«¿Por qué sigo aquí? ¿Por qué Dios me deja sufrir tanto tiempo?» La fragilidad, la dependencia y el dolor constante pueden conducir a la desesperanza espiritual en las personas adultas mayores. Aunque de vez en cuando nos inspiran las noticias sobre un extraordinario cumpleaños numero cien, es más común afligirse a medida que los seres queridos se debilitan. Con compasión y honestidad, Buchanan da voz a las personas que tienen que depender de otras para que les ayuden en las tareas diarias. ...

Churches are not immune to violence, as we have seen from shootings at houses of worship across the nation. The challenge for faith communities is how to respond to potential violence. Whom Shall I Fear? asks congregational leaders to examine whether their operational and security policies are consistent with gospel values. It raises common themes in approaches to church security and looks at them in the light of scripture. Whom Shall I Fear? provides thought-provoking reflections on topics...

For the Common Good reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives each Christian one or more spiritual gifts to be used for the common good. It guides readers to discover their own particular gifts and learn to use their gifts to serve others. Examining key passages in Paul's writings, author Christine Harman leads readers through a personal spiritual gift assessment. She names 20 distinct spiritual gifts—including discernment, compassion, and evangelism—and helps people explore scripture reference...

New with updated content, the Chrysalis Leaders' Manual is designed to be used by the Lay Leader, Peer Leader, and Spiritual Leader for the Chrysalis weekend. It contains information on the structure, selection, formation, and development of the fruit of the Spirit in members of the Chrysalis team. This manual gives an overview of the responsibilities of each member of the Conference Room Team and Background Team. It also includes an agenda and supply list for team meetings, a plan for six te...

New with updates to team structure, the Chrysalis Team Manual supports all team members for a Chrysalis weekend. Each member of the Conference Room Team and Background Team needs a copy of this manual. The updated team structure emphasizes servant leadership and youth and adults serving side-by-side. This manual will prove especially helpful during the weeks of team formation leading up to a Chrysalis weekend; it includes information about how to prepare for and lead the weekend. The Chrysali...

Every Chrysalis participant needs a copy of the latest edition of the worship booklet, which contains An explanation of Chrysalis Prayers used during the Chrysalis weekend, such as the Prayer to the Holy Spirit, prayers for mealtimes, and other prayers (The Lord's Prayer, The Prayer of St. Francis, John Wesley's Covenant Prayer, The Apostles' Creed, and others) Song texts ("Jesus, Jesus"; "Sing Alleluia to the Lord"; "De Colores") An outline for a Next Steps meeting A traditional Communion ...

When one reads through the New Testament, it's evident that the practice of planting churches began two thousand years ago. Today's culture, community, and connections differ greatly from the churches Peter and Paul helped build. Even in the past 20 years, those factors have dramatically changed the ministry of church planting. In Ready, Set, Plant Bener Agtarap and Curtis Brown provide tools for planting churches—looking at the spiritual, social, and economic aspects of the process. Creating...

Todo parecía estar bien, hasta que no lo estaba. Al reverendo Junius B. Dotson le costó un desmayo mientras predicaba en un funeral para darse cuenta de que necesitaba un reinicio. A medida que recordaba su propio peregrinaje a través del duelo, la depresión, el agotamiento y el colapso emocional, Dotson se apasionó por el llamado a un reinicio del alma para los pastores, pastoras, líderes de la iglesia y todas las personas discípulas de Jesucristo. Este es un estudio de 6 semanas de duració...

When author Jan Woodard requested prayer after her breast cancer diagnosis, her texts, email, and mail were flooded with encouraging notes that inspired her to write about her journey through treatment. As she wrote a weekly column for her local newspaper, Woodard discovered that writing kept her from self-pity by helping her focus on others and shift from fear to faith. In Texting Through Cancer, Woodard shares the peace she found in surrendering her cancer to God. Through 44 reflections she...

At age 60 Dr. Richard Morgan wrote No Wrinkles on the Soul as he faced the unknowns of aging and felt the need for a book to help himself and others navigate its challenges, especially the spiritual ones. Now 91, Morgan still faces many unknowns, and once again has written a book that describes how it feels to be old and encourages others in the same stage of life. "The years have taken a toll on my body," he writes, "but my mind and spirit are still young!" Light of Setting Suns contains sto...