Böcker utgivna av Abingdon Press

Prepare to receive Christ this Advent with the message of John the Baptist and best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton in Prepare the Way for the Lord. For two thousand years, Christians have turned to the story and message of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist, best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton explores the Advent themes of John's life and ministry, and how John calls all followers of Jesus to prepare our hearts for his coming. In each of the Gospels, the story of Jesus is intertwined with that of his cousin John, the one whom the prophets foretold would come to "prepare the way of the Lord." When we hear the message of John the Baptist, it makes us and our world ready to receive Christ. Chapter topics include: 1. A People Prepared for the Lord 2. God Is Gracious 3. The Fruit of Repentance 4. Witnesses Testifying to the Light To use Prepare the Way for the Lord as a four-week Advent study, additional components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and DVD/Video sessions featuring Adam Hamilton. The book includes a link to free downloadable teaching resources for children and youth.

Are you ready to reclaim our inheritance as United Methodist Wesleyans? Our communities and the world are crying out for empathy, authenticity, and integrity. This book helps us choose ways of living that are grace-filled and redeeming. Cultivating Christlikeness is about the bold adventure of United Methodists celebrating and living into a grand vision that includes everyone in God's extravagant embrace. Jesus invites us to partner in the work of transformation, new birth, and resurrection in every aspect of our lives. Together, we can step into a future showered by God's multiplying love. Paul Chilcote mines his decades of study, prayer, and devotion to Christian practices to share his vision for how we partner with God to make the world more loving and just. In Cultivating Christlikeness, he weaves the threads of insight and appreciation with special attention to Wesleyan ways of loving God and neighbor that can change us and change the world. With his gentle direction, we discover with new appreciation how 18th-century John and Charles Wesley illumine our 21st-century quest to befriend Jesus, who frees us to live into and by the grace of God. Chilcote's book is a practical guide, leading us through selected excerpts from the Wesleys, adding fresh insights and probing questions as we explore essential teachings about God and the beloved community. He helps us know how to share these understandings with our families and neighbors, and more importantly, he points us to ways to live out our commitments with purpose, courage, and joy. The framework and flow of Cultivating Christlikeness make it easily adaptable for group discussion and individual use. It includes a plan for a two-day retreat for those eager to join in a more intensive experience of mutual engagement to renew their spirits and discover fresh ways to grow in love and grace. The book is a companion to Chilcote's Multiplying Love (Abingdon Press, 2023) that casts the theological vision that animates this practical spiritual guide. And it is an updated and expanded revision of an earlier work entitled Wesley Speaks on Christian Vocation, originally published by Discipleship Resources then reissued by Wipf & Stock.

The journey to Christmas begins in Rome. On the Way to Bethlehem follows the long journey to Christmas. The story begins in Rome with a decree issued from the seat of worldly power for a census, setting into motion events leading to the birth of the Savior of the world in a town that represents the very opposite of worldly power, Bethlehem. Author Rob Fuquay provides insight into the geographical and historical significance of Rome, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem, along with the important characters through whom the Christmas drama unfolds. You will be drawn into those places in a way that helps you experience the spiritual truths each location holds. The reflection we give in these places prepares the heart and soul to experience wonder, awe, mystery, and joy. Chapters include: Rome - A Place of Longing Jerusalem - A Place of Waiting Nazareth - A Place of Simplicity Bethlehem - A Place of Humility Components available to use this book in a small group study include a leader guide and video available on DVD.

Create a culture of radical hospitality that surprises and delights guests beyond their expectations. Engaging worship and intentional follow-up processes are important, but what compels guests to return to our churches is the warmth of our welcome and hospitality that goes beyond their expectations. In The Art of Hospitality, Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon guide you and your church creating radical hospitality that infiltrates the heart and culture of the entire congregation. Complete with key principles and proven techniques and strategies, this compelling and practical program will transform the way you do church, leaving guests surprised, delighted, and eager to return. This Revised Edition includes new insights and strategies for effective hospitality and welcome in all aspects of your digital and in-person ministry. This book is for pastors and other leaders in the church. Choose the Companion Book for everyone else in the congregation.

Create a culture of radical hospitality that surprises and delights guests beyond their expectations. The Art of Hospitality guides you and your church to creating a ministry of radical hospitality. While the main book is intended for pastors and church leaders, this Companion Book is designed for the whole congregation, to equip and inspire everyone to embrace a ministry of welcome. Engaging worship and intentional follow-up processes are important, but what compels guests to return to our churches is the warmth of our welcome and hospitality that goes beyond their expectations. In The Art of Hospitality, Yvonne Gentile and Debi Nixon guide you and your church creating radical hospitality that infiltrates the heart and culture of the entire congregation. Choose The Art of Hospitality main book for pastors and other leaders in the church. Choose the Companion Book for everyone else in the congregation.

Hear from "those who told the story first." The Leader Guide contains discussion questions and session plans for a four-week Advent study. It includes opening and closing prayers, optional activities, and session goals for each week, and is designed to be used with the book and DVD. You may or may not know the story of your birth. If you do, there is something special about hearing your origin story again and remembering how it all began for you. That's why we observe Advent: to celebrate how it all began for us. In The Christmas Letters, Magrey deVega invites you to hear about the miracle of Christ's birth from those who first told the story. The letters in the New Testament, known as the Epistles, contain the first attempts by the church to understand and celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation. They point us to the origins of what we believe about Jesus, fully human and fully divine. By spending time with these holy, ancient words this Advent, you'll come to know the meaning of Christ's coming like never before. Read the New Testament letters, Romans, 1 John, Philippians, and Colossians as your first Christmas letters of the season and find within them an invitation from God to deepen your understanding of the Incarnation and embrace a fuller commitment to Jesus Christ.

Learn the essentials of fresh expressions for your church. This is a practical manual for understanding and implementing Fresh Expressions for a church in any denominational setting. Fresh Expressions is a new way of thinking about the local church and a new way of doing church as a congregation. It refers to new (fresh) iterations or types (expressions) of ministry, usually outside the confines of the church building. These iterations or types of ministries are formed intentionally but organically out in the community, where people are. They are based on shared activities or interests, where people are gathering already, and where the people are open to or interested in learning about Jesus. Christian people share their own stories of how Jesus is part of their lives. Often, these gatherings become regular and increasingly begin to adopt the practices of a church community, like worship, service, study, and giving. Thus, they become fresh expressions of the church from which they sprang.

God can use imperfect people to do incredible things.The More Messy People leader guide outlines six small group sessions, complete with prayers, summaries, discussion questions, and video viewer guides. It is designed to be used with the participant workbook and DVD and will support group leaders of all experience levels in creating strong learning communities.Jen Cowart continues her study of the very messy lives of biblical heroes-people who, like us, made mistakes but found God was able to use them in powerful ways. They all play a significant role in the biblical narrative, but their stories are far from perfect.Through the lives of rival sisters like Leah and Rachel, or sisters with very different personalities like Martha and Mary, we see God chooses to use people who don't have it all together. Through the lives of great, but imperfect, biblical heroes like Moses, Elijah, Peter, and Paul, we see God meets us in our troubles and chooses us even if we seem unqualified.God can use imperfect people to do incredible things.The More Messy People leader guide outlines six small group sessions, complete with prayers, summaries, discussion questions, and video viewer guides. It is designed to be used with the participant workbook and DVD and will support group leaders of all experience levels in creating strong learning communities.Jen Cowart continues her study of the very messy lives of biblical heroes-people who, like us, made mistakes but found God was able to use them in powerful ways. They all play a significant role in the biblical narrative, but their stories are far from perfect.Through the lives of rival sisters like Leah and Rachel, or sisters with very different personalities like Martha and Mary, we see God chooses to use people who don't have it all together. Through the lives of great, but imperfect, biblical heroes like Moses, Elijah, Peter, and Paul, we see God meets us in our troubles and chooses us even if we seem unqualified.

God can use imperfect people to do incredible things. Jen Cowart continues her study of the very messy lives of biblical heroes--people who, like us, made mistakes but found God was able to use them in powerful ways. They all play a significant role in the biblical narrative, but their stories are far from perfect. Through the lives of rival sisters like Leah and Rachel, or sisters with very different personalities like Martha and Mary, we see God chooses to use people who don't have it all together. Through the lives of great, but imperfect, biblical heroes like Moses, Elijah, Peter, and Paul, we see God meets us in our troubles and chooses us even if we seem unqualified. The participant workbook includes five daily readings for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer and is designed to use with the leader guide and DVD.

A new and age-old way of practicing the Christian faith. What does Wesleyan theology and the Methodist way of life have to do with Benedictine ideas and practices? Renowned teacher Paul W. Chilcote reveals surprising and profound similarities and overlaps in the practices and theological convictions of these two Christian streams. Chilcote is a United Methodist scholar, elder, and serves as a Benedictine oblate. He writes from his own spiritual life, offering a gift to readers who are interested in Methodism and mysticism. Chilcote teaches a remarkable approach to spiritual practice; it is a new and age-old way of practicing our faith.

Unlock the hidden depths of John's Gospel. The leader guide contains discussion questions and session plans for a six-week study of The Gospel of John, by Amy-Jill Levine. It includes opening and closing prayers, optional activities, and session goals for each week and is designed to be used with the book and DVD. John's Gospel offers readers a new language--of being born anew, of living water, of wind and spirit, of the "I am"--that enhances how we understand the divine, how we experience the world, and how we participate in the mystery of faith. With her characteristic wit and charm, Amy-Jill Levine introduces readers to the world of the Gospel of John by unpacking the stories in their original context, along with examining how the text is read today. This book considers the Gospel of John in its entirety, moving through the Gospel and exploring the prologue, the wedding at Cana, the Samaritan woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery, the healing of the man at the pool and the man born blind, foot washing, Mary Magdalene and Doubting Thomas, and the Lamb of God.

Location matters. Christianity isn't a batch of spiritual thoughts or metaphysical truths. It's a journey of real people with their feet on the ground in real places. In Everywhere Is Jerusalem, James Howell takes you on a spiritual pilgrimage to significant places in the ongoing story of the Christian faith. You'll go from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, from the Jordan River to Assisi, and from the Sea of Galilee to Montgomery, Alabama. Along the way, you'll discover the profound connections between biblical stories and the places they happened. You'll see how Christians throughout history have brought their faith to life worldwide, in their own cities and communities. And you'll find God calling you to bring your own faith to life right where you are, right now. Part travelogue, part Bible study, this book will take you on a spiritual journey to the places that are most important in our faith, and you'll discover that the most important place of all is the place where you are, right now. Other study components include a Leader Guide and video available on DVD.

Unlock the hidden depths of John's Gospel. John's Gospel offers readers a new language--of being born anew, of living water, of wind and spirit, of the "I am"--that enhances how we understand the divine, how we experience the world, and how we participate in the mystery of faith. With her characteristic wit and charm, Amy-Jill Levine introduces readers to the world of the Gospel of John by unpacking the stories in their original context, along with examining how the text is read today. This book considers the Gospel of John in its entirety, moving through the Gospel and exploring the prologue, the wedding at Cana, the Samaritan woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery, the healing of the man at the pool and the man born blind, foot washing, Mary Magdalene and Doubting Thomas, and the Lamb of God. Components available to use this book in a small group study include a leader guide and video available on DVD.

Part of the most comprehensive collection of Wesley's writings. The correspondence in this final volume of Wesley's letters covers the closing years of his life. An addendum includes nearly seventy letters from earlier years that came to light after the appropriate volume in this collection had been published. This final volume also included a set of indexes for the full seven-volume collection. All Works of John Wesley volumes are designed to keep the pages clean and in place for years to come, with casebound non-cloth hardcover, dust jacket, and secure adhesive binding.

The journey to Christmas begins in Rome. The leader guide includes four small group sessions complete with prayers, summaries, and discussion questions to inspire active group engagement. It will support group leaders of all experience levels in creating strong learning communities. On the Way to Bethlehem follows the long journey to Christmas. The story begins in Rome with a decree issued from the seat of worldly power for a census, setting into motion events leading to the birth of the Savior of the world in a town that represents the very opposite of worldly power, Bethlehem. Author Rob Fuquay provides insight into the geographical and historical significance of Rome, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem, along with the important characters through whom the Christmas drama unfolds. You will be drawn into those places in a way that helps you experience the spiritual truths each location holds. The reflection we give in these places prepares the heart and soul to experience wonder, awe, mystery, and joy. Chapters include: Rome - A Place of Longing Jerusalem - A Place of Waiting Nazareth - A Place of Simplicity Bethlehem - A Place of Humility Components available to use this book in a small group study include the book and video available on DVD.

Location matters. The Leader Guide contains discussion questions and session plans for a six-week study of Everywhere Is Jerusalem, by James C. Howell. It includes opening and closing prayers, optional activities, and session goals for each week and is designed to be used with the book and DVD. Christianity isn't a batch of spiritual thoughts or metaphysical truths. It's a journey of real people with their feet on the ground in real places. In Everywhere Is Jerusalem, James Howell takes you on a spiritual pilgrimage to significant places in the ongoing story of the Christian faith. You'll go from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, from the Jordan River to Assisi, and from the Sea of Galilee to Montgomery, Alabama. Along the way, you'll discover the profound connections between biblical stories and the places they happened. You'll see how Christians throughout history have brought their faith to life worldwide, in their own cities and communities. And you'll find God calling you to bring your own faith to life right where you are, right now. Part travelogue, part Bible study, this book will take you on a spiritual journey to the places that are most important in our faith, and you'll discover that the most important place of all is the place where you are, right now.

Hear from "those who told the story first." You may or may not know the story of your birth. If you do, there is something special about hearing your origin story again and remembering how it all began for you. That's why we observe Advent: to celebrate how it all began for us. In The Christmas Letters, Magrey deVega invites you to hear about the miracle of Christ's birth from those who first told the story. The letters in the New Testament, known as the Epistles, contain the first attempts by the church to understand and celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation. They point us to the origins of what we believe about Jesus, fully human and fully divine. By spending time with these holy, ancient words this Advent, you'll come to know the meaning of Christ's coming like never before. Read the New Testament letters, Romans, 1 John, Philippians, and Colossians as your first Christmas letters of the season and find within them an invitation from God to deepen your understanding of the Incarnation and embrace a fuller commitment to Jesus Christ. Components available to use this book in a small group study include a leader guide and video available on DVD.

A guide for new and longtime United Methodists. This book thorougly and methodically walks the reader through the distinctives of the Wesleyan way--the theology, practices, habits, and attitudes that characterize Methodist people. It is a book of both instruction and celebration, offering the equivalent of a course on Wesleyan living and a beautiful reminder of the ways that life is most gracious and lovely. Features:--Clear framework with small segments; easy for readers to follow--Practical Methodist theology for today, for real people--The content can easily be adapted for different formats, such as articles, single chapters, and key points for Ministry Matters ExchangeBenefits:--Helps readers correct misconceptions about Wesleyan theology-their own and those in their congregations--Helps readers clarify and reclaim Wesleyan theology-or to learn it for the first time--Gives readers the vocabulary and a helpful new framework for sharing Wesleyan theology with others

"Transform your church with grace. Doing Justice Together introduces a process using Scripture as a souce of inspiration and instruction for pastors and church people to move through together, to re-envision and reorient themselves away from old, harmful habits. Beck and Hand show pastors how they can, over time, lead the congregation to become a place where racial harmony, justice, and liberation are intrinsic to the structure and life of the church. The authors lay out four pathways for discerning and correcting the unjust patterns that often sneak into church life unnoticed. They also share other leaders' stories from a variety of settings where this process has led to healing, revival, and hope. Following the pathways, pastors and congregants will be equipped to thoughtfully transform their church. They'll make changes with grace and care, honoring and including longtime members. And they'll begin new ministries--perhaps reaching people they could never have imagined reaching before--becoming a fresh expression of church in their community."

Exploring the Chapter Behind the Verse. Context looks at verses we know by heart but may not know the people, places, and times that give them meaning. Josh Scott delves into these well-known Scripture verses, exploring their true meanings by examining them in their original biblical context. Through this process, he unveils fresh and enlightening interpretations that are often missed when these Scriptures are taken out of context. The book can be read alone or used by small groups anytime throughout the year. Components include video teaching sessions featuring Josh Scott and a comprehensive Leader Guide, making this perfect as a six-week group study.

Exploring the Chapter Behind the Verse. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options. Components include a book, Context: Putting Scripture in Its Place, and video teaching sessions featuring Josh Scott, making this perfect as a group study throughout the year. Context looks at verses we know by heart but may not know the people, places, and times that give them meaning. Josh Scott delves into these well-known Scripture verses, exploring their true meanings by examining them in their original biblical context. Through this process, he unveils fresh and enlightening interpretations that are often missed when these Scriptures are taken out of context.

Discover what sets United Methodism apart. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options. Components include a book, Knowing Who We Are, and video teaching sessions featuring Laceye Warner, making this perfect as a group study throughout the year. A companion book, Who We Are and What We Believe: 50 Questions about The UMC, is also available. In this book, Laceye C. Warner invites you to a richer understanding of Wesleyan Christianity so you can have a clear sense of identity, better express your own beliefs, and deepen your connection with The United Methodist Church. She introduces you to important values and characteristics that make the Wesleyan way distinctive, including emphasizing God's grace for all and sanctification as tangible transformation in your life, your community, and all creation. You'll see how The United Methodist Church today is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition and a legacy of care, compassion, and active response to injustice in the world. And you'll find that Christian faith in the Wesleyan tradition holds together personal faith and community life, along with a commitment to justice through ministry and service. Pick up this book and study it with your small group and discover a way of being Christian that fills you with joy, moves you to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and spurs you to live with compassion and grace.

Clear answers to common questions. This small, simple, and shareable book about The United Methodist Church is a helpful reference guide to everything that makes The UMC distinctive. Written in a clear, accessible style by Laceye Warner, Who We Are and What We Believe: 50 Questions about the UMC contains answers to fifty common questions about who United Methodists are, what we believe and practice, and what sets us apart. Use it alone or as a companion to Knowing Who We Are: The Wesleyan Way of Grace. The book also contains useful references for those who want to learn more about a given set of questions.

Part of the most comprehensive collection of Wesley's writings. The correspondence presented in this sixth volume of Wesley's letters covers the period when Methodists in North America, by a "strange providence," were severed from their relationship with the Church of England. Wesley made heroic efforts to provide them with ordained clergy and other materials they would need in their life as a "church." It also illuminates the tensions that John's decision to ordain clergy for Methodists outside of England created within his connexion in England--particularly with his brother Charles. The volume includes over 200 items not found in previous editions of Wesley's letters. All Works of John Wesley volumes are designed to keep the pages clean and in place for years to come., with casebound non-cloth hardcover, dust jacket, and secure adhesive binding.

Discover what sets United Methodism apart. In this book, Laceye C. Warner invites you to a richer understanding of Wesleyan Christianity so you can have a clear sense of identity, better express your own beliefs, and deepen your connection with The United Methodist Church. She introduces you to important values and characteristics that make the Wesleyan way distinctive, including emphasizing God's grace for all and sanctification as tangible transformation in your life, your community, and all creation. You'll see how The United Methodist Church today is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition and a legacy of care, compassion, and active response to injustice in the world. And you'll find that Christian faith in the Wesleyan tradition holds together personal faith and community life, along with a commitment to justice through ministry and service. Pick up this book and study it with your small group and discover a way of being Christian that fills you with joy, moves you to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and spurs you to live with compassion and grace. The book can be read alone or used by small groups anytime throughout the year. Components include video teaching sessions featuring Laceye Warner and a comprehensive Leader Guide, making this perfect as a six-week group study. A companion book, Who We Are and What We Believe: 50 Questions about The UMC, is also available.

Explore the tenderness and the tensions in the teachings of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew portrays Jesus and his message as full of tender compassion and urgent warning. This six-part exploration of an enigmatic Gospel takes readers into the themes, topics, and tensions at the heart of Matthew's story about the life and work of Jesus. Chapters focus on blessing and comfort, judgment and retribution, the meaning of discipleship, Jesus' vision for the Church and world, conflicts and complaints, and how the Gospel of Matthew speaks to believers today. The book can be read alone or used by small groups anytime throughout the year. Components include video teaching sessions featuring Matthew Skinner and a comprehensive Leader Guide.

Explore the tenderness and the tensions in the teachings of Jesus. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options. Components include the book, Matthew: The Gospel of Promised Blessings, and video teaching sessions featuring Matthew Skinner. The Gospel of Matthew portrays Jesus and his message as full of tender compassion and urgent warning. This six-part exploration of an enigmatic Gospel takes readers into the themes, topics, and tensions at the heart of Matthew's story about the life and work of Jesus. Chapters focus on blessing and comfort, judgment and retribution, the meaning of discipleship, Jesus' vision for the Church and world, conflicts and complaints, and how the Gospel of Matthew speaks to believers today.

"Our world needs love during these desperate days of radical polarization and division. United Methodist churches yearn to embrace love more completely because God first loved us. Multiplying Love underscores what matters most and stands in contrast to divisive misreadings of essential Methodist teachings. Dr. Paul Chilcote helps us embrace anew the Wesleyan vision of love of Jesus as central to what we believe and how we live"--

The last place on earth young Charles Johnson wanted to go was Mississippi during the heat of the civil rights movement.As the key African American witness to take the stand in the trial famously dubbed the "Mississippi Burning" case by the FBI, Dr. Charles Johnson, a young preacher fresh out of Bible College, became a voice for justice and equality in the segregated south.Unwittingly thrust into the heart of a national tragedy - the murder of three civil rights activists - Dr. Johnson overcame fear and adversity to become a leader in the civil rights movement. He played a vital role for the Federal Justice Department, offering clarity to the event that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And, in a shocking turn of events, Johnson offered a path of reconciliation for one of the convicted killers. A story of love, conviction, adversity, and redemption, Called to the Fire is a riveting account of a life in pursuit of the call of God and the fight for justice and equality.

Learn what it means to be a United Methodist Christian. How may we describe United Methodists? Where do we come from? What do we believe? How do United Methodists act? What are our distinctive characteristics? What is required to be a member of our denomination? How do we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ within this great communion? In this resource, we offer answers to these questions and others in broad strokes as we describe our United Methodist Church. We will introduce you to how United Methodists live and think as followers of Jesus Christ. The United Methodist Church possesses the characteristics of many other Christian traditions but has its own distinctive profile. Our denomination combines knowledge and vital piety, believing that serious theological reflection and spiritual practices are both part of the Christian life. United Methodists link personal and social holiness, expecting high personal integrity and deep concern for social justice. We are both evangelical and sacramental, showing concern for people who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and honoring the transforming power of Baptism and Holy Communion. We welcome people with many different theological perspectives. Finally, United Methodists are both local and connectional, expressing our faith in local congregations, regional associations, and global missions, so that we might do more together than any of us could do separately. This book will help readers: - hear and claim for themselves the story of God's love, God's redemption, and God's ongoing presence and power through Jesus Christ. - explore and claim for themselves the unique beliefs and emphases of United Methodist Christians. - identify ways to live day by day as United Methodist Christians as individuals and in community with other Christians. We invite you to claim for yourself the continuing story of God's mighty acts of creation, redemption, and power through Jesus Christ within our great denomination. As you begin or continue to see yourself within this living, dynamic part of the universal body of Jesus Christ, we invite you to live, be, and grow as a United Methodist Christian. The book includes reflection questions. Supplementary resources include a downloadable Sermon, Worship, and Study Series outline.