Denominational Concerns
Showing 201–300 of 876 results
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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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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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United Methodist Deacon
$18.99Add to cartA Deacon Is Called And Sent
A Deacon Is Connectional
A Deacon Is Missional
A Deacon Is Examined And Equipped
The Meaning Of Ordination
A Deacon Is Appointed
Deacons Lead The Church
Epilogue: A Snapshot Of Deacons And Their MinistryAdditional Info
The United Methodist order of deacon represents the ever-evolving understanding of ordained ministry. But because of the continual changes, there is confusion about the call, roll, identity, and tasks of deacons. With vivid examples, this book gives a clear understanding of the order of deacon, beginning with a discussion of how its unique call sets apart persons for ordained ministry. -
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
$15.95Add 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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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. -
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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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.
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Priests And Politics
$32.00Add to cartSince Christianity is an ethical as well as a mystical religion and since individuals live in communities, the church is bound to be involved in politics and other social action that determines the quality of human life. So argues Trevor Beeson in this study of how the Church of England’s leaders responded to the radical social changes that transformed life in Britain during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Their response was never prompt and rarely enthusiastic,and all too often the bishops resisted change in society as well as in the church. Nonetheless there were always a few prophets who recognised the need for reform and sometimes led the way to its realisation.
Trevor Beeson traces the course of a fascinating period of history, starting from the time when church and state were bonded in an all-embracing unity, then moving through turbulent and and sometimes violent times in which the church struggled to discover a new vocation.
Trevor Beeson analyses 18 key issues of the period in his usual robust style together with pen-portraits of the leading figures involved.. He ends with a critical evalualtion of the performances of some recent church leaders and outlines what he believes to be the appropriate basis for the intervention of bishops and other clergy in an increasingly secularised society that no longer recognises their authority.
The duty to make pronouncements of Christian principle remains but these must normally point decision-makers in constructive directions rather than offering directives for the solutions of complex social and economic problems.
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Feasting On The Word Year B 2
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year A 2
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year A 1
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this new lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year C 2
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year C 4
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year B 4
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year B 1
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year A 1
$42.00Add to cartBased on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 1 is an invaluable aid that provides liturgical pieces needed in preparing for worship each week. Written and compiled by a team of eleven ecumenical and seasoned liturgy writers under the creative leadership of Kimberly Bracken Long, 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. A CD-ROM is also 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, Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ, Denver, Colorado; United Church of Christ
Kimberly Bracken Long, Assistant 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 -
Living Tradition : Critical Recovery And Reconstruction Of Wesleyan Heritag
$45.99Add to cartWhat our Wesleyan legacy means for today’s living.This book engages in a critical recovery and reconstruction of the Wesleyan theological legacy in relation to current theological concepts and Christian practices with the intent to present opportunities for future directions. The contributors address urgent questions from the contexts in which people now live, particularly questions regarding social holiness and Christian practices. To that end, the authors focus on historical figures (John Wesley, Susanna Wesley, Harry Hoosier and Richard Allen); historical developments (such as the ways in which African Americans appropriated Methodism); and theological themes (such as holistic healing, work and vocation, and prophetic grace). The purpose is not to provide a comprehensive historical and theological coverage of the tradition, but to exemplify approaches to historical recovery and reconstruction that follow appropriately the mentorship of John Wesley and the living tradition that has emerged from his witness. Contributors: W. Stephen Gunter, Richard P. Heitzenrater, Diane Leclerc, William B. McClain, Randy L. Maddox, Rebekah L. Miles, Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore, Amy G. Oden, and Elaine A. Robinson.
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Wesleyan Way Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$17.99Add to cartIn this exciting and inspiring new study, Scott J. Jones helps seekers and believers to envision and practice discipleship as a way of life. Presenting Christianity from a Wesleyan perspective, Jones invites participants into a deeper, more thoughtful, more active commitment to Christ. This Leader Guide includes everything a group leader needs to plan and facilitate the 12 sessions, helping participants to explore what they have read, to view a 12-minute video, and to discuss the reading and video with the group. The guide walks leaders through the study format and provides options for tailoring sessions to the time-frame and style of each group.
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Wesleyan Way Student Book (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn this exciting and inspiring new study, Scott J. Jones helps seekers and believers to envision and practice discipleship as a way of life. Presenting Christianity from a Wesleyan perspective, Jones invites participants into a deeper, more thoughtful, more active commitment to Christ. This 8-session study helps participants focus on how, through discipleship with Jesus Christ, we become part of God’s work in transforming the world. During the week, participants have one hour of reading and a half hour of Bible reading. Then once a week the group comes together to explore what they have read, to view a 12-minute video, and to discuss the reading and video with the group.
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Feasting On The Word Year A 4
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year C 1
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Wesley And The People Called Methodists (Reprinted)
$45.99Add to cartThis second edition of Richard P. Heitzenrater’s groundbreaking survey of the Wesleyan movement is the story of the many people who contributed to the theology, organization, and mission of Methodism. This updated version addresses recent research from the past twenty years; includes an extensive bibliography; and fleshes out such topics as the means of grace; Conference: “Large” Minutes: Charles Wesley: Wesley and America; ordination; prison ministry; apostolic church; music; children; Susanna and Samuel Wesley; the Christian library; itinerancy; connectionalism; doctrinal standards; and John Wesley as historian, Oxford don, and preacher.
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Here I Stand
$22.99Add to cartThe Reformation of the sixteenth century was a vast and complicated movement. It involved kings and peasants, cardinals and country priests, monks and merchants. It spread from one end of Europe to the other, and manifested itself in widely differing forms. Yet in spite of its diverse and complex character, to start to understand the Reformation you need know only one name: Martin Luther. Roland Bainton’s Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther remains the definitive introduction to the great Reformer and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this towering historical figure.
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New Monastic Handbook
$27.00Add 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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Generous Ecclesiology : Church World And The Kingdom Of God
$35.00Add to cartGenerous Ecclesiology seeks to present a positive theological contribution to Anglican ecclesiology and missiology. It aims to do this by responding to issues raised by For the Parish and mission-shaped church in particular. This is because the editors are aware that the debate generated by these publications risks becoming polarised – with the dangers of either traditional practices/missionary innovation not being taken seriously. The book would respond to a theological need within the church; and open up a generous space for future reflection and practice. It would be rooted in the Anglican tradition and its imaginative response to context.
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Gods Story Our Story (Revised)
$14.99Add to cartThis revised edition explores the elements of Christian faith and life for those considering baptism or church membership. God’s Story, Our Story addresses all the essential issues of faith through an engaging survey of the biblical story and how God continues to work among us.
Author Michele Hershberger invites readers into the conversation and asks them to consider how their own stories connect with God’s story. Includes helpful definitions and background material. Suitable for group and individual study. Leaders use with Making Disciples.
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Feasting On The Word Year B 3
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year C 3
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Feasting On The Word Year A 3
$50.00Add to cartNow Available in Paperback!With this lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. Now complete, the twelve volumes of the series cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints’ Day.
For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays-one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclamation of the Word on any given occasion.
The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume contains an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.
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Effective Practice Of Ministry
$25.00Add to cartFew people have made a larger contribution to the ongoing life and health of Churches of Christ around the world than Charles Siburt. During his twenty-four years at Abilene Christian University, Siburt oversaw some fifty DMin theses- a capstone experience designed to recount best practices in congregational life.
Rooted in Dr. Siburt’s conviction that good theology makes a difference in the lives of people, The Effective Practice of Ministry is a collection of thirteen of those research projects, covering the most critical topics facing churches today: spiritual formation, leadership development, catechesis, preaching, and missional initiatives in the larger community.
In honor of Dr. Siburt, this anthology is meant to inspire and encourage effective, embodied praxis in the ministry of the church.
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Episcopal Questions Episcopal Answers
$17.95Add to cart* An accessible Q&A introduction to the Episcopal Church
* Use with new members, as a confirmation resource, and in youth and adult study groups * Written by two established and well-recognized figures in the Episcopal Church Everybody enjoys a simple Q&A: it provides a quick, easy, and non-threatening way to learn-perfect for today’s busy lifestyle. Yet, with Episcopal Questions, Episcopal Answers, we’re also dealing with some of the most central and compelling elements of the faith. Sample questions of the new work include: What do Episcopalians believe about the Bible? Why do Episcopalians practice infant baptism? Why does God permit evil and suffering? What are the sacraments of the Episcopal Church? Is it acceptable for a Bishop to question the Virgin Birth? Why is the Prayer Book so important to Episcopalians? What is the relationship between the Prayer Book and the Bible? What is the Anglican Communion? How did the Episcopal Church come to be? How are decisions made in the Episcopal Church? -
Rooted In The Word
$21.99Add to cartIs God’s grace given to everyone? Is the human race really estranged from God? What’s the difference between a Presbyterian and a Lutheran Church? What does the sacrament of baptism really mean? Do Lutherans believe people can “lose” their salvation? In these pages you will find biblical answers to questions that you may have pondered about for a long time. You’ll find summaries of what various churches teach about salvation, worship, living by faith, life after death, and end times. There is information about the Protestant Reformation and warnings about heresies. It’s all in a user-friendly handbook format, written for the lay person. * * * Rooted in the Word is a rich education on salvation, interpretation and application. Although the author is specifically presenting a Lutheran view of faith, she does not omit varied viewpoints and resources from other schools of thought. This demonstrates God’s universal love and shows that she is not closed-minded even though she has specific personal beliefs on theology. The book is fully comprehensive. The author wants her readers to think critically and assess intellectually, which edifies them and glorifies God. The fact that the author has been so thorough and succinct at the same time makes this book especially valuable . . . As an overview, a tool for study and a piece that can be added to other tools, this book serves a specific purpose and does so excellently. Ruth Vallevik is the National Director of Women’s Ministries of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. She travels widely, teaching and encouraging women in their faith. A graduate of Bethel University and a former teacher, she served the Lord alongside her pastor-husband, Bruce, for over thirty years before his passing in 2005. She lives in Billings, Montana.
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Liturgical Sense : The Logic Of Rite
$21.95Add to cart* A premier Anglican liturgical theologian reviews the history of the liturgical movement
in North America and anticipates next steps in liturgical “sensibility”Louis Weil looks back on his work shaping the liturgical life of the Episcopal Church
through his involvement with the development of The 1979 Book of Common Prayer-
and looks forward to the future of the church and its liturgical life. Through stories and
first-person anecdotes, Weil does “narrative theology” as only he can.Although most points of reference are to the 1979 BCP, the book is aiming at a more
fundamental level-not just Episcopal or even Anglican liturgy, but liturgical rites as
such: how do they “do what they do”?-or NOT do when they are done badly! “Liturgical
Sense” is two dimensional: both the “common sense” of liturgical rites and also their
“aesthetic sense.”It is Dr. Weil’s contention that in American culture we have an inherent inability to “think
symbolically.” Dr. Weil seeks to encourage a return to “liturgical sense” across the church. -
God Of My Heart (Expanded)
$21.95Add to cartA convenient resource for youth leaders in any ministry setting, fully indexed by topic
and scripture and organized around the church year* Topics chosen by youth and prayers written by youth-their ideas, their language
* A great gift book for teen’s confirmation, birthday, graduation, etc.
Originally released in 1998, this 144-page collection of prayers for youth written by
Catholic high school students was a steady seller in its first 10 years. This new, expanded
version offers a fresh, contemporary design, an ecumenical format and approach, plus
additional prayers written by today’s high school teens and artwork contributed by
Episcopal youth from across the country. Other features include a four-page introduction
that suggests multiple ways to use the book, a one-page introduction for each season of
the church year, scripture index and topic index, plus more than 150 prayers. -
Anglican Women On Church And Mission
$27.95Add to cartPioneering work by women theologians and leaders in the Anglican Communion
addressing topics of ecclesiology and missiology* Sterling array of diverse and distinguished contributors from around the world
* New addition to Canterbury Studies in Anglicanism series
In the past several decades, the issues of women’s ordination and of homosexuality have
unleashed intense debates on the nature and mission of the Church, authority and the
future of the Anglican Communion. Amid such momentous debates, theological voices
of women in the Anglican Communion have not been clearly heard, until now.This book invites the reader to reconsider the theological basis of the Church and its
call to mission in the 21st century, paying special attention to the colonial legacy of the
Anglican Church and the shift of Christian demographics to the Global South. In addition
to essays by the volume editors, this 12-essay collection includes contributions by
Jane Shaw, Ellen Wondra and Beverley Haddad, among others. -
Celebrating The Rites Of Initiation
$30.95Add to cartCelebrating Series Celebrating the Rites of Initiation continues the standard of scholarship set by Patrick Malloy’s Celebrating the Eucharist, and offers similar aids around issues of baptism and confirmation. It is an ideal book for students and practicing clergy who seek to strengthen their knowledge-and parochial practice-of baptismal theology.
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Liturgy Explained : New Edition (Revised)
$11.95Add to cartThis completely new work replaces the best-selling but woefully outdated Morehouse classic by the same name. This fresh work explains the liturgy in all its aspects for the uninitiated and is written by a respected liturgics scholar in the Episcopal Church.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year C 2
$42.00Add to cartBased on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year C, Volume 2 is an invaluable aid that provides liturgical pieces needed in preparing for worship each week. Written and compiled by a team of eleven ecumenical and seasoned liturgy writers under the creative leadership of Kimberly Bracken Long, 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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Trust In God
$42.00Add to cartIn this accessible book, David Johnson examines the Christian spiritual life using the Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a guide. He demonstrates how the Book of Confessions can help us understand what it means to be a Christian and how one goes about living a Christian life. Johnson uses the rubrics of faith, love, and hope to ground our understanding of spirituality and help us develop disciplines for our spiritual lives. These disciplines include listening and speaking, worship and Sabbath, giving and stewardship, patience and planning, and reconciling. Three appendices give concrete guidelines for engaging in Bible reading and prayer-the two central spiritual disciplines of the Reformed tradition. Johnson’s helpful book invites laity and clergy to participate in the blessings and joys of a Reformed vision of the spiritual life.
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Presbyterians And American Culture
$37.00Add to cartThis book provides a history of Presbyterians in American culture from the early eighteenth to the late twentieth century. Johnson assesses both the theological and cultural development of American Presbyterianism, with particular focus on the mainline tradition that is expressed most prominently in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He explores how Presbyterian churches-and individuals rooted in those churches-influenced and were influenced by the values, attitudes, perspectives, beliefs, and ideals assumed by Americans in the course of American history. The book will serve as an important introduction to Presbyterian history that will interest historians, students, and church leaders alike.
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John Knox : Man Of Action
$36.00Add to cartA deeply researched, well-written and comprehensive biography which vividly brings its subject and the milieu of the Scottish Reformation to life–but, even more significantly, the author’s approach to Knox is uniquely different to the contemporary preconception of a ranting dogmatic misogynist. This man of action lived a dramatic life: he was a galley slave, an exile, and a man who lived at the very centre of one of the most volatile periods in Christian and Scottish history, keeping his integrity intact.
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Evangelicals On The Canterbury Trail (Revised)
$25.95Add to cartWhy do so many evangelicals flock to liturgical traditions today? Robert Webber first explored the question in this thoughtful and engaging classic in 1989; now evangelical scholar and pastor Lester Ruth updates the conversation. Much remains of Webber’s beloved original text, including his discussion of Anglicanism’s six great gifts: mystery and awe, Christ-centered worship, sacramental reality, historical identity, participation in catholic traditions and holistic spirituality. Ruth adds fresh stories from evangelicals who have followed Webber’s footsteps on the Canterbury trail, along with new essays that highlight the diversity of Anglican expressions today.
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Give Up Something Bad For Lent (Student/Study Guide)
$15.99Add to cartInvites readers to focus on, with God’s help, eliminating habits or attitudes that may be destructive in their lives, such as envy, self-pity, procrastination, gossip, resentment, or negative thinking.
Seven sessions, one for each Sunday in Lent and Easter Sunday
Each session features a Scripture reference, a personal reading, questions for personal reflection or group study, and closing prayer -
Prayers At Nights Approaching
$21.95Add to cartSeekers and church members today are rediscovering the power of many of Christianity’s ancient traditions, such as Evening Prayer. For many years now, in England, they have turned to the writing of Jim Cotter. In fact, the New Zealand Prayer Book’s Evening Prayer section comes largely from Prayer at Night’s Approaching.
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Being United Methodist
$16.99Add to cartIn Being United Methodist, popular and beloved author J. Ellsworth Kalas uses his inimitable style to address a topic that sometimes is complicated even to those who have practiced it for years. Kalas explores questions such as:
Who are these people called Methodists?
Where have they come from, and where are they going?
Why do so few of them really know what it means to be Methodist?
What makes them tick, and in a forever changing world, what keeps them ticking? -
Wesley And The People Called Methodists (Revised)
$34.99Add to cartThis second edition of Richard P Heitzenrater’s grounbreaking survey of the Wesleyan movement is the story of the many people who contributed to the theology, organization, and mission of Methodism. This updated version addresses recent research from the past twenty years, including an extensive bibliography; and fleshes out such topics as the means of grace, Conference; “Large” Minutes; Charles Wesley; Welsey and America, ordination: prison ministry; apostolic church; music; children; Susanna and Samuel Wesley, the Christian library; itinerancy; connectionalsim; doctrinal standards; and John Wesley as historian, Oxford don, and preacher.
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Users Guide To The Book Of Common Prayer
$20.99Add to cartChurch House Publishing
This short and timely book introduces and explains the Book of Common Prayer in a new way to a new audience, and in a style of language that is accessible and informative without being techincal or assuming prior knowledge. It is intended as a basic, beginners’ guide for those from a non-liturgical/non-traditional background, for whom the tradition of prayer represented in the Prayer Book may be alien.
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Feasting On The Word Worship Companion Year C 1
$42.00Add to cartA new worship resource in the acclaimed Feasting on the Word series
The Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year C, Volume One, is the first of six volumes (two for each lectionary year) in a new series for worship leaders and pastors. Based on the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), this book is an invaluable aid that provides all liturgical pieces needed in preparing for worship each week. A team of eleven ecumenical and seasoned liturgy writers, under the creative leadership of Kimberly Bracken Long, offer a multitude of poetic prayers and responsive reading for all parts of worship. In addition, drawn from the lectionary each week are a question for reflection and household prayers for morning and evening so churches can include them in their bulletin for parishioners.
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 book and easily enables planners to cut and paste relevant readings, prayers, or questions into worship bulletins.
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Caring Liturgies : The Pastoral Power Of Christian Liturgy
$24.00Add to cartCaregiving practices in churches often center around listening and giving counsel, making referrals, and creating support groups for specific needs. In Caring Liturgies, Susan Marie Smith proposes that Christian ritual is both a method and a means for helping people through liminal times of transition and uncertainty, even vulnerability and fear. It teaches readers to recognize the ritual needs of fellow Christians and thus create post-baptismal rites of passage and healing that might strengthen and support them in the fulfillment of their ministries.
The book extends the usefulness of denominational “occasional services” books and other resources by suggesting ways to build a rite around a central symbolic action, pointing out issues of ritual honesty and ethics, and identifying skills and attributes necessary to preparing and leading a rite. Numerous narrative examples help to flesh out the principles and illustrate the key argument: that rituals are necessary means to enable human growth and maturity, both through times of suffering and times of transition, and that ritual-making leaders are central to the ongoing health of the church.
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Water Of Baptism Water For Life
$12.95Add to cartThis illustrated activity book for ages 8-11 can be used in an educational or devotional setting at home, church, or school.
Water connects all physical and spiritual life. Besides being essential for life, water is the visible sign of Baptism, which calls us to serve others in the world. Having clean water for all God’s children is an act of justice, love, respect and a core value of what it means to be a Christian.
These activities tap into multiple learning levels and offer a variety of ways for children to interact with this core value of our faith, making a direct connection for young people between their faith and daily life. Activities also connect clean water and the Millennium Development Goals.
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Sustainable Presbyterian Future
$18.00Add to cartA timely exploration of the present state and possible future of the Presbyterian church.
“With some hope and openness we can review our current situation and imagine our future prospects.” from the preface
In this study of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louis Weeks examines the present state of the denomination and how congregations can grow in faith through the current time of transition in the church. He considers markers of Presbyterian identity, new ways of connecting and faith development, and defining qualities of the church. Recognizing that many congregations are changing in different ways, Weeks includes case studies of congregations and interviews with leaders of local congregations and denominational leaders to explore aspects of Presbyterian faith and life that are viable and necessary for the future.
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Works Of John Wesley 12
$77.99Add to cartThe first of three theological volumes, this volume is devoted to four of John Wesley’s foundational treatises on soteriology.
These treatises include, first, Wesley’s extract from the Homilies of the Church of England, which he published to convince his fellow Anglican clergy that the ‘evangelical’ emphasis on believers experiencing a conscious assurance of God’s pardoning love was consistent with this standard of Anglican doctrine. Next comes Wesley’s extract of Richard Baxter’s Aphorisms of Justification, aimed more at those who shared his evangelical emphasis, invoking this honored moderate Puritan to challenge antinomian conceptions of the doctrine of justification by faith. This is followed by Wesley’s abridgement of the Shorter Catechism issued by the Westminster Assembly in his Christian Library, where he affirms broad areas of agreement with this standard of Reformed doctrine-while quietly removing items with which he disagreed. The fourth item is Wesley’s extended response to the Dissenter John Taylor on the doctrine of original sin, which highlights differences within the broad ‘Arminian’ camp, with Wesley resisting a drift toward naively optimistic views of human nature that he discerned in Taylor.
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Company Of Voices (Revised)
$31.99Add to cartThis is vital reading for anyone who wishes to understand the nature of prayer. Down to earth and accessible, yet applauded for its scholarship, it is ‘truly exciting to read’ and full of help and sympathy for the Christian who finds prayer difficult. Truly breathtaking in its scope, this important study deserves its reputation as a contemporary spiritual classic.
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On This Spirit Walk
$16.99Add to cartOn This Spirit Walk is a resource for small group study within the local church. Setting this resource apart is the list of Native American United Methodist writers who contributed to this work. This diverse group includes a cross-section of tribes and nations, ages and life experiences. The inclusion of indigenous activist and human rights advocate Rev. Liberato Bautista provides a powerful depth of vision to these voices.
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People Of The Way
$23.95Add to cartThere is a renewed conversation about identity and mission in American Anglicanism today, based on the recognition that the church’s context in the U.S. has dramatically changed. The legacies of establishment, benefactor approaches to mission, and the ‘national church’ ideal are no longer adequate for the challenges and opportunities facing the 21st century church.
But if the Episcopal Church is no longer the Church of the Establishment and the benefactor model of church is dead, what is the heart of Episcopal mission and identity?
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Words For Worship
$12.99Add to cartChurch House Publishing
Words for Worship brings together the most cherished prayers in the Church of England’s liturgy, both in Common Worship and the Book of Common Prayer. From modern collects to prayers that have been learned by heart over generations, here are the words that today create a common identity among Anglican worshippers.
Texts include the Lord’s Prayer, the Gloria, Sanctus, Prayers of Confession, the Creeds, the Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, Benedictus, the Agnus Dei, the Grace, and many more. Each prayer is accompanied by a short commentary on its history and meaning, opening it up for those new to Anglican worship and those seeking a deeper understanding of familiar words.
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Calling On The Spirit In Unsettling Times
$19.95Add to cartBased upon addresses given to Anglican audiences in North America and Australia, Bill Countryman directly confronts the challenges that face Anglicans and other Western Christians at a time of internal division and increasing indifference to religion on the part of educated elites. He regards these challenges as a work of the Holy Spirit, who is clearing the ground for a new era of building, and help readers start thinking about what kind of future the Spirit is leading us toward.
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Episcopal Etiquette And Ethics
$21.95Add to cartWhat is the appropriate attire for an Episcopal priest at the events associated with the service in the Book of Common Prayer, the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage? What does it mean to be an icon of Christ at a cocktail party? How does one live with sensitive confidential information from a parishioner? These questions might seem almost trivial yet are deeply serious. The Episcopal Church is a distinctive culture: effective ministry needs an understanding of the distinctive Episcopal culture. At one level, this is a book that introduces and explains the Episcopal faith to a potential priest who wants to be effective in this world. At another level, this book is a reflection on the meaning and nature of the holy mystery of priesthood. Drawing upon his rich parish experience in the Episcopal Church, Hawkins distils a wealth of practical experience and tips to enhance the training of seminarians and the ministries of established priests. Hawkins takes the reader through the pastoral offices with theological reflection and vignettes in order to encourage good priestly habits. Ideal reading for anyone wishing to serve the Episcopal Church in an ordained capacity.
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God Truly Worshipped
$40.00Add to cartArchbishop Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) played a critical, formative role in the creation and development of the Church of England, from his sudden and dramatic appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1532, through his granting of Henry VIII’s divorce from Queen Katharine, his emergence under Edward VI as a determined reformer in the mould of his European contemporaries, and to his memorable death under Mary Tudor in 1556. He is best remembered as the prime editor and creator of the two Books of Common Prayer of 1549 and 1552, and these indeed stand at the head of Anglican liturgical identity and tradition. Their influence and importance cannot be overstated. This book seeks to offer a survey of his growth and development as theologian and leader of the church through the lens of his written work: not only liturgy, but also homilies, correspondence and official doctrinal statements. This volume introduces Cranmer as a churchman, theologian and liturgist whose original contribution to Anglican spirituality in its earlie
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Focus : The Real Challenges That Face The United Methodists Church
$14.99Add to cartFew would argue that many challenges face The United Methodist Church. But what are the core issues and concerns, the ones that must be addressed if the church is to follow God’s leading into the future? Laying aside what can be merely tweaked or adjusted, what must the UMC “reset” about itself? Lovett Weems, one of the most highly-respected interpreters of contemporary United Methodism, suggests that we start with the following:
– What will happen now that the increased giving that United Methodists have enjoyed (despite declining membership numbers) has reached a plateau and begun to decline?
– Why, with 34,000 congregations and $6.5 billion in annual giving, can’t United Methodists add a net increase of even 1 new disciple of Jesus Christ in a given year?
– Why are United Methodist clergy less concerned with reaching young adults than are laity? Why are laity unwilling to make the changes to worship and budgets required to attract these same young adults?
– If the percentage of married couples with young children has declined by half since the 1950s, why is that still the group we focus on reaching?
– Why are so many mid-sized churches on their way to becoming small-membership congregations?With insight, conviction, and calm resolve, Lovett Weems challenges United Methodists not only to ask these hard questions, but to face up to the difficult decisions they require of us as we continue to seek God’s will for our lives together.
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Beauty Of Holiness
$40.00Add to cartThe Beauty of Holiness: The Caroline Divines and Their Writings offers an expansive and detailed portrait of the continued maturation of Anglican theology and devotion in the central half of the seventeenth century. The Caroline Divines have long been hailed as the patrons of an Anglican golden age. Their emphasis upon liturgical renewal and development, like their emphases upon learning and piety, have had a pervasive influence on the Anglican ethos that extends down to our own day. aaThe Beauty of Holiness includes selections from key figures such as Lancelot Andrewes, John Cosin, and Jeremy Taylor, but also expands the canon of Caroline divinity to include lay writings, some of which were published posthumously. Traditional topics such as sacramental theology and private devotion are complimented by readings on poetry as a spiritual discipline, natural theology, and the importance of family prayers. Chapters survey diverse facets of Anglican orthodoxy such as liturgical practice, the cult of King Charles the Martyr,
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Friends Of The Law
$41.99Add to cartCharges of forgery, heresy, legalism, and immorality turn on the question of whether Martin Luther taught a third use of the Law for the Christian life. For the past sixty years, well-meaning scholars believed they settled the question-with dire consequences.
Friends of the Law sets forth a completely new body of evidence that shows how little Luther’s teaching was understood. This new book looks at the doctrine of the Law and invites a new consensus that could change the way Christians view the Reformation and even their daily walk with God.
Contains
*data tables
*translations of passages not available in English
*appendices
*bibliography on Law and Gospel -
Widening The Circle
$14.99Add to cartForeword
Introduction
First Wave (1950s And ’60s)
Second Wave (1970s And ’80s)
Third Wave (1990s To Present)Additional Info
In the last half-century, a growing number of North Americans have been smitten with an Anabaptist-Mennonite vision of church and mission. Often coming from outside the Mennonite mainstream, they’ve formed communities with others of like mind and sought to live out their radical faith. But in the process, they often bump up against the institutional church that has housed the radical vision for generations. The stories and reflections offered in Widening the Circle explore that creative tension. The result is a rich showcase of Jesus-centered discipleship-windows into what the future church can look like.Contributing authors are Vincent Harding, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, Rachel Elizabeth Harding, Sally Schreiner Youngquist, Celina Varela, Regina Shands Stoltzfus, Hedy Sawadsky, AndrA(C) Gingerich Stoner, Peter Sprunger-Froese, Mary Sprunger-Froese, Dawn Longenecker, Tim Nafziger, James Nelson Gingerich, Sarah Thompson, Bert Newton, Mark Van Steenwyk, Andrea Ferich, Seth McCoy, Jamie Arpin-Ricci, Anton Flores-Maisonet, Calenthia S. Dowdy, Jesce Walz.
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Reading Scripture With The Reformers
$18.99Add to cartPreface
1. Why Read The Reformers?
2. Ad Fontes!
3. The Erasmian Moment
4. Whose Bible? Which Translation?
5. Doctor Martinus
6. Lutheran Ways
7. Along The Rhine
8. Preach The Word
ConclusionAdditional Info
In Reading Scripture with the Reformers, Timothy George takes readers through the exciting events of the sixteenth century, showing how this dynamic period was instigated by a fresh return to the Scriptures. George immerses us in the world of the Reformation, its continuities with the ancient and medieval church, and its dramatic upheavals and controversies. Most of all, he uncovers the significant way that the Bible shaped the minds and hearts of the reformers. This book shows how the key figures of the Reformation read and interpreted Scripture, and how their thought was shaped by what they read. We are invited to see what the church today can learn from the fathers of the Reformation, and how these figures offer a model of reading, praying and living out the Scriptures. -
Welcome To The Christian Faith
$20.95Add to cartImportant new addition to the strong-selling “Welcome To” series
Well known author is already part of the series
A foundational volume for seekers in formation programs and a “refresher” study volume for individuals and congregational study groups.We live in a world increasingly separated from the Christian tradition and the basic understanding of the faith that previous ages might have taken for granted. The voices of faith seem increasingly strident and off-putting to many. There is a need for a calmer, basic introduction to faith that recognizes the value of doubt and the questions raised in a secular society.
A systematic introduction to Christianity for newcomers needs to begin with a discussion of faith itself, which this new book does. It then moves on to a discussion of such Christian basics as God, Trinity, Church, sin, atonement, prayer, and Christian living.
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Child By Child
$17.95Add to cartA how-to-guide to integrate children and youth with special needs into church programs and activities, including worship.
Includes how to train volunteers and staff for hands-on work with children and youth who have special needs.
Provides a theological grounding for the inclusion of people with learning differences and disabilities in the life of a congregation.
Integrating children and teens with learning differences into church programs is a growing priority for nearly all congregations, large and small, yet many feel ill-equipped to “manage” those with special needs in their classrooms, programs and worship.
This new guidebook for churches is designed to help integrate children and teens with learning differences – and their families – into the fabric of everyday church life. A useable on-the-ground resource for church leaders with specific suggestions, samples, and processes for adapting curricula, training volunteers, and supporting parents and caregivers, this guide is grounded in theological principles for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of a congregation. It begins by focusing on human relationships instead of programs. Expanding the church’s awareness and understanding of inclusion is done with respect and achieved by extending the gospel of welcome to all. An extensive annotated bibliography of support materials is included.
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What Episcopalians Believe
$19.95Add to cartThe most recent and accessible introduction to Episcopalian beliefs
Episcopalian identity tends to focus on history and worship, and sometimes on ethics – but “cradle” and new Episcopalians – plus seekers – will benefit from having a brief, accessible summary of the Christian faith as seen through an Episcopalian lens.
There are two underlying convictions behind the book: FIRST, that ecumenism is at the heart of the Episcopal faith. Episcopalians are well placed to offer themselves as a place of convergance between Roman Catholics and Protestants, and even between Roman Catholics and the Orthodox. SECONDLY, in the current conflicts both within the Episcopal Church and between the Episcopal Church and some of its Anglican Communion partners, there is no fundamental difference in doctrine. The book is an attempt to portray what all parties have in common.
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Conversations With Scripture The Book Of Judges (Student/Study Guide)
$21.95Add to cartA fresh, accessible approach to the religious and spiritual significance of the story of Judges – not as a series of heroic stories but as a cautionary tale about convenant, sin, and society.
The newest entry in the only Bible study series written from a uniquely Anglican perspective
Designed for adult formation programs in parish group settings or for use by individuals
Study and reflection questions included
Sunday School curriculum or an irredeemably violent book? Throughout its history, Judges has both entertained and appalled readers – some read it as a series of simple stories about faithfulness and some as a brutal and bloodthirsty book. Heller explores how Judges can shape our understanding of our world, our relationships, and can provide a path to a deeper appreciation of the ways of God among people. Far from seeing the book as either simplistic or cruel, Heller allows this odd text to speak to us anew about God, sin, relationships, and justice.
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Present Tense : A Mennonite Spirituality
$16.95Add to cartEver wonder what Mennonite spirituality is or if there is such a thing? Gordon Houser explores the heart of Mennonite spirituality and how Mennonite spiritual practices may succeed or fall short. In his Foreword, Richard Rohr insightfully places Present Tense in the context of his view of Mennonites then concludes, “That’s the way I see it, anyway. But read this inspiring book, and you will know how Gordon Houser sees it-which is much better.” Valerie Weaver-Zercher, Contributing Editor to Sojourners, believes that “Houser’s gentle, forthright, and theologically astute voice has nothing to prove. His many years as an ‘insider’-a church journalist-and ‘outsider’-one who did not grow up Mennonite-render these reflections on Mennonite spirituality into a unique alloy of intimacy and objectivity.” John D. Roth, Professor of History, Goshen College, sees here, “Wise, gentle and grace-filled reflections on spirituality from a Mennonite perspective. I recommend it highly!” And David Augsburger, Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, concludes that “Houser has looked at the practices valued highly in his Mennonite community-patient following, peaceful reconciling, political integrity, playful relating, prayerful thinking, perfect imperfection and celebrating the present-and allowed them to be a mirror of his own life in the Spirit and as a member of ‘the community of the Spirit.’ The book is a great read, except for when it starts reading you back and nudging to practice things left unpracticed.”
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All Things Necessary
$28.95Add to cartA very successful music leader resource that has served the church well for nearly 20 years – now completely updated, revised and retitled.
Formerly A Guide to the Practice of Church Music by Marion J. HatchettA Guide to the Practice of Church Music was first published by Church Hymnal Corporation in 1989. It was an essential resource for church musicians using The Hymnal 1982. It also became part of the core materials for the Leadership Program for Musicians, which began in the Episcopal Church (along with the ELCA) in 1991.
In keeping with the original work, this new book – developed by career church musician Marti Rideout – provides comprehensive information about the resources available to the Episcopal church musician; promotes a contemporary philosophy of music in the church; captures the specific intent of music in the Episcopal Church, and supplies detailed instruction for planning music for liturgies from the Book of Common Prayer and the Book of Occasional Services.
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Seasons Of Grace (Revised)
$23.99Add to cartAnn Lewin draws on her extensive experience as a retreat leader and writer to provide a feast of spiritual nourishment for the entire Christian year. Her minimalist style is intentional, allowing space for people to encounter God and respond in their own way. Her aim is to encourage readers to explore afresh the riches of God’s love and to find fresh ways of expressing that love. Seasons of Grace is arranged in three parts: Advent to Candlemas, Lent to Pentecost, and Ordinary time,and offers seasonal liturgies, prayers for special occasions, imaginative ideas for worship, themed reflections, programme ideas for workshops and retreats and practical suggestions for enriching one’s own spiritual life. Ann’s characteristic poems and prayers throughout are a delight. First published in 2005 under the title Words by the Way by Inspire (MPH), this new edition contains added new material.
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On The Thirty-Nine Articles
$32.00Add to cartThe Thirty-Nine Articles, together with the Book of Common Prayer, form the foundation of Anglican theology. Yet there are very few extended treatments of them. Oliver O’Donovan relates the Articles to the exhilarating and troubled century in which they took shape. He also shows how the distinctive insights and values of a past age relate to the demands of today’s world. ‘What I propose in this case – is not to talk solely about the Articles, but to talk about God, mankind (sic!), and redemption, the central matters of the Christian faith, and to take the Tudor authors with me as companions in discussion. Two voices will be speaking – each raising the questions that Christian faith in his time forces upon him.’ Here is a new edition of his book on one of the key texts of Anglican identity by one of the UK’s leading theologians. The book has been out of print for some time and there have been repeated calls for a new edition with a new introduction which engages with more recent developments and offers the text to a new gen
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3rd Way Allegiance
$12.95Add to cartPart 1 – Our People
Part 2 – Our Politics
Part 3 – Our PraiseAdditional Info
In these passionate essays, Tripp York makes the case that both nations and the church require total allegiance and that Christians should choose Christ over state. Greg Boyd, Author, The Myth of a Christian Nation; and Pastor, Woodland Hills Church, says that “The quasi-Christian civic religion of America is like an immunization shot: people get just enough surrogate Christianity to keep them from getting the real thing! Third Way Allegiance is a powerful cure to this widespread diabolic affliction. I don’t know any work that so succinctly and effectively helps readers wake up to the way many values and practices of the American empire, and of the American church are opposed to the kingdom Jesus established. This well-written, provocative and insightful little book deserves to be–indeed, needs to be–in the hands of every American who is serious about following Jesus.” M. Therese Lysaught, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Theology, Marquette University, observes that “Drawing on a cloud of witnesses, Tripp York juxtaposes the politics and liturgies of Christianity with those of U.S. culture, challenging contemporary Christians to rethink the powers that truly hold their allegiances. Those who allow York’s vignette’s and questions to confront their assumptions cannot help but find their lives changed.” J. Nelson Kraybill, President Emeritus, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, warns: “Reader beware! This collection of essays may cause insomnia, bold new insight, heated debate, and exuberant bursts of radical discipleship. Tripp York agitates, stimulates, and occasionally pontificates. But if you take Jesus seriously, you’d better listen up. Here is a mother lode of rich ethical reflection, mined by a Christian scholar and teacher with a heart for the church. Third Way Allegiance is perfect as a small group study guide, an adult education elective, or a personal wake-up call to lived faith.” -
Liberating Lutheran Theology
$39.00Add to cartForeword Karen L. Bloomquist
IntroductionPart One. Latin America/North America/Europe
1. Liberation Theology And Latin American History
2. Liberation Theology’s Critique Of Luther’s Two-Kingdoms Doctrine
3. Christian Political Responsibility: Reappropriating Luther’s Two Kingdoms
4. Orthopraxis And Martyrdom: The Influence Of Latin American Liberation Theology On Systematic Theology In Europe And North AmericaPart Two. Asia/Europe/North America
5. God’s Mission And Emancipation: A Lutheran Theology Of Justification And Economic Justice
6. Dietrich Bonhoeffer And The Confessing Church: An Asian Minjung Theological Perspective
7. Emancipation And Inculturation In A Multicultural World: A Lutheran Contribution
8. Communio Sanctorum And Filial Piety: Ecclesiology For InculturationPart Three. Europe/North America/Asia
9. Property-Money Economies And Empires As Contexts For Biblical, Reformation, And Contemporary Ecumenical Theology
10. Ghandi: Overcoming Western Violence In Conversation With Martin Luther
11. Solidarity And Cooperation As Theological, Psychological, And Socioeconomic Response To Neoliberal DestructionPart Four. Conclusion
12. Expanding The Conversation: Facing The Challenge Of African And Asian PerspectivesAppendix A.
Transforming Theology And Life-Giving Civilization: The Changseong ConsultationAppendix B.
Linking Poverty, Wealth And Ecology In Africa: The Dar Es Salaam StatementAbbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
IndexAdditional Info
Spanning the continents, three internationally respected theologians demonstrate how the thought and legacy of Martin Luther can serve in an ecumenical and interfaith context as a resource for a radical critique of global economics and culture.Lutheran Christianity originated in its own era of economic and cultural crisis. One of the great misinterpretations of Martin Luther has considered his heritage as fundamentally reactionary, seeking to preserve the political status quo. Instead, set free by the biblical message of liberation, this book wields Luther’s theology to engage the reality of poverty, hunger, oppression, and ecological degradation caused by an imperial capitalism as the most urgent theological issues in the contemporary world. The volume demonstrates the liberating possibilities of theology done out of a biblical and Lutheran perspective for the economic and cultural crises facing the church in the present century.
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Strength For The Journey
$19.95Add to cartMeditative Practice
Ministry Practice
Media Practice
Mind Practice
Movement PracticeAdditional Info
Brief, accessible guide to a wide range of traditional and non-traditional spiritual practicesEndorsed by the CREDO Institute, Inc., an organization which advocates a holistic approach to health and wellness
This collection of 20 specific spiritual practices are grouped into categories and each entry is aimed at achieving mindfulness in simple activities.
Because there is no one-size-fits-all practice, each piece concludes with a brief discussion of the personality types that might be drawn to a given practice.
In addition, the foreword by Brian Taylor lays out the theological underpinnings of spiritual practice in general.
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Conversations With Scripture Daniel (Student/Study Guide)
$21.95Add to cartDaniel was written during a time when God’s people were struggling to discern how to remain faithful, even as their lives were dominated by the political and cultural forces of the Empire. Daniel’s central themes have remained relevant ever since: the challenge of remaining loyal to God despite the alternately seductive and threatening voices of imperial powers; the indispensability of humility before God; the perpetual problem of human arrogance and failure to recognize the overarching power of God; the insatiable and life-denying human thirst for power and control; and the call to find in God the source of just, joyful and abundant living.
As people today try to make sense of a newly emerging global reality, Daniel continues to speak an important word about faithful living. Who truly controls our lives? To what or whom do we owe ultimate allegiance? To whom do the kingdom, the power and the glory belong? This book invites readers to consider the questions that Daniel raises and then live out the answers
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Southern Baptists Evangelicals And The Future Of Denominationalism
$24.99Add to cartAre church denominations necessary; do they even have a future? Such questions are explored in Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism, based on a conference of the same name held at Union University where Evangelical and Southern Baptist scholars addressed challenging issues of theology, polity, and practice. Contributors include:
Ed Stetzer (“Denominationalism: Is There a Future?”)
James Patterson (“Reflections on 400 Years of the Baptist Movement”)
Harry L. Poe (“The Gospel and Its Meaning”)
Timothy George (“Baptists and Their Relations with Other Christians”)
Duane Liftin (“The Future of American Evangelicalism”)
Ray Van Neste (“Pastoral Ministry in Southern Baptist and Evangelical Life”)
Mark DeVine (“Emergent or Emerging”)
Daniel Akin (“The Future of the Southern Baptist Convention”)
Michael Lindsay (“The Changing Religious Landscape in North America”)
Jerry Tidwell (“Missions and Evangelism”)
David S. Dockery (“So Many Denominations”)
Nathan Finn (“Passing on the Faith to the Next Generation”)
R. Albert Mohler Jr. (title essay) -
Martin Luthers Theology
$39.00Add to cartThis definitive analysis of the theology of Martin Luther surveys its development during the crises of Luther’s life, then offers a systematic survey by topics. Containing a wealth of quotations from less-known writings by Luther and written in a way that will interest both scholar and novice, Lohse’s magisterial volume is the first to evaluate Luther’s theology in both ways. Lohse’s historical analysis takes up Luther’s early exegetical works and then his debates with traditions important to him in the context of the various controversies leading up to his dispute with the Antinomians. The systematic treatment shows how the meaning of ancient Christian doctrines took their place within the central teaching of justification by faith.
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Luke Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$22.99Add to cartThe gospel of Luke invites readers- including us- to explore the story of Jesus and his mission as God’s Chosen One (Messiah). From the joyous accounts of Jesus’ birth in a manger in Bethlehem to the stark images of his crucifixtion at Golgotha to the “eye-opening” meal at Emmaus, we are invited into a remarkable story.
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Luke Learner Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$11.49Add to cartThe gospel of Luke invites readers- including us- to explore the story of Jesus and his mission as God’s Chosen One (Messiah). From the joyous accounts of Jesus’ birth in a manger in Bethlehem to the stark images of his crucifixtion at Golgotha to the “eye-opening” meal at Emmaus, we are invited into a remarkable story.
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Black United Methodists
$27.99Add to cartFor those desiring to read a concise but accurate historical outline of African Americans in The United Methodist Church, this is the book. For those desiring tidbits of data not included in typical history books, commingled with insertions of American history, this book will serves as a rich resource. – From the Foreword by Bishop Forrest C. Stith
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Christ Alive And At Large
$31.99Add to cartThe renowned Anglican biblical scholar Charlie Moule, as he was popularly known, came from an eminent church and missionary family. He obtained a first at Cambridge and trained for ordination at Ridley Hall where his grandfather was once Principal and where he himself became Vice-Principal at the age of 28. His Cambridge career culminated in his appointment as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, a post he held for 25 years, where he influenced a generation of Anglican leaders including Rowan Williams (at whose wedding he officiated), John Sentamu and the late Graham Stanton, his successor as Lady Margaret Professor. Charlie Moule died in 2007. He wrote a number of definitive texts in New Testament studies, but here is not the scholarly professor, but the humble and prayerful man (nicknamed ‘Holy Mouley’) reflecting widely on Christian practice and belief, biblical questions and contemporary challenges. The text of Rowan Williams’ memorial service address is included and his nephew Patrick Moule, provides a preface.
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Letters To A Young Calvinist (Reprinted)
$20.00Add to cartWho would have guessed that something as austere as Calvinism would become a hot topic in today’s postmodern culture? At the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth, new generations have discovered and embraced a “New Calvinism,” finding in the Reformed tradition a rich theological vision. In fact, Time cited New Calvinism as one of “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now.” This book provides pastoral and theological counsel, inviting converts to this tradition to find in Calvin a vision that’s even bigger than the New Calvinism might suggest. Offering wisdom at the intersection of theology and culture, noted Reformed philosopher James K. A. Smith also provides pastoral caution about pride and maturity. The creative letter format invites young Calvinists into a faithful conversation that reaches back to Paul and Augustine, through Calvin and Edwards, extending to Kuyper and Wolterstorff. Together they sketch a comprehensive vision of Calvinism that is generous, winsome, and imaginative.
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Heaven On Earth Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$17.49Add to cart*Who Wants Heaven On Earth? (Matthew 4:12-23)
*What Does The Kingdom Of Heaven Have To Do With Us? (Matthew 5:1-12)
*Are We The Right Ones To Bring Heaven To Earth? (Matthew 5:13-20)
*If This Is Heaven On Earth, What?s Up With All The Laws? (Matthew 5:21-37)
*Bringing Heaven To Earth Sounds Hard ? Do We Have What It Takes? (Matthew 5:38-48)
*Will You Trust God For Help In Bringing Heaven To Earth? (Matthew 6:24-34)Additional Info
Who does not want a heaven on earth or for love to come first in a cruel and broken world? This is the core meaning of Jesus’ most important words in the Gospel of Matthew, describing for us the importance of love, so that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). That means we do not have to wait to experience heaven after we die.This 6-session Bible study delves deeper into what it means for heaven to come to earth: studying Jesus’ words, his way of life, and the manner in which he loved. Discover how we are the change agents Jesus is calling forth to make the Kingdom of heaven a reality on earth!
Year A Jan 23 – Feb 27, 2011, 3-6 Epiphany
Getting started with Heaven on Earth: Studies in Matthew from the Together in Faith series is easy with the Course Kit. It contains one Leader Session Guide and one Learner Session Guide – all at a 20% savings!Preaching and liturgy support materials for each session are also available to download for $5.
