Baptism, Confirmation and Liturgies for the Journey, with CD Rom, by Jan Brind & Tessa Wilkinson

Canterbury Press 2010 9781853119507   £18.99

Our Christian journey begins with baptism and you will find in these pages many ideas for making services of initiation personal and memorable.  With plenty of ideas for things to make, creating themed service sheets, simple gifts to give, specially written prayers and songs, every service of baptism, thanksgiving for the gift of a child, renewal of baptismal vows and confirmation can become unique. 
In addition there are complete liturgies for those events that are part of every church's life:

welcomes and farewells - to clergy, lay workers and ordinands,
dedication of a new or re-ordered church
services of blessings for pilgrimage groups etc.


 

What am I here for?   How should I believe?

Most Christians, faced with these questions, think in terms either of 'rules' or of 'living authentically'.   Both lead to problems.
In this book, full of fresh biblical exploration, Bishop Tom Wright proposes instead that we inhabit the ancient tradition of virtue once again - but from a thoroughly Christian, not just a philosophical, perspective.   The virtues are the strengths we need to get to our goal. Following on from his previous books, Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope, he sees the goal in terms of the whole new creation, with humans renewed to look after it.


 

Darton, Longman & Todd  2010    £8.95
isbn 9780232527827

Time to Change introduces one of the great traditions of spiritual growth.  It is practical and down to earth, and assumes no previous experience of retreats, or even of church-going.
Time to Change is based on a book - and a way of life - that has inspired people to find God in ordinary everyday things and experiences for 450 years:  The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the found of the Catholic religious order known as the Jesuits.
 

SPCK Publications 2010   £9.99
isbn 9780281060610

Rosemary Lain-Priestley invites us to accompany her on a year-long journey of reflection - a journey that encompasses not only the nitty-gritty of the everyday but also the biggest and most significant of global events.   Anyone who yearns to live deeply and reflectively will love this book, and appreciate the practical example it gives of the spiritual riches on offer to those adept at "sifting the stuff of life".
(Dr Paula Gooder, author of The Meaning is in the Waiting)


 

isbn 9780281062119    £9.99

Keith Ward introduces this volume by suggesting that the Bible is neither a book dictated by God, as some believe, nor just a set of outdated taboos and politically slanted histories, as those at the opposite extreme would maintain.   Rather, it is a very mixed set of documents, by many different writers, from many different times, which records the struggle of many people in one particular religious tradition to respond to their discernment of a transcendent spiritual power.

The bible is, in short,. a spiritual text.


 

SPCK Publications  2010     £12.99
isbn 9780281060863   

'Clements has done a splendid job of illustrating the major influences, particularly those from the ecumenical world, on Bonhoeffer's theology and activism.   He also traces the theological continuities within Bonhoeffer's thought, from the beginning of his career to the end of his life.   This is a fine introduction to Bonhoeffer's life and thought.

(Victoria J Barnett, General Editor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works)

SPCK Publications 2010
isbn 9780281062300    £9.99

Following Christ is a dynamic venture in faith.  God may call his people to step into the unknown, but he travels with them on their way.

This collection of daily readings, activities and prayers provides a valuable resource for the journey.

SPCK Publications 2010  £14.99
isbn 9780281063291 

The book offers and engaging point of entry into the current 'quest for the historical Jesus'.   Following a scene-setting historical survey by the editors, five scholars- Darrell L Bock, John Dominic Crossan,
James D. G Dunn, Luke Timothy Johnson and Robert M Price - set out their views and respond to their fellow scholars.



 

Continuum Publications 2010   £8.99
isbn 9781441186799

Few of us have much idea of how to handle dying, or have access to a context, language or ritual in which to place safely the dying experience.   Awkwardness, embarrassment and fear cause us to shy away from connection to those who are grieving, or those who are dying.  The D-Word is a practical guide, which offers advice and resources to support relatives, friends and carers who are coping with the distress and anxiety of someone nearing the end of life.  Its aim is to encourage people to find better ways of talking openly and honestly about the D-Word.

SPCK Publications 2010
isbn 9780281060856       £12.99

In Anglicanism Reimagined, Andrew Shanks challenges all who are tempted to erect boundaries around their faith.  Far more important than dogma and metaphysics, he argues, is the need to be open to all, and to engage with people who hold views at odds with our own.   He shows how a commitment to this ideal can create fresh energy and new ways forward for the Church.


 

SPCK Publications 2010 
isbn 9780281061723    £8.99

As a full-time carer for her husband, who suffers from dementia as a result of MS, Dorothy Stewart can identify only too well with the six million people in the UK who look after family members at home.

This book of brief bible readings, meditations, prayers and self-help suggestions has been written especially for those who have very little time for themselves.   Both realistic and upbeat, it will strengthen carers to face squarely the many challenges and struggles of their role - one day at a time.

isbn 9780281063284   £9.99

This selection of Thomas Merton's finest writing, first published over 30 years ago, remains as relevant as ever to those wishing to progress in the spiritual life.   Here we find Merton discussing solitude, St John of the Cross, the primitive Carmelite ideal, Christianity and totalitarianism, and the power and meaning of love.

SPCK Publications: Classic Series 2010

isbn 9780281062232    £9.99

First published in 1977, Holy Spirit quickly became a bestseller.
With consummate clarity of thought and style, Michael Ramsey sets out to establish what the Spirit meant in the experience and the language of the early Christians.  For 'there are none from whom we can learn more about a theme so intimately linked with the coming of Jesus Christ'

The Bible is bursting with teaching about nature:  how God created it, how humans fit into it, and how it is part of his big story of justice, love and redemption.   But what does the Bible have to say about the environmental issues that face us today?
Each bible study is accompanied by a variety of lively and engaging activities, from the practical to the reflective.  They will inspire and encourage you to lead a greener, more fulfilling life that respects and honours God's awesome creation.

 All-Age Worship by Lucy Moore.    BRF Publications 2010

 isbn: 9781841014326   £7.99

Lucy Moore sets out a compelling vision for all-age worship -full of inspiration and deeply practical.   Read this book and you will be left in no doubt that all-age worship really can be spiritually engaging and nourishing for everyone.   Essential reading for any minister or children's leader in any church that wants to grows its work among children and families.

Pioneer Ministry and Fresh Expressions of Church.
by Angela Shier-Jones.   SPCK 2009
isbn: 9780281061136     £12.99

Angela offers a theological and practical guide for pioneer ministers, both ordained and lay, and mission-minded congregations, on how to initiate and support fresh expressions of church.  Drawing on Scripture as well as on real-life case studies, she illustrates best practice in working to transform a God-given vision for mission into a reality.

Re-Shaping Rural Ministry: A theological and practical handbook
Edited by: James Bell, Jill Hopkinson and Trevor Willmott
Canterbury Press 2009
isbn 9781853119538     £14.99

Re-shaping rural ministry explores the imaginative responses of many rural churches to decades of challenges and changes, and offers practical and theological reflection from leading writers on the questions it is addressing today.

An essential book for all engaged in rural ministry, those considering it, and all involved in ministerial selection and training.

IVP publication 2009  
isbn: 9781844744176   £12.99

Is there no heaven or hell, no God, no spiritual realm- just science?

That's the message a new generation of dynamic atheist thinkers are saying.

Here is a book that answers this challenge with some of the finest thinkers in cosmology, biology, theology and philosophy.

Contributors include: John Polkinghorne, Alister McGrath, Scot McKnight & Mark Mittleberg.

Incomparable: Explorations in the Character of God by Andrew Wilson

published by David C Cook  2007
isbn 9781434767561  £8.99

There is no greater persuit, no greater journey, and no greater joy than being changed by the extraordinary character of God.

Incomparable explores sixty names and descriptions of our Creator. Each short reflection is filled with profound biblical insights and revelations that will inspire and enrich your faith.

God Stories: Explorations in the Gospel of God by Andrew Wilson

published by David C Cook 2009
isbn 9781434765390  £8.99

Sometimes our gospel is just too small.  If we're not careful we can take a story about Jesus rescuing creation and reduce it into a story about ourselves.  We can turn stories into statements, poems into punchlines. We can miss the sweeping, triumphant, heartbreaking, and glorious stories that make up the gospel of God.

But the biblical gospel, the real one, is a stunning mosaic of GodStories.  It's about sins forgiven, shame removed, beauty restored, and mean reinstated. It's about God's kingdom, his mission, his temple and his victory.
Welcome to the gospel of God.