Upper Room Books 2017 new titles

Find out how to listen with your body and spirit to the wisdom of God.

HOLY LISTENING with BREATH, BODY, and the SPIRIT Whitney R. Simpson Many of us long to hear God’s voice, yet often we overlook the great wisdom God gave us in our bodies. There is a deep connection between our bodies and spirits. What might happen if we listened more deeply to the wisdom of our bodies? How might that change the way we listen to God? A stroke at age 31 forced Whitney Simpson to slow down and listen more deeply to her body. During her journey toward healing and wholeness, she found several ancient practices helpful in listening to God and her body: lectio divina , yoga, breath prayer, essential oils, and reflection.

Ultimately she found God’s peace.

Listening with the entire body, not just our ears, may seem like a strange concept. Yet God created the body and the breath to give us life. We don’t have to experience a crisis to learn to listen to God’s activity in and around us. We can slow down and use the gift of our breath and our bodies to listen for God anytime and anywhere.

This 40-day prayer book guides us to listen more closely to God with our bodies. Each day includes scripture, yoga postures, breath prayers, essential oils, and reflection questions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Whitney R. Simpson is a soul care practitioner who offers yoga, spiritual direction, workshops, and retreats to help people find wholeness and God’s peace. She completed certification in spiritual formation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, is a certified lay minister who serves as a spiritual director, and is a certified 500-hour master yoga instructor. Whitney is a member of The Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders, Spiritual Directors International, and Redbud Writers Guild. Find out more at Whitney’s website: www.exploringpeace.com.

PUB DATE: JANUARY 2017 PAPERBACK

$12.99

978-0-08358-1631-1 eBOOK $9.99 978-0-08358-1633-5 KINDLE $9.99 978-0-08358-1632-8 PAGES: 128 TRIM SIZE: 7.5 x 9.25 RELIGION/ Christian Life / Spiritual Growth TARGET AUDIENCE • Those interested in spiritual health and wellness of their bodies • Those seeking new prayer practices • Those new to yoga and/or essential oils as spiritual practices KEY FEATURES • A powerful story of healing • Daily mediations can be completed in 30 minutes or less • Descriptions and line art illustrations of yoga poses • Seated poses are offered as modifications to all poses in book

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HOLY LISTENING with BREATH, BODY, and the SPIRIT Whitney R. Simpson

Sample Excerpt from Introduction God created us as amazing and complex human beings. Science proves over and over again that our bodies hold more wisdom than we can fathom. We ask God to speak into our lives yet often fail to take advantage of the great wisdom given to us in our very own bodies. What if we chose to use our bodies for listening to God today?

I am not suggesting simply listening for when we are hungry or tired but listening for God’s activity in and around us—at all times and in every situation. Where is God in your breath, your posture, your thoughts, your emotions, and your senses? This guide will help you make space to discover and listen for God’s presence with your very being. It will also tell some of my story, how I began the practice of listening with my own wounded body.

After great physical trauma in my life, I had little choice but to begin listening more deeply to the wisdom of my body on a journey toward healing and wholeness. In my healing, I had a thirst for more of the “with God” life. My personal journey led me on a path that included seminary training for spiritual direction as well as yoga teacher trainings. On this path, I grew in knowledge and discovered a few things I soon found to be worth sharing. The first may come as no surprise, but it seems as if we live like it is a surprise. There is no health and wholeness destination for our body, mind, or spirit. We do not achieve health and wholeness when we find a church family, when our body does not ache, or even when our bank account is in the positive. Health and wholeness are a lifelong journey for body,

mind, and spirit.

Second, God has already given us everything we need to listen to the Holy in our lives. Over the years, I considered if I was in good health, had the right job, was around the right people, or if I had the right tools—such as the proper yoga mat, essential oils, Bible, or prayer book—I would finally discover God’s peace (maybe that was not a great example since I hope you will continue reading this prayer book). However, the truth is that the latest and greatest “whatever” will not draw me nearer to God, and it won’t draw you nearer either. Getting a good report from the doctor or being out of debt may give me comfort, but they do not foster my relationship with God. You have all you need to deepen your relationship with your creator. And while even this book will not draw you nearer to God, making time and space a priority to listen and be with God will indeed draw you nearer to God…

CONTENTS Introduction

Holy Listening 40 Days The Ancient Tools The Invitation Devotions: Be, Commit, Amaze, Dream, Root, Live, Strength, Cleanse, Forgive, Courage, Heal, Open, Believe, Celebrate, Receive, Ask, Mourn, Protect, Zeal, Gratitude, Desire, Prepare, Create, Love, Change, Wisdom, Endure, Rejoice, Future, Exalt, Accept, Trust, Joy, New, Freedom, Hope, Secure, Commune, and Peace Conclusion Pose Reference Additional Resources About the Author

PREMISE OF BOOK

Where is God in your breath, your posture, your thoughts, your emotions, and your senses? This guide will help you make space to discover and listen for God’s presence with your very being. The author offers a personal guide on listening to God with your entire body

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More than a coloring book — a prayer journal Color your way to a closer relationship with God

PRAYING WITH MANDALAS A Colorful, Contemplative Practice Sharon Seyfarth Garner Coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore. In recent years, adult coloring books have become popular. Many grownups have discovered that coloring can quiet their thoughts and reduce anxiety. Sharon Seyfarth Garner found that coloring offered her a new way to pray. She felt especially drawn to mandalas—beautiful circular designs containing geometric patterns.

Contemplative coloring is a simple, enjoyable, and tangible way for adults to “be with God on purpose,” as Garner defines prayer. Praying with Mandalas blends the relaxing practice of coloring with the ancient spiritual practices of lectio divina (savoring the words of scripture), intercessory prayer, centering prayer, and Examen (seeing God in the events of our daily lives).

This is more than a coloring book. This is a prayer journal that includes 10 pages of 4 blank mandala designs (40 total) designed for a specific prayer practice. Every chapter explains the method of prayer to be used while coloring, inspirational stories, ten blank mandalas to color, questions for reflection, a prayer for dedication. and tips for getting started. Each mandala offers either a scripture or a prayer prompt and allows space for journaling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rev. Sharon Seyfarth Garner is an ordained United Methodist pastor, a certified spiritual director, and an experienced retreat leader. She is the founder and director of Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries.

Sharon finds great joy in sharing the journey of spiritual discovery with others. She also enjoys spending time with her family, kayaking, making pottery, singing loudly, and taking long walks with her husband and dog.

PUB DATE: JANUARY 2017 PAPERBACK $9.99 978-0-08358-1634-2 PAGES: 128

TRIM SIZE: 8 x 10

RELIGION/ Christian Life / Prayer PAGES: 112

TRIM SIZE: 5 x 8

TARGET AUDIENCE • Christians who seek creative ways to engage in meaningful prayer • Individuals interested in new prayer practices KEY FEATURES • 10 pages of 4 blank mandala designs • Tips for praying with mandalas • Accessible explanations of mandalas and the 4 prayer practices • Information on the use of mandalas in Christian tradition • Reflection questions and prayers of dedication • Perfect for individuals and groups in diverse settings: prison ministry, hospitals, nursing homes, campus ministry, family devotions, and more

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PRAYING WITH MANDALAS A Colorful, Contemplative Practice Sharon Seyfarth Garner

Sample Excerpt from Chapter 1 Praying with these mandala designs many times over, I feared that I might become bored repeating the same design again and again. Interestingly, I have found quite the opposite to be true. Rather than finding these four designs boring, I am finding them familiar, inviting, and nurturing—a little like sitting down to visit with a close friend. The more I use the same prayer template, the more comfortable it feels. When I open my book of mandalas and sit down with my colored pencils, I eagerly anticipate the coming time of coloring and prayer.

Although based on the same four designs, each prayer mandala becomes a unique reflection of time spent with God through all of the ups and downs of my life—joy and anger, tears and laughter, grief and growth. God walks with me through it all. With each prayer mandala, I come to God with different thoughts and concerns. I use different colors, different patterns, different scriptures, and different inspiration. All of these factors intertwine to make each mandala strikingly unique. Unlike traditional coloring books where every page has a different design, this book simply offers four mandala designs that are the foundation for infinitely diverse expressions of prayer.

Over time, my colorful collection of mandalas has unexpectedly become a beautiful visual prayer journal for me. I can remember where I was and what was on my heart when I colored each one of them. It is my hope and prayer that Praying with Mandalas will be a warm invitation for you to create a beautiful visual prayer journal of your own.

CONTENTS Acknowledgements

Introduction Chapter 1: Lectio Divina Chapter 2: Intercessory Prayer Chapter 3: Centering Prayer Chapter 4: Examen Prayer Chapter 5: Stories of Fear, Conculsion: Finding Your Belly of the Whale FACTS ON COLORING

1. Sparks creativity 2. Easy to enjoy anywhere, anytime 3. Improves concentration 4. Can have the same effect as meditation 5. Strengthens motor skills 6. Reduces stress and anxiety 7. Provides satisfaction of completing a project PREMISE OF BOOK

Coloring mandalas can be a prayer practice that helps us connect with God. It offers a way to overcome distractions and spend more focused time with God through reflection and prayer.

Leaning is multi-sensory and this prayer journal allows for all senses to be used while you learn 4 ancient prayer practices.

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The first step in healing from trauma beings with telling your story.

BEADS OF HEALING Prayer, Trauma, and Spiritual Wholeness Kristen E. Vincent Many people are afraid to tell the story of their trauma; they may feel they can’t even share their story with God. Survivors often carry deep spiritual wounds, thinking the trauma was God’s punishment or that God abandoned them. They may wonder how they can ever trust a God who allowed something so awful to happen.

Kristen Vincent shares her personal story of childhood trauma and how Protestant prayer beads helped her find spiritual and emotional healing. In sharing her own story, she models how to name feelings of grief, shame, and anger and engage in honest conversations with God. Once trauma survivors have named their feelings and learned to talk frankly with God, they can begin to hear God’s words of healing and love.

Beads of Healing offers practical ways for readers to use prayer beads to enter conversations with God, stay focused when their minds begin to wander, and sense God’s presence.

PUB DATE: MARCH 2017 PAPERBACK $13.99 978-0-08358-1635-9 eBOOK $9.99 978-0-08358-1637-3 KINDLE $9.99 978-0-08358-1636-6

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAGES: 144

Kristen E. Vincent is the owner and principal artisan of Prayerworks Studio, where she creates handcrafted prayer tools. She travels extensively to speak and lead retreats on prayer and prayer beads. Kristen has a master of theological studies from Duke Divinity School. For more than 20 years she has worked on social justice issues including domestic violence, sexual assault, juvenile justice, and disability

RELIGION/ Christian Life / Spiritual Growth

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR Another Bead, Another Prayer Devotions to Use with Protestant Prayer Beads

978-08817-1372-3

A Bead and a Prayer A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads

978-08817-1217-7

NOTE: The author acknowledges she is not a professional counselor and emphasizes this book is a companion piece, not a replacement for professional therapy.

TRIM SIZE: 6 x 9

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Trauma survivors seeking healing • Individuals providing support for trauma survivors • Individuals seeking new prayer practices • Individuals who pray with beads KEY FEATURES • Author’s personal healing story

offers a safe place for reflecting, expressing feelings, and engaging in structured conversation with God and others.

• Explains how to make and use Protestant prayer beads

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BEADS OF HEALING Prayer, Trauma, and Spiritual Wholeness

CONTENTS Introduction

Kristen E. Vincent

Prologue: Hide and Seek SPEAKING Your Truth

Sample Excerpt from Introduction

Choosing to Be Healed Be Still Speak Your Truth HEALING Your Spirit Grief Anger Abandonment Shame and Guilt Fear EXPERIENCING God’s Peace Trust Love Forgiveness Gratitude Grace and Peace Epilogue: Wholeness Acknowledgments Leader’s Guide Making Prayer Beads

In 2009 I experienced a very quirky calling from which I learned about Protestant (Anglican) prayer beads. I began to make, teach, and write about them, and have built what is now a full-time ministry on prayer and prayer beads. Along with the Academy for Spiritual Formation, the prayer beads taught me how to be still and listen to God, and I’ve seen them serve a similar function for hundreds of others as well. In the past seven years, I’ve witnessed or received the most profound testimonies from folks about the prayer beads.

I think this means good news for those of us trying to heal from spiritual wounds. I’m convinced that prayer beads can help you: • speak your truth. Healing from trauma begins with storytelling. In sharing our experiences, survivors are able to process the trauma, receive support, and begin to understand that the trauma does not define us. Trouble is, we are often discouraged from telling our stories. In many cases, we muffle our own voices, fearing that in telling our stories we will relive the pain. But more often, it's the world telling us to keep quiet so as not to offend or worry those around us.

This causes a whole host of problems, not the least of which is that we begin to think we should never tell our story, not even to God. Prayer beads can offer space—a path—to begin to tell our stories.

They can carve out a "safe space" from which to share our most intimate thoughts. They can also offer a concrete reminder of God's presence with us, helping us to know that God is listening to what we have to say.

• heal your spirit. As we begin to tell our stories, we are able to recognize the ways in which the trauma impacted our relationship with God. We can put names on feelings: grief, shame, anger, fear.

We can accuse God of abandoning or punishing us. We can rant and rave and cry and be hysterical. We can be honest with God, more so than we've been with anyone on earth. Such truth-telling enables us to engage in honest dialogue with God, perhaps for the first time. It is there we can begin to hear God’s truth—God’s words of healing and deep love. Prayer beads can provide structure for this dialogue and help us be still and listen to God's voice. They can help us refocus when our minds start to wander. And they can connect our thoughts and feelings with our bodies—something that is often difficult for survivors—by using a tactile object.

• experience God’s peace. Having entered into true dialogue with God, survivors of trauma can begin to develop a relationship of trust.

We begin to speak of gratitude. We understand we can rely upon God in all circumstances and that God will never abandon us. We know this is true because of God’s deep love. It is here we practice living in peace and wholeness, using our prayer beads to praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

PREMISE OF BOOK

The point of this book is hope.

The author shares her personal journey of healing from trauma and offers a process to move toward healing.

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Explore the history and practice of Christian spiritual formation in this easy to use reference.

THE UPPER ROOM DICTIONARY OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL FORMATION Edited by Keith Basley-Topliffe This reference book, compiled with the help of more than 50 scholars from many denominations, provides a basic guide to Christian spiritual formation through more than 470 entries. It covers such subjects as great spiritual teachers of the past and present, important topics in Christian spirituality, and ways to pray and lead groups in prayer and spiritual growth.

Containing enough information to get you started but not so many details as to overwhelm, the entries in this dictionary answer such questions as: • What is spiritual formation?

• What is grace? How does it help me grow?

• What is centering prayer? How do I do it?

• Who is Hildegard of Bingen? What did she write?

• How can I grow in forgiveness?

• What are Fowler’s stages of faith? What are other ways of talking about stages of spiritual growth?

This dictionary also includes a chart that compares various Christian spiritual traditions, plus a list of significant spiritual classics by title and author.

ABOUT THE EDITOR Keith Beasley-Topliffe retired in July 2016 after serving as a United Methodist pastor for 36 years. He holds a BA from Cornell University, an MDiv from Boston University School of Theology, and an MA from The Institute of Formative Spirituality, Duquesne University.

PUB DATE: FEBRUARY 2017 PAPERBACK $24.99 978-0-08358-1628-1 eBOOK $12.99 978-0-08358-1630-4 KINDLE $12.99 978-0-08358-1629-8 PAGES: 112

TRIM SIZE: 5 x 8

RELIGION/ Christianity /General TARGET AUDIENCE • Buyers of Christian formation resources

• Church Leaders & educators • Spiritual formation leaders KEY FEATURES • Practical resource to: § Aid in defining certain terms used in the study and practice of Christian spiritual formation § Explore the history and practice of spiritual formation

• Includes contributions from 50 scholars from multiple denominations • 470 articles of reference

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THE UPPER ROOM DICTIONARY OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL FORMATION

CONTENTS Introduction

List of Contributors

Edited by Keith Basley-Topliffe

Spiritual formation topics

Sample Excerpt from Introduction

Chart—Streams of Christian Spirituality: A Comparative Summary

Each Christian generation must discover for itself that experience of God and a living relationship with God are more important in our lives than knowledge about God. Or, to put it more briefly, Christian spiritual formation is more vital than Christian theological information. This was the great truth discovered by John Wesley in eighteenth-century England, by Jonathan Edwards in the American Great Awakening, by evangelists like Dwight L. Moody and Phoebe Palmer in the nineteenth century, and by many recent writers on prayer and worship. We hunger to know God, not simply to know about God.

Spiritual Classics CrossReference

Each generation, therefore, produces its own books on prayer, its own accounts of Christian experience, its own guidance for those who would help others to grow spiritually. Each generation finds again the importance of small groups for spiritual nurture and accountability. And each generation rediscovers the riches produced by earlier generations of Christians, the spiritual classics.

Our goal is to offer a basic resource for exploring the history and practice of spiritual formation. While this dictionary contains articles on some of the key concepts in mystical theology, its primary emphasis is more practical: how we are formed and re-formed as Christians, and how we can be transformed by God’s grace.

arranged alphabetically

PRIMARY USE OF THIS BOOK

Introduces articles, topics, history, and spiritual writers & models from the earliest Christians to the present.

OFFERS HELP WITH THESE QUESTIONS:

o What is spiritual formation? o Who is Teresa of Avila and what did she teach about the spiritual life? o What are the stages of spiritual growth? o How does my personality affect the way I pray? o How could I start a covenant group for spiritual support? o What does it mean to abandon myself to God? BASIC RESOURCE FOR EXPLORING:

Topics of immediate interest Articles on spiritual writers Articles for discussion topics Methods of prayer or group practice o Text and history of particular prayers o o o o

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Grow in your faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.

THE UPPER ROOM SPIRITUAL CLASSICS Edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe More than ever, people want to grow spiritually. Many want to explore the rich spiritual writings of influential leaders in the history of Christianity. But trying to read classics written centuries ago can be daunting. The Upper Room Spiritual Classics are designed to help by offering readable translations in an accessible format.

Each book provides at least 14 excerpts that cover the range of the writer’s spiritual concerns. An insightful, expertly written introduction helps readers understand the writer and his or her world.

The Upper Room Spiritual Classics will help both individuals and groups grow in their faith by seeing God through the eyes of remarkable spiritual leaders.

PUB DATE: APRIL 2017 PAPERBACK

$7.99

eBOOK

$5.99

KINDLE

$5.99

TRIM SIZE: 5 x 7 RELIGION/ Christian Life / Inspirational

ABOUT THE EDITOR Keith Beasley-Topliffe retired in July 2016 after serving as a United Methodist pastor for 36 years. He holds a BA from Cornell University, an MDiv from Boston University School of Theology, and an MA from The Institute of Formative Spirituality, Duquesne University.

TARGET AUDIENCE • Christian leaders and teachers • Individuals and small groups • Reference source for small-group study KEY FEATURES • Each resource includes: o 14 readable selections o Introduction about the writer o Encouragement for reflection and daily application from the writer’s insights

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Writings of Augustine

102 pages

Augustine was the fourth-century spiritual leader from North Africa who had a vast impact on the Christian church. His Confessions has been called one of Western civilization’s most influential books. This volume contains other important writings of Augustine.

Writings of John Wesley

80 pages

John Wesley was an eighteenth-century preacher, writer, and one of the founders of the Methodist movement. Includes selections from Wesley’s journals, sermons, and books, giving a clear picture of the spiritual vitality that ignited a movement.

Writings of John Cassian

74 pages

John Cassian was a monk from North Africa and a contemporary of Augustine. His writings on prayer and spiritual living continue to speak as powerfully and practically to today’s Christians as they did to his fourth-century audience.

Writings of Thomas Kelly

76 pages

Thomas Kelly was a twentieth-century Quaker and philosopher whom Richard Foster calls “a giant soul.” Kelly is best known for his Testament of Devotion. This book includes excerpts from Kelly’s other writings that have not been widely available.

Writings of Teresa of Avila

78 pages

Teresa of Avila was a sixteenth-century Spanish nun, reformer, and celebrated spiritual writer. This book includes excerpts from her three most influential works.

Writings of Julian of Norwich 76 pages Revealing insights from a lifetime of prayer, the writings of this late fourteenth-century nun and mystic offer some of the most moving discussions of God’s love in all of Christian literature.

Writings of Toyohiko Kagawa 84 pages Toyohiko Kagawa was a Japanese Christian who worked in the time between World Wars I & II to establish labor unions, settlement houses, peasant unions, and evangelistic campaigns. Includes narrative reflections and thoughts on the Lord’s Prayer.

Writings of Thomas à Kempis

88 pages The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is one of the most influential books, other than the Bible, on Christian spirituality.

Writings of Francis & Clare 80 pages Francis and Clare of Assisi, celebrated saints of thirteenth-century Italy, founded influential religious orders (the Franciscans and the Poor Clares) that still carry on vital work. Includes biographical, prayers, letters, and other spiritually rich writings.

Writings of Evelyn Underhill 78 pages Evelyn Underhill, a twentieth-century British spiritual writer and retreat leader, is known for her exploration of the spiritual life. She offers profoundly simple advice on opening oneself to God. Includes a sampling of her letters and retreat and radio talks.

Writings of Catherine of Siena 74 pages Catherine of Siena practiced extreme self-sacrifice fueled by prayer so intense that she often lost awareness of the world around her.

She shared these experiences in letters and writings that address the turbulent times of the fourteenth century.

Writings of John of the Cross 84 pages John of the Cross, a sixteenth-century Carmelite monk (and contemporary of Teresa of Avila) used vivid metaphors and biblical stories to describe a process of detachment from earthly loves, calling this the “dark night of the soul.”

Writings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers 74 pages In the third through fifth centuries, thousands moved into the deserts of Egypt and Syria seeking a simple way of living. Their sayings about prayer, spiritual disciplines, and living in community spread throughout the world and became the foundation of monasticism.

Writings of William Law 80 pages In these selections from his book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, Law calls for total devotion to God. In response to the religious moderation of eighteenth-century England, he writes that the truly devout must live in utter conformity with the will of God. Writings of John Woolman

80 pages

Woolman’s journal reveals the development of a soul seeking to know and do God’s will in all things. A devout Quaker, Woolman lived simply, in solidarity with the poor and oppressed, urging others to free their slaves and to stand with him against slavery.

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How storytelling helps us explore our lives and meet God in new ways

SPOKEN INTO BEING Divine Encounters through Story Michael E. Williams Everyone is a storyteller, according to Michael Williams, and all of us are on a spiritual journey. Storytelling helps us make sense of our lives, the world around us, and God. When we tell stories, we speak a world into being—just as God did in the creation accounts in the book of Genesis.

Spoken into Being is both a guide to telling our own stories and a reminder that we have been spoken into being as part of a much larger story. Employing poetry, personal narrative, and retellings of biblical stories, Michael Williams leads us to a deeper knowledge of the power of narrative. Storytelling is not simply a way to express spiritual insights but also a way to explore our lives and the world around us so we can encounter the divine presence anew.

Not all stories serve us well, however. Stories of fear stop us in our tracks and become roadblocks on the journey, while stories of fantasy, no matter how alluring, are dead-end streets.

Spoken into Being points to a path beyond fear and fantasy, a way toward encounters with the Holy, where all things are being made new, and the unexpected is the norm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Williams is a United Methodist pastor who served in the Tennessee Conference for over 40 years, most recently at West End United Methodist Church, Nashville, Tennessee. The author of numerous articles, stories, poems, plays, and books, he served as general editor of The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible series from Abingdon Press. Michael has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival. He and his wife, Margaret, live in Nashville and have two adult daughters.

PUB DATE: JULY 2017 PAPERBACK $12.99 978-0-08358-1707-3 eBOOK $9.99 978-0-08358-1709-7 KINDLE $9.99 978-0-08358-1708-0 PAGES: 112

TRIM SIZE: 5 x 8

RELIGION/ Christian Life / Spiritual Growth TARGET AUDIENCE • Those who want to experience God’s daily presence in their daily lives • Individuals interested in storytelling as spiritual formation KEY FEATURES • Personal stories • Reflection questions

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SPOKEN INTO BEING Divine Encounters Through Story Michael E. Williams

Sample Excerpt from Preface Everyone is a storyteller! Yes, you read that correctly; I didn’t say that everyone could be a storyteller. After forty years of telling stories and helping other people tell stories I have learned this one thing: Everyone is a storyteller… whether they realize and acknowledge it or not. From the first time as a baby we grunt and reach for that cookie before we have finished our pureed green beans, we have begun to tell a story (albeit nonverbally) of choice and desire. When our parents asked us what happened today at school and refuse to take “Nutin!” for an answer, we begin to frame our experience as a narrative. The astute parent knows that persistently asking the question, “Then what happened?” helps to drive the sequence of events that became the story of our day. Stories arise at bedtime when a parent or grandparent opens a book and reads aloud or turns off the light and makes up a world of historical or completely imaginary characters and events, a world in which both teller and listener take part, until one or the other falls asleep. Stories erupt around the dinner table with, ‘You won’t believe what happened at work today.” Or they emerge slowly, accompanied by, “Did I ever tell you about the time…?”

Human beings live in story like fish live in water. We literally experience our lives as a narrative, not simply as a series of random events but as a sequence of connected occasions of experience stitched together in the form of story. In a way, the occasions of our experience take on a coherence and meaning. We learn to experience the world, other people, and God through a narrative lens. We could say that we live surrounded by God like the very air we breathe, often invisible to us but absolutely necessary for life. This is why Saint Paul can say to those gathered at the temple of Athena that God is the one in whom we live and move and have our being. That may be why, when we speak of our experiences of God, we tell stories. Telling stories is not simply a way of framing our experience of the world and people around us. Stories are the means by which we speak of our spiritual exploration as well.

CONTENTS Tell Me a Story Preface

Overture: In the Beginning (1st Creation Story Retold) Chapter 1: What Are Stories and What Do They Do? Chapter 2: Finding the Sacred in Your Story Intermission: The Beginning (2nd Creation Story Retold) Chapter 3: Living between Two Stories Chapter 4: Living beyond Two Stories Chapter 5: Stories of Fear, Fantasy, and Faith Acknowledgments

FACTS ON STORYTELLING • Experiences leave lasting impressions.

• Storytelling reveals what makes your message unique.

• Stories are the emotional glue that connects you to others.

• Stories shape information into meaning.

• Stories can motivate others.

• Stories are shared with others.

PREMISE OF BOOK

Telling stories is one way we connect to one another. Stories that capture our attention form us into the persons we are now and will become in the future. We learn to experience the world, other people, and God through them. Jesus knew the power of stories and used them to share the Good News with the world.

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The life and travels of the apostle Paul can help us find God’s purpose for our lives

WHICH WAY, LORD? Exploring Your Life’s Purpose in the Journeys of Paul Rob Fuquay God created every person with a desire for meaning and purpose. Many of us wonder, How do we live the purposeful life God intends for each of us? This 6-week churchwide series is designed to help us consider that big question.

The Damascus road experience was not the only event that sent the apostle Paul on his quest. His entire life—his traditions, education, travels, and challenges—shaped him for ministry.

After years of preparation through prayer and discernment, Paul traveled roughly 10,000 miles throughout the Mediterranean world to spread the Good News. When he started, he had no idea how God’s plan for him would take shape. This series helps us unpack our lives alongside Paul’s life to find our purpose and passion.

A perfect study series for back-to-school, the beginning of a new year, or anytime you need a fresh start, Which Way, Lord? includes a book; DVD with video sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; plus free online sermon starters, worship media, and more.

Rediscover the truths that you are wonderfully made, created for purpose, and equipped to live a life of significance. Despite the adversities and detours you will encounter along the way, you can rely on God. Join us as we travel together to find our purpose.

For more information, visit RobFuquay.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rob Fuquay is senior pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has served several congregations with his gifts of strong preaching, leadership development, and preaching.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR THE GOD WE CAN KNOW SERIES

TAKE THE FLAG SERIES

PUB DATE: AUGUST 2017 PAPERBACK $9.99 978-0-8358-1702-8 6 x 9 ENLARGED PRINT $9.99 978-0-8358-1703-5 7.5 x 9.25 eBOOK $9.99 978-0-8358-1705-9 KINDLE $9.99 978-0-8358-1704-2 DVD $39.99 978-0-8358-1706-6 PAGES: 128 RELIGION/ Biblical Studies / General TARGET AUDIENCE • Churches • Small-group leaders, pastors KEY FEATURES • Easy-to-use age level guides for children, youth, and adults • FREE online support featuring sermon guidelines, worship helps, and tools to promote the series • Servant Spotlights—stories from Christians who discerned and lived out God’s purpose

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WHICH WAY, LORD? Exploring Your Life’s Purpose in the Journeys of Paul Rob Fuquay

Sample Excerpt from Introduction First there was Saul. And then there was Paul.

I like the fact that the apostle Paul went by another name before he began his mission to the Gentiles. That makes it easy to distinguish between the “before” and “after.”

Not that the two didn’t have a lot in common.

Both acted with a singular devotion to the God of Israel. Both knew scripture backwards and forwards. And both sought purpose in their lives.

But Saul the Pharisee was a judgmental persecutor of Christfollowers present at the stoning of one of Jesus’ original disciples.

Paul the Apostle was a dynamic communicator who advanced the cause of Christ.

What happened? How did Saul become Paul?

The pivotal point lies on the road to Damascus from Jerusalem.

Saul was traveling on it when he was halted by the startling appearance of the risen Christ. Speaking directly to Saul, Jesus made himself clear: You need to choose another way.

Talk about an attention-getter!

This is the moment the Saul-to-Paul transformation began. But now came the hard part. Paul had to figure out which way to go. Isn’t that the predicament we all face? As Christians, we yearn to live out God’s purpose for our lives, but how do we know for certain which direction we need to head?

The aim of this book is to help you understand God’s directions for your life. Your guide for this journey will be Paul, the globe-trotting hero of early church history. Along the way you’ll gain more than an introductory insight into the background, education, experiences, writing, and theology of this man who changed the world.

Yet more than the whats of Paul’s life, we’ll be examining the whys. We won’t just look at where he went and what he said. Plenty of resources do an excellent job of that. We want to know how Paul got where he did. What determined the directions he went, and even more important, the changes in direction he sometimes took? Did Paul have a pipeline to God that average people like you and me don’t have? Or does Paul have something to teach us about what it means to discern God’s guidance and direction for our lives? We will answer those questions.

Just as there are a lot of books about Paul, I know there are also lots of books on the subject of finding purpose. For that matter, there’s no end to life coaches, secular psychologists, and social commentators weighing in on this matter. But Which Way, Lord? approaches the topic solely from the perspective of faith.

CONTENTS Introduction: Locating Your Starting Point Chapter 1: Consulting Your GPS

Chapter 2: Understanding Yourself Chapter 3: Facing Adversity Chapter 4: Dealing with Detours Chapter 5: When You Doubt Yourself

Chapter 6: Tenacity PREMISE OF BOOK This series is not a biography of Paul nor a Bible study based on his letters or theology. Paul is simply used as an illustration of how one person kept the faith despite the odds and made a significant difference in this world.

His life and experiences provide a template to see how God is working in and through our lives.

BOOK INCLUDES: • Exploration of biblical stories about the life and missionary journeys of Paul • Stories from Fuquay’s own experiences of discerning and learning to follow God’s will • Servant Spotlights—stories from Christians who discerned and lived out God’s purpose for them • Reflection questions THE DVD FEATURES: • 6 sessions filmed in Turkey, Israel, and Greece. Fuquay explains the significance of various locations in Paul’s missionary journeys, enlightening viewers with tidbits about the history and culture of Paul’s time.

• Age-level guides for children, youth, and adults

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Thoughtful meditations that help us apply God’s Word to daily life

THE UPPER ROOM DISCIPLINES 2018 A Book of Daily Devotions Each year The Upper Room offers this best-selling book of inspiring devotions to help people spend daily time with God. Fifty-three writers from diverse Christian backgrounds encourage us to immerse ourselves in scripture and apply its truths to our lives.

Each day of this powerful devotional guide offers a selected Bible reading, an insightful meditation on the scripture passage, and a prayer or suggestion for reflection. The scriptures are drawn from the Revised Common Lectionary. Included in the back of the book are the lectionary readings for 2018 as well as morning, midday, and evening prayers.

Authors for Disciplines 2018 include Mary Lou Redding, Willie James Jennings, Amy Oden, Jan Richardson, Andy Dreitcer, Anne Broyles, Safiyah Fosua, Jim Melchiorre, Max O. Vincent, Pam Hawkins, and Marshall Jenkins.

KEY FEATURES • Simple but thoughtful daily readings • Each devotion is one page • Contains an overview of scriptures for each week • Includes questions/suggestions for reflection • Available in multiple formats: regular, enlarged print, digital • Includes an outline for small-group discussion

PUB DATE: SEPTEMBER 2017 PAPERBACK $14.99 978-0-8358-1624-3 PAGES: 448

TRIM SIZE: 5 x 7

ENLARGED PRINT $17.99 978-0-8358-1625-0 PAGES: 448 TRIM SIZE: 7.5 x 9.25 eBOOK 978-0-8358-1627-4

$9.99

KINDLE 978-0-8358-1626-7

$9.99

RELIGION/ Christian Life/ Devotional TARGET AUDIENCE • Buyers of daily devotions • Those who use the lectionary • Small-groups who want to discuss in-depth scripture-based devotions

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THE UPPER ROOM DISCIPLINES 2018 A Book of Daily Devotions

Sample Scripture Overview (from 2017)

CONTENTS • Foreword • Small-Group Discussion outline • 53 weeks of daily devotions from Sunday to Saturday • Each week begins with a scripture overview • Scriptures are from the Revised Common Lectionary • A Guide to Daily Prayer

BENEFITS OF A DAILY ROUTINE • Helps you become more productive

• Helps you accomplish goals • Helps you evaluate your growth • Prepares you for obstacles • Provides peace of mind BENEFITS OF PRAYER

• Improves self-control • Reduces aggression • Increases the ability to forgive • Increases trust • Reduces stress

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A rich observance of Advent and Christmas that extends into the new year

IN DAYS TO COME From Advent to Epiphany George H. Donigian Many people end their celebration of Christmas on December 25, but George Donigian reminds us that the celebration is just beginning. Donigian offers meditations that begin with Advent and continue through the 12th night of Christmas—January 6 or Epiphany. The meditations, like the surprises of an Advent calendar, touch on many different subjects. Some topics included are “An Editor,” “A Counting Song,” “Prudence,” and “Chrismons.” Instead of putting away the decorations on December 25, celebrate all the days to come!

In Days to Come offers devotional meditations based on a merger of several Christmas traditions: Advent calendars, ancient Advent prayers known as the O Antiphons, the traditional celebration of Christmas on December 25, and the Armenian Orthodox celebration of Christmas on January 6. The meditations—4 per week—count down from the first week of Advent to Epiphany. While each reading stands alone, the meditations are rooted in a weekly theme. Donigian’s writing style is conversational, and given his diverse interests, the conversation ranges widely.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR George Hovaness Donigian, a native of Hopewell, Virginia, graduated from Berry College and Emory University. Ordained in The United Methodist Church, Donigian served as a pastor in Virginia and now in South Carolina. Between his pastoral appointments in Virginia and South Carolina, he spent 21 years in Christian publishing at The United Methodist Publishing House and at the General Board of Discipleship (now Discipleship Ministries). He is married to the Rev. Mary Teasley, also a United Methodist pastor in South Carolina.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR A WORLD WORTH SAVING Lenten Spiritual Practices for Action

978-0-8358-1211-5

LIVING OUR UNITED METHODIST BELIEFS A Leader's Guide for Living Our Beliefs and A Brief History of The United Methodist Church

978-0-8817-7715-4

PUB DATE: SEPTEMBER 2017 PAPERBACK $12.99 978-0-8358-1713-4 eBOOK 978-0-8358-1715-8

$9.99

KINDLE 978-0-8358-1714-1

$9.99

PAGES: 112 TRIM SIZE: 5.5 x 8.5 RELIGION/ Holidays / Christmas & Advent TARGET AUDIENCE • Readers of daily devotions who want something more for the Advent and Christmas seasons • Sunday school classes and small groups looking for an Advent study • Pastors and other church leaders seeking congregational resources for Advent KEY FEATURES • Each chapter has an introduction and 4 meditations • Meditations end with a prayer or reflection questions • Includes a brief Leader’s Guide to help small-group leaders facilitate conversations

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IN DAYS TO COME From Advent to Epiphany George H. Donigian

Sample Excerpt from Chapter 1 Imagine you are an ordinary Christian living in Italy in the year 500 CE. You work in fields or manage household affairs. Perhaps you farm, work in a carpentry shop, or bake goods for sale. Your simple and functional clothing does not differ much from that worn in Jesus’ time or even in ancient Greece five hundred years before Jesus. Men wore short tunics and shirts. Women wore full-length tunics. Your extended family surrounds you. You enjoy family life. You have children who play and work beside you. You work hard. You hear rumors of wars, but those rumors come from far away and you feel secure. Various warrior tribes, such as the Huns, the Visigoths, or the Vandals are attacking nations.

The Empire verges on collapse. With no media reporting, no one knows about the impending collapse. In your spare time, you raise questions about the world; but most of the time you work and talk about community matters and mix in some gossip.

You go to worship. Humanity has not yet put into practice the architectural principles that brought about the great medieval cathedrals.

Christmas approaches and with others in the congregation, you join in prayer. You hear a priest proclaim in the Latin language of the church: O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

(O Emmanuel, king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, Lord, our God.) As you worship, maybe this prayer nudges you to think about God’s vision of salvation for the world. Perhaps you begin to look beyond the drudgery of daily life and anticipate a future of hope fulfilled.

We perceive and experience many changes between the year 500 and our own time. We sometimes describe our daily work as a grind, but that work generally is not as grueling as was the work of the sixth century. We probably do not live near our extended families today, and the dimensions and boundaries of family life differs greatly from the year 500. Today we learn quickly about events beyond our community, and such news often generates fear. We receive news 24/7, but the tyranny of the news cycle allows for little follow-up reporting on yesterday’s big story. Whether we lived in the year 500 or the current year, we share some common points of humanity. Throughout this history, we—along with our ancestors—live with a sense that hope and love will overcome the power of evil. …

We continue to anticipate Christmas and the celebration of Jesus’ birth, this sacred celebration of Emmanuel—God with us. What do you anticipate this Christmas? What vision do you pray to see fulfilled? As you read this week’s meditations and prayers and as you continue the Advent journey toward Christmas, may you experience wonder and awe.

CONTENTS Introduction First Week of Advent: Vision & Anticipation Second Week of Advent: Wisdom & Understanding Third Week of Advent: The Familiar & the New of Tradition Fourth Week of Advent: Generosity Christmas Week: Love and Light Epiphany Week: Harmony & Peace Guidance for Small Groups BENEFITS OF TRADITIONS

• They keep us connected to our past and present.

• They offer stability and order.

• They teach practical skills to new generations.

• They help us make sense of the passage of time.

• They help us cope with loss and trauma.

• They contribute to our identities.

• Traditions impart values.

PREMISE OF BOOK

Offers readers opportunity to look at positive directions for the 6 weeks of Advent and Christmas.

Instead of ending the festivities on December 24, this book will carry readers through to January 6.

Portions of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox tradition, which celebrates Nativity on January 6, will flavor the seasonal continuity of the book. The book will help people gain a longer perspective on the spirituality of Advent-Christmas-Epiphany without getting trapped in the temporary.

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A simple daily practice that draws us into the meaning of Advent

PAUSES FOR ADVENT Words of Wonder Trevor Hudson In this beautifully minimalist book, Trevor Hudson focuses on one biblical word of wonder each day of Advent. Pausing for a few moments to read Hudson’s meditations on the word for the day will guide readers to a deeper understanding of Advent.

Hudson also briefly explores the lives and thoughts of 4 significant characters in the Christmas story, encouraging readers to immerse themselves in the dramatic story. His simple approach provides a doable daily practice and gently leads readers to discover how they can open their hearts and lives more generously to God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Trevor Hudson is a Methodist minister in South Africa. The author of 16 books, he travels widely, teaching and lecturing in the areas of spiritual formation, spiritual direction, and pastoral therapy. Hudson is a senior fellow of the Dallas Willard Center at Westmont University, a teacher at the Renovaré Institute, and a lecturer in the DMin program in spiritual direction at Fuller University. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Benoni, near Johannesburg, and have two adult children.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR BEYOND LONELINESS The Gift of God’s Friendship

978-0-8358-1519-2

PAUSES FOR LENT 40 Words for 40 Days

978-0-8358-1504-8

INVITATIONS OF JESUS

978-0-8358-1312-9

HOLY SPIRIT HERE AND NOW

978-0-8358-1220-7

THE CYCLE OF GRACE Living in Sacred Balance

978-0-8358-1198-9

THE SERENITY PRAYER 978-0-8358-1094-4 A Simple Prayer to Enrich Your Life QUESTIONS GOD ASKS US

PUB DATE: SEPTEMBER 2017 PAPERBACK 978-0-8358-1710-3

$8.99

eBOOK 978-0-8358-1712-7

$4.99

KINDLE 978-0-8358-1711-0

$4.99

PAGES: 72

TRIM SIZE: 5 x 7

RELIGION/ Holidays / Christmas & Advent TARGET AUDIENCE • Busy people who want to carve out a few minutes each day to have a meaningful Advent • Those who don’t know what Advent is about • Buyers of Hudson’s Pauses for Lent and other books KEY FEATURES • Gives readers a thought or action for each day • Offers a simple, doable practice for Advent

978-0-8358-9990-1

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PAUSES FOR ADVENT Words of Wonder Trevor Hudson

Sample Excerpt from Introduction How can we go about taking Advent more seriously? Here are some of my suggestions: First, I invite you to pause briefly each day between and including the four Sundays of Advent.

When a dear friend heard that I was writing about pausing for Advent, she sent me some words of Hugh Prather, “Life is lived in the pauses, not the events.” It will be helpful to be quite intentional about this pausing moment. Carve out a space of between five and ten minutes each day when you can be alone and uninterrupted. Set aside time, then decide on a place where you can go and make a commitment to be faithful for the Advent season.

Second, each day I will focus on a biblical word, a biblical passage, and a brief meditation. It should not take you more than a few minutes to read these. These words will illuminate the different themes of Advent preparation; waiting and watching, remembering and repenting, believing and beholding. Take this word with you into the rest of your day and allow it to percolate within your heart and mind. Think about what God may be saying to you through this word. Let this word interact with the events and encounters of your own life. On the Advent Sundays, I will offer a longer meditation focusing on one of the characters from the cast of the Christmas drama. We meet these characters each Christmas, but sometimes we don’t relate them to our own lives. They remain men and women somewhat foreign and far away. I want to suggest the very opposite. As we try to understand them, they often symbolize those attitudes and actions that can open our lives to a more profound experience of the Christmas mystery.

Third, each day I will provide a simple daily practice.

Thoughts alone seldom transform us. We also must act with intention. So I will suggest that you plan into your day a particular action that embodies the word we are contemplating.

It might be a completely new action, or something that we do every day, but we will do it now with a clearer awareness and reflectiveness. We will become what some have called “contemplatives in action.” Our Advent will turn into Christmas, and Christ may happen for you in your own life experience as he happened in the Bethlehem stable long ago. …

ONE-WORD STRATEGIES:

• WRITING One-Word Prompts One-Word Summaries • TEACHING/LEARNING One-Word Memory – aka Acronym One Word for the Day One-Word Concept – aka Sight Words • MARKETING One-Word Quotes One-Word Campaigns • COUNSELING One-Word Affirmations One-Word Images • TEAM BUILDING One-Word Goals One-Word Projects BENEFITS OF ONE-WORD STRATEGIES:

• Simple to remember • Prompt deeper thought • Go right to the heart of the matter

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A tangible way to stay centered on God during Advent

MANDALAS, CANDLES, AND PRAYER A Simply Centered Advent Sharon Seyfarth Garner Slow down, simplify, and add a burst of color to your Advent this year. The spiritual practice of coloring mandalas, lighting candles, and praying regularly can help us stay centered on God during this busy time of the year.

Based on the 4 candles of the Advent wreath, this coloring book for adults weaves together the popular practice of coloring with four simple methods of contemplative prayer.

Each chapter includes a short vignette, an explanation of the weekly theme and prayer method, a simple candlelighting liturgy, 7 mandalas for each week, and a closing prayer of illumination.

Let the candles light the way and calm your spirit. Color and pray. And you will experience the most meaningful gift of all—a peace that passes all understanding as you journey toward the manger.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rev. Sharon Seyfarth Garner is a United Methodist pastor, spiritual director, and retreat leader in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the founder and director of Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries. She enjoys spending time with her family, kayaking, making pottery, singing loudly, and taking long walks with her husband and dog.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR PRAYING WITH MANDALAS A Colorful, Contemplative Practice

978-0-8358-1634-2

PUB DATE: SEPTEMBER 2017 PAPERBACK $9.99 978-0-8358-1722-6 PAGES: 112

TRIM SIZE: 8 x 10

RELIGION/ Holidays/ Christmas & Advent TARGET AUDIENCE • Individuals who seek creative ways to engage in prayer • Buyers of Advent studies • Church leaders and educators KEY FEATURES • Vignettes related to holiday themes such as candles and lights; some are personal stories • 28 mandalas corresponding with the 4 weeks of Advent, plus 1 mandala for Christmas Day • Weekly themes based on candles of the Advent wreath: Hope, Love, Joy, Peace • Instructions for practicing 4 methods of prayer: Examen, intercessory prayer, lectio divina, centering prayer • Each chapter includes a simple liturgy that can be used by individuals or groups as they light candles on the Advent wreath

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MANDALAS, CANDLES AND PRAYER A Simply Centered Advent Sharon Seyfarth Garner

Sample Candle Lighting Liturgy - Week 1 Prayer of invitation: God of hope, as I light this candle, color the mandala, and pray on purpose, help me slow down and turn my attention to you. Help me to stay simply centered in You this Advent so that I may see beauty amidst brokenness and hope amidst despair. Your light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it. Shine your light on me, in me and through me. May I have eyes to see. Amen.

Lighting of the candle On Sunday: light the first candle of hope on the Advent wreath On weekdays: light a single candle to help center yourself in the light of Christ Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:18-19 With the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

Music: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light (UMH #206) (Sing or read together the following verse) I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus.

God set the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus.

In him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike.

The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

Silent coloring and prayer: Choose a length of time for sacred silence that you feel is best for yourself or for your group. I suggest starting with 20 minutes and then building as you are able. You can play quiet instrumental music if you desire. Draw the time of silence to a close with the unison prayer of illumination.

Unison prayer of illumination: Gracious God, light my path as I journey with Mary and Joseph toward Bethlehem. Open the eyes of my heart and fill me with an awareness of Your Presence in all that I do, all that I say, all that I am. Encircle me with your light. Whisper to me in the silence. Slow me down and let the candles of the Advent wreath light my way. Amen.

CONTENTS Week 1 – Centered in Hope Suggestions for Praying with the Daily Examen Candle-lighting Liturgy Hope Mandalas for Daily Coloring Questions for Consideration and Conversation Week 2 – Centered in Love Suggestions for Intercessory Prayer Candle-lighting Liturgy Love Mandalas for Daily Coloring Questions for Consideration and Conversation

Week 3 – Centered in Joy Suggestions for Lectio Divina Candle-lighting Liturgy Joy Mandalas for Daily Coloring Questions for Consideration and Conversation

Week 4 – Centered in Peace Suggestions for Centering Prayer Candle-lighting Liturgy Peace Mandalas for Daily Coloring Questions for Consideration and Conversation

Christmas Day – Centered in Christ Candle-lighting Liturgy Special Christmas Day Prayer Mandala Questions for Consideration and Conversation

FACTS ABOUT COLORING • • • • • •

•

Sparks creativity Easy to enjoy anywhere, anytime Improves concentration Has the same effects as meditation Strengthens motor skills Reduces stress and anxiety Provides satisfaction of completing a project

Ongoing coloring and conversation: Linger with the coloring if you wish and consider the questions included at the end of the chapter (either individually or with others).

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What difference does Christ’s resurrection make in our lives?

EASTER EARTHQUAKE How Resurrection Shakes Our World James A. Harnish Like a news reporter announcing breaking news, Matthew reports that on the first Easter morning, a great earthquake shook the earth. An angel descended from heaven, rolled back the stone from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, and sat on the stone.

This is the second earthquake recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. The first one took place on Friday, when the noonday sky turned black and Jesus died. Matthew says, “The earth shook, and the rocks were split.”

In Easter Earthquake, James Harnish invites us to place Easter at the center of our Lenten journey. This study explores how Christ’s resurrection shakes some of our most basic assumptions about ourselves and God. Harnish reverses the usual focus of Lenten studies by starting at the empty tomb and seeing the entire journey in light of the resurrection. This different perspective on the Passion can bring fresh energy into our lives as followers of Christ.

PUB DATE: OCTOBER 2017 PAPERBACK 978-0-8358-1716-5

$13.99

eBOOK 978-0-8358-1718-9

$9.99

KINDLE 978-0-8358-1717-2

$9.99

PAGES: 128

TRIM SIZE: 5.5 x 8.5

RELIGION/ Holidays /Easter & Lent

ABOUT THE AUTHOR James A. Harnish is a retired United Methodist pastor, writer, and teacher. He served in pastoral ministry for 43 years, including 22 years as senior pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife, Martha Lea, live in Winter Haven, Florida. They have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren.

TARGET AUDIENCE • Individuals and groups looking for a Lent study • New followers of Christ KEY FEATURES • Thoughtful reflection on scripture and practical application to daily life • Each week begins with reflection on one part of the Easter story, followed by daily meditations on the lectionary scripture readings for Lent • Includes reflection questions • Recommends a hymn for the week as a tool for meditation • Offers church leaders a fresh way to connect with people during Lent

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EASTER EARTHQUAKE How Resurrection Shakes Our World James A. Harnish

Sample Excerpt from Introduction “There was a great earthquake” (Matthew 28:2). Like a cable network news reporter announcing the “breaking news,” Matthew reports that on the first Easter morning an earthquake rocked the earth, ripped open the tomb, and scared the living daylights out of the Romans guards, who “shook with fear and became like dead men.”

It was the second earthquake in Matthew’s Gospel. On Friday, when the noonday sky turned black, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and took his last breath. Matthew says, “The earth shook and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51).

I’ve never experienced an earthquake, but one of my church members was on her way to the World Series game when the quake hit San Francisco in 1989. She told me, “We take for granted that the ground we walk on will always be there, but during an earthquake, even the most basic of assumptions can’t be counted on.”

Earthquakes shake our most basic assumption that the terra firma will stay firm; that the earth will remain steady beneath our feet; that the way the world is, is the way it will always be. When the tectonic plates hidden deep in the earth shift and the ground shakes, it rattles the bedrock assumptions upon which we build our lives.

Whether they show up on the Richter scale or not, there are earthquakes that shake all of us: unexpected shifts in the tectonic plates of our relationships; unanticipated events that rock the assumptions by which we have lived.

Sometimes they are global: the day the World Trade Towers fell or the markets crashed. Sometimes they are deeply personal: the marriage vow that was broken, the cancer that returned, the career that ended, the loved one who died. Suddenly, the earth shakes, and we cry out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

That’s where Matthew left the women on Friday night. They felt the earth shake as they watched Jesus die. They saw Joseph place his battered, bloody body in the tomb that had recently been hewn out of solid rock. They heard the stone roll across the entrance with a heavy, funereal thud. They watched Pilate’s guards put the seal of Rome on it and settle in to make sure that the body stayed where it belonged. Jesus was finished. It was the end of Jesus’ story. Everyone could go back to the old world and their old lives the way they had always been.

But then, the unexpected happened! As the new day dawned, there was a great earthquake. An angel descended—the biblical sign of God’s direct intrusion into human history—rolled back the stone, sat down, crossed his legs, dusted off his hands and with a confident wink said, “You got any larger stones that need to be moved around here?”

CONTENTS An Invitation: There Was an Earthquake

Ash Wednesday: Beginning Where All Our Stories End First Week in Lent: Shaking the Powers Second Week in Lent: Surprising Hope Third Week in Lent: Beyond Belief Fourth Week in Lent: Healing Scars Fifth Week in Lent: New Life in the Graveyard Holy Week: Falling Upward

“If you do not create change, change will create you.” ~Unknown BENEFITS OF CHANGE • Personal growth happens when change occurs.

• Adapting to change makes you flexible.

• Improvements are incorporated when change occurs.

• Change causes reevaluation.

• It leads to more change that is either desired or necessary.

• Overcoming change makes you stronger.

• Change triggers progress.

• Changes offers new opportunities.

A 16th-century Jesuit saint named Cornelius Lapide wrote, “The earth which trembled with sorrow at the death of Jesus, leaped for joy at his resurrection.”…

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Discover a spiritual practice that helps maintain spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health.

FOR SABBATH’S SAKE Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community J. Dana Trent Many Americans balk at the idea of setting aside an entire day for worship, rest, and time with those who matter most to them. In a culture of constant busyness, the lines have blurred between our work and personal lives, and we feel pulled in many directions.

Yet we long for more time well spent—unrushed time to be alone, relax with friends and family, and grow closer to God. Many of us seem to have forgotten the ancient spiritual practice that can help us regain balance in our lives: sabbath.

For Sabbath’s Sake dives into the heart of what keeps us from sabbath. With humor and honesty, J. Dana Trent reveals her own struggles with setting apart a day devoted to God, rest, and community. This book traces the rich history of sabbath, helps readers find ways to overcome barriers to this spiritual practice, and gives them achievable ways to build sabbath into their own lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR J. Dana Trent is an adjunct faculty member at Wake Tech Community College, a speaker and workshop leader, and a grant writer. She is the author of Saffron Cross: The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk. Dana and her husband, Fred Eaker, live in Raleigh, North Carolina.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR SAFFRON CROSS The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk

978-19352-0516-6

PUB DATE: OCTOBER 2017 PAPERBACK $12.99 978-0-8358-1719-6 eBOOK 978-0-8358-1721-9

$9.99

KINDLE 978-0-8358-1720-2

$9.99

PAGES: 144

TRIM SIZE: 6 x 9

RELIGION/ Christian Life / Spiritual Growth TARGET AUDIENCE • Christian women ages 25-65 • Mainstream persons ages 25-65 who yearn for more time well spent KEY FEATURES • Relatable personal stories • Explanation of scriptural, historical, and cultural basis for sabbath in the Judeo and Christian traditions • Explores 3 aspects of sabbath— rest, worship, and community—that are not understood or encouraged in an individualistic world • Practical advice for building sabbath into daily life

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FOR SABBATH’S SAKE Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community J. Dana Trent

Sample Excerpt from Chapter 1

CONTENTS

Chapter 1: A Buffet of Chaos, with a Dash of Botox Chapter 2: Sabbath Roots Chapter 3: The Age of Frenzy Chapter 4: A Different Calling

A Buffet of Chaos, with a Dash of Botox

Chapter 5: Restless Hearts; Sabbath as Solitude and Respite Chapter 6: Sabbath as Worship

“The sabbath is a day for the sake of life.”

—Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath

Last week I lost a Q-tip in my ear. The cotton-swabbed tip broke off, descending like a rabbit tail into my skull. Already ten minutes late for my 30-minute commute to my teaching job, I’d been mindlessly bobbing it in and out of my ear while making the bed, brushing my teeth, getting dressed, and rehearsing lesson plans.

I only noticed something was wrong when I went to toss it the trash can and noticed its missing swab like a twirling baton without a tip. I bent over to see if I’d dropped it on the floor. A tickling sensation and awkward ear-selfie revealed that it was in my head, but nowhere in sight.

Traffic was already backed up. I shook my head; the Q-tip brushed my eardrum. Oh, well. Was it really that dangerous?

I’d gotten so used to chaos. It’s not going anywhere, I thought, surprised by my own apathy.

“Is the entire Q-tip stuck in your ear?” My husband asked, when I called him in traffic.

“Nope. Just the end thingy.”

“The what?”

“The tail thing, the cotton thing, the swab thing, the whatev—” “You need to go to urgent care immediately,” Fred commanded. I heard him googling.

“Like, right now? Why? I’ve got too much to do—” “Go!” Fred said, frustrated at another mess I’d gotten myself into.

“Fred, I’ve got tons to do, I have to teach and then—” “Dana, there are serious consequences if you leave a Q-tip in your ear canal too long. Like hearing loss.”

“What?”

“Hearing loss.”

“Say that again.”

“Go. Now! Call me when you’re done.”

Chapter 7: Sabbath as Gathered Community Chapter 8: My Sabbath Journey (What I’ve Learned So Far) Chapter 9: Making a Sabbath Plan Appendix: Scripture, Prayers, Quotes, Sabbath Ideas, and Further Reading REASONS WHY KEEPING THE SABBATH MATTERS

• To rest—the term sabbath literally means rest.

• It allows for Christian fellowship and encouragement.

• Rest and fellowship allow for conversation.

• Making time to slow down creates room for spending time with and listening to God. • You feel blessed when you rest, fellowship, and connect.

PREMISE OF BOOK

Time is our only nonrenewable resource. Sabbath helps us to “number our days" (Psalm 90:12, NIV). Our culture tells us that slowing down is lazy, useless, wasteful, or leads to death. We’ve been taught to believe that all the stuff that we make, do, and buy will save us. But Jesus knew better, and he wants us to know better too.

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What does it mean to be compassionate in the way Jesus was?

LIVING COMPASSION Loving Like Jesus Andrew Dreitcer In the face of hurtful public discourse and worldwide conflict, many Christians long for lives of genuine compassion. After all, centuries of Christian teachings have insisted that compassion forms the heart of the Christian life.

But what does it mean to be compassionate in the way Jesus was? What does wise, courageous, worldtransforming compassion look like in daily life? And assuming we know what compassion is, how do we form true compassion in our lives? How do we become compassionate toward ourselves and others—even those we experience as enemies?

In response to such questions, psychologists, scientists, and religious teachers offer meditative practices that cultivate compassion. But what about Christianity? Do compassion practices show up within the Christian spiritual path? It turns out they do. But the compassionforming power of these practices has been largely overlooked—until now.

PUB DATE: NOVEMBER 2017 PAPERBACK $14.99 978-0-8358-1723-3 eBOOK 978-0-8358-1725-7

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RELIGION/ Christian Life / Spiritual Growth

In Living Compassion, Andrew Dreitcer leads us through compassion practices that appear from the earliest centuries of Christianity right up to the present. Each practice, whether ancient or contemporary, moves us from understanding compassion to truly living compassion.

TARGET AUDIENCE • Those interested in spiritual life and spiritual practices, particularly Christian compassion formation • College religion courses, seminary Spiritual formation classes, & the Academy for Spiritual Formation

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KEY FEATURES • Teaches how to cultivate compassion through Christianbased practices • Includes examples and stories to illustrate the process of compassion formation

Andrew Dreitcer is a faculty member of Claremont School of Theology, where he is associate professor of spirituality, director of spiritual formation, and codirector of the Center for Engaged Compassion. He and his wife live in Oakland, California, and have 2 adult daughters.

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LIVING COMPASSION Loving Like Jesus Andrew Dreitcer

Sample Excerpt from Introduction Love your enemies. Do good to them. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. — Luke 6:35,36, NLT I was furious. My archenemy had been tormenting me for months— no, years. And now he was backing away from me, egging me on, daring me to punch him. I took the bait, advancing with a warrior stance, fists up, chin out, head high. We moved slowly around the arena, weaving through the crowds of stunned onlookers. My antagonist continued to backpedal, a mocking smile on his face, occasionally calling out an insult. And I continued my methodical pursuit, internally debating my strategy, seeking the most effective strike angle, aware that my height and reach exceeded his, reveling in my rage.

And in the midst of all this fury, this rush to vengeance, something else suddenly came to me, something I was trying to avoid, a voice in my head: “Love your enemies.”

What? "Love your enemies”? Where did that come from?

Actually, its source was clear: Sunday School. And church. And my parents. After all, I was only ten years old. And I was a good Christian boy. A very good Christian boy. But in that moment, I wasn’t looking like a good Christian boy at all. Instead, I was at war.

Or at least I felt like I was at war. But in reality, I was at recess. I was at recess in my tiny, rural Indiana elementary school. The “arena” was the school gymnasium.

Decades before, this gym had been the home of weekly Hoosier high school basketball games, but now it was just a large, dilapidated room with scuffed, warping, wooden floors and a few rows of gray bleachers along one wall. The “stunned onlookers” were just the other little kids pausing for a moment from the frenzied running, yelling, and laughing that filled our twenty-minute break from classes. They wanted no part of whatever I was doing; they just wanted to avoid getting into trouble. And my “archenemy” was Donnie Sherman. Poor little Donnie Sherman—the middle child in a family of seven kids whose parents were barely keeping food on the table. He was small and weak and not really much of a physical threat. Did any of that matter to me? No. Because he had just said rude things about my father—again—and after endlessly taking Donnie’s verbal abuse, I’d had enough. I lost it.

CONTENTS Longing for Compassion

Chapter 1: Living Compassion Chapter 2: Compassion Practices for Grounding in The Presence Chapter 3: Compassion Practices for Yourself Chapter 4: Compassion Practices for Others Chapter 5: A Compassion Practice for Our Time Notes FACTS ON COMPASSION • Compassion makes us happier.

• Compassion opens our hearts and helps us feel connected.

• Compassion is an evolved part of human nature—our first instinct is to help, not compete.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE COMPASSION BOOKS? Practicing Compassion by Frank Rogers was the first book that taught “how to” and not “the why we should” practice compassion. It was written with an interfaith audience in mind.

Compassion in Practice by Frank Rogers expands on the foundation of Practicing Compassion with a focus on how Jesus practiced compassion. It is written for the general Christian audience.

Living Compassion is written to the Christian audience and focuses on the way Jesus practiced compassion and how we can mirror his actions.

Well, that’s not exactly true. I didn’t completely lose it. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to hit Donnie Sherman. I just kept walking toward him, fists up and ready to strike, advancing and threatening, on and on— until a teacher intervened and sent us off to see the principal. So I never did punch Donnie Sherman. That pesky “love your enemies” voice wouldn’t let me.

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Believe, Follow, Grow, Transform: Covenant Discipleship for Children, Youth, and Adults.

DISCIPLES MAKING DISCIPLES A Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups Steven W. Manskar Covenant Discipleship groups, class meetings and class leaders are proved an effective means of forming ChristCentered congregations through training people in the way of Jesus. They are the “method” of Methodism. This book is a guide to the Wesleyan way of forming leaders for discipleship the church needs to carry out its mission.

Discipleship is a journey, a deeply personal experience of self-discovery, struggle, service and growth.

This book provides information needed to organize the ministry, form groups, write a covenant, lead a meeting, support groups so they help the congregation live out its mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. The book also describes the office of class leaders and how to introduce this powerful disciplemaking office to the congregation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Steven W. Manskar is the Director of Wesleyan Leadership for the United Methodist Church. An elder in the Minnesota Annual Conference, he was a pastor for ten years prior to coming to Nashville. He leads workshops and seminars on missional leadership in the Wesleyan tradition and covenant discipleship groups.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR A DISCIPLES JOURNAL 2017 A Guide for Daily Prayer, Bible Reading, and Discipleship

978-08817-7850-2

CLASS LEADERS Recovering a Tradition, A Leader's Guide 978-08817-7649-2 A PERFECT LOVE Understanding John Wesley's A Plain Account of Christian Perfection

978-08817-7426-9

PUB DATE: NOVEMBER 2016 PAPERBACK 978-0-8817-7774-1

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RELIGION/ Christian Ministry/ Discipleship TARGET AUDIENCE • Group Leaders of Small Groups • Individuals seeking accountability partnerships • Spiritual formation classes KEY FEATURES • Teaches how to start a Covenant Discipleship Group • How to write a group covenant • How to lead a group meeting • How to support and grow Covenant Discipleship Groups

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DISCIPLES MAKING DISCIPLES A Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups Steven W. Manskar

Sample Excerpt from Introduction Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall! —Matthew 7:24-27 This book is a comprehensive guide to the Wesleyan way of forming leaders for discipleship the congregation needs to carry out its mission.

Covenant Discipleship groups and class leaders are proven and effective means of forming Christ-centered congregations through training people in the way of Jesus and preparing them to join his mission in the world.

Covenant Discipleship groups and class leaders help congregations connect to the solid rock of Christ and his teachings. In Christ-centered congregation’s members who hear the words of Jesus are equipped to act upon them in joyful obedience, and they in turn lead others to do the same.

CONTENTS Introduction

Chapter 1: Congregational Purpose and Mission Chapter 2: Living as Witnesses: The General Rule of Discipleship Chapter 3: Forming Pillars for Mission: Covenant Groups Chapter 4: The Covenant: Agenda for Discipleship Chapter 5: Introducing Covenant Discipleship to the Congregation Chapter 6: Class Leaders for Today: Disciples Making Disciples Chapter 7: Introducing Class Leaders to the Congregation

The mission of The United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”1 The church believes that the local congregation is where disciples are made. Congregations are local outposts of Christ’s church. God is worshiped, sacraments are celebrated, and the gospel is proclaimed for the world through the lives and witness of professing Christians. The local congregation is where the church intersects with the world, witnessing to Jesus Christ, introducing seeking people to him, inviting them to quit resisting his grace, and equipping them to join his mission in the world he loves.

Epilogue

How Are Disciples Made?

This book is a guide to the Wesleyan way of forming leaders for discipleship the church needs to carry out its mission.

If disciples are made, then we can say with some certainty that there is a method or process for making them. One does not become a disciple by accident. Making something implies intention and planning. It is a process in which the materials used are shaped or assembled into something new and different. For example, when a factory sets out to make an automobile, it begins with a step-by-step procedure for assembling the parts into a working automobile. The various parts are assembled by the hands and labor of workers with varying levels of expertise and training. At each stage of the process, the work in progress is examined for quality and to make sure that all the parts are assembled properly. Each person involved contributes to the final goal of a car that works dependably and satisfies the customer who will ultimately drive it. Nothing is left to chance. Every step of the manufacturing process is well planned and executed by trained engineers and mechanics. Making disciples is in some ways similar to making a car. However, this is probably not the best illustration. Such a

manufacturing process does not apply well to human beings, because the goal of an assembly line is automobiles that are identical. The first car is the same as the one hundredth car is the same as the one thousandth. The goal of disciple making cannot be to produce people who are identical in belief, practice, and appearance. A more appropriate example for disciple making is that of making pottery…

Appendices Notes Covenant Discipleship Lexicon Bibliography PREMISE OF BOOK

THE 3 GENERAL RULES OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1: By doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced.

2: By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all men . . .

3: By attending upon all the ordinances [laws and rules] of God. (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2012)

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Believe, Follow, Grow, Transform: Covenant

Discipleship for Children, Youth, and Adults.

EVERYDAY DISCIPLES Covenant Discipleship with Youth Chris Wilterdink This book provides encouragement and guidance to help youth grow toward a maturity in faith by doing “everyday things” every day. This book resources pastors, youth leaders, and youth groups with information and planning materials related to Covenant Discipleship and accountability practices. It explores the General Rule of Discipleship and how practicing the works of piety and mercy everyday helps create a more mature faith.

Covenant Discipleship helps connect youth with Christ and one another through mutual accountability and support for living in the works as Christ’s followers. The book includes suggestions for form in covenants and exploring accountability, as well as customizable plan to start, maintain and evaluate Covenant Disciples groups for youth.

PUB DATE: NOVEMBER 2016 PAPERBACK 978-0-8817-7793-2

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RELIGION/ Christian Ministry/ Discipleship

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Director of Young People’s Ministries Development. Chris has a BA in English Education, and an MS in Project Management, and over 15 years of local-church youth ministry experience. He is passionate about leadership and faith development in young people and helping ministry leaders understand their value in the lives of young people. A Stephen Minister, Chris is a native of Colorado living in Franklin, TN with his wife Emily, 2 children, and sausage-shaped beagle.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR LEADERSHIP LAB for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Youth

TARGET AUDIENCE • Youth Ministry & Leaders • Spiritual formation classes KEY FEATURES • Suggestions for forming covenant and accountability groups • Includes a customizable plan to start, maintain, and evaluate Covenant Discipleship groups for youth.

978-08817-7631-7

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EVERYDAY DISCIPLES Covenant Discipleship with Youth Chris Wilterdink

Sample Excerpt from Introduction Everyday Things, Every Day When we think about natural or human events that change the world, the easiest moments to recall are famous events or people that seemingly shock the world and things are different afterward. In history class, this would be called the great man theory. Popular in the 1800s (the same time that Methodism was booming in the United States), the theory said human history can largely be explained by the arrival of highly influential individuals that make change happen. The world is different because of Jesus or because of the apostle Paul. The world is different because of Genghis Khan. The world is different because of Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., John Wesley, John Calvin, Rosa Parks . . . The world is also different because of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, the Industrial Revolution, the 2011 earthquake in Japan, the Manhattan Project, the bubonic plague, famine, and many other natural or human-made events. The list could go on and on. Yet for their infamy, these people and events are just moments in the long timeline of God’s relationship with people and the world.

Smaller acts, done regularly by many, actually shape our world and our lives in a much greater way than a handful of moments.

Take, for example, the earthworm. These armless, legless creatures make a huge difference in shaping the world, through doing what they are designed to do every day. One earthworm can digest thirty-six tons of soil in one year, and in places where earthworms are common, an average of twenty-five worms live in a square foot of soil. That means about 2.5 million worms per hectare (about 2.5 acres) are just being worms: eating dirt and changing the shape of our world by moving more than forty-five metric tons of dirt a year! The world has about 1,386,000 hectares of farming land, so worms just doing their thing every day move over 6.2 billion metric tons of earth every year (Land Use table, A4, FAO Statistical Yearbook). Every year, worms move enough earth to equal the weight of 118 Great Pyramids of Giza!

World changers don’t need to be big and famous; they need to live into their purpose every day. As people, we are created to be in relationship with God, to be stewards of the world and caretakers for our brothers and sisters. Covenant Discipleship is a way for people to do everyday things every day—and that leads to transformation. Yes, there will always be famous people or historical markers that define ages or generations, but the slow and steady process of salvation in the world happens because of everyday people doing everyday things every day.

CONTENTS Introduction

Chapter 1: Learning from the Past—Seems like Madness, But There’s Method(ist) in It Chapter 2: Covenant Discipleship: Common Methods, Uncommon Results Chapter 3: Planning Your Doing: Ideas for Developing Discipleship Habits Chapter 4: Launching Covenant Discipleship Groups Chapter 5: A Compassion Practice for Our Time Appendix Covenant Discipleship Glossary References PREMISE OF BOOK This resource is intended for adult leaders of youth who are committed to helping them grow as disciples of Jesus. Covenant Discipleship groups help encourage accountability and action for youth who seek to intentionally pattern their lives as Christians. Use this book to inspire your whole church to engage in this method of creating world-changing disciples.

THREE REASONS FOR THIS BOOK 1. Covenant Discipleship will keep us looking for new and different ways to live out our faith.

2. Being in a Covenant Discipleship group keeps faith alive, healthy, growing, and dynamic.

3. By sharing our own stories and experiences and listening to stories from others, the chances that we’ll see God and experience Jesus in different ways are greatly improved.

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Believe, Follow, Grow, Transform: Covenant Discipleship for Children, Youth, and Adults.

GROWING EVERYDAY DISCIPLES Covenant Discipleship with Children Melanie C. Gordon, Susan Groseclose, and Gayle Quay This book is a formational resource that equips adults who serve in ministry with children ages 8-11 to guide children towards a mature faith through everyday acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Covenant Discipleship helps connect children with Jesus Christ and one another through ongoing mutual accountability and support for living in the world as Christ followers.

The resource offers leaders in ministry with children suggestions for forming covenants, exploring accountability, evaluations, and a choice of plans to organize, maintain, and evaluate Covenant Discipleship groups with children. This resource also provides a brief background on discipleship, covenants, and society meetings of the Methodist Movement, and can be used as preparation for confirmation.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Melanie C. Gordon serves as Director of Ministry with Children at Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church. She is responsible to The United Methodist congregations for providing nationwide training and resourcing, while providing research and networking opportunities for leaders and teachers engaged in ministry with children. Melanie holds degrees from Clemson University and Duke University. She authored a book and blogs regularly on issues that impact how children grow in faith at ministrywithchildren.com.

Susan Groseclose, an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. She is a published writer and editor for periodicals, books, and curriculum. Susan is currently serving as Pastor of Children and Worship at Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN and is a church revitalization consultant.

Rev. Gayle Quay has served as a full time ordained deacon. She has served churches in Western North Carolina and the South Carolina conferences since 1982. She holds a BA degree from Florida Southern College and a MA degree from Scarritt Graduate Center. She has served in all areas of Christian education and for the last fifteen years solely in the area of children’s ministry. Her passion is for children to grow in their faith and become disciples of Christ.

PUB DATE: NOVEMBER 2016 PAPERBACK 978-0-8817-7695-9

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RELIGION/ Christian Ministry/ Discipleship TARGET AUDIENCE • Children’s Ministry & Leaders • Small Group Leaders KEY FEATURES • Includes an outline for setting up a Covenant Discipleship group with children, information to share with parents, guardians & congregants.

• Includes training models for adult guides, an outline for gathering time, weekly schedules, sample covenants, evaluations, and much more.

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GROWING EVERYDAY DISCIPLES Covenant Discipleship with Children Melanie C. Gordon, Susan Groseclose, and Gayle Quay

Sample Excerpt from Introduction Children Are People of Story Jesus and the Disciples

Imagine Jesus and the disciples gathered under a tree or by the river, discussing the work of the day. Do you remember how Jesus questioned the disciples in their judgment of others, yet never turned away from them? Instead Jesus used story and experience to teach his disciples how they were to live, loving God and loving their neighbors. Do you remember the question from a lawyer in the crowd, “Who is my neighbor”? (Luke 10:29). We still struggle with understanding who this neighbor is that we are to love. Is it the person living next door? Does it extend to people throughout the community? What about those living on the other side of the world?

Jesus describes our neighbor as one who extends mercy to another. Sometimes we ask ourselves, how can I love all these people? I am just one person! That becomes one of the important aspects of Covenant Discipleship. We are in a community with others that allows us to extend the reach of God’s love through our actions as a community of disciples. It is true that we can physically touch only those who are living around us, but that does not mean we cannot positively affect the lives of people around the world.

One special characteristic of children is their deep ability to love unconditionally. They come to us primed and ready to love, and we must do all we can to help them express that love by providing them a nurturing environment that helps them grow in the love of Christ. Through our baptismal covenant, we are initiated into the Christian life, and while all the children who participate in Covenant Discipleship may not be baptized, it is through our baptism that we were adopted into the family of God, marking us as disciples of Jesus Christ who show the love of God through works of mercy and piety.

Covenant Discipleship with Children is rooted in Jesus’ relationship with the disciples. Jesus and his disciples met as a small group. They prayed together. They worshiped in the company of all who gathered to experience Jesus. Although the disciples sometimes struggled with justice issues, Jesus set the standard as he spoke for those who were oppressed. The Gospels include numerous examples of compassion. We may not possess the gift of healing as Jesus healed, but we are given the gift of compassion, and through compassion, others are healed.

CONTENTS Children Are People of Story

Chapter 1: Principles of Covenant Discipleship with Children Chapter 2: Planning Covenant Discipleship with Children Chapter 3: Guiding this Pilgrimage Chapter 4: The First Gathering Chapter 5: Models for ParentChild meeting and Adult Guide Training Appendices Resources Covenant Discipleship Glossary PREMISE OF BOOK Covenant Discipleship with Children is a contemporary adaptation of the early Methodist class meeting, guided by the General Rule of Discipleship: “to witness to Jesus Christ in the world and to follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,” an understanding of the General Rules used by societies and classes.

THE GENERAL RULE OF DISCIPLESHIP

To witness to Jesus Christ in the world and to follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

—The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2012

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Thinking outside the box for 21st Century church growth.

FLIPPING CHURCH How Successful Church Planters Are Turning Conventional Wisdom Upside-Down Michael Baughman, Ed. An innovative anthology written by successful church planters who have consistently and successfully challenged prevailing assumptions about healthy church development and "best practices." This informative book gives insight into how they broke the mold of church planting. Includes chapters written by Michael Baughman, Olu Brown, Doug Cunningham, Kenda Creasy Dean, Mark DeVries, Amanda Garber, Trey Hall, Diane Harrison, Elaine Heath, Jerry Herships, Derek Jacobs, Matt Miofsky, David Rangel, and Owen Ross.

They have discovered a divine creative spark in breaking the rules of conventional church wisdom and cultivated a flame which they bring back into the church in this book.

Readers will be inspired and empowered in their own ways to impact their area of ministry.

PUB DATE: JUNE 2016 PAPERBACK 978-0-8817-7853-3

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAGES: 192 TRIM SIZE: 6 x 9

Rev. Mike Baughman is founding pastor and Community Curator for Union, a Coffee House and Church located in Dallas, Texas. Just as a curator in a museum takes different works of art and puts them together in ways that strengthen the museum’s collection, Mike seeks to do the same work at Union– pulling together different parts of the community to strengthen Dallas. A New Jersey native, Mike attended Duke University and Princeton Theological Seminary but has now well-embedded himself into Dallas culture. Mike has presented at TEDxSMU, Dallas Startup Week and served on the 2014-2015 Mayor’s Star Council. He’s written, edited or contributed to a long list of books / curricula for Sparkhouse, Cokesbury and more. He is always eager to share Union’s story with those interested in Union’s unique community and model.

RELIGION/ Christian Church/ Growth TARGET AUDIENCE • Church leaders and planters

• Community leaders

KEY FEATURES

• Personal stories of success and failure • Additional comments from all the contributors on others’ essays • Also available in digital formats

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FLIPPING CHURCH How Successful Church Planters Are Turning Conventional Wisdom Upside-Down Michael Baughman, Ed.

Sample Excerpt from Preface

CONTENTS Preface by Doug Ruffle

Forward by Kendra Creasy Dean and Mark DeVries Introduction Chapter 1: Start a Church

In the summer of 2013, the staff of Path 1 (New Church Starts at Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church) along with a selected group of associates from around the United States embarked on an extensive road trip during which we visited more than 320 of the new churches that were planted in the previous five years. Through hundreds of conversations with church planters and judicatory leaders of congregational development, we learned about the hopes and heartaches of starting new places for new people and revitalizing existing churches among the people called Methodist in the United States. We learned of innovative out-of-the-box church plants as well as traditional strategies that are reaching new people and making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We celebrated the many ways that annual conferences and districts of the church are finding ways to form new communities of faith. We also learned that there was a lack of resources to guide new church planting in a Wesleyan theological perspective. As a result, we set out to create Wesleyan Church Planting Resources. Our hope is that these resources will not only help those who plant new churches but also help in the revitalization of existing churches. Flipping Church is the second book to be published as part of this initiative.

Michael Baughman, an innovative church planter in Dallas, Texas, had the vision of bringing together a group of church planters to write about the various ways in which new church planting is turning upside down traditional notions of how to be the church. I know that you will learn about new approaches to ministry by reading this book, and I know that it will not only help endeavors to start new places for new people but also stimulate conversation for existing churches as they seek to reach people in their communities.

Chapter 2: one Pastor and One Location Are Enough to Launch a Church Chapter 3: Polished Excellence Draws Young People Chapter 4: Cities Present More Challenges than Opportunities Chapter 5: Church Planters Have to Be Like the People They Serve Chapter 5: Churches Can’t Bring in the “New” Without Losing the “Old” Chapter 6: Churches Don’t Grow in the Summer Chapter 7: Rigid Theology, Big Stages, and Dark Rooms Chapter 8: Churches Go into Prisons, They Aren’t in Prisons Chapter 9: Planting Churches Requires Clergy Chapter 10: Truly Multiethnic Churches Don’t Work Chapter 11: New Church Starts with African American Community Aren’t Sustainable Chapter 12: Size Matters Notes

ENDORSED BY

.

—Rev. Amy Barker Valdez, PhD Bookstore.UpperRoom.org Executive Secretary, United Methodist

Reaching a wide variety of the community both outside and inside the church walls

A MISSIONARY MINDSET What Church Leaders Need to Know to Reach Their Community--Lessons from E. Stanley Jones Douglas Ruffle To reach our communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need, more than ever before in the Western world, a missionary mindset. Doug Ruffle writes A Missionary Mindset using the timeless principles of E. Stanley Jones and transfers them for use today. Teaching us to approach the mission field as if we were from a different country and learning a new culture, a new way of communicating, and a new way to connect people to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

PUB DATE: MAY 2016

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Douglas Ruffle serves as associate executive director of Path 1, the Division of New Church Starts at Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church. Before accepting this position in 2013, he served as coordinator of congregational development for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. Ruffle is author of Roadmap to Renewal: Rediscovering the Church’s Mission, which has been translated into Spanish (Hoja de Ruta: La Iglesia Renueva Su Misión). From 1978 to 1987, he served as a missionary (obrero fraternal) in Argentina under the auspices of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. While in Argentina, Douglas served as a pastor in the Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina as well as a chaplain at the Latin American Education Center (Rosario). Doug holds the bachelor of arts degree from Drew University, a master of divinity degree from Harvard University, a master of theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a PhD from Drew University. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Tammie, and enjoys music, baseball, travel, and volunteering at his local church.

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RELIGION/ Christian Ministry/ Discipleship TARGET AUDIENCE • Church leaders looking to have an impact in their community • Church planters • Mission and outreach ministers KEY FEATURES • Relatable personal stories • Reflection questions

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A MISSIONARY MINDSET What Church Leaders Need to Know to Reach Their Community--Lessons from E. Stanley Jones Douglas Ruffle

Sample Excerpt from Introduction To reach our communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need, more than ever before in the Western world, a missionary mindset. Our context for ministry is less and less familiar with Christianity, so it feels more and more like a foreign mission field. One of the first things we need to do is overcome any reticence with the term missionary. I should know; I bore the label myself.

Two years after graduating from seminary, I was headed to Argentina to serve as a “missionary.” I disdained the term at the time. I had heard too many stories of how missionaries had messed things up for indigenous people. I preferred the term fraternal worker, the English translation of the term obrero fraternal employed by the church that received me, the Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina. My wife, our three-month-old son, and I boarded a flight from Miami to Buenos Aires in the fall of 1978. After serving briefly as an interim pastor for an English-speaking church while learning the Spanish language, we spent the majority of our first three years in a small rural city, Dolores, 120 miles south of the city of Buenos Aires.

Only nine years before, the Argentine Methodists had graduated from being a “mission church” of The United Methodist Church to being a church on its own. While still connected historically and practically to its mother church in the United States, it now governed itself and elected its own leaders. They had requested a pastor from the United States and preferred the term fraternal worker because it honored their choice and autonomy. I readily saw myself in this role—a worker sent by one sister church to help another sister church, and so I, too, embraced the term.

My home church back in New Jersey referred to me as a “missionary,” though. They would not have understood any other term, so in my correspondence with folks back home, I used the default missionary…

CONTENTS

Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Remembering E. Stanley Jones Chapter 2: Prayer: Keeping Our Focus on God Chapter 3: Self-Awareness Chapter 4: Listening Chapter 5: Humility Chapter 6: Love Chapter 7: Planting Like Paul Chapter 8: The Kingdom Chapter 9: Trust Small Group Study Guide Appendix Resources for Self-Awareness Notes ENDORSED BY —Leonard Sweet, best-selling author of From Tablet to Table, Professor (Drew University, George Fox University, and Tabor College), and founder of preachthestory.com —Anne Mathews-Younes, EdD, DMin., President, The E. Stanley Jones Foundation —Ken Carter, Resident Bishop, Florida Area, The United Methodist Church —Jim Ozier, New Church Development & Congregational Transformation, North Texas Conference, The United Methodist Church —Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar, Resident Bishop of the New England Annual Conference, The United Methodist Church —Rev. Dr. Varlyna D. Wright, District Superintendent, Capital, The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey —Dr. Jeff Olive, Director of New Church Development, Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, www.txcumc.org

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Essential information on spirituality for the generation that has had an impact on every phase of life.

BOOMER SPIRITUALITY Seven Values for the Second Half of Life Craig Kennet Miller As the boomer generation navigates dramatic change as it ages, it will be informed by a unique spirituality that was forged in the tumultuous years of the 1960s and 1970s. If you are a boomer, you are sure to be reminded of the events and experiences that had an impact on you when you were young. If you are the child of a boomer, this book will help you understand why your parents act the way they do. If you are creating ministry for this generation, this will be your guide to the way boomers view the world and look toward the future.

Boomer Spirituality invites you to explore the values of brokenness, loneliness, rootlessness, and self-seeking that form the spiritual roots of boomers. Godliness, supernaturalism, and wholeness capture the boomers’ unique search for God as they look toward a future that is filled with peril and promise. As boomers age, these issues will not suddenly disappear. They will be amplified as younger generations wrestle with how to take care of an aging generation who wants to stay young, who relishes its freedom, and whose rampant individualism has led to broken relationships and diminished financial resources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Craig Kennet Miller is the Director of Pastoral Leadership through Disciple-Making Faith Communities at General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church in Nashville. He is an elder in the Cal Pac Annual Conference and the author of numerous books.

Gen2Gen Sharing Jesus Across the Generations 7 Myths of the United Methodist Church iKids Parenting in the Digital Age

978-08817-7629-4

PUB DATE: JANUARY 2017 PAPERBACK 978-0-8817-7781-9

$17.00

eBOOK 978-0-8817-7783-3

$9.99

KINDLE 978-0-8817-7782-6

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PAGES: 160 TRIM SIZE: 7.5 x 9.25 RELIGION/ Christian Education/ Adult TARGET AUDIENCE • Church leaders working with spiritual but not religious adults • Adult ministry leaders • Senior care ministers KEY FEATURES • Relatable personal stories • Easy to follow statistics and facts

978-08817-7529-7 978-08817-7704-8

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BOOMER SPIRITUALITY

oasis of golf, swimming, and frequent trips to the local casino is not a reality for most of those approaching retirement age…

Seven Values for the Second Half of Life Craig Kennet Miller

Sample Excerpt from Introduction Change can happen as the result of sudden events, like Pearl Harbor or 9/11, which can turn history on a dime and set the forces of culture in a new direction. Or change can happen as the result of political decisions lived into overtime—like the evolving history of the United States since its birth as a nation or the Chinese revolution of Mao that shaped the lives of more than a billion people since 1949.

The change we are talking about in this book—demographic change—is different. Demographic change comes with a timeline that gives us a past, the present, and a presumed future of a generation. As the result of a high birth rate in the United States from 1946 to 1964, the baby boomer generation has had an impact on every phase of life.

Born after World War II, boomers have made their mark on each stage of the life span by virtue of their sheer numbers. Whether it was scooping up coonskin hats, hula hoops, and Barbie dolls when they were children, or embracing the ethos of rock ’n’ roll when they were teenagers, or getting in on the housing boom of the 1990s, this generation has long asserted its influence on the American culture.

Boomers are now in the second half of life (age fifty and older). Because of longer life spans, more people are living into their eighties and nineties. Some will live past one hundred. In 2020, the oldest boomer will turn seventy-four years old, while the youngest will turn fifty six. By 2035 the oldest boomer will be eighty-nine and the youngest will be seventy-one.

At first glance, this may not seem to be a big deal—until you do the math. From now until 2029, ten thousand boomers will retire every day. The number of people over the age of sixty-five in the United States will grow from 56 million in 2020 to 79 million in 2035. By 2050, the number of adults in the U.S. over the age of sixty-five will increase to more than 89 million. Even more startling, the number of oldest old, those over eighty-five, will go from 7 million in 2020 to 19 million in 2050, almost tripling the number of those who will need the most care.1 It’s hard to understand the implications of these numbers. At no time in history has there been such a large number of people over sixty five years of age actively engaged in life. Because of scientific breakthroughs in medical technology, food preparation, and health care, people are living longer, much longer. While we may laugh at statements like “sixty is the new fifty,” the second half of life for boomers will be much different from that of previous generations. The reality is our society is ill-prepared for the demographic wave that is coming our way. The idea that retirement is a reward for work well done is long over. The concept of the endless vacation free of responsibility is just not feasible for most people. The image of a walled

CONTENTS Introduction

PART ONE: Spiritual Roots Chapter 1: Brokenness Chapter 2: Loneliness Chapter 3: Rootlessness Chapter 4: Self-Seeking PART TWO: The Search for God Chapter 5: Godliness Chapter 6: Supernaturalism Chapter 7: Wholeness Notes PREMISE OF BOOK Offers personal musings of a boomer that are part history, part cultural commentary, and part spiritual insight. Explores the values and experiences that will once again change dynamics of spirituality. At first glance this may not seem to be a big deal— until you do the math. It’s hard to understand the implications of these numbers.

At no time in history has there been such a large number of people over sixty-five years of age actively engaged in life. It is the author’s hope that you will also find a thread of conviction that runs throughout the book— God stills love us.

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