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Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other Peoples Choices
by Cynthia RuchtiIt is one thing to live with the consequences of your own choices, but what happens when your life is changed because of someone else's? This insightful and uplifting guide will comfort, support and encourage you through whatever situation you must face. Cynthia Ruchti, who has walked this road herself, assures readers that God is ever present and His love never wavers. There is hope, grace, and a future in every situation, especially those that we did not cause.
Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to Holy Week (Entering the Passion of Jesus)
by Amy-Jill LevineJesus’ final days were full of risk. Every move he made was filled with anticipation, danger, and the potential for great loss or great reward.Jesus risked his reputation when he entered Jerusalem in a victory parade. He risked his life when he dared to teach in the Temple. His followers risked everything when they left behind their homes, or anointed him with costly perfume. We take risks as we read and re-read these stories, finding new meanings and new challenges.In Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the Passion story. She shows us how the text raises ethical and spiritual questions for the reader, and how we all face risk in our Christian experience.Entering the Passion of Jesus provides a rich and challenging learning experience for small groups and individual readers alike. The book is part of a larger six-week study that is perfect for Lent and includes a DVD, and a comprehensive Leader Guide.The book’s six chapters include: Jerusalem: Risking Reputation The Temple: Risking Righteous Anger Teachings: Risking Challenge The First Dinner: Risking Rejection The Last Supper: Risking the Loss of Friends Gethsemane: Risking Temptation
Pursued - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: Gods Relentless Love for YOU (Pursued)
by Jennifer CowartDiscover how God is pursuing you.We all want to be loved. We long to be desired, pursued—whether by a special someone, our friends, or others in our lives. This longing for love and acceptance is the underlying story of many of our lives, and it's the overarching story we see throughout the Scriptures. Although the Bible tells many stories, the main theme is God’s relentless love for us.In Pursued, a six-week Bible study by Jennifer Cowart, we will explore God’s great love for us from Genesis to Revelation. We will see that God passionately pursues people who do not deserve His love, and we are those people! Like Cain, Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, David, the woman caught in adultery, Peter, and so many others, we are the ones who have broken relationship with God. But He runs after us anyway to bring us home. In this study, we will explore God’s love as evidenced in the stories of creation, the patriarchs, the judges and prophets, Jesus, and the early church. Together we will dive into a great love story and discover that it is our story!Through this study women will:- See the big picture of God’s love for them throughout the Scriptures- Discover that God wants a personal relationship with them- Experience God’s relentless love for them individually- Realize that God never stops pursuing themComponents for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, and video sessions with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning).
Twice Blessed: Two Amish Christmas Stories
by Barbara CameronAbout Her Sister’s ShadowKatie and Rosie Stoltzfus work part-time in an Amish store and part-time in Two Peas in a Pod, their own business raising vegetables and fruits and canning them for sale. Although they are identical twins, their personalities are very different: while Katie has always been more outgoing and attractive to boys, Rosie has always felt in her sister’s shadow. It will take an unexpected business opportunity and one very special man to help Rosie see that she’s a unique woman of her own. About His Brother’s KeeperEver since they were boys, Ben Fisher has trailed after his brother, Mark. Ben has always envied Mark because he’s always been more adventurous, but he's even more jealous now that Mark is engaged to Ruth, a woman they both love. When a terrible accident on Christmas Eve results in their mistaken identity, Ben suddenly has an opportunity to create the life he’s always wanted. While everyone believes he is his brother, who’s still in a coma, Ben finally has a chance with Ruth. But how can he realize an opportunity for real happiness if it means deceiving his kin?
Cultivating a Thoughtful Faith: Cultivating Thinking Theologically
by Maxie Dunnam Steven G. MooreA passionate call for theological thinking that challenges our intellect, enriches our faith, kindles our heart, and infuses our daily life.The assumption in much of the church is that theology is an obstacle to a vital, growing faith, not an aid to it. In fact, everyone is a theologian—either a good one or a bad one. So what are the advantages of thinking intentionally about matters of theology and how they can guide, inform, and nourish our faith? What are the components of good thinking and what are some ways we can cultivate it? As the contributors to this volume make clear, theology is for everyday and every person, as all are called to be thoughtful followers of Jesus. They make the case for how a living, thoughtful faith and how learning to think about God can launch your faith and make it powerful and alive.This engaging volume will help lay people, incoming college students, and prospective seminarians understand that vital faith is as much about our mind as it is about a warm heart. “Cultivating a Thoughtful Faith challenges the intellect while touching the heart. It advances our understanding of how to love God with all our minds. We in Christian higher education celebrate this contribution to a deeper understanding of our calling.” --- Robert C. Andringa, President, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Washington, D.C. “Rather than reserving theology for a classroom or Sunday morning discussion, these essays challenge the reader to make sure that theology engages the imagination and the intellect, the heart and the mind. The writers remind us that a thoughtful faith compels us to change the world by transforming our daily lives from the inside out.” --- Barbara Oliver Korner, Associate Dean, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.Edited by Maxie Dunnam and Steve Moore (Essays by Paul W. Chilcote, Maxie D. Dunnam, Steve Harper, George G. Hunter III, Steve G. W. Moore, Howard A. Snyder, and Ben Witherington III)Maxie Dunnam is the Chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary, and formerly served as the fifth President of the Seminary (1994-2004). His many books include The Workbook of Living Prayer, Staying the Course, and the forthcoming Praying the Story.Steve Moore, a well-known leader in Christian higher education and spiritual formation, is the Senior Vice President of Asbury Theological Seminary and the President of the Asbury Foundation for Theological Education. He is the author of College 101: A Guide to Getting the Most Out of College.Paul Chilcote is Professor Historical Theology and Wesleyan Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. His recent works include Her Own Story and The Wesleyan Tradition.Steve Harper is the Vice President of the Florida campus of Asbury Theological Seminary (Orlando), and teaches spiritual formation and Wesleyan studies. He has written Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition.George Hunter is Distinguished Professor of Communications and Evangelism, and formerly Dean of the E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism at Asbury Theological Seminary. His books include How To Reach Secular People (1992), Church for the Unchurched (1996), The Celtic Way of Evangelism (2000), and Radical Outreach (2003), all from Abingdon Press.Howard Snyder is Professor of the History and Theology of Mission at the E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism at Asbury Theological Seminary. He has written Decoding the Church: Mapping the DNA of Christ’s Body.Ben Witherington III is Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. A much sought-after speaker and prolific author, his recent work includes The Brother of Jesus.
Invitation to the New Testament: A Short-Term DISCIPLE Bible Study
by David A. DeSilva Dr Emerson B. PoweryExplore the writings of the New Testament using the story of Jesus as the starting point. This survey of the testament looks at how the early church took ownership of and was shaped by the story of Jesus and how the church learned how to develop as disciples and create communities of faith.Participants find a deeper conversation with the writers of the New Testament and a renewal of our commitment to be shaped — personally and communally — by the story of Jesus. The study is accessible for adults with little prior Bible experience.In the weekly video segments, listen as scholars fascinate you with facts and information that opens new understanding and enlightenment for your group. In the second video, sit in on a table conversation between guest scholars and debate key issues in the text.Participants gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the New Testament as an integral part of the Christian Bible and a renewed discovery of our identity in God and God's vision for all things.This eight-week study includes a participant book outlining daily reading assignments for group preparations, a leader guide suggesting discussion activities for use in the 60–90-minute weekly meeting, and a video component providing interpretation and context for the biblical texts.Sessions: Jesus Calls Us Into God's Redemption Story Jesus Calls Us to a Transformed Life Jesus Calls Us to Minister to a Hostile World Jesus Calls Us to Complex Communities of Faith Jesus Calls Us to Serve One Another Jesus Calls Us to a New Relationship With Tradition Jesus Calls Us to Live in Light of His Coming Again Jesus Calls Us to Experience the Gifts of His Dying and Rising
Daily Bible Study Summer 2022
by Stan Purdum Sue Mink Michelle J. MorrisDaily Bible Study is a great companion to the quarterly Adult Bible Studies or as a stand-alone study. It is presented in quarterly segments. Bible-based, and Christ-focused, it coordinates with the lesson themes of Adult Bible Studies. Each daily reading includes a one-page Bible study for each day of the quarter, along with introductory reflection questions and commentary on the daily Scripture passage, life application, and a concluding prayer.Daily Bible Study Summer 2022Theme: TransformThe lessons this quarter begin with a look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit that brings new life to us as members of the body of Christ. Jesus tells the disciples in John’s Gospel that he must leave so that the Comforter or Holy Spirit could come. The Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth and bring gifts and graces to all who will receive them. This transforming power prepares us for ministry in the world.The Holy Spirit’s work in empowering us to be the church and carry out its mission is not limited to time and space. The lessons in Unit 2 take us through a series of events in the context of Jewish and Gentile hostility in which we see how the Holy Spirit moved the church forward to serve others.The final four lessons in this quarter explore a problem that has plagued humankind throughout the ages—violence! How do we as the people of God confront and overcome this menace to the faith?Unit 1: The Fruit of the SpiritPaul used the metaphor of fruit to help us understand that our lives are like the firstfruits of offering. Through participation in Christ’s crucifixion through baptism, we have offered our lives to God’s service. The Holy Spirit then gives us gifts to display.Scriptures: Acts 2:1-4, 17-21, 33, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Galatians 5:13-21; Galatians 5:22-26Spiritual Practice: SilenceUnit 2: The Work of the ChurchThese lessons take us through a series of events in the Book of Acts in which the activity of the Holy Spirit drives the action forward. The lessons in Unit 1 identify the gifts granted to us by the Spirit; these lessons look at the path on which the Spirit directs our lives and how the Spirit is already active before we arrive at our destination.Scriptures: Acts 4:23-31; Acts 8:26-39; Acts 11:1-18; Acts 15:1-21; Acts 16:25-34Spiritual Practice: ServiceUnit 3: The Pursuit of the PeopleGod’s word established a created order that depends on fruitfulness and cultivation rather than violence to maintain it, but humanity through its rivalries brings violence into God’s created order. It is clear from Scripture that God’s intent is to reestablish shalom, the Hebrew word that means “a shared well-being and abundance.” While violence remains a part of the created order, God does not quietly sanction the human use of violence and calls us to imitate God’s love and work toward shalom.Scriptures: 1 Chronicles 22:6-10, 17-19; Matthew 5:9, 38-48; Ephesians 2:11-22; Matthew 26:47-56Spiritual Practice: Remembering
The Organization of the United Methodist Church: 2009-2012 Edition (United Methodist Studies)
by Jack M. TuellAn indispensable guide for all United Methodists-especially pastors, lay leaders, church council members, confirmation and new member candidates and their instructors, and seminarians-this book is presented in a practical, down-to-earth manner for easy use by both individuals and classes, clergy and lay. It highlights the functions and connectional relationships within the organization, beginning with the local church and continuing through connectional organs in districts, annual conferences and their agencies, jurisdictional conferences and their agencies, the General Conference, the general agencies of the Church, and the Judicial Council.Bishop Tuell discusses the Church's unique polity and gives a frank assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. At the same time he paints the image of a worldwide connectional communion that is organized to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and to bear witness to its Wesleyan heritage.
In Search of Wisdom: Faith Formation in the Black Church
by Evelyn L. Parker Anne E. Wimberlyedited by Anne E. Streaty WimberlyA guide for pastors, church leaders, and all who help African Americans in their search for a meaningful Christian lifestyle. Forming Christians--leading fallen and flawed human beings into the path of discipleship to a crucified and risen Lord--is one of the central, if not the central, tasks of all Christian churches. It is a difficult enough task anywhere, but for African Americans, beset by racial conflict, personal crises, generational separation, and other concerns, it is especially so. African American churches must work particularly hard to counter the messages their members receive from the dominant and often unfriendly culture. This book employs the biblical text and African tradition to draw on the idea of the search for wisdom as a potent way to help African Americans in their pursuit of genuine Christian discipleship. Wisdom in African American tradition is not simply knowledge; rather, it is those insights, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors,and practices that create and sustain a life of hope and that produce an inherent sense of the worth of one's self. If their members are to engage in the search for wisdom, African American churches must build an intentional ministry of faith formation. Wisdom can be gained, the authors argue, when African Americans listen to the black oral tradition with its proverbial sayings, revered Bible stories, songs, and narratives from the lives of exemplary individuals. The book offers several similar avenues for the search for wisdom, including helpful models of black males mentoring younger black males, as a remedy to the destructive effects that contemporary culture has on this segment of the African American community.
Introducción a la historia de la iglesia AETH: Introduction to the History of the Church Spanish
by Justo L. GonzalezIntroducción a la historia de la iglesia es una obra formidable en la que de manera amena, entretenida y sin dejar de ser académica, el Dr. Justo González repasa los acontecimientos fundamentales que sucedieron en la historia de la iglesia y que le han dado cuerpo. Este libro es fundamental como introducción para entender el porqué la iglesia tiene la forma que tiene en la actualidad, y servirá de base para cualquiera que desee adentrarse en los detalles de tan extensa y a veces complicada historia. Written in Spanish by the renown Hispanic author Justo L. González, this easy-to-understand and entertaining, yet academic introduction to the history of the church reviews the major events that happened in the history of the church and how they shape today’s church. This book is ideal for helping readers understand today’s church structure, and serves as guide for those interested in the extensive, and at times, complicated history of the church.
More Messy People Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: Life Lessons from Imperfect Biblical Heroes
by Jennifer CowartGod can use imperfect people to do incredible things.Jen Cowart continues her study of the very messy lives of biblical heroes—people who, like us, made mistakes but found God was able to use them in powerful ways. They all play a significant role in the biblical narrative, but their stories are far from perfect.Through the lives of rival sisters like Leah and Rachel, or sisters with very different personalities like Martha and Mary, we see God chooses to use people who don’t have it all together. Through the lives of great, but imperfect, biblical heroes like Moses, Elijah, Peter, and Paul, we see God meets us in our troubles and chooses us even if we seem unqualified.The Participant Workbook includes five daily readings for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer and is designed to use with the Leader Guide and DVD.
Delicious Bible Stories - eBook [ePub]: No Cook Recipes That Teach
by Daphna Flegal LeeDell SticklerEveryone loves a good story and everyone loves to eat. Delicious Bible Stories combines the physical act of preparing the foods, the sensory act of eating the foods, and active listening to create unforgettable Bible stories. Using no-cook cooking methods, the boys and girls will make foods that go along with Bible stories from both the Old and the New Testaments. For example, the children will make the haroset as they hear the story of the Last Supper. They will prepare Babylonian fruit and nut balls as they hear the stories of Daniel and many many more. Ingredient lists and preparation directions for the foods are included as well as the Bible stories. Help persons of all ages understand the Bible stories through the fun of taste and cooking!
God's Messy Family Leader Guide: Finding Your Place When Life Isn't Perfect (God's Messy Family)
by Jacob ArmstrongGenealogy is, widely considered to be, one of the fastest growing hobbies in the U.S. We have become consumed with constructing our family tree in attempt to trace our lineage. Fortunately, the Bible does an excellent job helping us trace the ancestry of our faith family. Pastor and author Jacob Armstrong takes an in-depth look at our faith lineage focusing specifically on the messy family dynamics found in the book of Genesis. As we begin to understand the life stories of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Esau we find that their pattern looks like a lot like ours—we are called, we mess up, and God continues to redeem us. Find out how your "messy family" fits into God’s family and how you are a part of God’s plan for the world. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
On Purpose Leader Guide: Finding God's Voice in Your Passion
by Susan Robb Sam McGlothlin Jevon Caldwell-Gross Magrey deVegaBe part of something more.We are hungry for a sense of purpose, direction, and calling in our lives. That’s as basic an ingredient to the human experience as they come. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We want to participate in something that has eternal merit and lasting impact. We do not want to live a shallow, hollow existence. We yearn for deeper meaning, for deeper purpose within our lives. We want to be more than we are.In On Purpose: Finding God’s Voice in Your Passion, authors Magrey deVega, Sam McGlothlin, Jevon Caldwell-Gross, and Susan Robb help us see God's purpose for our lives, how to open ourselves to God's voice, and how to take the first or next step to follow God's call. As you read this book and explore your life alongside others, you’ll learn how to channel your passions, hear God’s voice, and live the life you were meant to live.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 the authors.
An Unlikely Advent: Extraordinary People of the Christmas Story
by Rachel BillupsExpect the unexpected this Christmas.This four-week Advent study focuses on the experiences of four sets of often overlooked characters in the Nativity story. During this Advent season, Rachel Billups guides readers through the themes of hope, love, joy, and peace by sharing the stories of Elizabeth and Zechariah, Herod, the Magi, and the shepherds. Each set of unexpected characters has something to teach about living faithfully on the journey to Christmas.Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Rachel Billups.
Five Marks of a Methodist: Participant Character Guide (Five Marks of a Methodist)
by Magrey deVegaThis small-group study is based on Steve Harper's book Five Marks of a Methodist. Six sessions provide extended reflection for adults on the five identifiers that Wesley sets forth in "The Character of a Methodist," which he published in 1742. 1. Character: The Marks of a Methodist2. A Methodist Loves God 3. A Methodist Rejoices in God 4. A Methodist Gives Thanks 5. A Methodist Prays Constantly 6. A Methodist Loves Others In "The Character of a Methodist," Wesley clearly stated that he did not want to distinguish Methodism from any "real Christian of whatsoever denomination." At the same time, Wesley knew that if the Methodist movement was to be established and grow, it must rest upon the solid foundation of gospel characteristics. This study provides a focused strengthening of the world Wesleyan family, while written so that any Christian person or group could use it with blessing and benefit.The study consists of the book, Five Marks of a Methodist, a Participant Character Guide, a Leader Guide, DVD and streaming video sessions (6 brief videos).
Acts: Catching Up with the Spirit (Acts)
by Matthew L. SkinnerThe Acts of the Apostles is a unique and crucial book that chronicles the story of God’s grace flooding out to the world through the lives of the apostles in the decades immediately following Christ’s ascension into heaven.In Acts: Catching up with the Spirit, author and biblical scholar Matthew Skinner provides a broad yet theologically attuned introduction to this important book and its story of the early church learning to bear witness about God’s salvation through Jesus Christ..Skinner explores six key themes that illustrate the ways in which reading Acts is capable of igniting our imagination about the character of the Christian message, the work of God’s people (the church), and the challenges of living faithfully in a complex and changing world.Additional components for a six-week study include a DVD featuring Matthew Skinner and a comprehensive Leader Guide.
Three Months With the Spirit
by Justo L. GonzalezThree Months with the Spirit is popular author Justo Gonzalez study of the Acts of the Apostles. Eminently readable, the study uses the see-judge-act method to bring readers closer to the text and informs and challenges the daily life of the Christian. These thirteen studies can be used for Sunday school, for evening Bible study, for home study meetings, for faith communities, for retreats, and for personal Bible study. In addition, Three Months with the Spirit can easily be used as a daily Bible study as each lesson is divided into seven parts.
They Also Serve: Methodist and United Methodist Bishops Spouses, 1940-2018
by Jane P. IvesStories from the women and men who have served alongside Methodist and United Methodist bishops.When a bishop is elected in The United Methodist Church, it is not only the one elected who is asked to serve but his or her spouse and family as well. Hear the stories of how Methodist and United Methodist episcopal spouses have adjusted to and navigated this life-changing journey. While dealing with the full range of human experience—births, deaths, relationship struggles, and illness—they also travel the world, participate in mission and ceremonies, meet interesting people, and stand up for justice. Through hardships, celebrations, and everyday struggles, these spouses find their own paths of ministry, answering the calls that are also placed upon their lives. In these ways and many others, they also serve.Praise for They Also ServedA meticulous labor of love by Jane P. Ives, They Also Served remembers faithful unsung Christians by chronicling previously unrecorded details of the spouses of episcopal leaders. Sometimes in the spotlight, often in the shadows, the bishop's spouses struggled to fulfill unpaid roles and undefined responsibilities in the church, usually far from family and friends. Ives empatheticlly highlights how these persons, usually without voice or vote, helped shape the church's mission and ministry.- Dr. Donald E. Messer, Executive Director, Central for Health and Hope: Focusing on Global HIV and AIDS, Centennial Colorado.Bishops may ebb and flow in their popularity based on their decisions, but their spouses are almost universally loved and admired. Jane Ives helps readers understand why that is the case with her comprehensive story of the impressive, diverse, and thoroughly dedicated women and men who have contributed so much to God's work.—Lovett H. Weems, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership Emeritus, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DCIn the gospel of Luke, Jesus sent the disciples out, two by two, to every town, and country, every charge and conference. Ives' book records the wisdom of sending two, and restores the names of those often forgotten in the story of the people called "Methodists," the spouses. These are remarkable oral histories as well as timelines of social holiness and global service. This is not a book about survival in ministry and marriage; it's a testimony to those who thrived in their calling. —Heather Murray Elkins, Professor of Worship, Preaching, and the Arts, The Theological School of Drew University, Madison, New JerseyThis is a book about discipleship. It is also a book about ministry and itinerancy.It tells stories of how God sometimes calls two people to the work of episcopacy, people who happen to be married to each other. It is a book that will make you laugh and cry!This book is an important addition to the literature of Methodist episcopacy. And it is a hard book to put down!—William Boyd Grove, Bishop (Ret.) of The United Methodist ChurchJane Ives has given the Methodist family a priceless treasure. Through an astonishing effort to collect memories and explore archival material, she has compiled a comprehensive record of episcopal spouses, their stories, accomplishments, and contributions to the church. But this book is more than a biographical dictionary. It offers a poignant, insightful account of the lives of bishops, their spouses and families, and the impact of the church's expectations on all of them. As a little boy, I knew firsthand the phone call: get on a train to New Orleans with your sister; your Daddy is going to be a bishop. Allow me to testify, then, that this book is the real deal -- genuine, human, and rich with faith and Spirit.—Thomas E. Frank, Associate Dean for Continuing Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North CarolinaLaity and clergy active in United Methodist life and their spouses will want to immerse themselves in this "corporate" autobiography, which provides an overview of Methodism through almost 80 years of personal experiences and cultural change. Jane Ives, a
Three Brothers: Memories of My Family
by Yan LiankeFrom the Franz Kafka Prize–winning author. “Full of love, sorrow, and tenderness . . . a deeply heartfelt account of his family in the 1960s and 70s.” —Xiaolu Guo, award-winning author of Nine ContinentsWith lyricism and deep emotion, Yan Lianke chronicles the extraordinary lives of his father and uncles, as well as his own during the Cultural Revolution. Living in a remote village, Yan’s parents are so poor that they can only afford to use wheat flour on New Year and festival days, and while Yan dreams of fried scallion buns, and even steals from his father to buy sesame seed cakes. He yearns to leave the village, however he can, and soon novels become an escape. He resolves to become a writer himself after reading on the back of a novel that its author was given leave to remain in the city of Harbin after publishing her book. In the evenings, after finishing back-breaking shifts hauling stones at a cement factory, sometimes sixteen hours long, he sets to work writing. He is ultimately delivered from the drudgery and danger of manual labor by a career in the Army, but he is filled with regrets as he recalls these years of scarcity, turmoil, and poverty.A philosophical portrait of grief, death, home, and fate that gleams with Yan’s quick wit and gift for imagery, Three Brothers is a personal portrait of a politically devastating period, and a celebration of the power of the family to hold together even in the harshest circumstances.“This engaging book asks readers to consider the nature of life and death, city versus country, and the impact generations can have on each other.” —Winnipeg Free Press
Not Your Parents' Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship
by J. Clif ChristopherPeople don’t give to church because we don’t offer them a compelling vision of the good their giving will achieve.Hearing a young attorney speak of the faithbased reasons for which he had just made a substantial monetary gift to a community youth center, Clif Christopher asked the speaker if he would consider making a similar contribution to the congregation of which he was an active member. "Lord, no they would not know what to do with it" was the answer. That, in a nutshell, describes the problem churches are facing in their stewardship efforts, says Christopher. Unlike leading nonprofit agencies and institutions, we too often fail to convince potential givers that their gifts will have impact and significance. In this book, Christopher lays out the main reasons for this failure to capture the imagination of potential givers, including our frequent failure simply to ask.Written with the needs of pastors and stewardship teams in mind, Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate provides immediate, practical guidance to all who seek to help God’s people be better stewards of their resources.
Simple Rules for Money: John Wesley on Earning, Saving, and Giving (Earn. Save. Give Ser.)
by Rev James A. HarnishWhat would it take for you to make a radical change in the way you earn, save, and spend your money? On a deeper level, what would be required for us to experience a fundamental shift in the relationship between our faith and our finances? - From the Introduction Faith and finances—these two areas of our lives sometimes seem poles apart. And yet, shouldn’t our finances be shaped by our faith? Guided by the Bible and the timeless wisdom of John Wesley, popular author James A. Harnish challenges Christians to face the issue of money head-on, with God’s help. Ideal for individual or group use, this book’s contents include: When Crisis Forces Change Gain All You Can: A New Opportunity Save All You Can: The New Frugality Give All You Can: A New Generosity
An Introduction to Christian Ethics: Goals, Duties, and Virtues
by Robin W. LovinA few years ago, the first distinction that ethicists drew was the line between Christian ethics and philosophical ethics. However, in our global context, Christian ethicists must now, in addition, compare and contrast various ethics. Christian ethics has become increasingly multivocal not only because of a plurality of faiths but also because of a plurality of Christianities. In light of these new realities, this book will introduce Christian ethics. It will lay out history, methods, and basic principles every student must know. The author also will include case studies for further explanation and application.
CEB Common English Bible Catholic Edition - eBook [ePub]
by Common English BibleTake a fresh look at the Bible while you experience a new translation. The Common English Bible is relevant, readable, and reliable. The result is a new version that the typical reader or worshipper is able to understand. 115 leading biblical scholars from 22 faith traditions and 77 reading specialists in 13 denominations worked on this translation.
God Turned Toward Us: The ABCs of Christian Faith
by William H. WillimonTalk the talk and walk the walk.The challenge of the Christian life is learning to talk Christian. Somebody has got to tell us, give us the words that open the door to the faith called Christian. Each of us is due the delight of discovery that in submitting to God’s talk to us.God Turned Toward Us: The ABCs of Christian Faith is organized by the words the church teaches us to use to talk about ordinary life apprehended by a God who is Jesus Christ–short, meditative reflections upon key concepts that guide Christians, new or longstanding.Praise for God Turned Towards Us“Reading God Turned Towards Us is like walking through a diamond mine. The opening segment on “Abortion” is itself worth the price of the book! Consider these gems: On the Cross: “The cross is a mirror that reflects who we really are as well as a window where we are given a privileged look into the heart of who God is.” On Sanctification: “The Gospels depict the disciples on a continual road trip. They journey, not only step-by-step closer to Jerusalem but also day-by day closer to Christ, that is, sanctification.” --Mike Lowry, Resident Bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist ChurchGod Turned Toward Us: The ABCs of Christian Faith is no ordinary book about Christian beliefs and practices. Rather, it is a sometimes jarring, always interesting, consistently insightful, and persistently provocative invitation to “talk the talk and walk the walk” of Christian discipleship. Addressing topics from A (Abortion) to Z (Zaccheus), Bishop Willimon prods us to listen more attentively to the God who continues to speak amid the confusion and turmoil of our times. This is a valuable resource for individuals and groups who genuinely want to hear a word from the Lord.--Kenneth Carder, Retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church