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This is a practical how-to guide introducing new, mission-shaped practices in a traditional parish setting. This book looks at the church's bread-and-butter activities -- worship, pastoral contacts, civic and public responsibilities, faith formation, administration and leadership -- and creatively points out how to reframe them with a focus on God's mission.

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Paul Bayes, Tim Sledge, John Holbrook, Mark Rylands, Martin Seeley

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Mission-Shaped Church launched a movement. Mission-Shaped Questions addresses the big theological and practical queries that movement unleashed, including: What exactly is church? Can we develop churches that can transform culture? Can we be missionshaped and kingdom-focused, too?

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Building Mission-Shaped Ministries on a Shoestring

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Churches everywhere are suffering from draconian funding cuts, so how do leaders with a heart for alternative ministries fund their passion and build communities that will last? Journalist and commentator Becky Garrison looks deep into the experience of nearly a dozen ministries in the United States and United Kingdom -- all of them geared to the growing spiritual-but-not-religious demographic, and all of them highly creative venues doing a lot with a little money. How did these ministries start from zero with $0? And how could you?

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Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling

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Women Religious Leaders in Their Own Words

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This collection of lively Q&A interviews with key contemporary female religious leaders focuses not only on the discrimination faced by women in religion, but documents the emerging leadership of women in several faith traditions.

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A desire and demand to know more about the Jewish legacy of Christian identity is growing among laity. A similar desire to foster interfaith understanding and dialogue is growing among leaders of local churches.

Why Is There a Menorah on the Altar? seeks to meet these demands by providing information and insight about Judaisms legacy as it is revealed in Christian rites, rituals, and traditions. Drawing upon scripture and historical sources, this book explains how Judaism has influenced the structure of liturgical worship; the design and decor of church sanctuaries; and how Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation find their roots in Judaism.

This book invites readers to develop a deeper understanding of Judaism, one that will enrich their Christianity and appreciation for their enduring Jewish heritage. Includes: questions for reflection; activities for individuals or groups; and easy-to-follow timelines.

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In Who or What is God? John Hick reflects on questions of the nature and the accessibility of God in the context of Christianity and other faith traditions. The essays in this book cover a wide range of issues centered on the search for truth, justice, and peace. This search concerns the ultimate reality to which the worlds great religions point, involving discussion of religious experience, religious language, the relations between religions, death, and Christian belief.


The book does not focus on theology of religions or religious pluralism  for which Hick is so well known but on different, nevertheless related areas as the nature and accessibility of God, Gods relevance for the meaning of life and eschatology, the reconstruction of Christian theology under contemporary conditions, and finally the need to combine spirituality with the search for social justice.

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A pioneer in his radical approach to politics and prayer, internationally known theologian and activist Kenneth Leech has for half a century influenced religious leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. This essential reference text brings together his writings on prayer, contextual theology, and social justice in one wide-ranging volume.This selection of writings illustrates how theology can inform prayer and action in a local context, plus highlights wider themes such as globalization and inter-faith collaboration. Secondary goals were to present materials from both British and North American perspectives. The key criteria in selecting material were continuing relevance, popular appeal, and readability.The book is organized by theme, including:FIRST PRINCIPLES  illustrating how his revolutionary political convictions arose from Trinitarian orthodoxy.THE VISIBLE CHURCH  focusing on the Anglican denomination, and on reaction and renewal of the Catholic tradition.MINISTRY ON THE MARGINS  highlighting Leechs work in various aspects of ministry, especially with respect to anti-racism, drugs, homelessness, and young people.SPIRITUAL THEOLOGY  containing his reflections about prayer and worship, noting particularly the indivisibility of spirituality and social justice.PILGRIM JOURNEY  including people and places that have influenced Leech and personal reflections about discipleship and ministry.

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Kenneth Leech, David Bunch, Angus Ritchie

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What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?

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Whether he is interviewing God (I must be the first since Moses to be allowed into your presence), preaching on marriage as music, or reflecting on a visit to his parents grave, Friedman always has the power to surprise us and invite us to change. This collection of Edwin Friedmans writings, most of them unpublished, reveal a different side of this rabbi, teacher, and leadership coach who caused a revolution in viewing human relationships with Generation to Generation.Organized into life stages, specifically the journey from young adulthood to maturity and death, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? captures Friedmans signature wit and playfulness as he cuts straight to the heart of human growth and relationships.Throughout his life, Friedman eloquently applied the insights of family therapy to churches and synagogues, organizations and businessesand, of course, to families themselves. He energized and delighted a wide public in his lifetime and continues to engage us with What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, an essential reader for those seeking life-changing insights.

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For Christians, practicing Ubuntu means entering deeply into the compassionate, forgiving love of Gospel.As defined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.The African spiritual principle of Ubuntu offers believers a new and radical way of reading the Gospel and understanding the heart of the Christian faith, and this new book explores the meaning and utility of Ubuntu as applied to Western philosophies, faith, and lifestyles.Ubuntu is an African way of seeing self-identity formed -through community. This is a difficult worldview for many Western people, who understand self as over, against, or in competition with others. In the Western viewpoint, Ubuntu becomes something to avoida kind of co-dependency. As a Christian leader who understands the need, intricacies, and delicate workings of global interdependency, Battle offers here both a refreshing worldview and a new perspective of self-identity for people across cultures, and of all faiths.

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Reasonable and Holy addresses the conflict over homosexuality within the Anglican tradition, demonstrating that the church is able to provide for and support faithful and loving relationships between persons of the same sex, not as a departure from that tradition, but as a reasonable extension of it.

It offers a carefully argued, but accessible means of engagement with Scripture, the Jewish and Christian traditions, and the use of reason in dealing with the experience and lives of fellow-Christians. Unlike most reflections on the topic of homosexuality, Reasonable and Holy examines same-sex relationships through the lens of the traditional teaching on the ends or goods of marriage: procreation, union, the upbuilding of society, the symbolic representation of Christ and the Church, and the now often unmentioned remedy for fornication. Throughout, it responds to objections based on reason, tradition and Scripture.

Based on a series of popular blog posts, it includes a number of independent, but related resources in the form of side-bars and single-page expansions of particular themes, suitable for reproduction as handouts.

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In this, Don Shrivers fifteenth book, the socially involved ethicist and former president of Union Theological Seminary reveals some of the challenging experiences and ideas that have informed his work.

In a book both personal and honest, Shriver reflects on the nature and importance of books, music, education, war, friends, marriage, political conflict, and his tenure at Union. The essays as a whole represent exemplary theological work by showing how biblical images and themes provided Shriver with both a lens for interpreting his era and a perspective from which to anticipate the future. A dominant theme of his work has been the dynamics of forgiveness in human society and the meaning of forgiveness, beyond personal life, in the relations of groups and nations. A final essay, a letter to the great-grandchildren he will never meet, articulates the positive and hopeful message of this wide-ranging collection.For readers already familiar with his local-to-global efforts spanning ecumenical, racial, economic, and political justice issues, the book offers new insights into how Shrivers life experiences have impacted his work. For those not yet familiar with that work, the collection offers an intimate introduction to Shrivers passions for theology, history, and social justice, particularly in the American South, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, and East Asia.

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Mario Aguilar skillfully, elegantly, and clearly presents the life and thought of some of the major spiritual forces of our time as a starting point for his own compelling reflections on the relationship between contemplation and politics... We need more books like this one. Professor Ivan Petrella, University of Miami

Contemplation and political action defined the lives and work of six of the most inspiring Christian leaders
of the twentieth century: Thomas Merton, Ernesto Cardenal, Daniel Berrigan, Sheila Cassidy, Desmond Tutu, and Mother Teresa. Each one embraced a silent, purposeful life of prayer, contemplation, and conversation with God, which the author contends was the very foundation for their public activism.

Aguilar profiles these outstanding religious figures, illustrating how their contemplation of God gave them courage and understanding not just to grow in personal holiness, but to become one with God through responding to the needs of others. It was their spiritual life that gave them the energy, commitment, and strength to help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and liberate the oppressed, even in the darkest, most difficult times. Yet, as Aguilar shows, it is not just a chosen few who are called to combine prayer with political action: through the regular contemplation of God, all Christians can be empowered to work toward social transformation and a just world.

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Why do most contemporary Christians pull a blank when it comes to imagining a life with God after death?Although the Bible is largely silent on the issue, our world is completely riveted by the up-to-date visions of heaven and hell that stock bookstore shelves and are found everywhere on the Internet. But what are believers to think and to say about the undiscovered country that is the life to comefrom the pulpit, at the hospital, or in our daily lives?Peter Hawkinsoffers a fresh way to pose these questions, along with an imaginative framework for answering them. He challenges all of us, not just preachers, to think of Dantes drama of the afterlifeheaven, hell and purgatoryas a true story describing the lives we are living now. To this end Hawkins uses the Divine Comedy to help us imagine what happens when we die as he works his way through Christian tradition, contemporary culture, a rich array of literature, and his own personal experience.

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Beginning with Palm Sunday, the gospels record every day of Jesus life up to the time of his death and resurrection. These eight days are unparalleled in the canon of Scripture for their narrative power, their detail, and their focus. A unique synthesis of the four gospel accounts of the passion and resurrection of Christ is provided in this seamless and elegant narrative account of the Easter events, including every detail mentioned in all four Gospels, but without any unnecessary repetition or distracting references.A chapter is assigned to each of these days to facilitate devotional reading and study during the days leading up to Easter. Two chapters are added on either side of the eight days to round out the story. A study guide is also included.The book invites reader to experience the events of Christs passion as they happened, thus fully entering into the drama of the Easter story. More than anything, this book is an invitation to join Jesus and the disciples in walking the road that leads to Jerusalem, and to experience the events that happened there in an intimate and life-changing way.

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In returning and rest you shall be saved.  Isaiah 30:15When was the last time you had a real day off? Ditched the to do lists? Switched off the phone? Unplugged the alarm clock? Sat in the bath until the water went cold? Most of us live at breakneck speed. Busy lives  work, family, friends, endless tasks  leave us with little time to sleep, never mind stopping and reflecting. We urgently need to stop imagining that everything is so urgent. We need to learn to nurture our inner slob.In this generous, life-affirming book, Cottrell invites us to slow down and stop... breathe... and start an adventure of self-discovery and renewed creativity that will improve the way we see life and help us catch a glimpse of God.

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A Military Chaplain's Memoir from Baghdad

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A behind-the-scenes look at life in Baghdad, Iraq, during the months following the invasion in 2003.Wismer, a retired Army colonel and chaplain, has spent many years in the Middle East, beginning with Operation Desert Storm. His memoir not only reveals the daily drama of war, it also raises salient questions about U.S. strategy regarding the war on terror.This book also looks at the dynamic interaction of major faith groups within Iraq, and the religious heritage of the cradle of civilization as applied to the strategic implication of global terrorism. The authors views are insightfully recorded and influenced by his many calls to duty, which have also taken him to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kuwait.More than a first-hand account of military life during the turbulent period immediately after the assault by coalition forces, War in the Garden of Eden also explores the inner workings of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) from a soldiers perspective, the daily life of personnel assigned to the CPA, and some of the many decisions made, under constant life-threatening situations, to establish peace and stability in the country during the ground war.

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An introduction and guide to sustainable ministry, which empowers pastors and church leaders to focus on their inner resources for proactive leadership.Church leadership does not have to be a recipe for burnout. There is an easier way, one that is doable, effective, and sustainable. It is counterintuitive, so help is needed to get it right. In this book, Margaret Marcuson shares her experiences and guides church leaders to a more sustainable leadership.In this book, learn how you can:Be more of a leader and less of a controller.Adopt a new system of seeing yourself and those you lead.Focus on yourself and the resources you bring rather than trying to help, fix, or change others.Respond to others with clarity, calm, and creativity.Remain more thoughtful during challenge and crisis.Increase your influence without increasing your workload.Reduce your overall stress about issues of congregational life.

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This new work provides a graphic and literal context for understanding the current tragedy in Darfur and describes a framework for how people of faith are responding to the crisis. Jeffreys photos depict daily life in the camps, showing both the challenges faced by the displaced, as well as their unguarded moments of joy and hope. The images show the people of Darfur as real, three-dimensional people, subjects of their history, not as objects or victims in an overly simplistic conflict.

The text by Herlinger makes clear that the crisis in Darfur cannot be explained easily, glibly, or in a simplistic fashion. It includes personal stories of those uprooted and currently living in the camps. Additional sections examine the debates surrounding Darfur, including concerns over genocide, the debate over protection and responsibility by the international community, and the role of activists and religious communities in the ecumenical humanitarian response.

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A Guide to Happiness from the Teachings of Jesus in Tibet

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Geshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally have explored together the ancient cities, rare manuscripts, and oral traditions of India and Tibet which bear witness to teachings of Thomas - the disciple that Jesus sent to the east. The Eastern Path to Heaven presents the great ideas that came to those lands through Thomas, and describes how we can use authentic Christian teachings of ancient Asia to achieve six goals of life: physical health; financial security; love; happiness; freedom from aging and death; and fulfilment in the service of others. Brief, accessible, chapters each open with a quotation by Jesus from the New Testament that speaks to achieving the six goals according to the wisdom of the Eastern side of the Christian family. Brief historical summaries show how the teachings of Jesus entered India with Thomas, traveling along the routes pioneered by Alexander the Great, and then reached Tibet. These sketches utilize information from Syrian, Coptic, Greek, Tibetan, and Sanskrit manuscripts, often translated by the authors for the first time.

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Drawing on scripture as well as holistic health practices, this practical guide blends the growing interest in spirituality and health with the examples set by Jesus, who encouraged his followers to embrace a life marked by physical healing, emotional wholeness, and spiritual abundancemoving people from physical pain to enlightenment and spiritual revelation.

The book offers the four key principlesbreathe, see, nourish and energizeas a daily living practice for readers to begin nurturing themselves both from the outside in, and the inside out. The book also offers techniques to help readers apply these principles in their day-to-day lives.

A chapter is devoted to each of the four disciplines within the title. Each chapter describes the practice, placing it firmly and logically within the context of scripture. Throughout the discourse, the author shares stories of how people have encountered, struggled, and succeeded with the different elements of each practice. She also demonstrates how this overall process can lead to physical, mental, and spiritual transformation.

Spiritual exercises, along with scripture passages, provide handy encouragement for readers to begin readily incorporating these disciplines into their lives.