Kirjahaku

As Luke's "sequel," the Acts of the Apostles serve as an ideal bridge between the four Gospels and the Epistles, revealing a crucial part of the Christian story. Here we follow the story of Jesus' earliest followers from their call to be his witnesses "to the ends of the earth," through their initial days of concord and numerical successes, to the challenges they faced as unfamiliar newcomers entered the scene. We discover the leadership changes that resulted from these challenges, explore a council's response to the struggles, and meet the champion who, against the odds, became the Church's chief protagonist. Author C.K. Robertson presents a well-researched, yet highly readable exploration of the Acts of the Apostles.

Easy to read; short book on a key topic for seekers.In an age where people increasingly spend their weekends anywhere but in a place of worship, it is important to ask why anyone should go to church. In Why Go to Church? Robertson addresses the top reasons for not attending and goes further to explore how church participation can enhance one’s life on so many levels. Essential reading for those who have thought about going to church, are thinking about going back to church, and even those who go to church regularly but want to attain a deeper worship experience.

At once a “travel guide” and a vision for the future, this series is good news for the Episcopal Church at a time of fast and furious demographic and social change. It analyzes the present plight of the church and sketches a positive way forward, sprouting from the seeds of change—those transformative practices already at work renewing the church. What church models can help point us toward transformation? What are the essential tools? What will give us strength, direction, and purpose to the journey?Each volume of the series will:Explain why a changed vision is essential Give robust theological and biblical foundations Offer a guide to best practices and positive trends in churches large and small Describe the necessary tools for change Imagine how transformation will look For most Episcopalians, stewardship is synonymous with pledge drives, budgets, and capital campaigns, but the Bible is clear that God wants more than our tithes and offerings. Looking to its scriptural roots in 1 Chronicles, Luke-Acts, and the letters of Paul, as well as St. Francis’ “third way,” Robertson offers a vision of holistic stewardship for the whole church, holistic because it can’t be separated from evangelism, outreach, scripture study, and ministry to the newcomer. It does not involve strong-arm tactics, only a willingness to risk changing existing structures and ideas in order to enrich the faith community and strengthen connections to the neighboring world.Transforming Stewardship delivers both good and bad news about Episcopalians and stewardship. Robertson provides essential models and spiritual practices in order to transform the church’s outmoded attitudes toward stewardship and wealth into a broader context of faith.

This exciting six-session DVD study invites small groups and individuals to explore the lives of six Christian “saints” who risked all for the sake of the gospel.Like Jesus, each of the featured leaders were change agents in their times: the Subversive Bridge-Builder, Barnabas; the Lovable Rebel, Francis of Assisi; the Tightrope Walker, Thomas Cranmer; the Persevering Prophet, Sojourner Truth; the Idealistic Realist, Dorothy Day; and the People’s Voice, Oscar Romero. Each session concludes with three possible endings, one for adult study groups, one for individuals, and one for vestries and other gatherings of church leaders. Illustrative slides promote conversation starters and interaction. It also includes a bonus resource: A Simple Prayer Liturgy for Use by a Small Group. The program calls for one study guide per participant and one DVD for the individual or group, each sold separately.

Who were Barnabas and Paul? Was Paul an angry loner, misogynist, legalist, and curmudgeon, or hero and martyr? Through point and counterpoint, the author unravels Paul's message by looking at his relationship with Barnabas. The result is a fresh portrait of the Paul we only think we know and Barnabas an otherwise unheralded apostle. When the Church cannot condemn or kill a leader who upsets the status quo, it either canonizes the individual and controls his image (as with Paul) or pushes him off into relative obscurity (as with Barnabas). Paul and Barnabas started out as inseparable, close friends and colleagues until a conflict tore them apart. Barnabas of Cyprus faded into relative obscurity, while Paul of Tarsus became, apart from Jesus himself, the most influential figure in the history of Christianity and, arguably, the most maligned. By exploring their common journey, we can move beyond myths and assumptions. Theirs was a partnership that, quite literally, changed the world. The book contains study questions for individual or group study.