Denominational Concerns
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Some Daily Prayers For Church Of England People
$9.99Add to cartSome Daily Prayers for Church of England People-the product of decades of parish ministry-hits the spot in many crucial areas. Laid out in a way that makes a daily pattern of prayer possible and sustainable, it has a wealth of common-sense teaching about the meaning and practice of faith, and an imaginative and catholic selection of material.
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Making The Most Of Your Church Wedding
$7.99Add to cartA short, attractive, full-colour guide to the Anglican wedding service aimed at couples planning to get married. It uses the words and the actions of the marriage service to enable couples to explore the big questions of life, relationships, commitment, God, family and more.
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Still Christian : Following Jesus Out Of American Evangelicalism
$20.00Add to cartIn this provocative tell-all, David Gushee gives an insider’s look at the frictions and schisms of evangelical Christianity, based on his experiences that began with becoming a born- again Southern Baptist in 1978 to being kicked out of evangelicalism in 2014 for his stance on LGBT inclusion in the church. But Gushee’s religious pilgrimage proves even broader than that, as he leads his reader through his childhood experiences in Roman Catholicism, his difficult days at the liberal Union Seminary in New York, his encounters with the Christian Right, and more. In telling his story, Gushee speaks to the cultural divisions of a generation, as well as of today, and to those who have themselves been disillusioned by many battles within American Christianity. As he describes his own struggles to find the right path at different stages of his journey, he highlights the turning points and decisions that we all face. When do we compromise, and when we do we stand our ground? Is holding to moral conviction worth sacrificing friendship, jobs, and security? As he takes us through his sometimes-amusing, sometimes-heartbreaking, and always-stirring journey, Gushee shows us that we can retain our faith in Christ even when Christians disappoint us.
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5 Risks Prebyterians Must Take For Peace
$18.00Add to cartBelieving peacemaking to be an inherent part of discipleship, Presbyterians have taken many valiant stands for peace throughout our history. However, changing global realities, political and military actions, and new weapons of war have made the world less safe than ever. The church must reconsider how to be faithful peacemakers in this changing reality.
The Presbyterian Church recently spent six years reflecting on peacemaking. Building on past policy documents, people at all levels of the church studied and discussed what peacemaking policies needed to be modified given the world context today. The 2016 PC(USA) General Assembly affirmed five affirmations the church must make to fulfill its peacemaking calling. Those affirmations become risks when truly taken, because their message collides with the demands for continued sacrifice by the powers that be. In this timely resource, author Christian Iosso explains what the five risks are, how they differ from previous positions, and what taking each risk might look like today.
Ideal for individual or group study, this important resource includes questions for reflection and discussion.
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Presbyterian Experience In The United States
$35.00Add to cartThis book introduces readers to the Presbyterian movement in the United States as told by those who lived through and contributed to its history. William Yoo has drawn together essential documents from the colonial period to the present that illustrate and illumine U.S. Presbyterianism across diversities of race, ethnicity, geography, gender, age, and theological position. Readers will follow the church’s journey from modest origins as a Scots-Irish immigrant church to prominence on the national stage, from early revivals and tent meetings to large-scale theological debates, from defense of slavery and racial intolerance to the pursuit of social justice and racial reconciliation, and from retreat into theologically narrow enclaves to active engagement with national and international politics and culture. Yoo weaves together a coherent and compelling narrative using the voices of those who sought a faithfully Presbyterian witness to the gospel. Arranged both chronologically and thematically with historical maps and photos, this book provides a lively and accessible vista into the making and shaping of Presbyterianism in the United States.
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How Can Anyone Read The Bible
$12.95Add to cart* Offers basic information to make the Bible less formidable to beginning readers * Author is a preeminent Biblical scholar and prominent retired Episcopalian seminary professor In How Can Anyone Read the Bible? preeminent biblical scholar Bill Countryman provides a basic introduction for those with little knowledge about the Bible that aims to provide an easy point of entry into engagement with Scripture.
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Why Go To Church
$12.95Add to cart* Easy to read; short book on a key topic for seekers * Distinguished author who knows the church from the inside and out In an age where people increasingly spend their weekends anywhere but in a place of worship, it is important to ask why anyone should go to church. In Why Go to Church? Robertson addresses the top reasons for not attending and goes further to explore how church participation can enhance one’s life on so many levels. Essential reading for those who have thought about going to church, are thinking about going back to church, and even those who go to church regularly but want to attain a deeper worship experience.
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These Are Our Bodies Intermediate Parent Book
$12.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages).
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These Are Our Bodies Young Adult Leader Guide
$28.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for young adults on human sexuality * For use in congregational and campus ministry settings Our inherent value and worth comes from God’s love for us, but our modern world is filled with sexual expression that too often leads us away from the life of Christ. As Christians seeking to live a life worthy of our calling and desiring to pass along these values to our children and youth, these books (Leader Guide and Participant Book) offer session plans with activities for Young Adults (ages 18-30) to explore issues of sexuality in the context of our faith, building on the foundational book of the same name and as part of the These Are Our Bodies program resource. Session topics include: * Holiness * Intimacy * Covenant * Love * Biology * Communication * What is Sacred? * Power and Parity * Mind, Body, and Soul * Brokenness and Shame * Our Bodies: Currency and Creators
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These Are Our Bodies Preschool And Elementary Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$34.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: * We are Wonderfully Made * We are Complex * We are Changing * We are Knowledgeable * We are Equipped * We are Called * We are Growing Up
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These Are Our Bodies Primary Parent Book
$11.95Add to cartFaith formation resource for children on human sexuality – For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: – We are Wonderfully Made – We are Complex – We are Changing – We are Knowledgeable – We are Equipped – We are Called – We are Growing Up
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Martin Luthers Table Talk
$19.00Add to cartImagine pulling up a chair to the Luther family table after a fine dinner.
Imagine being invited to ask Martin Luther questions about . . . almost anything.
Imagine Luther talking about his early life, his education, his decision to become a monk, his rediscovery of the gospel, his attacks on scholasticism and the papacy, his journey to the Diet of Worms where he was ordered to-but refused to-recant his teaching, his marriage to Katherine von Bora, and much more.
Because Luther’s friends took notes of many private conversations around the Luther family table, you don’t have to imagine Luther’s answers. This newly abridged edition of Martin Luther’s Table Talk serves up a rich sampling of Luther’s wide ranging thoughts on biblical exposition, doctrinal teaching, ministry, the church and the sacraments, pastoral counsel, and life as a Christian. You will also learn much about the political, economic and social world that Luther lived in-a world unlike our own.
The theological convictions of Luther and other early reformers that shaped the Reformation are often referred to as The Five Pillars of the Reformation-Word alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, Christ alone, and Glory to God alone. In the “table talks” in this volume, you will find these themes woven over and over again into the mealtime conversations around Luther’s table. Pull up a chair and spend some time with the great reformer.
This volume provides access to selections from Martin Luther’s Table Talk, Volume 54 of Luther’s Works.
Editor Henry F. French has carefully chosen some of the best of Luther’s conversations with many guests who frequented the dinner table in the home of Martin and Katie Luther.
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Journeying With Mark
$22.00Add to cartJourneying with Mark offers a brief and accessible guide to the Gospel of Mark. Perfect for personal reflection and sermon preparation, this inspiring resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary. Each chapter corresponds to a season of the liturgical year and the Gospel passages read during that season. The reader will find an introduction to the biblical text that looks at historical and literary themes; imaginative new ways to encounter Mark in preaching and study, including poetry; and reflections on the text’s meaning for contemporary Christian life. Each chapter ends with an action item, reflection questions, and a prayer.
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These Are Our Bodies Preschool Parent Book
$12.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: * We are Wonderfully Made * We are Complex * We are Changing * We are Knowledgeable * We are Equipped * We are Called * We are Growing Up
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5 Means Of Grace Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$13.99Add to cartJohn Wesley gave the Methodist movement (and all Christians in general) a discipleship pathway to follow. Wesley began with Three Simple Rules (or “General Rules”), and followed this instruction a year later with the Five Marks of a Methodist (or “Character of a Methodist”). Over the next decade, Wesley observed the need for continuous renewal of relationships with God and others, so he established a recurring annual process for God’s people to make One Faithful Promise: The Wesley Covenant for Renewal. Wesley confirmed the tendency in each of us for the love of God and others to grow cold, so that we drift away from the gift of God’s unmerited grace. So Wesley showed us ways to reorder our lives through the “means of grace.”
These means are the ordinary channels that God uses to draw us into a fruitful relationship. These five means or channels are:
1. Prayer
2. Searching Scripture
3. Receiving the Lord’s Supper
4. Fasting
5. Conferencing (worship together)This six-week, video-based study will help Christians (new and seasoned) to re-order their lives by recognizing and affirming the outward signs, words, and actions of an invisible divine grace. Through these “means” we receive God’s gifts together, and we experience the power of a spiritual relationship with God.
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Will Willimons Lectionary Sermon Resource Year B Part 1
$26.99Add to cartWill Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?”
Year B, Part 1 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Each week of sermon resources includes:
1. Readings
2. Theme title
3. Introduction to the Readings
4. Encountering the Text
5. Proclaiming the Text
6. Relating the Text -
These Are Our Bodies Primary Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$11.95Add to cart* Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality * For use in congregational, home, and school settings This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages). Session topics include: * We are Wonderfully Made * We are Complex * We are Changing * We are Knowledgeable * We are Equipped * We are Called * We are Growing Up
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What Is Christianity
$12.95Add to cart* Esteemed former leader of the Anglican Communion distills the essence of the Christian faith * Overview from a scholar and pastor With clarity and insight, the former Archbishop of Canterbury takes the reader to the heart of what Christianity means for those who practice it and the hope it offers to the world at large. A book for all who wonder what the Christian faith is all about, and what difference it really makes.
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How Then Shall We Live
$28.95Add to cartThe world constantly throws up new challenges about what it means to be Christian and to live a distinctively Christian lifestyle. The priest, broadcaster, writer and ethicist Samuel Wells considers some of the biggest contemporary political, social and moral challenges and grapples with them in the light of Christian hope and wisdom.
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Little Prayer Book 1522 And A Simply Way To Pray 1535
$20.00Add to cartPublisher’s Note About The Annotated Luther Study Edition
Series Introduction
AbbreviationsIntroduction
Little Prayer Book, 1522Introduction
A Simple Way To Pray, 1535Image Credits
Additional Info
This volume provides two of Martin Luther’s most significant writings on prayer. In Little Prayer Book, 1522, Luther seeks to reform the theology and practice of prayer in clear and understandable language for all people by encouraging simple, direct prayer to God, who promises to hear the one who prays. Luther focuses on the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, and Lord’s Prayer, giving his treatment of prayer a catechetical feel that would later provide the structure of his catechisms.In A Simple Way to Pray, 1535, Luther offers his barber and all other readers insights into his own prayer life. He organizes his comments around the seven petitions of the prayer Jesus taught to his disciples. He also uses the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed as resources for prayer. He sets out to “kindle a fire in the heart” and increase the reader’s eagerness for prayer.
This volume is excerpted from The Annotated Luther series, volume 4 (Pastoral Writings). Each volume and selection in the series contains new introductions, extensive annotations, illustrations, and notes to help shed light on Luther’s context and to interpret his writings for today.
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Holy Cross Life Giving Tree
$24.95Add to cart* Historical perspective of the image of the cross as one of life instead of death * Resource for Lent, gaining a new understanding of Holy Cross Day and/or Hildegaard of Bingen What would Christianity be like if the principle of a new creation were its guiding idea, and the Cross as Life-Giving Tree its central image? After exploring this principle’s deep roots in tradition, worship, and art, this book proposes Hildegard of Bingen’s concept of virditas-“green-ness”-as a way to know it in daily life. It claims the Cross as healer of division, both among followers of Jesus and among the nations. Holy Cross, Life-Giving Tree is illustrated with Cross images from throughout the Christian world and compares eastern Christian liturgies of the Cross with those of the west. It recounts the origins of the early Jerusalem cult of the Cross, and invites readers to meditate on Scripture passages used by ancient artists. Each of its six chapters ends with reflection questions for going deeper. Holy Cross, Life-Giving Tree is designed for use by study groups or by individuals.
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Financial Management For Episcopal Parishes (Revised)
$39.95Add to cart* Written by CPA working exclusively with parishes of various denominations * Updated to reflect changes in tax law * What to do and how to do it for parishes of all sizes * Real-life examples Experience shows that open and transparent churches engender a greater feeling of trust and willingness on the part of the donor. The policies and processes in Financial Management for Episcopal Parishes, which can be implemented by any size church, allow clergy, vestry, and parishioners to establish and document procedures that enable a financially transparent organization. The book defines the roles of the clergy, staff, vestry, and congregation and outlines what needs to be done by them to design and implement a system of checks and balances for financial oversight and stewardship, in order to protect donations and assets. Throughout the book, real-life examples of processes and procedures that did not work (and why) make for enjoyable reading of an otherwise business-like subject. Every reader will recognize some of them in their own church life.
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Complete Guide To Godly Play 2 (Expanded)
$34.95Add to cart* Incorporates the latest in Godly Play(R) theory and practice. * Revised lessons throughout, plus one brand-new lesson. Godly Play(R) is an imaginative approach to working with children, an approach that supports, challenges, nourishes, and guides their spiritual quest. It is more akin to spiritual direction guidance than to what we generally think of as religious education. Revised and updated, The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 2 offers new concepts, new terminology, new illustrations, and a new structure that stem from more than 10 years of using Godly Play with children across the world. 30 to 40 percent of the text is new or revised, including a new lesson, revised Introduction, and a new full Appendix.
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We Believe : Articles Of Faith For The Global Nazarene Family
$11.99Add to cartThere are sixteen Articles of Faith that represent the deeply held, nonnegotiable beliefs of the Church of the Nazarene. Understanding these doctrinal positions and translating them into everyday life can be a challenging and thought-provoking task. In We Believe, Frank Moore, general editor for the Church of the Nazarene together with Nazarene scholars, leaders, and theologians worldwide has compiled for the first time a cosmopolitan, relatable articulation of each Article of Faith. From what we believe about the Trinity to what we believe about the Bible, salvation, and end times, We Believe, complete with discussion questions at the end of each chapter, will help Nazarenes personalize our unique doctrine and own it for themselves.
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Parish : An Anglican Theology Of Place
$31.00Add to cartThe Anglican parish is uniquely embedded in English culture and society, by virtue both of its antiquity and close allegiance with secular governance. Yet it remains an elusive and surprisingly overlooked theme, whose ‘place’, theologically, is far from certain. Whilst ecclesiastical history has long formed a pillar of academic training for ordained ministry, ecclesiastical geography has not contributing to the often uninformed assumptions about locality in contemporary church debate and mission strategy. At a time when its relevance and sustainability are being weighed in the balance and with plans progressing for the Church in Wales’ abandonment of parochial organisation, there is an urgent need for a clear analysis of the parish’s historical, geographical and sociological – as well as theological significance.?
“Parish” examines the distinctive form of social and communal life created by the Anglican parish: applying and advancing, the emerging discipline of place theology by filling a conspicuous gap in contemporary scholarship. Andrew Rumsey will help in forming a vision for the future of the English parish system, contribute towards the Church’s strategy for parochial ministry and also inform the broader national conversation about ‘localism’ and cultural identity.
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Wholly Citizens : God’s Two Realms And Christian Engagement With The World
$39.00Add to cartIntroduction
?1. The Legacy Of Luther
2. The Two Realms: Interpreters Of Luther, Faithful And Otherwise
3. Two Realms For Today: Suitable And Wholly Relevant
4. Applying The Teaching To The Church And Her Pastors
5. Applying The Teaching To The Individual Christian Believers
6. An Essay Grounded In The Two Realms: “Story Time In America”Bibliography
IndexAdditional Info
Wholly Citizens addresses the relation between the church and the world in light of the Reformation teaching of the two realms-especially as presented by Luther. Rather than exploring again the usual texts of Luther from the 1520’s, this book begins with a careful reading of Luther’s Commentary on Psalm 81 (1531), and then considers subsequent interpreters of Luther, both faithful and otherwise, and the dubious legacy they have left the church. The book argues that both the corporate church as well as individual believers are responsible for the world, and that each must speak directly about and to the world in meaningful ways. The final section of the book addresses the concrete situation facing believers in the early 21st century in light of faithful Reformation teaching about the two realms. Following this path leads to conclusions not entirely expected, including the forthright rejection of “a wall of separation” between church and state, and also a rebuke of the familiar clamor for the preservation of the rights of Christians and the church. Heedless of the status quo, Wholly Citizens offers an engaging and bracing picture of Christian life in today’s world-a picture framed in theological truth. -
If Your Enemy Hungers Feed Him
$25.99Add to cartThe world of the early twentieth century was dominated by nationalism and propaganda-an “us versus them” mentality. If Your Enemy Hungers Feed Him tells the story of how the gospel redirected a generation of Christians away from violence so that they could see the people of Japan in a new way.
Following the aftermath of World War II, brave women and men made the courageous decision to leave behind a comfortable life in the United States and embark on a new adventure. They faced incredible challenges of all shapes and sizes, especially as they encouraged fellow Christians to support their missionary efforts among their former national enemies. Learn more about
The earliest generation of missionaries, who first came to Japan in the 1890s
The ministry of Sarah Andrews and other single women who labored in Japan even during World War II
The unlikely friendships that formed between American and Japanese Christians
The impact of World War II on Japanese Americans living in the United States
The founding of Ibaraki Christian School
The growth of mission work in Tokyo and the surrounding area. -
From Conflict To Communion
$21.99Add to cartOver the last fifty years, Lutherans and Roman Catholics have engaged in profound theological dialogue leading to increasingly close ties between two church bodies that have historically been divided. From Conflict to Communion contains the report produced by the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity along with an accompanying study guide and liturgical material suitable for a joint Catholic-Lutheran worship service.
This book presents the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation as an opportunity for deeper communion between Roman Catholics and Lutherans and for celebration of their common witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Including a timely new introduction by William G. Rusch, this will be a valued re-source not only for Lutheran and Catholic theologians but also for people around the world who seek greater unity in the church.
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United Methodist Church Financial Records Handbook 2017-2020
$13.99Add to cartThis handbook will assist you in the work of extending Christ’s love through the business of receiving, distributing, and report gifts given by God’s people for the mission and ministry of the church. You will learn more about the basic financial records and procedures you need to manage funds received by your church. Also included are instructions for good financial control and for using forms developed especially to assist United Methodist congregations. For the Counting Committee How to implement good accounting control for cash and other receipts Step-by-step instructions for counting the offering and preparing the Cast Receipts Voucher and the bank deposit For the Finance Secretary How to initiate and maintain the Quarterly Report of Giving How to prepare for distributing your giving reports For the New Church Treasurer Getting started Creating or updating your Chart of Accounts How to keep Cash Receipts and Cash Disbursement Journals How to prepare your Monthly Treasurer’s Report and assist in reporting to the Charge Conference, District Superintendent, and Annual Conference. And More… The appendix provides a model for a more comprehensive recordkeeping approach using a General Ledger and includes instructions for preparing a Balance Sheet and Income & Expense Statement. Available online with purchase of this resource, includes: Searchable PDF of the Handbook. Reproducible masters of helpful tools such as the Counter’s Tally Sheet, Remittance Advice Form, and Cash Receipts Voucher Quarterly Report of Giving All other forms mention in resource The United Methodist Financial Records Handbook 2017-2020 was developed by The General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church.
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United Methodist Church Membership Records Manual 2017-2020
$13.99Add to cartThe task of the church is to reach out to people and receive them in the name of Jesus Christ, to help them relate to God, to nurture and strengthen them in their journey of discipleship, and to send them into the world to live transformed and transforming lives. The United Methodist Membership Records System supports the pastoral concern for persons that is so important to this task. Using the forms and procedures described in this manual will enable your church to maintain excellent membership records, which will be the source of vital information used by pastors, witness ministry chairpersons, evangelism chairpersons, and other church leaders for effective ministries to make disciples. All the forms and procedures are ingredients in the pastoral care of the church. Because The United Methodist Church is a connectional church, we use a consistent approach to record keeping. Using these forms and procedures will help the pastor and staff meet the membership record-keeping and reporting requirements of The Book of Disciple. This manual includes: Background, purpose, and value for keeping membership records for care and outreach FAQs on records required ty The Book of Discipline 2016/li> Tips on how to close gaps in your membership records Sample of each membership record sheet with instructions Available online with purchase of this resource, includes: Searchable PDF of the Manual Templates for membership record sheets* Templates for 8.5″ x 11″ certificates for baptism, confirmation/reception, and membership in English, Korean, and Spanish Templates for additional forms, including Notification of Moved Members, Certificates of Transfer, and Verification of Baptism The United Methodist Financial Records Handbook 2017-2020 was developed by The General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church. *Acid-Free archival paper is available from Cokesbury, so you can printout the forms for your permanent records.
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Writings Of John Wesley
$7.99Add to cartJohn Wesley was an eighteenth-century preacher, writer, and one of the founders of the Methodist movement. This book includes selections from Wesley’s journals, sermons, and books, giving a clear picture not only of Wesley but also of the spiritual vitality that ignited a movement and continues to transform lives today. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Evelyn Underhill
$7.99Add to cartEvelyn Underhill, a twentieth-century British spiritual writer and retreat leader, is widely known for her compelling exploration of the spiritual life. She offers profoundly simple advice on opening oneself to God. This book includes a sampling of her letters and her published retreat and radio talks. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Thomas A Kempis
$7.99Add to cartThe Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is one of the most influential books, other than the Bible, on Christian spirituality. From the time of its appearance around 1420, it has been a best seller. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Thomas Kelly
$7.99Add to cartThomas Kelly was a twentieth-century Quaker and philosopher whom Richard Foster calls “a giant soul.” Kelly is best known for his Testament of Devotion. This book includes excerpts from Kelly’s other writings that have not been widely available until now. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Toyohiko Kagawa
$7.99Add to cartOften mentioned as a model of how to blend prayer, compassion, and social action, Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese Christian, worked in the time between World Wars I and II to establish settlement houses, labor unions, and peasant unions and carry on evangelistic campaigns. Excerpts in this book include autobiographical reflections and thoughts on the Lord’s Prayer. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Julian Of Norwich
$7.99Add to cartRevealing insights from a lifetime of prayer, the writings of this late fourteenth-century nun and mystic offer some of the most moving discussions of God’s love in all of Christian literature. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Francis And Clare
$7.99Add to cartFrancis and Clare of Assisi, celebrated saints of thirteenth-century Italy, founded influential religious orders (the Franciscans and the Poor Clares) that carry on vital work to this day. This book includes biographical vignettes of Francis and Clare as well as prayers, letters, and other spiritually rich writings from their remarkable lives. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world.
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Writings Of John Cassian
$7.99Add to cartJohn Cassian was a monk from North Africa and a contemporary of Augustine. His writings on prayer and spiritual living continue to speak as powerfully and practically to today’s Christians as they did to his fourth-century audience. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Teresa Of Avila
$7.99Add to cartTeresa of Avila was a sixteenth-century Spanish nun, reformer, and celebrated spiritual writer. This book includes excerpts from her three most influential works. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Augustine
$7.99Add to cartAugustine was the fourth-century spiritual leader from North Africa who had a vast impact on the Christian church. His Confessions has been called one of Western civilization’s most influential books. This volume contains other important writings of Augustine. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Shared Understanding Of Church Leadership (Revised)
$12.99Add to cartHow does your church work with leadership issues? How do you make decisions about calling church leaders? Are your models of leadership consistent with Anabaptist Mennonite belief and practice? A Shared Understanding of Ministerial Leadership, a revision of an earlier book, A Mennonite Polity for Ministerial Leadership, provides a common understanding of how the church approaches leadership. It is an effort to build lasting relationships of respect and integrity between congregations, area conferences, and their credentialed leaders. For use by pastors and congregational leaders, this book can also be used for leadership training, churchwide discussion, and study in seminary courses.
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Writings Of William Law
$7.99Add to cartIn these selections from his book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, Law calls for total devotion to God. In response to the religious moderation of eighteenth-century England, he writes that the truly devout must live in utter conformity with the will of God. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of John Woolman
$7.99Add to cartWoolman’s journal reveals the development of a Christian soul seeking to know and do God’s will in all things. A devout Quaker, Woolman lived simply, in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed. He traveled through the American colonies in the mid-1700s, urging other Quakers to free their slaves and to stand with him against slavery. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of John Of The Cross
$7.99Add to cartJohn of the Cross, a sixteenth-century Carmelite monk (and contemporary of Teresa of Avila) used vivid metaphors and biblical stories to describe a process of detachment from earthly loves. He described this as the “dark night of the soul,” an experience that frees us to receive God’s blessings. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of Catherine Of Siena
$7.99Add to cartIn seeking to submit her will completely to God’s, Catherine of Siena practiced extreme self-sacrifice fueled by prayer so intense that she often lost awareness of the world around her. She expressed these experiences in letters and writings that address the turbulent times of the fourteenth-century Italy in which she lived. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Writings Of The Desert Fathers And Mothers
$7.99Add to cartIn the third, fourth, and fifth centuries, thousands of men and women moved into the deserts of Egypt and Syria seeking a simple way of living. Their sayings about prayer, spiritual disciplines, and living in community spread throughout the Christian world and became the foundation of monasticism. More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format. Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.
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Peoples Book : The Reformation And The Bible
$29.99Add to cartIntroduction: “That Most Precious Jewel”Jennifer Powell McNutt And David Lauber
Part One: Access And Readership
1. Teaching The Church: Protestant Latin Bibles And Their ReadersBruce Gordon
2. Scripture, The Priesthood Of All Believers, And Applications Of 1 Corinthians 14G. Sujin Pak 3. Learning To Read Scripture For Ourselves: The Guidance Of Erasmus, Luther, And CalvinRandall Zachman
4. The Reformation And Vernacular Culture: Wales As A Case StudyD. Densil MorganPart Two: Transmission And Worship
5. The Reformation As Media EventRead Mercer Schuchardt
6. The Interplay Of Catechesis And Liturgy In The Sixteenth Century: Examples From The Lutheran And Reformed TraditionsJohn D. Witvliet
7. Word And Sacrament: The Gordian Knot Of Reformation WorshipJennifer Powell McNuttPart Three: Protestant-Catholic Dialogue
8. John Calvin On The Council Of TrentMichael Horton
9. The Bible And The Italian ReformationChristopher Castaldo
10. Reading The Reformers After NewmanCarl TruemanPart Four: The PeopleA?s Book Yesterday And Today
11. From The Spirit To Sovereign To Sapiential Reason: A Brief History Of Sola ScripturaPaul C. H. Lim
12. Perspicacity And The People’?s Book Mark LabbertonList Of Contributors
Additional Info
Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses caught Europe by storm and initiated the Reformation, which fundamentally transformed both the church and society. Yet by Luther’s own estimation, his translation of the Bible into German was his crowning achievement. The Bible played an absolutely vital role in the lives, theology, and practice of the Protestant Reformers. In addition, the proliferation and diffusion of vernacular Bibles-grounded in the original languages, enabled by advancements in printing, and lauded by the theological principles of sola Scriptura and the priesthood of all believers-contributed to an ever-widening circle of Bible readers and listeners among the people they served. This collection of essays from the 2016 Wheaton Theology Conference-the 25th anniversary of the conference-brings together the reflections of church historians and theologians on the nature of the Bible as “the people’s book.” With care and insight, they explore the complex role of the Bible in the Reformation by considering matters of access, readership, and authority, as well as the Bible’s place in the worship context, issues of theological interpretation, and the role of Scripture in creating both division and unity within Christianity. On the 500th anniversary of this significant event in the life of the church, these essays point not only to the crucial role of the Bible during the Reformation era but also its ongoing importance as “the people’s book” today. -
Brief Introduction To John Calvin
$22.00Add to cartHonoring the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Christopher Elwood offers an insightful and accessible overview of John Calvin’s theological ideas within their historical context. A Brief Introduction to John Calvin discusses the trials and tribulations Calvin encountered as he ministered and taught in Geneva, paying special attention to the theological controversies associated with the Trinity and predestination. In this concise introduction, Elwood explores the development of Calvinism and its influence in today’s world.
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Anabaptist Essentials : Ten Signs Of A Unique Christian Faith
$17.99Add to cartWhat is the essence of Anabaptism?
Jesus. Community. Reconciliation. These sum up the core values of Anabaptist faith and life, writes pastor Palmer Becker in this concise new resource. In Anabaptist Essentials, Becker introduces readers to the key convictions and practices of Anabaptism, the Christian tradition of the Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren in Christ. From the believers within a sixteenth-century movement to those today who try to follow Jesus, create community, and practice peace,
Anabaptists have a rich witness to offer the wider world. Designed for study by small groups and for use as a resource for Christian formation and conversation, this clear, readable guide to what makes Anabaptism unique will equip readers to live out a more radical commitment to Jesus.
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Brief Introduction To The Reformation
$30.00Add to cartThis readable, accessible introduction provides a solid grounding in the history of the Protestant Reformation. In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Glenn Sunshine examines the key people and ideas of this movement. Questions for discussion and suggestions for further reading provided for each chapter make this book ideal for the classroom or group study.
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Role Of Justification In Contemporary Theology
$34.00Add to cartIn this significant book Mark C. Mattes critically evaluates the role of justification in the theologies of five leading Protestant thinkers-Eberhard Jungel, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Jurgen Moltmann, Robert W. Jenson, and Oswald Bayer — pointing out their respective strengths and weaknesses and showing how each matches up with Luther’s own views. Offering both an excellent review of recent trends in Christian theology and a powerful analysis of these trends, Mattes points readers to the various ways in which the doctrine of justification has been applied today. Despite the greatness of their thought, Jungel, Pannenberg, and Moltmann each accommodate the doctrine of justification to goals aligned with secular modernity. Both Jenson and Bayer, on the other hand, construe the doctrine of justification in a nonaccommodating way, thus challenging the secularity of the modern academy. In the end, Mattes argues that Bayer’s position is to be preferred as closest to Luther’s own, and he shows why it offers the greatest potential for confronting current attempts at self-justification before God.
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Pastoral Luther : Essays On Martin Luthers Practical Theology
$49.00Add to cartSixteen church historians here examine Martin Luther in an uncommon way-not as Reformer or theologian but as pastor. Luther’s work as parish pastor commanded much of his time and energy in Wittenberg.
After first introducing the pastoral Luther, including his theology of the cross, these chapters discuss Luther’s preaching and use of language (including humor), investigate his teaching ministry in depth, especially in light of the catechism, and explore his views on such things as the role of women, the Virgin Mary, and music. The book finally probes Luther’s sentiments on monasticism and secular authority.
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Captivation Of The Will
$29.00Add to cartThe Captivation of the Will provocatively revisits a perennial topic of controversy: human free will. Highly esteemed Lutheran thinker Gerhard O. Forde cuts to the heart of the subject by reexamining the famous debate on the will between Luther and Erasmus. Following a substantial introduction by James A. Nestingen that brings to life the historical background of the debate, Forde thoroughly explores Luther’s “Bondage of the Will” and the dispute between Erasmus and Luther that it reflects. In the process of exposing this debate’s enduring significance for Christians, Forde highlights its central arguments about Scripture, God, the will, and salvation in Christ. Luther recognized that the only solution for humans bound by sin is the forgiveness that comes from Christ alone. Convinced that this insight represents the heart of the Christian gospel, Forde concludes with ten sermons that proclaim the message of salvation through Christ alone while elegantly relating theological inquiry to everyday life.
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Preaching From Home
$39.00Add to cartThis volume by Gracia Grindal introduces English-speaking readers to several significant yet unsung Lutheran women hymn writers from the sixteenth century to the present. After a brief introductory discussion of Elisabeth Cruciger, the first woman hymn writer of the Reformation, Grindal provides fascinating profiles of these talented Scandinavian women who “preached from home”: Dorothe Engelbretsdatter, Birgitte Hertz Boye, Berthe Canutte Aarflot, Lina Sandell, Britt G. Hallqvist, and Lisbeth Smedegaard Andersen.
Grindal not only gives a biographical account of each woman-her life, her piety, her times-but also offers sparkling new English translations of each writer’s key hymns. In the last chapter Grindal recounts her own inspiring journey as a Lutheran woman hymn writer. Her Preaching from Home will open the door to a world previously unknown to most North Americans.
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Living By Faith
$29.00Add to cart“Living by faith” is much more than a general Christian precept; it is the fundamental posture of believers in a world rife with suffering and injustice. In this penetrating reflection on the meaning of “justification,” Oswald Bayer shows how this key religious term provides a comprehensive horizon for discussing every aspect of Christian theology, from creation to the end times.
Inspired by and interacting with Martin Luther, the great Christian thinker who grappled most intensely with the concept of justification, Bayer explores anew the full range of traditional dogmatics (sin, redemption, eschatology, and others), placing otherwise complex theological terms squarely within their proper milieu-everyday life. In the course of his discussion, Bayer touches on such deep questions as the hidden nature of God, the hope for universal justice, the problem of evil, and-one of the book’s most engaging motifs-Job’s daring lawsuit with God.
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Harvesting Martin Luthers Reflections
$39.00Add to cartAs profound as Martin Luther’s ideas are, this giant of church history was concerned above all with practical instruction for daily Christian living. Harvesting Martin Luther’s Reflections highlights this concern of Luther, mining his thought in key areas of doctrine, ethics, and church practice. Gathering noteworthy contributions by well-known Luther scholars from Europe and the Americas, this book ranges broadly over theological questions about baptism and righteousness, ethical issues like poverty and greed, and pastoral concerns like worship and spirituality. There are even rare discussions of Luther’s perspective on marriage and on Islam. As a result, Harvesting Martin Luther’s Reflections is both a state-of-the-art discussion of Lutheran themes and an excellent introduction for newcomers to Luther’s work.
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Bound Choice Election And Wittenberg Theological Method
$39.00Add to cartGalvanized by Erasmus’ teaching on free will, Martin Luther wrote De servo arbitrio, or The Bondage of the Will, insisting that the sinful human will could not turn itself to God. In this first study to investigate the sixteenth-century reception of De servo, Robert Kolb unpacks Luther’s theology and recounts his followers’ ensuing disputes until their resolution in the Lutheran churches’ 1577 Formula of Concord.
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Time For Confessing
$34.00Add to cartThis book is about faithful witnesses-from the Reformation to South African apartheid to Bonhoeffer-to the promise of Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of trials, these faithful followers have testified that the gospel is authority enough for the church’s life and unity. Significantly, this is the first book in print by the late Robert Bertram, described by Edward Schroeder as “perhaps the most unpublished major Lutheran theologian of the twentieth century.”
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More Radical Gospel
$39.00Add to cartGerhard O. Forde has stood at the forefront of Lutheran thought for most of his career. This new collection of essays and sermons-many previously unpublished- makes Forde’s powerful theological vision more widely available.
The book aptly captures Forde’s deep Lutheran commitment. Here he argues that the most important task of theology is to serve the proclamation of the gospel as discerned on the basis of the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. For Forde, the doctrine of justification is not one topic among other theological topics; rather, it is the criterion that guides “all theology and ministry. Throughout the book Forde applies this truth to issues of eschatology, authority, atonement, and ecumenism. Also included are seven insightful sermons that model the Lutheran approach to proclamation.
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Luthers Liturgical Music
$59.00Add to cartMartin Luther’s relationship to music has been largely downplayed, yet music played a vital role in Luther’s life-and he in turn had a deep and lasting effect on Christian hymnody. In Luther’s Liturgical Music Robin Leaver comprehensively explores these connections. Replete with tables, figures, and musical examples, this volume is the most extensive study on Luther and music ever published. Leaver’s work makes a formidable contribution to Reformation studies, but worship leaders, musicians, and others will also find it an invaluable, very readable resource.
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Theology Of The Lutheran Way
$39.00Add to cartRather than asking if theology is theoretical or practical-a question that reveals a fundamental lack of understanding about the nature of theology in general-it is better to ask “What exactly is theology?” It is this question that Oswald Bayer attempts to answer in Theology the Lutheran Way, clearing up misconceptions about the essence of theology. Along with Luther himself, Bayer claims that theology, rather than being something that we do, is really what God does.
Based primarily on the third section of Bayer’s original German work of the same title, this book evaluates certain approaches to theology that have been influential, from Schleiermacher’s understanding of theology to debates with Kant, Hegel, and Bultmann. It also includes a substantial section on Luther from the original in order to clarify the Lutheran tradition
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Early Luther : Stages In A Reformation Reorientation
$34.00Add to cartThe development of Martin Luther’s thought has commanded much scholarly attention because of the Reformation and its remarkable effects on the history of Christianity in the West. But much of that scholarship has been so enthralled by certain later debates that it has practically ignored and even distorted the context in and against which Luther’s thought developed. In The Early Luther Berndt Hamm, armed with expertise both in late-medieval intellectual life and in Luther, presents new perspectives that leave old debates behind.
A master Luther scholar, Hamm provides fresh insights into the development of Luther’s theology from his entry into the monastery through his early lectures on the Bible to his writing of the 95 Theses in 1517 and The Freedom of a Christian in 1520. Rather than looking for a single breakthrough, Hamm carefully outlines a series of significant shifts in Luther’s late-medieval theological worldview over the course of his early career. The result is a more accurate, nuanced portrait of Reformation giant Martin Luther.
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Brief Introduction To Martin Luther
$28.00Add to cartIn the sixteenth century, Martin Luther started a reformation movement that revolutionized Europe and the history of the Christian faith. His far-reaching reforms of theological understanding and church practices dramatically changed both church and society in Europe and beyond. In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Steven Paulson provides an engaging, concise introduction to Martin Luther’s life and the major themes in his theology.
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Living Flame Of Love
$14.99Add to cartSt John of the Cross was a Carmelite friar and mystic who lived in Spain in the second half of the sixteenth century. He helped Teresa of Avila with her reform of the Carmelite Order and was imprisoned for political reasons.He wrote this beautiful poem on the love between the soul and God while in prison in Toledo. The work consists of the poem and a prose commentary on it. “Justly celebrated as a milestone in Spanish literature as well as a spiritual classic.’ (Baroness Cox, from the Introduction)
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Formula For Parish Practice
$39.00Add to cartThis book combines a rich description of the (Lutheran) Formula of Concord (1577) with experiences in today’s Lutheran parishes to demonstrate how confessional texts may still come to life in modern Christian congregations. Timothy Wengert takes the Formula of Concord, traditionally used as ammunition in doctrinal disagreements, back to its historical home, the local congregation, giving pastors, students, and theologians a glimpse into the original debates over each article.
The most up-to-date English commentary on the Formula of Concord, A Formula for Parish Practice provides helpful, concise descriptions of key theological debates and a unique weaving of historical and textual commentary with modern Lutheran experience. Covering the entire Formula of Concord the book includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
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Once And Future Wesleyan Movement
$20.99Add to cartJones argues that several unique factors remain available to The United Methodist Church today from the period of rapid growth between 1800 and 1840. Drawing on the image of Loren Mead’s Once and Future Church and Moises Naim’s analysis in The End of Power, Jones argues that a viable future for United Methodism is to recapture the dynamism of being a movement, with many of the characteristics of early 19th century Methodism coming to the fore. It will draw on three key works about Methodism in the first half of the 19th century: Nathan Hatch’s Democratization of American Christianity, John Wigger’s Taking Heaven by Storm, and Gregory Schneider’s The Way of the Cross Leads Home. The book talks about how the Wesleyan form of church contains important resources for the future of Christianity. It focuses on the United States and the first half is broadly applicable to all denominations in the Wesleyan tradition. The last half of the book discusses obstacles that are currently preventing the United Methodist Church from achieving its potential. It closes with a hopeful vision of what a renewed United Methodism might look like.
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Beating The Boundaries
$22.95Add to cartUsing the image of the traditional practice of “beating the bounds” of the parish, this book contrasts the desire to mark boundaries with God’s call to explore boundaries in order to open them. Building on visits to nine Episcopal and Church of England congregations, Spicer explores how they are opening the boundaries between inherited expressions of church and the unique contexts in which they find themselves. He argues that to beat the boundaries around their current expressions of church, congregations should (1) name a missional identity common to both their past expressions of congregational life and the church they hear God calling them to become; (2) identify whom they’re seeking to reach in the community and how they intend to do so; (3) identify what sort of new church expression God is calling them to create; (4) empower a missional leader and plan for governance issues their work may raise; and (5) collaboratively identify how to define success and how to understand what might be seen as failure in terms of common church metrics.
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Parish Handbook
$35.99Add to cartA parish church gathers people together from across the community and is a site of resistance against the increasingly atomized and segregated society in which we live. The social and political revolution at the heart of parish life is people learning to relate to each other in the name of Christ.
Making clear that it is ordinary living which is at the heart of parish life, Bob Mayo provides an important and accessible resource for all involved in church leadership. Drawing on a wealth of experience and research, the handbook brings together sociological observation and theological insight to shape sound practical theological reflection. It will appeal to ordinands as much as practicing incumbents. -
Road To Growth
$24.00Add to cartChurch House Publishing
Based on his consultancy experience with churches and dioceses over the last three years and further research on the causes of church growth, Bob Jacksons new book shows how the Church at parish, diocesan and national level can overturn its old cycle of decline and begin a new cycle of growth. At its heart this book is about how local churches can thrive and grow in the early twenty-first century. Part 1 outlines the current context, offering a sharp analysis behind the reasons for church growth and decline. Part 2 describes churches which are already experiencing growth both in numerical and ministry strength. It looks at lessons learnt and what is at the heart of a resurgent, thriving Church. Parts 3 and 4 set out workable strategies and unpacks ways in which human and financial resources can be deployed to support and sustain the growth of the local church. This is not about glib, short-term solutions promising quick results. The goal of this book is to help transform fragile signs of hope for the Church into a solid road to growth.
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Open Door : The Anglican Centre In Rome 2003-2016
$14.49Add to cartSeeking to promote Christian unity in a divided world, The Anglican Centre in Rome provides a permanent Anglican Communion presence in Rome. Written to coincide with the 50th anniversary year of the centre, and offering an update to Frank Bliss’s volume ‘Anglicans in Rome’, ‘An Open Door’ tells the story of the past 10 years of the centre and looks to its future. The book includes an appendix with the significant milestones of the last ten years and a brief historical record of the centre’s 50 years. Archbishop Justin Welby and Cardinal Koch provide their own reflections in the introduction.
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Complete Contemporary Worship Handbook
$19.95Add to cartBrian Russell has dedicated his life and career to developing and maintaining contemporary worship in denominational settings. He writes from real experience with Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist and Catholic churches with real challenges and, thankfully, real success stories. Beyond Rory Noland’s terrific work called Heart of the Artist, there is a dramatic lack of books that inform the work of creating contemporary worship. The need for such a resource exists, and Brian was inspired to produce this book as a way of addressing that need.
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Unfinished Reformation : What Unites And Divides Catholics And Protestants
$16.99Add to cartFive hundred years ago, a Catholic monk nailed a list of grievances on the door of a church in Germany and launched a revolution in the history of Christianity. Today there continues to be a number of unresolved issues between the Protestant and Catholic churches, and many experience this ongoing division within their family and among friends and neighbors. Written in an accessible and informative style, Gregg Allison and Chris Castaldo provide a brief and clear guide to the key points of unity and divergence between Protestants and Catholics today. They write to encourage fruitful conversation about the key theological and sociological differences between the two largest branches of the Christian Church. From the revolutionary events 500 years ago that sparked the Reformation to today, Unfinished Reformation takes a nuanced and thoughtful look at doctrine, practice, and how Protestants and Catholics can have fruitful discussions about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Formed By Love
$16.95Add to cartIn volume five, Scott Bader-Saye, Academic Dean and Professor of Christian Ethics and Moral Theology at Seminary of the Southwest, examines the moral life through the lens of the Episcopal Church and its traditions. Beginning with an introduction to ethics in a changing world, Bader-Saye helps the reader move past the idea that we either accept cultural change as a whole or reject it whole, suggesting that we need to make discriminating judgments about where to affirm change and where to resist it. Part I looks at distinctive aspects of the Episcopal ethos, noting that “ethics” comes from “ethos,” and so has to do with habits and enculturation of a particular people. Topics include creation, incarnation, holiness, sacrament, scripture, and “via media.” Part II looks at big moral questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What are good and evil? What are right and wrong? Part III examines how an Episcopal approach might shape a typical day by examining Morning Prayer and Compline as moral formation, in between discussing work, eating, and playing. Each part begins by analyzing cultural assumptions, asking what should be affirmed and what resisted about contemporary context, setting the stage for discussion in subsequent chapters.
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Perfectly Simple Triune God
$49.00Add to cartIntroduction
1. The Simple, Perfect, Triune God
2. Authorities For Thomas’s Traditional Answer
3. Aquinas’s Legacy Among The Reformers
4. The Theodicy Question: Process Theism
5. The Question Of Divine And Human Freedom: Open Theism
6. The Logical Question: Analytic Theology
7. The Cultural And Political Questions
8. The Metaphysical Question
9. Conclusion: A Retrieval Of The Traditional Answer Attending To Its CriticsAdditional Info
A particularly nettlesome question is around the relationship of the confession of God as a simple yet threefold being-the treatises of the one God and the Trinity. Although God as simple and Triune was widely accepted for over a millennium, simplicity has been widely critiqued and rejected by modern theology. The purported error is in conceiving God’s unity prior to the Triune persons, an error begun by Augustine and crystallized in Aquinas.The Perfectly Simple Triune God challenges this critique and reading of Aquinas as a misunderstanding of his doctrine of God. By refusing to begin theology with God’s oneness, who God is collapses into who God is for us, a loss of the biblical and dramatic character of God for us. D. Stephen Long posits that the two treatises were never independent, but inextricably related and entailing one another. Long provides a constructive rereading of Thomas Aquinas, tracing antecedents to Aquinas in the patristic tradition, and readings of him through to the Reformers, taking into account challenges to the classical tradition posed by modern and contemporary theology and philosophy to offer a robust articulation of divine Trinitarian agency for a contemporary age that adheres to broadly considered orthodox and ecumenical parameters.
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Among The Early Evangelicals
$22.99Add to cart1. Introduction
2. Looking Back: The Rise Of Transatlantic Evangelicalism In The Eighteenth Century
3. Evangelicalism Rapid Growth In The 1790s
4. Thomas Campbell In Ireland
5. Alexander Campbell’s Early Formation In Scotland
6. The Campbells’ Evangelical Society In The U.S.: The Christian Association Of Washington (1809-1812)
7. The Baptist And Anti-Missionary Years (1812-1830)
8. The Campbells, Their Origins, And The Impact Of Transatlantic EvangelicalismAdditional Info
Though many of its early leaders were immigrants, most histories of the Stone-Campbell Movement have focused on the unique, American-only message of the Movement. Typically, the story tells the efforts of Christians seeking to restore New Testament Christianity or to promote unity and cooperation among believers.Among the Early Evangelicals charts a new path showing convincingly that the earliest leaders of this Movement cannot be understood apart from a robust evangelical and missionary culture that traces its roots back to the eighteenth century. Leaders, including such luminaries as Thomas and Alexander Campbell, borrowed freely from the outlook, strategies, and methodologies of this transatlantic culture. More than simple Christians with a unique message shaped by frontier democratization, the adherents in the Stone-Campbell Movement were active participants in a broadly networked, uniquely evangelical enterprise.
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Book Of Harmony
$30.00Add to cart1. Introduction To The Book Of Concord
2. Themes In The Early Lutheran Reformation
3. Luther’s Catechisms: A Lifetime Of Learning
4. The Augsburg Confession: Faith For A Grounded, Flexible Church
5. Personal Faith And Shared Mission In The Apology
6. Freedom And Service In The Smalcald Articles
7. A Model For Harmony: The Formula Of ConcordAdditional Info
The Reformation-era writings that make up the Lutheran Confessions remain lively resources for Christian ministry and mission today. Because each of the documents within the Book of Concord was written with a specific context and rhetorical purpose in mind, each has its own compelling story and objectives. Luther’s catechisms present the faith for daily life at the grass-roots level, with teaching elements that we might now view as typical of social media and multimedia. The Augsburg Confession and its Apology provide an adaptable foundation for preaching, teaching, church organization, and dialogue that is rooted in the promise of Christ, received through faith. Fifteen years after the Diet of Worms, the Smalcald Articles reveal yet another “Here I stand” moment for Luther. Finally, the Formula of Concord shows how the next generations of Lutherans used collaboration and consensus as they wrestled with important themes of faith and life. In summary, as these texts engage us with their stories, they invite us to consider what is most important about our journeys of faith and Christian witness in today’s twenty-first-century contexts. -
Everyday Disciples : Covenant Discipleship With Youth
$14.00Add to cartEveryday Disciples: Covenant Discipleship With Youth by Chris Wilterdink resources pastors, youth leaders, and youth groups with information and planning materials related to Covenant Discipleship and accountability practices. Covenant Discipleship encourages youth to connect with Christ and one another through mutual accountability. It also encourages a networked support structure for living in the world as Christ followers.
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Growing Everyday Disciples
$12.00Add to cartGrowing Everyday Disciples: Covenant Discipleship With Children is a formational resource by Melanie C. Gordon, Susan Groseclose, and Gayle Quay that equips adults who serve in ministry with children ages 8-11 to guide children towards a mature faith through everyday acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Covenant Discipleship helps connect children with Jesus Christ and one another through ongoing mutual accountability and support for living in the world as Christ followers. The resource offers leaders in ministry with children suggestions for forming covenants, exploring accountability, evaluations, and a choice of plans to organize, maintain, and evaluate Covenant Discipleship groups with children. This resource also provides a brief background on discipleship, covenants, and society meetings of the Methodist Movement, and can be used as preparation for confirmation.
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Disciples Making Discples
$17.00Add to cartDisciples Making Disciples: Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups and Class Leaders, by Steven W. Manskar is for pastors, Covenant Discipleship group members, and class leaders. It provides information needed to organize the ministry, form groups, write a covenant, lead a meeting, support groups so they help the congregation live out its mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. The book also describes the office of class leaders and how to introduce this powerful disciple-making office to the congregation.
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Pilgrim Church And Kingdom
$14.95Add to cartCourse 8: Church & Kingdom: What does it mean to live as a child of the kingdom of God and follow in the way of Christ each day as a member of his church? How does it affect our life at work as well as at home? How does it affect what we do with the gifts we have been given, especially those gifts of time and talents, passions, resources, and money? How is the Christian faith changing us and shaping us so that we become more like Jesus? The importance of prayer, living out our faith, celebrating Sabbath, and reflecting generosity is explored. We look at how faith in the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit shapes and changes all our relationships
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Pilgrim The Eucharist
$11.95Add to cartCourse 6: The Eucharist: How do Christians know and worship God? The six sessions of Course 6 reveal reasons why the Eucharist is celebrated as a memorial of Christ’s saving passion and stands at the very heart of Christian worship. Session 1 looks at worship as communion with God. Session 2 explores the Eucharist as the pattern of all Christian worship. Session 3 looks at the intimacy we have with God in Holy Communion and how we are transformed by the encounter. Sessions 4 – 6 look at worship as a sign and foretaste of heaven, shaping our whole life, and how the whole of life is sacramental.
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Break Away Amish
$28.99Add to cart21 Chapters
Additional Info
“I am the grandson of Bishop Sam Mullet, who was arrested for the Amish beard-cutting attacks. This is my story.”Beard-cutting attacks on Amish people in the middle of the night. Five incidents. Nine victims. How could members of a Christian tradition known for peace and forgiveness enact such violence? What could make members of one Amish group turn against other Amish? In Breakaway Amish, Johnny Mast tells in riveting detail how his Amish community became increasingly isolated from other Amish people, and how the wishes and edicts of his grandfather, Bishop Sam Mullet, overtook daily life in the group. Over time, members became convinced that cutting their own hair was a sign of repentance and remorse. When that conviction led them to cut off the beards of those outside their community, however, it was more than a strange religious ritual. It was a crime.
Here is an eyewitness account of the disturbing events at Bergholz, an Amish community gone awry. Yet redemption dwells even here, in the bravery and conviction of one who chose to break free.
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Holy One In Our Midst
$49.00Add to cart1. The Flesh Of Christ And The Extra Calvinisticum
2. The Flesh Of Christ In Modern Theology
3. The Logos And The Flesh Of Christ
4. The Temple Of God And The Flesh Of Christ
5. (De)Limiting The Flesh Of Christ
6. Why One Ought To Embrace The Extra CalvinisticumAdditional Info
The Holy One in Our Midst: An Essay on the Flesh of Christ aims to defend the doctrine of the extra Calvinisticum-the doctrine that maintains the Son of God was not restricted to the flesh of Christ during the incarnation-by arguing that it is logically coherent, biblically warranted, catholically orthodox, and theologically useful. It shows that none of the standard objections are devastating to the extra, that the doctrine is rooted in the claims of Christian Scripture and not merely a remnant of perfect being philosophical theology, and that the doctrine plays an important role in contemporary theological discussion. In this way, James Gordon revives an important Catholic doctrine that has fallen out of favor in contemporary theology. Also, this project aims to integrate biblical, philosophical, and systematic theology by showing that the tools and methods of each distinct discipline can contribute to the goals and aims of the others. -
Drawing Of This Love
$19.99Add to cartEmbark on a journey of spiritual growth with Julian of Norwich as your guide. Popular retreat leader and former monk Robert Fruehwirth explores the stages of faith development using Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love, inviting readers into a deeper, more honest and grounded faith
Julian of Norwich is an ideal companion for personal spiritual growth because her mystical experiences led her to a kind of faith that makes sense to 21st century Christians — a God of unconditional love, of merciful compassion and honesty, and radical belief in the goodness of creation and humanity. Her example provides a map for a faith journey from initial trust, through critical questions and struggle, to resolution – a pattern many experience today.
Fans of Julian will find this a fresh and different exposition of her work, combining the commonly understood teachings of Julian with an exploration of what happens when we try to live them.
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Faithful Improvisation : Theological Reflections On Church Leadership
$31.99Add to cartChurch House Publishing
Faithful and effective church leadership requires preparation in prayer, theological reflection and a wide range of pastoral, prophetic and practical skills in order to ensure that what the Church discerns as necessary the Church does.
Faithful Improvisation? is both a contribution to a current and sometimes vigorous debate on how the Church trains its leaders and also a practical and theological resource for discerning what the Spirit is saying and then acting upon it in local church contexts.
Part One includes the full text of the Senior Church Leadership report from the Faith and Order Commission.
Part Two offers reflections by Cally Hammond, Thomas Seville, Charlotte Methuen, Jeremy Morris and David Hilborn, on practices, models and theologies of leadership in different periods of church history which informed the FAOC report.
Part Three opens up a broader discussion about present and future leadership within the Church of England. Mike Higton sketches out a dialogue between Senior Church Leadership and Lord Green’s report, Talent Management for Future Leaders; Tim Harle offers a personal reflection from the perspective of the community of leadership practitioners; and Rachel Treweek concludes with an exploration of the essentially relational character of leadership.
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Church Meets World
$16.95Add to cartThe New Church’s Teaching series has been one of the most recognizable and useful sets of books in the Episcopal Church. With the launch of the Church’s Teachings for a Changing World series, visionary Episcopal thinkers and leaders have teamed up to revitalize the series with fresh voices and style, making it grounded and thoughtful enough for seminarians and leaders, yet concise and clear enough for newcomers.A leading thinker and vibrant presence at the intersection of church and world, Winnie Varghese explores the “what”, “how”, and “why” of Episcopal engagement with contemporary social issues. Like the master of the household in Jesus’ parable (Matthew 13:52) who “brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old,” Varghese leads readers to discover theological resources from generations past and how they help to guide our action around thorny issues like racial justice, gender and sexuality, economic disparity, definitions of “family,” the environment, and much more.
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Reconciliation Reconsidered : Advancing The Conversation On Race In Churche
$19.99Add to cartReconciliation Takes Time.
A broad racial divide mars Churches of Christ, and courageous leaders from across the United States have joined together to listen to one another. Rather than adopt a posture of resignation, they have met for honest, God-honoring conversation.
In Reconciliation Reconsidered, Tanya Brice pulls together the early fruit she has gleaned from this ongoing conversation about racial reconciliation. Learn about yourself in the context of community as you explore these key ideas:
Exercise truth-telling: it’s what is needed before any reconciliation can happen
Discover how race relations are not as simple as you think
Challenge your stereotypes
Understand the meaning of current events like the Ferguson shooting in fresh ways
Revisit Christ’s teachings with a careful eye toward discipleship and love of your neighborEach chapter concludes with discussion questions that can help you and others navigate this perplexing and difficult topic.
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Representing Christ : A Vision For The Priesthood Of All Believers
$28.99Add to cartThe priesthood of all believers is a core Protestant belief. But what does it actually mean? Uche Anizor and Hank Voss set the record straight in this concise treatment of a doctrine that lies at the center of church life and Christian spirituality. The authors look at the priesthood of all believers in terms of the biblical witness, the contribution of Martin Luther and the doctrine of the Trinity. They place this concept in the context of the canonical description of Israel and the church as a royal priesthood that responds to God in witness and service to the world. Representing Christ is much more than a piece of Reformation history. It shows that the priesthood of all believers is interwoven with the practical, spiritual and missional life of the church.
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Wesley And Anglicans
$30.99Add to cartWhy did the Wesleyan Methodists and the Anglican evangelicals divide during the middle third of the eighteenth century? Many would argue that the division between was based narrowly on theological matters, especially predestination and perfection. Danker suggests, however, that politics was a major factor throughout driving the Wesleyan Methodists and Anglican evangelicals apart. Methodism was perceived to be linked with the radical and seditious politics of the Cromwellian period. This was a charged claim in a post-Restoration England. Likewise he explores the political force of resurgent Tory influence under George III which exerted more pressure on evangelicals to prove their loyalty to the Establishment. These political realities made it hard for evangelicals in the Church of England to cooperate with Wesley and meant that all their theological debates were politically infected. Rich in detail, this book traces the personalities involved along with the relative importance of canon law (“regularity”), public criticism and episcopal censure, parochial boundaries, lay ordination and sacramental administration, and alternative theological visions related to the Church of England. Here is a book for all who seek deeper insight into a critical juncture in the development of evangelicalism and early Methodism.
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In Pursuit Of Faithfulness
$34.99Add to cartForeword
Introduction: Crossroads Of Faithfulness
1. Beginnings, Both Anabaptist And American
2. The John F. Funk Era
3. Coming Together, Coming Apart
4. Threats From Without And Within
5. Expanding The Boundaries
6. The End Of Isolationalism
7. The Priesthood Of All Believers
8. A New Look
9. Binding And Loosing
Epilogue: Relations At The Crossroads
Appendix A: Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference Congregations
Appendix B: Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference Moderators
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Studies In Anabaptist And Mennonite History Series
The AuthorAdditional Info
In 1841, four Amish Mennonite families left their homes in southwestern Pennsylvania and traveled in horse-drawn wagons to Elkhart County, Indiana. Their journey was distinctly American, as they joined a wave of white settlers searching for new and cheaper lands where they could live, work, and worship. It was also distinctly Anabaptist, as they sought to live out complicated commitments to Christ, nonviolence, and community. In this lively narrative, historian and journalist Rich Preheim investigates the heritage and innovations of Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference, an area conference of Mennonite Church USA, that have profoundly shaped Mennonite faith and practice since the nineteenth century. Standing at the crossroads of tradition and change, Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan wrestle to pursue faithfulness to Christ in the twenty-first century. -
Massacre At Sand Creek
$22.99Add to cartSand Creek. An American tragedy occurred there that remains a symbol of the difference between what Americans believe themselves to be and the reality of what happened to Native peoples in the creation of the nation. Nearly 200 Cheyennes and Arapahos, camped under the protection of the United States government, were slain. The Sand Creek massacre seized national attention in the winter of 1864-1865 and generated a controversy that still excites heated debate more than 150 years later. At Sand Creek demoniac forces seemed unloosed so completely that humanity itself was the casualty. That was the charge that drew public attention to the Colorado frontier in 1865. That was the claim that spawned heated debate in Congress, two congressional hearings, and a military commission. Westerners vociferously and passionately denied the accusations. Reformers seized the charges as evidence of the failure of American Indian policy. Sand Creek launched a war that was not truly over for fifteen years. In the first year alone, it cost the United States government $50,000,000. Methodists have a special stake in this story. The governor whose polices led the Cheyennes and Arapahos to Sand Creek was a prominent Methodist layman. The commanding officer who ordered the attack on the Sand Creek village was a Methodist minister. Perhaps those were merely coincidences, but the question also remains of how the Methodist Episcopal Church itself responded to the massacre. Was it also somehow culpable in what happened? The Sand Creek massacre was tragedy in the truest sense, raw, visceral, brutal, but with hints of heroism and even nobility in its blood-red story. Coming to grips with what happened at Sand Creek involves hard questions and unsatisfactory answers not only about what happened but also about why. It stirs ancient questions about the best and worst in every person, questions older than history, questions as relevant as today’s headlines, questions we all must answer from within.
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Transforming Community : The Wesleyan Way To Missional Congregations
$15.00Add to cartDrawing from the strength of their previous book, Transforming Evangelism, Henry Knight and Douglas Powe show us a Wesleyan way to form missional communities and congregations. Drawing from John Wesley’s own organizing abilities, this will better equip today’s congregations to be more transfomational. Each chapter also has study questions.
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5 Marks Of A Methodist Participant Character Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$5.99Add to cart1. Character: The Marks Of A Methodist
2. A Methodist Loves God
3. A Methodist Rejoices In God
4. A Methodist Gives Thanks
5. A Methodist Prays Constantly
6. A Methodist Loves OthersAdditional Info
This 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.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).
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5 Marks Of A Methodist Leader Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cart1. Character: The Marks Of A Methodist
2. A Methodist Loves God
3. A Methodist Rejoices In God
4. A Methodist Gives Thanks
5. A Methodist Prays Constantly
6. A Methodist Loves OthersAdditional Info
This 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.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).
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Pilgrim The Beatitudes
$14.95Add to cartPilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that helps inquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Christ. A Christian course for the twenty-first century, Pilgrim offers an approach of participation, not persuasion. Following the practice of the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer with quotes from the Christian tradition throughout the ages, Pilgrim assumes little or no knowledge of the Christian faith. Individuals or small groups on the journey of discipleship in the Episcopal tradition can use Pilgrim at any point. There are many different aspects to helping people learn about the Christian faith. We have taken as our starting point Jesus’ summary of the commandments. We are called to offer our lives to God through loving God with all our mind, soul, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Learning about Christian faith and growing in Christian faith is about more than what we believe. It’s also about the ways in which we pray and develop our relationship with God, about the way we live our lives and about living in God’s vision for the Church and for the world. Course 4. The Beatitudes: The Beatitudes is a short but profoundly beautiful and influential collection of sayings by Jesus. They sum up his teaching about what it means to live as a child of God’s kingdom. The authors of this course believe that following Jesus requires us to engage with this important text, so that it is restored to a central place in the life of the Church. We believe that the Beatitudes, and trying to live them out, is one of the best ways of loving God with all your heart and understanding the Christian vision for the world.
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In The Eye Of The Storm
$24.95Add to cartGene Robinson is bishop of the tiny, rural Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, but he’s at the center of a storm of controversy raging in the Episcopal Church and throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion involving homosexuality, the priesthood, and the future of the Communion. This book offers an honest, thoughtful portrait of Robinson, the faith that has informed his life, and the controversy that continues to rock his Church
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Copious Fountain : A History Of Union Presbyterian Seminary 1812-2012
$70.00Add to cartA Copious Fountain tells the two-hundred-year-old story of Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. From its first days at Hampden-Sydney College, Union Presbyterian Seminary has answered its call to equip educated ministers to serve the church. As the first institution of its kind in the South, Union Presbyterian Seminary created a standard for theological education across denominational affiliations.
This systematic history of Union Presbyterian Seminary gives cultural and historical context to the school through its bicentennial year. Combining research, photographs, and primary source documents, Sweetser’s book celebrates the enduring influence of Union Presbyterian Seminary in the church and beyond.
