Journey through this Advent season with a purposeful focus on the Christ child. Meeting the Messiah encourages you to slow down and pay attention to the real meaning of Christmas. Six weeks of short readings and guided reflection will enrich your celebration of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. You will be filled with joy and thanksgiving as you think about scripture passages from the perspectives of the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist, Mary, the shepherds, the magi, and Jesus himself. This year...

The Way of Scripture Participant's Book is also available for small-group members. Do you search the scriptures to validate your own beliefs and decisions, or do you allow the Word to search you? If you're looking for a deeper experience of God's Word, this study will support you in going beyond simple Bible study. You'll find ideas to help you lay aside preconceived notions and daily worries, creating a place for a transforming encounter with God. The Leader's Guide for the 8-week small-grou...

The Way of Scripture Leader's Guide is also available. Join other committed Christians in an 8-week study (includes a preparatory session) designed to help you experience scripture as a place of transforming encounter with God. This Companions in Christ resource promotes the classical practice of lectio divina to develop patterns of being engaged by God in scripture. The following topics are addressed: Scripture: A Place of Transforming Encounter Silentio: Preparing to Be Read by Scripture ...

"There is a place in God's heart that … only you can fill," writes Maxie Dunnam in this long-awaited sequel to The Workbook of Living Prayer. Eight weeks of daily readings in The Workbook on Abiding in Christ will help you find your place in God's heart and discover the secret to authentic Christian living. Through the brief teaching segments, scripture, ideas for reflecting and recording, suggestions for taking what you have learned from your prayer time into the day, and guides for group sh...

"Come away with me and rest for a while," Jesus said to his disciples. Sometimes we need a break from our busy lives just to take time to be, but more important, to listen to God. Time Away details the joys, challenges, and benefits of a personal retreat. This book's step-by-step instructions will enable anyone—from first-timer to veteran—to make the most of dedicated time with God. Chapters cover these topics: What Is a Retreat? Why Go on a Retreat? Preparing for a Retreat Creating a Pl...

Understanding Spiritual Gifts Participant's Book is available for small group members. This leader's guide includes a process and resources for an introductory meeting and 6 weekly meetings of either 45 or 90 minutes. The longer format includes group lectio divina (contemplation of and individual response to scripture) in each session.

Understanding Spiritual Gifts Leader's Guide is also available. This 6-week experiential study (7 weeks, including the introductory session) helps individuals and small groups explore spiritual gifts using selected passages from the Bible.

Aging often brings concerns about health, worries about finances, and frustrations about change. The so-called golden years can seem filled with loneliness and pain. How is a person of faith to cope with the challenges and find purpose for the rest of his or her life? Missy Buchanan encourages older adults to maintain open dialogue with God. Through a series of personal poems and reflections, each coupled with a selection from Psalms, Buchanan presents heartfelt talks with God. She addresses ...

Early adulthood is a time of possibility, uncertainty, decision, and hope. During these years, individuals determine how they will approach life challenges and opportunities. In On Our Way: Christian Practices for Living a Whole Life, writers from a variety of backgrounds address topics of particular relevance to young adults. The essays are grouped in 5 sections that together express the whole: living a whole life attentively together in the real world for the good of all in response t...

Conscious of the need for a closer walk with God, of a deeper spiritual need . . . I covenant with God to seek an enrichment of my own spiritual life by observing a period of devotions each day. —The Upper Room Covenant (1935) This is the story of a little magazine and how it grew. From its first issue in spring 1935 to now, The Upper Room daily devotional guide is prayer raised to a lifestyle. The vision has always been to reestablish the practice of daily prayer and Bible reading. But the...