Wesley Ellis exposes the harmful impact of developmental psychology in youth ministry, proposing a theological anthropology that frees us for deeper relationship with young people. Propelled by the conviction that we must see youth as beings rather than becomings, Ellis reorients us toward relational inclusion and away from rigid developmentalism.
Schlafer's second book is an adventure in homiletical spirituality and imagination. It leads us through reflection and practical exercises to deepen our self-awareness as preachers.
Focusing on Yahweh, the "God of Justice," Leclerc discusses how each of Isaiah's three parts emphasizes justice in its own unique way. In Isaiah 1-39 justice is fidelity and judgment. In Isaiah 40-55 it is treated as a manifestation of Yahweh's sovereignty and incomparability; Yahweh and his servant are the exclusive agents of justice. And in ......
Introduces writing not just as an academic exercise but as a way for students to communicate the good news in rapidly changing contexts, as well as to discover and craft their own sense of vocation and identity. With a collection of essays, this volume emphasizes the vital skills, practices, and values involved in writing theologically.
Words bombard us every day. Words can be noisy and cheap. And yet, words are all preachers have. In Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart, Donna Giver-Johnston addresses the question: How do you capture ears in an era of noise? Many preachers want to get away from their notes and make a more personal connection with their listeners, but ......
This book was written as a practical response to many ministers who approached the author after they did not know what to say to a woman suffering violence from her abusive husband. The focus and audience is the Christian community, and the particular issues that are raised in a Christian context. Although a pastor in a congregational setting is ......
Lessons Learned from Hard Conversations about Sex, Gender, Identity, and
Why Churches Need to Talk about Sexuality is for congregational leaders and others who want to understand the debates about human sexuality and who desire to follow a process to discuss the topic and make decisions about how congregations and individuals will respond to these issues.
Over a period of fifteen years, Johns Hopkins pediatrician Pat Fosarelli, MD, a professor at St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute, surveyed approximately 9,000 children, adolescents, and teens about their understand of God. This book reveals their answers to a single query: "If you could ask God a question, what would that question be?" The candid, ......
Pastoral Counseling with Survivors of Acquaintance Rape
It is not my enemies who taunt meI could bear that.... It is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend.... Ps. 55:12-13The paucity of resources for pastoral care of acquaintance-rapesurvivors highlights the invisibility of this growing crime and its largely uncharted pastoral challenges. In fact, most rape is by an acquaintance. Only ......
In When Trauma Wounds, psychologist Karen A. McClintock combines psychological approaches with faith resources to improve trauma recovery. Whether you have experienced trauma or are a caregiving pastor, church member, or friend to a survivor, this book will familiarize you with trauma symptoms and healing strategies.
In When Prophets Preach, Jonathan C. Augustine urges preachers to speak openly against social injustice and to be prophetic leaders. By breaking the pulpit silence, he argues, the church can bridge social and ethnic gaps among its members and show society at large how to heal divisions in our world.
In these 1997 Lyman Beecher Lectures in Preaching delivered at Yale Divinity School, the author focuses on the task of those who preach and those who hear sermons in a world where people thirst for a word from God.
Written by a new generation of recognized experts in pastoral care, these brief, foundational books offer practical advice to pastors on the most frequent dilemmas of pastoral care and counseling.
In his newest book Schlafer looks at the preacher's task at the high times of the church and the secular year, those occasions on which expectations run high and emotions can be intense.
A Guide to Supporting and Working with Lgbtq+ Christian Youth
A handbook for pastors, youth workers, church leaders, educators, and other adults in Christian settings, this guide provides answers to the most pressing questions about sexuality, gender, mental health, safe sex, and more. A companion book to Queerfully and Wonderfully Made: A Guide for LGBTQ+ Christian Teens.
ln Ways of the Word, a dynamic team of master preachers, Sally A. Brown and Luke A. Powery, speaks with one voice their belief that preaching is a witness to the ongoing work of God in the world.