Fern isn’t your usual unicorn…she loves chemistry and math more than glitter or flowers—and she refuses to change who she is in this sweet and empowering picture book about being yourself—and standing up for yourself, too!Meet Fern! She’s a smart, creative unicorn who prefers building robots and coding software to jumping through shimmering rainbows and splashing in majestic waterfalls. Even though Fern is a good friend and always willing to help others, the other ...

How Do You Minister to People Who Are Spiritual but Not Religious?Post-Christian life and society do not eliminate a desire for the transcendent; rather, they create an environment for new and divergent spiritual communities and practices to flourish. We are flooded with spiritualities that appeal to human desires for nonreligious personal transformation. But many fail to deliver because they fall into the trap of the self.In the last book of the Ministry i...

"Evangelism" is a contested, even conflicted word. But churches are declining in numbers and resources. What if we aren't thinking about evangelism in the right way, culturally or theologically? This book proposes a conversation that contextualizes evangelism in our late modern times and reimagines what the call to outreach means in today's world.Our sad times are made sadder by the realization that our all-out pursuit of happiness has made us stressed, anxious, lonely, and depress...

How parents and pastors can trade anxiety for authentic relationshipsWhat do pastors and parents have in common? They often feel pressure to be in control.If you're an anxious parent watching your teens navigate an unpredictable world or a ministry leader overwhelmed by the pressure to "save" the church in today's challenging landscape, Andy and Kara Root understand your struggle--and they've discovered a transformative path forward. They learned that relea...

What if the solution for the decline of today's church isn't more money, people, programs, innovation, or busyness?What if the answer is to stop and wait on God?In When Church Stops Working, ministry leaders Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand show how actively watching and listening for God can bring life out of death for churches in crisis today. Using clear steps and practices, they invite church leaders to stop the endless cycle of doing more and rather to simply "b...

In the bestselling tradition of Inside of a Dog and Marley & Me, a smart, illuminating, and entertaining read on why the dog-human relationship is unique--and possibly even "spiritual."Dr. Andrew Root's search for the canine soul began the day his eight-year-old son led the family in a moving Christian ritual at the burial service for Kirby, their beloved black lab. In the coming weeks, Root found himself wondering: What was this thing we'd experi...

Congregations often seek to combat the crisis of decline by using innovation to produce new resources. But leading practical theologian Andrew Root shows that the church's crisis is not in the loss of resources; it's in the loss of life—and that life can only return when we remain open to God's encountering presence.This new book, related to Root's critically acclaimed Ministry in a Secular Age project, addresses the practical form the church must take in a secular age. Root uses t...

This original monograph presents a comprehensive theory regarding the economy of the kingdom of God. The theory and associated model will help individuals make better choices. The research integrates fundamentals of the temporal real economy, and the permanent economy of the kingdom of God, to present a unified model of human agency. According to the model, effective agents are salt and light in the real economy, arresting corruption and revealing the truth. Effective agency produces life,...

Most students of practical theology recognize Richard R. Osmer as the originator of the "consensus model" of practical theology, one of the most accessible and widely used models of practical theological reflection in the world. Yet Osmer's influence extends beyond practical theological method. Over his long career, his writing and teaching spanned Christian education, youth ministry, spirituality, and evangelism as well, giving each of these congregational practices new theological substa...

Opening the Field of Practical Theology introduces students to practical theology through an examination of fifteen different approaches—ranging from feminist to liberationist, Roman Catholic to evangelical, Asian American to Latino/a.After an introduction to the field of practical theology and its broad range of practice today, the book features chapters written by leading experts in the discipline. Each chapter has an identical structure to facilitate comparison, covering histori...

A New Vision for Faith Formation in a Secular AgeThe loss or disaffiliation of young adults is a much-discussed topic in churches today. Many faith-formation programs focus on keeping the young, believing the youthful spirit will save the church. But do these programs have more to do with an obsession with youthfulness than with helping young people encounter the living God?Leading practical theologian Andrew Root offers an alternative take on the issue of ...

What is youth ministry actually for? And does it have a future?Andrew Root, a leading scholar in youth ministry and practical theology, went on a one-year journey to answer these questions. In this book, Root weaves together an innovative first-person fictional narrative to diagnose the challenges facing the church today and to offer a new vision for youth ministry in the 21st century.Informed by interviews that Root conducted with parents, this book explor...