EDUCATION FOR MISSION
Becoming a Justice Seeking
Congregation
Designed
as an ecumenical study guide for local congregations and groups,
Becoming a Justice Seeking Congregations is based on sound biblical,
theological and liturgical grounding, and offers practical know-how
strategies from McElvaney's ministry and from the experiences of
others addressing justice issues in a variety of settings.
Everyday Justice
Everyday
Justice takes readers on a tour of everyday life and reveals how
small lifestyle choices have big implications for justice around the
world. The book unpacks food and clothing choices and shows the
surprising costs of consumer waste, concluding that the more
sustainable a lifestyle, the more just the world will be.
How Coffee Saved My Life
At
25, Ellie Roscher, a self-described rich, white North American
overachiever, decided to spend a year in Lascano, Uruguay. She
reveals her physical and emotional struggles for survival, and though
spiritually tried and tested, she eventually flourished beautifully.
This is the story of Ms. Roscher's year-long mission and how, through
a multitude of grace-filled moments, she discovers that God has
accompanied her all along the journey.
RubbleNation – *BONUS
BOOK*
Rubble
Nation takes readers back to this complicated and fragile world of
promise and pain. The photos and descriptions tell the story of what
life is like on the ground twenty months after the 2010 earthquake
in Haiti. Interviews with Haitian
citizens and aid managers adds to our
understanding of the suffering of the people and of the heroic
efforts to ameliorate that suffering. The narrative is set in the
context of the country’s history and the Haitian government’s
effort to repair and rebuild their nation. Photographs capture images
not only of individuals struggling to survive, but also of the innate
dignity and generosity that arises in the midst of the struggle.
I Am Hutterite – Large
Print
I Am
Hutterite takes readers into the hidden heart of the little-known
Hutterite colony in Manitoba where Mary-Ann Kirkby spent her
childhood. When she was 10, her family left the colony and Ms. Kirkby
describes how she adapted to popular culture, but felt a deep a sense
of loss. I Am Hutterite is a powerful tale of understanding how
beginnings can define a person.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Do It Anyway
This is a book for people of every generation who want to be fully
alive in and to the world. Martin explores the lives
and motivations of eight activists–not superhuman heroes, but
ordinary young people searching for their own way to make a
difference. In direct opposition to an older generation's cry that
young people are apathetic and disengaged, Do It Anyway introduces a
new generation of activists drawn to the kind of work that keeps you
up at night because you believe in it so deeply.
Her Place at the Table
Her
Place at the Table points out that the skills women have developed at
the foot of the table - bringing people together, building bridges
across differences and thinking outside the box - are in great
demand, but women still face challenges and barriers to a seat at the
table. This book will help women negotiate what they need to succeed
as leaders.
Outcasts United
Clarkston,
Georgia, was designated as a refugee settlement center in the 1990s
and became the first American home for families in flight from the
world's war zones. Outcasts United is the stunning real-life story of
an inspiring group of refugees and a woman who, with tough love and
fiery determination, changes an entire community for the better.
This Will Be Remembered of
Her
In
This Will be Remembered of Her, three strands - stories from
Scripture, stories of select women from around the globe and stories
from religious, folk and wisdom traditions worldwide are woven into
one strong braid showing how life can be made more compelling,
communal and just for all people. In the end the book asks: How will
you be remembered?
NURTURING FOR COMMUNITY
A Country for All
For
decades, fixing the United States' broken immigration system has been
a challenge. With anti-immigrant sentiment rising around the country,
it is now more important than ever to remember the role immigrants
play in enriching our economy and culture. This timely book makes the
case for a practical and politically achievable solution to this
emotional issue.
Alone and Invisible No More
Alone
and Invisible No More describes how to overhaul our elder care
system, based on physician Allan S. Teel's own efforts to create
humane, affordable alternatives in Maine. Dr. Teel's program
harnesses both staff and volunteers to help people remain in their
homes and communities. The program offers assistance with everyday
challenges and uses technology to keep older people connected with
one another and their families and to stay safe.
Every Day Is a Good Day
Wilma
Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, engaged
Native women in conversation about spirituality, traditions and
culture, tribal governance, female role models, love and community.
It is a rare and intimate glimpse of the resilience and perseverance
of Native women who see the richness in their lives, facing each day
positively.
Love in a Headscarf
When
Shelina Zahra Janmohamed opted for the traditional arranged route to
finding a marriage partner, she never suspected it would be the
journey of her life. During 10 long years of matchmaking aunties,
countless mismatches and outrageous dating disasters, Ms. Janmohamed
discovers more about herself and her faith - including the fact that
sometimes being true to her religion means challenging tradition.
Mind on the Run
Mind
on the Run recounts the life and death of Scott C. Baker. It's the
story of a family's efforts to help Mr. Baker through five major
bipolar manic episodes - a story of love and loss and of a family's
futile attempts to save their loved one. It takes readers inside the
bipolar mind tormented by psychotic and delusional thoughts and a
body ravaged by irreversible damage from untreated bipolar disorder.
Radical Welcome
Radical
Welcome is a practical theological guide for congregations that want
to move beyond mere inclusiveness toward becoming a place where
welcoming "the other" is taken seriously and where engaging
God's mission becomes more than just a catch-phrase.
Plain Wisdom – Large Print
Best-selling
novelist Cindy Woodsmall might seem to have little in common with
Miriam Flaud, but they both have found the secrets to facing life
with strength and grace, and welcome you into their friendship. Plain
Wisdom is a heartwarming celebration of God, womanhood and the search
for beauty that unites us all.
SOCIAL ACTION
A Hopeful Earth
A
Hopeful Earth bridges the gap between Jesus and the environment and
guides readers in their understanding that living as good stewards of
God's creation is a significant component of what it means to follow
Jesus. Readers will discover how the church can reach out to younger
generations by joining them in the race to save the planet.
Get Up, Stand Up
Even
though most Americans oppose war and bristle at bailouts, most remain
passive and appear resigned to powerlessness. Get Up , Stand Up
describes how readers can recover dignity, energy and unity in order
to wrest power away from the corporatocracy. Get Up, Stand Up details
strategies and tactics that oppressed peoples have employed to gain
power and put that power back in the hands of we, the people.
In Our Backyard
In
Our Backyard invites readers into the lives of human trafficking
victims, survivors and the traffickers themselves with true stories.
These stories not only inform, but also continue our study of modern
day slavery, this time focusing on the United States. This book
contains mature subject matter.
Make Poverty Personal
Poverty
is one of the great challenges of the 21st century, but not a new
one. And neither is God's deep concern for the poor - it is a theme
deeply woven throughout the Bible. This urgent, provocative book
offers both challenge and hope. Pulling out and reflecting on
significant passages from both testaments, the book reveals what the
Bible says about both nature of poverty and about how God calls
people to respond.
The Power of Half
When
14-year-old Hannah Salwen was stopped in her tracks by glaring
disparity, her parents knew they had to act on her urge to do
something. What began as an outlandish scheme became a remarkable
journey that transported them across the globe and well out of their
comfort zone. In the end they learned that they had the power to
change a little corner of the world and found themselves changing
too.
Why Africa Matters –
*BONUS BOOK*
So
many books give the data on the geography, the population and the
problems of Africa, but this astonishing book reveals the richness of
Africa's peoples, traditions, and cultures and why this is good news
for the world. The book explores the heart and soul of a great
continent and allows us to appreciate the beauty while not ignoring
the reality.
One Simple Act – Large
Print
In a
world that seems too often stingy and grudging, Debbie Macomber has
witnessed how a simple act of generosity can yield unforeseen
miracles. This blend of true stories and motivating messages will
delight and surprise as the reader discovers how giving the gifts of
time, encouragement, hope, laughter, prayer, service and forgiveness
can have lasting, life changing impact on the giver and recipient.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
From Preparation to Passion
This
resource is intended to allow true engagement in the preparation for
a holy passion for Christ on the path to Easter. From Preparation to
Passion is a resource to use in subsequent years, as it offers
insights through the meditative readings on the message that music
and the Word of God brings.
In from the Wilderness
Stories
of transgender people reach back to the beginnings of recorded
history. This is the story of a transgender man who has been an
ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and who has quietly
served for 28 years before sharing his story and spiritual journey
with his congregation, denomination, and the world.
Morning Coffee with James
With
or without a Bible handy, start the day with Morning Coffee with
James. This devotional includes the full text of the verses for each
day.
With humor and conversational style, this book offers meaty insights that will satisfy the spirit and quench the soul. Each Morning Coffee
devotional includes a verse or two from the book of James, a few
paragraphs of study and application, a prayer, and more. Fun coffee
facts and recipes are interspersed throughout.
Praying for Strangers
As
2009 approached, New Year's resolutions were the last thing on River
Jordan's mind. Her sons were about to go off to war - one to Iraq and
the other to Afghanistan. All she could do was pray for their safety
and hope to maintain her strength, until she unexpectedly came on the
perfect resolution - she would pray for a complete stranger every
single day of the year.
Reluctant Pilgrim
Reluctant
Pilgrim traces Okoro's search for a community in which she can
embrace both her turbulent love of God and her passion for gorgeous
shoes. It's a story of longing and promise, and God's persistent
presence. She discovers God in art museums and on street corners, in
cathedrals and gymnasiums, and through girlfriends and other seekers
she meets along the way.
Signs of Life
This
book discusses signs of life - signs that Jesus has transformed us
and that we are committed to him and his kingdom. Signs of Life will
lead the reader on a journey to a fuller understanding of the marks
that identify one as a Christian, that advertise your faith - the
imprints that can impact souls for eternity and help one become a
person of influence who radiates relevancy, authenticity, generosity
and compassion every day, just like Jesus did.
When Christians Get It Wrong
– Large Print
When
young adults talk about the problems they have with Christianity and
the church, they name attitudes and behaviors they believe are
practiced too often by Christians: judging others, condemning people
of other faith, rejecting science, injecting politics into faith and
being anti-homosexual. With his familiar style, Adam Hamilton tackles
these issues and addresses the hows and whys of Christians getting it
right when it comes to being Christ in the world.
YOUTH
Education for Mission
Cry of the Giraffe
Labeled
outcasts by their Ethiopian neighbors because they are Jews,
13-year-old Wuditu and her family make the difficult trek on foot to
Sudan in the hope of being transported to Yerusalem and its promise
of a better life. Instead they are herded into a refugee camp and
Wuditu is separated from her family and forced back to the border.
Her only hope is to be reunited with her family in Yerusalem.
Leadership Development
Do Hard Things
A
growing movement of young people is rebelling against the low
expectation of today's culture by choosing to "do hard things"
for the glory of God. Do Hard Things is the Harris twins' message
giving readers a glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively
resist cultural lies that limit their potential.
Nurturing for Community
Fatty Legs
When
Margaret, a young Inuit girl, travelled from her home in the High
Arctic to Aklavik, she was mesmerized by this "outsider's"
world, and she knew the key to the greatest of the outsider's
mysteries - reading - could be found there. She begged her father to
let her go to the outsider's school and there encountered a
disapproving nun bent on tormenting her.
thinandbeautiful.com
While
17-year-old Maddie has always felt a hole in her life, she now thinks
she has found a way to fill it with her quest to mold her body into
her ideal, thinnest shape. When she comes across the world of
"thinspiration" websites, where young people encourage each
other in their mission to lose weight, she quickly becomes addicted.
Finally she has found a place where she is understood and where she
can belong. Or has she?
Social Action
Free?
This
collection of short fiction by 14 prominent writers from around the
world dramatizes the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights with
contemporary personal stories about young people who are victims,
perpetrators and activists.
Spiritual Growth
Permission to Speak Freely
What is one thing you feel
you can't say in church? After Anne Jackson posted this question on
her blog, hundreds
of people from around the world responded. With raw honesty and
humor, she explores if faith and real life can coexist, whether any
secret is too shameful to confess and most of all, if it's really
possible (and okay) to be human in church today.
RECOMMENDED READING
Social Action
The Whistleblower
When Nebraska police officer
and divorced mother of three Kathryn Bolkovac saw a recruiting
announcement for private military contractor DynCorp International,
she applied and was hired. A
police officer turned human rights investigator, she worked at
uncovering international sex trafficking and cover-ups by her bosses
at DynCorp International, which led to her firing, a mad rush across
the border, and a subsequent wrongful
termination lawsuit in which she was victorious and became the
self-described poster girl for everything wrong about
security-for-hire.
Spiritual Growth
Walking Bible Study Series:
The Path of Justice, The Path of Love, The Path of Peace
It's easy to get lost in the busyness of every day. But
taking a walk and discovering God's presence along the way will bring
you back to where you need to be. The Walking Bible Study, a
series of short readings and meditations, is your field guide to
learning more about Scripture as you travel through nature and life.
Wherever you walk, take it along with you and follow the paths of
God. “Walking changes us; it can transport our spirits from being
weighed down by life into the joy of God's presence.” - Becca
Stevens
Each study consists of four sessions. Sessions include prayer,
Scripture, Becca's thoughts and stories, questions to think about or
discuss, and activities.
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