A guide to the seasons, festivals, and rhythms of the Christian yearKeeping time with Christ means more than just remembering when Lent begins or keeping Christmas from overtaking Advent. Christian time is about ordering our days, weeks, years, and lives around the great mystery of faith: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”Time Made Holy provides an accessible overview of the major festivals and seasons of the Christian year, beginning with and grounded by the...
In this practical and reflective workbook, readers transform ordinary moments into powerful stories of faith, strengthening their ability to share the good news while inspiring others through the power of sacred storytelling.For many Christians, talking about faith can feel uncomfortable, vulnerable, or even intimidating. Yet stories of faith—whether dramatic or ordinary—have long shaped Christian communities, reminding believers of God's presence in their lives and encouraging them to live with...
In this new edition, John P. Burgess has updated references to the new Form of Government to reflect all major changes since 2018. How can the Book of Confessions help ministers, elders, deacons, and other lay leaders when they face challenging situations within their congregations? John P. Burgess offers answers in this updated edition of Confessing Our Faith. Using the confessions as a framework, Burgess covers areas of ministry such as evangelism, discipleship, congregational c...
Providing practical wisdom for churches embracing LGBTQIA inclusion, Beyond Affirming assists congregations and their leaders with truly living into their commitments to become places of healing, belonging, and celebration.More churches than ever before consider themselves "affirming." They openly support gay, lesbian, and other queer people being married, ordained, and participating in all the church’s ministries, and they proudly share this affirmation with visible pride. But that declaration—...
Empower LGBTQIA youth in your church with the help of practical guidance, compassionate care, and fresh insights designed to build affirming, supportive faith communities.Despite our best efforts to create welcoming and affirming congregations, the reality is that church can still be a harmful place for LGBTQIA youth. A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth, Updated Edition helps pastors and church leaders reflect on the various trials that adolescence brings for LGBTQIA youth and understan...
Are you a clergy member called to speak on faith, justice, and activism beyond church walls? From Pulpit to Public Square is your essential guide to finding your authentic voice in public, non-ministerial settings.
From Pulpit to Public Square equips preachers to offer prophetic and pastoral witness beyond the pulpit, navigating the challenges of speaking with integrity from a faith perspective. It offers bold strategies for speaking in ways that make a difference. Through insightful reflections...
Organizations have a responsibility to ensure that people who come there to work, worship, or volunteer won’t experience harm.At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are being systematically dismantled—stripped from government agencies, corporate initiatives, and institutional policies—the need for genuine, sustainable culture change has never been more urgent. Superficial checklists and one-time training sessions are not enough. True transformation requires a trauma-inform...
You’re not alone in your ministry. And you don’t have to suffer in silence.Ministry is a stressful vocation, with unspoken expectations, projected anxieties, and conflicting demands. After the pandemic caused a sudden shift to online worship and factions fighting over when and how to return to in-person worship, pastors have been leaving congregational ministry at even higher rates than usual. The emotional fallout of burnout and abuse at the hands of parishioners is something pastors carry for ...
"One the greatest challenges the church faces today," writes Jerome F. D. Creach, "is to interpret and explain passages in the Bible that seem to promote or encourage violence" (Violence in Scripture, 1). In the past fifteen years, a number of books have been published to help people make sense of God's violent behavior in the Bible. Yet very little has been written about how to use these (and other) violent texts constructively in church. This leaves religious practitioners—pastors, priests, Su...
Children are often touted as the"future" of the church, but their role in the church today is less frequently considered. In The Gifts They Bring, New Testament scholar, pastor, and mother Amy Lindeman Allen challenges readers to reconsider the way we view children in the church, focusing on our present life together as a diverse, inclusive community of faith. To do this, Lindeman Allen looks to the past, rereading familiar Gospel accounts with an eye to the experience of childhood in Jesus' wor...
"In 30 short chapters, Peters takes us through some of Jesus’ parables, Jesus’ encounters with people seeking his help, Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Reclaiming that core message can be as powerful today in helping people find hope and resilience as it was 2,000 years ago, David tells us. I agree. This is a must-have volume for pastors, small-group leaders, chaplains and anyone who cares about the lives within their families, their local congregations and their surrounding communities." –...
The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus sharing meals with disciples, friends, even tax collectors and Pharisees. Whether multiplying bread to feed a whole crowd, relaxing with his inner circle, or telling curious elites stories about even greater banquets, Jesus imparts wisdom as he shares the wine and grants forgiveness as he distributes the fish. This eight-chapter resource provides biblical insights along with thought-provoking queries regarding our own time, such as whom should we invite t...
Discussions of racial difference always embody a story. The dominant story told in our society about race has many components, but two stand out: (1) racial difference is an essential characteristic, fully determining individual and group identity; and (2) racial difference means that some bodies are less human than others. The church knows another story, says Luke Powery, if it would remember it. That story says that the diversity of human bodies is one of the gifts of the Spirit. That story’s ...
As church leaders, we live our lives within the spotlight of professional ministry. To best love and serve God and our neighbors, we aim to be the fullest, truest versions of ourselves. However, we often struggle to do so with integrity. What if our preaching or singing feels like a performance? Are we supposed to hide our imperfections and let people see only the shiniest parts of our lives? If you have ever felt like you’re working under a microscope or that you’ve been put on a pedestal you d...
A “Be-It-Yourself” Guide to Anti-racism for Churches and Church Leaders Whether you have been an ally for years or just recently opened your eyes to racial injustice, guiding your predominantly white church toward anti-racism is a daunting task. Where do you even begin? White churches especially feel an urgency to respond but at the same time suffer a sense of overwhelmingness and futility, as if no one action, sermon series, or service project will solve the problem of racism in America. And ...
In The Purpose Gap, Patrick Reyes reflects on a family member’s death after a long struggle with incarceration and homelessness. As he asks himself why his cousin's life had turned out so differently from his own, he realizes that it was a matter of conditions. While they both grew up in the same marginalized Chicano community in central California, Patrick found himself surrounded by a host of family, friends, and supporters. They created a different narrative for him t...
Churches experiencing numerical and financial decline may dread the day when they can no longer afford a full-time pastor. Freeing up funds that would go to a full-time salary sure would help the budget—maybe even enough to turn things around—but is it even possible to run effective ministries with just a half- or quarter-time professional? Journalist and part-time pastor Jeffrey MacDonald says yes—churches can grow more vibrant than ever, tapping into latent energy and undiscovered gifts, revit...
Gail Cafferata was heartbroken when the church she pastored voted to close its doors. It may have been the right decision, but it led to a million questions in her mind about her call, leadership, and future. She began to think that other pastors who close churches perhaps go through this same experience. This led her to conduct a sociological study of over 130 pastors in five historically established denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ...
The Marriage Service is the perfect gift for newlyweds. This commemorative resource features one complete version of the marriage service from the 2018 edition of the Book of Common Worship. It also includes a special dedication page.
How can we embody the values of love, grace, and justice? As faith communities, how can our collective embodiment of these values shine even brighter? The answers to these questions must always unfold right here, right now, exactly where God has planted us. Neighborhood Church acts as a resource to inspire churches to become a vibrant and engaging community partner with the families and neighborhoods living around them. The need for transformation is acute. Congregational decline continues acros...
Same-sex marriage may be legal in America, but it’s still far from the accepted norm, especially in Christian circles. So where can LBGTQ Christians who desire a lifelong, covenantal relationship look for dating and marriage advice when Christian relationship guides have not only simply ignored but actively excluded same-sex couples?
David and Constantino Khalaf struggled to find relational role models and guidance throughout dating, their engagement, and the early months of their marriage. To f...
The perfect baptism gift!
Baptism Promises helps explain to children the significance of their baptism and the promises their family and church community made to them during the sacrament. Featuring easy-to-follow language, bright, inclusive artwork, and four simple prayers, this inspiring book is perfect for gift-giving and comes in a board-book format so that even the smallest of hands can hold it. A special dedication page is included in the front of the book. Ideal for children ages 0-3.
In May 2017, after sixty years as an ordained United Methodist minister, Rev. J. Philip Wogaman surrendered his ordination, choosing to exit a community of clergy who will not allow an openly gay person to join. By surrendering his ordination, he chose to join the group of devoted Christians outside the clergy who welcomed gay and lesbian individuals. Beginning with an examination of ordination and what is means theologically, ethically, and pastorally, Wogaman then describes the action itself a...
By exploring the ethics of resisting and accepting death from a Christian perspective, Nancy Duff encourages Christians to talk about death in the context of Christian faith. Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life helps readers use biblical and theological perspectives regarding death to inform end-of-life decisions, consider where they stand on withdrawing life support and supporting death with dignity laws, and take steps in planning for their own future.
Together at the Table is the personal story and public message of Bishop Karen Oliveto, the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected a bishop in The United Methodist Church. Her election was and is controversial, with opponents seeking to have her removed and some even threatening violence against her. The denomination has been debating the inclusion of LGBTQ people for decades and will be gathering in February 2019 to determine whether it can agree to let conferences within the church ordain as ...
