Life crises threaten our spiritual stability. Losing a loved one—whether or not you expect their death—is always traumatic. The trauma of adjusting to the new identity of widow while facing a multitude of questions and urgent decisions can be overwhelming. In this book of 60 meditations, Nell Noonan candidly shares her experiences in the 26 months after the death of her husband. She describes her journey in grief as packed with blessings and brokenness. Despite the low points, she managed to ...

"When the church embraces the responsibility of living as faith managers of God's vast resources [as Psalm 24:1 teaches], the community of faith will prosper." So begins this practical and theological study of stewardship, both in the context of the African-American church tradition and beyond. After all, a systematic approach to stewardship undergirds the ministry and mission of the church universal. A stewardship consultant, Amerson draws upon his experience to help churches develop a the...

Sometimes a pause is good for the soul. It gives us the chance to regroup, reflect, and refocus on God. In Pauses for Lent, Trevor Hudson offers a beautifully minimalist book in which he focuses on one word for each day of Lent. You are invited to pause, focus on the word, read a scripture and a brief meditation related to the word, and then offer a prayer. Pausing in this way will help you carve out time for God and refresh your spirit even in the midst of a busy life. You may find yourself ...

Getting to know God means getting to know ourselves. The more we know who God is the more we know who we are. The Gospel of John records several declarations of Jesus known as the "I Am" sayings. This 7-week study is designed for the entire congregation to explore each of those sayings and will help you find and form an answer to the most essential question in the Christian faith, "Who do you say I am?" One by one, Jesus' statements grab our imagination, reveal more about his identity and pu...

Give your children the greatest gift of all—pass on your faith. In Passing It On, Kara Lassen Oliver provides a practical guide to help parents, grandparents, and other concerned adults nurture their children's faith. For four weeks at a time, she offers easy-to-follow suggestions for families during the seasons of Advent, Lent, summer, and back to school. This book features plans for weekly Family Gatherings with age-appropriate activities symbols to remind family members of the week's spi...

Dr. Stamm integrates the biblical, theological, and pastoral insight fitting of a liturgical scholar-pastor as he attempts to improve and deepen the church's congregational practice of intercessory prayer. In Devoting Ourselves to the Prayers: A Baptismal Theology for the Church's Intercessory Work, Dr. Stamm points to the strong biblical and historical connections between baptism and intercessory prayer, suggesting that intercessory prayer is a vocation—a calling—rooted in our common baptism...

Do you long to teach your children to pray? How do you build a prayerful family when everyone is running in different directions? In Scrambled Starts, Youngman shares honestly from her family's journey as she tried to build prayer into their daily lives. This encouraging book for parents and families includes prayers for mealtime and bedtime prayers for specific occasions and ordinary times prayers for all ages scriptures to memorize help for starting a family devotion time Benefit from ...

Children Worship! offers planned experiences that help children understand what is expected in worship, how to participate, and what our words and actions mean. This thirteen-session worship education resource helps congregations incorporate young children into the worshiping community. Sessions focus on the six actions of worship and cover the following topics: Gathering, Giving, Praise and Thanks, Praying, Proclaiming, Responding, and Sending.

Music is such an important part of Advent and Christmas. Can you imagine Advent without "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"? How about Christmas without carols like "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," and "Joy to the World"? It pleases the Lord Jesus when we sing of his coming with carols we know by heart. It pleases him even more when we think about the words we are singing. In 24 reflections on well-known carols and Christmas songs, James Howell explores the birth of Jesus. He ponders the ...

A resource for both newcomers to the United Methodist Church and those who have been members for decades, Our Membership Vows is a wonderful reflection on the vows each member takes upon joining the church. Members make covenant to uphold the vows, and each one is discussed in this easy-to-read booklet. A great gift idea for churches to give to new members.