Graeme Cann

Although the Bible asserts that the Church is God's idea and creation, the Church in Australia, and in other nations frequently referred to as 'Christian', is in crisis. Whilst in Australia there are more churches than schools, only one out of seven people who identify as Christians attend church. Fifty percent of the population see the Church as irrelevant to them and their primary needs.Now That is the Church challenges present and future church leaders and members to rediscover God's vision for the Church, and suggests that the evolution of what has become to many a universal organisation for the performance of religious ceremonies and rituals, and for acts of compassion to the community, has in some measure led to this perception of irrelevance.The teaching of Jesu and the Apostles is very clear. God's Church was never intended to be an organisation, but a living, vibrant, reproducing organism called the Body of Christ, with Jesus as its head and the 2.2 billion Christians in the world as empowered functioning parts of the body. God's intention is to make his love and grace known to every generation through the Church. The question each of us must ask is, 'Does the wider community see the Church as god does? If not, how do we change that'

This book Vertically Challenged: the ups and downs of praying unlocks some of the common excuses people offer when it comes to prayer and praying e.g. "I don't how to how" and "I can't pray". The author offers a smorgasbord of innovative prayer strategies drawing upon his own life experiences and others' stories.Praying has its ups and downs like using a yo-yo or riding a bike until you find your balance. And don't forget about the obstacles along the way.Just as there is a difference between knowing how to ride a bike and actually riding ... so too with prayer and praying.

Graeme Cann, author of When the Tiger Roars, The Guilt Busters, and Encounter, now turns his attention to confronting what appears to be a growing inability for individual churches and organisations to respond thoughtfully to conflict rather than reacting out of fear and anger.Writing out of sixty-years experience as a pastor and counsellor, Graeme tackles topics that are rarely addressed, such as "how to future proof your church or organisation against divisive conflict." In this context he raises many issues, including "the church as an organism," "wounded leaders," and "healing the wounded church." Using the richness of the scriptures and his extensive experience of coaching churches and mentoring pastors, Graeme offers a work that is both a textbook for pastors, complete with theological reflections, and a practical guide for individuals seeking to resolve both personal and interpersonal conflict.A unique feature of this book is a section of several interviews with four people highly qualified in their fields of psychology, theology, ministry, and global missions.

Encounter is a collection of daily readings from the New Living Translation of the Bible designed to take you on a journey that Jesus took three years to travel. You will walk in his footsteps through Judea, listen in to conversations he had with individuals, experience confrontations with those who opposed him, witness amazing miracles and be moved by his wisdom and teaching.You are invited to not just simply read this book but to use it as a way of encountering Jesus Christ and engaging in a life-changing exploration of the whole gospel narrative. Such an exploration will raise many questions, answer some of them and set you on a journey that has the potential to be life-changing.

Encounter is a collection of daily readings from the New Living Translation of the Bible designed to take you on a journey that Jesus took three years to travel. You will walk in his footsteps through Judea, listen in to conversations he had with individuals, experience confrontations with those who opposed him, witness amazing miracles and be moved by his wisdom and teaching.You are invited to not just simply read this book but to use it as a way of encountering Jesus Christ and engaging in a life-changing exploration of the whole gospel narrative. Such an exploration will raise many questions, answer some of them and set you on a journey that has the potential to be life-changing.

Sampa is set in a beautiful valley bordered on one side by a mountain range and on the other by a mysterious rain forest. At the foot of the mountain a river flows along the full length of the valley. For hundreds of years this valley was home to a people known as Sampians. The mountain range was home to various villages inhabited by tribes of primitive people whose culture was largely impacted by the fact that they were spirit worshippers. Their belief that the spirits were easily angered and that they could only be placated by constant worship and sacrifices meant that they were a fearful and superstitious people. The Rain Forest on the other hand was not inhabited by people but by a myriad of animals. The Great One of the forest was the tiger. In the early days of Sampa the Tiger and the people were enemies. The tiger killed their livestock and their people and the Sampians hunted the tiger. The tiger was the symbol of all that was fearful and uncontrollable.A Covenant miraculously created between the Tiger and the Sampians meant that the people of the valley could live at peace and the Sampians became a people who lived without fear. One of the cultural characteristics of a society without fear is their love and generosity, which for the Sampians led to their welcoming over many years refugees from the Mountain villages. Some of these people brought with them their fear and superstitions and their propensity for violence and over the centuries the belief in the covenant which enabled the Sampians to live without fear was weakened and as fear grew the society changed.The democratic government that the Sampians had always known was replaced by a dictatorship backed by a newly assembled army. Valued freedoms were lost, distrust between neighbors grew, family, sexual and other types of physical and verbal abuse became common place. However, a group of Sampians who for many years had argued for a return to the values and beliefs of the past continued their struggle even in the face of persecution. When at last, enemies from the mountain attacked and captured Sampa this group of dissenters escaped, finally taking up residence in a valley almost identical with the one from which they had come.The new valley was named Loloma and the refugees from the doomed Sampa set about trying to recapture the values and culture of Sampa of the past. This was a daunting task as most of the new citizens of Loloma had themselves been the victims of abuse and betrayal. They themselves had lived in a culture of fear, distrust and violence and their life and behaviors had been profoundly impacted by their experience. The story of Loloma is the story of a people who believed that it was possible to recapture the values and qualities of a past time but in the pursuit of the dream, were in fact their own worst enemies.

Sampa is set in a beautiful valley bordered on one side by a mountain range and on the other by a mysterious rain forest. At the foot of the mountain a river flows along the full length of the valley. For hundreds of years this valley was home to a people known as Sampians. The mountain range was home to various villages inhabited by tribes of primitive people whose culture was largely impacted by the fact that they were spirit worshippers. Their belief that the spirits were easily angered and that they could only be placated by constant worship and sacrifices meant that they were a fearful and superstitious people. The Rain Forest on the other hand was not inhabited by people but by a myriad of animals. The Great One of the forest was the tiger. In the early days of Sampa the Tiger and the people were enemies. The tiger killed their livestock and their people and the Sampians hunted the tiger. The tiger was the symbol of all that was fearful and uncontrollable.A Covenant miraculously created between the Tiger and the Sampians meant that the people of the valley could live at peace and the Sampians became a people who lived without fear. One of the cultural characteristics of a society without fear is their love and generosity, which for the Sampians led to their welcoming over many years refugees from the Mountain villages. Some of these people brought with them their fear and superstitions and their propensity for violence and over the centuries the belief in the covenant which enabled the Sampians to live without fear was weakened and as fear grew the society changed.The democratic government that the Sampians had always known was replaced by a dictatorship backed by a newly assembled army. Valued freedoms were lost, distrust between neighbors grew, family, sexual and other types of physical and verbal abuse became common place. However, a group of Sampians who for many years had argued for a return to the values and beliefs of the past continued their struggle even in the face of persecution. When at last, enemies from the mountain attacked and captured Sampa this group of dissenters escaped, finally taking up residence in a valley almost identical with the one from which they had come.The new valley was named Loloma and the refugees from the doomed Sampa set about trying to recapture the values and culture of Sampa of the past. This was a daunting task as most of the new citizens of Loloma had themselves been the victims of abuse and betrayal. They themselves had lived in a culture of fear, distrust and violence and their life and behaviors had been profoundly impacted by their experience. The story of Loloma is the story of a people who believed that it was possible to recapture the values and qualities of a past time but in the pursuit of the dream, were in fact their own worst enemies.