What is the meaning of baptism? Why do United Methodists baptize babies? The authors explain the biblical and theological meanings of the sacrament of baptism through the words of the Baptismal Covenant of The United Methodist Church. This book is for parents and guardians preparing to present their children for baptism, and for those who seek a deeper knowledge of this sacrament. A great handbook for ministers.

This guide provides information for conference and district directors of Lay Servant Ministries, including: the responsibilities of conference and district directors guidance for organizing Lay Servant Ministries tools for administration information on the Association of Conference Directors of Lay Servant Ministries (ACDLSM) other helpful resources

The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Leader's Guide is an introductory course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It can be used with adults and youth and is the foundational course for other leadership training courses. This course covers the 3 three core categories of Lay Servant Ministries: Leading, Caring, and Communicating; it also emphasizes ministry in daily life and sharing faith stories. The plans in this Leader's Guide ar...

"God calls you to a life of servanthood as a disciple of Jesus Christ. …Lay Servant Ministries is the first step for many laypersons toward their faith journey as they strive for a closer relationship with the Lord," the authors write in the introduction. The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It explores personal spiritual gifts servant leadership each leader's role in d...

Worldwide scholarship has established the fact that Africa is the cradle land of humanity. Dr. Kurewa promotes the theory that African Religion could very easily have been the proto-religion of humanity, and a religion from which other monotheistic religions, such as Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam have their roots. The author shifts the traditional African historical studies stance of looking at Africa from Egypt alone, and instead looks at Africa from inside Africa. Dr. Kur...

Have you ever thought of older adults in your church as being vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, or neglect? The statistics are sobering. According to the AARP Bulletin, each year 1 in 7 older Americans is victimized physically, emotionally, or financially. But many cases of elder abuse go unreported. Elder abuse can happen to any older person—someone in your church, your neighbor, your loved one, even yourself—and anywhere. No church is immune from this reality. Don't let your church be part...

Is your congregation living up to its mission? After all, making disciples is what churches are supposed to do. So how do churches go about making disciples? What is a disciple, anyway? And how do congregations know whether they are actually helping people to grow in their faith? Charting a Course for Discipleship provides a step-by-step plan that will help any congregation design a disciple formation process that is effective for its particular context. It will help your church to: identif...

One of the most critical elements in successful Emmaus and Chrysalis communities is the relationship between the two. The Emmaus and Chrysalis movements were designed to function as partners in ministry. This booklet is for Emmaus communities that are supporting the Chrysalis movement in their area. It explains the way Chrysalis was meant to be formed and organized, and how to build lasting relationships that are mutually supportive of Chrysalis and Emmaus.

What kind of fruit are you bearing for Christ? The apostle Paul uses the term "fruit of the Spirit" to describe traits of the Holy Spirit that should be evident in every Christian. The fruit we bear indicates how much we resemble Jesus, our model and mentor. The fruit of the Spirit, listed in Galatians 5:22-23, include: love joy peace patience kindness goodness gentleness self-control The fruit of the Spirit should characterize each Emmaus or Chrysalis team, Board of Directors or standing...

Why is it important to prepare your heart for Holy Communion? Holy Communion (also known as the Lord's Supper, service of Word and Table, or Eucharist) is an act of worship that Christians are called to offer to God, Robert Benson believes. "[The observance of Communion] is a critical part of our life together," he notes. "It seems critically important that we approach this act of praise and thanksgiving with some measure of reverence." Benson invites us to take a fresh look at this central p...