In an age when vacationers on pleasure cruises can expect to be on tightly planned and pressure-packed schedules, a restful renewal seems alien. "I will give you rest," Jesus said (Matt. 11:28). The Bible places a strong emphasis on sabbath time. Experiencing solitude, play, and life at a slower rhythm are precious pathways that allow God to nurture our souls. Retreats have the special focus that offer personal growth as participants are guided to look at life and the world with God in mind....

Because of the more aggressive and confrontational tactics we hear about, evangelism has developed a bad connotation. Doors are shut hurriedly, phone calls end abruptly, and e-mails left unanswered. After all, isn't this a task better handled by the pastor? Perhaps it's time to reexamine John Wesley's model of evangelism as a full, natural circle—where it's a communal beginning point rather than a solitary end. The central motive of authentic evangelism is: Having received a message that's ma...

It's been said that Centering Prayer is like two friends sitting together in silence, just being in each other's presence—completely natural and comfortable. Yet, Centering Prayer is sometimes viewed as too mysterious, too escapist, too hard. At first, it even appeared that way to the author, but events in his life and his further studies about prayer changed his views. Through Muyskens' insightful guidance, you'll explore a method of prayer that goes deeper than verbal conversations with God...

Celebrate the joyful spiritual spark found in Africana worship! Worship is the lifeblood of the church. To Africana worshippers, God is very present in the service, and the response is heartfelt, jubilant and authentic. The Africana Worship Book uncovers the "best-of" from the African-American church as well as from the Caribbean, American, and African shores. The collected works found in this resource, which are based on Year A the Revised Common Lectionary, include profound and grace-filled...

"You gave me a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip." —Psalm 18:36 Places are part of our personal story and can be important keys to understanding God's presence in our life. Whether the sacred place lies at the water's edge, in a quiet, small town or in pristine, high-country mountains, all have felt pulled and connected to a spot. Perhaps at the least likely moment you felt touched by God's presence just when you needed it most, even if it was in a mundane, public p...

People who pray together can change the world. A faith community's deepening prayer life depends on an effective spiritual leader. Many are willing to assume this role, but some aspiring guides have trouble making the transition from an individual practice to leading a group. Wolpert demonstrates how personal devotion can evolve into leadership practice. Bestselling spiritual leadership books "provide insights from secular leadership disciplines and then add a paragraph about how these discip...

Discover new insights about the passion story through the lenses of Jesus' parables. "Parables nudge us all to receptive insight," writes Indermark. "For those new to the Lenten journey, they give access to the holy through the ordinary. For those who have navigated this season many times, they allow an opportunity to experience Lent from a different perspective. …[Parables] take us deeper, revealing the approaching realm of the God who has come to us in One who teaches still in parables." Le...

Is your goal to build great churches or make great disciples? Is your congregation full of professing-only Christians? Becoming a Christian disciple is supposed to be life-altering, a process of maturation and transformation. The church is to intentionally support that development—both individually and corporately. Sometimes, though, pitfalls and barriers in life and even within the church itself can damage the committed but unequipped follower. Proposing a "deep-sea change" from the typical ...

A high unemployment rate, tensions and wars around the world, soaring gas prices, job stress…Are today's anxieties shrinking your Christmas spirit, your sense of joy, your purpose, your song? This Advent, expect the unexpected. Reconnect with the Christmas story, the arrival of Christ's biblical message of hope and healing for this world. Expecting the Unexpected is a spiritual feast for the mind and imagination. Use it each day of the four-week Advent season. Open it and find: vivid da...

Hawkins helps lay speakers identify the roles they play as leaders of small groups and helps them understand the power their leadership can have in transforming Christian lives. The text for this course is The Christian Small-Group Leader.