EDUCATION FOR MISSION
DISFIGURED— A Saudi Woman’s Story of Triumph
Rania Al-Baz
Interlink Publishing Group, Inc., 2009
160 pages/#/R8020 /$15.00
Rania Al-Baz was the smiling face of a family program on Saudi television. She was the first Saudi woman to have such a job when her abusive husband assaulted her. Her agreement to make pictures of her injuries public sparked criticism of Saudi culture, and as a result the first Saudi research into domestic violence began in Riyadh. Rania’s memoir is not simply a story of the violence she suffered, nor is it a tale of revenge. It is a story of generosity of spirit, and of her evolution into an activist on behalf of women.
FOLLOWING GOD’S CALL - Individual Volunteers in Mission
Walter A. Whitehurst & Betty C. Whitehurst
Abingdon Press, 2008
183 pages/ # R8001/$16.00
Every year, more than 100,000 people serve in the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission programs. In this compelling book Walter and Betty Whitehurst, longtime leaders in the program, have gathered the thoughts and comments of several dozen long-term individual volunteers.
GETTING TO THE HEART OF INTERFAITH—The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi & a Sheikh
Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Sheikh Jamal Rahman
SkyLight Paths Publishing, 2009
185 pages/#R8034 /$16.99
This deeply personal journey to interfaith collaboration offers hope for an inclusive and healing way of being together in the world. Interfaith Talk Radio’s “interfaith amigos” provide a rich understanding of the road to collaboration by sharing their stories, challenges, and the inner spiritual work necessary to go beyond tolerance to a vital, inclusive spirituality.
LIKE BREATH AND WATER — Praying with Africa – A BONUS BOOK
Ciona D. Rouse
Upper Room Books, 2009
92 pages/ #R8008/$18.00
Ciona Rouse started her journey to Africa prepared to learn about prayer, to hear the prayers of the people and record their stories. Once there, she learned that the prayers that fuel our heart, our very survival, run deep in the soul of Africa. For the people she met, prayer does not simply petition God, but is a life force, like breath and water. Counts as two books in EFM.
MY SISTER THE FATHER
Reverend Meridith Whitaker
Kiononia Press, 2009
177 pages/#R8024 /$15.00
The stories in this book are a collection of personal events that span the twenty-five plus years of Reverend Whitaker’s ministry. The Cookson Hills Center is a community center operated by the United Methodist Church to meet the needs of the people of the Cherokee, Adair and Sequoyah Counties in Oklahoma. The people in this book are an eclectic collection of persons who have had their lives changed because Christ has been introduced to them through this ministry.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
HALF THE SKY – Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn
Random House, Inc., 2009
294 pages/#R8031/$15.95
Pulitzer prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn raise a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. They take us on an odyssey through Asia and Africa to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, and show how a little help can transform the lives of these women and girls. These stories help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential.
nuCHRISTIAN - finding faith in a new generation
Russell E. D. Rathbun
Judson Press, 2009
88 pages/#/R8023 /$15.00
There are reports that many of today’s youth and young adults see Christians and the church as judgmental, sheltered and overly political. Emergent church pastor Russell Rathbun recommends that we confess that these are valid criticisms, but move beyond confession to transformation. He challenges church leaders and provides practical ideas for connecting with new generations, natives of our digital and diverse world, through a more authentic faith community that is transparent, holistic, engaged, just, loving and humble.
THE PERFECT BOARD
Calvin K. Clemons, CAE, CMP
Ovation Books, 2008
110 pages/# R8030/$16.95
In this book the author introduces us to Rebecca Mayfield, an up-and-coming board member learning the ropes of her new job. Through Rebecca’s story, the author shares the informative tips he has learned from extensive personal experience. Whether you are a novice director looking for preparation or a seasoned veteran with detailed knowledge of board procedure this is a perfect primer on what it takes to be an effective member of a team.
THIS CHILD WILL BE GREAT – Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s first Woman President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Harper Collins Publishers, 2009
353 pages/# R8019/$14.99
In January 2006, after the Republic of Liberia had been racked by fourteen years of brutal civil conflict, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – Africa’s “Iron Lady” was sworn in as president. In her stirring memoir, she shares the inside story of her rise to power, her early childhood, imprisonment and exile, and her fight for democracy and social justice. By sharing her story Sirleaf encourages women everywhere to pursue leadership roles at the highest levels of power, and gives us all hope that, with perseverance, we can change the world.
THE WOLF SHALL DWELL WITH THE LAMB – A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community
Eric H.F. Law
Chalice Press, 2000
131 pages/#R8014 /$16.99
A multicultural conference has convened. Everything is in place, and the participants arrive, brimming with goodwill and even better intentions. Surely this time … but then halfway through the meetings, communication grinds to a halt, and people retreat to the safety of their own groups. What happened? How can we keep it from happening again? This book proposes to answer these questions.
NURTURING FOR COMMUNITY
INHERITING THE TRADE – A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-Trading Dynasty in U.S. History
Thomas Norman DeWolf
Beacon Press, 2008
262 pages/#R8012 /$16.00
In 2001, Thomas DeWolf discovered that he was related to the most successful slave-trading family in U.S. history, responsible for transporting at least ten thousand Africans. This is his memoir of the journey in which ten family members retraced their ancestor’s steps through the notorious triangle trade route – from New England to West Africa to Cuba – and uncovered the hidden slave trade history of New England and the other northern states.
THE LATEHOMECOMER – A Hmong Family Memoir
Kao Kalia Yang
Coffee House Press, 2008
277 pages/# R8017/$14.95
Born in Thailand’s Ban Vinai Refugee Camp, Kao Yang immigrated to St. Paul, Minnesota when she was six years old. In this moving, intimate portrait of a family, she describes their harrowing escape from Laos, their life in the refugee camps, the hardships and great joy of caring for a growing family in a new land, and her own experiences with American life and learning. She also gives voice to the dreams, wisdom and traditions passed down from her grandmother and shared by an entire community.
SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME – A modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together.
Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Thomas Nelson, 2006
245 pages/#R8036 /$14.99
The story begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana and unfolds in the upscale art scene in Texas; it exposes pain, betrayal and brutality, and it shines with an unexpected life-changing love. In the end, Ron Hall and Denver Moore, form an unlikely friendship resulting from charity and challenged by tragedy.
WARRIOR PRINCESS – Fighting for Life with Courage and Hope
Princess Kasune Zulu with Belinda Collins
InterVarsity Press, 2010
245 pages/#R8022 /$22.00
Princess Kasune Zulu grew up in Africa trying to make sense of the mystery illness claiming its people. She could not know the disease that claimed the lives of her parents and baby sister would go on to infect more than 100 million people. Princess later discovers she herself is HIV positive. Her journey has taken her from the dusty villages of Zambia to the White House and the United Nations. Her message is that we can become the first generation to end extreme poverty, if only we have the will to do so. Her story shows that even though life is uncertain and our time may be short, we each have a role to play in bringing healing and hope to our world.
WEAVING A JUST FUTURE FOR CHILDREN – An Advocacy Guide
Diane C. Olson and Laura Dean F. Friedrich
Discipleship Resources, 2008
208 pages/#/R8006 /$15.00
Diane Olson and Laura Dean Friedrich have provided a toolkit that weaves together avenues of justice and compassion for doing the spiritual work of child advocacy, and establishes “child advocacy as discipleship”- not as an afterthought, but as a foundation for local church and community ministry.
SOCIAL ACTION
CLAIMING EARTH AS COMMON GROUND – The Ecological Crisis through the Lens of Faith
Andrea Cohen-Kiener
Skylight Paths Publishing, 2009
176 pages/#R8032 /$16.99
Can people of faith save the environment? Can the environmental challenge save religion? Our planet is in trouble, and it will take an amazingly large and powerful force to shift into a more sustainable way of living. Spiritual leader and environmental activist Andrea Cohen-Kiener tells us that people of faith have the numbers, the passion and the mandate to do it – and that nothing else is strong enough to counter-balance “business as usual”.
CONNECTED WISDOM - Living Stories about Living Systems – A BONUS BOOK
Linda Booth Sweeney, Ed.D.
Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008
93 pages/# R8015/$24.95
In a spider’s web, what happens on one part of the web affects every other part. The same is true of a living system, whether it be an ant colony, a forest, or a city. Like a spider’s web, a living system is so intricately woven that no part exists in isolation. Like a web, a living system is both purposeful and beautiful. With the wisdom of ancient storytellers, this beautiful book celebrates living systems, how they affect us and how they are affected by us. Counts as one book in SA and one book in EFM.
THE HEART OF RACIAL JUSTICE – How Soul Change Leads to Social Change
Brenda Salter McNeil and Rick Richardson
InterVarsity Press, 2009
187 pages/# R8021/$15.00
The racial divide is one of the most pervasive problems the church faces. Why won’t this problem just go away? In this book the authors make the crucial connection between the role of healing prayer and spiritual warfare in bringing about justice. Each of us must be challenged to identify the power of evil in the world and to give up our idols for the sake of Christ. Are you ready to find out how soul change leads to social change?
NOT JUST A ONE NIGHT STAND – Ministry with the Homeless
John Flowers and Karen Vannoy
Discipleship Resources, 2009
128 pages/#R8005/$14.00
In this faith-inspiring book, John flowers and Karen Vannoy call the church again to the Christ who is Lord who appears at the margins of established, respectable life. Their long-co-pastorate at the Travis Park United Methodist Church in San Antonio, TX, is a moving testimony to what can happen in a church that makes Christ Lord and looks for that Lord on the margins.
RESIST! – Christian Dissent for the 21st Century - A BONUS BOOK
Michael G. Long, Editor
Orbis Books, 2008
180 pages/#R8028 /$18.00
Taking their cue from the gospels and the prophetic tradition, the contributors to this volume issue spirited calls to resist systemic evils in the realm of politics, economics, and culture. From reflections on Jesus and his example of prayerful resistance, to a review of the history of Christian resistance in America, contributors address such themes as the challenge of empire, racism, xenophobia, environmental depredation, and the culture of consumerism and individualism. Counts as two books in SA.
THE TRUE COST OF LOW PRICES – The Violence of Globalization
Vincent Gallagher
Orbis Books, 2007
166 pages/#R8029 /$15.00
The low prices that benefit consumers of industrialized nations often put the poor at even greater risk. As transnational corporations increase profits by reducing costs, laborers in Latin America, Asia or Africa, or here in the U.S. work long hours but are still poor, hungry, and subject to abuse. Topics addressed include the nature of globalization; how structural adjustment programs work; the use of slave labor; the needs of workers, especially women, for health care, adequate food, and freedom from abuse; and the violence that comes from unregulated work environments.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
BEING A CHRISTIAN IN THE WESLEYAN TRADITION – Belonging, Believing, Living, Growing
John O. Gooch
Discipleship Resources, 2009
126 pages/#R8004 /$12.00
As you spend some time with this book, you will be faced with questions and decisions about what it means to be a Christian disciple in the United Methodist tradition. It is important to know who we are, from where we came, and how we do mission, ministry, and theology in the world. You will discover that there are important differences between United Methodists and other denominations that make us unique. You will have great joy – and a deeper faith- as you wrestle with the differences.
CONTEMPLATIVE CROCHET – A Hands-On Guide for Interlocking Faith & Craft
Cindy Crandall-Frazier
Skylight Paths, 2008
187 pages/#R8033 /$16.99
The rhythm of the hook, the feel of fiber, the miraculous creation of beautiful fabric from thread or yarn; you know the satisfaction to be found in the simple act of crocheting. But is there a way to develop this sense of the spiritual into a deeper, more mindful practice? Let this engaging book take you on a path deeper into your crocheting and your spiritual awareness. Whether individually or as part of a group, explore your practice through original patterns, meditations, reflections and creative exercises. You will find yourself reaching for your hook and yarn as you read, inspired to take up your projects with a whole new state of mind.
IF YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE YOU’LL KNOW WHAT TO DO – Living with Integrity
Ronald J. Greer
Abingdon Press, 2009
126 pages/# R8002/$15.00
In this book Ronald Greer uses stories from his own life and from the lives of others to make an appeal for personal and moral integrity, to be authentically the persons we were created to be; to live a life of wholeness, and to do what is right simply because we know it is the right thing to do.
JUST CHOOSE HAPPINESS – A Guide to Joyous Living
Nell W. Mohney
Abingdon Press, 2009
134 pages/# R8003/$13.50
Nell Mohney believes that an abundant life is to be had not only in the world to come but also in the here and now, where a series of committed choices can cause your spirit to sing. Use this guidebook to explore with her these committed choices for joyous and happy living. With one “choice” in each chapter, and a section at the end of each for “digging a little deeper” this book can be used for individual and group study.
THE NOTICER – Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective
Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson, 2009
167 pages/# R8035/$17.99
Poverty, a failing marriage, old age, lost dreams. To the residents of Orange Beach, Alabama, these desperations are hopeless, barren places with no chance for change. But to an old drifter named Jones with a gift of seeing what others miss, there is no such thing as a dead end. It only takes a little “perspective,” he says to recognize the miracles in our moments, the seeds of greatness tucked into our struggles. As Jones mysteriously makes his way through this coastal town and into the searching hearts of its residents, he offers simple wisdom and sound hope. Available in CD audio, large print and Korean language versions.
TOUCH – Pressing Against the Wounds of a Broken World
Pastor Rudy Rasmus
Thomas Nelson, 2007
246 pages/# R8037/$14.99
Touch is the amazing true story of Rudy Rasmus’ life, his response to God’s grace, and his passion to touch every person with God’s great love. This is a book of biblical truths and ministry principles, but more than that, it’s the story of God using Pastor Rudy and St. John’s Church in Houston, Texas, to reach into people’s deepest fears and highest hopes – and touch them with God’s transforming love.
LARGE PRINT
EDUCATION FOR MISSION
PALESTINE - PEACE NOT APARTHEID
Jimmy Carter
Cengage, 2007
313 pages/# R8013/$16.99
Former president Jimmy Carter offers an assessment of what must be done to bring permanent peace to Israel with dignity and justice to Palestine. He shares his knowledge of the history of the Middle East and his experiences with the principal actors, and addresses sensitive issues many American officials avoid. Pulling no punches, Carter prescribes the steps that must be taken for the two states to share the Holy Land without apartheid or fear of terrorism.
NURTURING FOR COMMUNITY
A DEEPENING LOVE AFFAIR – The Gift of God in Later Life
Jane Marie Thibault
Upper Room Books, 2000
206 pages/#R8007/$14.00
This book is for everyone who yearn for “something more” in their life, in their relationship with God. That something more, the author contends, is the gift of an intimate relationship with God. This gift may be received at any time in life, but the older person is best suited to fully enter into this relationship. The book explores the topics of vocation in later life, discontent, awareness, greed, the inner work required to receive the gift and the radical freedom that age can bring. Larger than average print.
SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME – A modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together.
Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Gale Gengage Learning, 2010
448 pages/#R8043 /$17.99
The story begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana and unfolds in the upscale art scene in Texas; it exposes pain, betrayal and brutality, and it shines with an unexpected life-changing love. In the end, Ron Hall and Denver Moore, form an unlikely friendship resulting from charity and challenged by tragedy.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
TALKING WITH GOD IN OLD AGE – Meditations and Psalms
Missy Buchanan
Upper Room Books, 2010
96 pages/#R8009/$12.00
In Talking with God in Old Age, Missy Buchanan sensitively addresses the worries, fears, and frustrations of older adults and extends hope, encouraging them to maintain an open dialogue with God. Seniors grappling with the aging process will readily identify with these reflections, and will find reassurance of God’s presence within them.
CHILDREN
EDUCATION FOR MISSION
KIKI’S HATS – Our Gifts Live On and On
Warren Hanson
Tristan Publishing, Inc., 2007
34 pages/# R8039/$16.95
This is a lively story of a spunky and lovable woman who knits two hats – one to keep and one to give away. It’s also a story about how much fun it can be to do something good for someone else.
NURTURING FOR COMMUNITY
REMEMBER ME – Tomah Joseph’s Gift to Franklin Roosevelt
Donald Soctomah and Jean Flahive
Tilbury House Publishers, 2009
32 pages/#/R8038 /$16.95
In this book, the authors imagine the relationship between Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the boy who would become the thirty-second president of the United States, and Tomah Joseph, a Passamaquoddy elder and former chief. It tells how one summer while vacationing on Campobello Island, off the coast of Maine, Tomah Joseph taught young Franklin how to canoe and shared some of the stories and culture of his tribe.
SOCIAL ACTION
WHEN THIS WORLD WAS NEW
D.H. Figueredo
Lee & Low Books, 2000
32 pages/#R8026 /$8.95
Danilito is afraid of what his new home land will be like when his family immigrates from their warm island home to New York. But when his father leads him on a magical trip through new fallen snow he realizes he can overcome his fears.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
FIVE-MINUTE BIBLE STORIES
Lois Rock
Augsburg Books for Children, 2005
96 pages/# R8010/$18.99
In this simple and colorful book, twenty of the most popular Bible stories have been retold with honesty and good humor, and each one can be read in just five-minutes.
YOUTH
EDUCATION FOR MISSION
DIA’S STORY CLOTH – The Hmong People’s Journey of Freedom
Dia Cha
Lee & Low Books, 1996
24 pages/# R8025/$8.95
The beautifully detailed and stitched story cloth made for the author by her aunt and uncle chronicles the life of the Hmong people in their native Laos and through their eventful emigration to the United States.
NURTURING FOR COMMUNITY
JUST ANOTHER GIRL – A Novel
Melody Carlson
Baker Publishing Group, 2009
221 pages/# R8011/$9.99
Aster Flynn wants a life of her own. At seventeen, she’d like to date, hang with friends, maybe even find a summer job. Instead, she’s stuck at home with her needy younger sister, an older sister who only thinks about herself, and her parents. But things are about to change. Or so she hopes.
MIDDLE-SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL – Real Friends vs. the Other Kind
Annie Fox, M.Ed.
Free Spirit Publishing, 2009
90 pages/#R8018 /$9.99
Six teens are all trying to navigate the social scene at Milldale Middle School. But that might prove a lot easier said than done. Problems come up that threaten friendships; so-called friends are there one minute and gone the next, and don’t even mention gossip, rumors, cyber bullying and other challenges that can make middle school feel like a mind field.
SLANT
Laura E. Williams
Milkweed Editions, 2008
149 pages/# R8027/$6.95
Thirteen-year-old Lauren, a Korean-American adoptee, is tired of being called “slant” and longs to have plastic surgery on her eyes, but when her father finds out about her wish – and a long-kept secret about her mother’s death is revealed – Lauren starts to question some of her own assumptions.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
THE UNLIKELY CHOSEN – A Graphic Novel Translation of the Biblical Books of Jonah, Esther, and Amos
Rev. Shirley Smith Graham and Rev. Earnest Graham
Church Publishing Inc., 2008
125 pages/#R801 /$15.00
In exciting language and eye-catching visuals, the authors have rendered the biblical text in vibrant and evocative words and images, and have gifted us with a powerful work of translation, and imagination. Their graphics and captions bring the vitality and relevance of the original Hebrew of Jonah, Esther, and Amos alive, reminding us what a sumptuous spiritual feast the First Testament lays before us.
RECOMMENDED READING
Education for Mission
Broken Promises, Broken Dreams, Alice Rothchild
Stones into Schools, Greg Mortensen
Listen to the Wind, Greg Mortensen
Nurturing for Community
I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires, Cathy Gohlke
Just Hospitality, Letty M. Russell
Social Action
Ending the US War in Afghanistan, David Wildman and Phyllis Bennis
Seeing Gray in a World of Black & White, Adam Hamilton
Spiritual Growth
Praying in Color, Sybil MacBeth
Enjoy the Silence, Maggie & Duffy Robins
The Centurion's Wife, Davis Bunn & Janette Oke
