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{"id":2439763951716,"title":"Comings and Goings: Retracing the Christmas story through place and time","handle":"comings-and-goings-retracing-the-christmas-story-through-place-and-time","description":"\u003cp\u003eLife involves many 'comings and goings', as we make our way along the path of faith day by day, guided by God's Holy Spirit. This book of readings for Advent and Christmas invites us to make a journey through time, from the end to the very beginning of all things. The daily reflections work backwards from the traditional Advent focus of the 'Four Last Things' - Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell - via Jesus' life, death and resurrection, to come at last to the Incarnation and the events commemorated at Christmas itself. In the following days, the focus turns to Christ as the Word of God, present at the dawn of creation. Along the way, we 'visit' some of the actual Holy Land sites associated with gospel events, drawing new insights from the familiar stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Revd Dr Gordon Giles is Vicar of St Mary Magdalene's Church in Enfield, North London, and director of Post-Ordination Training in the Edmonton Episcopal Area of the Diocese of London Diocese. He has written several books including The Music of Praise, The Harmony of Heaven, O Come, Emmanuel, O Clap your Hands and Fasting and Feasting. He has also led many pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Turkey, China and Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/GordonGiles1_480x480.jpg?v=1676494801\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"142\" height=\"252\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/GordonGiles1_480x480.jpg?v=1676494801\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nGordon Giles is Canon Chancellor of Rochester Cathedral. He is the author of several books, including \u003cem\u003eComings and Goings\u003c\/em\u003e (2015) and \u003cem\u003eAt Home in Lent\u003c\/em\u003e (2018).\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom goodbookreviews.org.uk November 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis really is what I would call an advent book as it most fully reflects the purpose of Advent, that journey to Christmas where we most fully reflect on the incarnation in its fullness, the journey through not just the story of Christmas but of the Bible as a whole and the life of Christ made man and witness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day's reflection begins with a very short passage from the New Testament and then moves on to a contemplation that both reflects on the passage at hand, the wider story of Christmas, and also the world in which we live and how this too is a wider reflection of the bigger story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the whole this is a brilliant book to journey to Christmas with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelanie Carroll.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e","published_at":"2024-12-13T17:47:51+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:28+00:00","vendor":"Gordon Giles","type":"Paperback","tags":["Advent","KCLC","Kindle","Torch Trust"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769229303908,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857463760","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436639240292,"product_id":2439763951716,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:28+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:46:04+00:00","alt":null,"width":426,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463760-l.jpg?v=1549043164","variant_ids":[21769229303908]},"available":false,"name":"Comings and Goings: Retracing the Christmas story through place and time - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":131,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857463760","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238876872843,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463760-l.jpg?v=1549043164"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463760-l.jpg?v=1549043164"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463760-l.jpg?v=1549043164","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238876872843,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463760-l.jpg?v=1549043164"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463760-l.jpg?v=1549043164","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eLife involves many 'comings and goings', as we make our way along the path of faith day by day, guided by God's Holy Spirit. This book of readings for Advent and Christmas invites us to make a journey through time, from the end to the very beginning of all things. The daily reflections work backwards from the traditional Advent focus of the 'Four Last Things' - Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell - via Jesus' life, death and resurrection, to come at last to the Incarnation and the events commemorated at Christmas itself. In the following days, the focus turns to Christ as the Word of God, present at the dawn of creation. Along the way, we 'visit' some of the actual Holy Land sites associated with gospel events, drawing new insights from the familiar stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Revd Dr Gordon Giles is Vicar of St Mary Magdalene's Church in Enfield, North London, and director of Post-Ordination Training in the Edmonton Episcopal Area of the Diocese of London Diocese. He has written several books including The Music of Praise, The Harmony of Heaven, O Come, Emmanuel, O Clap your Hands and Fasting and Feasting. He has also led many pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Turkey, China and Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/GordonGiles1_480x480.jpg?v=1676494801\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"142\" height=\"252\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/GordonGiles1_480x480.jpg?v=1676494801\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nGordon Giles is Canon Chancellor of Rochester Cathedral. He is the author of several books, including \u003cem\u003eComings and Goings\u003c\/em\u003e (2015) and \u003cem\u003eAt Home in Lent\u003c\/em\u003e (2018).\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom goodbookreviews.org.uk November 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis really is what I would call an advent book as it most fully reflects the purpose of Advent, that journey to Christmas where we most fully reflect on the incarnation in its fullness, the journey through not just the story of Christmas but of the Bible as a whole and the life of Christ made man and witness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach day's reflection begins with a very short passage from the New Testament and then moves on to a contemplation that both reflects on the passage at hand, the wider story of Christmas, and also the world in which we live and how this too is a wider reflection of the bigger story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the whole this is a brilliant book to journey to Christmas with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelanie Carroll.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e"}
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Comings and Goings: Retracing the Christmas story through place and time
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Life involves many 'comings and goings', as we make our way along the path of faith day by day, guided...
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{"id":2439758774372,"title":"Dust and Glory: Daily Bible readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day","handle":"dust-and-glory-daily-bible-readings-from-ash-wednesday-to-easter-day","description":"\u003cp\u003eLent is one of the three forty-day 'seasons' in the Church's year, besides Advent and the period from Easter to Pentecost. The name itself, Lent, derives from an ancient word meaning 'spring' or 'long', referring to the time of year when days are beginning to lengthen and the world is turning from winter cold and dark to the warmth and promise of spring. During this time, the Church calls us to a special period of prayer, self-examination and teaching - and this book has been written to accompany you through that period, a time of turning from winter to spring, from death to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDust and Glory ranges across the whole business of living and believing, where the questions are as important as the answers, and may call us to deep heart-searching. The goal is always to draw us to authentic faith; a way of living and believing that is real and vulnerable, strong in knowing its limits, rooted in joy and wonder, blessed with the healing and merciful presence of God. Such faith acknowledges both the dust of our mortality and the glory that keeps breaking in with unexpected life, hope and new beginnings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of you will be familiar with David Runcorn's writing, and I am delighted to commend his new book Dust and Glory to accompany us on our journey through Lent. The path from Ash Wednesday to Easter day is one in which our frail humanity is met by God's immense love and grace. Questions continually rise within us and this book invites us to discover more of Self and God as we seek to live authentic lives as followers of Christ.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are looking for a companion for your journey through Lent this year, you can do no better than this book. Packed with gentle, rich and sustaining wisdom it really will provide deep nourishment as you journey onwards.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Paula Gooder, author and Theologian in Residence, Bible Society \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Runcorn is a popular writer, speaker, teacher, retreat leader and spiritual guide. His books include The Spirituality Workbook - a guide for pilgrims, explorers and seekers and Fear and Trust - God-centred leadership. He lives in Gloucester where he is involved with the selection, training and support of people called to Christian ministry of all kinds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have read \u003cem\u003eNew Daylight\u003c\/em\u003e - a BRF publication - for a number of years and have enjoyed the daily dialogue, so much so, that I wanted to develop my reading experiences further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDust \u0026amp; Glory\u003c\/em\u003e by David Runcorn seemed a very appropriate book to follow during the lead up to Easter. BRF published the first few extracts separately and the immediate reaction was - terrific. This was different, it spoke to me and I warmed to it. Result was ordering a copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe daily format for a specific date, the printed extract from the Bible, David's commentary and following prayer\/reflection all came together in a flowing manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, I would say this book is aimed more at a group rather than an individual. The questions at the end of each week were useful stimulations for me, but I wonder how much I was getting out of it, or indeed understanding ? Of course, I attempted to answer the questions but was left wondering what other people might have said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were also places where 'the going got tough' - Week 5 ? - where the philosophical ideas seemed to have dominated. It is a pity that I have waited until finishing the book before starting to write this review, but I did not wish to be too presumptuous in the early days of reading this book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the idea of such a reader has increased my knowledge, and hopefully my understanding of \/ thinking through Biblical issues, as well as that personal contact with God. Consequently, I am ordering another book from BRF that covers the period from Easter to Pentecost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have enjoyed reading and walking with God \u0026amp; David Runcorn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Johannes Buchanan \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom goodbookreviews.org.uk\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDust \u0026amp; Glory takes a wide ranging journey through the Bible in these 40 Lenten contemplations, and on that journey we really look at a wide range of questions that life puts before us and yet sometimes we don't stop to ponder on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe format of the book starts with a lovely short Bible passage (short enough to be used as a lectio divina even for a busy person), and then a contemplation I'd call it rather than a commentary on the passage that looks at its context in our lives as much as its meaning, and rounds out with either a one line prayer, a 'for reflection' , or both! My favourite 'for reflection' consisted of... 'Yes!'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is enough thought in these daily readings to last a day, but they can take only a couple of minutes to read if your life is very pressing on the time front... A very handy Lent book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Melanie Carroll\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 15 January 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Runcorn in \u003cem\u003eDust and Glory\u003c\/em\u003e provides us with 47 easy-to-read but substantial biblical reflections, loosely based on six intriguing themes: Becoming who I am; Excitement; In the midst of life; Hidden and revealed; Habits, reflexes and responses; and The shadow of the Cross. He tackles a wide-ranging selection of biblical material with a sure touch, with a galaxy of incisive quotations and conclusions. One of those quotes, from C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is as apposite for Runcorn as it is for Aslan: 'Course he's not safe. But he's good.' Runcorn is very good indeed: a worthy companion for Lent and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rt Revd David Wilbourne \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch of England Newspaper 5 February 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDust and Glory\u003c\/em\u003e by David Runcorn offers a reading for each day of the six weeks of Lent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRuncorn says this is a book to accompany the work of 'turning'-'the journey from death to life', with an emphasis on self-examination, rather than a 'how to' of living and believing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is easy to read, and offers reading and reflection in a none-too laborious way, with passages that could easily be read in a daily pattern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e","published_at":"2024-12-13T17:52:36+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:10+00:00","vendor":"David Runcorn","type":"Paperback","tags":["KCLC","Kindle","Lent"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769170845796,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857463579","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":36764972875967,"product_id":2439758774372,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-08-30T15:39:03+01:00","updated_at":"2024-08-30T15:39:04+01:00","alt":null,"width":1535,"height":2339,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DustandGlory.jpg?v=1725028744","variant_ids":[21769170845796]},"available":false,"name":"Dust and Glory: Daily Bible readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":129,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857463579","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":29472352075967,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"width":1535,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DustandGlory.jpg?v=1725028744"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DustandGlory.jpg?v=1725028744"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DustandGlory.jpg?v=1725028744","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":29472352075967,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"width":1535,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DustandGlory.jpg?v=1725028744"},"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DustandGlory.jpg?v=1725028744","width":1535}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eLent is one of the three forty-day 'seasons' in the Church's year, besides Advent and the period from Easter to Pentecost. The name itself, Lent, derives from an ancient word meaning 'spring' or 'long', referring to the time of year when days are beginning to lengthen and the world is turning from winter cold and dark to the warmth and promise of spring. During this time, the Church calls us to a special period of prayer, self-examination and teaching - and this book has been written to accompany you through that period, a time of turning from winter to spring, from death to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDust and Glory ranges across the whole business of living and believing, where the questions are as important as the answers, and may call us to deep heart-searching. The goal is always to draw us to authentic faith; a way of living and believing that is real and vulnerable, strong in knowing its limits, rooted in joy and wonder, blessed with the healing and merciful presence of God. Such faith acknowledges both the dust of our mortality and the glory that keeps breaking in with unexpected life, hope and new beginnings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of you will be familiar with David Runcorn's writing, and I am delighted to commend his new book Dust and Glory to accompany us on our journey through Lent. The path from Ash Wednesday to Easter day is one in which our frail humanity is met by God's immense love and grace. Questions continually rise within us and this book invites us to discover more of Self and God as we seek to live authentic lives as followers of Christ.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are looking for a companion for your journey through Lent this year, you can do no better than this book. Packed with gentle, rich and sustaining wisdom it really will provide deep nourishment as you journey onwards.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Paula Gooder, author and Theologian in Residence, Bible Society \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Runcorn is a popular writer, speaker, teacher, retreat leader and spiritual guide. His books include The Spirituality Workbook - a guide for pilgrims, explorers and seekers and Fear and Trust - God-centred leadership. He lives in Gloucester where he is involved with the selection, training and support of people called to Christian ministry of all kinds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have read \u003cem\u003eNew Daylight\u003c\/em\u003e - a BRF publication - for a number of years and have enjoyed the daily dialogue, so much so, that I wanted to develop my reading experiences further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDust \u0026amp; Glory\u003c\/em\u003e by David Runcorn seemed a very appropriate book to follow during the lead up to Easter. BRF published the first few extracts separately and the immediate reaction was - terrific. This was different, it spoke to me and I warmed to it. Result was ordering a copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe daily format for a specific date, the printed extract from the Bible, David's commentary and following prayer\/reflection all came together in a flowing manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, I would say this book is aimed more at a group rather than an individual. The questions at the end of each week were useful stimulations for me, but I wonder how much I was getting out of it, or indeed understanding ? Of course, I attempted to answer the questions but was left wondering what other people might have said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were also places where 'the going got tough' - Week 5 ? - where the philosophical ideas seemed to have dominated. It is a pity that I have waited until finishing the book before starting to write this review, but I did not wish to be too presumptuous in the early days of reading this book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the idea of such a reader has increased my knowledge, and hopefully my understanding of \/ thinking through Biblical issues, as well as that personal contact with God. Consequently, I am ordering another book from BRF that covers the period from Easter to Pentecost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have enjoyed reading and walking with God \u0026amp; David Runcorn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Johannes Buchanan \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom goodbookreviews.org.uk\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDust \u0026amp; Glory takes a wide ranging journey through the Bible in these 40 Lenten contemplations, and on that journey we really look at a wide range of questions that life puts before us and yet sometimes we don't stop to ponder on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe format of the book starts with a lovely short Bible passage (short enough to be used as a lectio divina even for a busy person), and then a contemplation I'd call it rather than a commentary on the passage that looks at its context in our lives as much as its meaning, and rounds out with either a one line prayer, a 'for reflection' , or both! My favourite 'for reflection' consisted of... 'Yes!'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is enough thought in these daily readings to last a day, but they can take only a couple of minutes to read if your life is very pressing on the time front... A very handy Lent book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Melanie Carroll\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 15 January 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Runcorn in \u003cem\u003eDust and Glory\u003c\/em\u003e provides us with 47 easy-to-read but substantial biblical reflections, loosely based on six intriguing themes: Becoming who I am; Excitement; In the midst of life; Hidden and revealed; Habits, reflexes and responses; and The shadow of the Cross. He tackles a wide-ranging selection of biblical material with a sure touch, with a galaxy of incisive quotations and conclusions. One of those quotes, from C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is as apposite for Runcorn as it is for Aslan: 'Course he's not safe. But he's good.' Runcorn is very good indeed: a worthy companion for Lent and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rt Revd David Wilbourne \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch of England Newspaper 5 February 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDust and Glory\u003c\/em\u003e by David Runcorn offers a reading for each day of the six weeks of Lent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRuncorn says this is a book to accompany the work of 'turning'-'the journey from death to life', with an emphasis on self-examination, rather than a 'how to' of living and believing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is easy to read, and offers reading and reflection in a none-too laborious way, with passages that could easily be read in a daily pattern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e"}
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{"id":2439756513380,"title":"Peter's Preaching: The message of Mark's Gospel","handle":"peters-preaching-the-message-of-marks-gospel","description":"\u003cp\u003eDo you know who wrote Mark's Gospel?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first glance, it may seem a ridiculous question. 'Mark, of course!' I hear you shout? But who was Mark?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMark's name doesn't appear on the list of disciples, as Matthew's does. His Gospel doesn't start with a clear statement of investigation, as does Luke's, offering credibility. Yet, remarkably, large chunks of Mark's Gospel appear in both Matthew's and Luke's work. What's going on?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeremy Duff provides insightful answers in his new book Peter's Preaching, revealing how an ancient source describes Mark as Peter's translator to a Greek-speaking world. Intriguingly, though, this source also tells us that while Mark recorded Peter's preaching 'accurately', he did not record it 'in order'. Mark devised his own order of the stories, for his own purpose, using a structure and format that were as radical in the first century as ebooks are today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut that is only the start of Jeremy's detective work in this stimulating book, which moves on to uncover Peter's thought on the key themes of the Christian message, found distributed throughout the Gospel. Jeremy pieces these themes together like a jigsaw to reveal how Peter understood them, and how that understanding helps us to appreciate the radical nature of first-century Christian faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people have found Mark's gospel to be the most gripping of the four gospels - a real page-turner - and here Jeremy Duff helps us to understand why. This analysis will deepen your appreciation of Mark's gospel, whether you have read it just once or you are a seasoned student. I commend it to all who long to respond to Jesus with the same conviction and passion as Peter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeremy's fresh insights and creative commentary on Mark's trend-setting Gospel not only widen our understanding of Jesus, but also pin point the way the record of Jesus' encounters with people encourage us to follow Him, be changed by Him and share Him with others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Mark Bailey, Leader, Trinity Cheltenham \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeremy Duff is an excellent teacher, who combines first-rate scholarship with rich experience of people and church life. This makes him an ideal guide to Mark's Gospel. This book is full of fascinating insights, presented in a thoughtful, accessible and enticing way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Graham Tomlin, Principal, St Mellitus College \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is just sort of book which BRF should be producing. It is clearly written by a scholar who has also pastoral concerns and experience, who is concerned about people and knows how ordinary people think and react. It is designed to help people get to know Mark and his message about Jesus and the significance of Jesus for us all. Every chapter is written with a gentle warmth and even gentler humour, often starting with a gripping story or scene from ordinary life. The book opens with a persuasive section, arguing that Mark is the basic gospel and that he could have won this position only because he was the 'interpreter' of Peter. It was this that gave Mark the authority which led Matthew and Luke to follow his pattern. The book also argues that Mark may be held responsible for those other two interesting Christian initiatives (quite distinct from other contemporary literature) of using book-style rather than scrolls to be rolled and unrolled, and the distinctive Christian form of abbreviating sacred names.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe basic impression which one receives throughout is that Mark was a gospel written for real people, with our concerns, worries, efforts and timidity. It constantly gives the reader pause for reflection on the concepts of friendship, loyalty, discipleship. Jesus personally chose the Twelve primarily to be with him, creating a new society, a new Israel. This made their hardness of heart, their failure to understand, their desertion all the more bitter for him; the book helps a disciple to see the depths of betrayal - theirs and ours. Their half-sight so vividly mirrors our own experience and lack of commitment (p. 49). The book is full of striking insights: if you want to understand the parables, look for the twist, where the parable diverges from normal life (p. 208). The meaning of Jesus progress to his inevitable death is sensitively painted against its biblical background; the physical horror and especially the shame of the final hours of Jesus are portrayed delicately but with devastating awareness (p. 288).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is especially helpful that long excerpts of the gospel text are given before discussion of their importance. One learns from the text!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Henry Wansbrough, Ampleforth Abbey \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Revd Professor Jeremy Duff is the Principal of St Padarn's Institute, responsible for discipleship and ministry training and ongoing development in the Church in Wales. Over the last 20 years, he has combined a teaching ministry including major universities in the UK, as well as within the church, with church leadership, most recently in a deprived urban community near Liverpool (where Peter's Preaching was written). For ten years, he was one of the commissioning editors for BRF's Guidelines Bible reading notes, and his book The Elements of New Testament Greek (2005) is one of Cambridge University Press's bestselling religion titles. He is also the coauthor, with the Revd Dr Joanna Collicutt McGrath, of Meeting Jesus: Human responses to a yearning God (SPCK, 2006).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach - Spring 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConfession time. I didn't enjoy lectures at theological college wrestling over which Gospel was written first and who used whose material to produce their Gospel. Up to that point, I had enjoyed reading each Gospel as it was presented, and to be honest I still do. However, reading Jeremy Duff's highly scholarly but refreshingly accessible work has been a real tonic.\u003cbr\u003eThe starting point for the book is a piece of detective work examining the evidence that Mark drew heavily on Peter's sermons to construct his Gospel. Duff presents Papias' views that support this in a compelling and convincing way.\u003cbr\u003eThe heart of the book is a treatment of eight themes that are central to Mark's Gospel, each of which are rewarding and enriching to explore. In addition, Duff helpfully provides his own translation of Mark's Greek, which was often rougher than the smoother versions we read today.\u003cbr\u003eParticularly helpful is the explanation of what it means to be 'following on the way'. The picture of the disciple as one who follows Jesus and is ready to take up his cross is a vital corrective to our comfortable Christianity. As the crucifixion approaches, the disciples desert Jesus and flee, but surprising new followers come to anoint Jesus and carry his cross. The book ends, as does Mark's Gospel, with a challenge to go and meet with the risen Jesus.\u003cbr\u003eFor preachers who are in a hurry with a sermon deadline approaching, this book won't be the best source of last-minute help. However, for all who want to understand Mark's Gospel more fully, whether preaching or not, this is a deeply rewarding read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Birchall\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader Spring 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a latecomer to the Markan library, and is not a commentary but a guide to reading Mark's gospel. It is based on the idea that what we have in Mark's text is a kind of compendium of Peter's preaching, written down by Mark- who incidentally seems not to have been the young man who ran off naked after Jesus' arrest. The author presents us with a different way to read Mark's gospel, taking a thematic approach - miracles, the identity of Jesus, parables - and shows how carefully the original text was structured to make particular points. Duff writes accessibly and intermingles biblical exposition with some telling contemporary illustrations. There is a wealth of preaching material here and many helpful insights. The author also includes some interesting historical and contextual comments, such as that Mark was perhaps responsible for encouraging the use of the new codex format in preference to the more traditional scrolls. This highlights the one failing of Duff's book - the lack of references to any other literature. But this book is not offered as an academic text and his credentials are attested by his time as a New Testament tutor at Oxford - so we can take his word on trust. In the same way he encourages us to receive Mark's gospel as Peter's word to the early church - and to us - about the good news that is Jesus Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarion Gray\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 8 January 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003ePeter's Preaching\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003cem\u003eThe Message of Mark's Gospel\u003c\/em\u003e (BRF, GBP9.99), Jeremy Duff takes what is arguably the foundational document of Christianity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is argued that Mark has written down and edited some of what Peter has remembered from all that he heard of Jesus' public and private teaching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 10 chapters cover Peter's preaching thematically in a style which combines in-depth analysis and Bible reading notes. To this end, the book can be taken as a devotional, taking one section each day. The encouraging conclusion is that, despite our faults and failures, like Peter, we can pick ourselves up and meet Jesus again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rev Paul Wilson is development worker for Methodist Evangelicals Together.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e","published_at":"2024-12-14T16:21:45+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:03+00:00","vendor":"Jeremy Duff","type":"Paperback","tags":["Biblical engagement","KCLC","Kindle"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769146859620,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857463500","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436587532388,"product_id":2439756513380,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:03+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:46:08+00:00","alt":null,"width":427,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463500-l.jpg?v=1549043168","variant_ids":[21769146859620]},"available":false,"name":"Peter's Preaching: The message of Mark's Gospel - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":999,"weight":211,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857463500","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238875496587,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463500-l.jpg?v=1549043168"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463500-l.jpg?v=1549043168"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463500-l.jpg?v=1549043168","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238875496587,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463500-l.jpg?v=1549043168"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857463500-l.jpg?v=1549043168","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eDo you know who wrote Mark's Gospel?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first glance, it may seem a ridiculous question. 'Mark, of course!' I hear you shout? But who was Mark?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMark's name doesn't appear on the list of disciples, as Matthew's does. His Gospel doesn't start with a clear statement of investigation, as does Luke's, offering credibility. Yet, remarkably, large chunks of Mark's Gospel appear in both Matthew's and Luke's work. What's going on?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeremy Duff provides insightful answers in his new book Peter's Preaching, revealing how an ancient source describes Mark as Peter's translator to a Greek-speaking world. Intriguingly, though, this source also tells us that while Mark recorded Peter's preaching 'accurately', he did not record it 'in order'. Mark devised his own order of the stories, for his own purpose, using a structure and format that were as radical in the first century as ebooks are today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut that is only the start of Jeremy's detective work in this stimulating book, which moves on to uncover Peter's thought on the key themes of the Christian message, found distributed throughout the Gospel. Jeremy pieces these themes together like a jigsaw to reveal how Peter understood them, and how that understanding helps us to appreciate the radical nature of first-century Christian faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people have found Mark's gospel to be the most gripping of the four gospels - a real page-turner - and here Jeremy Duff helps us to understand why. This analysis will deepen your appreciation of Mark's gospel, whether you have read it just once or you are a seasoned student. I commend it to all who long to respond to Jesus with the same conviction and passion as Peter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeremy's fresh insights and creative commentary on Mark's trend-setting Gospel not only widen our understanding of Jesus, but also pin point the way the record of Jesus' encounters with people encourage us to follow Him, be changed by Him and share Him with others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Mark Bailey, Leader, Trinity Cheltenham \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeremy Duff is an excellent teacher, who combines first-rate scholarship with rich experience of people and church life. This makes him an ideal guide to Mark's Gospel. This book is full of fascinating insights, presented in a thoughtful, accessible and enticing way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Graham Tomlin, Principal, St Mellitus College \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is just sort of book which BRF should be producing. It is clearly written by a scholar who has also pastoral concerns and experience, who is concerned about people and knows how ordinary people think and react. It is designed to help people get to know Mark and his message about Jesus and the significance of Jesus for us all. Every chapter is written with a gentle warmth and even gentler humour, often starting with a gripping story or scene from ordinary life. The book opens with a persuasive section, arguing that Mark is the basic gospel and that he could have won this position only because he was the 'interpreter' of Peter. It was this that gave Mark the authority which led Matthew and Luke to follow his pattern. The book also argues that Mark may be held responsible for those other two interesting Christian initiatives (quite distinct from other contemporary literature) of using book-style rather than scrolls to be rolled and unrolled, and the distinctive Christian form of abbreviating sacred names.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe basic impression which one receives throughout is that Mark was a gospel written for real people, with our concerns, worries, efforts and timidity. It constantly gives the reader pause for reflection on the concepts of friendship, loyalty, discipleship. Jesus personally chose the Twelve primarily to be with him, creating a new society, a new Israel. This made their hardness of heart, their failure to understand, their desertion all the more bitter for him; the book helps a disciple to see the depths of betrayal - theirs and ours. Their half-sight so vividly mirrors our own experience and lack of commitment (p. 49). The book is full of striking insights: if you want to understand the parables, look for the twist, where the parable diverges from normal life (p. 208). The meaning of Jesus progress to his inevitable death is sensitively painted against its biblical background; the physical horror and especially the shame of the final hours of Jesus are portrayed delicately but with devastating awareness (p. 288).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is especially helpful that long excerpts of the gospel text are given before discussion of their importance. One learns from the text!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Henry Wansbrough, Ampleforth Abbey \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Revd Professor Jeremy Duff is the Principal of St Padarn's Institute, responsible for discipleship and ministry training and ongoing development in the Church in Wales. Over the last 20 years, he has combined a teaching ministry including major universities in the UK, as well as within the church, with church leadership, most recently in a deprived urban community near Liverpool (where Peter's Preaching was written). For ten years, he was one of the commissioning editors for BRF's Guidelines Bible reading notes, and his book The Elements of New Testament Greek (2005) is one of Cambridge University Press's bestselling religion titles. He is also the coauthor, with the Revd Dr Joanna Collicutt McGrath, of Meeting Jesus: Human responses to a yearning God (SPCK, 2006).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach - Spring 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConfession time. I didn't enjoy lectures at theological college wrestling over which Gospel was written first and who used whose material to produce their Gospel. Up to that point, I had enjoyed reading each Gospel as it was presented, and to be honest I still do. However, reading Jeremy Duff's highly scholarly but refreshingly accessible work has been a real tonic.\u003cbr\u003eThe starting point for the book is a piece of detective work examining the evidence that Mark drew heavily on Peter's sermons to construct his Gospel. Duff presents Papias' views that support this in a compelling and convincing way.\u003cbr\u003eThe heart of the book is a treatment of eight themes that are central to Mark's Gospel, each of which are rewarding and enriching to explore. In addition, Duff helpfully provides his own translation of Mark's Greek, which was often rougher than the smoother versions we read today.\u003cbr\u003eParticularly helpful is the explanation of what it means to be 'following on the way'. The picture of the disciple as one who follows Jesus and is ready to take up his cross is a vital corrective to our comfortable Christianity. As the crucifixion approaches, the disciples desert Jesus and flee, but surprising new followers come to anoint Jesus and carry his cross. The book ends, as does Mark's Gospel, with a challenge to go and meet with the risen Jesus.\u003cbr\u003eFor preachers who are in a hurry with a sermon deadline approaching, this book won't be the best source of last-minute help. However, for all who want to understand Mark's Gospel more fully, whether preaching or not, this is a deeply rewarding read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Birchall\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader Spring 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a latecomer to the Markan library, and is not a commentary but a guide to reading Mark's gospel. It is based on the idea that what we have in Mark's text is a kind of compendium of Peter's preaching, written down by Mark- who incidentally seems not to have been the young man who ran off naked after Jesus' arrest. The author presents us with a different way to read Mark's gospel, taking a thematic approach - miracles, the identity of Jesus, parables - and shows how carefully the original text was structured to make particular points. Duff writes accessibly and intermingles biblical exposition with some telling contemporary illustrations. There is a wealth of preaching material here and many helpful insights. The author also includes some interesting historical and contextual comments, such as that Mark was perhaps responsible for encouraging the use of the new codex format in preference to the more traditional scrolls. This highlights the one failing of Duff's book - the lack of references to any other literature. But this book is not offered as an academic text and his credentials are attested by his time as a New Testament tutor at Oxford - so we can take his word on trust. In the same way he encourages us to receive Mark's gospel as Peter's word to the early church - and to us - about the good news that is Jesus Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarion Gray\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 8 January 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003ePeter's Preaching\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003cem\u003eThe Message of Mark's Gospel\u003c\/em\u003e (BRF, GBP9.99), Jeremy Duff takes what is arguably the foundational document of Christianity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is argued that Mark has written down and edited some of what Peter has remembered from all that he heard of Jesus' public and private teaching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 10 chapters cover Peter's preaching thematically in a style which combines in-depth analysis and Bible reading notes. To this end, the book can be taken as a devotional, taking one section each day. The encouraging conclusion is that, despite our faults and failures, like Peter, we can pick ourselves up and meet Jesus again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rev Paul Wilson is development worker for Methodist Evangelicals Together.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e"}
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Peter's Preaching: The message of Mark's Gospel
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{"id":2439755661412,"title":"Blended A Call to Reimagine Our Church Family: Rethinking how we can be church together","handle":"blended-a-call-to-reimagine-our-church-family-rethinking-how-we-can-be-church-together","description":"\u003cp\u003eChurch as we know it is changing... with conversations and initiatives bubbling up around how our churches can be truly intergenerational, functioning in close and loving community as the body of Christ. Eleanor Bird speaks into the debate with a challenge to rethink our work with all ages from the ground up, offering practical observations drawn from her experience of developing children's and youth ministry in a local church context, together with a biblically based framework for how this thinking can be taken forward in your church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEleanor Bird is Head of Children and Youth Ministry at St Chad's Romiley in Greater Manchester, overseeing all ministries with two to 19-year-olds. She has been involved in children's work leadership since she was twelve and in full-time ministry since the age of 21, leading children's venues for New Wine and workshops and seminars for leaders across the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEleanor Bird is Head of Children and Youth Ministry at St Chad's Romiley in Greater Manchester, overseeing all ministries with two to 19-year-olds. She has been involved in children's work leadership since she was twelve and in full-time ministry since the age of 21, leading children's venues for New Wine and workshops and seminars for leaders across the UK\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order for us to see nations changed, we need to see the full body of Christ rise up together across all ages, to walk and minister shoulder to shoulder. Blended invites us to see that it is not only necessary, but possible. No matter what size community or denomination we belong to, this book gives us ways of seeing and doing church together with a new heart that will reap great rewards for the kingdom. Rachel Turner, author and speaker\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 13 May 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eHERE'S another of those paperbacks whose title alone makes you believe it might provide the answer to all the challenges facing the life of your local church. \u003cem\u003eBlended - A Call to Reimagine our Church Family\u003c\/em\u003e by Eleanor Bird (brf, 8.99), subtitled 'Rethinking how we can be church together', is about investigating a 'new way of being God's family'. And in the ensuing 14 chapters there is much to give church leaders a lot of food for thought. When you realise that the author is 'head of children and youth ministry' at a thriving Anglican church in Romiley, Greater Manchester, overseeing all ministries with two- to 19-year-olds, you have a good idea of what it is all about. In fact, this book could be the answer to your prayers!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Singleton\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Well magazine. The Methodist Church Summer 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBlended\u003c\/em\u003e, Eleanor Bird invites us to reimagine a new way of being Church together: a Church that no longer divides by age lines but instead embraces being a community of different generations. For too long, she says, Christian communities have been separated; children, youth and adults each following their own programmes. Her vision is one where the lines drawn between these groups become blurred; rubbed away to become a more unified and connected body of believers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe focus of Bird's book is the times when church communities gather for worship. Her philosophy is built on four key values: \u003cbr\u003e not calling Church 'work; '\u003cbr\u003e giving everyone in church equal influence; \u003cbr\u003e training when apart, for the times we gather as Church; \u003cbr\u003e making the most of the times we gather to experiment and explain what's happening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese building blocks underpin all that Church is and does. They serve to create a community that thrives in worship, both when together and apart. So the times when groups pursue their own programme are seen as vital opportunities to prepare and develop understanding for when all gather together. She advocates a model in which style and content are gradually merged, helping worship times become increasingly seamless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis emphasis on worship (in the narrow sense of sung worship and teaching) is central in developing a more cohesive church community. Bird makes the case for church to embrace its whole spectrum of family, yet the question remains what form this may take beyond Sunday services. What the features of a blended church might be outside of these times is the next natural field to explore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBird's personal testimony and experience are threads throughout the book, this adds an authentic dimension when she recounts how her own faith and understanding developed. As readers, we're urged to join her on this road of discovery that sees God's kingdom grow in our churches and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGail Adcock, Methodist Family Ministry Development Officer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e","published_at":"2024-12-13T17:23:16+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:59+00:00","vendor":"Eleanor Bird","type":"Paperback","tags":["Church life","KCLC","Kindle","Leadership","Oct-15"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769138929764,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857461124","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436583305316,"product_id":2439755661412,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:59+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:46:08+00:00","alt":null,"width":426,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461124-l.jpg?v=1549043168","variant_ids":[21769138929764]},"available":false,"name":"Blended A Call to Reimagine Our Church Family: Rethinking how we can be church together - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":166,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857461124","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238875431051,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461124-l.jpg?v=1549043168"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461124-l.jpg?v=1549043168"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461124-l.jpg?v=1549043168","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238875431051,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461124-l.jpg?v=1549043168"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461124-l.jpg?v=1549043168","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eChurch as we know it is changing... with conversations and initiatives bubbling up around how our churches can be truly intergenerational, functioning in close and loving community as the body of Christ. Eleanor Bird speaks into the debate with a challenge to rethink our work with all ages from the ground up, offering practical observations drawn from her experience of developing children's and youth ministry in a local church context, together with a biblically based framework for how this thinking can be taken forward in your church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEleanor Bird is Head of Children and Youth Ministry at St Chad's Romiley in Greater Manchester, overseeing all ministries with two to 19-year-olds. She has been involved in children's work leadership since she was twelve and in full-time ministry since the age of 21, leading children's venues for New Wine and workshops and seminars for leaders across the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEleanor Bird is Head of Children and Youth Ministry at St Chad's Romiley in Greater Manchester, overseeing all ministries with two to 19-year-olds. She has been involved in children's work leadership since she was twelve and in full-time ministry since the age of 21, leading children's venues for New Wine and workshops and seminars for leaders across the UK\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order for us to see nations changed, we need to see the full body of Christ rise up together across all ages, to walk and minister shoulder to shoulder. Blended invites us to see that it is not only necessary, but possible. No matter what size community or denomination we belong to, this book gives us ways of seeing and doing church together with a new heart that will reap great rewards for the kingdom. Rachel Turner, author and speaker\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 13 May 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eHERE'S another of those paperbacks whose title alone makes you believe it might provide the answer to all the challenges facing the life of your local church. \u003cem\u003eBlended - A Call to Reimagine our Church Family\u003c\/em\u003e by Eleanor Bird (brf, 8.99), subtitled 'Rethinking how we can be church together', is about investigating a 'new way of being God's family'. And in the ensuing 14 chapters there is much to give church leaders a lot of food for thought. When you realise that the author is 'head of children and youth ministry' at a thriving Anglican church in Romiley, Greater Manchester, overseeing all ministries with two- to 19-year-olds, you have a good idea of what it is all about. In fact, this book could be the answer to your prayers!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Singleton\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Well magazine. The Methodist Church Summer 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBlended\u003c\/em\u003e, Eleanor Bird invites us to reimagine a new way of being Church together: a Church that no longer divides by age lines but instead embraces being a community of different generations. For too long, she says, Christian communities have been separated; children, youth and adults each following their own programmes. Her vision is one where the lines drawn between these groups become blurred; rubbed away to become a more unified and connected body of believers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe focus of Bird's book is the times when church communities gather for worship. Her philosophy is built on four key values: \u003cbr\u003e not calling Church 'work; '\u003cbr\u003e giving everyone in church equal influence; \u003cbr\u003e training when apart, for the times we gather as Church; \u003cbr\u003e making the most of the times we gather to experiment and explain what's happening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese building blocks underpin all that Church is and does. They serve to create a community that thrives in worship, both when together and apart. So the times when groups pursue their own programme are seen as vital opportunities to prepare and develop understanding for when all gather together. She advocates a model in which style and content are gradually merged, helping worship times become increasingly seamless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis emphasis on worship (in the narrow sense of sung worship and teaching) is central in developing a more cohesive church community. Bird makes the case for church to embrace its whole spectrum of family, yet the question remains what form this may take beyond Sunday services. What the features of a blended church might be outside of these times is the next natural field to explore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBird's personal testimony and experience are threads throughout the book, this adds an authentic dimension when she recounts how her own faith and understanding developed. As readers, we're urged to join her on this road of discovery that sees God's kingdom grow in our churches and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGail Adcock, Methodist Family Ministry Development Officer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e"}
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{"id":2439751204964,"title":"Hilda of Whitby: A spirituality for now","handle":"hilda-of-whitby-a-spirituality-for-now","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the dark and turbulent centuries after the Roman occupation of Britain and during the Anglo-Saxon colonisation, the light of heaven still shone through the work and witness of the monastic communities, ‘villages of God’, which dotted the land. One of the most remarkable figures of those times was Hilda of Whitby. Born and reared among warring pagan tribes, through the influence of Celtic saints and scholars she became a dominant figure in the development of the British Church, above all at the famous Synod where Celtic and Roman Churches came together. This book not only explores the drama of Hilda’s life and ministry but shows what spiritual lessons we can draw for Christian life and leadership today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished to coincide with the 1400th anniversary of the birth of Hilda.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eForeword by the Archbishop of York\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have much to be thankful for in God's own county, but of all the bright stars of Yorkshire's rich heritage of Christian witness, for me St Hilda of Whitby shines out as one of the brightest. I am thankful to Ray Simpson for retelling her story in a way that connects so directly with our contemporary world, inspiring prayer and reflection which I trust will bear fruit as it did so abundantly, graciously, and quietly in her own life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI enjoy my visits to Whitby, not just for the fantastic kippers I often come away with, but also because Hilda's memory lives on in the faith, hope, and love of today's Christian community in that town. I thank God also that the Sisters of the Order of the Holy Paraclete continue the monastic tradition in that town, with their Mother House, St Hilda's Priory, Sneaton Castle, looking across the bay to the ruins of the Abbey where Hilda's church once stood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda's example of self-sacrificial leadership, and of courageous acceptance of what the gathered church discerned as the will of God, is a particular challenge to us today. At the Synod of Whitby over which she presided, although she was a firm believer in the Celtic way, she accepted fundamental changes to the time-honoured ecclesiastical polity of the Celtic Church. She was willing to embrace the new ways of the Roman mission for the sake of the unity of the Church's witness in this land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda was baptised on Easter Day, April 12th 627 on the site where York Minster stands today, along with King Edwin, by Paulinus, first Bishop of York. In recent years I have baptised new believers on the same spot outside the Minster, along with other local church leaders. I visited Hinderwell a few months after becoming Archbishop of York. I baptised a baby at Hilda's well and drank water from the well too!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy prayer is that those baptised today, and all of us who seek to follow Jesus in the North of England, will follow Hilda's example. With her I hope we shall live wholeheartedly for Jesus, carrying the light of God into the communities to which we belong, and seeing the love of God transform both church and nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book will help us along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e+Sentamu Eboracencis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca id=\"introduction\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn into a pagan, Anglo Saxon family in the province of Deira (land to the north of the Humber) in 614, Hilda's early life was to witness much of the brutality and darkness for which that period has become most famous. Her own father was poisoned in the continuing battle for power between ruling claimants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer first encounter with Christianity happened after her uncle Edwin won power, encountering a vision of Christ which led to the family's baptism. But victory was short term and Hilda was forced into exile in the Christian kingdom of the East Angles, holding on to her newfound faith while others cast it aside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda returned north after power passed to the Christian ruler Oswald who set out to reconvert the people of the area, inviting Aidan of Ireland to lead the work. Hilda had only known Christianity with Roman roots. She now came into direct contact with Celtic Christianity for the first time and discovered a stark difference in terms of lifestyle, approaches to mission, models of church and the requirements of soul friends to assist personal faith development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda planned to become a nun and depart overseas, but Aidan convinced Hilda to stay and set her on the path of her life's work of pioneering monasteries and establishing learning for men and women. The Celtic church had no qualms over women leadership, unlike the Roman church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving set the scene, Ray Simpson goes on to unfold the story of Hilda's work at Hartlepool and Whitby, drawing out key lessons for our own age from her life, work and legacy and through questions for reflection, encourages personal application.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust before her birth, Hilda's mother had a vision of light cast across Britain from a necklace - a vision that St Bede, writing in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (completed 731AD), regarded as being fulfilled through Hilda, and a light Ray Simpson now projects into our own age. Published to coincide with the 1400th anniversary of the birth of Hilda.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\nThere have been times and places where the wise woman or wise man was central to the community. These people were not pandered celebrities, but those open to the depths of God, and a way of love. Hilda was such a woman. 'Hilda of Whitby' reveals Hilda's secret as well as her history and perhaps may challenge us to seek new styles of leadership for today. Penny Warren, Members' Guardian, Community of Aidan and Hilda\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRay Simpson is a founder of the international new monastic movement known as The Community of Aidan and Hilda and is principal tutor of its Celtic Christian Studies programmes. He has written some thirty books on spirituality and lives on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where many Christian leaders come to the Community's Retreat House and Library and for consultation. He tweets a daily prayer @whitehouseviews and writes a weekly blog on www.raysimpson.org\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis enthusiastic and well-informed book is the work of an author who knows his topic well from within, and is delighted by it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nHe first tells the story of Christianity in Britain - especially northern Britain - in the days when the Romans had just left and the early Anglo-Saxon Christians were beginning to form a new kind of society. So the word 'spirituality' heads the first three chapters and deals in turn with factors that did, over those early centuries, form just that. We read that it was uphill work, but work that paid off - and out of which we are still, today, reaping benefit.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nOf the people who played an important part in establishing Christianity in north Britain, some names live on. In this book, Simpson is most interested in St Hilda, who, as he makes clear, was responsible for much of the dedicated and enthusiastic work that rooted Christianity. For her, the gospel was the beginning, middle, and end of things.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n(There were, of course, many other saints. Aidan's is the other name that crops up frequently, and he, Simpson says, profoundly impressed Hilda. Those two names are today linked in the name of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, a community that Simpson founded, and which is centred on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.)\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n'Wholeness is the realisation of our humanity,' Simpson writes as he describes spiritual formation at Whitby 14 centuries ago. In his recounting of his own experience, one senses that the claim may well be authenticated.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nThe story told in this book is, indeed, a powerful one. Reading it may well bring to the attention of more people the value (to both Church and society) of religious communities. Currently, many of these are getting smaller and smaller. I sense, however, that here is an authentic reaching out of the past to find a way of living the Christian life, both in everyday society and in a dedicated community. Such a relationship is one that may well 'bear fruit, fruit that shall last'.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Armson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCanon Armson is a former Precentor of Rochester Cathedral\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:43+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:45+00:00","vendor":"Ray Simpson","type":"Paperback","tags":["Celtic Christianity","For individuals","Glassboxx","KCLC","Kindle","Mar-14","Spirituality","Women"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769092857956,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781841017280","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436560793700,"product_id":2439751204964,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:45+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:46:11+00:00","alt":null,"width":369,"height":561,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841017280-l.jpg?v=1549043171","variant_ids":[21769092857956]},"available":false,"name":"Hilda of Whitby: A spirituality for now - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":107,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781841017280","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238875201675,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"width":369,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841017280-l.jpg?v=1549043171"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841017280-l.jpg?v=1549043171"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841017280-l.jpg?v=1549043171","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238875201675,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"width":369,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841017280-l.jpg?v=1549043171"},"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841017280-l.jpg?v=1549043171","width":369}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the dark and turbulent centuries after the Roman occupation of Britain and during the Anglo-Saxon colonisation, the light of heaven still shone through the work and witness of the monastic communities, ‘villages of God’, which dotted the land. One of the most remarkable figures of those times was Hilda of Whitby. Born and reared among warring pagan tribes, through the influence of Celtic saints and scholars she became a dominant figure in the development of the British Church, above all at the famous Synod where Celtic and Roman Churches came together. This book not only explores the drama of Hilda’s life and ministry but shows what spiritual lessons we can draw for Christian life and leadership today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished to coincide with the 1400th anniversary of the birth of Hilda.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eForeword by the Archbishop of York\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have much to be thankful for in God's own county, but of all the bright stars of Yorkshire's rich heritage of Christian witness, for me St Hilda of Whitby shines out as one of the brightest. I am thankful to Ray Simpson for retelling her story in a way that connects so directly with our contemporary world, inspiring prayer and reflection which I trust will bear fruit as it did so abundantly, graciously, and quietly in her own life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI enjoy my visits to Whitby, not just for the fantastic kippers I often come away with, but also because Hilda's memory lives on in the faith, hope, and love of today's Christian community in that town. I thank God also that the Sisters of the Order of the Holy Paraclete continue the monastic tradition in that town, with their Mother House, St Hilda's Priory, Sneaton Castle, looking across the bay to the ruins of the Abbey where Hilda's church once stood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda's example of self-sacrificial leadership, and of courageous acceptance of what the gathered church discerned as the will of God, is a particular challenge to us today. At the Synod of Whitby over which she presided, although she was a firm believer in the Celtic way, she accepted fundamental changes to the time-honoured ecclesiastical polity of the Celtic Church. She was willing to embrace the new ways of the Roman mission for the sake of the unity of the Church's witness in this land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda was baptised on Easter Day, April 12th 627 on the site where York Minster stands today, along with King Edwin, by Paulinus, first Bishop of York. In recent years I have baptised new believers on the same spot outside the Minster, along with other local church leaders. I visited Hinderwell a few months after becoming Archbishop of York. I baptised a baby at Hilda's well and drank water from the well too!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy prayer is that those baptised today, and all of us who seek to follow Jesus in the North of England, will follow Hilda's example. With her I hope we shall live wholeheartedly for Jesus, carrying the light of God into the communities to which we belong, and seeing the love of God transform both church and nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book will help us along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e+Sentamu Eboracencis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca id=\"introduction\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn into a pagan, Anglo Saxon family in the province of Deira (land to the north of the Humber) in 614, Hilda's early life was to witness much of the brutality and darkness for which that period has become most famous. Her own father was poisoned in the continuing battle for power between ruling claimants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer first encounter with Christianity happened after her uncle Edwin won power, encountering a vision of Christ which led to the family's baptism. But victory was short term and Hilda was forced into exile in the Christian kingdom of the East Angles, holding on to her newfound faith while others cast it aside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda returned north after power passed to the Christian ruler Oswald who set out to reconvert the people of the area, inviting Aidan of Ireland to lead the work. Hilda had only known Christianity with Roman roots. She now came into direct contact with Celtic Christianity for the first time and discovered a stark difference in terms of lifestyle, approaches to mission, models of church and the requirements of soul friends to assist personal faith development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHilda planned to become a nun and depart overseas, but Aidan convinced Hilda to stay and set her on the path of her life's work of pioneering monasteries and establishing learning for men and women. The Celtic church had no qualms over women leadership, unlike the Roman church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving set the scene, Ray Simpson goes on to unfold the story of Hilda's work at Hartlepool and Whitby, drawing out key lessons for our own age from her life, work and legacy and through questions for reflection, encourages personal application.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust before her birth, Hilda's mother had a vision of light cast across Britain from a necklace - a vision that St Bede, writing in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (completed 731AD), regarded as being fulfilled through Hilda, and a light Ray Simpson now projects into our own age. Published to coincide with the 1400th anniversary of the birth of Hilda.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\nThere have been times and places where the wise woman or wise man was central to the community. These people were not pandered celebrities, but those open to the depths of God, and a way of love. Hilda was such a woman. 'Hilda of Whitby' reveals Hilda's secret as well as her history and perhaps may challenge us to seek new styles of leadership for today. Penny Warren, Members' Guardian, Community of Aidan and Hilda\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRay Simpson is a founder of the international new monastic movement known as The Community of Aidan and Hilda and is principal tutor of its Celtic Christian Studies programmes. He has written some thirty books on spirituality and lives on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where many Christian leaders come to the Community's Retreat House and Library and for consultation. He tweets a daily prayer @whitehouseviews and writes a weekly blog on www.raysimpson.org\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis enthusiastic and well-informed book is the work of an author who knows his topic well from within, and is delighted by it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nHe first tells the story of Christianity in Britain - especially northern Britain - in the days when the Romans had just left and the early Anglo-Saxon Christians were beginning to form a new kind of society. So the word 'spirituality' heads the first three chapters and deals in turn with factors that did, over those early centuries, form just that. We read that it was uphill work, but work that paid off - and out of which we are still, today, reaping benefit.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nOf the people who played an important part in establishing Christianity in north Britain, some names live on. In this book, Simpson is most interested in St Hilda, who, as he makes clear, was responsible for much of the dedicated and enthusiastic work that rooted Christianity. For her, the gospel was the beginning, middle, and end of things.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n(There were, of course, many other saints. Aidan's is the other name that crops up frequently, and he, Simpson says, profoundly impressed Hilda. Those two names are today linked in the name of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, a community that Simpson founded, and which is centred on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.)\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n'Wholeness is the realisation of our humanity,' Simpson writes as he describes spiritual formation at Whitby 14 centuries ago. In his recounting of his own experience, one senses that the claim may well be authenticated.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nThe story told in this book is, indeed, a powerful one. Reading it may well bring to the attention of more people the value (to both Church and society) of religious communities. Currently, many of these are getting smaller and smaller. I sense, however, that here is an authentic reaching out of the past to find a way of living the Christian life, both in everyday society and in a dedicated community. Such a relationship is one that may well 'bear fruit, fruit that shall last'.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Armson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCanon Armson is a former Precentor of Rochester Cathedral\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Hilda of Whitby: A spirituality for now
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{"id":2439750189156,"title":"80 Creative Prayer Ideas: A resource for church and group use","handle":"80-creative-prayer-ideas-a-resource-for-church-and-group-use","description":"\u003cp\u003ePrayer is a vital part of the Christian life but people often struggle with actually getting on and doing it. This book offers 80 imaginative and creative ideas for setting up 'prayer stations', practical ways of praying that involve the senses - touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing, rather than simply reflecting, as we bring our hopes, fears, dreams and doubts to God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeveloped from material tried and tested with small groups, the ideas here provide activities ranging from bubble prayers to clay pot prayers (via just about everything else in between), and have been designed to be used with grown-ups - of all ages!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eForeword\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book that is so needed in our word filled world! It is wonderfully creative, helping us to engage with all of our being in the whole business of listening to, walking with, waiting for and talking with God. It provides biblically based ideas to make prayer accessible to an individual, small group or church congregation in ways that are engaging, stimulating and fun!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo many people find getting down to pray and praying hard, whether they try on their own or with others in a small group or in a church setting. Often this is because we rely solely on using verbal tools to 'pray'. And while that does work for some of us, others need to engage more actively in the doing and so be able to connect with the Bible passage, themes or issues in more interactive ways which enable our praying to flow for ourselves and for others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope this book will spur on leaders who want to include creative praying in church services and home groups as well as individuals who want to explore new ways of encountering God in the place of prayer. Jesus clearly showed us what our responsibilities are as his followers: to pray for his kingdom to come and for his will to be done in and for our families and our neighbours; in our communities , our nation and our world. Let's use these creative methods of prayer and see where God leads us as we sense our own prayer journey developing and reaching up to God and out to those he puts on our heart to pray for and about.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJane Holloway, World Prayer Centre, Birmingham\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaire Daniels' book not only offers us a wide variety of ways to engage with God, but opens up experiences that ignite our senses and help us step right into an enhanced understanding of God and of our journey with him. This is a book that is so needed in our word filled world!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJane Holloway, World Prayer Centre, Birmingham \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 15px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/ClaireDaniel2_480x480.jpg?v=1676493596\" width=\"133\" height=\"127\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eClaire Daniel has led creative prayer sessions for a variety of age groups at Aldridge Parish Church, near Birmingham and also for The Hothouse, a fresh expression of church and growing worshipping community in the West Midlands. She is passionate about encouraging others to explore different ways of praying and supporting groups and churches to use creative prayer ideas in ministry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the Diocese of Lichfield Magazine July\/August 2014\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreative Prayer 'it enables you to respond to God in practical and very personal ways. When the words won't come - because you feel inadequate or don't know what to say, you can do something and physically give it to God.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaire Daniel wrote her new book, 80 Creative Prayer Ideas, either side of the birth of her son. The book features prayer ideas and approaches that involve all the senses. Each prayer idea is built around a bible reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'The thing with creative prayer is it gives the chance to spend time with God. It is not just about a list of requests, thanks or things you've done wrong, it is listening to God.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'People can develop through creative prayer because it gives you the time and space to listen and let God work. There is a place for liturgical prayer, but also something significant in doing things a different way.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaire leads prayer sessions at Aldridge Parish Church and also at The Hothouse, a fresh expression of church and growing worship community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'We do creative prayer as part of the Hothouse services once a fortnight. Prayer stations are firmly something for adults, not just children. When I personally started creative prayer, I found it brilliant, and powerful - especially where you can take something away as a keep sake of faith and return to it again.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'People are really excited, and raring to use it. Our youth fellowship can't wait to get their hands on it. I would love to speak or lead workshops for churches that are passionate about different ways of praying, bringing alive their prayer life.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a youth and children's worker I am always looking out for ideas for creative ways to encourage people to pray, so I have seen many resource books on how to engage people in prayer. I came to this book wondering what could be said that has not already been said and what new ideas might be included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. The book is divided into various sections looking at different areas of walking with God - walking with the Bible, walking in our world, walking as a church, walking together with God and our personal walk with God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder each of these headings are a series of chapters looking at prayer for different people and different seasons. Each idea is then divided into a prayer focus, Bible reflection and personal reflection. There is also a section highlighting what materials you would need to have ready in order to make your prayer session interactive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the book are ideas using all our senses and having already used several of the ideas I can testify to the fact that they work well with different age groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo I would highly recommend this book for people who lead prayers in their church, house groups, schools or in youth and children's ministry. There is a wealth of different ideas here and for GBP8.99 it is excellent value for money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Sharon Prior. Co-founder and Chair of the Sophia Network.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:39+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:41+00:00","vendor":"Claire Daniel","type":"Paperback","tags":["For churches","Group reading","Jun-14","KCLC","Kindle","Prayer"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769083355236,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781841016887","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":72465225679228,"product_id":2439750189156,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-12-13T13:45:12+00:00","updated_at":"2024-12-13T13:45:25+00:00","alt":null,"width":1303,"height":2000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/kindlebookswithlogo.png?v=1734097525","variant_ids":[21769083355236]},"available":true,"name":"80 Creative Prayer Ideas: A resource for church and group use - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":999,"weight":254,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781841016887","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":63561186410876,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/kindlebookswithlogo.png?v=1734097525"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/kindlebookswithlogo.png?v=1734097525","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/40_09f3be0c-e893-4532-a5ea-4e12e36e8d04.png?v=1734097525"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/kindlebookswithlogo.png?v=1734097525","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":63561186410876,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/kindlebookswithlogo.png?v=1734097525"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/kindlebookswithlogo.png?v=1734097525","width":1303},{"alt":null,"id":63560967487868,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/40_09f3be0c-e893-4532-a5ea-4e12e36e8d04.png?v=1734097525"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/40_09f3be0c-e893-4532-a5ea-4e12e36e8d04.png?v=1734097525","width":1303}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003ePrayer is a vital part of the Christian life but people often struggle with actually getting on and doing it. This book offers 80 imaginative and creative ideas for setting up 'prayer stations', practical ways of praying that involve the senses - touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing, rather than simply reflecting, as we bring our hopes, fears, dreams and doubts to God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeveloped from material tried and tested with small groups, the ideas here provide activities ranging from bubble prayers to clay pot prayers (via just about everything else in between), and have been designed to be used with grown-ups - of all ages!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eForeword\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book that is so needed in our word filled world! It is wonderfully creative, helping us to engage with all of our being in the whole business of listening to, walking with, waiting for and talking with God. It provides biblically based ideas to make prayer accessible to an individual, small group or church congregation in ways that are engaging, stimulating and fun!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo many people find getting down to pray and praying hard, whether they try on their own or with others in a small group or in a church setting. Often this is because we rely solely on using verbal tools to 'pray'. And while that does work for some of us, others need to engage more actively in the doing and so be able to connect with the Bible passage, themes or issues in more interactive ways which enable our praying to flow for ourselves and for others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope this book will spur on leaders who want to include creative praying in church services and home groups as well as individuals who want to explore new ways of encountering God in the place of prayer. Jesus clearly showed us what our responsibilities are as his followers: to pray for his kingdom to come and for his will to be done in and for our families and our neighbours; in our communities , our nation and our world. Let's use these creative methods of prayer and see where God leads us as we sense our own prayer journey developing and reaching up to God and out to those he puts on our heart to pray for and about.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJane Holloway, World Prayer Centre, Birmingham\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaire Daniels' book not only offers us a wide variety of ways to engage with God, but opens up experiences that ignite our senses and help us step right into an enhanced understanding of God and of our journey with him. This is a book that is so needed in our word filled world!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJane Holloway, World Prayer Centre, Birmingham \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 15px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/ClaireDaniel2_480x480.jpg?v=1676493596\" width=\"133\" height=\"127\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eClaire Daniel has led creative prayer sessions for a variety of age groups at Aldridge Parish Church, near Birmingham and also for The Hothouse, a fresh expression of church and growing worshipping community in the West Midlands. She is passionate about encouraging others to explore different ways of praying and supporting groups and churches to use creative prayer ideas in ministry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the Diocese of Lichfield Magazine July\/August 2014\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreative Prayer 'it enables you to respond to God in practical and very personal ways. When the words won't come - because you feel inadequate or don't know what to say, you can do something and physically give it to God.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaire Daniel wrote her new book, 80 Creative Prayer Ideas, either side of the birth of her son. The book features prayer ideas and approaches that involve all the senses. Each prayer idea is built around a bible reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'The thing with creative prayer is it gives the chance to spend time with God. It is not just about a list of requests, thanks or things you've done wrong, it is listening to God.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'People can develop through creative prayer because it gives you the time and space to listen and let God work. There is a place for liturgical prayer, but also something significant in doing things a different way.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaire leads prayer sessions at Aldridge Parish Church and also at The Hothouse, a fresh expression of church and growing worship community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'We do creative prayer as part of the Hothouse services once a fortnight. Prayer stations are firmly something for adults, not just children. When I personally started creative prayer, I found it brilliant, and powerful - especially where you can take something away as a keep sake of faith and return to it again.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'People are really excited, and raring to use it. Our youth fellowship can't wait to get their hands on it. I would love to speak or lead workshops for churches that are passionate about different ways of praying, bringing alive their prayer life.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a youth and children's worker I am always looking out for ideas for creative ways to encourage people to pray, so I have seen many resource books on how to engage people in prayer. I came to this book wondering what could be said that has not already been said and what new ideas might be included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. The book is divided into various sections looking at different areas of walking with God - walking with the Bible, walking in our world, walking as a church, walking together with God and our personal walk with God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder each of these headings are a series of chapters looking at prayer for different people and different seasons. Each idea is then divided into a prayer focus, Bible reflection and personal reflection. There is also a section highlighting what materials you would need to have ready in order to make your prayer session interactive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the book are ideas using all our senses and having already used several of the ideas I can testify to the fact that they work well with different age groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo I would highly recommend this book for people who lead prayers in their church, house groups, schools or in youth and children's ministry. There is a wealth of different ideas here and for GBP8.99 it is excellent value for money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Sharon Prior. Co-founder and Chair of the Sophia Network.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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80 Creative Prayer Ideas: A resource for church and group use
£9.99
Prayer is a vital part of the Christian life but people often struggle with actually getting on and doing it....
{"id":2439747993700,"title":"Resourcing Rural Ministry: Practical insights for mission","handle":"resourcing-rural-ministry-practical-insights-for-mission","description":"\u003cp\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry offers an in-depth exploration of the key aspects, challenges and opportunities of mission in a rural church. Relevant for ordained and lay leaders alike, the book covers subjects ranging from encouraging evangelism in a multi-church group to making best use of church buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContaining a wealth of real-life case studies and suggestions for follow-up, this ecumenical publication draws on the expertise and resources of the Arthur Rank Centre (ARC), which has served the spiritual and practical needs of the rural Christian community for over 40 years. This book contributes to ARC's Germinate programme of training, development and support for rural multi-church groups of all denominations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry was first developed by Simon Martin as Training and Resources Officer at the ARC. Additional chapters have been contributed by the Revd Caroline Hewlett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne and the final text has been prepared and edited by Jill Hopkinson\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis guide is rooted in the reality of rural life with all its opportunities and challenges. Experienced rural practitioners share stories and resources which will inspire and equip those Christians, lay and ordained, who are working together in the very varied rural communities in Britain. Simon Martin and the other contributors have provided an invaluable resource for all who are engaged in rural mission and ministry, which I hope will be widely read and used.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Ruth Gee, BA, M Litt, President of the Methodist Conference 2013 - 2014, Chair of the Darlington Methodist District \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you want an inspiring read, this book is for you. This is a can-do book for whatever your context may be. I found it faith-building and full of fantastic stories, innovative ideas and best practice throughout its pages. This book is a must for anyone passionate about seeing the gospel transform their community, whether an individual, lay preacher or church leader, and will inspire creativity, energy and enthusiasm to make a real difference in your setting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Roy Crowne, Executive Director, HOPE \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFundamentals of Christian faith and being church are story, relationships and being disciples. This book is packed with helpful resources and background theology that speak into all of these areas and will aid the rural church to be a vibrant and relevant presence in today's society. This is a 'must read' book for clergy, educators, lay leaders and anyone who has a heart for rural mission.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Peter Ball, Mission and Training Officer, Eastern Synod of the United Reformed Church \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA really useful, affirming, grounded, inspirational and practical resource book. Great for anyone in rural ministry, but with wisdom for those in lay and ordained ministry anywhere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Lucy Moore, BRF Messy Church Team Leader \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA key message of this very useful and usable collection is that we can learn so much from the stories of what God is doing among us and through us. Read these contributions and you'll be excited by a wealth of experience, insight and resource. How to develop a learning culture is a hugely important question, and it is a vital issue for the rural church in regard to worship, discipleship and evangelism. This book is a significant contribution to that development, not least because of its consistent theme of learning from each other and learning together. I warmly commend it to all who long for the flourishing of the rural church.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Rt Revd James Bell, Bishop of Ripon, Chair of the Rural Affairs Group of the Church of England General Synod \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry was first developed by Simon Martin as Training and Resources Officer at the Arthur Rank Centre. Additional chapters have been contributed by Revd Caroline Hewlett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne and the final text prepared and edited by Jill Hopkinson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePobl Dewi (Diocese of St David's) - June 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Arthur Rank Centre has been the churches' focus on rural ministry and mission for 40+ years. The accumulated knowledge on all matters affecting every denomination is unrivalled. The connections into every diocese and district has distilled much experience into this small book. The title and subtitle show how the commitment of ministry is to mission. The key questions are asked and answered. What support is available for rural congregations that have limited resources and few members? How do you resource small, dispersed rural congregations and their leaders, lay and ordained?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reliance on lay people is the norm in rural communities and churches. Clergy have to find their role, which can be very different from how it is in an urban church. The nature of church, its theology, worship, practical outreach and expectations are likely to be very different if there are less than a dozen regularly at worship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose few laypeople are likely to be involved in many other community activities and their witness does not go unseen. The community in which the church is set has its own rhythms and customs. It is wise to understand these so that the life of the church respects those that are honourable and desirable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is no surprise that this book refers readers to larger resources on the website (www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk). The chapter on worship recognises how it is part of the breath of the community, even for those who do not join in. There are many who may use the church building for their own good purposes, such as meditation and prayer, at other times of the week. The chapter on evangelism refers to the Journey to Faith section. There is a useful critique of Fresh Expressions and Messy Church. The chapter on children and young people brings together several good examples of rural churches that have tried new ways of building relationships with this generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelationship is the key to rural ministry and mission. Many people have existing relationships and friendships and the church has to recognise these links so that its invitation to a new relationship with Christ is offered appropriately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChurch buildings have their own contribution to make in re-connecting church to community. Good examples abound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRevd Canon Jeremy Martineau\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 29 April 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMULTI-AUTHOR books have their difficulties, but this is a book that will be widely appreciated and much read in rural parishes. The book was conceived and largely written by Simon Martin of the Arthur Rank Centre (the Church's presence at the centre of the farming and countryside world). Unfortunately, Simon became seriously ill before the completion of this book, and it was prepared for publication by Jill Hopkinson and other authors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the wake of \u003cem\u003eFaith in the City\u003c\/em\u003e (1985), the attention of the churches turned to rural matters, not least because of the animal-health problems of the 1980s. \u003cem\u003eFaith in the Countryside\u003c\/em\u003e (1990) seemed for a time to be the high watermark of the Church's concern with the countryside and its rural parishes. But in recent years there has been a steady flow of books on rural matters, among which this book now takes its place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBooks on the rural Church tend to fall into two categories: first, those that are essentially local histories, but which generalise about the state of affairs in the countryside; second, those about how to minister in rural areas which are full of accounts of how to confront the steady decline in rural church life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains little historical analysis of the development of rural parishes, but is full of accounts of pioneering work and how this has been achieved. Those in need of help as they seek to deal with the complexities of church life in rural communities should turn to this book, which is full of examples of 'what to do' and 'how to do it', many of them drawn from the Arthur Rank Centre's publication \u003cem\u003e Country Parish\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are chapters on discipleship and nurture; mission in the rural context; rural fresh expressions; worship in small churches; and the use and adaptation of historic church buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor generations, the central issue in rural parishes has been who 'owns' the church, 'not in the sense of legal tenure but in the sense of who makes the rules, determines the programme and the general direction and feel of that church'. There have been historic struggles between patrons, clergy, and churchwardens. But today many parishes have witnessed ownership struggles between the old resident community and recent arrivals who bring a different understanding of the nature of the church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuch differences have to be reconciled, because, according to Martin, a successful rural church must be run by its congregation. While it used to be considered that the role of the laity was to help the clergy do what was essentially their job, Martin and his co-authors make it clear that the rural church will only thrive if it is run by the laity, and the role of the very few rural clergy is to encourage and equip the laity to do this job\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.In one church, a member of the congregation wrote on the wall 'This is my church.' This book makes clear that unless the laity, in every sense, own and take responsibility for the local church, it will die. Many will recognise the truth of this statement in the contemporary countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rt Revd Dr Anthony Russell is a former Bishop of Ely and President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurches Together in England - April 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is long overdue as it brings many of the resources for mission from the Arthur Rank Centre - which has resourced rural ministry and mission for 40 years - into one place. This is very welcome for clergy and lay people alike and from across the churches in England, especially as it is said that 1 in 6 of the population live in rural areas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by national advisors and local practitioners alike, \u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry\u003c\/em\u003e does exactly what it says, by providing a wide variety of ideas, resources, case studies and comment for anyone concerned with the rural context of mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from all the helpful information, what I like best about this book is the layout. Under straight forward titles and in short sections it is easy to find what you might be looking for. Whether it be Messy Church, Multi-Church Ministry, or rural aspects of Ministerial Training, it also includes examples of more unusual ministry e.g. Forest Church and various aspects of theological reflection e.g. Robert Warren's diagram of Doing, Being and Living.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry\u003c\/em\u003e draws on various traditions including monastic and Fresh Expressions, as well as quoting examples from different denominations. It is a compendium or 'one stop shop' for those who want to address the challenges of the rural church - especially practically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a practical guide, some may say \u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry\u003c\/em\u003e is light in terms of political and social critique, and that it could have drawn more on major works on ministry and mission before it. I would say its strength lies in covering the contemporary ground brilliantly and with just the right amount of information and reflection to encourage every reader in the task of developing understanding, discipleship and rural ministry to get on with the task better informed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll insights are positive, and difficult topics are not ignored. This is well illustrated in a quote from page 42: 'Multi-church ministry brings with it a great many joys and opportunities, in working with different communities and congregations. It also has its own tensions and complications and can be stressful for lay and ordained alike. We know that it is possible for some churches in rural multi-church groups to grow and to do so consistently over several years. We also know that many rural congregations have reduced in size and others maintain regular numbers attending'. What follows this quote is a chapter exploring the issues, with a pragmatic approach, based on research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn short, this is a book for everyone in rural ministry. Full of ideas and encouragement, notes and anecdotes, resources and analysis that has been 'rural-proofed' to be relevant and helpful. Drawing on resources from the Arthur Rank Centre e.g. Country Way (p39) and Journey to Faith (p110), it draws on 40 years' experience and provides the reader with a wonderful overview, guide and mission resource all in one place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJim Currin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCTE Evangelisation, Mission and Media\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaff member on the Churches Rural Group\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Door (The Diocese of Oxford) March 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is currently a group, established by the Diocesan Board of Mission, whose function is to consider a range of strategic initiatives to enhance the rural church, and this book is a welcome introductory resource for all those who have an interest in rural ministry and its expression in the 21st century. \u003cbr\u003eThe authors recognise the specific characteristics of rural ministry relating to context, culture and community and the need to be aware of the specific ways these impact on church life. In keeping with \u003cem\u003eLiving Faith\u003c\/em\u003e there are resources related to mission and ministry including chapters on worship, evangelism, discipleship, children and young people, and developing Messy Church. The book offers a range of ideas, initiatives and approaches in these and other areas, drawing on a range of denominations.\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most helpful sections is by Simon Martin who maintains that rural churches are particularly effective in showing Christ's compassion to those in need and also in what might be termed low level nurture and teaching. He is realistic about the appropriateness of using some resources in the rural context and offers helpful ideas and resources such as the sharing of stories and the use of the Arthur Rank Centre's Equipping for Rural Mission via \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.germinate.net\/go\/profiling\"\u003ewww.germinate.net\/go\/profiling\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003cbr\u003eAs he rightly states small rural churches are not failed larger ones. Rather they have a range of expressions, networks and routes into their communities that enables them to function as a little yeast, that, in the words of Saint Paul to the Galatians, 'leavens the whole batch of dough'.\u003cbr\u003eRegarding discipleship and nurture, as in other chapters, a number of resources are offered alongside comments and observations from those who have used them. Again there is a helpful degree of realism here to enable one to assess whether what one might offer is appropriate not only for the local context and communities, but also for the resources one has available. This book could well be used by members of rural multi-parish benefices, and within rural deaneries, as a vehicle for gaining fresh insights for rural ministry. By focusing on each chapter in turn, resources for discussing mission and ministry could be creatively and imaginatively explored. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Revd Charles Chadwick is the Parish Development Adviser in the Dorchester Archdeaconry and Leader of the Rural Strategies Steering Group.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 29 January 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is a small, but useful, contribution to counteract the old dictum, 'If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.' Encouraging all churches to believe in possibilities and experimentation, it is a book of 'realtime' stories from across the country, of folk just like you and I, not giving up. Men and women questioning and engaging their localities with bespoke attempts to reach out and reveal the something of the divine and the importance of spiritual reflection in all of our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven that, for the past 20 years or more, the polls and pundits are shouting that, in all our mainstream Churches, the active attendance in local churches of our neighbours is rapidly declining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCounteract\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stories relayed within \u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry - Practical Insights for Mission \u003c\/em\u003eby Simon Martin with Caroline Hewett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne simply try and counteract the data so often solemnly presented at synods and conferences, but it cannot contradict the overall important trends being revealed. The 'number crunchers-crunching' suggest that our neighbours simply see no need of 'belonging' or 'embracing' the stories of faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon Martin and editor Jill Hopkinson from the Arthur Rank Centre, with friends and colleagues, offer throughout this book (203 pages) cameos of hope and experimentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe, in the Church, have become familiar with terms like 'fresh expressions' and 'messy churches', but perhaps not with 'Eastertingle' or 'Who let the Dads out' groups, ie the men who care for their little ones gathering together. Even a 'Forest Church' that explores worship in a landscape\/outside of a church building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the book five pages point to other resources tried and tested - probably\u003cbr\u003esome useful and successful, others not so, but all venturesome and calling us to\u003cbr\u003etake courage!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnvisioned\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout this book it points to envisioned lay folk and clergy. One short paragraph struck me on p160 (Bar Nash-Williams united benefice of Stamfordham and Matfen): 'All the good plans and keen participation come to nothing if you don't start with the heart, it's your heart that says, 'It's worth it just for one child'. Its the heart that says, 'We do what we can and trust to God for the rest.' When you start with that attitude a tiny church can do good things with tiny resources.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmen to that. For we Methodists those words speak to our DNA of 'warmed hearts' and 'faithful service' to our God-given communities wherever you are. I commend this book to those who are seeking some ideas with a warm heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rev Canon Alan Robson is Lincolnshire agricultural chaplain.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eMETconnexion\u003c\/em\u003e. December 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eIf you are looking for a practical understanding of the main issues, challenges and responses in rural ministry in Britain, this is the text for you. It's very accessible, straightforward and written by Simon Martin and others who are all associated with the Arthur Rank Centre (ARC) which seeks to equip the rural church for effective ministry and mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat I particularly like about this book is that it covers the main areas, at least as I understand them. Too many books on rural Christianity spend a lot of their time offering an analysis of the changing nature of rural communities, dealing with indices of rural deprivation, mobility and so on. This is important and helps us to understand the rural context in which we live out our faith and minister. But, too often they don't offer enough direct suggestion as to what we might actually do.\u003c\/p\u003e\nThe chapters consider mission, worship, evangelism, messy church, fresh expressions, worship, discipleship, young people and multi-church ministry. I particularly appreciate the separate chapters on mission and evangelism. Too often these areas are conflated and the result is that being involved with people outside of the believing community is considered to be evangelism. In reality that is mission which creates the opportunity for a more direct sharing of faith and a challenge to discipleship. This book very helpfully, in my view, gets this right.My one small criticism of this book is that it's a bit Anglican. That is fully understandable. The ARC (http:\/\/www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk\/) is a largely Anglican organisation with a Methodist\/United Reformed Rural Officer. The book refers to a lot of ARC resources and programmes which can be used for anyone, although at times there is more of an Anglican flavour. The chapter on 'multi-church ministry' is a good example where the Methodist norm is discussed but rather than strengths and weaknesses of a rural circuit being considered there is more of an introduction to how Methodists do things for others. I think more could be learnt by Methodists and others by a sharper critique of the current Methodist circuit.This is a very good book that enables us to better understand the challenges and possibilities in rural mission and ministry. It does point to the need to produce more material that helps Methodists and other non-Anglicans understand their nuanced context. This is a fine resource that will benefit many.\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eRev'd Dr Stephen Skuce\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry Way magazine - January 2016\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe all know that society is changing rapidly and that there is a real need for Christians to find new and innovative ways of ensuring that the story of Jesus and the love of God, for this world, and us as individuals can still be heard and responded to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is not always so easy is finding the right models and ways for doing so. Resourcing Rural Ministry is therefore a 'must have' on the bookshelf of all those who wish to think about what God is saying to the rural church in this generation. In many ways rural church life comes with some unique opportunities as well as often being at the heart of the many challenges facing rural communities in the 21st century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst no book can offer all of the answers, and each context is unique, Resourcing Rural Ministry will help people to think about their rural context, the story the rural church has to tell and then to look at the mission opportunities this provides through practical ideas. The fundamentals of the Christian faith and being church are story, relationships and growing as disciples. This book is packed with helpful resources and background theology that speak into all of these areas and will aid the rural church to be a vibrant and relevant presence in today's society. God provides us with many opportunities to be more missional in our approach and outlook toward church and community life, and this book is a useful tool to help us grasp those opportunities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeter Ball\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:31+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:33+00:00","vendor":"Simon Martin","type":"Paperback","tags":["Church life","KCLC","Kindle","Mission","Nov-15"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769050685540,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857462626","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Resourcing Rural Ministry: Practical insights for mission - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":232,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857462626","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462626-l.jpg?v=1549043173"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462626-l.jpg?v=1549043173","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238875005067,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462626-l.jpg?v=1549043173"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462626-l.jpg?v=1549043173","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry offers an in-depth exploration of the key aspects, challenges and opportunities of mission in a rural church. Relevant for ordained and lay leaders alike, the book covers subjects ranging from encouraging evangelism in a multi-church group to making best use of church buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContaining a wealth of real-life case studies and suggestions for follow-up, this ecumenical publication draws on the expertise and resources of the Arthur Rank Centre (ARC), which has served the spiritual and practical needs of the rural Christian community for over 40 years. This book contributes to ARC's Germinate programme of training, development and support for rural multi-church groups of all denominations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry was first developed by Simon Martin as Training and Resources Officer at the ARC. Additional chapters have been contributed by the Revd Caroline Hewlett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne and the final text has been prepared and edited by Jill Hopkinson\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis guide is rooted in the reality of rural life with all its opportunities and challenges. Experienced rural practitioners share stories and resources which will inspire and equip those Christians, lay and ordained, who are working together in the very varied rural communities in Britain. Simon Martin and the other contributors have provided an invaluable resource for all who are engaged in rural mission and ministry, which I hope will be widely read and used.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Ruth Gee, BA, M Litt, President of the Methodist Conference 2013 - 2014, Chair of the Darlington Methodist District \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you want an inspiring read, this book is for you. This is a can-do book for whatever your context may be. I found it faith-building and full of fantastic stories, innovative ideas and best practice throughout its pages. This book is a must for anyone passionate about seeing the gospel transform their community, whether an individual, lay preacher or church leader, and will inspire creativity, energy and enthusiasm to make a real difference in your setting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Roy Crowne, Executive Director, HOPE \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFundamentals of Christian faith and being church are story, relationships and being disciples. This book is packed with helpful resources and background theology that speak into all of these areas and will aid the rural church to be a vibrant and relevant presence in today's society. This is a 'must read' book for clergy, educators, lay leaders and anyone who has a heart for rural mission.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Peter Ball, Mission and Training Officer, Eastern Synod of the United Reformed Church \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA really useful, affirming, grounded, inspirational and practical resource book. Great for anyone in rural ministry, but with wisdom for those in lay and ordained ministry anywhere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Lucy Moore, BRF Messy Church Team Leader \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA key message of this very useful and usable collection is that we can learn so much from the stories of what God is doing among us and through us. Read these contributions and you'll be excited by a wealth of experience, insight and resource. How to develop a learning culture is a hugely important question, and it is a vital issue for the rural church in regard to worship, discipleship and evangelism. This book is a significant contribution to that development, not least because of its consistent theme of learning from each other and learning together. I warmly commend it to all who long for the flourishing of the rural church.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Rt Revd James Bell, Bishop of Ripon, Chair of the Rural Affairs Group of the Church of England General Synod \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry was first developed by Simon Martin as Training and Resources Officer at the Arthur Rank Centre. Additional chapters have been contributed by Revd Caroline Hewlett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne and the final text prepared and edited by Jill Hopkinson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePobl Dewi (Diocese of St David's) - June 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Arthur Rank Centre has been the churches' focus on rural ministry and mission for 40+ years. The accumulated knowledge on all matters affecting every denomination is unrivalled. The connections into every diocese and district has distilled much experience into this small book. The title and subtitle show how the commitment of ministry is to mission. The key questions are asked and answered. What support is available for rural congregations that have limited resources and few members? How do you resource small, dispersed rural congregations and their leaders, lay and ordained?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reliance on lay people is the norm in rural communities and churches. Clergy have to find their role, which can be very different from how it is in an urban church. The nature of church, its theology, worship, practical outreach and expectations are likely to be very different if there are less than a dozen regularly at worship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose few laypeople are likely to be involved in many other community activities and their witness does not go unseen. The community in which the church is set has its own rhythms and customs. It is wise to understand these so that the life of the church respects those that are honourable and desirable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is no surprise that this book refers readers to larger resources on the website (www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk). The chapter on worship recognises how it is part of the breath of the community, even for those who do not join in. There are many who may use the church building for their own good purposes, such as meditation and prayer, at other times of the week. The chapter on evangelism refers to the Journey to Faith section. There is a useful critique of Fresh Expressions and Messy Church. The chapter on children and young people brings together several good examples of rural churches that have tried new ways of building relationships with this generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelationship is the key to rural ministry and mission. Many people have existing relationships and friendships and the church has to recognise these links so that its invitation to a new relationship with Christ is offered appropriately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChurch buildings have their own contribution to make in re-connecting church to community. Good examples abound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRevd Canon Jeremy Martineau\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 29 April 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMULTI-AUTHOR books have their difficulties, but this is a book that will be widely appreciated and much read in rural parishes. The book was conceived and largely written by Simon Martin of the Arthur Rank Centre (the Church's presence at the centre of the farming and countryside world). Unfortunately, Simon became seriously ill before the completion of this book, and it was prepared for publication by Jill Hopkinson and other authors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the wake of \u003cem\u003eFaith in the City\u003c\/em\u003e (1985), the attention of the churches turned to rural matters, not least because of the animal-health problems of the 1980s. \u003cem\u003eFaith in the Countryside\u003c\/em\u003e (1990) seemed for a time to be the high watermark of the Church's concern with the countryside and its rural parishes. But in recent years there has been a steady flow of books on rural matters, among which this book now takes its place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBooks on the rural Church tend to fall into two categories: first, those that are essentially local histories, but which generalise about the state of affairs in the countryside; second, those about how to minister in rural areas which are full of accounts of how to confront the steady decline in rural church life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains little historical analysis of the development of rural parishes, but is full of accounts of pioneering work and how this has been achieved. Those in need of help as they seek to deal with the complexities of church life in rural communities should turn to this book, which is full of examples of 'what to do' and 'how to do it', many of them drawn from the Arthur Rank Centre's publication \u003cem\u003e Country Parish\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are chapters on discipleship and nurture; mission in the rural context; rural fresh expressions; worship in small churches; and the use and adaptation of historic church buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor generations, the central issue in rural parishes has been who 'owns' the church, 'not in the sense of legal tenure but in the sense of who makes the rules, determines the programme and the general direction and feel of that church'. There have been historic struggles between patrons, clergy, and churchwardens. But today many parishes have witnessed ownership struggles between the old resident community and recent arrivals who bring a different understanding of the nature of the church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuch differences have to be reconciled, because, according to Martin, a successful rural church must be run by its congregation. While it used to be considered that the role of the laity was to help the clergy do what was essentially their job, Martin and his co-authors make it clear that the rural church will only thrive if it is run by the laity, and the role of the very few rural clergy is to encourage and equip the laity to do this job\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.In one church, a member of the congregation wrote on the wall 'This is my church.' This book makes clear that unless the laity, in every sense, own and take responsibility for the local church, it will die. Many will recognise the truth of this statement in the contemporary countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rt Revd Dr Anthony Russell is a former Bishop of Ely and President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurches Together in England - April 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is long overdue as it brings many of the resources for mission from the Arthur Rank Centre - which has resourced rural ministry and mission for 40 years - into one place. This is very welcome for clergy and lay people alike and from across the churches in England, especially as it is said that 1 in 6 of the population live in rural areas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by national advisors and local practitioners alike, \u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry\u003c\/em\u003e does exactly what it says, by providing a wide variety of ideas, resources, case studies and comment for anyone concerned with the rural context of mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from all the helpful information, what I like best about this book is the layout. Under straight forward titles and in short sections it is easy to find what you might be looking for. Whether it be Messy Church, Multi-Church Ministry, or rural aspects of Ministerial Training, it also includes examples of more unusual ministry e.g. Forest Church and various aspects of theological reflection e.g. Robert Warren's diagram of Doing, Being and Living.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry\u003c\/em\u003e draws on various traditions including monastic and Fresh Expressions, as well as quoting examples from different denominations. It is a compendium or 'one stop shop' for those who want to address the challenges of the rural church - especially practically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a practical guide, some may say \u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry\u003c\/em\u003e is light in terms of political and social critique, and that it could have drawn more on major works on ministry and mission before it. I would say its strength lies in covering the contemporary ground brilliantly and with just the right amount of information and reflection to encourage every reader in the task of developing understanding, discipleship and rural ministry to get on with the task better informed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll insights are positive, and difficult topics are not ignored. This is well illustrated in a quote from page 42: 'Multi-church ministry brings with it a great many joys and opportunities, in working with different communities and congregations. It also has its own tensions and complications and can be stressful for lay and ordained alike. We know that it is possible for some churches in rural multi-church groups to grow and to do so consistently over several years. We also know that many rural congregations have reduced in size and others maintain regular numbers attending'. What follows this quote is a chapter exploring the issues, with a pragmatic approach, based on research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn short, this is a book for everyone in rural ministry. Full of ideas and encouragement, notes and anecdotes, resources and analysis that has been 'rural-proofed' to be relevant and helpful. Drawing on resources from the Arthur Rank Centre e.g. Country Way (p39) and Journey to Faith (p110), it draws on 40 years' experience and provides the reader with a wonderful overview, guide and mission resource all in one place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJim Currin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCTE Evangelisation, Mission and Media\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaff member on the Churches Rural Group\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Door (The Diocese of Oxford) March 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is currently a group, established by the Diocesan Board of Mission, whose function is to consider a range of strategic initiatives to enhance the rural church, and this book is a welcome introductory resource for all those who have an interest in rural ministry and its expression in the 21st century. \u003cbr\u003eThe authors recognise the specific characteristics of rural ministry relating to context, culture and community and the need to be aware of the specific ways these impact on church life. In keeping with \u003cem\u003eLiving Faith\u003c\/em\u003e there are resources related to mission and ministry including chapters on worship, evangelism, discipleship, children and young people, and developing Messy Church. The book offers a range of ideas, initiatives and approaches in these and other areas, drawing on a range of denominations.\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most helpful sections is by Simon Martin who maintains that rural churches are particularly effective in showing Christ's compassion to those in need and also in what might be termed low level nurture and teaching. He is realistic about the appropriateness of using some resources in the rural context and offers helpful ideas and resources such as the sharing of stories and the use of the Arthur Rank Centre's Equipping for Rural Mission via \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.germinate.net\/go\/profiling\"\u003ewww.germinate.net\/go\/profiling\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003cbr\u003eAs he rightly states small rural churches are not failed larger ones. Rather they have a range of expressions, networks and routes into their communities that enables them to function as a little yeast, that, in the words of Saint Paul to the Galatians, 'leavens the whole batch of dough'.\u003cbr\u003eRegarding discipleship and nurture, as in other chapters, a number of resources are offered alongside comments and observations from those who have used them. Again there is a helpful degree of realism here to enable one to assess whether what one might offer is appropriate not only for the local context and communities, but also for the resources one has available. This book could well be used by members of rural multi-parish benefices, and within rural deaneries, as a vehicle for gaining fresh insights for rural ministry. By focusing on each chapter in turn, resources for discussing mission and ministry could be creatively and imaginatively explored. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Revd Charles Chadwick is the Parish Development Adviser in the Dorchester Archdeaconry and Leader of the Rural Strategies Steering Group.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 29 January 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is a small, but useful, contribution to counteract the old dictum, 'If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.' Encouraging all churches to believe in possibilities and experimentation, it is a book of 'realtime' stories from across the country, of folk just like you and I, not giving up. Men and women questioning and engaging their localities with bespoke attempts to reach out and reveal the something of the divine and the importance of spiritual reflection in all of our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven that, for the past 20 years or more, the polls and pundits are shouting that, in all our mainstream Churches, the active attendance in local churches of our neighbours is rapidly declining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCounteract\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stories relayed within \u003cem\u003eResourcing Rural Ministry - Practical Insights for Mission \u003c\/em\u003eby Simon Martin with Caroline Hewett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne simply try and counteract the data so often solemnly presented at synods and conferences, but it cannot contradict the overall important trends being revealed. The 'number crunchers-crunching' suggest that our neighbours simply see no need of 'belonging' or 'embracing' the stories of faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon Martin and editor Jill Hopkinson from the Arthur Rank Centre, with friends and colleagues, offer throughout this book (203 pages) cameos of hope and experimentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe, in the Church, have become familiar with terms like 'fresh expressions' and 'messy churches', but perhaps not with 'Eastertingle' or 'Who let the Dads out' groups, ie the men who care for their little ones gathering together. Even a 'Forest Church' that explores worship in a landscape\/outside of a church building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the book five pages point to other resources tried and tested - probably\u003cbr\u003esome useful and successful, others not so, but all venturesome and calling us to\u003cbr\u003etake courage!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnvisioned\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout this book it points to envisioned lay folk and clergy. One short paragraph struck me on p160 (Bar Nash-Williams united benefice of Stamfordham and Matfen): 'All the good plans and keen participation come to nothing if you don't start with the heart, it's your heart that says, 'It's worth it just for one child'. Its the heart that says, 'We do what we can and trust to God for the rest.' When you start with that attitude a tiny church can do good things with tiny resources.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmen to that. For we Methodists those words speak to our DNA of 'warmed hearts' and 'faithful service' to our God-given communities wherever you are. I commend this book to those who are seeking some ideas with a warm heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rev Canon Alan Robson is Lincolnshire agricultural chaplain.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eMETconnexion\u003c\/em\u003e. December 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eIf you are looking for a practical understanding of the main issues, challenges and responses in rural ministry in Britain, this is the text for you. It's very accessible, straightforward and written by Simon Martin and others who are all associated with the Arthur Rank Centre (ARC) which seeks to equip the rural church for effective ministry and mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat I particularly like about this book is that it covers the main areas, at least as I understand them. Too many books on rural Christianity spend a lot of their time offering an analysis of the changing nature of rural communities, dealing with indices of rural deprivation, mobility and so on. This is important and helps us to understand the rural context in which we live out our faith and minister. But, too often they don't offer enough direct suggestion as to what we might actually do.\u003c\/p\u003e\nThe chapters consider mission, worship, evangelism, messy church, fresh expressions, worship, discipleship, young people and multi-church ministry. I particularly appreciate the separate chapters on mission and evangelism. Too often these areas are conflated and the result is that being involved with people outside of the believing community is considered to be evangelism. In reality that is mission which creates the opportunity for a more direct sharing of faith and a challenge to discipleship. This book very helpfully, in my view, gets this right.My one small criticism of this book is that it's a bit Anglican. That is fully understandable. The ARC (http:\/\/www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk\/) is a largely Anglican organisation with a Methodist\/United Reformed Rural Officer. The book refers to a lot of ARC resources and programmes which can be used for anyone, although at times there is more of an Anglican flavour. The chapter on 'multi-church ministry' is a good example where the Methodist norm is discussed but rather than strengths and weaknesses of a rural circuit being considered there is more of an introduction to how Methodists do things for others. I think more could be learnt by Methodists and others by a sharper critique of the current Methodist circuit.This is a very good book that enables us to better understand the challenges and possibilities in rural mission and ministry. It does point to the need to produce more material that helps Methodists and other non-Anglicans understand their nuanced context. This is a fine resource that will benefit many.\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 15px; text-align: left;\"\u003eRev'd Dr Stephen Skuce\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry Way magazine - January 2016\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe all know that society is changing rapidly and that there is a real need for Christians to find new and innovative ways of ensuring that the story of Jesus and the love of God, for this world, and us as individuals can still be heard and responded to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is not always so easy is finding the right models and ways for doing so. Resourcing Rural Ministry is therefore a 'must have' on the bookshelf of all those who wish to think about what God is saying to the rural church in this generation. In many ways rural church life comes with some unique opportunities as well as often being at the heart of the many challenges facing rural communities in the 21st century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst no book can offer all of the answers, and each context is unique, Resourcing Rural Ministry will help people to think about their rural context, the story the rural church has to tell and then to look at the mission opportunities this provides through practical ideas. The fundamentals of the Christian faith and being church are story, relationships and growing as disciples. This book is packed with helpful resources and background theology that speak into all of these areas and will aid the rural church to be a vibrant and relevant presence in today's society. God provides us with many opportunities to be more missional in our approach and outlook toward church and community life, and this book is a useful tool to help us grasp those opportunities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeter Ball\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e"}
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Resourcing Rural Ministry: Practical insights for mission
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Resourcing Rural Ministry offers an in-depth exploration of the key aspects, challenges and opportunities of mission in a rural church....
{"id":2439745798244,"title":"Travellers of the Heart: Exploring new pathways on our spiritual journey","handle":"travellers-of-the-heart-exploring-new-pathways-on-our-spiritual-journey","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this book one of the UK's leading authors on Christian spirituality and personal renewal shares his own faith journey, in the context of exploring some of the different spiritual traditions that have influenced Christian witness over the past 40 or so years.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eBuilding on themes in his previous book, Dreaming of Home, Michael Mitton explores how encompassing something of the breadth of Christian spirituality, from Charismatic to Catholic, via Celtic, can not only enrich our faith but strengthen the mission of the Church: 'I have chosen to start with my own experience, not because I am any kind of expert but because the best tutors to me over the years have been those prepared to share with me their stories, their ups and downs of life, their struggles and discoveries. Often their experiences have been very different to my own, but as I listen to them, they help me reflect on what is taking place in me.'\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead more\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt is perhaps true for all of us who have drawn from several traditions and spiritualities, that no one direction will seem fully like home to us, and this can make us feel disturbed and possibly lonely, but such disturbance can be very healthy... it seems to me that if we try to conform ourselves to fit exactly with one particular tradition we may be missing some very important pathways in our souls, pathways that are known to God.\u003c\/em\u003e (p. 27)\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMichael Mitton's new book is for anyone who is looking for confirmation that seeking out and exploring different Christian spiritualities to discover more of God is not only right but essential for spiritual growth and development. Travellers of the Heart is Michael's own journey of exploration, told not to offer a blueprint for how others may proceed but to share how God revealed himself to Michael through different Christian spiritualities and the benefits and dangers he discovered.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhen I first came to put all this down in the form of a book, I saw my exploration as a journey through different physical terrains that somehow matched my experience of particular spiritualities. My experience of Anglican spirituality felt like firm plains that provided security; I saw evangelical spirituality as the Home Counties, because when I encountered evangelical spirituality I lived in that part of the country, but also I think we all have a spirituality that is the home county where our faith was initially nurtured. I saw my charismatic experience as a delightful rushing stream, but also with that unpredictable flow that could make it a bit dangerous! Catholic spirituality felt a bit risky and took me to places that seemed more like borderlands, but full of interest and adventure. Celtic spirituality felt like high mountains, ancient and rugged - in climbing them you get fascinating views. Liberal spirituality was the one I was told to avoid as an evangelical, so it felt like marshlands - full of threat - but, as I discovered, also full of life and beauty. Finally, missional spirituality was the one that took me to the coastlands and became the one with most adventure and promise.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMichael discusses the loneliness that such a journey can create because new discoveries may not be easily accepted by your traditional church home. He also acknowledges that in every Christian tradition there is a kind of shadow side. The spirituality we discover is initially full of light and we feel very positive about it, but then, as we explore it more fully, we can discover aspects of it that are disturbing, requiring us to ask: is it the heart and soul of the tradition that creates the shadow or the way people have misused that heart and soul?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMichael finishes by reflecting on the missional coastlands. Before the church lies an ocean of 21st-century people with whom it has little or no contact. Christian spirituality needs adjustment in language and forms to reach out to them. This journey is just beginning!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\nThe blend of Michael's own journey and story woven with the different streams of spirituality makes for a lovely gentle way of opening up the gifts of the tradition. His posture of openness and generosity is one I aspire to and I particularly like the way the book concludes in the coastlands of mission which seems to me to be the most natural way to unite. Jonny Baker, pioneer mission leadership team, CMS\r\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n Michael Mitton is a freelance writer, consultant, Greenbelt speaker, trainer and spiritual director based in Derby.He is also the Bishop of Derby's Adviser for Fresh Expressions and is Priest in Charge of St Paul's, Derby. He has previously worked for the Acorn Christian Healing Foundation and Anglican Renewal Ministries. He has also written The Rainbow of Renewal (2005, Lent), A Handful of Light (2008, Advent) and A Heart to Listen (2004, new ed 2010) for BRF and contributes to New Daylight. \n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Sheila Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eFor anyone on a spiritual journey, this is a fascinating and encouraging read, as the author shares his own personal story and describes the people who have led him on from one spirituality to another. I often identified with Michael Mitton's account of his feelings and discoveries, and found his honesty and his psychological insight very uplifting. At the end of each chapter the author gives questions for reflection which are quite challenging, and help the reader to question his or her own choices and feelings from the past. At the end, among other questions, we are invited to consider what our feelings are about the first spirituality that was life-giving for us. For me, very early in my life, I think it may well have been pantheism. Michael Mitton also considers the dangers of tribalism in our attitude to what we and other people believe, which has a toxic effect upon our ability to come alongside those who are different. We need to seek to be true to our convictions without behaving tribally. An excellent book which I recommend to anyone who identifies as being on a spiritual journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Ann Gray\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA thought provoking book. Clarifying the various traditions and enabling a reflection of my own spiritual journey which has embraced some of the territories in the book and a desire to explore further the next stage of my personal journey\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Andrew Dotchin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIf you have a friend who is considering stepping out on the journey of formal ministry buy them this book now!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eBased on Michael's journey of life he reminds us that the church also has its own road map with different Highlands and Coastlands, Borders and Marshlands, Plains and Home Counties.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eTaking the various spiritualities found in Churches in England (but also drawing on experience elsewhere in the world) he encourages readers to refuse to simply travel the physical journey of faith but also to reach out to other parts of Christian experience beyond the comfort zone of their church practice and piety.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eHe demonstrates how Conservative Evangelical need 'woolly' Liberals, Catholics need Charismatics, and Celtic and Fresh Expressions of the faith help the whole church grow together.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eFor the individual on a journey into following and serving Christ this is a very helpful road map which will encourage reflection on their own tradition, help them perceive the light which the experience of others bring to the journey, and is an antidote to the tribalism which so easily pervades the church.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eBe careful to take good note of the 'Questions for Reflection' at the end of each chapter as they provide fruitful food for the journey for anyone who truly desires to be a pilgrim of the faith whichever road they find themselves upon.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eOn reading the book I felt myself itching to read more of Michael's writings and longing for a second edition of this one. Which revision would include for each chapter a simple reading list explaining more about the different kinds of Christian Spirituality it explores.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eNow which person newly embarking on the 'Heart Journey' of formal ministry are you going to give this book to?\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-12-14T16:41:33+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:24+00:00","vendor":"Michael Mitton","type":"Paperback","tags":["For individuals","KCLC","Kindle","Spirituality"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769026568292,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857462213","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436526420068,"product_id":2439745798244,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:24+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:46:15+00:00","alt":null,"width":369,"height":561,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462213-l.jpg?v=1549043175","variant_ids":[21769026568292]},"available":false,"name":"Travellers of the Heart: Exploring new pathways on our spiritual journey - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":187,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857462213","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238874873995,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"width":369,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462213-l.jpg?v=1549043175"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462213-l.jpg?v=1549043175"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462213-l.jpg?v=1549043175","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238874873995,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"width":369,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462213-l.jpg?v=1549043175"},"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857462213-l.jpg?v=1549043175","width":369}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this book one of the UK's leading authors on Christian spirituality and personal renewal shares his own faith journey, in the context of exploring some of the different spiritual traditions that have influenced Christian witness over the past 40 or so years.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eBuilding on themes in his previous book, Dreaming of Home, Michael Mitton explores how encompassing something of the breadth of Christian spirituality, from Charismatic to Catholic, via Celtic, can not only enrich our faith but strengthen the mission of the Church: 'I have chosen to start with my own experience, not because I am any kind of expert but because the best tutors to me over the years have been those prepared to share with me their stories, their ups and downs of life, their struggles and discoveries. Often their experiences have been very different to my own, but as I listen to them, they help me reflect on what is taking place in me.'\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead more\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt is perhaps true for all of us who have drawn from several traditions and spiritualities, that no one direction will seem fully like home to us, and this can make us feel disturbed and possibly lonely, but such disturbance can be very healthy... it seems to me that if we try to conform ourselves to fit exactly with one particular tradition we may be missing some very important pathways in our souls, pathways that are known to God.\u003c\/em\u003e (p. 27)\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMichael Mitton's new book is for anyone who is looking for confirmation that seeking out and exploring different Christian spiritualities to discover more of God is not only right but essential for spiritual growth and development. Travellers of the Heart is Michael's own journey of exploration, told not to offer a blueprint for how others may proceed but to share how God revealed himself to Michael through different Christian spiritualities and the benefits and dangers he discovered.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhen I first came to put all this down in the form of a book, I saw my exploration as a journey through different physical terrains that somehow matched my experience of particular spiritualities. My experience of Anglican spirituality felt like firm plains that provided security; I saw evangelical spirituality as the Home Counties, because when I encountered evangelical spirituality I lived in that part of the country, but also I think we all have a spirituality that is the home county where our faith was initially nurtured. I saw my charismatic experience as a delightful rushing stream, but also with that unpredictable flow that could make it a bit dangerous! Catholic spirituality felt a bit risky and took me to places that seemed more like borderlands, but full of interest and adventure. Celtic spirituality felt like high mountains, ancient and rugged - in climbing them you get fascinating views. Liberal spirituality was the one I was told to avoid as an evangelical, so it felt like marshlands - full of threat - but, as I discovered, also full of life and beauty. Finally, missional spirituality was the one that took me to the coastlands and became the one with most adventure and promise.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMichael discusses the loneliness that such a journey can create because new discoveries may not be easily accepted by your traditional church home. He also acknowledges that in every Christian tradition there is a kind of shadow side. The spirituality we discover is initially full of light and we feel very positive about it, but then, as we explore it more fully, we can discover aspects of it that are disturbing, requiring us to ask: is it the heart and soul of the tradition that creates the shadow or the way people have misused that heart and soul?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMichael finishes by reflecting on the missional coastlands. Before the church lies an ocean of 21st-century people with whom it has little or no contact. Christian spirituality needs adjustment in language and forms to reach out to them. This journey is just beginning!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\nThe blend of Michael's own journey and story woven with the different streams of spirituality makes for a lovely gentle way of opening up the gifts of the tradition. His posture of openness and generosity is one I aspire to and I particularly like the way the book concludes in the coastlands of mission which seems to me to be the most natural way to unite. Jonny Baker, pioneer mission leadership team, CMS\r\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n Michael Mitton is a freelance writer, consultant, Greenbelt speaker, trainer and spiritual director based in Derby.He is also the Bishop of Derby's Adviser for Fresh Expressions and is Priest in Charge of St Paul's, Derby. He has previously worked for the Acorn Christian Healing Foundation and Anglican Renewal Ministries. He has also written The Rainbow of Renewal (2005, Lent), A Handful of Light (2008, Advent) and A Heart to Listen (2004, new ed 2010) for BRF and contributes to New Daylight. \n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Sheila Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eFor anyone on a spiritual journey, this is a fascinating and encouraging read, as the author shares his own personal story and describes the people who have led him on from one spirituality to another. I often identified with Michael Mitton's account of his feelings and discoveries, and found his honesty and his psychological insight very uplifting. At the end of each chapter the author gives questions for reflection which are quite challenging, and help the reader to question his or her own choices and feelings from the past. At the end, among other questions, we are invited to consider what our feelings are about the first spirituality that was life-giving for us. For me, very early in my life, I think it may well have been pantheism. Michael Mitton also considers the dangers of tribalism in our attitude to what we and other people believe, which has a toxic effect upon our ability to come alongside those who are different. We need to seek to be true to our convictions without behaving tribally. An excellent book which I recommend to anyone who identifies as being on a spiritual journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Ann Gray\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA thought provoking book. Clarifying the various traditions and enabling a reflection of my own spiritual journey which has embraced some of the territories in the book and a desire to explore further the next stage of my personal journey\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Andrew Dotchin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIf you have a friend who is considering stepping out on the journey of formal ministry buy them this book now!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eBased on Michael's journey of life he reminds us that the church also has its own road map with different Highlands and Coastlands, Borders and Marshlands, Plains and Home Counties.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eTaking the various spiritualities found in Churches in England (but also drawing on experience elsewhere in the world) he encourages readers to refuse to simply travel the physical journey of faith but also to reach out to other parts of Christian experience beyond the comfort zone of their church practice and piety.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eHe demonstrates how Conservative Evangelical need 'woolly' Liberals, Catholics need Charismatics, and Celtic and Fresh Expressions of the faith help the whole church grow together.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eFor the individual on a journey into following and serving Christ this is a very helpful road map which will encourage reflection on their own tradition, help them perceive the light which the experience of others bring to the journey, and is an antidote to the tribalism which so easily pervades the church.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eBe careful to take good note of the 'Questions for Reflection' at the end of each chapter as they provide fruitful food for the journey for anyone who truly desires to be a pilgrim of the faith whichever road they find themselves upon.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eOn reading the book I felt myself itching to read more of Michael's writings and longing for a second edition of this one. Which revision would include for each chapter a simple reading list explaining more about the different kinds of Christian Spirituality it explores.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eNow which person newly embarking on the 'Heart Journey' of formal ministry are you going to give this book to?\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Travellers of the Heart: Exploring new pathways on our spiritual journey
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{"id":2439744127076,"title":"Parenting Children for a Life of Purpose: Empowering children to become who they are called to be","handle":"parenting-children-for-a-life-of-purpose-empowering-children-to-become-who-they-are-called-to-be","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Too long we have stood apart as a church and looked at children and teens and said, 'We love you, we value you, but we don't need you.' '\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eOur churches have the power to establish a community of purpose that all people participate in. We can be the place where children feel most powerful, most seen, most discipled and most released. We can be the church that God designed. \u003cem\u003eParenting Children for a Life of Purpose\u003c\/em\u003e is a practical and tested handbook exploring the possibilities for helping children to discover their specific gifts for what God is calling them to be, and how parents might partner with churches to enable children to discover their true identity and purpose in life and walk alongside them on the journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eAddressing issues of identity, relationship, purpose, power, love, calling and response, each chapter includes true stories and questions to help us to reflect on our own experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRachel Turner has been a full-time children's worker in churches around the UK and the National Children's Work Coordinator for New Wine. She continues to consult, speak at conferences and run training days for parents, children and youth workers around the UK and Europe. Her work has brought her into contact with thousands of children and families through mainstream New Wine summer events, parish weekends, schools, and daily encounters in her own church. She is currently the Children's and Youth Pastor at Harrogate New Life Church. Rachel's first book Parenting Children for a Life of Faith was published in 2010.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am so excited about this book and whole-heartedly recommend it to any parent. This is a very insightful book, in which Rachel Turner seeks to empower and equip parents for the task of helping children of all ages to discover who God is calling them to be. The chapters show parents how they can walk alongside their children to enable them to discover their true identity. The book is clearly grounded in a wealth of experience, as it communicates a loving care and concern for children, combined with an awareness of the realities of life. The advice offered in the book is in no way patronising or blas but instead is fresh and thought-provoking. The book is incredibly down-to-earth, practical and easy to read. \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe introduction clearly states that this book is not about giving parents even more tasks or pressures to fulfil in their already busy lives, and I loved that. Instead, it seeks to encourage parents to faithfully walk each day with God, allowing our eyes to see beyond what we hope for our children and to see how God is shaping them. And this is exactly what busy parents need - not more things for the 'to-do' list or to add to the guilt trip, but simply encouragement to see our kids in the way that God sees them - as dearly loved individuals who have been created for a purpose. Priced at GBP7.99, it is a great book to either buy for yourself or as a gift for any parent you know, whether new or experienced. A must-read book!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSarah Holmes is a mum to three pre-school children, and is currently carrying out PhD research exploring the passing on of the Christian faith within the family environment. \r\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten for Childrenswork Magazine July 2014\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-12-14T16:18:10+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:17+00:00","vendor":"Rachel Turner","type":"Paperback","tags":["Jan-14","KCLC","Kindle"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769008119908,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857461636","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436515573860,"product_id":2439744127076,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:20:17+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:46:16+00:00","alt":null,"width":444,"height":676,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461636-l.jpg?v=1549043176","variant_ids":[21769008119908]},"available":false,"name":"Parenting Children for a Life of Purpose: Empowering children to become who they are called to be - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":126,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857461636","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238874742923,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":676,"width":444,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461636-l.jpg?v=1549043176"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461636-l.jpg?v=1549043176"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461636-l.jpg?v=1549043176","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238874742923,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":676,"width":444,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461636-l.jpg?v=1549043176"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":676,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857461636-l.jpg?v=1549043176","width":444}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e'Too long we have stood apart as a church and looked at children and teens and said, 'We love you, we value you, but we don't need you.' '\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eOur churches have the power to establish a community of purpose that all people participate in. We can be the place where children feel most powerful, most seen, most discipled and most released. We can be the church that God designed. \u003cem\u003eParenting Children for a Life of Purpose\u003c\/em\u003e is a practical and tested handbook exploring the possibilities for helping children to discover their specific gifts for what God is calling them to be, and how parents might partner with churches to enable children to discover their true identity and purpose in life and walk alongside them on the journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eAddressing issues of identity, relationship, purpose, power, love, calling and response, each chapter includes true stories and questions to help us to reflect on our own experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRachel Turner has been a full-time children's worker in churches around the UK and the National Children's Work Coordinator for New Wine. She continues to consult, speak at conferences and run training days for parents, children and youth workers around the UK and Europe. Her work has brought her into contact with thousands of children and families through mainstream New Wine summer events, parish weekends, schools, and daily encounters in her own church. She is currently the Children's and Youth Pastor at Harrogate New Life Church. Rachel's first book Parenting Children for a Life of Faith was published in 2010.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am so excited about this book and whole-heartedly recommend it to any parent. This is a very insightful book, in which Rachel Turner seeks to empower and equip parents for the task of helping children of all ages to discover who God is calling them to be. The chapters show parents how they can walk alongside their children to enable them to discover their true identity. The book is clearly grounded in a wealth of experience, as it communicates a loving care and concern for children, combined with an awareness of the realities of life. The advice offered in the book is in no way patronising or blas but instead is fresh and thought-provoking. The book is incredibly down-to-earth, practical and easy to read. \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe introduction clearly states that this book is not about giving parents even more tasks or pressures to fulfil in their already busy lives, and I loved that. Instead, it seeks to encourage parents to faithfully walk each day with God, allowing our eyes to see beyond what we hope for our children and to see how God is shaping them. And this is exactly what busy parents need - not more things for the 'to-do' list or to add to the guilt trip, but simply encouragement to see our kids in the way that God sees them - as dearly loved individuals who have been created for a purpose. Priced at GBP7.99, it is a great book to either buy for yourself or as a gift for any parent you know, whether new or experienced. A must-read book!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSarah Holmes is a mum to three pre-school children, and is currently carrying out PhD research exploring the passing on of the Christian faith within the family environment. \r\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten for Childrenswork Magazine July 2014\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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{"id":2439736492132,"title":"Whole Life, Whole Bible: 50 readings on living in the light of Scripture","handle":"whole-life-whole-bible-50-readings-on-living-in-the-light-of-scripture","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhere we spend most of our time - at home, at work, in the neighbourhood - matters to God and to his mission in and for the world. Far from restricting our faith to the 'personal' sphere, disengaged from everyday living, Scripture encourages us to take the Lord of life into the whole of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhole Life Whole Bible is written from the conviction that God's word illuminates every part of existence, enabling us to see differently and live differently - from Monday to Sunday, in public as well as in private. A walk through the unfolding story of the Bible in 50 readings and reflections shows how our lives are bound up with, and shaped by, God's plan to restore a broken universe. That big story forms our minds, fuels our imaginations and fashions our daily life and we live in God's world, in the light of God's word, wherever we are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProvides wonderful insights into the overarching story of the Bible and helps us consider how to live on the foundation of God's word.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Mark Meynell, Senior Associate Minister, All Souls, Langham Place, London \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePacks a powerful theological punch and will stretch and inspire your faith. A must for every whole-life disciple and disciplemaker!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Rachel Gardner, Director, Romance Academy \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople can get lost in the Bible's structure - here are some exciting clues for joined-up Bible reading.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Greg Haslam, Pastor, Westminster Chapel, London \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAntony Billington, Margaret Killingray and Helen Parry work at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, which seeks to equip Christians and churches for the whole-life discipleship in today's world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLondon School of Theology Insight Magazine Vol 2 Issue 2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow do you create a good meal from the whole Bible in 50 readings? You take 7 parts of Genesis, 5 of Matthew, stir in sections from another 14 OT and 14 NT books and serve up with useful comments. Then you add the garnish of well thought out questions, which get the reader to apply the chosen passage to everyday life. While this tasty selection whets the palate of the individual reader, I think the book has even greater appeal for small group discussion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake this question from reading 39 on the Day of Pentecost - 'If Acts 2 suggests that there is a prophethood of all believers then how should this encourage and challenge us?' There is a much richer and more satisfying meal when sharing collective wisdom about the way prophecy might work in church and society than simply trying to digest alone. Some of the tougher parts of the Bible have been put to one side as a little indigestible. A question arising from the call of Jeremiah in reading 20 asks to what extent are Christians called to challenge political rulers when God's laws are flouted? But reading 11 from Exodus is rather impressionistic in its comments on the law, so answering the question may need more detailed help from another source. Real enjoyment and enrichment is to be had from using this book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy favourite teasing question among many comes from reading 42 on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. 'Since the fruit of the Spirit appear to some to be more feminine than masculine virtues, where are courage, decisiveness, strength and discipline?' Now there's a brilliant small group discussion starter!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Mark Beaumont - Senior Lecturer in Islam and Mission, London School of Theology, and a council member of Arab World Ministries UK\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ele Bible.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Evangelicals Now - August 2012\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book consists of 50 short readings going through the unfolding story of the Bible with the aim of helping the reader to live in the light of God's word from Monday to Sunday, bringing biblical truths to bear on every aspect of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are questions at the end of each reading, typically two or three pages long, to help us consider what that might look like in practice in our lives and culture. Written with great warmth and clarity and without getting bogged down in too much detail, many helpful insights are packed into each short reading.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors' enthusiasm and passion for God's word clearly comes across, as does their conviction that when we see the sweep of Scripture through the gospel of Jesus it will have a huge impact on our whole lives. This is a great book for helping new Christians know how to read the Bible, get a handle on the big picture and see how it all fits together. It is also great for those who have been Christians much longer and who want to think seriously about how to live in the light of God's word. This is an excellent book which I have found hugely encouraging and inspiring. Since reading it, I have given several copies away as presents!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Andrea Trevenna, Associate for Women's Ministry at St. Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks, Kent\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Christianity Magazine - July 2012\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book, according to its foreword, is different. A risky assertion, but I tried to be open-minded. The 50 readings, which began life as a series of emails sent by the LICC, work through the Bible story from start to finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is well-written, aimed at established Christians, and examines how we can play our part in God's unfolding drama and allow him to work in all parts of our lives. For me its real strength lies in the questions for reflection: How do we keep our Christian identity in the workplace? Why do we struggle to deal with disappointment in church life?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'm not sure how different it is. But as a thought-provoking read that challenges ordinary Christians to live extraordinary lives, it's very good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom The Good Bookstall - May 2012\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI liked that this is such a little hand sized gem. The slimline size is needed, particularly in an era where people are reading from their phones and on their Kindles on the tube. I could just slip it into my handbag and read it easily when on a packed underground, but don't let the size fool you into thinking that this thought-provoking, almost self-help book is easy, or quick to browse!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I first started reading, it struck me that this book was written by somebody who really seemed to know their subject - and indeed, the author, Anthony Billington, is in fact Head of Theology for the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity. I loved that the writing was so theological, and so very sound. In fact, what really struck me was the sheer competence with which the author explored the Bible, from Genesis through to Revelation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of every chapter, there are carefully phrased questions under the heading 'for further reflection and action', which help take the reader through the relevant chapter. These questions also help the reader to relate the Biblical reading to the world around them, and they struck me as being potentially extremely valuable for Bible studies and church groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis serious little book encourages the reader on their Christian walk with various uplifting Bible verses; and on this point I will add that the book is aimed to pack serious punches. While perhaps \u003cem\u003eWhole Life, Whole Bible\u003c\/em\u003e is not for somebody looking specifically for a light-and-fluffy concoction, I think that any Christian will surely be more richly satisfied by taking a leaf out of this author's wise words.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Alice Collins\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Dr Bex Lewis, St John's College, University of Durham \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurvey after survey in recent years - carried out with people in churches, leaders and non-leaders, as well as non-church people - has confirmed that there is an increasing lack of biblical literacy in the church, not only in society more generally. The surveys reveal that the vast majority of people in churches feel positive about the Bible and consider it to be a revelation from God, but fewer and fewer, it seems (even church leaders), are reading it for themselves. And when we do manage to read it, the surveys suggest, we're not always sure what to do with it. (pp25-26)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe London Institute of Christianity (LICC), set up by John Stott, seeks to encourage all Christians to be whole-life, whole-Bible disciples, breaking down the sacred-secular divide. This book, emerging from LICC's weekly 'Word for the Week' emails, which have reached up to 10,000 people a week since 2001, encourages \u003cstrong\u003eus to look at the whole Bible to get the bigger picture, the overarching narrative,\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than cherrypicking. We need the Bible to touch and transform our whole lives, affecting the world in which we live. Many seek quick answers to difficult issues, such as suffering, gender, etc. But those questions are better addressed, and more securely answered, when we have a larger framework in place\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving attended the transformative LICC Toolbox course, and having taken three years to read the Bible cover to cover, it's helpful to have a quicker overview. I was reading this section on a plane to Berlin as the map showed that we were flying over Bremen. Many history lessons means that bombing has shaped my thinking about that as a destination. As the plane came in to land over Berlin, I got an overview of the places that I was going to visit up close shortly, and this helped created my 'mental map of the destination', before I became absorbed in 'living' there.\u003cstrong\u003e This book is designed to offer a mental map to the whole story of the Bible. \u003c\/strong\u003eHow do we then ensure that we are partakers, and not spectators?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is designed for those who are already engaged in Bible reading, rather than those who have never picked up a Bible before, and encourages readers to continue afterwards to read other texts, hold up the author's interpretation up to challenge, and recognises that each individual will read something different into 'the story'. Reading alone is 'vital' but as they say:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReading with others helps to prevent privatized readings of the Bible and corrects some of the biases that we may bring to certain passages or topics. (p19)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs someone who is a bit of a butterfly brain, the book works for me, and it's designed to be read by all personality types - whether you like to study the maps before you jump in, or like to jump in at the deep end - the book works. It's not about a tick box exercise, but about \u003cstrong\u003eallowing the Word of God to 'reorder your existence'\u003c\/strong\u003e, so take your time reading the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a Media Studies Lecturer I'm always encouraging my students to understand that newspapers, films, etc. give us a lens through which we see the world, rather than objective fact. The Bible can give us a different worldview - through which we see God, the world and ourselves more clearly. \u003cstrong\u003eAs the Bible gets inside us, our thinking is transformed, and we begin to see things the way God sees them.\u003c\/strong\u003e Often we are encouraged to think that we must always read huge sections (I really struggled with the pressure to read the Bible in a year), but this book offers a series or short (and some longer) readings with which we can engage at our own pace: like a toffee that can be swallowed whole, or chewed over in a leisurely fashion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is written by three well-respected theologians with long term engagement with the LICC: Antony Billington, Margaret Killingray and Helen Parry, with a guest post by Mark Coffey, who I knew in my Manchester days.\u003cstrong\u003e It outlines the shape of the Bible in six words: Creation, Corruption, Covenant, Christ, Church, Consummation.\u003c\/strong\u003e They encourage us to consider \u003cem\u003ewhere\u003c\/em\u003e you read the Bible, that reading it in public spaces 'normalises' the Bible - allowing you to make connections with how it works in the everyday, not just with us, but with the people around us. They don't specifically mention digital spaces, but I like to think that those are included!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI read the book fairly fast, but would like to go back through, as suggested, and read a piece a week. The exercises offered in the text are a mix of further Bible readings, and practical thinking\/applications. As you'd expect, the thoughts and reflections engage us in the everyday (western) world in which we live. \u003cstrong\u003eTry it - it could transform your life!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:19:48+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:19:49+00:00","vendor":"Antony Billington","type":"Paperback","tags":["Devotional","Jan-12","KCLC","Kindle"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21768913059940,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857460172","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":16948117373080,"product_id":2439736492132,"position":1,"created_at":"2020-05-21T11:23:21+01:00","updated_at":"2020-05-21T11:23:27+01:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1524,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460172.jpg?v=1590056607","variant_ids":[21768913059940]},"available":true,"name":"Whole Life, Whole Bible: 50 readings on living in the light of Scripture - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":176,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857460172","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":9121967898776,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460172.jpg?v=1590056607"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460172.jpg?v=1590056607"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460172.jpg?v=1590056607","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":9121967898776,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460172.jpg?v=1590056607"},"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460172.jpg?v=1590056607","width":1000}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eWhere we spend most of our time - at home, at work, in the neighbourhood - matters to God and to his mission in and for the world. Far from restricting our faith to the 'personal' sphere, disengaged from everyday living, Scripture encourages us to take the Lord of life into the whole of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhole Life Whole Bible is written from the conviction that God's word illuminates every part of existence, enabling us to see differently and live differently - from Monday to Sunday, in public as well as in private. A walk through the unfolding story of the Bible in 50 readings and reflections shows how our lives are bound up with, and shaped by, God's plan to restore a broken universe. That big story forms our minds, fuels our imaginations and fashions our daily life and we live in God's world, in the light of God's word, wherever we are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProvides wonderful insights into the overarching story of the Bible and helps us consider how to live on the foundation of God's word.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Mark Meynell, Senior Associate Minister, All Souls, Langham Place, London \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePacks a powerful theological punch and will stretch and inspire your faith. A must for every whole-life disciple and disciplemaker!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Rachel Gardner, Director, Romance Academy \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople can get lost in the Bible's structure - here are some exciting clues for joined-up Bible reading.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Greg Haslam, Pastor, Westminster Chapel, London \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAntony Billington, Margaret Killingray and Helen Parry work at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, which seeks to equip Christians and churches for the whole-life discipleship in today's world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLondon School of Theology Insight Magazine Vol 2 Issue 2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow do you create a good meal from the whole Bible in 50 readings? You take 7 parts of Genesis, 5 of Matthew, stir in sections from another 14 OT and 14 NT books and serve up with useful comments. Then you add the garnish of well thought out questions, which get the reader to apply the chosen passage to everyday life. While this tasty selection whets the palate of the individual reader, I think the book has even greater appeal for small group discussion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake this question from reading 39 on the Day of Pentecost - 'If Acts 2 suggests that there is a prophethood of all believers then how should this encourage and challenge us?' There is a much richer and more satisfying meal when sharing collective wisdom about the way prophecy might work in church and society than simply trying to digest alone. Some of the tougher parts of the Bible have been put to one side as a little indigestible. A question arising from the call of Jeremiah in reading 20 asks to what extent are Christians called to challenge political rulers when God's laws are flouted? But reading 11 from Exodus is rather impressionistic in its comments on the law, so answering the question may need more detailed help from another source. Real enjoyment and enrichment is to be had from using this book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy favourite teasing question among many comes from reading 42 on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. 'Since the fruit of the Spirit appear to some to be more feminine than masculine virtues, where are courage, decisiveness, strength and discipline?' Now there's a brilliant small group discussion starter!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Mark Beaumont - Senior Lecturer in Islam and Mission, London School of Theology, and a council member of Arab World Ministries UK\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ele Bible.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Evangelicals Now - August 2012\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book consists of 50 short readings going through the unfolding story of the Bible with the aim of helping the reader to live in the light of God's word from Monday to Sunday, bringing biblical truths to bear on every aspect of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are questions at the end of each reading, typically two or three pages long, to help us consider what that might look like in practice in our lives and culture. Written with great warmth and clarity and without getting bogged down in too much detail, many helpful insights are packed into each short reading.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors' enthusiasm and passion for God's word clearly comes across, as does their conviction that when we see the sweep of Scripture through the gospel of Jesus it will have a huge impact on our whole lives. This is a great book for helping new Christians know how to read the Bible, get a handle on the big picture and see how it all fits together. It is also great for those who have been Christians much longer and who want to think seriously about how to live in the light of God's word. This is an excellent book which I have found hugely encouraging and inspiring. Since reading it, I have given several copies away as presents!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Andrea Trevenna, Associate for Women's Ministry at St. Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks, Kent\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Christianity Magazine - July 2012\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book, according to its foreword, is different. A risky assertion, but I tried to be open-minded. The 50 readings, which began life as a series of emails sent by the LICC, work through the Bible story from start to finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is well-written, aimed at established Christians, and examines how we can play our part in God's unfolding drama and allow him to work in all parts of our lives. For me its real strength lies in the questions for reflection: How do we keep our Christian identity in the workplace? Why do we struggle to deal with disappointment in church life?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'm not sure how different it is. But as a thought-provoking read that challenges ordinary Christians to live extraordinary lives, it's very good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom The Good Bookstall - May 2012\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI liked that this is such a little hand sized gem. The slimline size is needed, particularly in an era where people are reading from their phones and on their Kindles on the tube. I could just slip it into my handbag and read it easily when on a packed underground, but don't let the size fool you into thinking that this thought-provoking, almost self-help book is easy, or quick to browse!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I first started reading, it struck me that this book was written by somebody who really seemed to know their subject - and indeed, the author, Anthony Billington, is in fact Head of Theology for the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity. I loved that the writing was so theological, and so very sound. In fact, what really struck me was the sheer competence with which the author explored the Bible, from Genesis through to Revelation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of every chapter, there are carefully phrased questions under the heading 'for further reflection and action', which help take the reader through the relevant chapter. These questions also help the reader to relate the Biblical reading to the world around them, and they struck me as being potentially extremely valuable for Bible studies and church groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis serious little book encourages the reader on their Christian walk with various uplifting Bible verses; and on this point I will add that the book is aimed to pack serious punches. While perhaps \u003cem\u003eWhole Life, Whole Bible\u003c\/em\u003e is not for somebody looking specifically for a light-and-fluffy concoction, I think that any Christian will surely be more richly satisfied by taking a leaf out of this author's wise words.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Alice Collins\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Dr Bex Lewis, St John's College, University of Durham \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurvey after survey in recent years - carried out with people in churches, leaders and non-leaders, as well as non-church people - has confirmed that there is an increasing lack of biblical literacy in the church, not only in society more generally. The surveys reveal that the vast majority of people in churches feel positive about the Bible and consider it to be a revelation from God, but fewer and fewer, it seems (even church leaders), are reading it for themselves. And when we do manage to read it, the surveys suggest, we're not always sure what to do with it. (pp25-26)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe London Institute of Christianity (LICC), set up by John Stott, seeks to encourage all Christians to be whole-life, whole-Bible disciples, breaking down the sacred-secular divide. This book, emerging from LICC's weekly 'Word for the Week' emails, which have reached up to 10,000 people a week since 2001, encourages \u003cstrong\u003eus to look at the whole Bible to get the bigger picture, the overarching narrative,\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than cherrypicking. We need the Bible to touch and transform our whole lives, affecting the world in which we live. Many seek quick answers to difficult issues, such as suffering, gender, etc. But those questions are better addressed, and more securely answered, when we have a larger framework in place\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving attended the transformative LICC Toolbox course, and having taken three years to read the Bible cover to cover, it's helpful to have a quicker overview. I was reading this section on a plane to Berlin as the map showed that we were flying over Bremen. Many history lessons means that bombing has shaped my thinking about that as a destination. As the plane came in to land over Berlin, I got an overview of the places that I was going to visit up close shortly, and this helped created my 'mental map of the destination', before I became absorbed in 'living' there.\u003cstrong\u003e This book is designed to offer a mental map to the whole story of the Bible. \u003c\/strong\u003eHow do we then ensure that we are partakers, and not spectators?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is designed for those who are already engaged in Bible reading, rather than those who have never picked up a Bible before, and encourages readers to continue afterwards to read other texts, hold up the author's interpretation up to challenge, and recognises that each individual will read something different into 'the story'. Reading alone is 'vital' but as they say:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReading with others helps to prevent privatized readings of the Bible and corrects some of the biases that we may bring to certain passages or topics. (p19)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs someone who is a bit of a butterfly brain, the book works for me, and it's designed to be read by all personality types - whether you like to study the maps before you jump in, or like to jump in at the deep end - the book works. It's not about a tick box exercise, but about \u003cstrong\u003eallowing the Word of God to 'reorder your existence'\u003c\/strong\u003e, so take your time reading the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a Media Studies Lecturer I'm always encouraging my students to understand that newspapers, films, etc. give us a lens through which we see the world, rather than objective fact. The Bible can give us a different worldview - through which we see God, the world and ourselves more clearly. \u003cstrong\u003eAs the Bible gets inside us, our thinking is transformed, and we begin to see things the way God sees them.\u003c\/strong\u003e Often we are encouraged to think that we must always read huge sections (I really struggled with the pressure to read the Bible in a year), but this book offers a series or short (and some longer) readings with which we can engage at our own pace: like a toffee that can be swallowed whole, or chewed over in a leisurely fashion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is written by three well-respected theologians with long term engagement with the LICC: Antony Billington, Margaret Killingray and Helen Parry, with a guest post by Mark Coffey, who I knew in my Manchester days.\u003cstrong\u003e It outlines the shape of the Bible in six words: Creation, Corruption, Covenant, Christ, Church, Consummation.\u003c\/strong\u003e They encourage us to consider \u003cem\u003ewhere\u003c\/em\u003e you read the Bible, that reading it in public spaces 'normalises' the Bible - allowing you to make connections with how it works in the everyday, not just with us, but with the people around us. They don't specifically mention digital spaces, but I like to think that those are included!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI read the book fairly fast, but would like to go back through, as suggested, and read a piece a week. The exercises offered in the text are a mix of further Bible readings, and practical thinking\/applications. As you'd expect, the thoughts and reflections engage us in the everyday (western) world in which we live. \u003cstrong\u003eTry it - it could transform your life!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Whole Life, Whole Bible: 50 readings on living in the light of Scripture
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Where we spend most of our time - at home, at work, in the neighbourhood - matters to God and...
{"id":2439736295524,"title":"Walking with Gospel Women: Interactive Bible meditations","handle":"walking-with-gospel-women-interactive-bible-meditations","description":"\u003cp\u003eImaginative meditation can be a powerful way of attuning ourselves to God's presence, involving as it does the emotions as well as the mind. This book offers a refreshing and inspiring way into Bible study, using meditative monologues based around many of the women of the gospels. Through a time of guided reflection, we identify with the woman concerned and see what lessons emerge for today as we ponder her story.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter consists of a monologue, linked Bible passage and discussion material designed to draw out deep communication and group fellowship, as well as transformational learning. While designed primarily for small groups meeting to grow their relationships with God and with each other, the monologues can also be used as a way into silent reflection either for individuals or with larger groups (for example, the monologues could be adapted to use in Sunday worship - for intercession, a time of reflection or as part of a sermon).\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead Fiona's introduction to the book:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are involved in a women's Bible study group, particularly in leading it, the big question at the start of each term is likely to be what to study. There are a lot of resources available, so where do you begin? In my book I wanted to offer something different... a new way of making familiar Bible stories personal, walking alongside the women involved, exploring their emotions and feeling their heartbeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWalking with Gospel Women: Interactive Bible meditations \u003c\/strong\u003eis a series of 26 meditative monologues based on biblical passages in which each character tells the story of her encounter with Jesus. As we enter her story through the imagination, we discover what issues were touched in her life and how she responded. Our minds and emotions are engaged as we listen and are then guided through group discussion and individual reflection to consider these issues further. The questions encourage deep communication and are designed to stimulate conversation that leads to personal and spiritual growth as well as developing friendships and community. Transformational learning takes place. What can we learn from Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the wedding of Cana about letting go, about joy and celebration? How does Jesus' encounter with Martha teach us to deal with resentment, inner restlessness and how to balance the demands in our lives? Our spiritual journey is fostered as we are, and we are then led to consider what each episode teaches us about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eWomen with much experience of Bible study in groups will find this innovative approach refreshing. Creative women will be drawn to exploring biblical passages through the imagination. Newcomers to the Bible will find this resource approachable and will gain cultural insights from the monologues. \u003cstrong\u003eWalking with Gospel Women\u003c\/strong\u003e could also be used by reading groups and for individual reflection. The monologues could be used without the studies in many contexts: as part of a church's Christmas or Easter programme; for storytelling; as a stimulus for a sermon or guided meditation.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\nImagination is a pathway for the spirit. In her book of meditations, Fiona leads us along this path to fresh encounters with God. Ann Persson \r\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nA qualified speech and language therapist, Fiona Stratta has worked with adults and children and is also a member of the Association of Teachers of Speech and Drama. The idea for this book first emerged when she endured a prolonged period of ill-health which led her to engage with meditative approaches to Bible reading.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:19:46+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:19:47+00:00","vendor":"Fiona Stratta","type":"Paperback","tags":["Devotional","Jul-12","KCLC","Kindle","Women"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21768906276964,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857460103","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436457115748,"product_id":2439736295524,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:19:47+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:46:22+00:00","alt":null,"width":369,"height":561,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460103-l.jpg?v=1549043182","variant_ids":[21768906276964]},"available":false,"name":"Walking with Gospel Women: Interactive Bible meditations - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":205,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857460103","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238874185867,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"width":369,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460103-l.jpg?v=1549043182"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460103-l.jpg?v=1549043182"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460103-l.jpg?v=1549043182","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238874185867,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"width":369,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460103-l.jpg?v=1549043182"},"aspect_ratio":0.658,"height":561,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460103-l.jpg?v=1549043182","width":369}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eImaginative meditation can be a powerful way of attuning ourselves to God's presence, involving as it does the emotions as well as the mind. This book offers a refreshing and inspiring way into Bible study, using meditative monologues based around many of the women of the gospels. Through a time of guided reflection, we identify with the woman concerned and see what lessons emerge for today as we ponder her story.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter consists of a monologue, linked Bible passage and discussion material designed to draw out deep communication and group fellowship, as well as transformational learning. While designed primarily for small groups meeting to grow their relationships with God and with each other, the monologues can also be used as a way into silent reflection either for individuals or with larger groups (for example, the monologues could be adapted to use in Sunday worship - for intercession, a time of reflection or as part of a sermon).\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead Fiona's introduction to the book:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are involved in a women's Bible study group, particularly in leading it, the big question at the start of each term is likely to be what to study. There are a lot of resources available, so where do you begin? In my book I wanted to offer something different... a new way of making familiar Bible stories personal, walking alongside the women involved, exploring their emotions and feeling their heartbeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWalking with Gospel Women: Interactive Bible meditations \u003c\/strong\u003eis a series of 26 meditative monologues based on biblical passages in which each character tells the story of her encounter with Jesus. As we enter her story through the imagination, we discover what issues were touched in her life and how she responded. Our minds and emotions are engaged as we listen and are then guided through group discussion and individual reflection to consider these issues further. The questions encourage deep communication and are designed to stimulate conversation that leads to personal and spiritual growth as well as developing friendships and community. Transformational learning takes place. What can we learn from Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the wedding of Cana about letting go, about joy and celebration? How does Jesus' encounter with Martha teach us to deal with resentment, inner restlessness and how to balance the demands in our lives? Our spiritual journey is fostered as we are, and we are then led to consider what each episode teaches us about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eWomen with much experience of Bible study in groups will find this innovative approach refreshing. Creative women will be drawn to exploring biblical passages through the imagination. Newcomers to the Bible will find this resource approachable and will gain cultural insights from the monologues. \u003cstrong\u003eWalking with Gospel Women\u003c\/strong\u003e could also be used by reading groups and for individual reflection. The monologues could be used without the studies in many contexts: as part of a church's Christmas or Easter programme; for storytelling; as a stimulus for a sermon or guided meditation.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\nImagination is a pathway for the spirit. In her book of meditations, Fiona leads us along this path to fresh encounters with God. Ann Persson \r\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nA qualified speech and language therapist, Fiona Stratta has worked with adults and children and is also a member of the Association of Teachers of Speech and Drama. The idea for this book first emerged when she endured a prolonged period of ill-health which led her to engage with meditative approaches to Bible reading.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n"}
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Walking with Gospel Women: Interactive Bible meditations
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Imaginative meditation can be a powerful way of attuning ourselves to God's presence, involving as it does the emotions as...
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