crucifixion in the history of the covenants.Remember can be read alone or used for a six-week group study and church wide Lenten program. Components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and video teaching sessions featuring Susan (with closed captioning).
Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation
by William H. WillimonWatch out. God is on the way.It’s not within our own power to make a fresh start. If we’re to have a future different from the past, it must come as a gift, something not of our devising. What we need is a God who refuses to be trapped in eternity, a God who not only cares about us but is willing to show up among us and do something with us, here, now.In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation, Will Willimon introduces you to the God who does just that, bringing heaven to earth and changing everything. In Advent we celebrate and anticipate the earth-shaking, life-transforming good news that God is coming to us. Watch out. Get ready. God is on the way.Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Will Willimon.
Experiencing Christmas: Christ in the Sights and Sounds of Advent
by Matt RawleDiscover how everything changed when God was born. Everything seems different at the end of the year. We put lights on our houses to dispel the growing darkness, Christmas music floods local radio stations, apple cider and cranberry sauce are again on the menu, and wrapping paper and tape are always ready. Things just look, smell, and taste differently during the Advent and Christmas season, and these differences are a sign to us that God is about to do something radical and different. Christmas is when God surrounded the divine with senses of his own. That first noel was when God had eyes to see suffering, ears to hear our cries, and hands to hold those in need, and all of these senses were bundled in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. “This will be a sign to you,” the angel told the shepherds, and they traveled to Bethlehem and found a child. What signs do you see during the Advent and Christmas season that point you to the divine?Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Matt Rawle. This book also includes a link to free downloadable teaching resources for children and youth.
The Gospel of John: A Beginner’s Guide to the Way, the Truth, and the Life
by Amy-Jill LevineUnlock the hidden depths of John’s Gospel.John’s Gospel offers readers a new language—of being born anew, of living water, of wind and spirit, of the “I am”—that enhances how we understand the divine, how we experience the world, and how we participate in the mystery of faith. With her characteristic wit and charm, Amy-Jill Levine introduces readers to the world of the Gospel of John by unpacking the stories in their original context, along with examining how the text is read today. This book considers the Gospel of John in its entirety, moving through the Gospel and exploring the prologue, the wedding at Cana, the Samaritan woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery, the healing of the man at the pool and the man born blind, foot washing, Mary Magdalene and Doubting Thomas, and the Lamb of God.Components available to use this book in a small group study include a leader guide and video available on DVD.
Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist
by Adam HamiltonPrepare to receive Christ this Advent with the message of John the Baptist and best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton in Prepare the Way for the Lord. For centuries, Christians have turned to the story and message of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist, best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton explores the Advent themes of John’s life and ministry, and how John calls all followers of Jesus to prepare our hearts for his coming. In each of the Gospels, the story of Jesus is intertwined with that of his cousin John, the one whom the prophets foretold would come to “prepare the way of the Lord.” When we hear the message of John the Baptist, it makes us and our world ready to receive Christ. Chapter topics include:1. A People Prepared for the Lord 2. God Is Gracious 3. The Fruit of Repentance 4. Witnesses Testifying to the LightTo use Prepare the Way for the Lord as a four-week Advent study, additional components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and DVD/Video sessions featuring Adam Hamilton.The book includes a link to free downloadable teaching resources for children and youth.
We Believe: How the Nicene Creed Can Deepen Your Faith
by Michael CarpenterWe believe in one God.Discover how the ancient Nicene Creed can transform your spiritual journey in Michael Carpenter's empowering book, We Believe: How the Nicene Creed Can Deepen Your Faith. Personal anecdotes and practical insights guide you to a profound connection with God. Dive into six chapters, covering the Nicene Creed sequentially, that unpack the essence of it, enriching reader's faith and deepening their understanding of Christian beliefs.In addition to the book, other study components include a Leader Guide and video available on DVD.
Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church
by James L. Killen JR.An introduction to pastoral care for pastors of small membership churches.“If you spend your whole life serving small membership churches and doing it well, yours will have been a life well spent.” Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. These churches and their pastors have an opportunity for excellence in this area, and should make the most of it. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.From getting acquainted with your congregation, weddings and funerals, picking up on subtle cues in a conversation to not-so-subtle conflicts, Killen shares insights from years of ministry in a small membership church setting.James L. Killen, Jr. is a retired elder of the Texas Conference, contributor to Circuit Rider, and author of Who Do You Say That I Am? A Personal Reader.
Social Principles of The United Methodist Church 2025-2028
by United Methodist ChurchGain a deeper understanding of your beliefs as a United Methodist.Use this powerful resource to dive deep into The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. This 64-page booklet is specially designed to aid individuals and small groups in their study. Packed with the official text of The Social Principles, exercises, a topical index, and the Social Creed, this resource is your key to understanding the church's stance on crucial topics.For over a century, dedicated lay and clergy members of The United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations have made legislative decisions to shape The Social Principles. These principles are the result of prayerful consideration and thoughtful efforts by multiple General Conferences to address complex and controversial global issues.By engaging in this study, you can delve into your own theology and ethics, allowing you to grow in discipleship and further explore your beliefs. Don't miss out on this invaluable opportunity for personal and group growth.
The Art of Hospitality Revised Edition: A Practical Guide for a Ministry of Radical Welcome
by Yvonne Gentile Debi NixonCreate a culture of radical hospitality that surprises and delights guests beyond their expectations.Engaging worship and intentional follow-up processes are important, but what compels guests to return to our churches is the warmth of our welcome and hospitality that goes beyond their expectations. In The Art of Hospitality, Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon guide you and your church creating radical hospitality that infiltrates the heart and culture of the entire congregation. Complete with key principles and proven techniques and strategies, this compelling and practical program will transform the way you do church, leaving guests surprised, delighted, and eager to return. This Revised Edition includes new insights and strategies for effective hospitality and welcome in all aspects of your digital and in-person ministry. This book is for pastors and other leaders in the church. Choose the Companion Book for everyone else in the congregation.
What the World Needs Now: Virtue and Character in an Age of Chaos
by Clay StaufferRedefine leadership and character.Discover a path to a more connected and meaningful life with What the World Needs Now. Written by Clay Stauffer, a seasoned pastor, professor, husband, and father, this book explores moral leadership, character, and values that transcend generational and cultural divides. With 30 concise chapters covering topics such as love, hope, diversity, and joy, Stauffer invites you to reflect on how we can improve our relationships, reshape culture, and build a sustainable future for generations to come. Blending Christian wisdom with universally accessible principles, the book illuminates the importance of virtues, emotional intelligence, and spiritual growth. What the World Needs Now inspires readers from all walks of life to embody values of decency, civility, and mutual respect.
Heaven and Earth Leader Guide: Advent and the Incarnation
by William H. WillimonWatch out. God is on the way.It’s not within our own power to make a fresh start. If we’re to have a future different from the past, it must come as a gift, something not of our devising. What we need is a God who refuses to be trapped in eternity, a God who not only cares about us but is willing to show up among us and do something with us, here, now.In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation, Will Willimon introduces you to the God who does just that, bringing heaven to earth and changing everything. In Advent we celebrate and anticipate the earth-shaking, life-transforming good news that God is coming to us. Watch out. Get ready. God is on the way.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options.Additional components for the four-week small group study include the book and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Will Willimon.
Multiplying Love: A Vision of United Methodist Life Together
by Paul W. ChilcoteA Vision of United Methodist Life Together.Our world needs love during these desperate days of radical polarization and division. Our United Methodist churches yearn to embrace love more completely because God first loved us. Our “faith” (including doctrine) is important; Christian “hope” (including renewal) is important; “love” of God and neighbor is more important. Multiplying Love underscores what matters most and stands in contrast to divisive misreadings of essential Methodist teachings. Chilcote helps us embrace anew the Wesleyan vision of love of Jesus as central to what we believe and how we live.When I finished Multiplying Love, I found myself jumping up and down shouting, “Yes, yes, yes! Gosh, do we need this!” We are at a remaking moment in the church. Dr. Chilcote beautifully articulates the deeper theological vision that beckons and sustains us. Multiplying Love helped me more thoroughly embrace the kind of loving people we are hoping to become. That’s what it’s all about to me, and this book nails it!—Rev. Christy Allen Holden, co-creator of The Channel UMC, a new hybrid community of faith (@christyallenholden)Every United Methodist pastor would do well to invite their church council to read Paul Chilcote’s brief and powerful Multiplying Love. It recalls the power of the Wesleyan approach to the gospel and makes a compelling case for the future of The United Methodist Church. I loved this book!—Rev. Adam Hamilton, Kansas pastor and author of Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith
The Bible With and Without Jesus - Leader Guide: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently
by Amy-Jill Levine Marc Zvi BrettlerScholars show how Jews and Christians read the same texts differently.The leader guide contains discussion questions and session plans for the study. It includes opening and closing prayers, optional activities, and weekly session goals. This leader guide, participant guide, and DVD are everything needed for an engaging study for your small group.In this Bible study based on their book, The Bible With and Without Jesus, esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross.Comparing various interpretations – historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine and Brettler offer deeper understandings of the original narratives and their many afterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations under changed circumstances, illuminating the Bible’s ongoing significance. By understanding the depth and variety by which these passages have been, and can be, understood, The Bible With and Without Jesus does more than enhance our religious understandings; it helps us to see the Bible as a source of inspiration for any and all readers.
Parables: Putting Jesus's Stories in Their Place
by Josh ScottRead the stories of Jesus in a new light.When Jesus taught in parables, he was doing more than telling simple morality tales. His stories were grounded in the world in which he lived and his vision of the Kingdom of God. This book explores six parables that give us a window into Jesus’s message and movement, and, once they are heard in their own context, ask what they might mean for us today. Parables include: the New Wine and Wineskins, the Mustard Seed, the Leaven, the Wedding Party, the Workers in the Vineyard, and the Wicked Tenants.Other components for the study include a leader guide and teaching video are available.
Give Up Something Bad for Lent: A Lenten Study for Adults
by James W. MooreWrap your arms around the Good News for Lent.During Lent each year, Christians give up something as an act of sacrifice and spiritual discipline. Often it is something like chocolate, knowing that after Easter Sunday they can once again enjoy what they have given up. James Moore challenges readers to take it further—to give up something spiritually that they would be better off not doing. He invites all to seek God's help to focus on eliminating one habit or attitude that is destructive. Imagine giving up envy, jealousy, self-pity, apathy, procrastination, gossip, resentment, or negative thinking, how much better life would be.The forty days of Lent are ideal to use this study and prepare to give up something bad while preparing to fully embrace the Good News of Easter. Study includes seven sessions, one for each Sunday in Lent and Easter Sunday. Each session features a Scripture reference, a personal reading, questions for personal reflection or group study, and closing prayer.
Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith
by Adam HamiltonDoes your faith make room for questions?Everyone has doubts. Where is God when bad things happen? Does God hear our prayers? Is there a heaven? How can we know? Often, we treat such questions as the enemy of faith. But uncertainty doesn’t mean our belief is lacking. Doubt can be a path to a deeper, richer encounter with God. In Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith, join best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton as he discusses some of our most significant sources of doubt and shows how a steady trust in God can emerge from them. You will delve into questions like: “Does God exist? How can I know?” “Is the Bible true?” “Why do prayers go unanswered?” Hamilton approaches these sources of doubt with honesty and insight, drawing on the rich wisdom of the Bible, Christian tradition, and his experience walking with thousands of people on their spiritual journeys. Whether you’re a longtime Christian or someone brand new to faith, this book will lead you to a trust in God that gives you the courage to ask tough questions. Though you may wrestle with doubt, you’ll discover a faith that—rather than providing simple answers—includes belief and trust as well as uncertainty and mystery. The book can be used anytime throughout the year and can be read alone, used by small groups, or as an outreach gift for visitors. Components include a comprehensive Leader Guide, a six-session DVD featuring Adam Hamilton (with closed captioning), and a digital worship and sermon series, making this perfect as a group study and churchwide program done throughout the year.