Robert Atwell

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that helps inquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Christ. A Christian course for the twenty-first century, Pilgrim offers an approach of participation, not persuasion. Following the practice of the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer with quotes from the Christian tradition throughout the ages, Pilgrim assumes little or no knowledge of the Christian faith. Individuals or small groups on the journey of discipleship in the Episcopal tradition can use Pilgrim at any point. There are many different aspects to helping people learn about the Christian faith. We have taken as our starting point Jesus' summary of the commandments. We are called to offer our lives to God through loving God with all our mind, soul, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Learning about Christian faith and growing in Christian faith is about more than what we believe. It's also about the ways in which we pray and develop our relationship with God, about the way we live our lives and about living in God's vision for the Church and for the world. Course 4. The Beatitudes A short but profoundly beautiful and influential collection of sayings by Jesus. They sum up his teaching about what it means to live as a child of God's kingdom. The authors of this course believe that following Jesus requires us to engage with this important text, so that it is restored to a central place in the life of the Church. We believe that the Beatitudes, and trying to live them out, is one of the best ways of loving God with all your heart and understanding the Christian vision for the world.

Reflections for Daily Prayer continues to be one of the most popular and highly valued daily Bible reading companions. Continuing its tradition of excellence, regular favourites and new contributors offer insightful, informed and inspiring reflections on the scripture readings of the day, based on the Common Worship lectionary for Morning Prayer. Isabelle Hamley, Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge, is the guest contributor for Holy Week. For every day (excluding Sundays) of the 2026-27 Church year, there are full references and a quotation from the day’s set of Scripture readings, concise and challenging commentary, and a collect. Also included is a simple order for Morning and Night Prayer, and additional helps for nurturing a habit of regular daily prayer.

In our bewildering age when the mental health of so many is fragile and people feel adrift and uncertain, an unlikely hero can offer surprising and much needed wisdom. We think of prophets as strong and confident figures, but the prophet Jonah is neither of these. In fact he’s barely taken seriously at all and is crowded out of his own story by the whale that swallowed him up. Robert Atwell uncovers how the book of Jonah offers a strikingly relevant theology for our time - one that grapples with isolation, protest, anger, fear, and depression, all under the shadow of divine presence in the midst of personal turmoil. For those who feel unmoored, Jonah's story becomes a surprising source of consolation. Ultimately, it maps the contours of grace - a grace that feels especially absent in today’s world. Alone among the prophets, Jonah is named by Jesus and described as a ‘sign’. In this short, deeply comforting book, Atwell explores how Jonah still speaks to us, offering insight and hope to a restless generation.

Each year in the UK, 225,000 people are diagnosed with dementia. The implications for aging church congregations, and for the Christian mission to people throughout their lives, are considerable. God In Fragments aims to equip those engaged in or preparing for ministry to people with dementia. It explores the theological and spiritual challenges of dementia, suggests practical ways to help those living with dementia participate in worship, and offers a wide range of prayers and worship outlines. • Part One offers theological reflection on living with dementia, spiritual awareness, creating dementia-friendly churches and accessible worship. • Part Two contains services, prayers, readings and activities suitable for those with dementia, for use in formal or informal church contexts, church cafés, care homes and hospitals. In an Afterword, Samuel Wells reflects on unlocking the gates of memory.

"There is a warm and confident practicality in Atwell's teaching. He is the grandparent one always wanted, and the fellow adventurer who understands." - Emilie Griffin, author of Turning, Clinging, and Doors into Prayer, from the forewordMore and more people are living into old age--that's a fact. With our careers winding down and our children having left home, we are faced, sometimes for the first time in our lives, with the most basic questions about the meaning of life. This book is a spiritual guide for just such times, and an opportunity to make the most of the last quarter of a good life.

Course 5: The Creeds: What is the core of Christian belief in greater depth, as shown through the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds? These six sessions aim to equip the reader with an understanding of the creeds as priceless resources for living the Christian life and for knowing God better. In Session 1, we look at what it means to say: "I believe" and "We believe" and at the role the creeds play in strengthening our relationship with God. Session 2 explores what it means to understand God as Trinity: one God in three persons. Sessions 3 and 4 take us deeper in our understanding of Jesus and look at the way Christ is fully God and fully human and at the great work of redemption on the cross. Session 5 explores the person and work of the Holy Spirit, and Session 6 at what we believe about the Church.

Course 6: The Eucharist: How do Christians know and worship God? The six sessions of Course 6 reveal reasons why the Eucharist is celebrated as a memorial of Christ's saving passion and stands at the very heart of Christian worship. Session 1 looks at worship as communion with God. Session 2 explores the Eucharist as the pattern of all Christian worship. Session 3 looks at the intimacy we have with God in Holy Communion and how we are transformed by the encounter. Sessions 4 - 6 look at worship as a sign and foretaste of heaven, shaping our whole life, and how the whole of life is sacramental.

Course 8: Church & Kingdom: What does it mean to live as a child of the kingdom of God and follow in the way of Christ each day as a member of his church? How does it affect our life at work as well as at home? How does it affect what we do with the gifts we have been given, especially those gifts of time and talents, passions, resources, and money? How is the Christian faith changing us and shaping us so that we become more like Jesus? The importance of prayer, living out our faith, celebrating Sabbath, and reflecting generosity is explored. We look at how faith in the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit shapes and changes all our relationships

Course 7: The Bible: What is it, how was it given to us, and how should we read it? These six sessions combine simple prayer, Bible reflection in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection. By the end of the six sessions, it is hoped that participants will have learned how to make reading the Bible a part of everyday life, with the ability to read, pray, and listen to what God might be saying, allowing the words to change each participant.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that helps inquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Christ. A Christian course for the twenty-first century, Pilgrim offers an approach of participation, not persuasion. Following the practice of the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer with quotes from the Christian tradition throughout the ages, Pilgrim assumes little or no knowledge of the Christian faith. Individuals or small groups on the journey of discipleship in the Episcopal tradition can use Pilgrim at any point. There are many different aspects to helping people learn about the Christian faith. We have taken as our starting point Jesus' summary of the commandments. We are called to offer our lives to God through loving God with all our mind, soul, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Learning about Christian faith and growing in Christian faith is about more than what we believe. It's also about the ways in which we pray and develop our relationship with God, about the way we live our lives and about living in God's vision for the Church and for the world. Course 1, Turning to Christ: What do Christians believe? This is the question explored as the questions that are asked at Holy Baptism are discussed. We begin by looking at who Jesus was; why did people want to spend time with him so long ago and why do we promise to turn to Christ and follow him today? This is followed by learning what Christians believe about God, Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, and the Baptismal Covenant.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that helps inquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Christ. A Christian course for the twenty-first century, Pilgrim offers an approach of participation, not persuasion. Following the practice of the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer with quotes from the Christian tradition throughout the ages, Pilgrim assumes little or no knowledge of the Christian faith. Individuals or small groups on the journey of discipleship in the Episcopal tradition can use Pilgrim at any point. There are many different aspects to helping people learn about the Christian faith. We have taken as our starting point Jesus' summary of the commandments. We are called to offer our lives to God through loving God with all our mind, soul, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Learning about Christian faith and growing in Christian faith is about more than what we believe. It's also about the ways in which we pray and develop our relationship with God, about the way we live our lives and about living in God's vision for the Church and for the world. Course 3. The Commandments: Following Jesus is about the way we behave as well as what we believe. So how should Christians behave and how should we live? This part of Pilgrim explores that question through one of the core texts of the Christian faith: the Commandments. We look in Session 1 at the two commandments Jesus uses to summarize the whole of the Old Testament law: the call to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In Sessions 2-6, we explore the Ten Commandments themselves.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that helps inquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Christ. A Christian course for the twenty-first century, Pilgrim offers an approach of participation, not persuasion. Following the practice of the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer with quotes from the Christian tradition throughout the ages, Pilgrim assumes little or no knowledge of the Christian faith. Individuals or small groups on the journey of discipleship in the Episcopal tradition can use Pilgrim at any point. There are many different aspects to helping people learn about the Christian faith. We have taken as our starting point Jesus' summary of the commandments. We are called to offer our lives to God through loving God with all our mind, soul, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Learning about Christian faith and growing in Christian faith is about more than what we believe. It's also about the ways in which we pray and develop our relationship with God, about the way we live our lives and about living in God's vision for the Church and for the world. Course 2. The Lord's Prayer: How do Christians know and worship God? Explore the Lord's Prayer in these sessions as a gateway to the Christian gospel, as a guide to our own prayers, and as a way of deepening our relationship with God. Here is a way of seeing God and the world and yourself which is profound and revolutionary and good news.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that will help enquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Jesus Christ. It offers an approach of participation, not persuasion, encouraging enquirers to practice the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer, exploring key texts that have helped people since the earliest days of the Christian faith. What does it mean to live as a child of God? This final part of the Grow stage looks at how following Christ each day affects our life at home and at work, our resources and relationships, and how the Christian faith can shape us to become more like Jesus. Session One: Praying through life - Explores the importance of prayer, particularly daily prayer as foundational for the Christian life. Session Two: At home and at work - Looks at how we live out our faith every day and of the importance of Sabbath. Session Three: Living generously - Considers what it means to reflect the generosity of God in our own lives. Session Four: In all my relationships - Looks at how faith in the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit shapes and changes all our relationships. Session Five: Confronting the injustices of the world - Considers how the Christian life requires us to be involved in the affairs of the world and to witness to God’s kingdom of peace and justice every day. Session Six: Treading lightly on the earth - Explores our relationship with the earth itself. All sessions combine a simple framework prayer, reflection on the Bible in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection, supported by online audio-visual resources.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that will help enquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Jesus Christ. It offers an approach of participation, not persuasion, encouraging enquirers to practice the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer, exploring key texts that have helped people since the earliest days of the Christian faith. The Bible is one of the most influential books in the world. This third book in the Grow Stage explores the Bible: what it is, where it comes from, how we should read it, and how it can help us grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Session One: What is the Bible? - Looks at a ‘way in’ to reading the Bible, thinking particularly about how to recognize what kind of writing the Bible is. Session Two: The Bible as Breath - Reflects on what it means to say that the Bible is the breath of God. Session Three: The Bible as a stream of living water - Explores how the Bible nourishes us. Session Four: The Bible as a lamp - Looks at the Bible as something that enlightens and informs us as Christians. Session Five: The Bible as a two-edged sword - Explores what it means to say that the Bible is living and active. Session Six: Daily bread - Considers how we can make Bible-reading a part of our regular life and prayer. All sessions combine a simple framework prayer, reflection on the Bible in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection, supported by online audio-visual resources.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that will help enquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Jesus Christ. It offers an approach of participation, not persuasion, encouraging enquirers to practice the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer, exploring key texts that have helped people since the earliest days of the Christian faith. This first book in the Grow Stage explores the core of Christian belief in greater depth through the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds. Its six sessions aim to equip participants with an understanding of these priceless resources for living the Christian life and for knowing God better. Session One: What are the Creeds? - Examines the reasons the Creeds were developed and the role they play in Christian life and faith. Session Two: God as Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit - Considers the profound and wonderful truth that God is Trinity: three persons in relationship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Session Three: Fully God and fully human - Looks at the unique nature of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, and what this teaches us about God and being human. Session Four: Crucified, risen and ascended - Explores the great shadows in our lives - sin, death and hell - and the way Jesus overcomes these through his death and resurrection. Session Five: I believe in the Holy Spirit - What does it mean to receive the Holy Spirit? This session looks at the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the Church. Session Six: One holy, catholic and apostolic church - Explores what it means to belong to the people of God and to declare that the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. All sessions combine a simple framework prayer, reflection on the Bible in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection, supported by online audio-visual resources.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that will help enquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Jesus Christ. It offers an approach of participation, not persuasion, encouraging enquirers to practice the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer, exploring key texts that have helped people since the earliest days of the Christian faith. This second book in the Grow Stage explores in greater depth how Christians know and worship God. Its six sessions reveal the reasons why The Eucharist is celebrated as a memorial of Christ’s saving passion and stands at the very heart of Christian worship. Session One: Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness - Explores worship as communion with God. Session Two: This is my body broken for you - Considers the Eucharist as the pattern of all Christian worship. Session Three: He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread - Looks at the intimacy we have with God in Holy Communion and how we are transformed by the encounter. Session Four: If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come and eat with you - How can worship be seen as a sign and foretaste of heaven? Session Five: Do this to remember me - Explores how worship shapes our entire lives. Session Six: I am the bread of life - Considers the notion that the whole of life is sacramental. All sessions combine a simple framework prayer, reflection on the Bible in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection, supported by online audio-visual resources.

Until relatively recently a Church of England funeral was the default option of the majority of the British population. This is no longer the case. Today, in some urban areas, secular or humanist funerals now account for 40% of funerals. The numbers of Anglican funerals are in free-fall. In exploring what makes a good funeral, this practical guide aims to rebuild the confidence of clergy in their funeral ministry and to equip them for transformative, missional pastoral engagement. This book grew out of diocesan consultation with funeral directors who identified three essential qualities that only the church offers: a distinctive understanding of death continuing pastoral care hope, not just empathy. Building on this foundation, Robert Atwell suggests many practical ways in which the church can become better at conducting funerals and engaging with those who seek pastoral support at critical points in their lives.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that will help enquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Jesus Christ. It offers an approach of participation, not persuasion, encouraging enquirers to practice the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer, exploring key texts that have helped people since the earliest days of the Christian faith. How can we build our lives on the teaching and example of Jesus? The Beatitudes are probably the most important, subversive and revolutionary text in the Bible. In order to follow Jesus and live the Christian life, we need to enter into the challenging but beautiful world of the Beatitudes and that is what this exciting course is all about. Session One: Living with Openness to God - Looks at what it means to live with openness to God and to the world. Session Two: Thirsting for what is right - What does it mean to live with obedience to God and with a desire to put things right in the world as God intends? Session Three: Living Transparently - Exploring what it means to be transparent in all we do and are, looking at how we show others the mercy God gives to us. Session Four: Peacemaking - What does it mean to be a peacemaker after the example of Christ and what is the cost of this witness? Session Five: Living as Citizens of God’s Kingdom - Looks at what Jesus meant by the kingdom and how we can live as its citizens. Session Six: Foundations - Explores what it means to build our lives on the teaching and example of Jesus, as we have seen in the Beatitudes All sessions combine a simple framework prayer, reflection on the Bible in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection, supported by online audio-visual resources.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that will help enquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Jesus Christ. It offers an approach of participation, not persuasion, encouraging enquirers to practice the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer, exploring key texts that have helped people since the earliest days of the Christian faith. How should Christians behave and how should we live? The Commandments are one of the foundations of the Christian faith. They teach us how we should aim to live as individuals and as a community. These six sessions explore the ways in which Jesus interprets the Commandments for his disciples and expands their meaning. Session One: Priorities - Looks at Jesus’ summary of the law as the foundation for the way a disciple is called to live. Session Two: Reverence - Explores the vital importance of reverence and worship for God and the danger of making idols of what we love. Session Three: Rest - This session further explores the theme of reverence in the third commandment and the linked theme of rest and the Sabbath in the rhythm of our lives. Session Four: Respect - Focussing on the honour shown within the family and respect for the sanctity of life, this session explores the theme of respect. Session Five: Righteousness - Looks at the commandments about adultery and theft and their implications for our daily lives. Session Six: Reliability - What are the dangers of dishonesty and covetousness? This session looks at the damage they may cause. All sessions combine a simple framework prayer, reflection on the Bible in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection, supported by online audio-visual resources.

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that will help enquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Jesus Christ. It offers an approach of participation, not persuasion, encouraging enquirers to practice the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer, exploring key texts that have helped people since the earliest days of the Christian faith. How do Christians know and worship God? The Lord’s Prayer uses one of the greatest Christian prayers to reveal more about what God is like. Over six sessions, it uses each powerful line of the Lord’s Prayer as a gateway to the Christian gospel. Session One: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name - Explores the Christian belief that, through prayer, Jesus invites us into a relationship with God as our Father. Session Two: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven - Unpacks the idea of the kingdom of God, which is central to Jesus’ teaching and being a Christian disciple. Session Three: Give us today our daily bread - How does God feed his people, and what does it means to pray the words: ‘Give us this day our daily bread’? Session Four: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us - Looks at the central place of forgiveness in the Christian life: both receiving God’s forgiveness and forgiving others. Session Five: Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil - Considers our strengths and weaknesses, exploring this plea to God for help and protection. Session Six: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen - How praise and worship begins and ends Christian prayer, and draws everything together. All sessions combine a simple framework prayer, reflection on the Bible in the lectio divina style, an article by a modern writer, and time for questions and reflection, supported by online audio-visual resources.