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Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church
By James L. Killen JR.. 2005
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.Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did.
By John Mark Comer. 2024
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry calls us to rediscover the path that…
leads to a deeper life with God. &“One of the most important books I have read in a decade . . . If we would all follow in this way, our lives would change and the world would change.&”—Jennie Allen, author of Get Out of Your Head and Find Your People We are constantly being formed by the world around us. To be formed by Jesus will require us to become his apprentice. To live by what the first Christian disciples called a Rule of Life—a set of practices and relational rhythms that slow us down and open up space in our daily lives for God to do what only God can do—transforms the deepest parts of us to become like him. This introduction to spiritual formation is full of John Mark Comer&’s trademark mix of theological substance and cultural insight as well as practical wisdom on developing your own Rule of Life. These ancient practices have much to offer us. By learning to rearrange our days, we can follow the Way of Jesus. We can be with him. Become like him. And do as he did.Paris and Her Cathedrals
By R. Howard Bloch. 2022
For history readers, travelers, and scholars alike, an indispensable behind-the-scenes guide to the great cathedrals of Paris. “So infectious is…
R. Howard Bloch’s passion for his subject that even those unable to do the traveling required will find in Paris and Her Cathedrals an inspiring guide to these time-hallowed masterpieces of medieval culture.” —Colin Jones, author of Paris and The Great Nation Over the years, R. Howard Bloch has become renowned for the insider tours of Paris that he gives to students abroad. Long sought after by travelers and history buffs for his near-encyclopedic knowledge of French cathedrals, the eminent French literature scholar finally shares his expertise with a wider audience. In Paris and Her Cathedrals, six of the most sublime cathedrals in the penumbra of Paris—Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle, Amiens, Reims—are illumined in magnificent detail as Bloch, taking us from the High Middle Ages to the devastating fire that set Notre-Dame ablaze in 2019, traces the evolution of each in turn. Written from the premise that “seeing is enhanced by knowing,” each chapter is organized along the lines of a walk around and then through the space of the cathedral, such that the actual or virtual visitor feels the rich sweep of the church, “the essence of these architectural wonders” (Antonia Felix). Animating the past with lush evocations of architectural splendor—from flying buttresses and jewel-encrusted shrines to hidden burial grounds and secret chambers—Bloch then contextualizes the cathedrals within the annals of French history. Here thrilling tales of kingly intrigue—as in Saint-Chapelle, where the pious King Louis IX amassed relics, including Christ’s crown of thorns—and audacious abbots are interspersed with anecdotes about the meeting of aristocratic and everyday life, culminating in “a rich, colorful narrative that clearly but expertly explains the history and symbolism of some of the world’s most magnificent buildings” (Ross King). To be read in preparation for an enlightened visit or merely to open a window upon the High Middle Ages in France, Paris and Her Cathedrals is a “revelation,” an “indispensable guide” (Garry Wills) to these awe-inspiring structures. Complete with the author’s own photographs, this beautifully illustrated volume vitally enhances our understanding of the history of Paris and its environs.Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today
By Sister Joan Chittister. 1990
Angel Courage: 365 Meditations and Insights to Get Us Through Hard Times
By Terry Lynn Taylor, Mary Beth Crain. 1999
From the authors of the bestselling Angel Wisdom comes a book for everyone who wants to transform fear into courage…
and despair into hope. This delightful book shows us how to learn from our experiences and live every day with the grace and joy of the angels. With a year's worth of daily meditations, Angel Courage offers fresh wisdom for confronting life's difficulties, both large and small-from stress at work to quarrels and letdowns, guilt and regrets, grief and grudges. Each day's reading features a thought-provoking quote, ideas for reflection, exercises, and an inspiring angel blessing. The authors encourage us to learn to love ourselves no matter what mistakes we've made. "May you always make mistakes," they advise, "just not the same ones." The wisdom of the angels shows us how to laugh at ourselves, live in the moment, put our energy into productive activities, and follow the timing of our hearts by using our own angel courage to greet each day with authenticity and love.The Way of Serenity: Finding Peace and Happiness in the Serenity Prayer
By Jonathan Morris. 2014
FOX News religion analyst, program director of the Catholic Channel on SiriusXM radio, and bestselling author Father Jonathan Morris reveals…
how the Serenity Prayer offers a sure path to peace and fulfillment for everyone, not just those in recovery programs. The Serenity Prayer states:Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,The courage to change the things I can,And the wisdom to know the difference.Exploring the prayer phrase by phrase, Morris shows the hope that can be found by gaining a deeper spiritual understanding of its words and by practicing its message. Enlightening and profound, The Way of Serenity includes moving narratives, illuminating historical anecdotes, and pertinent biblical passages that demonstrate the power of the Serenity Prayer to help us grow closer to God and find greater peace and happiness.Religionless Christianity: God's Answer to Evil
By Eric Metaxas. 2024
Christianity is not about rituals but changed hearts. In the prophetic tradition of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas calls slumbering Christians…
to battle.Picking up where he left off in his electrifying Letter to the American Church, Eric Metaxas renews and deepens his call to believers not to &“practice&” their faith but to live it—heroically and with joy. Invoking famous but misunderstood words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he shows that God&’s answer to evil is &“religionless Christianity&”—the rejection of religiosity and the embrace of a living and active faith, one that consumes the whole person and affects every aspect of his life. The awakening of this faith will bring revival, a &“new birth of freedom&” and a renaissance of Christian culture.Studying Christian Spirituality
By David B. Perrin. 2024
Studying Christian Spirituality proposes a framework to discover how spirituality can be understood beyond the conventional boundaries that religions have…
established.Its nine chapters discuss a wide variety of issues and questions, which include: definitions of spirituality; the impact of models of God; human-spiritual development; the importance of context; historical criticism; anthropology; interpretation of texts and art; and examples of spiritual practice. David B. Perrin clearly explains the traditional relationships between Christian spirituality and theology and history. He also proposes greater connections with the human sciences, such as philosophy, psychology, phenomenology, and sociology, and reshapes the classical approaches to Christian spirituality, its texts, practices, and experience.This interdisciplinary volume is an essential reference for scholars and students at all levels who desire to develop a deeper understanding of Christian spirituality’s research methods, and its relevance to the world today.The French philosopher-mystic-activist Simone Weil (1909–1943) has drawn both passionate admiration and scornful dismissal since her early death and the…
posthumous publication of her writings. She has also provoked an extraordinary range of literary writing focused on not only her ideas but also her person: novels, nonfiction, and especially poetry. Given the challenges of Weil’s ethic of self-emptying attention, what accounts for her appeal, especially among women writers?This book tells the story of some of Weil’s most dedicated—and at points surprising—literary conversation partners, exploring why writers with varied political and religious commitments have found her thought and life so resonant. Cynthia R. Wallace considers authors who have devoted decades of attention to Weil, such as Adrienne Rich, Annie Dillard, and Mary Gordon, and who have written poetic sequences or book-length verse biographies of Weil, including Maggie Helwig, Stephanie Strickland, Kate Daniels, Sarah Klassen, Anne Carson, and Lorri Neilsen Glenn. She illuminates how writing to, of, and in the tradition of Weil has helped these writers grapple with the linked harms and possibilities of religious belief, self-giving attention, and the kind of moral seriousness required by the ethical and political crises of late modernity. The first book to trace Weil’s influence on Anglophone literature, The Literary Afterlives of Simone Weil provides new ways to understand Weil’s legacy and why her provocative wisdom continues to challenge and inspire writers and readers.Gospel in Life Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video: Grace Changes Everything
By Timothy Keller. 2024
Join bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller in an eight-week video Bible study on the gospel and how to live…
it out in all aspects of life—from your community to the world at large.The Gospel in Life video Bible study (video streaming code included) begins with the city, your home now: the world that is. The final week closes with the theme of the eternal city, your heavenly home: the world that is to come.Throughout this eight-week ascent—from earthly work to the final revelation of grace—you&’ll learn how the gospel can change your heart, your community, and how you can live as a disciple of Jesus Christ in this world, right now, even as you look forward to the promise we have in him. Discover how grace really does change everything.Sessions and video run times:City – The World That Is (11:30)Heart – Three Ways to Live (12:00)Idolatry – The Sin Beneath the Sin (12:00)Community – The Context for Change (11:30)Witness – An Alternate City (11:30)Work – Cultivating the Garden (11:30)Justice – A People for Others (12:30)Eternity – The World That Is to Come (11:00) This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including:The study guide itself—with discussion and reflection questions, video notes, and a leader's guide.An individual access code to stream all video sessions online. (You don&’t need to buy a DVD!)Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2028. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.The Big Rescue
By Jane Hird. 2024
When Jonah hears God’s divine call to travel abroad but goes his own way, an exciting true adventure unfolds. Get…
swept up in the story of how Jonah gets into and out of trouble on his disobedient journey, and what providential events follow.The Third Day: Living the Resurrection
By Tom Berlin, Mark A. Miller. 2023
On the third day, he rose again.In The Third Day: Living the Resurrection, Tom Berlin uses his gifts of storytelling…
and understanding the Scriptures to connect the reader to the experiences of several individuals around Jesus in his final days, focusing on new life and redemption rather than loss.Join Peter, Mary Magdalene, and Thomas as they feel the despair of losing Jesus and the surprise and joy that awaits them in the resurrection. This study traces events around these characters, along with Paul and the disciples at Emmaus, and how the resurrection transforms their lives.The book 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 Tom (with closed captioning).On Purpose: Finding God's Voice in Your Passion
By Magrey DeVega, Sam McGlothlin, Jevon Caldwell-Gross, Susan Robb. 2023
Be 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. Reading this book and exploring life choices alongside others, individuals will learn how to channel their passions, hear God’s voice, and live the life they were meant to live.To support reading in a group, resources including a full leader’s guide and DVD with four teaching sessions are also available.Bible Stories for Grown-Ups Leader Guide: Reading Scripture with New Eyes
By Josh Scott. 2023
Read the Bible for the first time – again. In Bible Stories for Grown-Ups: Reading Scripture with New Eyes pastor…
Josh Scott looks at familiar Bible stories and reveals new details and interpretations for an adult audience. This six-week Bible study will consider stories many read as children including Noah's Ark, the binding of Isaac, Jonah and the big fish, Jesus and Zacchaeus, Jesus healing a blind man, and the parable of the talents. Scott reimagines these stories and opens new visions for readers to understand well known pieces of Scripture in our current cultural environment.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options. Additional components include the book, Bible Stories for Grown-Up, and video teaching sessions featuring Josch Scott, making this perfect as a group study throughout the year.The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2024: Planning Sermons for Every Sunday of the Year
By Charley Reeb. 2023
The local pastor’s go-to resource for weekly sermon planning.The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2024 is lectionary-based and follows the calendar year…
(January - December). It includes special days like Maundy Thursday and Ash Wednesday, and indexes for scriptures and themes, to assist preachers with non-lectionary sermons.Each entry begins with a preacher-to-preacher prayer for preparation, then moves to the key feature: a commentary on one or more texts for the week, exploring themes and storylines, theological reflections, and thoughts about how the text and topic relate to our lives today. Also included are ideas for bringing the text to life--stories, illustrations, ideas for further reading, questions the preacher might pose to the congregation, and suggestions for a ‘call to action’ in response to the message.Finally, for the preacher’s ongoing enrichment, the Annual includes excerpts from new books on preaching and homiletics. This helpful resource is written by every-week preachers who aim to come alongside you, offering a reliable starting point for your sermonic planning, writing, and delivery.John Wesley's Doctrine of Justification
By Mark. K. Olson. 1998
John 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.Adult Bible Studies Summer 2024 Student
By Sue Mink. 2023
Grow your faith. Transform your life.Cultivate a deeper relationship with God through Adult Bible Studies. This resource, endorsed by the…
Curriculum Resources Committee of The United Methodist Church, offers a year-round, weekly Bible study plan for Sunday school classes and other small groups.Each weekly lesson offers background and focal Scriptures, key verses, and doctrinallysound and relevant biblical interpretation and application in a readable font size.Annual plans provide comprehensive coverage of the Bible, special lessons during the church seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter, and suggestions for developingspiritual practices such as prayer, worship, community, and service, among manyothers. Adult Bible Studies is a reliable companion and guide for learning and growing in Christian faith.With the help of the Adult Bibles Studies Student Book, and DVD, your group will embrace that it’s not just about learning - it’s about living out biblical teachings.Summer 2024 Theme: Finding BalanceThis summer, our Bible lessons follow the theme “Finding Balance.” They look at the concepts of work, rest, and celebration from a theological and biblical perspective and challenge us to find a balance among the three. The teacher book writer is Greg Weeks.Visit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more!The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer
By Matt Miofsky. 2023
Daily prayer the Wesleyan wayPrayer is a spiritual practice, and daily prayer uses the repetition of forms and words to…
cultivate a deep, meaningful ritual, drawing the individual into an ever-closer relationship with God. This book is organized by liturgical season, but is undated, so the individual is free to begin using it at any point during the year. The book is concise and easy to use and includes the words of scripture and other necessary text. It is a simple, frictionless tool for spiritual health. The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer provides complete texts for Morning Prayers and Evening Prayers, with a new set of texts for each week of the year. Each week is anchored in its liturgical season: Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide, Pentecost, Sow & Rest (Ordinary Time), and Harvest & Create (Ordinary Time).Each set of prayers centers on a scripture passage, with an emphasis on the Psalms. The prayers draw from familiar historic, classic, and ancient Christian texts, and from Methodism’s rich hymnody. They also feature fresh, original words from new writers. This book facilitates deep daily connection with God--a method for spiritual sustenance.Remember: God's Covenants and the Cross
By Susan Robb. 2023
Remember 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. Willimon. 2023
Watch 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.