Clinical psychologist and clergywoman Lucille F. Sider adds her voice to the chorus of women in the #WhyIDidntReport and #MeToo movements. This is Lucille’s story of resilience and hope as a survivor of sexual abuse. She explains the challenges of finding her way out of a fear-based spirituality into one that is full of grace, hope and forgiveness. The unique richness of her book is that she wrote it to spark healing discussion. As she describes her experiences in these pages, she also ste...

As increasing numbers of young women are discerning a call to ministry, entering seminary, graduating, and searching for the call to a parish or other ministry setting, they need to be aware of the realities that face them. The Girlfriends' Clergy Companion is about the nitty gritty of ministry for young female clergy—how to maintain a sense of personal style, what it's really like to be a solo pastor, how to date, what to do when they're ready to quit. The authors met in 2008 at a gatheri...

Meera Syal stars as Slough's answer to Miss Marple: a curious Indian chef who finds herself mixed up with murderMeera Syal is Mrs Sidhu, an Indian caterer with a highly active imagination and her own brand of crime solving - enough of a brand, in fact, that the local police have a file on her 'observations'.The first series, Murder with Masala, sees Mrs Sidhu catering an upscale Berkshire wedding at Lapsley Hall, w...

In the annals of history, the Mayflower stands as a beacon of courage and determination. In this captivating account, Amice MacDonell weaves a vivid tapestry of the Pilgrims' perilous journey from England to the shores of the New World. Through meticulous research and evocative prose, MacDonell transports readers to the cramped quarters of the Mayflower, where a diverse group of settlers faced unimaginable hardships. From the treacherous Atlantic crossing to the challenges of establishing ...

There's got to be more to church than this.People around the world are seeking a community that focuses more on others than on themselves. Yet most don't know where to start.Drawing from his own journey, Brandon Hatmaker reminds us that serving the least is not a trendy act of benevolence but a lifestyle of authentic community and spiritual transformation. In Barefoot Church, he explains:Practical ideas for creating service-based, mis...

Sharing your faith doesn't have to be complicated.Christians are called to be a witness for Christ in daily life, to surprise people around us with the good news of the gospel. Yet putting that mission into regular practice can seem overwhelming. Author Michael Frost, a renowned expert on evangelism, offers refreshingly simple tactics to make evangelism fulfilling, exciting, and effective.Surprise the World teaches clear and practical tools for maki...

Reggie McNeal's bestseller The Present Future is the definitive work on the "missional movement," i.e., the widespread movement among Protestant churches to be less inwardly focused and more oriented toward the culture and community around them. In that book he asked the tough questions that churches needed to entertain to begin to think about who they are and what they are doing; in Missional Renaissance, he shows them the three significant shifts in their thinking and behavior that they ...

This book will forever change the way you think about church! The statistics are clear: The American church is in decline. People are leaving in astounding numbers, with no sign of a turnaround. And despite church leaders’ best efforts to stem the tide, more than 80 percent of people are finding something better to do on Sunday mornings. Why? Is there hope for the future of the church? In this groundbreaking new book, Thom and Joani Schultz expose the church practices that are driving peop...

Based on the psychological tenet that it takes twenty-one days for a new behavior to become a habit, Erik Rees presents twenty-one daily principles for reminding readers of their individual importance.“Make your life count.” These four simple words spoken at the funeral of a four-month-old child haunted the author, hitting him like a ton of bricks and causing him to wonder if he was making his own life count. Contemplating what kind of legacy he would leave, he won...

All churches like to think that theirs is the friendliest in town. But do visitors see it that way? Church consultant Gary McIntosh invites readers to take a look at their church through the eyes of visitors and potential visitors. His starting point, grounded in an understanding of God as a "welcomer," is that churches should see those who enter their doors as not merely visitors, but as guests, and themselves as gracious hosts. This practical book offers sound advice on assessing and imp...

Keri Wyatt Kent invites readers to rediscover the ancient practice of Sabbath in this practical and accessible book. Kent’s experiences as a retreat leader and a journalist collide as she offers true, interview-based stories along with scripturally based advice and guidance on how to live in a rhythm of work and rest she calls “Sabbath simplicity.” Based on what Jesus taught about Sabbath and how he practiced it, Kent explores six aspects of Sabbath as Christian spiritual practice: resting...

Brandon O'Brien helps pastors and church leaders understand that a smaller church is sometimes better than a big one. He demonstrates the strengths of small congregations, including that today's church "shoppers" want services that are local, personal, and intimate. Also, small churches provide space to nurture close relationships across age and lifestyle barriers, and they facilitate a higher level of commitment from laypeople. And small church budgets are often more effective because of ...