Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry
by Thomas C. Oden
“It is dangerous to the health of the church for ministry to be practiced without good foundations in Scripture, tradition, reason and experience.” –Thomas C. Oden
This is just one of the nuggets you’ll find in the pages of Oden’s book, where he reconciles classical tradition with practice, integrating principles of pastoral care, leadership, and theology to restore to ministers a clearly defined pastoral identity. Offering insight into the foundational knowledge of the pastoral office, this book may well become a standard resource and reference for you. It will appeal also to those who have considered entering ministry, or to those who want to know more about what clergy do and why.
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Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
by Richard J. Foster
Celebration of Discipline has helped over a million seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God. Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline explores the “classic Disciplines,” or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Foster teaches us that specific inward, outward and corporate disciplines bring us nearer to God. He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and “sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others.” Also available are the companion works: Celebrating the Disciplines-A Journal Workbook to Accompany Celebration of Discipline, and Study Guide for Celebration of Discipline.
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The Training of the Twelve
by A. B. Bruce
For over 100 years this book continues to speak powerfully and effectively to the contemporary Christian. The methods that Jesus used to prepare His disciples are timeless, and serve as the inspiring model for training and equipping today’s leaders and lay people for service. Dr. Bruce emphasizes that the church is not a place where people go, but something that people are; understanding and utilizing one’s gifts and talents enrich the body and the believer.
A. B. Bruce (1831-1899) is recognized as one of the most distinguished biblical scholars of his time. He served as a minister from 1859 to 1875 and was a popular lecturer. He was appointed as professor of theology, apologetics and New Testament exegesis in the Free Church College in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1876.
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The Spirit of the Disciplines
by Dallas Willard
The Spirit of the Disciplines places solitude and silence, prayer, simple and sacrificial living, meditation upon God’s word and ways, and service to others at the heart of the gospel. “We can increasingly resemble Christ in character and in power by following him in his overall style of life … This was the method of his earliest disciples, and it is as valid today as it was then.” After all, if Jesus regularly engaged in these activities, how is it that we simple humans expect to get by without them? To enter into the spirit and practice of the disciplines is to move toward the authentic life of faith in Christ and active participation in the Kingdom of God around us.
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Love, the Heartbeat of Christianity
by Quintin Moore
Jesus is the radical revelation of God’s love. His message though very simple is revolutionary. He simply reveals and reduces the claim of God to one word?Love! To live only at the level of rules and regulations is to miss the essence and the message of God. We each know how good and necessary it is to be loved and to love. However we are called to mature in love. Only as we mature and grow in love will we move beyond mere definitions or descriptions of love into the vital reality of the love that gives and sustains life. Love truly is the Heartbeat of the Christian life. This radical revolution of love is essential to the church, without it the church is just another organization, but with love (mature radical love) she truly becomes the living expression of God’s love. Love, The Heartbeat of Christianity is about a journey of discovering and maturing in the Love of God. Enjoy the journey!
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A Book of Hours
by Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton was the most popular proponent of the Christian contemplative tradition in the twentieth century. Now, for the first time, some of his most lyrical and prayerful writings have been arranged into A Book of Hours, a rich resource for daily prayer and contemplation that imitates the increasingly popular ancient monastic practice of “praying the hours.”
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Brendan: A Novel
by Frederick Buechner
An acclaimed author interweaves history and legend to re-create the life of a complex man of faith fifteen hundred years ago. Winner of the 1987 Christianity and Literature Book Award for Belles-Lettres.
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St. Cuthbert Prayer Book
The Rt. Rev. Rob Hoyt, Jr.
The Rev. Canon Michael Lee
The completed Saint Cuthbert Prayer Book with morning and evening prayer, psalter with antiphons, and Lectionary is now available in both print and downloadable format.
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The Diaconate: A Full and Equal Order
by James Monroe Barnett
A highly readable, comprehensive and definitive work on the diaconate, providing valuable insights into the development of the office of deacon. Barnett’s book proposes a restoration of the office to its original place as a full and equal order.
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Living the Mysteries – A Guide for Unfinished Christians
by Scott Hahn & Mike Aquilina
Until we get to heaven, we’re all unfinished Christians.
There are no “self-made” success stories in the spiritual life. No do-it-yourself kits for aspiring saints. That’s why Living the Mysteries is ideal for a family member, friend, or fellow parishioner who was recently in the RCIA program and received the sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist – at the Easter Vigil. That’s why it’s perfect for a lifelong Catholic, too.
The early Church had a process in which a teacher guided seekers through stages of inquiry and purification, culminating in a final phase called “mystagogy” — MIST-a-go-gee — “the revelation of the mysteries.”
The instruction the early Christians needed is what we all need, no matter when we were baptized, no matter how much theology we’ve studied. That’s because God’s mysteries are inexhaustible and, until we get to heaven, we’re all unfinished Christians.
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Spiritual Disciplines Handbook – Practices That Transform Us
by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
Fasting. Solitude. Contemplative prayer. Lectio divina.
Have you heard about these practices and wanted to try them? Have you wandered from one practice to another not sure quite what to do? Are you overwhelmed by all the to-dos of your spiritual life?
We have good desires—for a more intimate prayer life, perhaps, or deeper insight from God’s Word—but we don’t know how to get there. So we give up our pursuit, tired from wandering aimlessly, and end up feeling guilty and more distant from God instead of closer.
In the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook Adele Calhoun gives us directions for our journey toward intimacy with Christ. While the word discipline may make us want to run and hide, Calhoun shows how desires and discipline work together to lead us to the transformation we’re longing for—the transformation only Christ can bring. Instead of just giving information about spiritual disciplines, this Handbook is full of practical, accessible guidance that helps you actually do them.
Mothers, fathers, plumbers, nurses, students—we’re all on a journey. And spiritual disciplines are for all of us who desire to know Christ deeply and be like him. Here is direction for our desire, leading us to the ultimate destination: more of Christ himself.
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The Sound of Rushing Waters
by Dr. Daniel Williams
“The Sound of Rushing Waters” is a prophetic call to every segment of the body of Christ to fully embrace the Great Commandment for the purpose of fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Unity with redemptive purpose is the focal point of this book. Biblical and historical mandates and models for increased collaborative efforts are examined. The center piece for this work is the fulfillment of the prayer of Jesus in John 17:21 – that we would “be one” so that through our unity with God and one another “the world may know.”
The Sound of Rushing Waters (Audio CD)
by Dr. Daniel Williams
Also available in CD, this exceptional narration of The Sound of Rushing Waters by Terry Casey enhances the truths written by Dr. Williams in this work.
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Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community
by Dr. Simon Chan
Bad worship produces bad theology, and bad theology produces an unhealthy church.
In Liturgical Theology, Simon Chan issues a call to evangelicals to develop a mature theology of the church—an ecclesiology that is grounded in the church’s identity as a worshiping community. Evangelicals, he argues, are confused about the meaning and purpose of the church in part because they have an inadequate understanding of Christian worship. As a remedy for this ailment, Chan presents a coherent theology of the church that pays particular attention to the liturgical practices that have constituted Christian worship throughout the centuries. With a seasoned eye and steady hand, he guides the reader through these practices and unpacks their significance for theology, spirituality and the renewal of evangelicalism in the postmodern era.
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Battle Cry for a Generation: The Fight to Save America’s Youth
by Ron Luce
In America today, we have the largest number of teens since the baby boomer generation. These teens hold the future in their hands. Battle Cry for a Generation tells us why and how to reclaim our youth for Christ.
At this very moment, an entire generation of young people is at risk. Giant corporations, media conglomerates, and other purveyors of popular culture have leveraged every dollar they can spare, as well as every waking hour, into claiming the souls of today’s youth.
In Battle Cry for a Generation, Ron Luce – one of the great champions for today’s youth – reveals the intricate war that has been launched against teens. Readers discover how this generation, and the future of America, can be saved.
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The Way of the Fathers – Praying With the Early Christians
by Mike Aquilina
From the pious to the practical, the reflections of the Fathers of the Church cover virtually every aspect of the Christian life.
Noted author Mike Aquilina has compiled their ancient axioms into a concise collection of comments designed for busy, modern readers.
Pray with the poetry of St. Gregory Nazianzen. Find clear direction in the practical advice of St. Jerome. And, let your heart turn toward the heavenly Jerusalem, following the 1,000 timeless treasures in The Way of the Fathers.
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The Minister’s MBA: Essential Business Tools for Maximum Ministry Success
by George S. Babbes and Michael Zigarelli
If you’re ready to supercharge your ministry, inspire people to excellence, and partner with God for maximum impact, this twelve “course” sequence is designed just for you! Taught by two leading professors in the field of Christian management, this curriculum will introduce you to all the essentials you’d learn in the best business schools, from leadership to innovation to strategy and beyond. Best of all, it covers each subject with special attention to running a ministry in a God-honoring manner.
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Ancient-Future Faith
by Dr. Robert E. Webber
What will evangelical Christianity look like in the future? As Dr. Webber writes, “the road to the future runs through the past.” Connect the dots between classical Christian history and today’s postmodern world. Explore the common ground between Catholicism, Orthodox and Evangelicals. Be challenged to live counter-culturally and “change, not to be different, but to remain the same.”
