Denominational Concerns
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Top 10 United Methodist Beliefs
$17.99Add to cartThere can be no doubt about what Jesus thought was “the main thing,” the Great Commandments to love God with our heart, soul, and mind and to love neighbor as yourself. What were the non-negotiables for the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley? Wesley’s first priority was to grow Christian disciples who loved God and neighbor with a holy love that keeps those Commandments. As United Methodists what is our primary purpose? Put simply, it is to follow Christ as redeemed persons who put those Commandments into daily practice. Using John Wesley as guide, this book will describe the ten most important United Methodist beliefs, so that we are equipped for every good work. This book will describe how a passionate Wesley can still inspire us to travel the road to perfection using these basic beliefs as signposts, not hitching posts, so that we can more fully follow Jesus. But discipleship can be arduous and God’s grace is not cheap. We must be prepared to walk and walk and not just talk. The Christian life is action packed with surprises at every turn. “Are you able?” as the old hymn asks. Yes, Lord, we are able through the power and love of God to be accountable to Jesus and each other. Each chapter includes study questions suitable for personal reflection and group conversation.
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Presbyterian Handbook (Revised)
$20.00Add to cartThe Presbyterian Handbook, Revised Edition provides historical and up to date theological information about Presbyterian beliefs alongside fun-filled facts and practical tips on being a churchgoing follower of Jesus Christ. Complete with illustrations, the book presents a wonderful combination of vast truths, complex details, and bits of humor about Presbyterian understanding of the Christian life. This unique and incredibly handy resource is perfect for Presbyterian youth, adults, students, families, and all those interested in learning about much of what encompasses life in the church.
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Faith Rules : An Episcopal Manual
$21.95Add to cart* Modeled on Michael Pollan’s best-selling Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual * Written by a prominent church figure Ian Markham, Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary, introduces both the Christian faith and The Episcopal Church to the seeker and Episcopal laity in this indispensable manual. Each page in Faith Rules is Episcopal wisdom set in concise, straightforward language for anyone in the 21st century.
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History Of The Amish 3rd Edition
$14.99Add to cartThe Amish, one of America s most intriguingly private, unique, and often misunderstood religious communities, have survived for three hundred years! How has that happened?
While much has been written on the Amish, little has been revealed about their history. This book brings together in one volume a thorough history of the Amish people. From their beginnings in Europe through their settlement in North America, the Amish have struggled to maintain their beliefs and traditions in often hostile settings.
Now updated, the book gives an in-depth look at how the modern Amish church continues to grow and change. It covers recent developments in new Amish settlements, the community s conflict and negotiation with government, the Nickel Mines school shooting, and the media s constant fascination with this religious people, from reality TV shows to romance novels.
Authoritative, thorough, and interestingly written, A History of the Amish presents the deep and rich heritage of the Amish people with dozens of illustrations and updated statistics.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history–books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home. -
100 Things Every Child Should Know Before Confirmation
$20.00Add to cartMany youth arrive at confirmation classes without a basic grasp of key Bible stories or Christian traditions. This book helps to fill that gap, offering Sunday school teachers, parents, and adult volunteers a compact guide for equipping their youth with knowledge and understanding of their own faith. It offers an overview of one hundred essential topics that all children growing up in the church should learn about, including key Bible stories, church history, the sacraments and creeds, world religions, and more. Each entry includes a brief summary, a suggestion for how educators and parents can explore this item with their children, and ideas for integrating the topic into the child’s overall Christian education. This practical resource helps children think critically about Christian faith as they begin their confirmation studies, providing the vocabulary and understanding needed to articulate their own theology.
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Morning Resolve
$25.00Add to cartCascade Books
A Morning Resolve,” an Episcopal prayer printed on the inside front cover of Forward Day by Day, is a “help me tend my spiritual garden” prayer. It asks for God’s help in living a simple, sincere, and serene life–by repelling negative thoughts and attitudes (discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking), cultivating positive attitudes (cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence), exercising graceful activities (economy in expenditure, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God), practicing faithful daily habits (work, study, prayer, physical exercise, eating, and sleep), and depending on God for the strength and the will to do so. -
Works Of John Wesley 27
$77.99Add to cartAlthough many of the letters of John Wesley are of value as literature-especially as crisp statements of his views or desires with little attempt at embellishment-their major importance is as a revelation of him as a man and of the people and events of his day, especially those linked with the Methodist movement. They furnish us, in fact, with a portrait through seventy years that is both more revealing in detail and fuller in coverage than any other source. The correspondence presented in this third of seven planned volumes of Wesley’s Letters illuminates critical developments in the Wesleyan movement in the period between 1756 and 1765, including very significant rifts between John Wesley and his brother Charles and between John Wesley and his wife Mary, Wesley’s attempts to deal with radical enthusiasts and separatists (such as Thomas Maxfield) within the Methodist movement, his relationship to Greek Orthodox leader Gerasimos (Erasmus) Avlonites, and Wesley’s activities related to the Seven Years War.
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Letters From Samaria
$22.95Add to cartLouie Crew Clay has been the leading voice in LGBTQ issues in the church over the past forty years; founder of Integrity;
* Well-loved, well-known Episcopalian
* Funny, sharp, sad, thoughtful, poignant, historic
* Afterword by Bishop Mary Glasspool, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los AngelesLetters from Samaria gathers together much of Louie (Crew) Clay’s best and most influential prose and poetry, written from 1974 until the present day, including an essay composed especially for the volume. Much of the material has not appeared since its original publication in newsletters and other ephemeral sources. It is crisply written and often surprising for its bravery, matter-of-fact self-disclosure, insight, and love. Louie played a pivotal role in transforming The Episcopal Church – and, indeed, Christianity – over the past 40 years. This collection provides a window into Louie Clay’s unlikely and at times shocking ministry throughout the years as history was unfolding.
For LGBTQ Christians and their allies across denominations, those interested in the history of acceptance, fans of Louie Clay’s writing
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Generous Community : Being The Church In A New Missionary Age
$20.95Add to cartBishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and author of Unabashedly Episcopalian; has the authority to call for change to hierarchical structures
* Practical ideas for connecting and building communities of serviceBishop Andy Doyle understands that the church must change. Every day, he presides over parishes that are no longer vital, that have not adapted to the “VUCA” (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world of today – the world in which the church exists. The church still looks to hierarchies when it needs to build networks, and stays mired in arguments when it needs to find unity. With the experience of a bishop and the insight of a deep learner, Doyle points the way to the future with a vision for how we can learn, serve, and communicate with each other.
For clergy, vestries, seminaries, commissions, and, ultimately, parishioners.
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Arts Camp : A Creative Customizable Alternative To Vacation Bible School An
$34.95Add to cartLess packaged, more theologically and pedagogically appropriate, thoughtful, and community-based alternative toVacation Bible School
* A way for churches to conduct an artful exploration of faithArts Camp provides practical, concrete instruction that a church needs to plan, organize, staff, and conduct an annual five-day Arts Camp, including guidance on logistics, funding, finding art instructors (within both the local church and the broader community), ideas for structuring and scheduling the five days of camp, and a celebration on the Sunday following camp. Each chapter includes details on art projects, programming, music, drama, games, and resources.
For Episcopal and other mainline churches looking for alternatives to pre-packaged VBS programs, directors of Christian education and children’s ministry, camps and retreat centers
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Episcopal Story : Birth And Rebirth
$16.95Add to cartThe next generation of the classic New Church’s Teaching Series
* Accessible and engaging for newcomers and adult learners; appropriate content for church leaders and seminarians
* Interactive study questions and exercises and accompanied by online materialsThe New Church’s Teaching series has been one of the most recognizable and useful book series 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 classic resource with fresh new voices and style, concise, and clear enough for newcomers, yet grounded and thoughtful enough for seminarians and leaders.
In this second volume, seminary dean and popular blogger Thomas Ferguson traces the history of Christianity, with a special focus on the rise of the Anglican Communion and the birth and continual rebirth of The Episcopal Church. Explores how we got here and where we might be going.
For lay and ordained church leaders, Education for Ministry (EfM) groups, seminary students and faculty, newcomers, and adult formation groups
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Naked Anabaptist : The Bare Essentials Of A Radical Faith (Anniversary)
$18.99Add to cartPart I
1. Uncovering The Anabaptists
2. The Essence Of Anabaptism
Part II
3. Follow Jesus
4. Read Scripture Through Jesus
5. Thrive After Christendom
6. Reject Status, Wealth, And Force
7. Create Communities Of Discipleship And Mission
8. Seek Justice
9. Pursue Peace
Part III
10. The Original Anabaptists
11. Anabaptism Today
Resources On Anabaptism
Study Guide
Notes
The Author
Additional Info
5th Anniversay Edition
In churches and kitchens and neighborhood centers across the world, communities of Jesus-followers are crafting a vision of radical service, simple living, and commitment to peace. Many are finding a home in a Christian tradition almost five centuries old: Anabaptism.Who are the Anabaptists? What do they believe? Where did they come from? What makes them different from other Christians? And can you become an Anabaptist without leaving your own church?
Follow Stuart Murray as he peels back the layers to reveal the core convictions of Anabaptist Christianity, a way of following Jesus that challenges, disturbs, and inspires. Glimpse an alternative to nationalistic, materialistic, individualistic Christian faith. If you are seeking a community of authentic discipleship, heartfelt worship, sacrificial service, and radical peacemaking, consider this your invitation.
New Edition features:
– Voices and stories from North America and the global church.
-Updated and expanded definition and discussion of Christendom.
-Updated resource section.
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Journeying With Luke
$22.00Add to cartJourneying with Luke is the first of four volumes that offer brief and accessible guides to the Gospels for learning and reflection. Following 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 the text in preaching and study, including poetry; and reflections on the text’s meaning for contemporary Christian life. Each chapter ends with an action item, questions for reflection, and a prayer. Perfect for sermon preparation, devotion, or group study, this resource will serve as an indispensable guide to the journey of encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.
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Meal Jesus Gave Us (Revised)
$16.00Add to cartIn this introductory volume, perfect for Protestant new member and confirmation classes, acclaimed theologian and writer N. T. Wright explains in clear and vivid style the background of the Last Supper, the ways in which Christians have interpreted this event over the centuries, and what it all means for us today. This revision includes questions for discussion or reflection after each chapter.
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Cross Of Reality
$49.00Add to cartThe Cross of Reality investigates Bonhoeffer’s interpretation and use of Luther’s theology in shaping his Christology. In this essay, H. Gaylon Barker uses the “theology of the cross” as a key to understanding the characteristic elements that make up Bonhoeffer’s theology; he also shows how Bonhoeffer’s conversation with his teachers and contemporaries, Karl Holl and Karl Barth in particular, develops.
Bonhoeffer’s thought was indeed radical and revolutionary, but it was so precisely because of its adherence to the classical traditions of the church, especially Luther’s theologia cruces. When his theology is understood in light of this tradition, his “nonreligious interpretation,’ which he set out to describe in his theological letters from Tegel prison, is not a radical departure from his earlier theology, but is the mature expression of his ‘theology of the cross.’Bonhoeffer’s Lutheran roots would not allow him to turn his back on the problems and tragedies of the world. In fact, because God had turned toward the world, had entered into the world and identified with suffering individuals, the only proper sphere for theological reflection was this world. Theology properly conceived, therefore, is very this(worldly. It is this worldly character that gives it its power to speak.
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Renewing The World
$15.99Add to cartBarton Stone, Thomas Campbell, and Alexander Campbell organized a nineteenth-century Christian renewal movement that later coalesced into three distinct church bodies in the United States: Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.
What is less known is that from these humble origins, the Stone-Campbell Movement has grown globally, now with churches in more than 199 countries. This book tells the story from the movement’s beginnings all the way to its international expansion into Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Complete with a study guide and personal reflection questions, this book is ideal for longtime members, new members, and those unfamiliar with the Stone-Campbell heritage.
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Trinity In The Stone Campbell Movement
$29.99Add to cartAn assessment of Trinitarian thought in the two-hundred-year-old Stone-Campbell Movement, including suggestions for ways in which the renewal of Trinitarian doctrine can revitalize the church’s life and mission.
Throughout its history the Stone-Campbell Movement has noticeably neglected Trinitarian doctrine, prohibiting a biblical understanding of God as Trinity from significantly impacting the movement’s churches. This book attempts to rectify this weakness in three ways. First, a focus on the Trinitarian positions of Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone sheds new light on the early shapers of the movement.
Second, the book lays out specific ways in which the movement would benefit by a biblically grounded Trinitarianism and the contributions of contemporary trinitarian theologians. And third, it presents a plan for the advancement of biblical Trinitarian doctrine among Stone-Campbell churches.
Significant contributions of this study include the most thorough examination to date of Trinitarian doctrine in Stone-Campbell thought, an original presentation of the historical theology that stands behind the Trinitarian positions of Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone, and a fresh proposal regarding the roots of Barton Stone’s quasi-Arianism.
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Peace Progress And The Professor
$39.99Add to cartPreface And Acknowledgments
1. Geography Of A Prairie Childhood
2. Becoming C.
3. The Democracy Of Learning
4. In The Service Of A Usable Past
5. How To Write The Mennonite Story
6. The Way Of Exile
7. The “Most Liberal Wing”
8. Forays Down A Winding Road
9. Diverging Readings Of Anabaptist History
10. Mennonite Intellectual In A Time Of Crisis
11. The Final Mennonite History
12. Epilogue
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Studies In Anabaptist And Mennonite History Series
The AuthorAdditional Info
What does it mean to be Mennonite in the modern world? And what is the witness of a peace church that is always at risk of splintering? C. Henry Smith-son of an Amish family, erudite historian, urbane bank president, and pioneer of Mennonite scholarship-sought answers to these questions in the middle of the 20th century, and his answers reverberate through the church to this day.In this engaging narrative biography, historian Perry Bush chronicles Smith’s childhood in an Illinois farming community, his youthful turn toward intellectual inquiry, and his confidence that Anabaptist faith and life offer gifts to the wider world. By recounting the story of one of the foremost Mennonite intellectuals, Bush surveys the storied terrain of 20th-century Mennonite identity in its selective borrowing from wider culture and its tentative embrace of progressive reforms and higher education, and growing conviction that Anabaptism served as a taproot of Western civilization. Bush argues that Smith’s body of historical writing furnished a new generation of Mennonites with both an understanding of their shared past and the tools to navigate an ever-shifting present.
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Peace Progress And The Professor
$29.99Add to cartPreface And Acknowledgments
1. Geography Of A Prairie Childhood
2. Becoming C.
3. The Democracy Of Learning
4. In The Service Of A Usable Past
5. How To Write The Mennonite Story
6. The Way Of Exile
7. The “Most Liberal Wing”
8. Forays Down A Winding Road
9. Diverging Readings Of Anabaptist History
10. Mennonite Intellectual In A Time Of Crisis
11. The Final Mennonite History
12. Epilogue
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Studies In Anabaptist And Mennonite History Series
The AuthorAdditional Info
What does it mean to be Mennonite in the modern world? And what is the witness of a peace church that is always at risk of splintering? C. Henry Smith-son of an Amish family, erudite historian, urbane bank president, and pioneer of Mennonite scholarship-sought answers to these questions in the middle of the 20th century, and his answers reverberate through the church to this day.In this engaging narrative biography, historian Perry Bush chronicles Smith’s childhood in an Illinois farming community, his youthful turn toward intellectual inquiry, and his confidence that Anabaptist faith and life offer gifts to the wider world. By recounting the story of one of the foremost Mennonite intellectuals, Bush surveys the storied terrain of 20th-century Mennonite identity in its selective borrowing from wider culture and its tentative embrace of progressive reforms and higher education, and growing conviction that Anabaptism served as a taproot of Western civilization. Bush argues that Smith’s body of historical writing furnished a new generation of Mennonites with both an understanding of their shared past and the tools to navigate an ever-shifting present.
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To The Praise Of His Glory
$15.99Add to cartMake no mistake about it. The church was no “Plan B” effort after the failure of the Law of Moses to save people from their sins. Before the foundations of the earth, God had an exact and detailed plan for His church. God’s plan was a mystery to the prophets and patriarchs, but clues and hints and shadows whispered that a better way was coming.
With the establishment of the church on the day of Pentecost, the good news of God spread throughout the hollow efforts of the Jews and on to the pagan and corrupt lives of the Gentiles. Through His Son, Jesus, God created a unity and boldness among believing men and women that could draw meaning from the madness and spark sacrificial love in the self-centered.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church tells us that when the church is living out its divine destiny, it is all “to the praise of His glory.”
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Of Water And The Spirit
$26.00Add to cartAs the Church of England alone conducts more than 2500 baptisms each week and the number of adult candidates rises steadily, this robust and original study explores baptism as an expression of the church’s mission.
Phillip Tovey explores baptism and confirmation in the Christian tradition through the lens of a biblical theology of baptism. Beginning with the practices and liturgies of the New Testament church, he traces their development through the early Christian centuries, the Middle Ages, the Reformation and its aftermath, in the context of world mission and in the modern secular age.
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Evangelical Ethics : A Reader
$45.00Add to cartJust as it is impossible to understand the American religious landscape without some familiarity with evangelicalism, one cannot grasp the shape of contemporary Christian ethics without knowing the contributions of evangelical Protestants. This newest addition to the Library of Theological Ethics series begins by examining the core dynamic with which all evangelical ethics grapples: belief in an authoritative, inspired, and unchanging biblical text on the one hand, and engagement with a rapidly evolving and increasingly post-Christian culture on the other. It explores the different roles that scholars and popular figures have played in forming evangelicals’ understandings of Christian ethics. And it draws together the contributions of both senior and emerging figures in painting a portrait of this diverse, vibrant, and challenging theological and ethical tradition. This book represents the breadth of evangelical ethical voices, demonstrating that evangelical ethics involves nuance and theological insight that far transcend any political agenda.
Contributors include David P. Gushee, Carl F. H. Henry, Jennifer McBride, Stephen Charles Mott, William E. Pannell, John Perkins, Soong-Chan Rah, Gabriel Salguero, Francis Schaeffer, Ron Sider, Helene Slessarev-Jamir, Glen H. Stassen, Eldin Villafae, Allen Verhey, Jim Wallis, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and John Howard Yoder.
The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important, and otherwise unavailable, texts-English-language texts and translations that have fallen out of print, new translations, and collections of significant statements about problems and themes of special importance-in an easily accessible form. This series enables sustained dialogue on new and classic works in the field.
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Devoting Ourselves To The Prayers
$24.99Add to cartDr. Stamm integrates the biblical, theological, and pastoral insight fitting of a liturgical scholar-pastor as he attempts to improve and deepen the church’s congregational practice of intercessory prayer. In Devoting Ourselves to the Prayers: A Baptismal Theology for the Church’s Intercessory Work, Dr. Stamm points to the strong biblical and historical connections between baptism and intercessory prayer, suggesting that intercessory prayer is a vocation-a calling-rooted in our common baptism. Imaginative, informative, and deeply committed to the idea that prayer is an essential practice of the church, this book not only addresses what has become the church’s neglect of intercessory prayer but the difference such praying makes.
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Fully Engaged : Missional Church In An Anabaptist Voice
$18.99Add to cartMission happens when congregations fully align themselves with God’s purposes. As the missional church movement matures, Anabaptists bring a time-honored theological tradition, a contemporary spiritual vitality, and practical stories of witness to the conversation. How are churches and individuals living out Christ’s call to engage locally and globally? And how is it changing them in the process?
Featuring the voices of missional Mennonite leaders, Fully Engaged offers stories and analysis about how mission is taking shape in local congregations and contexts. A diverse chorus of Anabaptist pastors and laypeople explores the roots, tools, and applications of the missional movement. From nurturing church planting to creating a missional culture to preaching for missional engagement, Fully Engaged offers insights and ideas for churches looking for direction.
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Songs My Grandma Sang
$20.95Add to cartAuthor of the popular Crazy Christians
* Well-known bishop, preacher, and teacher
In a conversation about his teaching and preaching style, Michael Curry notes with a
laugh that hymns and songs of faith were always a part of the mix. “I learned what I
believed in the songs I heard my family-especially my grandmother-sing. We sang our
faith every day.”Out of that strong foundation, Bishop Curry shares the music of his childhood-the
songs that have grown with him to shape an adult and vibrant faith.For people of faith across the Episcopal Church, plus Christians who find themselves
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My Calling To Fulfill
$29.99Add to cartIn a century marked by two devastating world wars, the fractious fundamentalist-modernist debate, and growing diversity in the church, Orie O. Miller helped to lead Mennonites from rural isolation to global engagement.
In engaging narrative My Calling to Fulfill describes how Miller led Mennonite work in education, missions, peacemaking, postwar reconstruction, and mental health, and he helped to mold every major Mennonite agency from Mennonite Central Committee to Mennonite Economic Development Agency.
Filled with previously untold stories of Miller’s personal life-his childhood, college years, marriage, and internal conflict between his commitment to his family and commitment to his beloved church-this inspiring and comprehensive biography traces the contours of twentieth-century Anabaptism through the theology and vocation of one of its most influential leaders.
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Big Lessons From Little Places
$19.95Add to cartHighlights the ministry of the small congregation, a category into which 68% of
Episcopal congregations fall* Follows up on the author’s Becoming the Transformative Church and continues the
conversation about church re-structuring* Reflection/Study Guide questions included
Churchwide discussions on structure and growth tend to focus on the importance of
increasing “butts in the pews and bucks in the plates.” Suggestions have been made on
merging smaller dioceses to create larger ones and closing the doors of congregations
which do not have Sunday attendance of at least 200. This is a model of scarcity without
consideration of the value and abundance to be found in small churches.Discover the roles, possibilities, promise, and potential of being a small church! Travel
with Kay Collier McLauglin as she takes the back roads and byways of the United States,
visiting small churches that are making a difference in their community. Each chapter tells
a story about an example of faithfulness in the life of a small congregation and relates
that story to the essentials of faithful living and being church. The book challenges the
decision-makers in the Episcopal Church to think beyond traditional measures and shortterm
economic fixes to discover the life-giving opportunities and models presented by the
smallest congregations.For diocesan leaders, lay professionals, clergy, seminarians, and small groups.
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In Search Of Promised Lands
$54.99Add to cartThe wide-ranging story of Mennonite migration, theological diversity, and interaction with other Christian streams is distilled in this engaging volume, which tracks the history of Ontario Mennonites.
Author Samuel J. Steiner writes that Ontario Mennonites and Amish are among the most diverse in the world-in their historical migrations and cultural roots, in their theological responses to the world around them, and in the various ways they have pursued their personal and communal salvation.
In Search of Promised Lands describes the emergence and evolution of today’s thirty-plus streams of Ontarians who have identified themselves as Mennonite or Amish from their arrival in Canada to the last decade. In Search of Promised Lands also considers how various Mennonite groups have adapted to or resisted evangelical fundamentalism and mainline Protestantism, and it identifies the nineteenth- and twentieth-century shifts toward personal salvation and away from submission to the church community.
Volume 48 in the Studies of Anabaptist and Mennonite History series.
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Journey With J.W.
$14.99Add to cartChildren will ride through United Methodist history with John Wesley and the early Methodists. Children will experience life in the times of John Wesley and the circuit riders. It’s a great learning experience that’s fun! Easy-to-follow directions for crafts, games, and music, Scripts for historical dramas and Bible stories, ideas for setting up interest centers, and ways to utilize the gifts and talents of the adults in your congregation area also included. Children will learn about the United Methodist heritage and how it has shaped who we are as people of faith, that God inspired John Wesley and other early leaders of our church to spread the good news about Jesus throughout the world, and that God continues to call us to tell the world about Jesus today!
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In Search Of Promised Lands
$69.99Add to cartThe wide-ranging story of Mennonite migration, theological diversity, and interaction with other Christian streams is distilled in this engaging volume, which tracks the history of Ontario Mennonites.
Author Samuel J. Steiner writes that Ontario Mennonites and Amish are among the most diverse in the world-in their historical migrations and cultural roots, in their theological responses to the world around them, and in the various ways they have pursued their personal and communal salvation.
In Search of Promised Lands describes the emergence and evolution of today’s thirty-plus streams of Ontarians who have identified themselves as Mennonite or Amish from their arrival in Canada to the last decade. In Search of Promised Lands also considers how various Mennonite groups have adapted to or resisted evangelical fundamentalism and mainline Protestantism, and it identifies the nineteenth- and twentieth-century shifts toward personal salvation and away from submission to the church community.
Volume 48 in the Studies of Anabaptist and Mennonite History series.
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Welcome To Church Music And The Hymnal 1982
$21.95Add to cartFirst new addition to the popular and well-established “Welcome to” series in years
* First volume to introduce and explain church music and congregational singing
for beginnersMusic is an essential element in Anglican worship; in fact, The Hymnal 1982 is used in
virtually every Episcopal service of worship that involves singing. While most parishioners
participate in music making at some level (such as singing hymns or common
responses), fewer people might understand the specific genres that comprise the
music of an Episcopal worship service or the liturgical meaning behind each selection.
This book provides a more in-depth understanding of this rich and complex tradition,
discussing the history and evolution of music within the Episcopal Church, including its
Anglican roots.The book is designed to help clarify-and simplify-the importance of hymn singing and
service music in Episcopal worship, as well as explain the history, structure, and content
of The Hymnal 1982.For those seeking to gain a better understanding of Anglican musical heritage, increase
participation in congregational singing, or expand their use of the Welcome to series. -
Gods Word My Voice
$64.95Add to cartFor congregations who are trying to engage their kids in God’s Word in worship
* For clergy who don’t have a knack for creative children’s liturgy, but the deep
desire to connect with kids* For use in additional settings, including Christian day schools, children’s
chapels, family liturgiesWant the children in your congregation to leave with God’s Word on their lips and
in their hearts? This collection of The Revised Common Lectionary readings (Old
Testament, Psalm, New Testament, and Gospel), are paraphrased for children to be
read aloud in Sunday morning worship, will help kids easily read and understand
the word God has for their lives. This collection of lectionary paraphrases is written
in a child’s speaking voice, NOT as an adult telling a story to the children. The
psalms include a refrain for the entire congregation that closely parallels to the
Book of Common Prayer’s version.For clergy, school chaplains, Christian educators, worship leaders, home-schoolers.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year B 2
$42.00Add to cartThis is the sixth and final volume in the Feasting on the Word Worship Companion series, which provides liturgical pieces used in preparing for worship. It offers a multitude of poetic prayers and responsive readings for all parts of worship for churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary. In addition, the weekly entries include questions for reflection and household prayers for morning and evening that are drawn from the lectionary, allowing churches to include them in their bulletin for parishioners to use throughout the week.
During times of the year when two different tracks of Old Testament texts are offered by the Revised Common Lectionary, this resource offers an entire set of materials for both tracks. Also, a CD-ROM is included with each volume that enables planners to easily cut and paste relevant readings, prayers, and questions into worship bulletins.
Liturgy writers include:
Kimberly L. Clayton, Director of Contextual Education, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology and Worship, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, Kentucky; Presbyterian Church(U.S.A.)
Daniel M. Geslin, Pastor, Union Congregational Church of Hancock, Hancock, Maine; United Church of Christ
Kimberly Bracken Long, Associate Professor of Worship, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
L. Edward Phillips, Associate Professor of Worship and Liturgical Theology, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, Georgia; United Methodist Church
Melinda Quivik, Liturgical Scholar, Houghton, Michigan; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Carol L. Wade, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington, Kentucky; Episcopal Church -
Reclaiming Pietism : Retrieving An Evangelical Tradition
$24.99Add to cartThe historical movement known as Pietism emphasized the response of faith and inward transformation as crucial aspects of conversion to Christ. Unfortunately, Pietism today is often equated with a “holier-than-thou” spiritual attitude, religious legalism, or withdrawal from involvement in society.
In this book Roger Olson and Christian Collins Winn argue that classical, historical Pietism is an influential stream in evangelical Christianity and that it must be recovered as a resource for evangelical renewal. They challenge misconceptions of Pietism by describing the origins, development, and main themes of the historical movement and the spiritual-theological ethos stemming from it. The book also explores Pietism’s influence on contemporary Christian theologians and spiritual leaders such as Richard Foster and Stanley Grenz.
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Lutherans In America
$80.00Add to cartThe story of Lutherans in America is one of mutual influence. From the first small groups of Lutherans to arrive in the colonies, to the large immigrations to the rich heartland of a growing nation, Lutherans have influenced, and been influenced by, America.
In this lively and engaging new history, Granquist brings to light not only the varied and fascinating institutions that Lutherans founded and sustained but the people that lived within them. The result is a generous, human history that tells a complete story-not only about politics and policies but also the piety and the practical experiences of the Lutheran men and women who lived and worked in the American context.
Bringing the story all the way to the present day and complemented with new charts, maps, images, and sidebars, Granquist ably covers the full range of Lutheran expressions, bringing order and clarity to a complex and vibrant tradition.
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God Gave The Growth
$34.95Add to cartThe Episcopal Church has recognized that planting new churches is a high priority through the Mission Enterprise Zones initiative, which provides grant funding for new worshiping communities, in partnership with dioceses. While there is significant literature and training available for church planters in evangelical contexts, very little is available for planters in the Episcopal/mainline context. This book addresses how to rise up and train leaders for the difficult task of planting new churches in the twenty-first century. It answers the essential questions, such as why should we plant churches, what models of church planting are most successful, what kinds of leaders are necessary, and what problems can be expected. Through the author’s personal experience and interviews with diocesan experts and leaders in mainline denominations, it provides strategies, approaches, and problem-solving techniques.
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Hazardous Saints Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.95Add to cartThis exciting new six-session DVD study invites small groups and individuals to explore the lives of six Christian saints” who risked all for the sake of the gospel. Like Jesus, each of the featured leaders were change agents in their times: the Subversive Bridge-Builder, Barnabas; the Lovable Rebel, Francis of Assisi; the Tightrope Walker, Thomas Cranmer; the Persevering Prophet, Sojourner Truth; the Idealistic Realist, Dorothy Day; and the People’s Voice, Oscar Romero. Each session concludes with three possible endings, one for adult study groups, one for individuals, and one for vestries and other gatherings of church leaders. Illustrative slides promote conversation starters and interaction. It also includes a bonus resource: A Simple Prayer Liturgy for Use by a Small Group. The program calls for one study guide per participant and one DVD for the individual or group, each sold separately.”
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Feasting On The Word Guide To Childrens Sermons
$24.00Add to cartFeasting on the Word Guide to Children’s Sermons equips church leaders and children’s ministry volunteers to deliver children’s sermons that are free of gimmicks and simplistic conclusions, that welcome children into the family of faith, and that give a foundation in God’s good news for all people. This volume will address the common questions pastors have about the children’s sermon, steps on avoiding common pitfalls, suggestions on how to use the children’s time in a church following the lectionary, and sample Bible stories for use in the children’s time.
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Reconsidering Arminius : Beyond The Reformed And Wesleyan Divide
$45.99Add to cartThe theology of Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius has been misinterpreted and caricaturized in both Reformed and Wesleyan circles. By revisiting Arminius’ theology, the book hopes to be a constructive voice in the discourse between so-called Calvinists and Arminians. Traditionally, Arminius has been treated as a divisive figure in evangelical theology. Contributors: Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs Mark G. Bilby Oliver D. Crisp W. Stephen Gunter John Mark Hicks Mark H. Mann Thomas H. McCall Richard A. Muller Keith D. Stanglin E. Jerome Van Kuiken
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Rite Place : Kids Do Church Adults Do Too
$28.95Add to cartReady-to-use liturgies with music, for all seasons of the church year
* Offers a practical guide for child-directed, inclusive worship
Grace Episcopal Church, Oak Park, Illinois has become a model for how to
engage all generations in an experiential and fully inclusive Eucharistic liturgy. The
Rite Place is a 30-minute service designed for young children and their households
in response to the congregation’s desire to offer welcoming worship for all ages.
This book has three parts: the theology of intergenerational worship, including
pastoral issues and how a church might get started to implement such a model;
the use of music as an integral piece to worship as formation; and complete
liturgies for Advent/Christmas/Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Maundy Thursday/
Good Friday, Easter, and the Season of Pentecost/Summer that are accessible for
other congregations to use in their own settings.For clergy, Christian educators, musicians, liturgists, Episcopal schools, chaplains,
children’s hospitals, seminaries, and faith formation organizations. -
Overturning Tables : Freeing Missions From The Christian Industrial Complex
$20.99Add to cartThe history of Protestant mission in the world has unfolded in step with the history of the modern marketplace. As a consequence, success in mission has defined in marketplace terms. Scott Bessenecker points toward a view of missions freed of false attachments to material paradigms and tailored toward a kingdom vision.
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Justice In Everyday Life
$10.00Add to cartJustice in Everyday Life, a Lay Servant Ministries advance course, takes an in-depth look at the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church-the church’s attempt to speak on contemporary issues with which it is confronted today. The book covers topics such as: natural world, social community, economic community, political community, Biblical foundations of the Social Principles, teaching the Social Principles. This book is not only for Lay Servants, but is for anyone interested in t studying the octal Principles in greater detail.
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Vocation Of Anglican Theology
$60.99Add to cartThe Vocation of Anglican Theology seeks to present a contemporary Anglican theology rooted in its sources but reaching into the future. A Range of leading Anglican theologians, including Rowan Williams, Ellen Charry, Kenneth Stevenson, Mark Chapman and Anna Rowlands reflect on key theological subjects such as Christology, ecclesiology and eschatology. Each subject pairs a selection of excerpts from Anglican theologians with an essay. This text is ideal for use in courses on Anglican theology. Indeed, it is hoped that it will prove to be the standard text for courses in Anglican theology throughout the Anglican Communion. In one volume, the student can meet Anglican theologians from the past and in the present, with the opportunity to learn and to inhabit a common Anglican future
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Eyes To See
$18.95Add to cartWritten by a Protestant for a non-Orthodox readership
* Includes full-color images of eight icons
* Strong potential for group study
Eyes to See: The Redemptive Purpose of Icons offers the discovery of life-giving
spiritual insights found through learning to read the language of religious icons. Written
especially for those whose traditions have not included icons, this book introduces eight
icons written (painted) by the author. Historical notes, explanation of symbolism, related
scriptures for interpretation, and a reflection for each icon deepens understanding and
appreciation for the ancient holy images of the Church.
The book is eight chapters in length, each describing one of the eight full-color icon
plates in the insert.For individuals and study groups, plus those with interests in iconography.
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Luther On Faith And Love
$59.00Add to cartContents:
Introduction
1. Research On Faith And Love In Luther
2. Faith And Love In The Dimension Of Passive Righteousness And Holiness
3. Faith: Sole Means Of Grasping Christ
4. Faith And Love In The Dimension Of Active Righteousness And Holiness
5. Love: Means Of Authenticating Faith
Conclusion
Bibliography
IndexesAdditional Info
There has been a distinct tendency in modern scholarship to underestimate Luther’s teaching on love by overemphasizing his teaching on justification. Calling this tendency into question, this volume advances the thesis that Luther’s teaching on faith and love operates as the overriding thematic pair in the dynamics of Christ and the law-structurally and conceptually undergirding the 1535 Galatians commentary. The research situates itself in the landscape of Luther scholarship via a special attention to Finnish Luther scholars and scholarship.The project argues that in the discussion of proper righteousness and holiness, Luther’s redefined love emerges in harmony with faith. His views on Christian freedom, the Christ-given law of love, the twofold way of fulfilling the law, and his Christological premises demonstrate the logical rationale for reintroducing love. This love, designated as a fruit of faith, is incarnated in three major relations: love toward God, toward others, and toward self.
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Feasting On The Word Advent Companion
$34.00Add to cartThis new volume in the Feasting on the Word series provides an all-in-one pastor’s companion for Advent, including worship materials as well as sermon preparation tools. A complete order of service is provided for each of the four Sundays in Advent, plus Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hymn suggestions, sermon illustrations, and children’s sermon suggestions make this an invaluable resource for the Advent season.
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Basic Baptist Beliefs
$14.99Add to cartThe purpose of this book is to meet a widely felt need for an up-to-date and concise source book on the principal teachings of the Bible from a Biblical perspective. It is not intended for scholars; rather it is to serve as a handy guidebook for laymen as well as beginning theology students, assisting them in grasping some of the foundational beliefs that distinguish Believers in Jesus Christ. Not only can theology be a captivating study, it is essential for Christians to know what they believe. Key Biblical doctrines are addressed that include: Builds a complete and solid biblical foundation for every Christ-follower. Thorough examination of biblical teaching about the existence of God, His revelation to us, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, sin, and redemption. The perfect first book for believers beginning to grapple with the great teachings of Scripture.
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My Faith My Life Leaders Guide (Revised)
$21.95Add to cartIn addition to a book for teens, My Faith, My Life is a curriculum. With this guide, leaders can create short, intermediate, and longer programs, including confirmation sequences of six, nine, or twelve-sessions, a retreat or similar short program, or a longer study that is integrated with other current programs over the entire academic year. Filled with prayers to begin and end each session, plus a variety of activities that tap into multiple learning styles and ways to interact with the congregation, this will be a primary go-to resource for any youth leader. New material includes how to select, train, and support mentors, as well as how leaders can strengthen their own spiritual life. With this Leader’s Guide, My Faith, My Life will continue as a trusted Confirmation curriculum for the Episcopal Church. Newly available in print and eBook editions Supports a foundational book for youth in the Episcopal Church Releases along with the revised edition of primary text
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year B 1
$42.00Add to cartBased on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year B, Volume 1 provides liturgical pieces used in preparing for worship. Written and compiled by an ecumenical team of 11 seasoned liturgy writers, this resource offers a multitude of poetic prayers and responsive readings for all parts of worship and is meant to complement existing denominational resources. In addition, the weekly entries include questions for reflection and household prayers for morning and evening that are drawn from the lectionary, allowing churches to include them in their bulletin for parishioners to use throughout the week.
During times of the year when two different tracks of Old Testament texts are offered by the RCL, this resource offers an entire set of materials for each track. Also, a CD-ROM is included with each volume that enables planners to easily cut and paste relevant readings, prayers, and questions into worship bulletins.
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Good Shepherd : A Picture Book For Children Leaders And Parents
$19.95Add to cartParable of the Good Shepherd is a visual retelling of the biblical lesson as taken from The Complete Guide to Godly Play and told with revised text and original art. The book recreates the experience of hearing this core and possibly best-loved, best-known Bible story as a supplement to Godly Play or as a stand-alone bedside reader. For Christian educators, Christian schools, vacation Bible schools, parents, grandparents, godparents – anyone who desires to engage in sharing faith and biblical stories in any setting, especially all those in the Godly Play community: trainers, storytellers, teachers, parents, and children.
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Longing To Meet You Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis resource is an English translation of the Korean evangelism study Longing to Meet you (published by Cokesbury for exclusive distribution to the UM Council on Korean-American Ministries).
The mission of The United Methodist Church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” In order to carry out this mission, The United Methodist Church has defined seven pathways of ministry: developing new churches, transforming existing congregations, ending racism through expanding racial and ethnic ministries, teaching the Wesleyan model of discipleship, strengthening clergy and lay leadership, reaching and transforming the lives of new generations, and eliminating poverty in community with the poor.The United Methodist Council on Korean Ministries/Korean Ministry Plan has a vision to strengthen small group ministries for the local church to fulfill the mission of The United Methodist Church. The Korean Ministry Plan partnered with the National Association of Korean United Methodists to develop training material for small group ministry leaders that incorporated both Wesleyan tradition and Korean spirituality. This material was developed with the purpose of leading churches to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and for individuals to realize their individual spiritual gifts so that they could serve the local church and community better. Thus, we United Methodists may be disciples of Jesus Christ who experience the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the world.
We welcome you into this journey of discipleship in small group ministry. We are genuinely looking forward to meeting you.
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Longing To Meet You Participant Book (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThis resource is an English translation of the Korean evangelism study Longing to Meet you (published by Cokesbury for exclusive distribution to the UM Council on Korean-American Ministries).
The mission of The United Methodist Church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” In order to carry out this mission, The United Methodist Church has defined seven pathways of ministry: developing new churches, transforming existing congregations, ending racism through expanding racial and ethnic ministries, teaching the Wesleyan model of discipleship, strengthening clergy and lay leadership, reaching and transforming the lives of new generations, and eliminating poverty in community with the poor.
The United Methodist Council on Korean Ministries/Korean Ministry Plan has a vision to strengthen small group ministries for the local church to fulfill the mission of The United Methodist Church. The Korean Ministry Plan partnered with the National Association of Korean United Methodists to develop training material for small group ministry leaders that incorporated both Wesleyan tradition and Korean spirituality. This material was developed with the purpose of leading churches to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and for individuals to realize their individual spiritual gifts so that they could serve the local church and community better. Thus, we United Methodists may be disciples of Jesus Christ who experience the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the world.
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Episcopal Way
$16.95Add to cartUpdated content and approach, compared to earlier New Church’s Teachings
series, with emphasis on mission and applicability* Interactivity is emphasized throughout with robust study guides, links to a host of
web and video resources, and jargon-free languageThe New Church’s Teachings was one of the most recognizable and useful book
series in the Episcopal Church. The books were a mainstay on seminarian and clergy
bookshelves. With this launch of the Church’s Teachings for a Changing World series,
two visionary Episcopal thinkers and church leaders team up to revitalize the currency,
integrity, and scholarship of the original series with fresh new voices and style; concise
and clear enough for newcomers, yet grounded and thoughtful enough for seminarians
and leaders.In this foundational text for the Church’s Teachings for a Changing World, Law and
Spellers explore seismic shifts in American life and the opportunities and challenges
each presents to the church today. With a winning combination of passion, creativity,
and wisdom, the authors call for a return to Episcopal basics and insist that faithfully
engaging a changing world might be the most truly Anglican practice of all.For Episcopal newcomers, members, church leaders, clergy, and seminarians.
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Heart Strangely Warmed
$31.99Add to cartJohn and Charles Wesley generated a heritage that reaches well beyond the worldwide Methodist movement which they founded. This collection of their essential writings shows how they harnessed resources from across the breadth of Anglicanism (and beyond) to forge a distinctive, dynamic and influential approach to religious experience.
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Method Of Our Mission
$39.99Add to cartTheology shapes who we are and how we organize to transform the world. Especially written for required United Methodist classes, this accessible book uses a Wesleyan theological frame-connection-to help readers understand United Methodism’s polity and organization as the interrelationship of our beliefs, mission, and practice. The book is organized into four parts-United Methodist beliefs, mission, practice, and organization. Polity and organization are primary embodiments of The United Methodist Church. Functional in nature, these aspects of the denomination facilitate our mission to make disciples for the transformation of the world. This book connects denominational governance and organization to our beliefs as well as our mission. A clear understanding of our identity-as Methodists with Wesleyan roots in connection-and our purpose-to make disciples for the transformation of the world-can help students of United Methodism navigate this treacherous landscape as present and future leaders. Dr. Warner also addresses the estrangement between theology and institutional structures and practice by framing governance practices and organizational structure within a Wesleyan theology of connection. This approach will assist current and future denominational leaders in understanding their practices of administration and participation in polity as a theological endeavor and key component of their ministries.
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New Monastic Handbook
$40.00Add to cartTwo leading practitioners of new monasticism open up the movement s spiritual landscape and its distinctive calling and gifts within today s church. Practical experiences and stories are set alongside reflection and liturgies as a creative resource for all who are already involved in, or are exploring intentional living in community. Focusing on new monasticism’s key characteristics of prayer, mission and community, this book explores: continuity with traditional religious life innovations, such as its use of social networking technology potential for spiritual formation preference for the abandoned places of society transformative approach to mission blend of the traditional and experimental in worship growing international presence
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Presbyterian Faith That Lives Today
$18.00Add to cartIn this insightful book, Donald K. McKim explores the basic tenets of Presbyterian theology and doctrine, from their beginnings to their meaning for the church today. Throughout McKim emphasizes the how Presbyterian history can inform current and future challenges. Without prescribing solutions to contemporary challenges, McKim’s six brief chapters provide the foundation for broadening and strengthening a Presbyterian faith the lives today. Each chapter ends with suggestions for further study.
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Life Together In The United Methodist Connection
$10.00Add to cartLife Together in the United Methodist Connection is an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries that gives participants an overview of the structure and organization of The United Methodist Church. The course is arranged in five two-hour sessions with short devotionals at the beginning of each session intended to ground class instruction and discussion in scripture. Life Together in the United Methodist Connection is required for Lay Servants who wish to become certified Lay Speakers and an excellent resource for any small-group desiring a greater understanding of how United Methodists related to one another both at home and around the world.
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Simplified Life : A Contemporary Hermits Experience Of Solitude And Silence
$32.00Add to cartToday, as increasing numbers of people try to make sense of their lives in the face of unexpected or unlooked for change, this direct and compelling memoir by someone who has voluntarily embraced a life of radical simplicity and solitude is a real message for our times.
What makes a young, Cambridge educated woman first join a religious order and then, if that were not demanding enough, seek a hermit vocation, literally on the edge of the world with only a simple hut as protection against Atlantic winds and storms? Here the author tells her story.
For more than forty years Sr Verena lived a solitary life at the tip of the Lleyn Peninsula, looking out across the sea to Bardsey, Wales’ island of saints, and has only recently – with increasing age – moved nearer human habitation in the parish where R S Thomas was priest. For her, this narrow straitened place became a mirror of the whole of creation and the material poverty of her life became a means to ‘having nothing yet possessing all things’ in the words of St Paul.
Over the decades, countless people have beaten a path to her door seeking spiritual counsel and direction for their own busy lives and her account speaks directly to those who may be facing an enforced simplicity leading them into something profoundly positive and life giving.
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Living Our United Methodist Beliefs
$7.99Add to cartWhat beliefs set United Methodists apart from other denominations? How has Methodism changed since its beginning in the 18th century?
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs is the Leader’s Guide for a course that will help participants better understand United Methodist beliefs and history. It is ideal for a new members class or an adult confirmation class.
Use the Leader’s Guide with these companion components:
Living Our Beliefs: The United Methodist Way by Kenneth L. Carder
A Brief History of The United Methodist ChurchIn this course participants will:
discover the relationship of doctrine to the missional movement of Methodism and its theological influence on the practical structure and disciplines of early Methodists
learn about the formation of Methodist denominations as an important part of the history of The United Methodist Church
explore the Wesleyan understanding of grace, the means of grace, and how practicing spiritual disciplines leads to holiness of heart and life. -
Story Of The Philadelphia 11
$37.95Add to cartTo release at the 40th anniversary of the ordinations
* First book to tell the story in first-person interviews
Darlene O’Dell and Carter Heyward tell the story of the historic ordination, introducing us
to the 11 women involved, the paths that brought them together on that day-and what
has changed (or not changed) in the life of the church over the intervening years.AUDIENCE: For ordained women (and those who wish to be) across denominations,
church historians, seminarians, feminists, theologians, and general readers with an
interest in this historical development. -
Signed Sealed Delivered
$26.95Add to cartAn all-in-one volume sharing the history, practice, and viewpoints of Confirmation in
the Episcopal Church and the first book on the subject for at least 15 years* Resolutions regarding Confirmation are coming to the 2015 General Convention
* Includes questions for reflection and study by individuals and groups
Many clergy and educators would say that the rite of Confirmation in the Episcopal
Church today is a sacrament in search of a meaning. Some believe Confirmation is an
essential rite of passage for adult leadership in the governance of the church. Some
believe it is a rite that no longer has a place in the life of the church, understanding the
importance that Baptism now holds in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer’s ecclesiology.
Following a history of how the rite of Confirmation came about and its implications for
youth and adults in the church today, voices in the Episcopal Church (bishops, liturgical
scholars, confirmation leaders, and youth themselves) offer fresh viewpoints here in a
conversational format to engage the reader.AUDIENCE: For bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, youth leaders, Christian
educators, parents. -
Spirit Of The Lord Is Upon Me
$24.95Add to cartTo release in anticipation of the 40th anniversary of the ordinations
* Gathers the bulk of Sue Hiatt’s writings, never before published
* Reflections from Sue’s peers and colleagues
As we approach the 40th anniversary of the irregular ordination of the group of women
who became known as the “Philadelphia Eleven,” Carter Heyward and Janine LeHane
gather the writings of Sue Hiatt, considered “bishop to the women” and leader of the
movement that led to that momentous occasion.
Quiet, introspective, passionate, strong-minded, Sue Hiatt’s road to Christian feminism
began as a teenager. These writings, alongside material by Carter Heyward and others
critical to the movement, are a vital source of study, reflection, and inspiration.AUDIENCE: For ordained women (and those who wish to be) across denominations,
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Case For Character
$32.00Add to cartContents:
Introduction
1. Virtue Ethics And The Challenge Of Hauerwas
2. Contemporary Lutheran Voices
3. The Lutheran Confessions
4. The Search For A Paradigm-Some Lutheran Efforts
5. A Creedal Framework-A Proposal For The Reclamation Of Ethics Within Lutheranism
6. An Ethic For The Church-The Place Of Character FormationAdditional Info
Over the last several decades, perceptive observers of Western civilization have documented what virtually everyone has perceived: as the old foundations of society have toppled, morality and personal character have been set adrift and often vanished altogether. How can character be cultivated when it seems no one is willing or able to provide a definitive description of character to which humans should aspire?While the reasons for this are many and complicated, one of the more potent singular factors is actually theological, says Biermann. Contemporary Lutheranism, in particular, has struggled with the appropriate place of morality and character formation, as these pursuits often have been perceived as being at odds with the central Christian doctrine of justification.
A Case for Character explores this problem and argues that Christian doctrine, specifically as articulated within a Lutheran framework, is altogether capable of encouraging a robust pursuit of character formation while maintaining a faithful expression of justification by grace alone through faith alone.
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Why We Live In Community
$8.00Add to cartIn this time-honored manifesto, Arnold and Merton add their voices to the vital discussion of what real community is all about: love, joy, unity, and the great adventure of faith shared with others along the way. Neither writer describes (or prescribes) community here, but they do provide a vision to guide our search.”
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Bright Field : Meditations And Reflections For Ordinary Time
$31.99Add to cartCovering the liturgical year outside Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, this collection of reflections, readings, poems and prayers focuses on the life and ministry of Jesus the rich subject matter of the lectionary readings during Ordinary Time. This is a subtantial, original and varied resource for the longest liturgical season.
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Anglican Way : A Guidebook
$19.95Add to cartBorn of a passionate lifetime devotion, McKenzie’s illuminating guide will light the way for those new to Anglicanism and deepen the knowledge of longtime practitioners. His thorough exploration of the history, theology, distinctives, prayers, liturgies, and intricacies of the ancient tradition make this a practical and informative introduction to the Anglican way.
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How Great A Flame
$10.00Add to cartIn How Great a Flame, James C. Logan connects John Wesley’s passion to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ with the current realities of the church. As he shows how grace and the concepts of Wesley’s societies invited people into deeper relationships with God, Logan offers practical advice for healthy congregational ministries of outreach and evangelism. Each chapter also offers questions for reflection and small-group discussion.
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In Season And Out Of Season
$32.00Add to cartA wise and practical guide to preaching in the Anglican tradition, illustrated with examples, that will inspire confidence and hone skills. It explores key aspects of preaching including: the importance of Scripture, the use of story, preaching at rites of passage, preaching through the liturgical year, and engagement with the wider world.
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Peculiar Faith : Queer Theology For Christian Witness
$28.95Add to cartDesigned for both church and academic audiences
* Ecumenical appeal
Residing at the intersection of constructive theology and critical social theory, this book
provides a resource for both students and clergy to reinterpret Christian theology and
re-imagine Christian faith in the twenty-first century.The author seeks “to encourage and equip Christian faith communities to move beyond
the decades-long stalemate over human sexuality and gender identity” because “Queer
gifts emerge in Christian communities when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) people no longer feel compelled to justify their presence in those communities.”
Useful in both seminary classrooms and in congregational settings, the book is a
contribution to the still-emerging field of queer theology, translating the rigors of scholarly
research into transforming proposals for faith communities.AUDIENCE: For seminary classes, small group study in congregations, and readers with
an interest in queer theology. -
Peoples History Of Christianity One Volume Student Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$49.00Add to cartOn its release, the seven volume A People’s History of Christianity was lauded for its commitment to raising awareness of the ways in which ordinary Christians have lived throughout more than twenty centuries of Christian history. Now, the essential material from that important project is available for classroom use.
This one volume edition contains careful selections and abridgements of the original content and covers the entire scope of church history. It provides a valuable overview on such topics as birth and death, marriage and family life, baptism rites, food, power, heresy, and more. Students are both informed and inspired by seeing the importance of ordinary Christians in shaping Christianity across time.
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From The Reformation To The 21st Century Student Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$39.00Add to cartOn its release, the seven volume A People’s History of Christianity was lauded for its commitment to raising awareness of the ways in which ordinary Christians have lived throughout more than twenty centuries of Christian History. Now, the essential material from that important project is available for classroom use.
This volume contains careful selections and abridgements of the original content organized to fit ideally into a course in Christian history. It provides a valuable overview on such topics as birth and death, baptism rites, food, power, heresy, and more. Students are both informed and inspired by seeing the importance of ordinary Christians in shaping Christianity across time.
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From The Early Church To The Reformation Student Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$49.00Add to cartOn its release, the seven volume A People’s History of Christianity was lauded for its commitment to raising awareness of the ways in which ordinary Christians have lived throughout more than twenty centuries of Christian History. Now, the essential material from that important project is available for classroom use.
This volume contains careful selections and abridgements of the original content organized to fit ideally into a course in Christian history. It provides a valuable overview on such topics as birth and death, baptism rites, food, power, heresy, and more. Students are both informed and inspired by seeing the importance of ordinary Christians in shaping Christianity across time.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year A 2
$42.00Add to cartBased on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 provides liturgical pieces used in preparing for worship. Written and compiled by an ecumenical team of 11 seasoned liturgy writers, this resource offers a multitude of poetic prayers and responsive readings for all parts of worship and is meant to complement existing denominational resources. In addition, the weekly entries include questions for reflection and household prayers for morning and evening that are drawn from the lectionary, allowing churches to include them in their bulletin for parishioners to use throughout the week.
During times of the year when two different tracks of Old Testament texts are offered by the RCL, this resource offers an entire set of materials for each track. Also, a CD-ROM is included with each volume that enables planners to easily cut and paste relevant readings, prayers, and questions into worship bulletins.
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Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$12.00Add to cartThe Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course-Leader’s Guide is an introductory course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It can be used with adults and youth and is the foundational course for other leadership training courses.
This course covers the 3 three core categories of Lay Servant Ministries: Leading, Caring, and Communicating; it also emphasizes ministry in daily life and sharing faith stories. The plans in this Leader’s Guide are designed to be taught in 5 two-hour sessions. They can also be used over a weekend.
NOTE: This guide replaces the Lay Speaking Ministries Basic Course Leader’s Guide, DR551. If you have taught the Basic Course before, you will need to adjust your teaching plans to emphasize the core categories described above.
Session topics include
Ministry of the Baptized
priesthood of all believers
spiritual gifts
the need for a response to God’s call
the role of laity in ministryLeading
servant leadership
important roles in leadership
what it means to be a spiritual leader
Christian conferencingCaring
biblical basis for caring ministry
acts of compassion and justice
caring for creationCommunication
guidelines for respectful communication
listening skills
sharing faith storiesInto the World
understanding leaders’ role in fulfilling the Great Commission
importance of continued study and spiritual growth
role of hospitality
Appreciative Inquiry and Asset-Based Community DevelopmentAppendixes include two letters to participants (depending on whether the course is taught in 5 sessions or over a weekend), a sample format for Christian conferencing, evaluation forms for communication session, and resources (scripture, song, and meditation) for each session.
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Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Participants Book (Student/Study Guide)
$12.00Add to cart“God calls you to a life of servanthood as a disciple of Jesus Christ. . Lay Servant Ministries is the first step for many laypersons toward their faith journey as they strive for a closer relationship with the Lord,” the authors write in the introduction.
The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It explores
personal spiritual gifts
servant leadership
each leader’s role in developing future leaders
the importance of consistent spiritual practices
the core ministries of Leading, Caring, and Communicating
and much more.The Basic Course can be used for both adults and youth. Consisting of five two-hour sessions, it may serve as a short-term study for small groups, Sunday school classes, and new member classes.
NOTE: This book replaces the Lay Speaking Ministries Basic Course, DR551.
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Shepherds Of The Empire
$49.00Add to cartThe late nineteenth century was a time of rapid industrialization, mass politicization, and modern philosophy. The resulting political and cultural upheaval confronted the German Protestant church with deep questions of identity.
On the one side sat an educated academic guild whose explorations of history, philology, and emerging social scientific disciplines gave rise to serious questions about the Christian faith and its meaning for today.
On the other sat parish clergy faced with the complexities of daily life and leadership in common communities. For these parish clergy the pressure was great to support and bolster people not only in their life as Christians, but in their life as Germans.
Shepherds of the Empire engages timeless questions of identity and faith through the time-bound work of four key thinkers who attempted, and ultimately failed, to carve a middle way for the German parish clergy in that environment.
The volume focuses on the life and work of Adolf Stoecker (1835-1909), Martin Kahler (1835-1912), Adolf Schlatter (1852-1938), and Christoph Blumhardt (1842-1919).
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When The Bishop Comes To Visit
$16.95Add to cartFor use by churches during a bishop’s visitations
* A resource guide for educators, parents, and families
* For audiences who have enjoyed Anne Kitch’s “What We Do in Church” booksA bishop comes to visit a congregation for many reasons-a parish celebration, baptism, confirmation, or a pastoral visit. With black and white illustrations, this interactive book for children and families describes the ministry of a bishop, including symbols and apparel, in preparation for the visit and worship. Confirmands will find this new book particularly helpful as it walks them through the liturgy of Confirmation. During the actual Confirmation rite, children will have a guide to follow along during the service, making this book serve multiple purposes for young and old alike.
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Backpacking Through The Anglican Communion
$24.95Add to cart* A fresh first-hand take on the Anglican Communion
* Of special interest to younger Episcopalians/Anglicans
Travel with Jesse Zink as he literally walks us through many of church’s most representative provinces-Nigeria, front line of opposition to the American church; South Sudan, leading the way to a peaceful future; England, the mother church, facing an uncertain future; South Africa, once led by an iconic archbishop and now fighting a devastating AIDS epidemic; and the United States, divided and dwindling, but with hopeful signs of new growth. The backpacking author has a story to tell that is far different from the one that dominates the headlines. He reveals that when debates about power, history, and sexuality are undertaken in a spirit of mutuality and trust, they can serve to strengthen, not weaken, the Communion. The result is a book that vividly presents slices of local Anglican life around the world, argues convincingly that unity is central to the Communion’s mission, and presents a credible path to achieving global unity. -
Leading Worship : Learning And Leading
$10.00Add to cartThis advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries focuses on the ministry of the Lay Servant who either regularly or occasionally leads a group, class, organization, or the congregation in worship. The course is grounded in the classic patterns of Christian worship and the practices of leading worship. Participants will come to understand more about Christian worship in order to lead worship with more confidence. They will practice leading worship in a variety of formats throughout the course.
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Against The Church
$15.00Add to cartPastor Doug Wilson takes a hammer to some of our very favorite graven images, and (surprise, surprise) we’ve set up display cases for most of them in our churches: Liturgy, Tradition, Systematics, infant Baptism, and that crafty old Baal Doctrine.
Alongside a critique of philosophical assumptions about human nature, dualism, and grace, Wilson stresses the unavoidable and absolute necessity of individual hearts being born again. He concludes by laying out the case for the church. This isn’t contradictory, though — the only way to be effectually for the church is to master the case against it. After all, God Himself is the ultimate iconoclast.
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Liturgical Spirituality : Anglican Reflections On The Churchs Prayer
$29.95Add to cartOf particular interest to scholars and practitioners across the Anglican Communion
with contributions from a wide breadth of scholarsLiturgical Spirituality is a collection of Anglican reflections on the spirituality of the liturgy,
inviting readers into the Church’s patterns of prayer, seasons of the year, and sacramental
action. With contributions from all over the world, from the North Atlantic to Australia,
the collection helps develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary Anglican
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Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology
$23.99Add to cartPreface
By Way Of Introduction: Who Are The Eastern Orthodox?
1. Thinking And Doing, Being And Praying: Where Do We Start?
2. Who Is God? The Doctrine Of The Holy Trinity
3. The Doctrine Of Creation
4. Who Is Christ?
5. Sin, Death And Repentance
6. Being Human–Being In The Image Of God
7. Icons And Sacraments: The Place Of Matter In The Divine Economy
8. Time And The Liturgy
9. Where Are We Going? The Last Things And Eternal Life
Guide To Further ReadingAdditional Info
With an estimated 250 million adherents, the Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian body in the world. This absorbing account of the essential elements of Eastern Orthodox thought deals with the Trinity, Christ, sin, humanity, and creation as well as praying, icons, the sacraments and liturgy. -
Power Politics And The Missouri Synod
$34.00Add to cart1. Change And Reaction In The LCMS: 1938-1965
2. Countermovement: 1965-1969
3. Power, Politics, And The Purge: 1969-1974
4. Genie On The Loose: 1974-1981Additional Info
Power, Politics, and the Missouri Synod follows the rise of two Lutheran clergymen-Herman Otten and J. A. O. Preus-who led different wings of a conservative movement that seized control of a theologically conservative but socially and politically moderate church denomination and drove “moderates” from the church in the 1970s. The schism within what was then one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States ultimately reshaped the landscape of American Lutheranism and fostered the polarization that characterizes today’s Lutheran churches.Burkee’s story, supported by personal interviews with key players and church archives sealed for over twenty years, is about more than Lutheranism. The remaking of this one Lutheran denomination reflects a broader movement toward theological and political conservatism in American churches-a movement that began in the 1970s and culminated in the formation of the “Religious Right.”
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Calvin Vs Wesley
$20.99Add to cartThe theology “de jour” orginates with John Calvin, with an emphasis on “the elect” and “sovereign will of God.” So much Calvinism saturates our air that Christians may not know there is another way of thinking about their faith, one well represented by Wesley. But no matter what people think, many act in ways that promise to change the world by offering grace and hope but also food and shelter to hurting people. In other words, they might believe like Calvinists but they are live like Wesleyans. So it behooves us to learn more about Wesley. This book is not intended to put down Calvin but to point to significant difference between Calvin and Wesley. Each wrote about major tenets of the church: who God is and what God’s will is for us; the place of Scripture; the atonement of Christ; the role of human responsibility; the work of God’s grace, the relation of the church and world; and how these beliefs can connect to how people practice their faith. But Calvin and Wesley were different and following their prescriptions will lead us down different paths.
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39 New Articles
$27.99Add to cartThirty Nine New Articles offers a vision of a fresh, generous, contemporary Anglican faith and life. Inspired by the original Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, the Church of Englands historic statement of belief, it explores thirty-nine beliefs and practices that characterize Anglicanism today and the issues it grapples with.
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Celebrating Liturgical Time
$29.95Add to cart2nd installment in the “Celebrating” series: an overview of liturgical theology
and praxis* Written by a well-known liturgical scholar
* Includes history, theology, and practical information
Celebrating Liturgical Time continues the standard of scholarship set by
Patrick Malloy’s Celebrating the Eucharist. It is ideal for students, clergy, and church
members who seek to strengthen their knowledge-and parochial practice-
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Works Of John Wesley 13
$77.99Add to cartThe second of three volumes devoted to Wesley’s theological writings contains two major sets of material. The first set (edited by Paul Chilcote) contains writings throughout Wesley’s ministry devoted to defense of the doctrine of Christian perfection, including “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection.” The second set (edited by Kenneth Collins) collects Wesley’s various treatises focused on predestination and related issues, often in direct debate with Calvinist writers, including “Predestination Calmly Considered.”
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Unearthing My Religion
$17.95Add to cartA brief, engaging read with ample spiritual applications Each chapter includes a parable, real-life stories, and suggested life practice Perfect for newcomers or for leaders engaging non-Christian communities Study questions included Religious talk quickly degenerates into insider talk, but what if we turned it back out? Episcopal Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves takes six words related to Christian faith and translates them so they speak more broadly to those who proclaim themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Tying together Jesus’ parables and life today, this engaging title promises to help non-Christians explore faith and spiritual practice and train Christians to speak clearly about the things that matter most.
